cheap 2nd hand laptop - is it usually good?

[The_YongGrand]

Yes, this title!

Okay, so I would like to learn about some laptops, but I hate to bust a lot of money for a simple one, so I found a cheap PII Thinkpad for sale which is less than $130.

I haven't enquired yet - but I'll be scanning the conditions one by one. What do you think? I don't need a battery since it'll be stationary, but one battery is already enough if it's provided.

[thefultonhow]

I doubt the battery will be working if it has one. Also, it's unlikely to have more than 64 MB of RAM, meaning you'll either have to upgrade in order to run Windows 2000, or run Windows 98.

[EzyStvy]

cheap 2nd hand laptop - is it usually good? -> Just depnds on the pc and the seller. Each and every one will be different.

I wouldn't buy a used pc from a stanger unless I could test drive it.

[Stuey]

A PII laptop will be at least ~7 years old or more. For a laptop, that's a lot of wear and tear.

$130 for a 7 year old PII machine is definitely not worth it. If you want a cheap laptop but can increase your budget a little bit and the need isn't immediate, there are going to be some hefty sales coming within the next few months. Even so, $500 will get you a brand new system with a full warranty.

Any battery that comes with the PII is likely to be nothing more than a paperweight due to charge capacity degradation.

[glc]

Which exact model Thinkpad? If you are looking at old laptops, I think a Thinkpad would be a better bet than just about anything else out there. I'm typing this on an old T20 that does everything I need. If I happen to need any parts, they are all over Ebay.

P3-700, 512 ram, 20 gig, DVD-Rom, Win2k.

[etownguy]

I've never had any issues with the second hand notebook that I purchased, after my old one was stolen. The only think I do regret is not getting an IBM, if you just want it to "play around" a "cheap" notebook will do but I'd consider a P3 minimum and even if you don't need the battery is a good thing to have one in working condition. Just make sure the source you're purchasing the notebook from is reputable.

[Lespaul20]

Picked up a IBM X31 on ebay for $400 and it works just fine.

[The_YongGrand]

Hi there,

Finally I changed my mind - I'm looking for the new Asus EEEPc which is going to be released soon, and it costs around $130. At least it is new and much better than the 2nd hand laptops maybe for the same price.

What do you think?

[faulkner132]

No laptop is too old... as long as it works.

http://www.pcdailytips.com/2007/07/2...an-old-laptop/
http://www.pcdailytips.com/2007/08/0...f-old-laptops/

[The_YongGrand]

Originally Posted by glc Which exact model Thinkpad? If you are looking at old laptops, I think a Thinkpad would be a better bet than just about anything else out there. I'm typing this on an old T20 that does everything I need. If I happen to need any parts, they are all over Ebay. P3-700, 512 ram, 20 gig, DVD-Rom, Win2k.

Sorry for the late reply, guys, the Thinkpad model is IBM Thinkpad 570 - if that's in stock, I will enquire more about it!

It's a Pentium II 300MHz, and the battery is busted, and with 64MB RAM only. I wish to run a Win2000 with that Mozilla Firefox inside...

[glc]

I wouldn't run 2K on that without putting a 128mb upgrade in the slot. That will max it out at 192. Here in the US, a 128mb module is about 35 bucks. Check the hard drive size - I would not install 2K on a drive any smaller than 4gb.

[The_YongGrand]

Originally Posted by glc I wouldn't run 2K on that without putting a 128mb upgrade in the slot. That will max it out at 192. Here in the US, a 128mb module is about 35 bucks. Check the hard drive size - I would not install 2K on a drive any smaller than 4gb.

Thanks for the info. Hmm... I'll maybe ask the shopkeeper to add some more RAM inside and change the HDD too, 'cause it's a 64MB RAM and 2GB hdd.

However, I found Toshiba notebooks too - especially the K6-2 models. Are they good as well, since they have bigger memory capacities and HDD too?

[glc]

K6-2 notebooks run quite hot and not particularly stable.

If you are looking for a laptop that can run Win2K well, you need to look one generation newer. My T20 runs it very well, it has a P3-700, 512 ram, and a 20 gig hard drive.

[The_YongGrand]

Originally Posted by glc K6-2 notebooks run quite hot and not particularly stable. If you are looking for a laptop that can run Win2K well, you need to look one generation newer. My T20 runs it very well, it has a P3-700, 512 ram, and a 20 gig hard drive.

I see, thanks man. I will have to push the budget from $130 to about $180. Will look for the Thinkpads Pentium III.

What other good and sturdy classic notebooks can you recommend? I have Thinkpad in my list, and also maybe Toshiba.

[glc]

Dell Latitude, Toshiba Tecra. Those are business oriented, I'm not too pleased with the quality of Dell or Toshiba consumer grade laptops from that era. Compaq Armada isn't too bad.

I'd look for at least 500 MHz, 256 ram, and 10 gig HDD to do it right.

[The Village Idiot]

Why so much RAM? RAM isn't imporant these days so much while it would bottle-kneck probably at the processor. My old dell P4 (2.5GHz) had 256mb ram, and your saying something that is a fifth of the speed needs the same amount of ram? Call me crazy...

[thefultonhow]

your saying something that is a fifth of the speed needs the same amount of ram?

Yes. If anything, a slower computer would need MORE RAM to run the same software, not less, to compensate for the slower processor. The processor is not as much of a bottleneck as you think -- what's most important is that the programs that are running can all be loaded into RAM rather than going into the pagefile. Also, your computer can't have run that well with only 256 MB of RAM and XP.

[The_YongGrand]

Originally Posted by glc Dell Latitude, Toshiba Tecra. Those are business oriented, I'm not too pleased with the quality of Dell or Toshiba consumer grade laptops from that era. Compaq Armada isn't too bad. I'd look for at least 500 MHz, 256 ram, and 10 gig HDD to do it right.

I finally found at least the requirements you said, but it's a Fujitsu. How's Fujitsu notebooks quality, is it as good as the IBM?

[glc]

No, but Fujitsu isn't too bad.

[The_YongGrand]

Finally I found there is a huge ton of used notebook dealer in the city I'm staying.

The lowest end (Pentium 166) costs about $92, and the thing is, maybe there'll be no USB ports or any wireless support whatsoever.

The $130 is much better, with P3 500MHz, and maybe I'll choose that instead if it's a better branded one.

So is it safe to change the cells inside the battery? anyone done that before?

[glc]

I've had Batteries Plus rebuild batteries before - some can be done that way but others can't.