Best Buy Offers Mini Notebook for $280

15 Comments

1. roslynholcomb
   Nov 12, 2008 @ 12:37:27

   Damn, that’s cheaper than Target. Why, oh why are they tempting me so. No gifts this Christmas. No gifts this Christmas. No gifts this…oh fuck it.

   Reply

2. TechGuy
   Nov 12, 2008 @ 13:35:39

   Go ahead and get one….it’ll be worthless in two months if you use it for anything on the net. At least has Linux, that might get it’s useful life up to 6 months.

   A super-cheap computer from a company I have never heard of before…I’m not going to be the test market.

   Just my two cents.

   Reply

3. Shiloh Walker
   Nov 12, 2008 @ 14:21:18

   I don’t need one but I want one.

   Even though I’d never really use it much. Man, I’m so impulse driven.

   Techguy, I’ve actually got a number of friends who use the EEE, and use it quite a lot, and they love them.

   Reply

4. Ann Bruce
   Nov 12, 2008 @ 14:23:33

   Why, oh why are they tempting me so

   Because Best Buy is flirting with bankruptcy.

   Reply

5. Emmy
   Nov 12, 2008 @ 14:38:02

   It’s going to be a very tech-ish Christmas at my house this year. With Circuit City going bankrupt and Best Buy on the verge of it, there are some amazing deals on some very cool things out there.

   Reply

6. Sunita
   Nov 12, 2008 @ 15:01:04

   A super-cheap computer from a company I have never heard of before…I'm not going to be the test market.

   That’s an understandable attitude, but ASUS is a pretty well-known company and the EEE Pc is an even better known ultra-portable. It debuted about a year ago to much fanfare and since then ASUS has come out with a lot of different models. I have the original 701, which has a smaller screen. It’s a wonderful machine for surfing the net, reading, and writing, if you can manage the keyboard.

   Jane has blogged about the EEE Pc before when she’s talked about ebook readers.

   This is a GREAT deal, I think.

   More EEE information:
   

   Yes, I know, I’m a fangirl.

   ETA: It will run Windows XP as well, if you absolutely insist.

   Reply

7. DS
   Nov 12, 2008 @ 15:56:27

   The company paid for two of the first models as travel computers. They work great for web connection, emails and note taking. About 12 months now with no problems. We’ve been brainstorming this year’s tech purchase. I wonder if there is anyway to justify a slingbox as a business expense?

   Reply

8. Shannon Stacey
   Nov 12, 2008 @ 20:34:36

   I really want the small size and the solid state hard drive for portability. We go north to camp every other weekend from April to October and I stopped bringing the laptop ages ago. I have an Alphasmart, but the keys are so stiff I think I used it a half-dozen times. And I love my Palm TX, but the folding keyboard isn’t rigid enough to use on my lap.

   I’m a little nervous about Linux, though. I don’t even know what that is. Is this the one Angie bought? I’ll have to ask her.

   Reply

9. Fionn J.
   Nov 13, 2008 @ 10:06:43

   I’ve heard horror stories about the EEE, and I’ve waited for it since last year July, when I heard it would debut in Korea for a mere $160 for a 4 gb flash drive. HAH. Yeah right.

   With that said, I would have to think about shelling out something like 300 US bucks for a notebook I can just carry around without worrying about breaking my back. My Toshiba Satellite is ridiculously heavy and just too much of a hassle to lug everywhere (I rarely write at home).

   Reply

10. Shannon Stacey
    Nov 13, 2008 @ 10:45:36

    I have the Toshiba Satellite, too, and while it’s been bulletproof for two years (knock on wood) and I love my husband for making sure it would do everything for me before buying it for Christmas, it IS ridiculously heavy. Five minutes on my lap and I’m afraid I’m going to throw a clot if I move.

    I’m definitely getting the EEE. Probably. I think.

    Reply

11. MB (Leah)
    Nov 13, 2008 @ 11:09:44

    I have access the that PC, but with XP on it and without adding anything to it, like extra programs, but just what it came with, it keeps popping up that there is not enough space on the hard drive. It was bought for a little old man who would just use it for a yahoo email account and to play solitaire.

    Since I want one, I’ve been messing with it to see what’s what. I tried to go in and delete a bunch of unnecessary things like windows messenger, picture viewer and such, and still there is a problem with it not having enough disk space.

    And that with no anitvirus on it, which will take up space as well. What if I’d like to put Word on it?

    Maybe the Linux version doesn’t take up much space. But if you want XP running, I think you’d have to strip it bare of all non-essentials to even use it for day to day word processing and general on-line usage. Or put everything on a USB or external drive.

    I’ve been thinking about getting one of these, but I’d spend the extra $70 for the 120G hard drive with 1G ram one.

    Other things I didn’t like, I couldn’t fine an external nob to lower the volume, seemed like it has to be done inside. The battery runs out very quickly, and it the computer overheats. The internal mouse pad stops working often, but if I stick in an external mouse, I can get it to work again. And I don’t like that many times the pages drop off and I have to keep pulling them up or making them larger manually to see the whole page. There’s no CDRom drive, so you’d have to download any programs or install from an external drive. But that’s not a big deal.

    Nice things, it’s light, the wifi works great. I think with a larger hard drive and more ram, this would be a great one to have for schlepping around or for travel.

    I think $280 is a good price for it. I know the old man paid like $480 for it when it came out.

    You get what you pay for though.

    Reply

12. Angela James
    Nov 13, 2008 @ 12:36:17

    Shan and I were talking about this on IM today, and you can get the 20gb one from Amazon for $299. I put the graphic up on a page on my blog, because it seems like some people, through the Amazon link, were seeing a $338 price while some saw $299. Hitting the “buy from Amazon” link on the graphic there shows it in your cart as $299, which would be a better deal than the Best Buy one, near as I can tell. In interest of full disclosure, that link through my blog IS an Amazon Associates link.

    http://nicemommy-evileditor.com/blog/?page_id=1587

    And yes, I’ve used my EEE 900 since May, traveled all over the world with it and used it as my only computer for those periods of time (weeks) and I love it.

    Reply

13. Jane
    Nov 13, 2008 @ 12:41:46

    @Angela James: I was at Costco and they have the blue Acer mini notebook with the 8 inch screen, windows xp and 120 GB harddrive for $349. It looks like the mini notebook might be the hot gift this Christmas. I think I want the 10″ one. Think HP will discount the Vivienne Tam one?

    Reply

14. Angela James
    Nov 13, 2008 @ 12:44:42

    That would be nice, wouldn’t it? :P

    Reply

15. Jaci Burton
    Nov 13, 2008 @ 13:04:12

    I have a desktop and two laptops. I don’t really need this mini one.

    But I want one. ;-)

    Reply