Top Things to Consider When Buying a New Laptop

Choosing a new laptop can be a very exciting yet overwhelming thing to do. There are many aspects you need to consider before the purchase. In contrary to the general opinion, it’s not about the money but your personal needs. You can get yourself a $3000 perfect gaming laptop with poor battery life, or a $300 one with a slow processor but a very long life. The wanted features are essential when choosing a device that can fully meet your expectations. At the end of the day, this is what it’s all about.

While picking the right model, the first thing you should do is set up your budget. Putting a financial limit will accelerate your decision-making process and help you keep control over your money. If you have trouble searching for the best electronic device, you can always find reliable websites with solid reviews about particular products.

There are a few essential laptop features to consider before the final purchase. Of course, there is a way to avoid that; you can simply jump on Amazon, write down the main features you’re interested in, and get the filtered results within a minute. But since you’ve decided to spend a couple of hundred dollars on proper equipment, isn’t it good to make sure that’s worth it? Below you can find essential characteristics to consider before buying a new laptop.

Choose the Operating System

There is no clearly better or worse choice when it comes to operating systems. It’s usually the best to stick to what you have used before and feel comfortable with. Most laptops come with one of three most popular operating systems: Windows, Chrome OS, or macOS. Each of them has different specifications.

Windows

Windows 10 is the most common platform. “the latest version of Microsoft’s flagship operating system, provides several improvements over Windows 7 and 8, including the ability to switch between tablet and desktop modes, a revamped Start menu with live tiles and the powerful Cortana digital assistant”, says laptopmag.com.

With its touch screen, dual graphic chips, and fingerprint readers, this operating system is convenient and easy to use.

Chrome OS

This platform is the newest one compared to the competition, yet it is very popular among students because of the price and user-friendly properties. If you only need your laptop to take care of the university work, scroll social media, and watch Netflix, that’s probably a good option for you. The functionality of Chrome OS is not significant, but it’s definitely enough for basic laptop usage.

Mac OS

It is considered the most sophisticated and relatively expensive operating system. Mac OS is pretty similar to Windows 10 but has a different interface for users. It’s the right choice when your work is based on editing or graphic design. If you use iPhone or other Apple devices, Mac OS very easily synchronizes with them, which can significantly facilitate your everyday life.

Size Matters

What’s so great about laptops is the possibility to take them everywhere. Depending on your needs, you can select from various sizes and weights. If you’re often on the way, we can recommend an 11-12 inches device. It’s tiny and light, for sure won’t take you much space.

Next, 13-15 inches laptop is the one in between portability and usability. It’s not too heavy, but it’s more comfortable to use at home. It’s also proportionally heavier, around 4-6 pounds.

The last one is a real beast among all the laptops, with 17-18 inches. That’s the largest possible size that can make an excellent device for an office or beneficial gaming equipment, but you should definitely keep it at home.

CPU

What’s more important than the brain of the laptop? The processor is responsible for all the tasks you’re doing on the internet, such as website browsing or picture editing. Today’s modern CPUs consist of multiple cores that let them perform various instructions at the same time. Make sure your CPU is fast enough to follow your actions.

RAM

Depending on the purposes you’re going to use your laptop for, RAM can be quite an important feature. A basic RAM is usually 4GB. It’s enough for checking emails, watching Netflix, and storing some content in your folders. On the other hand, if you have thousands of pics or play video games very often, you should go for 8GB of RAM.

The Bottom Line Choosing your best matching laptop doesn’t have to be that bad at all. Focus on your needs, establish the maximum price, and get yourself a device that will last a long time.