What To Look For In Laptop Deals

Buying a laptop computer is one of the times when the old adage "You get what you pay for" applies. Be very wary of any laptop deals below $500 (US). Those laptops will usually be out of date, will not be able to run some of the latest software and will be difficult to find parts for. But that doesn't mean that laptop deals are nonexistent. If you are patient, do comparison shopping and follow the advice here, you should be able to get the perfect laptop for you without breaking the bank.

What Do You Need It For?

Picking a laptop is a little like choosing a car - does it fit into your lifestyle and fulfill your needs? Before your go shopping for any laptop deals, you need to think carefully about what you need the laptop to do. If you are a college student, you definitely need fast Internet access and the ability to use word processing programs to write papers. But if you are a businessperson who needs to show a lot of graphics at presentations, then you will have different requirements for your laptop.

Things To Keep In Mind

Now that you know what you want your laptop to do, here are other questions you need to answer to help you narrow your search for laptop deals:

How long do you need the battery to last? This is important. If you are only keeping the laptop at home, it will not need as powerful a battery as a traveling salesman.
How big of a screen do you need? You probably won't need a big screen, but big screens can be easier for showing graphics and charts. If you have poor eyesight, be sure your laptop has a "Zoom" function that magnifies everything.
Do you need to add a lot of peripherals to your laptop? Peripheral is a fancy word for any accessory that can plug into your laptop like a webcam, a projector or your cell phone. You have to be sure your prospective laptop can handle all these accessories.

Don't Be Swayed By

There are a lot of fancy, multi-syllabic words used in laptop deals. "DVD player included" is one - but this is a standard feature on most laptops. Most also have a CD recorder included, as well. Also, one of the main reasons for the cost of a laptop is its weight (or lack thereof). Generally, the lighter the laptop, the more expensive it will be. If you don't mind carrying a few extra ponds (which could help give you exercise), then you should be able to find a great laptop deal.