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Used Cheap Laptops

Who doesn’t want to find super offers and high discounts when searching for buying a new laptop computer? –Everybody, but as these offers are usually limited and it’s kinda hard to discover them among so many stores and brands, many decide to go for some used cheap laptops. Sometimes, when you don’t have much money at your disposal, it is a good idea, but sometimes not. Let’s see why!
First of all, you know that second hand products sold by amateurs are not trustful and if you don’t know that seller’s business very well and the clients, you might get into a big mistake. The used laptops for sale could come with hardware problems if they are not already damaged. The best thing to do is begin searching for a highly rated store that provides used cheap laptops after testing them.
Since you are online now and reading this article, I’ll propose you some web sites focused on this type of business, and we’ll see what they have to offer and why would we choose this method.

One of the first websites that comes up when searching for this stuff is usedlaptops. They advertise themselves as providers of quality used cheap laptops having started this activity 12 years ago, in 1996, and having sold over 20,000 notebooks to both customers and companies.

Usedlaptops offers also service support for the best brands on the market such as Dell, IBM, Toshiba, Compaq and HP. The company’s specialists test all the systems at their arrival and only the ones in the best state are kept and sold to you together with a 90-days warranty. They also provide the laptops with a pre-installed Microsoft operating system, OpenOffice suite for document management, AdAware SE data security software, and the AVG AntiVirus.
You can call them and ask for assistance in case you don’t need what to buy or you may browse through the on-site menus according to your preferred specifications, starting with the price range or brand and ending with hardware components.

To give you an example of used cheap laptop, I’ve search between the $150-$350 price range and found only one model - IBM Thinkpad T23 available at just $350. Now let’s see if the model is worth buying. We’ll take a look at the specifications. Here we have a 1.13GHz processor, 2 card slots, 30GB hard drive capacity, 256MB RAM expandable up to 1GB, enough to run Windows XP, DVD drive, 16MB video memory, 2 built-in speakers, modem, S-Video Out, external monitor connectivity, PS/2 port, mic jack, headphone jack, 2 USB ports, and a Li-Ion battery which we can assume about it lasts up to 2 hours at most.
It is a 14.1-inch laptop with Active Matrix Color display technology and the entire system measures 13 x 10.7 x 1.8 inches at 7.6 lbs.

It’s clear what you could use it for. You can process documents, create presentations, store music, movies and software, as well as play games not including graphics-demanding ones.
Another example is http://www.laptopoutlet.com LaptopOutlet where the cheapest used laptop for sale is Compaq Armada 7800 available at a price of $259 with a 13.3-inch TFT Active Matrix display having a resolution of 1024 x 768 pixels, an Intel Mobile Pentium II processor of 366Mhz speed, 14GB hard disk, 256MB SDRAM or 512MB, a 12x CD drive, modem, Ethernet, 16-bit Stereo Sound Blaster Pro support, built-in speaker with mic, external monitor connectivity, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PCMCIA PCMCIA, USB port, the Windows 98 Second Edition operating system pre-installed and 6 months warranty.
The Laptop Outlet checks all the systems to see if they are fully functional, and sometimes specific parts are replaced.

Everything sounds fine if you are expecting old laptop models at these low prices, but you should never forget one thing – always check for the store’s rating on specialized websites where real customers leave their impression about the experience with the stores they bought things from. One such website is ResellerRatings, and if you check these 2 websites I gave you as examples you’ll find out that the second one has bad ratings while the first one is not even listed. People complain about the customer service who is not instructed enough, and about the overall service. Laptops came already damaged. So, to not waste your time anymore you should search for some trustful stores directly on this ratings provider’s search engine.

With the help of this free online service I managed to check and then avoid some scams claiming to be available at prices under $200, and have found the cheapest laptop called V000020090 15.0″ XGA TFT LCD. To be sincere, I have no idea what brand is this, but it costs only $295. On the store’s site there’s no product specification list or descriptive pictures. After doing some extra research I found out that it is just a laptop part from Toshiba, so finally I got rid of another scam, and I can move forward to the other product I left my eyes on earlier, the Lenovo ThinkPad X40. These used cheap laptops are available at only $349.99, but to check and see if it may be real, I’ll find out what’s the price for a new model.
It costs $585 and for a used 12.1-inch laptop from Lenovo the half price mentioned earlier is justified.

