The pandemic has made it harder to buy a new laptop (2023)

FAQs

Is there a shortage of new laptops? ›

The tech industry has been affected by the ongoing components shortage for nearly two years, but there's finally some good news for the PC and notebook markets. According to a new report from TrendForce, component material shortages for both PCs and laptops have been “partially alleviated” starting in November 2021.

In addition to Amazon Prime Day, Black Friday and Cyber Monday, holiday weekends are generally the best time to buy a laptop, Kristen McGrath, RetailMeNot shopping expert, tells Reader's Digest. The back-to-school season (end of July/August) is another time to score buys.

Over the past few years, laptops have become the de facto computer of choice for nearly everyone. Indeed, 166 million laptops were sold globally in 2019, whereas only 88 million desktops were sold in the same period, and the gap is expected to continue widening until at least 2024.

For all of 2022, laptop and desktop sales were down about 16% compared to 2021, according to all the three reports. Last year's decline was somewhat cushioned by a nearly historic year in PC sales in 2021, where year-over-year growth was around 15%.

Most experts estimate a laptop's lifespan to be three to five years. It may survive longer than that, but its utility will be limited as the components become less capable of running advanced applications.

Budget. With all the understanding of performance specs and operating systems, the most important part of buying a new laptop is your budget. It's easy to recommend all the high-end components and features, but if you can't afford them, it won't matter. You want a laptop that functions that won't break the bank.

6 Things to Consider When Buying a Laptop

Type (2-in-1, ultrabook, etc.) Operating system (Mac OS, Chrome OS, or Windows) Graphics and Display. Processor and RAM.

Choosing the right Operating System (OS) is the first and the most important step when buying a new laptop as it determines the environment you will work in.

Certain stores and manufacturers may have sales on laptops throughout the year. But experts argue that the spring, late summer and the holiday season are generally the best times to buy a laptop (if you want a discount). Of course, it all depends on what you want.

Is buying a new laptop worth it? ›

If you are left squinting at your laptop as the picture quality is simply not up to scratch, a new laptop can prove to be a highly useful investment. Not only will you be able to see all your work documents better, but images and videos will also appear in a much higher resolution.

Second hand laptop is always a good deal from a financial standpoint. When you buy a second hand laptop, you receive all of the features for 20-30 per cent less than the original price. These savings can enable you to achieve high-performance computing for a fraction of the cost of a new computer.

The material costs are set to go up whereas the pandemic has led to shortages on several fronts. The report says that TSMC expects logistics and freight charges also to go up in 2022. Which companies will be affected the most? AMD, Nvidia and Intel.

For the year, PC shipments reached 286.2 million units in 2022, a 16.2% decrease from 2021. “The anticipation of a global recession, increased inflation and higher interest rates have had a major impact on PC demand,” said Mikako Kitagawa, Director Analyst at Gartner.

Around 14 million PCs (laptops and desktops) were sold in India in 2021. There is a scarcity of chipsets and other key components like power management integrated circuits and displays. There are issues related to shipping and logistics as well.

There are plenty of variables, but you can expect a well-maintained laptop to last for three to five years. The laptop lifespan is shorter than a desktop PC due to its compact stature.

I have found the best price-to-performance range for Windows laptops to be between about $600 and $800 for most people. For that, you're generally getting above-average build quality, performance, battery life, and portability.

What is the average price of a computer 2022? ›

U.S. Laptop and Tablet Computer Import Price August 2022

In August 2022, the average laptop and tablet computer price amounted to $495 (CIF, US) per unit, rising by 4.5% against the previous month. Over the period from January 2022 to August 2022, it increased at an average monthly rate of +1.4%.

Whether you're buying a laptop, desktop or tablet computer, it's essential that you take the time to consider the device's processor, hard drive, memory, graphics card and operating system before making your purchase. These five components make up the meat and potatoes of your computer.

Not only does the brand claim a considerable amount of quality as its goods go, but every item has a full return policy, making it a fairly safe way to shop for bigger purchases like TVs or laptops without sweating it too much.

