I know the dictionary version of the word...but does it mean basically the same when your bying a refurbished computer? specificaly....a laptop. Downsides, upsides please. And thanks for all the help last night to my wireless dillema, all is well, thanks again!
Amber
2007-01-10 14:46:50 · 4 answers · asked by Amber 1 in Computers & Internet ➔ Hardware ➔ Laptops & Notebooks
Refurbished in computers generally refers to one of two situations:
1. A unit sold and returned almost immediately that cannot be sold again as new. It is checked, cleaned if neccesary, and certified.
2. A unit with a single damaged component like a drive, screen, keypad, etc... sent in for repair/replacement. The broken component is swapped out and again the unit is checked, cleaned if neccesary, and certified.
Mostly these go into a replacement pool. It's too expensive and time consuming to fix your thing anymore, in general they take back your broken one, and ship/transship you one from the pool. Then they fix the one you sent (if possible) and return it to their replacement pool.
If the pool is too small they use new equipment. If it is too large they sell the excess.
Upsides:
Most refurbs never had anything wrong, or were such a simple swap that they are absolutely indistinguishable from new.
Anything with real wear or damage is probably chopped for parts and never makes it to the refurb pool.
You save money!
Downsides:
No way to tell what the reason the refurb is considered a refurb. It could have had major surgery, or it could be essentially brand spanking new.
Some assembly can only be done correctly on the original assembly line, and no repair will ever be as good. More and more any repair requiring skill costs more than a new part, and so it simply is thrown away. For example it probably isn't cost effective to replace a cracked glass over a screen, they just swap in a new screen, but maybe that new screen is a few microns out of position and the unit will always be just a little off. No way you'd ever know.
Some refurbs are older obsolete merchandise being dumped as excess.
Every vendor has different policies and standards for what it will turn into a refurb, and the quality of that machine.
Refurbs often have much poorer warranties!
2007-01-10 15:22:37 · answer #1 · answered by David E 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
i have a refurbished laptop and I LOVE IT!!...it works great! in fact i'm using it right now!.......like the two replys before me " upside is because it's cheaper, downside: it's not brand new" it could possibly be that it was simply opened by the buyer and now the companies just can't sell it as brand new anymore so they sell it as refurbish. if you're wondering if you should buy one, i say go ahead. you will save yourself a whole lot of money and plus get the many special features that already comes with the computer!
2007-01-10 22:59:53 · answer #2 · answered by SMILES 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well there is not always something wrong with it, it could be that the person who bought it simply returned it because they didn't like it for some reason, but its also possible they returned it because it was broken. The upside is of course the low cost, the downside being you don't usually get nearly as good a warranty with it, and of course you don't know exactly what was wrong with it to begin with, whether it was a major malfunction, or whether the buyer just decided he didn't like the color.
2007-01-10 22:53:44 · answer #3 · answered by mysticman44 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
upside is that its cheaper
downside is that there was something wrong with it
personally I have had success with refurbished parts and I have built many computers
2007-01-10 22:51:37 · answer #4 · answered by Kruelen83 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