By Christos Demos, C&IT Departmental Computing Services
You just bumped into a great deal on a used laptop, but is it really? As you are about to find out, by the time you compensate for a few shortcomings, that $350 laptop may not be such a great deal after all...
This is the main question you should ask yourself. If you want to do word processing on it, anything that runs will serve you well. If you want to connect to the Internet, the laptop should have at least a 700 MHz processor so that it has the capability to run a relatively secure operating system like Windows XP or Mac OS X 10.3.
Before anything else, visually inspect the laptop for signs of physical damage and test some of its main components:
When buying a used laptop, focus on the following main components:
| Battery | If the laptop is over two years old, chances are its battery will fail sooner or later. The seller may demostrate that the battery "works" however that is no guarantee about the state of the battery one month later. Unless the used laptop had its battery replaced with a new one recently, assume that you will have to spend $100 – $150 on a new battery. Beware of places on the Internet that sell generic batteries. In many cases the batteries are substandard and will fail in a few months. You will be better off buying an "original equipment" battery made by the laptop manufacturer. |
| Hard Drive | Because it is a device with a mechanical component, it is prone to failure after a few years of service. It also happens to hold all of your data! If the laptop you are buying is older, you may have to replace its hard drive. A new one runs under $60. If you end up needing one, make sure it is rated at 5400 rpm with 8 MB cache. |
| Networking | Does the used laptop have a built-in Ethernet network port? How about wireless networking? Built-in wireless networking generally has better reception than add-in cards so opt for it if you have the choice. If you have to add a wireless card, a Linksys or Netgear will run you another $50. |
| Other Details | Modern operating systems require a lot of memory (RAM). If you are going to be happy writing your novel on your Windows 98 laptop, which is not connected to the Internet, then more memory is not a major concern. But in every other case it is. If you have the need to burn CDs, your laptop should have a CD-Writer. Make sure the seller includes the operating system and any other application disks that shipped with the laptop because you are legally entitled to them. A copy of Windows XP from the C&IT Software Clearinghouse will cost you approximately $75. |
Remember, new laptops nowadays can be had for well under $1000 — if you are willing to make some compromises. So be aware that for the used laptop to be a good deal, the sum of the asking price plus that for essential part replacements must still be far below the price of a new one. Normally, used laptops are sold "as is" which means there is no warranty coverage!
After taking some of these factors into consideration, you may decide to revise your offer to the laptop seller. Downwards.
