Buying a new notebook computer to use for e-mail and school was too expensive for student Vinod Abrams.
But it turns out that plunking down $1,200 to get the latest and fastest laptop was not necessary. He bought a used computer.
“Basically, you don’t need all that processing power unless you are a rocket scientist or something like that,” said Abrams, who last month bought an IBM Thinkpad he found on eBay for $369. He figures he saved hundreds of dollars by going for a used notebook.
Industry experts warn that buying a used computer can pose more challenges than buying new. First, it’s unlikely that technical support will be provided for a used computer, although eBay has begun to sell service contracts for some.
Also, used computers often do not come with software, not even an operating system, such as Windows.
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Edited by Lara Weber (lweber@tribune.com) and Kris Karnopp (kkarnopp@tribune.com)
