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Coming up at Midday! on Catch of the Day
Samsung 15.6" Notebook
2.0Ghz Dual Core, 3GB RAM, 320GB HDD
Today $699 With PayPal, Free Shipping!
Mod - corrected expiry date (= mid-day 2/9/09).
Samsung 15.6" Notebook 2.0GHz Dual Core, 3GB RAM, 320GB HDD $699 Free Shipping with PayPal COTD
170
zider on 01/09/2009 - 07:59 catchoftheday.com.au (1714 clicks)
Last edited 01/09/2009 - 14:16 by 2 other users
Last edited 01/09/2009 - 14:16 by 2 other users
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This model has a DVD burner.
Please note delivery is FREE, so in your analysis compare the delivered cost.
Nice deal QQQ
Can we have the model number?
Yes, I did mention that the other price was "+ delivery" as: "the best price on Static Ice is $795 + delivery", meaning delivery was extra!!!
However, you haven't told us which Samsung model it is, so how do we know the Static Ice comparison is right?
Again, can you tell us the model number please?
And again, does it include the upgrade coupon to Windows 7?
Shhhhhh…If it's a secret, we promise not to tell anyone else…
It will not have upgrade coupon to Windows 7.
This model has Vista Basic, usually will need Vista Home Premium, Business or Ultimate for free upgrade to Windows 7.
Can anyone tell me if it's possible to get a free upgrade to Windows 7 on this machine when it comes out?
No, as I commented above.
Specs are out and its rather average.
Found their previous deal much better, for an extra $50 it offered so much more
http://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/15417
Not sure if they added afterwards, but the model number is clear on COTD:
Samsung R15 Notebook
Model Number: R519-XA02AUSpecwise it's better than the $749 Asus they had the other week :(. Tho with Asus you got a free ($35) upgrade to Window 7.
Ahhh, thanks
Asus was over three weeks ago guys.
In IT land that's like a century ago :)
It was a great deal, but we need to move on.
ha! Well I got one of the Asus ones … but that comment made me laugh.
… Ignore the man behind the curtain … buy the Samsung! People are always going to compare, specially to such a recent deal from your guys. Nature of the beast.
Nice notebook for the $$$! Mate of mine's looking for one, sent him the details of this, hope for his sake he's savvy enough to pick one up at this price! ;)
Nice find zider! :)
Unless you can get windows 7 for free later on… buying any new PC or laptop NOW is a BAD idea… VERY BAD!
NEVER, and I repeat, NEVER buy any computer based on "included" or "promised" software! The operating systems are usually bare-bones at best, and apps are usually crippleware or shovelware!
Buy your hardware based on the price and specs of the hardware itself!!! Win7 is good, but Vista will do you just fine until 7 is cheaper, or you find a mechanism to purchase it at a substantially reduced rate (ie. TechNet or MSDN subscription etc).
Why are ppl so damn hung up on this "free upgrade" to Windows 7?
Perhaps because it's a lot better than Vista and normal people wouldn't bother with a Technet or MSDN subscription plus normal people also want a computer that just works and not one where they have to upgrade the OS themselves then chase drivers, etc if needed? :)
Yes, right now 7 seems better than Vista (I'm running the RTM now in fact); but it HASN'T BEEN RELEASED YET! Give it some time in retail before you start pinning all your hopes on it as the next great white hope! IIRC Vista was "the next big thing" a couple of years back, now it's a leper it seems! :p
Don't forget, we're talking "free upgrade" here - so they're gonna havet to do the work themselves anyway, aren't they? Plus, you'd be surprised what "normal people" will do to save a few bucks! ;)
Let's face facts, some people are perfectly happy with Vista, it's not great but it's a perfectly serviceable operating system for the time being! You'd be surprised just how many of the very people you're talking about, sacrificing better hardware, will never even use the upgrade voucher for the very reasons you outline, so they're stuck with substandard hardware for what gain?
@StewBalls: I struggle to see how Win7 could be 'bare bones' or 'cripple ware'. Worst case you get the home edition which is perfectly functional.
The free upgrade is useful because a lot of other vendors are also offering the free upgrade. Win7 imo is a lot more stable, fixes a lot of bugs, and increases performance over Vista. It runs better than Vista on lower-spec machines, such as this. There's no need to wait for it to spend time in retail - that's what beta and RC testing is for.
Why get so hung up on it? Why not? There's no point buying a superceded model unless it is a ridiculous bargain.
Personally, I'd get one with Win7 because that will be one less copy of Win7 to buy.
@atlas: Right, since no one has seen Win7 home edition (as I said, retail release isn't til late October), I struggle to see how can you say how perfectly functional it is? I do know the home editions of both XP and Vista have both lacked features I want, so that makes them bare bones to me!
I've seen people buy computers because they come "pre loaded" with MS Office, or (shudder) Works, or Norton AV, etc only to find out they're only evaluations or trials, 30, 60 or 90 days, then as they say, YOU PAY! Then there's the "lite" or "express" versions of apps mostly bundled with new PC's that are in fact CRIPPLED, prompting you to buy the full version to get the features you really wanted in the first place!
I've seen people get rorted like this literally hundreds of times over many years mate, I've been doing this stuff a long time, I've pretty much seen it all! I love it when noobs tell me all about IT, when the advantage of longevity tells me this phenomenon is perennial, the SAME THING happens with every incarnation of Windows! You've got an opinion, that's cool, I respect that, but do a bit of research and know your history please before talking out of you depth.
