It's that time of year again. The summer is winding to a close and that means colder weather, leaves changing their color and schools everywhere are about to open their doors. One thing that a lot of parents (and students) are dreading is that school's are beginning to require their students own laptops to use in their classes. But fear not, for I have compiled a guide that will make buying the right laptop much easier for you. And if you're not going to school this fall, this guide should still assist you in your quest for a business or personal laptop for yourself or someone in need this holiday season.
Why are you buying a new Laptop?
Maybe you're one of the parents looking to find a laptop for their child to take to school this year, or perhaps you're looking for a system that will give you a new edge at the office. The reason you are buying your laptop is going to determine what you're going to need out of the new system. If your laptop is going to be using Computer Animated Design software for example, you're going to want a more powerful processor than if you're merely using it for Word Processing or Internet based research. Are you a hardcore gamer? Do you like editing photos or creating videos? Are you a musician looking to get some better exposure? It may be best for you to jot down every possible scenario you could see yourself using the laptop before you read the next section of the guide, to be sure you're getting everything you need out of the system.
Laptops come in all shapes and sizes.
Size does matter.
This is a feature that a lot of people overlook when buying a laptop, but the size and physical features of the laptop are arguably one of the most important. Where the processor, amount of ram, and hard drive can be upgraded and replaced as needed, features like the size of the laptop, the placement of its various input/output ports and it's weight are all things that you're realistically going to be stuck with after your purchase it. Some things to ask yourself are:
- How large of a screen am I going to need?
- Am I going to be carrying this laptop around a lot?
- How many peripherals are going to be attached to the laptop?
- Am I going to miss not having the NUMPAD on my keyboard?
year and a half down the road the cheap hard drive that HP placed in your laptop dies out, you can call the company that you purchased your warranty from and either get your laptop repaired, get it replaced, or get your money back (less the money spent purchasing the warranty). And in most cases, the cost of the warranty is less than even the cost of buying the replacement part, let alone the cost to have it replaced.
I hope this guide has been helpful in assisting you in purchasing not only a new laptop, but everything that you'll need to go with it. I spent a lot of time writing this from first hand knowledge, and any feedback you can provide will be most appreciated. Happy hunting, and I'll see you online!