Coming with a warranty of 60 days, the used model features a Pentium M 1.2GHz low voltage processor, a weight of 3.1 lbs, built-in speaker and mic, WLAN antenna, the TPM hardware-based encryption security, 512MB DDR SDRAM memory, card reader, 40GB hard disk, Intel Extreme Graphics 2 chipset, fax/modem, Ethernet, and the Microsoft Windows XP Professional operating system pre-installed.

The search for cheap used laptops took about 20 minutes or so, but in order to find the best solution according to your own criteria you’d surely need more time to spend online. Other similar websites include Epinions and reevoo.
Their databases are very large and you can find anything there but how good these used cheap laptops are? –It never knows… My advice? –Get an Eee PC!

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Medion Akoya Mini

These mini laptop computers are the latest addition to the Medion Akoya line, and are characterized by 10-inch large displays, elegant design with rounded edges and high-speed wireless connectivity with support for the upcoming IEEE-802.11 draft N technology, which enables 300Mbit/s data rates.
Available at around $500 in Europe, Medion Akoya Mini, also called E1210 Netbook, comes with built-in web camera for video conferences on the go, microphone, stereo loudspeakers for sound enhancements, and a high Thin Film Transistor screen resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels.

It is powered by the Intel Atom N270 processor providing operating speeds of up to 1.60GHz, with 512KB L2 cache and 533 MHz FSB, while running on the Genuine Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition operating system, which comes pre-installed on the laptop with SP3/OEM version.
It supports Windows Vista but it won’t run it as it should because of the 1GB DDR2 RAM memory, which is not enough, and here is 80GB HDD storage capacity for your files. In addition, Medion provides also advanced software like Corel, WordPerfect, Office X3 and BullGuard Internet Security.

Other features include USB 2.0 ports, multi-card reader, the Graphics Media Accelerator 950, and 3 years warranty.

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VIA-Powered Mini Laptop Computers

I want to show you some VIA-powered mini laptop computers, which are not available worldwide but might catch your interest starting with the exterior design and ending with integrated technologies they bring with.

I’ll start with the Aristo Pico 640 available in Poland, a laptop measuring 243.1 × 171.9 × 28.5-42.5 mm at just 1.09 kg, featuring a durable construction and being powered by the VIA C7-M Ultra Low Voltage processor with a speed of 1GHz. The chipset is a VIA VX800 and this small laptop has a 7-inch display with a resolution of 800 x 480 pixels, integrating 1GB DDR2 RAM memory expandable up to 2GB, 40GB GDD storage, a 4-in-1 card reader, Wireless LAN, stereo speakers, and built-in web camera for video conferences.

A bit higher processing speed is encountered at the other Aristo mini laptop computers, Pico 740, which operate at 1.2GHz processing speeds with a VIA CPU and a VX700 chipset, integrating 1GB DDR2 RAM, up to 80GB HDD, optional webcam, sporting a 7-inch display, all weighting 0.97Kg. Optionally you can add Bluetooth, TV tuner and the GPS module for navigation.

Kira 100/200/300/400 series laptops are available in Spain at Airis in a few rich colors and with a 1GHz VIA CPU, VIA VX800 chipset, a 7-inch display, up to 1GB DDR2 RAM, up to 4GB flash SLC storage or 40GB HDD, a 3-in-1 card reader, Wireless LAN, web camera, and a 6-hour battery, all encased in a 1.1-Kg-casing.

One Mini Notebook A110/A115/A120/A140/A150 mini laptop computers run at 1GHz with the VIA VX800, 512MB DDR2, up to 4GB flash or 60GB HDD, WLAN, web camera, and feature a 7-inch display on which you can play different applications brought by the Windows XP operating system that comes pre-installed on the system or Linux. These models are available in Germany.

If you have the chance to visit Australia or you live there, you might be interested in the Pioneer DreamBook Light CE26 7-inch mini laptop computers with touch-sensitive screen, a 1.2GHz processor, VIA VX700 chipset, up to 1GB DDR2 RAM, up to 100GB HDD, a 4-in-1 card reader, WLAN, web camera, Bluetooth, TV tuner, GPS, all weighting 0.97Kg. Another option would be the Pioneer DreamBook Light IL1 (I’d Love 1) system available at $440 Australian Dollars, coming with the same main features.

