The Refurbished Laptops Guide

What To Do If You Have A Broken Laptop

GuestPoster — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 19:49:16 +0000

With the hustle and bustle of daily life, as well as the constant need to unpack, move, and repack your laptop computer, there are a variety of ways your device can be physically damaged. Above and beyond these perils come the common issue of planned obsolescence, where a device will simply not have the build quality or necessary strength to withstand that day to day pressures that should be requested of it. Thankfully, a broken laptop screen or any other problem, even if it was caused specifically by a short fall or other accident can often be repaired or replaced, sometimes at not cost to you the consumer.

These devices are engineered specifically to fizzle out as short as one month after the pre determined warranty period, which can not only lead to many headaches with the device, but also a sense of futility and wasted money. In addition, many people feel that these sorts of problems are their fault specifically, and don’t always feel as though they are eligible for a warranty. All in all, while many warranty claims state some sort of clause stating that damage caused by the user is not covered under warranty, more often than not these laptop manufacturers would prefer to send out a replacement laptop rather than risk a customer never returning and possible even telling their friends or posting about the issue online. The unfortunate truth is that these sorts of companies prey on people not voicing their concern, and simply dealing with the issue rather than addressing it. It does not matter what exactly caused the issue, more often than not these companies would rather pay out the cost for repairs rather than risk bad publicity and being accused of intentionally rigging their products to break shortly after the warranty period, and as such calling the manufacturer for warranty repair is the first, and often best course of action when you have a broken laptop.

Shopping:

ASUS UL30A-X5 Thin and Light 13.3-Inch Black Laptop - 12 Hours of Battery Life (Windows 7 Home Premium)

HP G60-630US 15.6-Inch Laptop (Black)

Dell Inspiron 1545 15.6-Inch Jet Black Laptop - Up to 4 Hours 34 Minutes of Battery Life (Windows 7 Home Premium)

Acer Aspire AS1410-8414 11.6-Inch Sapphire Blue Laptop - 6 Hour Battery Life

Acer Aspire One AOD150-1920 10.1-Inch Ruby Red Netbook - 6.5 Hour Battery Life

New website about slide scanners

Brent — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 03:22:25 +0000

Hi everyone,

If you’re in the market for a slide scanner (a peripheral used to convert 35mm film to computer images), I just launched a new website that should help you in that regard. Check it out here: Slide Scanner Guide.

Thanks!

Brent

Shopping:

Acer Aspire AS1410-8414 11.6-Inch Sapphire Blue Laptop - 6 Hour Battery Life

ASUS UL30A-X5 Thin and Light 13.3-Inch Black Laptop - 12 Hours of Battery Life (Windows 7 Home Premium)

Dell D600 Laptop 1.6ghz 40gb DVD/CDRW B Grade Includes Genuine XP Professional restore cd!

Toshiba Satellite L505-GS5037 TruBrite 15.6-Inch Laptop (Black)

Apple MacBook MC207LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop

Three Reasons to Get a Laptop Computer Stand

GuestPoster — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 01:03:43 +0000

A laptop computer stand is a metal or plastic construction designed to hold the laptop in a higher position than it would normally take laying on the desk or your lap. By buying a laptop stand there are several common problems that can be prevented including health risks, strain and overheating problems.

A laptop computer stand is one of the cheapest ways to help reduce the health risks you’re put into working with the laptop day in day out. You may not notice the effects of looking at a spot 30 centimeters lower than the ergonomic optimum, but in a few years it will take its toll and I think these accessories are worth a $20 to $40 investment. By raising the laptop screen to eye height it makes you hold your head in a more natural position and by forcing you to use a desktop keyboard and mouse it helps reduce the risk of carpal-tunnel syndrome and puts less stress on lower and upper back.

There is another aspect to laptop stands however it is not as vital as eliminating the main cause of health risks. By laying on your desk your laptop barely keeps up with healthy airflow and is more probable to overheat and suffer damage from long term effects of overheating. By raising the bottom of the laptop, a laptop stand greatly improves airflow and lets your computer ‘breathe’.

Working on a laptop on a computer stand is way more comfortable than leaning above it typing away on a small keyboard with miniaturized buttons. Using a desktop keyboard reduces strain on fingers and wrists thus letting you work on your laptop enjoying the features of a desktop computer and the portability of the laptop at the same time.

