When buying a laptop, there are many decisions that should be made to save you a lot of time and money. These decisions are not necessarily which brand name to buy or how much to spend. Often the laptop that is best turns out to be the least expensive or a brand that is not well-known.
What is a laptop?
Laptops have:
- Display
- Speakers
- Keyboard
- Pointing devices;
- Entry device such as USB mouse
- Touchpad or track pad
In other words, almost everything a desktop computer has can go into a single unit laptop and can be powered by an AC electric adapter as well as rechargeable battery.
Assorted laptops
Laptops are a category of assorted devices referred to by other specific terms, such as convertible or notebook. These terms refer to types of laptops that are optimized for a specific use. There are also hardware qualifications that can change between the various makes, types and models of laptops.
Laptop uses
The first matter after deciding brands to look at and how much you are able to spend is a decision on what will this laptop be used for such as:
- Family bookkeeping and finances;
- Multimedia – movies to watch, photos to enhance, home movies;
- Gaming- for everyone in the family and usually placed in the TV area;
- College students use for writing, studies and access to information for classes;
- On the job for email, internet, word processing, desktop publishing, spreadsheets or databases, calendar for scheduling.
Each one of these uses listed above will have programs that you will need and programs that you will not need. Many laptops will come with an email program, connection to the internet, and programs for word processing, scheduling calendar and spreadsheets or databases.
Programs – trial or full versions
New laptops will also come with trial versions of security programs such as virus protection, search engines, malware and backup programs. Depending on what you paid for the laptop, some might come with the entire version of some of these programs already set up and ready to use but in most cases if you decide to keep the trial versions you will have to install most of these programs yourself, register the program and pay for the serial number to unlock the program.
If you have had experience with computers and most people have, you should look for a laptop that has security, email, internet, word processing, database spreadsheets and programs that you are familiar with already. This will made it easier to setup when you are using a trial program that you want to keep.
Programs that match functions
If you are buying the laptop to keep family records and business accounting on you will need a good bookkeeping program as well as the basic programs that come with most laptops.
Multimedia
If you are getting a multimedia laptop you will need a good program that plays movies and any program that downloads movies from the various sites that have movies for rent or sale. You will also need a good program to store photographs and accumulate movies you have done yourself.
Photo editing programs are important especially if someone in the family has photography as a hobby or are interested in graphic design as a career. You can find more information about the latest photography laptops right here if this is what you are looking for in a laptop for a photography career.
Work laptop
With a laptop for use on your job, you will need a good connection to the Internet as well as a good email program. These types of office laptops need to have good programs for word processing, working with spreadsheets as well as a good program for charts and graphs.
Work outside
If you work outside you probably will need a very durable laptop made for just this type of work. These can be dropped or thrown around in a truck, even submerged under water and have very little damage if any. These are the types of units that police officers have.
College students
A computer for college students needs to have everything in order to write papers and do other activities that are connected with their college major. A good laptop for a student in college also needs to be durable and when dropped will not be damaged. Many different colleges have specific laptop requirements such as the Berklee College of Music.
Refurbished laptops
Refurbished laptops can be a good deal but like anything used it is best to get insurance just in case the rebuilt was not done correctly.
Other tips
These are just a few things to consider when you are in the market for a good laptop for home, kids or office use. There are a lot of articles on the internet that can give you more tips as well as let you know when there are big sales around holidays and right before school begins each year.