Top tips for buying second hand laptops

Thinking of finding second hand laptops for sale? Junk Mail highlights some top tips when it comes to buying everything from used laptops to finding useful laptop accessories.

There are so many computer brands coming out with amazing laptops on a regular basis. From the Asus Zenbook to the Dell XPS and the Lenovo Yoga. All these brands come with new features and specifications that are supposedly an improvement on the models from the previous year.

second hand laptops

Truth be told however unless you are very tech savvy the choices can be quite overwhelming. In addition to this, laptops prices are relatively high, especially new laptops and buying a laptop will easily set you back a few thousands of Rands. Unless of course you are buying a Macbook as this will cost you more than a few thousands.

Considering the short cycle of technology, it may be wiser to invest in second hand laptops as the value of your laptop will decrease significantly in just a matter of weeks. In simpler terms you are more likely to get more value for your money if you purchase a used laptop.

However, as with all things that are pre-owned you have to be do your research. There are certain things that you have to look at that will give you a good indicator of whether or not used laptops on offer is worth buying.

used laptops

What to look at when buying used laptops

The first thing you will want to look at when buying second hand laptops is the battery life. You do not want to buy a second hand laptop with a battery life so low that you will have to keep the laptop on the charger all day.

If you are a coffee shop entrepreneur, freelancer or anyone who works from a coffee shop, one of the reasons you want a laptop is that you want a powerful computer device that is easy to carry around, the moment the battery becomes a problem you lose the ability to easily carry your laptop around.

Alternatively, depending on the laptop model, you could look into buying a brand new battery. This option will of-course depend on the price of brand new batteries for the laptop you are going for.

check the condition of the laptop

You may also want to inspect the laptop’s processor speed. Look at the RAM available on the machine’s settings, after looking at the setting you should then look at the number of memory slots available, this will show you how much additional RAM you can add to the used laptop. You cannot however add extra RAM to a Macbook Air as RAM is soldered into the Mac, you will, if you choose to buy a Macbook, have to make do with the RAM pre-installed on the machine.

Other things you will want to look at when buying second hand laptops are the frame and the screen of the machine. Ask yourself if the machine seems like a machine that was well maintained, if not, there is a good probability that the laptop may have sustained some internal damage which you may not be aware of because of the owner’s reckless maintenance.

Additionally, have a look at the laptop charger, although laptop chargers are not particularly expensive if the used laptops up for sale are being sold with a charger that is clearly in bad condition, you could use that as leverage to negotiate a lower price for yours.

laptop batteries for sale

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Laptop accessories to make life easier

Often times you may be lucky enough to find a seller willing to sell their used laptop with a number of additional accessories such as laptop bags, maybe its laptop stand and an external mouse and keyboard.

The best advice to follow when buying a laptop with accessories is to look around the internet for laptop prices and set a benchmark that will serve as an indicator of what a fair price is. Then you have to look at the prices of the accessories that come with the laptop, if the price is still right after adding up all these figures then you might have found yourself a great bargain.

accessories for your laptop

If you are buying a Macbook you may want to specifically look for used Macbooks that are sold together with accessories. Anyone who has owned an Apple device will tell you that it is not just the device that is expensive it is everything associated with the device, including accessories. A Macbook Pro charger for example can easily cost you over R700.

If you cannot find second hand laptops with accessories, you can always opt to buy the accessories separately. On Junk Mail you can find great deals on brand new and used laptop accessories like keyboards and monitors.

Ultimately, before you decide what laptop accessories to purchase, if any, think about what you would normally need for your laptop. Are you the type of person who uses an external keyboard and mouse or do you simply use what is available?

laptop chargers

All things said it important to practice some patience when buying a used laptop, do not rush the process by buying the first discounted used laptop you find, look at all the options you have and only decide to buy the laptop after you have carefully weighed all your options.

Now that you know the ins and outs of buying used laptops, you can look for awesome deals on second hand laptops for sale on Junk Mail!

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Top tips for buying second hand laptops
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Top tips for buying second hand laptops
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Thinking of finding second hand laptops? We highlight some top tips when it comes to buying everything from used laptops to useful laptop accessories.
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Junk Mail
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4 Responses

  1. Brian kaunu says:

    What is the best brand name of a good second hand laptop. And where can i buy if from south Africa, And what the price range.

  2. Thomas says:

    Great advice. How do I know about the condition of the battery for a second hand laptop.

    • Jani Grey says:

      Hi Thomas,

      It will always be prudent to have a look at what you intend to buy in person. Test out the item you want to purchase before paying for it to see if you are happy with the quality, and be sure to give the laptop battery a test run before taking the next step in acquiring it.

      Thank you for using Junk Mail.

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