Choosing the right laptop

It makes sense to look beyond primary requirements

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Computers come in many shapes and sizes. I am not talking about the ones in your pockets or on wrists, but those that you usually refer to as computers—laptops, desktops and two-in-one convertibles. Choosing between a laptop and a desktop is often a straightforward decision because they serve specific purposes. Laptops and convertibles, however, are a lot similar in their forms and functions, and choosing either is often a lifestyle decision.

Clearly, people buy computers as per their requirements. These include power, portability, display quality and storage. Gamers, for instance, need powerful computers with excellent cooling systems. Content creators need powerful computers with big storage and good displays. A writer, on the other hand, might need only limited power but would like long battery life.

There is, however, a lot more than the ‘intended tasks’ that computers do these days, owing to the deeper integration of our lives with the digital world. For instance, a person who uses a computer mainly for word processing might occasionally want to edit a small video for social media. This might require slightly more computing power. Or someone who uses a computer mainly for working on spreadsheets might be using the same machine to watch Netflix; a better display would give a better viewing experience.

That is why it makes sense to look beyond the primary requirements while choosing a computer. But you need to strike a balance here because a better computer almost always means a more expensive one. The thumb rule is, always go for the latest processors, as they tend to improve in performance and efficiency with every new generation. Some extra memory (RAM) will always come in handy; if not today, tomorrow. Choose SSD over HDD; it can make a dramatic difference in performance.

More than a dozen companies (the prominent ones; there are many more not-so-prominent ones as well) make Windows computers. That is hundreds of models in various configurations and at different price points. Rather than going for a price bracket, select a few models that meet your requirements and choose the one closest to your target price.

Buying a Mac is a lot easier. Macbook Air is good enough for most people and you can select the storage depending on your requirement and budget. Though they are more expensive than most Windows machines, the price difference is negligible against comparable ones.

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