Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
From reading online, I understand that the best time to buy, usually is summertime since old computer technology is on its way out and the new is coming in. Can any of you affirm this in advance of the summertime so we can be watching, or are all those "pop up" ads that I've been seeing mean that it will be sooner this year? Thanks for the input!
Trying to pick the timing to buy a computer / laptop / etc has to be even more a roll of the dice than picking stocks or guessing the weather.
Technology improves so quickly that waiting a year will get you a significantly better PC for the same or even less cost than now. But you have to wait.
On top of that is the rush to buy laptops just before school starts, enhanced by the state often delegating a weekend a few weeks before school starts as a Tax Free school supplies weekend, where purchases of PCs, laptops, and a lot of the associated accessories and supplies (but NOT all) can be purchased without having to pay state sales tax.
And there is the rush during Black Friday, and the rush before Christmas.
And this year, it will be even more a feeding frenzy because I've read that there are several manufacturers that intend to begin selling top-line tables the last quarter.
So to answer your question, I really doubt there is a 'best time' to buy. Just make sure you choose the computer based on what you are going to use it for, not based on price or glitz.
Trying to pick the timing to buy a computer / laptop / etc has to be even more a roll of the dice than picking stocks or guessing the weather.
Technology improves so quickly that waiting a year will get you a significantly better PC for the same or even less cost than now. But you have to wait.
On top of that is the rush to buy laptops just before school starts, enhanced by the state often delegating a weekend a few weeks before school starts as a Tax Free school supplies weekend, where purchases of PCs, laptops, and a lot of the associated accessories and supplies (but NOT all) can be purchased without having to pay state sales tax.
And there is the rush during Black Friday, and the rush before Christmas.
And this year, it will be even more a feeding frenzy because I've read that there are several manufacturers that intend to begin selling top-line tables the last quarter.
So to answer your question, I really doubt there is a 'best time' to buy. Just make sure you choose the computer based on what you are going to use it for, not based on price or glitz.
Absolutely correct on trying to time PC purchases. It's all dependent upon when Intel rolls out their new chipsets and this year they had all kinds of issues with early Sandy Bridge releases. I am convinced that retailers raise prices ahead of sales tax holiday to generate a few extra points of profit off of the volume.
Expect to see many new Ipad clones (at much more favorable prices which run real Operating systems) over the next few months leading up to Christmas.
My philosophy - by only what you need now and minimize its cost as there will always be something better next year.
Okay, different answers than what I was expecting, but make good sense. Clearly you know a lot more than I do about this. Thanks for the straight, solid advise. Off I go to find what we "need" for now.
My experience has been the best options are (1) if you are eligible, purchase through a school, such as NCSU or (2) check for on-line coupons to purchase directly from the manufacturer.
I have/had students at NCSU, ECU and Wake Tech. Of those three, NCSU had the best prices. Not sure why ECU was higher, since they are all part of the NC University system.
For one laptop, I found an on-line coupon for $500 off an HP laptop, if purchased directly from them. I was not able to get the tax-free weekend discount, but the coupon more than paid for that.
Summer is the time for a lot of "Dads & Grads" sales in early summer, plus back-to-school sales in late summer. And don't forget NC's tax-free weekend at back-to-school time also.
Computers have gotten so cheap (outside of Apples) it's not worth waiting for sales or tax gimmicks. Hardware is so far ahead of software right now, it's crazy. Just be proactive, go to the deal sites, and find a good price on something that meets your needs. There's always something on sale now.
Also, if you choose a laptop, make sure you test out some models to make sure you like the screen and keyboard. The key layouts, feel, and screen quality can be very different across product lines.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
