We know, we know– it feels like summer is only just beginning why are we starting to think about thenext school year? Unfortunately as we all know all good things like summer must eventually come to an end and we have to return back to our regular ways of life and school– which we all know comes back way too quickly. As the back-to-school sales really begin over the next few weeks we want to help make sure you go back fully prepared, well, gadgets wise at least.
One of the toughest things today in back-to-school shopping is finding a new computer/tablet/phone that isn’t just cheap or good, but right for you and what you want and need it to do. We want to try to make this easier for you, and over the course of the rest of the summer we plan to have a whole bunch of posts and guides on good deals we see, some of our recommendations for a new computer, tablet or phone etc. In short, we’re here to help.
Other Business News:
Tablet PC
laptop battery charger
Touchscreen Monitor
So with all that in mind we’re gonna kick off this back-to-school “series” with some tips on what you should look for when your out shopping for a new laptop for school and what are the basic specs that any 2011 computer you buy should have.
The Basics
We’ll explain all of this in more detail below, but for those of you just looking for a short quick list, here are our basic, minimum specs that any new computer that you buy today should have:
Dual core 2nd-gen Intel i3 or i5 processor or AMD Vision E-350
4 GB of RAM
320 GB hard drive
5 hours of battery
Windows 7 Home Premium
There are a ton of computers available with these specs below $500, and as long as you have these specs your new computer should be good to go for the next few years.
The Details
Now let’s get into a bit more detail. When it comes to picking a new computer today, the choices are near endless. Walk into your local Best Buy, Staples, Walmart etc. and you’re immediately surrounded by walls filled with computers and salespeople, well, looking to do what they can to make a sale. If you don’t know what to look for you could very easily wind up with a computer that either is too slow, not the right size, over priced, or just not what you wanted or needed.
We want to try and help you avoid that, so here are some more details to help you understand what those basic specs mean and why you need to have them in your next computer.
The OS
Pretty much a no brainer when it comes to new PCs– Windows 7 is one of the best versions of Windows that Microsoft has ever made, and today you’re gonna find it on any new PC you buy. We love Windows 7, it’s fast, easy and well, it works. There are however, many different versions of Windows 7, but when you’re out shopping for that new PC, you’re gonna wanna get Windows 7 Home Premium. It’s the most common version of Windows 7 and should be more than enough for anything you’re gonna want to do with your new PC (for our full Windows 7 review, see here).
Of course we love Macs too, and while they are more expensive than your typical Windows PC, their great all-aluminum designs and software are what makes them an equally excellent choice for a new computer (particularly with the new OS X Lion, which is included on all new Macs today).
And for those wondering about the next generation of Windows due next year called Windows 8, while it will be designed for better use with touchscreens and tablets, Microsoft has said that it will also run perfectly fine on today’s traditional keyboard/mouse PCs you find in stores. Basically, you don’t need to worry about your new laptop being completely out-of-date next year.
The Processor
Unless you plan on doing a lot of intense graphic, video, or audio creating/editing/producing or a lot of intense gaming (hey, it could be your future job too), you should generally be fine with a processor like a second-generation Intel Core i3 or i5 (though if you are doing a lot of the above we recommend the much faster, though more expensive, i7 processor as you’re gonna need the extra power).
A lot of people have asked us about the differences are between the i3 and i5 and if it’s worth the price difference to go with an i5 (the i5 version is generally the more expensive of the two when comparing two similar computers). Most of the time we’ll tell them that it is. As we all know, computers are expensive and when it comes time to buying one, the intended goal is to have it work well for the next few years. That being said, the i5 in our opinion is better suited for those next few years with its higher speeds and Turbo Boost technology. In simple terms what Turbo Boost does is make the most of your computers performance and battery life by automatically speeding up and lowering the processors depending on what you’re doing (for example, turning off one of the processors while bumping up the speed of the other when coping something into iTunes to make it go faster or turning both on when your editing a video or gaming so you get the best speed and power). You could find great new PCs with these processors at prices well below $1000 mark.
