Buying a Laptop – What To Look Out For
Buying a new laptop can be a tiresome process, particularly if you bought your last one a few years ago. Technology changes so quickly, leading to a top of the line laptop being out of update just one to two years later.
However, a laptop is used on a daily basis, often for many hours at a time. Therefore, you don’t want to make the wrong decision.
There are a few things that you should look out for before you take the plunge and spend several hundred dollars on a new model.
Touchscreen Vs Traditional Screen
If you haven’t bought a laptop in a few years or don’t read popular technology blogs, then it’s unlikely that you would’ve had much, if any, experience at all with touchscreen laptops. But with the release of Windows 8 and its touch-friendly features and capabilities all this has changed.
While using a touchscreen laptop can be more fun, you need to keep in mind that they are considerably more expensive than their non-touchscreen counterparts. Therefore, before you opt for a touchscreen model, such as the Samsung ATIV Smart PC Pro 700T, make sure that the price falls withing your budget.
New Vs Used
You’ve found the perfect laptop. It’s fast, has a huge hard drive, and lets you play the latest games; however, there’s just one problem: it’s out of your price range. No worries. If this is the case, then have a look at new or refurbished options. However, you need to keep in mind that used and refurbished laptops tend to come with a limited warranty, although the manufacturer always try their best to make the laptop work like new.
Which Type of Laptop?
Ultrabooks
Ultrabooks are perfect if you often find yourself on the go and need a lightweight laptop to take with you. Furthermore, despite their lightweight design and thinness, battery life isn’t sacrificed. However, they usually don’t come with optical drives and an array of ports. While they can cost as low as $600, you’re likely to pay $800+. A good choice is the ASUS VivoBook S400CA-DH51T.
Netbooks
Netbooks are similar to ultrabooks in the way that they feature a long battery life, lightweight design, and are portable. They tend to be a good option if need a laptop for on the go use but are on a budget. They often retail for around $400 but aren’t as powerful as ultrabooks. Still, they’re the perfect choice for students and act as a good backup laptop.
Budget
Many people are under the impression that you get what you pay for. This is true, but only to a certain extent. If you purchase a $200-300 laptop from an unknown manufacturer, then don’t be surprised if it breaks down after a few months use. However, purchase a laptop from one of the big name manufactures, such as Acer, Dell, Toshiba, and so on, then you should be okay. Don’t expect to be able to play games or run demanding software either. An excellent choice is the Toshiba Satellite C855D-S5339.
Gamer
Gaming laptops can be expensive, often retailing for $1,500 and more. They tend to be quite large in size, with the bigger screen playing a large role for this, but are packed with the latest features and technology. They feature a very fast processor, plenty of RAM, as well as a top of the range graphics card, to allow you to play the latest games quickly and with an excellent visual representation of the game at hand.
If you’re quite handy with laptops, then you might want to think about building your own gaming laptop, particularly as this often works out several hundred dollars cheaper. This holds true even if you get stuck along the way and have to pay someone to help you out. Alienware models, such as the Alienware AM14XR2-6667BK, tend to be the go to choice for gamers.
To read out on a wide range of laptop reviews to help you make your decision, check out Techtilyoudrop. Amazon tend to have the lowest prices. Cnet is a good place to keep up to date with what’s happening in the technology world.
