A decent deal
http://www.officedepot.com/a/products/766669/HP-g6-1d73us-Laptop-Computer-With/
better in all ways vs. woot deal but no BR drive. But for the poster who wanted it for office/business use I don't think a BR drive is needed.

radi0j0hn wrote:I think we are beginning to see the end of ultra-priced tech lust, except for those who need to impress or need the specs right now for a certain critical purpose. Example: My first "cutting edge" digital camera cost $1,200 and back then it was only 5 MP. How quickly those specs were bested? Really quick. Unless I fall in LOVE with some new higher end $1,200 camera or NEED those particular specs, I'd rather spend $400 a year for a new camera each year for three years, ending up with much improved gear at the end of the $1,200 spent. I just bought a 16 MP compact camera for $54 on sale.

I believe this applies to laptops as well. Spend less for a new laptop, (say, $350) instead of $500 for and old used refurb, and you already have $150 towards the next new one when the time comes.

For more modest use, (email, etc) used "old" tech laptops are dirt cheap.

I agree completely, In fact, it's the guiding principle I used as a former tech support person, and present tech buyer for my department. And most of my colleagues agree, which is why Macs never made a major impact in Corporate America. It's simply cheaper to buy and maintain Windows PCs because most IT departments already have lots of replacement parts in stock for repairs and upgrades, i.e. spare monitors. And when it comes time to change computers, it sure hurts less to throw out a $600 PC than a $1200 Mac.

Along those lines, if anyone is on a REALLY tight budget but needs a laptop for very basic tasks, i.e. Wordprocessing, websurfing, email, etc., ccnsider this HP. Yes, I know that it's WAY underpowered and very outdated in every way but hey, it's only $199. And unlike this SOny, it does have an SD slot, and even has a fingerprint reader. And again, it's only $199.

sdc100 wrote:I agree completely, In fact, it's the guiding principle I used as a former tech support person, and present tech buyer for my department. And most of my colleagues agree, which is why Macs never made a major impact in Corporate America. It's simply cheaper to buy and maintain Windows PCs because most IT departments already have lots of replacement parts in stock for repairs and upgrades, i.e. spare monitors. And when it comes time to change computers, it sure hurts less to throw out a $600 PC than a $1200 Mac.

Along those lines, if anyone is on a REALLY tight budget but needs a laptop for very basic tasks, i.e. Wordprocessing, websurfing, email, etc., ccnsider this HP. Yes, I know that it's WAY underpowered and very outdated in every way but hey, it's only $199. And unlike this SOny, it does have an SD slot, and even has a fingerprint reader. And again, it's only $199.

what do you think of the new hp I linked to in the post before yours? price/value?

http://www.officedepot.com/a/products/766669/HP-g6-1d73us-Laptop-Computer-With/

I have had this computer for over a year and it runs AWESOME!!! I always have at least 15-20 windows open at a time and never have an issue. This is an AMAZING DEAL!!!

My brother was just mentioning he needed a new one for his Sales Meeting and I am for sure getting him one of these. Great for multi-tasking and the look is very slick.

Wish I got this deal when I bought mine!!!

I bought this product a little over a year ago now and I am extremely happy with it.

First it has a unique design and the cover is futuristic. Which is nice to pull out in front of studio heads.

I am a Producer so not only do I need to have a fast computer, it must look sleek and modern. This accomplishes both.

Never have I had such a fast computer. I often need more than 20 projects and windows open on my computer simultaneously when in meetings and this allows me to do so without wasting time by slowing down. This is a great buy, by far my favorite product!!!

Aside from the shiny aluminum case, I don't really see a selling point here over a $300 new laptop. Small drive, mediocre chip, insignificant 3D capability. It never ceases to amaze me that laptop manufacturers won't spend an extra ten or fifteen bucks to include a low-end graphics card, at least then it would be an attractive option for college students and frequent travelers wanting real entertainment.

soulman21 wrote:What is the benefit of i3 or i5 processor vs this dual core processor for business functionality? Also what is Asus? sounds like it came from a cheep Chinese factory that employs minors. I guess you throw in some marketing dollars into the US marketplace and all of our morals and good sense are thrown out of the window.

