Cheap Laptops and Cutting Corners.

Without a doubt, the majority of customers buying a laptop can’t afford anything but the cheapest model and we are happy to offer some high quality laptops at low prices.

The rule of thumb is "you get what you pay for" and when buying a laptop you should consider the following and don’t be afraid to ask questions. It’s your money; make sure you get your moneys worth!

Does the laptop have a good warranty? Try to look for two years warranty where possible, laptops are not cheap to repair. What’s the in-built Graphics processor? If you looking to play games this is very important, you can have millions of GHz but if your graphics card is only capable of rendering a game of solitaire then forget it. Does the laptop have a decent battery life? What’s the point in a laptop that last 2 hours between charges? Does the laptop have a mobile processor? Some laptops have desktop processors rather than low powered mobile processor. They run at full speed all the time and reduce the working life of the laptop. One of the better mobile performers is the Centrino chipset and if you don’t know much about Centrino you should perhaps read this. Heat can kill a laptop very quickly and mobile processors are designed to reduce heat and power consumption.

Is it possible to remove the covers to gain easy access to hard disk (in the event of hard disk failure), CPU fan and cooler (in the event that it sucks up so much dirt the copper heat-sink becomes blocked and reduces cooling efficiency)? Can the screen be lifted easily without to much force (broken screens can cost 250 pounds upwards + VAT and fitting)? Some screens are glass fronted and provide a much clearer picture and are more robust against breakage.

The most important factor in buying a laptop, at least from my humble point of view, is … Do you really need a laptop? (Come on now be honest). Yes they are small but they are expensive, easy to damage, easier to lose, get stolen, spill coffee on, drop, sit on, get chewed by the dog etc. Spill a drink on your laptop and if your lucky and you only need to buy a new keyboard. Still, you’re going to shell out about 65 pounds + VAT. Spill a drink on a Tower unit keyboard and I can throw you a new one for less than a fiver.

Tower systems are easier to replace, harder to lose, cheaper to repair, easier to upgrade (you can’t upgrade 95% of laptops and then you can only increase memory) and a darn site harder to get stolen.


Phew, Ill add more to this as I get time but I think this should keep you going for now.

:)

The Dog.