December 11th, 2006 at 07:03pm
Under Laptop Market
By John Gibb
There are basically three kinds of laptop makers. The first make laptops that are expensive, luxurious, lightweight, well-built and hard-wearing. These are durable, rugged machines that won’t get damaged by everyday wear and tear.
In the next category down, there are normal laptops – mid-range, mid-price, middle of the road. You get what you pay for, no more, no less, but they’re well-made and do the job perfectly fine.
Then, at the bottom of the market, you have cheap laptops that are, to be frank, completely crappy. They’re heavy, unwieldy, and fall apart at the least provocation.
Which category you choose to shop in is up to you, although I’d strongly recommend against the last one! To make your decision, though, you need to know which brand belongs where.
At the top, in the luxury sector, you’ll find Toshiba, Samsung, Sony (Vaio) and Apple, as well as the IBM Thinkpads that are now sold by Lenovo. These machines can all be outrageously expensive, but at the same time, worth it if you’ve got the money.
In the mid-range, you’ll find Fujitsu, Acer, and HP/Compaq – HP and Compaq still brand their computers separately, but they are basically the same machines. A few of the cheapest Apple machines also belong in this category, such as the iBook.
Finally, at the bottom, you’ll find Dell, as well as a bunch of off-brand clone machines (some argue that Gateway also belong in this category, but it’s borderline). If you know what’s good for you, avoid them. Unfortunately, the fact that Dell makes the cheapest laptops means that huge numbers of people have them. If you’re not convinced that a cheap laptop could ever be bad, ask a few people that you see around using them – I’m sure they’ll tell you that they wish they’d bought something else.
John Gibb is the owner of Laptop resources For more information on Laptops check out http://www.laptop-computer-sources4u.info
By Dragan
December 11th, 2006 at 07:00pm
Under Buyer’s Guide
By John Gibb
If you are a fanatic follower of Sony laptops then this guide is definitely going to be of some help (unless, you are so stuck on Sony that you know everything about their laptops!). Specifically, the purpose of this article is to inform you about the various VAIO models; hopefully, it will also assist you in buying the laptop that best matches your character, your needs and your pocket.
First of all, you need to know a few things about Sony’s involvement in the laptop world. Sony is recognized globally as one of the best electronics manufacturers in the world. Regarding the laptop world, although Sony can be considered as a ‘newcomer’, it is a fact nowadays that they are one of the dominant players in this game. The VAIO laptops series by Sony has seen a great success since the very beginning of its lunch and Sonly quickly won a large piece of the sales pie. VAIO laptops are divided into special categories; each category features laptops aimed at a specific characteristic. Without loosing any time, let’s have a quick look at categories A and B. Starting with the VAIO A-series, we will find laptops equipped with Centrino processors and thus, extended wireless capabilities. Those laptops are generally not the ones you would like to move a lot with. They weight a lot and they are pretty large. A - Series laptops are mostly designed towards being a desktop replacement but of course, you can always move them around if you wish to. The processing power of the A series is high enough to substitute this of most desktops and you can always enjoy your multimedia with a 17†screen on them. If you know that you are not going to move a lot with your laptop then this is one of your best choices.
For the VAIO B - Series someone could easily say that the ‘B’ stands for business; that’s probably true. Those small, portable 14†laptops will be your best co-worker while traveling around; they are very portable and they will weight a lot less than the laptops you might have been used to. B series feature a 100+GB HDD and the battery life can last up to 4 hours! Of course, wireless capabilities are a must for any business laptop and this laptop comes equipped with a Centrino processor that will make things even easier for you. If you don’t really mind about large screens and brutal processing power then the B series will be your best choice to get your job done efficiently.
John Gibb is the owner of Sony Laptop resources
For more information on Sony Laptops check out http://www.Sony-Laptops.info
By Dragan
December 7th, 2006 at 05:07pm
Under Cheap Laptops
By Titus Hoskins
Remember last year when a sale featuring laptops priced at $500 caused a stampede in one store. What a difference a year makes!
Laptop prices have been steadily dropping, falling below those stampede prices in some cases. As productions costs come down and the marketplace is flooded with all makes of laptops, you can expect laptop prices to drop even further.
