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Novice needs advice on new purchase--e-machine M5309 notebook

post #1 of 11
3/26/04 at 11:05pm
Thread Starter 
I went into Best Buy today, told the guy I wanted a laptop, and the computer guy first told me it's called a notebook, not a laptop, and then took straight to his favorite: the emachine M5309. He was very persuasive. He told me the Athlon processor is just as good as the Pentium 4. I couldn't argue with him, since I don't know much about these things, so I trusted him and bought the machine.

Do you guys think it's a good computer? I want to know before I open the box.
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post #2 of 11
3/26/04 at 11:16pm
What do you plan on using it for?

Shared video isn't meant for gaming but is fine for office apps. and surfing.
It has the AMD Mobile Athlon XP 2500+ processor. I would venture a guess that it performs somewhere in the neighborhood of a 2.2 ghz Pentium 4 give or take.

Depending on what you're using it for it's not a bad machine and Emachines is doing some exciting things in their laptop...excuse me, notebook line.
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post #3 of 11
3/27/04 at 12:45am
The Athlon XP-M 2500+ performs about as fast as a 2.5 P4 and has a good battery life, the video card though is integrated so it's not for gaming. For office apps you should do just fine.
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post #4 of 11
3/27/04 at 2:18am
It is a "decent" laptop. It is fairly fast for office and things like that. It is, as the other guys have pointed out, not good for gameing due to the integrated graphics. Of course that model only runs around a grand and is hard to beat for the price.
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post #5 of 11
3/27/04 at 3:01am
If your going for gaming dont get that lappy, pctorque.com for gaming ^-^
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post #6 of 11
3/27/04 at 3:55am
Thread Starter 
I'm using it primarily for Internet browsing and word processing. The basics. No gaming. Here are the specs on it: 15.4-inch widescreen; 2500+ AMD Athlon XP processor with Quanti Speed Architecture; 512 MB; 60 GB hard drive. And, with a $250 mail-in rebate, the cost was $950.

Good buy? Or goodbye, get something else? You guys seem to like it well enough, it seems.

Secondly, on these things is it a good idea to get the $250 3-year warranty? The in-store guy convinced me I should, saying that I'll need to replace the battery every year, which will cost me $250 anyway. But since then, I've been told that's a crock. My brother says he hasn't replaced his laptop battery in three years. Should I get a refund on the loyalty?

Thanks for the help, fellas.
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post #7 of 11
3/27/04 at 4:07am
$250 is more than a quarter of the price of the machine! It depends... will you drain your battery often? Some use & recharge is nowhere near as hard on a battery as full discharge / recharge. On the other hand you need to do a full discharge about every 90 days to keep the battery from developing a memory (even tho li-ion isn't supposed to need that). If you're diligent I can see you getting 2 maybe 3 years out of the battery.

How long do you plan on keeping the notebook? Prices tend to go down about 10% per year, so in two years the equivilant book might only cost $600-700, and if you had that $250 in your pocket you'd be well on your way there...

You roll the dice and take your chances, basically .
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post #8 of 11
3/27/04 at 4:13am
Quote:
Originally Posted by shepard
I'm using it primarily for Internet browsing and word processing. The basics. No gaming. Here are the specs on it: 15.4-inch widescreen; 2500+ AMD Athlon XP processor with Quanti Speed Architecture; 512 MB; 60 GB hard drive. And, with a $250 mail-in rebate, the cost was $950.

Good buy? Or goodbye, get something else? You guys seem to like it well enough, it seems.

Secondly, on these things is it a good idea to get the $250 3-year warranty? The in-store guy convinced me I should, saying that I'll need to replace the battery every year, which will cost me $250 anyway. But since then, I've been told that's a crock. My brother says he hasn't replaced his laptop battery in three years. Should I get a refund on the loyalty?

Thanks for the help, fellas.
Many of us have developed a healthy respect for Emachines based on the quality of the products they are putting out there lately. Like many I was skeptical at first. How could something with these kinds of specs be so cheap? Was it cheaply made as well? I can honestly say that my 6805 has won me over and I would have no problem recommending Emachines.

For what you're wanting to do with it and for the price I would say the 5309 is a good buy. Extended warranty is something many notebook users swear buy. Some like what Best Buy offers. You may also want to consider Emachines' own extended warranty (in the box). It doesn't cover batteries but you do have the option of LCD coverage for a heck of a lot cheaper than many in store plans.
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post #9 of 11
3/27/04 at 4:57am
Thread Starter 
I've since been told by a computer guy who is a friend of the family that getting an extended warranty on a laptop is a good idea, so I guess I'll get it, but $250 does seem a bit ridiculous, considering that 25% the cost of the machine. I think I have 30 days to change my mind. But I'll keep the machine. You guys have only had praise for emachines, which makes me feel good about the purchase. I will now open the box.
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post #10 of 11
3/29/04 at 7:09pm
emachiens offers their own extended warranty for 179 .. at least there was something regarding that in my box.
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post #11 of 11
3/29/04 at 7:15pm
I'd return the extended warranty from BB unless you put the product at high risk (coffee shops, lunch, lugging around). In 2 years, the value of this particular laptop will be around $200 since it is a 2500+. Likewise, the integrated graphics means that only basic (non gaming) activities will ever be the purpose. Finally, the EM extended warranty is a lot cheaper though I wouldn't even recommend unless again you expose the unit to adverse conditions (and regularly). Save the money, buy a good case and don't drink/eat around it.
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