Help finding a laptop ~$500

[Badwrench]

Looking for a laptop for my Mom's coworker.  She doesn't need anything too powerful.  Unit will be used for real estate related tasks:  posting/editing photos, emails, MS Office, browsing.  I am thinking something along the lines of an i3 or lower i5.  She doesn't need a lot of space, so if I could find one with an ssd for the os and around 320gb or so, that would be awesome.  Unit needs to have an optical drive. 

Budget is about $500, but if there is something close to that that gives a better bang for the buck, she would most likely go with that. 

Hoping that someone has scouted out a killer deal for the upcoming holiday weekend 

I was looking at this one:  http://www.frys.com/product/7685867?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG

[microsoft windows]

Make sure you get a laptop that runs Windows.

[Altis]

There are a lot of great deals right now with back to school shopping.

The best bang for buck given her needs is to get a cheap model that she likes (probably 15.6"), and purchase an SSD separately. From what I've seen, you pay a big premium to have it installed from the factory, and usually requires various other upgrades.

Pretty much any modern laptop (i3) with a modern SSD is going to fly through the OS and applications. Even my 6-7 year old laptop I revived with an SSD does most things quite quickly.

The downside is the extra work of replacing the drive and reinstalling a fresh copy of windows.

[exitfire401]

Lenovo is the way to go for cheap and reliable. I suggest them to all of my friends who are looking for a laptop and I haven't heard one complaint so far.

[dorkvader]

I recommend against any consumer-grade computer. Unfortunately most business-end ones are more expensive than your budget. Therefore my recommendation is to get one lightly used or a demo / floor model.

I got an HP elitebook folio 9470M with a 256 GB SSD for $480 shipped, and I love it. It has an i5, but you can get cheaper ones with an i3. They came out about a year ago, so they are usually available for a really good price.

exitfire, I used to be a lenovo / IBM thinkpad certified repair technican and have worked on at least several hundred or maybe a few thousand of them. I have many complaints, if you'd like to hear
I'm not saying I wouldn't recommend one, but they are far from the "gold standard" that some of the THINK-fanboys would like me to think. But I prefer fujitsu anyway.

[Badwrench]

Make sure you get a laptop that runs Windows.

For sure.  The one she is using now has a Pentium 2 and 1gb of ram (system max), running Windows 7.  Ouch. 

[exitfire401]

exitfire, I used to be a lenovo / IBM thinkpad certified repair technican and have worked on at least several hundred or maybe a few thousand of them. I have many complaints, if you'd like to hear
I'm not saying I wouldn't recommend one, but they are far from the "gold standard" that some of the THINK-fanboys would like me to think. But I prefer fujitsu anyway.

Hey, I didn't say they were gold standard, just cheap and reliable. I do the same repairs, and agree, they're not perfect, but I still have less of those than dell or HP come through in a given week. Also, not a fan boy at all (typed from Razer Blade Laptop) ...stop looking at me like that haha

[jalaj]

I was looking at this one:  http://www.frys.com/product/7685867?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG

Those specs look fantastic on paper, 13.3" 1080p touchscreen for $600? Wow.
But user reviews on Amazon for this laptop complain about excessive heat and fan noise.
http://www.amazon.com/Sony-SVP13213CXB-13-3-Inch-Touchscreen-Ultrabook/dp/B00CFGV7SQ
Also Sony sold off their VAIO PC line. I'll be concerned about support and aftermarket parts availability.

If around that price point, how about an used/new HP 840 G1 on eBay? You can find them around the low end of $400 to $600 price points.
The various customized models include:
4th gen Intel core i3/i5/or i7 CPUs, different native screen resolutions ranging from 1366x768, 1600x900 (TS variant available), or 1920x1080p, installed RAM amount (up to 16GB max), HDD/SSD configs (m2 SSD compatible), and 1 or 3 yr warranties

The high availability of HP aftermarket parts and pre-paid postage labels for in-warranty repairs should be good for low cost of ownership.

