Asus A53Z-AS61 Quad Core Laptop: A6-3420 1.4GHz CPU, 4GB DDR3, 750GB HDD, 15.6" (1366x768) LED, Radeon HD 6520, DVDRW, WiFi-N, 6-Cell, Win 7 Prem $400 + Free shipping (expired)

Quote from kaabob : First to say... not so hot screen res? 15.6" (1366 x 768)... ewwwe

it is actually good. readable fonts

Been looking for a new laptop and this was in my price range . thanks op

Mocha? So it this going to be brown???

How does AMD processor compared to intel i3 or i5 sandybridge ?

got one for graduation gift. Thanks!

Quote from zmclive523 : not that hot, got one last week from bestbuy one day sale, with 320GB HD for $310

Agree. Got in on the same deal and am cleaning it up as I type this. It's a pretty good machine, considering we got it for $310. It's a little shy on USB ports (1 USB 3.0, 1 USB 2.0 only on the left side), but that's really my only complaint.

Quote from TheThriftyOne : is this a good deal? I need a good quality laptop.

buy a mac

Quote from kaabob : First to say... not so hot screen res? 15.6" (1366 x 768)... ewwwe

sigh, ignorance.
720p is unnoticeable from 1080p up to 32in.
you don't need more then that on a 15in screen.

I would recommend getting a mac and save yourself tons of headaches, but this laptop is good for a year. I use to passionately hate mac, until my laptop died and bought one to try it out. never looked back since. it cost more, yes. but it is well worth it. i use to buy a laptop every year, i still have my macbook pro going on 2 years. never had a laptop this long.

any input how this compares to http://www.cowboom.com/product/867794 is really appreciated.
I Just need a laptop for GF for regular school work, you tube etc, no gaming
Have a unused Win7 CD to install on the Cowboom one, if I have to
thanks in advance, reps on answer
JS

I have been looking at laptops for the past couple of weeks because of a grad gift. This is the one I ended up getting for $369 AR:

http://www.frys.com/product/70886...IN_RSLT_PG

I still like it more than this ASUS. Better processor, but smaller HDD. More USB 3.0 ports, better webcam.

Quote from djdoc : any input how this compares to http://www.cowboom.com/product/867794 is really appreciated. I Just need a laptop for GF for regular school work, you tube etc, no gaming Have a unused Win7 CD to install on the Cowboom one, if I have to thanks in advance, reps on answer JS

I would definitely choose this Amazon deal over that one. For one thing, I personally wouldn't look at refurbished laptop, or most electronics for that matter. Even though it is guaranteed to work, the battery may not be optimal, and certain parts of it may be worn down, particularly for cheaper laptops. Also, not sure about cowboom, but the fact that Amazon has no tax makes it an even better deal.

This Amazon deal is quite good, but if you are looking for one just for web surfing, etc. and have time to wait, you could probably find a cheaper deal without a dedicated video card, like the deal from a few days ago from BestBuy for 310 dollars. The fact that this is made by Asus is quite nice, they are a good laptop brand IMO.

Quote from rickrone : sigh, ignorance. 720p is unnoticeable from 1080p up to 32in. you don't need more then that on a 15in screen. I would recommend getting a mac and save yourself tons of headaches, but this laptop is good for a year. I use to passionately hate mac, until my laptop died and bought one to try it out. never looked back since. it cost more, yes. but it is well worth it. i use to buy a laptop every year, i still have my macbook pro going on 2 years. never had a laptop this long.

Eh you were making sense until you said buy a mac. I have nothing against macs but, comparing a $1100 starting price laptop to a $400 one seems a bit unfair. I still have my old Acer Aspire that I bought for $400 on sale back in 2007 that is still running today that has outlasted several friends and coworkers laptops which includes macs. I don't know what brand of laptop you're buying but, If it's an HP that is understandable. I've never had a problem with any of my Acers as long as I've owned them and definitely no need to switch it out every year.

Toshiba Direct has Satellite L750D-BT5N22 Laptop for $399 + tax + shipping. This seems to be a better deal except for HDD considering its better processor and toshiba. However, you can always get an external HD for cheap now.

How is the battery life on this notebook?

Quote from slickcloud : How does AMD processor compared to intel i3 or i5 sandybridge ?

Intel is much better chip. Can't compare to intel's performance. and after a long use of the laptop with i3, you won't feel warm. Only fools will fool by amd now.