How to Buy a New Laptop
Laptop computers are very popular because they offer you the mobility to take it with you. In addition, they come in a variety of sizes to fit your needs and budget. Some laptops are simply for light use, while others can be as powerful as a desktop, depending what your needs and wants.
- Decide on a price that you
can afford. Some laptop computers can cost you upwards of $3000 with
the many upgrades you can obtain. You can find decent laptops in the
$700 to $1000 range that are perfect for everyday computing. - Determine the operating
system that you want your laptop to have. You basically have three
choices: Windows, Macintosh, or Linux. Laptops that are not produced
buy Macintosh are likely Windows-based. You can find some laptops
shipping with Linux, but for the most part, if you want Linux, you
will have to install it after you purchase your laptop. - Think about the size you
are comfortable with. If you plan to move around a lot, you may want
a laptop that is no bigger than 15 inches. On the other hand, if you
are using your laptop as a desktop replacement, you might want to
look at those that are in the 19 to 21 inch size. While they can
still be moved and technically are laptops, the larger they are, the
heavier and bulkier they are. - Make sure the laptop has a
multi-core processor since these are faster than the singe core.
Most of the newer laptops will either have an Intel Duo Core or AMD
Dual Core. In addition, you will want to see how long the battery
life is. Many of the laptops coming out today have a battery life up
to 10 hours, which is great if you move around a lot since you won't
have to worry about cords. - Choose a laptop with at
least 2 GB of RAM and a hard drive that is at least 160 GB in size.
The larger the hard drive and the more the RAM the laptop has, the
faster it will run your applications. This is especially important
if you plan to use the laptop for work or intensive programs.