If you need to make hard copies of anything you do on your laptop, you’re going to need a printer. This is especially true if you’re a college student or if you use your laptop for business. When it comes to buying a printer for your cheap laptop, there are a few things to keep in mind.
• Do you need to print in colour? You can often buy black and white printers for much less, especially if you’re looking at a laser printer. If you won’t need to ever do anything in colour, you may be able to get a good deal on a simpler printer.
• Do you need a portable printer? Some companies make very small printers designed to work specifically with laptops. You can pack up these printers and take them with you. If you’ll need to print while on the go, you might want one of these. They work very well for people who set up their laptops at trade expos or other types of conferences and need to print things for potential customers.
• Do you need a laser printer or an inkjet printer? Laser printers are more expensive, but the toner lasts longer. If you’re a small business owner, it may be an investment worth making. Most standard users, however, won’t need an expensive laser printer.
• Will the printer work with your laptop? Check to make certain the printer works with the operating system, and make certain it will connect to your laptop. Most new laptops and new printers use USB cables, but older printers use the larger serial cable. Newer laptops generally don’t have a connection for this.
When purchasing a cheap laptop, you may be asked if you want to look at docking stations or port replicators. If you don’t know that much about laptops, you may have no idea what the sales representative is talking about.
A docking station is a device that you actually plug your laptop into. It features extra ports, connections, slots, and even some drive bays. Some are about the size of a laptop (and are often called a media slice), while others are a little larger. More or less, a docking station is meant to give your laptop all of the connections that a full PC has. You simply set it up on your desk and plug your laptop into it when you’re working at home. You can attach a larger monitor, a full-sized keyboard, an external hard drive, and other devices, including printers and scanners, to the docking station. This way, you don’t have to unplug any of these things when you want to take your laptop on the road. A docking station isn’t really a necessity, but it is nice if you use your laptop as your primary computer since you don’t have to plug and unplug cables all the time.
A port replicator is basically a scaled down, smaller version of a docking station. It only features additional ports, including USB, video, and memory card slots. One form of port replicator that is very popular is often called a USB hub. You plug one end of the hub into a USB port, and the other end features four (or even more) USB ports, allowing you to effectively turn one port into many. Port replicators are useful because laptops usually don’t have room for a large amount of ports. Some port replicators, like the USB hubs, are very small, while other port replicators may be about the same size as a docking station.
When you head into a store to look at a cheap laptop or search online, you may read some comments and reviews that just don’t sound right to you. These laptop myths are often believed, but a smart laptop buyer (i.e., you) will know better.
1. Laptops are always more expensive than the desktops. While this is often the case, it’s not always true. Many laptops are inexpensive these days, and while buying a top of the range laptop is going to be expensive, buying one that has been on the market for a year or so should be well within your budget.
2. Laptops have very short battery lives. With older models (ten years older or more), this is probably true—those laptops often needed to be charged every few hours. However, some modern laptops can last as long as six hours or more. Most of them now include power-saver settings. If you dim your screen, for example, your laptop will be able to run longer.
3. Laptops cannot be upgraded. This one is somewhat true. It is more difficult to upgrade your laptop’s processor and graphics card, but it’s not that hard to add more RAM. Many laptops’ CD/DVD drives can be easily removed and swapped out for a new drive, too.
4. Laptops don’t feature everything a desktop does. On the contrary—some laptops actually feature more. Laptops today are as fast as desktops and feature large hard drives. You can get DVD burners and Blue Ray drives for laptops, plus most now include built-in microphones and web cams, two things many desktops don’t come with.
When buying a cheap laptop, many people latch on to things like the processor speed, the amount of RAM, and features like DVD burners, external mice, and touch screens. However, two things some people fail to consider and later regret are the size and the weight of the laptop.
If you’re going to be travelling a lot or carrying your laptop around, you’ll want to think about how much your computer weighs. College students, for example, may want a light laptop since they will be carrying it around campus. If you’re not going to be taking your laptop to other places very often, weight may not be a consideration. However, if you will be, know that your laptop’s weight will very quickly become an issue, especially if you’re hauling it through airports or train stations.
