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 it comes to laptops (or any type of computer, really), many companies lump users into one of several categories.  You can use these categories to get an idea of what type of laptop is best for you.  Just pick the one that seems to match you best.

The Home User is the user who plans on using their laptop as their main PC, mainly because they can move it from room to room as they desire.  These users want a fast processor, at least a gigabyte of memory (more if they’re running Vista), and a good sized display.  A wireless network card is also necessary.

Students, on the other hand, generally want a lightweight, small laptop that they can carry anywhere.  They also need a good processor and memory, although since they will be using their laptop mainly for typing and doing online research, they may not need a high-end graphics card.

The Traveller will also need a lightweight laptop, plus they may want a laptop that has a good amount of hard drive space since they might need to take a lot of data with them.  A laptop with a very long battery life is also a good idea for frequent travellers.

If you’ll be using your laptop mainly for business, you’re going to want many of the same features.  However, you may also want to make certain your laptop comes with a DVD burner so you can back up all of your data. 

Finally, there’s the gamer and the artist.  Both need great graphics cards, a large amount of RAM (possibly even 4 GB), a large hard drive, and a top of the line processor.  A large screen size is also helpful, as is a full-sized keyboard for some gamers.  While other laptop users can get away without the newest and best, those looking to use their laptops for graphic arts or games need the best.

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.

In the past, all laptops featured tiny little keyboards.  This was because people wanted a laptop for its portability and smaller size – the whole point of buying a laptop was so that they didn’t have to lug around something as heavy or as large as a desktop computer, after all.  However, today, some laptops are being constructed with a full keyboard.  But which is better, the larger keyboard or the smaller computer?

First, what is meant by a full keyboard?  Basically, it’s the same type of keyboard you’d use with a desktop computer.  In addition to featuring the full set of keys, a full keyboard includes a separate number pad (what accountants refer to as a ten-key), the row of F1 through F12 keys, and others such as the four arrow keys, a delete key, a home key, and an insert key.  On the smaller laptop keyboards, these keys do exist, but they’ve been integrated with the standard letters and require you to press a specific function key.  For example, in standard mode, the keys for letters like j, k, and l type those letters.  In function mode, however, they become 1, 2, and 3 for the number pad.  This means that you can’t easily enter numbers and letters without pressing the function key often.

If you’re not an accountant or won’t be dealing with many numbers, you may think that you’d have no need for the full keyboard.  However, if you’re a gamer, you will certainly want to consider it.  In many online games, players use the keyboard to type to other players and use the number pad to control their characters or perform specific functions in the game.  Without a separate number pad or set of directional arrows, it may be impossible to play some games on a laptop.

Finally, some people, especially those with large hands, may find it hard to type on the smaller keyboard.  For them, it’s simply too difficult to use a laptop for typing, and while it is possible to connect a full sized keyboard to their laptop, that means lugging around a keyboard.  However, if they purchase a laptop with a full sized keyboard built-in, they don’t have to deal with carrying around an extra keyboard.

No matter what the reason, laptops featuring full sized keyboards are often just as affordable as those with tiny keyboards.  It all depends on if you need the number pad, the arrow keys, or the larger sized keyboard for typing convenience.

You probably know someone who always has to have the latest gadget.  They have the newest mobile phone (you know, the one that can check email, access the internet, and can probably even make a good cup of coffee), the fastest, newest computer, and a television as big as your car.  But is it always wise to run out and spend all that money on a brand new laptop?  Maybe not.

The main reason to spend money on a fancy new laptop is when you need a top of the range computer that can run just about any program.  If you’re not running something like AutoCAD 3D, a drafting program that uses huge amounts of memory, then you may not need the fastest, most powerful computer around.  If you’re planning to do a lot of high-graphic gaming, video editing, photo editing, or run any program that takes up a lot of processing time and memory, then a top of the range laptop is certainly something to consider.

However, if you just need a computer that can access the internet, send and receive email, and do basic word processing, then an expensive computer is not really worth it.  Sure, your computer will be fast, but you will be paying for things you don’t really need.  Top of the range laptops generally include things like DVD burners, multimedia programs, and a ton of other extras that the basic user simply won’t use.

