I really need buying advice...

Laptops?
Tablets?
Ultrabooks?
Chromebooks?
Netbooks (& NOTE-Books!?!)??
Kindle's??? - - oh my!!

This seems an EXTREMELY daunting task, to me.

How on earth does one decide between all of these (keeping in mind that one only has a budget of "around $300")?

I realize anything with "Ultra" in the name is out of my price-range (or "price-point"), however I "think" I can get what I need (which is "basically" just to access the net, send/receive email, and stream an occasion NetFlix movie or watch a youtube video) for "around" (or maybe even "under") $250---> http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2412006,00.asp?tab=Specs

I think my screenshot will show what I currently have, performance-wise, and what I would "like" to match, and which I paid $300 just 15 months ago (though my CPU is only 1.6~GHz it is a Dual Core, which I suppose is a good thing as opposed to a single core?).

Thanks in advance,
g...

 

Hello David, thanks for your reply.

The cooling fan in my Netbook has stopped working. This machine was twice dropped, and although those drops were was months ago, it has made intermittent/occasional noises since the 2nd time it hit the floor. One of the noises indicated obstruction of the fan. That noise has now stopped, and now the machine completely powers-off if I attempt to watch any video (which apparently generates heat?), or if the machine otherwise gets too hot - and it is not a proper shutdown either (it's a hard shutdown).

These hard shutdowns have coincided with the noises having now stopped. I opened the RAM cover to see what I might be able to do about it) and a small spring fell out, in addition to a very small piece of plastic (such as perhaps a brace or bracket somehow connected to the integrity of the springs function).

This machine "works" (I'm typing this reply on it now), but I don't dare watch any video (or stream anything I would presume?). Per Speedfan, the temps have climbed as high as into the 170's (F), and I'm afraid it it's only a matter of time before the unit burns-up (dies).

 

I researched late last year and if I wanted a tablet, I'd buy a Nexus 7.
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Google-Nexus-7-Black-Wi-Fi-32GB-Tablet-ASUS-1B32/21907347
the 16GB version can be had for $199.99
http://www.staples.com/Nexus-7-16GB-Tablet-from-Google/product_949231

It will do what you want, provided you don't need something that will download emails to your computer. You'd have to use webmail.
It does not have an sd slot to add additional memory but it has a micro USB port. You'd need to buy a micro to normal USB adapter to use a flash drive. Here's what one looks like
http://www.amazon.com/Electronics-Micro-USB-OTG-Cable/dp/B005GGBYJ4

http://www.gottabemobile.com/2012/12/24/how-to-set-up-your-nexus-7/

 

Wow - greatly appreciated plodr, you've provided a wealth of info here, which helps me a great deal, thank you.

For a variety of reasons I have a tremendously difficult time with these sorts of (personal economic) decisions.

I am now very carefully weighing the 32GB Tablet you suggested against the Chromebook I was looking at ( http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2412006,00.asp ), as they are essentially the same ($250) price.

Thank you again plodr!

 

You do know that a chromebook runs ChromeOS?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chromebook
You need internet access to do almost everything because it uses programs stored in the cloud and not on the computer.

Find out all you can and read reviews before you get something running ChromeOS so you won't be disappointed with the limitations.

 

A Netbook with a SSD installed. That is all I use, along with a wireless Logitech M525 mouse, vs. the touchpad on my Acer a0532h. Toshiba has been running some good deals lately on their laptops also.

This is the Laptop we got my son http://www.toshibadirect.com/td/b2c/pdet.to?poid=2000046479 it will take up to 16GB RAM.

 

Thank you both again...the information you have shared here, is of valuable to me..I'm not sure how I could possibly pay you back

 

Hello again, I am so depressed now I literally feel ill.

My ASUS 1215 has finally (after being dropped several times over the last 16 months) quit (DIED). :cry

It starting making God-Awful noises, then started getting blue screens and black screens and NO screens and shutdowns and inability to shutdown, and after numerous attempts to "repair" it, and numerous attempts to allow it to "repair" itself, it's just plain dead.

I guess my main issue at this point is that I wish to find another Netbook or Notebook or Laptop or Tablet (or something!) that I can use the RAM from this machine in. I have now removed the 4GB of RAM from this ASUS.

It's 204-Pin DDR3 SODIMM PC3-10 (I guess that's all the information I need to supply here, yes?). :confused

Oh and a question: I suppose amazon is about as good as anywhere (pricewise) to buy a new machine, please? :confused :confused

Thanks in advance,
g... :wave

 

I am running Win8 now on my Acer a0532h netbook, and have to keep it plugged into a cooling pad, since it spikes to around 135 degrees Fahrenheit, because 8 uses more CPU horsepower. Did not have that high with Win7. I was lucky to spike to 119 with 7. This is even with the SSD still in.

I would go with a good laptop, and if you want, replace the platter with a SSD. Toshiba is still running their sale on their machines. Went with the extended warranty through them, for something like $49.99, due to you never know when the kid will accidently drop it, when he goes off to college within the next year.

 

Wow, thanks again for your help...the more I peek at that Toshiba you linked, the better it's looking. I suppose I have a couple/few questions about it though -

1. Is the RAM I have (204-Pin DDR3 SODIMM PC3-10) going to be accepted by this Toshiba (will it work?)?

2. What's the likelihood I will need to purchase one of these 'cooling pad's, as you have, simply to run WIN8?

3. Is WIN8 ok?? I thought I read a couple of rather unfavorable reviews, though I realize they should probably be taken with a grain of salt...perhaps (now that I think about it), they were written in reference to the spending the extra clams to "upgrade" from 7 (which is what I am now pretty well used to)...?

 

Okay..I suppose that was a ignorant (not well-versed) question.

A better question (I suppose) is:

There are probably only two RAM banks, and it would seem those two are already filled with what I already have (4GB), correct?

 

It is one bank filled with a 4GB chip out of the box. As for a pad cooler, he has not had to use one yet. It barely taps 2.5gb when he is using Chrome in desktop mode. I can say one thing, it is a workhorse, and surprised me as to how good of a machine it is, for the price we got it for.

 

Well, when my TV went on the FRITZ today, barely 48 hours after my netbook died, I'd had enough...I went out and bought a new machine.

I GREATLY appreciate all the info on the Toshiba - and VERY NEARLY pulled the trigger on it, but I think I found a Samsung which seems to be a very similar (??) machine (Lord I hope I didn't screw-up) for about the same price ($348), but without the $25-shipping fee, and of course without the 'several more days' of waiting I would have had to endure.

This machine came with the same 4GB of RAM as the Toshiba (and again, I "think" I can upgrade, though not sure yet on how much RAM this machine takes?), but this Samsung has an i3 CPU (2370M?)...

I also have Windows 8 (64b), and I'm not sure if I like it or not yet, but I've got it so I'll try to make Peace with it either way.

As for now, I think I'm going to run PC-Decrapifier (or a similar program), to see if it can speed me through the uninstall of trialware/etc. that I'm not interested in...

Thank you again!

 

Check with Crucial.com, it will tell you the max that it takes. As for deleting stuff off of it, most of the time, you are just dealing with a bunch of short cuts, Norton Security, Wild Tangent.

That is pretty much it these days.

 

Yes sir, Crucial filled me in, and while not hardly 16GB like the Toshiba you pointed me to (and wow that sure would have been nice!), I will be able to double the 4GB that came with this rig to 8GB.

The only thing I'm not too sure about with this Samsung is something called "VRAM - Shared". I suppose that means "Video RAM", but I don't know what the "Shared" part of that equation is..so that's something else I'll need to search and read-up on...

Hey thank you again - very much!
g...