8 Things you Need to Consider when Buying a Refurbished Computer

When choosing a new computer, there are lots of things to consider before parting with your hard earned cash. This becomes even more important when running your own business, or working freelance.

At click4Mac we get suitably excited about matching the right computer with the right person, so stick with us while we share with you some insights for how to get this right. (Selling a laptop to someone who really needs a desktop gives us no joy whatsoever!)

With that in mind, we are more than happy to discuss your options with you, simply contact us here.

First things first, before buying a refurb, (or anything for that matter!) you need to check they are a credible seller. Ask yourself a few questions ...

• Does the machine come with a warranty?
• Has the company been around for a number of years?
• Do they have client testimonials?

Once you have got those things covered, you need to consider what you want to use your computer for.

• Do you need a laptop or a desktop?
• Which software do you use for your business?
• If you’re a freelancer, do you need to use certain software, if so - check the minimum system requirements and check the machine meets those?

8 things you need to consider before buying a refurb computer

1. Battery Life. If you are buying a laptop and need to work on the move, check for info on battery condition and capacity because batteries deteriorate over time
2. Portability. Do you need your computer to be portable? If not, then consider a desk based iMac which gives you more screen size, processing power and storage for your money.
3. Screen size. Buying a machine with too small a screen will be frustrating for you. Buying one with too large a screen is an unnecessary expense and will be heavier and more cumbersome to transport. It also consumes more power. You can use the comparison tool on our website to compare how screen size affects the price.
4. Storage requirements. If you do not store a lot on your computer, you don’t need a large hard drive or solid state drive (SSD). So consider your requirements, then buy something which will meet these requirements and is within budget.
5. SSD vs External Hard Drives. If you are working with large amounts of data, there is a trade off. Hard disks are MUCH cheaper per gigabyte and many SSD based laptops have relatively low capacities. On the other hand, SSDs are MUCH faster than hard drives so opening, saving or printing large files, and loading of applications is much faster. If you can rely on external hard drives and don’t need all your data on the laptop itself, then an SSD should be fine, but if you need to keep more than 500GB on the laptop, SSDs can get VERY expensive. (especially as Apple uses proprietary SSDs)
6. What do you actually need it to do? Don’t buy a Lamborghini for a trip to tesco!
   For predominantly internet based activity, high specs are not necessary as internet speed will probably be the limiting factor. Modern computers have staggeringly powerful processors but if you are just typing or shopping online, it’s like driving a Lamborghini at 20mph. As long as the computer is powerful enough to run the Mac system version you want without feeling sluggish (we can advise on this), processing power does not really matter.
7. What applications do you need to run on it? If you have to run old software which cannot be upgraded, this may mean you cannot use a computer newer than a certain date. Equally, if you need to use the latest version of certain software, it may require a computer newer than a certain date. In either case, search Google for the system requirements of all the software you need to use and make a list of these to avoid buying a computer that does not meet these requirements. Even if a computer meets the hardware requirements, make sure it can run a Mac OS (operating system) version that also meets the requirements. 
8. What do you need to connect to it? This is really important when choosing your model since some newer mac models don’t have certain connections such as FireWire, EtherNet, Thunderbolt, headphone jacks or even standard USB ports. To establish the functions and which suits you best, use our comparison tool on the website to help you narrow down your choices.

To conclude,

Newer does not necessarily mean better. Do your research and consider these factors, before you buy.

If you aren’t a tech savvie user, or perhaps you aren’t that interested,  some of this language may seem a little baffling. We are more than happy to help advise you as to which laptop to buy, simply contact us here.