Newbury Business Today

Choosing the right laptop

8th December 2011

Email: richard.maynard@newburynews.co.uk

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In this regular column Charles Zealey, of ITSolve, covers all aspects of business and personal computing. If you have a question about IT matters, e-mail it to Charles at: itmatters@itsolve.co.uk

I have been working with my current laptop for over a year now.  It was a good choice – a high-specification system, small and light with a powerful processor.  Mobile broadband is a must. I work with two docking stations, for the home and office, and three power supplies for the home, the office and the briefcase.  Choosing it was actually quite easy – I know pretty well what I want.
So much choice
For many of us choosing is not that easy.  In fact it has probably never been harder.  The first decision is whether you need a laptop at all.  After all, there are many other devices competing for our attention.  There are smartphones, the new breed of large phone/tablets, full blown tablet computers, and ultra-portable PCs.  Some of these alternatives are well worth considering you’re your need is for portability and convenience without the need for the full power of a laptop computer.
What do you need?
Assuming your decision is still in favour of a laptop you will need to decide on the facilities you need and the size of machine.  How important is portability?  For example, I choose a machine without a DVD drive for portability (I can always hook up an external drive in the office) but that would not be a great choice if your main use of the PC is as a DVD player.
Think about the battery life you need, always bearing in mind that manufacturers’ claims should be taken with a pinch of salt, and that battery life will decline with age.  A spare battery is a must if you are frequently having to work away from a mains socket.
Again, if you are frequently on the move, consider a machine with a built-in sim card for mobile data access.
As regards processors and memory, most laptops now will easily perform the basic tasks of email, word-processing and web browsing.  If you have special needs you might want to consider something more powerful.
Christmas is coming
Finally, as you narrow you choice, it is worth talking to someone with a similar machine to see if there are any day-to-day issues that might affect your decision.
You’ve decided? Then you can “Buy it Now” or just wait and hope that Santa comes up trumps.

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