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Seven things to look out for when buying a computer

Buying a new laptop computer can be both frustrating and expensive. Technology is growing with times, a sign of transformation.

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Buying a new laptop computer can be both frustrating and expensive. Technology is growing with times, a sign of transformation. Same can be said in the computer world, previously we used to be happy with just basic PC but now the game has changed with the people wanting more out of their PC.

Luckily, getting a new laptop need not result in moans before or after purchase, as there are a couple of things everyone, including dyed-in-the wool technophobes, can learn to look out for, without needing to present a systems engineering certificate.

According to Chuks Nwoke, an ICT consultant at the computer village who has been in the business for over 10 years, one needs to read beneath the incomprehensible computer-geek gobbledegook available all over the Internet and stick to brass tacks. Here are 7 things to look out for when buying a computer;

Size and Weight

Heavy laptops kill mobility. In 2011, computer processor maker Intel began pushing an Ultrabook category that focuses on lightweight systems — usually weighing about 3 pounds (1.3 kilograms) — to make use of its ultra-low voltage CPUs. Ultrabooks do away with disc drives and focus on portability, long battery life. These laptops aren’t powerful enough for some users, and do away with a disc drive others find important, but they demonstrate a trend towards lightweight notebooks that are extremely portable. The best way to get around the weight issue is to select a computer that makes weight and size a priority concern. The downside however, is that such computers are usually more expensive, which largely depends on what brand you drawn to.

Storage and Memory

Now, there are probably so many users who detest keeping an eye out for the memory size. It is however, a necessary item on the purchase checklist if you want to avoid your computer freezing like Azuka’s which froze every three hours of every other day. Storage space may not be a big concern for you — if you not a heavy user and don’t plan to load a computer up with gigabytes of music and video, an SSD or small HDD will suit you just fine. Random access memory (RAM) is a different story. Every piece of software running on a computer and the operating system itself (usually meaning Windows) stores data in RAM to function. The more RAM you have, the better.
Google your laptop to see if owners have found it easy to add additional RAM or swap out the hard drive.

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