Budget laptops Updated December 14, 2005 Airplanes are a productivity sinkhole, and the airport itself isn't much better. Between waiting at the gate, waiting at baggage claim, and all the other waiting you're forced to endure, you can easily lose a significant chunk of your workday. An inexpensive laptop can help you convert your waiting time into working time. Though you don't need all of the highest-end specs and features to be productive, make sure your system has integrated wireless connectivity (to take advantage of some airports' free Wi-Fi), a DVD-ROM drive (to watch movies on the flight), and adequate battery life (at least 3 hours). |
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| Product name |
Apple iBook G4 (12-inch) |
HP Pavilion dv1000 |
Lenovo ThinkPad R52 1859 (Pentium M 740 1.73 GHz, 256 MB RAM, 40 GB HDD) |
Dell Inspiron 6000 |
Gateway NX500X |
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| Review date | November 29, 2005 | August 27, 2004 | April 27, 2005 | November 4, 2005 | November 10, 2005 |
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Editors' rating (Editors' rating explained) |
7.0
Very good |
6.7
Good |
6.2
Good |
6.1
Good |
5.9
Average |
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| Buying choices |
Prices from online stores: Searching for pricing data... |
Prices from online stores: Searching for pricing data... |
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Prices from online stores: Searching for pricing data... |
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| Product videos |
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| Review summary | Though it's less powerful than the PowerBook, the reasonably priced 12-inch iBook G4 has a well-designed case, long battery life, and great software, which make it a good choice for anyone seeking a solid entry-level laptop. | The HP Pavilion dv1000 is a solid and sensibly priced system for students, families, and small-business users who want to work and play on the road. | Businesses seeking a sturdy, secure, portable workhorse should consider the IBM ThinkPad R52. | The competitively priced Dell Inspiron 6000 delivers a very solid combination of performance, features, and design for basic home or small-office use. | Gateway's affordable NX500X proves that you don't have to spend an exorbitant amount of money to get a respectably configured notebook. |
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| Product series | See all products in this series | See all products in this series | See all products in this series | See all products in this series | See all products in this series |
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| User comments | 8.1 Excellent (from 71 users) | 7.4 Very good (from 147 users) | 8.2 Excellent (from 6 users) | 7.1 Very good (from 158 users) | 6.2 Good (from 5 users) |
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| Product Description | Apple iBook G4 - PowerPC G4 1.33 GHz - 12.1 in TFT active matrix | HP Pavilion Dv1000 - Pentium M 1.5 GHz - 14 in TFT active matrix | Lenovo ThinkPad R52 1859 - Pentium M 740 1.73 GHz - 14.1 in TFT active matrix | Dell Inspiron 6000 - Pentium M 740 1.6 GHz - 15.4 in TFT active matrix | Pentium M 1.7 GHz - 15.4 in TFT active matrix |
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| Recommended Use | Info unavailable | Small business | Info unavailable | Info unavailable | Small business |
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| Dimensions (WxDxH) | 11.2 in x 9.1 in x 1.3 in | 13.1 in x 1.2 in x 9 in | 12.4 in x 10.2 in x 1.5 in | 13.9 in x 10.2 in x 1.5 in | 14.1 in x 10.4 in x 1.3 in |
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| Weight | 4.9 lbs | 5.26 lbs | 6.2 lbs | 6.6 lbs | 6.1 lbs |
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| Localization | Info unavailable | Info unavailable | English / United States | Info unavailable | Info unavailable |
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| Platform Technology | Info unavailable | Info unavailable | Intel Centrino | Intel Centrino | Info unavailable |
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| System Type | Notebook | Notebook | Notebook | Notebook | Info unavailable |
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| Built-in Devices | Wireless LAN antenna , Bluetooth antenna , Stereo speakers | Info unavailable | Wireless LAN antenna , ThinkLight , Stereo speakers | Wireless LAN antenna , Bluetooth antenna , Stereo speakers | Info unavailable |
