is this laptop gd for money?

[raidersx7]

is this laptop gd for money? im just a basic user.. whats the pro & cons? thanksss!!

acer Aspire 5502ZWXCi

Genuine Microsoft? Windows? XP Home Edition
Intel Centrino Mobile Techonologies
Intel? Pentium? M Processor 740 (1.73GHz, 2MB Cache, 533MHz FSB)
Intel 915GM Chipset with Integrated 3D Graphics featuring Intel? Graphics Media Accelerator 900 and up to 128MB RAM of video memory
14.1" Wide XGA Acer CrystalBrite Color LCD supports 1280 x 800 pixel resolution and dual display via Acer GridVista
60GB HDD 256MB DDR2 RAM (upgradeable to 2GB)
Integrated 56Kbps modem & 10/100 Mbps LAN
Integrated Intel PRO/Wireless 2200BG 802.11b/g Wireless LAN
Integrated DVD/CDRW Combo Drive
6-cell Li-Ion Battery Pack (3.5 hours battery life)
3xUSB, PC Card Slot, 1xVGA port, 1xEthernet port, 1xModem port, Headphone/speaker/line-out port
335 (W) ? 240 (D) ? 31.9/34.1 (H) mm
Weight 2.38kg (5.25 lbs.)
1-Year International Traveller Warranty
Free:- Acer Designed Carrying Bag
MY SELLING PRICE RM 3000 or hkd6000

[jimbo]

Good Spec and good price, you can't go far wrong with acer.

Only thing is I'd upgrade the RAM for sure, go for at leats 512mb which is only a few hundred extra dollars.

[discobay]

Yeah looks good but as jimbo said upgrade the RAM. I would look into the detail with the traveller's warranty as they may require you to post the notebook to your nearest service centre.

[jayinhongkong]

I would get at least a gig of RAM, I'm about to add another gig to mine for a total of 2...

[deleteduser]

That's actually pretty damn good for the price. The only thing of course is the RAM, and I would never, ever buy another Acer laptop as long as I live. They are a nightmare.

Also look at Dell. You would be able to get something similar (or better) for about the same price, and it will be brand new, and it won't be an Acer.

[jayinhongkong]

They can be even cheaper if you know what you're doing I've never had a problem with a Dell.

[penguinsix]

I have a general aversion to laptops (although I have two or three) as I rarely find them as a good replacement for my desktop, even when I'm travelling. They do make flights go a bit faster, but for really hard core stuff, I prefer more power and storage from my big machines.

That being said, you mentioned you are a casual user so this machine should probably suffice, and the price doesn't look that bad. However, please consider some general rules about computer buying:

1) the moment you buy something, the machine will be out of date. It's only a matter of weeks (days) before one more powerful comes out, and the process of writing new software to take advantage of the more powerful machines starts in earnest.

2) laptops are notoriously bad for repairs. Screens have a limited lifespan, by and large, and laptops as a whole are more likely to require repairs. Please keep this in mind when buying a used one. A screen repair is probably ... hmmm...anyone have a good idea on a HK price? In the US it can be as much as the laptop itself ($700 USD).

3) Generally, buy the best machine you can afford at this time. It simply will give you a longer period of use. If it costs $10,000 for a machine that lasts 3 years of useful service, perhaps that is better than buying a machine for $6000 that last only 18 months and then repeating the process later on. Especially if you throw in a repair as well.

It does sound like a deal, but try to think about your computer usage needs over the next 3 years before buying.

FWIW, I buy a laptop one year, and a desktop the next. Wash, rinse, repeat, basically, such that I'm buying at least one new computer every year. Of course I'm in the tech industry and it is basically needed, but try to think long term and you might save some money over the long haul

[AV22]

I just threw out my Acer laptop this weekend. I had it for about 4-5 years. I bought it brand new. And it crashed about 4 times. Plus the Acer fixing/ repair centre is in the middle of nowhere!
I DO NOT RECOMMEND ACER!!!

I just bought a new Dell desktop computer! )

[jimbo]

Oh man I would of taken it off your hands!

[discobay]

I know a lot of people who have owned laptops or notebooks only to realise later that it was money ill spent that could have gone towards to a screaming high spec. desktop. Changes are taking place with the advent of cheap wireless internet hotspots offered by Sunday and PCCW and wi-max in the near future (hopefully) which should see a bigger move to mobile computing.