Unless you’ve been using a particular computer for a while and know that that is exactly what you want for your next one as well, deciding on a brand, size, or even whether to go with a PC or Mac is not easy. Maybe you’ve been working exclusively on a desktop and are wondering if a laptop is for you. As with everything else in life, you don’t know if you like it until you try it. And even though most stores will let you play a bit with their display models, you never really get to know the ups and downs of each computer until you work on it for a while and really put it to the test.

Laptop rental can be a great way to thoroughly test drive a computer before deciding to invest. Prices range from less than $100/month for a basic used model to close to $2,000/month for a brand new, high quality notebook. MacBooks can be found for $200-$300 (and up) per month.

If you are a student, look into special student deals from the rental companies (for example, this past spring, I saw a “Spring Break Special” with great rates for 10-day rentals). Or check with your school to see if they offer notebook rental. Many do, and the prices are most likely cheaper than the rental companies’.

But computer rentals are not only good for “trying on” a new computer. If you have a big presentation coming up and your own laptop isn’t equipped to handle the amount of content (think those annoying freezes in the middle of a slide show), renting a really souped up one can save the day (and your job/grade!).

If you’re traveling and don’t want to drag your own laptop along (or risk it getting stolen), renting one on site is a great solution. Plus, you’ll avoid the time consuming hassle of unpacking and packing your laptop at every single airport security checkpoint. Computer rental overseas can sound like a scary idea, but you can find rental firms with English speaking staff in almost every country (such as ExpatTech in Budapest and Laptop Rental Paris in Paris). If you prefer to rent from a US company, Rent A Computer have several locations in Europe, with more planned worldwide.

Before you sign any rental contract, make sure to add up all the extra costs: external equipment (such as a mouse, cables, extra batteries, etc.), extra memory, shipping, overdue and cancellation fees (or credit for returning the laptop early). Also check if the rental company offers insurance coverage for the computer. If not, you may want to call your home insurance company to see if they will cover it.