OT--slightly anyway, what gives with used laptops

[Charlie Self]

For shooting photos out of my own shop, I'm slowly running up on a need for a method of viewing the shots more fully at the scene.

So I started checking used laptop prices, and keep running into a sort of price settling at $700 ($699 plus shipping) to $800 ($799 plus shipping). Checking these out, I find 6, 8, 10 or 12 gig hard drives, Pentium IIIs, max of 128 megs of RAM, few details on USB, lots of CD readers and DVD readers, screens in the

12" range.

Just for kicks, I thought I'd check the Dell site, since I've gotten good value from my desktop Dell. Here we go: several of their 1150 models, with Pentium IV, quarter to a half gig of RAM, 20 or 30 or 40 gig hard drive, 14+" screen, CDRW, bunch of other handy stuff, plus XP loaded. Prices start at about $825.

Do these smaller outfits have rocks in their heads or are they out there hoping to catch the ever unwary? Add 25 bucks to their prices and get a hard drive that is 4-5 times as large, double or triple the RAM, a faster CPU and a burner, plus other features and they expect to sell stuff.

Amazing.

Charlie Self "I have always felt that a politician is to be judged by the animosities he excites among his opponents." Sir Winston Churchill

[Han]

[e-mail] (Charlie Self) wrote in news: [e-mail]:

I think the screen of a simple laptop is half or more of the cost. Dell by virtue ( of their size gets a good price on their screens (and they are good screens). You have to watch out for all the crap that gets loaded onto Dell computers at the factory, though. IMO, it is not a bad idea to wipe the drive and start from scratch (YMMV).

Why do you want a laptop anyway? If you get a small desktop, it is almost as mobile for an occasional trip in your car, and MUCH cheaper for the features.

[Clif]

The reason used laptops go for that price is that people generally paid double for them and they dont realize or dont want to realize that what they paid $1500 for, or even $800 as recently as 6 months ago, is no longer worth that price.

The main cause of this was influx of processors last year with increased speeds. Intel, for example, produced processors so fast with increasing speeds, even most of the manufacturers couldnt keep up. Thus desktop computers and yes, even laptops have prices have fallen drastically.

Case in point, I bought a laptop in '01, paid $1300 for the laptop and then another few hundered for accessories like a network interface, external CD Burner, etc. I needed something faster so I bought a new laptop (they can only be expanded so much). When I went to sell mine, they were $800-$900 new for something better. I couldnt see letting it go for even half what I paid for it, so I finally just gave it to a family member. I got my use out of it, so that was that.

Computers are a lot like your ww tools in respect, that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Also remember this...Any thing is worth what someone will pay for it.

Ok, that is enough rambling from the geek who wants to do more hands on work with wood :)

Good luck in your search for the new PC/LAPTOP

Clif

Most people say being insane is bad... I see it as having the opportunity to be unique from the mundane lifestyle forced on us by society

[Bob G.]

The small Size of a laptop is why I use one in my shop... I can store it in a small dust free drawer when not in use...

To use it all I need to do is remove it from the drawer and place it on my workbench, drill press table, tablesaw top or where ever I wish... Battery live is good for a few hours but grabbing the power cord and plugging it in is sure not a big deal... with a wireless connection the laptop is just so much more convient for shop use then a desktop...

Just works much better for me...

Bob Griffiths

[Swingman]

Nope, the reason they are that price is that shitheads will "win" them on eBay for that price.

[Clif]

Ok there is that too :)

Clif

[Swingman]

Just be aware of Dell's shtick ... although good equipment, they lowball the price on a basic system that sounds real good, but will barely run today's bloated software, then the add-on's escalate until you are paying top dollar any way. They also load the machines down with junk offers to the point that you are better off re-formatting and starting over.

Used to be you could get a good, used laptop locally, and you still can if you can run across a seller who hasn't discovered, or doesn't want to take the time to deal with, eBay.

[patrick conroy]

Denial? Refusal to believe that something you paid several thousand dollars for a few years ago is now "worthless"? Still agreed - it's all abouth the price. Price those for a few hunnert and they'd probably get some more takers.

By the way, this question popped into my head a few years ago: Is there any other product, besides computers, where the price decline is a rapid when there's no degradation in performance?

For example - my 33MHz 486 box still performs as well as it did the day I bought it. Yet, it went from $3000 in 1992 to effectively zero several years later. Any other product in the history of economics have a similar profile?

[Charlie Self]

Han asks:

You're kidding, right? I go to a spot to shoot photos and set up a desktop computer to review them there? In some cases, I'll be shooting where no power is available except for what I cart along. A laptop is ideal for that. Even the smallest desktop I've ever had is a PITA to set up and tear down comparatively speaking.

