Buying a Laptop in Kenya: What you need to know before you buy a Laptop Computer

The country is on the verge of digitalization and the urge for owning a laptop is steadily increasing among the youth as well as the elite society. Despite the fact that this is good news, many business people who deal with importing these machines have shown some signs of customer-exploitation. They focus so much on earning great profits from the market demand leaving the other side of quality, reliability and durability.

There are many aspects that you need to consider before dishing out your money despite how much you feel the urge of getting a laptop. This is something that I have seen and experienced. Practically, I remember when I got my first Pentium 3 dell computer. The ego of owing a computer right in Kenya wouldn't let me think of factors that ought to be checked. The fellow who sold it to me knew very well that I was craving to have it as he had quoted an extremely fair price of 7000/=. 

It was an old but branded dell; however the machine was extremely over used which made it perform like a chameleon in terms of speed. One click on an icon took forever to open. It had to be rebooted on allegations that it was infect by some virus but that only solved the problem partially. It's later that I come to realize I paid the guy only to dump his trash on me. Nevertheless I did not take the lesson in. The urge of at least buying another laptop or even a computer right while in Kenya got me crazy.

I decided to also do away with the "crap" but I had to find a pure newbie to sell to. The mother board was replaced so I have some confidence to sell it away. I knew it could go another one year the new buyer begins to complain. Then, a close friend of mine started lecturing me on the essence of being vigilant while buying a lap top in Kenya, "the goods entering as of today are low quality he insisted" but it only felt on deaf ears.

What mattered to me is the cash at hand, quality was not a priority. With this said… another buddy assured me that his cloned ASUS type is perfect and is still new. Price…? 7000= for the CPU only. That appeared as a lifetime opportunity and no hesitation was regarded in my brains.

Within a week the machine was in the four corners of my house. Then troubles erupted again… Based on what befell my eyes from that day on, I could stop the tormenting question which repeatedly asked me, “Have you considered the prime factors of buying a laptop in Kenya? Days passed while still feeling like a complete failure...
 

So what factors should you consider first before buying a laptop computer in Kenya?
buy laptop in kenya
These are some which can guide you so as to avoid the common regrets that many people face after giving out their money;

1. Brand and make
You don't want to go for a brand which is so new or unpopular in the Kenyan market. This is because, computers are just like any other machines, they fail, and may later require some part-replacements. So if you go for a non-popular brand, chances are that you many end spending more cash in case it breaks down and needs a part-replacement. Also, ensure that your machine is current and up to date. Avoid old and over used computers completely!

2. Memory
Consider the hard disc memory of your laptop computer and ensure that the size gives you time-value. Literary, a 40 GB laptop will serve you but it has less time-value... Chances of such a disc running out of memory after one year are higher that one which has memory of 320 GB, 500 GB or higher.
 
3. Processing Speed in GHz
This refers to the processing speed, or how fast the computer takes while executing a command. It includes booting speed, speed of opening and closing a window, browsing speed, and even gaming speed among others. Depending on your preference, you are free to choose between, 1.85 GHz, 2.4 GHz, 2.8 GHz 3.06 GHz, or even dual core, Core2Duo... and above. Each of this can work on the machine but, as the sequence appears, so is the expected performance of the computer. The higher the processing speed the better the machine's performance.

4. Type of processor
There are many types of processors which include; Celeron, dual-core, core2dual and the trend goes up depending on the brand. Celeron is an inferior type of processor, so if you buy a machine with specs of 320 GB, 2 GB ram and 1.85 GHz, it means your machine is good but has inferior speed. Thus it will be wise to consider a Dual Core or Core2Dual processor type in your budget of the same specs.

5. RAM
This refers to Random Access Memory. It is the available semi-permanent memory of your computer. It mostly varies in reference to the hard disc and purpose of the machine. For example if you want to buy a gaming computer in Kenya, you may have to consider a higher RAM, around 2 GB, 4 GB or 8 GB will fine. But if you just use your laptop for writing, then 1 GB or 2 GB RAM will be okay.

These factors comfortably apply to new computers but you can also use them when acquiring a refurbished or used computer. The idea is, ensure you get quality for your money. It is not a must that the computer your want to buy should be cheap; there are reasonable prizes that can give a better laptop in Kenya. You just need patience to save some extra cash and buy yourself a reliable machine once and for all. 

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