New Laptop Advice

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I am going to purchase a new business laptop. However, I can not find one that fits my requirements. Could anyone point me to a source where I could buy one with the following equipment?:

-No Operating System
-No video card or an incredibly low-end one
-No included software

I have no use for a sound card, but those don't affect the price significantly so I don't really care. I also will not purchase from eBay.

Thanks.

 

Did someone say Laptop?

As for your request...finding a "new" laptop with no operating system installed and no included software is going to be near impossible, unless you can request to *not* have any of it. Also, you can't really find a new laptop that has a "low end" or no video card at all as they are built into/on to the motherboard and are not user removable...unless it's an Alienware laptop.

Now, what I'd suggest it that you go down to your local technology superstore (I.E. CompUSA, Best Buy, or Circuit City) and tell them exactly what you want, what you don't want, and if they have any suggestions.

Another option is to buy a very "low end" laptop and re-format the hard drive as soon as you get it...that way you can start from scratch and add only the software you want. If it comes with any included software on CDs, either toss them in the trash, or give them to a needy college student.

There was also a article in PC World magazine that told the story of an editor's quest to find a laptop for under $500. He/she eventually found one, and it ended up being an old Dell laptop...so you might want to check PC World's website and see if you can find that article. It might help, it might not...but it would be a good read!

Hope that helps.

 

It shouldn't be impossible, you just have to look beyond the mainstream. There are companies that sell custom laptops, without any operating systems or bundled software. However, you can say goodbye to stuff like 3 year on-site warranty.

As for the companies who sell them, I only know of one in Finland so that probably won't help you. As they only sell to finnish customers.

 

It is very rare though I have seen it on occasions to find laptops with no OS. Here in France, I have seen the same laptop with no OS, XP Home and XP Pro selling for the same price. Ridiculous. I suggest like Erod to go the custom laptop route. The way it is usually done, you buy a chassis (that comprises the battery, screen, motherboard and the GPU if it is not an ugly integrated chipset), a CPU, an HDD, some memory and an optical drive module if you wish. It takes 1/2 an hour to assemble and you have your laptop the way you want it. Attention it will not be cheaper. But you will have a more rational machine, you won't be paying the Microsoft tax and cleanly install your favorite Linux distribution.

What I fail to understand is why you do not want a video card as this is with the screen one of the most crutial choice in a laptop because you can't upgrade them. Although very high end gaming laptops allow you to swap the GPU. Without a discrete (non integrated) video card you won't be able to play any game made this century. Video playback of HD content will suffer. General performance will also be affected as you would be sharing the memory with it. Although in an ultra-portable where size, wheight and battery life is more important this can be a viable option.

If you want to have look at a diy laptop vendor check ABS Computer Technology.

 

Because I've got a gaming rig. All I'd run on the laptop is Office and Internet software.

[ October 02, 2005, 15:46: Message edited by: Rastor ]

 

[snip] If you can afford a SLI setup you can probably afford a taxi fare to a shop nearby and buy the cheapest laptop they have. Then when you come back home format the hard drive. Don't forget to unsolder the sound chip as you will not be needing it.

Boasting about your killer rig is rendered worthless as you seem to believe computers can work without a video card.

[Most offensive text removed; warning pending. -Tal]

[ October 01, 2005, 21:11: Message edited by: Taluntain ]

 

Hmmm...since I live right across the street from a Circiut City and an Office Max, I took a walk and asked the sales reps at each store about buying a new laptop with no OS, no software, and a very basic video card. After giving me a blank face, they asked around and came back and told me the only way to get all three would be to cusom build it.

Here's 3 new dell laptops between $500 and $550. They are the most basic of dell's current lineup, but are still able to do everything you want to do.

I would suggest that you just get a laptop, then re-format the hard drive once you get it. That way you start off with the OS you want, and only the programs you want...as I already mentioned.

 

Those will work. Thanks, Kitrax.

 

No problem-o. I was at dell's website anyway looking for a LCD TV, so I figured I'd take a look at their current laptop lineup.