For an optical drive, I recommend this external USB DVD 7mm ultraslim player for $26 on ebay.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/External-Slim-8X-DVD-DVDRW-CD-RW-Burner-Writer-Reader-Drive-All-PC-MAC-UJ-844-/370686511984

[dorkvader]

Also Sony sold off their VAIO PC line. I'll be concerned about support and aftermarket parts availability.

If around that price point, how about an used/new HP 840 G1 on eBay? You can find them around the low end of $400 to $600 price points.
The various customized models include:
4th gen Intel core i3/i5/or i7 CPUs, different native screen resolutions ranging from 1366x768, 1600x900 (TS variant available), or 1920x1080p, installed RAM amount (up to 16GB max), HDD/SSD configs (m2 SSD compatible), and 1 or 3 yr warranties

Sony aftermarket parts availability has always been poor (and expensive).

Now that the HP 840's have come down in price, I would recommend one of those.

[Badwrench]

Also Sony sold off their VAIO PC line. I'll be concerned about support and aftermarket parts availability.

If around that price point, how about an used/new HP 840 G1 on eBay? You can find them around the low end of $400 to $600 price points.
The various customized models include:
4th gen Intel core i3/i5/or i7 CPUs, different native screen resolutions ranging from 1366x768, 1600x900 (TS variant available), or 1920x1080p, installed RAM amount (up to 16GB max), HDD/SSD configs (m2 SSD compatible), and 1 or 3 yr warranties

Sony aftermarket parts availability has always been poor (and expensive).

Now that the HP 840's have come down in price, I would recommend one of those.

Thanks for the advice.  Currently watching a 1600x900 i7 version on ebay 

[tp4tissue]

exitfire, I used to be a lenovo / IBM thinkpad certified repair technican and have worked on at least several hundred or maybe a few thousand of them. I have many complaints, if you'd like to hear
I'm not saying I wouldn't recommend one, but they are far from the "gold standard" that some of the THINK-fanboys would like me to think. But I prefer fujitsu anyway.

Hey, I didn't say they were gold standard, just cheap and reliable. I do the same repairs, and agree, they're not perfect, but I still have less of those than dell or HP come through in a given week. Also, not a fan boy at all (typed from Razer Blade Laptop) ...stop looking at me like that haha

We can no longer be friends...   putting you on the enemies list... 

[tp4tissue]

Also Sony sold off their VAIO PC line. I'll be concerned about support and aftermarket parts availability.

If around that price point, how about an used/new HP 840 G1 on eBay? You can find them around the low end of $400 to $600 price points.
The various customized models include:
4th gen Intel core i3/i5/or i7 CPUs, different native screen resolutions ranging from 1366x768, 1600x900 (TS variant available), or 1920x1080p, installed RAM amount (up to 16GB max), HDD/SSD configs (m2 SSD compatible), and 1 or 3 yr warranties

Sony aftermarket parts availability has always been poor (and expensive).

Now that the HP 840's have come down in price, I would recommend one of those.

Thanks for the advice.  Currently watching a 1600x900 i7 version on ebay 

i7 PRE-sandybridge uses tons of powa, AND they were about 30% slower clock for clock... sooooo, yea.. make sure to get sandy-or higher

[jalaj]

yep, the elitebook 840 g1 uses 4th gen haswell CPUs, 2 gens above sandy
some lucky ppl got the 840 g1 units equipped with gorgeous 1080p IPS screens for under $500 .

More

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odkw=hp+840+g1&LH_Sold=1&_osacat=0&_from=R40&LH_Complete=1&_from=R40&_trksid=p2045573.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC2.A0.H0.Xhp+840+g1+1080.TRS1&_nkw=hp+840+g1+1080&_sacat=0

The other resolutions have inferior TN panels (dunno about the touch-screen variant)

[Badwrench]

Also Sony sold off their VAIO PC line. I'll be concerned about support and aftermarket parts availability.

If around that price point, how about an used/new HP 840 G1 on eBay? You can find them around the low end of $400 to $600 price points.
The various customized models include:
4th gen Intel core i3/i5/or i7 CPUs, different native screen resolutions ranging from 1366x768, 1600x900 (TS variant available), or 1920x1080p, installed RAM amount (up to 16GB max), HDD/SSD configs (m2 SSD compatible), and 1 or 3 yr warranties

Sony aftermarket parts availability has always been poor (and expensive).

