When's a good time to buy electronics?

Unlike some markets (e.g. home furnishings) where prices fluctuate wildly throughout the year with minimal changes in “specification”, ….. the electronics market (particularly for “ICT” equipment) is much more competitive. In general the price is continually dropping for a given specification, and it is not really worth waiting for a “bargain sale”.

The best strategy is to decide what specification would at least meet your current requirements for a new machine now - if your current laptop were to fail tomorrow.

Then keep your eye on prices from a range of suppliers, and also watch out for new technological developments that may become available.

Wait as long as possible to ensure that the price has fallen, as much as time has allowed, for the specification you require. Often you will be able to get a higher specification machine than you anticipated for a lower price than you would pay now for a machine that only just meets your current requirements.

As a broad guide, computing power roughly doubles, for a given price - in a period of about 18 months, with commensurate reductions in price for a machine of given specification, over the same period.

“Bargain sales” tend to be timed to shift old stock ….. (with machines often being “thrown together” ad-hoc, from components that would otherwise remain unsold ), ….. before a supply of more powerful machines and components hits the market, at little increase in price.

– Best wishes - Majikthise.

Unlike some markets (e.g. home furnishings) where prices fluctuate wildly throughout the year with minimal changes in “specification”, ….. the electronics market (particularly for “ICT” equipment) is much more competitive. In general the price is continually dropping for a given specification, and it is not really worth waiting for a “bargain sale”.

The best strategy is to decide what specification would at least meet your current requirements for a new machine now - if your current laptop were to fail tomorrow.

Then keep your eye on prices from a range of suppliers, and also watch out for new technological developments that may become available.

Wait as long as possible to ensure that the price has fallen, as much as time has allowed, for the specification you require. Often you will be able to get a higher specification machine than you anticipated for a lower price than you would pay now for a machine that only just meets your current requirements.

As a broad guide, computing power roughly doubles, for a given price - in a period of about 18 months, with commensurate reductions in price for a machine of given specification, over the same period.

“Bargain sales” tend to be timed to shift old stock ….. (with machines often being “thrown together” ad-hoc, from components that would otherwise remain unsold ), ….. before a supply of more powerful machines and components hits the market, at little increase in price.

– Best wishes - Majikthise.

Sorry, this was not intended to be a comment on”secularsara’s” post.

I know you didn’t mean to post that under my reply, but thanks anyway. I’ll be shopping for a new computer soon as well, and that is some much needed advice!

after christmas, they have so many sales, some things get marked down like 75%

when you c stores r having big sales