Cheap way to build a laptop?

Question

Hello all, I'm on a budget of $400 and I'd like to build (or if possible, buy) a laptop. Now before you laugh I'd like to mention a few other things:
I'm happy as long as it's 50 lbs or less (but must be transportable, so it can't be too large)
I don't care if it looks ugly, just as long as it works
I have a desktop computer here that I can use for spare parts (lots of good stuff on here, someone wants to throw it out)
So, can anyone give me instructions?

many thanks,

-Crystle

Answer 1

i swear i wont laugh, alright honey !

i am pretty sure u'r desktop weighs less than 50 lbs
put it on a trolley & u can cart it around
_____

ok, jokes apart
gimme 10 minutes to give you a decent solution
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i usually trust tigerdirect & newegg to deliver

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/category/category_slc.asp?Recs=20&Nav=|c:2509|lp:200:hp:499.99|&Sort=4

first 2 laptops are sub $400
both are refurbished, with warranty as offered,
***
*Onsite service plans are not available in NY or CA.
*Extended service plans are not available in AK.
This product has a limited warranty of:
12 months for parts and 12 months for labor.
This warranty is provided by Joy Systems.
Support Phone Number: 732-907-1590
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nothing on offer in newegg, sub $400 ... sorry
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another avenue you could explore is dell refurbished notebooks, offered post lease & after due checking and certification
http://www.dfsdirectsales.com/dell/notebooks/ctl641/cp11869/cl1
>> am not sure what sortta warranty they offer
________

firstly,
the above options are much safer than buying from some unknown fella on ebay
second,
your desktop consists of a totally different set of parts as against a laptop & you cannot use them
third,
do not expect good battery life even from the one's i suggested above., so be prepared to operate from wall socket for most times

... will keep ya posted if i happen to come across something interesting !

Answer 2

A couple of options with desktops:

Get a Micro case an M board that will reuse your bits, and an LCD display.
If you want to power it up and move it, rather than lug it from wall socket to wall socket then get a UPS and put it all on a cart. Two caveats:
The bigger the UPS the longer the run time but they get very heavy due to the lead-acid batteries.
Desktop hard drives are not designed to be moved around. If you go over a bump while the hard drive is spinning you could crater the hard drive. (The same is basically true for laptops, but they would probably survive rougher handling than a desktop drive)

Laptops you can not really build, other than memory and hard drives the parts are too specialized to fit into the case.

1 find a really cheap laptop.
2 buy one used.
3 buy a refurbished. IBM sells ex-lease systems that have been refurbished. http://www-132.ibm.com/search/used-computers.html
HP and Dell may well do the same.

Answer 3

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834280002

This is one of the cheapest that I can find. As far as building a laptop, it is not really possible with your budget in mind. There are not really many places that you can just buy a case for a laptop and install the components. Hope this helps

Answer 4

Well, a laptop built with desktop parts would be quite a contraption, but you could do it if you really wanted to. However, it would probably be much more practical to just buy a laptop. Try tigerdirect.com : http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/category/category_slc.asp?Lprice=200&Hprice=499.99&CatId=17

Answer 5

are u kidding?

now days a laptop its worth more than $400 dollars. the cheapest laptop you can buy is somewhere between 550 to 700 dollars. unless you want to go to ebay and buy it used.

in my opinion, save more money and buy a reliable laptop (sony, dell, hp..)
they should last a few years.

good luck

Answer 6

Go to Dell's web site, they sell laptops there, and as they are cutting out the middle man the computers come out cheaper, so you get more for your money.

www.dell.com

Answer 7

so a recommendations as i recognize, no-one sells parts to construct your own pc. ...till you purely purchase a large purchase of spares for a particular variety and placed all of them mutually. And it is a lot extra expensive that purely finding out to purchase an finished pc.

Answer 8

Try locally and see if you can get a used one
Most shops have taken them in on a trade in