A Solid, Reliable Laptop

I purchases the HP Compaq CQ50 139WM Laptop at Walmart about a year ago not knowing what to expect. I saw an ad on the web stating that the laptop was going to only $300 on sale - but there was only going to be 50 laptops in stock. That's not exactly alot. I got at Walmart early enough to buy one before they ran out. Boy, was it a good buy.

The Specs:

-Intel Celeron 2.0 GHz Processor

-2.0 GB of RAM

-160 GB Hard Drive with 5400 rpm

-802.11g Wifi Adapter Built-In

-15.4 inch widescreen with a resolution of 1280 x 800

-Operating System: Windows Vista Home Basic

Okay, if any techies are reading this, you probably choked when you read the last item on the list. Yep, Vista stinks and Vista Basic stinks worse. However, I am not stupid enough to be content with something that doesn't work. I clean-installed Windows 7 and Ubuntu 9.04 onto the laptop for better performance. Both operating systems work blazing fast, whether it's surfing the web or playing Halo Multiplayer.

The Bottom Line:

For the price I got this laptop at, it can't be beat. However, the $300 price tag I got it for was only during a one-time sale; its current price is about $430. This is a good solid laptop if Vista is replaced by a different operating system - If you can do that on your own, go for it; this laptop is for you. On the other hand, if you don't want to bother doing that or don't have the technical skills to, I would not recommend this laptop to you.

Links:

-A Review on This Laptop by CNET

-Compaq CQ50 on sale by Walmart