In many cases, laptops just make life easier. However, you should know quite a bit about laptops to make the best purchasing decision. Here are a couple of tips that will allow you to get the most from your laptop purchase.

Occasionally, home shopping networks will have excellent prices on laptops. These sites allow you to pay for the laptop in monthly installments, without checking your credit or any other inconvenience. You can get a nice laptop for just small monthly installments. Check out the channels on your TV.

If you are thinking about getting a tablet as well as a new laptop, you may think about a convertible laptop. These have the convenience of both tablets and laptops, and they are cheaper than buying both of those separately.

Test out the laptop you’re interested in buying. People often think more about battery life and memory functions than ergonomics when buying a laptop. But, comfort and usability are critical considerations too.

Get a realistic idea of how long your battery life will be before buying a laptop. Whether you plan on traveling with your laptop often or not, you aren’t going to want to have to consistently recharge your computer. Look for at least four hours of battery life when you won’t be far from power outlets and no less than five should you be.

Be sure there are a couple USB ports. You’d be surprised how many people don’t think to check this. You will probably want a number of USB devices connected simultaneously. Four would be perfect, but the more you have, the more flexibility you achieve.

Create a type of exacting list for what you plan on using your laptop for. For instance, will it accompany you into the kitchen so you can view recipes? If you do, you should invest in a waterproof skin. Your list is going to tell you what features you need the most.

Think about a protection plan as you purchase a laptop if you intend to move it around a lot, since laptops like this run a higher risk of damage or accident. This can save you a lot if you drop it or if it gets damaged some other way. Before purchasing read the coverage details.

Brand should not be the only consideration when purchasing a laptop. While household name brands typically offer fantastic quality, they are often expensive. Figure out what goes on under the hood of a laptop so that you’re able to figure out what’s cheaper, but still is able to compete with other models that are more expensive. You may get a much better deal if you buy a laptop made by a lesser known company.

If the laptop you want seems to be outside of your budget, look at refurbs. The price can make it really worthwhile, and if it has a warranty that’s good too, you won’t be taking too big of a risk. Most work just great and provide massive value on terrific machines.

They way you use your laptop is the most important influence. If you want one for playing video games, you want a gaming laptop. If you need one that can handle extensive business needs, get one geared toward that. Whatever you will be doing with yours, look for a type geared toward that, with as many extra features as the manufacturer can get in while still satisfying that purpose.

Extended Warranty

Think about purchasing a laptop from someone that give an extended warranty with it. Computer repairs are expensive. Purchasing an extended warranty can save you a lot of money.

A key component to your laptop is the graphics chip. Integrated graphic chips are typically good for the basic functions of a laptop. If you want to view movies and play hardcore games, then a dedicated graphics card is what you need. In general, work stations and gaming laptops have the best quality graphics chips available.

Start Menu

If you want to easily access favored programs with speed and ease, then pin their specific shortcuts into the Windows Start menu. Simply find the shortcut and pin it to the Start Menu using the appropriate option. This will ensure that these specific programs are on the Start menu.

Decide what tasks you are going to use your laptop for. Perhaps a Chromebook is for you. These are laptops made by Google and they have little storage and a light operating system. Chromebooks allow you to surf the Internet with speed. And, they are quite cheap! You can even find them priced under $300, and that is for a complete laptop.

For a lightweight computer that is inexpensive, select from the “no drive bay” versions. You can always install software using a USB or download it from the Internet. In fact, there are portable DVD drives which you can connect by USB and cost less than $100.

Prior to starting your shopping, identify the online stores that provide free shipping and choose one of those. If you find the machine you need there, you can save a lot.

Dedicated Graphics

You don’t necessarily need a high end dedicated graphics card in order to be a gamer or do memory intensive work. Dedicated graphics cards use lots of power and they can reduce the life of your batteries. Most people never use the GPU as much as they think they will.

Laptops can make your life much easier. It can be a huge mistake to select a random laptop. This is why it’s essential to find out as much knowledge as you can about them. These tips will help you find that perfect laptop.