This can be more of a concern than it may seem. There are hundreds of choices out there. Finding the right one often gets left up to the helpful sales clerk at your local electronics store. Here are some pointers that may help you out.
- Make sure you get Windows 7. Some are still selling Vista – Watch out for that.
- 3GB of system memory or “RAM” is more than enough for almost everyone.
- 160GB of Hard Drive space is a good place to start.
The next big concern is battery life. It isn’t all about the size of the battery. Although a 6 Cell is good for most. Processors and Screens have a lot to do with this as well.
- Look for an Intel Processor these come in many flavors. Most people remember the “Pentium” brand. Things have come a long way since then.
- Mostly I suggest avoiding “Celeron” processors, they are underpowered and you won’t save enough money to make up for the frustration that comes later.
- Start with a “Core i3 moble” or a “Core i5 mobile”, and move up from there. As the numbers increase and you take away the “mobile” moniker the battery life will decrease. This does come with an increase in performance however. Click here to see a complete list of options.
- Almost done: the screen of choice. Size really does matter in this case. Larger screens use more power. Brighter screens use more power. I recommend a 15.1 inch in most cases.
Now for one of the hardest parts. Price. . . There are two paths I suggest. Watch the Sunday ads for deals. Anything under $500 is probably a good price. Just make sure you follow the guidelines above. The other option I think is better at least for now. Go to www.dell.com and take a look at the Inspiron 15 on the left. It is a good laptop for a great price.
Stay tuned to this website as I will update computer deals in the future.
