How to buy a laptop
With the Christmas shopping season approaching, AccountingWEB.com’s Jason Bramwell describes the seven pillars of wisdom when it comes to buying a new laptop.
Accountants are power technology users and need a machine that delivers top performance at a reasonable price.
But before you head for the retail outlets this year, it may be worth stepping back for a few minutes to consider all the other elements that go into making the ideal laptop. Have you thought about battery life, keyboard quality, and portability? Is your next machine going to be a notebook, a netbook or perhaps a trendy table?
Since PC experices are so personal, it’s always a good idea to try out a laptop before buying it – especially the keyboard and touchpad. The US guide Consumer Reports encourages people to carry the laptop around to make sure it doesn’t feel too heavy or big. And while on the subject of ergonomics, a laptop should be quiet and not get so warm that it makes your lap uncomfortable.
So, as you draw up your Christmas laptop wishlist, make sure to assess the following seven laptop characteristics (in alphabetical order):
- Battery life
- Display
- Durability
- Hard drive/RAM
- Keyboard/touchpad
- Portability
- Processor
This article is an adaptation of a piece that first appeared on our sister site AccountingWEB.com.
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Low "Power Technology User"
Jason, you mentioned longer battery life and more efficient use to extend it and I'd suggest we should take that further and consider the way we use equipment in general to reduce cost and energy use.
What, for example, should we do with the old kit, ie the stuff that's still of use but is now the wroing colour or has less buttons? Laptops use about 10% of the energy of a desktop system so perhaps keeping old ones to replace desktops would be a good idea, in fact why not go for a laptop the next time you need a new workstation or standalone desktop?
More ideas on: http://www.carbontrust.co.uk/cut-carbon-reduce-costs/products-services/technology-advice/Pages/office-equipment.aspx
unbelievably good reviews for......
I turned to Amazon, to see what the various user ratings were for different laptops ... got quite a surprise at the following:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/MacBook-13inch-GeForce-graphics-battery/dp/B003...
... Looks like they are sewing the market up with regards positive customer feedback. But then I would say that, wouldn't I?... being a complete fan myself.
-- KH
You can't have read the CURRENT reviews.
The Apple MacBook Pro, based on Intel architecture, which is where you should have ended up at, if you clicked on the link, is very much alive and kicking ... most of those positive reviews are dated late 2010 ... so I don't know where you ended up, but definitely not where I was directing you.
And, if your reply is your standard response, then I'm not sure I would take too much notice of your postings, either. I think this is a matter of checking the facts before you put pen to paper. But what the hell, it's raining out there, the leaves are falling off the trees, and I need a cup of coffee. And a bag of biscuits. And a cake or three.-- KH
top of the morning to you, too
Hi there
yeah, you're right, your reply riled me .... but what the hell, it's Saturday, the rains stopped, the leaves aren't falling anymore (they're all on the ground), and the cake still has a couple of slices left in it.
but do get your facts right next time you send a sharp put-down reply to a posting.-- KH
Lightweight, good keyboard and a decent screen
While I use a MacBrookPro at home, if you are out and about I can recommend the ThinkPad X200 (or X201 as the newer version) as a lightweight workhorse laptop with a great keyboard and reasonable screen but they do cost a lot. If you can put up with a bit more weight, then you can buy a Dell Vostro for half the price then use the saving as either self insurance against breakages or as a route to an early upgrade in a couple of years time.
If you want something thin and light with a built in optical drive, the Toshiba Portege R700 series have good screens, are very lightweight, a long battery life and are slim enough to fit in any document bag you carry.
For either the Thinkpad or the Portege I'd recommend you pick up a large LCD monitor for working on spreadsheets and documents back at the office.
If you are out and about a lot, try a MiFi 3G dongle as a simple way of getting online in any office you happen to be working in.