Buying a laptop stand is a really easy way to extend the life-cycle of your laptop and reduced certain health-risks related to excess computer usage. Who would say it doesn’t worth a $30 investment?

Shopping:

Xbrand XB-1001 360 Height Adjustable Laptop Stand

Latosta Ultra Portable Laptop Stand - Rose Anodized Aluminum

Adjustable Laptop Stand with USB Hub

3M Monitor Stand, Adjustable in Increments of 1.625 Inch increments, Holds up to 80 Pounds

Fold N Flip Portable Laptop Stand for Macs - Gray

USB Data Recovery

GuestPoster — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 21:49:38 +0000

USB flash drives are a very important storage device; they’re convenient, small, and easy to take around. They also perfect for sharing data between multiple computers. Almost any computer today is compatible with USB and they can store from 2 GB all the way up to 64 GB or more.

Data loss on USB drives is a common occurrence. They can be caused by a number of problems but there are some simple steps to recovering important files from your USB drive. First you’ll need to plug the USB drive into your computer, many desktop computers will have a slot in the front but you may have to reach for a slot in the back, notebook laptops should have their USB ports located on the side. Now you’ll need to make sure that your computer has the proper drivers installed for the flash drive. You can find this out by accessing the control panel and then going to the printers and device section. Click on ‘add a device’ and the computer will try its best to find the USB flash drive.

If by some reason you the computer still won’t locate the USB device click on the ‘Check for Update’ button. This will let your computer automatically update the drivers that it needs. Once the device has been installed properly access the drive from windows explorer and then simply copy or transfer the information back onto your hard drive.

If that doesn’t fit the problem for your USB data recovery then there are plenty of online programs available that are designed to help you to recover your USB drive data. You may also be able to search for or contact the manufactures of the flash drive to see if they have any software that might help you. Many big USB device manufacturers also have recovery software available for downloading.

Once you have recovered you data, be sure to regularly update your drivers to prevent any of those problems from arising in the future. You could find the device drivers from your manufacturer either by going to they’re support website and entering the correct model.

Shopping:

"SYSTEM RESCUE CD" SOFTWARE ON A 4 GB USB 2.0 FLASH DRIVE - Repair Your System and Recover Your Data After a Crash! By Small Platform Computing Inc.

ioSafe Solo 1.5 TB Fireproof and Waterproof External Hard Drive with 1 Year Data Recovery Service SL1500GBUSB20 (Silver)

Perfect Image Professional

Iosafe 2 TB USB 2.0 Solo External Hard Drive with 1-Year Data Recovery Service (SL2000GBUSB20)

ioSafe Solo 1 TB Fireproof and Waterproof External Hard Drive with 1 Year Data Recovery Service SL1000GBUSB20 (Silver)

Pink Laptop Reviews, Who to Trust?

GuestPoster — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 01:21:58 +0000

If you’re stuck in a black or gray rut and want to get out of it by buying a pink laptop, how do you find the best one? You can look at reviews on technology sites, but how do you know they aren’t getting promotional money from the maker? How about finding some reviews from real consumers?

A good place to find reviews is on sites that sell computers, sites like Best Buy or Amazon. Even places like Target or Walmart will have them too. People will give a star rating and then write a few comments. Don’t just take a look at the average rating and decide if that’s the laptop for you, and here’s why.

An average rating might look okay, but what if half the people give it one star and half give it five stars? It would come out with an average rating of three, which looks good on a five point scale, but doesn’t show the whole story. You need to know where the ratings are centered, are they clustered around a high rating, or a low rating?

Find a review site that shows how many people rated the product at each level. That means you can look just at the five star reviews and see what people said, or look just at the 1 star laptop reviews. You can also see how many people gave each star rating, so if most gave it four and five stars then it’s probably a good product.

Sometimes it’s impossible to really tell about a product until you buy it and try it yourself. Still you can see what real consumers said about your laptop, both those that loved it and those that hated it. Take both of those pink laptop reviews into account, and you can make a better decision on your new laptop purchase.

