Many people about to buy a laptop for the first time put up an apparently simple question: Which laptop shall I go for? The answer is predictably not so simple. It depends on various factors. The counter question could justifiably be: What are your special interests and what primarily you need a laptop for? Do you need it for gaming, enjoying music, watching movies, socialising, accounting, writing memoirs, serious office work or just because your next-door neighbour possesses one? The right recommendation will be based on your primary interest, the core purpose of owning one and the amount you are willing to spare.
Laptops are available with different operating system (OS) and in various sizes, specifications and prices. While Windows is more commonly used, Mac is known for its security features but is a little expensive. Chromebook is of recent origin that uses the Linux kernel. You need to exercise your preference for the OS. Once you have settled down about the OS, you may need to look for the other features. Size is one criterion, you need to keep in mind. Very small screen, like 11 to 12 inches, will be lighter but the keyboard will look crammed. Bigger screen, on the other hand, will make your laptop heavier but fairly powerful as well. Incidentally, the keyboard should have keys with enough space in between. The touch-pad need to be smooth and the zoom-in and zoom-out functions should be convenient.
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The CPU or the processor should not be too basic, unless of course, your use of laptop is for basic computation. While Intel Pentium CPU is inexpensive, but it does have a longer battery life. If you however want to use your machine primarily for gaming, you should either go for Intel i5 or i7 (5th generation) or better still go for Intel Core M CPU with quad core chip. Here, you should look for at least 4 GB RAM. For high-ended gaming, it is advisable to look for 16 GB RAM. The hard disc of 500 GB should ordinarily suffice, but if you have quite some materials to store, you may as well go for 750 GB or 1 TB of hard disc.
The next important element for consideration is the display. While a 1366x768 display should suffice in most of the cases, for gaming and higher graphics work, you should go at least for 1920x1080 pixel display. It would provide full HD graphics and the picture quality would be fairly good. You may as well consider opting for 2560x1080 pixel display for still better graphics and pictures. Last, but not the least, is the battery-life of laptop. It should give you a backup of at least 4 hours, or still better, to go for 6/7 hours of battery back-up. In conclusion, go for a laptop the manufacturer of which has a better servicing record. Service Centre should be as close to your location as possible.
Author : Syed Zafar Ahmad
Designation: Executive Editor
Bio: A freelancer with a flair for experimenting with innovative technology and electronic gadgets that could enrich the life of a modern common man, and a consultant in issues touching every-day life of a computer suave professional.
Bio: A freelancer with a flair for experimenting with innovative technology and electronic gadgets that could enrich the life of a modern common man, and a consultant in issues touching every-day life of a computer suave professional.
