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How To Pick A Good Laptop
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08-Dec-2008
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Laptops are not the 'new and trendy' thing they used to be; practically everyone has or has had one. If you are part of the latter, most likely you bought one that never should have been sold (and most computers for sale, all bias aside, should not be sold – they're too underpowered) and were turned off. Like everything else, good purchasing requires a good guide; here you go:
Battery
First up is battery. If you buy a laptop that has you married to an outlet, you might as well just buy a desktop as they're more powerful and cheaper. So how much battery life is appropriate? The answer really depends on what you use your laptop for. If you're a road warrior who will likely be spending hours on a plane or train, you need some serious battery power (we're talking 6-cell, 6+ hours). And yes, they are out there (although you have to expect printed battery life to be somewhat inflated, if you can get a good four hours out of a laptop, congratulations). If you are simply a couch warrior who wants a comfy spot in front of the television, buy an extension chord and save yourself the money. Factor printed battery life times by 60%.
Hard Drive
For the longest time, hard drives have really been apples verses slightly different apples. That actually isn't the case anymore. Instead of the traditional spinning-magnetic disks that we've all come to know and love (yeah, that thing that burns your lap on the bottom and is loud as anything), many companies are now offering what is known as a 'Solid State Drive' that operates on the same technology as many flash drives that we've also become all too well acquainted with (and for the most part, love). Before we go further, you do typically get less storage for significantly more money when utilizing SSD's. That being said, storage is so cheap in general, you usually are given 5x as much as you really need. A lot of laptops with SSD now come in 20 GB, 40 GB or 60 GB models – and you can get these for even under $500. The reasons to get an SSD model are many fold. For starters, boot up time is significantly reduced with SSD's. You can expect boot up to take a matter of seconds, not minutes. As well, the drives operate faster in general. Also, you can expect better battery performance with these as there are no moving parts (which is a major drawback of the traditional spinners). What you are losing in grossly oversupplied storage, you more than makeup with in significantly improved performance. It's a tossup, but technology is always moving forward, not backward; SSD is forward. And remember, storage is ever so easily supplemented by flash memory and external hard drive devices, so don't freak out if you are feeling somewhat overwhelmed.
Integrated Devices
One of the biggest conundrums that laptop manufacturers have had over the years is just what to package with a laptop. And yes – they have thought of everything (and yes, this is a real picture). Again, consider what you are using it for. The more mobile you are, the more ultra-portable you want to be. Integrated devices make things run a lot smoother and give you less baggage to drag along and rummage through. Think in terms of disc drives (no, they are not necessary or even recommended anymore...some of the time), Web cameras (easy video conferencing from the train, plane or hotel), media card readers (this is a must, but not all models come with them; think of what devices you have, and then pick one that comes with SD – you'll thank me) and other devices such as these. The bottom line, with respect to a laptop, if you are going to need them, get them integrated (and make certain you have a good warranty program...).
Memory
Unlike desktops, laptops have much fewer options for upgrading; they can, however, upgrade memory – to an extent. Any new laptop will probably come with Windows Vista; this means you are really looking for 2 GB of memory on board. Buy it up front as you'll just get frustrated later on as to when to buy, what speed of sloth is acceptable, et cetera. Even so, having the option to go a little further will greatly extend the life of the device (perhaps up to 5 years as has been the case with mine; still no complaints!). Make certain that if the model you choose doesn't have extra chip slots, that the chip slots that come filled can be filled with higher capacity chips.
Processor
With the onset of quad-core processors, laptops certainly have not been left behind. The problem is that processors represent a significant part of your battery drain, and thusly the overall usability of the laptop. If your work functions can be appropriately done from a dual-core processor, it may be wiser to go with a lower-powered alternative that will allow you greater battery performance, instead of having extra processing power that is not going to be used, but will still drain your system.
Monitor
Last, but not least, is monitor. Let's face it, this is the biggest part of the laptop's functionality as you are completely, truly and deeply married to it. As long as you have the laptop, that's the monitor you're going to have. You can stray from your Operating System, swap out some memory chips, and do some funky things with peripherals, but that monitor is going to be staring you back in the face till battery death do you part. It is very tempting to skimp out on monitors with laptops as an inch can represent up to $100 in savings. Again, how much is the cost of frustration? If you have a wide screen on your desktop, get a wide screen for your laptop. If you like a 1280x1024 resolution on your desktop, get an appropriate laptop monitor. The point is to focus on your usability, functionality and convenience.
With all that in mind, you should be well prepared to make an informed decision and purchase a device that will, hopefully, last you many years to come (as mine has for me). |
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