Whether you’re a loyal Windows or Mac fan, you need to know what to look for in a laptop before making an investment. There’s more to consider than just the operating system. Screen size, quality, battery life, USB ports and other factors also need consideration.
The hardware determines what a laptop can do, and better components are naturally more expensive. You will need to consider the primary purpose of your laptop and choose hardware suitable for that purpose.
Consider the operating system first
Your workflow will depend on which operating system you choose, so it’s not a light decision. It will affect everything from how you use shortcuts to how you manage windows. Ultimately, the platform you use is a matter of personal taste and may depend on the purpose of the laptop.
Quality design is a hallmark of a Mac, and this extends to the operating system. MacOS is very user-friendly and stable. It offers the uniformity of the UNIX environment. With the CleanMyMac tool, you can make your Mac feel like new even after using it for some time. It’s easy to delete system junk, unwanted apps etc. and tune a Mac for maximum speed.
The fastest Windows-based PCs can trump Macs when it comes to performance. Companies often design them to suit a specific category, like gaming or business. On the software side, Windows is far more open-ended than MacOS.
Size
One of the main benefits of a laptop is that you can easily travel with it in a laptop bag. If you want to travel frequently with it, you should look at laptops with smaller screens of about 12 inches and a weight of less than 1.5kg. For a balance between usability and portability, 12.5 inches to 14-inch screens are best.
Display
A screen of 1920 x 1080 IPS is a good option. If you use your laptop for many hours every day, you will want a laptop with a screen that’s easy on the eyes. Touchscreen laptops usually have a glossy screen, which tends to reflect the surrounding light. You will have to weigh up the pros and cons. Most laptop displays used to be in the 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio, but new laptops have taller displays which help with productivity. They give you more vertical space for web pages and documents.
Battery life
Battery life can be different from what the tech specs say depending upon variables like the type of programs you run and screen brightness. You need to take a look at the rating of the battery in milliamp hours (mAh) or Watt hours (Wh). The larger the number, the longer the battery will last. If you plan to take your laptop anywhere, nine or so hours of battery life is ideal.
CPU/Processor
The Central Processing Unit (CPU) is the brain of the laptop that does most of the general work. Better CPUs can process more data at higher speeds. Higher-end laptops have Core i7, which will offer the best performance. Heat can emanate from the bottom of the device, which you need to keep in mind if you intend to use your laptop on your lap. Most mid-range laptops have a Core i5.
RAM
All current tasks store data in Random Access Memory (RAM). RAM is key to the performance of a laptop, especially if you do lots of multitasking. The more RAM your laptop has, the faster you are able to access data. You can run many applications smoothly at the same time. When considering how much RAM you need, 8GB is the sweet spot for most people. If you run any intensive applications, you may need more.
Storage
Laptop storage space on the internal drive is how much data it can hold in total on an indefinite basis. Now that laptops are slimmer and lighter, many of them use solid-state drives (SSDs). They are faster and more reliable than traditional hard drives, but they are more expensive. An SSD uses NAND Flash to store data, and as it doesn’t have any moving parts, it offers much better performance.
USB Ports
Make sure you focus on the ports you need on the laptop. Older laptops tend to have USB-A ports that support legacy devices. Thinner laptops like MacBooks and Ultrabooks generally don’t offer USB-A ports due to their size. They have newer USB-C ports.
You will need USB 3.0 ports if you want to plug in and use peripheral devices, such as a keyboard, mouse or external hard drive.
Conclusion
When shopping for a laptop, you need to decide what you intend to use it for and go for one that aligns with this. Paying a little more can get you a laptop with larger and higher-resolution displays, longer battery life, better performance from powerful internal hardware, and overall better build quality. You don’t buy such devices and gadgets every day, so it’s important to make the best decision.
