These laptops are often not the steal they appear to be. Ever heard the saying, "You get what you pay for"? That's pretty much the deal here. Manufacturers cut corners to keep costs down, so you end up with a gadget that's more headache than helper. Your new shiny toys won't last long, they will be slow and frustrating to use.

Low-end laptops have wonky touchpads, making it difficult to move the cursor around the screen without an external mouse. Keyboards feel spongy and flat with not much tactile feedback, which makes typing very slow and prone to errors. You may also notice that keyboards flex under pressure.

Cheap laptops have terrible screens, with washed out colours, not enough brightness and contrast to be used outdoors or in bright light, and low resolution, which makes everything look pixelated and blurry. Did you know that many laptops still have the same resolution as in 2010? While you are looking at a so-called "HD screen", there is nothing high definition about them. Your phone probably has better resolution, despite having a much smaller screen! 

Build quality suffers too. Cheap laptops are mostly made of plastic, which flexes under pressure and not meant to last long. If you drop it, it's probably not worth fixing as the entire assembly will usually need to be replaced. Even if you are careful with it, display hinges usually fall apart after a year or two. We see damaged laptops almost every day and unfortunately, even devices as old as two years, aren't worth fixing due to the cost of parts and labour.

Now, you might be thinking, "But it's such a good deal, and all I do is checking emails and browsing the web, so I don't need a super-fast PC!" Trust me, it's not. You'll end up spending more in the long run when you're replacing it in a year or two because it's falling apart or slower than molasses.

Here is an example of such a laptop.

Notice how it's advertised. There is absolutely nothing "stunning" about its screen. The "powerful" processor is about 1/5 of the speed of average processor that is used by decent laptops. The "Sizeable" 128GB drive and 4GB RAM couldn't impress me even 15 years ago, let alone now! This laptop will run out of space as soon as you install a few programs, do Windows updates and upload a few pictures from your trip.

And if something ever goes wrong, most of the components aren't replaceable. They don't even bother supplying parts for these as these laptops are disposable.

So, what's the alternative? Well, ponying up a bit more cash for a quality machine is your best bet. Sure, it might sting the wallet a bit at first, but think of it as an investment. A pricier laptop will last longer, perform better, and save you from the headache of constant repairs or upgrades.

Examples of modes we recommend:

• Dell Latitude, Precision, or XPS
• HP EliteBook, ProBook, or Spectre
• Lenovo ThinkPad or ThinkBook

Sure, these start at $900 for basic models all the way to $4000 for high-end ones but they'll perform well, last you 5-10 years, and will be a joy to use. Of course, the more you spend, the better off they will be.

And if you're on a tight budget, there are still options. Desktops are often cheaper and more durable, while Chromebooks offer a streamlined experience without breaking the bank. And don't overlook the used or refurbished market – you can snag a solid laptop for a fraction of the price.

We sell refurbished laptops from as low as $450 with a one-year warranty. Most of our stock is ex-government laptops that were $1500+ a few years ago and some of them are hardly used - you know how the government operates! 😉

Now, about those Apple laptops... There is a reason why Apple cheapest laptops start at $1300 - that's also the baseline for a decent Windows laptop comparable in build quality and performance. While MacBooks might seem pricey, they're built to last and perform like a dream. So, before you pull the trigger on that bargain-bin laptop, think twice. Your sanity and your wallet will thank you.