Laptop Buying Advise For Students

Now we know every student -including thesis-writing graduate students-needs a laptop. Sure tablets come in handy when taking notes in class or doing quick research. But if you want that term paper done, you need a real keyboard, screen and operating system - and you can only get that from a laptop. Here is some laptop buying advise for you students out there.


Go Portable
Try to go portable  as much as possible. Sure, 15 inch laptops are a lot cheaper. But if you're the type who's constantly on the move, you'd be better off going with 11-14 inch laptops since they weigh under 5 pounds and make for easy travel to and from class.Even if  you're a high school student  with a preference for 15 inch laptops sitting on your desk. But even you, at some point would want to move it from one end of the house to the other.

Go For Look and Feel
You'd  be well advised to go for look and feel - or premium design. Why?  because you  most definitely want to be seen to be carrying something sleek,  not a huge clunk. Not only must your laptop look and feel good, but it must feel like it is  built to last.  Go for a design that has a carbon fiber or aluminium lid as it will protect the screen display and help put up resistance to wear and tear during your years at school.

Get Specs  That Will Last
If you want your laptop to last  till graduation, then you need to get a laptop whose specs will help your laptop last up until your graduation.. Here are some key  specs to consider while searching for your laptop. 

CPU
The CPU is absolutely key in a laptop's fight for survival as it helps the laptop battery experience more battery life. If you're looking to save money,  a third generation Intel Core processor should suffice. But  Stay away from Celeron and pentium processors if you 're into multitasking as they're too slow to be of any help to you..

Memory
Speaking of memory, 4 GB should be enough help you complete your class assignments, But if you can find a reasonably cheap laptop with 6-8 GB, by all means go for it. This will come in handy especially for those of you studying graphic design and other multimedia arts.

Storage
A notebook's storage  is just as critical as that of the CPU.  You may think that Solid State Drives are more expensive, but they do up the game of your laptop. So you may want to consider getting a laptop that has such a system.

If you want a typical traditional hard drive, get one that operates at 7200 rpm or a minimum of 500 GB.  Also a flash drive of 16 or 24 GB should also help your laptop's performance.

Touch Screen Hybrid Anyone?
Getting a  touch  screen hybrid would most certainly enhance your student experience, especially when taking notes in class. . You experience the full touch screen experience where you bend your hybrid laptop into multiple positions, allowing you to use the device as a laptop or tablet.  

Battery Life Must be 5-6 Hours
When you need to meet that term paper deadline,  or go to class, you need a laptop whose battery can help you plug in..Battery life of at least  5-6 hours is  an absolute must.

Pick  Solid Keyboard and Touchpad
You'd do well to pick a solid keyboard and touchpad if you'want to type those term reports  done on time.Your keyboard must have enough spring in its mojo for you to accomplish your academic objectives instead of  giving you that creaky attitude.Oh! and the touchpad is just as important. Multi-touch gestures like pinch-to-zoom and two finger roll must be responsive enough to make your experience less stressful, and the buttons must be easy to press and not too stiff.

That's a wrap for "How To Shop For A Laptop On The Cheap." If you re looking to purchase a 15.4  inch    laptop  for your graphic design business  head on to  Amazon.com.

Specs to Look For In A Laptop For Graphic Design

If you are a graphic designer or are interested in graphic designer, this post is for you. I'm sure some of you must be wondering what specs to look for in a laptop for your graphic design projects. You're probably  in a flux because you have an idea of your ideal laptop but you'r not sure how to go about choosing it.Well, let me help you cut out the confusion and show you specifically the specs you need for your ideal laptop

Screen Size Is Absolutely Crucial

Screen size is absolutely crucial  for graphic design as it determines whether you achieve job satisfaction or not. . The accepted screen size for a laptop for graphic design is 15.4 inches or higher which should give you  enough width to view your designs..Anything less than 15.4 inches and  it may come back to haunt you.  Also, portability is not that vital  since 15.4 inches laptops are meant for use at home or in the office.

Screen Resolution Just As Important

Screen resolution is just as important as screen size where  graphic design is concerned.  The standard screen resolution is 1366 x 768 although some go as high as You want your screen to be wide enough to fit two browsers side by side. Also when working with graphic design software such as Photoshop, you want your toolbars sitting off to the side , leave you enough room to view your graphics. Consequentially,, the toolbars end up looking small as a result of the wide resolution..

