Guide To Buying A Laptop Computer

The specific needs of laptop users vary greatly from person to person. Maybe you travel frequently for business, or you're a student who needs to run between the lab, library, and dorm room. Maybe you need to take work home from the office, or you need a portable platform for business presentations. Maybe you just like the idea of a sleek little computer that lets you get things done wherever you happen to be.

Any of those reasons makes it worth considering a notebook computer rather than the traditional desktop. The following sections detail the major features you should evaluate when buying a laptop:

• Screen Size & Resolution
• Computer Processor & Memory
• Storage Devices & Drives
• Ports & Network Connectivity
• Laptop Peripherals & Accessories

Are Today's Laptop Systems Really Worth The Price?

The obvious appeal of a notebook is its portability--and the flexibility that gives you. Notebooks today are powerful enough to handle any mainstream application, though desktops are still a better choice for some specialized uses, such as heavy 3-D gaming or high-end audio-video use.

The biggest downside to a notebook is that you'll pay a higher price than you would for a comparable desktop system. Additionally, if you use the notebook often as a substitute for a desktop system, you may find yourself craving a larger display, a real mouse, and a full-size keyboard. You can buy these external devices and plug them in, but that too will add to the cost.

Still, there are a lot of reasons to love today's notebooks, from their superb screens to their amazingly thin dimensions. Laptop computers have come a long way toward closing the performance gap with desktop computers, and they come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and weights, targeted toward different types of users and different price points.

Brand new, top-of-the-line notebooks with the works, for example, generally cost over $3,000. Svelte, ultraportable units, while slightly less feature packed, can be similarly expensive. A more basic notebook can be had for about $1,500, but the products at the lower end of the price range do tend to be both less powerful and bulkier.

Of course, there are many great deals to be had on used, refurbished notebooks. If you are interested in the idea of saving money on your computer purchase, then look into buying a refurbished notebook computer.