Brag about the "good deals" that you've bought!

[DoctorLondom]

I bought a T23 with the pulsing fan issue for $80, without knowing any other specifications. After I resoldered it, I discovered I had a 1.2GHz machine with 1GB RAM, a 20GB hard drive, SXGA+ screen and internal wifi. It also was in absolutely perfect condition, just needed a wipe down.

My current T61 (see sig) along with an Advanced Mini-Dock cost me just over $1200 total (including 9-cell battery) in March with the IBM Employee Discount.

I also bought an A31 for $50 that was supposedly dead, but simply didn't turn on due to a shorted USB port.

[gator]

That T23 is a STEAL. Keep it safe, those with that configurations ar rare to comeby in good condition ...

[pianowizard]

A mint-condition T43p with warranty through 18 Jan 2009 for $620 shipped, thru eBay. It has the best specs for a T43p: Pentium M 780 (2.26GHz), 100GB 7200rpm HDD, 2GB RAM, 15.0" UXGA Flexview, a/b/g wireless, Bluetooth, Gigabit ethernet, and DVD burner.

As detailed in another post, I just upgraded the LCD to Flexview QXGA!

[Outatime1989]

My first laptop was a like new(with the saught after port cover) Thinkpad 560e in december 2005. I payed $20 for it after my friend bought it for $80 only to find he didnt have the power cord and didnt feel like messing with it. My other deal was when i picked up my first 600x last spring. I only paid $50 for a working 2645-8eu with a 12gb hard drive and an extra 6gb. It also came with an extra power cord, floppy drive, and laptop bag.

[Phazer]

Just picked up an A31 for $100.00. Nothing special except for it being a 1.9 P4 with 768 of mem. XGA, no wifi but I like the speed.

[northcarolinagal]

i got a workpad for $26, a transnote for $52, a compaq presario 2100 for nothing, and a pavilion zd8000 with expansion drive and the NTSC setup for it for $25 had to get a new screen for $63 so still think i didnt do to bad on the zd8000. Oh and my best one was a 19 inch LCD IBM thinkvision i got in trade for an old ac unit we had. still think that was the best deal.

[agarza]

I also bought an A31 for $50 that was supposedly dead, but simply didn't turn on due to a shorted USB port.

How did you solved that issue?

[AlphaKilo470]

Got a 5gb iriver H10 today from someone who didn't like it (it was siting in their closet for 3 years!). Also scored earlier this week a T42 with 1.8ghz cpu, 15" flexview, BT and other nice features but it's hinges and screen were busted so I just used the mobo, cpu and other things to upgrade my T41 into a T42. Next week I should have a Palm m505 and a ThinkPad 600E on my door step. The only thing that cost me anything at all were the Palm and the ThinkPad 600E that I'm getting in trade for some T4x parts. It's like Christmas in July.

[DoctorLondom]

How did you solved that issue?

The pins in the USB port were actually bent and twisted, shorting the 5v line to ground. I pulled them out and it worked fine. I would have soldered on a new USB connector but I decided to sell it.

Note that I figured out it was the USB port after tearing down the whole system and soaking the mainboard in alcohol.

[AlphaKilo470]

Today, I got a Sanyo PLC-SW10 3LCD projector from a friend cleaning out their office. It's nice and everything works but upon receipt, the VGA port was flakey and anything displayed through it only displayed in blue. However, after jamming two screws on either side of the port, it displays images from my PC perfectly.

Mostly, I've had the projector hooked up to my tv and pointed at my ceiling so I don't have to lean up in bed to watch tv.

[eddy eddy]

A Sony Cybershot S60: $12
plus a underwater case: $15 the one made from Sony. Not a plastic bag

Yes, it's 4 MP but now I can take the camera anywhere and beat the crap out of it.

[JeriC]

I dont know if it was a good deal, but I think it was.
The Company where my Dad works bought new laptops and sold the old ones. I think for 15 Euro each. ThinkPad 770, this is how I got my one. He bought 2 or 3 and got a third - broken one - from the dumpster. Maybe useful for parts.

And I was mad after I saw in a store that they sold the Sandisk Sansa E260 (With radio, which costs more in Germany) for 33 Euro (I dont know what it costs in other countries, but in Germany it costs at Amazon still 60 Euro or so) and I did not have enough money with me..

