Behold the glory and majesty of my new refurbished discount laptop:

http://www.overstock.com/cgi-bin/d2.cgi?page=proframe&prod_id=1862637

It's not cutting edge, but I don't really need it to be. I needed something for net access and typing, and this should do fine. It was one of the best deals I could find, everything else was too underpowered and too expensive for what you were buying.

i'm planning to run debian on it, it was a chore downloading 14 cds even with broadband.

Anyway, post your laptop specs and what you paid for it.

Mine:

* Display: 14-inch LCD (I would have liked bigger, but I couldn't afford it)
* Processor: 900MHz Pentium III
* System memory: 256MB (I plan to upgrade the memory eventually, but right now this will do fine.)
* Hard drive: 30GB
* Optical drive: DVD-ROM
* Network: 10/100
* Modem: 56K
* Operating system: Windows 98 (soon to be replaced with debian linux)

Price: $401 (I can't believe that they only charged me a dollar for shipping)

Processor: 233 Mhz
Memory: 64 MB
HD: 6 GB
Drives: Hot-swappable floppy and CD-ROM
OS: Windows 98

Price: Free.

I also got a second one with the same specs except it has a cracked screen and no battery.

Anyways, it was my "leaning Linux" laptop during the summer. Or, more accurately, my "get so frustrated with Linux and the online 'support' community that I vow to never touch it again" laptop.

I want to get a laptop at some point when I have the extra money. Something like that. Nothing fancy, just something I can use in addition to my desktop.

Linux=ah
Linux community=****

You just have to know how to deal with elitist bastards to get Linux help.

No, you have to 1: Not have a crappy computer 2: Read a lot of manuals and 3: Learn how to be nice to people instead of demanding information. The linux community CONSTANTLY has nubs come through asking for help. I don't imagine they take too kindly to "TELL ME WHAT I WANT TO KNOW NOW".

iBook: 1.0 ghz G4, 512mb DDR RAM (dunno what kind), 30 gig HDD, CD drive, ATi Radeon 9000 integrated video card, 12"

Price: Free (school)

Dang you got ripped off.

Compaq V2000z
1.8 Ghz AMD Turion
1GB RAM (Added after I got the computer)
60GB 5400 RPM HDD
ATi x200
CD-RW
14" Widescreen
WIndows XP Pro

A little over $500 made to order.

So yeah, basically I was right.

Btw, it was a joke (even tho its true).

That's not elitism...but whatever. It's not everyone else's job to make up for your laziness.

Before the semester started I got an IBM T23. Had a 1 GHz (or maybe 1.13 GHz, I don't remember) CPU and I think 256 or 512 mb of ram. The reason why I don't remember the specs very well is the HDD died within less than 24 hours of when I unpacked it. I sent it back and got a cheap Compaq that has served me great.

Thinkpads are supposed to be awesome, and I know mine was probably just an isolated experience. Bottom line, I think, is just don't trust refurb HDDs.

Its an IBM R51 Thinkpad:

1.7 Ghz
1 gb RAM
60 gb Drive
CD-RW/DVD Combo drive
15 in screen, 1400x1050 res
Radeon 7500
XP Pro/SuSe Linux

This is about 3 years old (got it for graduation):

HP Pavilion ze5375
P4 2.4 ghz
512mb RAM
40 Gig HDD
DVD/CD-RW combo drive
802.11b
Radeon IGP 345M
Kubuntu Linux

I use it as my email/Linux code development machine. With the number of CS classes I take that have assignments pretty much all in Linux, the laptop really helps. I just wish I had longer battery life. That's what I get for buying a laptop with a desktop chip.

Wow, where did you get that at?

Tempting, but I couldn't have done it anyway. See, my limit was around $400, $500 would have been a bit of a stretch for me.

i've been shopping around for days, and I've seen a few rip-offs, (a 500 mhz machine for $350 or thereabouts, for one.) Many other machines I looked at were cheaper and had a better cpu than the one I eventually bought, but they were stripped down and didn't have too much going for them. (external optical drive, old battery, etc) This deal seemed better than most, so I took it. The practically free shipping added incentive too.

Tough luck, although from experience I'm more personally inclined to trust a refurb HDD over a new compaq. I've had a brand new compaq S6500NX model fail on me about 2 days after I got it, and I vowed never to buy another one.

If this laptop fails on me, I'll send it back and have them handle it.

That's your problem, you shopped around for days. You ahve to shop for weeks looking for mail in rebates and stuff.

Man... those were considered hi tech back when I was a freshman in high school. I used to play LAN games of Warcraft II, Quake, Duke Nukem 3D, Doom II, and Jedi Knight on during lunch time and after school. Ahhhh, the good old days.

[QUOTE=Dj Yoshi]No, you have to 1: Not have a crappy computer 2: Read a lot of manuals and 3: Learn how to be nice to people instead of demanding information. The linux community CONSTANTLY has nubs come through asking for help. I don't imagine they take too kindly to "TELL ME WHAT I WANT TO KNOW NOW".[/QUOTE]

Yeah, good job with the assumptions there. I'm sure you saw the thread I made here; asking about a problem with the video card? You know, the one where instead of anyone helping me, I got two pages of being called a moron for various reasons?

Did you see Freelancer's comment before you about how you have to deal with elitist bastards in order to learn Linux? Ironic that you would post what you did right after...

I have to admit, those Thinkpads were pretty solid systems. I bought a T20 refurbished for $500 a couple years ago. It was a PIII 700, I upgraded the RAM to 256, and put a 40 gig HD in it. Never had a single problem with it. But I just bought a new one last month. though:

HP Compaq nx6115

AMD Turion 1.6 ghz
1 gig RAM (added just this week)
128 MB ATI Radeon Express 200M
40 gig HD
CDRW/DVD combo
XP Pro

Good battery life, too. Goes for more than 3 hours easy. I love new toys. $799. Not too bad. . .