7 things to know while buying a laptop

Laptop designs and technology have changed considerably over the years and picking up a laptop that suits your needs and budget can be a challenging task. Follow these tips while buying a laptop…

Touchscreen

If you love gadgets that you can operate via touch, then a touchscreen laptop is right for you. For instance, the tile- and gesture-based Windows 8 interface is far easier to use with a touchscreen.

Touchscreen laptops also have a number of benefits. It is easier to scroll through web pages, start apps, browse images and view lengthy documents. In touchscreen laptops, you can also revert to traditional keyboard mode.As of now, touchscreens are available in Windows only. A touchscreen laptop with Windows 8 can be purchased for less than Rs 30,000.

Weight and design

If you travel a lot, opt for a lightweight 12- or 13-inch laptop that offers good battery life. If your usage is mainly at home/office, go for a laptop with a 14- or 15.6-inch display that can be carried around occasionally

If you are a gamer or photo/video editor who prefers a powerful machine, then consider getting a powerful 15.6- or 17-inch machine.

If your laptop travels with you all the time, then go for a laptop which has a metallic body instead of a plastic one. If your kids also use the same laptop, then go for a corporate model laptop built from metal to make it more durable.

Storage capacity

Optical drives are bulky, so they were the first to go. These days, unless you get a 15.6-inch laptop, optical drives are rare. Another change is the shift to flash based storage (SSDs) from hard drives or HDDs.

Flash storage is more expensive but less prone to failure and can be much smaller and offers better speed.

Operating system

Many people, just to save a few bucks, do not go for a pre-loaded operating system, without realizing that installing an OS on your own along with other software is a tough and time-consuming task. Also go for an operating system which you are familiar with.

Size does matter

If you need a laptop for your home office, then go for a bigger screen laptop as it not only improves your productivity but is also good for your eyes.

However, if you need a laptop to give presentation, then a light notebook with a small screen would be ideal.

Features

A good laptop needs to have a higher multi-core CPU like Intel and AMD CPU, which have multi-core have good speed. Also ensure that it has 3-4 USB slots.

Watch out

Do not buy re-certified or refurbished laptops. Buy from a reputed dealer or e-commerce sites, as well-known brands offer after-sale services and their laptops last longer.