"There’s no need to wait for it to spend time in retail - that’s what beta and RC testing is for." - Try getting this one to fly with ANY system or network admin, they'll love it. Sorry mate but this comment alone reveals your inexperience, there are complex issues you don't know about when it comes to rolling out OS's! If, as you say, there's no advantage of hindsight with retail post beta, then why do we have service packs, and pray tell what the hell happened with Vista???
I've said all along, my experience with Win7 has thus far been good, but hang on a tic, there's usually a good reason why manufacturers would bundle something FOR YOU that will COST THEM money unless it masks a deficit in other (specification) areas! Only a fool would pay $1000 for a PC that's only really worth $500, just to get a $120 OS upgrade! Sounds extreme, wrong! I've seen it plenty of times! :(
But if you wanna do that blindly, knock yourself out pal, no skin off my nose! ;)
@StewBalls: I like how you openly assume how little knowledge I have of computers - an easy mistake to make on a public forum. I'm not going to bother responding to your insults, but needless to say your assumptions are wrong. In any case, I make the following points:
We're talking about Vista v Win7. Not other evaluation bloatware like Norton AV, so all your comments in that respect are irrelevant.
If you check the specs, this Samsung comes with 'Genuine Windows Vista® Home Basic'. So per your comments, this machine is also 'bare bones' which kinda shoots yourself in the foot.
I haven't done a direct comparison, but I'm fairly certain the feature set would be largely consistent in both Vista Home and Win7 Home.
If you knew anything about the Win7 install process, you can actually install the different editions at will by simply configuring a file on the installation disc, so you therefore do not need to wait for retail release. Feature lists between different versions are already well publicised anyway.
I'm not advocating buying some overpriced $1000 PC just to get Windows 7. I'm simply saying that in a month or two, this same PC will probably come with Win7 for what will most likely be the same price, and many vendors have anticipated this by offering free upgrades otherwise PC sales would artificially stall whilst the new OS releases.
Benchmarking has shown that Win7 actually runs better on lower-spec machines (such as this) than Vista.
We're talking about a single installation for home use - not an office-wide corporate desktop rollout.
This is more contentious, but it is logical to assume that Win7 builds upon Vista's core and includes any updates that Vista has received up to SP2. Therefore, Win7 includes everything from Vista SP2, plus more. If you want to buy a computer with outdated software for which support will be dropped earlier, be my guest. No skin off my nose.
Which is probably why our friend Carlo has refused to answer the question about it.
My experience with Samsung notebook support in Aus hasn't been the best. My comp was crashing intermittently, and they told me your computer is pretty good, and that it was better to be crashing only some of the time, than all the time, and I should just live with it. This was for a $3,000+ laptop with 3 years warranty! tsk tsk.
So then I bought a Dell, and it too had intermittent problems, however Dell sends a technician to my house to replace the motherboard to ensure that there's no problem at all! This is very reassuring from Dell, and my Samsung warranty pales in comparison…
I'm not racist, but welcome to Samsung(Korean)…what more could you expect from their service? you can't compare to Japanese's service :-P
Agreed, my experiences with Samsung, particularly the recent ones with monitors and a/c, have been pathetic to say the least!!!! Samsung - never ever in my whole life. Arrogant service centres, especially the one in Sydney. The ladies on the Samsung hotline (whitegoods) are downright rude and the man who picks up the phone at the service centre (IT) is incapable of holding a dignified conversation, and will excessively resort to sarcasm to make his point. Even the MTV supermarket Chinese brands provide better warranty service than Samsung!!!!!!
compared to the ASUS from a couple of weeks back, this Samsung has:
- more RAM
- slower clock speed but hiher bus speed, I think I'd take the higher bus
- looks like a better design, I like the black
- $50 cheaperHowever, the deal breaker is that it has no discrete graphics.
I wouldn't worry about the upgrade to Win7, with Asus you had to pay $35 shipping anyhow.
More then 2GB ram on a laptop is not all that useful and don't forget ASUS' 2 year warranty. Don't all laptop manufacturers charge a high price for "shipping & handling" of "free" Win7, $35 for a $199 win7 home premium price is still not bad (though this is full retail licence pricing)
In any case ASUS = YES, Samsung = NO (wait and see what happens after warranty expires)
I agree - 2GB is fine for me. And I guess ASUS has the better brand name and warranty. But the singlemost important factor I think is the graphics card in the ASUS.
Typing this on the ASUS =D
I don't want to sound like a fanboy, but their parts & laptops have been very good to me over the years I used them. Am also typing this on an ASUS if you count the mobo ;o)p
I just noticed these threads in Whirlpool about this deal:
http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-replies.cfm?t=1272789
http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-replies.cfm?t=1272015So just to be clear, if I were to buy this laptop, would I expect to have to pay the full $200 to upgrade to win7 in the future then?
The specs don't mention a DVD burner. Does this relatively large machine only have a card reader?
I notice Carlo has studiously avoided putting the model number or any other ID on the COTD email, so I'm guessing it's the Samsung R519-XA02AU (???) which apparently only has a 3 in 1 card reader.
If it is this model, the best price on Static Ice is $795 + delivery, which would actually make this COTD offering the cheapest, compared to SI.