As the year goes
on, it seems like prices for all types of computer equipment are in
a free-fall. So when a friend who's sending her daughter off to
college this fall asked me for advice on what computer she could get
for her that wouldn't break the bank, I told her to buy a notebook
instead.
These days, there are plenty of perfectly serviceable models from
top makers for around $1,500 or less. One notebook that received a
favorable review in the July issue of Computer Shopper is
IBM's ThinkPad iSeries 1300. It's a two-spindle model, meaning the
floppy drive is external. The precise model we reviewed is no longer
available, but there are plenty of preconfigured systems, or you can
customize one on your own.
AN EXAMPLE is an IBM ThinkPad iSeries 1200 model, complete with an
Intel 700MHz processor, 10GB hard disk, 128MB of RAM, 24X CD-ROM
drive, 13.3-inch TFT display, integrated modem, Windows Me, and
Microsoft Office 2000 Small Business Edition, all for $1,100.50. IBM
takes two weeks to ship. With sales tax ($94.26) and ground UPS
shipping to New York ($42), the grand total comes to $1,236.76.
Another good choice is Toshiba's Satellite 1805-S203. It's a
three-spindle model with a 13.3-inch TFT display, 128MB of RAM, a
DVD drive, 15GB hard disk, 800MHz Celeron processor, integrated
modem, Windows Me, and Lotus SmartSuite. Computershopper.com
returned the best
price for this unit to be $1,279 at Computers4Sure.com. This
merchant charges sales tax on all orders being shipped to
California, Connecticut, New York, and Tennessee. For New York, that
came to $106.42. Add $10.90 for UPS ground shipping, and the grand
total comes to $1,396.32. Computers4Sure doesn't have a restocking
fee for returned items.
I've always been impressed with the value WinBook Corp. is able
to bring to its laptops. A case in point is the WinBook
J1. This three-spindle notebook can be fully equipped with an
850MHz Pentium III processor, 128MB of RAM, a 13.3-inch TFT display,
a 10GB hard disk, a DVD drive, and Windows Me (no application
software is included) for just $1,398. WinBook charges sales tax
only to Ohio residents, and the slowest shipping it offers is Fedex
Second Day Air. With shipping (there's a three-week lead time), the
total comes to $1,446.
IF YOU'RE of the Apple persuasion, the company's new iBook received an excellent review
in the August issue of Computer Shopper. It's available
directly from Apple, equipped with a 12.1-inch TFT display, 128MB of
RAM, 10GB hard disk, CD-ROM drive, and 500MHz G3 processor for just
$1,349. Note that this includes a $50 special promotion discount.
Apple offers free ground shipping and charges just $15 for Second
Day Air Fedex delivery. Taking the free delivery choice and adding
on New York City sales tax ($111.29) brought my total to $1,460.29.
(Note that this is a slightly different configuration than the one I
priced in my June
12 column.)
It's clear that notebooks have become compelling alternatives to
big and bulky desktop PCs. And there's never been a better time to
buy.
Would you buy a sub-$1,500 notebook instead of a desktop
system? TalkBack to me.
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