Solved! Looking for new laptop

[ptquilts]

1. What is your budget? under $300

2. What is the size of the notebook that you are considering? 15"

3. What screen resolution do you want? don't care

4. Do you need a portable or desktop replacement laptop? this will be my main computer

5. How much battery life do you need? 2 hours

6. Do you want to play games with your laptop? If so then please list the games that you want to with the settings that you want for these games. (Low,Medium or High)?just freecell

7. What other tasks do you want to do with your laptop? (Photo/Video editing, Etc.) photo editing, scanner, printer

8. How much storage (Hard Drive capacity) do you need? not much, I have 37 GB now and not filled up

9. If you are considering specific sites to buy from, please post their links.

10. How long do you want to keep your laptop? as long as possible

11. What kind of Optical drive do you need? DVD ROM/Writer,Bluray ROM/Writer,Etc ? DVD would be nice

12. Please tell us about the brands that you prefer to buy from them and the brands that you don't like and explain the reasons. n/a

13. What country do you live in? US

14. Please tell us any additional information if needed. Is there a big difference between buying new and refurbished? am I taking a chance getting refurb?

 

[WR2]

Is there a big difference between buying new and refurbished? am I taking a chance getting refurb?

Besides the new/used condition there is also the warranty period 1yr vs 90 days (typical).
In some outlets you might have restrictions on returning an item or getting refunds.
Exanmple: Lenovo Thinkpad T61 @ NewEgg $280 has a 1 yr warranty but a no-refund, return for replacement only policy.
BestBuy has a 90day warranty but lets you return the item for a refund within 2 weeks.
One refurb laptop might have been returned by a disappointed customer looking for something different. Another might have been sent back for a major fault that was (hopefully) fully repaired. So yes, you are taking a chance.
You could end up saving a couple hundred - so it's a risk/reward toss up.

 

[WR2]

Be on the lookout for specials and sales in the weeks ahead.
Here is a new HP for $350 @ Staples: HP Pavilion g6-1b60us AMD A4-3300M Fusion 15.6 laptop