A Guide to Refurbished Dell Computers

If you are looking into purchasing a new computer you would be remiss NOT to first consider purchasing a quality refurbished PC. Refurbished computers generally offer all the computing power, features and reliability you will need at a fraction of the price of a new one. Whether you are purchasing a first or second computer for home, buying for a school or school district, or a business looking to upgrade or expand, refurbished computers should be considered as an alternative to pricier new machines.

What is a refurbished computer?

A refurbished computer is any computer that has come from a working environment, be it business or personal, and has been reconditioned to like new condition for resale. This can include machines that were leased by businesses, schools, or government organizations and computers that are traded in by home users. Generally speaking the computers that make the best option for refurbishing and reselling are business class machines. Business class computers were designed with corporate users in mind and are developed to be reliable, upgradeable, and easily maintained. Quite simply these computers are built to work every day and every time, year after year. Examples of these computers include but are not limited to the Dell Optiplex line; including the Dell Optiplex GX150, GX240, GX260, GX270 and GX280. Other Dell business variations would include GX50 and GX60 machines and Dell Precision machines. The Dell Optiplex and Precision lines were designed with business in mind and are extraordinarily reliable, easy to maintain and upgradeable. Computers that were originally designed for the home user often do not come close to meeting the quality standards set by their business counterparts and as such should be considered to be a somewhat less desirable option.

Generally there are two distinct types of refurbished computers available, off lease and factory refurbished computers. Factory refurbished equipment has been retuned to the original manufacture, usually by a dissatisfied consumer. This equipment is then reworked by the manufacturer and sold as such; generally these computers come with a reasonable warranty, the original manufacturers guarantee, and a premium price. Off-lease refurbished machines are refurbished by the seller and not the manufacturer. Off-lease machines generally offer the same reliability, conditioning, options and warranties as those refurbished by the manufacturer but can often be found at a significant discount compared to factory refurbished equipment.

Where do refurbished computers come from and if they are so reliable why are they available?

Businesses, Government organizations and schools generally lease their computers and equipment for a period of time ranging from months to a few years. At the end of a lease many organizations opt to return this completely functional and useful equipment to comply with their accounting practices. You may ask why organizations would return completely functional equipment only to spend millions replacing it. The answer is simultaneously simple and complex, but in brief; most companies adapt accounting practices that devalue their computer and office equipment yearly as a tax benefit. Generally, at the end of three years, companies show that their existing equipment has no value and accept that the purchase of new equipment is merely a part of their accounting practices and not a waste of good equipment and money. Refurbished computers almost always come out of a clean, well maintained corporate environment. These computers are generally in a working condition, other than perhaps some minor flaws, or cosmetic damage. Other sources for refurbished computers include customer returns, floor or testing models.

How to tell if you are good candidate for a refurbished computer.

Refurbished computers are an excellent choice for virtually all but the most demanding power users. Many refurbished computers today can offer virtually identical performance as new equipment and at less than half the cost. It is important to ask yourself what kind of user you or your organization is. Those users who only want to work in Microsoft Office applications may have drastically different computing needs than people who want to play 3D games or edit video. Those of you who are into the latest and greatest computer games, video editing or CAD programs may need to invest in a new computer.

If you are purchasing for a business, school or government organization, very few users on your network will be power users. This gives you a great opportunity to save your organization thousands, if not tens of thousands of dollars, by supplying computers to your users that specifically meet their needs.

Home users generally do not need the latest and greatest in computer technology. Most home users are looking for solid internet access, the ability to edit photos, download music and play simple games, all of which can be easily handled by most refurbished computers. Home users who consider themselves to be power users can often tweak a refurbished computer to meet their needs and save hundreds of dollars in the process.

Most major manufactures offer potential customers the illusion that newer is better. In most instances this simply isn't true, refurbished computers can meet the needs of virtually any user and at a fraction of the cost of new.

Copyright © 1995-2006. Brad Calli www.hcditrading.com

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Refurbished Computer Guide - Save Money With Refurbished Computers!

