Reconditioned/secondhand laptop?

countrybum

Hi techie folk, hope you can help.
I have been thinking of buying a laptop for a little while now, and after watching The Gadget Show last night am open to the possibility of a reconditoned or second hand one. Thing is I don't know where to start looking - any ideas? (I looked on Gadget Show website to see if I could fine mane of business where theirs was purchaded from but with no luck). How do I know they aren't going to conk out within a week?
I live in S Yorks if anyone knows of a good shop I could look at.
What are the pros & cons of new v reconditioned?
Any advise would be greatly appreciated.

countrybum

Forgot to mention, I have a pretty lean buget of £300 ish!! No apple for me!

penrhyn

You could try Big Pockets

bonzer

countrybum wrote: »

Forgot to mention, I have a pretty lean buget of £300 ish!! No apple for me!

Could just about scrape a new one for that. Can't be too picky on spec though:

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/152309

If you could get nearer £400 than £300 you'd get quite a bit more choice on full size laptops. There's plenty in the net book league around the £300 mark though.

GunJack

yup, bigpockets prob your best bet....currently got a IBM Thinkpad T30 for £130 !!! bargain, even if you factor in another £20 for a bit more RAM...

http://www.bigpockets.co.uk/cat.php?search=laptops&lang=

sunshine54

currys do refurb laptops from £180 with warranty

http://www.currys.co.uk/martprd/store/cur_page.jsp?BV_SessionID=@@@@0268926048.1237921401@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccfdadegkkkkfdgcflgceggdhhmdgml.0&page=ProductList&category_oid=-27411&show_all=true&disabled_product=1

GunJack

the cheaper currys ones are netbooks....first "real" lappy they've got in stock is £260 for a 13.3" screen model

countrybum

thanks for all your replies. I've had a look at bigpockets and like the prices! The only thing that makes me a little dubious is the length of warranty on the refurb laptops - does this mean they will not last?

e00c

try comet too.

Recently had a Sony / 3gb ram / duel core / 400gb drive + blueray drive for little over £400

Was a bargain. shame I just bought a new pc! lol.

:edit:

All recon laptops should atleast come with a 1 year warranty......

if not - buy the laptop and then search google for: Domestic and general.

Pretty resonable