looking for a windows laptop...

[area51]

can someone recommend a sturdy windows laptop ? looks with something that would handle windows 7 with at least 4gb memory. Are the lenovos ok ? don't want to spend more than 50 bucks.... ok ok maybe 100

Want to install the bmw inpa software which works only on windows

[bigbossman]

Look for a Lenovo t420 laptop on eBay. You can get a refurbished one with 8GB of memory and 500gb drive for less than 200 bucks. They are a solid business class laptop that are built like a tank and have an i5 processor. They will run Windows 7 easily and are solid performers

[stilly]

Look for a Lenovo t420 laptop on eBay. You can get a refurbished one with 8GB of memory and 500gb drive for less than 200 bucks. They are a solid business class laptop that are built like a tank and have an i5 processor. They will run Windows 7 easily and are solid performers

Those look really nice, do you have a link to the possible loadouts for those? Did they ever offer a slice battery? Did they offer an nvidia package? Do they use DDR2 or DDR3? Do they come with USB 3.0?

Can you upgrade things in them like the wifi cards or other things?

What is max ram?

For the price, they are cheaper than the Dell LAttitudes that I am used to looking at. But my Dell Inspiron is built like a tank, Slice battery+ extended battery gives me about 15 hours of play time. 14.1 screen with the nVidia package gives me highres for what I do, but it is NOT a gaming machine. I like the addon USB 3.0 card, but I have not gotten drivers to work for it.
I hate that my ram is only ddr2 and maxxed out at 8 GB I think. I did buy the best wifi card for it (after reading reviews) and I installed it along with BT and another card. I really do hate that ddr2 costs about twice as much as a ddr3... My CPU is a T99 and is maxxed out, but the newer Dell 6500s can take i7s with the ddr3 and some other cool things.

I will have to hunt down an options page for this machine, it looks nice enough, might be worth migrating to this platform for my laptop work... Especially since the 6520s I want are about $400 The T420s are going for about $100 less...

Good pick...

[the86d]

I have seen more Asus and HP notebooks die more in some prior years, for no apparent reason.

I have also seen Lenovo's last WAY longer than I would have expected them to.

Don't ever put the bottom of any notebook/laptop on a couch cushion, bed, or comforter/blanket.

[bigbossman]

Grasshopper - you seek much for a sub $200 laptop.

Standard load-outs include 500gb hard drive and 8GB of DDR3. You can add a drive caddy and second drive in the optical drive bay if you don' need the optical drive. Slice batteries are available, but cost as much as your gonna spend for a refurbished T420.

The rest of it I don't know..... the T420's are a few years old now, but for what the OP wants it should fit the bill. Like I said - they're built like tanks. They were standard issue to Verizon Field Engineers when I worked there, and we kicked them around pretty good.

EDIT: Found the spec sheet

https://support.lenovo.com/us/en/solutions/pd015734

Those look really nice, do you have a link to the possible loadouts for those? Did they ever offer a slice battery? Did they offer an nvidia package? Do they use DDR2 or DDR3? Do they come with USB 3.0?

Can you upgrade things in them like the wifi cards or other things?

What is max ram?

For the price, they are cheaper than the Dell LAttitudes that I am used to looking at. But my Dell Inspiron is built like a tank, Slice battery+ extended battery gives me about 15 hours of play time. 14.1 screen with the nVidia package gives me highres for what I do, but it is NOT a gaming machine. I like the addon USB 3.0 card, but I have not gotten drivers to work for it.
I hate that my ram is only ddr2 and maxxed out at 8 GB I think. I did buy the best wifi card for it (after reading reviews) and I installed it along with BT and another card. I really do hate that ddr2 costs about twice as much as a ddr3... My CPU is a T99 and is maxxed out, but the newer Dell 6500s can take i7s with the ddr3 and some other cool things.

I will have to hunt down an options page for this machine, it looks nice enough, might be worth migrating to this platform for my laptop work... Especially since the 6520s I want are about $400 The T420s are going for about $100 less...

Good pick...

[area51]

Look for a Lenovo t420 laptop on eBay. You can get a refurbished one with 8GB of memory and 500gb drive for less than 200 bucks. They are a solid business class laptop that are built like a tank and have an i5 processor. They will run Windows 7 easily and are solid performers

Are the t430s in the same category or should I look for the420s only?
Thanks

[BuddyBoy]

T430 is just a newer model. Current is the T470. I'd recommend a T440 or newer, but it's way outside your budget.

Arrow Direct is a company selling refurbished Lenovo laptops on Ebay. Like others, most of their stuff is lease returns. I actually bought a used T420 several years ago from them. It was a grade "A" model and appeared to have never been used. No wear at all on the keyboard, and only a couple charging cycles on the battery. I think it may have belonged to some exec who just stuck it in a drawer when it was given to him.

