Doorbusting Toshiba A135 for only $229 you-know-when

Believe it or not, we've but three days before this year's Black Friday arrives, and Best Buy has just unveiled that it will be offering up Toshiba's Satellite A135-S7403 laptop and a Canon PIXMA 3-in-1 printer for the low, low price of $229. We've already seen Dell throw out a $399 lappie, but this machine hits even lower by offering up a totally weak (but potentially satisfactory) 1.73GHz Intel Celeron M 530 processor, 512MB of DDR2 RAM, an 80GB 5,400RPM SATA drive, 802.11b/g WiFi, Windows Vista Home Basic, Ethernet, a dual-layer DVD burner, GMA950 integrated graphics set and a 15.4-inch WXGA (1,280 x 800) TruBrite panel. Furthermore, you'll find four USB 2.0 ports, a PCMCIA slot, built-in speakers, a Li-ion battery, 56k modem and a multicard reader for good measure. Best Buy claims that each store will have a minimum of 20 bundles on hand, but you better show up early in order to secure a ticket. Check out a few more shots of the pair after the jump.

[Via Notebooks]

[brad @ Nov 20th 2007 9:23AM]

RIP to all those who have to work retail friday...ive put my time in the trenches...best of luck dealing with dumbass customers who are pissed when they show up at noon and cant find the laptop

[Flashpoint @ Nov 20th 2007 10:19AM]

Each store will only have a MINIMUM number of these doorbuster laptops and PC's - that number is normally 10 ~15 (at the most 20).

That is, 15 laptops that will be gobbled up by the first people on line.

After what happened a year ago with people getting trampled and stampeeded in the Walmart doorways, BBY and CC know not to let more than about 50 people in the stores at once. Last year the police set up caulderons around the stores in my local mall for example to do just this.

It also cuts down on theft.

My point is, don't get your hopes up because alot of people aren't above camping out in front of the store and those few units will go in a flash.

[T-Bone @ Nov 20th 2007 11:04AM]

At Flashpoint: Way to read the article. "Buy claims that each store will have a minimum of 20 bundles on hand".

[Montusama @ Nov 20th 2007 6:24PM]

I work black friday, but!! I work at applebee's and I work at 4pm so shopping in the morning, sleeping in the afternoon and working in the evening...

[mattclarkie @ Nov 20th 2007 9:26AM]

£150 for that i really good.Plus first post. You could use some of the compenents like the RAM,wi-fi, or HDD for something useful and still get a bargain out of it.

[insertAlias @ Nov 20th 2007 10:20AM]

You fail at first post.

But even if you were the first, talking about it would still make you fail.

[ilh @ Nov 20th 2007 9:26AM]

£115? That's ridiculous. Can't even get an eeepc for that.

[dpjax @ Nov 20th 2007 10:04AM]

Can I buy one of these and send it to an OLPC kid?

[ScOObyDoo @ Nov 20th 2007 9:28AM]

If it's anything like last year, people will start camping at the local BB some time today. It's going to snow tomorrow and Thursday night will be in the lower 20's. Best of luck to them :D

[murray @ Nov 20th 2007 3:12PM]

Um, there's more than one Best Buy in the country. Ever heard of southern California? I'd be lucky to see my breath in the middle of the night.

[Fuzzball @ Nov 20th 2007 9:31AM]

Damn that's a good deal. For that price I'm tempted to buy just because. Heck, it would make an appropriately priced 15.4" Digital Picture Frame.

[Dull @ Nov 20th 2007 9:40AM]

Yep, that's a good deal. But, can it be upgraded to XP?

[BizReporter @ Nov 20th 2007 12:12PM]

If this lappy is anything like the $299 Gateway ML6230 special BB offered a few weeks ago, then the answer to the XP question is "basically" no. People have gotten the ML6230 to run XP, but you have to cobble together drivers from other manufacturers, and even then you may not have support for the modem -- not that anyone needs a modem these days. Anyway, on these low-end machines Vista Home is acceptable.

