Laptop Dilemna

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I'm buying a cheap > laptop < on ebay so I can stay up to date on my coursework, and I get to pick a skin or a picture for it.
I looked at some, and they're quite questionable. I would get them to make one of a full periodic table, but i'm quite specific, it needs the number of electrons in the shells, and an accurate atomic mass. Like > this <in english

That laptop's a piece of junk. You'd be much better off getting a netbook instead- still cheap and underpowered, but at least reasonably decent for what you pay.

That is an defiantly an old piece of crap, get a netbook they have more memory, a cooler running processor and a larger hard drive.
Acer Aspire One
ASUS Eee PC
MSI Wind Netbook

I know it's awful, but XP is my favourite OS and I can't abide netbooks. I had to use one in school for a year and discovered they infuriate me. If it's that bad, can someone help me find a cheap one on ebay? It has to be less than 150 pounds, including post and packaging.

May I ask why you don't like netbooks? I have an Asus Eee PC and I really like it. It is small, does what I want it to do (internet and schoolwork) and I get many people coming up and saying that it is a cute laptop. True, it has little memory space and I had to get an external cd drive, but those can be fixed.

I got this because I needed a computer for school and my brother had just got one and I found it would do what I needed and no more, which is good for me. Keeps me focused.

Just my opinion on what I have...

You can get XP on a netbook, and the typical netbook would be several times more powerful than that laptop. What don't you like about netbooks? Is it the small keyboards?

Mine has XP, and it did take me a little bit to get used to the tiny keyboard, but now that also means that my parents don't want to use it so I can keep it to myself. But then, if their computer isn't working, they can use mine. So, I am happy with my netbook that was cheap and does what I need.

I use an Acer Aspire One. It works really well. The keyboard may be small, but it works for me since my hands are small.

I don't like netbook either. The problem is that notebook you linked to is antique! The CPU is hardly faster than most netbooks and with only 256MB RAM, XP will run like dog. If small keyboard/screen is why you don't like netbooks, that notebook may fare better, but it suffers in the opposite end of being bulky. If speed is the concern then don't bother. It's likely slower than even a slow netbook. The screen is scratched and there's no mention of battery life. I really won't call it a bargain.

Yeah, I bought an acer as an emergency replacement when my HP crapped out and I'm really impressed.

I'm running win 7 starter, upgraded the ram to 2GB (max for a netbook) and I get great performance! Not to mention something like 8hrs of battery life...

I don't know about getting one on ebay (it's taking a chance..) though I do know that 15" laptops are actually about the same price new as netbooks. So, in effect it's a lot cheaper at the moment to buy a 15 inch than a netbook. Not sure what country you're in so I won't confuse you with price. I could suggest perhaps checking out the Dell website in your country?

If you absolutely had to buy from eBay - have an idea of what you're looking for and what genuinely looks like a reasonable machine, being sold for a genuine reason, then watch the auction or put a really low, bargain bid on it and let it run until the end. I got a second hand Krups home coffee machine in vgc recently from eBay for like $12.50.


I've been in the market, though I'm going to buy new (yes, probably Dell - I've a tech friend who recommended them.. ) and go for a 13 inch. I think it's the right combination of portability and functionality for me.

I got a Compaq for $300 at Walmart last summer. It's got a decent graphics card and had a 120 gig hard drive, although I later replaced it with one that had 500 gigs. It's a decent school computer and dirt-cheap. When my boyfriend opened it up to install my new hard drive he was pretty impressed. Only issue with it is that it only has one processor but it hasn't caused any problems in all the time I've had it. I game on it sometimes too.

You could also look for a used laptop locally. Then, at least you would be able to see it working prior to giving money for it. Also, some companies sell refurbished computers for less than the new ones. Some schools (at least in USA) will give BIG discounts on computers, especially laptops, to help students with coursework.

Be REALLY careful on eBay! There are a lot of total scams on there, especially with technology/electronics. One of my friends thought she bought an iPhone...it was this tiny crappy little thing that didn't even work, but looked like an iPhone. Another friend bought a laptop that had no OS (operating system) and had been stripped of things like its WIFI capabilities.

i use an asus eeepc $400 aust that seems to be in ur price range brand new from what i know a bout currency conversion try a electronics/tech shop rather than used in fact the xp version is being sold at officeworks for like 370 in australia