Laptops are gaining in popularity these days. Almost everyone is carrying one now either for work or entertainment. Laptops with the latest technology are introduced to the market everyday and these new laptops come with a huge price tag. However, that does not mean you cannot get a good and cheap laptop. I have put together a guide that may help you out in your hunt for a cheap and good laptop.

Buy cheap laptop with older technology

The chairman and founder of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Lab recently launched the $100 laptop to the world?s media. Is it necessary?

MIT rolled out a non-profit association, called One Laptop Per Child, to design, manufacture and distribute laptops that will be provided to various governments at cost price and issued to children by participating schools on a basis of one laptop per child. These machines will be rugged, Linux-based and so energy-efficient that hand cranking alone can generate sufficient power for operation.

The chairman and founder of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Lab recently launched the $100 laptop to the world’s media. Is it necessary?

MIT rolled out a non-profit association, called One Laptop Per Child, to design, manufacture and distribute laptops that will be provided to various governments at cost price and issued to children by participating schools on a basis of one laptop per child. These machines will be rugged, Linux-based and so energy-efficient that hand cranking alone can generate sufficient power for operation.

The internet connectivity question is addressed in a few different ways, including the use of Wi-Fi, WiMax, 3G and satellites, as well as fibre, coaxial cable and plain old telephony. Competition, deregulation and the fact that the developing world is now the only new telecommunications market, will all perhaps contribute to wider reaching availability, greater bandwidth and, most importantly in these countries, lower connectivity costs.

The solution offered is a $100 laptop: a durable, versatile machine at a price the developing world can afford. The fact that this has been achieved is actually a remarkable achievement, the very notion of which until very recently was shunned by industry leaders as impossible.

The strongest argument in favour of this cheap laptop idea rests on the laurel that the greatest assets of a people are its children, and so the highest social priority is on the education of these children. Throughout disease, natural disasters, war and poverty, education features as the primary solution to the problem.

Most educators would argue that effective learning stems from a fundamental level of personal curiosity about a subject, and in a sense the ability to self-teach. The key point here is not so much what each child knows so far, it is rather the perspective that they can bring to bear on a problem. It is well known from case studies that network learning, augmented by technology, computers and Internet connectivity, bears heavy fruit in academic terms.

The economics of a $100 laptop base around the following: Around half the purchase price of a new laptop is taken up by the cost of sales, marketing, distribution, and of course the ever shameless profit-margin. By sidestepping the entire retail market and distributing directly to governments in the absence of profit-driven aims a huge chunk of the price per model is evaporated.

Physically the most expensive aspect would be the display. The use of an MIT technology called E-Ink that offers the potential to be as low as 10 cents per square inch and offer daylight readable clear resolution is promising. The processor, memory and power can be stripped down, as the functionality of the machine need not be so advanced beyond surfing, email and word processing all as open-source, slimmed down software that takes up little computing resources.

It’s now without doubt that the $100 laptop will happen. As to whether it’s a good idea? Everything about says yes, although the sociologists have yet to gather their argument on this one it seems.

About the Author

Alex Haakonsen is not only a technology nut with strong political feelings but, as an avid traveller, is a regular contributor and columnist for the hotel reservations website TravelBX.com. Visit the site for your next hotel room reservation, flight ticket, tailored holiday package and much more. >> www.travelbx.com

Ah yes, I want a laptop but I am not going to spend a couple of thousand dollars for one. Well guess what you don’t have to. Laptop prices have come down dramatically over the past year alone and they will continue to do so as technology advances. But the trick here is to find good quality laptops that fit your needs at the cheapest prices available today.

I would say that there probably is a store near you right now that has cheap laptop computers. In fact, many stores already have them. The reason being, like any other new product, laptops were once considered the cream of the crop in the computer world which made them very expensive. However, all that has changed now. Laptops are a dime a dozen! The hand held digital assistants, Bluetooth cell phones and tablet pads are the new rage making laptop computers cheap.

