While tablets get all the attention
these days, there’s a reason why laptops continue to be the computing device of
choice for most people. Laptops offer real keyboards for faster typing, tey’re
better at multitasking, and they offer a lot more power for everything from
editing video and creating PowerPoints to playing the latest games. So what
type of laptop should
you get?
There’s
a wide variety of sizes, features, and prices, which makes choosing the right
laptop a challenge. That’s why you need to figure out what your needs are. To
make the right call, just follow these eight tips.
1. Pick
a Platform: Mac, Windows or Chrome OS?
This is
not an easy question to answer, especially if you’re not familiar with both
Macs and PCs. But this quick overview of each platform’s strengths and
weaknesses should help.
Chrome OS
Found
on inexpensive, lightweight laptops such as the 11.6-inch Acer C720 and HP
Chromebook 14, Google’s Chrome OS is the simplest and most secure platform
around, but can also feel a bit limited. The user interface looks a lot like
traditional Windows with an application menu, a desktop and the ability to drag
windows around. The main type window you’ll be using is the Chrome browser and
most “applications” are simply shortcuts to web tools.
Because
it’s mainly a browser, Chrome OS is unlikely to get infected with malware or
viruses and, if you’ve ever surfed the web on another computer, you’ll be right
at home with the platform’s look and feel. The downside is that there are few
offline apps and those that exist don’t always work well. However, if you need
a device for surfing the web, checking email, social networking and doing
online chats, Chromebooks are inexpensive, highly-portable and last a long time
on a charge.
MORE: Best
Chromebooks
Windows 8.1
Windows
notebooks are generally more affordable than Macs (starting under $400) and
offer a much wider range of design choices from more than a dozen major
vendors. Unlike Apple, Microsoft and its partners allow users to buy notebooks
with touch screens, as well as convertible designs that let you easily
transform from notebook to tablet mode.
If
you’re used to the Windows interface, but haven’t tried Windows 8.1, you may be
in for a jarring surprise. The new OS has replaced the Start menu with a tile-based
start screen and a raft of new full-screen, touch-friendly apps. However,
Windows 8.1 still has a desktop mode for running all your existing apps and you
can boot directly to it. It’s also not hard, with a few utilities and settings
tweaks, to add a Start Menu and make the Ui look a lot like Windows 7.
Some
Windows notebooks provide business-friendly features, such as biometric and
smartcard verification and Intel vPro systems management.
MORE: Best
Ultrabooks
Apple OS X Yosemite
Apple’s
MacBook Airs and MacBook Pros offer an easy-to-use operating system in OS X
Yosemite. In fact, some may find OS X easier to navigate than the newer and
bolder Windows 8.1. MacBooks offer iOS-like features such as Launch Pad for
your apps, superior multitouch gestures, and the ability to take calls from
your iPhone.
MacBook
Airs and MacBook Pros also tend to outclass most Windows machines when it comes
to industrial design and the touchpad. While Windows PCs offer more software
choices, Apple makes it easier to find and install programs with the Mac App
Store. However, Apple’s notebooks start at $899.
2. Choose the
Right Size
Before
you decide anything else, you need to figure out just how portable you need
your laptop to be. Laptops are usually categorized by their display sizes,:
· 11 to
12 inches: The thinnest and lightest systems around have 11 to 12
inch screens and typically weigh 2.5 to 3.5 pounds. However, at this size, the
screen and keyboard will be a bit too cramped for some users.
MORE: 11-inch
Laptop Reviews and 12-inch
Laptop Reviews
· 13 to
14-inches: Provides the best balance of portability and
usability. Laptops with 13 or 14-inch screens usually weigh between 3.5 and 4.5
pounds and fit easily on your lap while still providing generously-sized
keyboards and screens. Shoot for a system with a total weight under 4 pounds if
possible.
MORE: 13-inch
Laptop Reviews
· 15
inches: The most popular size, 15-inch laptops are
usually quite bulky and heavy at 5 to 6.5 pounds, but also cost the least. If
you’re not planning to carry your notebook around often or use it on your lap,
a 15-inch system could be a good deal for you. Some 15-inch models have DVD
drives, but you’ll save weight if you skip it.
