I was thinking about laptops today - not that I intend to purchase one, of course. However, I sometimes have those feelings to look at them, and see what the current specs are and if it is something you would buy (some day). Of course, by then, there are new, better ones.
However, I have noticed that the definition of a "good laptop" means different things to different people. So I just wanted to write this blog, about laptops in general, and what I look for before labeling it as a "good laptop".
As a college student, I look at the weight of a laptop - I don't want to carry around a heavy piece of machinery around campus. No way, no how. I'd rather it be fairly lightweight - portable. That's why it's a laptop, right?
Next, check out the CPU (central processing unit) - the higher the GHz, the better. At the moment, something that would be nice to have is a 2.6GHz but, in general, a 2.0GHz is alright (though you may find yourself growing annoyed with how slow your computer is running).
Now why check out the CPU for its GHz? It's because that particular specification is centered around running multiple programs at once (all those word documents, pdfs, videos, etc). The higher the GHz, the more it can run and the more efficient it does it.
Another is the RAM - same as the CPU, the bigger the amount, the better. Don't settle for less than 2GB! And like the CPU, it's about how fast and efficient your laptop can run those programs you have opened up.
All the other specs are more or less standard - graphics. If you're not a gamer, or have any intention of using your laptop to run games, then you don't have to worry about it too much. Whatever comes with your laptop. should be sufficient enough in loading any video you may place in there. For those that are curious though, then what you want to look at it is at video cards like NVIDIA GeForce 8000 series or ATI Mobility Radeon.
Battery life - pretty standard. The longer it lasts, the better. If you don't mind carrying around the battery, then by all means, don't worry too much about it.
I don't really place a great deal of effort on this one, since I don't use it up all that much anyway, but the harddrive space is something to look into. For me, I just get a standard 256GB harddrive but there are others that want more. Hard Drives is just something that stores your documents, music, videos, etc. One important aspect - aside from how much it can hold - is the speed of the hard drive. Because it's what reads the data you store in it. An adequate speed is generally more than 4200rpm.
At the moment solid state drives for your hard drive are good purchases for a laptop spec - it means faster start-ups and access, more reliable, and no noise. Just make sure you get a decent sized one (again 256). I have heard, however, that they tend to wear out faster, but that was awhile back - perhaps they are more durable this time around?
So to get down on it: I mainly just look at the weight, the RAM and the CPU with the others as an afterthought.
However, I have noticed that the definition of a "good laptop" means different things to different people. So I just wanted to write this blog, about laptops in general, and what I look for before labeling it as a "good laptop".
As a college student, I look at the weight of a laptop - I don't want to carry around a heavy piece of machinery around campus. No way, no how. I'd rather it be fairly lightweight - portable. That's why it's a laptop, right?
Next, check out the CPU (central processing unit) - the higher the GHz, the better. At the moment, something that would be nice to have is a 2.6GHz but, in general, a 2.0GHz is alright (though you may find yourself growing annoyed with how slow your computer is running).
Now why check out the CPU for its GHz? It's because that particular specification is centered around running multiple programs at once (all those word documents, pdfs, videos, etc). The higher the GHz, the more it can run and the more efficient it does it.
Another is the RAM - same as the CPU, the bigger the amount, the better. Don't settle for less than 2GB! And like the CPU, it's about how fast and efficient your laptop can run those programs you have opened up.
All the other specs are more or less standard - graphics. If you're not a gamer, or have any intention of using your laptop to run games, then you don't have to worry about it too much. Whatever comes with your laptop. should be sufficient enough in loading any video you may place in there. For those that are curious though, then what you want to look at it is at video cards like NVIDIA GeForce 8000 series or ATI Mobility Radeon.
Battery life - pretty standard. The longer it lasts, the better. If you don't mind carrying around the battery, then by all means, don't worry too much about it.
I don't really place a great deal of effort on this one, since I don't use it up all that much anyway, but the harddrive space is something to look into. For me, I just get a standard 256GB harddrive but there are others that want more. Hard Drives is just something that stores your documents, music, videos, etc. One important aspect - aside from how much it can hold - is the speed of the hard drive. Because it's what reads the data you store in it. An adequate speed is generally more than 4200rpm.
At the moment solid state drives for your hard drive are good purchases for a laptop spec - it means faster start-ups and access, more reliable, and no noise. Just make sure you get a decent sized one (again 256). I have heard, however, that they tend to wear out faster, but that was awhile back - perhaps they are more durable this time around?
So to get down on it: I mainly just look at the weight, the RAM and the CPU with the others as an afterthought.
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