Now, don’t get me wrong, this does not mean that they are cheaply made. Thanks to the wonders of the technological cycle, laptop computers are decreasing in price as their capabilities rise. Of course, there are the latest and greatest monsters out there that are made for gaming or high powered multimedia applications and these babies still cost a pretty penny.

Built in wireless capabilities are becoming almost standard equipment on most laptop and home computers these days for a couple of reasons. One of the primary reasons is cost. Adding wireless capacity is so inexpensive that it would be silly for the manufacturers not to add it. The perceived value of any machine with wireless capacity far exceeds the cost to add it. Wireless is the wave of the future, so if the manufacturers want to stay ahead of the technology curve they need to add it to all but there most basic models.

The following key points to consider when you are deciding which laptop to buy.

Size
In general, laptops are classified into three broad categories - one, the subcompact or ‘thin and light’ type, which are very portable, do not weigh much and have the most compact overall dimensions. The next size is the type that is also very portable, but will have a larger screen and keyboard. The size that is one bigger than the previous type is what is called the ‘desktop replacement’ type. This will have an even larger screen and an almost desktop-size keyboard. It will be more versatile than the smaller systems.

Screen
The size of the screen is also a consideration for the type of laptop best suited for you. Those who prioritize portability over other factors will prefer the smallest screen. Generally the size of laptop screens ranges from 12″ to 17″. For those working with graphics or video, the bigger the screen, the better the performance. Display with a widescreen format is best for working with spreadsheets, multimedia and of course watching movies.

Processors and memory
It is sensible to invest in a state-of-the art processor even if you are a basic user so that it is good for the coming few years.

A good, value-for -money proposition would be the Intel? Celeron ? if your computing needs are basic. The Pentium? 4 would handle your needs even better. Intel ? also has a specialized notebook processor tailor-made for mobile technology, called the Pentium M.

As for RAM, 512MB is a must, considering the sophisticated applications that are available today. A laptop with upgradeable RAM would be good if you anticipate running short of RAM in the future. Buy the maximum RAM capacity that you can afford, as the amount of memory that a laptop can handle is limited.

Hard Drives and Optical Drives
The drive size depends mostly on how much you plan to use it. Today, an 80 GB hard drive with a 5400 RPM speed would be optimum, if you can afford it.

As far as removable storage goes, optical drives are the choice today. CD-RW/DVD combo drives are available economically. They are ideal for data storage as back-up.

Networking
Intel Centrino ? Mobile Technology, combines mobile processing power with built-in wireless networking capabilities. Computers that are equipped with this technology can easily connect to wireless networking areas in the house or office and an increasing number of locations all over the world. This technology also saves battery thus prolonging battery life.

About the Author

Logan writes about various topics. This article is free to re-print as long as nothing is changed, the bio remains, all hyper links remain intacked and the rel=”nofollow” tag isnt added to any links. Thank-You

Most people who want to purchase a new laptop look at brand new laptop computers. There are many used laptops available. Is buying a used laptop a good idea? It depends on where you look and what you need in a computer. Used laptops do not come with warranties and usually have no guarantee. However, if you are looking for a laptop for basic functions, this could be the way to go.

The best rated laptop award changes not only from year to year, but it can and does change just as quickly from month to month.

Heck, with the major players out there like Dell, IBM, Compaq and HP just to name a few, competition is absolutely fierce!

But one thing is for sure.

This years best rated laptops all seem to have one thing in common. They are all called Apples!

Apple has taken this honor from several leading computing and electronics magazines, and the trend in sales seem to suggest that consumers are feeling the same way about them, as well.

Why Buy a Used Laptop Instead of New?

 by: Computers Priced Right

If you’re planning to purchase a laptop or notebook (note that laptops and notebooks are the same thing), consider buying used or refurbished laptop. A refurbished laptop is a used laptop that has been rebuilt by a professional, and made to be like new again.