Ufotek Datron Mobee can be found in Turkey, Romania and Bulgaria, with the 1GHz processor, VX800 chipset, up to 2GB DDR2 RAM, 4GB flash or 120GB HDD, a 3-in-1 card reader, WLAN, web camera, a 6-hour battery, all weighting 1.1Kg.

Elonex Webbook has a price of £249 and is available in the United Kingdom with the VIA C7-M 1.6 GHz CPU, the VX700 chipset, a larger display of 10.2 inches and resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels. Other features include 512MB RAM, 80GB HDD, WLAN and the Windows XP operating system pre-installed.

Envision Smart I mini laptop computers from China run at 1.6GHz with the VIA VX700 chipset, 2GB memory, a 3-in1 card reader, WLAN, and sport a 10.2-inch display.

TongFang Mini S1 is also a model from China, and sports an elegant design integrating a 1.6GHz processor, a 10.2-inch display, 2GB memory, a 4-in-1 card reader, Dual OS selection, WLAN and web camera.

VIA mini laptop computers start a new trend in China:

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Dell Inspiron Mini 9

As the mini notebooks market requirements are growing continuously, largest companies are developing more and more ultra-portable solutions with design enhancements as well as built-in functionalities to provide excellent mobile entertainment experiences increasing productivity on the. Based on this fact, Dell launched a new mini notebook called Dell Inspiron Mini 9, optimized for web browsing, online shopping, chat, and file sharing.
Coming at a starting price of $339, the model will be available in the upcoming weeks in the United States, Japan, several European countries, and online at www.dell.com/mini. You can choose between Obsidian Black or Alpine White colors, and Windows XP or Ubuntu 8.04 operating systems with the custom Dell interface, this one adding $10 more.

Dell mini notebook weighs just 2.28 lbs sporting an 8.9-inch LED display with a resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels, and a sealed keyboard, all integrated in a durable material. In addition there is Wi-Fi connectivity for hotspots, Solid State Drive storage, Bluetooth wireless for short-range transfers between compatible devices, built-in web camera with Dell Video Chat software and 4-way calling, as well as remote storage of 2GB expandable up to 25GB via the Box.net service, which is secure and supports your uploaded images, videos, music, and documents including presentations. This way you’ll be able to access your media from anywhere in the world and on the Dell mini notebook.
With Dell Support Center you can use the special icon on the desktop to access the Dell service for getting fixes, upgrades and different tools, while the DellConnect Remote Assistance can diagnose and solve your laptop issues online.

Dell mini notebook with dynamic and customizable user interface integrates by default an Intel Atom N270 processor with 1.6GHz, 512MB DDR2 memory, 4GB Solid State Drive capacity for your files, Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950, Base LCD Assembly sound, a 4-cell battery, and you can upgrade to the $449 configuration which has 1GB DDR2 memory, and 16GB Solid State Drive.

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HP Pavilion dv6929wm

As a reply to Walmart’s request addressed to electronics manufacturers to come up with an environmental-friendly product, HP revealed its latest notebook computer called HP Pavilion dv6929wm Entertainment Notebook and won the Home Entertainment Design Challenge.
It’s not just a laptop but a whole eco-friendly package available at a price of $798, consisting of the HP Pavilion dv6929wm and the HP Protect Messenger Bag, forgetting about cardboard, foam or plastic materials used in standard electronics packaging. You can find it exclusively in 1,700 Walmart stores and 594 Sam’s Club locations in the United States.

The HP notebook PC’s design is innovative, reducing packaging with 97% and, in the same time, reducing carbon dioxide emissions and conserving fuel. How does it do that? -By eliminating the need for 1 out of 4 trucks required for transporting the systems to the stores. How did HP manage to design it like that? –Well, according to the company’s latest press release, the packaging was redesigned and it replaced the protective shipping materials and boxes with the new HP bag, which is made of 100% recycled materials.

HP Pavilion dv6929wm is a system equipped for mobile entertainment with a 15.4-inch display, an AMD Turion X2 TL-60 Dual-Core processor of 2GHz speeds, 4GB RAM memory, and 250GB hard drive capacity. The user can play games, watch movies on the go and perform different tasks meant to increase productivity.

