At that price range, nothing properly vintage. Unless you get lucky at a flea market or thrift store. Especially if you look on ebay, where you'll find trashed ones that are more troubleshooting than you probably know how to do.
After the Pentium m through 2007, those laptops are a dime a dozen and there's nothing real special about them. They're mostly too new to do do retro well enough.
I would also recommend researching older laptops to find the one that'll suit you best.
I recently got an HP Zv5000 Pavilion in showroom condition for 25 bucks plus shipping... Came with all original discs had been sitting in back of some office since 2004...EBAY is OK but you gotta 'put your antenna up' when reading descriptions... Some people honestly don't know what they got. it's got a single-core but it's 2.8 GHZ so most nothing is a problem...Even came with original sales receipt of $1,200.00
2 years ago bought an HP Dv4000 & a Toshiba Satellite U400 both had XP both running fine OK shape the U400 had 500 GB HDD...Got one for $9.99 & the other for $12.00 off ebay from same seller... In this case they didn't get any bids because they were new with virtually NO feedback so I took a chance... It worked out...
Recently got a nice showroom U400 with small HDD & windows 10 garbage I just exchanged HDDs with the old U400...WALLAH!!
But yes, agreed there is alotta junk on ebay...'Parts only' everywhere...
I picked up a random 2nd laptop from the early 2000's, it's turn it on only to copy floppies to and USB thumb drive. I have a 468-sx laptop too lol... so clunky.
It's sad seeing new laptops now how they dont even have cdrom drives, Just USB3 and USB-C
Yes, No optical drives PLUS you can't remove the battery... Thus the laptop is in no danger of you removing the battery so it can't be covertly activated to spy or copy files without your knowledge...
It's a GOOD laptop if you can- -Remove the battery -Why-Fry can be completely shut off by a hardware switch -It has 3 cooling fans -No OS beyond XP (Windows 98 was last for no 'backdoor') -No webcam of any type -Weighs in @ 10 pounds
The OP did not state what the intended use is - makes the question unanswerable.
I do not miss one damn bit the pre-XP class of laptops/notebooks.
To this day, laptops by necessity and use, are far more susceptible to shock and thermal overload.
Removable batteries self-destruct at their power connectors. And internal CD/DVD drives? Pure crap at best. Adds weight, interrupts chassis structural integrity - ditto for the battery accomodation affecting chassis strength. Also, internal batteries somewhat/moreorless mark the changeover from NiCad to Li-Ion, a many times improved energy density and charge cycle material.
Don't even get me started on floppy drives...
Now, if you are a purist - I totally get that. But a purist will have a full complement of scopes, meters, soldering stations, schematics and sedatives. Also: they won't be asking "what vintage laptop should I get?"
Kaypro 2000 lead-acid batteries for the win. Floppy disk only operation. Pure awesome.
Thanks to hyper-inflation, insane shipping prices, and eBay tightening screws, it seems like the only sellers left on eBay are junk sellers. They obtain stuff for cheap or nothing and then don't care if it even survives shipping.
Modern stuff isn't designed for professionals any more. Everything is designed for teenage girls. So, no more bulky laptops with CD/DVD drives.
Besides, not having standard external media helps vendors lock you in to their internet "stores". Want to watch a movie? You only have to pay for a DVD ONCE, so none of that for you, you have to SUBSCRIBE to a service to watch movies. I'll save the rant about the sheer stupidity of RENTING a word processor for later. Battery wore out? Time to throw everything away and buy all new stuff, bitches!
If it weren't for "gamers" keeping the desktop market alive, we would be well and truly f***ed.
HahAH!!!...Well stated!...'Teenage Girls' yes, couldn't agree more and yes seems like all new is to get you locked into stores man, that actually started years ago with that 'kindle' stuff...
It's amazing what people will put up with though just to have latest & greatest (in their minds). I saw this coming years ago which is why I grabbed onto as much 'old stuff' as possible... Old stuff worked like it should, New stuff has to be hacked or 'rooted' just to get a small fraction to function proper...
Well even the modern gamer is screwed... The Critical Drinker had a video on it on installing new games then you have to wait for it to 'update' which sometimes gets 'broken'...
I've had several consumer grade laptops - all crap. This one I'm typing on now with AMD Ryzen (yes it has a DVD), is a flopping mess of broken plastic - that never has its lid closed or moved more than 2 ft from my lap to coffee table, nor been in a backpack, or on a plane, yet needs me to find some duct tape. But I refuse. When it finally crumbles apart, I'll pull the ram and 2.5 drive and wont feel a thing as it lands in the bin.
OTOH, the Dell Precision and HP Zbooks - both have magnesium, aluminum and carbon fiber chassis, quad cores, and allows me to run virtual machines pls 10-12 browser windows and my hacking tools open all day, 24/7. Non of these have DVD drives. Oh! and seperate video outputs to external monitors.
The batteries are internal, and I can change either in 10 minutes tops.
