Cheap or second hand?
Discussion
Why is every decision so damn complicated these days. I dread changing my car because I have to weigh up every option, vehicle, spec level. Now the same thing has happened and it is easier to let PH have their say;
I am in the market for 2 lap tops for a short term project (max 6 months), doesn't have to be high spec, just able to access the net and have a decent sized screen. Will be linked with PAYG mobile broadband lite at £100 for the dongles and £10 a month for 6 months.
Four options knowing they won't get much use (probably only about an hour a week),;
On the one hand I can buy two new cheap ones for £320 each, reclaim the VAT, be largely worry free with regard to problems and sell them on fleabay after 6 months still with some warranty. PAYG dongles with Lite at £10 a month = £860 with two lap tops to sell on probably worth £250.
The alternative is to buy two refurbs for half that price, but have no warranty or battery gurantee. = £540. Two old lap tops to sell on at the end (£100) and the hope neither need a repair or a battery.
Thirdly, take up two of the 'free lap top' offers from PC World or Phones4u, pay £60 a month for 18 months for the two (£1080) and have two lap tops to sell on but also the dongles which I could use when out and about for 12 months. Total £1080 minus resale of two cheap lap tops £250).
One final option is to buy two better ones for about £1K strip two of my existing lap tops (one 12 months old and one three years old) of all their software to use and sell them on flebay when the project finishes. Total cost £1220 minus value of the old lap tops (£150) but I would have two new lap tops in their place.
Add in the pot the fact that I can get capital ICT allowances against new lap tops, and that it is a reearrch project which HMRC will give a 150% R&D allowance and it just gets too complicated.
I need to go lie down in a darkened room. What happened to the days when they only sold things in one colour and spec and there was only one choice of how to do things? Why is every purchase so complex these days and why do I get a sense underneath it all that the retailers will win the day and go laughing to the bank? It is complicated by the fact that they lie to you. One guy tells you that the PAYG has a reconnection fee of £50 if you let the credit run out, so you should get a contract, the other says there has no reconnection charge. The woman at the network sounded unsure either way.
I would put a 4 option poll up but I don't have the energy left.
I am in the market for 2 lap tops for a short term project (max 6 months), doesn't have to be high spec, just able to access the net and have a decent sized screen. Will be linked with PAYG mobile broadband lite at £100 for the dongles and £10 a month for 6 months.
Four options knowing they won't get much use (probably only about an hour a week),;
On the one hand I can buy two new cheap ones for £320 each, reclaim the VAT, be largely worry free with regard to problems and sell them on fleabay after 6 months still with some warranty. PAYG dongles with Lite at £10 a month = £860 with two lap tops to sell on probably worth £250.
The alternative is to buy two refurbs for half that price, but have no warranty or battery gurantee. = £540. Two old lap tops to sell on at the end (£100) and the hope neither need a repair or a battery.
Thirdly, take up two of the 'free lap top' offers from PC World or Phones4u, pay £60 a month for 18 months for the two (£1080) and have two lap tops to sell on but also the dongles which I could use when out and about for 12 months. Total £1080 minus resale of two cheap lap tops £250).
One final option is to buy two better ones for about £1K strip two of my existing lap tops (one 12 months old and one three years old) of all their software to use and sell them on flebay when the project finishes. Total cost £1220 minus value of the old lap tops (£150) but I would have two new lap tops in their place.
Add in the pot the fact that I can get capital ICT allowances against new lap tops, and that it is a reearrch project which HMRC will give a 150% R&D allowance and it just gets too complicated.
I need to go lie down in a darkened room. What happened to the days when they only sold things in one colour and spec and there was only one choice of how to do things? Why is every purchase so complex these days and why do I get a sense underneath it all that the retailers will win the day and go laughing to the bank? It is complicated by the fact that they lie to you. One guy tells you that the PAYG has a reconnection fee of £50 if you let the credit run out, so you should get a contract, the other says there has no reconnection charge. The woman at the network sounded unsure either way.
I would put a 4 option poll up but I don't have the energy left.
Edited by Brown and Boris on Friday 1st August 09:08
Chocmonster said:
My brother just bought an Acer 5135 from Comet for £280. Seems to be pretty good so far, might be worth looking at for your project. They also have recon laptops which come with 12 months warranty.
Sounds good, best of both worlds. I want to move to Russia where there would be just one state lap top which you got after 10 years working in the Ministry of the Interior or in a mine somewhere. Make life so much easier.Chocmonster said:
My brother just bought an Acer 5135 from Comet for £280. Seems to be pretty good so far, might be worth looking at for your project. They also have recon laptops which come with 12 months warranty.
Just ordered a recon Acer with 12 months warranty and free delivery for £199 from Comet which will do the job nicely.I need the 15 inch screen becaus ethe work requires a decent sized image on screen.
Brown and Boris said:
Chocmonster said:
My brother just bought an Acer 5135 from Comet for £280. Seems to be pretty good so far, might be worth looking at for your project. They also have recon laptops which come with 12 months warranty.
Sounds good, best of both worlds. I want to move to Russia where there would be just one state lap top which you got after 10 years working in the Ministry of the Interior or in a mine somewhere. Make life so much easier.It seems PH has become a giant, omnipotent eternally awake consciousness...
Every question asked comes back with, generally, a reasonable answer of some sort or another.
Regardless of what the question is, how bizzare and specialist the subject maybe, PH always comes back with some reasonable answers.
Why then is this great biological hyper-computing device, that is PH, only dealing with this kind of crap.
Anyway, back to the original question.
I would suggest, and yo uare half way there, that you do a cost-benefit-risk analysis.
Put a cost to the risk attached to each of the options you have come up with. Do it on a spreadsheet for ease.
Once you have done that, pick the cheapest option.
Every question asked comes back with, generally, a reasonable answer of some sort or another.
Regardless of what the question is, how bizzare and specialist the subject maybe, PH always comes back with some reasonable answers.
Why then is this great biological hyper-computing device, that is PH, only dealing with this kind of crap.
Anyway, back to the original question.
I would suggest, and yo uare half way there, that you do a cost-benefit-risk analysis.
Put a cost to the risk attached to each of the options you have come up with. Do it on a spreadsheet for ease.
Once you have done that, pick the cheapest option.
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