Dedicated Graphics Card Is The Way To Go
A dedicated graphics card is the way to go for effective graphic design. A dedicated graphics card has its own fixed RAM and doesn't share resources with the main system, and cause your laptop to crawl like a turtle. Even more important, it makes your graphic design software run that much faster. The size of a graphics card should be 128 or 256 MB. nVidia GeForce and ATI Radeon come highly recommended as far as dedicated  graphics cards are concerned.

Don't Get Stingy With RAM
Don't get stingy with RAM when doing graphic design. The lesser the RAM, the poorer the quality of your graphics. 4 GB  is the standard as far as RAM goes, and  you can then upgrade it later on if you so  choose.

Any Intel Duo Processor Will Do.
Any Intel Duo processor will do as far as processors go. However, you do not want anything to do with Intel Celeron processors. . Celerons will slow down your laptop which you sure don't want , especially if you have a deadline to meet.

Make sure Your Laptop Has A Built-In Camera
Make sure your laptop has a built-in camera for video and voice-chatting. It is useful for video conferencing with clients and associates. And you don't need to use your cell phone that much since the camera acts as a speaker phone as well.

That's a wrap for "How To Shop For A Laptop On The Cheap." If you re looking to purchase a 15.4  inch    laptop  for your graphic design business  head on to  Amazon.com.

Shopping For A Laptop ForTravel

It's common knowledge that  laptop manufacturers sell laptops with travellers in mind. By travelers I refer to those constantly on the go, be it by air, by bus , car, the beach,, maybe an isolated cave, e.t.c.  Sure, laptops are not meant to leave the house, but the reality is our environment forces us to to be on the move 24/7. We have business deals to seal , appointments to make, presentations to present, e.t.c. And in order to accomplish these, we need to have our laptops with us. They've literally become our companions.

If you happen to be a constant traveller  or some one on the go, here are some essential features to consider when shopping for a laptop For travel.

Durable Battery

A durable battery is absolutely crucial when it comes to travel...You want to make sure your laptop battery lasts as long as your journey whether by air or by road. The hitch here is finding how long the battery lasts. If you're a gaming junkie you're not going to get much out of your laptop battery as you're only going to get 3 hrs out of your battery . But if you run less intrusive software like Microsoft Office, you should get a laptop that can give you 8 hours of battery power..

Display Size 

Display size is also important   as it determines whether you have fun with your laptop on the road or not. Sure a 15.6 inch laptop is popular because it's huge and covers a lot of screen real estate. But there is no way you can fly first class carrying such a huge beast, not to mention a bus or a train.  You'd be better off going with 12.1-13.3 inch laptop instead. It's easier to operate in tight spaces and requires a mall bag to hold them, reducing the size of the carry-on.

Matte Coat Or IPS Display

The type of display on your laptop could also  make or break your laptop experience on your travels. Make sure your display is compliant with your environment be, be it in the air or on the bus. With that in mind, the two types of laptops displays you should consider when shopping for a laptop are matte coat or IPS display. Matte coat display is popular among travellers because it's able to withstand direct sunlight and interior lighting.  More so especially when you're on a plane and facing sunlight.

An IPS display will also come in handy especially when viewing from wide angles. These viewing angles make reading text less stressful especially when standing above or to the side of the laptop. This trait comes in real handy especially when collaborating with co-workers on projects on the road.

Durability

Sadly laptops are not built to last long as they scratch easily and can't prevent damage when it crashes to the ground  since majority of them have the glossy make. But if you want a durable travel laptop, make sure  it has features such as metal display hinges, shock mounted hard drives, and spill-resistant keyboards. Speaking of keyboards:

Quality keyboard

A quality keyboard  makes  for improved productivity and reduced frustration on your travels.  Look for a laptop whose keyboard is almost as wide as the laptop itself to help you meet that pressing deadline.. Also pay attention to the size of alpha-numeric keys such as Backspace and Shift, as they make it easy to skimp around the keyboard.

Ports

Make sure your laptop has at least two USB ports so you can connect to the latest external hard drives and transfer data quickly. Unfortunately many small laptops have only one slot for headphones and microphone jacks. This becomes problematic especially when you want to use your webcam since you have to use both at the same time. If you're the type who does recording on the go, this is something to think about.

