Buying a laptop by doing online research can be quite confusing. The sheer amount of alternatives, configuration and brands lead to a confusion over what to buy. I experienced this for the second time recently and thought would share a few learnings.
- Decide your budget: I was looking at something in the range of $1000-$1200. Cheaper the better! If you fix on the budget, it will allow you to weed out 80% of the options.
- What configuration do you want? I was clear that I needed 512MB RAM, minimum 40GB harddisk, a DVD RW drive, Wifi and the works. But when it came to I got confused. There was Pentium 4, Celeron, Pentium M, Athalon, Turion and some more. I wanted to get a Centrino processor initially. Then I realized Centrino is not a processor, but a combination of Pentium M processor, specific variety of motherboard and Wifi support. Then my final choice was between a Turion and a Pentium M. Another important point is the battery life. My choice of laptop changed completely when I read that the battery did not last for 3 hours of the model I liked.
- Mac anyone? I am an Apple fan. So I would prefer a Mac for myself. Since this laptop was not specifically for me, I opted for the “usual” laptops 😉 Mac Powerbooks are available at reasonable prices now, so I strongly recommend you consider them.
- Search, compare, search: I used computers.com last time to compare the models. Unfortunately it did not help much this time. I was much happier with PriceGrabber for the search and comparison. I especially liked the feature to select products across pages and compare them at once. PriceGrabber also allows for a very fine level of searching and filtering the results. I shortlisted items by RAM first, then by the price, and then by processor.
- Confusion! You will certainly face a lot of choice in the models. That is where the real confusion will start. You will get items of similar configuration and price points. Some with a little bit extra here, and a small price addition. This is where the buyer in you has to wake up and take a call on which features are important for you and which ones are not. Go to the product’s official site to find more information. Filter based on your preference of the brand. But don’t get stuck with confusion for long. Time will not sort it out.
- Calculate full price: There will be tax and shipping charges. Calculate them when you are comparing prices of products. Shipping can add a large weight to the price tag.
- You may not get the one you liked the most: I found a refurbished Sony Vaio on an auction site. The model was superb – with a docking station and theatre quality visuals and sound. I was ready to buy refurbished piece for the price was good. But by the time we could put a bid on the item, the auction was over. Similarly another item that I liked, had a too long shipment schedule. I didn’t have that much time. Still another was out of stock! It is perfectly fine if you don’t get the model you like the most!
- You will be happy with what you get: I was thrilled to see the Dell Inspiron 6000D. It had a very wide screen, is sturdy and works well! I am sure you will also be happy when you get the laptop in your hands.
Remember, there are no custom duties when you bring one laptop in India. If you are thinking about getting two after reading this, think again!
I want to paurchase a laptop from usa
Find out a friend or relative who’s coming from USA, and can carry a laptop! Then order one 🙂
If you don’t have such a person, you are left with buying one from a local store!
I wonder why from usa ? 🙂 there are tons of laptop in evry country why title is related with usa 🙂 can’t we buy a laptop in our country 😉
Ha ha! Because we are in India, and getting a laptop from USA is cheaper than buying one from here!
I am from the United Kingdom, and i’m currently thinking of buying a laptop from the USA as the exchange rate is very good at the moment. I would like you to add to your guide though, as you should make people aware of global warranties available from certain laptop manufacturers. Also, note that technical support from Dell does not carry over to other countries, it is only valid in the country you purchased it in. I have a friend that moved to New Zealand, and his Dell XPS 1710 broke. Dell in New Zealand refused to help, as he did not purchase the laptop from there. Please also note that ASUS offer very good international warranties on their laptops, and are valid for 2 years. I do not know about Apple though, they are picky about people purchasing music from a non-domestic iTunes site (i.e. buying a song from the US site, whilst in the UK), so they may not have an international warranty on their laptops either.
Thanks for your time.
frnds i have a offer from a canadian lady to buy her laptop in just $500. The configuration is good and i m willing to buy it. She is asking for money through Western Union Money Transfer before shipping it to me.
but i m afraid of fraud. Please guide me which method should i follow to ensure the security of my money.
please tell me, if there any courier service exists. which pays to the seller after buyer receives the good.
Hi Shobhit,
Unless you know the lady, it’s going to be difficult. I wouldn’t advise buying the laptop from her than. You can get good cheap laptops in India now – Sahara has some good 35K range ones.
:Nirav
thnks neerav
thanks for your kind answer
a little doubt i have now
i m getting a HP Pavalion laptop(1.5 years old) in good condition here in india. the specs are as follows: –
Pentium Mobile 1.6 Ghz
Ram 1 Gb.
HDD 60gb
Wifi
blue tooth
battery not available
i m getting it in Rs. 14000.
i think battery would come in Rs. 3000.
is it a good deal.
please suggest me neerav.
Hi Guys
This is Amit Daga.Actually i want to bought a laptop but i dont have any idea in this field can you people guide me i will fo with which laptop and my budget is lying in between 25000 to 40000 and by profession i am ca and cs
i sell laptop on ebay.co.uk but i am from USA. I sell it on ebay.co.uk because i make more profit out of ebay.co.uk than ebay.com which is American site i was in India recently and price of the laptop was ridiculously high. buy the laptop from USA and all you have to pay is custom and shipping and still it will be lot cheaper than laptops in India and better conf.
Hi Guys
This is kana robinson.Actually i want to bought a laptop but i dont have any idea in this field can you people guide me i will fo with which laptop and my budget is lying in between 25000 to 40000 and by profession i am ca and cs
Hi,
i am in India. I want to buy a laptop but i have heard that laptop in US is much cheaper than india ie. about 40%. So can anyone pls let me know how much a laptop in the range of $500-600 will cost me after shipping/tax charges.
Thanks
Hi Guys,
I don’t provide services to buy laptops from the USA 🙂 All I wanted to say was that it’s cheaper to get a laptop from USA if you have someone (friend / relative) coming, who can bring it for you.
If you opt to get it like this, then the post will be helpful in deciding which one to buy!
Hope that clears!
:Nirav
i need to know if there is any prob with getting an applet laptop from the us to india , there is a voltage issue if im not mistaken
If you are getting an Apple laptop, you will not really have an issue. They take care of the voltage in the power adapter they have. And generally most laptops do. Since companies expect people to travel around the world with their laptops, and different countries have different voltage electricity.
So you don’t need to worry about this.
I want to buy a laptop from US and my brothr-in -law is coming from US next month.
He suggest me to buy a HP laptop.
can u provide me some information about global warranty by HP?
I am planning to buy the sony vaio NS series …
can u suggest me if the warranty will be valid here in India if the laptop is bought in US??
thanks for your time
@Salman, Souvik: Typically, warranty is applicable internationally. But you should check on Sony/HP website / with dealer in US.
Buy a ThinkPad.
Chk out this link below
http://www.buy.com/prod/hp-pavilion-dv9927cl-notebook-2-10-ghz-dual-core-4096-mb-memory-500-gb/q/loc/101/210246931.html
Getting a laptop from US is best during November and december. This laptop is the worth buying as per my knowledge.
What about the warranty issues for laptops brought from US ?Will it get repaired in India if some hardware issues comeup ?
There’s a group of medical students from my school heading to the US for Electives. I want to send 1 of them for a laptop. my budget is not beyond 250$. what r the options? how can i get a catalogue 4cheap laptops especially around Indiana?
You can check out Pricegrabber or CNet for pricing and comparison. I am sure there are many other price comparison sites too. Though I am not sure what you can get for $250.
Hi,
Could you tell me buying a laptop from china or USA,since i m in india how much custom duty it would attract ? Could you let me know,will there be genuine sellers ?
I am not sure of China, but have always had good experience in bringing one from USA. No custom duty generally – unless you bring more than one or two. Get one via a friend or relative. Someone you know.
Hi,
Could you tell me if it is important for the person using the laptop to have it in his own name just in case it needs some fix or for warranty issues???….im planning to get a laptop from USA…my brother who is in Canada will buy it and carry it along!
Also can he bring in the BOX Pack or does he need to open it up and bring it as if hes using it regularly to avoid customs???Ive also heard that he will need to take some laptop certificate about his travel to India with the laptop or some stupid thing like that???
Typical laptops carry a worldwide warranty. I have never had a problem getting a laptop serviced here, even if it was bought in the USA. Just keep a proof of purchase for your own. It is also ok not to bring the box pack. Just get the warranty papers.
When you take a laptop our of India, they sometimes take down its serial number. I don’t think it’s done when you are coming from USA / Canada.
Hope it helps.
Thanks Nirav…that was of great help…one more question though…just to know which is better…
If I purchase a laptop from a renowned reseller in USA and get it shipped by USPS or UPS directly to India(Kolkata)…what is the percentage custom/excise duty that I have to pay to custom officials??? I mean i know that 1 laptop is allowed free per passenger but Im talking about importing it new from a reseller in USA???If I buying a lappy which is costing me around 1900 US${cost=1700$ ; shipping=200$)…waiting for your reply on this one…Thanx
I do not know about custom duties. And I wouldn’t send a laptop overseas via any courier / postal service! Risk of damage + getting stuck at customs.
Better to get one with your brother!
Thanks dude!!!
Logged in just to inform those reading this thread that as of 13th March 2010 the total customs they charge on a laptop is 18% of the declared price+shipping charges for those who ship the laptop from US or from anywhere in the world! I am getting mine through my brother – its cheaper and safer IMO!