Choosing the Right Laptop

Recently I was faced with the difficult decision of purchasing a laptop. As I bounced from store to store I realized one important factor at each store - no one really knew anything about the products they were selling. I am very lucky that I am computer literate and know what the specifications mean on the tags and can determine quality of the computer versus the cost. But as I observed the actions and conversations others were having with sales associates, I realized there was a lot of misinformation passed on to unknowing consumers.

At one point in my life I even worked in computer sales. I have seen the education process of employees - so I know what is being taught to those who are in the stores. Be forewarned stores do make an attempt to educate their sales associates but the information the sales associate passes on to you may not be correct. This could be for a number of reasons; the associate may not want to learn the information, did not absorb or understand it, or is taught to pitch the "sale of the day." Remember, not only do they know about the product (at least hopefully know), but they are taught a sales pitch, told which products to promote - and even without a commission system in place they are rated on performance based on their ability to sell the products and all the add-ons that go with it.

With that being said - what do you look for when you get a computer? First, do you research and know what is out there. Second, come armed with information that tells you what kind of computer you actually need.

Brand Preference

Not all brands are created equal. Some really are better than others, not in quality, but with what they have to offer. Find out how easily replacement parts can be found - can you get replacement parts (such as batteries) in the store or do you need to contact the manufacturer. Also, what is the price difference in replacement parts? Another thing you can do is talk to friends, family, and others about their experiences. My first laptop lasted 7 years, and I will forever stick with that brand because of its previous performance.

Hard Drive Size

Despite what everyone will tell you - you do not need a huge hard drive! The average person will not even fill an 80GB hard drive before the laptop actually fails. My last laptop had a 60GB hard drive, and I download a lot. When it stopped working the drive still was not filled to capacity. If you are using your computer for work, you may want a slightly larger drive because you will be loading a larger number and size of files. Keep in mind, even if you fill your hard drive there is a solution. External hard drives are great to use - they can be attached as an expansion to your current drive or can be used to store information as a back-up system. Even if your computer hard drive fails, an external can still continue to run and store your information without loss. This is great to keep in mind in case your computer fails and you have to format - which destroys all your information.

Tip summary: all you really need is an 80GB hard drive, anything larger is a bonus unless you are using your laptop for professional use. IF this is the case get something slightly larger.

Memory

The basic internet user really doesn't need that much memory. Granted memory is a factor in determining the speed of your computer - but if you are using your laptop for the internet, you don't need a super-speed computer. For basic internet and word processing 1MB of memory is fine. My last computer was running on half that before it stopped working, and I never had an issue with performance. Again, if you are using the laptop for work you may want a bit more, but that is completely your call.

Tip summary: all you really need is 1MB of memory. The only exception is gamers who will need (and want more) memory for higher computer performance.

Processor

The market today is filled with all these fancy processors - but what do they really do. Basically, the higher and better the processor the faster the computer. Stay away from Sempron and Celeron processors. There are not many left on the market, but they are still out there. These processors are generally slow and won't last long. Dual cores are nice, but are for those who generally have multiple windows open and actively using them at the same time. Sales associates are going to push faster and more expensive processors, but the average person will never notice the difference. Again the exception to this is gamers who need a slightly stronger processor for better game performance.

Tip summary: stay away from Sempron and Celeron processors, they are slow and won't last long. Anything better than that is fine for the average person to use - unless you are gaming or using your computer for business a dual core won't give you any benefit.

Price

The more you pay for a computer does not dictate how good the computer actually is. Compare the specification tags with the price - sometimes the better computer is the cheaper one!

These are the basics to keep in mind when purchasing a laptop. All the other technology bells and whistles are your call. When you go to make a purchase know what you are using the computer for, how much you are willing to spend, and compare tags with the computer specifications. Take your time and shop around, and chances are you will walk out with a great deal.