When you’re shopping for laptops, or notebooks (these terms are used interchangeably to mean the same thing for the most part), you naturally want to get the best deal available. The first step that many consumers take now is to do initial research on the Internet.
It’s usually the best way to guarantee you’ll get whatever you want at the most reasonable price, since there’s quite a few sites that will list prices of the same product. Various online stores post their final price on those sites, which include Pricegrabber.com, Bizrate, and the Google Shopping search engine. It’s a great way to start searching for a notebook. Depending on the laptop model you chose the prices will differ considerably.
Take for instance the HP Pavilion DV6700T Entertainment 15.4 Notebook PC. Although there are minor configuration changes, depending on where you look, the specifications are for the most part static: 15.4 in. screen, a 2.5 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, a 320 GB hard drive, 4GB of memory, a Web cam, a few USB ports, a Firewire port, a built-in DVD burner, and so on. A Google Shopping search lists this model selling for anywhere between $1399 and $2099. But Amazon.com had it advertised on sale for $1099. Why? Because the store has to make way for new merchandise. It’s that simple. And given the high specs of this HP Pavilion notebook, it’s really hard to beat.
You can also consider refurbished or recertified laptops when making a decision. These discount notebooks are usually sold “like new” but they have in most cases been returned to the store or online retailer. The notebook didn’t perform as well as the buyer had hoped, the appearance was not what was expected, or whatever other reason. These notebooks are then sent to the manufacturer, where they are rigorously tested for proper functionality. Cosmetic changes are made if necessary, and then the notebooks are repackaged with the accessories that originally shipped with the product when it was “new.” Thus, depending on the computer manufacturer, they are labeled with a term insinuating that they have been previously owned. They differ from used laptops in that the manufacturer actually checks the functionality and offers a warranty. Used laptops are sold by their original owners or stores that buy second-hand merchandise.
For instance, I recently purchased a refurbished MacBook Pro from the Apple store online and I am perfectly satisfied. It was sold to me as if it was new, with the one-year warranty that is offered for new merchandise and all the software as well as laptop computer accessories that ordinarily ship. I purchased the Apple laptop for only $1349, excluding tax, because the new line of MacBook Pros had just been released and were being sold in stores. The previous recertified price was $1699. That very same model sold for $1999 brand new up until the day before the new generation of MacBook Pros were released. That’s a huge savings.
In other words, if you wait until the computer company comes out with a new model, you can save a lot of money by purchasing the previous model. And let me stress that the differences are slight. Perhaps the hard drive has 30 or 40 GB more storage, or the memory is 4GB instead of 3GB. Maybe the laptop case looks a little different. It doesn’t matter really, because you are going to get a great deal regardless. Laptops usually go through major changes every other year or so. Chances are, depending on the notebook’s configuration, you’ll be satisfied for several years without having to worry about performance slowdowns.
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