Charlie Self "I have always felt that a politician is to be judged by the animosities he excites among his opponents." Sir Winston Churchill

[Charlie Self]

Clif responds:

Point being, though, is that these are ALL used laptops. The stuff Dell offers, and my past experience with Dell, for almost the same bucks makes me doubt the sanity of the smaller outfits. Their pricing is way out of line. In fact, I can buy a better new Dell for just a few hundred bucks more.

Charlie Self "I have always felt that a politician is to be judged by the animosities he excites among his opponents." Sir Winston Churchill

[Charlie Self]

Swing responds:

True. Has anyone ever figured out WTF is going on with "winning" something you pay for? And often pay an inflated price for, to boot. I wonder if many of these people do their homework before giggling at the 'great deal' and firing off a CC number.

Charlie Self "I have always felt that a politician is to be judged by the animosities he excites among his opponents." Sir Winston Churchill

[Charlie Self]

So far, so good. I'm running an 18 month old Dimension 8300 that has a few extras--gig of RAM, 120 gig hard drive, that sort of stuff. My only problem has been the CD burner, which went out. The guy in India wanted me to reformat my hard drive to correct that, but after a week or so of back-and-forth, a local Dell tech showed up and replaced it.

May still be possible. There's a place in town I haven't had time to check yet. Laptops from $299. My experience with these guys, though, is they're mostly selling 386 and 486 technology, or want near new prices. I think they hope to catch the more recent Yankees, retiring here from NY, NJ & CT prices.

Charlie Self "I have always felt that a politician is to be judged by the animosities he excites among his opponents." Sir Winston Churchill

[Charlie Self]

Patrick Conroy asks:

Possibly, and it's still a bit too early to tell, digital cameras and cell phones.

Charlie Self "I have always felt that a politician is to be judged by the animosities he excites among his opponents." Sir Winston Churchill

[BruceR]

My company bought me a Dell laptop for some special work needs and let me pick from a list. Generally laptop LCDs suck, especially the bigger ones. Anyhoo, after seeing/using some of the 15" powerbooks I had thought laptop LCDs had finally become perfected. I ordered the best LCD option Dell had (was going to run X86 Linux so I couldn't get a powerbook). The thing is terrible! Sitting directly in from of the screen (a 15"), the edges are very dark. Move my head to brighten up the view of the edge and the other edge goes black. Same effect on other Dell laptops in the building, 'cept everyone accepts this as normal.

Back to Charlie's question, have you considered a PDA? IF you really just need a bigger screen to see camera photos, some of these PDA's will work fine (test them before buying). Another option would be a small LCD for a computer or even a small color TV set. Many cameras have NTSC video out that can directly drive the "video" inputs on TV's and properly equipped LCD displays.

-BR

[BruceR]

Hookers?

[Swingman]

Back in June I bought my youngest a Dell 5150 Inspiron laptop for college. By the time I got finished with the "upgrades" to insure decent performance, the price went from a base of $1100 to about $1800, then the "hazard" insurance/extended warranty (for college dorm life and far from home, I figured I'd be better off hedging that bet and being a sucker for once) added close to another $300 to that ... and, after using it, it has become apparent (to me, at least) that I still didn't get enough memory for the damn thing.

I've probably owned 6 laptops in the past 12 years, and that is the first one I've not bought used. Personally, I've gone back to using a desktop in a, likely out-of-step, effort to return to more Luddite ways.

[BruceR]

The local college auctions always have a dozen or so laptops (486 class, sometimes better) that usually go for $5-$20. Deals are out there, it just depends if you want to kill a day to save a few hundred bucks and not feel ripped off on ebay :^)

-BR

[JohnT.]

I'm using a compaq I bought new at Xmas time on a "special" sale that was $700 after rebates at my local CompUSA. 15" screen, 30gig HD, DVD/CD-R, etc, etc. Maybe you need to look around some more, wait for sales, etc. Also, go to the stores to check out prices, they don't always advertise the low end machines.

John

[Leon]

ROTFLMAO... No kidding,,, I must be real lucky as I have won monthly bills and yearly taxes.

[Lawrence Wasserman]

My daughter wanted a laptop for her last birthday. At 8 years old I couldn't see spending big bucks so I checked the used market. I found an IBM Thinkpad PII/233 with modem, CDROM, & floppy, 8GB, for around $250 including shipping. The only problem is the included battery was weak, lasting only about 1/2 hour. I can't remember the name of the company I bought it from offhand, but I found it after a short amount of web searching.