Buying Pre-owned Toshiba Laptop Part One
Thinking of buying a second hand Toshiba Laptop?
Most Toshiba Laptops are well made, durable, are high quality, proven reliably and packed with many features!
First of all you need to establish some criteria for selecting your new purchase.
- Your Budget
- What the machine is going to be used for
- Features required
- Battery Life
- Internet ready
- Condition
- Warranty
Your Budget
Working only to a budget is a good way to buy, but you can miss out on much better machines unless you read the following.
Work out realistically what you have to spend on a selected machine and compare prices either on the Internet or off it.
Your aim here is to get the best possible machine for the money available to you.
A typical pitfall here is to look at the cheapest machine on offer in a given situation and then comparing it to a more modern machine, you cannot realistically compare more modern machines with older machines unless the sales pricing is virtually equal then you can include higher spec machines.
If laptop purchase price is to far away from your budget then work within the suggestions above.
If your working on the upper end of the budget spectrum, around 375-650GBP(400USD~750USD) then here are the best bargains available, but generally speaking most purchases will be from 90GBP-250GBP (100USD~300USD) within the Second hand Toshiba Laptop sector.
Always work to you budget and do your research before you buy.
What Your machine is going to be used for
That is a very overlooked topic, when pruchasing the following Toshiba take note of just what machine is going to be employed for, if its for simple use then see below as one example.
* Word processing
* Emailing occasionally
* The odd download in some places
* Wireless
* Machine are going to be static and fixed permanently
* Basic Internet browsing, viewing websites
* Educational and Homework duties
* Occasional DVD films and program installs
.... this is usually a typical classification of an machine that needs relatively light duties, it is not likely to be used frequently or moved frequently, and judging make up the requirements fits a children's or very early teens homework machine. Possible recommend these just for this task
* Top quality PIII machine for example a Toshiba Sat 1100, Sat 1000s/3000z (you simply must obtain a cardbus WIFI card) or perhaps a Toshiba Sat 4600 (WIFI internal),Tecra 9000 series(built in WIFI and Bluetooth) or maybe a Sat Pro 6000 (with WIFI integrated).
* Low end to Mediocre P4 Celeron maybe a Toshiba Sat 1110, Sat Pro 1130,(both cardbus WIFI required) Sat Pro 6050(PIII1200 inc constructed in WIFI), Tecra 9100(P4 internal WIFI), Sat S1900 but more pricey.
* Average Prices just 80GBP as much as about 175GBP (95USD~200USD)
Another example
* Photo shop capability
* DVD and CDR writing
* Web page design
* Very light gaming (depends upon the games requirement)
* Flash graphics work
* Some DTP work
* WIFI capable
* Does it need to be that portable? life of the battery questions?
These kinds really is while in the mid to top end second-hand bracket, Minimum spec here will be a P4 2.8Gig/3.2Gig machine, large screen 15.4" or 15" can be a requirement, as is also a 32M /64M ATI/NVidia graphics solution (for a least), and might be essential for Photo shop. Provides you with a product with at the least a lowest of 768M but 1Gig or higher is more preferable because of this style of work, 60gig minimum disk space and a minimum of three UBD ports. To sum this machine might be for just a undergraduate hunting for a powerful cheap design machine or maybe a semi professional DTP user.
* Toshiba Satellite P20/25 Series P4 machines (were originally Multimedia/lifestyle machines)
* Toshiba Tecra M10 series centrino with 64M Nvidia graphics solutions
* Toshiba Tecra M3 Series Centrino with Nvidia graphics solutions (though with an inferior 14.1" screen)
* Toshiba Sat M40 Centrino (533Mhz bus) 15.4 lcd screen display (M30 unsuitable but cheaper)
* Toshiba Sat A60 P4 2.6 or over (don't purchase the celeron version) 15" screen
* Toshiba Sat M60 Series are very good Luxury Centrinos that has a 15.4" screen
* Prices form a decreased 165GBP to 280GBP (180~310USD) depending on condition and spec
last but not least another example
* EBay usage
* Web browsing
* Office 2003 or over
* Accounts packages
* WIFI and WAN and LAN capable
* 2xUSB
* Good Battery essential
* Reasonably small footprint size although not below a 13.3" display
* Good Keyboard quality
* Weight under 2.5Kg
This can be a classic business machine setup, I'd personally only recommend Centrinos for this sort of work since the appliance has a require for being utilized out of the office and from a mains supply for most periods of time and Centrino's less difficult more power efficient that will be controlled better, than say a P4, Older Celeron P4's and PIII machines wouldn't get a try here. In addition to the heat given of from centrino's are a lot easier under say an increased end P4 3Gig machine, not less than if you have to make use of it on your own lap you can without it getting too hot!
Interestingly some Centrino Duo machines receive the image because well. Lcd screen or substantial screens at not needed ever since the user will spend time using word processors, browsing emails, using spreadsheets, and will probably make use of with a smaller machine than lugging an incredibly big machine at a 15.4" upwards.
Also in the flooring buisingess world you should consider not just carrying notebook but any paperwork and accessories also, with really big laptops it is a big disadvantage. Another criteria is a nice keyboard action or perhaps a machine that has a good qaulity keyboard that's well spelled out and has now some palm rest space to rest your hands on a lot more contant use.
* Toshiba Tecra M2 Series machines having a 14.1" screen including a Combo drive should you really need to burn data.
* Toshiba Sat L10 and L20 Machines (but only after its been upgraded to a centrino) celerons usually are not nearly it.
* Toshiba M5 (Centrino Duo) yet not many around 14.1"
* Toshiba Tecra S1 Series the two 15" and 14.1" machines.
* Toshiba Satellite M50 Machine 14.1 windscreen the great machine due to this type of work
* Prices from about 160GBP around 220GBP (180USD~290USD) should acquire some you good machines
I have not really highlighted gaming, the reason being is the fact most pre-owned machines really are less than the position, despite what some dealers can tell you (unless your playing early games), most very recent games require very strict hardware specifications which really ensures that its from most peoples budget, subsequent is unless you spend a minimum of £1000GBP(1500USD) you will not purchase a laptop that's efficient at running very modern games. Preferable to obtain a game console or obtain a top quality PC at half the buying price of a higher end laptop and at least you possibly can upgrade it things progress.
I would like to appreciate reading this article far plus in Part Two i will be looking at the next section- Features required
Chapter 05 - The Life and Adventures of Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe