Going cheap
By Darren Yates
March 29 2003
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It's pretty hard to miss the big, glossy ads for shiny new desktop and
notebook computers with their equally large price tags.
For many people, though, new features such as turbo-powered graphics cards
and high-speed processors are the only way to play the latest 3-D games or
edit home movies and make DVDs.
These users may have plenty of money but, at the end of the day, not
everyone needs a $4000 PC to check their Hotmail account.
But there's a good question - how much do you really need to spend? $2000,
$1500 or $750?
It's fair to say that for standard letter writing, bookkeeping, surfing the
internet and checking your email, you don't need to spend anywhere near
that much.
How does $220 grab you?
That's the price I found on a refurbished IBM 350MHz Pentium II computer
with 15-inch monitor and 3GB hard-disk drive on eBay. But for that price,
what sort of guarantee can you get? And what can you do if it stops working
two hours after you've brought it home?
Second-hand computers can be a real goldmine for the bargain hunter, but
they can be a world of trouble to the novice. The tricky thing here is the
hard-disk drive.
Most hard-disk drives will run for at least five years but there are no
guarantees and it depends as much on the amount of work it has done in the
past, as well as how mechanically sound it is.
The best tip is to assume your computer's hard-disk drive will fail at some
time, usually when you can least afford it.
Where to look
While online auction sites can be a great place to find bargains, tread
carefully if you're looking for a computer.
First, you don't always get the full picture of what you're getting for
your money - a small out-of-focus shot of a computer without an accurate
description is as worthless as a tick on a dog.
Second, computers generally don't travel well through the mail and they
sometimes struggle to survive a courier delivery in one piece.
And then when you receive it, what sort of warranty do you have? In the
end, it can be very little if anything at all and getting your money back
can be an arduous task.
But those low prices are very alluring so if eBay is still your favourite,
choose a system that's local to you - that way, you may be able to arrange
to pick it up in person.
There are other auction sites worth shopping at for bargains, too.
Laptop.com.au has a range of notebook computers starting from $299 for a
120MHz Toshiba Satellite Pro 430 and that includes a one-year warranty.
Grays Online specialises in clearing ex-sale items direct from major
vendors including Sharp and Dell. Dell in particular clears many computers
here and these are recent premium desktops and notebooks that are mostly
ex-demonstration models. At the time of writing, Dell had 56 lots available
with $9 starting prices including a 1.8GHz Pentium 4 desktop (no monitor)
for $334. Although this includes no warranty, you can purchase a warranty
from Dell separately by giving the company the serial number of the product
purchased.
AuctionTrader is a similar service to Grays Online but often deals in
liquidation stock and operates from Collingwood, Victoria. Again, you have
to register but there appear to be some real bargains; for example, a new
Athlon XP 2000+ desktop PC with CD burner and everything except a monitor
for $450. Check carefully whether the product carries a warranty - some do,
some don't.
Other bargain zones
When you can, see the second-hand computer in person. And a great place for
this is your local computer market.
Computer markets are popping up all over Australia - local computer
retailers banding together with rows of trestle tables breathing new life
into local shopping malls.
One is the Sunday Computer Market at Westfield Shoppingtown on North Rocks
Road at North Rocks.
You'll not only find many new and second-hand parts but a number of
second-hand systems.
There are also monthly computer fairs that are held around NSW including
Parramatta, Wollongong and Newcastle.
Perhaps the largest of those takes place at the University of NSW's
Roundhouse. The next UNSW markets will be held on April 13 and May 4.
These markets consist of small traders selling their wares at discounted
prices.
They are run by Computer Fairs Australia.
If you're after cheap Apple computers, try Macs As New
(www.macsasnew.com.au) - you'll find a range of ex-demo, second-hand and
refurbished notebooks and desktops all with warranties. One offer at the
time of writing was a 650MHz iMac with a modem and CD-ROM drive for $650
with a three-month warranty.
If you're a university student, you could also check with your student
council about when market days are held or other students who are ready to
upgrade.
If you already have a spare monitor, you can often buy the computer system
itself and save even more money.
With the number of ex-lease corporate, government and home PCs for sale
growing at a seemingly exponential rate, computer recyclers are starting to
pop up in most states.
For example, Australian Computer Recyclers in Victoria specialise in taking
these old systems, refurbishing them and selling them at low prices.
One system ACR had on its website at the time of writing was a 400MHz
Pentium II desktop PC with a 15-inch monitor, CD-ROM drive, 6GB hard-disk
drive, modem, speakers and Windows XP with a three-month warranty for $649.
