Investing a Laptop

For those who has missed out on your laptop purchase at the last electronics or PC Show, fear not. The following is a personal guide to look for your affordable yet comprehensive laptop. By the way, it is a trend for electronic gadgets prices to go down instead of up, hence do not worry. You will still find good deals or even better ones after the Show.

1. Research

- Find out what is available in your local market, as the specifications of the laptops varies between countries.
- Which brand are you looking at. Major laptop brands; Asus, HP/Compaq, Dell/Alienware, Apple, Acer, Sony, LG, Fujitsu, Lenovo, Toshiba, Samsung, Gateway, IBM

2. Homework
- Tons of information is available online.
Useful websites: Cnet, Cnetasia, Notebookcheck CPU / Graphic
- Know more about the performance of the specs;
CPU - i3, i5, i7 second-batch
RAM - 2 x 2GB or 1 x 4GB
Harddisk - speed of HDD 5400rpm or 7200rpm, Solid State Disk
Graphic - NVIDIA or ATI, dedicated ram
WLAN - Integrated 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth, EDR

3. Compare
- List out the pros and cons of your selected models.
- Take into considerations of the following:

• Price - Does the pricing fit for the features that you need (not want) 
• Specs - Go back to Point 2 if your are unsure 
• Weight - Inclusive of the battery 
• Size - If your priority is portable, then comprise on having a large screen. 14" is general a comfort size 
• Design & Ergonomics - Not just the exterior, number of ports, do consider the keypad design too 
• Adaptor - As it will be brought out too, consider the size of the adaptor

- Weigh your priority and make your final decision!
*Remember, just purchase what you need or require. Take your time. Don't overkill.