Mobile Technology

Laptops are fast becoming a necessity for professionals and students alike. Gone are typewriters, pen and papers and messy handwritings. One can easily take an office or a library anywhere he want with just a laptop.

High prices of brand new laptops however can be quite overwhelming for some people on a tight budget. So they can settle for cheaper kinds – used laptops or refurbished laptops. Used laptops are not highly recommend though, unlike refurbished laptops which are being raved on by many people today.

There are several advantages of buying Refurbished Laptop computers:

Reduced Cost: Buying refurbished laptop computers can save you 10 to 30 percent off the price of a new computer.

High Quality. Refurbished laptops go through high levels of performance standard tests at factories before they’re repackaged and sent out for selling. You are assured of a high quality laptop even though they’re refurbished.

Discounts. Usually, these refurbished laptops are offered at great discount prices for students, senior citizens, military personnel and etc. Aside from the 30 percent slash off, you can also get additional discounts!

Warranty Advantage. Oftentimes, these refurbished laptops come with longer warranty period. Normal warranties last for 1 year, while refurbished laptops can extended warranty period of up to 3 years.

Now you might be real excited to get that refurbished laptop for yourself. But wait, here are a few things to keep in mind before you buy a refurbished laptop:

First, you must check the date of the first purchase of the unit to know how old the hardware parts are – you don’t want to end up with a laptop filled with almost obsolete parts that’ll be difficult to repair or replace right? Second, you need to find out how many users the laptop had before. A laptop with 2 or more users probably will not be that good. The laptop’s condition is very important because you have to get the same kind of performance capability such as that of a new or a newer laptop. Many buyers also prefer laptops previously owned by women. Make sure that you buy a refurbished laptop from your own country so can easily reach the dealer without much hassle. Shop around till you find a good price for great quality. And lastly, make sure you buy a refurbished laptop that comes with a warranty. If the manufacturer’s warranty has already expired, the vendor then should give one. This way, you can reach the vendor if any problems, repairs or replacement arises.

Refurbished Laptops: Save on Cost, Not on Quality

Sometimes desktops and laptop computers seem to be priced real low. Descriptions of these products might include the term refurbished. Manufacturers and retailers offer refurbished systems much cheaper than normal PC and laptop costs, but are they safe to buy?

Refurbished laptops typically fall into two categories. First are the units which failed a quality control check during manufacturing. Rather than simply disposing them, manufacturers rebuild them to pass quality control checks but them sells them at discounted prices. Another kind is a rebuilt system from customer return maybe because of a certain component failure.

Refurbishment can be done by a manufacturer of a third party. While manufacturers rebuild the system with the same parts used in new laptops, third parties may use alternative parts to fix it up and get it running. These alternate parts may change the system from the original design so it is important for customers to read the specifications and compare them to the standard specs of the product.

And another type that customer will find discounted is an open box product, unlike refurbished laptops, these has not been rebuilt. The product is simply a customer return that was never opened and tested. Buyers should be very careful when purchasing any open box products.

Costs Savings

Primarily, cost savings is the one reason considered why many people purchase refurbished laptops. These are usually priced below average computer systems currently sold. But of course the reduced price is only relevant if you are looking at the same exact product. Most refurbished laptops available will typically be a bit older products that are being compared to the original suggested retail prices for the products on its first release. When looked at this way, deals may not always be the best.

When fishing for refurbished laptops, it is important to note if the model is still available for new sale. If it is, you can easily determine the price comparison. These usually have modest discounts of 10 to 25 percent off the retail prices. So long as they have similar warranties as the new ones, these can be an excellent way of having a laptop for a cheaper price.

However, customers are often tricked into paying for a unit that looks like a good deal but are actually not. This problem comes from older laptops that are no longer sold. This is where the specifications become tremendously important. Check out your prospective refurbished laptop’s specifications and try to find a comparable brand new or newer system. If you can find one, them the cost analysis of 10 to 25 percent still holds. But if you can no longer find a comparable system, search for a comparably priced system and see what you can get. In this case, customers usually will find that they can have a better, newer product for that same price.

So try to be careful when choosing refurbished laptops. Go for those refurbished by manufacturers to get real cost savings and better quality for your money.

Warranties

The key to any refurbished computer system is the warranty. These are products that typically were returned or rejected due to a defect. While that defect may have been corrected and no further problems may develop you want to make sure that some coverage is included for potential faults. The problem is that warranties are typically modified for refurbished products.

First and foremost, the warranty should be a manufacturer one. If the warranty is not provided by the manufacturer it should raise a red flag for consumers. A manufacturer warranty will guarantee that the system will be repaired to the original specifications with manufacturer parts or certified replacements can be used with the system. Third party warranties can cause major problems as replacements parts may not be guaranteed and it may take longer for the system to be repaired.

The next thing to look at is the length of the warranty. It should provide the same length as if it was purchased new. If the manufacturer is not offering the same coverage consumers should once again beware. The lower cost of the system may be the result of them not offering to support the product.