In short, if you can wait six months to a year to start your next build, you'll find your high-end choices greatly expanded. Of course that isn't all that helpful if you need a new PC right now. If you just can't wait, you'll still see some amazing performance compared to a desktop from just a few years ago.

If you're just web browsing or sending emails or any other kind of simple tasks, you might be able to get 4-5 hours out of cheapest laptop batteries out there and as high as 10-12+ hours out of the best laptop batteries out there. The other factor to consider is the age of your battery.

New: Buying new is the priciest option, but it's also the safest since you'll be the first to use the laptop with a full warranty. Used: These are the most affordable, but without quality assurance or guarantees, you're relying solely on the word of the seller.

Recycle your laptop

You can take your old laptop to Best Buy, which operates a robust recycling program. Laptop manufacturers like Apple, Dell, Lenovo, and HP also have recycling programs, and sometimes will recycle your old laptop for free. (Along with many other types of electronics.)

Is it better to upgrade an old laptop? ›

Upgrading your computer can bring you more speed and storage space at a fraction of the cost of a new computer, but you don't want to put new components in an old system if it's not going to deliver the speed increase you want.

Being knowledgeable about what you need is the best way to save both time and money and make sure you have a reliable machine that does its job right. Before shopping, consider how you're going to use your new computer and do a little investigation to determine whether it's rated as a good buy for your buck.

Having an old computer and not being able to upgrade to the latest OS can give rise to a whole new set of problems, such as programs that are no longer compatible. Programs you are currently using, such as Microsoft Office, may no longer work.

If you're dealing with a slow computer that doesn't get updates, it's probably because of your outdated specs. New programs need more processing power than an old laptop can generate. If you're using an ancient laptop, you have less RAM to work with. Running multiple programs can slow your computer to a snail's crawl.

The leading causes of a slow new laptop are bloatware, a slow primary drive, underpowered CPU or RAM, inadequate pagefile size, too many programs that load at startup, or insufficient cooling that causes CPU throttling.

Around 14 million PCs (laptops and desktops) were sold in India in 2021. There is a scarcity of chipsets and other key components like power management integrated circuits and displays. There are issues related to shipping and logistics as well.

Why are laptops low in stock? ›

The Coronavirus-induced lockdown had shut down all production facilities globally. The sudden demand for laptops, thanks to work-from-home, has triggered an acute shortage of chips that are crucial for running PCs. Laptop users watch out.

Certain stores and manufacturers may have sales on laptops throughout the year. But experts argue that the spring, late summer and the holiday season are generally the best times to buy a laptop (if you want a discount). Of course, it all depends on what you want.

usually the laptop will be restock after a week. if u're lucky, some one might go back again and return it because they got the wrong product. go check again every night. Each store gets shipments on different days, I Would call ahead to make sure they actually have the product you are looking for..

The short answer is a global chip shortage caused by a confluence of factors ranging from the ongoing pandemic to geopolitical tension and, as always, some crypto nonsense.

Overheating can rob your laptop of performance and often cause a host of hiccups, such as system crashes and freezing. Every computer generates lots of heat, but laptops are especially susceptible to overheating due to their small size and lack of ventilation.

Battery won't charge or gets drained too quickly

This is one of the most common laptop problems. It is quite straightforward too. In almost all the cases, it's the battery that is causing the problem.

The global chip shortage is bumping up the cost of laptops, phones, and printers, the WSJ reported. An ASUSTek laptop jumped from $900 to $950 in June, while a HP Chromebook rose from $220 to $250. Chip makers say they're passing on higher costs they face to gadget companies.

Economic uncertainty and decreased consumer demand are taking a toll on the tablet and PC markets. The silver lining for buyers is that excess inventory is forcing manufacturers to heavily discount prices.

Demand for computers is down. And so are shipments of PCs, according to new data from two different firms. Gartner said computer shipments are down almost 20% year over year; International Data Corp. said they're down 15%.