An 80 GB is the absolute smallest I ever used for a Windows XP installation (GOLD/Pro and built it myself) and that was with a HUGE array of backup secondary drives. And the worst part was while working with something large (like a document file) and having to reboot constantly.
I preferred building my own Windows desktops cause you don’t have to have all the JUNK that companies add to a new computer…mine truly was a CLEAN install!
Liz
What kind of use have these laptops seen? If they mostly sit on a desk and only occasionally get taken around, they may still be in decent shape and $100 may be reasonable. If they are on-the-road, in-the-field kinds of machines, they may be on the edge of falling apart. Laptops may be miracles of technology, but they do not take kindly to being thrown in backseats and shipped through baggage day after day.
I’m using a 4 GB Dell Latitude 620 running Windows 7 x64 right now. There are three things you need to know: the batteries don’t last so you should budget for a replacement - my second one has just failed - and thanks to a BIOS limitation they can’t make full use of 4 GB, even with a 64 bit OS. The third is that it is prone to overheating.
Beyond that, it continues to serve me well.
You definitely should try to get a D630 instead of a D620, if possible. The D620 used Intel Core Duo processors, while the D630 used the first generation Intel Core 2 Duo processors! A D630 will be newer than any D620 because it was the D630 was the replacement for it!
How much you expect to spend on one of these? Dell Financial Services offers off-lease laptops at www.dfsdirectsales.com and a solid D630 can be had for under $250 from there. You can get a D620 for barely $200. All systems have a 100-day Warranty from DFS.
Actually, you can get a Latitude E6400 from DFS for the same or even a few bucks less than a D630! The E6400 was a brand new design that replaced the D630 in late 2008. I custom-ordered an E6400 is Sept 2008 and never imagined that it last beyond the 3-year warranty. If I didn’t manage to destroy it in the first three years, it would be so obsolete and outdated at the 3yr mark that I expected to replace it at that time…
It passed the 4-year mark almost 2mos ago and I’m using it to type this posting! I had to install a new screen/display back in July and I have worn out three keyboards (easy to install new ones), but it’s been rock-solid-reliable otherwise! The Latitude laptops have always been very durable and easy to upgrade or repair, so whatever you choose will hopefully serve you for a long time!