How to Buy a Laptop or Notebook Computer

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Knowing how to buy a laptop or notebook computer can help you save a lot of money. The following tips will assist you in finding the right computer at the right price!

How to Buy a Laptop or Notebook Computer

Have you ever bought a laptop computer before? If not, finding just the right computer can be a daunting task. There are several things that you need to consider before you buy your computer. These things will help you get the best deal and obtain the right computer for the things that you will be doing on your computer.

Computer RAM

As many people know, RAM, or Random Access Memory, is the amount of memory that determines which type of applications you can do on your computer. The more RAM your computer has, the easier it will be for your computer to handle large file sizes. A large amount of RAM is important for people that like to play games, will be doing lots of graphic-intensive work or will be working with hundreds of photographs. If the majority of work being done on the computer is word processing, a low amount of RAM, such as 256MB, will suffice.

Computer Processor

Most computer processors, such as Pentium II and III are sufficient for individuals using their laptops or notebooks for class work, word processing and a few video games. If you want to use your computer for video games, Pentium IV and Pentium with MMX will help you play games at lightning speed.

DVD, CD and Floppy Drives

Many laptops and notebooks already come pre-loaded with DVD, CD, floppy and other combination drives. Each of these types of drives will add to the overall cost of your computer. Will you be watching DVDs or listening to CDs on your computer? If not, you may want to stick to a computer model that doesn't have all of the bells and whistles. The following is an explanation of what these drives do:

DVD-RW and +RW – allows users to burn and also re-write DVDs on their computer multiple times
DVD - allows users to watch DVDs and listen to some older CDs on their computer
DVD –R and +R - allows you to burn a DVD once, and then it becomes permanent
CD – allows you to listen to CDs on your computer
CD-RW and +RW – allows users to re-burn music on the CDs multiple times
CD-R and +R – allows users to record music to a CD only once, and then it becomes permanent

Floppies - while not used much since the advent of the DVD burner, floppy disk drives can still be used and found on many older models of laptops and notebooks.

USB Ports

The number of available USB ports can be important to many computer users. If you only use your USB port occasionally, such as when you hook it up to a camera or printer, a single USB port may be enough. Alternatively, you can purchase separately multiple USB port adapters to increase the number of USB compatible peripherals you can hook up to your computer. This will allow users to hook up multiple peripherals such as cameras, MP3 players, printers and game devices.

Wireless and Ethernet

For users that want to be able to connect to the Internet wherever they may be, a wireless card is a must. Laptops and notebooks may come with a mobile wireless card installed internally, or you may purchase a PCMIA card (such as a Linksys WPC11 card), which can put in the PCMIA slot commonly found on laptop and notebook computers.

Most laptops and notebooks also have an Ethernet port located on the back or side of their computer. An Ethernet port allows users to connect to the Internet by use of an Ethernet cable. This type of connection is common in college dorms and hotels.

Batteries and Recharge Bases

A battery will only last a certain number of hours; many last a minimum of 6, while others may last up to 12 hours. The amount of battery life you need is dependent upon the type of work you do. Students will need a longer battery life while other people who only occasionally leave home with their computer can get by with batteries with a shorter life.

Not all computers come with a base that allows the user to recharge their laptops and notebooks at the end of the day. For students and people who work outside of their office, a base will help them charge their computers quickly. Find out if a recharge base is available for your computer model.

Full or Partial Keyboard

Small laptops may not have the numerical keyboard to the right of the letter keyboard. If you don't use numbers on a regular basis, the numbers located above your letter keys may be enough. On the other hand, if you use Excel or other math programs frequently, a full size keyboard with a numerical keypad will be a necessity.

Now that you know how to buy a laptop or notebook computer, it is time to start shopping! Places to purchase laptops and notebooks include, but are not limited to, the following:

USA Notebooks – selling reasonably priced refurbished (used) laptops and notebooks
Dell Computers – pick and choose the components that are the most important to you for your laptop
Best Buy – selling a wide selection of new laptops and notebooks
WalMart – selling reasonably priced laptops and notebooks. Watch for sales to get the best prices
Lenovo – this is the new site for IBM laptops and notebooks
Tiger Direct – selling new laptops, notebooks and replacement parts and peripherals for computers at reasonable prices

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