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$400 Laptop Sparks Frenzy at Wal-Mart

By Nate Mook, BetaNews

November 28, 2005, 5:35 PM

Cheap Apple iBooks aren't the only laptops that can get consumers in a buying frenzy it seems. On Friday at a Wal-Mart store in Orlando, Florida, customers pushed and climbed over each other to get their hands on a $400 HP notebook, with one man fighting a security guard.

One person described the scene as "crazy" according to reports, and another said the laptops were being thrown into the air. A similar scene broke out at a Wal-Mart in Washington, where police were called to help control a crowd that dislodged counters and displays to get their hands on the cheap laptop.

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By zenarcher

posted Nov 29, 2005 - 4:57 PM

The actual specs from HP

http://h10025.www1.hp.co...s&docname=c00521954

Score: 0

By wincement

posted Nov 29, 2005 - 7:56 PM

Wow. Not too shabby. If I had known about this in advance and had the extra bucks, I would have bought one.

I sit corrected.

Score: 0

By zenarcher

posted Nov 30, 2005 - 7:13 AM

I know you were pretty down on this one when it was first posted. That's why I thought I'd post the actual specs from HP. I'm not a big HP fan, myself and have worked on a lot of their desktop systems.

My thoughts were this:
It's a nicely constructed unit, really, from a mechanical standpoint. The specs aren't bad at all. Sure, it's not the top of the line, but then, it isn't my primary computer, either. It's something I'll use when my wife and I are traveling, visiting the kids and such. I don't like to mess with their computers. Also, on a retirement budget, it was quite affordable...and probably a lot of older people and school age kids as well, would find it affordable as a portable system.

As I had said earlier, my only real objection is the 256M of RAM. Not enough, really, but that's going to be the case with most any "off the shelf" system. Notebook RAM is by nature, more expensive, but I have found a source where I can get a 1GIG RAM card (it only has one RAM slot) for right at $105.00. Much less than buying from HP and a good quality RAM card. I know that will make a great difference in performance.

I've been burning it in...just letting it run, after doing my Linux install, for almost a week now and it doesn't seem to get overly warm or anything. Even with SUSE 10.0, all the hardware is functioning properly, including the ATI video, so I have no complaints. Yes, there are much faster notebooks out there for sale, but not for this price. Not everyone can afford a $1,500 notebook as a portable backup and if I really want the speed and such, I'll just do that from home at my desktop box.

Score: 0

By TheBeastH6

posted Nov 29, 2005 - 11:20 AM

After I destroy Wal-Mart, I will proceed in slashing Geek Squad-mobile tires.

Score: 0

By ogman

posted Nov 30, 2005 - 8:28 AM

Good times!!!

Score: 0

By zridling

posted Nov 29, 2005 - 10:36 AM

Why does Wal-Mart hate America?

Score: 0

By kholdstare

posted Nov 29, 2005 - 9:31 AM

oh man i am so glad i don't work for HP tech support anymore just because of this. do notebook computers get the S.M.A.R.T. drive erro too? because that is probly what is going to happen to most of them when they start them up for the first time. lol

Score: 0

By gh0ste

posted Nov 29, 2005 - 9:02 AM

If they only knew what they were getting for $400.

Score: 0

By xoineg

edited Nov 29, 2005 - 1:57 PM

Specs:

Windows Me
800 Mhz Processor Petium 3
10 Gigabytes
63MB of memory
8mb Graphics card
No Ethernet
56K modem
12 inch screen with a maximum resolution of 800 X 600

Fake specs.....the actual laptop they were selling is probably similar to this one. http://www.walmart.com/c...404163#Item+Description

Score: 0

By zenarcher

posted Nov 29, 2005 - 4:34 PM

I posted the actual specs below, since I bought one of them...and they are far off from the fake specs..

Score: 0

By DigitalSin

posted Nov 29, 2005 - 1:24 AM

in the traditional xmas spirit

Score: 0

By dvferret

posted Nov 29, 2005 - 8:42 AM

ttpical for something like that to happen at walmart.

Score: 0

By utomo

posted Nov 28, 2005 - 9:54 PM

Now everybody need to make this kind of cheap notebook, and manufacture it in bulk. dont wait and others will take this sales. make in quantity, and distribute to many store.
Including overseas.
I believe people will love this price.

Score: 0

By wincement

posted Nov 29, 2005 - 12:11 AM

It was a one time sale on "Black Friday," which stores commercialize as a huge Christmas shopping sale day.

The $400 price is no longer in effect.

Score: 0

By fewt

edited Nov 28, 2005 - 9:11 PM

I wonder which Walmart this happened at LOL.

Score: 0

By sytanek

posted Nov 29, 2005 - 7:08 AM

The one in the Kirkman, Sandlake area.

