Laptops are complex little machines with a variety of configuration options, which can lead to very confusing buying decisions. This edition, I will be pointing out some factors that you should consider before purchasing a laptop. These six factors are the root of any laptop being bought and by using these as a guideline you can land the most appropriate mobile PC for your needs.

Weight
The lighter the laptop, the easier it is to move around. Prices usually have an inverse relationship with the weight of a laptop; hence the lightest of laptops will always cost more than the heavier ones. Another relationship is the features of a laptop. If it has a powerful graphics card, or a larger monitor etcetera, the laptop will end up being comparatively heavier and more expensive.

Power Consumption
Battery life is critical for users who are on the go. On an average workload a regular low budget laptop would without doubt give you 2.5 to 3 hours of battery life. A fairly good machine would easily clock 4 hours. These are battery times for regular 6-cell batteries and 9-cell batteries have longer backup times. However, power consumption varies from manufacturer to manufacturer and model to model. Additional features usually result in powerful drain on battery supply. If you are mostly mobile, power consumption becomes a critical factor to consider.

Processing Power
Laptops are almost always more expensive than a desktop with similar specifications and so, it is essential to opt for a level of processing power that matches your current and near future needs. For office work only, an entry-level processor such as a single core Celeron is more than enough. For multimedia enthusiasts and power users, a Coe 2 Duo, or equivalent, processor is recommended.

Warranty
Try buying laptops with international warranty if you are traveling the world, and if not a local warranty would do the job. Usually these warranties allow non-physical damaged laptops to be repaired or replaced free of cost in the first year and cover parts and repairs in the following years at an appropriate cost to the customer.

Operating System
Well, if you are buying a high-priced laptop usually an operating system is pre-installed and these days Windows Vista is coming in. Other than, if the OP doesn’t come with it use the Windows XP, as it is good for the average person and low on battery consumption.

Brand Matters
It is easy to choose unbranded system for the sake of low prices but I would recommend not buying them as some of them may lack essential spare parts. Also un-braded laptops don’t have a valid warranty, thus I would recommend going with the branded laptops as they offer quality as well as great support.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!