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Your Checklist before buying a Laptop These days every one is on the move and in this age of information, laptops are your next best companion. So you're obviously thinking of acquiring one now but with the myriads of models, types, sizes and mid-boggling technical jargons, you wonder where to start. You know going to the high street PC shop is not on the card because you will be overwhelmed by the "specialist salesperson" who in reality, only wants your money. This article is written with you in mind. Here are the top items you should be watching out for in deciding what laptop computer to buy.
The Operating System
These days, most laptops (desktop PCs inclusive) come preloaded with one version of Microsoft Windows Operating System. These Operating System software range from the home editions to the professional office environment version with all the bells and whistles. And so is the price range. If your laptop is strictly going to be used at home and not be in an office network, then you will be saving yourself a bundle sticking with Home edition bundle. Conversely, if your use of the laptop will be for the office environment, then my advice will be to invest in the Professional edition of the Operating System at this stage as an upgrade from the Home edition, down the road will not be wise investment. Bottom line: when purchasing a laptop PC, be sure it comes preloaded with the Microsoft operating system that will meet all your computing requirements.
The Central Processing Unit (CPU) This is the heart of your laptop PC. You have seen the adverts in the papers a countless number of times: Great bargain - brand new laptop for £199.99! Take one home today! Take it from me, these types of laptop models often do not a CPU that can do what you want to do. When buying a laptop, buy a model with a CPU that can meet your mobile computing needs. Failure to do this can be a disaster and you could end up with a laptop that takes a quarter an hour to just boot into Windows, provides very minimal battery life, and may not be able to run your favourite applications. In particular, avoid the Celeron processors and go for the new Intel Core 2 Duo CPUs. These new processors use less energy (resulting in improved battery life) and generate less heat than previous Pentium CPUs.
Random Access Memory (RAM)
How much RAM you need depends mostly on your Operating System and the applications you'll running on your laptop. These days quite a number of Windows Vista laptops are advertised as having a full 1 GB of RAM. While 1 GB of RAM will do just fine for most Windows XP operating systems, it typically isn't enough to enable a Vista system to work smoothly. If you plan to run several applications (e.g. Word, Excel and browse the Internet at the same time) on a Windows Vista laptop, you should consider buying a laptop with 2 GB of RAM. Obviously, you may buy one with 1 GB RAM and add another 1 GB on your own, but be sure there is room for this on the laptop.
Graphics (Video) Card
Video is one area you need to pay particular attention to when considering a laptop. Usually, these are integrated to the main board of the laptop and are near impossible to upgrade. The cheap laptops often advertised in press are heavily short-changed on their graphics cards and won't do well if you plan to run a graphics-heavy application on your laptop. The many fine features of Windows Vista operating systems, require robust video cards. If you are planning on doing three-dimensional engineering and drafting programs and play powerful games on the laptop, then a good video card is a must. Therefore, consider a laptop model with at least 128 MB of onboard RAM. If you plan to run drafting and engineering applications, video production software, or games, you should upgrade to video adapters with 256 MB of RAM.
Ports Every port on a laptop adds to the price and so many manufacturers in an effort at managing costs and competing with rivals, are reducing the number of ports found on their PCs. Do not assume that any modern laptop computer has numerous USB ports, as well as VGA, DVI, serial, and parallel ports. This can be a very painful lesson to learn so know it now that many budget notebook computers often come with only a pair of USB ports, no serial, parallel, or DVI ports and only a single VGA port, if your lucky to even find a video port. Be wise and look at the technical specifications and make sure that your intended laptop includes the ports you require.
Battery life How long your laptop is able to run on its battery before it needs a recharge is critical depending on how you intend to use the laptop. If everything else is cool but the battery life is just below what you think is required, then my advice will be to buy the laptop and pick an extra battery pack. So this is not a show stopper since there is a work around formula but if you detest carrying an extra battery around, then ensure you get a laptop with the battery that provides the lifespan you require. Also be aware that standard laptop batteries come in 6 or 9-cell configuration and some models have an upgrade path to a 12-cell battery model. These bigger 12-cell models can last much longer than the standard batteries and the key here is to ask, if the lifespan of the standard battery does not meet your requirement.
Integrated wireless These days buying a laptop without one of these would be like the proverbial shooting yourself in the foot. If you intend to use your laptop to access the Internet, which for all intents and purposes can be taken as a done deal, and to have your laptop to be truly mobile, then you should have this as integrated (i.e. it should come pre-built into your laptop). The standard is integrated 802.11g wireless (WiFi) adapter and better still to have it 802.11n compatible. Please read the technical specifications closely to verify that the model you're buying provides the wireless connectivity you require.
Integrated Bluetooth This is not a show stopper requirement but a convenience. Bluetooth technology enables you to synchronize mobile phone contacts, e-mail, calendars, and tasks lists wirelessly with your laptop, including the use of some wireless devices like a mouse and external keyboard. If you can have this integrated to your laptop, instead of buying one that sticks out and more importantly, takes up one of the much needed USB or PCMCIA port, then you're better for it.
Screen size On a desktop PC, screen size is certainly an issue as it seats on your desk. However, on a laptop that may be a different kettle of fish. If you are on the move all the time, logging around a laptop with a 17-inch screen on the road may not be your idea of fun. Think about how you'll be using the laptop. Go for the big size if this is going to be used mostly at home and you do not have a wide screen display around.
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