Factory Refurbished laptops are a large portion of the laptop industry both online and offline. Are they really any good though and should you buy one?
I probably don't have to tell you that there are many places that you can find factory refurbished laptops like in magazines, newspapers, stores, and of course online and they are usually but not always, about half the cost of a brand new one. Some say they are a shopper's blessing while others say they are a curse.
The whole field of factory refurbished laptops is a maze. Sometimes they are newer models, and may not have even been used at all, but they can also be the repaired versions of faulty laptops. So when a "knowledgeable" computer whizz kid tells you what one of these machines is, he may be right, but not always. I know, gets confusing doesn't it. But the point is, there is no precise line as to what constitutes a refurbished laptop - they can come from any background they please.
These can be laptops used after purchase and returned to the manufacturer or store. They can be overstock items that retail stores couldn't sell due to their unpopular battery duration, size or weight.
If you go for one of these then Dell factory refurbished laptops are inspected for good-as-new quality which is a tell-tell sign that you should get a real bargain. The Toshiba ones are apparently excellent deals also when it comes to value for money.
I have also seen that factory refurbished laptops are as reliable as new ones simply because the quality control is checked extremely thoroughly, but common sense prevailing, not all factories may carry out such stringent checks. Also, at the time of writing all factory refurbished laptops should still come with the original manufacturer warranty but please check that in case this has changed. Some may tell you that these machines are just as good if not better than new laptops, because the manufacturer will have tighter quality control on the factory refurbished laptops to ensure customer satisfaction.
I think the point is here that you really don't know for sure, so check out the facts before you buy and if you're a laptop newbie then take a seasoned pro with you. Don't get caught up in the excitement of the purchase only to end up with nothing.