Finally, be wary of extended warranties. If an optional warranty is offered for purchase with the system, it should be a manufacturer extended warranty and not one through a third party. Also be wary of the cost for extended warranties. If the cost of the extended warranties makes the system cost more than buying it new, avoid the purchase.

Conclusions

Refurbished laptops and desktops are one way consumers can find a good deal, but they have to be much more informed before the purchase. The key is to ask several key questions to know if it is really a good and safe deal:

Is it sold by the manufacturer or a retailer? What is the price relative to the same PC new? Is the system comparable to an equivalent priced new PC? What type of warranty comes with the PC? Who will handle warranty work?

If all of these can be answered satisfactorily, then consumers can generally feel secure in the purchase of a refurbished PC.

What are refurbished notebooks

Imagine you could buy cheap, used laptop that fits all your performance and portability needs and keeps all advantages of new notebook like good condition, warranty and technical support. That’s what refurbished laptop is.

Before being offered as reconditioned each laptop is tested, than repaired (if anything needs to be repaired), than thoroughly tested again. Each notebook is also cleaned and comes with warranty. Sometimes warranty includes battery and sometimes not, depending on seller and offered laptop.

What vast majority of people really use laptop for are simple tasks like browsing the Internet, reading and writing e-mails, word processing or working with other office applications. These do not demand cutting-edge, flashing laptop packaged with the latest technical innovations and gadgets for over $2000. Even people doing more complex tasks like programming, web development or working with CAD/CAM applications do not need it in most cases. I run my CAD software on cheap, factory refurbished Dell Inspiron 1100 laptop for under $800. Before it also used to work fine on 900MHz IBM.

Factory remanufactured laptops

There are generally two ways to buy renewed laptop. The best is to buy factory remanufactured laptop directly from its manufacturer. Almost every bigger laptop manufacturer has an outlet section in its online shop, where you can find deals on refurbished notebooks. They are reconditioned and tested by qualified manufacturer’s technicians to meet the same requirements as new items. They also often come with the same warranty conditions and technical support as for new notebooks. The only significant difference is that they are from about $100 to several hundreds dollars cheaper than the same models new. Dell, IBM and Compaq  brands currently presented on our site, all run outlet shops on their web sites.

Third party reconditioned laptops

The second way is to hunt a deal from one of countless third party laptops resellers. Buying from third party reseller, you usually get better prices for the same items. You can also find older models that are not available on manufacturers sites. Each laptop is tested, repaired if needed and cleaned to be in good, working condition. They usually come with warranty but its period rarely extends 90 days. It is also common that battery is not covered by warranty. You can find very good deals on third party refurbished laptops but be careful to buy only from respected and established resellers.

I hope this site will convince you that good laptop doesn’t need to be expensive. The articles should answer most of your questions regarding laptop parts, equipment, accessories, peripherals and upgrading issues. Sellers review should help you to learn how to find quality online resellers. It also presents detailed description of several popular online resellers, where you can find deals on reconditioned and used computers. The brand categories you see at the top of the menu contain information on refurbished laptops offers from specific brands and reviews of the most popular and common models.

For more information on where to buy used laptops please visit buy used laptops now.

Laptops account for about 25 percent of sales. It’s not hard to understand why. Small screens and cramped keyboards have been replaced by bigger, crisper displays and more usable key layouts. Processors have caught up in speed, and innovative new processors provide some real advantages. Fast CD and DVD recording drives are common, as are ample hard drives. And a growing interest in wireless computing plays to the laptop’s main strength: its portability. A laptop is the most convenient way to take full advantage of the growing availability of high-speed wireless Internet access at airports, schools, hotels, and even restaurants and coffee shops.

The Centrino technology that’s central to Intel’s newest laptop processors has wireless capability built in, and delivers commendably-long battery life. The thinnest laptops on the market are less than an inch thick and weigh just 2 to 5 pounds. To get these light, sleek models, however, you’ll have to pay a premium and make a few sacrifices.

WHAT’S AVAILABLE

Dell, Gateway, Hewlett-Packard, Compaq (now owned by HP), IBM, Sony, and Toshiba are the leading Windows laptop brands. Macintosh laptops are made by Apple. Laptops can be grouped into several basic configurations:

Budget models. These have slower processors and lower screen quality than others, but are suitable for routine office work and home software. Price range: $800 or less.

Workhorse models. These have faster processors and more built-in devices, so there’s less need for external attachments. They’re not lightweight or battery-efficient enough for frequent travelers. Price range: $1,000 and up.

Slim-and-light models. These are for travelers. They can be less than an inch thick and weigh as little as 2 or 3 pounds. They generally require an external drive to read DVDs or burn CDs. Price range: $1,500 and up.

Tablet-style. These sit in your hands like a clipboard and have handwriting-recognition software. Some convert to a “normal” laptop with a keyboard. Price range: $1,800 and up.

IMPORTANT FEATURES

A diskette drive is becoming a rarity in all computers. As an alternative, you can use a USB memory drive (about $20 and up), which fits on a keychain and holds as much data as numerous diskettes. Or you can save files on a writeable CD or camera memory card. Most laptops have slots that can read one or more types of memory cards.

