words Al Woods
Nowadays, having a laptop is absolutely essential. Whether you need something portable to have with you on the go or are working from home, having a laptop can be an absolute lifesaver.
It also comes in pretty handy when you’re traveling and need to be accessible in case something comes up. However, with so many laptops available along with the options of buying laptops in different conditions, it could be hard to make a decision. To help you understand the pros and cons, here are a few things to consider when deciding whether to buy a new or used laptop.
Consider Laptop Specs
If you’re buying a laptop with minimal specs, you’ll find that their price range is actually rather affordable. When buying a cheap laptop, there’s no point in reducing the price only slightly just to get a used one and face the risks that might occur, when a new minimal spec laptop is something you can afford. However, when opting for a gaming laptop or one with a powerful processor and the latest specs, you’ll find that the price can be pretty steep. With a refurbished or used laptop, you can easily bring that down a large sum just because it has been previously owned.
Opt for a Refurbished One
One of the best options you can opt for when buying a laptop is choosing a refurbished laptop. When it comes to refurbished laptops, you can find them in many different conditions, which may mean different things according to each vendor. For example, in some cases, a refurbished laptop can mean that it was sold as new with a defect and returned to the seller to be fixed but can no longer be sold as new. However, in other cases, it could mean that the laptop has been used for quite a while and is being resold after making sure that all its parts are still in good condition. Sometimes, vendors tend to exchange certain parts of the hardware that have a problem or update the software or operating system which also classifies it under a refurbished laptop.
In most cases, a refurbished laptop is almost as good as new, has passed testing, and is good to be sold, and operate well, but has already been previously opened and, therefore, cannot be sold as an entirely new laptop. In cases like these, buying a refurbished laptop makes a lot of sense as you get the quality of a new laptop with a huge reduction in price in comparison to a new sealed laptop.
Laptop Condition
It goes without saying that the laptop condition should be something to look out for when thinking of buying a used laptop. However, with laptops and electronics in general, it can be quite easy to miss defects or detect any faults a laptop may have. To be able to make a logical decision on whether to buy a used or new laptop, you need to consult an expert who will be able to analyze a used laptop and tell you if it will be worth the price reduction or if it will end up giving you a hard time while using it. To help you get an idea of what to look for, you should check how long the laptop was used for, how fast or slow it takes to open pages or load software, and its ability to function while having more than one program or application running at the same time. An expert will also be able to check for viruses or bugs that can affect the laptop’s ability to operate fully and give you more specialized feedback.
Consider Price and Budget
The first and foremost aspect you should be considering is your budget. You’ll find many laptops with different price ranges, but one of the most important factors to consider and that really affects the price is whether or not you’re buying a new or used laptop. Depending on the condition, you can easily get the same laptop for almost half the price just because it’s used. However, it is important to buy a used laptop from a trusted source as you can end up finding it absolutely useless.
Think of Your Usage
One of the questions you need to ask yourself when buying a laptop is what you need it for. If you’re just buying a laptop for personal use and only need it to surf the internet, use word documents, or check social media, then there’s really no point in spending a large amount of money on a new laptop. In fact, any laptop will probably be able to do the job and do it well. While some laptops will be a bit slower when it comes to surfing than others, the processing speed can make a huge difference. But it would make a lot more sense to buy a used laptop instead of a new one when your usage is pretty simple. If, however, you’ll be needing the laptop for work and need to install heavy software and programs that require a laptop to perform at full capacity, then you need to really consider the laptop condition and base your decision accordingly.
Warranty
When you buy a new laptop, you get a full-term warranty with it. Depending on the vendor, this can be 12 months or even 24 or 48 months. Having a warranty allows you to ensure that you can get a replacement if anything happens to the laptop or if you find a defect. However, when buying a used laptop, it is quite common that the warranty will already have expired or that only a short-term warranty will be available. This is a factor you should check to help you make a thorough decision.
Owning a laptop can make your life a whole lot easier, with portability functions and easy to access your important documents from anywhere. Especially if you can connect to cloud solutions and have your important data stored online, a laptop can come in very handy. However, it always comes down to whether you should buy a new or used laptop. When weighing your options, the above factors can help you make the right decision and ensure you buy the best laptop for you.
