What To Look For In A Laptop
I knew I was going to have to look for a laptop before very long. And that day ended up being yesterday.
After turning it on and working a bit, I realized that I could not depend on it any longer. So I made the decision to go ahead and buy another laptop.
After physical therapy, I headed to Best Buy.
Choosing Another HP:
I currently had an HP, liked it, and decided to buy another HP. This time I bought the more expensive Envy.
I purchased the HP – ENVY 2-in-1 15.6″ Touch-Screen Laptop – Intel Core i7 – 16GB Memory – 512GB SSD + 32GB Optane – Natural Silver. It was $1079 + tax which came out to just under $1200.
Oh well, another tax deduction for the year.
This is the most money I’ve spent on a laptop in over 10 years. So I hope it gives me a bit more than 3 years of usage before something goes out. Fingers crossed.
What I Look For In A New Laptop:
- Size: I want least 15 inches
- Backlit keyboard
- Memory card slot for transferring photos
- 16 GB Memory or more
- Good reviews
As you know, I read reviews. I want to know other people’s feedback about a product before I put any money into it.
This time around I went with a 2 in 1 laptop. It’s the first time I’ve purchased a 2 in 1, so I’ll let you know my thoughts after I’ve spent more time with it.
What Exactly Is A 2-in-1 Laptop:
A 2 in 1 is defined simply as a PC that has the features of both a laptop and a tablet.
I go to Pinterest for new recipes much of the time. And I typically take my laptop into the kitchen to follow the recipe. This way I can flip it over to read the recipe when my hands are busy.
TechRadar Review:
An author at TechRadar wrote: The HP Envy x360 15 (2021) is already one of the best HP laptops we’ve seen this year. But when you factor in the incredible price-to-performance ratio, you’ve got one of the best values for a 2-in-1 laptop going.Â
Tips For Buying A New Laptop:
- First, decide what platform you want: Windows versus Mac. (I love my iPad, but I tend to go with PCs for laptops.) Mac laptops are pricey.
- Decide if you want a regular laptop or a 2-in-1
- Figure out what size laptop you’ll be most comfortable with
- Check out the keyboard and touchpad layout
- Do you want a backlit laptop? (I did)
- How many USB ports do you need or want?
RAM & Gigabytes:
- What is RAM? Random-access memory (RAM) is a hardware component that is used to store temporary data. RAM allows your computer to perform many of its everyday tasks, such as loading applications or browsing the internet.
- How Many Gigabytes Do You Need? A minimum of 2 gigabytes (GB) is required for basic computing. And 12GB or more is recommended if you’re into graphics and advanced photo or video editing.
I usually go with at least 16 GB.
Most people with a moderate budget ($500 or more) should aim for at least 8GB RAM.
How Much Battery Life Do You Need?
I keep my laptop plugged in and I use it mostly in my chair. So I don’t worry about that too much.
But if you’re planning to take it with you, you’d better research what others are saying about the battery life. Once again, read reviews. Do your research.
I am far from being an expert when it comes to buying computers/laptops.
As with many things, I learn as I go. The terminology is tricky.
You kind of have to wade through the muck to determine what laptop you should purchase.
Photo Storage:
This is not about the laptop itself. It’s about photo storage.
I take a lot of photos and I’ve typically stored them on my laptop. But I began thinking about alternate storage for my photos, and have ordered a USB flash drive.
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Enjoy your new laptop, Brenda! I got a new one about a year ago, mostly because I needed more storage space with so many photos. Hopefully I won’t need another for several years!
I can’t believe your last laptop only lasted three years! I’ve had my Asus Zenbook for six years now. And I use it constantly and it has thousands of photos stored on it. However, the tracking pad/scroll button is a little off and I use this laptop so much, that most of the letters on the keyboard are worn off! Good thing I’ve been typing since I was 12 years old and know where all the letters are without looking. 😉
I’ve been looking for a new laptop for over a year, but I have a hard time with these kinds of decisions. Like you, I want a GOOD laptop that lasts for years – and they’re expensive. So like with any expensive purchase, I tend to be ultra-careful to make sure I’m getting exactly the right thing.
One of the most important things to me in a laptop besides storage space, is that it have a Solid State Drive, or SSD. A hard disk drive uses a spinning platter mechanism and an arm that movies across the platter…a solid disk drive doesn’t have to use any mechanics, so it delivers much faster load time. It also makes the laptop a lot lighter – something that’s also important to me.
As far as keeping your laptop plugged in, not a good idea. Once it hits 100% charged, unplug it and use the battery until you have to plug it in again. You will get much longer battery life this way.
Every time I did this with a laptop: unplug it when it’s charged, the part that fits into the side of the computer wouldn’t stay in after 2 years for each computer. So they told me at the store to just leave it in. At least I don’t have that part breaking down so fast. I pretty much wear my laptops out.
I bought the same laptop a couple weeks ago and so far I love it. This is my first one ever. Good luck with yours.
Wow, just wow! Yesterday I was having fits because my laptop was acting up and then as I tried to fix it trying multiple different approaches, just stopped working. I couldn’t figure out what was going on with it. I got so frustrated I actually shut it down and pulled out a really old Toshiba laptop that I’ve kept for years that has the old Windows Vista OS on it! It took a little finagling to get it fired up but it did eventually. I was going to order a new computer from Best Buy and have it delivered as I don’t drive. I’ve only had my current laptop for about 2 years, and this made me really mad, like sputtering mad! So, I hunted down some information on what could be causing the issues with the “new” laptop. After a lot more finagling and frustration with it, I managed to get the thing running again, and she is behaving a little better today. But for how long – that’s the question. It makes me so angry, this deliberately built in obsolescence, and then you have to jump through hoops to erase data on and get rid of old computers.
Very useful guide! Thanks for summing it all up for us. I like the 2 in 1 feature a lot.
Merry week before Christmas!