I've not had any problems myself buying new machines for my company but personally I tend to buy 2-3 year old ThinkPads off a eBay. They are less than 20% of th

I've not had any problems myself buying new machines for my company but personally I tend to buy 2-3 year old ThinkPads off a eBay. They are less than 20% of the retail cost and are in perfect condition always. I'm typing this on a T400 Core 2 2.4 Duo, Radeon HD, 8GB RAM, 1440x900 screen, 9-cell unit with 3G card built in and windows 7 x64 pro license sticker purchased in absolutely perfect unused condition for £145 (!). The battery had done charge 11 cycles to give you an idea. Chucked a Samsung 840 Pro in it for £102 and it's a perfect machine. I have 2 spare ones (T61's) lying around as well so I always have a spare handy. This puts me in a better position than a new Lenovo or fruit purchaser. I'm a firm believer of letting someone else pay for the immediate depreciation in value! :)