Used laptops can be a great solution if you need lots of power on a small budget.

There are lots of bargain priced notebook computers on the market. They frequently offer minimum performance at that price. The cheap new laptops are light weight, compact and carry a warranty so if you are not too demanding they might be your best option.

Used laptops, often a generation or more behind the latest-and-greatest offerings can still be powerful enough to run most of the current high powered software. Older machines often come with Windows XP installed instead of Windows Vista. From my perspective as software developer, XP is better than Vista for supporting much of my current software.

Used Laptop

I use my laptop as an alternative desktop machine. I don’t care if it’s heavy as long as it has a sharp, large screen, a super fast processor and can support at least 1 GB of memory. Windows XP only recognizes 3 GB. You don’t need more.

With lots of money invested in web development and animation software I was horrified to discover that Windows Vista was incompatible with much of my software. I am not about to sink thousands of dollars into new programs that supply most of the same functions that I use. I use my XP computer for development and my Vista machine for testing the end products. When I need a new work machine I need a used laptop or must replace much of my software.

You can find used laptops from a variety of sources. Craigslist.com and EBay spring to mind as places to look first. EBay would be my first choice because of the feedback features on the site.

An EBay seller will be fairly accurate about the condition and features of a machine in order to maintain good feedback but read the descriptions carefully.

A few cautions buying used laptops:

Over 50% of laptop failures result from the power jack failure. Repair cost is $100 to $150. Factory repair centers want $500 + to replace the motherboard. Not necessary.
Cooling is critical!!! Dust accumulates on the internal cooling fins. Compressed air can sometimes blow it. Nicotine will glue it in place and will require disassembly to remove.
Memory is inexpensive. Every model has limited capacity. Check the specs for the maximum supported by your model. Today’s software wants at least 1 GB for best performance.