ebay laptop purchase

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

try the thinkpad 500 series. its only 100mhz, but it should do for
your purposes. its mainly known as the tp500 or 560 (thats the one my
sister has). you have to have patince with the speed and you'll have
to find a 16 bit card instead of 32 bit cardbus (usually wireless b)

good luck!

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

Don't overlook the Thinkpad 365XD series.
Will run Windows 98 with upgraded RAM to 72MB and really not bad for
the buck. Takes 16bit PCMCIA cards. Drawbacks are no USB and DSTN
display. Had mine 1999 with only a battery replacement. I take it
everywhere I travel. I won't be out much if it gets dropped or stolen.
FWIW
NOYK

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

<bob@coolgroups.com> wrote in message
news:1123618771.283791.223940@g47g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> I'm trying to buy a wireless notebook on eBay for $100 or less to use
> in Starbucks, and I'm having some trouble. I've been mostly bidding on
> Dells, but I think they might be overpriced. Out of the following
> brands:
>
> Acer
> Alienware
> AST
> Dell
> Fujitsu
> Gateway
> HP, Compaq
> IBM
> NEC
> Panasonic
> Sharp
> Sony
> Toshiba
>
> is there any that's really targeted to the value-conscious consumer?
> Basically, I'm looking for a notebook equivalent of eMachines.

as another poster said, you'll be lucky to get a working machine let alone
wireless. The IBM 560X with 233 MHz processor or even the 200 MHz processor
would be quite viable but you'll need a wireless PC card as well. The
problem with most low price machunes, even working ones is that they are
usually quite old with dead or dying batteries and a good replacement
battery will cost as much or more than the laptop.
>
> Also, on a bit of an aside, if you have a wireless card, can you plug
> an Ethernet cable into it?

I'm not aware of a wireless card with an ethernet jack in it. But the PC
cards with ethernet jack are quite cheap.

I'm wondering if I'll be able to use this
> thing at Kinko's.
>
> Thanks.
>
> bob
> http://www.coolgroups.com/
>

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

You are pushing this to do it for less than $100 with anything really
reasonable. I'd look at Toshiba, the 300 series models (300 to 335; the
"CDS" are "dual scan" screens, the "CDT" are the much better active
matrix TFT), or the 4000 series, especially (if you can find one) the
4020CDT, which would be an excellent choice for your use and might be
close to $100.

Do not consider any 400 series machine below 440, and do not consider
any 400 series machine that does not have an active matrix screen
(generally, this means CDT). You can find LOTS of 440 to 495 series
machines well under $100 (sometimes, you can find 440's for $10), but
that is a Pentium 133MHz and it's performance will be VERY marginal.

Note that Toshiba models ending in zero are identical to the same model
ending in "5"; that is, a 440CDT and a 445CDT are identical, as are a
4010CDT and a 4015CDT. The "5" models were originally sold through a
different hardware channel and had a different software bundle
installed, and possibly a different warranty, but the actual hardware is
exactly the same.



bob@coolgroups.com wrote:

> I'm trying to buy a wireless notebook on eBay for $100 or less to use
> in Starbucks, and I'm having some trouble. I've been mostly bidding on
> Dells, but I think they might be overpriced. Out of the following
> brands:
>
> Acer
> Alienware
> AST
> Dell
> Fujitsu
> Gateway
> HP, Compaq
> IBM
> NEC
> Panasonic
> Sharp
> Sony
> Toshiba
>
> is there any that's really targeted to the value-conscious consumer?
> Basically, I'm looking for a notebook equivalent of eMachines.
>
> Also, on a bit of an aside, if you have a wireless card, can you plug
> an Ethernet cable into it? I'm wondering if I'll be able to use this
> thing at Kinko's.
>
> Thanks.
>
> bob
> http://www.coolgroups.com/
>