How should you decide what type of second-hand notebook you should buy? 

Here are 5 things to consider:

1. What does used mean?

A used notebook is one which has had previous owners, all of whom have left their mark on it. If you buy one, choose a notebook with the newest CPU and/or most amount of RAM.

An excellent alternative, though, is to buy a refurbished one, which has been used but then returned to its brand-new condition. Many companies lease notebooks and have an upgrade cycle every three years, at which point the current fleet is returned to the manufacturer. These machines are the most frequently refurbished. When a notebook is refurbished, it is brought back up to the original manufacturer’s specifications: essentially, the computer is rebuilt as if it were new, then restored, thoroughly tested and inspected. In this process, everything is erased from the computer’s memory and then only necessary and requested software installed.

Companies’ IT departments tend to choose equipment to lease based on how durable and easy to support they are; at the same time, most employees take care of the equipment that is loaned to them. Accordingly, refurbished notebooks on offer are often models that are built to last, with previous users who took good care of them.

By comparison, a “used” notebook has not been refurbished and where it is sourced from is uncertain.

2. Quality 

A used notebook is re-sold “as is”, which means it is not in any way restored. You cannot be sure about its condition, performance quality or how it was utilised by its previous owner(s).

Refurbished notebooks, on the other hand, have been fully restored and tested by the manufacturer, so they work as good as new – just as if they had never been used. A refurbished notebook may not be the latest model, but it will work as if that model was brand new.

3. Manufacturer’s warranty

While deals on eBay and other outlets for used notebooks may seem attractive at first glance, they will most likely not provide you with the peace of mind that comes with a full warranty provided by the manufacturer, ensuring quality and reliability. You can’t ever be sure that the warranty you get with a used computer is the genuine article. 

Refurbished notebooks are most reliable if they are supplied directly by the manufacturer, with the manufacturer’s warranty.

4. Value for money

Offering the same reliability, performance, specifications, functionality and warranty as new notebooks, though at a fraction of the “brand-new” price, refurbished notebooks provide great value for money. With corporate leasing cycles, notebooks appear on the market as refurbished around three years after they were released, sometimes even less. Though make sure that the notebook has been refurbished by the manufacturer.

5. Eco-friendly

Keeping the environment in mind, refurbishing and redeploying helps reduce eWaste, as do simple used notebooks. Both ways, notebooks end up being fully utilised as opposed to ending up prematurely in landfills.

The HP Renew Program offers a comprehensive portfolio of good-as-new remanufactured HP products, which are covered by the full original HP warranty.