If you’re looking for a laptop that does the basics, go with a slightly older model.  It will get the job done, and it won’t cost you nearly as much.  In fact, many of these “older” models were once top of the range, and they’ll handle just about everything the average user ever needs them to.  Many will even run graphics-intensive games and have enough memory to let you do photo and video editing as long as you don’t get overzealous and try to edit an hour-long film.  Before you buy the newest laptop, take a look at what you really need the computer to do.  You may find that you can save a lot and still get a great laptop.

When you’re shopping for laptops, you may have a basic idea of what you need.  Then you get into the shop or start scrolling through websites and you see all these extras.  While you know you don’t really need them, you just can’t help but want all those extras.  Here are some dazzling extras that you may decide your laptop really needs.

Laptop Touch Screen

The first is a touch screen.  Some laptops convert to tablets – the screen rotates around and folds flat, covering the keyboard.  To allow for input, these laptops feature touch screens.  You don’t need to use a mouse to select anything – just touch it with the stylus or even your finger.  You can also use the stylus to write or draw on the touch screen, which is really useful if you’re an artist or want to hand-write notes or documents.

LightScribe CD or DVD Burner

Another extra touch comes featured on HP and Compaq laptops.  These laptops may feature the LightScribe CD or DVD burner.  LightScribe burners allow you to create a label for your CD and then actually burn it onto the CD or DVD itself.  You don’t have to print a label and stick it on the CD.  Instead, your label is etched onto the CD.  While you can’t include colour, it is a neat little way of making a CD cover.

Fingerprint Scanner

Some newer laptops also include a fingerprint scanner.  This scanner is an alternative way of logging in to your computer.  Instead of entering a password, you swipe your finger along the scanner and, if your fingerprint matches that on file, you’re automatically logged in.  This is a great extra security feature for those who may have very sensitive material on their computer.  You don’t have to worry about your password being stolen since only your fingerprint will unlock the laptop.

Light-up Keyboards

Other laptops may feature light up keyboards, full-sized keyboards, or lights that change colours and blink in time to your music.  These extras, just like the LightScribe burner, fingerprint scanner, and touch screen, aren’t always necessary, but they are a lot of fun.  If you’ve got a little extra money to spare, you may want to include some of these fun bells and whistles on your laptop.

Have some ideas of your own unique laptop bells and whistles? Then leave us a comment below with some cool things you may have found.

Laptops are expensive, there’s no doubt about that.  In fact, some of the cheapest laptops are still more expensive than cheap desktops.  While laptops are certainly cheaper now than they were a few years ago, many people still don’t want to spend the money to purchase a new one.  Instead, they often purchase refurbished or used laptops.  There are some pluses to this, but there are also some negatives.

The main reason to buy a used laptop is, obviously, the price.  If you find the right deal, you might get your used laptop for half the price it originally cost, maybe even more if it’s an older model.  You might also have the option of buying a printer, external mouse, and carrying bag also, especially if you’re purchasing your used laptop from an individual and not from a company or store.  Getting all of those accessories for next to nothing is a great price-saver.

However, that’s about the only good thing about buying a used laptop.  Let’s face it: buying anything used is a risk.  You have no idea how hard the item was used or what kind of abuse it took.  While this doesn’t matter as much with some items, when you’re talking about a laptop, it certainly is something to take into consideration.  What if the laptop has been dropped or had something spilt on it?  Maybe it has been running slowly or has had many different viruses on it.  If the person selling you the laptop isn’t totally upfront about things like this, you may never know until the laptop stops working.

Another thing to consider is that you may not get everything that originally came with the laptop.  CDs, books, and other items get lost over time, and you often simply have to take the laptop as is, even if that means you don’t get everything.  On the flip side, the seller may leave programs installed on the laptop that you wouldn’t get otherwise.  Of course, this means you may find programs you don’t want, or you might find that the person has left personal files or other things (like their website browsing history) that you have no use for.

In the long run, it’s probably better to buy a new laptop if you can.  There’s just so much that can go wrong with buying a used laptop, especially if it’s from someone you don’t know.  Why pay good money, even if it’s just a little money, for something that could only last a few years when you can invest in a laptop you know will work?