Low-cost Windows 7 laptops hit retail

Windows 7 has spawned a new breed of inexpensive laptops at retailers like Best Buy and Frys.

At many stores on Thursday, Best Buy refreshed almost its entire stock of laptops: all running Windows 7 and all sporting new model numbers. Frys--a megastore electronics retailer with locations throughout California, Arizona, and Texas--also refreshed many of its laptops with new Windows 7 models.

One of the most inexpensive Windows 7 arrivals is the Gateway model EC1410U. This tiny laptop is distinctly Netbook-like in appearance but uses a more powerful Celeron M ULV 743 processor (1.3GHz, 1MB cache) than the Atom-chip fare found in Netbooks. In addition to the Windows 7 Home Premium Edition 64-bit version, other features include 2GB of memory and a 250GB hard disk drive.

Small Gateway laptop comes in a Netbook-like package but uses a more powerful Celeron processor than the Atom chip found in Netbooks--and it's cheap at $399

(Credit: Best Buy)

Many seductive Windows 7 newcomers are categorized as "ultrathins." These slim designs are typically discernibly bigger than Netbooks (though, as evidenced by the Gateway above, it's now always clear-cut) and pack more processor horsepower. The Toshiba Satellite T-135 (model: T135-S1309), which falls into this category, is priced at $549 at Best Buy and comes with Windows 7 Home Premium Edition 32-bit operating system, a 13.3-inch display, a dual-core power-efficient Pentium processor, 3GB of memory, a 320GB hard disk drive (5400RPM), and built-in Web cam.

The HP dm3 (model: dm3-1035dx), also an ultrathin and also priced at $549, packs 3GB of memory like the Toshiba but that's where the similarity ends. The HP uses a 7200RPM 320GB hard disk drive (as opposed to the 5400RPM drive on the Toshiba), comes with the Windows 7 Home Premium Edition 64-bit version (compared with the Toshiba's 32-bit version), an AMD Athlon Neo X2 dual-core processor (versus Intel Pentium on the Toshiba), and ATI Radeon HD 3200 graphics (unlike the Toshiba's Intel integrated graphics).

$549 Toshiba T135 weighs less than 4 pounds and boasts a dual-core processor and 320GB hard disk

(Credit: Best Buy)

$349: Gateway LT2030U Atom chip-based Netbook

(Credit: Best Buy)

Gateway is also offering a bona fide Netbook. The $349 LT2030U houses an Atom N270 processor, 1GB of memory, a 250GB hard disk drive, and--typical of many Atom-based designs--a 10.1-inch screen. It weighs in at 3 pounds with Microsoft's light-duty Windows 7 Starter Edition--which doesn't support native DVD playback, multi-monitors, nor the Aero user interface.

$499: 15.6-inch Dell Inspiron laptop with 2.16GHz dual-core processor and optical drive

(Credit: Best Buy)

Not to be outdone, Dell is also offering a new inexpensive Windows 7 Inspiron model (I1545-4203JB) with a 15.6-inch screen and a 2.16GHz Intel Pentium dual-core processor T4300 processor. It comes with 3GB of memory, DVD-RW/CD-RW drive, a 250GB hard disk drive, and the Windows 7 Home Premium Edition 64-bit OS.

At $449, Toshiba is also debuting an inexpensive 15.6-incher (L505D-S5983) with a dual-core AMD processor and ATI Radeon 4100 graphics. It also includes a 320GB hard disk drive, DVD-RW/CD-RW drive, 3GB of memory, and Windows 7 Home Premium.

Frys was selling many of the same, or similar, low-cost models as Best Buy but also included some new high-powered Windows 7 laptops too, such as the HP dv7-3080. This 17-inch model comes with a quad-core Core i7 720QM processor, an Nvidia GT 230 graphics chip, a 500GB hard disk drive, and Windows 7 Home Premium Edition 64-bit. It is priced at $1,449 at Frys.

[MyRightEye]

Would you please add screen resolution, not just size, to the specs.

[aMUSICsite]

If you are going to be picky... I guess you mean maximum screen resolution ;)

[shellcodes_coder]

Now they are finally pushing 64-bit OS. That's cool

[pcOxygen]

64-bit OS's have been on the market since 2002 with Windows XP. Laptops sporting 64-bit was pushed way back when with Windows Vista.

[ducttape36]

its been available, but not standard. its finally becoming standard now.

[dadsgravy]

Ah, Windows. The foundation to every cheap piece of crap.

[lazycat202]

if you know how to use it, a cheap piece of crap will work better than expensive crap
i don't need to spend $1000 for checking email, listen to music, and watch videos. $400 will do the job just fine :P

[Super2online]

Compared to what, Apple? The foundation for every over priced and under purchased computer?

[ikramerica--2008]

Why is this news? These prices are no different than with Vista, they just have 7. So what's the news? That stores are selling computers?

Stop the presses. Grocers are selling milk. Film at eleven.

