By Christian Mignot

Town Crier Editorial Intern

online

As they begin preparations for going to college, many incoming freshmen have to worry about the financial costs of college, including high tuition and pricey board fees.

But as colleges become increasingly hi-tech, there is now a new cost to think about. Colleges now generally expect all new students to have computers, so that they can access campus networks.

The only problem is that computers are not exactly the most affordable devices in the world.

There are, however, low-cost alternatives to purchasing a computer that can somewhat alleviate the burden placed on the student’s pocket.

Usedlaptops.com, a company based in Mountain View, is providing a cheaper alternative for students seeking to buy their first computer.

The four-employee company purchases used laptops from large corporations and leasing companies and resells them for a significantly reduced price.

Before online sale, all laptops are tested to ensure that they are fully functional, and they are sold as blank slates. To ensure quality, all used computers have 30-day warranty policies.

According to Martin Igarashi, vice president of Usedlaptops.com, the company sells the largest portion of their laptops to college students looking for good deals.

“For college, students need a laptop that can run basic applications like Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Excel and some sort of e-mail program,” he said. “We supply laptops which although might not be top of the line, are nonetheless of good quality, are ideal for those purposes and at prices that are extremely affordable.”

Despite the economic downturn in the last few years, Usedlaptops.com has grown steadily, something Igarashi attributes to the fact that more college students are seeking to buy computers every year.

“Many colleges ask students to buy laptops for use in classrooms, and this requirement has certainly been a contributing factor to our success,” he said.

Students also seem to have taken a preference to laptops, as Josh Solera, a recent graduate from St. Francis High School, said.

“I’m going to college in New York, so I wanted something portable, nothing super-heavy, that I could bring back and forth,” he said.

Most computers available for purchase on the company Website are sturdy laptops with all the basic requirements for the daily needs of a student, Igarashi said - 300Mhz Pentium II, 4GB disk space, 64MB Ram, 56K modem, network interphase card, Windows 98.

For those desiring a slightly speedier device, Igarashi said, 500Mhz Pentium are available with DVD players, although these are slightly more costly.

As the beginning of college draws nearer, students can expect to find reduced prices on a variety of computers making the purchase of the ideal computer for a great price an easier task.