So, you’re in the market for a new laptop. There are different ways to go about it – maybe you do some research first online, and look through some reviews. Maybe you ask friends on their opinions or experiences with certain makes and models. Or maybe you just wing it, and hope the person in the shop gives you some good advice on the day. However you choose to go about it, here are some important things to think about before you make a decision, including some factors that you won’t really be able to decide on, until you’re in a shop with a particular laptop in front of you. Make this your mantra: Try before you buy!
Keyboard
If you’re used to using a desktop computer, then you’ll find laptop keyboards quite a bit different. Due mainly to the size difference you’ll find that laptop keyboards have less “travel”. This means the distance the keys have to travel, before keystrokes are recognised, and respond accordingly. It’s also common for models with less key travel to be less engaging and tactile to use. The way a keyboard feels is a personal thing, but depending on budget, not all laptop keyboards are made equal. For example, spacing between keys is often different and can influence typing comfort. Also, if you’ve been used to a desktop keyboard before, you will find, again, according to budget that not all laptops keyboard come with a full numeric key section (as well as the numeric row along the top) – this, for some can be an important factor. Basically, it comes down to preference, and the keyboard is certainly something you have try before you buy and decides what suits you best.
Touchpad
The touchpad might seem like a minor thing to think about when considering a new laptop, but if you use it a lot, it’s an important factor. A lot of people prefer to just plug in a normal desktop mouse, rather than using the built-in touchpad on a laptop as a mouse. If you’re not one of those people, then make sure you test out different touchpads before you buy, as they are not all made equal. Sensitivity, button design/travel and multi-touch are just three things to pay attention to when testing a touchpad.
Hard drive
Laptop hard drives come in two flavours. Mechanical hard disk drives (HDDs) and solid state drives (SSDs). The latter is a newer technology with no moving parts where information is saved to a chip, rather than on spinning platters. This means SSDs are demonstrably fast than the older HDD technology. Due to size to price ratio, it also means that if you buy a laptop with an SSD pre-installed, it will be quite a bit smaller in capacity than an older HDD. If you plan to store thousands of photos, videos, music files on your laptop, and you opt for a smaller SSD, you’ll quickly find yourself running out of space. If you don’t want to trade-off between overall computing performance and space, your option might be to go with a laptop with an SSD and then attach a portable hard drive for photos/ videos/music files.
Weight
If the plan for your laptop is that you’ll sit it at a table or desk and it’ll rarely move anywhere, then weight won’t be an issue for you. If, on the other hand, you plan to travel with it, and generally use it “on the go”, then that might be a different matter. To an extent, budget is a factor here. What are sometimes known as “Ultra Portables” – laptops that come in around the 1-and-a-bit kg range are generally going to have a heftier price tag on them. Carrying such a device in your bag though, you’d hardly know it was there. So, simply consider if you want your new laptop to be portable, and work your decision around that.
Connectivity
If you have no particular special technical requirements with regards to connectivity ports on your new laptop, try and at least opt for a model with at least two USB 3.0 ports (the blue ones). They offer faster speeds when combined with USB 3.0 external hard drives and other peripherals that take advantage of the technology. If you plan to hook your new laptop up to a TV, you’ll also want to make sure you have an HDMI port.
Screen Size
Screen size is something that will also affect your decision regarding the weight of your chosen new laptop. The larger the laptop overall (i.e. screen size) the weightier it will be. Screen size will depend to an extent on what you plan to do with the computer. If you plan to play around with photos, or watch movies, then you might want to opt for at least a 15” screen. If, on the other hand, you plan to use it for more generalised tasks such as email, web surfing etc, then a smaller screen should suffice.
Usage
I left this one until last as, in a way, it’s a combination of all the other factors that needs to be taken into consideration when making your decision. Are you someone who wants a laptop with good battery life? Do you want a laptop that will be able to handle multi-tasking with ease? (in that case you’ll want more memory) Do you want to be able to use powerful photo editing software (such as Photoshop) without the laptop grinding to a halt? (in that case you’ll want more memory and a powerful processor) These aspects will be dictated by price, so budget is also an important thing to think about.
So, plenty to ponder on, isn’t there? Just remember, don’t be overwhelmed by the choices out there, and don’t let a sales person talk you into something you don’t think you need or want. Think about the factors mentioned in this post, take your time and before you know it you’ll be able to adorn your lap with a new…top.
