photo credit: D.L.

Has your laptop died? Are you looking for a temporary replacement laptop? Or simply wondering whether hiring a laptop would work out cheaper than buying? Here’s a run-down of a few UK laptop hire companies and the prices they charge…

(the prices listed exclude VAT)

RentIT
Offer a range of PC and Apple laptops for hire.

Macbook Pro 15 inch hire:
£101.40 for 3 days
£137.90 per week for one week
£62.44 per week for one month
£17.29 per week for one year

Blaze Computer Rentals
Toshiba laptop computers for hire.

Tecra 8000 hire for £8 per day.
Satellite Pro 4600: £11 per day
Tecra 8200: £12 per day
Satellite Pro A10: £14 per day
Satellite Pro M30: £16 per day
Tecra M2: £18 per day
(daily rate based on a one week hire)

Astral Computers
Offer ’standard’ or ‘high power’ laptops for hire.

Standard:

1 day: £35
1-3 day: £45
1 week: £55
1 month: £85

High Power:

1 day: £45
1-3 day: £55
1 week: £75
1 month: £105

Conclusions

The obvious thing to note is that laptop hire rates depend heavily on how long you’re looking to hire the laptop. A short-term hire will cost anything from £35 for the first day, but Astral Computers, for example, will provide an unspecified ’standard’ laptop for £85 for a whole month.

How does the situation look when we compare hiring versus buying a laptop? Taking RentIT’s 15-inch Macbook Pro hire rates as an example, a 15-inch Macbook Pro will currently cost around £1299 new in the shops. A three-year Applecare support contract would set you back another £279, giving a total of about £1578. RentIT offers a year’s Macbook Pro hire for £17.29 per week, which works out to £899 per year. Going on that, in the long-run you’re going to be paying more, but if you can’t spare the extra cash up-front, long-term laptop hire could well be an option worth considering.

photo credit: fugzu

Do you want the benefits of a pet, but without the commitment? An innovative service in America is offering just that. Flexpetz is a shared pet ownership scheme where members can spend anything from a few hours to several days with a dog before handing it back. The scheme is currently available in New York and Los Angeles but plans to open in new locations soon. Through their website they are currently accepting pre-registration for pet hire in London.

photo credit: GarryWiseman

Are you looking for something a little bit different for the party you are organising? Then consider hiring inflatable sumo costumes! With these outrageous suits you can stage your own sumo tournament and see which of your friends is the sumo supremo. Prices start from around £70 for a pair of child sumo suits or £100 for adult suits.

photo credit: zehhhra

Planning to hire a car, but concerned about the environmental impact of motoring? Then this service could be for you. GreenMotion, based in Milton Keynes, bills itself as “the world’s first fully environmentally friendly car and van rental company”. They offer eco-friendly hire cars with the latest in CO2 and low carbon emission technology. Their green vehicles are available to rent from locations around the UK and Ireland.

photo credit: didbygraham

How’s this for an unusual gift? It might sound unlikely, but an enterprising skip hire company is offering skip hire gift vouchers. Prices vary from £51 to £300. Perhaps one to bear in mind if you want to give your spouse a not-so-subtle hint that’s it’s time for a clear-out?