notebooks

This is an update of a deal I posted several months ago.

Most laptops shouldn't fly coach. I was reminded of this not long ago while trying to contort myself in strange and painful ways at 33,000 feet. Never again.

A Netbook would have been a much better fit, but I find most models too small for my taste--and too underpowered as well.

Luckily, I found a happy medium: HP has the Pavilion dm1z ultraportable laptop for $369.99 shipped (after applying coupon code SAVE30HP). That's a savings of around $130.

The dm1z may look like a … Read more

A quick housekeeping note: I'll be on vacation tomorrow (Friday, July 8). See you back here on Monday!

Much as I'm loving tablets these days, it's getting harder and harder to justify spending $500-plus on one when you can get an entire laptop for hundreds less. Apples and oranges? Maybe so, but when it comes to productivity, I think laptops still win the day.

While supplies last, TigerDirect has the refurbished Acer Aspire AS5552-3691 15.6-inch laptop for $319.99, plus around $9 for shipping. Make sure to note the "while supplies last" part, because … Read more

Best Buy and Staples are selling well-configured but inexpensive 15-inch laptops from Hewlett-Packard and Acer based on AMD dual-core processors.

The specifications on the 15.6-inch HP laptop (model: 2000-219DX) are respectable for a $349 system, including Windows 7 Home Premium, 3GB of memory, a 320GB hard-disk drive (5400rpm), a Webcam, Wi-Fi, Ethernet, and an optical drive.

Under the hood, the marquee feature is the 1.6GHz E-350 processor from Advanced Micro Devices. The all-in-one chip integrates AMD's Radeon 6310 graphics silicon onto the main dual-core processor, yielding good performance for its price class. AMD's claim to fame is its graphics silicon (formerly branded as ATI), which offers better performance than the graphics silicon found in processor offerings from Intel.

Staples is selling a similarly configured Acer laptop (model: LX.RD502.032) for the same price--$349, sporting a dual-core AMD C-50 processor with Radeon HD 6250 graphics.

The price breaks on these two machines herald systems based on newer AMD A series processors. These laptops are expected to become available in the coming weeks from PC makers like HP and Toshiba.

Smaller laptops starting at $329 are also available at stores like Costco. That store is selling an 11.6-inch Acer laptop for $329 with the AMD C-50 processor. … Read more

Many thanks to everyone who commented and wrote in regarding Friday's "PC or Mac?" post. The response was tremendous, and for the most part quite civil--surprising given the holy-war history of the question. (They're just computers, people!)

The hard truth is that I write about Windows (and Windows-related products) for a living, so I can't fully abandon the platform. But as soon as my budget allows, I'm going to bring a Mac into the house and see what all the fuss is about. Stay tuned.

In the meantime, it's hard to pass up … Read more

As a general rule, laptop speakers bite. That means if you're using your portable PC to, say, watch a movie or listen to music, you're stuck using headphones if you want decent audio.

The Logitech Speaker Lapdesk N550 offers up a pair of bigger, louder external speakers housed in a comfy lap- and table-friendly riser. It normally sells for $59.99, but right now you can get a refurbished Speaker Lapdesk N550 for $23.99 shipped. That's after applying coupon code logi_n550_51611 at checkout.

The N550 is designed for 14-inch-and-smaller laptops. Indeed, the accompanying photo shows it … Read more

Sometimes I wonder just how much cheaper laptops can get. I mean, I can recall a time when if you wanted a desktop replacement, a system with a big screen and keyboard, you could plan on spending at least $1,000.

Today, Radio Shack is offering a refurbished HP G72-B63NR 17.3-inch laptop for $349.97, plus sales tax in most states and $6 for shipping.

That is just plain unreal, people. (It's also just plain online: this deal isn't available in stores--though you can save the six bucks on shipping by opting for free ship-to-store.)

The G72 … Read more

A quick housekeeping note: If you're a subscriber to the Cheapskate newsletter (scroll down a bit to find it), you probably noticed that after the holidays, the frequency dropped off to twice weekly. Well, I'm happy to report that the Cheapskate will once again be landing in your inbox daily! Estimated arrival time: 10 a.m. PT.

That said, I still urge you to visit the blog directly whenever you get to your computer in the morning. Sometimes, through no fault of my own (ahem), a deal is already sold out or expired by the time the e-mail … Read more

If you've got $350 in your pocket and a laptop on your mind, you can score a pretty amazing deal. For starters, that Dell Vostro V13 I wrote about last month is, against all odds, still available for $349.

But if you're more into power than portability, Best Buy has the Gateway NV53A74u 15.6-inch laptop for $349.99, plus sales tax and around $15 for shipping (a charge you can avoid by opting for in-store pickup).

The 5.7-pound NV53A74u--uh, I think I'll just call it "the Gateway" from here on--sports a 3GHz AMD … Read more

So my daughter is starting middle school next year (but...but...she's just a lil' punkin!), and that means she's going to need a laptop for the school's laptop program. I think I just found the perfect system.

It's the Dell Vostro V13, a superslim, easy-to-tote model that has more than enough horsepower for a student. Or a business traveler. Or pretty much anybody.

For a limited time, Dell has the Vostro V13 ultraportable laptop for $349. Shipping will run you around $8, and you may be on the hook for sales tax as well.

I … Read more