Refurbished computer refers to remanufactured or renovated computers. Refurbished doesn't mean an old or a defected computer. Actually when a computer is sent back to the manufacturer due to small reason, like defected monitor or wrong model, afterwards the manufacturer tested it and gave approval for resale, is known as refurbished computer.

Refurbished computers are the best to do email, Internet surfing, or to play games. Major advantage of refurbished computer is that these are available at cheap rates and high processing power. If you want a computer with more memory, larger hard drive and faster processor, refurbished computer is the better option for you.

Remanufactured computers are the best for the people who are not sure about their needs. New companies, that have not sufficient money to buy new computers, can start their business with refurbished computers. You can also save more money with refurbished computers. Refurbished computer enables you to fulfill your dreams.

Companies, that are providing refurbished computers, offer heavy discount on these items. Category of refurbished computers includes desktop PCs, laptops, notebooks, barebones, whole computer systems, computer accessories and other computer related things. Renovated computers are fully assured and tested equipments. Manufacturers provide these computers in original packaging.

These are easily available in the market but you can also have a look online. Several manufacturers usually sell their products online. They offer heavy rate of discount for your benefit. You should check all the qualities of refurbished computer at the time of purchase. Before any type of payment, you should check whether the computer is satisfying your requirements or not.

About Author: The Author owns a website on Refurbished Computers [http://www.gmrefurbishedcomputers.com]. Website provides useful information to buy refurbished computer at cheap rates, also tells how to buy a refurbished computer. It offers some tips to buy refurbished laptop computers, used refurbished computers, refurbished computer supplies and refurbished computer suppliers’ info. You can also get information about Desktop Computers.

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Guide to Buying a Desktop Computer

With the rapid pace of technological developments, nothing has become as ubiquitous as the computer. Everyone's got one. And they are used for all manner of endeavour, by people of all walks of life. So, do you simply buy the computer that someone's selling? Or do you do some homework and figure out what detailed specifications are going to make some difference to you?

At Myshopping.com.au you can compare the prices of a wide range of different computers from different vendors and of different specifications. This guide will help you find what you're looking for.

Mac or Windows (PC)

At the outset, you need to decide what you are going to use the computer for. This will help you make the fundamental decision of whether you should go Mac or PC. Although, with the advent of the dual core processor (an Intel chip now used by Mac) the differences are narrowed a little, there are still some choices that can help you favour one system over another. Historically, Mac computers have a reputation for greater stability that comes from a more robust operating system than Windows based computers. Largely for this reason, Macs have been the computer of choice for the graphic design industry, the music production industry and the video production industry. This has prompted the software manufacturers to make professional software packages for these disciplines that favour the Mac operating system. Although they have packages supporting the Windows operating system, they are often less capable.

Consequently, if you are engaged in these industries and need your computer for this type of work, you should consider Mac. Mac computers appear to attract fewer viruses and software malfunctions than do Windows based PCs. On the down side, there has always appeared to have been limited software support for Mac systems.

Another decision that may guide your choice is the aesthetics of the computer. If you have limited available space, there is nothing quite like the iMacs or the mini Macs for space saving. iMac's all-in-one desktop units are compact and complete with all the connectivity you need. However, the look of other brands may be more to your taste, with many models available in compact packages and modern colour schemes to suit practically all dйcor. Now that you've made that basic decision, you can start comparing the apples with apples.
Mac
Windows XP Home
Windows XP Professional

The Components of Your Computer

The two factors that determine the price of your computer are size (yes it does matter) and speed. Either or both of these two dimensions are a factor of practically every component that makes up the machine. Naturally the highest price tags go with the combination of biggest and fastest.

CPU

The heart of the computer is the CPU (central processing unit). You need to decide which CPU you want driving your computer. These come from different manufacturers, and the current development of the technology is called Dual Core, which means that there are two processors on the one chip. Dual Core technology delivers more performance with less energy requirements. Intel and AMD are the two leading CPU manufacturers, and they offer different products under different names.

