| Things to Consider When Purchasing a Laptop |
|
Although laptops were once reserved for mobile professionals, they are fast replacing desktop computers both at home and in the office. Current computer sales trends show a steady rise in laptop sales, currently doubling that of desktop sales this last year. Many people imagine that purchasing a laptop will automatically make them become an effective mobile computer user. Unfortunately, most people end up purchasing substandard laptops as manufactures have resorted to producing a large variety of cheap quality laptops to compete in current pricing wars. Most of these sub-par laptops are not very well equipped to effectively handle today’s more complicated computing tasks. That being said, there are still many choices available to laptop purchasers. Here are lists of things you should consider when purchasing a computer that will meet your computing needs.
Operating System A good number of laptops sold in major office supply shops and electronic stores are already preloaded with a Microsoft operating system (currently you can find XP and Vista machines). If all you want to do with your new laptop is write simple documents, surf the net and do simple spreadsheets, a bargain basement, no frills laptop might be the answer. This would be the $500-$600 range. You can expect Windows XP Pro or Vista Basic (not recommended) and in some cases Vista Home Premium at this price. However, the other versions of Microsoft’s Vista operating systems like the Business and Ultimate versions offer many other features that are very important if you want to be a true mobile professional. Most people get into trouble migrating from a work group environment to a client-server environment especially if they are using Microsoft’s Consumer level operating systems. These operating systems don’t support joining Server domains and they also don’t have hosting remote desktop connections enabled. You may need to purchase a new operating system or upgrade your current version which may completely renig and savings found in buying an inferior laptop. It is always best to compare all the features of the OS to insure you choose one that will meet your current and future needs. CPU It is very common to find laptops being sold that have very low processing speeds. Since the CPU is the central processing unit of a computer, it’s necessary to purchase a laptop with good processing speeds tailored to meet the demands of mobile computing. Most PC’s that take several minutes to boot and have poor battery life have weak CPU’s. The new Intel Pentium core 2 Duo CPU’s of 2.0GHz are a good starting point. They use less energy and produce very little heat thus giving more processing power. RAM Whereas most new Laptops these days come with RAM of 512MB to 1GB, certain computing applications may require more RAM for efficient running. Typically, a RAM of 1GB is good for Windows XP but it’s just the bare minimum to fully run a laptop using Windows Vista. If you plan to surf the net and maintain multiple office applications at the same time, play advanced games and edit digital photographs on a Vista system, you should consider purchasing a laptop with 2GB of RAM or higher. You may also easily upgrade most newer systems with more RAM, so if you do find a cheaper system that only needs more RAM to be exactly what you need, you’re in luck. Video Card If you plan to use Windows Vista as your operating system, then you need to take into account the quality of the systems video card or on board video. Windows Vista comes with new features such as translucent menus in the Aero interface and 3D Flip technologies which are very resource demanding. They require systems with powerful video cards. Various games also require potent Video Cards regardless of the operating system. Share video of 256mb memory, or stand alone of 128mb memory and up should be considered. Ports Many manufactures are reducing the number of ports such as USB, VGA, DVI, serial and parallel ports found on laptops in order to minimize production costs and provide cheaper laptops. Most people simply assume that these laptops have several ports and end up being frustrated when they find out a port they need isn’t there. Most budget notebooks only provide a pair of USB ports and leave out serial, parallel and DVI ports. When purchasing a laptop, carefully check the specifications to make sure a reasonable number of ports are available that will meet your current and future needs. Screen Size Most people purchase Laptops with oversize screens just for the beauty of it. You will later realize that your 17 or 19 inch screen is not all it’s cracked up to be. Carefully think of where you will be using the laptop before buying one. If you travel quite a lot, then you will need a smaller Laptop that can be placed easily in a protective case or moved around. These smaller models are generally easier to carry and much lighter as well. If your Laptop will stay in one place, then one with a larger screen should be just fine. Integrated Wireless WiFi technology via an integrated 802.11g (start looking for 802.11n in the upcoming months) wireless adapter should be a requirement of any laptop now a days. However, any other form of wireless connectivity may be good but first read the specifications to verify if the models you desire provide the wireless connectivity you want. There is nothing worse than having to run a cord to your laptop! Integrated Bluetooth A laptop without integrated Bluetooth technology is nowadays considered junk. Bluetooth technology lets you connect to cellular phones and other hand held devices which also have Bluetooth technology. It can help you synchronize your cell phone contacts and transfer files from your laptop to other Bluetooth devices. It also helps you add a wireless mouse to your laptop. Battery Life Battery life is one of the most critical factors to a mobile professional. Look carefully at the life span of the battery. To avoid purchasing multiple batteries, consider buying and upgrading the standard battery you purchase with the laptop. Higher capacity batteries last allot longer which is key to a mobile professional especially those that do allot of traveling. Most models of laptops have hi capacity batteries available for aftermarket purchase to fill the need for more wireless time. Regardless of exactly what you will use your new laptop for, there are so many different models and manufactures out there, it should be easy to find one that is right for you. Though there is a place for lower priced, lower end units, make sure you understand what you are getting if you go that route. As always if you need assistance, feel free to contact On-Site computer repair at 1-888-725-4509 and we would be more than happy to help. |