Shopping for Laptops - What to Look Out for?

What should you be looking out for when buying a new laptop? For some professionals, it may be an Extraordinary Works Kitchens, but it may not be that easy especially there are so many brands and models to choose from. Basically, I will list here a couple of important aspects that one should bear in mind when choosing a gadget of your choice.

Laptops are very fragile objects, as compared to desktops. They are very vulnerable to knocks, wear and tear, and even dust! Yet, they provide specific features, such as mobility and lightweight, where its compatriot is unable to provide. However, before jumping into the wagon to join everyone in buying a low-cost laptop, it is important to note what you should be looking out for.

(specific list of factors to look out...)

Factors for Consideration

1. Battery life - To a mobile traveller, this is a number one factor. Running out of batter power in the middle of a business presentation can be disastrous and perhaps, embarrassing.

   Nowadays, a lot of devices are embedded into a single machine, e.g. bluetooth, wireless card, built-in DVD drive and built-in speaker; these consume battery faster if activated. So, it might perhaps be more efficient to switch them off, when not in used.

   Unless you are looking for a laptop that always have access to power source, it is always useful to find out how long the laptop can sustain just basically on battery power. A simple indication is by finding out how long the battery can last on a DVD playback.

2. Weight - My strong advice is never buy a laptop for its power, but rather for its mobility. The purpose of a laptop is to enhance mobility, the lighter the better. If there is a need for power, then choose a desktop instead. Any weight beyond 3kg is considered heavy for a laptop.

   Remember, ask yourself the question of why you buy a notebook (laptop). It should not because of its power. Travelling can be a hassle, even for a 2kg laptop. The machine can simply weigh you down as the day goes on, and it can be very troublesome for someone who travels internationally on a plane.

3. Accessories - Always visit more than one computer stores, and if possible check out various online stores. Always compare the prices and the features provided by the manufacturers or companies.

   Some manufacturers are always willing to throw in some free gifts with the sale of a notebook, just to get you to purchase from them. Some of these free gifts may include a laptop bag (which can be rather costly), extra batteries (helpful for long-haul travellers), USB thumb drive (additional removable storage device), and even more...

   Sometimes, these accessories may add up to be quite an astonishing price, and yet you get them for free. So, always ask for availability of free gifts from them because if you don't ask, you will never get.

With these simple guidelines, I hope it helps you to select your appropriate laptop for your usage. Gamers should of course, go for desktops. Mobile gamers may certainly opt for desktop-replacement laptops, which is definitely heavier than 3kg, yet providing a lot more computing power.

Nonetheless, a laptop should always remain lightweight and mobile. Finally, if you ask me if you should go for Intel or AMD, I would say that both are equally good in terms of laptop computing, i.e. their processor chips are now at least dual-core, and has equipped them with power-saving features. My gut still remain with Intel Core 2 Duo, which seems to provide more power-saving capability than its rival.