help, please...

You need a netbook, not a laptop.

You just saved $1000

have had great luck with refur'b macbooks---typing on a two year old one right now.

not sure how a net book saves you $1,000 since the macbook is $899.

http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/specialdeals/mac/macbook

i knew you guys would help...thanks

http://tigerdirect.com

whatever you do, don't get a Dell - huge pieces of..... its almost as if they are timed to have a total hard drive failure at 18months.
netbooks are great if you really value portability b/c they are small & light and tend to have better battery life. but they have small screens which can make web-surfing unsatisfactory (scrolling needed to see the full page). newer ones have bigger screens, but then you aren't too far away price-wise from a lower end 'real' laptop, which is probably a better way to go if you mostly use this in one place. i hear good things about HP.
and if money isn't a big object, a mac is probably your best bet - just so much more reliable, easy to use, and they tend to last a lot longer (both physically more stable, and apple is good about making operating system upgrades available even on older hardware)

I second tigerdirect.com

Acer has a netbook that should do what you need.

I love my HP, and their support people speak English from America. Or Canada, at least, which is fine by me.

I worked for Acer - never, never, never!

yep. hubby just got me the Acer netbook. think it was around $300 or so. good for what you need.

do NOT get a netbook -- I bought one in June for travel -- It is terribly slow. It was $500 -- missing stard office software. Get something else. HSN/QVC have specials -- google them. Good luck.

my netbook is pretty fast and i think they're primarily meant for internet use (so not surprising that it didn't come with software).

hey julia--go to edealinfo.com or techbargains.com or fatwallet.com -- here you will find the best deals -- good luck

I have a Hewlett Packard and it is great. The only drawback is that it is very difficutlt to carry since it is a huge laptop with a 17 inch screen. But it is great for gaming, which is why I got one so big.

i would not buy anything from tigerdirect.
They sell refurbs as new, and they dont honor their rebates either.
Just google Tigerdirect.

Best place for a netbook is through Delloutlet.com They say it's refurbished, but they come brand new with New manufacturer's warranty. Every week or so, they have 15% off laptops if you sign up for their newsletter.

Julia I got a mini-notebook last year from Hewlett Packard. It only weighs 2.5 pounds and it cost $700 I believe (maybe a little more, I got a company discount).

I love this computer because you can schlep it around all the time and not really feel it. Which is not true of a 6 or 7 pound laptop -- those things kill your back after awhile.

Also, my HP mini is so small I can sit on the subway and type, and nobody bumps into it.

It has nearly a full sized keyboard so if you touch type your hands don't cramp up.

It's as fast as any laptop when you go on line via wifi. I wholeheartedly recommend it.

GG....do you have a model number...i looked on the hp website and they have different versions.

ASUS Eee PC

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ASUS_Eee_PC

I'm delighted with my Acer Aspire One netbook, but I wouldn't recommend it (or any netbook) for use as a primary PC. It's a bit pokey, the keyboard is 90% of full-size, and the screen is (obviously) quite small -- none of which is so bad that you can't get used to it, but still.

I just got back from vacation, and (coupled with good headphones) it was amazing for air travel. If you go that route, be comfortable with getting video and other files on it without a CD drive -- either downloaded or moved from another PC via a flash drive. Also, spend a little bit more and get the one with the five-hour, six-cell battery.

Hey Alan, hadn't heard from you for a day or two...almost worried glad it was because you were on vacation and hope you had a fantastic time. Welcome back to the city of the World Champions (as is only right) in the land where military shrinks go postal on fellow soliders.

Julia, I would recommend you check out CNET.com which is "info central" for tech products. They will give you the pros and cons of all models so you can select the features that matter most to you. Its free and unbiased. When you decide on a model they let you instantly "comparison shop" many sites to find the best price.

ASUS Eee PC gets my vote also. I'm using it right now at a W hotel in Atlanta. Da bomb.

{Manhattan real estate agent.}

www.newegg.com

Amazing amazing deals and service, have been buying from them for years

And yes, I have the six cell acer aspire one and it is really awesome as a secondary computer, works great and does everything I need it to

thanks everyone...

I have an asus eee pc. Hands down the best product for money I have ever bought. Boots up and down in seconds. 24 hour free helpline. And I paid 199$ for it. Linux operating system which has been no problem.

Love my Toshiba laptop, my third, but I am also eyeing those Asus netbooks.

yes the toshibas are good, but a little heavy..

Julia, my HP that I mentioned is a model number 2133.

However I just went on the HP website and I don't see it anymore. Maybe they stopped making it. They do however have several mini models and "ultra portables" that they didn't have when I bought my 2133...so maybe check it out.

glamma, agreed, but they're reliable workhorses. The netbook will be easier on my back if I get one!
See you next week at the meetup?

yes looking forward to it!!