Who knew a simple process of buying a laptop could give us so much of a sweat. Yes, gone are the days, where there were just a few brands available, and easy configuration could help the buyers to pick the ones that were available.
Now, the scenario has changed completely. Not only the laptops are competing in terms of price, features and configuration, you could now base your opinion on the colour and looks of the same. Well, this is a good news and a bad news.
Good news because you could choose one amongst the best, and bad news because it seems daunting. A daunting task, where you could spend an evening or two, just looking at the features of various laptops, but unable to decide which one works best for you.
Don’t let that scare you. Use the following simple tips and zero-in on that laptop that suits you to the “T”.
Tip 1# Narrowing Laptop on the basis of its features:
Aforementioned, the choice is plenty and don’t let it confuse you. First thing first, log in to a good ecommerce portal and look for comparison tool. You would get a better insight.
Which features are present in which laptop and which features are absent. The broad categories of comparison could be Screen size, Processor, weight, storage capacity, RAM, graphics, brand, operating system and accessories.
Once you compare them against the most liked ones, you would get a clearer picture of which one is for keeps and which you could strike out.
Do not, however, make these comparison tools your yardstick to pick, as they are tentative measures and could vary model to model. For eg. If an xyz laptop claims to have a better battery stand-by than others, it is not necessarily a guarantee.
Tip 2# Picking the Laptop as per your needs:
No marks for guessing this one. What do you intend to do with that machine, would majorly influence your choice. You could start with answering these simple questions:
- Am I buying this laptop for business needs or personal use?
- What is the budget?
- Do I have any favourite brands?
- What features are necessary and which ones can be compromised on?
- Is the buy immediate or I can wait for great deals?
- How much time do I intend to/ am required to spend on laptop each day?
Noting down answers for each would give you a clear picture, and help you exponentially move an inch closer to close the deal.
Tip 3 # How important is size and appearance?
Once you have answered questions related to your basic necessity you could now concentrate on, flimsy details of size, and look. Which might appear useful to some and not so useful to others. None the less, We would definitely ask you to give them a thought, especially if you would be spending a lot of time on your laptop, carrying it everywhere with you.
If you are using it for official purpose, make sure you choose the light weight ones, which are little rugged and easy to handle.
Tip 4 # How much is too much ?
Your biggest influential factor of all would be undoubtedly the price. You would want to land in a deal where you could choose the best configurations at the a throw away price. It is no more a distant dream now, to clinch some awesome deal, you would have to remain alert and do some serious research.
You could check prices online on various portals and then some retail outlets. While you compare prices, pay close attention to brands, deals and freebies that you get with each. Many a times, while you can’t get a discounted price on the laptop but the accessories you get with it makes up for the loss.
Best is to have a budget and stick to it. No point shelling out half a lakh for something that sits pretty in a corner for your house. Spend wisely and keep it in alignment of your needs.
Tip 4 # Ask! Ask!! Ask!!
The process of buying laptop can’t be completed without you asking reviews or opinion from about a dozen of people at least – your friends, colleagues and relatives.
Whether you go reading reviews online or personally, go bombarding people with questions no matter which path you choose. Make sure you keep note of the important points along the way. No one can give you a better insight about the product than a user himself. Keep your list handy and ask some relevant questions. The more you do, the more informed decision you would arrive too.
You could also post your question on some geek platforms, asking the experts same question. Just make sure you are very specific with your wants and mention them explicitly.
Tip 5 # After Sales Service
Though this point belongs to the features part, we made it a point to mention it separately because it is freaking important.
Let’s face it, buying a laptop is not something you do daily. So make sure when you do, you are extra cautious. Carefully read the fine print and ask as many questions about sales service and appropriate warranty it carries.
Agreed, laptop are much cheaper than its bulkier version called desktop, but getting them repaired would burn some serious hole in your pocket, so choose wisely.
Choose a laptop which has a dedicated customer service cell that can be contacted 24 by 7, 365 days.