This guide covers buyer safety, quality, financial, specifications, and general tips for purchasing a laptop/notebook computer on eBay.

As we all know eBay is a great place to find many good deals on various products and notebooks/laptops are no exception... however, doing a little homework can make a big difference between getting a quality product at a good price and getting ripped off.

Note aside from the safety, quality, and financial tips this guide does not apply to someone buying an older laptop. For example, if the laptop doesn’t have built-in wireless than it likely will fail on all my specification recommendations. If you want such a cheap laptop that’s fine, still read the relevant tips, consider if the system will be okay for you 1 year from now, forget about having a decent battery, and you can get a “fair deal”.

Safety Tips:

> Never respond to an unsolicited e-mail or an offer to "make a deal outside of eBay".

If you are a USA eBayer buy from a USA eBayer.

Evaluate feedback, because a positive feedback score can be misleading. See if the person is getting good feedback as a SELLER (good feedback as a buyer just generally means the person paid the full amount on time). See if previous items sold were over $100. Some people will buy or sell 100 items valued at a dollar or less just to build up their eBay feedback. I will trust someone's description of a $500 to $1,000 laptop if they previously had positive feedback on a recent sale of say a $100 iPod, or something similar. Make sure the feedback is varied. For example, if ½ or even a 1/4th of their sales comes from the same person or even same city then you should move on.

Buy from PayPal sellers who provide guaranteed protection. Do not send cash or a check, or use some obscure wire transfer service. Legit users offer Paypal. Paypal also provides a free guarantee if you buy from a Paypal seller who has a good feedback reputation.

Quality Tip:

What is the condition of the system and peripherals? My guess is people who have computers with deep scratches and lost/damaged disks, batteries, and AC adapters are also people who drop and generally mishandle their electronic equipment. You want to buy from a conscientious seller who has taken good care of their laptop. Don't forget drops and deep scratches usually void any warranty!

Also, don’t forget to check their feedback to see if they recently bought this same system. Users who “flip” eBay computers generally do so because they are unhappy, and you will probably find yourself in that same position if you buy a flipped laptop.

Financial Tip:

Make sure you are getting a good deal. Search completed listings first and find out the average cost that similar items go for. Review Cnet.com and epinions.com for reviews. Also, check out the manufacturer's website and see what a BRAND new or Refurbished item directly from the manufacturer costs. I see people all the time buy a new Dell or refurbished HP off eBay for MORE than a brand new one directly from the manufacturer. Don't forget the manufacturer will also include a warranty.

Specifications:

Before considering specs figure out what you want the computer to do and how often you will use it that way. For example, if you are a student and want to bring the computer to class everyday for note-taking then you will want something that is more light weight. However, if you want maximum performance for video editing and gaming at home than an extra 3 pounds probably doesn't matter. Again, reviews are helpful some laptops are less comfortable than others (such as getting hot quickly).

RAM: Helps you multi-task and helps with load-up features (think of torque in a truck or car). No matter who you are at least 1 gb, if you are going to be doing anything more than basic web searching, e-mailing, and word processing consider 2 gb. If you want to game, video edit, or do large to moderate analyses make sure you have 2 gb. Ram can be upgraded later and maybe even more cost effective by finding more Ram on eBay.

Video Ram: This is frequently overlooked in eBay laptop purchases. The truth is laptops are generally more expensive and less video capable (in terms of gaming and video-editing) than desktops. If you are going to game or video edit, or want to enjoy the prettiest multimedia than you will need video Ram. The average user who just surfs the web, writes reports, and plays Solitaire can do just fine with 64 mb of video ram; gamers should consider 256 mb to 512 mb of video ram. If you are unsure of your needs you can shoot in the middle at 128 mb of video ram. Ram quality makes a difference and Ram is NOT upgradeable. Again, pricing the same or similar unit on the manufacturer’s website can help.

Processor Speed: Computing speed (think of horsepower in a truck or car). I recommend at least 1,000 ghz for light users and 2,000 ghz for moderate users. Gamers, developers, and data analyzers should seek out duo processors (dual duo processors are even better).

Hard drive size and speed: This is how much stuff you can hold. A video DVD (the actual disc) is close to 5 gb. Just the operating system will take 10 to 25 gb. As a result, I recommend at least 40 gb for anyone, and at least 100 gb for gamers and video editors [advanced users should know their needs]. Hard drive speed is also important, the faster the drive spins the quicker your information can be accessed. 5400 is usually the baseline and 7200 rpms is usually the setting for premium drives. A faster drive that holds slightly less information is more useful and more expensive than a slower drive that holds slightly more.

Processor Brand: This is basically the Ford-Chevy debate. Intel certainly has the lion's share of the market, but other processors can be just as good or better. This really shouldn't be a major consideration for your purchase. If it is than you are tech savvy beyond this guide...

Computer Brand: My two top preferences here are Apple and HP. Dell's are certainly the most popular, but don't seem to be as reliable or get as good of ratings as some of the others [although, because they are the most popular you may get the best deal on Dells]. Gateways are middle of the road as are some Toshibas. Although Compaq and HP are linked, Compaq's seem to just not be as well built, reliable, fast, or aesthetically pleasing. Extreme gamers may want to consider lesser known companies such as Alien Ware. If you are good on the rest of the specs or have a good warranty than brand shouldn’t be a major concern.

Warranty: Used laptops/notebooks will not necessarily have major problems. If you are pretty technically savvy, have a friend that is, or you are trying to keep price the lowest than you may get by just fine without a warranty. However, if you don't know much about computers, are buying a top line model, or you are buying a lesser known brand (such as Alien Ware) make sure you get a warranty.

The older the laptop is the worse the battery is going to be. If you are buying a laptop that is over 1.5 years old than don't expect the battery to last long. Batteries are frequently excluded from warranties and can cost between $50 to $200 to replace.

Operating System: Buy an Apple with Mac OS X or a PC with Windows XP SP 2, Media Edition, or the newest Windows Vista. The operating system limits everything that the computer can do. Operating systems are extremely expensive. Buying a laptop without an operating system or a system that is difficult for the average user (say Linux), can be a $100 to $300 + mistake.

Weight: Consider how frequent and how long you will have to carry your laptop. Even a 4 block walk with a special laptop backpack can be quite uncomfortable if you are carrying an average to heavy weighted laptop.

Apple/Mac or PC: Older laptops are still quite different in terms of buying an Apple or a PC; however, newer Macbooks can run both windows and Mac software. Only apples with an Intel processor can do this [for the average user]. Even older Apples may run Mac versions of popular Windows software such as Microsoft Office. Macs have less problems with viruses including spyware and are usually preferred by video editing professionals. PCs have more software (however, don't forget the new Macs can run both Windows and Mac software), more peripherals (although most peripherals now work well with both systems), more market share, and are priced less. PCs are preferred by gamers. Some argue that one is superior over the other. Note that the other specifications such as ram and processor may make a bigger difference than simple if the laptop is Apple or Mac.