The internet has made
shopping simpler than ever before. From the comforts of your home, you can
literally let your fingers do the walking. Another added benefit is the ability
to quickly compare prices between vendors to ensure you're getting the best deals
possible.
When choosing a laptop
computer to purchase online, the first order of business is to determine what
category of laptop you need based on what you'll be using it for:
Frequent business
travel
If your portable
computer will be your constant companion as you travel for work, weight and
size will likely be your major criteria. The size of the screen is also
important since most confined Economy seats on airplanes do not allow even
standard 15 inch screens to fully open.
Battery life needs to be above normal
as well. Finally, reliability and past performance is important.
With the above in
mind, look for a laptop with a 13 inch monitor and around five to six pounds.
Battery life should be around 3 to 4 hours. Dell and IBM are notable vendors
with strong reputations among the business community.
Home desktop
replacement
Home desktop
replacement laptops are meant to do almost everything a powerful desktop
computer can do, which means these classes of laptops are generally big and
heavy. They are likely going to spend more time on a desk than in a bag. With
home desktop replacements, a large bright screen is important to watch movies,
videos and pictures. Light computer gaming is needed, so a decent video card is
important. Make sure to load up on the RAM and hard drive. Battery life doesn't
matter as much since it will usually be plugged in.
Look for laptops with
bright 17 inch monitors, a video card with at least 512MB of dedicated RAM, and
3 to 4 GB of system RAM. HP and Gateway have excellent selections of desktop
replacements.
Budget laptop
If price is your main
consideration, and you won't be using your laptop for more than internet
browsing, email, light office applications and some light multimedia, you'll
find plenty of laptops in the $500 to $600 range that fit your needs.
Where to buy
Dell should be
your first destination. Their everyday low prices have made them one of the top
computer companies in the world.
Other online stores
frequently have great deals. Newegg, Buy.com and Amazon tend to be the most
well known.
Web sites of known
retailers also have specials on a frequent basis. Best Buy, Fry's
Electronics and Walmart all have weekly specials.
For the more
adventurous, try eBay or web sites such as eCost. Remember to check the reviews
and reputation of the sellers.
Warranty or no
warranty?
The rule of thumb in
deciding whether or not to purchase an extended warranty is how critical the
laptop is to your life. If it's a budget laptop that is the third computer in a
home, you may wish to bypass extended warranty. However, if you've spent over
$1,500 on a work laptop that is critical to your business, think carefully
about purchasing some form of 3 year extended warranty with onsite service.
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