I need your used laptop expertise

August 15, 2012 1:08 AM

Pre-Used Laptops - Recommend a Workhorse

Might be in the market for a used laptop. Which models and makes are known to be relatively indestructible that keep on keeping on - with really good performances - wifi, video, audio et el. Alternately, would it be a wise choice to go for an Android? I basically just want something that'll work for the next 2 years or more, for basic word processing, internet and some music. Thanks

posted by watercarrier to computers & internet (7 answers total)

The Lenovo X220 is a superb, extremely sturdy, all round work machine and can be tracked down for very cheap on eBay. I recently bought one for £440 with a 320gb hd, 8gb ram and an extra battery (with the midrange Sandy Bridge i5 2.5ghz processor). I then manually added a 120gb msata SSD drive for under £100. It's the best machine I've ever owned, as well as the cheapest. Buying from the US will get you even better deals.
posted by 0bvious at 1:33 AM on August 15, 2012 [1 favorite]

You should check out deals on refurbished laptops (best bet is usually to go straight to the manufacturer). It can be worth getting a 'previous generation' laptop if you can find a good enough deal, particularly if you don't want to do anything super demanding with it. Refurbished machines also tend to come with a manufacturer's warranty, which you don't usually get if you buy second-hnad.
posted by anaximander at 3:56 AM on August 15, 2012 [1 favorite]

I wouldn't buy a used laptop and I wouldn't let any of my family or friends buy a used laptop. Unless you're looking for a very specialized laptop, it just makes no sense--too many wearing parts (plus battery life!), and not a lot of reason to sell one after using it but while there's still life on it.

For word processing you really need a physical keyboard, which takes you out of the range of really cheap Android tablets... to the point where you're spending as much as a cheap Windows laptop. The tablet will be lighter and thinner, but also more limited in many ways. Unless size is your primary concern, I wouldn't go this route if you're mostly doing word processing. (Even then, I would probably look at netbooks, too.)

It would help if you said why you specifically ask about used instead of new (or refurbished) laptops, and give your desired price range and spec range.
posted by anaelith at 5:00 AM on August 15, 2012 [1 favorite]

The three major (windows) laptop manufacturers each have two lines of products: consumer and corporate. The corporate line is generally engineered for durability, repairability, and a long lifecycle before replacement.

So, if you are shopping for a used laptop look for a Dell "Latitude", HP "EliteBook", or Lenovo ThinkPad T, or X series.

Used markets are always buyer beware so you should really have some idea about what to look out for wherever you are shopping. Depending on your budget, it might make sense to go for a manufacturer refurbished laptop:

outlet.dell.com
http://h71016.www7.hp.com/html/hpremarketing/daily.asp
outlet.lenovo.com
posted by ennui.bz at 6:35 AM on August 15, 2012 [1 favorite]

I'm a sysadmin and recently reviewed a bunch of demo units because I was unhappy with our current provider (HP). I settled on Lenovo Thinkpads. They're essentially little tanks. If you ebay "lenovo thinkpad i5" you can get yourself something nice that's 12 months old for about half the retail cost. They're business PCs and come at a price premium but you also get a solid 3 year warranty.
posted by damn dirty ape at 7:33 AM on August 15, 2012 [1 favorite]

Thanks everyone who replied. Will see what surfaces in the Lenovo realm. :)

anaelith - am on a tight budget so am looking at around the $200 range right now, I'm more than happy to sacrifice bells and whistles for an older model made to last.
posted by watercarrier at 7:44 AM on August 15, 2012

If your budget is that low, you might want to look at a new netbook. If you shop around you can get this new for around $250.
posted by damn dirty ape at 7:49 AM on August 15, 2012 [1 favorite]