Yule Countdown Special - value laptops in the UK

IF YOU know of any good value IT sales (auctions, rebates, one-off, clearance, surplus, classified ads) going around in the United Kingdom, France, USA or Singapore, don't hesitate to contact me, at least 24 hours before the sales end.

The Packard Bell C3300 is on sale at Dixons for a mere £539.99 after an instant £30 rebate using the following code "DIXONS30", that's under £460+VAT. The only condition to it is that you buy the laptop online. You also get two free months access to Napster, worth £19.90 by itself. The Packard bell Easynote C3300 is an impressive piece of technology available at a rock bottom price. You will find an AMD XP-M 2600+ which is substantially better than the Sempron generation as it comes with a larger 512KB cache. The chipset used is a VIA KN266 with integrated video courtesy of the S3 graphic module, to which up to 64MB system memory can be allocated. There is also a large 15.1-inch TFT screen with a fairly large bezel connected to it. On the storage side, you do get 256MB memory, a 40GB hard disk drive - out of which 6GB have been allocated to the restore system - and quite a remarkable feat at that price, a multiformat DVD writer.

The KN266 also provides for the sound, an AC97 compatible AD1981 module coupled to two integrated speakers. Other features include a modem and a network card. A number of connectors - three USB 2.0, one Firewire, Mic In and Headphone out - can also be found. No word however of any PCMCIA slots; the floppy disk drive is optional. Software include Windows XP home, Power Cinema and producer and Internet Security 2003 from Norton. Last but not least, there is a standard one year warranty and a 8-cells NiMH battery which should safely last two hours. There is unfortunately no direct link to the C3300. Go on Dixons website at dixons.co.uk and type in the product code 806681; and don't forget the discount code.

If you are not interested in the DVD Writer but still wnt a good deal, then what about a P4 2.8GHz laptop for under £499 with free delivery? The Advent laptop on sale at ebay is a used one but comes with a Pentium IV 2.8GHz, 512MB DDR memory and a large Seagate 40GB hard disk drive. That particular model has a few scratches on its casing as well as a tiny mark on its screen. The chipset used is an integrated SIS650 model.

The latter does provide for the video card which uses a Shared Memory Architecture. Sound is controlled by an onboard Realtek AC97 audio while communications are handled by a HSP MR8640 modem and a SIS fast Ethernet controller. Even at that price, you do get a Wireless LAN card supporting 802.11g speeds. Four USB ports and the other usual connections are provided. Mind you though that there is no floppy and only one PC Card slot. The storage drive provided is a 8x24x10x24x CDRW.DVD combination drive. The Advent 7035 is powered by a Lithium-Ion battery, which will last considerably longer than the usual NiMH one. No casing or any other accessories is provided though. But at a fraction of its original price, this model is a winner.

Want to move up the tree, then this real powerhouse is available for at morgancomputers. Use rpoints.com and you will get an automatic 1% discount, briging the price to an astounding £544.49+VAT. Every little helps. Yet another Advent laptop, the 7039, but this one is another story.

First, it comes with a one year warranty and the peace of mind associated with a brand name seller. Second, it's a different machine altogether and thirdly, it apparently comes with the usual items supplied - which unfortunately does not include a casing. The 7039 features the AMD Athlon 64 3000+ paired with a non-graphic integrated K8T800 chipset; one of the more powerful combination you will find on the laptop market. The storage devices include two 256MB DDR modules, a 40GB 4200rpm Hitachi Travelstar hard drive and the same DVD/CDRW combination drive featured in the previous laptop.

What sets it really apart is the ATI Mobility Radeon 9600 which comes with its own 64MB memory. This alone is a feature found on laptops costing several hundred pounds more. It comes with a 15-inch TFT display, which is bright and has a good contrast. The rest though is pretty much standard with VIA's AC97 sound module, a Wireless Prism 3890 network card supporting 802.11g and a 3-in-1 card reader. There is no floppy disk drive but you get PCMCIA type III slot - allowing you to insert two Type II card. Other connectors include a Firewire, four USB 2.0 and Line I/O while a Lithium Ion battery is provided. Interestingly Intel gets its hand at the modem with its 537EA v.92 modem. Software provided is standard to all Advent laptop models and include - Windows XP home and MS Works 7 as well as Advent System Recovery CD v3.0.

Last but certainly not the least, this Aopen 1557AL, apply name the Barebook. What sets this little baby apart, is the fact that you can plug in the processor you want as long as it is a Pentium M. You get a fairly capable system on which to build. The 855PM chipset will prove the perfect partner to any Pentium or Celeron M.

The graphics provided is a Radeon 9600 with 64MB VRAM; another option with the 9700 exists. The graphic card powers a gorgeous 15-inch 1400x1050pixels moonitor Two memory sockets are available supporting up to 1GB memory. Other parts of this puzzle include a 3-in-1 reader, a 65W/h Li-Ion 8-cell battery with a 360 min battery life with ACPI, AC97 sound, optional Wireless commuication, 10/100 Base T LAN and a v.92 modem. I/O ports include a Firewire port, three USB 2.0 ports, SPDIF I/O and other usual ones. Its price? £356.50 here. Other useful accessories include a 1.7GHz Pentium M at £137+VAT, 512MB Crucial memory at £44.7+VAT and a 80GB 5400rpm, 8MB cached Scorpio hard disk drive at £94.05+VAT. Only missing things are the operating system and a slot loading DVD writer. But after all, you might be better off buying one ready made laptop. At 850+VAT, Acer gives you the 1662WLMI, which comes with a Pentium 3.4GHz processor, 1024MB of memory and a 80GB hard disk drive. The graphic card is a Radeon 9700 and you do get a DVD Writer and a massive 15.4-inch XGA TFT screen as well as Wireless LAN. By quite a margin, the most powerful laptop under a Grand. µ