First, let us take a moment to consider your needs in a laptop. What do you plan to do with your laptop? Do you your plans include the following:

• Surfing the internet
• Checking emails
• Instant messenger
• Writing papers
• Printing Papers
• Making spreadsheets
• Slide Presentations
• Playing Solitaire
• Downloading MP3’s
• Listening to MP3’s
• Burning to CD’s
• Watching DVD’s
• Digital camera photo
• Children’s games
• Keeping bank figures
• Small business use
• The lists goes on…

Most used laptops will easily complete all of the above mentioned tasks for you. What’s really great is that for most current applications on a refurbished laptop, you won’t notice a performance difference compared to a brand new laptop.

How is that possible to not notice a difference between a brand new laptop and a refurbished one?

That’s a good question. The fact is, most current software for your computer is not designed to need the high performance of a brand new laptop. Computer manufactures are moving so fast, that software makers simply do not keep up. Most current software will run on a computer 4 times slower than the fastest laptops made.

Most current software will run flawlessly on a computer 4 times slower than the fastest laptops made.

What does that mean for you? It means that it’s not necessary to spend $1500 or more on a top of the line laptop. Depending on your needs from your laptop, you may be able to buy a laptop for as low as $250. A $250 laptop will perform all the necessary tasks for most people. However, if you are looking for a laptop that will burn CD’s and watch DVD movies, expect to spend $400 - $750.

Dell says I can buy a brand new laptop for $699, why should I buy a used one?

This is a very smart, and very much overlooked, marketing trick. Let me start by saying that I think Dell is the best computer manufacture on the market, and I endorse their products myself. However, try this yourself on any given day with any manufacture : Today I went to do www.dell.com and browsed new inspiron laptops (The Dell line designed for home users). On the home page was an ad for a laptop “from” $699. This is after a $100 rebate, so make that price $799. I click the ad and attempt to purchase the item. I am offered to “Customize” or choose “Recommended Solutions”. Customizing sounds great. I’m the customer, and I should get what I want. After choosing “Customize”, without selecting any upgrades at all, suddenly the price of the laptop is $1371. I don’t like that, so I chose all of the lowest possible choices for all available features to achieve the lowest price. The lowest available configuration made the price $907. I don’t want to give up, so I go back and choose “Recommended Solutions” because these configurations are pre-manufactured in quantity, and are therefore cheaper. Four options were offered at these prices: $949, $1249, $999, and $1319. Each one of these options was offered a $150 rebate (keep in mind this is a mail-in rebate so it doesn’t lower your price at checkout) so respectively, if I were to purchase, then wait for my rebate, I could get a laptop for $799, $1099, $849, or $1169. Not one option was available to purchase this laptop at the advertised priced price of $699, even after a mail-in rebate! You will find the same scenario anywhere you go, no matter what manufacture.

No option was available to purchase a laptop for $699, even after a mail-in rebate!

They have to get you to buy from them somehow. All of the computer manufactures have been using this marketing technique (as described above) for years. Imagine if everyone knew about this and the money they could save on buying a refurbished laptop, without having to sacrifice any of their goals and needs from the computer. These manufactures would not be the same companies that they are today.

There are more reasons to consider a refurbished laptop.

Another aspect of buying a refurbished computer that should be considered is this: Most refurbished laptops available are not the “low end” home user based laptops. Examples of home user laptops are: Compaq Presario, Dell Inspiron, eMachines, Hewlett Packard Pavilion, Sony Vaio, and Toshiba Satellite. Refurbished laptops are almost always business model laptops that are off-lease from major corporations.

Business laptops have parts available even long after warranty expires.

Business laptops provide a better solution because they are the laptops provided by a company that are proven to work well. Examples of business laptops are: Compaq Armada, Dell Latitude, Hewlett Packard Compaq Mobile/Business Workstation, and Toshiba Tecra. Home user laptops, believe it or not, are usually testing grounds for new engineering of laptop equipment. Home user laptops are typically given shorter warranty, and are designed to last until that warranty expires. After the laptop’s warranty has expired, the newer “experimental” home user model available uses different parts. Since the older models are no longer under warranty, and they use “out of date” parts, the manufacture no longer stocks the parts. Therefore, when your home user laptop has an out of warranty problem (which it will), the parts that are available to fix your laptop are very expensive, if they are available at all. This leaves the home user with the attitude to “throw away and buy new”, which is exactly what the manufacture wants you to do.

