We continue our look at retail specials with Office Max, although I must say, no one can top Best Buy this week in their offerings. But we all know that the world does not revolve around BB :-) So let's get started!
All four models are highlighted on the back-page of the circular, and they all range from $550 to $650, which is a pretty good range in terms of bang-for-the-buck. You may not get all the latest and greatest features, but you are getting a lot of laptop for your money!
Gateway MD7820u for $600
If the model-name sounds unfamiliar, it is because this is a brand new Gateway model, it looks like it might be a clone of the new CES models. This is a fashionable (or annoying) red, depending on your perspective on this trendy and lively color choice.
The computer itself has a Core2 T6400 dual-core, 15.6" widescreen (16:9), 4gb of DDR2 memory, 320gb disk, wireless, dvd burner, 64-bit Vista Premium and things like that. Similar in many was to the Acer mentioned below, but "louder" and more fashionable, and with 70gb more of storage space.
You can find this, and all the other laptops mentioned in this post at the Office Max Weekly Specials page.
Acer Aspire AS5735-6694 for $550
At $550, you are getting quite a lot, starting with a 15.6" widescreen, a Core2 Duo T6400 processor, 4gb of DDR2 memory, 250gb disk, dvd burner, wireless of all kinds, card-reader, Vista and a whole lot more. Not bad considering the price, and of course, just like Best Buy, Office Max has no rebates! (Although they have been working around that issue lately by offering "rewards" for some items, but that's a different story for a different time and a different blog).
16-inch HP dv6-1030us for $650
Continuing to climb the ladder, we find the HP dv6-1030us at $650. This laptop has similar features to the ones above, but it has a 16" widescreen display, which is of course slightly larger than 15.6" :) The processor is the same (T6400 dual-core), with 4gb memory, 320gb disk, and all the usual assortment you would expected, including Bluetoof. Okay, bluetooth :)
Sony Vaio NS-230E/W for $580
We close the quartet with a $580 Sony. How the mighty have fallen. And we are not just talking about the dismall financial results of Sony. But for those who like the Sony brand, lower prices are welcome! This laptop is not as "advanced" as the other three, but it's a Sony :-) It has the T3400 dual-core processor, and 3gb of DDR2 memory, along with 250gb and all the usual specola. (specola = shortcuts for specifications)
Other Computer Items of Interest
Starting with displays, you can get a 19" widescreen (1440x900) AOC-branded display for $110 and no rebates. Not bad considering the price, but don't expect it to behave like a $1000 display :-)
Next, on the storage front, we find a 500gb Maxtor OneTouch 4 external drive with a five-year mission (oops, it's not Enterprise) warranty for $90 and of course as all else, no rebates. For more bucks for the gigabyte, you get the terabyte version for $130.
And we close this round-up with 8gb Toshiba USB flash drives for $18. Yep, just $18 each! This is at the moment the best price per gigabyte, bettering both the 32gb and surpringly perhaps the 4gb models.
