Thursday, May 31, 2012

7 Tips To Choose The Best Laptop

When the time comes to get a laptop, or upgrade from an older laptop, you should take into account a few aspects before jumping in to buy a new portable machine. Some people simply fall for any bargain and jump in at the first opportunity they see without proper research.

Here are a few tips to make choosing your next laptop an easy step:

1. Laptop Price

Notebooks come in all sizes and they carry a lot of features. These two aspects usually determine the laptop price. A small laptop with limited performance might not cost that much, but you won't be able to do more with it than simple text editing and web browsing. The first thing you should do before even researching a new laptop for yourself is to set the budget. This will allow you to get the perfect laptop for you without spending more than you've expected.

2. Size and Portability

One thing which differentiates laptops from regular desktop computers is their portability. While bulky desktops are hard to carry around with you, laptops make it possible to take your work and multimedia everywhere you go. Laptops can be quite small when it comes to size, ranging from just 10 inches in screen diagonal to large entertainment laptops which go up to 21-23 inches. Needless to say, the size of the laptop will determine its weight and impact the portability of the device considerably.

Figure out if you need a highly portable laptop or just a desktop replacement before you make your purchase.

3. Display Type

Another aspect to take into account is the type of display the laptop carries. While most notebooks have the standard LCD, some carry the more advanced LED back-lit displays which bring a better level of brightness and a lot more color to the screen. Some new models, specifically gaming grade laptops, even carry 3D-ready displays which implement the 120Hz refresh rate to be able to produce 3D images in movies and games.

Do you want a laptop with a high performance display, or will one with a standard LCD be enough for your needs? You'll have to answer this question sooner if you really want impressive graphics from your notebook.

4. Configuration

The configuration of a laptop determines its direct performance in applications and games, and can also impact its size and portability. If you're a gamer and need a gaming laptop, then you should look for laptops with quad-core processors installed, plenty of system memory (somewhere in the 4-6GB range) and a high end dedicated graphics card.

This doesn't only apply to games, since lots of graphics design and editing applications require a lot of high performance hardware, it should be pretty clear that a regular laptop simply won't be enough in this case.

5. Battery Lifespan

If you bought a laptop for its portability, then another thing you should take into account is their battery type. Some types won't last more than a couple of hours, while others can extend to 6-12 hours on a single charge.

The battery installed will last longer if the notebooks configuration is a mid-range type. Laptops that are used for everyday applications will typically last a lot longer than those which are jam packed with hardware. The more hardware you have installed on your notebook, the more power it will draw, thus leaving you with just a bit of battery life.

6. Brand Name

Most people look at the brand before anything else. If they see a brand they recognize and had positive experiences in the past, they tend to choose a product from that brand. While this isn't necessarily a bad issue, if you were to expand your horizons a bit and browse through other top brands, you might find a better laptop at a better price.

Don't just go for the best configuration at the lowest price from a brand you've never heard of. This would be an unwise decision and might cost you a lot in the long run.

If you're an Apple fan for instance, then you already know that they offer a lot of extra bonuses when you purchase something from them, along with good customer support and warranty.

Think of it this way: you'll purchase a laptop which you'll probably use for the next few years or so. So get it right the first time and browse through the available brands and see which offers the best hardware at the best price.

7. Ratings and Reviews

If you do your shopping online, you probably noticed that you can see what other people had to say about the product. Some online stores even allow you to sort out the products in a category based on customer reviews and ratings. So why not do that?

Instead of picking a product blindly, see what other people had to say about that particular model, and if you're happy with everything you've heard, then you can make an informed purchase.

Conclusion

So let's review what we've learned so far. Before buying a laptop, you need to set a budget. Based on that budget, figure out the size of the laptop you want, the display type, its configuration, whether or not it has a good battery installed and the brand that makes it. After you've figured all this out, then it's time to go to your favorite online store and find the best rated laptop out of the entire available inventory, based on user reviews and ratings.

Start browsing these great selections of Intel Core i7 laptops and i5 laptops for a better chance to find a high-end performance laptop suitable to your needs!



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7077495

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