Laptop Buying Tips
I must admit that I’d take a laptop over a desktop machine simply by virtue of portability. Think about it. With a laptop, one can fold up and take their digital life (work, games, applications, entertainment system) anywhere with ease. It’s difficult to do this with a desktop box when it’s shackled to the wall with wires. Whether you’re in the market for a new laptop to replace your old one, or are thinking of buying your first laptop and don’t know where to start, there are a few suggestions that you can use to maximize the pleasure of your purchase.
Test Drive Before Buying
You wouldn’t buy a brand new car without taking it for a test drive, right? The same logic holds true for laptop computers. Many users purchase their laptops online (newegg.com), and the process, most of the time, is incredibly convenient in my experience. But the problem with buying a laptop online is that you don’t know how the keyboard feels, or how well the screen displays video, or if the case is made out of some material that attracts unsightly fingerprints, or whether it’s too heavy to lug around, and the list goes on and on. Finding lower prices and the convenience is why so many users shop online. But when buying a laptop, sure, search around online for a model that catches your eye, write the model number down, and pay a visit to your local brick-and-mortar electronics store to see if they have that model in stock so that you can give it a test drive before buying it on the web.
Install Your Own RAM
The more RAM your laptop has, the speedier it’s going to feel. Let’s say you buy a laptop that comes stock with 2GB of memory; you check the specs and you realize that your laptop is expandable to 4GB or RAM. See how much it costs to max out your laptop’s memory from the seller and compare that price to buying a separate memory module and installing it yourself. While a do-it-yourself operation can save you money (and teach you quite a bit), you still need to do a little homework. Before buying laptop memory, make sure that you know the proper type of RAM module your laptop takes and that you have an empty slot for the new memory module to live in.
Know Your Accessories
Many first time laptop buyers don’t realize how important battery life is. If you’re not near a wall outlet, then you’re pretty much stuck with battery power if you want to use your laptop. When buying your new laptop, see if a spare battery is an option. It’s always best to go with a battery that was specially made to go with your model. If it all possible, try not to buy after-market batteries that weren’t specially designed to compliment your laptop. They may be cheaper, but they probably store less power to make up for the price cut. I don’t know one person that’s in love with their laptop’s touch-pad. Less precise than a traditional desktop optical mouse, laptop and notebook touch-pads feel like they should only be used as a last resort. Consider buying a wireless optical mouse for better control.
Go Fast
I don’t think anyone ever complained that their computer was running too fast. If you can spare the cash, get the faster processor, double the memory, extend the storage. It would be a shame to spend the next couple of years with a laptop that cannot keep up with your computing demands. In order to avoid buyer’s remorse, you’ll want to remember the saying “You get what you pay for”, and this usually holds true when you’re dealing with hardware in particular. A faster processor and more memory means that you’re prepared for the future. As applications get more complicated internally, the code it takes to run them is going to need more juice from your computer for optimal performance. When in doubt, upgrade your options.
About the Author
Kay Brenner is a PC errors and has been involved with designing and building computer systems for all shapes and sizes for some of America’s largest corporations for over twenty-three years. To learn about how to optimize your slow computer and download a free Health Check, and reclaim the dream machine your first bought, saving you time & money wrestling with a sick computer, go to: http://www.pcdocpro.com
Leave a Reply