And it sounds like you have an agenda other than finding the best value in computing. It's pretty pathetic for you to make racist assumptions based on complete ignorance. What's worse is that your assumption is based purely on the "sound" of the company's name. If you want to know what Asus is, do some research before typing assumptive drivel.

And just how do you know that Sony doesn't employ a Chinese factory that employs minors, or otherwise exploits their workers? Have you been reading the news about Apple? Sorry, but a company's name has very little to do with its manufacturing practices.

And btw, I have Chinese co-workers who find your views not only racist, but counterproductive. And these are people who hate the Chinese government. They say that far from being a bad thing, many poorer Chinese families welcome the possibility of hiring minors who would otherwise have no other prospects. We're not talking about 8 y/o's but teenagers. They say to stop using your culturocentric views and put yourself in the shoes of a family who goes hungry weekly. Frankly, they don't consider it exploitation. Not even the teens, who wold rather eat than fulfill our Western ideals of fairness.

This is not isolated to China. ABC's 20/20 did a report on child labor in the Third World and the movement on US campuses to help these kids. Well-meaning mostly white kids were all gung ho about saving these kids but when the kids were interviewed, they laughed at American naivete. They said that any boycott would actually hurt them, and prevent them from helping feed their families. They asked, if they had no income, would these US college students feed them? None of the American activists had an answer and came off looking like well-intentioned but simplistic spoiled ingenues. Unlike most Americans, these kids are not afraid of hard work, and are not accustomed to air conditioning, cushioned chairs or other OSHA creature comforts. So the lackthereof is not a loss for them.

Now I'm not saying that this is at all relevant to Asus because I don't know their factory conditions. Nor am I saying that the protection of children is unimportant. What I am saying is that your perspective is cultrocentric, arrogant and naive.

producerman wrote:I bought this product a little over a year ago now and I am extremely happy with it.

First it has a unique design and the cover is futuristic. Which is nice to pull out in front of studio heads.

I am a Producer so not only do I need to have a fast computer, it must look sleek and modern. This accomplishes both.

Never have I had such a fast computer. I often need more than 20 projects and windows open on my computer simultaneously when in meetings and this allows me to do so without wasting time by slowing down. This is a great buy, by far my favorite product!!!

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!

redrotors wrote:what do you think of the new hp I linked to in the post before yours? price/value?

http://www.officedepot.com/a/products/766669/HP-g6-1d73us-Laptop-Computer-With/

OUTSTANDING value, and would be my choice if I needed a new laptop on a tight budget. It's certainly a better value than the laptop I linked, and a MUCH better value than this Sony on Woot. In my defense, I only recommended that ebay laptop to someone on a VERY tight budget. Regardless, I'm pretty happy with HPs (unlike many Wooters), and the price/value of your recommendation is probably unbeatable any time soon.

producerman wrote:I bought this product a little over a year ago now and I am extremely happy with it.

First it has a unique design and the cover is futuristic. Which is nice to pull out in front of studio heads.

I am a Producer so not only do I need to have a fast computer, it must look sleek and modern. This accomplishes both.

Never have I had such a fast computer. I often need more than 20 projects and windows open on my computer simultaneously when in meetings and this allows me to do so without wasting time by slowing down. This is a great buy, by far my favorite product!!!

For a guy who just joined Woot *today* you are well on your way to winning the 2012 Weirdest Post award.

sdc100 wrote:Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!

This one of those tests where you look for the L or the H?

sdc100 wrote:OUTSTANDING value, and would be my choice if I needed a new laptop on a tight budget. It's certainly a better value than the laptop I linked, and a MUCH better value than this Sony on Woot. In my defense, I only recommended that ebay laptop to someone on a VERY tight budget. Regardless, I'm pretty happy with HPs (unlike many Wooters), and the price/value of your recommendation is probably unbeatable any time soon. Not only does it have a 2nd generation i3, but even includes USB 3.0, which many laptops still don't have.

I don't see USB 3.0 anywhere on the HP laptop that Redrotors posted. The Acer laptop that Thesliver posted does (one out of the 3 USB is a 3.0). The processors are comparable (2945 vs 2766 passmark), you would likely only notice a difference if doing something very processor intensive for a long period, i.e. video compression, conversion, or 3D ray-tracing. I generally put my money into a good processor, since that is the hardest to upgrade (especially with laptops), but on this one I would go with the one with USB 3.0, as that will likely give it a longer usable life.