I'm not a gamer - I even lose at Solitaire. I DO want to know that the code I'm working on or cracking is /MY/ problem and not the fault of gnarly x86 hardware.
One thing I agree with is - this whole "rental" and cloud business. It's what sucked me into warez decades ago. When the group I ran with was doing S-100 and Tandy CoCo hardware - we never once thought of charging, and the pro stuff we bought was literally ours. Then the "Software Alliance", SPA, etc got their sticky fingers into everything and f**cked not just the user, but the little guy producing softs.
I gave up on games a long time ago. But even something as mainstream as Windows 11 - I've had updates bork copy-pasting text between Chrome and Notepad, and I've had it start BSODing because of an older video driver, with no indication the driver needed updating.
As for what people will put up with, I've speculated that in another 30 years, whatever the "latest" thing is, will transform in to a robot that brutally rapes them up the butt. But it won't even occur to them that perhaps they shouldn't use it. Any suggestions otherwise will be met with "quit your bitching, and use it".
Windows 10 and 11 are little more than Ad Ware. I despise them both. They and browsers block sites and software not pleasing to them, my internet provider blocks sites - so regardless I'm confined from going where I want to. Nanny State, and its shameful.
The pro laptops will be running W7 and Linux. After that, I will go just Linux, or...well I'm old as it is and I'll be dead anyway.
Yes...LOL...Raping in Butt "Why does it keep doing that?!!...I don't know, honey but it says on the online manual it's normal behavior so just HOLD STILL!"...HeeHaw for sure...
Windows 10-11 as adware? Yes, agreed but that's being minimalist as actually super spyware, folks all by design... Hardware getting worse, internet getting worse, censorship getting worse...
In a correct world ain't it supposed to get...UUUhhh, wait for it...better?!
You should be able to hookup your windows 95 machine with original browser & do fine right along with a new machine... Why do so many sites use so much resource, why so many cookies & beacons? Inescapable now best to have lightest footprint...
Channel RFB had section on his webcam he had put tape over it as it was taking infared pics every so-seconds well it burned through the tape!! Planned obsolescence is built-in to all tech products nowadays & well before or adjusted via internet or a 'firmware downgrade' that makes your phone slower & clunkier...
Recently Mike Adams the Health Ranger had a skidsteer serviced plus a 'firmware update' in which afterwards it would not turn to the right anymore!
All these cameras that face the user do or can take covert pictures of you, your audio can be listened to or recorded, anything can be copied (please wait, updating) & also anything wiped out. During Jade-Helm (2015-2016) peeps were taking pictures of all the troops & equipment on the roads only to find when back home all those pics had been scrubbed from the phones. Thus the reason for all the 'non-cell' cell towers along the freeways...
Doesn't matter the device, it will be done. I know a gal from South Carolina that had a friend walk over not to the apartment but out in the road & asked if she wanted the recliner they had talked about before, She said 'yes' so they walked over & both grabbed it & hauled it over to her apartment. Now the gal giving it always has her phone in pocket & on the receiver had no cellphone at all but after settling the recliner then getting on the internet the ads that were coming up everywhere were for RECLINERS!
I could go on all day long here on these subjects...
Some peeps figuring it out here's video of iPhone taking 5-second pictures of user. Having this flashing in your eyes every 5 seconds very bad for eyesight. Debunkers claim it's 'Not taking a picture it's scanning your face for recognition' Laughable, same shit & not even mentioning the danger of such frequent flashes-
Comments
Especially if you look on ebay, where you'll find trashed ones that are more troubleshooting than you probably know how to do.
After the Pentium m through 2007, those laptops are a dime a dozen and there's nothing real special about them. They're mostly too new to do do retro well enough.
I would also recommend researching older laptops to find the one that'll suit you best.
2 years ago bought an HP Dv4000 & a Toshiba Satellite U400 both had XP both running fine OK shape the U400 had 500 GB HDD...Got one for $9.99 & the other for $12.00 off ebay from same seller... In this case they didn't get any bids because they were new with virtually NO feedback so I took a chance... It worked out...
Recently got a nice showroom U400 with small HDD & windows 10 garbage I just exchanged HDDs with the old U400...WALLAH!!
But yes, agreed there is alotta junk on ebay...'Parts only' everywhere...
It's sad seeing new laptops now how they dont even have cdrom drives, Just USB3 and USB-C
It's a GOOD laptop if you can-
-Remove the battery
-Why-Fry can be completely shut off by a hardware switch
-It has 3 cooling fans
-No OS beyond XP (Windows 98 was last for no 'backdoor')
-No webcam of any type
-Weighs in @ 10 pounds
I do not miss one damn bit the pre-XP class of laptops/notebooks.
To this day, laptops by necessity and use, are far more susceptible to shock and thermal overload.
Removable batteries self-destruct at their power connectors. And internal CD/DVD drives? Pure crap at best. Adds weight, interrupts chassis structural integrity - ditto for the battery accomodation affecting chassis strength. Also, internal batteries somewhat/moreorless mark the changeover from NiCad to Li-Ion, a many times improved energy density and charge cycle material.
