looks like it comes with vista (WTF?) but i'd just throw TinyXP on anyways.
bottom line: you can totally score a much better laptop with not too much more heft for not too much more money, and i'm sure you could pick up something with an AMD for even cheaper.
@nutbastard: It's true, you can configure one. But as I said in another thread, walk into, say, a Best Buy and these machines are basically non-existent.
@nutbastard: 14 inch and 720p display but what are the graphics capabilities? Crap I am sure.
Bottom line: It does not take much processor to run office, facebook and the other crap most people do. And instead of a huge notebook I can carry a much lighter and smaller unit with tremendous battery life.
And every week best buy and every other retailer has a deal for a $399 Notebook.
when my 5 year old inspiron with a palty 512mb of ram and a 1.6ghz pentium m can run fullscreen HD video at 1920 x 1280, i tend to believe that a dual core @ 2.1ghz can handle output at 720 just fine, even if it is with integrated graphics.
the other part is, my laptop is my primary computer - i dont own a desktop, so whatever i eventually upgrade to needs all teh bells and whistles.
i know optical media is kind of dying, but when your machine gets gorked and needs to be doctored up a bit, you can't always count on being able to boot over USB.
@Demonbird: Look, Steve Jobs says it is impossible to sell a computer for less than $500 that does not suck. So, buy a netbook for $500 if you want a computer that does not suck.
[www.dell.com]
They're there, but they're not stock. You can still get a C2Duo as a BTO option. But don't let the Pentium name scare you - they've got half the L2 cache, but they're Core2 parts and a wicked good value.
@Mark Wilson: I think what happened is that companies realized that they were cutting into their own netbook markets by pricing decently powerful notebooks at or below $500.
Weren't the Core 2 Duos you're referring to later renamed dual-core Centrino or something like that?
* Researches *
OK, from Wikipedia: There is also some confusion with Core 2 Duo and Centrino Duo. Centrino Duo is the combination of Core 2 Duo and Intel Next Gen Wireless Systems. Core 2 Duo however is referring to the mobile CPU directly. Hence this led to new Centrino branding in 2008.
So I guess the cheap Core 2 Duo laptops are still around but branded differently? I don't know, someone feel free to correct me. I'm confused as hell about it and also on deadline, so I can't delve too deep.
Also, I'd wager the dual-core Pentiums popping up in laptops now are more powerful than the Cores of Yore, so you can still get decent power for $500, it's just not called the same thing anymore.
@Sticks Calhoun: My understanding is that Centrino is the early name for them. My laptop advertises a dual core Centrino processor when it's a C2D T7200 processor. Go figure.
my understanding that Centrino isn't a processor designation - it's a combination of low power processor and wifi card, as well as some other low power components. my old dell had some shitty wifi card in it when i got it, and it was not a centrino, but popping in a specific intel card suddenly made the boot screen say 'centrino'.
from the centrino wiki:
"Centrino is a platform-marketing initiative from Intel. It is not a mobile CPU - rather, the term covers a particular combination of mainboard chipset, mobile CPU and wireless network interface in the design of a laptop."
@nutbastard: Nope. I bought an early HP dv6000 (worst decision and laptop ever) and on those fancy stickers that came on it that are now gone, it advertised itself as a dual core Centrino processor. This here is the processor in it: [ark.intel.com] . Definitely not a Celeron, just the laptop was advertised as a Centrino. It was odd to me too.
I totally don't understand this product. Who wants to have a keyboard with not one but at least 3 cables attached? If the sell is the sideshow screen embedded in the keyboard then I'd rather have a USB keyboard with a screen and a traditional computer tucked away someplace.
I like the idea of this device, and the sideshow touchscreen is pretty clever, but I'm not really sure that I see the advantage of it over a nettop or a laptop, especially when you start adding complexity like wireless HDMI.
If what you're looking for is a low profile living room PC, there's really not any reason that you couldn't just have the PC attached to the TV directly, then use any number of wireless keyboard/mouse combos available for $30-$50 to control it from the coffee table. About the only advantage this would have over that settup is that you could move it from room to room more easily.
11/19/09
14" 720p display, 250GB, 2GB, intel wireless n, T4300 proc, 9 cell battery:
$534
looks like it comes with vista (WTF?) but i'd just throw TinyXP on anyways.
bottom line: you can totally score a much better laptop with not too much more heft for not too much more money, and i'm sure you could pick up something with an AMD for even cheaper.
11/19/09
11/19/09
Bottom line: It does not take much processor to run office, facebook and the other crap most people do. And instead of a huge notebook I can carry a much lighter and smaller unit with tremendous battery life.
And every week best buy and every other retailer has a deal for a $399 Notebook.
[www.bestbuy.com]
11/19/09
when my 5 year old inspiron with a palty 512mb of ram and a 1.6ghz pentium m can run fullscreen HD video at 1920 x 1280, i tend to believe that a dual core @ 2.1ghz can handle output at 720 just fine, even if it is with integrated graphics.
the other part is, my laptop is my primary computer - i dont own a desktop, so whatever i eventually upgrade to needs all teh bells and whistles.
11/19/09
11/19/09
11/19/09
11/19/09
lol
But... I bought a netbook for $380 that's a good netbook, it doesn't suck. It doesn't... Can Steve Jobs... be wrong?
Oh my lord...
#speakup
11/19/09
"I mean, I'm not arguing this is probably the most promising netbook of all time."
Kanye approves.
11/19/09
They're there, but they're not stock. You can still get a C2Duo as a BTO option. But don't let the Pentium name scare you - they've got half the L2 cache, but they're Core2 parts and a wicked good value.
11/19/09
11/19/09
To Newegg, but they're $50 more now.
[www.newegg.com]
11/19/09
11/19/09
11/19/09
* Researches *
OK, from Wikipedia: There is also some confusion with Core 2 Duo and Centrino Duo. Centrino Duo is the combination of Core 2 Duo and Intel Next Gen Wireless Systems. Core 2 Duo however is referring to the mobile CPU directly. Hence this led to new Centrino branding in 2008.
[en.wikipedia.org]
So I guess the cheap Core 2 Duo laptops are still around but branded differently? I don't know, someone feel free to correct me. I'm confused as hell about it and also on deadline, so I can't delve too deep.
Also, I'd wager the dual-core Pentiums popping up in laptops now are more powerful than the Cores of Yore, so you can still get decent power for $500, it's just not called the same thing anymore.
11/19/09
11/19/09
my understanding that Centrino isn't a processor designation - it's a combination of low power processor and wifi card, as well as some other low power components. my old dell had some shitty wifi card in it when i got it, and it was not a centrino, but popping in a specific intel card suddenly made the boot screen say 'centrino'.
from the centrino wiki:
"Centrino is a platform-marketing initiative from Intel. It is not a mobile CPU - rather, the term covers a particular combination of mainboard chipset, mobile CPU and wireless network interface in the design of a laptop."
11/19/09
... im going to go out on a limb here and assert that you mean your laptop has a dual core Celeron processor.
11/19/09
09/14/09
09/14/09
09/14/09
09/14/09
09/14/09
09/14/09
If what you're looking for is a low profile living room PC, there's really not any reason that you couldn't just have the PC attached to the TV directly, then use any number of wireless keyboard/mouse combos available for $30-$50 to control it from the coffee table. About the only advantage this would have over that settup is that you could move it from room to room more easily.
09/14/09
09/14/09
09/14/09