WTB: Non-IBM ultraportable

[KristianJ]

I'm on the lookout for a 12" laptop to replace the Z60m I just sold. I'm hoping to spend less than $500 shipped (please remember that I'm in Australia, so realistically I'm looking closer to $400-450 excluding shipping) on something that fits the following criteria:

Essential

- Is not an X series IBM/Lenovo (I've had an X31 and am looking to try something new, plus X series doesn't fit one of my essential criteria)
- Pentium M CPU or better
- 512MB of RAM or more
- Wireless card installed or wireless upgradeable
- Integrated optical drive (CD-RW/DVD combo preferred but will take lesser)
- Very good to excellent condition

I'll consider either standard 4:3 or widescreen, resolution isn't important, and neither is hard drive size (although it must have a legal XP installed).

I've been looking primarily at HP and Toshiba, in particular the HP nc4200 (which doesn't have an integrated drive but still appears to be a good choice) but will gladly consider anything that is robust and not too chunky.

If there are any eBay auctions that you can give links to (that are outside of Australia but will ship here) those will be appreciated too.

Please PM me with your offers. Also, if you have experience with Banias, Dothan or Sonoma based ultraportables and can recommend a particular brand and model for me to look out for, please feel free to shoot a PM my way as well.

Thanks

[aaa]

I have a Dell D400, that I'll sell for 250. No cd drive though.

[pianowizard]

in particular the HP nc4200 (which doesn't have an integrated drive but still appears to be a good choice)

The HP nc2400 does have an integrated optical drive, although I replace it with a travel bezel while traveling to reduce the weight by 0.35 lb.

And yes, it's an excellent choice -- I like it more than any of the 13 X-series Thinkpads I've owned -- but it would be next to impossible to find one within your budget.

A heavier but still fairly light laptop to consider is the Dell Inspiron 700m. It has an integrated CD/DVD drive, a 12.1" 1280x800 glossy screen, uses 2.5" PATA hard drive, and weighs 4.1 lb. I think you can find one for around $500US shipped. I had one for almost two years and it's very well built.

[KristianJ]

The HP nc2400 does have an integrated optical drive, although I replace it with a travel bezel while traveling to reduce the weight by 0.35 lb.

And yes, it's an excellent choice -- I like it more than any of the 13 X-series Thinkpads I've owned -- but it would be next to impossible to find one within your budget.

A heavier but still fairly light laptop to consider is the Dell Inspiron 700m. It has an integrated CD/DVD drive, a 12.1" 1280x800 glossy screen, uses 2.5" PATA hard drive, and weighs 4.1 lb. I think you can find one for around $500US shipped. I had one for almost two years and it's very well built.

I'm talking of an earlier model, Kwoon. The nc4200 is a Sonoma based 4:3 similar to the nc2400. I thought there may be some confusion come up about that one

There is an nc2400 that I've come across brand new for about $850 Australian shipped, but unfortunately it may well be long gone by the time my next paycheck comes in. I missed a nc4200 that went for about $450 Australian shipped because I made the silly error of waiting the night until I bought it (and, of course, it was sold when I woke up this morning).

I have been poring over your posts and your experiences with your ultraportables and have thought about the 700m as well. It would be one I'm keen on finding.

[pianowizard]

I'm talking of an earlier model, Kwoon. The nc4200

I feel so stupid, because this was the third or fourth time I had misread "nc4200" as "nc2400"! (The previous times were when I was browsing on eBay.) I knew a little about the nc4200 but had no idea it doesn't include an internal optical drive.

Anyway, the Dell 700m is one of the few optical drive-containing, ~4-lb laptops that are within your budget. It's pretty easy to take out the optical drive, so its weight can be minimized to ~3.7 lb if you want to travel as light as possible.

[XIII]

Why bother with other laptops that are not Thinkpad?
I have a T2010, it is great but the keyboard and the trackpoint are no where near the Thinkpad.
I have tried out Dell, HP and Sony before. They are still playing catch-up with Thinkpad in term of keyboard. The glossy screens are simply distracting and a pain to work with. In the room lightning condition, the only thing I have ever seen on the screen is my face, not my codes.

[KristianJ]

Why bother with other laptops that are not Thinkpad?
I have a T2010, it is great but the keyboard and the trackpoint are no where near the Thinkpad.
I have tried out Dell, HP and Sony before. They are still playing catch-up with Thinkpad in term of keyboard. The glossy screens are simply distracting and a pain to work with. In the room lightning condition, the only thing I have ever seen on the screen is my face, not my codes.

Lack of integrated optical drive...simple as that Plus the X4x's chief drawback, the 1.8" HDD, makes those much less attractive a proposition. Plus I just feel like something a bit different, and I trust the opinions of people like Kwoon who have non-TP laptops of the size I'm after and rate them highly.

[pianowizard]

I trust the opinions of people like Kwoon who have non-TP laptops of the size I'm after and rate them highly.

Thanks for your trust, but XIII's comments regarding keyboards did remind me of one thing about the 700m that I didn't like initially: the keys are slightly maller than those of the X series and perhaps even the 240/240X. It took me several weeks to adjust to the 700m keyboard. XIII also reminded me that the 700m doesn't have a trackpoint. That's another thing that I didn't like at first, but that turned out to be a blessing because I was forced to learn to use the touchpad. Now I am comfortable with both trackpoint and touchpad, which is great because fewer and fewer laptops come with a trackpoint.

[KristianJ]

Thanks for your trust, but XIII's comments regarding keyboards did remind me of one thing about the 700m that I didn't like initially: the keys are slightly maller than those of the X series and perhaps even the 240/240X. It took me several weeks to adjust to the 700m keyboard. XIII also reminded me that the 700m doesn't have a trackpoint. That's another thing that I didn't like at first, but that turned out to be a blessing because I was forced to learn to use the touchpad. Now I am comfortable with both trackpoint and touchpad, which is great because fewer and fewer laptops come with a trackpoint.

I used an Asus EEE PC for a couple of weeks and found the keys on that took me a few days to get used to, but by the time I sold it, I got my typing speed on that very close to the same speed as on a regular keyboard. Plus I use both pointing devices as well, so whether or not it has a touchpad is of little consequence to me.

Anyway, for fear of this turning into more of a discussion thread than the WTB that it is, I'll stick to contributing every 72 hours unless people have wisdom or laptops to offer

[XIII]

If you insist on an ultraportable with optical drive, I guess the Sony Vaio TZ or the Toshiba R500 will suit your taste well. Your best bet would be to look around cragslist since most members here only have their thinkpad for sale.

[ajkula66]

Is there CL in Australia?

[KristianJ]

Is there CL in Australia?

There is, plus a similar classifieds site called Gumtree. I've looked through Gumtree and found nothing, and Sydney's Craigslist has next to nothing.

But I have dug around a bit more and found a Compaq Presario B1900 locally to go look at this afternoon, so this thread can be shut down. Thanks to those who contributed.