Buying A Cheap Laptop Without Buying Into A Scam
If you’re in the market for a cheap laptop, there are few things you should keep in mind so that you don’t walk away with an outdated or faulty machine that won’t meet your requirement. Careful thought and the willingness to shop around and ask questions are necessary to ensure that you get what you paid for.
Know what you want ahead of time.
Don’t get roped into buying a laptop that is beyond your budget and comes with extras that you just don’t need. Write out a list of things you must have, and things you can get away without. One example of this is buying a laptop that doesn’t have wireless internet built into it, then buying a cheap USB connector for as little as $10.
Cheap laptops won’t have the same capabilities as a more expensive one. For bigger projects you may need to invest in a better machine. For ordinary activities like word processing and emailing, you can easily get away with a standard Intel processing unit, 40GB of hard disk space and 1GB of RAM. The cheapest option with regards to RAM is often to buy a computer with less RAM and upgrade to the amount you need.
Vista uses more RAM and is less compatible with current programs than Windows XP.
The cost of your laptop will go up substantially with battery capacity. However, if you mostly work indoors you probably won’t even need much battery as you can run your laptop off the charger. Outside you’ll have problems with glare, anyway, so working inside is the better option.
A big bulky screen is typical on a cheap laptop, but may not be what you are after. Great for movies, big screens tend not to be so good for text documents as it distorts the characters a little and can be bothersome. Bigger screens also may not fit into regular carry bags. Mini screens may be better for text, but it is up to the individual and what they prefer.
Purchasing a laptop second hand.
The general advice with regards to purchasing used laptops is: don’t. It’s to end up with a bad deal. However, a bit of patience and know-how can land you a fantastic bargain. In the end, it really comes down to finding a trusted buyer and asking the right questions.
1. If someone you know is selling a good, cheap laptop, then that’s likely to be your best offer. Otherwise it is advisable that you seek out a trusted computer resaler.
2. Find out why the laptop is being sold. You don’t want to find out too late that it was sold because the original owner was having problems with it. A good reason might be if they have just moved in with a partner who already has a laptop, or if they have upgraded to something better and just have no use for the old one any more.
3. Age matters with laptops. Anything older than five years will have fewer capabilities than more recent models, and will start to become incompatible with newer software products. If you find a laptop for sale that is less than one year old then you should be asking why it is being resold so soon.
4. A one or two year old laptop selling at half the price it was originally bought for is the ideal combination. Older laptops with price tags close to the original are bad value. New laptops that are going very cheap are to be regarded with suspicion as there’s likely to something wrong with them.
5. If something goes wrong with your machine, you’re going to want to have a warranty. Ask about this before committing to a purchase.
6. Try and secure the original proof of purchase. You may need to provide this should you require repairs or maintenance. It also safeguards you against accidentally purchasing a stolen machine.
7. If you can’t secure a personal warranty from the seller guaranteeing a full refund if the item is faulty, don’t buy it.
Andrew Johnson is an expert in electronic products. If you would like further information about varieties of cheap laptop or are searching for a trusted computer retailer please visit http://www.ebuyer.com