Weight

The weight of laptops  vary with the heaviest weighing 4 pounds and the lightest at 2 pounds. As a traveler you'd be better off getting a lighter laptop as it takes little effort to pick up or slide along the surface.  If you think size doesn't matter, but it does, especially when you have to carry your laptop for hours in a day.

Wireless Connectivity

You absolutely must have wireless connectivity if you're on the go. Without WI-FI, how do you expect to connect with the outside world, especially your clients and business associates?  Your laptop must have an in-built WI-FI card with an 802.11n as the standard channel.  You can also buy a laptop with 3G compatibility especially when WI-FI is unavailable. This will help you connect to your mobile data plan and use it while on the go.

So to summarize, here are the specs  for a travel laptop

 Battery Life: At Least 8 hrs
Display Size :12-13.3 inches
Display Type: Matte coat or IPS
Durability:  Metal display hinges, shock mounted hard drives, and spill-resistant keyboards
Quality keyboard: Almost as wide as the laptop
Ports:  At least two USB ports
Weight: 2-4 pounds
Wireless Connectivity: In-built WI-FI card with  802.11n  channel.

That's a wrap for "Shopping For A Laptop For Travel." If you re looking to purchase a laptop For travel , head on to  Amazon.com.

Shopping For A Multimedia Laptop

If you're looking for a multi-functional laptop that  allows you to watch movies, do video editing, and play games, then a multimedia laptop is the laptop for you.  Multimedia laptops are usually mid-sized but pack considerable power. You can carry them from room to room, but you sure don't want them as road companions  because of their  huge bulk. Here are the features you look for when shopping for a multimedia laptop

Super Powerful Processor and Speedy RAM
Your multimedia laptop must surely be equipped with a super powerful processor. You do not want time delays or shaky pictures to ruin your enjoyment of your 3D. Ideally you want either Intel's Core i5 processor or AMD Athlon II powering your your laptop. And you most certainly need  considerable speedy RAM to help things for you. Speedy RAM will most certainly come in handy especially when you decide to have several programs open once. At least 6GB of RAM should help speed things up. However, if you decide to go for Intel's in chips(or quad core processor), then you will have to go for a much bulkier laptop with a RAM size of between 8-16 GB.

Reliable Storage
If you're planning to keep a substantive multimedia collection, then you need reliable storage. a 500 MB with A USB 3.0 or better-Thunderbolt ports for fast external drives - is the barest minimum for storing a multimedia collection. But if you want to get blazingly fast you can go for 256 GB solid state drive plus a 1 TB drive for data , If you want  ultimate pleasure from enjoying HD movies, then your multimedia laptop must come with a blu-ray drive. If you want to let your creative juices flow, then make sure your blu-ray drive comes with a burner , allowing you to master your own disks.

Screen Size, Resolution and Integrated Graphics
The traditional screen  size of most multimedia-laptops is between 14-16 inches. But like I mentioned earlier, they don't make great road companions because of their huge bulk. So you are only limited to carrying it from room to room within your home or office.  

But a  huge screen resolution is an absolute necessity especially if you're watching HD movies. The sweet spot for most multimedia laptops is 1080p( 1,920 x1080). If you plan on watching a movie  or a video with friends  then you need an IPS panel that helps reduce clarity or color fadeout when viewing the screen from an an angle.

Connectivity
If you plan on connecting your laptop to a HDTV your laptop must have an HDMI port. Your laptop must also be equipped with Intel's Wireless Display(or WiDi), equipped with an external adapter, to be able to beam the audio  and audio onto the HDTV set. 

Sound
This what makes the multimedia experience- the mixing of hardware and software. For the software make sure your laptop offers features such as presets for music and movies, surround sound effects, and equalizers to fine-tune the audio. As far as speakers go the standard is Klispch with Dolby Home Theatre. You may also want to consider subwoofers, specialized speakers which help control the bass sound.

