The bang for the buck factor improves as entry-level laptops get squeezed by teh economy and by netboks at the same time. So the latest price drops may not be a shocker!
Compaq Presario CQ60-212 is $400 after rebate
The bargain laptop of the week is once again a Compaq, the Presario CQ60-212 for $400 after a $30 mail-in rebate. This is not resurrected from the junkyard, it's a new 15.6" widescreen model! It even has a numeric keypad! And get this, 4gb of memory, along with a 250gb hard disk, dvd burner and 64-bit Vista - along with all the other usual amenities (wifi, etc). Oops, we forgot to mention the processor, it's the AMD X2 DC QL-62. And yes, just $400 after the rebate. It is likely that it may be busier than usual this week because of President's Day, so your mileage may vary as far as finding it in-stock right away.
Dell Studio 1536 for $650
The Studio is a step above the Inspirons but that doesn't mean the prices have to jump to four figures. You can get this 15.4"-widescreen Dell Studio 1536 for $650 and with that (and without rebates), you get the AMD Turion RM-74 processor, 4gb memory, 320gb disk, slot-loading dvd burner, and 64-bit Vista along with all the other expected stuff. And yes, you have a choice of fashionable laptop-body colors, even orange and purple!
HP dv5-1521 offers style and Centrino for $700
If you are an Intel and Centrino fans and would rather avoid AMD processors, and prefer a stylish laptop, then you might be interested in the HP dv5-1521 for $700 and without rebates. This has a 15.4" widescreen, 4gb memory, 320gb disk, 64-bit Vista, Wireless-N, but perhaps the most interesting spec that separates it from the aforementioned laptops is 512mb of dedicated graphics memory!
17"-widescreen HP dv7-1232 for $650
If you love entertainment or desktop-alternative laptops, then you might be interested in the HP dv7-1232 for $650. We prefer to use the term desktop-alternative than desktop-replacement, because let's face it, a laptop can't really replace a desktop. This lovely is powered by the AMD Turion RM-74 and 64-bit Vista which means you can make the most out of the included 4gb of memory. It has a 320gb hard disk and all the other amenities you'd expect from this price-range and feature-set.
eMachines EL1210 is an affordable desktop
With teh way the prices of desktops are dropping (see the Presario CQ60-212 at the top of the page), they are giving even the cheapest desktops a run for their money. This eMachines EL1210 goes for $280 (without rebates) and offers a tower powered by the AMD Athlon LE 1620 processor, 2gb of memory, 160gb disk, dvd burner, card-reader, HDMI port and Vista Premium. At least it doesn't have Vista Basic, although some would argue that that's a better idea because you get less of an OS-Hog.
And if you need an extra monitor, or a monitor to go with it, how about the eMachines E19T6W, a 19" monitor (1440x900 resolution) for just $100 and without rebaets! It has 5ms response time, but obviously you can't expect it to perform like an Apple Cinema display :)
HP HP Pavilion a6712 is a power system with 22" monitor for $650
If you want a complete system ready to go, then you might be interested in the HP a6712 bundled with a 22" monitor for $650. This has some nice specs, like 6gb of memory, 500gb hard disk, dvd burner, super-multi-format dvd burner with lightscribe, 64-bit Vista Premium, and the Intel dual-core E520 processor.
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