7 Tips For Buying Cheap Laptop – Laptops are becoming increasingly popular these days. Almost everyone now carries it either for work or entertainment. Laptops with the latest technology are being introduced into the market every day and these new laptops come with a hefty price tag.
However, that doesn’t mean you can’t get a good and cheap laptop. I have put together a guide that can help you in your search for a cheap and good laptop.
But since most cheap laptops never get reviewed, this guide can help you buy a budget laptop without getting screwed by its specifications.
Want a cheap laptop that isn’t slow? Budget about $500 if you can, do a little homework and buy from a known retailer for a better experience.
Tips For Buying Cheap Laptop
The Best Cheap Laptops We’ve Tested. We’ve tested lots of affordable Windows laptops, Chromebooks, and 2-in-1 tablets.
If you plan to use your laptop mainly for basic tasks such as web browsing and document creation, 4GB or 8GB should be more than enough. However, if you are using your laptop to run applications such as photo editing and video streaming then you will likely need 16GB or more.
Buy a cheap laptop with old technology
Rapid technological progress makes it pointless to buy the latest technology at high prices. When wireless-enabled laptops first hit the market, prices for units with this technology could reach US$2,500. NOW after 2 years, you can get a relatively fast centrino laptop for less than US$1000
Buy a used or refurbished laptop
The depreciation in value of a laptop is so high, that after one year on the market, a laptop can easily lose half its value. So if you are looking for a cheap laptop, look for one that is closer to a year old.
Not all used laptops are in bad condition. You might be surprised to know that some used laptops are still in good condition because their owners are power users or gamers.
Buy a laptop from a power user or gamer
I like buying electronic gadgets including laptops from hard core users or gamers. Let me share with you why. Gamers or power users usually need the latest and most sophisticated technology to run power-hungry games or applications. They are often dissatisfied with second best.
They also tend to pursue the latest technology. So after a year, they will get bored with what they have and will sell their laptop so they can buy a new one.
So, if you want to buy a cheap laptop with the latest technology and happen to have a friend who is a gamer, just ask him if he wants to sell his laptop. Who knows, you can buy a good and cheap laptop from them.
Scan through gaming forums and local gaming communities
If you don’t have friends who like playing computer games, then scanning through gaming forums on the internet is another way to get good, cheap used laptop deals.
The internet makes it easy for you to do this. Go to google.com and start looking for gaming forums. Visit each one and see if they have a Trading Section. You will definitely find many posts from gamers who want to sell their gaming laptops.
Scan through local bulletin boards
Scan local bulletin boards near you for cheap deals on laptops. Especially if there are software companies in the area. Software companies do offer their used computers or laptops for sale when their software projects end. I personally got some great deals for my family and friends.
Look for a cheap laptop with at least 512MB of memory
This is especially important for used laptops. If the processor speed is slow, then having more memory can compensate for the lack of speed. In fact, memory size plays a big role in determining how fast a laptop runs an application.
Just by increasing the memory size, you can see a huge difference in speed. A cheap laptop with at least 512MB of memory can run most non-graphics intensive applications easily.
Get a cheap laptop from a reputable manufacturer
This is very important because if you buy a used laptop, the chances of it needing to be serviced are greater than for a new laptop. So if you buy from a reputable manufacturer, you will save yourself a lot of trouble and time if your laptop does need to be serviced.
