laptops

What are the best reasons for buying a used laptop

1. Cost Savings

  • Significant Price Reduction: Used laptops are typically much cheaper than new ones. You can get a laptop with similar specifications at a fraction of the price, which is great if you’re on a budget.

  • Value for Money: Even if a used laptop isn’t brand new, it could still offer excellent performance for most daily tasks, providing great value for the price.

2. Environmental Impact

  • Sustainability: By purchasing a used laptop, you're contributing to reducing electronic waste (e-waste), which is a significant environmental issue. Reusing electronics helps minimize the need for new raw materials and reduces carbon emissions associated with manufacturing new devices.

  • Recycling & Reusing: The process of refurbishing and reselling used laptops helps give devices a second life and keeps them out of landfills.

3. Better Hardware for Your Budget

  • Higher-End Models at Lower Prices: With the money you save, you might be able to buy a laptop that is more powerful or has more features than you could afford when buying new. For example, you could purchase a high-end business laptop or gaming machine for the price of a mid-range new laptop.

  • Upgrades: Some used laptops might come with upgrades, like extra RAM or SSDs, that would cost more if bought new.

4. Depreciation

  • Avoid Initial Depreciation: New laptops lose a significant portion of their value the moment they're purchased. By buying a used one, you’re not taking that initial hit to the device's value.

5. Laptops for Specific Uses

  • Niche or Older Models: If you need a specific laptop model or older device for a certain use case (e.g., older software compatibility, gaming, or legacy hardware), a used laptop could be the best option. Certain brands or models that are no longer produced can be found at used markets.

  • Test Out a Model: If you're unsure about a particular model but don’t want to pay full price for a new one, buying a used one can let you test it out and see if it meets your needs.

6. Refurbished Options

  • Certified Refurbished Laptops: Many companies sell used laptops that have been professionally refurbished. These laptops often come with warranties, and they’ve been repaired, cleaned, and tested to ensure they function like new.

7. Available Warranties and Support

  • Warranty and Return Policies: Some sellers or manufacturers offer warranties even on used or refurbished laptops. This means you can still get customer support or have a device replaced if something goes wrong.

8. Flexibility for Non-Critical Tasks

  • Great for Secondary Devices: Used laptops are great for secondary purposes such as browsing the web, light office work, or using it as a secondary machine. If you're looking for something for basic tasks or a backup device, a used laptop is often more than sufficient.

9. Experimenting with Customization

  • More Room to Experiment: You can buy a used laptop and use it for things like upgrading parts (e.g., replacing the hard drive or adding more RAM), which can be a fun and cost-effective way to learn more about computers and hardware.

In the end, buying a used laptop can be a fantastic decision, especially if you're looking for a good deal, are environmentally conscious, or want a specific model without breaking the bank. Just make sure to buy from reputable sellers or platforms to avoid potential issues.

How proper e-waste management can financially benefit your company

By Colin Williamson

From ESG milestones to significant cost savings, the business benefits of tech regeneration are something every company in South Africa needs to be prioritising. At this moment, companies across the country have old laptops, phones and other tech assets that have been sitting in drawers and storerooms for years. When the time comes to address this issue, companies often incur additional costs for destruction or inefficient recycling, and in some cases, improper disposal.

In all cases, the asset value is a write-off and depending on how often companies refresh their tech, this is an ongoing expense and logistical problem. It’s time South African businesses adopt a circular mindset and realise that there is a better way to handle ageing tech and e-waste that has tangible financial benefits alongside environmental ones. READ MORE…

Rising Demand for ITAD Services in the Years to Come

Equity firm acquires majority stake in Sprout

Published: January 9, 2025
Updated: January 9, 2025
by Colin Staub

IT asset disposition company Sprout has received a majority investment from a New York City-based private equity firm, which predicts rising demand for ITAD services in the years to come.

Sprout and the equity firm, Recognize, today announced the deal, which closed in late December. They noted that current Sprout investor New Capital Partners, which has owned a stake in the company since 2019, will continue on as a minority investor. Financial terms of the deal weren’t disclosed.