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| Embedded Security | Info unavailable | Info unavailable | Trusted Platform Module (TPM) Security Chip | Info unavailable | Info unavailable |
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| Processor | Motorola PowerPC G4 1.33 GHz | Intel Pentium M 1.5 GHz Ultra Low Voltage (ULV) | Intel Pentium M 740 / 1.73 GHz | Intel Pentium M 740 / 1.6 GHz | Intel Pentium M 1.7 GHz |
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| Cache Memory | 512 KB - L2 cache | 1 MB - L2 cache | 2 MB - L2 cache | 2 MB - L2 cache | 2 MB - L2 cache |
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| RAM | 512 MB (installed) / 1.5 GB (max) - DDR SDRAM - 333 MHz - PC2700 | 512 MB (installed) / 2 GB (max) - SDRAM - 266 MHz - DDR266/PC2100 | 256 MB (installed) / 2 GB (max) - DDR2 SDRAM - 533 MHz - PC2-4200 | 512 MB (installed) / 2 GB (max) - DDR2 SDRAM - 400 MHz - PC2-3200 | 512 MB DDR SDRAM |
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| Floppy Drive | None | Optional | None | None | Info unavailable |
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| Hard Drive | 40 GB - 4200 rpm | 80 GB - 4200 rpm | 40 GB - 4200 rpm | 60 GB - 5400 rpm | 40 GB |
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| Optical Storage | CD-RW / DVD-ROM combo - Integrated | CD-RW/DVD | CD-RW / DVD-ROM combo - Plug-in module | DVD-ROM | CD-RW |
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| Optical Storage (2nd) | None | None | None | None | Info unavailable |
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| Storage Removable | None | None - None | None | None | Info unavailable |
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| Graphics Controller | ATI Mobility Radeon 9550 - 32 MB | Intel Extreme Graphics 2 | Intel GMA 900 | ATI MOBILITY RADEON X300 PCI Express - 128 MB | Intel GMA900 |
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| Audio Output | Sound card | Sound card | Sound card | Sound card | Sound card |
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| Telecom | Fax / modem - 56 Kbps | Fax / modem - PCI - 56 Kbps | Fax / modem - CDC - 56 Kbps | Fax / modem - 56 Kbps | Fax / modem - 56 Kbps |
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| Networking | Network adapter - Ethernet , - IEEE 802.11g , - IEEE 802.11b , - Fast Ethernet , - Bluetooth | - Fast Ethernet , Network adapter - Ethernet | Network adapter - Ethernet , - IEEE 802.11g , - IEEE 802.11b , - Gigabit Ethernet , - Fast Ethernet | Network adapter - Ethernet , - IEEE 802.11g , - IEEE 802.11b , - Fast Ethernet , - Bluetooth | - IEEE 802.11 b/g , - Fast Ethernet , Network adapter - Ethernet |
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| Wireless NIC | Info unavailable | Info unavailable | Intel PRO/Wireless 2200BG | Intel PRO/Wireless 2200BG | Info unavailable |
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| Input Device | Trackpad , Keyboard | Keyboard , Touchpad | UltraNav , TrackPoint , Keyboard | Keyboard , Touchpad | Keyboard , Touchpad |
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| Voltage Required | AC 120/230 V | AC 100/120 V | AC 120/230 V | AC 120/230 V | Info unavailable |
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| Battery | Lithium ion | Lithium ion | Lithium ion | Lithium ion | Lithium ion |
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| Run Time (Up To) | 6 hour(s) | Info unavailable | 3.8 hour(s) | Info unavailable | Info unavailable |
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| OS Provided | Apple MacOS X 10.4 | Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition | Microsoft Windows XP Professional | Microsoft Windows XP Professional | Microsoft Windows XP Home SP 2 |
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| Manufacturer Warranty | 1 year warranty | 1 year warranty | 1 year warranty | 1 year warranty | Info unavailable |
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| Product name | Apple iBook G4 (12-inch) | HP Pavilion dv1000 | Lenovo ThinkPad R52 1859 (Pentium M 740 1.73 GHz, 256 MB RAM, 40 GB HDD) | Dell Inspiron 6000 | Gateway NX500X |
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| Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications |
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| Price range | Email me when this product is available |
This product is no longer available.
View all HP Notebooks | Email me when this product is available |
This product is available directly from the manufacturer's Web site.
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