When buying a computer, is almost new as good as new?
Consumers answering “yes” to this question could pick up some of the hottest deals on PCs this holiday season, say analysts and PC makers. These best buys are not used systems going to the highest bidders on eBay or scratch-and-dent models at the local computer store. They are instead refurbished, or reconditioned, systems–computers returned for one reason or another that have been fixed but can no longer be sold as new. Savings range from 10 percent to 30 percent–or more–and companies such as Dell Computer and Gateway sell them with the same warranty and customer support plans as new systems. For this and other reasons, “they’re better than new,” said ARS analyst Matt Sargent. “The savings are huge, maybe 20 to 30 percent over an identical, new system.” PC makers find that consumers and small businesses, more than any other customer segment, buy refurbished systems. “Refurbs” are popular with people buying for the second time, looking for multiple systems, or working within a fixed
