More People Buying Laptops in Stores than Online

As people become more comfortable with using technology and using the internet, it is assumed they'll be more likely to shop online. But interestingly, when it comes to buying laptops, this trend is not true as the number of people buying laptops in stores now is 56 percentof buyers as opposed to 50 percenttwo years ago.

This breakdown of buyers online versus in store comes from research done by the NPD group. The NPD group specifically found that56 percent of laptops sold to consumers in the first quarter of2006were bought in a store, up from 50 percent two years ago. And this statistic is the reason some analysts say Dell is losinggroundto HP in terms of notebook sales. HP notebooks can be found in just about any retail store, while Dellnotebooks areexclusively available on the web. An interesting article in the Wall Street Journal, and republished in the Dallas Star Telegram brings up this verypoint.

So why are people more likely to go and look for a laptop in a store as opposed to online nowadays? There's a few reasons this is happening:

• Laptop computers are an item people like to tryout and see before they purchase, people like to test out a notebook by typing on the keyboard, seeing the screen and feeling how much it weighs. Nobody cares too much about "trying out" a desktop computer.
  
  
• Spending a $1,000+ online is different than buying a $20 DVD, book or video game online-- some people are simply not that comfortable withmakinglargepurchases via the web.
  
  
• Instant gratification and time sensitive order needs. If you order anotebook onlineand then can't know for sure when you'll get your hands on the product, this can be a deterrent or a huge problem for some. Problems can always arise with shipping and inventory issues on the manufacturer's end, indeed orders can end up taking months instead of weeks to arrive from certain manufacturers.
  
  
• More people are buying laptops than desktop computers these days. With an influx of new consumers that may be less inclined to buy online since they are newer to technology, they will shift the curve towards more in store purchases.
  
  
• Some people simply prefer to buy from a bricks and mortar store so that if a problem occurs they can go directly back to that store and deal with someone in person instead of having to call support.
  
  
• The rise of the $400 - $600 notebook. Stores such as Wal Mart and Costco now sell notebooks in the $400 - $600 range. In addition, stores such as Circuit City and Best Buy are selling low-end Toshiba and HP notebooks in this price range. People buying these notebooks are totally different consumer set than those that shop for $2,000+ gaming notebooks, and generallythis set of consumers are much more likely to buy in store.

These are just a few reasons at least. Personally I think the ultimate notebook shopping experience involves going to a store to actually try out a notebook, and then going online to look for reviews of that notebook, see if I can configure the same model to suit my needs and maybe get a better price. A lot of people use this strategy in fact. Which might be a big reason Dell is losing ground to HP, while Dell does have kiosks sprinkled around 700 or so malls in the U.S., it's still harder to find a Dell notebook to tryout than it is finding an HP, Toshiba or Apple notebook.

Snapshot of Most Popular Laptops standing for August 31st 2006, the Toshiba A105 on top is very widely available in retail stores

Interestingly, notice that on this sites homepage the Toshiba Satellite A105 is the most popular notebook for visitors to search for information and reviews on. If you were to walk into CompUSA, Circuit City or Best Buy today I guarantee you will see a Toshiba Satellite A105 in the store -- it's in almost every electronics store. The simple explanation as to why this notebook is popular on our site is that people go into these stores, go back home and search and do research on this notebook and opinions on it, and then go back and buy it or find it cheaper online. Proof positive there that retail stores are a very big deal in shopping for notebooks today.

 

Yeah, I bought my Laptop at an Apple store, I was much more confortable then paying over 1400 ( including tax ) online, plus, I live in Lakewood and tax is 8.25, in Irvine, where the apple store was, tax was 7.75

 

I also bought an Apple MacBook and purchased in store. Mostly because I wanted it *right now* as it was the same day the MacBook was released and simply couldn't wait 2 weeks for it to be delivered

 

My first personal (brand new) notebook was an eMachines M6805 I got from Best Buy. It was a great machine for almost 3 years Now my buddy bought it off me, and I'm getting the machine in my sig online. Bucking the trend, baby... hehe.

There should also be options in the poll for Buying Online - Don't wanna pay sales tax and possibly Buying Online - Stores don't carry models with the specs I want

 

I look in store if I can, and buy online. The internet has both cheaper prices and, in many cases, no tax. I'm willing to wait a few days and save a lot. Also, the Internet has a better selection.

 

I bought mine online because of Educational Discounts. Online coupons and free shipping attracts online buyers... as long as you're patient enough to wait for your notebook!

But before buying it, I make sure to test it live.

 

Tax savings are a big deal for sure. Of course, it's a real bummer if the mfr. you're buying from has a "presence" in your state and you have to pay taxes. Buying a Lenovo ThinkPad online in New York or North Carolina costs taxes for instance, while in Delaware it does not. An HP purchased online in Colorado will mean taxes, while in Maine it does not.

 

I prefer to see it in person and then buy in a store, I did that with one of my past laptops (HP), and it turned out to be one of the best laptops I ever had. I saved on tax and got a customized configuration by going direct.