[KristianJ]

I've just won an eBay auction for a 240x (P3 500, 128MB RAM, 10GB HDD, no AC adapter but tested as working - 7 day return warranty given) for AU $120 shipped (that's about $75US in current terms). So next week I'll have a Thinkpad again...

[j-dawg]

I did just see a 240X on Craigslist for $75 with a 500MHz P3, floppy drive, 192MB RAM, the works. I was so tempted...but I really don't need any more computers.

[schnitzelcore]

Just bought a very nice looking T22, just a few superficial scratches on the lid and it needed a new harddisk. The broken harddisk was why the seller wanted to dump it, I payed €25! 900MHz, 256MB, 14" panel, combo drive. I took a half hour trainride to pick it up myself.
When I got home I found there was still a dvd in the drive. Porn. Hahaha.

[TheRedFox]

my current Thinkpad X31 laptop was in fairly poor condition, but still working fine $250. take that netbooks!
my first laptop ever was an AST Ascentia 810N (i486 DX2 66mhz, 16mb RAM, 510mb HDD (a gigabyte or so, when compressed with compression agent) $12. it lasted me a whole half year! but I think I got $12 worth of use out of it playing the Ancient Land of Ys, MS Hearts, and wordprocessing w/ msoffice 7 (also I think I used powerpoint 7 as well). the machine was also used pretty extensively for ms paint, or more accurately something sort of like ms paint that was called something else which is weird because Windows 95 definately had MS Paint on it, in my previous experience.
good old Windows 95.
I got my (now partly broken) Sony MDR-V150 headphones new for $16 on Amazon (4 bucks less than usual)
there are probably others, but I can't think of them off the top of my head.

[t140568]

~2yrs ago, I picked up a 250gb 3.5" IDE Hard drive for $10 at a garage sale. I'm still using it flawlessly.

[TheRedFox]

~2yrs ago, I picked up a 250gb 3.5" IDE Hard drive for $10 at a garage sale. I'm still using it flawlessly.

NICE! I got my 60gb hdd from a friend for free. lol. the one in my tp

[AlphaKilo470]

Last week I snagged off eBay a lot of three laptops for 99 cents $39 shipping. The $40 package included a ThinkPad 770ED and two 233mhz 380Zs. Package arrived 4 business days later and all three laptops look almost new; they must have been babied in their day. Since putting 2000 Pro on it, the 770ED has been my new daily driver. Aside from looking new, yesterday I started running it off battery power around 3pm and it was at 30% when I plugged it back in at a few minutes before 5pm. Surprising for an 11 year old battery.

This past Saturday, I went to a school fund raiser sale and picked up a pair of Polk Audio S4 speakers, a circa 1991 Sony STR-AV970 surround sound receiver, a Technics cassette player (which I ended up having to repair myself) and a Yamaha cd changer. Audio delivered by this setup is just great; I hope to get many complaints from the neighbors .

[t140568]

This past Sunday, I picked up two Intellistation M Pro's for $5/ea. Granted, there's no RAM, HD, Processors, or Optical drives, and one is missing a video card. If nothing else, they're GREAT cases.

6218-10U and 6218-25U.

[j-dawg]

I did just see a 240X on Craigslist for $75 with a 500MHz P3, floppy drive, 192MB RAM, the works. I was so tempted...but I really don't need any more computers.

I saw this post and got jealous for a minute...then realized I had made it a few months ago.

Kicking myself now...

[SaberX]

Picked up a T43(1871-AP7) , P-M 2.0 ,2 gigs ram , 40 gig ,cd-rw/dvd , ac adapter , ect...
The system did not turn on so i picked it up for $60.00cdn.
Got it mostly for the parts.The P-m 2.0 cpu is almost worth the 60.00 bux.
Got it home and ran the SN#. Still has warranty till Sept 09. And it's "on site " warranty too.So i go online and send in a warranty request saying the laptop wont turn on.
They call back for me to get it fixed.
2 days later i have a new system board install,new keyboard(was 2 keys missing).System runs great.
Then i find the LCD dimm. So a sent another request and they are sending me a new LCD and inverter.
So i got a T43 with new system board,keyboard,lcd and inverter for 60.00 bux.And still warranty till Sept.
I'm very happy.