On a related note, what's the odds this one really has a DL DVD burner in it? The ML6230 was promised a DVD burner, but it in fact only had a CD burner/DVD ROM drive. Of course, I snagged it for $299, plus a $50 gift card and I didn't have to contend with BF crowds.

[bob e @ Nov 20th 2007 9:39AM]

Amazing...

and I was thinking the $399 Dell was a good deal~

[friendlyner @ Nov 20th 2007 9:48AM]

It's a great deal, but is it worth camping out with a bunch of losers at Best Buy in the cold? I hate to sound like some power-hungry corporate type but time is money, and the stress of waiting in the cold is the nail in the coffin.

[getz76 @ Nov 20th 2007 10:12AM]

I am with you. The Dell deal is much better when you realize you do not have to camp out and there are more than 20 available. This is a classic loss-leader tactic for the stores.

[getz76 @ Nov 20th 2007 10:13AM]

Oh, and by they way, I am a power-hunger corporate type. :)

[Andrew @ Nov 20th 2007 10:15AM]

All this Black Friday crap just shows how tough things really are for the middle class. Not that they don't have livable income, but that they are so absorbed with buying garbage on their credit cards that they camp out in the cold just to get that unneeded consumption high. So just bare in mind that waiting in line for one of these is about the same as tattooing 'debt-starved prol' on your head.

[insertAlias @ Nov 20th 2007 10:26AM]

Or it could mean that some of these people like saving money. They wait until there is a good sale so they can actually afford the product that they want/need, and then determinedly wait in line to purchase it. This instead of impulse buying what they want when it is at a price they cannot afford and must be put on high interest credit.

There are two sides to every coin (deep, I know).

[kevjohn @ Nov 20th 2007 10:28AM]

Or.... you could just be an individual who doesn't make much $$$ who happens to be needing a laptop.

[Flashpoint @ Nov 20th 2007 10:38AM]

I agree with you.
What bothers me even more is that Americans are so passive, we are letting $3.00 gas prices and the fears of HOME HEATING OIL threaten us while we ALLOW the coorporations to soak up profits and invade other countries for oil (YES, IRAQ is ABOUT $30 Trillion of OIL - nothing more).

They claim home heating will go up $400 or possibly $700 and it will be the single thing that drives down consumer spending this season...not to mention RECORD FORECLOSURES and a PARALYZED HOUSING MARKET.

I own a house that runs on gas.
My uncle told me he paid $700 for his oil refill.

BLACK FRIDAY is simply the start of the largest revenue period. 45% of a stores annual income comes from BF - February (according to BBY manager of store 483). This is just an excuse to get the consumer out there and BUYING, spending money and WASTING MONEY.


By the way...dont buy gift cards.
Asides from the reasons you've already heard, if you leave a balance on a gift card, the store soaks it up.

[jmattick @ Nov 20th 2007 10:38AM]

Um, I know a lot more upper class that do the Black Friday sales and camp out, than I do middle class.

I'd consider myself middle class, and I don't ever want to deal with those crowds.

But the upper class soccer moms realize that if they can save $200 on that laptop, it means an additional Botox treatment before XMas or a new Gucci handbag to show off at work.

[jmattick @ Nov 20th 2007 11:13AM]

@Flashpoint: I look at your posts and all I see is blah blah Bush, blah blah war crimes, blah...

I thought your type never posted on message boards and blogs for fear 'The Man' would come get you for saying what you believe everyone in America thinks...

I think you need to adjust your tin foil hat... It's not cutting off circulation yet.

[Craig @ Nov 20th 2007 1:32PM]

@jmattick, I think you're confusing "uppper class" with "upper-middle class". Upper class are generally heirs to family fortunes, CEO types, etc. $200 is insignificant to them, they don't have a job where they could show off their Gucci handbag, and I'm pretty sure you'll never see one of them waiting in line on BF.

[yibrushn @ Nov 20th 2007 3:22PM]

There is NO way anyone in their right mind actually WANTS this pos laptop. There are ppl out there who can only afford this, but no one WANTS this laptop.

[T-Bone @ Nov 20th 2007 11:01AM]

I would not get this laptop. It looks like it is only slightly better than my 4-year-old midrange laptop which is starting to feel really slow.

