$1000 to spend on a laptop...is refurbished the way to go?

[JServ]

I'm trying to help my brother buy a new laptop. He only wants to spend a grand, but he only needs it for internet and spreadsheets. I found this one on compaq's refurbished website:

Compaq 1712U

It seemed like a really good deal to me, but I am unsure of how reliable a refurbished product would be. Has anyone had any positive/negative experiences? Any other comp suggestions? Thanks for the help.

 

[stonecold3169]

I bought a refurbished lappy from HP about a year back because I needed it for a trip I was going on and was very low on money. The laptop came in perfect condition, with all accesories. The only thing I would be worried about is the battery, you really have no clue how many times the battery has been discharged completely which could kill it. It's a gamble, but I'd say that the odds are in your favor.

On the other hand, refurbs usually have a 90 day warrenty. This could be a problem if it broke down as unlike a desktop most parts are not user-accesable.

 

[lastig21]

My uncle bought a refurbished Dell awhile back and had several problems with it. I believe the only thing he had to have replaced was some faulty memory, but the computer was never stable. He may have just gotten unlucky, but I would be hesitant to get one myself. I guess you just need to decide if the risk is worth the money you would save. His laptop was always functional, just unreliable for speed and stability.

 

[AppleTalking]

There's a thread over on the Hot Deals Forum about a Dell Inspiron 4100 for $1009 which you might find interesting.

Nick

 

[daddyo]

I bought a refurbished Inspiron about 3 months ago. I haven't had a single problem yet. It came with the same warranty as a new laptop, and it was quite a bit cheaper.

I'm very happy.

 

[JServ]

I guess I was right to expect mixed opinions. It seems like a gamble to me. A big plus to the compaq deal is the fact that you can get a 2 year warranty for $89.

 

[fallingace]

I have a refurb IBM that came with a 1 year warranty. The trackpad quit working so i called IBM. They paid to have it picked up, repaired, and returned to me. They were even going to provide the box to ship it in(which i didn't need since i still had the original). Can't beat that kind of customer support.