Finding a Good Laptop Deal? This Step-By-Step Buying Guide Will Help

Compact and powerful—that’s how you can define a laptop.

Every laptop on the market today is portable; that’s why you can carry the machine anywhere you want. Though, just because it’s small in size doesn’t mean it cannot run any resource-intensive application. You get a laptop with decent specs and see how it breezes through your daily tasks. And if you raise your budget and get a top-of-the-line machine, then it’ll handle anything you’ll throw at it. 

But when you’re buying a laptop for yourself or for anyone else, you need to figure out tons of things. Most of the times, considering different things while buying a laptop can confuse even the most seasoned computer geek. And that’s precisely when the buying decision starts getting jeopardised by guesswork.

Which is why, we’ve written this guide so that you can put guesstimates out of your buying game.

So, now, let’s jump in and transform the way you’ll buy your next laptop.

Here’s the way you should buy a laptop

Selecting a platform

If you’re not a tech nerd, then making this decision is no cakewalk. Don’t worry, though. We’re here to help you with this. Here, we’ll give a basic overview of three of the biggest platforms—Windows, Chrome OS, and MacOS X.

Windows

When it comes to flexibility, Windows wins hands down. This operating system appears on a lot of different models when compared with Chrome OS and MacOS X. Windows even offer different features ranging from fingerprint readers to touchscreens. So, basically, this system gives a lot of different options to pick from.

MacOS X

Every Apple MacBook available supports MacOS X. It works more or less like Windows only—the biggest difference, however, lies in its interface. If you’re used to a Windows machine, then it’ll take some time to ease into an Apple MacBook. This operating system works in a closed environment—means, it’ll run applications that’ll seamlessly run with other Apple devices. This way, the chance of your Apple machine getting viruses is low. However, Apple MacBook devices don’t respond to touch inputs until now.

Chrome OS

This operating system runs on Chromebooks that don’t cost the world. Chrome OS is secured and simple to use. However, its functionality is still evolving and is more limited than MacOS and Windows. The system’s interface is pretty similar to Windows. You now get the conventional drag-and-drop feature with Chromebooks, but the overall experience isn’t so satisfactory just yet. The biggest downside is that most of the web apps don’t work really well offline on this system. This, however, is changing with the release of Google Pixelbook.

Size matters a lot

When it comes to laptops, size matters a lot. The decision of picking the right size primarily depends on your use. And before you move ahead, we want to clarify that “size” doesn’t mean ROM size or RAM size. Instead, it depends on a laptop’s actual size.

Generally speaking, laptop sizes range from 11.3 inches to 17 inches. Most brands such as Asus have laptops with screen sizes between 15 inches and higher. However, many brands like Dell sell laptops with a screen size of 11.3 inches. Nevertheless, if you want to hit that sweet spot ranging between 12 and 13 inches, then MacBook will meet your needs.

So, if portability is your priority, then get a laptop with a small screen. Best of all, smaller laptops will be lighter in weight too.

Factor in the screen quality

First off, decide whether you’re okay with a normal laptop or you need a touchscreen one. Today, more and more buyers are interested in buying a touchscreen laptop. Because it seems that they want to experience very smooth transition from their smartphones to their laptops. In any case, if you’re buying a touchscreen laptop, then make sure its screen isn’t too glossy. That glossiness can irritate if you’re gaming, consuming content, or editing images and videos for a longer period.

Once that decision is made, you need to consider the screen’s resolution. For instance, if you want to buy a laptop with a 4K screen, you’ll need to have a lot of dollars in your pocket. Likewise, if you’re a videographer or photographer, then you have to get a screen that produces exceptional colour accuracy. If you obsess over screen quality, you should get a laptop with an HDR–compliant screen.

Now, let’s discuss pixels.

Whichever laptop you buy, its screen will be made of a series of dots; these dots are referred to as pixels. If your screen is full of pixels, you’ll easily see a great deal of details on it. That is, you won’t see any of those grainy or pixelated images.

So, it’s better if you go with a screen that can accommodate 1080 PPI (pixel per inch). Now, if you don’t get to see 1080 PPI on a laptop’s spec sheet, then look for 1920 x 1080 pixels. Both “1920 x 1080 pixels” and “1080 PPI” are the same.

Processor delivers performance

When you’re buying a new laptop, it’ll be hard to think anything other than Intel’s CPU. You basically think of Core i3, Core i5, or Core i7. And why not! After all, Intel’s CPU chipsets deliver an outstanding performance almost every time.

Most of the entry-level notebooks have Core i3 chipsets. However, the Core i5–based chips are common in mainstream laptops. If, however, you need to experience world-class performance, then you need to go with a laptop with Core i7. This processor performs like a beast.

If, however, you’re not gratified with Core i7, then get a machine that’s having the blazingly fast Core i9 processor.

Now that you know all the things you need to factor in while buying a good laptop, it’s about time to make the buying decision smart.

But how can you do that? With layby, you can buy any expensive laptop just like a boss buyer.

Understanding layby

Let’s discover how layby works with the help of an example.

Suppose you want to buy a performance-driven laptop from HP that sets you back about 4,000 bucks. Sure, you may not like to purchase the thing by paying in one go unless you’re moneybags!

You may think of buying the laptop using instalments that come at crushing rates. Is that wise? We guess not. See, if you buy a costly laptop through interest-heavy instalments, you’ll end up paying more than the listed price.

Why not try layby?

If you pick any one of the layby computers in New Zealand, you’ll buy even the costliest of stuff through zero-interest instalments with no credit. Yes, that’s the biggest plus of buying through layby.

So when you want to get layby Apple MacBook, you’ll pay the instalments that come with no interest and easy repayment plans, and then receive it after you’ve finished paying it off.

These days, you’ll find a lot of stores selling their products through layby services in New Zealand. So, you just need to find such a store that has enough street cred. Once you find such a store, start buying from it on layby. This way, you won’t have to throttle your dream of buying anything.