Another consideration is the size of your laptop. Some small laptops might actually be too small. If you’re doing graphic arts or playing games, you might find that the small screen size makes it too difficult to really see everything. However, larger laptops, especially those that have a full sized keyboard, may not fit in standard laptop bags. If you have any question about a potential laptop fitting in a bag, ask a sales associate for assistance. If you’re purchasing your laptop online, check the dimensions for both the laptop and any bag you are considering seeing if it will fit.
Finally, don’t let either of these considerations dissuade you from purchasing a laptop that has everything you want on it. You can always find a good sized bag for your laptop, and you may find that hauling around a heavy laptop is a price you’re willing to pay.
When you purchase a laptop, you know it’s going to come with a small touch pad that functions like a mouse—you move your finger around the pad to move the cursor, and the two small buttons under the pad allow you to left and right click. However, some people don’t like the pad, and for those people, laptop mice exist.
However, laptop mice are yet another expense, and if you’re looking for a cheap laptop, chances are that you’re on a budget. Do you really need a laptop mouse? If you just need your laptop for basic functions like email, word processing, or accessing the internet, you may not. Even though you don’t like the touchpad, you may be able to adjust to it. Many people have difficulty using it at first, but after a few weeks, they find they can use the touch pad just as well as a mouse.
However, there are some instances where a mouse is needed. If you’re doing graphic design or image editing, a mouse gives you a little more control than a touch pad does. Likewise, if you’re going to be doing a lot of gaming with your laptop, you may need to have a mouse to actually play the game. Touch pads also often don’t have anything that acts like the scroll wheel on a mouse does, so you may want that feature.
There are specific mice made for laptops. They are generally a little smaller than standard mice, and many of them are now wireless. However, regular computer mice work just as well with laptops, and you may be able to find one of those cheaper than a laptop mouse. As with anything, do a little comparison shopping before you buy.
Buying a cheap laptop as a gift can be a great way of saying “congratulations” to a high school graduate, an accomplished student, or just about anyone. However, there are some things you’ll want to consider before you purchase a laptop for someone, lest you have to return it for whatever reason.
The main issue with giving a laptop as a gift is that you know what the receiver needs in a computer. While you may think they simply need a cheap laptop that does the basics (email, internet, and word processing), you may be mistaken. If you’re buying a laptop for a college student, for example, you may need to make certain it has a built-in wireless card so they can connect to their college’s network. Some colleges actually have specific requirements for their students’ laptops, so you should inquire about this before you go shopping.
Make certain the laptop comes with the necessary software that your receiver will need or be ready to purchase the software. Accessories, too, may need to be purchased. Of course, you can simply leave those up to the person you give the gift to. It really depends on how you feel about giving a gift you know may not have everything that someone needs. You can always talk to the person and see what software they will need. This is a good idea even if you’re not planning on buying the software yourself so you’ll at least have an idea of how much memory and hard drive space the laptop will need.
Be certain that you or the person you’re giving the laptop to can return it. While you hope that you know the person well enough that you can purchase a great laptop that’s perfect for them, there’s always the chance that you’ll overlook something.
When you find your cheap laptop buy, you might think you know exactly how much money you’ll be spending. However, you may discover that there are other things you need to purchase for your new laptop that will impact your bank account more than you expected.
The first item you may want to purchase is a laptop mouse, especially if you don’t like using touch pads. Laptop mice come in two types: corded and cordless. Both generally take up one USB slot on your laptop. Laptop mice aren’t usually that much, and while you could purchase a regular mouse to use with your cheap laptop, mice designed specifically for laptops are usually smaller and easier to fit in a bag.
Speaking of bags, you’ll want a nice bag or hard case to carry your laptop around in. You can find some very cheap bags for laptops, but the old saying that “you get what you pay for” definitely applies here. Cheaper bags often don’t have as many extra pockets for your laptop accessories, and some aren’t as well padded. If you know you’ll be taking your laptop everywhere with you, you may want to invest in a laptop bag that’s going to protect your computer and take a lot of daily wear and tear.
Chances are you’ll be offered a long-term service plan or warranty along with your laptop. On one hand, purchasing one of these can be helpful since it will save you money if your laptop breaks down later, but it can add more to your bill than you might like and it may seem like wasted money if you never need to use it.