So to summarize, here are the specs to look for when shopping for a multimedia laptop

Processors: Intel's Core i5 processor or AMD Athlon II
Memory: At Least 6GB or 8-16 RAM if you want to go for a quadcore processor.
Graphics Card: Must be integrated although lower end dedicated graphics such as Radeon HD 2400 and nVidia GeForce 8400M are also popular.
Storage:500 MB with A USB 3.0 or better-Thunderbolt ports for fast external drives, 56 GB solid state drive plus a 1 TB drive for data( if you want more speed).
Optical Drive: Multi-format DVD burner(DVD+RW)(if you want to burn DVD's or  DVD-ROM/CD-RW(If  you want to burn CD's only).
Weight:3 pounds (ultraportable) to 7 pounds(desktop replacement)

Wireless Connectivity:WI-FI card  with 802.11a, g, and Draft N wireless standards.
Screen Size:14-16 inches
Screen Resolution: 1080p( 1,920 x1080)
Connectivity:  HDMI port Intel's Wireless Display(or WiDi), equipped with an external adapter, to be able to beam the audio  and audio onto the HDTV set
Sound:  Presets for music and movies, surround sound effects, and equalizers to fine-tune the audio. For speakers,  the standard is Klispch with Dolby Home Theatre. You may also want to consider subwoofers, specialized speakers which help control the bass sound


That's a wrap for "How To Shop For A Laptop On The Cheap." If you re looking to purchase a 14-16 inch  multimedia   laptop  head on to  Amazon.com.

How To Shop For A Laptop On The Cheap

Shopping for a laptop can be an overwhelming experience especially when  money is tight.  Cutting down on your budget could mean missing out on those awesome features and components  that could come in handy for your laptop. At the same time buying  a laptop  that has too many features could cause you to go over budget. The good news is that it's possible to buy a laptop without sacrificing crucial features that you need for your laptop. And you can afford to do basic tasks like email, web browsing and basic office needs. Let me show show you what to look for when shopping for a laptop on the cheap.

Dual Core Processors

Most low budget laptops come with dual core CPU'S like Intel Core's i3 or Core Duo 2 and AMD's A4 processors. you get longer life, better performance, and cooler temperatures. You could save a little money by opting for lower clock speeds which  produce enough power to handle most  operating systems.  

You Can't  Afford To Be Frugal About Memory

You may be on  a tight budget, but you cannot afford to be frugal about the amount of memory on your budget laptop.  Because inadequate memory can drastically compromise the overall performance of your laptop.Your laptop should have at least 2GB of RAM although 4GB would be even better. The more RAM you have, the more laptop and operating system performs better.

Laptop Must Be Equipped  With Integrated Graphics

If you're a  casual gamer your budget laptop must be equipped  with integrated graphics card  as opposed to dedicated graphics. Budget laptops with lower ended  dedicated graphic chips such as Radeon HD 2400 and nVidia GeForce 8400M may not have the highest resolutions, but they pack 128 or 256MB of  dedicated video RAM. This is quite appropriate for casual gaming.

The More  Storage The Better

With laptops, the more storage you can afford, the better, especially if  you have a huge media collection. Budget laptops are no different.  Some low costing laptops have hard drives as huge as 500MB.  At the same time you also have low-cost budget laptops with hard drive speeds in the region of 5,400rpm and 7,200rpm.However, you can also opt for budget laptops with SSD's or Solid State Drives. They offer faster boot time, lower weight and resistance to shock. The  popular drive size is 8GB.

Optical Drive

If you want to burn DVD's go for a budget laptop with a multi-format DVD burner(DVD+RW). If you have no use for burning DVD's then go for a budget laptop with a DVD-ROM/CD-RW. This burns only CD's.  

Weight

In terms of size weight budget laptops spun from 3 pounds(ultraportable) to 7 pounds(desktop replacement). What size you choose depends on your need for portability. A word of caution though:the plastic cases of budget laptops aren't the most durable. Although a lot of laptop cases look greyish, other low-cost laptops also spot exciting variety of colors and designs.

Wireless Connectivity

Wireless connectivity is an absolute necessity to have on your budget laptop. Make sure your budget laptop is equipped with a WI-FI card  with 802.11a, g, and Draft N wireless standards. Budget laptops typically do not include bluetooth connectivity although manufacturers give you the option of adding it.

Screen Size

Although the average screen size of budget laptops range between 14.1 and 15.4 inches, notebook screen sizes  can range from 7 inches to 17 inches.. Most displays come with a glossy coating which makes for better viewing when watching . If you want to do video conferencing, make sure your screen comes with a built-in webcam . OR you can opt for a system  with a webcam built into its display bezel.

So to summarize, here are the specs to look for when shopping for a budget laptop

Processors: Intel Core i3 or Duo 2, AMD A4
Memory: At Least 2GB(But 4GB is the norm)and 128/256MB of  dedicated video RAM.
Graphics Card: Must be integrated although lower end dedicated graphics such as Radeon HD 2400 and nVidia GeForce 8400M are also popular.
Storage:500 MB for standard hard drives, with speeds of 5,400rpm and 7,200rpm  of  8GB for SSD's.
Optical Drive: Multi-format DVD burner(DVD+RW)(if you want to burb DVD's or  DVD-ROM/CD-RW(If  you want to burn CD's only).
Weight:3 pounds (ultraportable) to 7 pounds(desktop replacement)

Wireless Connectivity:WI-FI card  with 802.11a, g, and Draft N wireless standards.
Screen Size:Average screen size is 14.1 - 15.4 inches although they can also range from can range from 7 inches to 17 inches

That's a wrap for "How To Shop For A Laptop On The Cheap." If you re looking to buy a cheap  laptop  head on to Amazon.com.

Shopping For A Laptop Hybrid Online

Laptop hybrids(or convertible laptops) have become very popular these days.  Wanna know why? Because they double up as both a laptop and a tablet. if you have a pressing project deadline , you can always roll out the keyboard  and touchpad and run your desktop programs.  If you want to kick back and play games,  check your facebook wall, and other touch-based apps, then go into slate mode. But how do you know which specs to look out for when shopping for a laptop hybrid? Let me show you what to look for.

Screen Size

With laptop hybrids, the smaller the screen size, the easier it is to carry around. For those who prefer to use tablets first, I'd say go for 10 inch 2-in-, but if you are productivity minded, 13 inch or larger is a better option.   But with the 15 inch hybrids, the tablet is more of a bonus than anything else.

Don't Compromise on Screen Resolution
Absolutely don't compromise on screen resolution when looking for hybrids. For great screen resolutions are all part of the hybrid experience.   most affordable hybrids have 1366 x 768-pixel displays. But if you want sharper focus, 1600 x 900 or full HD (1920 x 1080-pixel) screens is the standard. You enjoy better image quality and you can multitask three open windows side by side.

Some hybrids have screens going as  high as 2560 x 1440 pixels. They deliver more screen detail for high definition photo-editing applications. The only hitch being that icons are difficult to target on desktops. In that case, get a quad HD panel with a larger display size.

Do You Want a Detachable, Slider, Or Flexible Design?

The advantage of buying a laptop hybrid is that it's not a one size fits all. With laptop hybrids, different models offer different benefits for shoppers. A detachable is perfect if you want to have the option of leaving the keyboard behind. The tablet portion is attached to a base which holds the keyboard, and in some cases a secondary battery. Other hybrids allow you to flip the screen display around the keyboard, making easier to change from laptop to tablet mode.  Or  if you want to catch a movie or two, or give a presentation,  you can set the hybrid in presentation mode . 

Hybrids with slider design make it even more easier to transform from laptop to tablet mode. Why? Because they are thinner than more traditional convertibles.  However, hybrids with  this type of design  do give up  keyboard and touchpad space

The Right Processor
Most hybrids are packed with Intel's fourth generation processor.  A Core i3 chip will be great for everyday tasks, but if you want more juice, speed and long battery life, a Core i5 chip will do the trick. But if your budget is tight, get a laptop hybrid powered by an Atom Intel processor, preferably the latest Blay chip.

RAM And (Solid State Drive)

RAM: Most convertible laptops come function with at least 4 GIG of RAM(6 GIG is much better).  

SSD(Solid State Drive):  an SSD(or Solid State Drive) will be of great benefit to your laptop hybrid for two reasons. First it absorbs contact and seconds it boosts great speed in the manner in which it puts your hybrid from resume to speed instantly. But if  your budget is a bit tight you go for a combination deal where you have a laptop hybrid  whose hybrid drive links up with a standard hard drive(500MB) with some flash cache. Anything less than that and your laptop hybrid's responsiveness is compromised.



