Laptop Deals

Finding the best laptop deals, at a price cheap enough for you, is achievable. The two things you need to know is what you want and where to look for it.

What you want

I would suggest you make a list of the features you want the laptop to have, before you start shopping for one. The three most important factors to consider are the CPU, the memory and the hard drive. They are the core of the laptop and will determine how well the laptop runs programs. When it comes to the RAM, I recommend you get at least 1 Gig of DDR2 RAM with the ability to upgrade that. The hard drive needs to have at least 100 GB of space on it. Comparing laptop CPUs are tricky, research the CPU online before you buy.

Other factor to consider in finding the best laptop deal

• Screen size: The screen size tends to be between 15 and 17 inches. The higher the more expensive the laptop.
• Communication: I recommend making sure that the laptop supports an ethernet as well as a wireless connection(WLAN). Without these, you will have problems connecting to LAN networks and the internet.
• Video Card: I recommend getting a GForce graphics card. You can compare how powerful the card is by going to the NVidia home page or by Googling the cards.
• The OS: If you are getting a high end laptop get Vista. If you are looking for a cheaper deal, consider getting XP, it is much lighter on the laptops resources than Vista.
• Warranty: Make sure the laptop has an one year warranty. If you are concerned about theft, the retailer will normally offer some kind of insurance, as an optional extra.
• Weight: The lighter the better, 2.5 kg is about middle of the road.
• Touch Pad: Touch pads are horrible. Consider getting a cordless optical mouse with your laptop.
• Anti Virus: You have to have an Anti Virus program for your new laptop. If one is not included you have to buy one separately.

Use The Internet

You are no longer confined to a small shopping area. With the internet you can shop all over the world, that kind of competition drives down prices. Also online retailers don’t have to rent a shop and hire staff, they ship the laptop straight from the manufacturer to you.

The first place to look is the big retailers. They can afford to buy thousands of laptops in one go. The manufacturers will give them huge discounts which they can pass on to you. Generally the big online retailers will place large orders for three laptops. One would be extremely cheap, one middle of the road model and one top of the line model. All three are great value for money.

Ebay
If, you just can’t find the laptop specs you need, for the amount you are willing to pay, it’s time to look at second hand laptops. Ebay is the most reputable place where you can buy used, cheap laptops. The key is to shop around, there more you shop the better the deal that you are likely to find.

Remember the key to not getting burned on Ebay, is to check out the seller’s history.

Haggle

People these days are conditioned not to haggle. If you are not buying on the High Street you need to haggle for a better deal.