How to Rent a Laptop in New York

There are many reasons you might find yourself wanting to rent a laptop in New York. Maybe you’re in town for a conference and you left yours at home. If you have a web-based email service, all you need is a laptop to keep in touch. You might be facing the same situation if your laptop becomes unusable. Although generally rugged, laptops can break if dropped. Perhaps you’ve come across an application that your older model laptop can’t handle. A new rental laptop would keep you in business until you can upgrade your personal laptop. New York is a great city, and there’s no better place to rent a laptop.

Instructions

1. Decide on the number of laptops you need. If you’re getting one for personal use, one laptop will do the trick. But if you’re setting up a conference in New York to teach basic computer skills, you’ll need more, depending on your class size.

2. Understand the application you’ll be using your laptop for. When you go to rent the laptop, you need to know in advance if you need a word processing application, a database application, or other specific programs.

3. Call a local company first, if that’s your preference. Sometimes local New York companies can be more responsive to your needs. This can be critical if you’re working with a short time deadline. If you prefer, contact a national rental company by telephone or online form.

4. Give the rental company the complete information for the laptop you want to rent. Make sure the person you call writes down your complete requirements. If it’s a national company, there’ll be a delivery date you’ll want to confirm. If it’s a local time, specify a pick-up time.

5. Make sure you understand the cost of your laptop rental. Inquire about late turn-in fees. Agree with the company when you’re satisfied with your rental agreement.

6. Pick up your laptop from the local Big Apple company or unpack it when it’s delivered, depending on if you went with a local or a national company.

Tips & Warnings

• Ask about rental insurance from the company you’re renting from. If they do not provide rental insurance, contact your homeowner insurance company and see what you need to do to have your rental laptop covered.

• Make sure your laptop has a wireless internet capability. Most hotels have wireless internet availability, so your rental laptop will be able to access the internet from your hotel room.

• One of the benefits of renting a laptop is that the rental company typically has technical support staff. Make sure you have the telephone number for technical support from the company you’re renting from. Call if you run into any problems.

• Shipping costs for national companies are generally not included in the rental price.

• If your laptop has a different operating system than the one you’re used to using, there might be a slight learning curve.