Simple Guide to Buy Laptop in 2023

Hi, SmartPal! Good day to you!

As time advances, every laptop manufacturer refines their product line based on customer experience. As the new year begins, you may want to consider purchasing a new laptop for daily use. If you find the task of finding a laptop to be daunting, don't worry; we're providing a simple guide in today's article. Before proceeding, we're listing some important aspects to consider before buying.

1. Cost
2. Laptop Type and Size
3. Operating Systems (OS)
4. Display
5. Processor and RAM
6. Storage

1. Cost

The saying "you get what you pay for" applies especially to electronic devices. According to Lifewire.com, here is a simple matrix to use as a guide if you're not sure what to expect and to help you avoid overspending your budget.

Source: Lifewire.com (the currency is displayed in Singaporean Dollar)

P.S. feel free to check our under $1,000 laptops here.

2. Laptop Type and Size

Believe it or not, a laptop's form factor can also play a role in determining whether your needs will be met.

• Basic Laptops
  The most common type of laptop in the market. Basically don't offer any fancy features and specs, and little less expensive than the others. They are mostly produced in a 14-inch size and are a perfect choice for students or as a secondary device. Feeling like to get one? Click here.
• Business Laptops
  A line of laptops that are designed to promote productivity, embedded with powerful mid-end hardware, and often come with a small and thin design. These laptops typically come in a 2-in-1 mode (can be converted into a tablet) or as an ultrabook (a slim, portable, and lightweight laptop). They come in a variety of sizes, starting from 11 to 14 inches. Check our business laptops catalogue here.
• Gaming Laptops
  These laptops are built for performance, which is why they come in a bulky and thick design. They are embedded with a dedicated graphics processing unit and other advanced features. They mostly come in sizes from 14 to 17 inches. They are the perfect choice for gaming, designing, content creation, and running heavy tasks. You may get your gaming laptop here.

Those are the three types of laptops that are available on the market. One last thing, if you're often on the move, then a slim, small, and thin laptop would be a good choice for you. On the other hand, if you tend to be a stationary user, then a big and bulky laptop might not be an issue.

3. Operating Systems (OS)

We currently have two types of OS available at our store: Windows and Chrome OS. Feel free to learn about these OS before making your decision.

• Windows
  Windows is the most popular OS for computers, but that doesn't mean it's the best. The latest version of this OS is Windows 11 and it can run a lot of different types of programs, especially for gaming. However, Windows has long been considered the weakest OS when it comes to security, but thankfully Microsoft has been updating it frequently. You may want to consider adding an extra antivirus to your system.
• Chrome OS
  We can say that this newcomer has its own advantages and disadvantages. Firstly, the disadvantages; since this OS is largely web-based, you need to be connected to the Internet to access its features. However, considering its limitations, Chrome OS is one of the most user-friendly OS to use and it doesn't require a lot of power to run well. It's also inexpensive to license and is open to third-party manufacturers, meaning that a wide range of Chrome OS devices are available in the market.

4. Display

The higher the resolution, the clearer the image. The lowest resolution starts at 1366 x 768 pixels, which is not a very comfortable option these days. So, try to at least invest in a FHD display (1920 x 1080 pixels) for your new laptop.

5. Processor and RAM

The CPU (Central Processing Unit) or processor, in short, is the main brain of your system. If the processor has a high clock-speed, it can process tasks quickly.

RAM, or Random Access Memory, determines how much space the computer must store files for immediate use. Running tasks and services on your computer are stored in RAM, where the processor can quickly access them if needed. For today's standard, you need at least 8GB of RAM to run all tasks properly.

6. Storage

Most new laptop models come with SSD as their storage. However, not all installed SSDs come with a large storage capacity as they cost significantly more than HDDs. So, we recommend getting at least 500GB of SSD storage on your new laptop.

Alternatively, to get more storage, you can upgrade your internal SSD to a larger one, get an external hard drive, or subscribe to a cloud provider.

We hope that this article has helped you find the right laptop! See you again in our next post.