I bought the system with my own money because the W520 my employer gave me was a tank and too heavy to take on trips. With a 500GB SSD it's still a usable machine today.

[bigbossman]

Are the t430s in the same category or should I look for the420s only?
Thanks

I suggested the T420 based on bang for the buck with your stated budget. It is a solid, well built, and still very functional laptop for small money. The T430 is the next iteration of the T420, but costs incrementally more but with essentially the same configuration.

As BuddyBoy advises in his post, there are newer T-series Lenovo's, but they are newer and therefore more expensive.

I bought a used T-420 for my daughter when she started college. She tried her best to kill it, but could not. I just reloaded it with a fresh installation of Windows 7 Professional, and will boost the memory from 4gb to 8gb. While I'm at it, I'm going to upgrade the main HD from the 290gb stock one to a 500gb, and add a second 500gb drive in the optical drive bay. Then it will be pressed back into service for my wife's small business, as her employee laptop.

Still going strong.

[38Special]

Check Staples for refurbished deals.

[Dragunov]

can someone recommend a sturdy windows laptop ? looks with something that would handle windows 7 with at least 4gb memory. Are the lenovos ok ? don't want to spend more than 50 bucks.... ok ok maybe 100

Want to install the bmw inpa software which works only on windows

For practical purposes, Lenovo is the best laptop build, right after MSI. You're not going to get a decent Lenovo for $50, unless you buy a broken one, and fix it up. I do it all the time. Usually end up with $150-$200 in it, counting what you payed for the machine ($50), if you have the skillsets to do it. If not, you're looking between $250-$350 for a functioning Lenovo T420/430 with on board graphics. If you want nVidia graphics, that's going to be another $30-$50, at least.

The Lenovo T420 with nVidia NVS 4200 graphics I'm on right now? I payed $70 for it.
16gb/DDR3 ram = another $60
1TB/7200 RPM HDD = $40
Win7 Pro, with fastboot.

This out performs anything you can buy at Wal-Mart, Fry's, BB, New Egg, etc, especially for the money, unless you're spending $2500+.

I ordered an i7 processor for it, that came in the mail yesterday (Currently, i5). I'll be upgrading it sometime in the next week. That was another $45.

That's $215 ducketts for a real performer!

I also have a Lenovo Y510p. Needs a new motherboard, at $180. I payed $170 for it. It will take me around an hour to fix it. I will have a total of around $350 in it. It's worth between $1100, and $1300, as it comes with a removable, 4gb nVidia card where the DVD writer normally is.

If you manage to get a "functioning" system of ANY brand for $50, there is either going to be something wrong with it somewhere, or it is hopelessly outdated.

Good luck!

[Dragunov]

Those look really nice, do you have a link to the possible loadouts for those? Did they ever offer a slice battery? Did they offer an nvidia package? Do they use DDR2 or DDR3? Do they come with USB 3.0?

Can you upgrade things in them like the wifi cards or other things?

What is max ram?

For the price, they are cheaper than the Dell LAttitudes that I am used to looking at. But my Dell Inspiron is built like a tank, Slice battery+ extended battery gives me about 15 hours of play time. 14.1 screen with the nVidia package gives me highres for what I do, but it is NOT a gaming machine. I like the addon USB 3.0 card, but I have not gotten drivers to work for it.
I hate that my ram is only ddr2 and maxxed out at 8 GB I think. I did buy the best wifi card for it (after reading reviews) and I installed it along with BT and another card. I really do hate that ddr2 costs about twice as much as a ddr3... My CPU is a T99 and is maxxed out, but the newer Dell 6500s can take i7s with the ddr3 and some other cool things.

I will have to hunt down an options page for this machine, it looks nice enough, might be worth migrating to this platform for my laptop work... Especially since the 6520s I want are about $400 The T420s are going for about $100 less...

Good pick...

nVidia, yes, but you'll pay more for that. Slice battery? dunno. USB 3.0? Most of them don't, some do, but they all have eSATA that's a little faster than 3.0, and you can plug a USB 3.0 device into it, and it functions at full speed. You don't miss the lack of 3.0. They use DDR3 Ram, that you can upgrade to 16gb. I'm using 16gb DDR3 12800 in mine right now. They come with decent Wi-Fi cards already. If you get one, UPDATE the BIOS! Always a good idea.

One thing about the T series Think Pads, is the sound is fantastic for a laptop! Pleasant surprise.

They come with i5 (2520/2540) or i7 (2620/2640) You can upgrade the i5 to i7 easily. They are also SATA III. You can also upgrade the T420 to an i7 2670qm (Quad-core), but it will only function with a maximum of 8gb/ram, and you'll definitely need to update the BIOS, and use a cooling pad under it. Not worth it IMHO.

The T420s is similar, but the CPU can not be upgraded (soldered to the board). They lack eSATA, but have a USB3.0 port in the back. I have one of these too, but I'm not fond of it. I don't like where the USB ports and VGA port is located. These are also SATA III, and will take 16gb DDR3.

I have a Dell 6520. It's ok, I like it, The Lenovo is quicker, easier to work on, has better graphics, has FAR better sound, a FAR better keyboard, and I prefer it over the Dells. Lenovo is the "Mechanics" computer.

One of the best features of the T420, is that Lenovo still fully supports it.

If you're buying off Ebay, make sure you ask the seller plenty of questions. If they don't know, or don't answer, look elsewhere.

Want to know ThinkPad specs?

Check this out:

http://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/ThinkWiki

[Dragunov]

I suggested the T420 based on bang for the buck with your stated budget. It is a solid, well built, and still very functional laptop for small money. The T430 is the next iteration of the T420, but costs incrementally more but with essentially the same configuration.

As BuddyBoy advises in his post, there are newer T-series Lenovo's, but they are newer and therefore more expensive.

I bought a used T-420 for my daughter when she started college. She tried her best to kill it, but could not. I just reloaded it with a fresh installation of Windows 7 Professional, and will boost the memory from 4gb to 8gb. While I'm at it, I'm going to upgrade the main HD from the 290gb stock one to a 500gb, and add a second 500gb drive in the optical drive bay. Then it will be pressed back into service for my wife's small business, as her employee laptop.

Still going strong.

At current count, I have 12 T420's all with nVidia graphics, 1 T420s, 2 T400's, 2 R400's 1 Y410p nVidia, 1 Y510p nVidia. All but one runs top notch and all but one are one variant of Win7, or another, and one T400, is WinX that's only been updated once.

I have an older Asus ROG, a Dell 6520, and 5010, and the Mrs. has an HP15 touchscreen, and won't give it up! The Lenovo Y410 is a touchscreen, and she'll like it much better. The HP is a POS. It runs OK, but it was a pain in the A** to get 8gb/ram to function in it, and it has the build quality of a '74 Yugo.

I would recommend upgrading your T420 to 16gb/ram and be done with it. DDR3 1333 (Sandy Bridge) is what it takes. The faster DDR3 12800 is cheaper, and works at the same clock rate. Plus, if you ever get an Ivy bridge, you can use the 12800 in that and run it at full speed.

I would also recommend at least a 750gb hard drive that is NO SLOWER than 7200rpm. I'm actually considering a 1tb SSD for mine.

Just sayin'!

[crufflers]

I have seen more Asus and HP notebooks die more in some prior years, for no apparent reason.

I have also seen Lenovo's last WAY longer than I would have expected them to.

Don't ever put the bottom of any notebook/laptop on a couch cushion, bed, or comforter/blanket.

I dunno about Asus, but I steer clear of HP (MSI too for that matter). I like Lenovo and Toshiba. I have an old Core2 Duo Toshiba still looks pretty new and has had a few drives in it, now an SSD, but the original battery still works along with the rest of it.

I dunno if OP was serious about $100, but for something BRAND NEW, he's looking at Lenovo 11.6" and maybe 14" 110S series and similar. THose go as low as $100 at Best Buy, etc... These are the 2 gig memory, 32 gig eMMC storage laptops. They are pretty impressive for the price. Definitely blow away the old $300 "Netbooks" of old.

[stilly]

Well I looked last night and had time to do it. I found that what I want is the T430. The T430 will take up to 16GB of DDR3, comes with USB 3.0 and Nvidia 5400 option (gotta hunt one down though) not to mention a 1600x900 or so screen, PLUS it has the room for two hard drives or one hdd and an SSD or yeah any combos prolly, plus the wifi and addon cards PLUS it can use a SLICE battery for another 6 or so hours.

On top of that it also can take an i7.

The T420 is a decent platform and cheaper then my current one, but it IS essentially the same platform as the Dell Latitude E6400. If I had to do it again I would strongly consider the Lenovo. I just never liked Lenovo because it reminds me of Lenox and I can not take a Lenox computer seriously if I ever find one...

But I think on my next jump I will shoot for a $250 Lenovo platform in the flavor of the T430 or T430i.

Good looking stuff.

[area51]

I was able to score a t420 on eBay for 140 shipped... i5, 8 gig ram. 120gb ssd
with win 7. Should I upgrade to 10 or just leave it alone? I hear win 10 is full of unwanted spyware and bugs...

I like eBay cause they have $ back guar if the item is defective or not running as advertised.