Discount ThinkPads, Obsolete and Hard-to-Find Parts

The Hidden Cost of Cutting Edge Technology

Choosing the right technology to suit the needs of your business or your clients is one of the most important and complicated decisions you’ll have to make. No matter how big or small your budget is, you’ll want to select the best possible equipment that you can afford.

But what exactly is “best”? It might be tempting to think that the very latest cutting edge technology is superior to slightly older models. After all, companies are constantly updating and improving their designs and that means that the newer models are better than the older ones, right?

Not necessarily. Manufacturers are under a lot of pressure to release new models of their product lines on a regular basis, usually at least annually if not more frequently. Quite often the design upgrades are very minor or may be for features that you don’t even need or use.  Purchasing older or discontinued models of computer hardware may be the best choice for your business because not only will you be getting reliable and proven technology but it will be at a significant discount and usually at just a fraction of what the latest designs cost.

Advantages of Older or Discontinued Hardware

Most new computer hardware is released along a 6- to 9-month schedule called the “product lifecycle.” At the beginning of the cycle the hardware is at full retail price and this is when manufacturers spend the most time trying to promote their new product. However, by the end of 9 or 12 months, the manufacturers are almost ready to roll out a newer version and retail prices can drop by as much as 40%.

The amount of savings can increase even more if you buy hardware that’s either been discontinued by the manufacturer or is more than a year old. A two or three year old computer will still run almost all the latest software or operating systems but cost you just a fraction of the price of a new machine.

Finding a Reliable and Trustworthy Vendor of Discontinued or Older Hardware

One reason why many people prefer to buy brand new computer hardware is that they may worry that it will be harder to find support or replacement components for an older machine. Most retail stores only carry the latest models and won’t be able to help you if you need a component for a 2+ year old computer. Buying online is an option, but with the sheer number of retailers available on the web, it can be hard to tell which sites are credible.

How IT Xchange Can Help

IT Xchange offers a wide range of refurbished, discontinued, and older model computers and hardware. We carry a broad selection of computers including desktops, workstations, laptops, and tablets. Some units are “new old” stock, others have been refurbished and are thoroughly tested before listing.

IT Xchange also specializes in hard-to-find individual components for older computer models. These include optical drives, keyboards, power adapters, video cards, hard drives, replacement screen parts, as well as cases and components such as hinges.

Refurbished items come with a minimum 90-day warranty and additional warranty and service packs are available for many brands.

IT Xchange and Lenovo

IT Xchange is the only global provider for Lenovo’s Options Continuation Program (OCP). The OCP provides hardware options for Lenovo covering the last 5 years of their product offerings. This can be a great money saver for both small and large businesses because older machines can be simply repaired instead of completely replaced.

We also offer a large selection of discontinued laptops and discount ThinkPads. ThinkPad laptops are one of the most popular computer lines and have been a customer favorite for over a decade. They’re extremely durable, affordable, and have been created with business use in mind. Unlike many of the cheap discount brands, Lenovo ThinkPads are designed to be used for many years and are easy to both repair and upgrade. Many of our clients rely on us to provide older computers that can run their business-critical software, some of which is unable to run on the latest, cutting-edge hardware.