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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to not want to buy a second hand laptop?

23 replies

Nothavingfunrightnow · 09/05/2015 09:41

DH wants to buy a laptop and I am happy with that. He wants to get a second hand one but I am reluctant to do so because of whatever may have been on that laptop before we get it.

AIBU? I am no computer whizz while DH has some knowledge. He reckons it would be fine. I say no.

Who is BU?

OP posts:
DisappointedOne · 09/05/2015 09:49

If you can get a decent spec second hand one and put a brand new hard drive into it (destroy the old one) you'll be fine. You'll have to put your own operating system on it though.

MammaTJ · 09/05/2015 09:50

If you but from a reputable computer shop it will be fine. They will remove all traces of the previous owners and anything they had on the computer.

kimistayingalive · 09/05/2015 09:52

Neither of you are BU. Personally I would prefer a new one as older ones may run slow(er) and I just prefer something new rather than second hand as I don't know if there has been a virus on it and with the new theres less risk (unless you put one on yourself).
A second hand one is fine is you aren't planning on doing too much on them though. Just general web browsing and documents then its fine.
If you need it for gaming a new one is definitely better as it should contain the latest bits although for gaming you'd be better with a PC.

Original poster
Nothavingfunrightnow · 09/05/2015 09:53

Thanks, everyone.

OP posts:
DoctorTwo · 09/05/2015 10:03

I'm in the process of saving up to buy a secondhand laptop running Windows. The second thing I'll download after Firefox is CCleaner, which I'll configure to overwrite the disc 15 times, so that it's wiped completely (other than the OS).

Original poster
Nothavingfunrightnow · 09/05/2015 10:18

That's the other thing... DH wants one NOW! None of this saving up or at least waiting til next pay day.

Fucking does my head in.

But that's for the Relationship board...

OP posts:
yomellamoHelly · 09/05/2015 10:27

Get a Chromebook. You can get them for under £200 new.

DrHarleenFrancesQuinzel · 09/05/2015 10:36

Ive had a few second hand laptops.

The one I have now is an acer from Argos. It cost just over £200.

19lottie82 · 09/05/2015 10:48

It depends what the OP and her DH want to use the laptop for. If it's for more than general browsing and maybe some light office programmes then a £200 model prob won't do the job.

FishCanFly · 09/05/2015 12:28

NEVER buy a secondhand laptop. Tv, xbox -- yes, because all they do is sit on a shelf. Laptops are carried around and all things happen to them.

PeppermintCrayon · 09/05/2015 12:29

Look at refurbished ones instead.

olgaga · 09/05/2015 12:30

Have a look at PC World website. They sell reconditioned PCs & laptops with a warranty.

OrlandoWoolf · 09/05/2015 12:31

I have loads of ex business ones for my business. Hard drive wiped clean, new OS on it - absolute bargains.

Whathaveilost · 09/05/2015 12:32

My kids have had second hand lap tops.
Once the hard drive has been cleared and sorted , no probs.

My friend whose job it is to refund lap tops, desk computers etc charged me £30 to clean reinstall and put some extras on including fire wall.

lordStrange · 09/05/2015 12:34

My macbook is secondhand. It came loaded with all the Adobe suite. I couldn't be happier.

ThickOrSomething · 09/05/2015 12:39

mine was second hand, everything had been wiped off it. find a good second hand place with someone who refurbishes, and you are sorted.

UsedToBeAPaxmanFan · 10/05/2015 05:35

I don't know how much you were thinking of spending, but new lap tops are relatively cheap these daya.

I recently bought a new laptop, it came with Windiws installed, free security/anti virus software and a 3 year guarantee. It's really good, very fast, and cost £160 including delivery. I ordered it at 6pm and it arrived the next morning.

It replaced the previous one I had, (which is fine, still works but has been passed on to ds). Same make, but the previous one cost about £600 3 years.

I agree that if you want to use it for gaming etc then you'd be better off with a pc.

SevenAteNine · 10/05/2015 06:03

If it does what you want it's going to be fine. You can do a factory refresh on it before you start.

pixienott · 10/05/2015 07:35

If you know what you're doing, a second hand laptop like an ex-business x series thinkpad, with a few little tweaks like a new SSD in it to replace the old spinning rust hard disk and linux will function better than 90% of modern laptops for most people's purposes. They are absolute bargains

If you don't, either learn how to do it (takes literally 5 mins to replace the disk in pretty much any laptop, and maybe 10 more to install linux on an ssd) or buy new.

thegreylady · 10/05/2015 07:40

We bought a brand new Acer laptop from Staples for £209 and it is absolutely fine.

Purplepoodle · 10/05/2015 08:38

We got ours second hand off dells own website

musicalendorphins2 · 10/05/2015 08:55

I have a brand new acer myself, but prefer my tablet. Once I finish getting my family tree,
I will probably give the laptop to my son. I hate the keyboard being on the left side.

musicalendorphins2 · 10/05/2015 08:58

PS Sorry, forgot to answer your question. I would think from a shop would be fine, but from
not kiji or anything. Cold be hot, or infected.

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