StanleyS wrote:For a guy who just joined Woot *today* you are well on your way to winning the 2012 Weirdest Post award.

The Producerman post is likely SonySpam to get Woot!ers to buy. I wouldn't put it past good 'ol Rootkits-As-Security-Features Sony.

I haven't bought anything off of Woot yet but from the comments I've seen on this product IT SUCKS!!!!!!

bro3of4 wrote:I don't see USB 3.0 anywhere on the HP laptop that Redrotors posted. The Acer laptop that Thesliver posted does (one out of the 3 USB is a 3.0). The processors are comparable (2945 vs 2766 passmark), you would likely only notice a difference if doing something very processor intensive for a long period, i.e. video compression, conversion, or 3D ray-tracing. I generally put my money into a good processor, since that is the hardest to upgrade (especially with laptops), but on this one I would go with the one with USB 3.0, as that will likely give it a longer usable life.

I stand corrected, and have deleted that line from my post. I must have confused the two computers, as you suggested. And generally speaking, I also agree with your assessment of USB3.0 vs CPU. But since I do a lot of video compression and statistical analysis, I might benefit more from the slightly faster CPU. And as far as I know, USB2.0 is fast enough for virtually all peripherals, with the only real benefit of USB 3.0 is seen in file transfers, i.e. hard drive backups. Either one of those laptops is a great deal.

soulman21 wrote:Can anyone point out to me where I can get a 15.5" laptop with Intel i3 or an i5 processor for the same or less?

Check my first post. Or just try this link:

http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msstore/en_US/pd/productID.237487800?siteID=isIkAyUyNbM-98u3.rZgbvqtsrOzNyvLLA

bro3of4 wrote:The Producerman post is likely SonySpam to get Woot!ers to buy. I wouldn't put it past good 'ol Rootkits-As-Security-Features Sony.

Yep, there seems to be several of them in this forum. Sony has a history of this. Remember the fake movie reviews from a non-existent critic that they put in their ads? And the commercials featuring movie goers who were actually Sony employees? Sony has yet to admit guilt. Who knows what other unethical practices lurk in the hearts of SOny???

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Manning_%28fictitious_writer%29
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/4741259.stm

bro3of4 wrote:The Producerman post is likely SonySpam to get Woot!ers to buy. I wouldn't put it past good 'ol Rootkits-As-Security-Features Sony.

Except for the fact it is so ridiculous no one would believe it. I still think it is sarcasm. But then again, he did join Woot today.

sdc100 wrote:OUTSTANDING value, and would be my choice if I needed a new laptop on a tight budget. It's certainly a better value than the laptop I linked, and a MUCH better value than this Sony on Woot. In my defense, I only recommended that ebay laptop to someone on a VERY tight budget. Regardless, I'm pretty happy with HPs (unlike many Wooters), and the price/value of your recommendation is probably unbeatable any time soon.

Thanks for looking at it and replying. I have a clue but am by no means an expert and don't do tech. for a living. It sounded like you are "in the field" so that is why I asked you for an opinion. I actuall have had better experience w/cheapie HP and Compaq than cheapie Dell or Toshiba laptops.

bro3of4 wrote:I don't see USB 3.0 anywhere on the HP laptop that Redrotors posted. The Acer laptop that Thesliver posted does (one out of the 3 USB is a 3.0). The processors are comparable (2945 vs 2766 passmark), you would likely only notice a difference if doing something very processor intensive for a long period, i.e. video compression, conversion, or 3D ray-tracing. I generally put my money into a good processor, since that is the hardest to upgrade (especially with laptops), but on this one I would go with the one with USB 3.0, as that will likely give it a longer usable life.

I somehow missed that acer post earlier, thanks for putting the two together for comparison.

I see the acer is out of stock now but in any case I think both of these examples show that under $400 will buy something better (unless BR drive is an endall beall for you) than this $500 Sony from Woot.

sdc100 wrote:
CONS
- Outdated CPU. Current laptops use Intel i processors. At this price, you can get a laptop with an i5. Laptops with an i3 can be found for less than $400 ...