There are a number of other items you might need to purchase with your laptop. They include headphones, blank CDs or DVDs, or a USB hub if you will be using a lot of USB devices at once and will need more ports. While each of these is fairly cheap individually, if you need to purchase them all at once, expect your overall bill to be a lot more than you were expecting.
We all want to save money these days, but if you are looking for a cheap laptop for your gaming needs, you need to make sure it has the essentials. Here is an easy word to help you in your search: GRADS
That is: Graphics + RAM + Display + Speed.
G = Graphics. Graphics are essential to gaming. Get the most advanced graphics chipset you can afford and make sure you can upgrade the graphics card at a later date. A cheap gaming laptop isn’t cheap if it will be obsolete next year.
R(A) = RAM or random access memory. Most gamers agree that you need at least 256 MB in order handle the graphics on a laptop. . Look for VRAM if you want to play 3-D video games. VRAM can be accessed by two devices simultaneously, so while your video processor is handling new data, it can also provide screen updates. VRAM is more expensive than ordinary RAM, but it is worth it if you like 3-D games.
D = Display. A sharp display makes all the difference in the gaming experience. Display is determined by picture resolution. Resolution is formed by the number of dots (or pixels) placed in a grid. This can also be a subjective matter: some people feel they can sacrifice resolution to get a less expensive gaming laptop, while others cannot. Take a look at several laptops in your price range and decide which is the best for your needs.
S = Speed. Who doesn’t hate it when the screen freezes up in the middle of a hot game? Look for Serial Advanced Technology Architecture (SATA) rather than Parallel Advanced Technology Architecture (PATA). SATA transfers data almost 30 times faster. Also get the fastest microprocessor you can afford. This is measured in megahertz (MHz) or gigahertz (GHz). Lastly, look for the fastest hard drive speed, measured in revolutions per minute (rpm)
To get the best gaming laptop at the best price, you may have to sacrifice the most advanced technology. However, by careful searching, you should still be able to get a quality machine for your gaming fix.
When people are shopping for a new laptop, they will often be swayed by the latest and greatest that the computer companies have to offer. However, you may not need all of the newest technology in your laptop. People pay far too much for their machines because they believe they must have all of the extras that come with a new laptop. Review your needs and determine exactly what it is that you do need and eliminate the rest. It is the best way to get a cheap laptop that will do exactly what you need it to do.
Consider if you are going to be using your laptop for business primarily. You will most likely need a way to check email and communicate with your office while you are on the road. You can find a cheap laptop that has all of the capabilities to get this done without spending extra on things that you don’t need. Of course, you will want to make sure that you have wireless capabilities so that you can get online and communicate anywhere there is wifi.
For those who will be using their laptop primarily for personal use, you might like to indulge in some of the more advanced technology. If you are a gamer, you will want to make sure that the video and graphics are advanced enough to handle the games that you play. Check out some of the requirements of your games and make sure that the laptop that you choose meets those requirements.
Cheap laptops don’t have to be substandard machines. They can meet all of your needs and eliminate the ones that you do not. This is the best way to make sure that you get a computer that does what you need it to do and still fits in with your budget. Be brutal when you are making your decisions. Ask yourself if you really need all of that technology that you may or may not use. If you want to go with a cheap laptop, this is something that you will have to do.
One of the best places to find the best cheap laptop is the Internet. and the reason for the lower price online is the ability to comparison shop. The businesses that are online know that they must compete for your money and give consumers the best deal that they are able to give if they hope to attract those consumers. You can take advantage of this by checking the Internet for your best deal on cheap laptops.
Before you begin your search for a cheap laptop, it is a good idea to determine what you require from your laptop. Think about the kind of work that you plan to do and make sure that the machines you look at meet your criteria. This will help you eliminate the machines that do not meet your needs and stay away from the ones that have more than you really need. Get a list together of what you need your cheap laptop to do for you.
Check out a few sites when you are looking for your cheap laptop. The better deal might be right around the corner if you take the time to do some comparison shopping. When your money is limited for a laptop, it is necessary to spend wisely and get the best deal that you can find. There are cheap laptops out there; you just have to take some time and find them.
