How to Choose the Right Laptop for You?

By Margaret.

In the age of digital nomads, online media and social networks, one’s devices are not just tools of the trade. They are your portals into the digital world where, nowadays, most of our interactions take place. Your entire work, all of your assets and most of your contacts may be accessible only through such a device, which is why you need to be 100 percent sure that the laptop you’ve chosen is the right one for you. With this in mind and without further ado, here are several parameters you want to follow in order to ensure that this is the case.

1.      Screen size

Even people who don’t know the first thing about laptop components like RAM, CPU or GPU can notice the difference in screen size. Most laptop screens range from 12.5 to 15 inches, which is something you have to take into consideration. In time, you can get accustomed even to the smallest of screens, yet, in order to see the true difference, you should look at these laptops next to each other. On the one hand, a bigger screen is more convenient for work, while a laptop with a smaller screen is more portable, which is often a selling point. Either way, trivial as it may seem, this is one of the biggest choices you will have to make when choosing a laptop.

2.      The right OS

The choice of OS is one that will affect your laptop the most. Nowadays, Windows is still the biggest name in the game, with Linux, macOS and Chrome OS slightly behind. Aside from the standard difference in available applications, this may also dictate the device you’re required to take. For instance, for macOS, you will have to go with MacBook. While it’s true that the differences between them are noticeable, this choice doesn’t really restrict you, seeing as how each platform has its own alternatives to their more popular Windows counterparts.

3.      Brand

One of the most unjust accusations is the idea that people who buy the same brand of laptop all the time do so because of the logo. Differences in brands are about more than that. First of all, every laptop has a different keyboard and getting adjusted to a different brand and its preferences may be something that people are actively trying to avoid. Moreover, in the introduction, we already explained just how important a laptop is to most people, which is why buying quality is of the utmost importance. Therefore, people who’ve had previous positive experiences with HP might decide to stick to this trend in the future as well and look for an HP laptop next time around.

4.      Battery life

Most laptops come with a standard battery for their model and, although you might be compelled to purchase a more potent version, this is usually not worth it. All in all, the standard is somewhere between 5 to 7 hours without charging, which is fine, unless you absolutely need more for work. In that case, it’s smarter to aim for something between 8 and 10 hours or even more.

5.      Budget

The next thing you need to understand is the fact that your laptop definitely isn’t a device you want to save money on. That being said, some high-end models can be incredibly expensive, which is why you want to A) know your budget as early as possible and B) buy them during Black Friday, Cyber Monday and similar occasions. Nevertheless, you might not be in a situation to wait that long, which means that you will have to prioritize (when it comes to laptop features) and sacrifice something important.

6.      Be honest about your needs

Finally, you may need your laptop primarily for work, but you aren’t going to use it just for work, are you? Of course not! However, playing all the latest videogames in your free time is not the same thing as watching TV shows or browsing Facebook. In other words, in order to pick the right device, you have to be honest about your needs.

Conclusion

The point of this guide was to introduce some basic laptop features even to those who have no previous experience in this field. After all, you don’t have to be tech-savvy to know the right screen size when you see it or to google a battery model and check its maximum duration. Furthermore, some of the greatest laptop brands (HP, Lenovo, Asus) are known even to those who’ve never owned a laptop in their life, which only makes it easier to make a choice. Apart from this, the more sources you research, the better, seeing as how choosing a laptop isn’t something you do every day.

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Published
May 03, 2018