Lowballing when it comes to desktop PCs and laptops simply means purposely going with what’s known as "basic" or "entry level" (whatever that means) computers.
It’s safe to say that these days there’s really no such thing as a slow computer anymore. Why? Windows 7. That OS will run quite well even on a single-core 1.6GHz CPU with 1GB RAM, and in many instances operates faster than XP. Yes, seriously.
If speed/power/etc. is what you’re shooting for, you build the PC and that hasn’t changed. When you want the big guns and are willing to spend a little extra (and you will) to get there, building the box is still the best option.
Where cost is a concern, pre-built is the only way to go because there is no way to build a PC for as cheap as OEMs can sell them (remember – don’t forget the Windows license).
For the computers listed below, I’m going to list three types. Desktop, netbook (portable with a screen 13 inches or less) and notebook (portable with a screen 14 inches or greater).
Remember as you read through this I’m going lowball here, meaning lowest possible price per respective OEM.
Dell
Desktop: Inspiron 560 ($299)
Netbook: Mini 1018 ($279)
Notebook: Inspiron 15R ($549)
HP
Desktop: Pavilion p6700z series ($299)
Netbook: Mini 110 ($299.99)
Notebook: Compaq Presario CQ56Z series ($379.99)
Gateway
Desktop: SX2803-53 ($479.99)
Netbook: LT2514u ($239.99)
Notebook: NV55C35u ($449.99)
NewEgg
Desktop: ASUS Eee Box EB1007-B0410 ($229)
Netbook: ASUS Eee PC 1001PXD-EU17-WT ($259)
Notebook: Acer Aspire AS5253-BZ893 ($349)
Who has the best deal?
** Desktop **
While NewEgg may have the cheapest price for a desktop, the Eee Box’s CPU is an Intel Atom D410 1.66GHz and the RAM included is only 1GB. In addition, part of the reason it’s so cheap is because the OS is Linux based. Which Linux exactly? The description doesn’t say.
Gateway is out because they don’t offer a desktop for under $400.
Winner: TIE between HP and Dell.
When you look at the specs between the base models for the Dell and HP, they’re both almost identical. Both have 500GB hard drives, both have 2GB base RAM, both have the same service warranty, and so on.
Your decision would more or less be based on which company you like better, because in the end both boxes are the same – with the exception the HP box is AMD-powered and the Dell box Intel (which would lead one to believe the HP should be less because of this, but it isn’t).
** Netbook **
The ASUS netbook’s biggest sell is that it has a 250GB HDD standard; the biggest of the base model bunch.
HP is out because their netbook is priced a little too close to a full-sized sized notebook, and if you’re going to spend that kind of money, you might as well go for the full-size.
Dell’s venerable Mini 10 series has tenure but has serious drawbacks in that the base model has a paltry 160GB HDD.
Winner: Gateway LT2514u
I pick Gateway as the winner here because the price is what gives it its best value. While true it only has a 160GB HDD, it’s a full $20 less than the ASUS. And the fact the Gateway is one of the few netbooks still available with XP as its bundled OS, that is in fact a good selling point.
** Notebook **
This one’s easy:
Winner: Acer Aspire AS5253-BZ893
This notebook wins for the following reasons:
- Lowest price
- Standard 3GB RAM (the next lowest-priced only has 2GB in the base model)
- Radeon HD 6250 graphics card w/256MB dedicated (meaning not shared) video memory
The only real drawback is that the battery life sucks. "Up to 3 hours, 20 minutes", which in practical terms means 1.5 hours of battery life on an average charge – but then again this is a cheap notebook we’re talking about here.
Hey! What about other brands?
I purposely limited my brand choices to four, otherwise this article would have been way too long. Yes, of course there’s Sony, Lenovo, Toshiba, Samsung and others to take into consideration.
If you can find a good bang-for-the-buck on the lowball side that meets or beats the deals listed above, feel free to point a few out by posting a comment below. Just remember however to stick to pre-built boxes.
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