Compact enough to carry with you, yet versatile enough to run demanding applications, a laptop is the best tool for doing serious work or play at home and on the road. While standalone tablets and smartphones are always popular, most people realize that everything from typing a research paper to crunching video or gaming works better on a laptop. And holding on to a 4 or 5 year old model won’t cut it. So what type of laptop should you get?
There’s a wide variety of sizes, features, and prices, which makes choosing the right laptop a challenge. That’s why you need to figure out what your needs are. To make the right call, just follow these eight tips.
1. Pick a Platform: Mac, Windows or Chrome OS?
Chrome OS
Found on inexpensive, lightweight laptops such as the 11.6-inch Acer C720 and HP Chromebook 14, Google’s Chrome OS is the simplest and most secure platform around, but can also feel a bit limited. The user interface looks a lot like traditional Windows with an application menu, a desktop and the ability to drag windows around. The main type window you’ll be using is the Chrome browser and most “applications” are simply shortcuts to web tools.Because it’s mainly a browser, Chrome OS is unlikely to get infected with malware or viruses and, if you’ve ever surfed the web on another computer, you’ll be right at home with the platform’s look and feel. The downside is that there are few offline apps and those that exist don’t always work well. However, if you need a device for surfing the web, checking email, social networking and doing online chats, Chromebooks are inexpensive, highly-portable and last a long time on a charge.
MORE: Best Chromebooks
Windows 8.1
Windows notebooks are generally more affordable than Macs (starting under $400) and offer a much wider range of design choices from more than a dozen major vendors. Unlike Apple, Microsoft and its partners allow users to buy notebooks with touch screens, as well as convertible designs that let you easily transform from notebook to tablet mode.If you’re used to the Windows interface, but haven’t tried Windows 8.1, you may be in for a jarring surprise. The new OS has replaced the Start menu with a tile-based start screen and a raft of new full-screen, touch-friendly apps. However, Windows 8.1 still has a desktop mode for running all your existing apps and you can boot directly to it. It’s also not hard, with a few utilities and settings tweaks, to add a Start Menu and make the Ui look a lot like Windows 7.
Some Windows notebooks provide business-friendly features, such as biometric and smartcard verification and Intel vPro systems management.
MORE: Best Ultrabooks
Apple OS X Yosemite
Apple’s MacBook Airs and MacBook Pros offer an easy-to-use operating system in OS X Yosemite. In fact, some may find OS X easier to navigate than the newer and bolder Windows 8.1. MacBooks offer iOS-like features such as Launch Pad for your apps, superior multitouch gestures, and the ability to take calls from your iPhone.MacBook Airs and MacBook Pros also tend to outclass most Windows machines when it comes to industrial design and the touchpad. While Windows PCs offer more software choices, Apple makes it easier to find and install programs with the Mac App Store. However, Apple’s notebooks start at $899.
MORE: MacBook Air vs MacBook Pro: What Should You Buy?
2. Choose the Right Size
Before you decide anything else, you need to figure out just how portable you need your laptop to be. Laptops are usually categorized by their display sizes,:
- 11 to 12 inches: The thinnest and lightest systems around have 11 to 12 inch screens and typically weigh 2.5 to 3.5 pounds. However, at this size, the screen and keyboard will be a bit too cramped for some users.
- 13 to 14-inches: Provides the best balance of portability and usability. Laptops with 13 or 14-inch screens usually weigh between 3.5 and 4.5 pounds and fit easily on your lap while still providing generously-sized keyboards and screens. Shoot for a system with a total weight under 4 pounds if possible. If you’re willing to pay a premium, you can also find extremely lightweight systems with these screen sizes, including the 2.6-pound Dell XPS 13 and 2.9-pound, 14-inch Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon.
- 15 inches: The most popular size, 15-inch laptops are usually quite bulky and heavy at 5 to 6.5 pounds, but also cost the least. If you’re not planning to carry your notebook around often or use it on your lap, a 15-inch system could be a good deal for you. Some 15-inch models have DVD drives, but you’ll save weight if you skip it.
- 17 to 18 inches:If your laptop stays on your desk all day every day, a 17 or 18-inch system could provide you with the kind of processing power you need to play high-end games or do workstation-level productivity. Because of their girth, laptops this size can pack in high-voltage quad-core CPUs, power-hungry graphics chips and multiple storage drives. Just don’t think about carrying these 7+ pound systems anywhere.
