Laptops are otherwise known as notebooks. They are handy, mobile, and portable; they are of various sizes and have different grades of features. Now, how do you search and select for the laptop that’s right for your needs? Just follow this guide on how to choose the best notebook computers.
How often do you go around with your Laptops? Why do you intend to get a laptop, is it for playing games or run graphics-intensive programs like photo editing software? Generally, laptops have more features than we possibly use them for.
Midsized and big screen laptops offer more features than smaller laptops and are best options for games and graphics-intensive programs like video and photo editing. They range from around 3kg to 5kg
Ultra-slim laptops are light and the best option for students mostly who need to carry them everywhere, as they range from 2kg and above.
Processor Speed: The Faster, the Better.
Processors are sometimes referred to as the “brain” of a computer. They determine the speed of the computer and the hardware’s on it. The speed of the processor is measured in GHz (gigahertz), e.g., 2.4GHz, 1.8GHz, 3.3GHz, etc. The best option is to buy laptops which is fast.
RAM (Random Access Memory)
RAM (Random Access Memory) helps processors perform different tasks by acting as a temporary storage. The RAM is majorly of various sizes, e.g., 512MB, 1GB, 2GB, 4GB, etc. The more the RAM on your system, the more programs (Applications) you can run at once, and the faster your computer will go.
Graphics Card (VGA).
A graphics (or video) card is a different processor on its own which is used for rendering the images on the screen. Graphics card has its own RAM allocated to it, so that the performance of the computer is not affected. This is important for graphics-intensive programs, such as games, corel draws, cinema 3D, Photoshop, movies, etc.
The Hard Drive
A computer’s hard drive is known as the storage room. It houses all files and document. The Storage capacity is measured in gigs but mainly known as gigabytes (GB). The more GB, the larger the files it can contain. If you intend to store large files like applications, 3D games, high-quality photos, movies or music, you should target buying a system with a hard disk ranging from 500GB to 1TB.
Laptops are mainly used for surfing the Internet, email and its best to partition hard disks into 2 drives, C Drive (contains mainly the windows files and other installed applications) and D drive (contains mainly drivers and software applications).
A Typical laptop battery life is between three to five hours for new systems. Depending on the part of the country you are and the rate of power supply, then consider a laptop computer with a battery life of over five hours.
Hardware’s and Ports
Considering the devices you have and how you will connect them your laptop, Wireless (Wi-Fi), Bluetooth, USB ports are necessary for iPods, digital cameras and external hard drives; also look for FireWire ports.
Wireless networking (Wi-Fi) and Bluetooth allows connection between devices at a range of different networks without the need for wires or cords.
Connection with monitors and projectors, you will need to check for a DVI, HDMI or Display Port.
Consider These “Usability” Factors
Laptops always come with a pointing stick or a touch pad instead of a mouse, ensure that it is easier and comfortable when using.
Also check for the keyboard size and design for easy usage also, and the size of your screen, 14, 15 or 19 inches.