When you’re buying a laptop, what things are you looking for? Well, for me, I consider the following information as pretty crucial aspects of buying and even selling laptops online, or in big box stores. So, this week we are going to do a small series on some dos and don’ts on buying laptops. Here are a few things that you should do, or not do when buying a laptop. In no particular order, we’ll start with these three issues.
Type
#1 – Are you looking at 2-in-1 options? Many people like the fact that there are 2-in-1s on the current market, but it’s important to not get distracted at what you’re looking at. For example, a 2-in-1 is not the same thing as a tablet with a keyboard or the same thing as a standard laptop. Tablets are very restrictive when it comes to multitasking and also fast web-browsing. They also are not very good at running very demanding software, so if you want the portability along as the workings of a standard laptop, you are well within a good idea to check out the 2-in-1s that are in every big box store.
Options
#2 – Balancing your desires against what’s actually important. A lot of people are on a budget, so when they are looking for a laptop to buy, many times they get tunnel vision on what it is they actually need versus what they want. While it’s important to have a good idea of what specs you need, you also need to remember to not get too wrapped around the axel about certain hardware.
A clear example of this is when people are buying a laptop based on the RAM size. Unless you are running really heavy software for work purposes, you usually don’t need much more than 8GB of RAM to get you by and also do well. This truth holds the same with the display, processor speeds, and storage sizes. Most people don’t need 10T of storage on their hard drive and can easily buy an external drive for much less than the extra storage space on a local laptop. You must learn to balance your desires with your budget.
Size
#3 – The size of the actual laptop. OK, here is a classic example of weighing your needs against your budget. Large laptops have some pros, they have a larger screen, a larger keyboard deck, a larger trackpad, and some even come with a number pad. However, with these items being much bigger on a 15″ or 17″ laptop, you sacrifice the ability to just throw it in a backpack and be out. You aren’t going to really want to lug around an 8-pound laptop to and fro classes and/or work. It’s not all that convenient. Then again, when you go for the smaller sizes, you also tend to compromise on the battery size and often times you need to take your charger with you to endure an entire day.
As you begin your week, and as we get closer to Christmas, people will be flocking to the stores to pick up gifts for friends and family members. It’s always a good idea to be prepared when you’re doing your shopping and this week in a continued series, we will drop you some helpful hints to assist you. Whether you are buying or selling a laptop, we have something to say about it.
Stay tuned…