3. Check That Keyboard and Touchpad
The most impressive specs in the world don’t mean diddly if the laptop you’re shopping for doesn’t have good ergonomics. Does the keyboard have solid tactile feedback and enough space between the keys? Is the touchpad smooth to operate or jumpy?
The mouse buttons should provide a satisfying click and note feel mushy You should be able to zoom in and out with ease, as well as select text with the touchpad without the cursor skipping around.If you’re shopping for a Windows 8 notebook, test the touchpad to make sure that gestures don’t activate accidentally as you get close to the edges.
In general, Apple and Lenovo offer the best keyboards and touchpads. Dell and HP are generally pretty reliable in this category, too.
4. Know Your Specs
Notebook specs such as CPU, hard drive, RAM, and graphics chip can confuse even notebook aficionados, so don’t feel bad if spec sheets look like alphabet soup to you. What you need really depends on what you plan to do with your laptop. More intensive tasks such as 3D gaming and HD video-editing require more expensive components.
Here are the main components to keep an eye on.
- CPU: The least expensive laptops on the market have AMD E
Series or Intel Pentium CPUs, which will struggle to handle serious
productivity or media tasks but can handle web surfing. Intel Atom
processors are also low-performance, but offer long battery life.
Expensive tablet / laptop hybrids often use Intel’s Core M CPU, which
is faster than Atom but not as quick as the company’s Core Series (Core
i3, i5 and i7). If you buy a Core i3, Core i5 or Core i7, try to get
the latest generation which is Intel 5th Generation (aka Broadwell) as
of early 2015.
If performance matters, don’t settle for less than an Intel Core M for thin systems or a Core i3 CPU /AMD A Series for mainstream laptops. If you’re spending over $500, demand at least an Intel Core i5 CPU, which is capable of increasing its clock speed dynamically when you need more performance. Power users and gamers should settle for no less than Core i7 sytstem, preferably a quad-core chip.
- RAM: When it comes to memory, or RAM, even the cheapest notebooks have 4GB these days so don’t settle for less. If you can get a system with 6 or 8GB, you’ll be better prepared for high-end applications and lots of multitasking. Gamers and power users should look for 16GB of RAM.
- Hard Drive: For most users, a fast drive is more important than a large one. If you have a choice, go for a 7,200-rpm hard drive over a 5,400-rpm unit. Even if you have several movies and games on your hard drive, a 320GB should provide more than enough space, but 500GB or 750GB drives usually don’t cost much more.
- Flash Cache: Any Ultrabook and some other notebooks come with 8, 16 or 32GB flash caches you can use to increase performance. While not as fast as an SSD, a Flash cache will help boost load and boot times while allowing you to store all your data on a large hard drive.
- Solid State Drives (SSDs): These drives cost quite a bit more than traditional hard drives and come with less capacity (usually 128 to 256GB), but they dramatically improve performance. You’ll enjoy faster boot times, faster resume times, and faster application open times. Plus, because SSDs don’t have moving parts such as mechanical drives, failure is much less of an issue.
- Display: The more pixels you have, the more content you can fit on-screen, and the sharper it will look. Most budget and mainstream notebooks
come with 1366 x 768-pixel resolutions. However, if you have the
option, choose a laptop with a higher pixel count 1600 x 900 or 1920 x
1080 —always go for the highest res you can get. You’ll see more of your
favorite web pages, multitask better, and have a better movie-watching
experience. Full HD panels (1920 x 1080) cost about $150 more than your
typical display, but are worth the splurge, especially on larger
screens.
Some pricier notebooks even come with screens that are 2560 x 1600,
3200 x 1800 or even 3840 x 2160. Though most movies aren’t available at
such high resolutions yet, the picture will be sharper.
- Touch Screen: Windows 8 is simply more fun and immersive with a touch screen, but if your laptop is not a hybrid with a bendable or rotatable screen, you can probably live without it. Though you can get a touch screen system for under $500 these days, the difference in price between similarly configured systems with and without touch is $100 to $150.
- Graphics Chip: For the most part, an integrated graphics chip
(one that shares system memory) will be fine for basic tasks, including
surfing the web, watching video, and even playing some mainstream
games. But a discrete graphics processor from AMD or Nvidia (which has
dedicated video memory) will provide better performance when it comes to
the most-demanding games. Plus, a good GPU can accelerate video
playback on sites such as Hulu, as well as speed up video editing.
As with CPUs there are both high and low-end graphics chips. Nvidia maintains a list of its graphics chips from low to high end as does AMD. In general, workstations and gaming notebooks will have the best GPUs, including dual graphics on the most expensive systems.
