### What Should I Buy FORM (Must Read Before Posting!) ###

INSTRUCTIONS: New laptop buyers, kindly copy and paste the below questions into a new thread. Answer the questions to the best of your ability, give as much information as possible and try not to be vague. The more accurate information you give, the better the recommendations you will receive.

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General Questions

1) What is your budget?

2) What size notebook would you prefer?

a. Ultraportable; 10" - 12" screen
c. Thin and Light; 13" - 14" screen
d. Mainstream; 15" - 16" screen
e. Desktop Replacement; 17"+ screen
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3) Which country will you buying this notebook?

4) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?

a. Like:
b. Dislike:
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5) Would you consider laptops that are refurbished/redistributed?

6) What are the primary tasks will you be performing with this notebook?

7) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places, leaving it on your desk or both?

8) Will you be playing games on your notebook? (If so, please state which games or types of games?)

9) How many hours of battery life do you need?

10) Would you prefer to see the notebooks you're considering before purchasing it or buying a notebook on-line without seeing it is OK?

11) What OS do you prefer? Windows, Mac OS, Linux, Chrome OS, etc.

Screen Specifics

12) What screen resolution(s) would you prefer? (See further below for explanations.)

13) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non-glossy screen? (See further below for explanations.)

Build Quality and Design

14) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you?

Notebook Components

15) How much hard drive space do you need?

Timing, Warranty and Longevity

16) When are you buying this laptop?

17) How long do you expect to use this laptop?

18) How long could you afford to do without your laptop if it were to fail?

19) Would you be willing to pay significantly extra for on-site warranty, or would it be acceptable to you to have to ship the laptop to the vendor for repair with perhaps a week or more outage?

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Please state any additional features you need. It's also helpful if you can indicate how experienced you are with computers. If you're a novice and don't know much, that's alright. Everyone's a novice at some point.


Glossary and Explanations

Glossy vs. Matte Screen

Matte screens have an anti-reflective coating. Glossy screens generally offer more contrast and colors are more vivid, but do produce more glare. The glare problem is more acute in well lit environments, like an office. If you are unfamiliar with the screen types, we would highly recommend you check some of each type out before you buy. The screen is one of the more important parts on a notebook.

Screen resolution

If you are unsure of what to purchase, we would highly recommend you check some notebook screens before you buy to see what you like. These are commonly available screen resolutions.

• Low Resolutions: 720p (1366x768)
• Generally offered on only the most inexpensive of notebooks, and best off avoided.
• High Resolution: 1080p (1920x1080)
• Offered on most mid-range and better notebooks. Ideal for most usage and productivity
• Ultra Resolution: 3K/4K (3200x1800, 3840x2160, etc)
• Found on high-end notebooks. Only get a Windows notebook with one of these screen resolutions if your apps and programs are good at scaling. Macs don't have that problem.

Typical Definitions of Refurbished Notebooks
Take a look at our
NBR How-To Guide for Outlet Shopping: HP, Dell and Lenovo

Refurbished notebooks often come at significantly lower prices and are generally covered by warranties by Dell, HP, and Lenovo. Lenovo generally has a universal 1 year warranty, while Dell has standard 3 on their business lines and 1 on consumer laptops (all extendable). HP offers a choice of 1 or 3 years. Other stores like Tiger Direct only offer 90 days. These laptops are in conditions ranging from being never powered on to scratch and dent (but still fully operational).

Refurbished:
Laptops that may or may not have been powered on.
Laptops that may or may not have the security seal of the box broken.
Laptops that may or may not have been used.
Laptops that may or may not have minimal cosmetic "scratches".

Redistributed:
Laptops that where ordered and never delivered.
Laptops that where place on order but never shipped.
Laptops that where ordered but then canceled and never shipped.
Laptop is new and sealed in box.
Laptop has never been turned on.
Security seal is not broken.
Laptop is in mint condition.

Scratch & Dent:
Laptop has been turned on.
Laptop has been used before.
Security seal is broken.
Laptop may have noticeable cosmetic dents.
Laptop was fully restored to manufacturing state.