21st Century Guide to Buying a Laptop
Like the name suggests, a laptop’s supposed to be light enough to actually sit on your laps but still be able to handle all your business on it. Although, it does depend mostly on what you need it for.
First thing you need to consider is the weight and size. This will depend on whether you will move around with it much or if it will stay in one place half the time. If you don’t move around much, then it’s ok to buy a laptop on the heavier side of things. However if your entire work is on your laptop and you have to have to move with it all the time, then invest in something light like the HP Pavilion 15. Of course, like every other device it has its shortfalls but it’s on the lower price end and still does the job.
Next let’s consider what it has inside, its components. Does it have enough memory (RAM) storage for your purposes? That’s up to you when choosing when buying a laptop. If you have an external hard drive better for you.
Another important aspect is the CPU (central processing unit) which is like the brain of your laptop. How much can it take? If you use a lot of programmes to do your work, you probably should opt for a laptop that has a dual core processor. It enables you to multitask efficiently.
Also in this day of constant internet usage, check that the laptop you’re buying allows for internet connectivity or ethernet. This will enable you to browse on the go and not have to rely on an internet cable only in your office or at home (that’s so old school!).
Also check for USB ports that are the 3.0 type . If the laptop has less than 4 ports, there’s always the choice of buying a USB hub that allows for 4 or more USB devices to be connected to it. The USB ports allow everything from printers, projectors, mobile phones and flash disks to be connected to them.
Screen specifications are important. Go for higher resolutions or HD screens if you can afford them. Always check the screen from different angles and see if the colours appear rich or discoloured, or if they’re distorted. This is important if you’ll be using the laptop for entertainment purposes such as gaming or watching movies half the time. Check the sound quality as well, if it’s good enough for you, then go for it!
Lastly, battery life, probably the most important if you’re ALWAYS on your laptop. do not believe the battery life that comes written on the box. Subtract 1 or 2 hours to get how long the laptop would actually run for on a full battery (disconnected from power source) considering you’ll be using applications like browsers, music and videos.
