Buy a Laptop on the Cheap?
I had reader contact me with this question:
I am buying a laptop for the first time and have been looking at the Dell XPS M1330. The only thing is once you start getting the specs up it starts getting quite expensive. I was hoping that maybe you could tell me if this is one of those systems that you can upgrade yourself easily without voiding warranty and for a cheaper price like my friends MacBook.
Here is my response:
You are absolutely correct, adding the good stuff drives the price up.
I can’t think of too many ways to scrimp on price and upgrade later. Upgrading processors in laptops never seems to be economical; RAM is about the only thing you can add later.
If you can live in the Mac world, I have never heard of an unhappy macbook buyer. I live in the PC world because the applications that my clients have always needed are spec’d on PC’s and Windows.
It truly is frustrating to see those cheap prices on Dell ads, but when you actually go to buy the product and make a few changes the price zooms upward.
All I can say is that if you buy right the first time, a laptop can serve you well for 3 - 4 years before you really become unhappy with it. My laptop is going on 3 1/2 years and still going strong.
I can’t say the same for an el cheapo unit that looks better in the glossy ad than it performs in person. I have seen too many of them go by the wayside after little more than a year of frustrating usage.
Please buy accordingly.
