I have a gift certificate from Circuit City, and I intend to purchase a
low-budget laptop. It looks like they had some great sales just before
Christmas, some mediocre sales right after New Years, and now,
virtually nothing (they still have a HP Pavilion Notebook PC (ZE2315US)
for $699 after rebate -- it's not really what I want, but seems like
not a bad deal.) If I wait a while, will they have another set of good
sales? Is there a regular cycle for this sort of thing? Thanks in
advance for your advice.

Second question: I don't really like the wide screen on laptops, but it
seems like they are phasing out the old style of screens. Is this the
case? Thanks, again.

BarryGoldwater@ausi.com wrote:
The holiday sales period extends to say Jan 15. Many states have
inventory tax taken on inventory on Jan 31, so inventory reduction sales
often start after Jan 15. The doldums set in during the spring months,
but nothing new can be expected until November.

The LCD manufacturers found that they can generate six widescreens for
every four standard screens from one sheet. (I think it is 6:4, maybe
7:5, but it is a huge incentive for widescreens.)

Q

<BarryGoldwater@ausi.com> wrote in message
news:1136501108.334818.291510@g49g2000cwa.googlegr oups.com...
so they don't have to pay inventory tax, so wait it is coming as the other
response said.

As to the wide screen...get very used to it. The old 3 X4 format is going
the way of the dodo. Not only can they get more screens from a single sheet
even TV's will need to be wide screen soon. (2008) You see, all NTSC
devices will be rendered usless (OK, not as useful) when all NTSC signals
will be dropped from the airwaves. Everyone will have to buy a converter to
get the new HD signals. Even then it would have to be letterboxed to be
viewed on the 3 X 4 screen, effective downgrading the resolution you used to
get with standard 3 X 4 format. (Hint, don't buy any of those small hand
held portable TV's that they sell. Total waste of money.) All in all, if
it is a screen, it will be wide screen.

<BarryGoldwater@ausi.com> wrote in message
news:1136501108.334818.291510@g49g2000cwa.googlegr oups.com...
Seems like they always get cheaper towards the end of the month and then
jump up around the first when people get paid. I've actually watched the
people at Circuit CIty change the price tags to higher ones on the 31st of
the month during the evening shift.

B~

There are specific times when you can get good deals on laptops. I'd
say that the best 3 times are (in no particular order):

-Christmas
-Memorial Day (not sure why) (weakest of the 3, generally)
-mid July to early September (back to school)

If you can go until later this year, keep in mind two things:

-Intel is making MAJOR changes to the laptop CPUs, the "M" processors
will die soon to be replaced by the "Uno" and "Duo", and from reports
the differences will be quite significant (both use the new "Yonah"
technology)

-Vista is coming out later this year. Wait until the fall, and you may
get a machine with Vista


BarryGoldwater@ausi.com wrote:

Where did you hear that Microsoft is releasing Vista later this year?
Anyone in the business will tell you it would take divine intervention to
get a working copy of Windows Vista ready for a consumer release this year.
Try late 2007. There are numerous issues Microsoft is having, some having
nothing to do with the technical aspects of the code, with Vista. For one
thing, it will take a system that just two years ago would have been an
upper tier performance machine just to run it.

"Barry Watzman" <WatzmanNOSPAM@neo.rr.com> wrote in message
news:43BDEED3.9030006@neo.rr.com...

In article <43BDEED3.9030006@neo.rr.com>,
Barry Watzman <WatzmanNOSPAM@neo.rr.com> wrote:
Or get a non-vista-ready (whatever that means) machine for cheap.

They's not going to refit Vista software into the inventory of XP SKU
boxes.

--
a d y k e s @ p a n i x . c o m

Don't blame me. I voted for Gore.

Richard Johnson wrote:

It seems like consumers have not realized a 15" wide screen has less
area than a 15" 3x4 screen.

RE:

True, but they may offer buyers of XP machines after Vista has shipped
(or even slightly before) an upgrade copy of Vista free by mail. Which
may, in fact, be the best deal, because you would effectively get both
XP and Vista.

Barry Watzman wrote:
Remember to ask for them to waive the restocking fee when you purchase.
At Circuit City (at least in the past) there was 15% restocking fee
on returned laptops. If you ask for them to waive they can get a
manager to come over and key in a code on the sale to waive future
restocking fee on returned items.

Why would they waive the restocking fee? I asked about this, because I
was going to purchase the HP Pavillion, and return it if they got a
better sale within a week or so. It turned out that the HP was no
longer available, even though it was in their ad. There is no
restocking fee if the computer is unopened, however. Why would they
waive it otherwise?

"timeOday" <timeOday-UNSPAM@theknack.net> wrote in message
news:yeidnYg8Hq0NiSPenZ2dnUVZ_t6dnZ2d@comcast.com. ..
True, although for many people I imagine that having two pages "side by
side" -- in a smaller font -- is more valuable than extra screen real estate
they'd never use.

Heck, look at all the people complaining about the black bars when they watch
letterboxed DVDs on their 4:3 screens...!

Kevin wrote:

From Microsoft?

That might be the case, Microsoft has missed their deadlines before, but
they are still claiming that it's going to be out this year.

And this is a problem why?

--
--John
to email, dial "usenet" and validate
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)