Do you want to buy a new laptop? Are you new to computers and don’t know what features to look for? Don’t worry, I’ll describe it in non-technical, easy-to-understand language so you don’t get lost or confused. We hope that by the end of this short article you will have an idea of these features when buying a new laptop. So, here are some basic things to keep in mind:
1- Central Processing Unit (CPU): indicates the execution speed of the laptop. You should ask how many GHz does it have? Why should you use your computer? For sport? You need an Intel Core 2 Duo processor. If it’s for school or just surfing the internet, an Intel Celeron or an AMD Athlon should be fine.
2- Memory Card: Determines the speed and number of programs open and running on the laptop at any given time. Laptops these days usually have at least 2GB of memory and that should be enough to run Windows Vista, laptop processor for virtualization, Windows 7, and some basic software. But if you’re planning on playing a multi-task or game, the more memory you have, the better.
- Hard drive: It, therefore, depends on the type of work you will be using your laptop for. 80GB or 100GB should be more than enough for the average user. But if you are a heavy file downloader, you should get a laptop with at least 400GB so that you can avoid buying another portable hard drive at Best Buy 3 months after purchasing the laptop.
4- Operating System (OS): Refers to the basic software that runs on your laptop. The most popular operating systems are open-source operating systems such as Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7 (the latest version of Microsoft Windows), Mac OS X (Apple’s computer operating system), and Linux. In these operating systems, Windows mainly uses personal computers and laptops around the world. Windows XP is my favorite operating system so far, even though I’ve heard a lot of good things about the new Windows 7, it’s too early to comment.
- Wireless Network Card: Your laptop must be equipped with a wireless network card, which is the most standard wireless technology nowadays. If not, it must have at least one wireless card capable of supporting 802.11 a / g / b wireless technology.
6- Drive: Most laptops are now equipped with DVD ± RW / CD-RW drives. This drive allows you to create your own CD or DVD from music or video files from your computer. How do you know if your laptop has been found? Just look at the front of the drive which says something like DVD ± RW / CD-RW. If you don’t want to make your own CD, a regular DVD drive is enough to play CDs and DVD movies on your laptop. However, you have to be careful, if you are buying a small 9 or 10-inch laptop, you will not find a unit in it. You’ll have to pay extra to get an external drive for these little laptops. If you want to enjoy the quality of Blu-ray movies, you should consider getting a laptop with a Blu-ray drive, but it will cost you more than a laptop with a DVD-RW / CD-RW drive.
- Card Reader: If you take a lot of photos or record a lot of videos on cell phones and digital cameras, you should consider a laptop with a card reader so that you can insert a memory card and share your photos or videos. don’t worry if your computer doesn’t have a card reader in the laptop of your choice, you can always buy a separate portable USB card reader for $ 40-50 or much cheaper online.
8- Webcam: New laptops usually come with a built-in webcam for online chat and web conferencing. If you don’t intend to do any of these activities, don’t worry about this feature.
- Color: last but not the last feature. Some laptop manufacturers are now starting to make colorful laptops to meet the needs of the market, but if you really want to buy a cool or stylish laptop then I suggest you take a look at Dell laptops as we have a full range of products and colors choices and styles to choose from. You can’t go wrong with them.
There are a few other features, but the main ones mentioned above are the ones you intend to buy for each laptop. If you follow the instructions in this article, you should have a good idea of the type of laptop you want to buy. I hope this article was useful to you and I wish you the best of luck when buying a new laptop.