- DVD/Blu-ray Drives. Fewer and fewer laptops these days come with optical drives. That’s because you can download most software and download or stream video from the web. Unless you burn discs or want to watch Blu-ray movies, you don’t need one of these drives and can save as much as half a pound of weight by avoiding them. At this point, DVD drives are a safety blanket.
5. Decide if You Want a 2-in-1 or Traditional Notebook
Since the launch of Windows 8, we’ve seen a number of hybrid “2-in-1″ laptop designs that double as tablets. These include the Lenovo Yoga Pro 3, which has a screen that bends back 360 degrees to turn into a slate and systems with removable keyboards like the ASUS Transformer Book Chi, both of which are even thinner than a MacBook Air.
If you like the idea of occasionally using your laptop in slate mode, a convertible like the Yoga is a versatile choice. But if you want the flexibility of using your device as standalone tablet, a detachable design is best.
MORE: 8 Great Windows 8 Laptop-Tablet Hybrids
6. Don’t Skimp on Battery Life
Even if you only plan to move your laptop from the desk to the couch and the bed or from your cubicle to the conference room, battery life matters. Nobody wants to be chained to a power outlet, even if there’s a socket within reach. If you’re buying a 15-inch notebook, look for at least 4 hours of endurance. Those who plan to be fairly mobile should shop for notebooks that offer more than 6 hours of battery life, with 7-plus hours being ideal.
If given the choice, pay extra for an extended battery; you won’t regret it. Keep in mind that some notebooks (such as the MacBook Air) feature sealed batteries that you can’t easily upgrade yourself.
To determine a notebook’s expected battery life, don’t take the manufacturer’s word for it. Instead, read third-party results from objective sources, such as Laptop Mag’s reviews. . Your actual battery life will vary depending on your screen brightness and what tasks you perform (video eats more juice than web surfing).
MORE: 10 Laptops with the Longest Battery Life
7. Plan a Budget
These days, you can buy a usable laptop for under $500, but if you can budget more, you’ll get a system with better build quality, stronger performance and a better display. Here’s what you can get for each price range.- $150 to $350: The least expensive notebooks are either Chromebooks, which run Google’s browser-centric OS, or low-end Windows systems with minimal storage and slower processors such as the HP Stream 11 (Intel Celeron, 32GB flash drive). Either one can make a great secondary or child’s computer, particularly if you buy a lightweight 11 or 12-inch system. Chromebooks also tend to last a long time (8 hours or more) on a charge.
- $350 to $600: For well under $600, you can get a notebook with an Intel Core i5 or AMD A8 CPU, 4 to 8GB of RAM, and a 500GB hard drive, all respectable specs. However, at this price, most notebooks have cheap plastic chassis, low-res screens and weak battery life.
- $600 to $800: As you get above $600, you’ll start to see more premium designs, such as metal finishes. Manufacturers also start to add in other features as you climb the price ladder, including better audio and backlit keyboards. You may also be able to get a screen with a resolution that’s 1600 x 900 or 1920 x 1080 and a flash cache.
- Above $800: At this price range, expect notebooks that are more portable, more powerful or both. Expect higher resolution screens , faster processors , and possibly discrete graphics. The lightest , longest-lasting ultraportables like the MacBook Air 13-inch and Dell XPS 13tend to cost over $1,000. High-end gaming systems and mobile workstations usually cost uppwards of $1,500 or even as much as $2,500 or $,3,000.
8.Mind the Brand
Your laptop is only as good as the company that stands behind it. Accurate and timely technical support is paramount, which is why Laptop Mag evaluates every major brand in our annual Tech Support Showdown. This past year Apple came in first place, followed by HP and Samsung.Support is only part of what makes a notebook brand worth your money. You also have to consider how the manufacturer stacks up to the competition in terms of design, value and selection, review performance, and other criteria. In our 2014 Best and Worst Laptop Brands report, Apple placed first, followed by Lenovo and ASUS.
MORE: Best and Worst Notebook Brands
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The official Geeks Geek, as his weekly column is titled, Avram Piltch has guided the editorial and production of Laptopmag.com
since 2007. With his technical knowledge and passion for testing, Avram
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March 10th, 2010 at 7:44 pm I feel that having a DVD drive is important. You need to be able to run the repair disc if necessary, and it is nice to be able to make system backup and restore discs, although you could back up to other forms of storage. And I enjoy being able to watch DVDs I borrow from the library. My local library system offers an option to download movies online, but it’s rather complicated and their selection is very limited. When cost is a consideration it’s nice to have a computer and DVD player in one.
