Buying new electronics need not always be the option, there's a thriving market of used items to consider
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Original blog post written 29th May 2021
It's nice buying new, especially when talking about computers. But, like most electronic purchases in life, the minute you buy at full price or even at a discount, there is no getting away from the fact that your purchase will devalue as time goes by and sometimes very rapidly.
For the best part of a decade now, if I need a 'new' computer I often find myself purchasing used. Perhaps new isn't the correct wording here but the point is that whether purchasing new or used, there are always pros and cons to both scenarios.
The biggest consideration first and foremost is price. You can save hundreds of pounds buying used. However, I have found that the trade offs need to be viewed carefully. In my experience it is to do with the overall reliability and age of the machine. I starting typing this post on a Thinkpad W530, purchased used from the ever prevalent high street chain called ComputerExchange. Nothing beats going into a shop and checking out a device first hand, although with things the way they are at the moment it isn't so easy but hopefully in a few months it will be possible again taking all safety measures into account.
I bought the W530 in late 2017 with a view to using it for learning server and network design. The original machine had an Intel core i7 3610QM processor, 8GB or ram and I think either a 256 or 512 GB mechanical drive. The battery was a 6 cell with less than 100 charge cycles and the whole package came to £330. Not bad considering the machine cost in excess of £1600 in late 2012 when it first came out. Since then it's been repurposed to be used for some web design and development and hardware upgrades have included a new 9 cell battery, a 256 GB SSD and an extra 8GB ram taking the total cost of the machine into the region of £460.
However, being a used machine there were obviously a few issues with it here and there such as the lid not closing flush with the body of the laptop, and even when under little to no load, the fans would spin up causing the machine to heat up. But all in all it has been a worthy purchase, as long as you know what to look for when buying used. It also helps with recycling and the environment as machines like this don't end up on some scrap heap and contribute to electronic waste.
So always do your research when thinking of buying used and don't expect the best. As I've come to know, you just don't know the history of a pice of equipment like this. How many hours a day it was used before, was it always plugged in and was it for business or personal use. If you're not sure about any of this then the only option will be to buy new and there is nothing wrong with that too.
UPDATE: June 2023
The w530 continues to thrive although a lot of my workflow has shifted to Mac systems. However, as I continue delving into the world of web development, I have set myself a fun challenge. The w530 will play host to a linux distribution to research how well it functions for the purpose of coding together with the nuances of being a daily driver
