Mistakes to Avoid in Buying a Laptop (Part 1)

What should you look for in buying a laptop? Do not get too excited when buying for a laptop. Do not let your eyes deceive you. Avoid making these mistakes. Know what you need in a laptop, and find one that suits your needs. Here are tips that will surely help you in finding the right laptop:

• Neglecting the ports and compatibility. Now, laptops are getting thinner and ports are slowly getting removed from laptops. You cannot just ignore these ports especially if you are going to use your laptop for various tasks. If you are doing a lot of presentations, printing, and editing, you should consider the ports for flash disks, Ethernet cable, video output (i.e. LCD projectors) , keyboards, printers, and other external devices. You will be having a hard time finding cables to convert your existing port to fit whatever device you want to plug in. Not all files can be sent online, some are transferred using a flash disk. Most importantly, not all places have WiFi, so make sure your laptop has an Ethernet port. You may need more USB ports for your mobile broadband stick.

• Not trying the laptop before buying. Every laptop is different. A hands-on experience is needed. The keyboard, screen, and touch pad vary. You have to try these parts yourself, assess if it suits your needs, and they are comfortable for you to use. What is the purpose of a high-end laptop if you find it bulky and unfriendly to use? Like buying a car, you need to do a test drive. If you cannot avoid buying from an online store, make sure that the store has a substantial return policy. If not, you better go out and try all your options.

• Looking at design instead of the specifications. The front end of a laptop is what you call the user interface and this is everything you see. However, what is inside your laptop is a totally different story. Do not get enticed by good looks. Yes, a light and thin laptop would be convenient to bring anywhere with you. It is important to consider the function first and then, the design next. You would want a laptop that performs. Are you going to need a lot of storage space for your projects? Are you planning to use this laptop in five years or so? Consider the hard drive space. If you want a laptop that will allow you to play games, go for a laptop with a higher Random Access Memory (RAM). Remember that the more programs you will use, the more RAM is needed. Additionally, a laptop with less than 1GB graphics will not allow you to play massively multiplayer online role-playing games.

• Ignoring the size. When you are constantly traveling, always consider the laptop size. Smaller laptops are a perfect choice for mobile users, but know that these laptops will most probably have smaller keyboards and touch pads. Typing in small keyboard would be very inconvenient. A standard laptop measuring from 13 – 14 inches would be a great choice. If you are looking for a desktop replacement and you barely bring it with you, try the larger laptops that are bigger than 15 inches.