So to summarize, here are the specs to look out for when shopping for a laptop hybrid(or convertible laptop:

Screen size:  tablet first- 10 inch, productivity only 13 inch or bigger. 
Screen Resolution:1366 x 768-pixels displays(most affordable) or 1600 x 900 or full HD (1920 x 1080-pixel) screens for better image quality.
Design:Detacher, Slider, or Flexible
Processor:Core i3(for general tasks) Core i5(For better speed  and long battery life). or Atom Intel processor(Blay Chip).
RAM:At least 4GB(6GB is better)
Hard Disk:SSB(128MB) or hybrid drive combining  standard hard drive(500MB).with flash cache.

That's a wrap on "Shopping For A Laptop Hybrid Online"  If you're looking for a laptop hybrid to purchase, buy one at Amazon.com.

Shopping For a General -Purpose Laptop

You're shopping for a laptop when you say to yourself" I'm not looking for anything fancy. Heck, I could care less for any of the sound effects that today's pricey laptops have to offer. I just want a laptop that offers value for money, has a few key features, and if it can provide a little extra, so much better. I also require some   portable that I can carry with me on the road that can permit me to do the following: watch a movie, play games to kill time, surf the web check and write emails, and juggle work documents."  My friend, what you've just described is a general-purpose laptop. . General purpose-laptops allow you to do a bit of every thing, like I listed above. It doesn't have to be overly expensive, but functional enough to allow me to multitask. So if you're looking  for ways of shopping f or a general-purpose laptop, let me show you the features to look for in your search for the laptop.

CPU
You need  a laptop that can give you a decent performance. Of course it shouldn't be too difficult to find a laptop that gives you decent video playback and run office applications at the same time - not to mention occasional gaming as a while. As far as  CPU's go, it shouldn't cost you too much finding a laptop whose CPU gives a decent performance. Intel and AMD are the CPU'S of choice  making the most noise. Make sure your prospective laptop is equipped with either of these 

RAM
If you want your all- purpose laptop to perform at its optimum best, then  it must have a generous amount of RAM. The standard amount of RAM for most general-purpose tops is 4 GB.

Discrete GPU
If you're ever in the mood to watch a movie or casual gaming,  get an all-purpose laptop with a discrete GPU or graphics card.  a GPU can make or break your multi-media experience so choose carefully while searching for your laptop.

Screen Size /Resolution
For most general purpose laptops, the sweet spot for screen size for most laptops varies between 13 -16 inches depending on your specific needs. But most people prefer 14 inch laptops as they're roomy enough to accommodate video plus they're easy to carry around.  However, you'd do well to consider the resolution as well when shopping for your general-purpose laptop. Your laptop's resolution shouldn't be too low such that you can't read the  text on your screen.Make sure your screen resolution is 720p (pixels) especially where video images are concerned.

Battery life
If you're going to carry your laptop around a lot, then  get a laptop whose battery life lasts at least 4-6 hrs per single charge. Also, make sure your battery is  high capacity to last you for the long haul.

Optical  Drive
if you want to burn DVD's or your laptop should come with a DVD burner. Also, if you  have a huge craving for high definition flicks(movies), Blu-Ray disc is the format of  choice.

Connectivity
For connectivity purposes, your general purpose laptop must have 3 -4 USB ports for external devices. If you're bent on connecting with the outside world, you need a webcam,  headphone jacks, VGA ports and ethernet jacks.  And  your general -purpose laptop must  come with in-built WI-FI -  No exceptions....The standard WI-FI channel for most laptops is 802.11n.

Extras
You will most certainly need HDMI (HIGH Definition Video) and eSATA port for high data transfers. Even more beneficial is a VGA port, especially if you have to make projector presentations.

So to summarize here are the specs for a general-purpose laptop.

CPU(or Processor):Must be Intel or AMD
GPU(or Graphics Card):Must be discrete
RAM:4 GB
Screen Size:13-16 inches(depending on needs)
Resolution:720p(pixels
Battery Life:4-6 hrs -battery must be high capacity.
Optical Drive:DVD Burner(for burning DVD's) or Blu-Ray Disc(movies)
Connectivity:3-4 USB ports(external devices),webcam(connecting with outside world), headphone jacks, VGA ports(presentations). ethernet jacks WI-FI(inbuilt)

Extras:HDMI, ESATA(High data transfers)VGA


That's a wrap on "Shopping For a General -Purpose Laptop"  If you're looking for a laptop that helps you to multitask, purchase one at Amazon.com