Buying a Budget Laptop

Thinking of buying a laptop, but you're not willing to give up your firstborn in exchange? Well, there's good news ahead for the price-conscious consumer: along with new advances in mobile computer technology, the average price of laptops have been coming down out of the stratosphere. While this is helpful, the fact it for most people it's still a major investment-and major investments are usually done with a budget in mind. These days it's pretty easy to get your money's worth and still get the features you want, as long as you know what you're looking for. For most potential laptop owners, the key point is to figure out what you need versus what you want regarding weight, screen size, central processing unit (CPU), random access memory (RAM), and video card.

Weight

Choosing a weight range usually isn't a problem for most consumers, but if you're on a tight budget you may not get much of a choice no matter how bare-bones you make it. At the moment, most of the budget laptops weigh around 6-7 pounds. The lower weight "ultra-portable" laptops and the heavier laptops meant to replace desktops both carry a heavier price tag. If you stay in the middle range, you'll have more money to spend on specifics.

Screen size

Once you've decided on an adequate weight, your screen size options will also be limited. That doesn't mean you have to find a screen the size of a postage stamp, though. Most run-of-the-mill screens will be 14.5-15 inches, more than enough to see your icons clearly. If you want something bigger and plan to use the laptop mostly at home, you can connect it to a CRT or LCD desktop monitor. You can even use your current monitor from the desktop computer you have now to save money. Just remember to ask the seller if the laptop you're going to buy has this capability.

Central Processing Unit (CPU)

The CPU is one are you don't have to worry too much about unless you're a serious gamer or have to run multiple programs at once, so you can probably save a little money here. Companies are always promoting the latest advances in CPU technology, but 9 times out of 10 you won't need to stay on the cutting edge. Unless you need your laptop to tapdance, sing "Ave Maria" and cook you dinner at the same time you're better off with a less-current CPU.

Random Access Memory (RAM)

Budget laptops often fall short in this category, offering a meager 256 MB (or megabytes) where 1 GB (gigabyte) or more is usually required for any type of usability. Thankfully, RAM is easily upgraded, so if you can't afford the extra right now, buy the laptop anyway and upgrade it to 1 GB or more later.

Video card

The video card (also called a GPU, or graphics processing unit) is what lets you see images on your computer screen. You can choose between a shared video card, where the card shares your laptop's RAM, or a dedicated video card that uses its own RAM. If your budget is tight, though, you'll probably have to go with a shared video card. This is bad news if you like to play modern video games, since a shared video card can't handle the complexities. If you had hoped to play some of the more recent games out there, save up for a better laptop or buy a desktop system (usually cheaper than a laptop feature-for-feature) that can keep up with the graphics.

Buying with a budget is never easy, especially when you see more expensive laptops with better features down the aisle. If you wander in blindly you could end up feeling cheated, throwing your money away on an inferior computer. As long as you think about what you need ahead of time and can separate those needs from more superfluous "wants", you should be confident in making a smart choice that will suit your circumstances. A budget laptop, when well researched, can serve you well without landing you in the poorhouse.