Complain about a product or service

Know Your Needs to Choose the Right Laptop

Not all laptops are alike, a veteran reviewer notes

By Daniel Shain

December 6, 2008

When purchasing a laptop there are a few things you should consider to make sure you get the optimal bang for your buck.

Know what your needs are

This might be the hardest part for some people, but it is also the most important.  You need to know what you’re going to be using the laptop for – and if you find you can’t answer the question, you probably shouldn’t be getting a laptop at all.  Do you need something portable, or will something more stationary do?  Do you want to play games on it?  Do you want to watch movies on it?  Do you only want it for simple tasks like word processing or checking your email?

Answering these and other questions will help you make sure you get a laptop that’s right for you, minimizing frustration down the road.

Focus on a form factor

Form factor is a fancy term for size, and it is a key component determining the usability – and just as importantly, the price – of a notebook.  Laptops with large screens and heavy weights are considered desktop replacements.  On the other extreme, laptops with moderate-sized screens and minimal weights are considered ultra-thin or “thin and light”.  Then there are the netbooks, with small screens, light weights, and low prices, and also standard laptops, with moderate marks all around.

Based on your assessments of your needs, determine which form factor is right for you.  This will narrow down your search and help you focus on picking the perfect fit within the size category.

Choose an operating system

The operating system, or OS, is the interface which greets you as you run your computer every day, and is also extremely important in determining both usability and price.  There are three major OSs and each has its pros and cons.  The most expensive is Mac OSX, the most recent version of which is called Leopard.

OSX has been praised for its intuitive interface and has many fans, but you’ll only find it on Apple notebooks and it is invariably more expensive than an equivalent machine with a different OS. On the other extreme is Linux, which is free, and you may have heard of the popular version called Ubuntu.  Linux has a very simple interface but sometimes it can be hard to navigate if you’re not savvy with Linux or computers in general.

Spanning the gap is Microsoft, makers of Windows XP and Windows Vista.  Windows is the most common OS on the planet, and its usability as well as price falls somewhere in between OSX and Linux.

All of these OSs work and will run your laptop just fine, but determining which OS suits your style and capabilities (and budget) is important.  If you’re buying at a store, be sure to ask someone if you can try out a computer with each OS if you’re not familiar with the differences.

Decide what hardware you really need

Now that you’ve got a form factor and your OS, it’s time to get into the nitty gritty of the laptop, which is the hardware.  Hardware is a physical component that makes your computer run, such as the processor or the memory.  Different hardware can result in vastly different computer performance, so it’s important to purchase hardware that will meet your needs.

If battery life is important, spring for the more expensive but more energy efficient processor.  If graphical performance is important, make sure you have a dedicated graphics card and plenty of RAM.  If you’re planning on storing a lot of files, make sure you have a large enough hard drive.

Alternatively, if something isn’t important to you, make sure you’re not paying for hardware that isn’t necessary to do the things you’re going to be doing.  For example, don’t shell out for that Blu-ray drive if you only plan to own DVDs.  Choosing the right hardware means you’re only paying for the power that you specifically need, maximizing the cost effectiveness of your notebook.

Make sure you’re not paying for software you don’t want

Many laptops will come bundled with software packages, advertised at large discounts off their retail price.  Sometimes this will be the perfect combination of software for you, but most of the time you end up paying for things you will either uninstall or simply forget about as they bog down your computer in the background.  Take care to make sure you’re not paying an extra couple hundred dollars for software that you never asked for. 

It’s also important to understand that much of the “discounted” software can be matched for free via open source solutions, as long as you are willing to take the time to download and install them yourself.  One example is Open Office, which performs the same tasks as Microsoft Office but can be downloaded for free online.  If you understand your own needs from the get-go, you won’t be fooled by a salesman into buying a package you don’t need.

Shop around, including online

Where you buy your laptop is important, and in many cases deals can be found online that are a better value than the deals at a retail store.  It’s important to look around in as many places as you can to make sure you get the best deal that matches your needs.  If you’re not comfortable buying from an unknown source online or are simply lost without a salesman to help you, try going to the store first and talking to someone.  Once you’re convinced which laptop is for you, return home and look at other sources.

Often there are “online only” deals for the brick and mortar store you were just shopping at, and you can find a better deal just buy going home and buying it there instead.  Some stores also offer to match any competitor’s price, meaning that if you find a deal online but would prefer to deal with people you can see, you can still get your price.  Shopping around makes sure you’re not paying more for your laptop than you have to.

Get something upgradeable

Upgrading a laptop is a cheap and effective way to add years onto your laptop’s life.  Initially laptops were nearly impossible to upgrade, but now many notebooks come with extra slots for additional RAM or convenient access to the hard drive, allowing you to replace it with a larger drive down the road.  While certain components are still difficult to upgrade, changing just these components can convert a notebook from obsolete to something quite usable again.

If you plan on using your laptop for a long time, make sure you buy one that is convenient to upgrade and that you understand how to do it.

There is a lot that goes into a computer, and most people end up spending at least some time in front of their computer every day.  And although prices have come down over the years, it is still an expensive investment.  When buying a laptop, it is important to consider as many aspects as possible to ensure that you meet all your needs while still getting bang for your buck.  If you don’t you may end up frustrated trying to play games on a netbook, or wasting money when you idly surf the web on your top-of-the-line gaming notebook.  Understanding your own needs and how they relate to the above categories will help you get just the laptop you’re looking for.

More about computers ...

Daniel Shain reviews laptops for LaptopLogic.com, an established laptop resource with an extensive library of laptop reviews, news and articles for both beginners and experts.

Report Your Experience
If you've had a bad experience -- or a good one -- with a consumer product or service, we'd like to hear about it. All complaints are reviewed by class action attorneys and are considered for publication on our site. Knowledge is power! Help spread the word. File your consumer report now.

Share		Follow us on Twitter.

Back to the top |