Five tips on buying a Laptop or Netbook

If you are planning to buy a Laptop or Netbook, this is the buying guide to read. This Laptop/Netbook buying guide gives five comprehensive tips to take with you before you start shopping.

 
1 Make sure the Notebook is comfortable in use and interface 

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If you are planning to spend some time using your new Laptop, make sure it will be comfortable. A better interface will mean more comfort and a lower chance on health problems.

Most keyboards are built over the full width of the laptop, often meaning smaller keys. Since your hands and wrists try to adapt to these miniature keys, problems might occur. Best way to avoid this would be to choose a larger Laptop; still some find smaller ones more attractive. Please make sure to weigh-in comfort as well, since this lowers the chance of Carpal tunnel syndrome or tendonitis.

Every modern Notebook or Netbook has a touchpad as a replacement of the mouse. Every day use of a touchpad might be hard on your fingers so therefore we recommend buying a separate mouse. If mobility overweighs comfort a smaller laptop could be a better choice.

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2 Buy a Laptop that suits your needs

Think about the main purpose of your Laptop. If purely Internet and word processing is your game, make sure not to spend too much money. Should mobility be an important factor, you might want to choose a Netbook over a Laptop.

More and more people replace their Desktop PC with a Laptop. This means that you should remember that everything you do on your Desktop, should be able to do on your new Laptop.

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Laptops are easier to store when not used, and are more energy-efficient than (older) Desktop PCs.

3 Shop around for battery life

Laptops are designed to use away from the good old desk, and therefore need a high battery life. Make sure to shop around. A good laptop should be able to run for hours on a full battery. As the technology moves forward it shouldn’t be too hard to find a notebook that doubles the battery life.

Most laptops will allow you to configure the laptop’s battery use, which will make it more efficient. For example the laptop will dim its screen’s backlight so that the actual battery use will be lower. Some processors allow speed throttling, which means they will slow down when it isn’t needed to run on full speed. 

Compared to laptops, smaller so-called Netbooks have a very long battery life, being very energy efficient because of the lack of raw power.

Size difference between a Laptop and Netbook.
Size difference between a Laptop and Netbook.

4 Size matters! Think carefully about mobility

Both size and weight are very important. Think carefully what you will use the laptop for. Is mobility an important factor, or will the Laptop replace your Desktop PC?

When mobility is a factor you will have to weigh in both the Laptop’s weight and its battery life. Both are related since longer battery life often means more weight due to the increased cell size. 

Try to find the ultimate mix between both size and the Notebook’s quality. Ask yourself how much you are willing to give up for mobility. For example you could be a real fan of big screens, and therefore carry around more.

5 Be future proof… 

 

Probably either an uncle or other family member has told you that technology moves so fast that in two years your PC or Notebook is no longer of any use. In some cases this is true, but by buying as much Laptop as possible you will lower the chance of a very short future.

Not immediately related to the Laptop’s technology, but still very important is the warranty. All Laptops and Netbooks come with a standard minimum of one year, and offer extra guarantee for a premium. Still carefully consider whether you need a warranty, and don’t get palmed off.

Two important things to know are that both the Laptop’s processor as graphic processor are two integrated features and therefore are not upgradeable. Think on what you will need your laptop for in the coming years, and we are sure you’ll make a good decision.

Laptop memory is relatively easy to upgrade, so you will not have to focus on this too much.

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