It is always great to buy a new laptop, the new smell to it, all the new shiny features lure the kid out of anyone for a few days but what are we left with once that buzzy feeling is gone? A new piece of technology nonetheless, but does it do any more than a refurbished or a 1 year laptop can do just as well? Not always, and that’s why it’s highly advised to think about refurbished laptops before getting a brand new computer off the first shelf at the local store.
A refurbished laptop may be a unit coming back from warranty repair, it might be a notebook the first owner didn’t care for and returned it with all the accesories. It might be one that’s been damaged during shipping and the retailer can’t sell it as new, there are a few different kinds of renew but one thing is common: they are not new.
Are they worth it? I wouldn’t say they always are but you really should consider them before reaching for your wallet. They can save you a few hundred dollars on the first one-off, but you can lose it in productivity if you don’t make sure you’re getting the best possible solution for you. Things you should look for:
-Is the external casing dented, scratched otherwise damaged?
-Is the screen damaged, or has dead pixels?
-Can the retailer provide a reason why is it refurbished?
-Can you make sure the hard drive is not damaged either?
Once you’ve checked everything and there is nothing shady going on the price is right and you like it in general you should check out if it is upgradeable.
There are some older laptops without wireless networking or optical drive, sometimes the amount of memory is not right for more recent operating systems. Before purchasing one, look around forums, read reviews to see if you can upgrade it later with the functions you need. There is nothing more frustrating than sealing the perfect deal just to discover an hour later you won’t be able to work because you can’t hook it up to your home network.
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