What used high-end Windows laptop to look for?

[piatti]

Since Windows laptops that has as good spec as MacBook Pro quickly depreciate in its value compared to MBP, I am thinking that the best way to get a cheap laptop is to buy a used high end laptop, and then buy square trade warranty on it.

Could any one recommend a high end Windows computer to search on Ebay, that I could get for 300-400?

 

[malman89]

Windows machines don't depreciate that quickly that you'll be able to find a "high end" laptop in that range, unless it was "high end" 3-5 years ago (maybe).

And with something that cheap and that old (Windows or Mac), I would be worried about the condition of the laptop and whether it would really be worth buying.

Honestly, 30seconds of searching brought me to an HP model with an i3 processor, 4GB RAM and 500 GB 5400rpm HD for $450 brand new. I'm sure with a deal site or actual research could find something even cheaper or more powerful (i5 maybe) with the same price.

Honestly, you could get a HP Pavillion dv6t Quad Series with a similar 2.2 GHz i7 Quad Core processor, double the RAM (8GB vs 4), 250 GB more HD space but only a 1366x768 screen for $905. Make it a 1920x1028 screen and that is $1055. Almost $800 less than the base line 15" MBP stuck with a 1440x900 display. Highest you can up the MBP display is 1680x1050, for another $100-150.

There's a lot of options out there for a Windows computer in terms of pricing and specs. Just look around.

 

[Bob Coxner]

Here's a Lenovo i3 for $379 (and free shipping) new.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Lenovo+...8416380659&skuId=3561661&st=3561661&cp=1&lp=1

Lenovo is near or at the top of the list for quality Windows laptops.

Here's a Dell i3 with a larger hard drive for $399. Dell is also good quality, although most people would rate Lenovo higher. Sony also makes excellent laptops.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Dell+-+...4588.p?id=1218407014253&skuId=3504588&st=dell

If you think you need more punch, here's a Dell i5 (second generation) for $499.

http://configure.us.dell.com/dellst...0550055-4485850-u193408t3559782f9fp0dd0c0s441

 

[RUGERMAN]

Here's a Lenovo i3 for $379 (and free shipping) new.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Lenovo+...8416380659&skuId=3561661&st=3561661&cp=1&lp=1

Lenovo is near or at the top of the list for quality Windows laptops.

Here's a Dell i3 with a larger hard drive for $399. Dell is also good quality, although most people would rate Lenovo higher. Sony also makes excellent laptops.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Dell+-+...4588.p?id=1218407014253&skuId=3504588&st=dell

If you think you need more punch, here's a Dell i5 (second generation) for $499.

http://configure.us.dell.com/dellst...0550055-4485850-u193408t3559782f9fp0dd0c0s441

Did i get in the wrong forum????

 

[imswimmin]

Did i get in the wrong forum????

I know, right? Personally, I don't think that this forum is the right place to ask this question...

Anyways, I'm sure you can find some good deals on craigslist or ebay if you truly are looking for a used windows computer. Just gotta look around, and hopefully land in the right place at the right time.

 

[piatti]

Windows machines don't depreciate that quickly that you'll be able to find a "high end" laptop in that range, unless it was "high end" 3-5 years ago (maybe).

And with something that cheap and that old (Windows or Mac), I would be worried about the condition of the laptop and whether it would really be worth buying.

Honestly, 30seconds of searching brought me to an HP model with an i3 processor, 4GB RAM and 500 GB 5400rpm HD for $450 brand new. I'm sure with a deal site or actual research could find something even cheaper or more powerful (i5 maybe) with the same price.

Honestly, you could get a HP Pavillion dv6t Quad Series with a similar 2.2 GHz i7 Quad Core processor, double the RAM (8GB vs 4), 250 GB more HD space but only a 1366x768 screen for $905. Make it a 1920x1028 screen and that is $1055. Almost $800 less than the base line 15" MBP stuck with a 1440x900 display. Highest you can up the MBP display is 1680x1050, for another $100-150.

There's a lot of options out there for a Windows computer in terms of pricing and specs. Just look around.

Thanks for your input but you did not give links to used computers about 3-5 years old, which is what I'm looking for.

 

[MagicBoy]

300-400 what?

£/€/$/rupees?

It would help if you set a location in your profile.

 

[NMF]

Thanks for your input but you did not give links to used computers about 3-5 years old, which is what I'm looking for.

Have you not used a PC before? You don't want to buy a Windows laptop that's 3-5 years old.

 

[Bob Coxner]

Thanks for your input but you did not give links to used computers about 3-5 years old, which is what I'm looking for.

Why in hell would you prefer a 3-5 year old laptop when you can get a powerful new one (with warranty) for $350? Unless you meant you could only afford 300 to 400 pesos.

I'm not sure you deserve any more of our help but I'll give you a final one.

http://bfads.net/Best-Buy-Black-Friday-Lenovo-156-2GB-DDR3-Memory-250GB-Hard-Drive-Laptop

A brand new Lenovo 15" laptop for $179. You may need to camp out to get one, though.

 

[piatti]

300-400 what?