March 12th, 2010 at 5:27 pm These are five very important questions, but it almost seems oversimplified in some areas. The “netbook or notebook?” section doesn’t mention ultraportable CULV notebooks. They usually range from 11.6″ up to 15.6″ displays and are somewhere between a netbook and budget notebook in terms of performance. For someone needing 8hrs of battery life but more power than the Atom can provide, these are a great compromise. The trade-off for longer battery life and a thinner/lighter design is that most lack an optical (CD/DVD) drive.
I’m also surprised that you didn’t include graphics in the “specs needed” section! Most buyers that will NEED dedicated graphics (for 3D gaming and other GPU-intensive tasks) are well aware of that prior to reading an article like this one. But so many buyers seem to think they will need a dedicated GPU to watch HD video or edit photographs, etc. A lot of people buy a laptop with a dedicated GPU that they will never utilize beyond the capability of an integrated one. They are usually not aware of the impact that the dedicated GPU is having on battery life, heat dissipation and the additional cost!
March 12th, 2010 at 6:44 pm Hi JasonR. We were trying to keep things simple but you raise some good points. I’ve updated the post and you’ll see that we cover both CULV systems and graphics in the specs section.
May 15th, 2010 at 9:00 am I can’t agree more with Jasons points,
Many new buyers lack this kind of general knowledge.
This article should be more popular and read among many many new buyers!
May 26th, 2010 at 1:37 pm All I can think about in laptop is
a) Keyboard, what you will mainly be using
b) Screen Resolution – I hope to see a comeback of the UWXGA+ screens on a 14″ it gave so much workpace
c) Quiet – Who can work when there is a constant fan noise?
June 25th, 2010 at 5:13 pm I need a laptop with the most memory and fast loading processor.
July 10th, 2010 at 12:16 pm It should be pointed out that more and more people can create a dual display option, using the ultra-light notebook on the road with a small 11 inch to 14 inch screen for light weight, but on returning home, can plug the HDMI port into their home video setup for a large screen. This makes the need to buy a bigger screen size in a laptop unnecessary and provides a smaller, lighter laptop for travel. THis changes the equation some what and makes SMALL and LIGHT more important. Acer seems to be one vender that is recognizing this changing marketplace.
August 9th, 2010 at 8:55 pm With reference to replacing a notebook because of sluggish performance, the best test to determine if your old computer can be revived is to reinstall the OS (operating system) using the clean installation method. This is true for both PC and Mac computers. The other key is to reinstall only the programs you routinely use and uninstall all the “crapware” that may lurk on the restore media, if any, afterward. Computers commonly slow down over time due to left over fragments of previous programs not fully uninstalled, other downloads, etc. If clean re-installation of the OS restores your computer to its perky state, you are set! Otherwise, you can then troubleshoot hardware or just buy a new machine. I just re-installed the OS on my 2008 Mac Mini and HP 17″ laptop and they are now both good as new (for the basic tasks I ask of them). I will begin work on my workhorse, a 2008 15″ MacBook Pro in the next couple of weeks. Just plan to set aside about 3 hours for the full re-installation process for each machine.
September 22nd, 2010 at 5:25 pm I am in the market for a Notebook/laptop to replace my aging home PC. All that I use my computer for is email, massive digital photo storage and Photoshop Elements S/W, and iPod digital music, and occasional Word/Excel for work at home.
I have my eye on the new Dell Vostro 3700 for about $718. I am willing to spend up to $900. Am I on the right track? I noticed thru reading various blogs that I should request 64bit Windows 7 to get maximum performance.
Do you have any other suggestions?
Thanks,
November 18th, 2010 at 7:09 am Can anyone recommend me a laptop with soft keyboard , fast , suitable for gaming ?
November 27th, 2010 at 3:48 am I’d like to point out that too high resolution on a small screen can make some applications a pain to use — especially web browsers. I have a 1900×1080 screen on 15.6″ monitor. I have to keep my browser permanently zoomed at 130% to make standard font sizes readable. I don’t have 20/20 vision, but I’m not a geezer and don’t normally need reading glasses. High res can be overkill. 1600×900 is the most you’ll need on even the largest laptop screens.
