Many people think they need a brand new laptop and want to purchase the latest and greatest. In most cases a refurbished laptop is more than adequate, unless your are a gamer or power user. Your connection speed matters more than the CPU or the amount of RAM. Read on to learn more.

When considering buying a used laptop, the first thing to do is to determine what you want to use the laptop for?

• word processing

  Requires minimal CPU, since you cannot type faster than a very old Pentium 90.

• e-mail

  Requires a minimal CPU, minimal RAM and the connection speed does not matter, unless you are sending or receiving very large files (photos).

• chat

  This depends upon which chat program you plan on using. AOL AIM: P2 200 MHz,128MB RAM, 20MB HD space, XP or 2K Direct X9; MSN Live Messenger: P2 233 MHz, XP or Vista, 50MB HD, 800×600; Google Talk: Vista/XP/2000; Yahoo! Messenger v8: Win 98 or later, 233 MHz, 128MB, 30MB, Windows Media Player 7 or later, Direct X. You need to look carefully at your IM program to figure out exactly what is needed.

• browsing web pages

  Requires minimal CPU, 64MB RAM performs ok, but 128MB better. The speed you are connecting to the Internet is more important than the speed of the CPU. 56K modems are slow and DSL or cable are at least ten times faster).

• moving from home to work

  Most laptops weigh around seven pounds. If this is important check out the weight. Laptops with a smaller display, typically 12.1" weigh less than four pounds.

• gaming

  You should review the Minimum Systems Requirements of the games you play the most. Some games require a very fast CPU (2 GHz, lots of RAM (maybe 2GB) and a specialized graphics chip.

• music

  Music does not require much in the way of computing resources. The amount of storage depends upon how many songs you have. The average song takes about 5MB, so 300 songs would be 1.5GB. 40,000 songs would require 160GB of storage. Most people do not listen regularly to more than 300 songs?

• photos

  This really depends upon how you operate. If you never delete your bad or old photos then it might require lots of hard drive space. It also depends if you use the very commonly used .jpg format or some other format. I recently took a photo of my son pitching in .jpg and it was almost a megabyte. So, 1000 photos would be a gigabyte. Backup drives are very inexpensive (less than $100) or you could put the photos you want to save on a CD. The other consideration is your photo editing software. You need to check out the minimum systems requirements that describe the hardware and the OS needed for the software you use.

• streaming video

  Streaming is a technology for playing audio and video files (either live or pre-recorded) from a Web page. A user can view the audio or video files directly from the Web server for immediate playback. In terms of systems requirements a 200 MHz CPU, 32MB RAM, a browser, at least 56K modem, although DSL or cable are much faster. So, most older laptops can support streaming video.

• on-line shopping

  This in essence is just like browsing the web. You should have at least 128MB. The CPU is not as important as your connection speed (56K modem is much slower than DSL or Cable).

• a database application or personal finance

  Simple database applications like Goldmine or other sales applications do not usally need much in the way of CPU or Hard Drive space. Again check the Minimum Systems Requirments of your application. A very complex or large database (like Quickbooks) might need a large hard drive and a very fast CPU.

Next figure out how you will be connecting to the Internet. One way that people have connected to the Internet over the years is via a modem. Laptops have either a built-in modem connection or modem card that has been added to the laptop. Modems today are typically 56K.

A much faster method of connection is via either cable or DSL. In this case you need an Ethernet card and an Ethernet cable to connect the laptop to the DSL modem or the cable modem. In some cases routers have been installed that connect to the DSL modem or the cable modem and then to the ethernet connection on the laptop.

Today many people have connected wireless routers to their cable modem or their DSL modem. The router will then transmit a signal that the antennal on a card or internal wifi can pick up the signal from the wifi router. Older laptops have the ability to have wifi cards inserted in them and typically include a CD-ROM that includes the driver, which allows the card to talk to the laptop.

Determine what applications you need for your computing environment. They will not come with the laptop, as refurbished laptops often only include the Operating System (OS). If they don't include an installed OS, then be prepared to install it yourself. This is not for those that don't know what they are doing, so research what is involved before buying one without an OS.

Once you understand what you really need, you need to determine your budget.

Most old laptops do not have working batteries. If you need a battery, shop around to figure out how much they cost. You should know that on older laptops, batteries don't last more than an hour or two, so purchasing a new battery for the purpose of longer battery life may not be worth the expense. And by all means, stick with a name brand … IBM, Dell, Toshiba, Compaq-HP.