Shopping:

Skechers SKSLV04-PNK Multi Stripes Laptop Sleeve - Pink

Kroo 11275 Cube Case for 10-Inch Portable Laptop (Pink)

Sony VAIO VGN-NW240F/P 15.5-Inch Pink Laptop (Windows 7 Home Premium)

Sony VAIO VPC-EB17FX/P 15.5-Inch Laptop (Pink)

ThermaPAK, Laptop Cooling Heatshift Pad, 17-Inch Pink

Get Your Toshiba Laptop Car Charger

GuestPoster — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 04:12:09 +0000

For a laptop owner, charging the laptop computer is a daily activity. Supplying power to the battery is essential, so you can use the laptop for long hours, whenever an important task arrives. The laptop charger is the tool that comes to mind. Yes, it provides power, but the duration in which it charges the battery, fully, and its durability may be in question. To be sure, don’t purchase just any charger; it must be a Toshiba laptop charger.

Toshiba is known for producing exceptional electronic and electrical gadgets. The laptop chargers that the company manufactures fit right in with that description. They are particularly durable, lasting for years of continuous use. Energy efficiency is also promoted, since they can fill up laptop batteries with power pretty fast. The toshiba laptop car charger is clearly among the best units on the market. Purchase one and see how it makes the use of your laptop even more convenient.

Laptop computers are both functional and stylish, which is why they are some of the most popular gadgets nowadays. Most people either purchase or clamor for one, until they garner enough cash. Of course, for every laptop, there should also be an accompanying charger. You need power to run the portable computer and the charger happens to be the instrument for the job. Why settle for generic items when you can purchase a Toshiba laptop charger?

Toshiba makes some of the best laptop chargers available. They are energy-efficient, routing enough power to recharge the battery and run the processor as well as the laptop’s other components. Built to last, they work perfectly even after years of continuous use.

The Toshiba laptop charger, in spite of its many improvements over other chargers, is reasonably priced. It shouldn’t take much from your budget to afford one. No wonder it stands as a favorite among avid laptop users.

Shopping:

Universal Laptop Netbook DC Car Charger Adapter for Toshiba Satellite, Dynabook Satellite Pro, Dynabook Satellite, Libretto, Portege, SatellitePro, Tecra Laptops (Laptop NOT Included)

Toshiba 65W Global AC Adapter

Toshiba Ac Adapter Laptop Charger Power Cord for Toshiba Satellite A135 A135-S4527 A205 A205-S5806 A205-S5809 A205-S5814 A205-S5816 A205-S5843 A205-S5871 A205-S5879 A305 A305-S6905 A305-S6914 A305-S6916 A505 A505-S6005 A505-S6012 A505-S6033 A505-S6035 A505-S6998 A505-S6999 L355 L355D-S7901 L355D-S7902 L355D-S7831 L455-S500 L505 L505-ES5018 L505-GS5035 L505D-GS6000 L505D-GS6002 L505D-LS5005 L505D-LS5010 L505D-ES5025 L515-S4960 L555D-S7005 M505D-S4970 P305 P305D-S8900 P305D-S8904 P305D-S8909 P305D-S8915 P505-S8950 P505-S8980 U405D U405D-S2846 U405D-S2848 U405D-S2850 U405D-S2852 U405D-S2863 U405D-S2870 U405D-S2874 OEM/Genuine/Original Notebook Computer Battery Charger Ac Power Supply Cord Plug

UNIVERSAL ADAPTER LAPTOP Notebook AC ADAPTER Charger for HP COMPAQ ASUS NEC TOSHIBA ACER IBM GATEWAY SAMSUNG SONY FUJITSU,90W

NEW Laptop/Notebook AC Adapter/Battery Charger Power Supply Cord for Toshiba Satellite A100 A105 A105-S101 A105-S1014 M60 M65 series fits PA3432U-1ACA PA3468U-1ACA F4600-60901 F4600A F4814A 0950-4334 PA-1750-04 ADP-75FB ADP-75HB laptops19V 3.95A 75W

The Many Advantages of Computer Backpacks

GuestPoster — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 03:05:55 +0000

It’s unbelievable to think that how times have changed. Before, laptops were not that famous. People were still using PCs and laptops used to cost a lot too. As we can get internet access everywhere nowadays, people have become more mobile. Now PCs are not that famous anymore, well at least people don’t prefer them much anymore. This is because they can’t carry a PC out of their house as with laptops or notebooks. Even laptops are getting smaller in size which makes travelling much easier. If it’s not enough, they’ve come up with computer backpacks to make the travelling even easier.

Why did they come up with computer backpacks when they already have those laptop cases? Well, personally, it’s very uncomfortable to carry a laptop on one shoulder. If you have to switch shoulder from time to time carrying it, then it speaks for itself that it’s not that practical. As for computer backpacks, it’s like any other backpacks but you can store your laptop in it. Anyway, strapping those backpacks on both shoulders are better as you have two free hands to do other stuff while keeping your backpack intact.