Current processing speeds range from about 1.4 GHz (gigahertz) through to 3.46 GHz. But it is not simply just a matter of speed. There are other considerations. Mac Operating Systems have a different architecture to Windows and will perform many functions faster with a slower speed CPU. A dual core chip at 1.4 GHz will deliver a better performance that a Pentium 4 chip at 1.8 GHz. A 1.4 GH dual core chip running a Mac with OSX Tiger, will perform better than a 2.0 GHz Pentium 4 processor running Windows. You need to decide what you want your computer to do, what your major software requirements are before you decide on the CPU processor.

However, for everyday use, a processor faster than 1.8 GHz will deliver excellent performance. As a rough rule of thumb, choose a Celeron for low cost computing, a Pentium 4 for mid-range budgets, or an AMD Athlon for bigger budgets. You can compare computers based on Pentium, Celeron, Athlon or Dual Core CPUs by searching those specifications on Myshopping.com.au and finding different vendors and brands using different processors.

RAM

This is where bigger definitely means better performance. RAM is the system memory that enables the computer to use its programs and swap data between the hard drive and the program functions. It's important to match the speed of the RAM of your computer with the speed of the CPU. The more RAM you have available for your programs to work, the faster will your computer run. Most computers today come with at least 256 M (megabytes) of RAM. But memory is a relatively cheap component, and it costs little extra to upgrade to 512 M or greater.

HARD DRIVE

For a detailed explanation of hard drives, please see the article on Myshopping.com.au dedicated to Hard Disc Drives.

The hard drive of the computer stores your program files and your data. As computers have advanced, so has the need for more capacity to operate programs and store data. People working in media fields tend to work with very large files and require large storage space. Most computers in today's market come with a minimum of 40G of hard drive space. However, this can be upgraded (usually in 20G chunks) to as much as 200G or more. The effectiveness of your hard drive also can depend on its physical speed (5400-7200 RPM) and the speed at which it can transfer data between the computer's RAM and the hard drive. Faster means better performance.

REMOVABLE MEDIA

You will want to have a CD-R or (CD-RW) drive installed in your computer, and or possibly a DVD or DVD-R. For reading a CD ROM, all that is required is a CD drive and for watching DVD movies, a DVD ROM drive. However with a CD-R drive, you can record your own data and music CDs, and with a DVD-R drive, you can burn files in a DVD format, allowing you to store movies and data in far greater quantities. The CD-RW (DVD-RW) drives allow you to use re-recordable media. Your decision will depend on what you want to use your media drives for and what you want to store.

Other removable media will possibly include flash card storage, which is usually plugged in via the USB ports on the computer.

MONITORS

For a detailed explanation of monitors, please see the article on Myshopping.com.au dedicated to Monitors.

The monitor for your computer is integral to its function and aesthetics. If you are working in graphics you may want to stay with a CRT monitor. However most bundle offers these days are supplied with LCD monitors, which have the advantages of smaller space requirements, use lower energy and offer wider screen images. However they generally are more expensive (although prices are dropping everyday), can frequently be not as bright, have limited viewing angles and sometimes require a digital interface connector.

For graphics intensive work, LCD screens do not have the same capacity to render colours in gradients as CRT monitors. Once again, size matters. Bigger screens cost more than smaller ones.

VIDEO AND SOUND

For a detailed explanation of video cards, please see the article on Myshopping.com.au dedicated to Video Cards.

The interface between the CPU and the Monitor is provided by the video card. One of the basic decisions you need to make is whether you require a 3D or 2D card. Video cards come in two different types: those that use an AGP (accelerated graphics port) on the computer motherboard and those that use the PCI bus. Data transfer rate is critical to video performance. Faster video cards use an AGP, and this proves a faster data transfer than PCI cards. Most video cards also have their own video memory installed on the card, a feature that increases a computer's memory performance. Today, these memories are often 128M or 256M, and can be more in the higher-end cards dedicated to sophisticated video work or gaming. Video cards performance is also affected by what is known as clock speed or clock rate, cards with a faster speed offer faster performance.

Cheaper computers, and laptops and notebooks, have an integrated graphics chip included in the motherboard instead of a discrete video card. This type of configuration is not as powerful or as fully functional as having a separate video card, which can allow more comprehensive gaming, the use of multiple monitors and faster and better rendering of images.

