Most upgradeable laptop

Try the Dell Outlet Store online for some good deals. I really like my new Inspiron 600m I purchased there. You can search by model no.

Bill

Inspiron 600m
Inspiron 8200
Inspiron 8100

All notebooks are very limited in upgradeability.

If you decide to buy used,

-Make sure you can transfer ownership. Dell will not assist you without proof of ownership.

-Make sure there are no passwords on the system that you don't have.

-Get the OS CDs that came with the system.

Buying any notebook computer used without warranty is risky - mainboards, screens, etc. are expensive even for older models. It would probably be best to buy from a friend or colleague, or look at a refurbished current model from Dell.


NEVER buy any notebook computer new - without a three-year warranty at minimum.

"NEVER buy any notebook computer new - without a three-year warranty at minimum."


That comment is very, very debatable.

I say to each his own on the warranty issue. I personally never get warranties on electronics. 1 year on the Dell notebooks is fine for many people. A lot of people don't even keep their notebook for three years much less need to warranty it for that long.

I agree though that buying a used notebook could turn into more problems than it is worth. Especially if you don't do the things that ejn said.

Dell also offers some good deals in the refurb section.

smack

There's nothing wrong in buying a used laptop. It depends on who is selling it.  Dell got some good refurbished units but one can surely purchase a used unit elsewhere, like on auction from a highly rated seller, for instance.

If it's a late model, then you will probably get one with all the bells and whistles.  It really depends what you plan to use it for.  One of our students needed a laptop to run LINUX. We recommended an inexpensive used laptop about $450.  Another got a great deal on a Dell I600 laptop with Windows XP Pro for $900.  She planned to use it as a graphic station for college.

If you get it with Windows XP Pro, make sure it has at least 512MB RAM.  XP really uses a lot of RAM.

If you get Win 2000, 256MB RAM is okay. Windows 2000 O/S is really great for a laptop especially if you tight on money and plan to hookup a lot of different peripherals.

Note: If you plan for upgradeable laptops, get one with everything at the beginning.  You really can't do too much more than changing harddrives or memory.  The other stuff won't be cost effective. MP.

Even if you don't plan to keep the notebook more than a year, get a 3-year warranty. You will very easily recoup the added cost when you sell the system.

I agree that extended warranties on many things are not a good proposition from an economic standpoint.

There ARE however, places where they make sense -- such as on expensive-to-repair plasma TVs. These will NOT have the same level of reliability as the old stand-by CRT did - they WILL need repair and it IS expensive.

Notebook computers overall are not that reliable, and many components are VERY expensive to replace - and 3-year warranties are very inexpensive when purchased up front.

If you take a 1-year warranty you could be faced with a repair of $700 or more, on a system that cost less than twice that - or with having to start over.

Warranty and upgrades contradict each other.

Upgrades that extend the useful life of a PC include items like the CPU and video card, both of which are upgradeable with modern laptops, and both will void your warranty if they are upgraded. If you plan on upgrading, don't waste money on extending the warranty.

A possible upgrade path example might be, purchase the i9200 with 1.6HGz, and do not spend the extra $400 to upgrade it to 2.1GHz. Then in a year, after prices drop and new models appear, the 2.1GHz chip may only cost $100, at which time you could upgrade, and add new life to a one year old laptop. By skipping the intial CPU upgrade cost, and the extended warranty cost, you just saved perhaps $600 - $700, which is more than enough to handle the majority of possible repairs that may occur outside warranty period.

Things that can not be easily upgraded should be bought during initial sale, and these include most important screen size and the overall weight of laptop, battery hours life, as well as motherboard or chipset used (which basically determines how upgradeable system will be). You will be stuck with these, so make sure they meet your needs.

Buying a used system is a great wat to save money, but just check out all you can about the model before purchasing, as there are many lemons or issues with some models/brands.

Message Edited by RobsTV on 01-22-2005 09:22 AM