[solitare_pax]

Good one.

It's sad when reporters have to look through shopping fliers to come up with a story to generate clicks.

Oddly, it is more cost effective to buy the new laptop, complete with the new OS, than it is to go out and buy the upgraded OS or full version!

[aMUSICsite]

Hmmm

Buy laptop,
Ebay OS
Install Ubuntu

Would that give you a free laptop?

[jparkes1]

I don't buy 'cheap' anything, I've learned over the years that in the end you spend less and have fewer headaches when you spend 'right'.
We don't buy the cheapest car on the lot, the cheapest television, the cheapest anything unless forced to financially. We do that for reasons like value, reliability, features, and quality. My desktop and laptop are both ten years old and I'm replacing them this year, they are both Apples.
My friends and family have in that ten years spent fortunes on upgrades, repairs, and replacements. Sure, my replacement costs will run me about three thousand dollars and I will have to put in overtime to earn that, but I know that I'm buying ten years worth of stable, reliable service.
If you use the same logic as you would when buying a car then why not look for a computer (or any appliance) with the same standards in mind.

[zyxxy]

Exactly. I also never buy the most expensive of anything. I always head for the middle ground, where the value is. Same thing when you hire a contractor to do work on your home, get four or five estimates, drop the highest and lowest price, and compare the ones in the middle.

So when you buy a computer, shop on what you need for features, and choose the one priced in the middle. Maximize the value.

[BrianMc1]

I put together a desktop with old parts and everything new on clearance prices and rebates. Couldn't be happier, running games at their max settings and did it all for < $300. Using price as a measure of quality isn't reliable anymore. If you're willing to do your homework, you can get things for cheap that work just fine and I've never had to take things in for upgrades, repairs and replacements.

[Super2online]

Smart people aren't attempting to categorize their purchases into small, medium, or large expenditures. They are looking to obtain the highest quality system that will provide the features they desire, within the price range they can afford. When you do your shopping comparison, more often than not, you will find that ideal in PC's, not Mac's. That's why you see such a huge disparity in sales between the two, despite all the clever marketing Apple employs.

[Forked_Tongue]

If you spent 3k 10 years ago then that's the case then you were ripped off. I built a machine by reusing the components from an older build and buying a motherboard, cpu, and memory kit for $200 that's going 12 years strong, it was only replaced due to slowness and have gone thru multiple OS upgrades (from win95, 98, me, 2k, and xp then to linux). The components in a mac are really no different than most machines made by their competition, the only difference I see is that when people paid more they tend to be more careful with the more expensive purchase (when they bought their mac it was set on the floor like their cheap emachine). In fact I actually "repaired" (reinstalled the OS after low level formating due to a virus, most people are negligent about updates and anti-virus programs) and only things spent extra were upgrading the memory, gpu, and larger hard drives. Most people who bought the cheap machines treated them that way, like a cheap car rarely gets all the maintenance done regularly like an expensive model.

Most computers are replaced not from defects but obsolescence, many of the older machines can use some form of specific linux (put Puppy, slax, machboot, or DSL and it'll kick tail) on them and still would be quite functional it's simply that people want to run the latest OS on the latest hardware. You can still reuse those macs if you want by putting on a current version of a low resource linux but odds are against it because you're updating for the same reasons as most people, you simply tire of the old machines.

[nervous_cat]

Lenovo also announced Windows 7 laptops, but I doubt they will be as cheap as the ones in this article.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/174159/lenovo_releases_new_windows_7_thinkpad_laptops.html

[slickuser]

crap + crap = crappier & windoze fan boys are happier!

[Vegaman_Dan]

This looks like it will be a very laptop-driven holiday season.

I have to wonder if Apple looks at all this money being spent on competitor's products and second guess their decision to stay out of the market. Looks like there's a ton of money out there to be made on this.

[Josh Freedman]

"I have to wonder if Apple looks at all this money being spent on competitor's products and second guess their decision to stay out of the market. Looks like there's a ton of money out there to be made on this."

You must be joking.

How much profit do you think is in a $499 laptop?

Take a look at the earning / revenue for the manufacturers of these systems. They are getting killed by making these.

One article I recently read stated that they need to sell 4-6 of these class of netbooks/low end laptops to get the same profit from a standard one.

I'm sure Apple is more than happy NOT to participate in the sub $500 market. The OEM cost of Windows 7 ($45-$55 estimated) is almost double what the OEM XP ($25-$30 estimate) price was. That means manufacturers are paying even more to Microsoft as the systems get cheaper and cheaper.

[veggiedude--2008]

My iPod touch is more economical and more practical to me than this laptop.

[batterybaby]

I LIKE DELL VFOR ITS QUALITH AND FUNCTION.BUT WHY ITS APPRANCE IS NOT AS ATTRATIVE AS OTHER BRAND.I WISH IT COULD BE BETTER DESIGNED.