For a computer to reproduce the sounds recorded in games, movies and music products it requires a sound card. Quality of sound can be affected by the sound card your computer has installed. It's important that you know how you want to use the sound reproduction processes of your computer. If you are a musician and want to record audio, then you will want to be sure that you have excellent connectivity, good midi access and at least 16-bit (CD quality) audio reproduction. Sound cards give you the possibilities of full cinema surround sound, and the many subtle effects employed by high-end games.

Nearly every computer comes with a set of stereo speakers. However it pays to have a good listen to what you're buying. Make sure you listen to program that you are familiar with (take your own CD along) and compare the sound in a quiet environment. Many speaker systems for computers have poor frequency response and are underpowered. For desktop use that does not involve a quality listening environment this may be satisfactory. But if you want to listen to music and watch movies for the full effect, then you need to consider buying a good quality set of speakers. Use the search facility of Myshopping.com.au to compare specifications and prices of different speaker systems.

KEYBOARD AND MOUSE

The choice of keyboard and mouse are personal choices. Sometimes it depends on what you do on your computer, whether you have formal typing skills or whether you're a two-finger hack. Serious writers may prefer an ergonomic keyboard. Keyboards frequently have different clicks and responses to others. You may prefer an infrared cordless keyboard and mouse. You may prefer an optical mouse on which you don't have to clean the rollers. Optical mice have no rollerball, and can be used on most flat surfaces, but they are more expensive.

CONNECTIVITY

Today, connectivity is everything. Your computer can have wireless connections to all of your peripherals: printer, scanner, and other computers. Having an onboard modem will only be really important if you are using a dial up internet connection. Broadband modems tend to be peripherals and you can connect via USB, wireless or firewire. It does pay to consider how you will connect to the internet and other peripherals. It's not always convenient to get behind your computer to plug something in or unplug it. Some sound cards have a front face panel with all the connections you need. The USB ports on Macs are conveniently located. Many PC manufacturers haven't caught on to the fact that it's important for some people to easily access the connections to their computers.

To compare the different bundle offers from different brands, and to compare the different components by their specifications, search the Myshopping.com.au database for exactly the specifications you are seeking. You can compare prices and vendors, and order what you need online with a few clicks.

Andrew Gates for comparison online shopping service MyShopping.com.au. MyShopping.com.au helps you compare the different computers from different brands in terms of specifications and accessories. You can also compare prices from hundreds of different brands and vendors.

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When to Buy Guide - A Guide on When to Purchase a New Computer

A complete guide to buying a computer...

Note: This is guide targeted at beginners and intermediate computer users and buyers. These are my views and opinions only. Please use the information as reference only.

Many people may wonder when the best time to build a computer is. There are usually mixed answers depending on factors like, when you need the computer by and what you need the computer for.

I have decided to write a short guide for anyone who is planning on purchasing a computer this year.

Do you need a new computer:

Do you actually need a new computer? If you want a new computer because your current computer has problems and is filled with errors.etc, then chances are, you actually don't "need" a new computer. Re-installing windows usually fixes all performance issues and all errors you may have with your computer. If you have hardware problems, then chances are, it's a single part that is causing you grief and a replacement is usually the better option. Replacing faulty parts is a good way to save money if you don't actually "need" a new computer. If you think your current computer is lacking performance due to new software and games or your computer isn't compatible with software and games, then you should be considering a purchase. Always look in to why you actually need a new computer before you decide to buy.

Upgrading your current computer:

There is a rule I refer to when upgrading a computer. Never do a replacement upgrade where you pull out a part and replace it. Because then you are wasting money seeing you just pulled out a perfectly good piece of hardware and thrown it into storage. If you try and sell the part, then you probably won't get close to 50% of what you payed for it. So, don't do replacement upgrades. There is another form of upgrading which is fine and which I like to call "Adding Upgrade". This is where you add a piece of hardware without taking anything out. So, things like, adding RAM, Hard drives, Optical Drives, Add-on cards.etc, these are all fine. There is a time where you should never upgrade, this is when your computer is old and starting to lag behind in the latest applications. In this case, save your money on an upgrade and invest in a new computer.

