What should you expect?

Well, for less that $300, it won’t be playing cutting edge games and it won’t last for over 8 hours on the battery.

But, it can work as a desktop replacement, a good second computer, or a computer that will work for a high school or college student.  I should also note that in most cases the battery will not hold much if any charge, so if you expect to work while the laptop isn’t plugged in, you might want to get a replacement battery.

Check out this selection of laptops under $300

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Best Match Time: ending soonest Time: newly listed Price: lowest first Price: highest first Price + Shipping: lowest first Price + Shipping: highest first

Toshiba Satellite and Dell Mini Laptops    US $299.99

HP compaq NC6230 LAPTOPS LAPTOP 2GHZ 1GB 60GB HD DVD RW    US $300.00

Sony Vaio FS 8900 Laptops Excellent Condition 1 GHZ 15    US $400.00

LAPTOPS NOTEBOOK DVD DUO LCD WIRELESS OR CABLE $600    US $199.99

Toshiba Satellite notebook laptops A85 15 battery    US $199.00

laptops    US $195.00

laptops sony vaio pcg r505jek    US $300.00

TWO2 DELL LATITUDE CPX LAPTOPSSUPER FAST SHIPPING    US $179.00

6 Laptops Dell HP Pavilion IBM Bulk Sale Cheap    US $157.50

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What you need to do is take the time to clean your notebook regularly.  For most people, you will only really need to clean it once or twice per year.  But if you live somewhere that is extremely dusty, or if you have pets (think dog, cat, etc.), then you should do it a little more regularly because the pet hair can end up in the laptop as well.

Cleaning a laptop is relatively easy – all you need is a can of air.  These can be found at most office supply stores and if you want a really good deal, Costco usually has the lowest price (typically half of the price of an office supply store, but you end up with a larger pack).

What you use the can of air to do is blow out all of the vents on the laptop.  The goal here is to get as much dust out of the laptop as possible.  You might want to do this somewhere outside or where dust won’t be a big issue as in some instances, you would be surprised at how much dust does come out of them.  Make sure to shut off the laptop before you do clean it.

You should also blow out the keyboard to get any dust and skin particles out of it.  Usually start at one side of your keyboard and work your way across to get everything out.

That’s it.  It should only take you about 10 minutes at the most and will ensure that your computer runs as cool as possible and will prolong your laptop life.

But to make your decision to get a glossy screen you need to consider a few things including who will be using the computer, where you will be primarily using it and what you expect from your notebook screen.

First, you need to decide where you are going to be primarily going to use it.  If you will be using it mostly indoors in a room without windows, then it would be a good choice.  On the other hand, if the room that you are going to be using the computer in does have windows, or if you will be using the laptop primarily outside, you might not want a glossy screen because you will get reflections which will make it harder for you to see the screen.

Secondly, the person using it will have a large bearing on whether or not you want a glossy screen.  For adults it is usually not a problem, but if you have little kids that are using it, you might want to pass on the glossy screen.  The reason that glossy screens can be a problem is that fingerprints show up easily, and chances are little hands will touch the screen resulting in difficulty viewing the picture.

Lastly, you need to decide your expectations when it comes to the laptop screen.  If you are expecting vibrant and lifelike pictures and videos, then glossy is the right option for you.  On the other hand, if you are looking for a screen that will work in a multitude of situations that won’t be difficult to use, then matte might be a better choice.

Be sure to consider the above points when buying a laptop and get the one that suits your needs.

Now, I don’t mean a laptop that isn’t working (which wouldn’t make a lot of sense), but rather a laptop with a broken screen.  Even if the screen isn’t working, usually the computer portion of the laptop still is, and as a result, usually you can get a really good deal.

All you need to do is hook up the laptop to a monitor and it is a full-fledged desktop with a smaller footprint.  It can be great as a second computer, or a perfect computer for your kids that won’t blow the budget.

Take a look at some of these great deals on laptops with broken screens below and you’ll see what I mean.

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MacBook white 13 Apple Laptop Broken screen 216 GHz

2 Bids

US $306.44

18h 23m

SONY VAIO LAPTOP VGN SZ110 BROKEN SCREEN

0 Bid

US $250.00

4d 21h 11m

HP G60 laptop computer with broken screen

3 Bids

US $207.50

15h 10m

BROKEN LAPTOP 2008 TOSHIBA NEEDS NEW SCREEN

9 Bids

US $200.00

4d 17h 47m

SONY VAIO LAPTOP WITH BROKEN SCREEN

0 Bid

US $75.00

6d 19h 49m

HP Pavillion N5445 Laptop Broken Screen

US $50.00

3d 19h 11m

COMPAQ M700 LAPTOP BROKEN SCREEN NEEDS HD

US $50.00

27d 15h 6m

Averatec laptop Broken Screen

0 Bid

US $39.99

4d 17h 33m

SAMSUNG LTN141W1 L04 141 LAPTOP LCD SCREEN BROKEN

US $4.99

2d 23h 4m

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If you have looked for replacement batteries, you know that they aren’t cheap.  This can especially be a problem if you laptop is really old – the harder the batteries are to find, the more expensive they are.