December 17th, 2010 at 10:04 am Forgive my ignorance but I’m behind the times & this is new to me. I would like to buy a notebook to use to check/reply to emails, internet & watch DVD’s. Is it possible to get a WiFi signal from my 3G cell phone if I’m not near a hot spot? I really don’t want to add to my expenses with a subcription enabling me to access the internet anywhere. Also, is my credit card # safe if order something on line? I should have asked here first rather than leaving a store frustrated & confused. I trust all of you. Thank you very much!
January 22nd, 2011 at 1:18 am I want to buy a laptop with very fast processor, large memory & high definition graphic quality. I’m so much confuse which laptop is best for me? please suggest me which laptop should i buy?
June 26th, 2011 at 10:41 am I am in need of purchasing a laptop in order to continue with the Web Development program that I am enrolled in at school. However, I have very little money, not enough knowledge on what I am in need of, and I have to do all of my research online. I am supposed to take some multi-media classes in the fall and I need more information on what exactly I should be looking for in a computer. At the moment, I am working with a seven-year-old MacBook that works great for the basic Web Development things, just not with movies, music, and things of that nature. Thank You for all of your assistance.
August 14th, 2011 at 11:13 pm i think the most important thing before you buy a laptop was the technical specs, you must understand about the specs too. like the processor, if the processor was outdated or low spec like Celeron, Centrino, Atom or i3 u better don’t choose it. because if you are using your laptop for quite a time you will experience lagg or freeze.
for me the first thing i look is the processor (recommend i7 or QuadCore), GPU like nVidia G400 series or above, or ATI graphic card. the next thing was the RAM (recommended 2gb and above). and the last thing is the slots, i mean the USB port, etc
August 16th, 2011 at 5:57 pm Hi… I love my laptop (Dell 700m) but it is VERY old, so it is time to get a new one, but I’m having a problem finding one that is the same size 11.7″ and the same weight or less 4.2lbs with an internal DVD drive… I understand that they aren’t as needed as they once were but I do use mine occasionally and don’t want to lug around an external one… Does anyone know of a lightweight smaller laptop that has one?
Thank You!
August 21st, 2011 at 1:43 am I am looking for a laptop which can edit DSLR video, that would help me go to film festivals.
I am also looking to write scripts in that laptop by the side of a lake, and carry it around. Good battery backup, and a fast one at that. And i am from Nepal, a third world country, very little money to spare. So help me out if you want to see movies from my side of the world.
August 22nd, 2011 at 6:42 am Hi…..i want to buy a laptop…..can u please suggest me what are the features i have to see before buying a laptop….can u say whether acer or dell is good for cost,size,life etc…..also pls tell the latest versions……..
thank you……
August 22nd, 2011 at 9:26 am i7 snb 2330qm combined with 1gig ati graphics 5870 or nvidia gt 540m for mid high end laptops.on a laptop is great. I’d recommend hp dv6t quad edition. Quite affordable imo. A lenovo laptop has great keyboard/touchpad, acer for affordability but quite less on it’s software features. Macbook air 13 i5+256gb flash 2011 5stars ftw!
September 2nd, 2011 at 7:40 am To Laptop, I mainly focus the appearance and keyboard, haha
September 23rd, 2011 at 12:30 am I am gonna buy a new laptop and I prefer the one that produce least heat (actually is the most important) because I use it for almost all the time.
I am able to spend up to $1300 for it. The screen size is about 13~14″ is ok for me, also I would like to buy a laptop that has long term battery. Besides, I need the processor to be i5 (first or second gen. is ok). Mac or Window, either of them is not really bother me. Please help me out here… I am stuck with a lot of options of different brand, style and series
February 3rd, 2012 at 3:45 pm Thank you, thank you, thank you…
February 18th, 2012 at 3:24 am Does Dell Company have any laptop product that works with final cut pro software?. I am looking for afforable Dell laptop product that is very good for editing of movies. Thanks FC
February 21st, 2012 at 9:18 pm Thank you for sharing this info., in additional to your blog, before purchasing a laptop you must first know the technical specs that you are needing, then if your to budgeted with your laptop atleast make some comparisons with the other laptops that is cheaper yet do have the same quality.
February 24th, 2012 at 6:11 pm Regarding Question 5:
I would ask: Ubuntu, Mac or Windows?
My answer would be Ubuntu – imo by far the best OS for laptops.
However, nice article.
March 25th, 2012 at 10:26 pm As long as there’s no 10key, HDMI port, and a long battery…I’m set!
April 26th, 2012 at 8:13 am I want to buy a laptop which has a good storage space, is fast for playing mainstream games like battlefield, call on duty, etc., fast in surfing the net, has a good memory and has the graphics card for the smoothness of the mentioned applications. I have Lenovo in my mind, but am willing to go for other brands as well. I am confused which one i should go for.
