[justinclift]

Personally, I'm ok with getting 2nd hand business grade models off Ebay. They're generally pretty good (and cheap).

But a lot of people (especially the less technically inclined) will only buy brand new, which I think is for safety.

Anyway, 2nd hand laptops on Ebay can be both really good and in that price range. :)

[gnicholas]

I'm not sure it makes sense to compare new laptops with used laptops, especially since the latter generally don't come with any sort of warranty. And when you're buying off ebay (and can't inspect beforehand, like with craigslist/nextdoor), you don't even know for sure if it will work on day 1.

[samatman]

> not sure it makes sense to compare new laptops with used laptops

It of course makes no sense at all. For any given laptop, you can also buy it used. Including MacBooks, believe it or not. It's a way of puffing up a comparison when the person making it knows the comparison doesn't stand on its own.

[justinclift]

Yeah, I'm kind of 50/50 about comparing them for the purposes of this conversation too.

In practical terms though, when I'm looking for a new laptop I do check both pricing of new and what's on Ebay. Sometimes I'll go with the new thing, and other times I'll get the Ebay thing, depending on the situation.

[bombcar]

I always keep an eye on those, but certified refurbished from manufacturers (whether Apple or Dell or HP, etc) are really good deals, quite often, and a known quantity.

I've no problem buying certified refurbished for work, whereas for home eBay off-lease is more acceptable because I know it's me dealing with issues if they crop up.

[gnicholas]

Yeah, I've bought refurb Apple devices from Apple, partly because they're always in pristine cosmetic condition, but mostly because you can buy AppleCare for them just as if they were new.

[jwagenet]

I think for the general public this is a reasonable comparison, since the performance is good enough for most things on a 2 year old eng pc for less than half the msrp. I would expect most corporate refurbs on eBay to be moderately reputable, and eBay is know to be consumer friendly.

[WesleyLivesay]

Shouldn't you then compare it to a 2 year old Air? They seem to be in the $600-$700 range on eBay.

[bombcar]

You can get a refurbished Air direct from Apple for $749. Cheaper from other places online.

[justinclift]

Probably a good comparison point as well. :)

[gnicholas]

I would consider buying a used computer from a person, if I could test it in advance. I don't think I'd ever buy a computer sight-unseen off ebay. They may be customer friendly on balance, but they're unpredictable enough that I wouldn't want to spend that kind of cash and risk being completely screwed.