3 Reasons to Buy a New Computer Before Black Friday
Thank you HP & HSN for sponsoring this post. While this was a sponsored opportunity, all content and opinions expressed here are my own.
With all the wear and tear our laptops get nowadays, it’s almost amazing that they last as long as they do. We load them with apps and software. We fill them up with a crazy amount of files (half of which we don’t need). And when they get sluggish, we look to kick them to the curb like a lazy boyfriend. But in order to get the best deal, many of us wait until Black Friday. And really, you don’t have to!
Aside from Black Friday being hit or miss as far as if you’re truly getting a “deal”, there are too many hoops you have to jump through. I don’t know about you, but waiting in line at Best Buy during Thanksgiving is just not an option for me. And actually, you can probably benefit more from buying a new computer before Black Friday.
I found a computer that not only meets my needs, but is also the sweetest computer deal you can find before November 25th. HSN and HP have teamed up to offer a great laptop with bells and whistles to make this shopping experience 10x easier. Here are a few reasons you should grab this deal, rather than chancing it on Black Friday.
1. You Have Time to Research the Computer
You don’t want to just get the cheapest laptop out there. But you do want to find something that gets you the most bang for your buck. Not all computers were created equal. You’ll want to identify what you need in a computer, and then you can narrow your search from there. For example, my biggest must-haves for a computer include:
The computer needs plenty of disc space
Disc space is a big one for me. On my old computer, I thought 250 GB was enough space, but it really wasn’t. Just like your iPhone, once you start maxing out your storage space, you have to make some touch decisions as to what stays and what goes. Choosing which app or software you love more is as difficult as choosing your favorite child.
via blog.superuser.com
So to avoid going through the struggle of getting rid of things I absolutely need on my computer, I need something that is going to have plenty of room to use. HP’s new 15″ laptops come fresh out the box with 1 TB of hard drive storage. That’s 4-times the space I had on my old computer. That means all of my apps, music, and files can stay put.
The computer must have a need for speed (which means “I need more memory”)
If you’ve ever tried to multitask and got the spinning wheel of death or the hourglass telling you to slow your roll, you know how frustrating it is to have to wait for your computer to gather its thoughts. This is because each task requires a certain amount of memory. I honestly have no clue how I ever survived off only 2 GB of RAM in the past.
HP’s 15″ laptop comes equipped with 8 GB of RAM. On my last computer, I had to buy that kind of memory after I had it for years and got tired of the slowness. So out of the box, this computer is ready to handle your web browsing, Photoshopping, and other needs at the same time.
The computer has to have lasting battery life
Part of the reason the world has chosen laptops over desktop computers is the portability. You can literally compute from anywhere in the world with a WiFi connection. However, the question is for how long?
Battery life is just as important to me in a laptop as it is in a phone. Although I mainly use my laptop at home, I still don’t like being tethered to the power cord. You can pump out at least 3 good hours of work using HP’s 15″ computer without the charger. It has a 3-cell Lithium-ion battery. This is perfect for those of us whose primary work is tied to the Interwebs.
The computer must be within budget
Computer prices have gone up and down over the years. We saw a drop in prices for netbooks, and a spike in prices with 2-in-1s (computers that also act as tablets). I don’t want to have to take out a loan for my computer, no matter how much I need it. This is the reason we’re looking for Black Friday deals, right? To save money!
via GIPHY
You can get so much more bang for your buck with the HP 15″ laptop. For one, they’ve temporarily slashed the price for pre-sales, so you can get this beautiful PC for only $399.95. Now granted, the price cut is temporary. However, the HSN price even after the pre-sale ($549.95) is still a steal compared to the retail price of over $800.
And you sacrifice nothing with this amazing price. You get a computer with a beautiful and large screen (which is also touchscreen). It comes installed with Windows 10 (which is a huge improvement from Windows 8). And you get all the things you left behind with thinner laptops: USB & HDMI ports, stereo speakers, and a DVD/CD optical drive. Not to mention, you get lifetime tech support, which is virtually unheard of.
via HSN.com
2. You Can Pay Using Payment Plans
So we just talked about budget, right? I have said numerous times that “pay as you go” plans are genius, and help so many people when it comes to holiday shopping. Who likes to blow their budget all at once? Not me. And yet, who wants interest to keep on keeping on by using their credit card? Not it, yet again.
HSN offers FlexPay, which allows you to pay for your computer in up to 5 monthly installments without fees. For this deal, they bumped the installments up to 6, so you can get the HP deal for 6 payments of $66.66. You don’t get deals like that during Black Friday. Believe me, I checked.
3. You Get Free and Predictable Shipping
What is the number 1 complaint about online shopping during the holidays? That’s right: shipping. We’re procrastinators by nature. We tend to wait until just at the deadline to get gifts to our loved ones in time for them to open their gifts. But USPS, UPS, FedEx, and all of the other shipping companies get crazy slammed during this time. So not all packages make it in time.
via DailyMail
If you get your HP 15″ computer now, rather than waiting until Black Friday, your computer is going to get to you in time. Not only is shipping predictable, but it’s also free! Believe me, when you’re shipping a computer vs. some clothes, you can expect to pay a pretty penny. Especially if you’re trying to get it to you in a timely manner.
Look, you’ve more than likely done Black Friday before. How many deals were actually worth waking up at the crack of dawn, post-turkey coma? Think of the lines and the chaos. You don’t have to do that. It’s about shopping smarter, not harder.
