Picking a laptop computer can be tricky to get the most for your money with the features you may want and/or need. Therefore, before buying it is best to do some research and think about and write down your "wants" and your "must have's." Hopefully, this article can help provide you with some answers so you can decide if you want a cheap basic laptop or one with top-notch performance.
To begin with, before going out to shop, it is important to decide whether a PC/Windows platform will be better for you or an Apple Macintosh (MAC). Most PC laptops are now equipped with Windows 7. A windows machine will usually be faster, but Macs are known for their more easier to use capabilities.
The Central Processing Unit (CPU) is the most important part of your laptop. The larger the better and it is good to get at least a little larger than what you think you need. The most well-known manufactures are AMD and Intel. You may want a hard drive (HHD) or a Solid State drive (SSD). The SSD has no moving parts and is less likely to be damaged, but is more expensive.
Next, how fast you want your laptop to work and how many things you want to do at one time, such as, for example, listening to music without stops, watching videos, playing games and/or working on a memory consuming task? What determines the processor speed and how many things can be done at one time is the amount of Random Access Memory (RAM). Try to buy a computer with as much RAM as you can afford.
For a PC system, already loaded with Windows 7, you can have as little as 1 GB, if the laptop is going to be used minimally, but it really should have at least 4 gigabytes (GB) of memory for better performance. If you plan to play a lot of games, download a lot of movies, and spend much time on social networks, you may want as much as 8 GB. Having 8 GB will considerably improve the performance of a PC computer laptop over 4 GB.
A Mac should have at least 4 gigabyte of memory and more is better. If costs prohibit a buyer from purchasing a laptop with less memory that may later be desired, make sure the laptop has easy to get to slots so memory can be increased.
The ability to connect to the net and "surf" the web is important to most people. A laptop that has a Fast Ethernet and if you need to connect in remote locations, a built-in modem or a wireless network card (Wi-Fi for example) is needed and most laptops have wireless capabilities. A bluetooth equipped laptop lets you share information with other devices that are Bluetooth equipped like a cell phone. Blu-ray is available for watching high definition videos on some computers.
The size of the screen makes the difference on how easy it is to view data, for instance, or watch movies. 15" screens have been the most popular, but many people are now buying laptops with 17" screen.
A DVD burning optical drive let's you watch DVD movies and burn DVD's. The burner is, also, useful to back up your files, photos and other types of information, so they aren't lost in the event of the dreaded "crash." A burner makes doing those tasks much quicker. You should choose a laptop with at least 2 USB connections as you will need them to connect to any type of devise, like cameras, printers, game devices, external mouse, keyboards and a number of other things. A Firewire is a fast way to connect to an iPod, digital camera, and some phones.
The laptop will have a pointer stick or touch pad. If the laptop is going to be used fairly consistently, it is a wise thing to invest in an inexpensive travel mouse and a keyboard. Your hands, wrists, and arms will thank you.
How long the battery lasts can make the difference in whether or not you can barely use your laptop if not "plugged in." Do you care if you are only going to get 30 minutes of time on a single charge? Probably so, therefore, comparing manufacturers products to try and find a laptop with a battery life of at least 2 hours normally. If more time is needed without being "plugged in," there are laptops with media bays that can be used as extra battery slots or longer life batteries can be bought. The size of the CPU will, also directly impact the batter life on a computer laptop.
When shopping do pick up laptops. How much you want to carry around can be, for some people at least, crucial.
Source: ezinearticles.com