I need to ask a really dumb question. If the processor runs at 2.2 GHz, why do I care if it's outdated? I've been looking at laptops recently, and most of the i5 processor I see are described as 2.3 GHz, which is only a wee tiny bit faster.

redrotors wrote:Thanks for looking at it and replying. I have a clue but am by no means an expert and don't do tech. for a living. It sounded like you are "in the field" so that is why I asked you for an opinion. I actuall have had better experience w/cheapie HP and Compaq than cheapie Dell or Toshiba laptops.

No prblem. I'm only a semi-techie. I actually do medical research but since I was a tech support person in my previous life, I get to decide how money is spent on computer equipment for my department. But by no means am I an expert.

I also like HP, and my worst computer experience was with Dell. But a lot of Wooters have horror stories about HP so it's something to consider.

Please look at this post by another Wooter. It includes the link to an Acer that yet another Wooter posted. Although the CPU is a tiny bit slower than that one the HP, it does have a USB 3.0 port, which is state of the art. It makes a big difference if you're moving a lot of data, i.e. backing up your drive. The HP only has USB 2.0. Please note that your peripherals need to be USB 3.0 capable for you to take advantage of the higher speed. Otherwise it'll revert back to USB 2.0.

lucidlemur wrote:I need to ask a really dumb question. If the processor runs at 2.2 GHz, why do I care if it's outdated? I've been looking at laptops recently, and most of the i5 processor I see are described as 2.3 GHz, which is only a wee tiny bit faster.

It is not better people love marketing gimmicks that's why intel makes so much money

redrotors wrote:I somehow missed that acer post earlier, thanks for putting the two together for comparison.

I see the acer is out of stock now but in any case I think both of these examples show that under $400 will buy something better (unless BR drive is an endall beall for you) than this $500 Sony from Woot.

Here it is for $400. I bought it from the same site for $350 on super sale (dealnews.com). One problem is that they do not ship.

http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0373462

sdc100 wrote:Yep, there seems to be several of them in this forum. Sony has a history of this. Remember the fake movie reviews from a non-existent critic that they put in their ads? And the commercials featuring movie goers who were actually Sony employees? Sony has yet to admit guilt. Who knows what other unethical practices lurk in the hearts of SOny???

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Manning_%28fictitious_writer%29
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/4741259.stm

Thanks for the information. I am quite movie deprived, so I never heard of this. I do buy CDs and purchase Mp3s (~$900 on Amazon's $5 Mp3 albums this past year! My wallet is crying), so I learned all about their DRM (happily, before it affected me) and refused to purchase those discs. I figured they did other shady things, though.

lucidlemur wrote:I need to ask a really dumb question. If the processor runs at 2.2 GHz, why do I care if it's outdated? I've been looking at laptops recently, and most of the i5 processor I see are described as 2.3 GHz, which is only a wee tiny bit faster.

Two things. One, you're basically right in that most users won't need anything more than dual 2.x GHz now or in the foreseeable future. Hardware specs have far outpaced the demands of software, which is why manufacturers are starting to turn to value-added features like low energy consumption and onboard GPUs to sell chips. The main complaint most people have with a laptop like this isn't that it's crappy, but that you can get similar quality and performance for about half the price.

That being said, when looking at i5s and i7's dont forget about Turbo Boost--the feature that, when running a demanding application, allows the processor to throttle up its clock speed by 500MHz or so. For instance, a Sandybridge i5 2430M--a very middle-of-the-road SB chip--has a standard clock speed of 2.4GHz but can juice up to 3GHz under load. If you're going to go Intel I would definitley recommend getting one of the TB-enabled chips.

soulman21 wrote: All Intel models are over $1000k. This is a much better deal.

holy cow. $1,000,000?!

just nitpicking :P

lucidlemur wrote:I need to ask a really dumb question. If the processor runs at 2.2 GHz, why do I care if it's outdated? I've been looking at laptops recently, and most of the i5 processor I see are described as 2.3 GHz, which is only a wee tiny bit faster.

That's actually a very logical and common question. Without actually comparing the two CPUs you mentioned, ere are my thoughts.

