How to Replace an Averatec C3500 Laptop

Although many modern tablets don't include a keyboard, convertible laptops still exist.

The Averatech C3500 is a convertible laptop that was released in 2004. You can twist the screen of this unique laptop around backward and then close it, making the laptop into a touch-sensitive tablet PC. Using a stylus stored in the body of the computer, you can write directly on the screen to take notes or make drawings. Although this is a very cool feature, it isn't enough to make such an old laptop viable past the end of its life. Instead, you'll need to locate another convertible laptop to suit your needs as a replacement.

Instructions

1. Compare the prices and components of the replacement laptop models you've selected to find the best price for the features you need. The Averatech C3500 was $1,350 at release. It was shipped with a 1.67 GHz processor, 512 MB or RAM and a 60 GB hard drive. You can easily exceed these specifications with a modern laptop for much less money.

2. Take a look at the Dell Inspiron Duo iMD-3487FNT tablet PC. This model comes with a dual-core 1.50 GHz Intel Atom processor, 2 GB of RAM and a 320 GB hard drive. The dual-core processor coupled with four times the RAM of your original laptop will provide a wonderful increase in performance. It is available for $450 at the time of publication.

3. Look into the Fujitsu LifeBook TH700. It comes with a 2.53 GHz Intel Core i3 dual-core processor, 4 GB of RAM and a 320 GB hard drive. The price at the time of publication is $1,000, which is about twice the price of the Dell, but the Fujitsu has a much faster processor and twice as much RAM.

4. Consider the Acer Iconia 6120. This laptop has a 2.66 GHz Core i5 480M dual-core processor, 4 GB of RAM and a 640 GB hard drive. It's a huge improvement over your old Averatech and it costs $1,200 at the time of publication. The price is closer to that of the original Averatech, and the faster processor will provide a noticeable performance boost over even the Fujitsu.

Tips & Warnings

• If you would rather purchase another Averatech C3500, you'll have to dig around a bit to find one. They are no longer produced or sold through typical retail channels. You may be able to find one on eBay or a similar site. Look for refurbished C3500s to get a fully repaired model.

• Keep your C3500 around until you can swap your personal data to your new computer.

References

• CNET Reviews: Averatec C3500 Convertible Notebook