£/€/$/rupees?

It would help if you set a location in your profile.

dollars

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Why in hell would you prefer a 3-5 year old laptop when you can get a powerful new one (with warranty) for $350? Unless you meant you could only afford 300 to 400 pesos.

I'm not sure you deserve any more of our help but I'll give you a final one.

http://bfads.net/Best-Buy-Black-Friday-Lenovo-156-2GB-DDR3-Memory-250GB-Hard-Drive-Laptop

A brand new Lenovo 15" laptop for $179. You may need to camp out to get one, though.

What do you mean a powerful new one? I thought anything in those range were not very good. I wanted more good specs, but its price brought down because of the age. It's like buying good used car instead of new bad car.

 

[r0k]

dollars

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What do you mean a powerful new one? I thought anything in those range were not very good. I wanted more good specs, but its price brought down because of the age. It's like buying good used car instead of new bad car.

A couple of years ago, I was forced by my daughter's school to shell out over $2000 for a "high end" HP Elitebook 2730. She is now at s different school where she can use whatever computer she wants. The HP is sitting in my basement with two bad batteries and an intermittent display. If I had a choice at the time, I would have picked up a Lenovo for her. I went to Microcenter and picked up a used black Macbook for $629. If I had scoured ebay and craigslist, I might have been able to find her one for around $400 which is in your price range. Her black Macbook is actually 2 years older than that HP mess and is worth substantially more. Since you are trying to avoid a bad new car, I suggest you also avoid a bad used car and look for used Apple gear.

 

[Dustman]

dollars

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What do you mean a powerful new one? I thought anything in those range were not very good. I wanted more good specs, but its price brought down because of the age. It's like buying good used car instead of new bad car.

A new low end computer will be faster than most older high end computers. 3-5 years ago we had Core Duo's and Pentiums at the high end. Now its i3s and Pentium Dual Cores in the low end which are substantially faster

The car analogy doesnt always work. That being said, I'd rather buy a rev a macbook for 400-500 than any PC period.

 

[velocityg4]

What do you mean a powerful new one? I thought anything in those range were not very good. I wanted more good specs, but its price brought down because of the age. It's like buying good used car instead of new bad car.

If your just talking CPU, hard drive and RAM speed/capacity. Then any i3/i5 laptop you buy new in the $400 to $500 dollar range is going to be faster than even the fastest three to five year old laptop.

The only categories a three to five year old high end laptop could win in is weight, battery run time and the video card.

As for whether or not laptops in that price range are good or not depends on your needs. If you just need something that is good and fast for web surfing, general school/office work, e-mail, watching videos and other general uses. Nor do you need something with long battery life, is thin, designed for use on the lap, or light weight for the size then a $400 to $500 laptop is perfectly fine.

Those laptops meet the needs of probably 90% or more of computer buyers. Most of whom shouldn't even be buying a laptop but a desktop. Because they have no use for a laptop. The thing just sits on a desk with the battery getting ruined. While the user has a horrendous ergonomic setup.

 

[piatti]

If your just talking CPU, hard drive and RAM speed/capacity. Then any i3/i5 laptop you buy new in the $400 to $500 dollar range is going to be faster than even the fastest three to five year old laptop.

The only categories a three to five year old high end laptop could win in is weight, battery run time and the video card.

As for whether or not laptops in that price range are good or not depends on your needs. If you just need something that is good and fast for web surfing, general school/office work, e-mail, watching videos and other general uses. Nor do you need something with long battery life, is thin, designed for use on the lap, or light weight for the size then a $400 to $500 laptop is perfectly fine.

Those laptops meet the needs of probably 90% or more of computer buyers. Most of whom shouldn't even be buying a laptop but a desktop. Because they have no use for a laptop. The thing just sits on a desk with the battery getting ruined. While the user has a horrendous ergonomic setup.

If I bought the laptops costing $300 ish at Best Buy, would that be better than buying a used PC that used to sell for $1000 that is now $300? Also would it be better than fixing my MacBook that I got in Fall 2008 for $300? What would be the cheapest way to buy a desktop at about $300?

Another reason I want to buy as cheap as possible (like $300) is so that I can get a cheap warranty on it (square trade warranty).

 

[Vantage Point]

Second generation Intel iX CPU's in 2011 are significantly better than first generation iX CPU's from 2010 which are much better than earlier 2009 and before C2D CPU's. The performance difference is easily 2x better just in the past 2 years. So why pay about the same amount of money for a old slow computer which likely has little life left in it.

Technology marches on and Moore's law is still in effect - every 18 months things drop in price about 50% or are about 2x faster for the same price. Cars don't work that way but CPU's, GPU, cost and speed of ram, screen quality.... have improved significantly.

 

[zflauaus]

If I bought the laptops costing $300 ish at Best Buy, would that be better than buying a used PC that used to sell for $1000 that is now $300? Also would it be better than fixing my MacBook that I got in Fall 2008 for $300? What would be the cheapest way to buy a desktop at about $300?

Another reason I want to buy as cheap as possible (like $300) is so that I can get a cheap warranty on it (square trade warranty).