It’s no use coming up with a backpack design only to store your laptop. With a laptop computer backpack, there are compartments for you to put your other stuff in it. This is very practical as we all know we normally carry other stuff with us and you can store all these stuff in your computer backpack. What’s incredible, all the weight inside the backpack is distributed evenly so it won’t be that heavy.

Another good thing about a computer backpack is that, carrying it will not make you look like a yuppie. Our younger generations love to look simple but carry this cool image at the same time. Nobody wants to look like a businessman nowadays. So, a computer backpack is the way to go if you travel a lot, need space for your other stuff and want to look cool at the same time.

Shopping:

Caselogic TNC-218 18-Inch Laptop Briefcase (Black)

SwissGear Computer Backpack (Blue)

Case Logic VNC-15 15.4-inch Value Slimline Laptop Case (Black)

Targus TXL617 17 XL Notebook Backpack

PEGASUS from SwissGear by Wenger Computer Backpack

HP refurbished laptops: Some of the best

Brent — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 22:56:03 +0000

HP refurbished laptops are easily some of the most underrated laptops on the market. Most people who go HP are typically looking for discount laptops, but they fail to get refurbished. Instead they go for new laptops that really don’t have a lot of features in order to keep the costs down. Did you know that if you go for a refurbished (sometimes called “reconditioned”) laptop, you can get a lightly used laptop that blows a new laptop out of the water? Aaaand, you can get it for cheaper? Do you believe that? If not, read on. You’ll be surprised!

HP offers their own marketplace for their refurbished laptops on their main website, which is very handy for people who really don’t want to do a lot of “shopping around” for a computer. You know how it is: You have a busy life and don’t really have time to go out and do a lot of price comparison and testing. You just need something that will work, and you want it for cheap. Yep, that’s not a problem if you use their used marketplace. This cuts down a lot of the issues in finding a good HP laptop. Otherwise you’d probably have to go out from store to store. If you don’t mind waiting for shipping, it’s a great way to go.

One thing to keep in mind is that buying straight from HP may result in higher costs than if you were to go through a specialized authorized refurbishing company. Those companies tend to do their own laptop reconditioning and sell the same HP laptops you’re looking for, but don’t have such a high markup. HP themselves (and face it, just about any manufacturer) profits on the idea that the consumer trusts them more than most other companies. Thus, they’ll raise the price more than those other companies, even if it’s not exactly justified.

You can still get a perfectly good laptop from these third-party companies if you choose wisely. Go online and look for reviews, and especially search for the company’s name if you’re not sure if they’re trustworthy. People online talk; if they’ve had a bad experience with a company, someone will have posted about it. Pay attention to these reviews.

Sometimes on these HP refurbished laptops you can save upwards of 5-10% by going third-party instead of the manufacturer itself. That’s a pretty solid amount of savings; I wouldn’t pass on that just because the check isn’t being written to HP themselves!

Shopping:

REFURBISHED HP PAVILION DV4 LAPTOP

Hewlett Packard VM166UARABA Refurbished Hp Pavilion Dv4 Laptop

HP Pavilion G70-460US NW168UA Refurbished Notebook PC - Intel Core 2 Duo T6500 2.1GHz, 3GB DDR2, 320GB HDD, DVDRW, 17.0" WXGA+, Vista Home Premium

Hewlett Packard VH681UARABA Refurbished Hp Pavilion Dv6 Laptop

HP Pavilion dv7-1245dx Refurbished Notebook PC - AMD Turion X2 RM-72 2.1GHz, 4GB, 320GB, DVDRW, 17” WXGA+, Vista Home Premium 64-bit, Bronze

Best times of the year to find refurbished laptops for sale

Brent — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 22:16:12 +0000

Finding refurbished laptops for sale shouldn’t be a giant chore. You can readily find some pretty sweet deals around if you know where to look, and almost more importantly, when to look. Yes, knowing when the best times of the year to find deals on these laptops is going to go a long way toward helping you get the laptop of your choice for the price you want. Want to be able to get a laptop for 40%-50% off? I bet you do; listen up and you’ll find out how to do it!

