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Laptop Computers Review
Smart phones and tablets offer a great way to stay connected to your
digital life, but for real work, their small screens, virtual keyboards
and pared-down apps are just not equal to the task. A laptop can do
everything a tablet can and so much more, whether you’re writing the
next great American novel, creating architectural renderings for the
world’s tallest skyscraper, or just attaining new levels in the latest
version of Call of Duty. Their physical keyboards, powerful processors,
ample storage and optical drives – on all but the thinnest and lightest
models – are features you can’t get on a tablet or smart phone. Laptops
also offer far more connectivity options than tablets, including HDMI
ports, multiple USB ports and media-card slots.
The best laptops have fast, efficient processors, plenty of memory
and sufficient storage for all your multimedia files and applications.
Additional features such as a high-definition webcam and graphics
capability are also important considerations when choosing a laptop.
The top-rated laptops in our lineup – the
Apple MacBook Air,
Dell Inspiron 7000 series and
HP Envy series
– have everything you need to perform a wide range of personal and
business computing tasks. For more in-depth information, take a look at
our
articles on laptop computers.
Laptop Computers: What to Look For
The best laptop for you will depend on what you’ll be using it for.
If it’s simply to check email, browse the Internet and listen to music,
just about any laptop will do. But if you’ll use it for video editing,
graphics design, or high-end gaming, you’ll need a device with a large
hard drive, an ample amount of RAM and a powerful processor. The laptops
in our review are the base models of each series, but you can choose to
upgrade their components to better meet your needs.
Below are the criteria we used to evaluate laptop computers.
Performance
The best laptops have a fast, powerful processor. The current leader in
the processor field is Intel, whose highest-end series is the Core i7.
The latest, greatest processor will boost the final price, so consider
how much power you really need. The operating system you’ll find on PC
laptops will be either Windows 7 or Windows 8. The latter offers
enhanced touch-screen capabilities.
If you’re into advanced gaming, powerful
graphics is essential. Most laptops have only integrated or on-processor
graphics. If you’ll be playing demanding video games or using other
video-intensive applications, look for a laptop that offers a discrete
graphics card. These cards offer faster performance, because they are
dedicated – rather than integrated – parts.
RAM, or random access memory, is what your
computer uses to store applications and data you’re currently
accessing. The more RAM you have the more apps you can run
simultaneously. Look for a laptop with at least 6MB. For permanent
storage, some laptops give you the option of a hard drive (HDD) or a
solid-state drive (SSD). HDDs offer more storage but SSDs have no moving
parts so they’re less susceptible to crashes. They’re also more
expensive, however. Finally, consider a laptop’s battery life. The best
laptops can run for nine hours on a single charge, even with moderate
use.
Design
Laptops are designed for portability, but the smaller and lighter a
laptop, the less powerful and full-featured it’s likely to be. If you’ll
be using your laptop as a desktop replacement, it’s likely to be large
and heavy, but you probably won’t be carrying it around much, so the
weight and size won’t matter. If you’ll be carrying your new laptop
around a lot, its size and weight are important. A mini laptop with a
high definition webcam and different screen size options is the most
desirable for general users.
Connectivity
Laptops offer several connection options, both wired and wireless.
Wireless options include Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. With Wi-Fi you can connect
to a network or to Internet hotspots, and with Bluetooth you can do
things like listen to music through wireless headphones. Wired ports
include HDMI for connecting to HDTVs, Ethernet for connecting to wired
networks, multiple USB 3.0 ports for connecting devices such as printers
and SD card slots for reading memory cards from cameras or camcorders.
Help & Support
Wear and tear happens to electronic devices no matter how well you take
care of them. Before you buy, compare warranties. Most computers include
a one-year warranty, but some may offer more. Most also offer extended
warranties. Also, if technical problems arise, you’ll want multiple
support options. Common offerings include email, phone, live chat and
FAQs.
Whether your new laptop will be an indispensable travel companion or a
desktop replacement, one of these 10 models is likely to offer the
right combination of portability, performance, features, and price.
http://computers.toptenreviews.com/laptops/?cmpid=nl-20140902