If you are new to computers and you want to browse the World Wide Web, you will need to obtain the services of an ISP (Internet Service Provider).

There are basically two types of Internet access options: broadband (cable modem, DSL, satellite) and lowband (dial-up). Broadband is the preferred type since download speeds can range from 128kbs to 6000kbs. The faster the better, of course. But, if your budget is tight, dial-up works just fine for typical browsing and e-mail usage.

Your choice of ISP will be dependent upon two things: budget and location. If the budget allows and you don't mind paying upwards of $50/month, you can purchase a broadband connection. However, even if money were no object, your physical location will determine what types of services are available to you. Broadband is not available everywhere (with the exception of satellite). If you have a telephone line, you can always choose dial-up. AOL's bread and butter is dial-up users. Do your research to determine what is available in your area and compare costs.

And for you gamers out there, you definitely need a reliable broadband connection. Gaming over a lowband connection can be a frustrating experience and sometimes even impossible. You will need to check out the minimum systems requirement for the games you are interested in using to make sure the CPU speed and the RAM and graphic chip requirements will suppor the games you wish to play.

Once you have figured out your budget and your needs and the requirements of y0ur laptop it is time to search for the laptop of your desires.

Some people choose to search at www.ebay.com. If you be sure to check out the seller to be sure you will have a smooth transaction.

Many don't want the hassle of bidding, so will use their favorite search engine: www.google.com or http://yahoo.com or www.msn.com for the terms used laptops or refurbished laptop.

If you do you are likely to come across my business … www.usedlaptops.com. If you see anything you like at our website or any of the other refurbished laptop vendors call. Most of the vendors have 800 numbers, so it does not cost anything to call. If you happen to call us you will be pleasantly surprised that someone will answer the phone, as it rarely goes to call forward.

An important thing to come in mind is how will the vendor treat you should there be a problem. If you don't like their attitude or they don't pick up the phone shop elsewhere. Price is important, but if you have a problem and spent the least amount of money possible the vendor may not have any resources available to help you after you have purchased and spent your money.

If all the above seems like too much of a hassle, then buy a new computer. It will cost around $800+ (out the door) but will come with a new battery and a one year warranty, although some new ones seem to have only 90 day warranties. It will also have the latest Windows XP system and an 800 number to call the vendor, should their be a problem. I'd call the 800# first before buying to get an idea what kind of support they will provide.

The first question to answer if you are student looking to purchase a laptop or a parent thinking about buying a laptop for your child is the budget. If there is no budget or you can spend $800 or $900+ consider buying a new laptop.

Once the budget is in hand then consider the intended use for the laptop.

For colleges and universities, visit the school's Web site for useful information. They will often provide a recommended minimum required laptop specification. However, don't be fooled they often will suggest much more than is needed. One final thought: students need a notebook that is small and light enough to lug back and forth across campus but rugged enough to withstand bouncing around in a backpack.

If it is to browse the web, instant messaging and type papers then a minimal laptop will work fine. Browsing the web only requires 128MB RAM. You can't type faster than a very old Pentium 90 laptop, so word processing runs fine on older laptops. If you have any specialized applications it is always a good idea to go to the software vendors website and check out the Minimum Systems Requirements to make sure the application will work. If you are a serious gamer all bets are off as you might need 2GB RAM, a fast CPU and even a specialized graphics chip and have to spend $2000.

Most college campuses these days have wireless networks. Older laptops can accept Wi-Fi cards, which cost $30, so they are easily to upgrade.

Older laptops often do not have working batteries and even on new ones after a year or two the battery may not work. It usually does not matter, as schools know students want to use their laptops everywhere and often provide many extra wall outlets, so they can be plugged in. New batteries often don't last more than 2-3 hours.

When considering buying a laptop, the first thing to do is to determine what your needs are: word processing, e-mail, browsing web pages, moving it around (size and battery life will matter), gaming (a very fast CPU, graphics chip and lots of RAM), on-line shopping, a database application (fast CPU, big hard drive), personal finance, photos (big hard drive), music (big Hard Drive).

Once you have figured out what you need decide how much you can afford to spend. Then check out IBM (Lenovo), Dell and Toshiba or HP. IBM and Toshiba make the best laptops and Dell spends the most on advertising, so has the best name, but perhaps the worst customer service reputation.

