Many times you do not know what you need when shopping for a new laptop. New technologies and a wide variety of features can make the process much more complicated. Many people like you are thinking the same exact thing. These tips can help you make a solid decision about the type of laptop you need.
Examine your funds thoroughly before you jump into a new laptop purchase. Set a budget for your laptop purchase. Are you looking for a PC or a Mac? If you like a computer with excellent graphics capabilities, you will want a Mac.
Always consider the weight of the laptop you desire. You should choose a lightweight laptop if you’ll be carrying it frequently. A heavy one can cause stiffness, soreness and even back injury. You don’t have to spend more money to get a lighter laptop. However, many times battery life is greatly decreased.
If you’re going to play video games and watch HD movies, a good dedicated graphic chip should be installed on your laptop. Make sure your graphics program is powerful enough to support the types of video games you play. Educate yourself to make an informed choice about whether to get a dual core processor or a quad core chip.
If you are buying a laptop online, don’t pay extra for added productivity and word processing software. If you do, you will be paying full price for it. It’s better to purchase this software separately from a discount online vendor. You will typically save a third off the retail price, sometimes even much more.
Investing in a cooling pad for your laptop will extend its life by keeping it from overheating. A common cause for the failure of a laptop is letting it overheat. This can be remedied with the help of a cooling pad meant specifically for laptops, and they are inexpensive and worth it for your computer.
When you purchase a laptop, buy a laptop cooling pad to go with it. A laptop’s bottom can get quite hot. Get a cooling pad for it.
Don’t get too confused when looking at netbooks. While many people think netbooks are just a smaller laptop, they are wrong. A netbook is for checking email and light Internet use, whereas a laptop is capable of so much more. Avoid netbooks when you are really in need of a laptop.
If you plan to carry your new laptop back and forth from work or school, you need to exercise caution. Make sure you purchase a good case or bag when you buy the laptop. Over time, if you bang it around too much, you could damage the insides of the laptop.
Consider getting a laptop that is refurbished. The price can make it really worthwhile, and if it has a warranty that’s good too, you won’t be taking too big of a risk. Most owners have no trouble with them, and this means everyone has access to the best ones.
Do you need your laptop to have high security settings? Luckily, there are some different security options available when it comes to laptop computers. You may want to buy a laptop that can do fingerprint or facial recognition scanning. No one who is not registered on the computer can use it.
Pin the shortcuts to your favorite programs to your Start menu. Just find the appropriate shortcut, use the mouse to right-click it and then select the option for pinning to the Start menu. Once you do this, you’ll have a Start menu icon for each program you want instead of having to look for them in “All Programs”.
Think about customizing your laptop. It is not difficult to get a laptop that is ready to go right out of the box. However, you needs may be different than what is offered. You can pay less for customized systems by not opting for that hardware you don’t need.
Look at the ports that come with your laptop prior to purchasing one. You will need several ports in order to use a printer, a mouse and a external hard drive. Make sure you know the ports that you need and that they are available.
To optimize the power usage of your laptop, adjust its settings. You can find these in your Control Panel in the area that deals with how you use electricity. The sleep timer and display brightness are the two biggest factors here.
When you’re moving a laptop from somewhere that’s warm to somewhere that’s cold, or the other way around, don’t start up your system until you have it at room temperature. If the temperature changes suddenly, you could have problems with condensed moisture inside your laptop. This moisture can cause damage to your laptop’s internal components.
Turn off your laptop when it is not in use. Prevent your laptop from overheating by making sure that air is able to circulate around it. Always turn it off when not in use as well.
In terms of laptops, brand names are not everything. Take a look at customers’ impressions of Apple, Asus, Sony, Acer and Toshiba. You should look at the specs more than the brand. Laptops are practically a commodity product these days.
Look for the right mix of pre-installed software. Most people use a word processor and spreadsheet software. You don’t want these to be the trial versions. If these programs aren’t included, you will need to purchase them separately.
If you’re mostly going to be gaming on your laptop, you’re in luck. A lot of the top laptop brands make laptops for gaming, making your features easier to find. However, be advised that gaming laptops are quite expensive.
If you’d like lessen the possibility of someone stealing your laptop, carry it in something that doesn’t look like it contains a laptop. Very few people steal diaper bags, so carrying your laptop in that won’t clue would-be thieves as to the contents.
It’s a big financial investment to buy a laptop. Technology is always evolving and features change with it. You can only know this by having good information like the tips above. Use what you have learned, and your final decision will be a wise one.