Laptops Forum
by tig2
I have purchased two refurbs. The Dell refurb worked well for a number of years but I could never get Dell to honor the limited warranty. This meant that I used my laptop with an external keyboard. This made portability less functional.
I purchased an HP laptop as a gift. The place I purchased it from RMA'd it the minute that I could prove that the video driver was not the correct driver and they had no clue what the right driver should be.
In both cases, I got some satisfaction.
MicroCenter carries a large line of computers, including refurbs. They are also willing to warranty their refurbs. Tiger Direct may also.
Cosmetically, the two refurbs were similar in appearance to anything else in the market.
My advice? Do your market research. Check not only manufacturers but also box stores like MicroCenter and others. Spend some meaningful time with Google. It will help you to zero in on the best deal for you.
Good Luck!
Edited to fix the obvious error
by inkling
I bought a Dell desktop refurb.
I bought it four years ago and it is still a very solid machine (2gb RAM, great vid card, etc, etc...).
A year and a half after I bought it, my apartment was struck by lightning and my computer got fried.
I called Dell and had a new MB, RAM, power supply...all new guts...in three days.
I didn't even have to return the unused/old stuff.
As others have said, do your research and compare prices.
My advice is: If you can find what you want and it's a refurb, go for it.
by thechas
I spent some time looking at laptops recently. While I have no fear of refurbished equipment, I bought a new unit because I got a much better deal.
There are at least 3 levels of refurbished laptops:
Customer Returns: The purchaser just did not like the machine and returned it.
Defectives: Something was wrong with the laptop and the purchaser was sent a new laptop. After being repaired, the laptop is sold as refurbished.
Off-Lease: These are the ones to be cautious with. Many companies lease systems and replace them in bulk every 2 years or so. Then, a third party company goes through the systems, cleans them up and tests them.
Off-lease systems have often seen a lot of hard use.
Anyhow, companies like Dell and HP sell the customer returns and the best of the repaired systems as refurbished. The systems that do not meet internal standards are sold off to re-sellers. This is usually for cosmetic reasons, or because accessories are missing.
I bought new because I found a system on sale for less than equivalent refurbished systems were selling for.
Major retailers like Best Buy and Circuit City often have close-out laptops for under $500. They want / need to sell them before they become fully obsolete.
Chas
by jatie001
I've decided to go with either a refurbished Dell from their outlet site, or a recertified Gateway from Newegg.
Difference between the two mainly is in the processors; the Dell running an Intel Core 2 Duo T7100 (1.8GHz/800Mhz FSB/2MB cache) and the Gateway an Intel Core 2 Duo T7200 (2.0GHz/667mhz/4MB cache). Also a $20 price difference.
Suggestions?
This discussion is closed to new replies.
Sort by Trending