Laptop Buying Guide

                                                                                         

With high performance memory chips, advances in storage capacity and overall performance, laptop computers are no longer considered to be the poor relations to their desktop counterparts. Modern laptops are lightweight, ultra portable and no way near as expensive as you might have thought?

Cost
A good quality laptop can cost anywhere between £250 and £2500 but the average price in the UK is around the £400 mark. The cost will depend upon a number of factors which will include the branding, the operating system employed, the memory, storage capacity and built-in features.

Branding
Most people will be able to name at least a handful of famous computer brands and often will prefer to buy a computer from a name they recognise. For those who are a little unsure a famous brand can add some much need assurance of quality and reliability. While this is often true, however, you shouldn’t always rule out a lesser known brand as many computers use common components regardless of the name on the box. A computer bearing the name of a well known manufacturer will often command a premium price for no other reason than the brand itself.

Sizes
The average size (measured by display dimensions) of a traditional, regular format laptop computer is around 15”. There are larger format screen sizes available at around 17” although the most popular sizes these days tend to be the lightweight and ultra-portable notebooks and netbooks which range from 9” to 13” in size.

Operating System
The operating system or O/S is the software that makes the computer usable. Windows is the main and best known operating system and comes in various guises including XP, Vista and now Windows 7. The other, less known, systems are Linux which is an ‘Open Source’ operating system and Mac which is used exclusively for Apple machines.
Although most people are familiar with and prefer the Windows system this involves a licensing cost which ultimately adds to the price of the computer. The Linux system is less known but because it is open source software there is no licensing cost involved. If you don’t mind getting to grips with a new interface then opting for a Linux based machine will result in a significant saving.

Processors
The processor, or CPU, dictates the speed and efficiency of how the computer performs. The two main processor manufacturers are AMD and Intel. The cost of the computer will be depend upon the specification of processor used and it’s always advisable to go for the best you can afford at the time.

Memory
The working memory, or RAM, installed on your laptop will also have a significant effect upon the computers speed and performance. These days a memory size of 1GB should be the minimum and, obviously, the higher the capacity you can afford the better.
Storage memory, or ROM, relates to the capacity of the main disc drive and most averaged priced machines will have more than adequate storage as standard. Unless you have extraordinary storage needs it’s not necessary to upgrade to a machine with larger storage as you are unlikely to ever need it. A good netbook will usually have 160GB or more of capacity and a standard laptop will have around 250 to 500GB.

Features
Depending upon how you use your laptop you’ll probably need a CD/DVD optical drive built in together with a range of connection options. Because of their size, most netbooks don’t have optical drives but so long as you can connect a USB memory drive or pen-drive then this should suffice. You may also opt to buy an external optical drive which simply connects by USB as and when you need it. Most laptops and netbooks will also incorporate a digital card, or SD, card reader which is convenient for transferring digital photographs from your camera.
If you use your laptop while out and about then a wireless networking card or Wi-Fi will be essential. Most manufactures include these as standard and you might also consider a USB Dongle which will connect to a mobile broadband service provided by one of the mobile network operators.

Colours
While black and dark grey are the most common you can now buy laptops and netbooks in a range of colours and designs from plain blue, red and pink to floral and modern graphic designs. Just because a laptop is functional doesn’t mean it can’t be attractive to look at too.

Promotions
There are frequent deals and special offers available although you should resist the temptation to buy a laptop purely because of a one-off deal. Take your time to find the best machine for your needs and then find the best deal. Offers which include software or accessories tend not to be as good as they first appear because they often include things you wouldn’t buy anyway.

In summary, the choice can be bewildering but by having a definite idea of what you need it is possible to narrow down the selection process considerably. Take your time to find the best laptop for your needs and then search for the best price or deal. A good quality laptop will last for many years and is not something you should buy on the spur of the moment. Happy computing!

About the author:
The choice of laptops has never been greater and with all the deals available there has never been a better time to buy a laptop computer. If you want to opt for a more colouful machine then why not consider one of the many pink laptops and pink laptop computers currently on the market?

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