Trying to find a cheap laptop computer? It might be tempting to give up, but there are some good laptop computers to be found if you know where to look. The question of quality is probably not far from your mind, especially if you are trying to match features of a computer you previously owned. One question you will surely want to contemplate is whether you should buy a full-featured refurbished laptop to stay within your budget or to get a newer scaled-down model.
If you do a search online, you might be fooled into thinking that every vendor online is selling cheap laptop computers. However, not every vendor touting cheaper laptops actually sell them cheaply. In any case, a $1700 laptop is cheaper than a $2500 one. It is certainly cheaper, but will not fit your $600 budget.
When it comes to comparing features, the most important is the CPU. The laptop processor usually consumes less power than those found in desktop computers, with a few exceptions. However, laptop Processors are designed for mobile computing and must fit into a smaller space, work without heat sink devices, and not be a drain on your battery. Don't despair if the processor is not as fast as you would wish.
If you must choose between a full-featured laptop and a cheaper, sleeker, newer laptop with fewer features, let your budget decide for you. If you cannot spend over $400 on a laptop, you can find refurbished notebooks from a few special vendors that will fit your budget and still give you the features you need. As a laptop user, I have been using some models for over five (5) years, and still get what I need from them.
Another fact that you should bear in mind, should you decide to get a cheaper refurbished laptop, is your ability to still upgrade the device at a later time. Later you can still buy more memory, or more storage as you desire. Here are a few other things you should remember as well.
Make sure that your laptop has the connection features you need, such as USB ports, Centronic Parallel port for printing, if you still have one of those printers, a 9-pin serial connection, and any other connector you may need. "Cheap laptop computers" is a very relative term, but it is possible to find what you need amid the plethora of laptops and notebooks available today.