Tags: Laptop Tips, Picking, Next Computer, the Teens, Touch Screen LCD Monitors, LCD Monitors
One of the toughest things today in back-to-school shopping is finding a new computer/tablet/phone that isn’t just cheap or good, but right for you and what you want and need it to do. We want to try to make this easier for you, and over the course of the rest of the summer we plan to have a whole bunch of posts and guides on good deals we see, some of our recommendations for a new computer, tablet or phone etc. In short, we’re here to help.
Other Business News:
Tablet PC
laptop battery charger
Touchscreen Monitor
So with all that in mind we’re gonna kick off this back-to-school “series” with some tips on what you should look for when your out shopping for a new laptop for school and what are the basic specs that any 2011 computer you buy should have.
The Basics
We’ll explain all of this in more detail below, but for those of you just looking for a short quick list, here are our basic, minimum specs that any new computer that you buy today should have:
Dual core 2nd-gen Intel i3 or i5 processor or AMD Vision E-350
4 GB of RAM
320 GB hard drive
5 hours of battery
Windows 7 Home Premium
There are a ton of computers available with these specs below $500, and as long as you have these specs your new computer should be good to go for the next few years.
The Details
Now let’s get into a bit more detail. When it comes to picking a new computer today, the choices are near endless. Walk into your local Best Buy, Staples, Walmart etc. and you’re immediately surrounded by walls filled with computers and salespeople, well, looking to do what they can to make a sale. If you don’t know what to look for you could very easily wind up with a computer that either is too slow, not the right size, over priced, or just not what you wanted or needed.
We want to try and help you avoid that, so here are some more details to help you understand what those basic specs mean and why you need to have them in your next computer.
The OS
Pretty much a no brainer when it comes to new PCs– Windows 7 is one of the best versions of Windows that Microsoft has ever made, and today you’re gonna find it on any new PC you buy. We love Windows 7, it’s fast, easy and well, it works. There are however, many different versions of Windows 7, but when you’re out shopping for that new PC, you’re gonna wanna get Windows 7 Home Premium. It’s the most common version of Windows 7 and should be more than enough for anything you’re gonna want to do with your new PC (for our full Windows 7 review, see here).
Of course we love Macs too, and while they are more expensive than your typical Windows PC, their great all-aluminum designs and software are what makes them an equally excellent choice for a new computer (particularly with the new OS X Lion, which is included on all new Macs today).
And for those wondering about the next generation of Windows due next year called Windows 8, while it will be designed for better use with touchscreens and tablets, Microsoft has said that it will also run perfectly fine on today’s traditional keyboard/mouse PCs you find in stores. Basically, you don’t need to worry about your new laptop being completely out-of-date next year.
The Processor
Unless you plan on doing a lot of intense graphic, video, or audio creating/editing/producing or a lot of intense gaming (hey, it could be your future job too), you should generally be fine with a processor like a second-generation Intel Core i3 or i5 (though if you are doing a lot of the above we recommend the much faster, though more expensive, i7 processor as you’re gonna need the extra power).
A lot of people have asked us about the differences are between the i3 and i5 and if it’s worth the price difference to go with an i5 (the i5 version is generally the more expensive of the two when comparing two similar computers). Most of the time we’ll tell them that it is. As we all know, computers are expensive and when it comes time to buying one, the intended goal is to have it work well for the next few years. That being said, the i5 in our opinion is better suited for those next few years with its higher speeds and Turbo Boost technology. In simple terms what Turbo Boost does is make the most of your computers performance and battery life by automatically speeding up and lowering the processors depending on what you’re doing (for example, turning off one of the processors while bumping up the speed of the other when coping something into iTunes to make it go faster or turning both on when your editing a video or gaming so you get the best speed and power). You could find great new PCs with these processors at prices well below $1000 mark.
Tags: Laptop Tips, Picking, Next Computer, the Teens, Touch Screen LCD Monitors, LCD Monitors
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