Pre-loved laptops

Investing in the latest laptop can be costly especially if you want the best of the best If you arenrsquot as picky and need something to do simple computer things even a computer from nine to ten years ago can perform well I have used the same home computer since 2013 a 4th Generation i7 Intel I also recently acquired a MacBook Pro 2011 to use on the go Being thrifty is also great for the environment Reducing ewaste by reusing things is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint and save the planetHowever navigating the secondhand market can be tricky if you donrsquot know what you are looking for This simple guide should give you an idea of how to go about finding and validating your dream machineWhat will you use the machine forYou first need to ask yourself what you will use the machine for If it is anything that requires raw computing power secondhand might not be the way to go Gaming 3D rendering and videomusic production needs are usually significantly resource hungry If you are lucky you can score a gaming laptop but they are rare Even the older gaming laptops should be able to hobble along with heavy computing tasks However secondhand machines are best used for lowintensity computing tasks like watching videos surfing and doing office workWhat to look out forHere are the things you need to look for when buying a secondhand laptopTurn it on The laptop must turn on Do not buy the laptop if you cannot verify in person that a computer can start and boot upCheck the battery Lithiumion batteries degrade over time The older the laptop the higher the chance of it being degraded If there are any signs of a puffy battery drop that laptop If the battery doesnrsquot hold a charge again donrsquot consider it Also read up or watch teardown videos for the computer you intend to buy to see how hard it is to replace the battery and other components For example specific MacBook Pros had their batteries glued down making it complicated to replace them Worse some machines have RAM and other as a permanent part of the motherboard making upgrades impossibleIntact screen There should be no signs of wear on your laptop screen Screens are one of the most expensive things to replace in a laptop Sometimes they are more expensive than the chip and mainboardCheck all bumps and scratches Bumps and scrapes are inevitable on any secondhand laptop but look for deep gashes or hard dents where the impact could have shaken or damaged components insideRead up Read up all you can about the secondhand laptop you plan to buy Old reviews Reddit posts complaining about issues and even web pages that list all the specs are excellent sources of information Find out if you can upgrade critical things like RAM Hard drive and even the WiFi and Bluetooth modules The ability to upgrade extends the life of your machineCheck System information Boot up the OS and check if all the specs are as describedReality check If something is too good to be true it probably is Try and avoid scammers Look for reliable sources and for realistic dealsBargainIf something is out of your budget bargain See if the other party is willing to part with the device at a rate you are comfortable with Have some wiggle room in your budget if you find something perfect but a little expensiveWhich laptops age wellNot all laptops are cut from the same cloth Look for wellknown brands and anything built to last Look for metal construction or at least a durability rating The easiest to buy is an Apple The construction usually lasts far beyond the official support The shoddy light plastic construction in lowcost brands of laptops doesnrsquot last well MacBook AirPro Lenovo ThinkPad Dell Latitude ASUS TUF Gaming Laptops and Microsoft Surface are some of the machines that last longWhere to find itFinding an excellent secondhand laptop can be challenging Look for stores like CEX that test out secondhand laptops and give you a warranty on them They are a little bit more expensive than the street price but you donrsquot have to do the technical testing yourself Several stores on Lamington Road also have secondhand laptops and computersWebsites like OLX and Quikr are good places to find a deal However there are many scammers on these sites So try to deal with people who have been members for longer than a year with a good rating Always buy the goods in person after testing You can also check electronicsbazaarcom lapshopin xfurbishcom and techyugacom for refurbished laptops Even searching for ldquoRefurbishedrdquo on Amazon can draw up some interesting resultsAnother great source is an office selling depreciated machines Most of those machines will be something built to last If you are lucky you might score a ThinkPad or MacBook You can only find this type of deal if you work in that office or know someone working there Sometimes these machines are sold in bulk to secondhand dealers eventually ending up on Lamington RoadMacBook AirPro Lenovo ThinkPad Dell Latitude Microsoft Surface and ASUS TUF Gaming Laptops are machines that last long