May 28th, 2012 at 6:21 pm I use my laptop mainly for gaming, which I don’t think a tablet is able to do as well. Mine has a full keyboard and a mouse, with a 17″ screen.
September 8th, 2012 at 3:25 am I know this may be a little off-topic, but: I am just really bothered by the design of the laptop keyboards nowadays. Call me conservative if you must, but i prefer my rounded edges and not those sharp ones that every new laptop has had for the last 2-3 years. I still buy used computers just so i can keep using a sensible keyboard
October 4th, 2012 at 6:05 am I am in need of a computer for general use in computer science but do not know which to go for as a new bee. I will really appreciate all your efforts in helping me get one. I am taking programming/soft dev as a major. I am willing to send $1000. Thank you.
October 23rd, 2012 at 3:50 pm I am a gamer, so I definitely had to go with a 17″ screen myself. I have a Toshiba Satellite and it’s been running good for about 4 years now, no problems.
December 2nd, 2012 at 4:44 pm Why do you ignore the Linux Operating System? I’ve been a KDE + Linux user for years, and I’m currently on the Kubuntu distribution. I wish more websites offered information on laptops that let you avoid the Windows tax (you have to pay for the price of the OS, it is included – even if you won’t use it).
April 22nd, 2013 at 12:41 am Which laptop shall u prefer
SVE14125
SVE15135
SVE15126
which will give me good perfomance
May 5th, 2013 at 7:28 am I am in need of a computer for general use in computer science but do not know which to go for as a new bee. I will really appreciate all your efforts in helping me get one.
May 6th, 2013 at 4:41 pm Mark,
Great article with very helpful information. Easy and most useful tips I have ever read.
Thanks for keeping it simple,
Chris
May 13th, 2013 at 5:12 am i am ok with spending $800 which brand will perfect please tell me the ram hard drive ….,… for general purpose
May 15th, 2013 at 2:15 pm Worst experience with LENOVO.
My Ringgit 3800 ($ 1300) laptop (Y560p) lasts for only 1 year and 3 months. The most interesting / DISTURBING thing is ‘LENOVO DON’T KNOW WHAT IS THE PROBLEM AND THEY CANT’T REPAIR IT’. On the basis of their idea about the problem they need JUST 72 DAYS to replace the mainboard worth ONLY and ONLY 1000 Ringgit. Further, according to them, if there is also the need of replacing the processor then it will cost me another very SMALL amount of ONLY Ringgit 1000 (that is Ringgit 2000 / $ 700 in total). “HOW LUCKY I AM.”
In short this was my first purchase of Lenovo laptop and I am really regretful on my that stupid decision.
May 24th, 2013 at 9:21 am Dell XPS 15 ultra book is a great item core i73632qm 12gig ram 750gig hdd 32gig msata 9cell battery and the looks.its just awesome
May 27th, 2013 at 4:35 am please i want a review for the hp probook 4540s specially about the display
THANKS
June 18th, 2013 at 8:29 pm I like how you have a picture of a chromebook in the heading and then don’t mention chrome in the OS section. For people on a budget that aren’t going to be using built in programs like photoshop, then they can totally get by on a 200 dollar chromebook. you can also pretty easily load linux Chrubuntu on there in case you need to use actual programs. I have an Acer C7 and did just that. I’m able to do all the programming and computing I need to for 200 dollars even and the thing only weighs 1.7 pounds.
Fun fact, if you like the look of Mac OS, but don’t want to spend an unreasonable amount of money on hardware, just buy a windows computer and load Linux Ubuntu on it. Mac OS is based off the same OS that ubuntu is so they look almost exactly the same and Ubuntu is a far more capable and stable operating system even if you don’t know how to deal with the terminal.
July 8th, 2013 at 9:17 am i love you and your page
July 21st, 2013 at 10:01 pm I think some of the most important qualities in a laptop are:
1) Battery life
2) how hot does the laptop get
3) portability
4) cost
5) user friendly
July 22nd, 2013 at 4:10 am Thanks for sharing a great blog on online shopping for laptops. got lots of information about Cheap laptop deals online. keep sharing blogs like this.
July 24th, 2013 at 2:09 pm Thanks a lot. Your article was very informative.
July 30th, 2013 at 12:35 pm I am looking for a laptop with the following characteristics, which one(s) would you recomend? Fast starting, long lasting batery, wide angle view and good resolution screen, good speakers, good fan. I will use it for internet, social networks, skype, watching movies and photos and listening to music. Thanks for your help!