Since business laptops use technology that is proven to work, their parts seldom change from model to model. Due to this fact as well as the fact that business laptops are leased to corporations, huge stock piles of parts are kept at the manufacture for extended warranties as well as out of warranty purchases. For example, you can still call Dell today to order parts for an out of warranty laptop that was manufactured in 1997 or 1998 for the same cost as laptops manufactured in 2002.

Business laptops are more expensive than home laptops (as much as $3000), buy used and save a ton.

Business laptops, due to their stability, are far more expensive than home user laptops. Using the Dell example, the cheapest Dell business laptop (Latitude), currently available is $2000. Many of the refurbished laptops being sold today for $250-$800 originally sold for $3000 or more. This means you can buy refurbished and save as much as 80% over buying new.

Purchase a refurbished laptop that will suit your needs and last for years, at a great savings.

What all of this means is that if you purchase a refurbished laptop, you can expect the following:

• Able to complete all tasks necessary to an everyday user
• Half the cost of a brand new home user laptop
• Up to 80% less than a brand new business laptop
• Proven technology that will last for years
• Parts always available if your laptop has a problem
• Take control in your life, and put extra money in your pocket for other things that are important to you!

Find a Great Refurbished Laptop on the Web Today at www.computerspricedright.com

About The Author Computers Priced Right specializes in sale of refurbished laptops, or used laptops, off-lease laptops, used notebooks, and used laptop parts, mainly from Dell. sales@computerspricedright.com

Selecting a Laptop

 by: Deryck Richards

Small Can Be Beautiful

When purchasing a new computer, you may be better served by a laptop than a traditional desktop computer. Recently, laptops with capabilities similar to desktops can be purchased for a comparable price. Laptops are convenient because of their small size and ability to run from a battery. Except for the power cable to recharge it, a laptop doesnt have any external wires, so it wont be contributing to a cable mess.

When looking at laptops, consider how often you will travel with it. If you plan to travel only infrequently, get a model with a larger screen and lower price. If you are a digital nomad, you should be concerned mainly with the laptop size, weight, and battery life. For maximum portability, get a laptop that weighs less than 3.5 pounds, has a 12 or smaller display, and a minumum 4-hour battery life.

Unlike desktops, laptop computers can be difficult and expensive to upgrade. When you purchase a laptop, consider that any internal features such as CD-ROM or hard drive may be difficult to replace. Laptops can be upgraded externally with USB, FireWire, and the PC Card slot. Because each of these methods is external, however your laptop will become less portable if you need to carry around the external devices.

Take One Tablet…

A Tablet PC is a custom laptop that allows you to write on the screen to save notes and work with programs. Tablet PCs are typically smaller than laptops and feature a specialized processor that is extremely battery-efficient. Some Tablet PCs do not have a built-in keyboard, but can connect to an external keyboard. These are ideal for people who use the Tablet PC mode most of the time and need to use the keyboard occasionally.

If you have little need for a portable computer, a “desktop replacement” may be for you. A desktop replacement looks like a laptop, but is much larger and priced competitively with desktops. Whatever kind of laptop fits your lifestyle, gone are the days when laptops were expensive and less capable than traditional desktop computers.

About The Author Deryck Richards is the founder and managing partner of Desktronix. With an extensive educational background in computer information systems, Deryck currently manages hosting and data center operations for Desktronix. He also provides system administration and technical support directly to small businesses as he has since 2000. His areas of expertise include networking, Windows, Linux, and Macintosh systems and he is the author of The Guide to Technology for Small Business. For more information on Desktronix, visit www.desktronix.com.