Ex-Demo notebooks.

[Kore_5022]

Hey everyone.

Just wonering what you opinion was on ex-demo notebooks. Are they still in good condition usually compared to a brand new one?

Would you get one/not get one? Why?
And if you would get one what would you look out for when inspecting it before buying?

The reason im asking is i can get
Acer Ferrari 4002wmli for $1995
Acer TravelMate 4064WLMi $1595
Aspire 5503WXMi $1750

which are all significantly less than the RRP of the newer versions and if ex-demo are all right then i may as well get one of those so i can get more bang for my buck

[Jaffa_Cree]

Originally Posted by Kore_5022

Hey everyone.

Just wonering what you opinion was on ex-demo notebooks. Are they still in good condition usually compared to a brand new one?

Would you get one/not get one? Why?
And if you would get one what would you look out for when inspecting it before buying?

The reason im asking is i can get
Acer Ferrari 4002wmli for $1995
Acer TravelMate 4064WLMi $1595
Aspire 5503WXMi $1750

which are all significantly less than the RRP of the newer versions and if ex-demo are all right then i may as well get one of those so i can get more bang for my buck

Do they come with any warranty?

[SCwerTA]

i know the demo note books at megamart (harvery norman now) are treated really badly. i've seen kids pressing the screens just to see the color change that happens.

imo i wouldnt get one.

[Kore_5022]

Originally Posted by Jaffa_Cree

Do they come with any warranty?

They come with 1 year Acer warranty. Like so its the actual warranty you get if you were to buy it new

[Jaffa_Cree]

If they warranty is still a manufacturers warranty, and IF the notebook is still in very good condition and the price is MUCH cheaper then i dont see a problem with ex demo goods.

[Kore_5022]

Originally Posted by Jaffa_Cree

If they warranty is still a manufacturers warranty, and IF the notebook is still in very good condition and the price is MUCH cheaper then i dont see a problem with ex demo goods.

I was just wondering what the best things to look for when making sure it is still in good condition ie certain things about drives/keyboard/screen etc

[rdamage]

Originally Posted by Kore_5022

I was just wondering what the best things to look for when making sure it is still in good condition ie certain things about drives/keyboard/screen etc

A physical inspection of the unit is the best bet. Look for signs of damage like being dropped, scratches, cracks in the casing, dead/bright pixels on the LCD. Check USB, VGA, power connections for damage/bent pins etc and spilt liquid and sticky/broken keys of the keyboard. If possible check the battery, usually not covered by warranty and expensive to replace. Make sure you get all the relevant software like OS, drivers, recovery disks etc.

If the unit checks out OK physically then the chances of it failing would be no different to a new unit.

rd

[Kore_5022]

I was gonna make sure i got everything that came with it when you get it new.

Look for signs of damage like being dropped, scratches, cracks in the casing, dead/bright pixels on the LCD.

All that is relatively easy to check

Check USB I will take one of my flash drives with me and test it on all the ports
VGA, spose i can test it on a monitor that they have there
power connections for damage/bent pins can i do this by simply pluging the power in and checking it works??
spilt liquid and sticky/broken keys of the keyboard. Open word and press every key i guess :P make sure it feels right.
If possible check the battery......Whats the best way to go about this

[Kore_5022]

I was gonna make sure i got everything that came with it when you get it new.

Look for signs of damage like being dropped, scratches, cracks in the casing, dead/bright pixels on the LCD.

All that is relatively easy to check

Check USB I will take one of my flash drives with me and test it on all the ports
VGA, spose i can test it on a monitor that they have there
power connections for damage/bent pins can i do this by simply pluging the power in and checking it works??
spilt liquid and sticky/broken keys of the keyboard. Open word and press every key i guess :P make sure it feels right.
If possible check the battery......Whats the best way to go about this

[rdamage]

Originally Posted by Kore_5022

If possible check the battery......Whats the best way to go about this

Not easily unfortunately because you will need to cycle the battery a few times to see if it is up to scratch. I have seen in some cases where a demo laptop has been plugged into AC power 24/7 sitting on the shop shelf for a long period of time the battery has become stuffed and won't charge. So remove the power and let it sit for 20mins and see what the battery indicator displays.

I would also ask for some sort of warranty on the battery (in writing if possible) because the fine print on warranty usually excludes batteries.

rd

[master sneak]

I was under the impression that these days most computer shops put out on display the demo laptops with no batteries in them, so its possible the battery is still brand new in a box out the back.