are these good prices for used laptops?

[mp19fan]

I know very little about laptops (I'm a mac guy myself), but the wife needs one for her job as a science teacher. Saw these listed for sale somewhere and I was wondering if either is a good deal. I'm looking to spend ~$500-800 on a mid-level laptop that won't be obsolete in 6 months. Will be doing basic word processing, spreadsheet, and internet. Any pitfalls to avoid when buying used, or should I stay away from used laptops altogether? Any advice is appreciated. Thanks for your help.
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Toshiba Satellite 1005-S157 Celeron 1.06GHz Notebook Computer w/ 15GB removeable hard drive/ 256MB / DVD-Rom (CD Speed 24 x, DVD Speed 8 x) / Floppy Drive / 14.1" TFT / WinXP / Display Type TFT active matrix / Graphics Processor Intel 830MG / Included Video Card Graphics card / Resolution 1024 x 768 pixels / Max. External Resolution 2048 x 1536 pixels / It comes with all the original items: software (Lotus SmartSuite Millenium Edition,Windows XP Home Edition, and Toshiba discs), manuals, cables and of course the battery. Around 6.15 lbs. $700
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Hewlett Packard Pavilion ZT1000
w/ Intel Celeron 1.06 GHz Processor / 15" TFT XGA / Built in Modem / 256MB / 20GB removeable hard drive / Built in Microphone / Stereo Sound through two built in speakers. 1.5 W per channel / Touch pad with lock button and on-off indicator/ Left and right click buttons, vertical scroll pad/ 3 USB ports / 8X DVD Rom / WinXP / 6 cell Lilon / Works / Money / Encarta $750

[GilbertsGrape]

go dell.com Small business and get a new one with warranty for like $900

[bachviet]

There are couples of deals on HP and Compaq laptops for around $700 (1.6Ghz Celeron with 256MB RAM, 20GB HD, DVD/CD-RW combo and etc) after MIR either from CompUSA, OfficDepot, OfficeMax, or Best Buy. I paid $950 including tax for my Dell Inspiron 2650 (1.8Ghz P4-M with 40GB HD, 8X DVD-ROM, 256MB PC2100 memory, and etc).

[mp19fan]

How about one w/ a 15" screen?

[Cubsfan]

Since you said that your wife is a teacher, you can problably get an even better deal:

From HP:
https://eclipse.ebus.hp.com/dn/jsp/products_you.jsp

From Dell:
http://www.dell.com/html/us/segments/fss/loginmid.htm


(I found it funny that when I went to the Dell education site, I saw the Dell Dude in one of the pictures. Hmm... education + guy arrested for drugs. Good choice! :))

[mp19fan]

Thanks for the links. Which companies give the best value?

[Jeffbx]

If you're going to go for a new machine, get a Dell. If you can swing the extra $$, I HIGHLY recommend the 3 year warranty AND the comple care package (which covers accidental damage, like dropping it down the stairs).

If you're going to look for a used laptop, your best bet is an IBM Thinkpad - a T20 or T21 is an excellent choice. Those Thinkpads last forever.

[mp19fan]

How about a Compaq Presario 2100 for $750? Saw it on the educator's part of HP's website. Upgrade to 15" screen, 128 Mb Ram, 20 Gb HD, Intel Celeron 1.6 Ghz processor. Is this a good deal, and should it last my wife for a few years? Thanks.

laptop (http://www.shopping.hp.com/cgi-bin/hpdirect/shopping/scripts/home/store_access.jsp?BV_SessionID=@@@@0792883062.1046800503@@@@&BV_EngineID=cceeadchjkkeijfcfngcfkmdfondfgg.0&template_type=cto_store&landing=customizable_pcs&category=notebooks/compaq_presario/2100_series/)

[GilbertsGrape]

I would still recomend a dell ... compaq has wend down hill since Hp bought them out... .

[Jihforce]

as much as i hate to...i have to agree with the fellas. I own a Presario 2800 (build to my specs Dec 2002) and I already had to service it once. Support isn't as good as it used to. I love my laptop, its very nice, but somehow, I feel like if this thing ever died again, I'd be on my own...even with extended warranty.