August 19th, 2013 at 10:57 am These are five very important questions, but it almost seems oversimplified in some areas. The “netbook or notebook?” section doesn’t mention ultraportable CULV notebooks. They usually range from 11.6″ up to 15.6″ displays and are somewhere between a netbook and budget notebook in terms of performance. For someone needing 8hrs of battery life but more power than the Atom can provide, these are a great compromise. The trade-off for longer battery life and a thinner/lighter design is that most lack an optical (CD/DVD) drive.
I’m also surprised that you didn’t include graphics in the “specs needed” section! Most buyers that will NEED dedicated graphics (for 3D gaming and other GPU-intensive tasks) are well aware of that prior to reading an article like this one. But so many buyers seem to think they will need a dedicated GPU to watch HD video or edit photographs, etc. A lot of people buy a laptop with a dedicated GPU that they will never utilize beyond the capability of an integrated one. They are usually not aware of the impact that the dedicated GPU is having on battery life, heat dissipation and the additional cost!
August 23rd, 2013 at 7:36 am Hi Mark Spoonauer,
I am a bit confused form last 1 week I am planning to buy a good laptop in my budget brand doesn’t matter but it should have dedicated graphic card
My budget is 500-600$
please reply me i am waiting for your response.
Thanks
August 23rd, 2013 at 10:21 am Thanks for the useful information. I’ll keep this in mind
February 5th, 2014 at 4:12 am I am in a process to buy a laptop for my manager. She need a Lenovo, light weight small laptop with DVD drive.
Please advise.
February 21st, 2014 at 7:45 am I desire having a laptop with high end specs, that is light
with a DVD drive. Please advise the type/brand recommended.
February 22nd, 2014 at 4:36 am plz tell….if Intel AVX 2.0 tech in 4th gen processors is really a significant improvement over Intel AVX tech in 3rd gen…..so that i cn decide which 1 to choose bw i5 3230M & i3 4010U…(GPU is not an imp parameter in my case)
February 22nd, 2014 at 2:08 pm Hi. I just bought a packard bell easynote. Amd e1-2500 with 8240 graphics. I’ve read so many bad reviews. But wanted to comment on how great this laptop is. I have an older i3 laptop too and the amd leaves it behind in speed and I also play big fish games. Which most need 2.5ghz as minimum cpu specs. These games run smoothly on the amd but choppy on my i3.
I don’t think reviewers have actually used any e1-2500 laptops or pc’s. So just go by what they read. It’s a brilliant laptop and has not let me down once. Battery lasts a good 5 hours. Plus it operates at a very cool temperature. Which certainly helps the cpu speed.
I paid £340. Which is a great price considering I paid over £400 for my samsung i3. Which is now struggling to play netflix in hd.
February 23rd, 2014 at 12:47 pm Thnk you very much for an easily understood comparison.
I am sure that it will assist me in my upcoming purchase.
February 25th, 2014 at 3:39 pm update me everytime in my email address .. i lov your work tanks
March 1st, 2014 at 7:09 am i
March 7th, 2014 at 7:57 am Thanks, this is really useful
March 17th, 2014 at 11:24 am thank you so much Sir for this article.will be really useful for an Engineering student like me who is in need of buying a laptop for my project works & future uses
March 18th, 2014 at 9:16 am wow!!!!!!!!!the materials are very good but I can’t get it b/c no have money for that.for all 10q very much
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March 31st, 2014 at 8:32 am hi, iam b.e. Student in cse. I want laptop of budget <35000 rs. Requirement are i3 3rd gen. Processor,win 8,ram 4gb,500gb hdd,graphics dedicated 2gb,wifi,bluetooth,2 GHz clock speed.
April 25th, 2014 at 1:16 pm HP Laptop Shoping
May 28th, 2014 at 2:15 pm Hi just wondering what Laptop that I should buy with at 17 in screen for streaming movies.
Thanks
June 3rd, 2014 at 11:40 am I’m sorry, but only an idiot would buy a Chromebook.
June 21st, 2014 at 8:14 am Love your reviews, simple to understand for a non-geek. I have a Gaeway from 8 yrs ago that is hung up, virus & dead battery. Anyway my husband wants to have it repaired & I want a new laptop. We only do social networks, emails, web searches so we do not need a lot of bells & whistles. Just something to occasionally get on the web. I have an old IPad first gen. Any suggestion?imcould not get the selection on your web site to select.
