how to choose a laptop computer

How to Choose a Laptop Computer? - Computer Hardware

If you're looking for a laptop computer, here are the ten things you need to consider.

Purpose of the laptop - are you going to use it mainly for web browsing and emailing? If so, you don't need to spend money on a fast CPU and a whole lot of RAM. But if you are going to use it for programming or playing video games, you may need to go for the higher end models for faster CPU speed, more memory and perhaps better video quality. Once you have the answer to this question, it's much easier to decide on what you need on the following features.

Screen Size - the size of the screen is directly related to how portable the laptop is going to be. Typically screen size ranges from 10" to 18". If you plan to watch videos or play video games on the laptop, you might want to go for a larger screen size. If you travel with your laptop a lot, go for a smaller screen size, but a lighter and more portable laptop.

Battery Life - Typically the longer the better, but again it depends on your needs. If you're on the road a lot, you don't get to plug your laptop into an outlet very often, long battery life is a must. But if you're going to use your laptop at your office, at home or anywhere that have easy access to an outlet, this feature may not matter to you as much.

Hard Drive - If you plan to store a lot of videos or other media files on your laptop, you may want to go for a bigger hard drive. But even for typical usage, I would recommend at least a 160GB hard drive.

Networking - Built in WiFi is highly recommended. That allows you to have wireless access to the Internet without having to add a network card or using an Ethernet cable to connect to a LAN port.

RAM - Go for at least 2GB of RAM, especially if you are going to run Window Vista

DVD Player/Burner - Most laptops now come with a DVD player and burner. But you may want to get one which also has a Blu-ray player if you plan to watch Blu-ray videos on your laptop.

Card Reader - If you have a digital camera or other media that requires a card reader, make sure the laptop you buy has the card reader you need built-in.

Bluetooth - If you want to be able to connect to some of your devices (like cameras, headphones, mouse, etc.) wirelessly, make sure the laptop you buy is Bluetooth enabled.

USB ports - Make sure there are enough USB ports to connect to all your USB devices. I recommend at least 2 USB ports.