Laptops are one of the most used gadgets in the world; they can be used for gaming, designing, music production, and many more. However, a problem arises when shopping for one because many prospective buyers don't know the specifications to look for. To help with that, we have covered the review of some top products in this article.
Laptop buying guide
When purchasing your next laptop, you must have good knowledge about the kind of laptop you want. Below we have provided you with everything you need to know when purchasing your next laptop.
The benefits of owning a laptop
When comparing desktops and tablet computers to laptops, you'll notice the differences quickly as laptops are portable and come in one piece. So why is a laptop a better choice for you when compared to PCs?
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Unlike the desktop, laptops need less power to operate
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Laptops are portable and easy to carry
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Laptops come with inbuilt batteries and thus can be used without power
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Laptops are pretty easy to set up as it takes only moments from pressing the power button for it to be up and running
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Laptops weigh considerably less than desktops as they weigh an average of 2-3 kilograms.
Operating systems
As you would guess, laptops come in various forms, models, and brands. These laptops may perform tasks equally but differ when it comes to their operating systems. Buying a laptop with the right operating system is crucial when purchasing a laptop as the difference in their operating grossly impacts how versatile the laptop is. Operating systems can be removed from your laptops or reinstalled if the need arises. Below we have provided you with the different laptop operating systems along with their benefits and flaws.
Microsoft Windows OS (Operating System)
The Microsoft Windows OS is a well-known operating system used in various laptops. Launched on November 20, 1985, the Microsoft Windows OS is a group of proprietary graphical OS families. We've provided for you some of the benefits and flaws of this OS below.
Benefits
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The OS is easy to use
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There is a wide array of software available for Windows OS
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The OS is backward compatible with older versions
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The OS has support for recent hardware
Flaws
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The OS requires high resources, meaning that customers will have to invest a lot in the hardware
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Weak security
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Prone to viral attack
Linux OS
The Linux operating system was launched on September 17, 1991, by Linus Torvalds. It is an open-source operating system linked to the Linux kernel. We've provided for you some of the benefits and flaws of this OS below.
Benefits
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The OS is open source in the sense that anyone can view its source code and tweak it to taste
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The OS doesn't need any anti-virus software
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The OS is perfect for multitasking
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The OS can run properly on a low disk space
Flaws
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The OS has limited hardware drivers
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The OS is not so easy to use
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The OS has a poor gaming support
Apple Mac OS
Released on March 24, 2001, the Apple Mac OS is a proprietary graphical OS created and distributed by Apple inc.
Benefits
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The OS comes with free inbuilt helpful apps
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The OS has a clean user interface
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The OS is perfect for multitasking
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The OS has a solid security system
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The OS is compatible with other Apple products and services
Flaws
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The OS is quite limited when it comes to third-party apps
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The OS is expensive
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The OS lacks customization
Important features
Laptops might be one-piece devices, but they are composed of numerous components. We will be discussing a few below.
Ports
The availability and number of ports on a laptop are of critical importance when purchasing a laptop. Apple Laptops or Macbooks fall short in this area. They have a limited variety of ports and require add-ons such as the Apple USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter to provide various ports. Some of the key ports include HDMI, USB, SD card slots, etc. The most important and commonly used port on a laptop will be the USB port, responsible for data transfer. The HDMI port is also critical if a clear display is what you need.
Web camera
Depending on whether you need a laptop for video conferences, face-timing family, or even work meetings, the quality of your laptop's web camera is something to consider. For a good quality webcam, you'll need a laptop with a webcam quality of at least 1080p resolution. Other resolutions like 720p might do the job, but if the video quality is what you need, 1080p should be the minimum.
Microphone
A quality microphone for your laptop is a must-have for users who do many work meetings via video. The better your microphone is, the better you'll sound to whomever you are speaking to. However, suppose you are looking for the best quality microphone for your laptop. In that case, you should use an external microphone, which means that whatever laptop you are buying must have the requirements for the connection of external microphones. You will also need a microphone with certain specifications, such as picking up mid-range and high frequencies.
Display
For more displayed content on your laptop screen, you'll need a laptop with more pixels. The majority of budget laptops come with a display of 1366 x 768. However, for a better display, there are laptops with display qualities of 1920 x 1080, often referred to as 1080p. For optimum display quality, more expensive laptops have a display quality up to 3840 x 2160, known as the 4k resolution.
Battery life
The battery life could be an essential feature because no matter how high-end your laptop is, the battery life is not great you won't have a good experience with it. When buying a laptop, you should consider a laptop with a battery life of at least 7 hours or more.