Have you seen this laptop?
(Credit: Wal-Mart)Last Friday, Wal-Mart announced a selection of in-store discounts, including a 15-inch Compaq laptop for $298, that would be part of a one-day, in-store sale. That day, November 8, has come and gone, but what about the remaining supplies of the participating laptop, the Compaq CQ50-139WM?
The laptop is listed on Wal-Mart's Web site, but you can't buy it online or even find out the price, which is listed as varying by store. I used Walmart.com's store locator earlier today and plugged in more than a dozen zip codes chosen at random to find out if it was still available and, if so, for how much. Every result returned was the same: Not in stock.
I gave up and submitted my First Take of the product to copy edit this morning, and full-time copy editor and part-time Crave blogger Daren Darrow uncovered Compaq CQ50-139WM hiding out in his home state of Oklahoma. We both called the Henryetta, Okla., Wal-Mart and were told that they have the laptop, but it costs $398.
Even at $400, it still costs less than most Netbooks. Given that it uses a single-core Intel Celeron processor, it likely performs on par with a Netbook, but with less battery life. For those on a tight budget who care more about screen size than portability, the Compaq CQ50-139WM might work. Good luck finding though. If you've had any luck finding this laptop, please let me and Crave readers know below.
eMachines eMD620-5777: funny name, seriously low price.
(Credit: eMachines)It's Halloween time, and I think I've seen a ghost: with the new eMD620-5777, Acer has resurrected the eMachines brand in the laptop space.
Of course, eMachines never completely went away--of late, the brand has been on desktops and monitors--but it's been some time since I've even seen an eMachines laptop, never mind received a press release about one. But the popularity of low-cost Netbooks, coupled with tough economic times, must have convinced the company that there was still market demand for cheap laptops.
At $429, the eMD620-5777 costs less than many of the best-equipped Netbooks, and its 14.1-inch wide-screen display and DVD burner make it more of a true laptop. Given that the case comes stocked with AMD's 1.6GHz Athlon 2650e--a low-power processor designed for small-form-factor PCs--and just 1GB of RAM, we hardly expect great performance or battery life from the eMD620-5777. It's likely to be used for the same basic computing tasks as Netbooks (surfing the Web, typing documents), plus watching movies.
Additional specs: integrated ATI Radeon x1200 graphics, 802.11b/g Wi-Fi, a 160GB hard drive, three USB 2.0 ports, headphone/microphone jacks, stereo speakers, and Windows Vista Home Basic.
The eMD620-5777 will be available at Best Buy starting November 1.
Halloween has yet to arrive, but according to major retailers, the holiday shopping season is well under way. Head to your local big box electronics store, and you'll encounter new laptops that were granted shelf space at the beginning of the month.
We've lined up 20 such models for our holiday retail laptop review roundup. We're working our way up from the bottom, starting at a bargain basement $500 model and passing through many mainstream models on our way to a fully loaded $1,849 Sony Vaio. We've completed the entry-level quartet and have a clear favorite: the Acer Aspire 5735-4624.
Winner: When we reviewed the Aspire 5735 two weeks ago, Best Buy was running a promotion that knocked $100 off the price. Sadly, that discount is no longer offered, but this 15.6-inch laptop is still a bargain at its $499 list price. For starters, it offers similar specs and performance to models from Dell and Gateway that cost $150 more, and more muscle than an AMD-based Compaq that costs $50 more. And while it might not appeal to everyone, the extra-wide 16:9 aspect ratio screen makes movie viewing a treat.
The Acer Aspire 5735 is a deal at $500.
Any entry-level laptop must cut some corners, and the Acer is no different. Still, we didn't find any deal breakers here. The plastic chassis flexes a bit, the screen resolution isn't as fine as that of some smaller displays, and the 16:9 aspect ratio display makes the laptop a bit of a wide body for daily travel. The mouse buttons are clacky, and the keyboard feels cramped because it must make room for a separate number pad. And some features commonly found on (admittedly more expensive) multimedia laptops had to be jettisoned, including discrete graphics, an HDMI port, and a Webcam.
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Acer Aspire 5735: You won't find a larger laptop for less.
(Credit: Matthew Elliott/CBS Interactive)Our resident cheapskate spied the Acer Aspire 5735 earlier this week. I just finished reviewing this 15.6-inch laptop and have only minor quibbles with what amounts to a ridiculous deal. The Aspire 5735 lists for $499 but is currently selling at Best Buy for $399. I mean, how critical can one be of such a low-cost, fully featured laptop? With a cheap laptop, all you really need to know is that it is not terrible. And after banging on the Aspire 5735 this week, I can tell you that it is not terrible.
The plastic chassis flexes a bit, the screen resolution isn't as fine as that of some smaller displays, and the 16:9 aspect ratio display makes the laptop a bit of a wide body. The mouse buttons are clacky, and the keyboard feels cramped because it must make room for a separate number pad. And some features commonly found on (admittedly much more expensive) multimedia laptops had to be jettisoned, including discreet graphics, an HDMI port, and a Webcam.