[eX @ Nov 20th 2007 11:11AM]

This is a very good deal. You can get a core 2 duo on eBay for around $30-40 to stick into this puter. This is a very nice mid range system and if you get rid of all the bundled crapware it should run well.

[Fundi @ Nov 20th 2007 11:12AM]

Damn you Americans get all the best deals. The cheapest laptops cost twice that over here in England.

[RC @ Nov 20th 2007 11:12AM]

@ Flashpoint - you seem to not understand supply and demand very well. For instance, you have a large supply of low quality opinion. There is very little demand for this. Therefore, your opinion is practically worthless.

[getz76 @ Nov 20th 2007 11:46AM]

Well played. I'll steal line. that and use it without crediting you another time. Thanks. :)

I love folks that blame "the corporations" and government for people struggling to make "ends meet" because they have spent too much (on credit) buying flat screens, computers, satellite TV, a new car, a big house, etc.

I grew up poor. Guess what we did? WE DIDN'T BUY STUFF!!!

There are people out there who struggle and are in bad situations. Sucks. I wish them well. But I have zero sympathy for some jacka$$ that buys a $800k condo, blows $75k on Ethan Allen's latest, slaps a 53" plasma screen in the living room, and drives his Hummer H2 to work, all on his $90k salary.

[Flashpoint @ Nov 20th 2007 3:00PM]

Ill be the one laughing when your jobs go to India and a guy named KERPAL is giving poor quality service in your wake.

You think I give a F*CK about this BULLSHT Raing system?

[Sean @ Nov 20th 2007 11:20AM]

Too bad it's a piece of crap laptop. The cost is nearly worth it for the Windows COA and printer and some of the parts, but Vista is going to eat all that RAM in no time, good luck trying to say run MS Office on it without memory issues.

[T-Bone @ Nov 20th 2007 12:05PM]

I had XP on my computer originally and it ate threw my 512MB easily. I have 1GB now and Vista easily uses 1/2-2/3 of my RAM.

[jason w @ Nov 20th 2007 11:24AM]

Flashpoint is an idiot.
Best Buy is great. And the guy who said to not put it on Credit is right. Must be having a "better day than he deserves" like myself.

[wrabbit @ Nov 20th 2007 11:26AM]

That's a hell of deal considering that strictly speaking OEM of vista would cost you more than half the price of this laptop. Of course, only way I'd get this laptop is if it were free, and then I'd sell it to some sucker for $200 bucks :D

[Deuz Augustine @ Nov 20th 2007 11:31AM]

Hilarious and depressing: This thing, aside from the processor, is almost as good-spec wise as my MacBook that I paid $1400 CAD for back in August.

[Chris @ Nov 20th 2007 11:48AM]

Flashpoint:

Are you getting your talking points from DailyKOS or the DNC?

Also, this is a good deal, and I think this was the laptop I was looking at a few months back, and honestly, you get what you pay for. It's cheap quality and flimsy. I would recommend this for a teenager who spends most of their time on MySpace or Facebook. I'll probably drop the $399 on the Dell.

[jeff @ Nov 20th 2007 12:03PM]

Big Black Friday: I've collected five of the best deals you can find around the black friday sites. Take a look and pick the best one
http://www.pollsb.com/polls/poll/3904/best-black-friday-deal

[Michael @ Nov 20th 2007 2:50PM]

The Samsung theatre system seems like a good deal. Hell, I'd buy it online today for $200 if I had an HDTV to go along with it. Not much point in having surround sound with a 27" CRT right?

[murray @ Nov 20th 2007 3:21PM]

@Michael: Not true. I have a 27" CRT and a high quality 5.1 surround system. The surround has made watching movies a totally different and infinitely more enjoyable experience for me. Yes, I need to upgrade the screen and will do when I can afford it. But if I had to do it over, I would always upgrade the sound system first. Every time. A home theater without surround is utterly pointless.

[tiuk @ Nov 20th 2007 12:45PM]

15.4" and 1280x800 res? Have fun with that.

