# Does anyone know a good place to buy used or obsolete latops?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-know-a-good-place-to-buy-used-or-obsolete-latops/152157>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [February 1, 2003, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-know-a-good-place-to-buy-used-or-obsolete-latops/152157 "2003-02-01T20:44:59Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Pantone\_Swatchbook](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/cc9497/32.png) [@Pantone\_Swatchbook](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pantone_Swatchbook)\
**Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-know-a-good-place-to-buy-used-or-obsolete-latops/152157/1 "2003-02-01T20:44:59Z")

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My mom needs a laptop for things like e-mail, web browsing and multimedia, but all the current models being sold today are overpowered for her needs.

Does anyone know a reliable place for used/refurbished or outdated laptops?

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**Author:** ![Anomalocaris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b77776/32.png) [@Anomalocaris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anomalocaris)\
**Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-know-a-good-place-to-buy-used-or-obsolete-latops/152157/2 "2003-02-01T21:29:20Z")

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Dell sells them ‘refurbished’, so exoect to pay less, ut they’re the best of the bunch.

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**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\
**Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-know-a-good-place-to-buy-used-or-obsolete-latops/152157/3 "2003-02-01T21:36:51Z")

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I found one on e-bay for $130, just to use when the Compaq Evo D315 is in the shop (which is weekly).

It’s a Twinhead – something I’d never heard of before but it works just fine, once you get used to the mousepad thingie.

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**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\
**Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-know-a-good-place-to-buy-used-or-obsolete-latops/152157/4 "2003-02-01T21:47:46Z")

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I bought a Compaq Presario 1625 (2Gb HD, AMD K6 266Mhz, 32Mb memory (just upgraded to 96Mhz - at $22+shipping , I couldn’t resist), CDROM + 3.5" floppy) for $450 two years ago at a pawn shop. I had to pay $10 for a Restore CD to get it back in correct working order, but it serves its purpose as a backup computer and a way to connect at work.

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**Author:** ![DougC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7feea3/32.png) [@DougC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DougC)\
**Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-know-a-good-place-to-buy-used-or-obsolete-latops/152157/5 "2003-02-01T22:14:57Z")

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- 
  - 
    - I have never ordered form them, but this company has been in their sole business of refurb laptops a long time:  
[http://www.truedataproducts.com/](http://www.truedataproducts.com/)  
Most of what they have is corporate lease returns, rather than retail customer returns.

- That said, getting an older laptop fixed can be difficult/too expensive to bother. Generally, a laptop loses 25% of its original retail price value every year; anything 5 years or older is very likely not possible to get repaired anywhere. Laptops are considered luxury items and the price point has always started at around $1000 (that’s why no company sells new low-spec ones for $500).  
~