Need Laptop advice for Best Buys Black Friday sale...

by Spops23 Nov 13, 2009 12:49AM PST

Hey guys,

I am in the market for a new laptop, and just saw Best Buys "Black Friday" ad scan. After looking at it, I am unsure of which laptop to purchase. I am looking to spend under $700 so these laptops fit in perfectly.

The 3 laptops I am interested in are on page 1 and 2 of the ad scan:

http://www.blackfriday.info/sales/best-buy-black-friday-ad.html

1) Sony 15" Laptop w/Intel Dual Core Processor, 4GB Memory, 320GB Hard Drive, Windows 7 Home Premium, up to 4 hours of battery life, Sony Headphones, Built-In Blu-ray Player, Blu-ray Movie (The taking of Pelham 123) - $479.97

2) HP 15.6" Notebook w/AMD Turion II Dual Core Processor M500, 6GB Memory, 320GB Hard Drive, Windows 7 Home premium, up to 4 hours 15 minutes of battery life. - $599.99

3) HP 15.6" Notebook w/AMD Turion II Dual Core Processor M500, 8GB Memory, 500GB Hard Drive, Windows 7 Home premium, up to 4 hours 15 minutes of battery life. - $699.99

They are all really good deals, but I have no idea which to purchase. I tried to find reviews on the laptops online, but I have no model numbers to go off of.

The primary purpose for this laptop is to use when I head back to school this January. So I am sure I will be using Microsoft Word a lot. But I will also be using things like Firefox, iTunes, AIM, editing of YouTube videos, Netflix via HDMI out to HDTV.

Speaking of HDMI, does anyone know if these computers have HDMI out? The ad scans don't really give you much info.

So, can you guys please help me out? Are these laptops the best deals? Are they worth me sitting outside of Best Buy for 8 hours to get them? Or is there a better laptop deal currently going on?

Please help me make my decision.

Thanks in advance...

Discussion is locked

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Sorry. Is it just the price and HDMI?

by r. proffitt Former Forum moderator Nov 13, 2009 2:04AM PST

http://www.shoppingbuyguide.com/2009/11/bestbuy-black-friday-sales-2009-ad.html gives up a few details.

The Toshiba L505-S5984 is a first for 399 to have a Core 2 Duo.

You'll have to go to the store or keep digging for more details.

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Biggest bang for my buck.

by Spops23 Nov 13, 2009 2:19AM PST

Honestly, I am just looking for the biggest bang for my buck. Fast processor, as much RAM as possible so I have no problems with multiple applications open, great battery life, HDMI, etc...

I will be the first to admit that I don't know enough about computers. But that Toshiba only has 3gb of RAM. Hardly seems like enough with the current standards.

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Then stop looking at these.

by r. proffitt Former Forum moderator Nov 13, 2009 2:41AM PST

These are leaders, value plays and such. I think the 399 buck Core 2 Duo would be nice but that's where it stops. It will not have a 64 bit OS, 7200 RPM hard drive and until you look it may not have HDMI.

But it is a good value. If I needed a cheap laptop, that would be my choice.

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Consumers are being taken to the cleaners.

by r. proffitt Former Forum moderator Nov 13, 2009 2:43AM PST

On that RAM. The Windows 7 tests we did were on 512MB, 1GB machines and ran great. 3GB is 3 to 6 times that.

What are people basing this notion that 3GB is small?

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3gb...

by Spops23 Nov 13, 2009 2:55AM PST

I guess I am basing that 3gb is too small based on what I am seeing on the market. I have been looking at laptops in stores for about the past month. Most I see have between 4gb and 8gb of RAM.

I am concerned about RAM because I don't want to run into issues with opening multiple applications. For example:

I am doing some school work... I have iTunes opened listening to music, Microsoft Word opened typing up homework, Firefox opened doing research, and maybe AIM opened to talk to friends.

My current (old) laptop only has 512mb of RAM and I can barely have iTunes opened up without the computer having a heart attack lol. iTunes with Firefox and the whole computer locks up.

I am not tied down to purchasing a laptop on Black Friday. Honestly I would prefer to avoid that hassle of standing on line for 8 hours if at all possible.

My budget is right around $700 so I would like to get the best possible laptop for that price.

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Ram is easy to replace.

by orlbuckeye Nov 13, 2009 3:51AM PST

I looked at Newegg and they don't carry 1 laptops with 8 gig of ram. They carry 12 with 6 gig of ram, 133 with 4 gig and 41 with 3 gig of ram. The problem now is ram is cheap for 2 gig chips at between 20-30 and 4 gig ram chips are around 140 a piece. 3 months ago 4 gig ram chips were around 300.

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For 700 this week at staple.com

by r. proffitt Former Forum moderator Nov 13, 2009 4:35AM PST

Is a hp dv6 with 4GB, 500GB HD, 3D video with 1GB dedicated video ram and I think it's 650. I have the model a little beyond that as the office supplies support for 7 Pro, etc.
Bob

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This one?

by Spops23 Nov 13, 2009 5:57AM PST

Is this the one you are talking about?

http://www.staples.com/HP-Pavilion-dv6-1350us-Entertainment-Laptop/product-nr_827762

Would you happen to know off hand how it differs from the one that Best Buy is offering on Black Friday. The only differences that I can see is:

$50 cheaper

Less Memory

Different Processor

Less HDD space

From the spec sheet, it looks like a solid laptop, but I do not see anything about 1gb dedicated VRam ( http://h30038.www3.hp.com/assets/usen/datasheets/Pavilion_dv6-1350us_Entertainment_Notebook_PC.pdf ) However, I do not have anything to compare it to with the Best Buy Black Friday deal.

Thoughts?

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I am typing on the next model up.

by r. proffitt Former Forum moderator Nov 13, 2009 9:36AM PST

The dv6-1361sb which the office supplied because it's 7 Pro, etc.

The dv6-1350us is nice enough but then I would be installing 7 Pro, etc.
Bob

Need Laptop advice for Best Buys Black Friday sale...

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