Table of Contents
Introduction:
There is a lot to think about when buying a new laptop. I went through everything which you need to know, and I will support some of my recommended favorite laptops at the end. We are going to reveal “What to consider when buying a laptop” in this blog. I have explained all sorts of Laptop buying tips. So, please read this article completely.
What to consider when buying a laptop: #1 Price-Point:
Be smart with your money and as tempting as it may be, I would suggest probably not selling a kidney just to get the latest and greatest brand spanking new laptop because there is no such thing as a fully future-proof laptop.
New and better ones come out all the time and sometimes you can get more bang for your buck if you go for last year’s model. Although on the flip side buying newer versions will mean it lasts a little bit longer before you need to upgrade.
What to consider when buying a laptop: #2 OS- WIN/MAC/CHROME
Just stick to what you are used to using but there are some good reasons they want to switch.
Windows: Laptop buying tips
Most laptops running Microsoft Windows 10 and it’s a great option if you want a laptop. It does everything and runs a massive range of software, and of course, has the biggest library of games. there are hundreds if not thousands of windows laptops to choose from basic to thin and light ultra-books to proper gaming laptops.
Laptop buying tips: Mac
Then we have got Mac OS and MacBook Air and Pro laptops make perfect sense. If you are saying an iPhone user as it all works seamlessly with Apple’s ecosystem including i-messages, Airdrop, and FaceTime.
Mac OS also handles drivers and updates behind the scenes making it just a little bit easier for non-techie people to use. It also helps the Mac books are just lovely to use.
MacBook Pro 13 with the M1 chip which I would say go to the laptop now but of course you will have to spend at least £1000 or $1000 for the MacBook Air to get that Mac OS.
They are expensive although they do hold their value longer than most windows laptops so if you come to sell in a couple of years, you’ll get a bit more money back for your Mac.
Chromebook: Laptop buying tips
And then at the opposite end of the spectrum, we have Chromebooks. these are great if you just want a more basic laptop something for browsing watching movies and doing office or schoolwork. Chromebooks are ideal for students and them usually cheaper than regular windows laptops.
The catch is the Chrome OS won’t run Windows or Mac applications but they’re often versions of major apps in the Chrome play store. Most recent Chromebooks can run Android mobile apps and games.
Most of the time with the Chromebook you’ll be working within the cloud.
What to consider when buying a laptop: #3 Size and Shape:
Two-in-one hybrids offer more tablet-like experiences and versatility with detachable keyboards or 360-degree hinges which means you can flip the screen around and then use it in a variety of different modes including as a tablet.
Most laptops come in this more traditional clamshell design a sizes range mainly from 13 to 17 inches. Now talking to 17 inches, which is a big laptop although of course because of recent design upgrades the bezels are many thinners.
The smaller screen, the lighter and more portable the laptop will be. However, bigger 15- or 17-inch laptops are more likely to have the option for a more powerful processor as an importantly dedicated graphics card.
Alternatively, if you are thinking all these laptops feel old-fashioned and you want something mobile you could consider an iPad Air or iPad pro and pair it with one of Apple’s magic keyboards.
What to consider when buying a laptop: #4 Screen resolution:
When it comes to the screen we have to think about the resolution and if you’re a gamer the refresh rate as well. The vast majority of laptops use a 1080P AKA full HD resolution and for nearly everyone, this is all you need.
However, higher-end laptops sometimes have 4K screen options which are much sharper thanks to having four times as many pixels and these are generally more color accurate as well which is important if you’re doing color-sensitive work.
On the flip side if you’re thinking about getting maybe a productivity laptop and you’re buying up a 4K screen it’ll probably halve given or take your battery life compared to the full HD version.
Apple has a good balance because their resolution mentioned retina screens are kind of halfway housed between Full HD and 4K.
Now compare to the old more traditional 16 by 9 aspect ratio essentially with 16 by 10, you are getting just a little bit extra room on the top and bottom so especially when it comes to smaller like 13–14-inch laptops, I think it makes quite a big difference to just how claustrophobic it feels to use with 16 by 10. It gives you noticeably more screen space.
What to consider when buying a laptop: #5 Specification:
Let’s keep things simple, a good spec to aim for as an all-rounder. The laptop will be one that comes with an Intel Core i5 or AMD ryzen 5 processor with 8 gigs of ram and 256 or 512 gigs of storage at 80P screen are ideal for your use.
If you’re doing more intensive graphical work or playing games, then maybe a dedicated graphics card will be really helpful.
