Laptop buying tip
Purchasing a home or business laptop can be a much more confusing and sometimes frightening experience. Below is a listing of help and tips when considering to purchase a laptop computer.
What to look for
When purchasing a computer, it is likely that you are going to have a general idea of what you may like in the computer or how you would like to configure the computer. Below is a listing of the various components likely to be found in a computer, and recommendations and tips when considering any of the below components.
Battery usage
Determine how long the battery is expected to last under normal use. Many manufacturers will indicate a battery usage time but this may be at the lowest possible settings; ensure that the manufacturer clarifies what the standard battery usage life is when using the portable computer in all power modes.
Display
All portable computers come with a display. While it is almost always possible to hook up an external monitor when traveling with the laptop, the display is an important consideration. When looking at the display, ensure it is large enough for your needs. A very easy method of reducing the cost of the laptop is to reduce the size of the screen, unless price is an important consideration we highly suggest that you purchase a laptop with at least a 12" or larger LCD and recommend an LCD size of 14".
Complete buying tip information on Flat Panel or LCD solutions can be found on our flat panel buying tips page.
Drives
Drives are sometimes overlooked when considering a portable computer but can be an important consideration. Portable computers can come with various drive configurations, for example:
- One drive bay where the CD-ROM and the Floppy drive are interchangeable. For users who utilize the floppy drive often, this may be an issue; however, for other users who do not utilize the floppy, this may be a more appropriate solution as the computer will be lighter and thinner with one drive bay.
- Two drive bay portable computers have a floppy solution as well as CD-ROM solutions. These computers will be a less expensive computer when compared to the other solutions; however, it is the always the heaviest of all the solutions.
- No drive bay portable computers allow for a laptop to be extremely light and utilize external drives instead of internal. Pay close attention to the price of these laptops; while it may appear to be a portable solution, many manufacturers will charge you an additional price for the external drives, which will eventually be needed.
Finally, some users may also want to consider different media solutions. For example, many laptops allow for a standard floppy drive or an LS120 drive. The LS120 drive can read floppy diskettes and at the same time be used as a backup storage device as it can store up to 120MB on a LS120 diskette. Additionally, consider the option of a DVD* or CD-RW drive as opposed to a CD-ROM drive.
*If you are considering a DVD solution, verify if the DVD comes with hardware or software decoding. Hardware decoding for laptops is accomplished by using a PCMCIA card and will add onto the overall price of the laptop.
Hard drive
Hard drives have and always will be an important consideration to think about when purchasing a new portable computer. Like a standard computer, the hard drive will be the destination of all your files and information, and if that drive is to become full, that drive must be replaced or another external drive needs to be added to the computer. When looking at the space of the hard drive, always get the maximum size hard drive, considering you will eventually always run out of space.
Complete buying tip information on hard drives can be found on our hard drive buying tips page.
Lock
Does the portable computer include any locking system? If yes, what locking system is included? This can be important for users who are on the road.
Memory
Memory is and has always been an important consideration when looking at purchasing a computer. Determine the amount of memory included in the computer as well as verify if that memory can be upgraded in the future. The more memory the computer has, the more efficient the computer is capable or running.
Complete buying tip information on computer memory can be found on our memory buying tips page.
Modem
If a modem is required, ensure that a modem is included with the portable computer. In addition, verify if the modem is an internal or PC-CARD (PCMCIA) modem as you may require all the available PC-CARD slots in the future. PC-CARD modems are type II.