Tim

Does anyone have any suggestions on a good laptop for business travel? I'd like to pay $1,600 or less. I travel a lot for real estate business and need something with Windowns,Word & Excel loaded. Any suggestions on finding a good deal in Southern California? I feel clueless when it comes to buying such a thing. But I need to buy one very soon for an unexpected business trip. Thanks!

Jym

Dell makes a pretty good laptop.

Here is a link for you to compare.
http://zdnetshopper.cnet.com/shoppin...tml&cobrand=29

TvlPro

I have a Toshiba Tecra 8100 which is a few years old now. Never have had any problems. Excellent laptop.
Not sure of the cost, it belongs to the company.

Digiboy

Hooboy, talk about opening a can of worms - everyone has a pet product.

If you need just word processing and spreadsheet (as indicated from your post) just about any basic machine will do. As mentioned, Dell sells online, or you can just hit the big box stores (Best Buy, Circuit City, Costco, etc) or specialty stores (like CompUSA) and see what they have. Personally, I like CompUSA because they have service right there in the store. Dell does offer service plans that guarantee someone will come to your house within a day.
That said, look for a machine that is light enough to carry easily, will fit in your briefcase, has good battery life and is durable. Also, go for warranty over a few bucks lower in price

Elfie

Gotta chime in here for Dell. I have an Inspiron 2500 notebook, and I love it. It's more than you're looking to pay, BUT Dell does have a financing plan. It was more expensive than I'd planned on too but I can easily afford the monthly payment. And by the time I get it paid off, it'll be totally obsolete! ;-) Seriously though, it's a great little notebook, came with all the bells & whistles and a good service plan. Good luck!

xx

ttt

jan

Does anyone ever lease one for a short trip/holiday? Is it costly? I have thought about it for those last minute priceline deals.

Tim

Thanks for the tips. I've hit the big box stores and been doing a lot of online research. Now I'm just that much more confused!

gail

My husband has had various Dell models for years. They have been in all sorts of modes of transportation, dropped out of overhead bins, stepped on, etc. - all the inevitabilities of a lot of travel and never had a problem.

Jan - as far as renting, I would suggest you try internet cafes or public libraries instead for just booking reservations, if tht is all you really need it for.

Yes

I rented a laptop several years ago, when they were not as common. It was a pain, and the screen got damaged and I wound up having to pay almost as much as buying one would have cost. Unless you will use it after the trip or need it for working while in transit, you can get by with an internet cafe or other place where you can just buy some time on a computer. Kinko's offers this, probably other places, too.

xxx

Dell offers lots of laptops, but they are expensive. I doubt you could get a decent machine for $1,600. Try Toshiba.

Janie

Tim-Check with Consumer Reports and see which ones they recommend. There are a lot of affordable ones out there. You also need to check into how good the customer support is on whatever you buy. I have a Gateway and have been put on hold forever trying to get help....

jan

Thks Gail and Yes, internet cafes it is. I have heard some hotels also have web tv not familiar with that but should work I think or is that only for surfing.
Thanks
jan

s

If you travel alot, you want a notebook that's under five pounds with a small footprint.

I'd personally go with something made by Dell, Gateway, Toshiba, IBM and Apple. All their sub five pound models are approaching your price level, but not quite there yet and they'll easily satisfy your requirements.

http://www.dell.com/us/en/dhs/products/model_inspn_1_latit_x200.htm

http://www.gateway.com/home/prod/hm_200_ProdDetail.shtml

I'd recommend this:

http://commerce.www.ibm.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce/ProductDisplay?prrfnbr=2518540&cntrfnbr=1&prmenbr=1&cntry=840&lang=en_US&cgrfnbr=2302835

a

If you need it only for mail and comm's then perhaps you want to get a Palm i705 and have your email forwarded from your desktop machine. The Palm will also give you basic financials for mortgages, ROI etc. and is much more 'portable' than a laptop.

Tim

Thanks for the help. I actually work on large (200+ page) documents, so the PDA just doesn't cut it. I wound up finding a Toshiba on sale for $1,100 at Best Buy with 1.2 GB, 256K, and 30MB. I was happy with the price after seeing the unit for much more at other places.