mySimon.com Shopping Blogs

HP Mini 1000 Laptop

(Simon) — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 21:33:35 +0000

HP Mini 1000, like the Dell Inspiron Mini 9, isn't just a tiny laptop. It's a "netbook," which is loosely defined as a small, lightweight, affordable, energy-efficient laptop that's geared for Web surfing and emailing. The Mini 1000 is less than an inch thick but its keyboard, according to HP, is 92% as big as that of a full-size laptop. The netbook starts at $400; the base price includes Windows XP Home, an 8.9" screen, 512MB DDR2 system memory, mini webcam, 8GB hard drive, and Wireless-G card. But you can upgrade components if you're willing to pay a bit more.]]>

Budget Gateway T-6330U Laptop

(Simon) — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 19:09:57 +0000

Gateway T-6330U "combines an attractive case design and movie-friendly display with lengthy battery life for a thoroughly decent entry-level laptop." Specs include a 14.1" screen, 2.0GHz Intel Pentium Dual-Core processor, Windows Vista Home Premium, 250GB hard drive, HDMI output, 5-in-1 media card reader, and webcam. The laptop weighs 5.7 pounds and costs just $650. More budget laptops.]]>

Dell Inspiron Mini 9 Laptop

(Simon) — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 22:45:00 +0000

Inspiron Mini 9 laptop "your new best friend." The petite laptop is an ideal travel companion if you want to blog, keep a journal, surf the Web, send email, and listen to music while on vacation. The Mini 9 has a 9" display and 4 hours of battery life, and weighs all of 2.3 pounds. Under the hood, the $349 base configuration will get you an Ubuntu Linux OS, 512MB of RAM, and a 4GB hard drive, but of course you can spend a little more if you want additional upgrades (Bluetooth, Windows XP, more memory, webcam, larger hard drive). It's not something we'd want to spend 8 hours a day with, but for vacations it sounds like it has everything we need.]]>

Dell Studio S1535-125B Laptop

(Simon) — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 16:20:00 +0000

Dell Studio S1535-125B laptop, at $980, offers students and mainstream home users some serious bang for the buck. The laptop has a 15.4" screen, a 2-megapixel webcam for Internet chatting, Bluetooth, 4 USB ports, and Vista Home Premium. And it's Dell, so you get toll-free phone support. The downside: It weighs 6.1 pounds and has just average battery life. See all Dell laptops.]]>

Budget Sony Vaio NR430 Laptop

(Simon) — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 23:00:00 +0000

Sony Vaio NR430 has a 1.86GHz Intel Pentium dual-core processor, 15.4" screen, 160GB hard drive, built-in CD/DVD burner, and 802.11a/b/g/n wireless LAN. It ships with Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium. And right now Best Buy has it for $600. More budget laptops.]]>

HP 2133 Mini-Note PC

(Simon) — Tue, 06 May 2008 20:44:00 +0000

HP 2133 Mini-Note PC is a petite 9" laptop that weighs 2.6 pounds and costs as little as $499 (with Linux). The top-of-the-line $750 model comes with Vista, Bluetooth, a webcam, ExpressCard slot, and 2GB of RAM, and its keyboard is almost as big as a regular laptop's. It might not turn heads at the coffee shop, but it'll get the job done - with plenty of cash left over for a nice fixed-gear bicycle.]]>

Lenovo IdeaPad Laptops

(Simon) — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 19:49:00 +0000

Lenovo IdeaPad laptops? They have integrated 1.3-megapixel cameras and facial recognition security where you use your face as your password. Designed for general users, the IdeaPad Y510 has a 15.4" display, 1.60GHz Dual Core processor, 160GB hard drive, and 2GB of RAM. The larger 17" IdeaPad Y710 (1.66 GHz Core 2 Duo, 250GB hard drive), which can be outfitted with a Blu-ray drive, is aimed at "entertainment-focused users."]]>

Apple MacBook Air

(Simon) — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 18:53:00 +0000

Apple MacBook Air, the world's thinnest notebook. The 3-pound laptop is only .76" at its thickest point (and .16" at its thinnest), but it's still rather sturdy, thanks to its aluminum chassis. Features include a 13.3" widescreen LED display, full-size keyboard with backlit keys, and large multi-touch trackpad, and a port hatch that flips down to reveal a USB 2.0 port, headphone jack, and micro-DVI port. The laptop is a joy to behold and use, but be warned: There's no media card reader or expansion slot, nor is there an optical drive, FireWire, or Ethernet. And there's only 1 USB port. If you need more connectivity options, check out the regular MacBooks.]]>

