Buying A Laptop For Your Teen

Well, it’s that time of year again. Ads and emails are whirling around, all promising the best laptops for sale online. Shiny new netbooks are lining the store shelves, and your teenage child is begging for a laptop of his or her own. So now the question is: which laptop to buy?

With some careful shopping you can find one that suits your child’s needs, fits within your budget, and has the power to run all the newest applications. The first place you want to go are the online consumer reports sites - they will provide general feedback from consumers like you on trustworthy brands and models. Unfortunately, for the most part, the models listed on those sites will be a generation older than the current models. This is due to the fact that those sites rely on consumer feedback, and there is very little consumer feedback for the cutting edge technology that is emerging. However, they are a good place to start to get a general understanding of brands to look for and brands to avoid.

The next thing you want to do is weigh the options for the best type of laptop. From the most portable to least portable they are – netbook (such as Acer Aspire One) compact laptop (Apple AirBook, or Sony Z series), balanced laptop (Apple MacBook or HP G62t) or the “desk-top replacement” model (Apple MacBook Pro or HP Pavilion DV6z).

If the primary purpose of the laptop will be internet use I would suggest a netbook, however they are very limited when it comes to upgradability, and you will need an external DVD player since because of the size of the device it is impossible to put on in the netbook. You can get a good deal if you find one of these small laptops for sale. If the primary purpose will be some internet, some word processing and maybe some light gaming then the compact or so called “balanced” laptops are the way to go. The compact and the balanced models are slightly less powerful than the “desktop replacement” but they provide enough power to get most things done, usually all ship with a DVD burner and have relatively good upgradability. If the laptop is going to be used for graphic manipulation, video editing, gaming or other data intense projects then go with the “Desk top replacement” these laptops tend to be larger, but pack a big punch when it comes to what they can do, most have cutting edge processors as well as powerful graphics chips and great upgradability. A look at some gaming laptop reviews can get you started.

Now that you have decided which kind to buy, go to your local electronics store and play with them. Ignore most things the clerks tell you, nine times out of ten the people working at the stores will have a mandate to sell a certain model and that may not be the model you want to buy. Ask questions, look for their big sales on laptops, don’t be afraid to really test one of the floor models, and let you child play with it too. A thourough laptop comparison will save you money and time. Remember this is going to be a computer that travels with your child, make sure it feels sturdy, and has a good warranty. Most of all, make sure you like it, there is no sense in spending money on a laptop that may do everything you want, but you dislike the screen or feel of the keyboard. Have fun!

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Saving Money On A Laptop

Since their rise to popularity in the ’90s, laptops have rapidly come to be considered one of life’s essentials. It is now nearly impossible to navigate work and life without the use of a computer, and laptops can provide essential portability. One thing often stands in the way of consumers adopting laptops over cheaper desktop computers: the price tag.

Lightweight construction and sleek designs often come at a high price, and finding the cheapest laptops for sale can be daunting, as there are hundreds of different models and brands on the market. When you’re looking for laptops, the following tips can save you money and time as you navigate the complex world of laptop comparison.

First, consider buying a used laptop. The price of a laptop computer drops off significantly when you’re buying one that’s already been used for a year or two. It may not be as shiny as a new model, and it may have cosmetic problems, but if it works and fits your price range, it may very well be worth it. A new MacBook with a 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB DDR3 memory, and a 250GB hard drive costs about $999, but an eBay search will uncover big sales on laptops that are the same or similar models selling for much lower. Wherever you buy your laptop, make sure that the seller has positive reviews and that other customers have been satisfied with their purchases. Don’t buy a computer that is marked “as is,” and be wary of counterfeits and deals that seem too good to be true. When shopping online, you can’t physically see the product you’re getting, so be careful what you buy.

Second, comparison shopping is always a good idea. You might be tempted to go with the first laptop you see on the first site that you see, particularly if it’s within your price range and has all of the features that you need, but looking at several sites will work in your favor. A Lenovo ThinkPad T510 with 2.4GHz Intel Core i5-520M processor, 2GB RAM, and a 250GB hard drive is listed on various sites at $995, $899, and $950, so you’re probably doing yourself a favor if you look around. Google Product Search and other comparison-shopping tools can be your friend. Also, if you see a model you like at the lowest price you can find, try searching for a different brand or model that has the same features.

Third, decide what the essential features you need in a laptop are. Things like hard drive space, speed, and weight should be high on your list. Features like fingerprint recognition and backlit keyboards can be useful or fun if you have the cash, but if you’re on a budget, these should be lower on your list. Some sites let you customize your laptop with only the features you need, so make sure that you uncheck anything you feel is unnecessary — otherwise, you could be paying extra for features that you don’t even want.

With a few hours’ research, you should be able to come up with a laptop that fits your needs and budget. Be sure to consult friends and family with technical expertise, as they can often be valuable sources of information. Don’t make any hasty decisions — remember, the laptop’s going to be there tomorrow.

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Tips For Buying Laptops On Sale

In this economy, everyone is constantly looking to save money. Fortunately for those of you looking for laptops, you have come to the right place in order to save money on your next laptop purchase. Read on to find out how to maximize your savings!

First off, and most importantly if you really want to save money, stay away from Macs. Don’t get me wrong, they are fantastic computers, but they are much more expensive then similar Windows counterparts. However, this does not mean you should run out and purchase the cheapest laptops for sale. Sure, you will save a lot of money, but you might also get a poor quality laptop.

When performing your laptop comparison there are a few essential points, other than price, that should be considered. One of these is the size of the hard drive. For most people, you don’t need one that is overly large, 500GB or more is probably not needed, 320GB is still probably more than you will need. A 200GB – 250GB hard drive is probably a safe amount for the majority of people, and if you want to save even more money, then a little smaller could probably work too.

The amount of memory, or RAM, is important too. I would suggest looking for a minimum of 2GB, but here more is always better, and 3GB or 4GB would be ideal. This will help your computer to run multiple tasks simultaneously without much problem.

The operating system is also important in your decision. The newest one Windows 7, is the best, but also costs more. Its predecessor, Windows Vista, is older and uses more resources than 7, but will be cheaper. Before Vista was Windows XP, which will be the cheapest and use the least amount of resources (at the expense of less features), and would run well on most computers. Which one you choose is ultimately up to you, but my personal preference is Windows 7. I think it looks the nicest, and it has some very handy features and does not use to many resources either, but do some research and decide which is the best for you, although I would try to avoid Vista.

The last thing you will see when shopping for a laptop is the processor. These come in many sizes and varieties, but you should not worry about this too much. If you are using your laptop for standard things such as the Internet, word processing, etc., then you do not need to worry much about this, as you will not notice a difference. A better processor would be much more noticeable to people using their computers to design using complex programs and software, so there’s no need to spend extra money on the latest and greatest processor.

So now you are armed with the information you need to save money on your next laptop purchase and make sure you are getting what you need. However, you still may be wondering, “What is a fair price for all of this?” Well the answer to this varies, but sometimes, if you search well and are good at finding a big sale on laptops, you can find a laptop with everything you need for about $300. You may not be able to find this, but I have seen it once or twice. Look to spend about $500 on a decent laptop that meets the suggestions here, and a little more if you decide to spring for some upgrades.

With all this in mind, you are now fully prepared to go out there and get the best deal on the purchase of your laptop. I wish you the best of luck on your endeavor, but don’t fret, as this really is not too difficult. With some patience, you can often find an amazing deal and save a great deal of money.

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