What to consider when buying a laptop: #6 CPU:
Intel’s 10th and most recent 11th Gen processes are fantastic and good in terms of their performance and battery life.
Shift to AMD: horizon 7 beats horizon 5 thanks mostly to higher Clock speeds and maybe more core counts. AMD new 5000 series better and intel i5 & i7 CPU.
Apple entered the game with its own Silicon. We’ve got the M1 chip in here and it kind of blew everyone away they released new MacBook air and pro with the M1 chip.
Which is a supercharged version of their laptops and outperforms a lot of regular processors and improves battery life.
Laptop buying tips #7 RAM and Storage:
It is straightforward the more ram you have the more programs and browser tabs you can have open at once without it starting to chug or slow down.
RAM: Laptop buying tips
8 gigabytes are fine for casual office use while gamers will benefit from having 16 gigs but power users such as designers and editors can benefit from 32or even 64 gigs of ram depending on how demanding your workload.
Generally, I’d say 8 gigabytes of ram is fine but if you can just make it a little bit more futureproof, I would go with 16 if possible.
Storage:
As for storage, well bigger drives mean more room for your files your photos, and your games.
256 gigs are fine and standard, but I think 512 gigs means you won’t have to worry so much about deleting things and uninstalling games to make room.
Importantly depending on what laptop, you have, and you will need to double-check this the chances are that the ram and the storage will be the two components that you could potentially upgrade yourself down the line, but it is a bit different for every laptop so double check if you are thinking about doing that.
What to consider when buying a laptop: #8: Ports:
IO AKA connectivity and there’s only one port that matters right now and going forward and that’s USB-C.
Especially if it’s USB C that supports Thunderbolt 3 or the latest port number 4, which are the fastest and most versatile types of type C port. although with the very latest laptops now supporting USB 4 which still uses this type C connection. Thunderbolt becomes a must-have feature because you can do everything you need with USB four.
A lot of laptops these days including Mac books as you guys know just have USB C so if you do have an older USB a peripheral maybe like a mouse or a dongle or something then you’ll probably need an adapter, or you choose a laptop which has more ports.
Tip #9: Battery life:
In the pursuit of the perfect laptop, there is always this balance between performance, screen resolution, and battery life.
All comes down to the specs of the laptop the more powerful than less battery life. Generally stating if a laptop says it will have 12 hours of battery, I think you can probably expect maybe 7 or 8.
We have seen some quite big leaps forward with the last couple of generations of hardware so you can often now get 10/12-hour battery lives from good laptops.
Most impressive are the new Mac books, I know I keep coming back to this but the M1 chip is not a lot faster but can in some cases give you double the battery life equivalent Intel model could give you.
I think Intel and AMD have some catching up to do to Apple’s silicone so right now I’d say the MacBook Air and pro are probably the best laptops for battery life.
Conclusion: Recommended laptops
We finally reached the end of this laptop suggestion guide, and I have few recommendations for the new/old buyers, you should check out:
Best Mac OS:
New Apple MacBook Air with Apple M1 Chip (13-inch, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) – Space Grey (Latest Model)
Best All-Round:
Best Budget:
Best Premium:
Dell XPS 13 7390 10th Generation Corei5-1021U 8GB RAM,512GB SSD,13.3″ Full HD Windows 10 Laptop
Best Budget Gaming:
Premium Gaming:
Best Chromebook:
Google Pixelbook Go i7 Chromebook 16GB/256GB Just Black
Best Tablet:
New Apple iPad Air (10.9-inch, Wi-Fi, 256GB) – Space Gray (Latest Model, 4th Generation)
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 (11 inch, Wi-Fi + LTE, 6 GB RAM, 128 GB Internal) – Mystic Silver + Cover
Closing Notes: What to consider when buying a laptop?
I have tried to explain about “What to consider when buying a laptop” in this article. I hope you liked the content and laptop buying tips. Please leave your suggestions i comment box and write a query, improvements. Please like our Facebook page and other social media page
FAQ
Yes, looking over the time, the money you are spending really giving the value and can’t ignore apple eco-system.
Laptop performance, spec really matter over the looks.
Depending on your work, If student then budget laptop, general work or office work push towards expensive and heavy duty like graphics and video editing premium with 4k display, dedicated graphics card and longer battery life.
Apple fans => Apple MacBook pro 13-inch with M1 chip
Win fans => Dell XPS 13 or ThinkPad X1 carbon
Chrome => Google Chromebook
Must Read:
- Core i9: Intense Gaming, High End Content Generation
- M1 Chip: Intense Performance & Ultra Speed
- Mechanical Keyboard: What are types of Keyboard?
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