Laptop Buying: Your 3 Options   by John Marcus

in Computers / Laptops    (submitted 2011-08-15)

Laptop Buying: Your 3 Options

If you take the time and research the price difference between your standard brick and mortar computer shops, it can make your head spin. While you will find the average price for a new laptop in the retail stores is around $500 if you investigate the web a bit you will find them much cheaper. You may be wondering why prices on the internet are cheaper. The answer is simple, virtual shops don't have anywhere near the overhead so they can cut costs easier. The trade off of course is you have to wait but I don't mind waiting a few days if I can save a lot of money.

What can you find on the web?

You can purchase a new laptop of course. The price range can be anywhere from $200 all the way up $4000+ for the top of the line models. Quite a few are a little hesitant to purchase something this expensive over the web. One more thing to consider when buying a new laptop is that like a new car, the value will drop rather quickly. If price is a consideration in your next laptop purchase sometimes new does not equate to better.

Refurbished Laptop?

Although it is one of the lesser known options out there you really should consider refurbished laptops. A refurbished laptop simply means that it was sent back to the manufacturer and repaired to almost new condition. These can quite often be the best bargains. While these laptops are not new, they usually carry a manufacturer's warranty as if it was a new model.

Gently Used

Hands down the most price conscious laptop is a used one. If you look around you can find sub $100 laptops quite often. With a little patience you can also find a new slightly used laptop for hundreds less than in stores or even on the web. The great thing about used laptops is that they tend to hold their value a lot longer than a new model since they are already so cheap in comparison. I have seen quite a few laptops on places such as Craigslist for shockingly low prices. If you look during the late summer you can often find really cheap laptops due to college kids selling the laptops they received as gifts. A buddy of mine purchased a brand new Macbook Pro this way for $750 cheaper than retail. Quite a deal indeed!

As you can see you have a few options when it comes to purchasing a laptop. The method you choose is really dependent on how much money you want to spend or how much money you want to save in the long run. Brand new isn't always the best fit.

About the Author

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