So, the question of new vs. used … depends upon your budget, battery needs and how much you will be using the unit. If you only have $300 to spend the only choice is refurbished. If you want a brand new battery then you will rarely find them in used laptops. As a matter of fact the battery might not even work. If you use the laptop a lot then seriously consider upping the budget and get new, as over 2-3 years the cost will be less.

So, once you have shopped around and narrowed it down to two choices then search google for and see who has the best deal. But remember the best price may not much matter if they have poor customers service, should you have a problem.

Small business owners are often plagued by technology questions. For instance, if you have remote team members, do you let them use their own computers or do you outfit them with laptops? If you have a sales staff that goes on site, can you really afford to buy the laptops they should have? In some cases, perhaps you are ready to buy a number of laptops for your staff that can be checked out and taken on the road or home in any number of circumstances. But where do you begin? If you have a small business budget, you may not have the capital to go to Dell, Compaq or Hewlitt Packard and buy 6 machines. Even if you did have the cash on hand, are you making the most strategic investment?

If you are ready to buy a number of laptops for sales staff members, you should not just run out and buy. First, how many laptops do you really need to outfit your staff? If you have 4 sales reps for instance, who are inside/outside then perhaps you need 2 laptops that can be kept in the office and checked out for sales calls. If you have only outside sales reps, each staff member will probably need their own laptop. If you have a staff that is made up of both inside and outside sales staff, the outside sales staff should probably have their own machines while the inside staff should have a pool from which to check out on an as needed basis. Consider your staff and the volume of need and then purchase accordingly.

Second, what do they really need in the laptop? If your sales reps are simply going to a call and making a power point presentation or a presentation on the internet, they probably won’t need a lot of computing power. If you have staff that wants to work from home occasionally and all they are doing is word processing or spreadsheet work, they too will not need a lot of hard drive or ram to meet their needs. If you have a staff that does graphics work or programming, you may want to have a few laptops on hand that can handle that kind of work. Additionally, if you have technical sales engineers who need to demonstrate a technical or software product, you’ll need to ensure that their machines can handle whatever they need to.

Third, you need to consider peripherals. Are they going to take any kind of projector with them? Do they need to be able to burn files onto CD? Do they need multiple USB ports or wireless access on the road? Will they need a larger laptop display for presentations? All of these are important issues to consider and to strategically plan for. You want to make sure that your remote staff can work effectively with no problems while protecting your bottom line.

Finally, you need to consider what kind of laptops you will buy. In today’s market of swiftly moving technology, you could conceivably buy used laptops of refurbished laptops to outfit your remote staff or to create a pool of laptops for your company. If you think in terms of your needs and your budget, this may be an ideal solution. You could buy a couple of high end laptops for the staffers who really need to computing power and at the same time you could buy a number of used notebook computers or refurbished laptops for the staff members who don’t need the same amount of power. By thinking strategically, you can outfit a remote staff or a sales rep with what they need while avoiding the budgetary stretch you can’t handle.

If you are a small business owner, you don’t need to outlay cash on technology that won’t be used to its fullest extent. Get your technical people the computing power they need to take your products and organization to the next level and make sure your sales reps have adequate laptop computers to optimize their time on the road. With technology constantly changing, if you commit to buying cutting edge computers for your whole staff you may be walking straight into bankruptcy. Buy smart and your business will grow while your budget stays trim.

Have your wallet wide open. Gaming laptops can be expensive. Dell purchased the famed game laptop computer Alienware in March 2006.

The first thing you should do is check out the Minimum Systems Requirements for your favorite games. Once you have done that you should have an idea what hardware and computing power will be required.

A major component in a gaming laptop is a quality of the video chip. The video card needs at least 128mb of RAM and have a fairly good processing speed. It would also be nice if it was in a socket, so it could eventually be removed and upgraded.

The amount of system RAM the notebook has is critical. A decent gaming notebook needs at least 1gb of RAM or more if possible. I recently upgraded our desktop at home for a game my son likes that required 2GB of RAM.

Speaking of the CPU get the fastest and latest chip available.

If you laptop will be moving around then battery power might be important. A decent video card, fast CPU and lots of RAM will burn the juice. You should even consider a second battery or a unit that accommodates a second battery in one of the bays.