- While clock cycles (ghz) are important, the CPU's architecture can be even more important. For example, a dual core CPU can be faster than a single core one running at a higher frequency. That's because having two cores is sort of like having two CPUs running in parallel. And having 4 cores is even better.
- Newer processors may also have more efficient instruction sets. You may, for example be able to do certain calculations in fewer steps with a better instruction set. That means that fewer clock cycles are needed so a slower processor can still outperform a faster one that uses a less efficient instruction set
- Newer CPU may have better predictive abilities and/or a larger cache. Both optimize data flow by making frequently used data more accessible.
- Newer CPUs and motherboards may have special multimedia abilities so graphics are less of a load on the CPU
- Newer CPUs use energy more efficiently by automatically adjusting their speed according to your needs. For example, websurfing doesn't need a lot of CPU power because very few calculations are performed as you read the screen. Modern CPUs will know this and lower their clock speed accordingly. That not only saves energy (so batteries will run longer) but your computer will also run cooler. Heat is a major contributor to hardware failure. On the other hand, you may also need boost in speed sometimes, and some of the Intel i CPUs have a feature called TurboBoost. That can give you a burst in performance that surpasses the CPU's normal rated speed. Think of it like a camera's burst mode where you can shoot at high frame rates for a short period.

soulman21 wrote:It is not better people love marketing gimmicks that's why intel makes so much money

Your ignorance throughout this Woot is breathtaking.

sdc100 wrote:

bogus wrote:

Thank you, that was some interesting information. It somewhat complicates my incipient laptop search, though.

soulman21 wrote:It is not better people love marketing gimmicks that's why intel makes so much money

sdc100 wrote:Your ignorance throughout this Woot is breathtaking.

Or is it deceit?

He/she did just join today.

sdc100 wrote:Your ignorance throughout this Woot is breathtaking.

Thank you Mr. Otellini your explanation was very informative and helped me fall asleep. BTW bravo on your Ultabook idea.

lucidlemur wrote:Thank you, that was some interesting information. It somewhat complicates my incipient laptop search, though.

The question you need to be asking--the one that will determine what you get--is what all you'll be using it for. In particular, if now or in the future you intend to play games or use other graphics-intensive applications or Windows features that will have a *huge* impact on your selection options since not many lappies have legitimate gfx. Multimedia editing and rendering is a big one on the CPU side, since it's one of the few areas where you can leverage multiple cores. Remember that, unlike PCs, lappies can't really be upgraded outside of storage and memory so it's better to err on the side of caution...I went cheap on a low-end HP in 2006 and started regretting it about a year later.

Bottom line, don't worry about whether your new laptop is a little slower than its friends in a year or two; worry about whether there's things you simply cannot do with it.

soulman21 wrote:Thank you Mr. Otellini your explanation was very informative and helped me fall asleep. BTW bravo on your Ultabook idea.

Hah. Inferring that Sdc100 works for Intel and is doing marketing hype, when he is merely giving good information about processor architecture, then misspelling "Ultrabook". There is a reason he has almost 300 quality posts. I agree with him and I think you need to work on your Google-fu.

sdc100 wrote: It makes a big difference if you're moving a lot of data, i.e. backing up your drive. The HP only has USB 2.0. Please note that your peripherals need to be USB 3.0 capable for you to take advantage of the higher speed. Otherwise it'll revert back to USB 2.0.

Backing up your drive to what, exactly?

Do you back up to an SSD? Because if you don't, USB 3.0 is completely useless. It doesn't matter how fast the USB ports can transfer data if the chokepoint are the platters on the backup drive itself. Anybody who purchases USB 3.0 with the intent of speeding up their backups is going to be sorely disappointed.

Sorry Woot but this site has really gone to Amazon. First I no longer cared that it was 1:00am eastern time, now I'm no longer checking every day...next I think I'll delete from bookmarks all together. PLEASE go back to the good old days and offer something worth while instead of recycled Amazon rejects.

Seriously this thing is way overpriced.

Happy

Enjoy the powerful performance of an Intel® Core™ 2 Duo T6600 processor (2.20GHz ) with Intel® Dual-Core processor technology and 4GB of system memory
Fall in love with your favorite movies all over again with an extra-wide, theater inspired 15.5” (1366x768) display using energy-efficient LCD technology
Store your favorite multimedia, important documents, and cherished family photos on the roomy 320GB Serial ATA hard disk drive

MUCH better specs. $20 less after $50 rebate, includes shipping.
http://www.quill.com/hp-desktop-computers/cbs/250054.html?Effort_Code=901&Find_Number=DM43050US&PromoCode=13006
BTW Quill is owned by Staples (sorta like woot/amazon) but if you call Staples they will probably price match.