Now that the HP 840's have come down in price, I would recommend one of those.

Thanks for the advice.  Currently watching a 1600x900 i7 version on ebay 

i7 PRE-sandybridge uses tons of powa, AND they were about 30% slower clock for clock... sooooo, yea.. make sure to get sandy-or higher

The one I am watching is this one:  http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834257683

[microsoft windows]

MAKE SURE YOU GET A LAPTOP THAT DOESN'T RUN MAC OS. WINDOWS IS A GOOD CHOICE FOR OPERATING SYSTEMS.

THAT HEWLETT PACKARD LAPTOP YOU POSTED IS A GOOD CHOICE.

[dorkvader]

i7 PRE-sandybridge uses tons of powa, AND they were about 30% slower clock for clock... sooooo, yea.. make sure to get sandy-or higher

Good thing this is a laptop from 2013. All of these have a 3*** series processor. Mine has an i5-3437U (ivy bridge).

The 840's are an even newer series and all have 4*** series chips.

sooooooooo, yea....... all ivybridge or haswell here.

I would also like to say that the graphics performance of this ivy-brigdge chip is really quite spectacular. Nothing compared with the 6970 in my desktop, but more than adequate for my laptop gaming.

Badwrench: I'd recommend getting the 1600*900 screen (or better if available.) the 1366*768 is a bottom of the barrel screen. It can do things lie run at 40Hz for power savings but it's truly terrible. I'm looking now to see if a nicer LVDS display can fit in there instead. Sadly the huge pixel display from the thinkpad X1 uses EDP internally so it won't work with my 9470m.

some lucky ppl got the 840 g1 units equipped with gorgeous 1080p IPS screens for under $500 .

More

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odkw=hp+840+g1&LH_Sold=1&_osacat=0&_from=R40&LH_Complete=1&_from=R40&_trksid=p2045573.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC2.A0.H0.Xhp+840+g1+1080.TRS1&_nkw=hp+840+g1+1080&_sacat=0

The other resolutions have inferior TN panels (dunno about the touch-screen variant)

As far as I know, all IPS panels for 14.0" size use IDP/EDP internally, so you shoudl be able to easily swap out a panel from a thinkpad X1 or whatever. Yes you can up this to a 2560*1600 resolution panel, thought the panel itself is a few hundred dollars. Be careful of the mounting holes / location as that might differ (or just wedge it in there with double sided tape and call it good)

sadly my 9470m uses LVDS (STILL!) so I'm limited to TN panels. (I have not been able to find any IPS panels for 14" in LVDS. Note that this also has to be the "thin" width)

[fohat.digs]

My Acer has been a very good and reliable cheap workhorse except that the touchpad totally sucks.

[berserkfan]

My Acer has been a very good and reliable cheap workhorse except that the touchpad totally sucks.

What I think of when I think of fohat's laptop

[Badwrench]

My Acer has been a very good and reliable cheap workhorse except that the touchpad totally sucks.

That is actually my main worry in the lower end laptops.  She doesn't need much computing power, but the basic units just have such crap touchpads. 

[dorkvader]

My Acer has been a very good and reliable cheap workhorse except that the touchpad totally sucks.

That is actually my main worry in the lower end laptops.  She doesn't need much computing power, but the basic units just have such crap touchpads. 

My HP 9470m has a nice glass one. It uses 2-finger scrolling by default (which is nice) but you can't configure it for side-of-touchpad scrolling (which I prefer) easily.

My main gripe is that you can't use the fingerprint reader to scroll, even though it totally supports it (according to the manufacturer).

[fohat.digs]

What I think of when I think of fohat's laptop

Good one!

That beast is probably just about exactly the same age as the keyboard I am typing this on.

[berserkfan]

What I think of when I think of fohat's laptop

Good one!

That beast is probably just about exactly the same age as the keyboard I am typing this on.

but I was teasing you  i know some one with a model F will never stoop to using that, what, chiclet crap they have for a keyboard?