Do you guys have any suggestions? Don't want it for gaming...mainly just for watching movies, emails & surfing. Nothing fancy....even a Pentium II would be fine.
I just found out I'll be deploying later this month, and don't have the time to search through the thousands on eBay for the "right" one. Nothin' in the local classifieds here either.
I want to stay right around $300 or less.

 

man i just gave one away...

I used to be CE at Ellsworth, so i know the area pretty well. Have you tried the pawn shops in town? The couple down by Prairie Market usually have a bunch of stuff.

What do you do at Ellsworth?

If you want help I can find some on ebay and hook you up quickly. that's really your best bet for a cheap one and can be pretty quick.

my brother runs a computer business near Minneapolis, i'll check with him

 

Watch out!!! For a lot of the new ones are running Vista! Buyer beware! Looked at 3 different ones at Wallyworld last night. All had Vista.

 

figures darn !...I haven't tried the pawns yet, but that's a good idea...there's the big one on E. North by the Civic Cntr. too.
Well I guess if you see somethin on eBay let me know, but don't waste your time searchin' either.
I'm in MOS (MXG).

 

Check out Dell refurbished models. You can get close to the price and still get XP. I got my dad one with a Turion 64 for about $400.

 

If it were me I'd watch Ebay.

Pawn shops (in my experience) are usually worse then car dealers when it comes to getting a good deal. At least you could look at the item though.

Dells refurbished outlet can net some good buys too.

Another place I shop and have good experience with is Newegg.com for parts and such. They sell laptops and also offer refurbished units. Worth a look at least.

I'd sell you mine, but I can't bear to part with it. Its lasted 5 years and still going.

Have a good one.

 

NMCI just did a big sell off, I got a P4 for 200 bucks. No software, tho. LMK if you want me to ask if they are still doing the sale...

 

try www.techforless.com they sell new, open box, refurbished, and scratch and dent.

 

www.tigerdirect.com thats where i have been getting all my parts since i was 12 years old

 

Gosh Dean, when I was 12, Eniac was about the only computer around!!

Dan

 

Watch the sale ads, especially Office Depot. I got the laptop I'm typing this on for $350, brand new, on sale from there - and it came with a free printer.

 

Sometimes some good deals pop up on craigslist. Theres a guy in my area that advertises on there that buys a lot of laptops in bulk from companies when they upgrade. Not exactly the fastest or best equipped but they are cheap (usually under $300)

 

Hey I just saw some in The Sportsmans Guide:

Heres the Link:

http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/cb.aspx?a=394604

 

The computer manufacturers are just about universal in their posture on support of stolen laptops and if you cannot prove who the prior owner was or cannot trace it back to the name that is on file for that particular computer you might have problems if you need support that otherwise is not readily available.As an example let us say that the bios setup when you boot the computer has an password locking you out of making any changes in the configuration.
Having access to tech support might be very valuable in resetting that password,not to say that it cannot be done but in some cases it is nearly impossible.There are other things that need to be done such as setting the parameters for a parallel port etc. so try to establish some sort of documentation back to the original owner if you can or at the very least be sure that you are not locked out of your new computer before the seller gets out of sight.Ron G

 

Cheap is cheap, but not always the best way to go. Chances are you will end up wanting to do more once you have it. I just got Gateway w/ 160gb hd and a Turion 64x2for under $600. Why not take the $300 and if thats all you have put it toward something that will last and take advantage of some 0% offer @ best buy or circuit city. Plus that way you have a warranty and tech support.