All Things Netbooks

Finding the greatest laptop deals on the market requires knowing where to look, being diligent, and knowing what one wants. The last is the easiest subject to start with, and provides the best jumping off point in the search for ideal laptops that won’t break the bank.

The easiest piece of advice to give but the hardest to truly accomplish is to write up a needs and wants list and only look for laptops that fall someplace between those two specifications. That does not mean rejecting other deals that come along, that would be foolish, but it does mean not actively wasting time searching through higher end products that do not meet one’s computing needs. Consider storage requirements, memory needs, computing horsepower, disc reading and/or burning needs, warranty, bundled software, and graphics power.

The flip side of the ‘do not buy too much’ coin is to not get carried away with slashing specs. This will invariably lead to purchasing an underpowered laptop that is destined to be replaced and/or forgotten quickly. Factor in a slight overhead if one thinks that they will be upgrading software in the future; software upgrades almost always increase their hardware requirements incrementally. A little padding to one’s specifications can ensure that they end up with a longer lasting investment, not an expensive paperweight.

laptop deals vary on where one looks and when one looks. Oddly enough. looking at smaller computer stores is generally not worth a frugal laptop hunter’s time. Instead, you could try large chain stores that can afford to buy in vast quantities. BestBuy, Walmart, and Target all have electronics sections, and they generally cater to those specifically looking for bargains.

It pays to understand how large retailers handle their laptop sales. They typically claim to offer the best laptop deals around the holiday season and the back to school season, but that claim may or may not actually be borne out by fact. If holiday says are bleak, they will end up with a supply of laptops that are clogging their store shelves and warehouses that they need to liquidate before new models arrive with better specs at the same price point. The result is usually a no holds barred clearance sale where discounts are deep and laptop deals are nearly as good as they can possibly get. It is also possible to shop in this fashion online from major laptop vendors directly. Most of the well known brands like Dell, HP, Compaq and Apple sell computers online directly without the middle man. Sometimes, these companies are better off promoting their present stock at heavy discounts than delaying the latest models. Furthermore, these major computer companies also offer amazing deals on factory refurbished laptops. These units have been re-certified, and often carry factory warranties equivalent to that of ‘new’ laptops. Diligence and patience are both virtues. The best laptop deals are unlikely to be found without a little digging around. Jumping at the first apparent deal is probably, but not always, a mistake.