Laptop Buying Guide: The Basics
If you’re considering buying a laptop, it can easily seem overwhelming with all the different options that are available on today’s market. There are many factors that should be a part of your decision. This laptop buying guide will help you to make the best possible decision for your needs and particular situation.
First of all, you’ll want to think about the size of the laptop you would like to buy. If you’re not going to be traveling much, it may not play an important role. If you’re replacing a desktop, it’s easy to understand why it won’t take up any more space than your current computer. However, if you’re on the go a lot, this will be a very important aspect. Chances are, you’re buying a laptop because you’re on the go, so naturally, size and weight are important. For instance, do you want a laptop which can easily be tucked away into your briefcase or bag? Are you going to be toting your laptop long distances to classes, meetings, or vacations? What is the amount of available space you’ll normally have at your disposal?
Luckily, this laptop buying guide can make it easy to figure out what “class” of laptop is best suited for you. Here’s a quick run down:
Desktop replacements are the largest ones, usually seven pounds or more and at least 1 ½ inches thick. Subnotebook or Ultra portables are light weight, and most portable they are very thin and very light, normally less than three pounds. Netbooks are the newest laptops to hit the market, Netbooks are generally less powerful and more affordable than a normal laptop and mainly used just for browsing the Internet or lightweight programs.
Once you’ve decided on the kind of laptop will work best, you can move on to finding one in the class which meets your technical needs.
Many people have no clue what they’re looking at when going through the technical details of a computer. Let’s run down some basic stuff.
Technical Details 101
Hard Drive – Simply put, your hard drive determines how much information your computer can hold. The larger the hard drive number, the more your computer can hold. A 80GB one is probably enough for a standard laptop for everyday tasks. If you’re going to be storing a lot of large graphics or media files such as movies and music, you’ll want to get something with a larger hard drive. Look for something with a minimum of 100GB.
Check the computer to see if the hard drive is “fixed”. You may be able to change the hard drive later if you find it doesn’t hold as much as you need. You can always add an external USB hard drive down the road if needed.
RAM Memory – Your computer uses RAM memory to run the applications and software on it. The bare minimum you should look for is 256MB if the computer has Windows XP or at least 2GB for Vista.
If you’re going to be working with a lot of graphics or playing a lot of games, you should get more RAM. You can also look for dedicated video card if you think you’re going to play games.
Processor Speed – This is the core of everything your computer does. It processes everything you run on the laptop. If you can afford it, a dual core is usually a good choice. You computer’s speed is just what it says. It’s how fast your data is processed, so get one based on your specific needs.
As a conclusion, picking out a laptop is only as complicated as you let it be. If you manage to master the basics, the task will actually end up being a lot of fun.
Laptop Wiki
Netbook Wiki
PC Mag Guide