12/31/2016
Top 5 Reasons to Buy a Used or Refurbished Laptop
If you’re thinking of buying a laptop, but aren’t interested in paying a lot, one really smart option is to buy a refurbished laptop. Many consumers have reluctance to buying a used laptop fearing it may stop working shortly after buying it or that the price makes it too good to be true. These are just a couple of myths that come with buying a refurbished laptop. Looking at a cost-benefit analysis, the vast majority of the population would truly come out ahead if they purchased a used or refurbished laptop. The advantages are numerous and below we will explain the top five.
1. Cost
Similarly to buying a used car, the cost of buying a refurbished laptop is the main selling point. Simply browsing the selection of used laptop for both used Apple laptop or any other brand will show you that the prices are dramatically reduced. For home user computers you will find roughly half off prices and for business laptops, you will find a whopping 80% mark-down.
2. No Unnecessary Add-Ons
When computer manufactures market their laptops, they talk a great deal about all the ‘needed’ features and upgrade options. For the majority of computer users, this is simply unnecessary and one ends up paying for something that is not their best interest to buy. The capabilities and design of a slightly newer model are generally a marketing gimmick and not something that will actually be noticed.
3. No Compatibility Problems
Many people fear that when they buy a used laptop, everything will be outdated and there will be many issues with compatibility for their various programs. This is simply not the case. The rate of change in the laptop industry is so high that software companies simply opt to stay out. The vast majority of programs and applications that will be used are completely compatible with older models.
4. Used Doesn’t Mean Old
When people throw out their laptops, it is impossible to predict the exact reason, but that reason may not necessarily be because it is complete garbage. The majority of used laptops actually come from businesses that are upgrading all their systems. This means these refurbished laptop computers are high performing machines that may not have any problems at all. When it comes to consumer electronics, there are a number of people that prefer to stay ahead of the curve and always have the latest laptops available. Sometimes people throw out their laptop when there is a small problem that can be easily fixed.
5. Eco-Friendly
One thing that can really limit our greenhouse gas consumption and reduce our carbon footprint comes from the products we consume. Like buying any second-hand product, buying a used laptop makes use of valuable resources that may otherwise pile up in a landfill or electronics waste compost. As this perpetuates, the demand for laptops increases and manufacturers increase supply. Operating under higher demand entails more waste and burning of fossil fuels. It just makes sense to reuse something salvageable, and why not electronics?
