Laptop - work/writing - $700, (I filled out the questions!)

1) What is your budget?
$700

2) What size notebook would you prefer?

a. Ultraportable; 12" screen or less
b. Thin and Light; 13" - 14" screen
c. Mainstream; 15" - 16" screen
d. Desktop Replacement; 17"+ screen
B or C

3) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?
Want either Asus or HP


4) What tasks will you be performing with the notebook?
Writing, basic web browsing, email, posts/uploads to website (needs to be speedy)

5) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places or leaving it on your desk?
Portable

6) Will you be playing games on it; if so, which games?
No games

7) How many hours of battery life do you need?
5+

8) Do you mind buying online without seeing the notebook in person?
No


9) What OS do you prefer? Windows (7), Mac OS, Linux, etc.
Windows 7

Screen Specifics

1) Would you prefer standard or widescreen?
Either, but do want number pad on keyboard


3) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non-glossy screen?
Either


Build Quality and Design

1) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you? No

2) When are you buying this laptop and how long do you want this laptop to last?
5 years

Notebook Components

1) How much hard drive space do you want; 120GB to 500GB?
Doesn’t matter, we use external

2) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a DVD, Blu-Ray?
Prefer one, DVD

These are the best for typing alot in comfort.
576.99+ Lenovo T420 Intel-2310M 4GB 320GB [lenovo.com]
379.99 Lenovo E420 Intel i3-2350M 4Gb 500GB [lenovo.com]
Very thin and light
Samsung 12.5" i5-2467M 4GB ram 500GB Ultraportable REFURB $509.99 AC limited ebay
$458.99 - Slickdeals.net
Acer Aspire S3-951-6646 Ultrabook, Intel Core i5 2467M(1.60GHz) 4GB DDR3, 320GB HDD+ $100GC $799.99 - Slickdeals.netAcer Aspire 13.3" Ultrabook S3-951-6646 $700 AR, possibly $650 AR+AC @ Staples - i5-2467M, 4GB DDR3, 20 GB SSD + 320 GB HDD, 3 lbs - starting March 18 - Slickdeals.net

thanks - bump for today

Anything wrong with this one for $600?

i5
6GB
750GB
4.25 battery but really how many of the 8 hr laptops actually last 8 hours!

http://www.costco.com/Browse/Prod...opnav=&s=1

It also includes Word and Excel which in my book is nice.

Here's another that supposedly has 6 hrs of battery.
http://www.costco.com/Browse/Prod...opnav=&s=1

As someone who has a 1920x1200 laptop resolution my biggest gripe with these would be the resolution but dunno if that's an issue for you or not.

Quote from LivninSC : Anything wrong with this one for $600? i5 6GB 750GB 4.25 battery but really how many of the 8 hr laptops actually last 8 hours! http://www.costco.com/Browse/Prod...opnav=&s=1 It also includes Word and Excel which in my book is nice. Here's another that supposedly has 6 hrs of battery. http://www.costco.com/Browse/Prod...opnav=&s=1 As someone who has a 1920x1200 laptop resolution my biggest gripe with these would be the resolution but dunno if that's an issue for you or not.

A 11-13 inch notebook 6-9 cell/slice with an Low Volt(LV) CPU like the AMD E350 and i3 ULV will get close to 7-8 hours.
For 15 inch notebook expect around 4-4.5 hours in the real world.

resolution is not a concern. this is for a friend, so there is some flexibility in the responses. They just want to make sure they get a good deal. It will be a work/home laptop, one of the main uses is writing so keyboard quality, comfort, and battery life are important.

I forgot to put down backlit keyboard as a nice want/feature.

Quote from velvet396 : resolution is not a concern. this is for a friend, so there is some flexibility in the responses. They just want to make sure they get a good deal. It will be a work/home laptop, one of the main uses is writing so keyboard quality, comfort, and battery life are important. I forgot to put down backlit keyboard as a nice want/feature.

The Thinkpad T420/520 is a true workhorse notebook and build to last. It has the what is consider to be 1 of best laptop keyboards which is very comfortable for heavy typing. It is a steal at around $550 since they are usually $850-1250. If you can't get the T series at this low price, then the E420/E520(for small businesses) will also get the job done at around $450 at the Lenovo Outlet.

The T series has a LED light to shine on the keyboard.

Quote from FAL : The Thinkpad T420/520 is a true workhorse notebook and build to last. It has the what is consider to be 1 of best laptop keyboards which is very comfortable for heavy typing. It is a steal at around $550 since they are usually $850-1250. If you can't get the T series at this low price, then the E420/E520(for small businesses) will also get the job done at around $450 at the Lenovo Outlet. The T series has a LED light to shine on the keyboard.

Had a thinkpad with the LED light a while back - nice to have, not as cool as a backlit keyboard but gets the job done. Thanks for the info.

How about this one

http://www.staples.com/HP-Pavilio...uct_424328

It will be $599.99 after rebate + a $100 Visa Gift card

Is this a good match?
http://slickdeals.net/f/4162522-H...AAAFOz-D2g

Quote from velvet396 : Is this a good match? http://slickdeals.net/f/4162522-H...AAAFOz-D2g

the only thing is the 128 GB SSD. Are you not concerned about the hard drive space?

Quote from damnyou : the only thing is the 128 GB SSD. Are you not concerned about the hard drive space?

nope - use external primarily

Quote from velvet396 : nope - use external primarily

Then it is a good light laptop

for your type of use I would expect that you could get one cheaper. are you totally against dell? My last 2 desktops have been from dell outlet. My laptop I am typing on is an hp that is awesome but it is more for gaming so is more expensive.