[brlug-general] Help me buy a used laptop

[Joe Fruchey]

Okay, here's my deal:

I have a Dell Latitude C500. It's rather old, 900MHz Celeron, 384MB
SDRAM, 8MB ATI Rage128, and the deal breaker, a 15" _XGA_ screen.

Ugh. XGA.

Other than the screen resolution, I like the computer. I like the form
factor, I like that I have TWO cardbus slots, I have an extra battery,
etc.

The eBay laptop market is ravenous; I doubt I'd get more than
$175-$200 for it there. I figure if I sell it locally in the paper,
I'd have no trouble getting $300.

So I want a new (to me), high-res laptop for $300.

I had my eye on the Dell Latitude C610. It looks just like my C500,
but with an (available) SXGA+ (1400x1050) screen, better processor,
higher max memory, (available) built-in Wi-Fi, etc.

I was also looking at an Inspiron 8200. It's much bigger and heavier,
but I have a WXGA (1600x1200) screen that I could put on one.

Those models are from around 2001. My laptop experience, model-wise,
is pretty much limited to Dell. What is there that's good from other
manufacturers from that era?

Thanks.

Joe