The followings are important things to consider before
buying a computer:
1. Budget
Before deciding on what features your computer is going to
have, you need to establish your budget. If your allocation is large enough,
you can put in a good amount of features, but if your budget is small, you need
to cut back on those features.
2.Purpose
The first thing you must consider before buying a laptop is Purpose,
ask yourself “what does I really need the laptop for ? Gaming ? Business ? or a
proffesional work. Considering this, you have to go for a laptop that actually
fit the work you want to use it for. Assuming that Gaming is what you need a
laptop for, then you will have to go for a laptop of a good graphics card and
high processor, RAM and also you will have to put the screen into
consideration.
3.Central processing unit (CPU)/ Processor
This is considered the brain of your PC. It’s the one behind
execution of programs. CPU speed is extremely important to ensure your desktop
or laptop operates maximally. If possible always go for the latest in the
market. The current processor speed ranges from 1.4 GHz to 3.46 GHz. For normal
computer use, a processor with speed of 1.8 GHz will be alright. The
higher the better, but this always comes at additional cost. Processor is the
heart of the computer, going for a higher speed which is available in the
market is a good approach. Higher the number of cores in the processor the
better the performance of the computer is. Intel Core i7 give a high
performance, the Intel Core i5 and i3 are good for normal performance but the
old Intel Atom and AMD C series and AMD E series gives a slower performance
compare to the others but it save battery life alot.
4.Random Access Memory (RAM)
RAM is simply the system memory, and the more the better. The
more the computer memory, the faster your PC will run- maximum speed and
performance. Majority of computers come with at least 256 MB RAM. To be on safe
side, always buy one with 512 or more.
5.Hard Drive
It’s the computer permanent storage unit. It stores
programs, data, documents and any other information. The more space your
computer has, the more data you can save- documents, movies, music, games and
more. Most current desktops and laptops come with at least 120 GB hard drive.
6.Removable Media
Be sure to have a CD-R or CD_RW drive installed on computer
you intend to buy. But I would advise you go for DVD or DVD_R. For reading
information from CD ROM you need just CD-R, however with CD-R you can
write/record data. Similarly, DVD can only read, while DVD-R can record besides
reading DVD ROM. USB ports are also important for reading flash disks or for
plugging other accessories. It is necessary to have sufficient ports on a
laptop for various purposes. At least two USB port is essential, four is even
better and now that USB 3.0 ports are available, so it would be better to get a
laptop with USB 3.0 ports because ports are lot faster than USB 2.0 ports.
7.Battery Life
This is another vital factor you must consider before buying
a laptop, battery is the life of a computer, a fast computer without a good
battery life is not complete, the new notebooks now that offer more than 6
hours of battery life. At least a 4hours battery life is endurable and i don’t
see why you should go for a less one.
8.Brand
A laptop is only as good as the company that stands behind
it because technical support is paramount. Most of the popular brand are ;
Apple, lenovo, Hp, Sony, Toshiba, Dell, Asus, Samsung and the list continues…
the choice is yours and your trust or experience with the brand.
9.Size
Laptop have different size, you have to choose the right one
that suits you. Many Chromebooks come with a 11 – 12 inches which is the
thinnest and lightest and usually weigh less than 3 pounds. 15-inch laptops are
the most popular one and usually weigh 5 – 6 pounds. If you’re not planning to
carry your notebook around very frequently, then a 15-inch system could be a
good deal for you. The biggest one is the 17- 18 inch.
10.Display
The more pixels it has, the more content that can fit on
screen, and the sharper it will look. A monitor’s pixel count consists of two
numbers (e.g. 2560-by-1440), with the first one being the number of horizontal
pixels and the second being the vertical pixel count. A smaller count, like a
1920-by-1080 (common on 24” monitors), means the pixels are more spread out.
Therefore, every icon, letter and window appears larger on the screen.
11.WLAN & Bluetooth
WLAN and Bluetooth is an essential part of a laptop. This is
something that can be often overlooked when buying a laptop, but considering
that most laptops rely on an Internet connection for the majority of their
tasks, it’s an extremely important feature. At the very least, you need a
laptop that has a dual-band Wi-Fi adapter. This will allow you to use the
laptop with a dual-band router’s 5GHz network, allowing it to work quicker and
perhaps segregating it from other devices on your network that use the 2.4GHz
network.
12.Warranty
Pay attention to the warranty because if your computer
breaks down while the service contract is in effect, you save on repair costs.
You can always opt for used or refurbished computers but nothing beats the
warranties provided by brand new units. Also consider the retailer’s location
in your purchase. Choose a retailer that’s near your place of residence so that
you won’t have to lug the computer far if it breaks down.
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