purchase decusion - own two 7811 refurbs?

I own a 7811 refurb I got from TD for $750 and really like it alot - especially the wuxga+ screen. Well, I have the opportunity to get another one at a similar price and am tempted to do so for two reasons:

1) The refresh of the 7805 is now only shipping with the wxga+ screen and I love the wuxga+ res.

2) I was told by a BB manager that gateway was ending the FX line after the 7805u.

The prices seem very good, but would it be a waste of money to own two of these? Would it ever be justified as a spare/backup or am I kidding myself? Even if Gateway cancels the FX line will there be similar/better laptops with the a wuxga screen at a close to or similar decent price?

Basically, would I be better just putting the $750 in the bank and save it for the next big thing, (hopefully a big thing with a great video card and wuxga screen)?

thanks

 

I currently own 4 Gateway FX Laptops, 2 x P-6831FX and 2 x P7805u. Ill probably end up only keeping 3, but there is nothing wrong with having a backup laptop, easpecially since you like it soo much. I keep one on my desk attached to a 24" monitor, one that I take around the house, and my fully upgraded one I use for when I need a laptop for the road. $750 for a 7811 is a great deal. I say keep both.

 

Unless you just "need" another laptop i would save your money.

I doubt a manager at best buy would know about the inner workings of gateway (acer) so take what they said with a grain of salt

 

I have three and I paid $1250.00 for one of them. A "NEW" one from a friend who works at BB. They are all the same though. I say go for it unless you are strapped for cash. Keep us posted.

 

If the second one is going to sit in a box waiting for the first one to fail, save your cash. There's no point in owning something that even never touched will start depreciating in value rapidly in less than 6 months. It's like buying two new cars and only driving one and having the second one just in case. While its not as bad for cars because at least you can still show one has no miles, its still gonna be the old model if you ever decide to get rid of it, and the money will get you even more hardware in a year or whenever the other laptop gives out. If you really need a backup get a netbook or a cheapy unless you're in a profession where you HAVE to have this kind of power on deck at the drop of a hat, but even then I think I'd just take the risk of having to go drop extra cash at best buy to buy a replacement on the spot rather than sitting on an extra expensive laptop.

 

Go for it if you really really really love the machine.
Otherwise, $750 can get you a better one in the future.

 

I think you guys are right.

It would probably not totally stay in its box, but it would not get fully utilized. I like the idea of having a backup, but in a year or two I would probably like having a "new" laptop more. When I think long and hard about it, these have a finite lifespan (before obsolescence) and the the clock started ticking yesterday.

I do 3d graphics and cad and these seem the perfect match of price and performance. But there are wuxga led screens and quad cores in the future too. Maybe in a year TD will have refurb Gateway 8811 FX's for $750. I hope the Best Buy manager is wrong.

It is a great price, but there will always be other deals.

thanks for the help

 

Keep in mind that youre asking on a forum for laptop fanatics. You may need to step back and see what you really need.

I have tons of hardware btw. lol

 

Yep, it was due to the fact that the response was 50/50 on whether to get it or not that swayed me. I love these things too, but $750 is still a decent amount of money regardless of the savings off of retail and I guess I need to have some fiscal disipline.


I hope I don't eat my words and I hope Gateway has a killer Quad FX lappy next year, because I have $750 waiting for it now.

Trust me I wanted to get it, but my internal guilt was speaking to me also.

 

Hee hee, me too.

 

Good for you, saving money is a good thing.
Especially since nehelam is coming out at the end of this year. And thats nothing but quad core