What do you think of this laptop for the money?

[paJAMbla]

I want to get my son a cheap laptop but of course something that will take a beating with all of his school activities. All he will use it for will be tons and tons of debate and homework files. I'm sure he'll put his music on it too. But nothing hard core. I was wondering what you think of this for the money?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...610&Tpk=lenovo

Thanks!

[Force Flow]

The battery is a little weak, but otherwise, it should be solid.

[jdeb]

nice machine, should serve him well.

[paJAMbla]

Thanks guys. I came across this one too. Would this be worth the extra money compared to the posted Lenovo?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16834200027

[jdeb]

I prefer the Lenevo but the specs may be a little better on the dell

[paJAMbla]

What does it mean when they say "Windows Vista Business / XP Professional downgrade"? It actually has two OS's? I just want something with XP Pro only.

EDIT: never mind....I see by the reviews its loaded with XP and they provide a Vista disk. I wonder how difficult it is to upgrade to Windows 7 down the road?

[Force Flow]

You'll have to run the upgrade advisor to check if you'll be able to run it: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/win...e-advisor.aspx

Then purchase a copy of Win7. I'd say stay with XP unless you feel the need to jump to Win7.

[jmr30183]

Originally Posted by paJAMbla Thanks guys. I came across this one too. Would this be worth the extra money compared to the posted Lenovo?

If you haven't already made a decision, the Dell Vostro 1520 will be your best bet. Lenovo makes some great laptops, but the G550 is a low-budget consumer model. It's made entirely of ABS plastic, as are most laptops you'll find in any retail store. But the Vostro has a magnesium alloy-reinforced case, sealed keyboard (spill-resistant) and other durability-enhancing features that will hold up better to your son's daily use (and abuse)!

The specs are also better for the Vostro 1520. In addition to the processor, the Vostro uses the Intel GM45 chipset instead of the GL40 in the Lenovo. The GL40 doesn't perform as well as the GM45, especially the slower-clocked Intel GMA 4500M graphics.

One other thing about the Lenovo "Value Series" G450/G550 models- they have a 1-year Warranty on Major Electronic parts, but only 90-days on plastics, hinges, keyboard, AC adapter and power cords...not very confidence-inspiring...