What you need a new computer for:

When buying a computer, it is important to think about what you actually need the new computer for. Depending on what you use the computer for, depends on what your "primary" part will be. Your "Primary" part is the piece of hardware which will most effect performance in applications you are planing to use. For example, if you're a gamer, your graphics card will be the primary piece of hardware in your system, so it's smart to invest extra in to that. Where, if you want your new computer to act as a media centre for playing movies, captured video.etc then RAM will be your primary part followed by CPU. Large video files require a lot of RAM to be able to access different parts of the video faster. You also need a decent CPU seeing you need something which can make use of the RAM properly so it can decompress video at the rate the RAM can output data.

Where to buy:

Where to buy is the biggest decision in buying a computer. Also, depending on whether you will build yourself or get a retailer to build one for you. You should only build a computer if you can repair a computer. Seeing if you build yourself, you get no labour warranty. Although your parts will come with warranty, you need to diagnose the problem before you can get a replacement on the part. That rule then loops around to the other side, where you should buy from a system retailer as long as they offer labour warranty.

Another factor on where to buy is pricing. Some people look for the cheapest places where others look for the most reliable places or the ones with the best after sale service & support. If you're planning on building yourself, then you would want a cheap part retailer. Be careful though, seeing some cheap places are dodgy. I once spent 1 month waiting for parts only to receive the wrong graphics card which was also faulty. I finally had a working system 2 and a half months after I paid for the parts. If you don't want to build yourself, then price will be a factor, but what could be a bigger factor is after sale service & support. Many places will forget about you once you walk out the door leaving your cash on the counter. Where some places may offer you excellent after sale support and extra "bonus" services. Although bonus services are rare, if a place provides them, then they're usually the right choice. Bonus services include things like, free web space or a special website for clients only which offers free software and updates.

When to buy:

This factor falls right behind "where to buy" and just in front of "what to buy". Depending on what your computer will be used for, depends on what parts are most important. To make your computer hold up in the future, you need to future proof it. Future proofing is something I strongly believe in. So, if you were to consider purchasing a CPU, then make sure it has things like 64bit technology and make sure it has a dual-core CPU for when applications start to take advantage of dual-core processing.

So, when to buy can sometimes not be an option depending on how urgently you need your new computer. But if you have no urgency, then you should wait for the right time to buy. Below is a list of things to remember to select when the best time to buy is...

We will use Graphics Cards (GPU's) as reference...

* If the current line up of graphics cards have been around for a while, then wait till next gen arrives. That way your graphics card will have the latest technologies, best performance and better future proofing.

* If you're waiting on the next generation of graphics cards, then don't buy a next gen GPU as soon as it comes out seeing stock will be in short supply most likely so you will be paying top dollar. Instead, wait a few weeks after the initial release so you get more competitive pricing.

* If there is (for example) a new high-end Nvidia graphics card coming out and you want a high-end ATI graphics card for example, then wait till the Nvidia card comes out because then ATI will most likely be forced to drop the prices of there high-end card.

Other Info:

The same or similar applies for all parts. You'll find parts like hard drives move along at the slowest pace in terms of technology. But usually things like that move along fast in terms of price. So be aware of that.

There are computer parts which focus on luxury rather than performance. These things include Monitor Size and Speakers. Although these two things don't effect computer performance, they can effect computer experience. I usually consider things like these last seeing what good is a high-res screen if your graphics card can't support high-res video or games. you get the drift anyway.

Then, there are things like cases where although they don't directly effect performance (they sometimes can) or experience, that is what someone sees when they view your computer and your case can be important to show what you're personality is like. Cases also offer functionality for ease of use and layout. The one time where they can increase performance, is there cooling ability. If your case has excellent ventilation. Then you yourself can increase performance by overclocking or increase stability by just keeping all components cool.

Anyway, that wraps up the guide for now, hope you learnt something and found it useful. Remember it pays to do your market research when purchasing computers so you know what is already out and what's coming out.

Cheers!

Tom Wardrop - Owner of [http://www.fullvoltage.com.au]

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