What to Look For When Buying a Used Computer – Sewing Machines Los Angeles

Technology and their prices change so frequently, it’s really difficult to tell what is a good deal and what isn’t when you’re looking for a used computer. The first thing to remember is that buying a used computer is not at all like buying a used car. There aren’t a lot of things that can go wrong with a computer and remain hidden. The first thing to do is to check if the computer actually works. Start with it turned off, then power it up. If that works, and it loads up to the desktop in some reasonable amount of time, you’ll at least know that you won’t take it home and push the power button only to find out you’ve been ripped off.

Once you get it loaded up to the desktop, there’s an easy way to tell if the specifications the seller told you it had are actually true. Click the “Start” button, then “Control Panel”, then “System”. What pops up is a dialog box called “System Properties”. Here, you’ll find basic system information. You’ll be able to see what version of Windows is running, the processor type and speed, and the amount of RAM or Random Access Memory. You can simply compare these to other computers advertised for sale and find out if it is a good deal or not.

One of the other things you’ll want to look for is the available connections and their types. In today’s world, you’ll probably want four or more USB 2.0 connections, but this is not terribly important as you can buy a “splitter” for less than twenty dollars at any computer store. The best thing to do is to look at your existing computer and see what the plugs look like before going to inspect the computer you’re considering buying to make sure all your existing parts will at least plug in correctly. If you don’t have an existing computer, chances are you’ll have all the basic connections you’ll need for a keyboard, mouse, monitor, and printer.

If you have any existing software that you want to ensure works on your new computer, you can usually check the software’s system requirements in its “help” or “about” section. The only thing that the “System Properties” dialog box will not show you that you might want to know is available hard drive space. You can find this by simply clicking “Start” then “Run” and typing “diskmgmt.msc”. That will bring up Windows’ disk management program that will show you all the available disks in the computer. You’ll be able to see from this program all sorts of information about these disks, but you should only concern yourself with “Disk Capacity” and “Free Space”. If “Free Space” meets or exceeds your software’s system requirements, you should be fine.

Now you know how simple it is to check out a computer before you buy it. Be sure to use caution when buying from sites like CraigsList or eBay because of all the scams out there. Just because there is a picture of a computer doesn’t mean it is legit. With your new found knowledge of how to find the specs of a computer mixed with a little smart shopping and common sense, you should be able to avoid a rip-off and have a good computer buying experience.