A Few Used Laptop Buying Tips

A Few Used Laptop Buying Tips

New laptops are available for fairly decent prices these days. Of course not everyone has money to spend on a new laptop or may not need a brand new one. In this case a used laptop would make sense. Here are a few tips to know what you need to look for when looking to buy a used laptop.

First things first and you should never buy a used laptop until you know what you are getting. Test it out to make sure it works and that it performs functions and tasks without too much lag time. Open up a simple program like Word or Wordpad and mess around with the keyboard to make sure it works. Test out all of the keys to make sure nothing is sticking or stuck.

You also want to test out the laptops mouse, which is normally just a touch pad in front of the space bar. Move the mouse around for awhile to make sure that there is no lag time and it is responsive to the touch. If there is a delay or a lag, it could mean that the computer is slow and infected, or that the memory is too full. You can adjust some settings for the built-in mouse and/or use an external mouse if you choose.

Don't expect too much from a used laptops battery. Generally speaking, laptop batteries don't have much of a lifespan longer than a few years for the newer more technologically sound batteries. Ask the seller how long it lasts and if it goes longer than an hour or two you are in business.

Make sure that the laptops power adapter or adapters are included and that they don't have any tears in the cords. Since power adapters are constantly being bundled up, they certainly won't last as long as the batteries themselves. Make sure that you test them out as well and that they charge the laptop all of the way.

Try to find a few laptops that have the programs you need. Most used laptops are going to already have programs on the computer. You should look for used laptops that already come equipped with ones that you are going to use so you don't have to spend more money. Bigger more expensive programs like Microsoft Studio, Office, or Adobe Photoshop may have to be relicensed. Check into it so you don't get into any trouble.

Lastly, make sure that the video card and sound work properly as well. Usually if there are problems with the computer's internal drives, the sound and/or video will be the first to go