The pluses, however, far outweigh these negatives. It offers similar features and performance as current Best Buy models that cost $250 more, and its dual-core Pentium chip offers much more performance than the single-core Atom processor found in most Netbooks. It also offers Draft N Wi-Fi, which came as a surprise since many mainstream laptops still offer only 802.11b/g connections. Movies and HD content fit the 16:9 aspect ratio, and though it's not the best LCD you're likely to encounter, it does provide a roomy screen for your entertainment purposes
Although it's priced lower than many Netbooks, I doubt the Aspire 5735 will woo many would-be Netbook buyers since it's a much different animal than a machine with a 9- or 10-inch display and a sub 3-pound weight. At these prices, however, perhaps you don't need to decide between the two. If I were in the market for a new laptop, I might split my budget and grab the Aspire 5735 for my home machine and a Netbook for when I'm on the road. At a combined $800 to $900, I'd get two machines for the price of one (mainstream) model.
How do the $1,000 laptops stack up?
I used to cringe when folks asked me to recommend a laptop that cost less than $1,000. Granted, there have been laptops at that price for a few years now, but they were generally chunky cases stocked with generations-old components and low-resolution screens--not exactly anything I'd feel good about recommending for use as a primary computer.
Imagine my surprise when computer manufacturers responded to my call for $1,000 laptops with some downright Crave-worthy systems. I expected to receive only 15.4-inch systems, because the larger case provides more room for engineers to work and keeps costs down; but I also found two 14.1-inch systems that didn't break our budget. I expected to receive cases stocked with previous-generation Pentium or Celeron CPUs; on the contrary, all but one of our review units included current-generation processors, graphics, and chipsets. I expected the cases to be leftovers from last year's crop of new laptops; instead, many in our roundup share the same case design as their more-expensive brethren.
One area where my expectations were met: performance. None of the laptops in this roundup sped through our performance benchmarks. But if I'm buying a $1,000 laptop, I'm not expecting to use it for gaming or video editing.
In the end, we were able to round up sub-$1,000 configurations from Fujitsu, Gateway, Lenovo, Sony, and Toshiba. Which ones did I like best? The answer is after the break.... Read more
(Credit:
Fujitsu)
Move over Sony Bravia, Fujitsu seems to be breeding sub-$1,000 laptops like rabbits. Just one month after launching the $799 LifeBook V1010 and a few weeks after the $849 LifeBook A6110, the company has announced the LifeBook S7211, which has a starting price of just $899. The 14-inch wide-screen laptop, aimed at small and medium businesses, includes a built-in Webcam, spill-resistant keyboard, and modular bay for an optical drive or an extra battery to extend your computing time beyond the 4 hours promised by the standard battery. With an optical drive, the LifeBook S7211 weighs 5.2 pounds.
Like the LifeBook V1010, the S7211's baseline configuration relies on the Pentium Dual Core processor, which occupies the bottom rung of Intel's dual-core options, and just 1GB of RAM. That should be enough for basic word processing and e-mail, but if you need a little more oomph to power your business apps you might consider the Core 2 Duo-based version of the laptop, which costs $1,099.
On the subject of cheap laptops, we're currently reviewing a handful of systems that cost less than $1,000 (including the LifeBook A6110) and will be posting a roundup next week. Keep an eye on Crave for more details.
The Asus Eee PC grabbed plenty of headlines this week, as media outlets (including CNET Reviews) got their hands on the mobile Internet device. Our conclusion: it's the near-perfect choice for a second laptop. Also, CNET News.com's Erica Ogg attended the Eee PC launch event in Palo Alto, Calif., Engadget shared pictures from an Eee PC dissection, and NotebookReview has some ideas on how to hack the little guy. Given the Eee PC's approachable price and Linux OS, we imagine that more tweaks are to come.
Intel Classmate PC, or lunch box?
(Credit: CNET Networks)We also reviewed a possible competitor to the Asus Eee PC, the Intel Classmate PC, which is designed for use by students in developing countries. We like the rugged construction, but wish the hard drive was larger than 2GB. Apparently the government of Libya liked it enough to buy 150,000 of the machines, which have been in place for about a month. Meanwhile Reuters notes that the other cheap student laptop, the OLPC XO, has been subject to frequent price hikes.
In other cheap laptop news, Wal-Mart is getting the jump on Black Friday this year by throwing out deals today, including an Acer laptop for $348. CompUSA responded by offering the Acer Aspire AS3690-2970 for $299 (it is already sold out online but may still be available in stores). Don't get too excited, though--they both run on super-budget Celeron processors. Everex, meanwhile, is reportedly cooking up a line of sub-$300 laptops to debut next year. Like the Green gPC desktop announced this week, the laptops will be based on a customized Linux OS designed primarily for running Web 2.0 applications.
Other product news this week includes a spec update to MacBook and MacBook Pro (but not the major changes predicted by rumor sites just a few weeks ago) and the super-secret retail-only Lenovo 3000 Y410. From overseas, we got glimpses of two flavors of NEC's LaVie G laptop: a black-hearted Hello Kitty model as well as a groovily striped version.
