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hello people, i need your help again.
so i am getting a laptop, but i dont have a lot of money, 1000 $ max.
my bro is buying it for me, and ive found this really good one:
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.gsp?cat=3951&dept=3944&product_id=3132806&path=0%3A3944%3A3951%3A4070%3A106249

the only prob is that is an AVERATEC laptop (www.averatec.com) have ANY of you heard about this company? pcworld and buy.com ahve given its models really good reviews, but what do you think?

i mean its specs are brilliant, but in the end it comes down to the NAME and reliabililty. theres no way in hell i can get the same laptop by dell, toshiba etc for 1000$, it has everythin. so what do u think?

thanks a lot

By Imahoya (Imahoya) on Saturday, August 14, 2004 - 06:14 pm: Edit

as far as specs go, it's a very nice laptop for things like internet, word processing/college work, music, movies, etc.

the screen on that laptop isn't all that great but should be sufficient for you while doing the above listed tasks. It's resolution is 1024x768, which is fine for most people.

That particular computer weighs 8.2 lbs (!) with the battery. Probably 9 lbs. when you carry it with the included case. Not exactly good for your back :p

it's battery life is also pretty short with that AMD Athlon processor (though it's better than a Pentium 4). I don't have any hard numbers but I wouldn't expect past 3 hours at all (probably even less when running a CD). Centrino processors provide the best battery life and are also very fast.

Another thing you should consider, is the software it comes with. Microsoft Office? Virus protection? It doesn't say anything at all, even on the averatec website (which most likely means no)


If $1000 is your budget, normally I would suggest a desktop...BUT since you're coming from very far away I guess a laptop is the only option.


As I said above, it's a great laptop in terms of features for the price but I can't say the same for some other important things to consider when buying a laptop (weight, battery life). I have heard of Averatec before but have absolutely zero experience dealing with their computers or tech support.

Give me a day and I can try to find a good laptop for you for under $1000.

But I need to know what you plan on using the computer for, and how you're going to use the laptop (take it everywhere or use it as a desktop replacement in your dorm room?).

hope this helps.

By Imahoya (Imahoya) on Saturday, August 14, 2004 - 06:56 pm: Edit

For example, here's another Averatec laptop.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=1077625097490&skuId=6375193&type=product&cmp=++

At only 4.3 lbs, it's a good laptop if portability is your primary concern. $950 - $100 mail-in rebate = $850.


it's not exactly a powerhouse in performance but it's light, well featured, and will do basic things like college work, internet, music, etc. decently. Being an ultra-light laptop there isnt much in terms of expansion ports but I don't think that's a big deal for you.


the Averatec laptop you found in your original post is good if portability is not a primary concern. As is this Toshiba:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=1083712651463&skuId=6698834&productCategoryId=cat01174&type=product

Although, again, battery life will not be that great.


For $1000, your selection of laptops is very low. You could buy a very nice desktop system for $1000 but I'm not sure if that's a possibility for you(I could be wrong of course)

By Cornellhopeful (Cornellhopeful) on Saturday, August 14, 2004 - 07:02 pm: Edit

Yes, Avertec is a good laptop company. My friend got the 12" model for college. It seems like a good deal for what you get. Of course, I always recommend Apple, for a number of reasons, but to get similar specs, you'd have to pay more, most likely above $1000. For an Apple computer, you can buy Microsoft Office, have compatibility with the Windows version, have a highly stable operating system(not once has it crashed since I've had it. In the same time frame, my windows computer crashed at least once by now), you don't have to worry about viruses(firstly b/c most are written for Windows anyway, and also b/c nothing can install itself in Mac OS X. To install a program, you have to enter your administrator password for the program to install. So you won't find icons mysteriously appearing on the desktop, new programs installing themselves in the Start Menu, etc.), good battery life, and of course they just look cool! But, if you're pressed for money, what you already have is good for the money.

By Cornellhopeful (Cornellhopeful) on Saturday, August 14, 2004 - 07:05 pm: Edit

http://www.apple.com
http://www.apple.com

Sorry, i just had to

By Chicane (Chicane) on Sunday, August 15, 2004 - 09:36 am: Edit

thanks for all your advice and input.
isnt a 15 inch screen more than perfect?
i use a 14 inch monitor on my desktop at home, and find it perfect. so i am fine with the screen, imahoya.
regd the software, ive seen no laptop which offers microsoft office and antivirus pre installed, u have to customize it, which futher adds to the cost.
and no, i dont want a desktop, i want a laptop.
for under 1000$ there are many celerons available, but ive heard from ppl they arent very good. true? ie compared to p4s and amd athlons.
i want a good laptop, for word processing, music, movies, etc emails chatting and all, and so far i really like this one.
imahoya, u mentioned some interesting cons, most averatec laptops weigh under 5 lbs, but since this has a bigger screen 15 inches, thats why its 9 lbs. other averatec laptops have 12.1 inch screens, (ie under 1000$)
any more input?

imahoya, i checked out ur recommended laptops, and i have reviewed them before, i dont mind the averatec one, but once again its the screen size which is the only downside. and toshiba, the celeron processor

By Chicane (Chicane) on Sunday, August 15, 2004 - 09:59 am: Edit

btw, how did u get the weight of 8.2 pds?

By Cornellhopeful (Cornellhopeful) on Sunday, August 15, 2004 - 10:48 am: Edit

interesting, b/c the 15" Apple Powerbook weighs 5.7 pounds...Oh well, it's still too expensive.

By Chicane (Chicane) on Sunday, August 15, 2004 - 02:57 pm: Edit

yeah, apple is 2 expensive!
enh, what the hell, worst comes to worst ill use JJs apple, since hes so proud of it, muhahahaha!! kidding

By Chicane (Chicane) on Sunday, August 15, 2004 - 03:10 pm: Edit

any input on this pc? its an acer, and has pretty similar specs as the averatec,and its cheaper:

http://www.shopharmony.com/product.asp?i=AS1355

By Chicane (Chicane) on Sunday, August 15, 2004 - 03:14 pm: Edit

sorry, laptop, not PC

By Cornellhopeful (Cornellhopeful) on Sunday, August 15, 2004 - 05:19 pm: Edit

lol chicane
I'd probably go with the averatec. It comes with wireless, and it's only a little more expensive.

By Chicane (Chicane) on Monday, August 16, 2004 - 03:01 am: Edit

yeah, i was thinking the same thing. wireless is imp, but acer is acer, and does supply ferrari with computers so....
acer is 70 bucks cheaper, cant i get a wireless card for that much?