Laptop buying guide: 8 important tips

Compact to carry enough with them, yet versatile enough to demanding applications are running, a laptop is the best tool for serious work or play at home and on the road. During standalone tablets and Smartphones are becoming popular are aware, most of the people that everything from the type of research to crunch video gaming better works on a laptop. So you get what kind of laptop?

Laptop buying guide: 8 important tips

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Laptop buying guide: 8 important tips

There are a number of sizes, features and prices, which makes choosing the right laptop of a challenge. Therefore, you need to find out what your needs are. To make the right decision, just follow these steps.

1 Select a platform: Mac, Windows, or chrome OS?

This is not a simple question to answer, especially, if you are not familiar with Macs and PCs. But this rapid overview of strengthen and should help weaknesses of each platform.

The most laptop computers have one of the three operating systems: Windows, chrome OS, or Mac OS X (for MacBooks only). Right, the choice is a personal preference, but here is a brief summary of what each offers.

Windows

10 most flexible operating system Windows appearing on many more makes and models as chrome range OS or Mac OS x. Windows notebooks in the price below $150 to several thousand dollars and offer a wide range of functions of touch-screens, fingerprint reader, dual-graphics chips. The latest version of Microsoft’s flagship operating system, Windows 10 offers a number of improvements over Windows 7 and 8, including the ability to change a redesigned Start menu with live tiles and the mighty Cortana digital assistants between Tablet and desktop modes. Since its launch in July 2015 Windows 10 also has a number of improvements, including the ability to follow-up questions with Cortana, use your email address by using natural language search and use the pen to scribble to almost everywhere.

Apple MacOS Sierra

All MacBooks with Apple’s newest desktop operating system MacOS Sierra come. Overall, the operating system offers similar functions on Windows 10, but with a different take on the interface, one of the apps replaced dock at the bottom of the screen for Microsoft’s start menu and taskbar. Instead of Cortana Digital Assistant Siri Mac users get. You can perform transactions with Apple pay, take calls or SMS from their mobile phone and unlock their laptops with a Apple Watch. However, not MacOS for touch is made, because not a MacBook with a touch screen.

Chrome OS

Found on cheap “Chromebook” like the Lenovo OS 100s Chromebook Googles is easy and secure, but limited. The user interface looks like Windows with an application menu, a desktop PC, and the possibility that drag Windows around, but the main app that you use is the chrome browser. The disadvantage is that many of the “Web apps” that you use very good offline work.

But the operation you need a device on the Internet surfing and e-Mails, to navigate social networks and chat online, Chromebooks are cheap and very portable and they offer good battery life. Google is also slow support for Android apps with a handful of Chromebook Google play today run Add.

2. Decide if a 2-in-1

These days, many PC laptops fall into the category of the “2 – in 1s,” devices, between traditional clamshell of Tablet mode and other positions in between such as tent change modes can be or. The 2 – in 1s come in two different styles: Detachables with screens that come from the keyboard fully and flexibly to change laptops with hinges which turn back 360 degrees around the mode. Most of these systems are far better than the other, bend back as the first laptops do serve a purpose and Detachables offers a superior Tablet experience. However, if you see no need to use your notebook as a sheet, usually more power get for your money and a better productivity experience with a traditional clamshell laptop.

If you notice yourself, a 2-in-1, decide that Bendables usually far better battery life than their removable brothers.  

3. Select the correct size

Before you find product information or prices, you need to find out how portable you need your laptop to be. Notebooks are categorized by their display sizes:

• 11 to 12 inches: That 11 to 12-inch screens have the thinnest and lightest systems around and usually 2.5 to 3.5 pounds weigh,
• 13 to 14 inches: Offers the best balance of mobility and ease of use, especially if you get a laptop that weighs under 4 pounds.
• 15 inch: The most popular size, 15-inch notebooks typically 4.5 to 6.5 pounds weigh. Into account, if you don’t plan a larger screen and you often carry your notebook this size.
• 17 to 18 inches: If you could every day, a 17 or 18-inch system with the kind of processing does your laptop on the desk remains all day need to play high end games or to do workstation level productivity.

4. Make sure that keyboard and touchpad

does not mean the impressive specifications of the world that diddly if the laptop you want to buy good ergonomics does not. If you plan to do a lot of work on your computer make sure that the keyboard offers solid tactile feedback, numerous vertical travel (distance the key fails, when pressed, typically 1 to 2 mm) and enough space between the buttons.

You are looking for a precise touch pad, which will not give erratic cursor and responds consistently to multitouch gestures like pinch-to-zoom. If you buy a business laptop, consider one with a pointer (aka nub) between the G and H keys, so that you can navigate to the desktop, without lifting your fingers from the keyboard home row.

5. Choose you your specifications

Notebook components such as the processor, hard disk, RAM, and graphics chip can lovers confuse not feel even notebook so bad when spec sheets look like alphabet soup for you.

Here are the major components, keep in mind.

