Very nice!

Could you post which model Acer it is?

Dave

... but... Windows Vista?

Couldn't you have just loaded XP and removed half the memory?  It would have ran about the same that way. ;)

I think you meant 2 gigahertz (GHz)?  GB would refer to the hard drive.  2GB was what they had back in the 90s.

Can you tell us which Acer model this laptop is?

Thank you.

Really hate to burst your bubble, but Best Buy has a 449.99 laptop in the stores - has been for a few weeks.  Windows Vista Home Premium, 2 GB memory, 160 GB hard drive, DL DVD/CD RW (yes dual layer) - a Gateway platform with 15.4 wide screen btw with onboard 802.11g wireless and NIC card. (using Realtek chip sets)

I bought it for my wife - she is quite happy with it as a replacement for her 4 yr old Dell Inspiron running Windows XP. 

No offense Wal-Mart, but you got beat by Best Buy here

     Hey, what do you all think about making it to the NY Times and thus, to the BIG TIME?  Bloggers beware...your opinions really do count!  Blog on and on and on...

Yeah but....is it sturdy?  Laptops live a hard life getting thumped around in car trunks and backpacks.  I've had it with laptops that give up after a few months.

I was just in your store over the weekend, where they had a crew selling out about 20 or so laptops at sale prices.

However, as I looked at the inventory, what I found is that it is mostly dud stock that range from 1 year to 2+ year old stock, that was modestly discounted (25% or so is what I remember) from their old sticker prices.

At those prices, nevermind that it is "new", the laptops represent a terribly bad deal as the newer laptops (like the $500 Acer mentioned above) are far better buys.

I looked in the markdown section and found similarly uncompetitive prices for marked down hard drives (new ones at current unmarked down prices are far better deals).

Walmart needs a markdown policy that is consistent with the price declines of technology items.

You wouldn't mark down expired meat by offering a measley 20% discount, so you shouldn't be selling 2 year old computers for 25% off. 

This stuff either should be returned to the supplier who can contract out special disposal firms that get rid of it for whatever they can get for it, or sharply discounted to represent good values compared to current machines.

Great work on the pricing!  But, one question:  Why, with Wal-Mart's clout, does it not push MicroSoft to take full responsibility for its decidedly inferior, under developed and problem plagued products, such as Vista?  I know several people who have had to have Vista wiped from their hard drives and start completely over with XP and re-install everything.  It is great to have an operating system which works as Vista is supposed to work IF you have a SUPER MACHINE.  But, 99% of the people do not.  This is like taking away all the gasoline that runs 99% of the cars and telling them they'll have to use a gasoline that requires they buy a new car!!!  Ridiculous.  And, unethical.

Apple's computers work.  All MicroSoft is doing, in foisting products on us like Vista is giving us a defective product.  Wal-Mart should not be a part of MicroSoft's destructive business practices.

The 2GB that was referred to refers to the RAM.

When Ryan posted 2GB with regards to the laptop he was talking about the amount of RAM this laptop had. Not the amount of hard drive space and Gateway was recently acquired by Acer who is one of the largest PC makers in the world.

I actively watch Best Buy and have not seen them at a below $500 on a 2GB.  Carl posted that he bought a 2GB at $450 which leads me to believe that this was a clearance instore event.  The 5 Best Buys I have visited this month did not have our configuration a the price we are offering.  Their add this week had a Toshiba 1GB at $449.

As for Vista vs. XP, we actually have a desktop tower from eMachines that with XP OS.  Though we are a large company, our "clout" doesn't allow for pushing microsoft to change OS.  I remember a while ago when the chagned to XP and there were issues when it launched.  Vista may not be the easiest, but it is the go forward Operating System from Microsoft.  I appreciate all of your comments.

Would it be possible to get the same model for cheaper, loaded with XP? I would willingly buy it at the same price if it came with XP and the option to upgrade to Vista within two years. The Vista system is bug ridden, problem plagued, and simply unuseable to anyone who does not have the time to restore their system every month.

Also, can or will Wal-Mart be willing to ask Microsoft to offer better support for their products?

While BestBuy may have had the deal that was referred to earlier, they don't anymore... So WalMart ftw!

Kinda bugs me when i look at what i recently paid for my laptop and its specs, but i guess maybe thats motivation to get a  second one. I do have 2 mouse hands afterall

I just returned from my local Wal*Mart and they were completely sold out of the 2GB Acer. Nice buy Ryan.

I have just pick up an Acer 4520-5950 this afternoon. The current trend is that you have to pay more for a 14" than an 15".

Major computer vendors such as Lenovo, HP and Dell still offer Windows XP instead of Windows Vista.

While you can call call Vista the "going forward" Microsoft OS, after 18 months they is a growing business in removing Vista from new machines and replacing is with Windows XP.

WalMart has a unique opportunity to change the playing filed and offer new, sub-$500 laptop computers. This is something that neither BestBuy or Staples or any other retailer offers.

I am sure that you could do a deal with Dell or HP to offer a sub-$500 Windows XP laptop.

This would be a win-situation for WalMart and its customers 

There is a simple solution to the Vista / XP / Linux conundurm.

Just carry machines with Vista Business Loaded, and SPECIFY to the Vendor that they must include a backup CD with XP, and another backup CD with Ubuntu, and furthermore, certify that the machine will run (and have all the compatible drivers) for any of the 3 operating systems.

Microsoft's Vista Business license automatically now give you upgrade rights to XP Professional, but it is up to the vendor to include the backup disk in the package.

The cost to the vendor to include XP Professional? 15 cents for the CD.  Ubuntu... about another 15 cents.  This assumes that drivers for XP and Ubuntu are available --- not hard to do when the Vendor specifies it for the supplier.

The real need for this is not for the home user unless it is one that has lots of legacy programs and hardware (including many HP printers that are current products that simply do not have Vista drivers), but for the small business users who buy their laptops at Sams Club or Walmart.

This way, Walmart do not have to choose what is the 'go forward' operating system.  Let the customer decide.

Buyer beware & I normally don't trash Walmart or the Products sold there. I have had nothing but problems with my ACER PC. It has been serviced 4 times now for monitor failures/issues it has been in repair more than i have used it. It is really frustrating dealing with ACER who really doesn't care to remedy they just say mail it back and we will repair. I have only owned since Sept 2007, I bought it for college.  $800plus and I am not happy I also bought the Walmart warranty but that doesn't kick in until I've owned this boat anchor for a year. If I could afford another PC I would buy another one.  Very frustrating.

I bought the Acer Aspire 4520-5950 at Wal-mart. The display model showed a Bluetooth launch button. I thought this was a great deal to begin with and the Bluetooth was like icing on the cake. HOWEVER when I got home and tried to match it with my cell phone it showed "NO DEVICE". I immediately went to the Control Panel and found that it was not included. Fair Warning

You decide!