Buying used or refurbished notebooks: The answer to portable connectivity on a shoe string budget
Oct 18 '01
The Bottom Line This is a low cost solution for mobile computing. There are deals out there but as with any computer purchase, buyer beware.
Many people come to me and ask, "Where can I find a laptop computer for simple office tasks and internet access for under $600?" The answer is refurbished or used notebooks. If you need a computer on the road or for school that only needs the ability to run office programs and access the web there is no need for you to spend $1000+ on a new notebook (especially if you don't have the funds). An older notebook with decent specifications will suffice for these situations.
What do you really need?
A student at Lynchburg University recently approached me with a dilemma. She needed a computer for school but couldn't afford a new notebook and had to have a mobile computer for taking notes and printing documents on the move. She also needed access to the school's network for Internet access and the ability to fax abroad. She was under the impression that she would have to take out a loan in order to get what she needed.
I gave her the information on several web sites and local computer shops that sell used or refurbished laptops and she was able to find one that fit her needs for under $500. What she got was a Pentium 166MMX with a 3.2GB hard drive, 24X CDROM, floppy, TFT active matrix 12.2" LCD screen, 56k modem, 2X PCMCIA and 96MB of RAM for $475.00 at a local pawn shop. It also had all the standard ports (parallel, serial and USB) as well as external SVGA monitor, one PS/2 port and a two hour battery. I checked the computer out for her and it was in near factory condition. I found a 10-baseT PCMCIA ethernet adapter for her for only $20.00 on the Internet and she was good to go.
Buyer beware! We are talking "Used & Refurbished"
When you purchase a used or refurbished notebook, keep in mind that these are just that, used and refurbished. Don't buy from anywhere that does not have a return policy or an extremely short period of return. There are places to buy that give you thirty days to return and many places will give you 1 year or more warranty on these notebooks. If you buy a refurbished notebook directly from the manufacturer you may pay a little more than you would elsewhere but manufacturers like Toshiba and Dell will give you the same manufacturers warranty that they do on brand new laptops.
Do not under purchase yourself
Obviously if you need a computer for running CAD programs or Power Point presentations, you would not want a low power computer as described above. When buying refurbished or used notebooks it is the same rule as buying new, know what you need it to do and make sure you get one that fulfills that need. You can find refurbs that have the latest technology if that is what you require. Toshiba sells Pentium III refurbished notebooks running at 700+MHz for a discount price albeit much more than the $475 this college student above paid for hers.
What I found at a local computer show
I was at a computer show in Chantilly, Va. two years ago and found a sweet deal on what was then a fairly recent model laptop. I got a Compaq Presario 1610 notebook with the following specifications for $300.
* Pentium 150MMX
* 16X CDROM
* 1.6GB hard drive
* 96MB RAM
* 56k on-board modem
* Built-in floppy drive
* 13.3" HPA passive matrix LCD screen
* Lithium Ion 2-hour battery
* All the original software and manuals
This was, at the time I purchased it, only about a year old and still works like new to this day. It was the best money I have spent on a computer or computer product.
References on the web
Here are a few web addresses you can check out to find low cost refurbished or used laptop computers.
http://www.refurbdepot.com/category.cfm?PageID=205
http://www.pricewatch.com/menus/m25.htm
http://www.used-pcs.com
http://www.usedcomputer.com
These are only a few places out of literally thousands on the web that you can find great deals on used or refurbished laptops. Don't forget you can also check local pawnshops and small computer stores for low cost laptops. Keep in mind that most pawnshops and small computer stores do not offer any warranty on older computers so buy with caution and use good sense.
I hope this helps if you are in need of a low cost laptop solution. Thanks for reading.
Gr8ful ;-)
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