MORE: 15-inch
Laptop Reviews
· 17 to
18 inches:If your laptop stays on your desk all day every day, a
17 or 18-inch system could provide you with the kind of processing power you
need to play high-end games or do workstation-level productivity. Because of
their girth, laptops this size can pack in high-voltage quad-core CPUs,
power-hungry graphics chips and multiple storage drives. Just don’t think about
carrying these 7+ pound systems anywhere.
MORE: 17-inch
Laptop Reviews
3.
Check That Keyboard and Touchpad
The
most impressive specs in the world don’t mean diddly if the laptop you’re
shopping for doesn’t have good ergonomics. Does the keyboard have solid tactile
feedback and enough space between the keys? Is the touchpad smooth to operate
or jumpy?
The
mouse buttons should provide a satisfying click and note feel mushy You
should be able to zoom in and out with ease, as well as select text with the touchpad
without the cursor skipping around.If you’re shopping for a Windows 8 notebook,
test the touchpad to make sure that gestures don’t activate accidentally as you
get close to the edges.
In
general, Apple and Lenovo offer the best keyboards and touchpads. Dell and HP
are generally pretty reliable in this category, too.
4. Know Your
Specs
Notebook
specs such as CPU, hard drive, RAM, and graphics chip can confuse even notebook
aficionados, so don’t feel bad if spec sheets look like alphabet soup to you.
What you need really depends on what you plan to do with your laptop. More
intensive tasks such as 3D gaming and HD video-editing require more expensive
components.
Here
are the main components to keep an eye on.
· CPU: The
least expensive laptops on the market have AMD E Series or Intel Pentium CPUs,
which will struggle to handle serious productivity or media tasks but can
handle web surfing. Intel Atom processors are also low-performance, but offer
long battery life.
Expensive tablet / laptop hybrids often use Intel’s Core M CPU, which is faster than Atom but not as quick as the company’s Core Series (Core i3, i5 and i7).
Expensive tablet / laptop hybrids often use Intel’s Core M CPU, which is faster than Atom but not as quick as the company’s Core Series (Core i3, i5 and i7).
If
performance matters, don’t settle for less than an Intel Core M for thin
systems or a Core i3 CPU /AMD A Series for mainstream laptops. If you’re
spending over $500, demand at least an Intel Core i5 CPU, which is capable of
increasing its clock speed dynamically when you need more performance. Power
users and gamers should settle for no less than Core i7 sytstem, preferably a
quad-core chip.
· RAM: When
it comes to memory, or RAM, even the cheapest notebooks have 4GB these days so
don’t settle for less. If you can get a system with 6 or 8GB, you’ll be better
prepared for high-end applications and lots of multitasking. Gamers and power
users should look for 16GB of RAM.
· Hard
Drive: For most users, a fast drive is more important
than a large one. If you have a choice, go for a 7,200-rpm hard drive over a
5,400-rpm unit. Even if you have several movies and games on your hard drive, a
320GB should provide more than enough space, but 500GB or 750GB drives usually
don’t cost much more.
· Flash
Cache: Any Ultrabook and some other notebooks come with
8, 16 or 32GB flash caches you can use to increase performance. While not
as fast as an SSD, a Flash cache will help boost load and boot times while
allowing you to store all your data on a large hard drive.
· Solid
State Drives (SSDs): These drives cost quite a bit more than
traditional hard drives and come with less capacity (usually 128 to 256GB), but
they dramatically improve performance. You’ll enjoy faster boot times, faster
resume times, and faster application open times. Plus, because SSDs don’t have
moving parts such as mechanical drives, failure is much less of an issue.
· Display: The
more pixels you have, the more content you can fit on-screen, and the sharper
it will look. Most budget and mainstream notebooks come
with 1366 x 768-pixel resolutions. However, if you have the option, choose a
laptop with a higher pixel count 1600 x 900 or 1920 x 1080 —always go for the
highest res you can get. You’ll see more of your favorite web pages, multitask
better, and have a better movie-watching experience. Full HD panels (1920 x
1080) cost about $150 more than your typical display, but are worth the
splurge, especially on larger screens.
Some
pricier notebooks even come with screens that are 2560 x 1600, 3200 x
1800 or even 3840 x 2160. Though most movies aren’t available at such high
resolutions yet, the picture will be sharper.
· Touch
Screen: Windows 8 is simply more fun and immersive with
a touch screen, but if your laptop is not a hybrid with a bendable or rotatable
screen, you can probably live without it. Though you can get a touch screen
system for under $500 these days, the difference in price between similarly
configured systems with and without touch is $100 to $150.
