A friend of mine is in a dilemma. Working for a multinational and being the spendthrift that he is, he doesn’t have the money to buy a laptop for himself, at least not a brand new laptop. With these things costing no less than Rs70,000 apiece, this debt ridden friend of mine really has an issue here.
Now there are those who will argue here, what is the need of owing a laptop or a portable computer here? For them the answer has always been portability; you can access data on the bus, on the train, on the beach, pretty much anywhere. Flexibility; if you are a student, you can finish off that assignment without being confined to the desktop. Adaptability; you can utilize your notebook to surf the web, run software, listen to audio, watch DVDs or use it as a word processor. All you need is a telephone connection and you’re on the Net. But these aren’t the issues for my friend. He has decided that he wants a laptop.
Therefore, with a tight budget, the next best option for him is to settle for a used laptop. And where else to find a laptop that comes as per according to your budget than on the Internet. That is where my Net searching expertise came in.
My first stop was http://www.cheap-laptops-notebooks.com/. This site offers reviews of notebook computers including security issues and model specific information. Above all the guys here are in the right frame of mind to deal with small-budget people, as they say, “Refurbished notebooks and laptops can be used for word processing, running software, reading e-mail, creating spread sheets, playing CDs, and surfing the Internet. You can save plenty of money by obtaining excellent deals on an assortment of cheap laptop computers and refurb notebooks.” The guys here go on to ask if one really needs a laptop with the latest and expensive cutting edge technology for checking e-mail, word processing, creating spreadsheets and browsing the web? Right on man, you said it!
Another site that helps you settle for something that is not pricey or is way beyond your budget, is the All Cheap Laptops http://www.all-cheap-laptops.com/. There’s information and a cheap laptop buyers guide here. So much so, that the site also helps you answer the question, how to shop for discounted laptops? A whole host of links take you to the basics of the laptop, to the shopping of laptops and its accessories, and tips and tutorials into helping you understand better and maintain your laptop. A similar site with a whole army of links is guides, advice, FAQs and links to sellers of used laptops http://www.laptops-guide.com/.
It offers more than just simple advice on choosing new, cheap and refurbished laptops. It offers advice on how to choose a laptop, provides a guide to laptop batteries, laptop backpacks guide and a whole lot of other stuff that you probably never knew were even there.
Apart from the international sites, there are Pakistani sites also that are dedicated to serving the needs of a cash-strapped laptop hungry population. And one of them is Belicity http://www.beliscity.com/. Claiming to be one of Pakistan’s leading Internet based retailers of IT and technology products, these guys have a site that is loaded with stuff, including a range of rupee priced laptops. And of course, they too come with the right attitude when they say, “those days are over when laptops were out of reach due to budget constraints. We offer both new and used laptops starting at just Rs12,000!” Tall claims though, for when I clicked down their guided path, I failed to find any laptop in the range of Rs10,000 to 20,000. I wonder if there was a server glitch or something!
Another Pakistani site is Makarts http://makarts.com/ a site that on its part claims to the largest collection of laptops in the country. However, the address was really slow to load, probably because it was heavy. But these fellows definitely need to get an English tutor for the site. A link here asks ‘Want to Sale?’ I am quite sure they meant to ask ‘Want to Sell?’. Nevertheless, a pretty helpful thing about this web site is that there is a Rent a Product link as well. Just fill in the form and these guys claim one of their reps will be with you soon.
Buying a laptop is one thing, maintaining it is a different ballgame all together. The http://www.repair4laptop.org/ is a do-it-yourself link that allows you to take care of your existing laptop’s problems. You want to repair it or you want to improve the notebooks’ battery, this site will help you get to the bottom of the problem. The people here connect you to the right addresses that take you to the right places. Links here are dominated by names of international laptop brands and there are How To FAQs, Forums and ‘Modings’. Now this is a real fun link where you get to see specialized laptops, like the Hello Kitty laptop by Fujitsu. And instructions here help you turn your old laptop into a picture frame!
For news and views of the latest happenings in the laptop world, there is http://www.laptopical.com/, a blog featuring about laptops and notebook computers. Read all about the latest in DVD laptops and a British innovation where streets lamp posts may hold the key to providing wireless Internet access in your city. And if there’s still something that you don’t know, like what the heck is wrong with my laptop battery, then http://www.batfaq.com/ is the place to be. Featuring information about laptop and notebook batteries including tips, tricks and advice on battery care. Click here and find out the different chemistries used in batteries like Lithium Ion, NiCad, NiMh and the different types of batteries like rechargeable, universal and external.
I hope all these sites were of great help to you, as they were to my friend who is busy counting the pennies and paises he has that will help him get the right laptop. Good luck!
A friend of mine is in a dilemma. Working for a multinational and being the spendthrift that he is, he doesn’t have the money to buy a laptop for himself, at least not a brand new laptop. With these things costing no less than Rs70,000 apiece, this debt ridden friend of mine really has an issue here.
