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Laptops are often closer to some people than their parents are. Okay, a very small portion of us, but even if you don’t like your laptop as much as your parents, you still are most likely pretty close to it. Buying a new laptop can be confusing and a little off-putting, so we’ve put this guide together for you.
A lot of the process of getting a new laptop, as I always preach, comes down to picking out what is good for you instead of what’s hippest or least expensive. For laptops we can break this down into three major categories; size, function and price. Ready? Here we go!
Size is one of the most daunting factors. From the little mini-netbooks to the honking 17.6″ screens there is a lot to choose from size wise. I personally base my preferences on whether or not there is a number pad. I know, it’s silly considering I don’t do a lot of accounting. I do, however do some gaming, and a number pad is great for that. So think about your keyboard size. Keyboard size often has a direct reflection on the screen size. An 11″ screen will have full keys, but the board itself will be small.
Another size factor is weight. Some people don’t mind weight one way or another. To others, the difference between 5 lbs and 8 lbs is the difference between a hernia. This might sound kind of silly, but it is often a factor with purchases. If it weren’t then the subject would never be brought up in reviews.
So what are you going to use your laptop for? If you are just going to use it for email and web browsing, then realistically you won’t need that fast of a machine. However though, if your interest lies in gaming and the like, then you should probably look into something really big and powerful, otherwise you will never be satisfied.
Whatever you decide your level of power should be, make sure that you can upgrade the RAM later. Being able to upgrade RAM is one of the things most often overlooked when purchasing a new laptop. Being stuck with a machine that can only upgrade by 1 Gig is a bad bad thing.
Price factors into everything. You are obviously not going to get a huge machine for $500. There are some pretty good deals out there, but nothing that huge. A $500 machine will get you onto the internet and let you do some gaming, but nothing as intense as World of Warcraft will ever run at optimum. However one of these laptops will kick tail when it comes to managing your small business or emailing grandma. The higher end machines will go for a cool grand or two. The Trump model s of gaming computers can run as much as a used car. So there is some play in there as far as price goes.
When shopping, you inclination is to get faster than what you will need to begin with figuring that technology will catch up and pass your machine. This type of forward thinking is pretty smart, but remember though, technology in laptops has pretty much slowed some. It’s still progressing, but not as rapidly as it once was. This means that the next new leap in technology will render whatever you get pretty much not as cool as it once was. (I hate the word obsolete.) The point is to get what you need now and worry about the future when it gets here.
Zeeman Haus enjoys writing articles online on a variety of subjects. You can check out his latest website on HP Laptop Deals which provides Deals and Reviews on HP Pavilion, HP G60+ and more.
Posted in PDA 
Tags: computing, electronics, entertainment, gaming, laptop, Laptops, netbook, notebook, pcs, personal computer, portable computer, productivity, programs, Software