· Graphics
Chip: For the most part, an integrated graphics chip
(one that shares system memory) will be fine for basic tasks, including surfing
the web, watching video, and even playing some mainstream games. But a discrete
graphics processor from AMD or Nvidia (which has dedicated video memory) will
provide better performance when it comes to the most-demanding games. Plus, a
good GPU can accelerate video playback on sites such as Hulu, as well as speed
up video editing.
As with
CPUs there are both high and low-end graphics chips. Nvidia maintains a list of
its graphics chips from low to high end as does
AMD. In general, workstations and gaming notebooks will have the
best GPUs, including dual graphics on the most expensive systems.
MORE: Best Gaming
Laptops
· DVD/Blu-ray
Drives. Fewer and fewer laptops these days come with
optical drives. That’s because you can download most software and download or
stream video from the web. Unless you burn discs or want to watch Blu-ray
movies, you don’t need one of these drives and can save as much as half a pound
of weight by avoiding them. At this point, DVD drives are a safety blanket.
5. Decide
if You Want a Hybrid or Traditional Notebook
If you
like the idea of occasionally using your laptop in slate mode, a convertible
like the Yoga is a versatile choice. But if you want the flexibility of using
your device as standalone tablet, a detachable design is best.
Even if
you only plan to move your laptop from the desk to the couch and the bed or
from your cubicle to the conference room, battery life matters. Nobody wants to
be chained to a power outlet, even if there’s a socket within reach. If you’re
buying a 15-inch notebook, look for at least 4 hours of endurance. Those who
plan to be fairly mobile should shop for notebooks that offer more than 6 hours
of battery life, with 7-plus hours being ideal.
If
given the choice, pay extra for an extended battery; you won’t regret it. Keep
in mind that some notebooks (such as the MacBook Air) feature sealed batteries
that you can’t easily upgrade yourself.
To
determine a notebook’s expected battery life, don’t take the manufacturer’s
word for it. Instead, read third-party results from objective sources, such as
Laptop Mag’s reviews. . Your actual battery life will vary depending on your
screen brightness and what tasks you perform (video eats more juice than web
surfing).
7. Plan a
Budget
These
days, you can buy a usable laptop for under $500, but if you can budget more,
you’ll get a system with better build quality, stronger performance and a better
display. Here’s what you can get for each price range.
· $150 to
$350: The least expensive notebooks are either Chromebooks,
which run Google’s browser-centric OS, or low-end Windows systems with minimal
storage and slower processors such as the HP Stream 11 (Intel Celeron, 32GB
flash drive). Either one can make a great secondary or child’s computer,
particularly if you buy a lightweight 11 or 12-inch system. Chromebooks also
tend to last a long time (8 hours or more) on a charge.
· $350 to
$600: For well under $600, you can get a notebook with an
Intel Core i5 or AMD A8 CPU, 4 to 8GB of RAM, and a 500GB hard drive, all
respectable specs. However, at this price, most notebooks have cheap plastic
chassis, low-res screens and weak battery life.
· $600 to
$800: As you get above $600, you’ll start to see more
premium designs, such as metal finishes. Manufacturers also start to add in
other features as you climb the price ladder, including better audio and
backlit keyboards. You may also be able to get a screen with a resolution
that’s 1600 x 900 or 1920 x 1080 and a flash cache.
· Above
$800: At this price range, expect notebooks that are more
portable, more powerful or both. Expect higher resolution screens , faster
processors , and possibly discrete graphics. The lightest , longest-lasting
ultraportables like the MacBook Air 13-inch and Dell XPS 13tend to cost over
$1,000. High-end gaming systems and mobile workstations usually cost uppwards
of $1,500 or even as much as $2,500 or $,3,000.
8.Mind the
Brand
Your
laptop is only as good as the company that stands behind it. Accurate and
timely technical support is paramount, which is why Laptop Mag evaluates every major
brand in our annual Tech Support
Showdown. This past year Apple came in first place, followed by HP
and Samsung.
Support
is only part of what makes a notebook brand worth your money. You also have to
consider how the manufacturer stacks up to the competition in terms of design,
value and selection, review performance, and other criteria. In our 2014 Best
and Worst Laptop Brands report, Apple placed first, followed by Lenovo and ASUS.
Chromebooks performs well in the market.
ReplyDeleteFor more information:
Best chromebooks in 2018