If you have decided it is time for a new laptop then congratulations, you have started what should be fun journey. You may be tempted to rush in and click buy – a new laptop is an exciting purchase after all.
However, before you start is highly advisable to invest just a little time and effort doing some research to guide your purchase. This helps ensure you navigate the PC market to your advantage and find the needle in the haystack that helps you the most! That is, you can find the laptop that does just what you need it to do, with the right build and features, and at the right price.
With this article, you will find everything you need to guide your search, and gain the most benefit from your new investment.
How do you use a laptop?
On the face of it you might think this is an obvious question. Drill a little deeper and you will see that there are some quite differing ways that people use laptops to do what they need to do.
By thinking about whether most of your time on your laptop is spent playing games, working, watching movies or surfing the internet, you can figure out how much compute power you need. It will also help you determine what the best screen dimensions are to bring your virtual world to life.
To begin, jot down a few of the main things you are looking for your laptop to do for you. Commuters and regular travelers should probably consider a lightweight design among their priorities. To work regularly with your laptop away from the comfort of its docking station and power supply, you need it to have a decent battery life, and to be able to carry it around comfortably.
Software and applications
Take the chance to think about what operating system, software, applications and cloud storage you want to run on your machine.
A Windows PC is the default option to give you access to most of the tools you need. You will also benefit from the regular patch updates Microsoft provides to enhance its OS and plug any security vulnerabilities.
The PC market is a huge beast, and you should aim to make it work to your advantage. Not only can you be picky about which laptop manufacturer to use, but you can also shop around different retailers to find the best bargains.
In efforts to win business without simply offering discounts, many retailers will throw in software tools and cybersecurity features to entice people to shop with them. Although it may be tempting to look at the final price, you should look into these bundle offers closely as they can offer significant savings on tools you will likely need to buy anyway.
Be clear about the specification you need
Thinking carefully about your particular use case also enables you to define your hardware requirements. If you want a lightweight PC but need to be able to work with a bigger keyboard for instance, you could consider adding a wireless keyboard as an alternative to the laptop’s native offering.
If you plan to add further accessories or monitors, ensure the laptop has at least one USB port to be able to connect devices without wireless functionality.
Also, be honest about whether you actually use touchscreen functionality. If not, you may wish to consider avoiding this as it can give a different glow to the screen compared to non-touchscreen alternatives.
How much can you spend?
With your use case in mind, the last step is to figure out your budget. There are laptops for sale for almost any price now, so you can spend what you are comfortable spending.
Unless you plan to spend a lot of time playing intensive games or running particularly demanding programs, a mid-range or below laptop should be fine for your needs. Even if you need a device to be light and portable, there are options available at the cheapest prices.
The trick with buying a new laptop is to put yourself in the driving seat and think about what you need from your machine. Then you will find there are plenty of options available at almost any price. Enjoy!