What to Lookfor in a Laptop

June 29, 2011 – There are many options when choosing a new laptop. Luckily there are now TONS of great resources online to help find the perfect laptop. In addition, we have put together a up-to-date and comprehensive guide on the most important things to know when looking for a new laptop. Keep reading to learn more (there is some great info if you get to the bottom of the page!)

The primary concern most people have when it comes to choosing a new laptop is the cost and also the portability of the laptop. Both factors play a big role when looking at what to look for in a laptop. Purchasing less expensive netbooks has been a very popular trend over the past two years because they are smaller and consume less energy allowing for a longer battery life. In addition, the smaller in size allows for greater portability and are much lighter than traditional laptops.

There are tradeoffs however when using a Netbook. Netbooks tend to have slower processors due to their smaller size and lower battery capacity. A drawback from having such a small form factor is that the screen resolution is lower on Netbooks when compared to full size laptops. On the flip side, the greatest benefit of netbooks is the price – they range anywhere from $199 to $499 for the highest end model, a really great deal.  Like many things in life, there is a tradeoff between performance, cost and portability.

When determining what to look for in a laptop, always make sure the system specifications meet the demands of the programs you will be running. For example Windows 7 recommends 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster processor and one 1 gigabyte (GB) RAM, so make sure to always go a little above and beyond the minimal requirements in order to achieve best results.

Another key factor to determine what to look for in a laptop is to know if you will be downloading large amounts of movies, music and pictures. If so, a larger hard drive will be needed to store all the digital media, preferably 500 GB or larger hard drive. For reference, one DVD is 4.7 GB.

If you want something a little larger with more power, then there is a market segment of 13 inch laptops. They are a little heavier but the processors will be faster, resulting in an overall snappier system. Oftentimes, laptops with 13 inch or larger screens have dual core or quad core processors, essentially multiplying the power of the laptop by 2 or 4 fold. These laptops also have more system memory and have higher resolution screens.

Over the past 5 years Apple has gained much ground on Windows based PC’s. Many people enjoy using Apple products such as iPhones and Macs. Apple produces a smaller version of their popular MacBook laptop which falls into the 13 inch screen size category. Apple also produces the MacBook Air, which blends pleasing aesthetics with high performance in a small, light carefully crafted package for under $1,000. However, Apple products tend to cost more than Windows based laptops but overall those people who use Apple products are very satisfied.

Keep in mind that you may fall in between a few categories when determining what to look for in a laptop. Stay flexible and consider all your options that are out there when determining what to look for in a laptop.

What to look for in a laptop:

Product specs are listed as the minimum recommended by www.whattolookforinalaptop.com to provide you with an example of what to look for in a laptop. These are the not be all end all numbers, just a guide to help you in the confusing path in determining what to look for in a laptop!

Processor (minimum): Intel (1.2GHz) processor
Processor (recommended): Dual Core/Quad Core Intel (1.8GHz) processors

Ram (minimum): 1GB Memory
Ram (recommended): 4GB Memory

Storage (minimum): 250 GB Hard Disk Drive
Storage (recommended): 500 GB Hard Disk Drive

Network Connection Adaptor (minimum): 802.11b/g Wireless LAN
Network Connection Adaptor (recommended): 802.11b/g/n Wireless LAN and 3g cell connection

Battery life (minimum): 4 hours
Battery life (recommended): 6 hours

Screen Resolution (minimum): 800 x 600
Screen Resolution (recommended): 1280 x 1024

Screen Size (minimum): 10.1″
Screen Size (recommended): 13″

Video Out Connection (minimum): VGA
Video Out Connection (recommended): HDMI

Weight (minimum): Under 3 lb
Weight (recommended): Under 2.5 lb

Dimensions (minimum): 8.31″ x 7.01″ x 1.01″
Dimensions (recommended): 10.31″ x 7.01″ x 1.01″

Operating System (minimum): Windows XP
Operating System (recommended): Windows 7 Professional Edition

Super Tip! – I hope you found the guide informative. One last useful tip when searching for a new laptop - always read reviews! This is one of the most important things you can do when looking for a new laptop. There are many people who have purchased and rated laptops. For example, on Amazon.com if you click on the numbers beside the star rating , you can read thousands of reviews and you will get an honest opinion and great insight into the product!