[dorronto]

Picked up a T43(1871-AP7) , P-M 2.0 ,2 gigs ram , 40 gig ,cd-rw/dvd , ac adapter , ect...
The system did not turn on so i picked it up for $60.00cdn.
Got it mostly for the parts.The P-m 2.0 cpu is almost worth the 60.00 bux.
Got it home and ran the SN#. Still has warranty till Sept 09. And it's "on site " warranty too.So i go online and send in a warranty request saying the laptop wont turn on.
They call back for me to get it fixed.
2 days later i have a new system board install,new keyboard(was 2 keys missing).System runs great.
Then i find the LCD dimm. So a sent another request and they are sending me a new LCD and inverter.
So i got a T43 with new system board,keyboard,lcd and inverter for 60.00 bux.And still warranty till Sept.
I'm very happy.

You did good Bill. real good......

Good luck with it,
Ron

[killer]

That's an amazing deal, SaberX.

[SaberX]

Thanks.!!!
I know it only has Intel video and XGA screen. But I dont do much if any gaming on laptops.Have a Epson 1080P LCD projector and 120" widescreen,Rotel 7.1 amp with all high end Paradigm speakers ,X-box and Wii for gaming.
The T43 is fast and should run cool with the intel video.
I just need a battery and HDD cover.

[Phazer]

Scooped up on fleaBay, an A31, (2652-M3U), for $30.00 w/free shipping. Stated it had a fan error. Pulled the palmrest off, blew out the fan and it's been running solid and cool for over a week. Upgraded it to wireless with antennas from a defunct R40. Snaked them around under the palmrest, excellent reception.

[vanaya]

This is not a Thinkpad, but I think it counts!! Picked up an HP zd7000 unknown condition for $45. No HDD, power adapter, RAM or memory cover. It needed some TLC, so I disassembled it and gave it a thorough cleaning while the $20 power adapter from ebay was being shipped. One week later, I plugged in the adapter and voila!!! A beautiful 17" screen lit up. When it booted to BIOS, I noticed it was a zd7030 which originally came with Windows MCE. Now I have to order the recovery disks, the set I had were for XP Home. I have been wanting to play with this OS for a few months, since the purchase of HDTV.

[pianowizard]

Last week, I ordered and received an Acer X193W+BD LCD monitor from Newegg.com, using a special coupon code that brought the price down to $99.99 plus free shipping. It's one of the few 19" LCD monitors that have 1680x1050 resolution rather than 1440x900, and I love it! I believe its pixel density of 104.3 dots per inch is the highest among all external LCDs that are currently available. The rest of the monitor looks and feels cheap, but I am not complaining because that's why it's so affordable!

[RealBlackStuff]

Picked up a T60 (2008-VKL) with less than 10 hours of use on it for only $125.- incl. a full set of new T60 restore CDs.
Reason: there was an SVP password on it (which I removed )
Guess where? Right here on our Marketforum!
Hard disk, keyboard, wifi adapter and memory were removed, so I had to buy those (for only just over $110.-)
But the machine is absolutely brand spanking new, with a 14.1" SXGA+ in 4:3 format.
Best of all, it's still under warranty until September 2009!

[Hugh Chardon]

Hmmmm Best Deal...Well, a couple of years ago I was driving down to the local flea market to deliver some computers to the dealer I knew that worked on the weekend. I stopped at a used car lot near there after I spotted a worker writing $300 on the windshield of this big black Dodge Ram truck. I watched him finish his soaping of the windows (to show price...) and then walked up to look at the truck. Nice tires, not much rust, but FULL chrome rollbar, trailer hitch and winch on the front with CHROME bush protector. I asked him, "300 ?" he says "Yep" I drive to my dealer collect $400 from him for the delivery and beat it back to the lot. "$388 with tax" "Here's the keys, Gotta Tag?" I said yeah, and away I went...to the flea market. The guy one stall down had a Dodge that was nearly identical and I sold him the winch, rollbar and camper cab for....$400.

My Free truck lasted 8 months before I put more than $20 into it, I was over the moon about that deal, still am...