No news there, most products come down in price eventually, electronic products are no different. Actually, they seem to come down in prices more rapidly.
This is written by someone who bought a $1000 VCR — now you can get the same VCR for under a hundred bucks. If you can get anyone to buy it. For that matter, do they sell VCRs anymore?
Technologies change all the time.
Have you bought a TV lately? You may have been surprised at the different ones ( Plasma, LCD, Rear Projection ) and just look at the prices on the old fashion TVs, they have become downright cheap, compared to what they once were.
When one technology is replaced with another you can usually find some nice discounts and cheap prices. Many consumers confuse the word cheap with poor quality, don’t make the same mistake. In most cases, you’re still getting a high quality product; just at a lower price.
There is a similar thing going on with laptops or notebook computers. A few years ago, compared to buying a PC, buying a laptop was very expensive.
Now laptop prices have fallen. New technologies have come on stream, most notably the new Intel Duo processor. Rightly or wrongly, it makes a lot of older laptops somewhat obsolete. But these older laptops are still high quality products that you may be able to purchase at a cheaper price.
But the million dollar question remains — are cheap laptops worth your hard earned money?
Yes and no.
As a prudent shopper you have to be careful and know exactly what you’re purchasing. A cheap laptop that will break or not perform up to our expectations is not cheap - just a waste of your hard earned money.
So you have to be careful and play it safe, always go with a high profile laptop maker. HP, Sony, Apple, Toshiba, Dell, Panasonic… many of these companies do sell inexpensive laptops. They also sell perfectly fine refurbished laptops that you should also consider if you’re interested in buying a cheap laptop.
Many of these big name laptop makers do offer special deals and discount coupons. Many good quality laptops can now be bought for well under $1000. No matter what type or kind of laptop you buy or from whom, always check the warranties and know exactly what is covered should you run into problems with your newly purchased laptop.
Value for Your Money
However, you must always try to get the best value for your money. You must comparison shop and look closely at what you’re getting for your hard earned cash.
Look at the processing speed, look at the amount of RAM, look at the graphics and visuals/display, try out the feel and touch of the keyboard and touchpad — do they meet or perform to your satisfaction?
Look closely at the different features and ask yourself: do you need a wireless connection? do you need a large hard drive? 40-80-100 gigs? do you need a DVD burner? do you need long battery life? (if you’re just using your laptop as a desktop replacement and it will be plugged in all the time, long battery life may not be that important). What connections do you need? How many USB ports? Firewire?
Keep all these features in mind when buying your laptop. A cheap laptop isn’t cheap if it doesn’t give you all the features you want. To be fully satisfied with your purchase, your cheap laptop must have all your requirements (things you just can’t live without on your laptop) included in that cheap price.
In other words, you must make sure you’re getting good value for your money. Make sure you’re getting a high quality laptop with all the features you need or require in your laptop for a decent price.
Only Buy What You Need
Why buy a fully loaded laptop when you will never use a webcam or DVD burner. Why buy a 100 gig hard drive when you don’t and will never need all that storage space? Instead, find the features you want and then go bargain hunting for a laptop within your price range.
Shop Around, Shop Around, Shop Around
The Internet is an excellent place to start your comparison shopping for a quality inexpensive laptop. Most, if not all of the major laptop makers have online sites where you can find some great laptop discounts and laptop deals. Many online stores and affiliate sites will also give you some great laptop bargains, so shop around.
Dell is well known for its online laptop coupons and discounts. Using Dell coupons will get you a cheaper laptop. Many other laptop makers like Toshiba and HP offer great online deals and discounts,
so make sure you look around before you buy that cheap laptop.
And don’t forget eBay, but be careful of what you’re buying and always thoroughly check out the seller as well as the product. Remember “It ain’t cheap if it doesn’t work!”
Still, if you’re on a limited budget it pays to do your homework and shop around. There are some great bargains to be had, but don’t be fooled by all those low prices. Just make sure your cheap laptop has all the features you need or can comfortably accept without too much disappointment. Make sure your cheap laptop is in fine working order and has a nice warranty attached to it.
Then and only then, can you be assured that your cheap laptop is well worth your money.
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For more information on Buying Notebooks and Laptops at Bargain Prices Go Here: Cheap Laptops or Try Here: Dell Coupons
By Dragan