We need to make something clear right at the start of this discussion: when you buy a cheap laptop it does not automatically mean that you are buying a sub-standard computer. There are indeed a variety of good quality entry-level laptops available on the market right now. If you should decide to buy a used laptop, you can most likely find even better value for your money.
The most vital factor to consider when you buy a cheap laptop is that it has to be able to do what you want it to do. If you only want a laptop to write a letter to your father once in a while or draw up the family budget on a spreadsheet, even the cheapest laptop on the market should be great for your you.
If you want to play games, however, you need to be cautious. As a general rule games require the laptop to have more RAM than with word processing and spreadsheet applications. If the entry level laptop you are considering does not have enough RAM, you can upgrade the RAM immediately, or you can buy a used laptop with sufficient RAM.
Something else that you have to check out is that it has enough USB ports for your purposes. A few of the entry level laptops have only a single or perhaps two USB ports. For the average user that might be sufficient, but if you are going to use a webcam and a microphone and speakers and a few other gadgets regularly, you will need the maximum number of USB ports you can afford.
Should you be buying a used laptop, test it thoroughly before you pay for it. Test the keyboard to make sure all the keys work, otherwise you will have to buy a separate USB keyboard. Also make sure that the DVD drive is working properly and that the screen and case is not badly scratched. Switch on the laptop and listen for funny noises when it starts up.
When it comes to hard drive size and CPU speed, cheap laptops will obviously not be comparable to the more expensive varieties. This doesn’t need to bother you, as long as the speed and hard drive capacity is sufficient for your needs. If you are never going to use a 500Gb hard drive to its full capacity, why pay for one?
Don’t ever buy a new laptop without at least a one year warranty. Read the warranty to satisfy yourself that it covers everything that should be covered. When buying a used laptop you will normally have to go without a warranty, so get a trained technician to check it out before you hand over your money.
Andrew Johnson is an expert in computer consumables. If you would like further information about varieties of cheap laptop or are searching for a trusted computer retailer please visit http://www.ebuyer.com
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