But there are alternatives.  If you watch the following video, you can watch to see how you can replace your old cells inside of your notebook battery with new ones.

If you are looking for the replacement cells mentioned in the video, you can find them at any local battery specialist store, or online on places like eBay.

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SL LAPTOPII I Inx Sl Laptop Ii Cart W Battery

US $2,508.42

23d 4h 53m

Apple Macbook 13 Laptop CS 4 Leopard Case New Battery

US $1,050.00

8d 14h 42m

Lot of 2 New HP Pavilion dv6000 Laptop 12 cell battery

US $999.99

28d 19h 26m

New Sony Vaio VGN SR220J H LAPTOPANOTHER BATTERYSR220

US $975.00

2d 18h 34m

Used Sony Laptop VGN SZ120 183 GHZ Extended Battery

US $799.99

22d 20h 18m

Dell XPS 1530 Laptop 3gb 183GHz 250GB 9 hr battery

US $699.95

20h 11m

Dell Studio 15 Laptop 4GB 320GB WXGA LED 9Cell Battery

US $700.00

3d 19h 38m

New HP Pavilion dv6427cl Laptop Camera 12 Cell Battery

US $519.99

28d 19h 20m

New HP Pavilion dv6500 Laptop Camera 12 Cell Battery

US $519.99

28d 19h 22m

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For me, the toughest decision is whether or not I should buy a netbook.  You see, I work at home and it would be convenient to have a computer that I could use away from the office (like at the kitchen table) or when we go on the road traveling.  I already have a desktop that satisfies my gaming needs (at the moment), and really I am looking for portability.

But when it comes down to making the decision whether to buy a notebook or netbook, you have to consider the following:

1. Are you willing to sacrifice computing power for mobility?  If you are just working on basic stuff such as word processing, surfing the Internet or checking email, this won’t be an issue.  But if you are expecting your computer to be able to do something a little more complex (such as video rendering or games) you might be disappointed with the speed and responsiveness of a netbook.
2. Is weight an issue?  If you are a student or business person that will be carrying your laptop with you wherever you go for extended periods during the day, a lighter notebook will be better for you and your back.  Also, if you go with a smaller notebook or netbook, you will be able to carry more without having to have a large bag as they take up less space.
3. Are you going to be running primarily on the battery?  If you will be away from being able to plug in your notebook during the day, a netbook provides better battery life since they are designed to be more power friendly.  In fact, some of the netbooks can even run 8 hours on a full charge, which should be good enough for most of your working day.
4. Do you have problems reading or seeing text on a computer screen?  If you are wearing bifocals or don’t have the greatest vision, the screen size of a netbook may be a challenge for you.  If you find yourself in this predicament, you can go with a netbook, but chances are you will have to increase the font size to ensure that you are able to read the screen or go with a notebook that would have a bigger screen and therefore bigger font.
5. Are you going to be playing a lot of games?  If you are an avid computer gamer, then a netbook won’t work very well for you.  There currently is only one that I can think of that has a dedicated video card (the ASUS N10 in particular) and even that netbook can only play games on the most basic settings.

Make sure to consider the above questions when deciding on whether to buy a netbook or a notebook, and if you do, you should be happy with your decision.

	ASUS Eee PC 1000HE 10-Inch Black Netbook - 9.5 Hour Battery Life List Price: $399.00 Sale Price: $368.27 Average Rating:
	Catapault to the forefront of technology with Eee PC 1000HE, the first netbook to have the Intel Atom N280 processor. With up to 9.5 hours of battery life, the 1000HE enables you to bring internet and multimedia wherever you go, without a power cord...

Acer Aspire One AOD150-1165 10.1-Inch Sapphire Blue Netbook - 6.5 Hour Battery Life List Price: $329.99 Sale Price: $310.35 Average Rating:

Building on its line of popular Aspire One netbooks, Acer makes it even easier to stay productive while on the go with the larger 10.1-inch screen of the Aspire One AOD150-1165. A great choice for students as well as business travelers who like to travel light, the affordable Acer Aspire One weighs just under 3 pounds and has a 6-cell battery that provides up to 5 hours of battery life for extended use and productivity when away from an AC outlet...

	ASUS Eee PC 900HA 8.9-Inch Netbook (1.6 GHz Intel ATOM N270 Processor, 1 GB RAM, 160 GB Hard Drive, 10 GB Eee Storage, XP Home) Black List Price: $259.99 Sale Price: $309.99 Average Rating:
	The new Eee PC 900HA offers you more options for your mobile computing needs, providing the power of a full-sized laptop--with the latest Intel mobile processor and a 160 GB hard drive--in a compact body with an 8...

