There are a variety of reasons that a particular model may be discounted and it's smart to try to find out why. A legitimate retailer should be able to offer a reasonable explanation. Any discount laptop computer should be new and carry a full manufacturer's warranty. Some specific laptops may be discounted because they've been factory refurbished.

Generally this means they were bought and returned for some reason. Then the factory rebuilt them to original specifications, replacing any damaged or defective parts. Refurbished laptops may be available for even less than discount laptops. Not everyone is willing to take a chance on a rebuilt laptop, but you might want to consider the fact that these machines have been burned in and the weak parts failed and have been replaced. And they still come with a full warranty.

Manufacturers will often discount models based on closeout of a particular laptop computer. It may not have the latest technology and is being replaced by an upgraded model. Some discounts may be for loss leaders. Often a person will upgrade later to a more expensive model based on brand loyalty or just the comfortable knowledge that the first laptop from XYZ Corp worked well so why not stick with them. A lifetime customer is worth a small loss. Retailers will often discount in order to get rid of excess inventory or prepare for new models.

You do want to make sure you aren't being given a used laptop disguised as a discounted model. Check the warranty. A used laptop will normally not carry a manufacturer's warranty and any warranty period may be shorter then the standard new model warranty. Never, ever be afraid to ask hard questions. It's your money and it's going to be your data going into the laptop you buy. If you get weak or unsatisfactory answers, evasions or hostility, walk. There's lots of places to buy laptop computers.

One thing you must do is to analyze your own computer needs before you go looking for a laptop. Exactly what will you be using the machine for most of the time. How important is it to have a really fast machine? Do you need high end graphics? How much disk space do you require? Do you need to read both CDs and DVDs? Do you want to be able to write CDs, DVDs? What kind of sound do you need? How much memory? What other specific features do you want - wireless, networking, floppy disk? Do you plan to carry it around a lot? Then weight may be important. Do you need a long battery life? How about the size of the screen? What will you be comfortable with?