Updated on August 23 at 6:45 a.m. PDT: adding updated $299 price of Toshiba laptop.
Netbooks based on Intel's Atom processor faced a fresh assault this week: the $279 AMD-based Acer laptop.
Here's the $299--or this case, the $279---question: do you want a Netbook or a Notebook?
The choice: a Netbook with a 10-inch screen, an Intel Atom processor, no optical drive, and Windows XP that weighs about two pounds? Or, a notebook with a 15.6-inch screen, a higher-performance AMD or Intel processor, an optical drive, and Windows Vista that weights about six pounds?
Best Buy was selling a 15-inch Acer laptop for $279.99 on Wednesday.
(Credit: Brooke Crothers)On Wednesday, Best Buy was offering an Acer laptop (AS5516-5474) that had been previously listed at $299.
A Best Buy salesperson in a Southern California store said these deals typically last a week.
Acer $279.99 laptop
(Credit: Best Buy )The specifications: an AMD Athlon TF-20 64 processor, 15.6-inch WXGA display, 2GB DDR2 memory, DVD-RW drive, 160GB hard disk drive, ATI Radeon Xpress 1200 graphics, 802.11b/g wireless, 10/100 Ethernet LAN, and Microsoft Windows Vista Home Basic Edition.
Pretty close to basic mainstream-laptop hardware with the exception of the low-end AMD-ATI silicon and the older "g" wireless.
It weighs in at 6 pounds and measures 1.5-inches thick.
Earlier this month, Best Buy was offering a $299 Toshiba laptop sporting a 15-inch screen but then bumped the price up to $329.
Update: As of August 23, the price of the Toshiba Satellite with an Intel Celeron Processor (Onyx Blue, model: L305-S5955) had been cut to $299. The laptop showed wide availability, as of August 23.
But whether it's a $279, $299, or $329, it's a laptop design that has legs. And a real competitor to the 10-inch Netbook, which costs about the same.
And here's another question: As more of these $279-$329 deals are seen at Wal-Mart and Best Buy and as more ultra-thin laptops appear that approach $600 in price, what will happen to the popularity of the Netbook?
Updated at 4:30 p.m. PDT: adding Windows 7 and Celeron processor information.
There's a new $299 laptop in vogue at stores--and it's not a Netbook.
Toshiba 15-inch Satellite has bounced around in price from $299 to $329
(Credit: Best Buy)These laptops sport big screens, optical drives, plenty of memory, and reasonable graphics horsepower. In other words, this is nothing like a $299 Netbook.
And, in case you haven't noticed, they sell out quickly. The $298 Wal-Mart laptop was gone before most people could reach for their wallet and the Best Buy $299 Acer laptop vanished almost overnight once the price went viral.
Best Buy chimed in again very briefly for a few days (during the week of August 3) with a $299 Toshiba laptop sporting a 15-inch screen but then bumped the price up to $329.
But whether it's a $298, $299, $309, or $329, it's a laptop design that has landed. And it is a real competitor to the 10-inch Netbook, which costs about the same.
Here's the challenge: a lot of the Netbook's appeal is price. If retailers offer something with more robust hardware in the same price range, these tiny laptops are at risk of ... Read more
Best Buy has listed a 15-inch Acer laptop with relatively robust specifications for $299. But try getting your hands on one.
Though listed among the "new arrivals" on Best Buy's Web site, it is currently not available at stores or online. But there is anecdotal evidence of its existence. Very-recent user comments indicate that people have purchased the laptop and other stores, such as Wal-Mart Stores and Amazon (which shows it in stock), list it at a higher price.
Acer laptop comes with most of the fixins' for $299
(Credit: Best Buy)And the specifications? An AMD Athlon 64 processor, 15.6-inch WXGA display, 2GB DDR2 memory, DVD-RW drive, 160GB hard disk drive, ATI Radeon Xpress 1200 graphics, 802.11b/g wireless, 10/100 Ethernet LAN, and Microsoft Windows Vista Home Basic Edition. Pretty close to mainstream-laptop hardware with the exception of the low-end AMD-ATI silicon and the older "g" wireless.
When contacted by phone, a Best Buy sales representative said the reseller has fielded a number of calls already about the laptop and confirmed that it was currently unavailable.
By comparison, what do you get for $299 when buying a diminutive Netbook? An Asus Eee PC at this price comes with an Atom N270 processor, 1GB memory, 10.1-inch screen, 160GB hard disk drive, Intel 950 graphics, a Webcam, no optical drive, and Windows XP.
And there are good deals on other, more-mainstream laptops at Best Buy. A Toshiba Satellite is listed at $349 with an Intel Celeron processor, 15.4-inch display, 2GB DDR2 memory, DVD-RW drive, 160GB hard disk drive, Intel 4500MHD graphics, 802.11b/g wireless, 10/100 Ethernet LAN, and Microsoft Windows Vista Home Basic Edition.
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