what are the pros and cons of buying a used laptop?

Apart from the above, battery life might be very bad.

Pro's: Normally a better laptop for less money.

Con's: Depending on where you buy, could be broken, stolen.

If you purchase I would make sure it was from a reputable retailer. I have bought many used or refurbed laptops and I have only had good experiences from it.

Pros: Cheap.

Cons: You have no idea how carefully the previous owner handled the laptop. Some laptops take a lot of abuse.

Personally, I think a used laptop would have to be really cheap (almost free) to make it worth the risk.

Pros:

Cheaper

You get it quickly

Cons:

- If it's wiped clean you have to buy the OS and all the software.

- If it's not wiped clean you have to deal with any viruses that may be there and/or passwords that the previous owner forgot to remove.

- Not the latest hardware (it may be under powered).

- Some accessories may be missing

- Not likely that it's still under warranty