• CPU: the ‘brain’ of the computer, the processor has a large impact on the performance, but depending on what you want to do, even the least expensive model may be good enough. Here is an overview. 
  • Intel Core i5: , if you with the best combination of price and performance, looking for a mainstream laptop you get one with an Intel Core i5 processor. Models ending in U (E.g.: core i5-7200U) are most common.  Those with the Y in the name are low-power and have worse performance, while models with a HQ offer four cores.
  • Intel Core i7: high performance for gaming rigs and work stations. Use higher wattage models with numbers that end in HQ or K and have four cores, allowing for faster games and productivity. There are also core i7 Y series chips, the less power and performance have.
  • Intel Core i3: performance is only one level below core i5 and so is the price. If you can possibly get to a core i5, we recommend it.
  • AMD A, FX or E series: found on low-cost laptops processors from AMD-the company calls them instead of CPUs-APUs-offer decent performance for the money that show good enough for Web surfing, media and productivity.
  • Intel atom: found at very cheap laptops–think $250 and under – Atom provides basic performance but more battery life than Celeron/Pentium.
  • Intel Pentium / Celeron: frequently in sub $400 laptops, these chips are a little faster than the atom, but offer poor battery life. If you to a core i3 or i5 can pay more, you would be better off.
  • m Intel Core / core i5 / i7 “Y series”- low-power and low heat systems with these processors, fanless can go. Performance is better than Celeron, but a class by regular core i5 U-series.
• RAM: some sub$ 250 laptops come with only 2 GB of RAM, but ideally you want at least 4 GB and 8 GB on a budget system, if you can spend a little more. For most users is 16 GB or more too much of the good.
• Memory drive (aka hard disk): even more important than the speed of the CPU performance of the drive is storage. If you can afford it and you need a ton of memory, get a laptop drive (SSD) instead of a hard drive with a solid state, because you see at least three times as fast and much faster laptop altogether.

  under the SSDs, which offer newer PCIe X 4 (aka NVME) units triple the speed of the traditional SATA drives. Sub$ 250 laptoPS use eMMC memory, which technically is but not faster than a mechanical hard drive solid-state.

• Display: the more content you can watch on the screen the more pixels you have, and the sharper it will look. The most budget and mainstream notebooks have 1366 x 768 display, but if you can afford it, we recommend that at 1920 x 1080, also known as full HD pay extra for a Panel, or 1080 p is running. Some high end laptops have sharp screens, 2560 x 1600, 3200 x 1800 or even 3840 x 2160, looking all but consume more power, reduces the battery life.
• Touch screen: you’ll not much , when you buy a regular clamshell laptop, rather than a 2-1 advantage of a touch screen and you get less battery life 1 to 3 hours. 2-in-1-s touch screen equipped.
• Graphics chip: , if you play non PC-games, create 3D objects or high res video editing to do, an integrated graphics chip (one, the system stores shares) will be OK. If you have any of the above, although a discrete graphics processor from AMD or NVIDIA indispensable. As in CPUs, there are both high and low – end graphics chips. NVIDIA a list does its graphics chips of low to high-end, such as AMD.
• DVD/Blu-ray drives. only a few notebooks with optical drives come because all software and movies are available for download. If you really need to read / write discs and choosing your laptop does not come with a built-in DVD drive, you can buy but always outside, which connects via USB for under $20.

6. Skimp on battery life

If you buy big, bulky laptop, with you only on a table near a wall outlet, you need not worry about, battery life. However, if you use your notebook on your lap, also if it at home or work would you should at least 6 hours endurance, with 8 + hours ideally. To determine the expected battery life of notebooks, not the manufacturer, take word for it. Instead, you read third-party results from objective sources, such as our reviews.

7. Planning based on your household

These days, you buy a suitable laptop for under $200, but if you can budget more, get you build a system with better quality, increased performance and a better display. Here is what can you for every price range.

• $150 to $250: the least expensive laptops are either Chromebook running Google’s browser-centric OS, or low-end Windows systems with minimal storage and slower processors, such as the 11 HP stream and the Lenovo IdeaPad 100 s. use this as only a secondary computer, or on the children give further.
• $350 to $600: for under $600, you can a notebook with an Intel Core i5 or AMD A8 CPU, 4 to 8 GB of RAM and a 500 GB hard drive, all reputable specifications. But do not have at this price, most notebook computers a SSD full HD display and long battery life. There are a few notable exceptions, such as the ASUS VivoBook E403Sa and Lenovo ThinkPad 13
• $600 to $900: to see how over $600, then start to more premium designs, like for example metallic surfaces . Manufacturers also start to add other features, like you, show price including higher resolution and SSDs.
• about $900 risen: expect in this price range notebooks, the portable, powerful, or both. Expect screens with higher resolution, faster processors and possibly discrete graphics. The lightest and most durable ultra portables, such as the Apple MacBook and the Dell XPS 13, tend to be more than $1,000 cost (although you can get the Dell for less if you opt for a touch screen not). High end gaming systems and mobile workstations costs usually upwards of $1,500 or even as much as $2,500 or $3,000.

8. Mind

Brand your laptop is only as good as the company that stands behind it. Accurate and timely technical support is of utmost importance, which is why laptop Mag evaluates every major brand in our annual tech support showdown. In the past Jahr Apple came in first place, followed by HP and Samsung.This last year Apple came in first place, followed by Microsoft and Samsung.

Support is only a part of what a laptop brand your money value. You must also consider how the manufacturer stacks up to the competition in terms of design, value and selection, to verify performance and other criteria. In our report best and worst laptop brands by 2015 Apple ranked first, followed by Dell and HP.

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