You can't get a warranty on a used laptop. Just save up a little more and get a MacBook of Craigslist or eBay? You haven't even stated why you want a "high-end" laptop. Not to mention that the various "high-end" models vary every six months.

 

[Bob Coxner]

If I bought the laptops costing $300 ish at Best Buy, would that be better than buying a used PC that used to sell for $1000 that is now $300? Also would it be better than fixing my MacBook that I got in Fall 2008 for $300? What would be the cheapest way to buy a desktop at about $300?

Another reason I want to buy as cheap as possible (like $300) is so that I can get a cheap warranty on it (square trade warranty).

Why pay extra for a Squaretrade warranty when you get a free warranty with a new computer?

The car analogy simply doesn't work with computers. You want a new computer in your price range. A 25 year old car can still run fine and serve your needs. A 25 year old computer can't do ****.

For $300 and a desktop you're looking at Dell, HP/Compaq or eMachine. Here are some decent Dell desktops starting at $299

https://www.dell.com/us/p/desktops?ref=usen-dt-tile#!facets=51805~0~812581&p=1

 

[piatti]

Why pay extra for a Squaretrade warranty when you get a free warranty with a new computer?

The car analogy simply doesn't work with computers. You want a new computer in your price range. A 25 year old car can still run fine and serve your needs. A 25 year old computer can't do ****.

For $300 and a desktop you're looking at Dell, HP/Compaq or eMachine. Here are some decent Dell desktops starting at $299

https://www.dell.com/us/p/desktops?ref=usen-dt-tile#!facets=51805~0~812581&p=1

Squaretrade warranty includes accidental damage

 

[malman89]

Squaretrade warranty includes accidental damage

Maybe we should be pointing the OP toward a used computer then if there's a good chance it'll be trashed.

Agree with most of the previous comments. My laptop cost $1,143 when I bought it (yep, remember exact price) and now I can maybe scrape $350 from a dummy. There's no way I'd ever purchase a 5 year old laptop for $350 when I can get something solid from Lenovo/HP with an i5 (Sandy Bridge) processor for $500 or less. It'll run laps around mine.

 

[piatti]

A couple of years ago, I was forced by my daughter's school to shell out over $2000 for a "high end" HP Elitebook 2730. She is now at s different school where she can use whatever computer she wants. The HP is sitting in my basement with two bad batteries and an intermittent display. If I had a choice at the time, I would have picked up a Lenovo for her. I went to Microcenter and picked up a used black Macbook for $629. If I had scoured ebay and craigslist, I might have been able to find her one for around $400 which is in your price range. Her black Macbook is actually 2 years older than that HP mess and is worth substantially more. Since you are trying to avoid a bad new car, I suggest you also avoid a bad used car and look for used Apple gear.

Which Lenovo would you have picked up for her?

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Here's a Lenovo i3 for $379 (and free shipping) new.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Lenovo+...8416380659&skuId=3561661&st=3561661&cp=1&lp=1

Lenovo is near or at the top of the list for quality Windows laptops.

Here's a Dell i3 with a larger hard drive for $399. Dell is also good quality, although most people would rate Lenovo higher. Sony also makes excellent laptops.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Dell+-+...4588.p?id=1218407014253&skuId=3504588&st=dell

If you think you need more punch, here's a Dell i5 (second generation) for $499.

http://configure.us.dell.com/dellst...0550055-4485850-u193408t3559782f9fp0dd0c0s441

Cool, how do i5 and i3 compare to my MBP in my sig?

 

[piatti]

A new low end computer will be faster than most older high end computers. 3-5 years ago we had Core Duo's and Pentiums at the high end. Now its i3s and Pentium Dual Cores in the low end which are substantially faster

The car analogy doesnt always work. That being said, I'd rather buy a rev a macbook for 400-500 than any PC period.

Why is that. Wouldn't a brand new $300 laptop from Best Buy be better than if I fixed my old 2008 Macbook for $300?

 

[MagicBoy]

Why is that. Wouldn't a brand new $300 laptop from Best Buy be better than if I fixed my old 2008 Macbook for $300?

No. It doesn't run Mac OS X.

 

[piatti]

But wouldn't it be faster and have more multitasking ability? So if there are some crucial applications that only run on Windows that you like, the new $300 laptop would be a better choice, right?

 

[jahala]

If you are set on a windows laptop, I would recommend a Lenovo thinkpad or one of the Dell business laptops. I have used laptops from HP, Compaq, Toshiba, Dell, Lenovo, and Apple. My first choice for a laptop is an Apple machine. If I need a PC, now I only look at the business laptops from Dell and the Thinkpads from Lenovo.

 

[piatti]

If you are set on a windows laptop, I would recommend a Lenovo thinkpad or one of the Dell business laptops. I have used laptops from HP, Compaq, Toshiba, Dell, Lenovo, and Apple. My first choice for a laptop is an Apple machine. If I need a PC, now I only look at the business laptops from Dell and the Thinkpads from Lenovo.

How do I go about looking for those models that are old enough so that they cost about $300? And so what model numbers should I search for on Ebay?