Don't even get me started on floppy drives...
Now, if you are a purist - I totally get that. But a purist will have a full complement of scopes, meters, soldering stations, schematics and sedatives. Also: they won't be asking "what vintage laptop should I get?"
Thanks to hyper-inflation, insane shipping prices, and eBay tightening screws, it seems like the only sellers left on eBay are junk sellers. They obtain stuff for cheap or nothing and then don't care if it even survives shipping.
Modern stuff isn't designed for professionals any more. Everything is designed for teenage girls. So, no more bulky laptops with CD/DVD drives.
Besides, not having standard external media helps vendors lock you in to their internet "stores". Want to watch a movie? You only have to pay for a DVD ONCE, so none of that for you, you have to SUBSCRIBE to a service to watch movies. I'll save the rant about the sheer stupidity of RENTING a word processor for later. Battery wore out? Time to throw everything away and buy all new stuff, bitches!
If it weren't for "gamers" keeping the desktop market alive, we would be well and truly f***ed.
It's amazing what people will put up with though just to have latest & greatest (in their minds). I saw this coming years ago which is why I grabbed onto as much 'old stuff' as possible... Old stuff worked like it should, New stuff has to be hacked or 'rooted' just to get a small fraction to function proper...
Well even the modern gamer is screwed... The Critical Drinker had a video on it on installing new games then you have to wait for it to 'update' which sometimes gets 'broken'...
Contains some 'F' bombs be warned-
OTOH, the Dell Precision and HP Zbooks - both have magnesium, aluminum and carbon fiber chassis, quad cores, and allows me to run virtual machines pls 10-12 browser windows and my hacking tools open all day, 24/7. Non of these have DVD drives. Oh! and seperate video outputs to external monitors.
The batteries are internal, and I can change either in 10 minutes tops.
I'm not a gamer - I even lose at Solitaire. I DO want to know that the code I'm working on or cracking is /MY/ problem and not the fault of gnarly x86 hardware.
One thing I agree with is - this whole "rental" and cloud business. It's what sucked me into warez decades ago. When the group I ran with was doing S-100 and Tandy CoCo hardware - we never once thought of charging, and the pro stuff we bought was literally ours. Then the "Software Alliance", SPA, etc got their sticky fingers into everything and f**cked not just the user, but the little guy producing softs.
I gave up on games a long time ago. But even something as mainstream as Windows 11 - I've had updates bork copy-pasting text between Chrome and Notepad, and I've had it start BSODing because of an older video driver, with no indication the driver needed updating.
As for what people will put up with, I've speculated that in another 30 years, whatever the "latest" thing is, will transform in to a robot that brutally rapes them up the butt. But it won't even occur to them that perhaps they shouldn't use it. Any suggestions otherwise will be met with "quit your bitching, and use it".
The pro laptops will be running W7 and Linux. After that, I will go just Linux, or...well I'm old as it is and I'll be dead anyway.
Windows 10-11 as adware? Yes, agreed but that's being minimalist as actually super spyware, folks all by design... Hardware getting worse, internet getting worse, censorship getting worse...
In a correct world ain't it supposed to get...UUUhhh, wait for it...better?!
You should be able to hookup your windows 95 machine with original browser & do fine right along with a new machine... Why do so many sites use so much resource, why so many cookies & beacons? Inescapable now best to have lightest footprint...
Channel RFB had section on his webcam he had put tape over it as it was taking infared pics every so-seconds well it burned through the tape!! Planned obsolescence is built-in to all tech products nowadays & well before or adjusted via internet or a 'firmware downgrade' that makes your phone slower & clunkier...
Recently Mike Adams the Health Ranger had a skidsteer serviced plus a 'firmware update' in which afterwards it would not turn to the right anymore!
Are you aware of how a webcam functions?
While you think about that - pass the blunt over - and let others take a hit.
All these cameras that face the user do or can take covert pictures of you, your audio can be listened to or recorded, anything can be copied (please wait, updating) & also anything wiped out. During Jade-Helm (2015-2016) peeps were taking pictures of all the troops & equipment on the roads only to find when back home all those pics had been scrubbed from the phones. Thus the reason for all the 'non-cell' cell towers along the freeways...
Doesn't matter the device, it will be done. I know a gal from South Carolina that had a friend walk over not to the apartment but out in the road & asked if she wanted the recliner they had talked about before, She said 'yes' so they walked over & both grabbed it & hauled it over to her apartment. Now the gal giving it always has her phone in pocket & on the receiver had no cellphone at all but after settling the recliner then getting on the internet the ads that were coming up everywhere were for RECLINERS!
I could go on all day long here on these subjects...
Some peeps figuring it out here's video of iPhone taking 5-second pictures of user. Having this flashing in your eyes every 5 seconds very bad for eyesight. Debunkers claim it's 'Not taking a picture it's scanning your face for recognition' Laughable, same shit & not even mentioning the danger of such frequent flashes-