Two reasons I prefer to see it:
-Heat output
-Keyboard

Both are very important buying aspects for me. If I can read several good reviews and they all say the same thing, then that's fine too.

 

I like seeing in person before buying as well. The Dell Direct store in the mall aided me in decided between screen resolutions because the 6000 on display at the Dell Kiosk was WSXGA+. I was able to determine higher resolution wouldn't be so bad on my eyes, as well as decided if the 'glitter' I'd read people having trouble with was that big of a deal. The advantage to buying in stores is the ability to see the screen, test the keyboard, lift it up a little bit and test the weight, feel for heat (Circuit City is lame when it come to this as the one by me as the notebooks in brackets so you can lift them at all, even enough to slip fingers underneath), etc. Not to mention it sure if fun to look at them even if your not buying.

 

I can buy online from big companies that accept no questions asked return and full refund like from HP and IBM. But even then, from my experience, all three notebooks i bought online had dead pixels (and thus were returned). And the shipping took MONTHS.
If i buy in store, i'll ask to inspect the unit before i leave. I might pay couple of bucks more, but i wont waste time sending stuff back and forth and wasting hours with tech support just to get the return approved.

 

I prefer to see it in person and then buy in a store, that way you can get an idea of what it feels like. That way you can be sure to get the right products and specs because sometimes online things can mess up. Best part is that you get it instantly, while online you have to wait a week or two.

 

I checked out what was available in stores, and felt they all either sucked or were overpriced. I ended up buying my T43 new on Ebay.

 

I wish I had bought my laptop from the store. I got a gateway with a "brightview" monitor (or whatever they call it). I had no idea it was highly reflective and worthless in daylight. Now I know I should have done more research, but on the web it was sold as a better monitor with 15% more brightness or somesuch.

At a restocking fee to me, I returned the laptop and am now waiting for a non-mirror-screen to appear at circuit city or best buy.


[edit - I want to check out the ergonimics of the laptop first-hand... then buy whevever is cheapest]

-d

 

Went to a Dell outlet store and purchased my laptop,also looked on the web to see if anything was better---------and there where better deals.I was just not to sure about getting something that I couldn't see first hand.But I'am warming up to the web though just taking all the necessary precautions that I can to protect myself.

 

On the note of dell and checking out their stuff at the outlet prior to buying I noticed all their laptops on display had AC power and batteries removed (which are under the palm of the right hand). This made the computers feel cooler and lighter (the security cable allowed you to pick them up about an inch off the table). Had the batteries been in, I knew it would be an uncomfortable machine to use.

So another instance where I was glad I scoped out the machine first.

Now Im really liking the HP2000T: I was able to see it in person, I can get a matte finish screen, the battery is at the hinge, etc. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and thats why its so nice to scope out at least the model (maybe not the exact configuration) prior to buying.

-d

 

I looked online and read all types of reviews for my laptop before I bought it.

I like it online because I can get it custom with the specs I want instead of it being pre-built from a place like Circuit City or Best Buy.

Hopefully my dv5000t doesn't have any dead pixels and no keyboard problems.

 

I purchase laptops from both online & instore.

Instore you get leave with your laptop (carryout). But I hate when the sales people try to sell you insurance. They come on too strong sometimes. And instore you gotta pay tax which makes up for shipping if you bought online.

I didn't have a problem at all with Online purchase. I do have a problem with FEDEX. Why do they show up in the afternoon when they know people are at work? I had to pick my laptop up myself at the FEDEX place. Also Online is always a gamble of many sorts that something can go wrong.


It's easier to return to store for repair, replacement or money back, but returning online isn't that hard either. Most online stores include return labels, which makes shipping back the laptop free.


When exchanging a product for another one of equal value. You have a more FAIR exchange from a store. But some Online shop like to change prices, claim out of stock and make it much harder for you to get a exchange with the store credit they gave you. You will also have to pay for shipping again.

 

I like to look in a store to see what's available, but those offerings are usually not to my liking (specwise). If I know what technology is available, then the systems on display are usually very disappointing.

So to get what I want I often need to go online. But where I live we're always forced into 2nd day air shipping so we get hosed on that deal (why can't you drive to Hawaii?) everytime we buy online anyway.

If I can get exactly what I want or very close to it and not pay too much of a premium (since online is almost always cheaper by a good margin), I would prefer to buy something like a laptop in person though.

 

I bought my M90 online of course. No way to get it otherwise. But even had I gone with another laptop, I probably still would have bought online. It's nice being able to see the computer and all, but that just doesn't make up for having to get a configuration that's not really what you want. Of course, the funny thing is, that's what happened with me anyway. I bought kind of a pre-determined configuration cause I got a deal on it. But the deal is what made it better for me. Even if this laptop had been offered in a store with the same specs, it still would have cost at least $500-$600 more. That's why I had to haggle with Dell a little bit and they tried offering me an E1705 instead.