Score: 0

By fewt

edited Nov 29, 2005 - 7:42 AM

heh Metrowest, I expected it to be that one or Ocoee. Not too long ago women were being kidnapped out of the parking lots out that way and one person was slashed with a razor blade in that parking lot recently. This is also the neighborhood where in the process of getting out of your car to go into your apartment you could be picked up by a band of thugs and forced to empty your ATM account then get dumped bound and naked in a parking lot and shot. I recall a story a few months back where a cars were being stolen from this area with peoples kids still in them.

That's the best part of town not to be in IMHO and the only story here is that the city of Orlando isn't doing enough IMHO to protect the people that own the $500K homes 1/2 mile away from this Walmart. I left Metrowest about a week after my family and I came home to find police tape and bullet holes in my apartment building from some neighborhood kids.

Not a nice area to live in, no matter what ANYONE says.

Score: 0

By sytanek

posted Nov 29, 2005 - 1:42 PM

That would be why I moved from orlando to volusia county, soon moving to Seminole which isnt near as bad as orlando.

Score: 0

By fewt

posted Nov 29, 2005 - 2:17 PM

I went over to Lake county, and boy is it nice. :-)

Score: 0

By sytanek

posted Nov 29, 2005 - 4:03 PM

I know just to far from the airpoirt, and i work out of state mostly. So I need to stick close to 417.

Score: 0

By fewt

posted Nov 29, 2005 - 5:35 PM

I hear ya, I commute to east OC and it's a pain.

Score: 0

By BIL

posted Nov 28, 2005 - 8:57 PM

That's what the laptops should be selling for. I'm not a particular fan of Walmart, because of their employees policies and forced outsourcing. However, if it convinces others to bring the price down to a reasonable level it might be worth a temporarily overlooking their bad treatment of empolyees and small businesses.

Score: 0

By Capt_krusty

edited Nov 29, 2005 - 4:44 AM

I agree except I do think you pay for what you get I.e. Buy cheap, expect crap hardware and service. Buy from small businesses and maybe pay a bit more and at least you will get service and better quality hardware (and a warm fuzzy feeling because your supporting a local business)

Score: 0

By Neoprimal

posted Nov 29, 2005 - 8:38 AM

Well, that's not entirely true. People who don't know too much about computers are the ones who get them built....and I'm sorry, but I haven't seen ONE shop or local small business that doesn't try to rip off people who aren't in the know. They're almost as horrible as car salesmen. I make it a habit to go to any I see around, then I act like a noob and the prices I get on a PC....scary. So I don't blame people for looking to dell, hp, gateway and walmart/compusa/best buy for their systems. And that laptop from Walmart was actually a really nice one, I wish I had the drive to, u know...wake up at 2am and go stand in a line at Walmart till it opened the day after TG....and yes, this happened in Kendall (Miami, FL)

Score: 0

By TheBeastH6

posted Nov 29, 2005 - 11:18 AM

Ever since Geek Squad, Best Buy ain't no friend of mine.

Score: 0

By excelon2005

posted Nov 28, 2005 - 8:51 PM

I remembered going to the Black Friday sales for the past two years. I didn't do it this year because I didn't see an immediate need (or near-future need, for that matter) for ANYTHING they have on sale.

The economy isn't doing too well, and people are getting desparate. Consider this a sign.

Score: 0

By jojosupp

posted Nov 28, 2005 - 10:26 PM

You think this has to do with the economy? No matter how wealthy a given American is, you'd be surprised to what lengths [s]he is willing to go to save money. Everyone loves a killer deal, it's the American way!

Score: 0

By mjm01010101

edited Nov 28, 2005 - 10:35 PM

It's not a killer deal if you get crap. I agree that the laptop is likely just the cheapest components. I recently bought a LCD for my mother-in-law (poor) that normally goes for $400, for $200, and of course it had a dead pixel right in the middle of the screen, getting the rebates was an absolute pain and I know she will be spammed to death. I for one would never jump through those hoops to save money. I want a quality, no hassle purchase and am willing to pay for name brand quality. (unless it's Sony, of course) :)

Score: 0

By bourgeoisdude

posted Nov 28, 2005 - 7:46 PM

Funny...they didn't mention the incident at the Wal-Mart in Beaumont, TX. I got to hear the sound of people screaming in agony from getting pepper sprayed (no joke)!

Score: 0

By drumcat

posted Nov 28, 2005 - 7:39 PM

It's worth about $400. It's every cheap part there is that's still manufactured. No thanks; it's probably about as reliable as a Yugo.

Score: 0

By irdepesca572

edited Nov 28, 2005 - 7:35 PM

Where's the video? :P

Score: 0

By googun

posted Nov 28, 2005 - 6:37 PM

Proof that not everyone has heard of eBay. Thanks betanews for linking back to that comic masterpiece from August when crowds stampeded to get hold of iBooks...

"People were pushed to the ground, hit with folding chairs, and one person even attempted to drive his car through the crowd!"

That story still makes me laugh :-D

Score: 0

By citizen420

posted Nov 28, 2005 - 6:14 PM

damn, thats CHEAP, anyone know the specs?