Tiny, Affordable ASUS EEE PC Laptop

(Simon) — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 18:42:00 +0000

EEE PC. This 2-pound laptop is tiny (just 8.8" across and an inch thick, with a 7" screen) but perfect for travelers, kids, and anyone else who could use a dirt-cheap laptop the size of a paperback book. Granted, it's only got a 900MHz Intel Mobile processor, 512MB of RAM, and a 4GB hard drive, but it's hard to put much more into a machine this small. The EEE PC does have Wi-Fi plus a Firefox browser, media player, IM client, SD card slot, and 3 USB ports.]]>

Budget Dell Vostro Laptops

(Simon) — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 18:34:00 +0000

Vostro laptops? Designed for small businesses with fewer than 25 employees and no dedicated IT staff, the simple laptops have dual core processors and automated, easy-to-use tools that help with data back-up, PC performance and health, and networking. And they don't come with any trialware. Prices start at $449 for a laptop with a 15.4" display, Vista Home Basic, Wi-Fi mini card, 24X CD burner/DVD combo drive, and 60GB hard drive. See also: Dell Vostro desktops.]]>

Dell Inspiron 1420 Laptop

(Simon) — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 16:41:00 +0000

Dell Inspiron 1420, a winner of their Editors' Choice award. The bare-bones $829 model comes with a 1.5GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, Vista Home Premium, 1GB of RAM, a 120GB hard drive, CD/DVD combo drive, and a 802.11g WiFi card, but you can pay more for extras like a webcam, discrete graphics (a good idea to have with Vista), 1,440 x 900 resolution, or a Crayola-colored colored chassis. CNET says "The wide-ranging configuration options mean that virtually any mainstream user can find a system to fit their budget." More Dell Inspiron laptops.]]>

Enormous HP Pavilion HDX Laptop

(Simon) — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 12:49:00 +0000

HP Pavilion HDX laptop. It weighs a whopping 15.5 pounds and has a huge 20" widescreen display. Under the hood, the minimum configuration includes a 2.2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, Windows Vista Home Premium, 2GB of RAM, a 240GB hard drive, and a TV tuner. But this fancy multimedia laptop requires a strong lap - and an even stronger wallet.]]>

Coming Soon: Sony VAIO CR Laptops

(Simon) — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 17:12:00 +0000

VAIO CR laptops, which ship next month. The 5.5-pound laptops have 1.8 GHz Core 2 Duo processors, 14.1-inch displays, and run Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium. Extras include Memory Stick Duo, Memory Stick Pro, SD card, and ExpressCard media slots, a built-in web cam and microphone, and an S-video port in case you want to connect it to a TV to watch movies or play games. Choose sangria (shown here), cosmopolitan, dove, or indigo. More Sony laptops.]]>

Dell Latitude D630 Laptop

(Simon) — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 12:15:00 +0000

Dell Latitude D630, an award-winning laptop with the latest Intel Core 2 Duo processors (up to 2.40GHz), Windows Vista or XP, your choice of Intel integrated or NVidia graphics, and a bright 14.1" widescreen display. Dell has made the laptop "road ready," thanks to the magnesium-alloy construction and reinforced hinges. The built-in WiFi Catcher helps you find a network (even when the laptop is closed). Additional bonuses: Corporate-level security, a 3-year warranty, and a long-lasting battery. Prices start at $849. More Dell laptops.]]>

Samsung Q1

(Simon) — Fri, 12 May 2006 13:19:00 +0000

Samsung Q1, a joint effort from Samsung, Microsoft, and Intel. This "UltraMobilePC" weighs just 1.7 pounds and has a 7" widescreen touch-screen display. It runs a modified version of Windows XP Tablet and lets you access the Internet, listen to MP3s, play games, watch TV, view photos, and even get some work done.]]>

MacBook Pro

(Simon) — Thu, 12 Jan 2006 20:58:00 +0000

MacBook Pro, the first Mac laptop built upon the new Intel Core Duo chip, which is actually 2 processors built into a single chip. The MacBook runs up to 4 times faster than the PowerBook G4 and is packed with features, including built-in iSight, AirPort Extreme, ExpressCard slot, SuperDrive, Front Row, and more.]]>