Why we’re building it
A buyer has to weigh used and refurbished machines against new models, changing component costs, and the demands of their software. We want to make those comparisons easier to investigate.
The approach
Hard Bargains tracks prices and reports on buying routes and hardware capabilities. Guides draw on dated market observations, product information, and outside reporting identified in each article.
What you can explore
A public price tracker
Dated observations across retailer and marketplace sources, with sample sizes and limitations alongside the comparisons.
Buying guides
Ways to think through budget, generation, condition, and the cost of waiting.
Useful second lives
Reporting on reuse, local AI workloads, and the jobs older hardware can still do.
Data and past updates
Data downloads and dated updates that let readers trace a comparison back to the market observations behind it.
What we’re trying to learn
We are testing whether regular price observations and reporting help readers choose a machine, wait for a better option, or keep using what they own.
Public alpha
This is an early editorial product. Tracked asking prices are not completed sales, and a dated observation is not a promise of current availability. Read each guide’s scope, date, and commercial disclosures.
Read Hard Bargains ↗About the evidence ↗Commercial disclosure ↗Related studio note
Why we focus on decision intelligence →Start with a person’s decision, then work out what information would help.