How To Buy A Laptop

I've been asked the question, "What laptop should I buy?" a lot of times. Other variations of that question are "What laptop would you recommend?" and "Is this brand better than this brand?"

Most buyers would look at the CPU and see options of 2.6GHz, 2.5GHz, 2.2GHz or 2.0GHz and would almost automatically choose the one with 2.6GHz and say that it would be a powerful laptop.

Other buyers would look at the price and like the example above, would choose the most expensive laptop as the more powerful laptop.

Right? Wrong. Unlike a Desktop Computer in which 90% of parts are upgradeable, a laptop is a package deal. Once you buy it, you're gonna be stuck with it.

I consider 3 major things in choosing/recommending/buying a laptop, and in no particular order they are the DEDICATED GRAPHICS CHIP, the CHASSIS, RAM.

THE GRAPHICS CARD
If you were into e-mailing, web surfing, Word and/or Excel, then the Graphics card won't really matter. But, take a moment to browse through pictures or try out Google Earth and you'll be tapping your fingers waiting for them to load, yes, even on an Intel I7. I'm also pretty sure though that most of you play games online and offline. These games and applications have began to take on intensive graphics specifications and even the most powerful processor [CPU] won't be handle it all, which is why a laptop with a dedicated graphics chip [GPU] is more preferable--be it business-wise or for personal use.

How would you know? Usually, a sticker for a dedicated GPU is advertised on the laptop itself. I also prefer either nVidia or ATI for graphics. If you really want to make sure it is dedicated, right-click on any empty space on desktop and click "Screen Resolution." click on "Advanced Settings." If "Dedicated Video Memory" shows 32 - 512MB [Some laptops now have 1Gb of Video Memory] then the laptop has a dedicated GPU, otherwise if you see 0 MB, then the laptop has what is called a Shared GPU, look for another laptop.

THE CHASSIS
Who wants to lug around an ugly-looking laptop? Would you be proud to sit in public, say Starbucks, with an ugly-looking laptop? Again, once you buy it, you're gonna be stuck with it. Point made. ^^,

When considering the chassi of a laptop, Apple, HP, and Lenovo, comes to mind. Apple and Lenovo for their simplistic yet elegant design. HP for added curves. All three have proven their robustness. Asus and Fujitsu would come in at 4th and 5th.

THE MEMORY or RAM
Memory or RAM should at least be 2Gb in size. Applications and games have become more and more memory hungry, so the more you have, the better.

Other stuff to consider:

THE HARD DRIVE
Don't go below 250Gb. Again, the saying, "more is better" applies here.

THE BATTERY
More battery cells mean more time to use your laptop.

THE OPERATING SYSTEM
You could go budget, and install your own preferences of Operating Systems, or you could buy one which has Windows bundled with it.

THE BUDGET
Choose wisely. Buying a laptop doesn't mean you have to buy the most expensive laptop, or the most aesthetically pleasing design, or the most cheapest laptop, but don't be in a rush to do so. Consider your budget and needs, balance them. Maybe waiting a bit more, or earning a bit more may meet your expectations and more.