Take the trick or treat out of buying a new laptop
For years I’ve purchased Dell desktops and laptops—many from BestBuy, largely because of their financing plan. Never an issue. Until I bought one for my daughter. It was a refurbished one purchased off Amazon. It did great until the warranty ran out—and then it didn’t. So now I’m gun-shy and turning to experts.
Paul LaFlamme is an IT consultant and owner of Centrend and Whiz Kid Support. In a recent conversation, I asked Paul about buying from the “big box” stores. Here’s his response:
“You really have to put things in perspective. How often are you going to replace your computer? Every five years or so. Then the question becomes for an investment that your livelihood depends on and where do you want to make that purchase. At “big box” stores like Walmart and Home Depot, they they'll sell some brand names, but they're actually lesser versions of what you buy from the distributor from the manufacturer themselves. Same is true is true with computers you buy from chain stores like Best Buy. You're getting a consumer grade versus a business grade. That can work and if you’re okay with that, great. It’s important to know what you’re buying so that you’re not over-committing funds to repair a machine that was not business grade to begin with.”
Another expert who offers some good advice is Nithin of Nithin’s Newsletter. His PC Buying Guide is just that. You’re not being steered towards any make or model. Just the questions you should be asking yourself before you go out and make a purchase. You know, things like Ram, GPU, storage, etc. and other topics that make us non-techies cringe.
Of course, if you are looking for suggestions on top brands and models to purchase for a home business—which many My HOH readers are—then you might want to consider the laptops mentioned in this piece on LapTopMag.com.
The top 3 include:
What laptop do you use for your home-based business? Do you recommend it? Please leave a comment below.
Survey said…No more surveys!
Thanks to everybody who participated in the surveys and polls of the last few weeks. It’s sort of a necessary evil of running a newsletter. You do need to find out what people are interested in to help better select topics.
Speaking of survey participants, congratulations to Josefina Marino, the lucky winner of our survey drawing. Her name was drawn from a hat of survey respondents. Enjoy the gift card, Josefina!
Inspiring quote of the week
“Above all do not forget your duty to love yourself.” --Søren Kierkegaard