“Ultimately, this partnership with Recognized is going to enable Sprout to scale our impact on sustainability and secure data management,” Tom Allison, president of Sprout, said in an interview. “This partnership is helping us respond to the growing global demand for what I call sophisticated ITAD solutions.”

READ MORE…

World U.K. Royal Mint starts extracting gold from e-waste: "What we're doing here is urban mining"

Haley Ott

Updated on: August 7, 2024 / 12:58 PM EDT / CBS News

London - The U.K.'s Royal Mint, the country's official coinmaker, has opened a factory that will extract gold from e-waste to reduce its reliance on traditional mining and encourage more sustainable practices.

"The factory underpins our commitment to using sustainable precious metals and providing a new source of high quality, recovered gold," Sean Millard, Chief Growth Officer at The Royal Mint, said in a statement. "It allows us to reduce our reliance on mined materials and is another example of how we're working to decarbonise our operations." MORE…

Pretty funny - It takes the gold of more than 100 sticks of ram to make a coin the size of a penny.

Computer Recycling: Your Go-To for Electronics Spring Cleaning

Computer Recycling: Your Go-To for Electronics Spring Cleaning, Leading the Charge in Responsible E-Waste Management

Thursday, 09 May 2024 10:45 AM ACCESSWIRE

Discover how Computer Recycling in Chevy Chase, MD leads the way in environmentally sustainable solutions for managing electronic waste (e-waste). Learn about their commitment to ethical disposal practices, cutting-edge recycling facilities, data security protocols, and two decades of industry expertise.

CHEVY CHASE, MD / ACCESSWIRE / May 9, 2024 / As spring brings about the annual ritual of cleaning and decluttering, Computer Recycling in Chevy Chase, MD emerges as the foremost solution for responsibly managing electronic waste (e-waste). With a commitment to environmental sustainability and early adoption of innovations in recycling practices, the firm sets the standard for conscientious disposal of obsolete desktops, laptops & electronics.

In an era where technology is evolving at an unprecedented pace, the disposal of electronic devices presents a significant environmental challenge. Rapid advancements in the tech sector shorten the lifespan of devices, and with a higher rate of equipment disposal, the amount of electronics being discarded improperly also rises. Furthermore, e-waste contains hazardous materials such as lead, mercury, and cadmium which can pose serious risks to both public health and the environment if not handled properly. Recognizing this pressing issue, Computer Recycling has dedicated itself to providing ethical, efficient, and eco-friendly solutions for electronic waste management. READ MORE

Sustainable solutions to overconsumption challenges in modern marketing

by Dani Rae Wascher, University of New Mexico

Professor of Marketing at the Anderson School of Management, Catherine Roster, provides insight into the marketing world of overconsumption and a shift in mindset to sustainability long-term.

Roster, along with her colleague Joseph Ferrari, a psychologist at DePaul University, co-authored a research article published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology where they discovered that clutter has a strong negative relationship with people's feelings of well-being and their psychological sense of home, which reflects a person's feelings about home being a safe refuge. Read More…

State budget provision stymies local plastic reduction efforts in North Carolina

by Will Atwater September 26, 2023 NC Health News

Environmental advocates across the state were shocked last week by the insertion of a provision in House Bill 259, now part of the 2023-24 state budget, that blocks local municipalities from establishing ordinances to reduce single-use plastic use. - You can’t make this stuff up!

“Plastic waste is a scourge on our society on many levels,” said Wil Weldon, board chair of Don’t Waste Durham, a nonprofit organization working to eliminate waste by establishing a so-called circular economy, a system designed to “keep materials, products and services in circulation for as long as possible” to slow climate change, according to the EPA. If fewer single-use materials, such as plastics, are produced, it lowers CO2 emissions from fossil fuels used to make plastics, and it reduces emissions from plastic waste decomposition. READ MORE…