Buying a laptop on ebay

[TnT]

I'm thinking about getting an older laptop on ebay < $350. It seems I can get a pretty nice setup: 700-900 Mhz, 256 MB RAM, 20 Gig HD.

How long should I expect the LCD screen to last? I'd like to keep it for a couple years. Do the PIIIs run cool enough that I could actually use the thing on my lap? The main reason I want a laptop is to type papers and code outside So I guess how would sunlight and ~ 70 degree weather affect the system? I'll go into the shade for anything warmer. It's Oregon though, so that is probably as much as it'll get during spring.

[skinrock]

My sig describes my laptop. I've had it for a year now, and my lcd screen only has a few dead pixels. My system has been in 90 degree weather, and it works fine, course I try and keep it shaded. Looks like a good setup, except it seems pretty outdated for that price, I would imagine you could find something twice as powerful within a hundred dollars if you look hard enough (the ram is really bugging me, I had a 512 and it wasn't enough so I upgraded to 1 gig, I can't imagine running under 256 anymore). But like I said, to answer your questions, the LCD should last a long time, and warm weather doesn't do mine too much, as it's never crashed due to heat.

[Wulfman]

you should consider buying a brand-name laptop, as it could be difficult to get replacement batteries with less known brands.

mfg
wulfman

[skinrock]

That's true, it's even hard enough finding brand name batteries, I finally found one for my HP at MicroCenter, and even then it's still like close to $100.

[Wulfman]

Originally posted by skinrock
That's true, it's even hard enough finding brand name batteries, I finally found one for my HP at MicroCenter, and even then it's still like close to $100.

I'm sticking with IBM. no problems with warranty (t-series = 3 years, serial number is the only info needed) & spare parts (rumours say you can get every single screw for nearly a decade ).

mfg
wulfman

[agallag]

I'm with Wulfman. See if you can find a T22 or A22. They're very durable, and should be relatively cheap these days. I think they start in the neighborhood of 1GHz, which is plenty for what you'd be doing with it. If price demands, you could go down as low as a T20/A20, but I wouldn't go older than that.