July 19th, 2014 at 4:06 pm Great Research Avram, The article is detailed and answers alot of questions average laptop purchaser has before buying.
Thanks for a Great read.
July 21st, 2014 at 4:00 pm Hi Avram,
My mother (90 yrs) her computer no longer works. I want to replace but she does not need the ‘office suite (aka Microsoft word, excel). I am looking ofr internet access only computer thinking it will save money & be less complicated. Can you recomment a laptop?
Kind regards
July 22nd, 2014 at 11:49 am Thank you very much . . “Laptop Buying Guide 2014: 9 Essential Tips” helped me vry much in finding best laptop . . . thank you
August 31st, 2014 at 7:21 am I think that Chrome OS have future, if they make such simple things as printing using USB cable directly from chromebook avaible.
September 27th, 2014 at 10:33 am If your laptop seems not to have a touchpad turn off
button or switch, then you can permanently disable it from your
Control Panel of Windows. 65GHz, a 320 GB 5400RPM
Hard Drive, aand a 3GB SO-DIMM RAM disk. an aveage large user will open and shut their laptop computer 6 times a day.
September 30th, 2014 at 9:31 am ur tips to buy a laotop really works because i don’t have any knowledge about laptop before purchase.
October 13th, 2014 at 10:08 am Thanks this helped me on my homework thanks I love you guys
October 30th, 2014 at 11:26 am Great info!
November 2nd, 2014 at 2:10 pm You forgot, that more than the resolution the display brightness and contrast are important.
November 2nd, 2014 at 8:33 pm WHY DIDNT YOU INCLUDE LINUX?
November 4th, 2014 at 11:53 pm I’m a developer of software i just know about what the configuration memory of RAM, ROM and hard disk suited me. can you help me…
November 29th, 2014 at 8:48 am Very helpful for me to buy a laptop
November 29th, 2014 at 5:57 pm Two things to do once you have bought your new laptop. 1, make an external system image, and 2, download Linux.
December 2nd, 2014 at 1:58 pm Sir all this was very helpfil for me, i just need help that i want to purchase a laptop for domestic use, my requirement is – i5, RAM-4gb, Hard disk- 500gb . Please suggest..
December 7th, 2014 at 3:02 pm This was one of the most helpful sites that I have visited. Including price was a brilliant idea.
December 12th, 2014 at 6:03 pm Where msi laptop???
December 17th, 2014 at 1:35 am This information was very essential to me. Thank You!
December 17th, 2014 at 11:42 am Great buying guide!
December 26th, 2014 at 3:25 am Can I download with hp chromebook 14 from the internet and transfer to my mobile phone?
January 1st, 2015 at 7:58 am Great!! Man Awesome~! Post….
January 2nd, 2015 at 12:45 am You do not need an I7 for gaming, an I5 would do because I cannot think of a single game that relies on hyper threading. Not sure about power users, but gamer certainly do not need 16GB of ram.
January 6th, 2015 at 2:06 pm I’M LOOKING TO PURCHASE A WINDOWS 7 LAPTOP FOR A COLLEGE STUDENT WHO WILL MAJOR IN WELDING, NEED A DEPENDABLE LAPTOP WITH A MODERATE PRICE RANGE.DO YOU HAVE A SUGGESTION?
January 18th, 2015 at 4:24 pm As far as accomplishing anything major, I can’t take those flat keyboards.
March 1st, 2015 at 1:59 am Hii, I m looking for a every day use laptop, 7 to 8 hour a day ,, with wifi browsing and small coding works,, php,java,sql, with rarely games,movies ,, i have planned to buy a macbook pro 13″ 128Ssd 8gb ram model..please help with it
March 6th, 2015 at 9:16 am I have spent last 12 hours surfing the net, in a vain effort to find my dream laptop. I wish I had read this article before I hit the e-commerce stores.
Thank you so much for the insights, Mr. Plitch!
March 24th, 2015 at 4:03 am gooooood
April 6th, 2015 at 4:25 pm Well not OSX…. I bought a macbook in 2014 and it was the worst computing mistake i think i have ever made. I got my last PC custom built from here http://bluegeckouk.co.uk/custom-pc-builder and had windows installed on it. I’ve been toying with the idea of Ubuntu? But im not too sure…. give me your reasons for and your reasons against. I do allot of database work and allot of photoshop work…. I know theres GIMP but its just not the same i dont think
May 13th, 2015 at 10:38 am jjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjj