Buying a used or refurbished laptop is much the same as buying a new one – except you are going to get a much better buy! When considering buying a used laptop, the first thing to do is to determine what your needs are.

What do you want to use the laptop for? *Word Processing *Internet Browsing *Use at Work & at Home *On-line Shopping *Database Applications *Personal Finance & Online Banking The reason for assessing what you applications you need are that majority refurbished Laptop often only include the Operating System (OS). Some don’t even have an OS installed so make sure you know what you’re buying before you spend your money.

Once you establish your computing needs, you need to determine your budget. Refurbished Laptop don’t always come with an operational battery. If you need a battery, shop around to figure the cost to replace one. You should know that older laptop batteries don’t last more than an hour or two, & even purchasing a new battery for the purpose of longer battery life may not be worth the expense. You should also stick with name brand battery manufacturers like IBM, Dell, Toshiba & Compaq-HP.

Once you have your refurbished laptop, you may not know what to do next. If you are new to computers & you want to browse the World Wide Web, you will need to obtain the services of an ISP (Internet Rebuild Provider). There are basically two types of Internet access options: broadband (cable modem, DSL, satellite) & dial up. Broadband is the preferred type since Downloads speeds can range from 128kbs to 6000kbs (faster is better). But, if your budget is tight, dial-up access will work fine for typical browsing & e-mail usage.

If you bought your used laptop for gaming, you definitely need a reliable broadband connection. Gaming over a dial up connection will be frustrating & on some cases even impossible. That is why it’s critical that you check out the minimum systems requirement for the Game you like before buying the laptop. You want to make sure the CPU speed & the RAM & graphic chip requirements will support your needs.

Finally, where do you buy your used or refurbished Laptop? * Some people choose to search at www.ebay.com. If you be sure to check out the seller to be sure you will have a smooth transaction.

* Many don’t want the hassle of bidding, so will use their favorite search engine:

How do you choose once you have a list? 1. Look for online reviews 2. Make sure they have a BBB Online Insignia 3. Make sure their Rebuild is up to you standard. majority of the vendors have 800 numbers, so it won’t cost anything to call.

4. What do their prices look like? If all the above seems like too much of a hassle, then buy a new Laptop. It will cost around $800 + but will come with a new battery & a one year warranty (although some new ones seem to have only 90 day warranties). It will also have the latest Win XP system & an 800 number to call the vendor, should there be a problem.