[TIMMAH! @ Nov 20th 2007 12:47PM]

Well you better start camping out now if you want to get this one. I'm sure the people who are going to get these are not going to even spend Thanksgiving with their families. So if that's important to you, just plunk down the extra $170, get the Dell (which is a better machine anyways) and sleep in on Friday.

[devin @ Nov 20th 2007 1:01PM]

That thing will stink to high heaven. Vista needs at least 2 gigabytes of Ram to run all the visual applications it relies on, while using whatever programs that user chooses, and since people open so many at once nowdays....I am a super high end PC gamer, and I should know this. Vista is a waste. This computer will be great for typing homework, and surfing simple websites, and watching DVDs, if you can stand the tiny screen with the certainly terrible contrast ratio and murky backlight. I would rather go to a momandpop computer store, and purchase and old IMac for $100. Yes, that would be better.

As to the comments about middle class...The idea for America, is to eliminate the middle class, using biological warfare, increased housing costs, low quality food, impossible gas, sad boring jobs, TV hypnotizing, and general fear surrouding other countries. What we should fear most is our own government, or rather the neighboor next to you that still insists on remodeling their house with two Lincoln SUVs in the driveway, a newborn baby, and a fat wife, and a husband whom is never home. Is this a dream? THIS IS A NIGHTMARE. We are a very strong people, and we can beat this. USE YOUR BUYING POWER TO BOYCOTT every single thing you dont like. But what matters most, over every single political or economical idea anybody could have, is how you treat peopole.

Even if you feel burned and shot, BE NICE TO EVERYONE NO MATTER WHAT. This is the real test. We are so used to material comfort, and only in the last 150 years, that we have forgotten what life was like before all these trappings. IT WAS GOOD. VERY GOOD. It may have been harder, but the joys lasted so much longer, the people were more honest, and if you had a cause, you LIVED IT. You didnt sit in your computer room and complain. No matter what happens, we must be examples of good people.

[Mile @ Nov 20th 2007 1:39PM]

Wouldn't you be able to download moar ram for it?

[Seth Porter @ Nov 20th 2007 1:57PM]

Just for the record, you install ram physically as a chip, you don't download it. Should be pretty cheap, and it will be interesting to see if there is an empty slot available for additional ram on this laptop.

[Mile @ Nov 20th 2007 2:11PM]

Really? Are you sure? I'm downloading moar ram on my pc right nao.

[Michael @ Nov 20th 2007 2:50PM]

@devin


How does a husband remodel a home when he's never home? Or, if you assume the fat wife is going to do the remodeling, then who will be watching after the children?


Anyways, this thing would be fine for a child's first computer or as a basic PC used for web browsing and other simple tasks. Anything else you'd definitely want to buy some more RAM....but even then, the weak processor couldn't handle much.

An ultra-cheap PC can't be expected to be a productivity powerhouse. As long as the buyer understands this (which we can only hope they do before spending all night camping out for it), they should be satisfied.

[Jas @ Nov 20th 2007 2:30PM]

Is it for real!

[yagi @ Nov 21st 2007 1:17PM]

Woefully underpowered, especially in the RAM department. I bought the A135-2306 (same basic config) during a similar sale in February. At this price though, it could be worth picking up as a portable media player/photo backup device/web browser. Just be sure to toss in another 1-1.5GB of RAM.

Personally though, I wouldn't bother running Vista on anything less than a dual-proc machine w/2GB RAM.

[Julio @ Nov 21st 2007 3:02PM]

I have this same laptop with the previous celeron (the 1.6). Everyone looked at me like a fool for buying it ,but it had everything I needed. I usually have firefox open with multiple tabs, win media player, word, and excel open at the same time and it NEVER chokes. BUT I do have 2 gigs of ram, I guess that's why it is so responsive, How about actually USING this laptop before bashing it. I also make music on there without a glitch, WAAAAY faster than my old P4-M 1.6 toshiba. If your on a budget and don't have enough for a macbook pro, get this laptop and max out the ram. Also, find me another build that has 4 USB 2.0 ports, S-video, IEEE1394, and PCMCIA for this price! I can tell you right now, the 399 dell does NOT!!!