It's easy to be intimidated by all
laptop models on market today. There are literally dozens and dozens in every price range.The key to finding right one for you is to step back and consider exactly how you plan to use your laptop. When you define what you need before you go shopping, buying right machine becomes much easier.
Here are 5 basic factors to consider:
======== 1. SIZE ========
In world of mobile computing, size definitely matters. The size of a laptop affects two key areas: portability and display size.
If you're always on go and will be using your computer only in short bursts, a so-called ultralight will save you some shoulder strain.
On other hand, if you're going to spend hours in front of your laptop, a larger display may be in order.
Today, some laptop displays exceed 17 inches, rivaling display size of many desktop systems. The down side is that these monsters can easily weigh three times as much as an ultralight.
============== 2. HARD DRIVE ==============
Speaking of size, what about size of hard drive? One way to approach this issue is to ask yourself following question:
Will this be my primary computer, or will it supplement my desktop system?
If former, you should look for a bigger hard drive - 60 GB or more.
If latter, you may be able to make it with a 20-30 GB hard drive.
But even this isn't absolute.
If, for example, you plan to copy a huge MP3 library from your desktop system to your laptop to make your music library portable, you'd be well advised to err on side of too big.
========== 3. MEMORY ==========
In determining right amount of system memory, or RAM, take a look at ways in which you intend to use your laptop:
If your needs are somewhat mundane - email, spreadsheets, word processing, etc. - 256 MB of RAM should be plenty. This is a common configuration for many laptops, so it means you probably won't need to spend extra for more RAM.
