Refurbished Tablets: Pros & Cons

Should you get a refurbished mobile device or spend more to get one new?

There's a lot to love about a decent tablet PC. They're compact lightweight enough to be portable from room to room, but heavy-duty enough to pack in serious computing power. Despite what marketers might think, the natural home of most tablets is in bedrooms and lounges, where they can be picked up and put down at a moment's notice in ways that larger PCs - even laptops - can't be.

Where To Find Refurbished Hardware

We look at the best places to find your new(ish) components and systems

The existence of refurbished and reconditioned hardware means there's a great opportunity for everyone to pick up some nearly new bargains, as long as you're willing to be a little bit flexible about their needs. One of the biggest disadvantages to shopping for refurb items is that you don't get to pick what you buy, because availability is on an individual, item-by-item basis. You can either take the bargain you spot or wait for the next to come along.

Refurbish Your Own PC

What can you do to bring your old system up to date?

There's something wasteful about old computers. Most of us know that under the right circumstances our old PCs could be coaxed back into life; we just don't have the time or the means to get it back into working order. But maybe that's just an excuse. Maybe, without a little polish, a PC destined for the tip could be turned into something useful to someone once more.

Buing refurbished systems

What to look for and where to look for it...

If you've never bought a refurbished device before, you might wonder what you should expect. Clearly the process of buying a pre-owned device isn't identical to buying a fresh one, even if it's been professionally restored, but how different is it?

To try to help you understand just how simple refurbished hardware can be, we've taken a look at the different types of systems you might choose to buy refurbished and what things you should look for when you're trying to pick one. Follow our advice and you can be certain that whatever you decide to buy, you'll end up with exactly what you wanted.

Guide to refurbished components

Which used parts should you buy and which should you avoid?

Although refurbished systems are worth looking at when you're buying a new PC, not everyone wants to replace their entire computer when the time comes to spend a bit of money. If you're the type of person who prefers to upgrade rather than replace, it's still worth looking out for a bargain - and refurbished or other open-box components might just provide the biggest bargain of all.