Buying a laptop or for that matter, any tech device is not an easy job. One needs to be very particular of one’s needs and requirements before deciding on a certain model and brand. With the market flooded with a variety of laptop brands, configurations, prices, and sizes, it becomes all the more difficult to choose the perfect device. With so much to choose from, most of us are simply unable to decide upon the best buy. With none to guide, often we are burdened with a purchase we regret later.
It is important to know different aspects of specs and prices of the laptops before purchasing one. Laptop reviews wherever available are of great help. Here in this article we will learn from some of the most common mistakes that people do while purchasing a laptop.
Size Does Matter
While purchasing a laptop it is always important to go for the right size. Just for the sake of mobility or handling one should not go for laptops with small displays, say the 10.5 inch models. Portability of the smaller devices often attracts us to go for them. Smaller display means smaller keyboard and a smaller touchpad. It is difficult to handle a small sized keyboard when you have to key in a lot of data. Even larger laptops, like the 15.6 inch models could be a burden if you are highly mobile with your laptop. It thus makes sense in most cases to go for a size that is somewhere in between, like the 14 inch laptops.
Availability of Suitable Ports
Laptop manufacturers, often to cut down on costs and size, compromise with the availability of ports. While purchasing a laptop it is thus important not to miss on them. If you are someone who connects a lot of peripheral devices like external hard drives, keyboard or mouse, it is essential to see that the device has at least 3 USB ports, an Ethernet port, a video output and combination ports for the headphone and microphone jacks.
Convertibles Are Not Great Buys
With Windows 8 doing the rounds, a new generation of laptops has buyers fascinated with its unique features. These are touchscreen convertibles that can be converted into a tablet by detaching the keyboard from the display. Or the display can be folded over the keyboard. The features are unique, but come at a price. At high prices it is neither value for money as a laptop or a tablet. It would be better to invest separately on a laptop and a tablet.
Choosing Design Over Function
Often we get lured with the design of the device rather than its functionality. What really get counted are laptop specs like refresh rate, screen resolution, hardware, memory, cooling, etc. It won’t do you or your laptop a world of good if it has one of the best designs but falters on performance. To a certain extent however, design is important; as it should be ergonomic, light in weight and easy to handle. But performance and laptop specs come first. So before choosing a laptop for its looks and design get to know its functions first.
Not Researching
A very big mistake that we buyers generally do is not doing research on prospective buys. We often expect the sales staff to help us in choosing a product for us. The opinion given by a sales staff can be quite biased as he is more likely to push for the sale of a product that the shop or store has a large inventory of. So instead of relying on the store or the sales people do a research of your own by taking help of the internet. Laptop reviews and expert advice is available on the web for free and can help you narrow down to the perfect choice. The reviews help in knowing the shortcomings.
Not Investing on a Cooling Pad
Because of their size and compactness most laptops are not able to cool very efficiently. Moreover, unlike the desktops, laptops are often placed on the lap, sofa or the bed, thus decreasing the cooling efficiency further. To prevent your laptop from getting affected from heat it is worth investing in cooling pads which normally come cheap.
Unnecessarily Focusing on RAM Size
For users with moderate use one need not unnecessarily go for a configuration that is high on RAM. For most, a device with 4GB of RAM could be enough. At the higher side, you could at the most go for 8GB of RAM, not beyond. Higher the RAM means more will be the cost. Instead of paying for RAM capacity that you don’t need, you can invest the money for better laptop specs.
Extended Warranties
Salespeople often sweet-talk you to purchase extended warranties that are in most cases worthless. An extended warranty is only suitable if you are a frequent traveller and there is a likelihood of accidental damage or theft while travelling. In most other cases it is not of much value. It’s thus important not to get carried away with marketing gimmicks. The money could be better utilised in improving upon the laptop specs.
Going for the Cheapest Deal
Just going for the cheapest available model will not solve your needs and requirements. Manufacturers pull the laptop prices down by missing on features or incorporating cheaper components. It may be soft on your wallet but you will miss on the facilities or quality. So it’s important to make a list of must-have features and then go shopping. Additionally go through the reviews of the laptops.
Assuming One Has to Install Windows 8 or 10
It’s not necessary for you to have windows 8 installed in your laptop, until and unless yours is a touchscreen model. Manufacturers provide you with the options of Windows 7. At the most you may have to ask them to install it for you. Windows 7 still has the best user interface and as of now extended support for Windows 7 won’t end before January 2020.
Summing-up
When it comes to buying a laptop it is very essential to know your requirements. With infinite number of models available it sure is difficult to decide. Get online, do a bit of research and go through the laptop reviews. Compare the laptop prices at different sites. Remember that function, performance and the laptop specs should be the deciding factors and not the external appearance. So next time you go shopping for a laptop, have your homework done. That way you will save a lot on money and dissatisfaction.
