I’m often asked how I purchase a laptop. What sort of things I consider. So I thought I’d jot them down here:
1. First I need a minimum spec as a starting point. You can get this by looking at the software or games you want to run as they publish the minimum and optimum PC specs they require. Do you want to run virtual machines? How many?
2. Once I have a rough idea of the spec I look at screen size and case. Do I want a small compact laptop that I will dock at home/office so I can use external monitors and peripherals, and it takes up less space when travelling? Or do I want a big screen?
3. Next I look at battery life and the battery itself. Is it replaceable and is there a market for third-party batteries for that range of laptop?
4. Next is the manufacturers themselves. I opt for ones I’ve used in the past and trust such as DELL or ASUS.
5. And lastly I’ll look to buy from a reputable source that I trust with a good return and repair service.
When buying a laptop spec you need to take into consideration the processing power (Intel/AMD, speed, number of cores), the amount of memory (8GB, 16GB, etc), the amount of hard drive space and whether it is solid state (no moving parts so less drain on the battery), the battery life and replaceability, and screen size. You may also wish to consider the amount of ports and type of ports it offers but you can get adaptors and splitters to enhance those.