If you're familiar with a computer system, you can build your own. Many of
these same places also offer second-hand computer parts at low prices,
which you can then put together yourself.
What to look for
When you're buying a second-hand car, it's usually quite easy to tell how
much wear and tear the car has had - rust, rough engine noises and blue
smoke are signs a car needs repair. Unfortunately, computer problems are
not so obvious.
When you find a computer, check it as thoroughly as you can. This is as
close as you'll get to a test drive so make it count.
Computers are made of a number of components. Here's what I'd look for and
how I'd go about finding each part.
Step 1. Check the monitor
Make sure the screen looks right. Check that it doesn't have any marks such
as the "Windows is now shutting down" sign burned on the phosphor. If it's
a notebook computer, look for dead pixels - these look like pinpoints of
light on the screen.
Signs of these indicate either the screen has had a hard life or that it
may be damaged.
Step 2. Identify the hardware
Chances are you're going to choose a computer based on a list of
specifications. However, while most people will do the right thing,
there'll be some who might just "gild the lily", saying a computer has a
500MHz chip when it only has a 400MHz chip, for example. So how do you
check this?
There are some very good freeware tools on the internet you should
download, burn on a CD, or store on a floppy disk or USB micro drive if
they'll fit and take with you.
These will give you a breakdown of the specifications - make sure you run
the program at home before you go so you get to know what the specs are.
The important parts of the hardware to check are the processor clock speed,
the amount of memory, the hard-disk drive capacity and the graphics card.
Step 3. Under the bonnet
OK, computers might not have a motor under the bonnet, but they do have a
motherboard under the lid.
And this is where a Philips No.2 screwdriver will come in handy.
If screwdrivers "aren't you", take a knowledgeable friend with you but
remember to ask the owner for permission to take a look inside.
Unfortunately, it's difficult to tell whether the electronics inside have
had it easy or not but there are still important signs to look for.
You want to make sure that it looks reasonably neat and tidy, with no
cables half-hanging off and that all components are screwed correctly into
position.
Step 4. Have a test drive
I'm not talking about taking your copy of Microsoft Office and installing
it but rather something quick you can load that will give it a test.
This is where a music CD comes in handy.
Any computer or notebook you buy should have a CD-ROM drive and speakers
and a music CD is a quick way to test all these components in one hit.
If you're buying a computer with a DVD drive, a DVD movie is an even better
way to test a computer - it tests everything from speakers to the processor
itself.
Basically, if it plays the movie with good image quality, no jerky panning
and the lip-syncing is good, chances are you won't have too many troubles.
The only thing a music CD or DVD can't really test is the hard-disk drive.
Step 5. Consider a new hard drive
Hard-disk drives are the greatest concern when buying a second-hand
computer. Apart from sudden louder-than-usual noises, you rarely get a "I'm
about to cark it" sign from a hard drive.
Provided the PC isn't older than 400MHz Pentium II, you should be able to
take it to your local PC vendor and get them to install a new hard-disk
drive. Be warned though that the older the system, the more trouble you'll
have installing larger capacity drives. For example, a 400MHz Celeron isn't
likely to handle a 40GB drive.
If the hard-disk drive is a SMART (Self-Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting
Technology) type, a tool such as ActiveSMART (see box) could well help you
find out what sort of shape it's in.
At the end of the day, if you're just after a computer for basic every-day
applications, such as checking email, writing letters or surfing the net,
you don't need anything more than a 400MHz Pentium II or Celeron PC -
despite what many of the glossy ads might tell you.
Time to test
Thinking of buying a second-hand computer? Make a test CD with some of
these software tools, which will help you avoid buying a lemon.
DisplayMate For Windows Demo: This is a great tool for testing monitors and
takes only 200KB of storage memory.
3B Software's SANDRA: It's a trial version of a useful diagnostic tool,
giving you detailed information of what's inside the computer.
SysInfoXP: Another Windows tool to give you all the information about
features inside the computer.
System Analyser: DOS-based tool ideal for older computers. Tells you all
about the system but can be a bit complex.
Active SMART: This excellent tool looks at hard-disk drives using SMART
(Self-Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting Technology).
This isn't an exhaustive list and some of these tools are shareware so do
the right thing and pay for them if you think you want to use them.
Infofile
The basic rule of thumb is if you're buying privately, forget about a
warranty - it really is a case of "buyer beware". Buying from a business or
trader gives you a little more comfort - many will give you a seven or
14-day working guarantee but if you feel you've been duped and you get no
joy from the vendor, contact the Department of Fair Trading for assistance.
http://theage.com.au/articles/2003/03/28/1048653849036.html
