Thinking of buying a laptop? Read this first

I get many folks asking me what laptop they should buy, which one is the best, etc. All models of computers/laptops end up in my shop, so they all break at some point. My opinion? Follow these simple rules and you just bought the best laptop!

1.) Figure out a budget. Remember that with a new computer, you may need to buy new software. The Office suite can run up to $300 for the full package, so keep that in mind.

2.) Make sure you buy a laptop in person. Buying online gives you no sense of how the computer feels, weighs or views in bad/good/extra light.

3.) Go to a store and make sure to check out the next few things…

• Keyboard. Play with the keys and make sure you can type ok and see the keys. Some laptops today have the shiny look and feel and it’s hard to view and use those! It’s even hard for me and I can type 100 wpm!
• Weight. Pick up the laptop and make sure you can carry it without problems. Many folks end up buying 10 ton weight laptops and they are very hard to drag around.
• Screen. Check out the screen and make sure there is not too much glare. If you plan on working outside, many screens have too much glare and you can’t read the screen in natural light, even too much overhead light can be bothersome.
• Screen width. Many folks hate the wider screens. It is not an issue for me, but for those with the regular monitors, it’s quite a change. Test opening some stuff on the computer and make sure you like how it looks.
• Memory. Try to get 4 gig of RAM if you can. For Vista users, your computer will work like a dream. 2 gig is fine, but isn’t that great. My laptop came with 2 gig and I can’t upgrade at all! Find out if the computer can upgrade too. I’m stuck, but luckily I use a lot of internet windows, so it’s not that bad.

That’s the quick and dirty…many folks also ask about the processors and hard drive space, etc…my answer is you’ll be ok probably if you can find a computer that fits your needs with the list I gave you. Those are much more important. Of course, if you need a 320 gig hard drive, then you will of course find one that has that. Most folks today are fine with 160 gig hard drives. One of my computers at the office has a 20 gig hard drive and I am just fine!

Happy Thursday!

Lisa

Tags: Computer Repair St. Paul MN, Computer support St. Paul Minnesota, Saint Paul Computer repair

Category: General