	Samsung NC10-14GB 10.2-Inch Blue Netbook - 6 Cell Battery List Price: $419.99 Sale Price: $388.01 Average Rating:
	Staying connected 24/7. It’s what matters to you. That’s why Samsungintroduced the new NC10 netbook. Weighing just 2.9 pounds, it’s designed to keep you online and on the go. Experience the freedom to surf the Web, shop and chat on IM with the latest wireless technology...

	ASUS Eee PC 1000HE 10-Inch Blue Netbook - 9.5 Hour Battery Life List Price: $399.99 Sale Price: $374.95 Average Rating:
	Catapault to the forefront of technology with Eee PC 1000HE, the first netbook to have the Intel Atom N280 processor. With up to 9.5 hours of battery life, the 1000HE enables you to bring internet and multimedia wherever you go, without a power cord...

1. Give it to your Child

   I know this might be an obvious one, but chances are that your child will be thrilled to have a computer of their own.  Unless they are heavily into games, an old laptop will work perfectly for their school work and Internet browsing, though the battery may not be useful anymore.

2. Use it as a Home File Server

   Even though the hard drive space that you will find on an old laptop isn’t usually too large, they still make a good machine to use as a home file server.  You can store your pictures, music and movies on them and have everything stored in one central location.  The best part is that they use little power, so it is good for the environment and your power bill.

3. Use it as a Media Player

   Having an old laptop kicking around is a great way to bring your living room into the 21st century.  The notebook can be connected to your television and can be used as a DVD player, movie player, picture viewer and even radio (via Internet radio) and can replace a number of devices in your living room, making it less cluttered.

4. Use it as a Television

   With the addition of a simple USB TV Tuner card (for as little as $30), you can turn your laptop into a television.  This can be a handy as it can be used in such places as the kitchen or in your workout room, or other places where you don’t quite have the room.  Also, since it is portable, you can take it with you anywhere in your home, which in itself is pretty convenient.

5. Automate your Home

   Another often overlooked use of an old notebook would be to use it to automate your home via X10 devices.  These devices can be used to control every aspect of your home and definitely bring it into the 21st century.

Even though these are only five uses for an old laptop, it is a start.  So, instead of throwing it out, reuse your faithful laptop as it will be useful for years to come.

You see, things were going great on Saturday, I got a lot of work done and I felt good with myself.  It was hot outside and so inside my home it was hot, but I thought nothing much of it.  Sure, the laptop was whining a little more than usual, but it is an older one, so it didn't bother me much.

I woke up on Sunday and while I was sitting at the computer, it froze and made a weird noise and I shut it off.  I left to run some errands and didn't come back until later at night.

When I came home and turned it on, I was in for a surprise - the hard drive was dead.  I fiddled with it for about an hour, and tried to find everything that I could on how to fix it, but I was unsuccessful.

I had to wait until Monday to go to the computer store and get a new hard drive, and then I began the arduous task of reinstalling Windows and all my software.  I didn't realize how much of a pickle that I was in until I went to restore the information from my external hard drive.

It had been three months since my last backup.

Great.  Now, I was kicking myself because I run my business off of the notebook, and honestly I would never know what I had lost.

What I learned from this experience is that I need to do a backup at least once per week and I have picked Friday that I will hookup my external drive to my notebook to back it up.  I am also looking into online backup solutions, and I might do a post on them later.

Just remember: backup your laptop!

Direct Connection

You can hook your printer up directly with a USB or a parallel printer cable (if you have an older laptop and printer).  This can be handy if your notebook doesn't really ever leave the desk and is used as a desktop replacement.  It also is the most secure method as no one should be able to intercept your documents on their way to the printer.

Wired Network

If you have a network at your home or office and have a printer that is network capable you can use a network printer.  Basically, the printer hooks up to your network with a network cable just like other computers on your network.  You can also just share a printer that is attached to a computer in the network allowing other computers to print to it.  The catch is you have to have the computer that is attached to the printer turned on.  Wired networking is definitely a cheaper option if you have more than one computer at your location.

Wireless Connection

If you have an existing wireless network in your home and have a wireless printer, you can setup your printer to print from anywhere in your home or business.  Sit on the deck, or in the board room and you can print without the messiness of wires in your way.  Be aware that a wireless connection is never 100% secure, so you may want to wait till you can hook up with a wire to your printer to print documents that require some discretion.

Basically everyone I talk to has to decide what the main purpose of their laptop purpose will be: business or pleasure.  The reason I make this comparison, is that there is some difference between a computer that can handle working on writing a paper for school and one that can allow you to play cutting edge games.  Sure, the game playing computer can do work as well, but the business machine may not be able to play the games you want to.

Don't get too fixated on price.  I have had a lot of customers buy the cheaper computer only to return it a few days later because it doesn't do what they need it to do.  If the computer you need costs $600 more than a cheaper one, consider this:  that works out to a little more than fifty cents per day if you keep it for three years.  Don't let the $0.50 per day hold you back - you just might regret it.