Compaq V2000

We were looking for a basic notebook for "around the house"-- something light enough to carry from room to room or even outside. Our music library is on our desktop PC, and iTunes lets you play songs over a network, so this notebook could also double as a portable jukebox.

If you watch Techbargains long enough, every once in a while a great deal shows up. I was hoping for a Dell, but an offer too good to refuse showed up at Staples for a Compaq V2000. It had everything a decent notebook should have- adequate CPU (1.4Ghz Celeron, not a speed demon) and memory (256MB), good screen (1280x768 LCD, Intel 915 chipset), storage (60GB) and wireless (WiFi B & G). All for just under $500. Even the store manager commented on the deal when she was called over to authorize the purchase.

By ordering at the store instead of online you save on shipping charges. The PC is shipped to the store, so be sure to keep checking in to see when it arrives so you can pick it up.

The overall feel is good. Not too flimsy, but still light. The battery lasts long enough to browse the web, check email and listen to podcasts from our desktop PC without worrying about getting cut off. Since we keep it around the house we can charge it when it's not in use.

Now that Win XP handles stand-by and hibernate properly (compared to Win 2k), you can just pop it open, check if that episode of My Name is Earl was really shot at your old high school, then just close the lid and put it away.