6200H on sale at Best Buy this week. Buy or not?

Hi. I've been researching notebooks and have found two on sale this week that look like they meet my needs.

One is the Averatec 6200H at Best Buy for $1200 with a $150 mail in rebate making the price a luscious $1050!!!!!
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?type=product&id=1087341193398&productCategoryId=cat01174&skuId=6742215&cmp=ILC-M1609050402

These are sold out on the Circuit City website. Also this model may not be available in stores, online only.

Best Buy is also having a sale on the Gateway 4520GZ with $150 instant savings with final price of $1250. I like instant savings
better than mail in rebate.

The two are equivalent systems with similer features.
The difference being mainly the processors.

How does the AMD Athlon™ XP-M low-voltage processor 2400+* with QuantiSpeed™ architecture compare to the Intel Centrino Pentium M?

Which screen is brighter?

Which one would you buy and why?

thanks!

David
(my first post!)

 

I like the pentium M CPU more than the AMD cause it is lower power, but for the notebook overall I would go with the Avertec, they make a good notebook for the price, and right now Gateway is at the very bottom in quality and it's hard to say if they will even be in the notebook business a year from now.

Jack

"They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security, deserve neither liberty or security" (Ben Franklin)
http://pbase.com/joneill

 

I would also go with the Averatec, simply because you can play DVDs on it without starting the computer. This _greatly_ prolongs batterylife when watching DVDs (just like a protable DVD player but with a bigger battery and screen). It is actually marketed as a "Mobile Theatre" a portable wide screen DVD player and Laptop in one. For the price, there is simply nothing that compares with Averatec. It plays DVDs, CDs and MP3s without the need to start the computer, and it also comes with a wireless remote control! Their hughe popularity rise lately is showing they are doing something right! This is in my opinion a killer laptop for the money...

Even Walmart have evaluated Averatec and is selling another one of their modeles with built in DVD/RW, carrying case etc included for $998.

 

You are looking at the same exact two choices I was... until I ordered the Averatec yesterday. I have been researching both these models on about 50 different websites for a month. Gateway in general is panned overall. The Averatecs are usually given thumbs-up. After the extensive research I decided that the benefit of the dedicated DVD player outweighed anything else. I am looking forward to receiving my Averatec 6200 in "4-12 days."

Plus I really like the remote control and it's little hiding spot. I would have liked having a memory-stick slot in the Averatec, but that was the Gateway's ONLY plus feature. I can use my USB memory stick reader, as always.

I'll post a review when I get my new 'toy.'
Traci

I'd rather aim for the sky and miss, then aim for a bucket of s**t and hit it.

 

The idea of being able to play a DVD without booting the PC is great! All notebooks should have this function.

Jack

"They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security, deserve neither liberty or security" (Ben Franklin)
http://pbase.com/joneill

 

Two different applications, IMHO. If you want or need a multimedia machine more than a desktop replacement (like in my case), the 6200 makes more sense. If you need the processor oomph that'd you get from a higher powered computer, look at the 6100 series (or Walmart's, if you're more budget conscious). I have a DVD burner on my desktop, so I don't need that feature. I also don't need a super-duper processor since I can do Photoshop editing, etc., on my desktop. Also note the 5428 from Walmart has a 40GB HD.

For a desktop replacement with a DVD burner and 15.4" wide screen, check out the 6130HS at Sams's Club ($1248.63). Bit more money, but might have all that you're looking for.
Specs:
Model: AV6130HS
# 15.4" TFT
# 3GHz HT
# 512MB DDR
# 60GB hard drive
# DVD/CD Burner
# 54g Wireless
# XP Home

Gonna go back to sitting on my doorstep waiting for FedEx to arrive with my 6200!! <twiddle, twiddle>...

<< I'm wondering myself about the 6200H at Best Buy or whether
the 5428HX might not be a bad deal from Walmart. Not trying to
be cheap or anything but the $998 Walmart version has a DVD burner
whereas the 6200H does not. Course the 6200H has the 15.4" screen
v.s. the 5428HX 15" screen. Can someone please help me make up
my mind??? Seriously, for Photoshop use, which of these
two would you recommend??? Hmmm. The Walmart version has a
2800 Athlon CPU v.s. 2400 for the Best Buy model. Help please.>>

-----------------------------------------
"I'd rather aim for the sky and miss, then aim for a bucket of s**t and hit it."

 

Yeah, I too think the 6130 might be what you really want here.

Editor in Chief http://www.bargainPDA.com and http://www.SPOTstop.com

 

I'm wondering myself about the 6200H at Best Buy or whether
the 5428HX might not be a bad deal from Walmart. Not trying to
be cheap or anything but the $998 Walmart version has a DVD burner
whereas the 6200H does not. Course the 6200H has the 15.4" screen
v.s. the 5428HX 15" screen. Can someone please help me make up
my mind???[ )] Seriously, for Photoshop use, which of these
two would you recommend??? Hmmm. The Walmart version has a
2800 Athlon CPU v.s. 2400 for the Best Buy model. Help please.

 

If the emachines 6811 were thrown into the bunch would
that change decision making for use with Photoshop CS???

 

The emachines 6811 is a high-powered desktop replacement system. It does everything but start your car for you. (The 6812 might do that, not sure, haha). It also has the high-powered price to go with it. Seems like good specs if you want a high-end notebook. Not in the same league as the other computers in this thread, the AV6200 and Gateway 4520, though. Can't compare with them.

Peace!

-----------------------------------------
"I'd rather aim for the sky and miss, then aim for a bucket of s**t and hit it."

 

I solved the problem...I got my AV6200 and I absolutely love it.
I will be formally reviewing it here shortly. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me in this forum, perhaps in a new thread.

It's everything it's advertised to be.

Traci

-----------------------------------------
"I'd rather aim for the sky and miss, then aim for a bucket of s**t and hit it."

 

I'm eagerly awaiting for my Averatec 6200H from Best Buy. Laptops which are desktop replacements seem paradoxical. The AMD XPM and Intel M chips are designed for optimal battery life, albeit the Intel M chip uses a little less power. The chip in the 6200H is from the latest series from AMD and is close to the M chip in power consumption. The Averatec 6200H is a gleaming example of outstanding systems engineering which includes a specialized video chip which permits the channelization of audio and video to the display with out the processor. This is what notebooks are about, low power consumption. If one wants a desktop, get a flat panel screen and a desktop with a 200+ Gbyte hard drive which runs at 7200 RPM for the same price as a high end notebook. Most notebooks have hard drives which run at 4200 RPM. To each his or her own, but for me, a notebook is a traveling companion and I can't wait for my Averatec.[8D]

 

Hi, I was looking for reviews on the AV6200 and I found out this forum, I just want to know what you think so far about this notebook I am a college student looking for a good deal, you know something not too expensive but with good gadgets, weight and size are important to me because as you can imagine Im always on the go, I know this is a little big notebook since is a widescreen but how about the weight? is it too heavy? I use to have an AV3235 the thin and light model from averatec but I had to returned it because of a problem with the power sistem, and now Im back in to the market for a good deal, at first I was thinking about geting the AV3325 again, but when I look at the AV6200 over the bestbuy web site I couldnt help to wonder about this computer, so I really hope you can share any information you might thing could help me decide.
Thanks....
Oswald

 

I absolutely love my new Averatec 6200. Few minor issues, none major. I'll be submitting a formal review very soon. But I recommend this machine easily.

Traci

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"I'd rather aim for the sky and miss, then aim for a bucket of s**t and hit it."