My MacBook Pro 13" has these specs: 2.53GHz Core 2 Duo, 4GBs 1066MHz RAM, 250GB 5400RPM HDD, 6.5 Hour battery, bluetooth, wifi a/b/g/n, multi-touch trackpad, and backlit keyboard. It cost me $1350, plus it doesn't look "old school", lacks the mobile broadband, and is also devoid of 'nub' tracking devices.
The closer you get to Christmas, the more expensive these things will get, so snap it up quick if you have to buy before the holidays. Holiday "sales" are just that: the "sale" of lots of stuff. If at all possible, it would probably save you a few bucks if you waited until January.
Before I start, let me give a quick background history. I'm not terribly experienced in laptop-shopping. I'm a med school student who has had my last two laptops become marginally useless.
Lenovo is particularly appealing to me, because I have seen impressive statistics in regard to its software and hardware reliability, and I like the "old-school" look it conveys with the matte screen and unglossy cover. Also, the nub is much more useful to me than the now-common touchpad.
I've never purchased a Lenovo laptop, so I researched it for a couple of days to find what exactly I want. I'm currently thinking of getting a T500 series with the following specs:
Intel Core 2 Duo Processor P8600 (2.40GHz 1066MHz 3MBL2) 25W1
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 6412
15.4 WXGA TFT, w/ LED Backlight
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator x4500HD with vPro
4 GB PC3-8500 DDR3 SDRAM 1067MHz SODIMM Memory (2 DIMM)8
UltraNav (TrackPoint and TouchPad)
160 GB Hard Disk Drive, 5400rpm4
DVD Recordable 8x Max Dual Layer, Ultrabay Slim (Serial ATA)5
No Bluetooth
Intel WiFi Link 5100 (AGN) with My WiFi Technology10
Integrated Mobile Broadband upgradable65
6 cell Li-Ion Battery60
Basically, my customizations included changing Windows 7 from 32 to 64 bit, adding an LED screen, increasing the memory from 2GB to 4GB, and adding a built-in camera.
Were I to buy this now, it would be $894.00, which seems a little steep for my budget. I found expired coupons for 15% on numerous websites, and I have come to the conclusion that I could save a nice chunk of money if I just waited for another one to pop up. However, the price would still be $760.00, and I haven't been made of money lately.
Is this a good deal, or am I being too stingy with this? Rather, is there bound to be a better deal online at some point in the near future (keyword being 'NEAR', because I definitely will need this before the end of December), due to the holidays coming up?
Chowhound
Comic Vine
GameFAQs
GameSpot
Giant Bomb
TechRepublic