on - last edited on by
ElizabethS
Shopping for laptops is not an easy task, especially if you've never owned one before. With the vast selection out there, how do you pick the best laptop for your needs? If you take the time in advance to address a few questions, you can ensure that you get the right laptop for now, and for later.
Before starting your search, consider the following:
- PURPOSE: What do you want to do with your laptop? Do you just need it for writing papers/emails, browsing the web and watching movies/playing music? If so, pretty much any laptop can handle these needs well enough. If you intend to multitask and have multiple applications open at once, you'll want something with a better processor and more RAM to handle your needs (4GB of RAM in a laptop is plenty for most uses at this point in time). If you want to use your laptop for playing games though, you need to ensure you get something with a dedicated graphics card that can handle the games you want to play. One of the biggest problems people have with laptops is that they buy a laptop, then expect it to play their games only to find out it doesn't have a powerful enough graphics card. But unlike desktops, you can't upgrade a laptop's graphics card, so you need to buy the right one at the beginning.
- PORTABILITY: Where do you intend to use your laptop? If it's going to stay in the same place pretty much all the time (e.g. a desktop replacement), you can look into the larger laptops which have a larger screen and thus a better viewing experience. 17-18" laptops are great if you don't intend to move them much. If you intend to take your laptop everywhere you go, I'd recommend looking at smaller laptops as these are more portable and much easier to carry. The 12-14" laptops are great for portability, but you sacrifice screen size (although you can use a seperate monitor while at home). Finally, if you want the ability to take your laptop with you sometimes, but don't want something with a small screen, check out the 15-16" laptops. While these are slightly larger and heavier than the 12-14" laptops, they are still easy enough to pop into a laptop bag to take with you and you won't need to strain your eyes as much.
- BATTERY LIFE: If you want a portable laptop, chances are that battery life is important to you. Factors that can impact battery life include the processor, graphics, extra features like Bluetooth, screen type and others. The ULV processors (ultra low voltage) currently offer the best battery life with some laptops reaching 8 hours of battery life on a 6-cell battery while others can make it to 14-hours with an extended battery, more than enough for your day's needs, but this is at the sacrifice of processing power. Integrated graphics also draw much less power than laptops with dedicated graphics, so if you need a lot of battery life and don't care about playing games on your computer (other than Solitaire, etc), integrated graphics are the best way to go. LED monitors are more efficient and can save battery life. And finally, if needed, you can often purchase extended battery packs (e.g. 12-cell batteries) that can power your laptop for twice as long as a standard 6-cell battery.
- EXTRA FEATURES: What extra features do you want/need? Do you need a DVD drive? If so, be careful when selecting the smaller laptops as not all come with DVD drives anymore. If you want to transmit large quantities of data over your home network, consider getting a computer with Wireless N capabilities. Otherwise a wireless G connection will be fine for regular internet use. What about things like Bluetooth (e.g. for a Bluetooth keyboard or mouse, to connect your cell phone, etc)? Would you like a remote for when you're watching movies on your laptop? Or what about a fingerprint scanner to manage your passwords?
- BUDGET: This is perhaps the most important factor for most people. What are you willing to spend? Remember, you get what you pay for, so if you want a high powered laptop to play games and the such, you need to be willing to spend the money to get it. Decent gaming laptops typically cost over $1100 (serious gaming laptops are typically over $2000). If all you need is a laptop for basic uses, you can get away with a budget of ~$700 (there are cheaper options available as well).
Remember, unlike desktop computers, laptops cannot be easily upgraded, meaning that you need to do your research in advance to ensure that you get the right laptop for your needs. By considering the above factors, you can ensure that you go into this the best prepared that you can. And if you need any assistance with selecting a laptop, feel free to post to the Forums including info regarding each of those 5 points. With that, we can gladly help you find the best option for your needs.
And for further assistance in buying computers, check out the November 2009 Buying Guide by forum member Credible_Chris.
I hope this helps when you're out and about searching for your next laptop!