“This effort is an extension of our ongoing commitment to provide our shoppers with the best eco-friendly product offerings,” said Alex Cook, merchandise manager for Walmart Home Entertainment. “We received many strong ideas from different suppliers, but the innovative packaging with this HP laptop really stood out, and we are thrilled to make this great product available to shoppers in Walmart stores and Sam’s Club locations.”

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New Sony Overheating Problem

We like to write about Sony VAIO laptops as they all have an elegant look and cool features, but unfortunately we have bad news for those owning a VAIO TZ model. The good news is that the issue is not related to Sony laptop batteries like the last time, but with the encasing and some wires that seem not to be placed where they should. This causes short circuit and overheating. It also may lead to burn hazard to the users.

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission independent federal agency in charge with public protection in America, against risks from thousands of customer electronics, has announced that Sony is recalling 73,000 notebook computers, after receiving 15 reports of overheating. The cause of this problem starts inside the computer, where some wires have been placed in the wrong position close to the hinge, and a dislodged screw inside the hinge.
It sounds like a minor issue but with the risk of burning, like some of the customers have complained.

The laptop models recalled are: VAIO VGN-TZ100 series, VGN-TZ200 series, VGN-TZ300 series and VGN-TZ2000 series, all with 11.1-inch screens and all manufactured in Japan and US.
The federal agency said that not all of these notebooks are effected and so customers have to contact Sony’s Customer Support to find out if they need a repair or replacement.

As a matter of precaution, if you own one of these laptops you should stop using it until the damage level is determined.
Sony published on its website the following:

“You will be prompted to input your product code and serial number located on the bottom of the notebook. It will be checked automatically against the range of affected units. If you find that your PC is one of the affected models, follow the instructions on the website and make arrangements for an inspection. You may also call our VAIO TZ customer hotline at 1-888-526-6219 to determine whether your notebook computer is affected by this issue and whether service is required.”

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XO Laptops News

The One Laptop per Child, as you already know, is a smart initiative that proved its benefits since the first children from countries in development phase received it. The non-profit organization distributes the XO laptops at extremely low costs but with strong functionalities, so that every child who learns on it to have a rugged and fun mobile computer with access to the wonderful and full of knowledge world of the Internet.

To refresh your memory I will mention the essential elements characterizing this innovative laptop computer. XO measures 242 x 228 x 32 mm at 1.58 Kg with the NiMH battery, and features a 7.5-inch dual mode TFT convertible display with 1200 x 900 resolution, as well as moisture-proof enclosure. It doesn’t use a fan, but it integrates an AMD processor clocked at 433MHz, integrated graphics controller with the Geode CPU, 256MB DRAM memory, 1024 flash ROM, and 1024 MB NAND flash. The sound is provided via AC97-compatible audio audio subsystem, stereo speakers, amplifier and microphone.

To connect to the Internet wirelessly, XO uses an 802.11b/g interface, while it integrates a color camera of 640 x 480 pixels and 30 frames per second.
Connectivity elements include headphone out, mic out, 3 USBs and flash expansion.
It powers from a NiMH battery or LiFePO4 and has open firmware to load the operating system.

News regarding the OLPC involves Dailymotion, world’s largest independent video sharing site, which announced its partnership with the non-profit organization to deliver educational content to the children using the laptop. Also, the XO users will be able to create and send videos using the video camera integrated in the laptop. Here is an example of a fun way of learning the vocabulary.

“We at Dailymotion truly believe in OLPC’s mission to empower the populations of developing nations with access to educational and technological tools that many of us take for granted,” stated Mark Zaleski, chairman and CEO of Dailymotion. “We are proud to lend our support to this noble and worthwhile project, and look forward to contributing to the brighter future of millions of children around the world.”

“We are delighted to have Dailymotion join the OLPC project,” stated Samuel Klein, director of community content at OLPC. “We are confident that the additional video capabilities that Dailymotion will bring to the XO laptop will serve to further the educational opportunities we can offer to enhance the lives of children around the world.”

In the mean time we can’t wait to see the next XO laptop with touchscreen.

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