Other tidbits worth reading this week: Apple released a patch to improve graphics stability on Macbook Pro; CNET.com's Elsa Wenzel gives you the CliffsNotes version of the new features in Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard; Intel is reportedly ramping up production on notebook processors to alleviate a shortage brought on by high demand; notebooks are presenting a business challenge to white-box PC manufacturers; and CNET highlights locations around the world where innovation and technology stand to flourish in the 21st century.
Have a great weekend!
(Credit:
Lenovo)
The eagle-eyed crew over at NotebookReview tipped us off to the appearance of a new laptop on Lenovo's U.S. site. Part of the Lenovo 3000 family, the 14.1-inch Y410 was announced in the Asia markets earlier this year, but it arrived in the States without even a press release. Curious, considering the Y410 represents the company's first foray into the consumer--also known as "home/home office"--market here.
Though its boxy silver case is hardly a departure from the conservative look of the Lenovo 3000 line, the Y410 includes entertainment-oriented features you wouldn't find on a business machine, including Dolby Home Theater audio with a subwoofer, the ability to play CDs without booting the system, and a media player called Shuttle Center. The laptop also is the first we've seen to pair a built-in 1.3-megapixel Webcam with VeriFace software to provide biometric security via face recognition.
Another first for Lenovo, which has been slowly growing its presence in retail: the Y410 is available only at retail stores--currently, Office Depot, Micro Center, and Staples--and not on Lenovo's site. Each store has a slightly different configuration, the least expensive being Staples' $700 version, with a 1.46GHz Pentium Dual Core processor and 1GB of memory. Office Depot, meanwhile, seems to be offering the top of the Y410 line, with a 1.66GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T5450 processor and 2GB of 667MHz RAM for $950.
All 5.2-pound Y410 models feature a 14.1-inch display (1,280x800 resolution), integrated Intel X3100 graphics, a 160GB hard drive spinning at 5,400rpm, a built-in DVD burner, and a six-cell battery that the company claims will last up to 4 hours.
Pricewise, the Lenovo 3000 Y410 is competitive with similarly equipped systems, such as the HP Pavilion dv2500t and the Dell Inspiron 1420. What remains to be seen is whether the subdued Y410 can win over consumers who've come to equate the Lenovo brand with work.
(Credit:
Gateway)
Every year they arrive earlier and earlier: press releases touting new products "for the holidays." One such release arrived this morning from Gateway, with news of two new P-series laptops for holiday giving. The 8.3-pound laptops include a 17-inch display with a 1,440x900 native resolution, a full-sized keyboard with numeric keypad, and a DVD burner with LabelFlash (which lets you burn labels onto special discs). Both new models run Vista Home Premium.
The lower-end configuration, the $800 Gateway P-6301, features a budget Pentium Dual Core processor built on Intel's previous-generation chip architecture and carrying 1GB of RAM, integrated Intel X3100 graphics, and a 160GB hard drive. The higher-end Gateway P-6822 features the Intel Core 2 Duo T5250 processor plus 1GB of RAM, integrated Intel X3100 graphics, and a 250GB hard drive. The P-6822 also adds a built-in 1.3-megapixel Webcam and an HDMI connector, all for the price of $950.
Both fixed-configuration P-series models will be available only in stores (not on Gateway's Web site) starting October 14.
Every story that crosses our desk about ultra-cheap laptops--from the $100 OLPC schoolkid special, to the $150 Medison Celebrity from Sweden, to the $200 Asus Eee (for that price, you only get one letter)--generates a tremendous amount of buzz, not to mention more than its fair share of blog posts.
The delayed Asus Eee
Of course, getting any of these systems actually in our greedy little hands is another matter entirely. The One Laptop Per Child project is still struggling to get (now $200) OLPC systems into the hands of kids, turning to a new plan--instead of getting governments, corporations or charitable groups to fund these laptops, the general public can now buy one for themselves and sponsor one for a child in a developing nation. That program doesn't start until mid-November, so even those willing to pay $400 for the $100 OLPC laptop won't have one anytime soon.
The mysterious $150 Medison Celebrity, from a PC maker in Sweden, has gotten a lot of coverage for something that is essentially vaporware. Matt Elliott placed his order back in July, but so far (as I predicted) neither he, nor any member of the public or press have gotten their systems, despite a series of bizarre statements from the company and various other shadiness.
Is this the mysterious Medison Celebrity?
Our last hope for a low-cost laptop was the Asus Eee, from Taiwan. We've generally liked Asus' systems in the past, but this $200 2-pound, 7-inch, Linux-based laptop is nowhere to be found, outside of a few trade show appearances. The street date has gone from September to early October, and now, the date has been moved back to mid-November (or very late October, if you give Asus the benefit of the doubt), around the same time as the new OLPC two-for-one program starts.
None of this means we'll stop searching for the holy grail of an inexpensive, functional laptop--but like some crypto-mythological creature (such as Bigfoot or the chupacabra), they're always tantalizingly out of reach.