Naturally the best time of the year to find a great refurbished laptop is on Black Friday, that is, the day after Thanksgiving. Black Friday has been a bit of a shopping tradition for years now. I’m not exactly sure why exactly all the retailers have come out and decided why that Friday after Thanksgiving was the day to have all the crazy clearance sales, but it’s really no matter. All you need to know is that some of the best deals around can be found on that day. Don’t believe me? Well, picture this: A standard refurbished laptop has a markdown of anywhere between 5 and 20% based on the amount of use that laptop has previously seen. With significant discounts through the store (upwards of 20-30% on top of that), you can actually get laptops for half price. Yes, you can get a $1000 dual core 3.something GHz laptop for $500. That’s pretty amazing, isn’t it? Now, there are a couple cons to shopping on Black Friday. First of all, availability. If you’re not in line at some of these stores at the crack of dawn (some people even line up the night before), there’s a good chance that you’re not going to be able to get the merchandise you actually want. Secondly, you’re going to have to battle through throngs of people to get your laptop. Black Friday is the most popular time of the year to shop. Most stores are a zoo. Helpful hint: Want to save yourself some trouble? Shop online on Black Friday instead; you can often get the same discounts with none of the hassle.

The second time you should really be looking for refurbished laptops for sale prices is right after Christmas, but before New Years. This is a popular time for businesses to reduce prices due to the after-Christmas lull. You can definitely cash in your gift certificates and cash on a nice laptop after the holiday!

Shopping:

Lenovo ThinkPad T60 2007WHC 14.1-Inch Black Laptop (Refurbished)

Laptop Speakers - USB, Portable, Compact, Travel Speaker for PC and Mac - B-Flex 2 Hi-Fi Stereo USB Speaker (Black)

ASUS G51VX-RX05 15.6-Inch Laptop (Refurbished)

IBM Thinkpad T43 1.86GHz 512MB 40GB Laptop Notebook 2668 CDRW/DVD XP Pro

ASUS G71GX-RX05 17.1-Inch Refurbished Laptop - Black/Red

Finding a refurbished laptop computer on the web

Brent — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 21:48:12 +0000

Are you one of the few people who don’t yet do their shopping online? Naturally it can be a bit of an overwhelming prospect if you haven’t done it before. After all, unlike going to the store and picking out your laptop right there (and being able to use it and test it out), most of the time you’re buying something online sight unseen. That is, the first time you open the box may be the first time you’ve actually used the product. Unless you have ready access to that same laptop beforehand, you’re just going to have to go on trust that what you ordered is what you’ll get.

That’s fine, though. Millions of people do use the internet to order laptops and other electronics every single day. Billions of dollars have been spent over the course of the years since the advent of the internet in online orders and shipping to send people merchandise that’s been ordered online. It’s really a fantastic way to shop, considering the prices you can get on the web are often much lower than if you were to go to a store. It’s really a great thing to know that you’ve spent 10-20% less than your friends for the same purchase, isn’t it?

Naturally in order to buy a good refurbished laptop computer on the internet you need to do some research first. Considering you may not have used this laptop beforehand, you’re going to want to read reviews first. See what other people are saying about it. One of my favorite sites for this epinions.com; you can find thousands of reviews for numerous different products, all written by the people who have bought them before you. Laptops are one of the more heavily reviewed product types, so go over there and check that out. Amazon also has a great review system that’s heavily used as well.

Of course the first thing you want to do is ensure that the online retailer you’re buying your laptop from is trustworthy. If you stick to the big name brands, New Egg, TigerDirect, etc., you’ll be just fine. They have a large assortment of refurbished laptops on their sites, and people have nothing but good things to say about both companies. Stay away from unfamiliar businesses until you know that they’re trustworthy. Again, going online and searching for that retailer’s name will tell you if they’re legitimate or not. Have no fear: Most of the companies are just fine. Just watch yourself when you go shopping for refurbished laptop computers. You want to make sure what you get is what you wanted.

Shopping:

Dell D600 Laptop 1.6ghz 40gb DVD/CDRW B Grade Includes Genuine XP Professional restore cd!

IBM Thinkpad T43 1.86GHz 512MB 40GB Laptop Notebook 2668 CDRW/DVD XP Pro

Laptop Speakers - USB, Portable, Compact, Travel Speaker for PC and Mac - B-Flex 2 Hi-Fi Stereo USB Speaker (White)

Panasonic Toughbook CF-29HT 13.3-Inch Silver Rugged Laptop (Refurbished)

Dell Latitude D610 Laptop Wireless Computer (Refurbished)