Purchasing a used laptop

MeridianFlight

MeridianFlight

New Member
I was wondering what everyone thought of purchasing a used notebook.

I read a MSN article (found here) a while back that talked about things you should never buy used. One of them was a laptop. For those with an aversion to opening up new windows or those who are too lazy to click on links, here's an excerpt from the article, written by Liz Pulliam Weston.

"You’re taking a chance when you buy any used computer, but the math really doesn’t work when you’re talking about a unit that’s as prone to abuse and problems as a laptop. They’re more likely to be dropped, banged around and spilled on, simply because they’re out in the world while a desktop computer sits (mostly) safe at home."

As made evident by the fact that I'm bringing up this topic, I don't find this argument to be entirely convincing. I'd really like to purchase a laptop but as a college student who is blowing huge debt holes in the ground it'd be quite foolhardy or fiscally irresponsible to purchase a new one.

I have a desktop, but for a sundry of reasons, I'd really like a notebook.

Does anyone have any thoughts? Any recommendations?

I really appreciate it, thanks.
 
dell actually has better laptops then they do desktops, watch slickdeals.net, ive seen lappys down to $340, average is $600
 
Do NOT buy an HP or a Compaq. Both are actually the same thing and are known for their TERRIBLE service. I had a Compaq desktop once and it was the worst PC I ever owned.

Don't buy a Dell either though, I know a lot of people that have had problems with them too. For laptops, I'd go for either a Micron or a Lenovo/IBM. Or an Alienware if you have the capability. ;)
 
If you are looking to save some money a used notebook is a way to go or you can wait for a good sale from bestbuy or circuitcity. My brother got a new toshiba for $600 but he had to get there early and wait in line. One day only and limited quantities thing.

If I were to go with a used notebook I would try looking at tigerdirect. Refurbished and off lease would be the safe way to go. They claim to be inspected by the manufacturer and covered under warranty/exchange... so they say.

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/refurb/refurb_slc.asp?CatId=17&category=Laptops
 
acer is one of the higher quality laptop companys
 
If you get an HP or a Compaq, I will guarantee good service. I work in business operations for HP (web store and vendor management for our customer service department) and if you have a single problem, email me and I'll escalate it as high as it takes to get it done.
 
well evey computer custemer servis out sorses. my dad he is dir and he still gets foren tec support for hp dont evan get me started on dell
 
michaelpi said:
no! never tiger direct if you dont know they never give the rebates!!
Click to expand...

Tiger Direct has always rocked for me. And I've always received my rebates. Mail-in rebates are from the manufacturer, not the reseller. Instant rebates are usually from the reseller.
 
It seems to be hit or miss with rebates from anywhere, I just try to avoid them where I can. I haven't heard anything bad about tigerdirect, my brother buys from them all the time. I usually shop at microcenter.

Anyway the notebooks that I pointed out were priced without rebates so it wouldn't matter. I guess you could check out the manufacturer's websites and see if they sell refurbs directly. I know HP does.

Edit: I just looked at the site complaining about tigerdirect and onrebate. Maybe I was a lucky one but I recently bought a power supply from microcenter, sent in the rebate to onrebate.com and got it back within a few weeks...
 
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I think if I'm going to get a laptop I'll go purchase a new one instead. I'm looking at Dell's Inspiron E1705 and the E1505.

I've never had a problem with Dell's computers, not one related to hardware issues anyway.
 
If you want a good gaming laptop for not a lot of $$, Newegg sells the ABS Mayhem series for pretty cheap (<$1000) and the system specs are pretty decent. I've read some good reviews on the series, and IMHO, the best bang for the mobile buck out there.
 
Thanks Taliesin, but I think I'm just looking for a notebook that can handle Office Applications and browse the internet without any difficulty. I'm not much of a PC gamer, so I don't really want to spend money for a computer with enough horsepower to make games look fantastic.
 
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