I want to thank those of you that have posted that the guides I have written have been helpful to you. I know that I may be wrting a very "general" type of guide, but it is the small things that even a seasoned laptop purchaser may over look. If you haven't read my other guides, they can be found here:

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

I mentioned in the past guides about various differences between models and what to look for as far as excessive wear/use, with this guide I want to focus on finalizing your decision. Like I mentioned before, try and avoid a laptop that is "broken" unless you feel confident to be able to repair it. So many projects start out as one and end as one..the only difference between start and finish is that you wallet is lighter and you are totally disqusted. There are so many sellers here that offer some fantastic deals on laptops. If you can find a refurbished unit, that is a very desirable way to buy a "like new" laptop at a reasonable price. Some will even come with the software, manuals and some length of WARRANTY..I capitalized that because alot of auctions are only listed to "work on arrival"..and for the most part, that is ok too as long as you have done your homework and asked the seller about anything that is unclear about the condition of the laptop. Be careful about not overpaying for a specific model. With the price wars that have been ongoing with electronics, it didn't take long for laptop computers to also fall into that market. You can buy a new laptop, with warranty for about $600.00..but be careful. If you are an occassional user, then chances are it will work fine for you. But if you are like me and strive to have the best that "a reasonable amount of money" can buy, then do some shopping and you are already at a great place. One way to approach this would be ask yourself, do I want a basic laptop that is new or like new? Or do a want a high end laptop that normally I wouldn't spend thousands of dollars for, but is used? This is basically what it all comes to. Let me give you a couple of good examples.. Voodoo laptops are extreme high end and to buy a new one will cost $4000.00+. Are they worth it? To me, the answer is yes, because I like to have the best that I can buy, and to have one that is custom painted and custom built to spec by me. There are used ones here from time-to-time and most that I have seen are a real deal, but they will be considerably higher priced than the $600.00 new one we were talking about. The same goes for Acer's Ferrari, ASUS's Lamborgini, Alienware, Dell's XPS and most Panasonic's and high end Sony's. They are all worth it, if they have what YOU are looking for. There are a range of "personalities" colors and unique features on all of them and several others I didn't list. So ask yourself, what is it that will spark your interest and keep it when it comes to a laptop? I have some customers that only want a silver case laptop and they want it thin and not too large in physical size. To be honest, that seems like the number one that is requested as far as the ones I have seen. If you want a high end laptop about double the cost of the least expensive new one, a good choice may be the Dell XPS. Parts are readily available for it and there are several models (years) of them available to fit almost every budget. They work great for gaming, watching DVD's, writing DVD's and for typing a guide (I am using an XPS 2nd GEN right now). I am not "pro" any brand and I think it is more a personal choice for what you choose. Just research the one you are interested in. Watch some auctions that the model you have chosen are in. Look at what parts are available in excess..that is a good tip I tell folks..example..if yoy found a model and you notice when you do a search, and in "Parts and Accessories" for that model there are an unusual amount of used display's available and maybe the plastics, but no motherboards, or the motherboard is available.. lets say there is one compared to fifteen used displays and the one motherboard is fairly high in cost.. that tells me that that model has an unusual failure rate and most likely the motherboard is the problem area. That would be one to avoid. This technique is not "foolproof" but for the most part does give you an idea if there is an inherant problem with that model or not. If you do a search for parts and find a large number of batteries and AC adapters, do not be alarmed.. this is the most common part that is sold for a laptop. There are "generic" manufactures that make replacement batteries and AC adapters, so this does not mean that the model you are researching is prone to that failure. It is more risky buying a laptop that there are few of on auction, again such as Voodoo..but that is mainly because those folks who have bought one usually do not sell them, and this is also a company that does not manufacture a large number of laptops.

 It is time to have fun and do some shopping (grin).. Before you start, set a price that you can spend. Jot down some features that are "must have" and "like to have" and "what you want to avoid". Be careful not to be drawn in to a bidding war that will cause the laptop to go alot higher than it is worth. It may take awhile to find what you want, but once you do, it will be worth the effort.

Next up, if there is still an interest in what I am doing here (please vote if this guide helped you!!), will be upgrading your newly purchased laptop..we'll have some fun with that!!

THANK YOU for your time!! I really enjoy doing these!!

All the best,

cardoc101