with today's times every wants to save money. When it comes to laptop you need to know the pros and cons. Do I buy a new, used, or refurbished laptop? Everyone wants a good-running laptops that perform their everyday tasks and you don't want to pay a ton of money. Choosing the right laptop is essential and can be a difficult choice if you're on a budget.
If you can afford one a new laptop is usually your best choice. No one has used it and you get a factory warranty if anything goes wrong for a free repair. Companies like Dell even offer on-site warranties where a technician will come to your home and fix your problems. You can customize the configuration or buy an already configured laptop to fit your needs. New has more than one meaning and you'll get the latest technology the market has to offer like media and entertainment.
Let's face it, new laptops can be expensive. When choosing a laptop you need to consider what you want to do. If you want to play the latest games on high settings you'll need an expensive gaming laptop. If all you do is check your email, surf the net, and type up documents you don't need a powerhouse. If gaming and 3D rendering isn't something you do consider configuring your laptop with a less powerful CPU. You don't need a lot of CPU power for every day simple tasks so buying one with less speed will save you money. I also suggest buying it with the least amount of ram. Once you get your new laptop search an online pc parts store for ram because companies charge more to add it on. You would only want to do this if you know how to install it.
Buying a refurbished or "refurb" laptops
A refurbished laptop means that for whatever reason the laptop came back to the manufacturer. It could have simply been an overstock where a retailer bought to many and sent it back. Don't count on that but that's been seen in some cases. It could also be a defective unit that was purchased new and the customer sent it back and the laptop was restored to it's original state.
Sometimes a customer will buy the laptop new and return it during the laptops return period. They can't sell it as new so it will be restored to factory settings and sold as a refurb.
Refurbished laptops can be cheaper which saves you money but they usually come with a very small warranty period, typically 30-90 days. You need to way the pros and cons because you might save money know but when it goes bad laptops can be very expensive to fix. Do a google search on the laptop your considering a see if it has any know issues. Read unbiased reviews and see if your comfortable with taking that chance.
I've also seen companies selling laptops as off-lease. This means a company bought laptops for employee use and when the lease was up they give them back to manufacturer. They usually do this to keep up with the latest technology for their business. Once they are return a technician will run diagnostics and refurbish the laptop. These will always be used laptops vs. getting a refurb that's barely been used.
Used laptops are normally sold by individuals and smaller computer repair shops. This can be a great option if a new laptop is out of your budget but some risks are involved. Things like hard drives and LCD panels commonly die after a period of time and can be costly to repair. Usually a used laptop won't come with much if any type of warranty especially when purchased from an individual. The used laptop might even have hidden problems so try to buy form a trusted source.
Friday, November 21, 2008
How to choose a laptop
First you need to consider what your needs are in a laptop. This is a big decision because laptops are not cheap. If you're thinking about getting one then you obviously have a need. Consider those needs so you buy the correct one that will give you the best performance and usability.
When you decide to get your laptop consider these things:
The first thing you might be thinking is new or used/refurb. A new laptop is great because they come with some type of warranty. Laptops are fragile and much more expensive to fix than a desktop so it's nice to have that piece of mind. Many companies also offer extended warranties and with a laptop I highly suggest purchasing one. A new motherboard for a laptop can cost anywhere from $250-$800 without labor! You may also benefit from things like free tech support and free accessories that come with a new laptop.
Everyone is looking to save money these days so you might be thinking used or refurbished. A used laptop might be cheaper but if you buy from an individual you probably won't get any type of warranty. A refurbished laptop might come with a warranty but it would be small like 30-90 days. You might save money right away but costly repairs could come down the road later. Do you homework and read reviews and opinions of users about the used laptop you're interested in. Only you can decide if this lower price is worth it in the long run. Don't be suprised when you get a huge bill or quote to fix your used laptop.
If you you've decided on a laptop which brand do you buy? Apple or PC? PC laptops tend to be less expensive and lest costly to fix but apple laptops have a great operating system and can be easier to use. If you've never used one before it's a pretty smooth transition that any novice computer user can make.
When you decide to get your laptop consider these things:
- Should I buy new, used, or refurbished?
- Do I need a laptop or desktop?
- Apple vs. PC
The first thing you might be thinking is new or used/refurb. A new laptop is great because they come with some type of warranty. Laptops are fragile and much more expensive to fix than a desktop so it's nice to have that piece of mind. Many companies also offer extended warranties and with a laptop I highly suggest purchasing one. A new motherboard for a laptop can cost anywhere from $250-$800 without labor! You may also benefit from things like free tech support and free accessories that come with a new laptop.
Everyone is looking to save money these days so you might be thinking used or refurbished. A used laptop might be cheaper but if you buy from an individual you probably won't get any type of warranty. A refurbished laptop might come with a warranty but it would be small like 30-90 days. You might save money right away but costly repairs could come down the road later. Do you homework and read reviews and opinions of users about the used laptop you're interested in. Only you can decide if this lower price is worth it in the long run. Don't be suprised when you get a huge bill or quote to fix your used laptop.
If you you've decided on a laptop which brand do you buy? Apple or PC? PC laptops tend to be less expensive and lest costly to fix but apple laptops have a great operating system and can be easier to use. If you've never used one before it's a pretty smooth transition that any novice computer user can make.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
