How To Buy a Refurbished Laptop
There are many reasons why you might opt for a refurbished laptop instead of buying a new one. The primary obstacle is that buying a used computer is frowned upon for apparently no good reason. We will invest thousands in a car that is several years old, but spending hundreds on a laptop that might be just a few years old seems out of the question. Once you have overcome the mental block, it’s time to figure out exactly how to go about finding a good refurbished laptop.
One thing to keep in mind while searching is that you probably don’t need as much laptop as you think. Many of us go out and buy top of the line hardware, the fastest graphics processor, the biggest hard drive, the fanciest software add-ons, all so we can check email and browse the web. Take a good look at how you will be using your new (to you) laptop so that you have a good idea of what your minimum specs can be.
Knowing where to look is the next step. When shopping for a used car, you probably don’t want to shop at just any lot. There is no telling what these guys are doing to make a buck and you don’t want to get stuck with a lemon. The same goes for your laptop. Stick with major manufacturers who have a brand name to protect. They usually offer some type of certification that the used hardware is checked out and tested before being resold to you.
Dell, for instance, offers 3 choices depending on your comfort level:
- Previously Ordered New – Systems that may have been shipped to customers, but have never actually been used by anyone. They are tested and then repackaged by Dell Outlet.
- Certified Refurbished – Fully refurbished systems that may have been used by another customer. They are tested and repackaged to meet original factory specs.
- Scratch and Dent – These may have some obvious physical blemishes, but are otherwise just fine. If you’re not picky, you can probably catch a steal in this category.
Other manufacturers you might check out include Apple, Lenovo, and HP. If you’re having a hard time finding a “refurbished” or “used” section, look for the “outlet” area of the site.
Category: How-To | Tags: laptop, refurbished
About the Author Rahsheen has been a certified geek since before it was the thing to do. He started programming and tinkering in the 4th grade. Now, Rahsheen mostly writes on various sites about technology trends in social media and mobile. . He is also a musician, singer, rapper, writer, and producer. @rahsheen - +Rahsheen Porter - coachrah.com
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http://www.TKOEDucation.com takes recently off-lease Dell and Apple computers, adds a full parts replacement warranty, and offers toll free tech support.
How does this differ from the “refurbs” or “used” computers noted above?
#1 – Off-lease machines are the best-of-the-best in quality. Can you imagine some of America's foremost organizations leasing an eMachine? Certainly not. The Dell Optiplex PC and Dell Latitude Laptops are considered corporate grade. They are often hundreds of dollars more expensive on Dell's site than their retail grade counterparts – the Dell Dimension and Dell Inspiron. Why is that? Because they have been more thoroughly tested and use consistent parts – which provide more consistent, longer life.
#2 – Off-lease computers have literally come off of someone's desk. These machines are often out of a business closing its doors or are coming off-lease – literally right out of a working office environment. The Best Buy returns mentioned above could have been faulty for whatever reason and were in need of repair. The same is often true with Dell's Outlet machines. These could have been returned because the customer wasn't happy with them. Dell “fixes” them and then you get them – with a very limited warranty.
Before you buy some “used” equipment – look at professionally refurbished off-lease equipment from the likes of TKOEDucation.com. I think you'll find the quality, service, and support you might get are second to none ~ including to Dell Direct.
I agree with buying refurbished. My current laptop is a refurbished HP that has been performing great for the past few years. I did replace the hard drive with a larger one and added more RAM for a total investment (including the laptop) of about $250.
Floor models are great deals too! I got a floor model from Office Depot a couple years ago. Last one, and no box/packaging, but all the accessories and SW…for around $200. The steal? I was shopping for a flat screen monitor that cost $150 and this floor model included one. Basically I got a computer for an additional $50 along with my monitor!
There is another option, one that I didn't know about until recently. Sometimes, the local Best Buy would have returned computers (for one reason or another) that's opened. You can get that computer for about $50-60 lower, since it's opened and used. What they would have done is repackaged the computer and put it back up. (My current computer is a repackaged one. Pretty sneaky)
Also, my first laptop was actually a floor model. I specifically asked for a floor model, because I know they will sell it lower than a package one. Buyer Beware: You might not get the box nor anything that comes with it. The particular model I brought did not had an adapter and I have to purchase it separate.
FYI: Store warranty and factory warranty is still covered by floor models. Make sure you ask before getting it. Also, the Floor model have to be the LAST one in stock. So this one is much harder to come by.