Score: 0

By zenarcher

edited Nov 28, 2005 - 8:32 PM

Well, for openers, it isn't a Celron processor. It is an AMD Sempron Mobile 2800+ And, sorry, but it isn't really "cheap," either. I have built custom systems for home here, and I repair computers and build custom systems as a sideline, although I'm retired. I did work in electro-mechanical design before most of you were born...starting in the days when we used "Nixie Tubes" for readouts. Oh yeah, and I've held three Federal Communications Commission licenses since 1966.

It has a built in 24X DVD-ROM and CD-RW combo drive., it has built in Wireless G, a 15" display and a 40GB hard drive. I'm not particularly fond of the video...ATI Radeon Express 200M IGP with 32M DDR shared video memory (user can configure up to 128M). It only comes with 256M of 333MHz DDR SDRAM (I will be changing that to 1 GB. Of course, it came with full warranty, the power adapter and MS Windows Home (which I did not even start it with....merely put my SUSE 10.0 Linux DVD in the drive and started with a fresh install, after removing all Windows partitions.)

Not a glitch at all....all hardware was recognized and set up by SUSE 10.0, except the internal wireless (It also has a LAN port, 56K dialup modem and a couple of USB ports). Oh yes, and Altec Lansing speakers built in. Installing the Windows driver from the recovery disk and ndiswrapper, the wireless is working fine right now.

I had a Tosbiba Satellite notebook, maybe four years ago and say what you want, but the mechanical quality of this one is equal, I could have spent $1000.00 and got one with more RAM, faster CD drive and such, but for the price, this couldn't be beat, in my opinion.

How did I get it? My wife and I went to Wal-Mart at midnight...got in line (we were number 2 and they had 15 of them). At 4 a.m., the store manager handed out cards, numbered one through fifteen...told the others that was all they had. At 5 a.m., we were handed the notebook and allowed to pay for it right there at the register...and out of the store.

Anyway, that's the scoop from someone who actually got one of the computers....(and I'm not a big fan of HP desktop systems)...rather than the guesses by the pundits.

Score: 0

By fewt

posted Nov 29, 2005 - 5:37 PM

Your Xpress worked out of the box? Mine still isn't working with the ATI drivers (15.4" wide aspect, haven't tried 8.19.10 though).

Score: 0

By zenarcher

posted Nov 29, 2005 - 6:02 PM

Yes, it sure did. Maybe I just got lucky...I'm not sure. I had installed all latest updates, but that's about it. The video is quite good.

The only issue I had was with the Broadcom wireless. There was no support for the Broadcom BCM 4318 and I wanted to use the internal wireless. I ended up deleting the existing ndiswrapper and getting the latest from SourceForge. Then, I copy and pasted the folder with the Windows drivers from the HP disk to the Home directory and installed. It did take a small script to automate the wireless at boot, but it's working perfectly now.

Score: 0

By mjm01010101

posted Nov 28, 2005 - 10:16 PM

"I have built custom systems for home here, and I repair computers and build custom systems as a sideline, although I'm retired. I did work in electro-mechanical design before most of you were born...starting in the days when we used "Nixie Tubes" for readouts. Oh yeah, and I've held three Federal Communications Commission licenses since 1966."

Can, I like, touch you?

Score: 0

By zenarcher

posted Nov 29, 2005 - 4:30 AM

I don't think so.

Score: 0

By wincement

posted Nov 28, 2005 - 9:57 PM

"AMD Sempron"

That's not a whole lot better than the Celeron I thought it had...

Score: 0

By Neoprimal

posted Nov 29, 2005 - 8:44 AM

Dude, a sempron is massively superior to a celeron. Current Semprons are specced like the Athlon XPs were....Athlon XPs were a crapload better than a celeron. So, yeah....the fact that it had a sempron means it was a good buy. And it's not 'cheap' at all...it comes with wireless, a nice size HD and a dvd/cdrw combo drive.

Score: 0

By Alexq

posted Nov 29, 2005 - 5:38 AM

Unless it's an old "Socket A" Sempron (which is out of production for quite some time) it is MUCH better then any of the Celerons.

Score: 0

By wincement

posted Nov 28, 2005 - 7:33 PM

More than likely a celeron processor.

My brain translates that as: "No price is cheap enough."

Score: 0

By mschafe

posted Nov 28, 2005 - 6:07 PM

I walked into my local Wal-Mart YESTERDAY, and they had one just sitting in the back by the other laptops. Picked it up for the same $378 price. Avoided ALL the drama too.

Score: 0

By mhguy15

posted Nov 29, 2005 - 2:02 PM

lol

Score: 0

By TheBeastH6

posted Nov 29, 2005 - 11:19 AM

0.0

Score: 0

By 1uk3

posted Nov 28, 2005 - 7:57 PM

Nice one! What's the spec?

Score: 0

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