Laptop buying mistakes you should avoid

Buying a new laptop is more than just what is written on paper. When buying my first laptop, I really didn’t care, I was just excited to own one. I bought a HP Pavilion 15 back in 2015, thankfully it served me well until recently when I made a swap. When buying the laptop, I just looked at how good it looked and the price range. When it was delivered, it had no OS installed. Another journey to get everything set up and running began there and then, but that’s not really important.

Despite the fact that individual laptop reviews and spec sheets are important when purchasing a laptop, there are still several common problems that laptop consumers face. To help you avoid a case of buyer’s remorse, I have compiled a list of some common laptop purchasing blunders I can now comfortably avoid while shopping for a new machine, please use them.

Don’t always fall for features

Product specifications really tend to influence consumer preferences, and that could be where you make the biggest mistake. Every consumer product comes carrying it’s own specifications with the aim to provide a definition and statement of a product’s needs, components, capacity or performance, and/or the service or work to be performed in order to create a product or get the best out of it. They are meant to help you figure out the design, performance and service availability et cetera. But do you ask yourself, why a phone camera with 108MP doesn’t necessarily mean it beats a 12MP in terms of final results?

Overpaying for a laptop

The most costly laptops, on the other hand, may check all the boxes, but if you pay for features or hardware that you don’t need, you’re squandering your money. If a laptop puts a burden on your budget, it’s likely because it includes features you don’t require. A new laptop with customized storage could go as high as Sh300,000. But do you really need a laptop with 32GB RAM and 2TB SSD and NVIDIA graphics just to type and watch Netflix or play Need for Speed?

Also, could you probably get an EX-UK or a certified refurbished machine for half the price you’re checking?

Buying the cheapest laptop around

Without a question, your budget is one of the most important elements in determining the quality of the laptop you choose. While there are many excellent budget laptops on the market, this does not mean that they are all ideal for your needs. The majority of them lack features that are required for your profession.

Consider the difference between a quad-core and a dual-core CPU laptop. Let’s pretend you need to run multiple applications at the same time. However, you selected the dual-core processor since it is less expensive. As a result, you’re left with a laptop that isn’t as powerful as you need it to be.

Understand the display

This is definitely one of the most important features of a laptop. When purchasing a new laptop computer, it is vital to consider the graphics and display capabilities. Screen size, resolution, screen type, and graphics processor are the four factors to consider. Whether you need the laptop for gaming, school work, video editing and graphics, media consumption; this will definitely determine the type of device you will go for.

The majority of us use laptops to browse the internet, talk, and maybe watch a YouTube video or two. The new laptops feature greater resolutions yet cost a fraction of the price of previous models. On 14 and 15-inch screens, older laptops had a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels. Text appeared fuzzy and dreary on those, but any software that shows text and photos benefits from a laptop with a full HD screen. Larger resolution photos now fit better, eliminating the need to scroll around.

People in gaming will even go for better displays. Gaming laptop screens are ‘beasty’, and it’s now typical to see them with 1920 x 1080 resolutions (full HD) at the very least. Some premium versions include displays with a resolution of 2560 x 1440 (QHD), and some even have 4K displays.

Check out the speaker setup

If sound output is important to you, this is another thing to consider. Companies will come to you claiming speakers are tuned by Bang and Olufsen and Dolby Atmos among others. This really sounds great, but does it add to the experience? Probably not. Most of these laptop manufacturers have crappy speakers really and always placed at the wrong end, the bottom of the chassis, and this really affects sound. If you can get one with the speakers at the top or sideways, the better, but still, you will at most times rely on an external speaker set up.

Overlooking portability

We live in unprecedented times and with internet almost everywhere, portability is something you cannot assume. I was using a 15.6″ laptop until I got hold of a 14″ inch, and well, I felt relieved. Laptops combine the features of a desktop computer into a portable gadget that you can take with you wherever you go. When working on the go, away from the office, or at a separate workstation, a laptop is far more convenient than a desktop, and, a smaller laptop is more convenient. I fully work from home and that doesn’t mean that work will stop when I am away from the house.

Do not be obsessed with one spec

I need a laptop with an Intel Processor, that’s it. This could be you, but, you could be wrong.

Depending on the work you will be doing with your laptop, the one spec you are looking at is probably not it. You will need to factor in the RAM, Display, the Processor, Keyboard, Battery life and other important features.

Brand loyalty

Just because you bought a Dell laptop – no shade intended – doesn’t mean it’s the best brand out there since it has served you for 6 years. I have used a HP Laptop since 2015, this year while looking for an upgrade, my research was inclined towards another HP laptop. On the day of purchase, laptops were presented to me and I was spoilt for choice. I took home a Lenovo.

But, brand loyalty for the sake of brand loyalty is bad. Brand loyalty because the product is perfect is good.

Not watching or reading reviews

Considering all that, research is always important. Once you understand your needs for the laptop, do as much reading and watching as possible to grab what will really suit you. This will help in areas where you could have probably overpaid for a laptop or bought a laptop that doesn’t meet your needs.

This process is key before purchasing your laptop.

To sum it up, think about your requirements first. Only then will you be able to purchase the greatest laptop for your needs.