Windows laptops generally have a 1.5- to 3.5-GHz processor. Pentium 4 processors have the higher speed ratings; the new Pentium M and Celeron M processors have a slower rated speed but actually perform on a par with other processors. Macintosh Power PC processors are measured on a different basis altogether. In short, the different types of processors make direct speed comparisons difficult. It doesn’t pay to try because any type of processor is likely to deliver all the speed you’ll need.

Laptops come with a 40- to 160-gigabyte hard drive and 256 megabytes or more of random access memory (RAM) and can be upgraded to 1 gigabyte or more.

Today’s laptops use a rechargeable lithium-ion battery. In Consumer Reports tests, batteries provided 2 to 5 hours of continuous use when running office applications. (Laptops go into sleep mode when used intermittently, extending the time between charges.) You can extend battery life somewhat by dimming the display as you work and by removing PC cards and turning off wireless devices when they aren’t needed. Playing a DVD movie uses more battery power than usual, but any laptop should be able to play a movie through to the end.

A laptop’s keyboard can be quite different from that of a desktop computer. The keys themselves may be full-sized (generally only lightweight models pare them down), but they may not feel as solid. Some laptops have extra buttons to expedite your access to e-mail or a Web browser or to control DVD playback. You can attach an external keyboard, which you may find easier to use.

A 14- to 15-inch display, measured diagonally, should suit most people. A few larger models have a 16- or 17-inch display. A resolution of 1,400×1,050 (SXGA+) pixels (picture elements) or more is better than 1,024×768 (XGA) for viewing the fine detail in photographs or video, but may shrink objects on the screen. You can use settings in Windows to make them larger. Many models are now offered with a display that has a “glossy” surface instead of a dull one. Those look better in bright ambient light, as long as you avoid direct reflections.

Most laptops use a small touch-sensitive pad in place of a mouse–you slide your finger across the pad to move the cursor. You can also program the pad to respond to a “tap” as a “click,” or to scroll as you sweep your index finger along the pad’s right edge. An alternative pointing system uses a pencil-eraser-sized joystick in the middle of the keyboard. You can attach an external mouse or trackball if you prefer.

Laptops include at least one PC-card slot for expansion. You might add a wireless network card or a digital-camera memory-card reader, for example, if those are not built in. Many laptops offer a connection for a docking station, a $100 or $200 base that makes it easy to connect an external monitor, keyboard, mouse, printer, or phone line. Most laptops let you attach these devices anyway, without the docking station. At least two USB ports, for easy hookup of, say, a printer, digital camera, or scanner, is standard. A wired network (Ethernet) port is common, as is a FireWire port for digital-video transfer. Many models have a standard or optional internal wireless-network (”Wi-Fi”) adapter. The infrared port found on a few models can be used to synchronize data wirelessly between the computer and a personal digital assistant (PDA).

Laptops typically come with less software than desktop computers, although almost all are bundled with a basic home-office suite (such as Microsoft Works) and a personal-finance program. The small speakers built into laptops often sound tinny, with little bass. Headphones or external speakers deliver much better sound.

HOW TO CHOOSE

Decide if a laptop is right for you. If you’re on a very tight budget and aren’t cramped for space, a desktop computer may still be OK. Otherwise, consider a laptop.

Windows vs. Macintosh. Many people choose Windows because it’s what they’ve always used. Apple’s iBook will suit you if you’re interested in photo editing, music, video, and other multimedia applications. Apple computers are also less susceptible to most viruses and spyware than Windows-based computers. The Apple PowerBook is relatively expensive as laptops go, however.

Buy à la carte. Dell and Gateway pioneered the notion that every computer can be tailored to an individual buyer’s needs, much like choosing the options for a car. This configure-to-order model is now common practice for laptops as well as desktops.

You can also purchase a preconfigured computer off the shelf. (You can do the same online if you opt for the default choices of equipment the manufacturer offers.) That’s fine if you don’t have very strict requirements for how a laptop is outfitted or if you want to take advantage of an attractive sale.

Configure-to-order menus show you all the options and let you see how a change in one affects the overall price. You may decide to use a less-expensive processor, for example, but spend more for wireless capability or better graphics. Configure-to-order will often give you choices you won’t get if you buy off the shelf. And configure-to-order means less chance of overlooking important details.

Downplay the processor speed. Speed is no longer the be-all of personal computers. For years, processors have delivered all the speed most people need. That’s still very much the case. Spend the money on more memory instead. A Pentium 4 processor with a speed of 2.4 GHz and a Pentium M at 1.4 GHz earned the same speed score in our tests. The different types of chips now on the market make direct speed comparisons difficult.

Look closely at warranties and insurance. Get the longest manufacturer’s warranty you can afford; many offer one or two years above the basic one-year warranty, for a price. If you intend to travel a lot, buy screen insurance from the manufacturer. If you take full advantage of the manufacturer’s warranty and insurance, you won’t need an extended warranty from the retailer.

Copyright © 2002-2006 Consumers Union of U.S., Inc.

For the latest information on this and many other products and services, visit www.ConsumerReports.org.

Find More

Laptops with Easy Deal

ShopNdeal.com