Whether for your business or for holiday gift giving, the end of the year is a time when people often consider purchasing laptops. The choices right now can be overwhelming. There are many options in various price ranges, but it’s best to stick to those that are at least in the mid range of $600 to $900, so that the computer will do enough for you.
The biggest questions to ask (according to pcmag.com, Nov., 2013) revolve around what you need out of your laptop. If you are using it for fun and gaming, or have need for graphics, then a bigger screen and excellent graphic capability are going to be your priority. If you are using the latop for business, security, like fingerprint reading and a TPM module (a trusted platform module chip that stores RSA encryption) will be key.
If your are looking for a Windows 8 (or 8.1) laptop, you should know that the tablet-like start screen still works best with a touch screen, but it can be bypassed by going right to the Windows Desktop. For some, touchscreen is important, making Windows 8 (8.1) a good choice.
PC Magazine recently published the best laptops that are currently available. The Apple MacBook Air and Macbook Pro are both viable options for business and personal use and will start around $1,000. The Apple MacBookAir is one of the first to adopt the Intel 4th Generation Core Processor, which has a 65% gain in battery life, up to 10 hours. The new paper thin Sony uses the Intel processor and has a battery life of nearly 6 hours.
Also on PC Magazine’s short list was the Acer Aspire, which runs about $1,300 and uses Windows 8. It is sleek, powerful and one of the best ultrabooks. The AcerC7 Chromebook is an inexpensive alternative at $259 and one of the best in the inexpensive category.
The Asus Vivobook cost about $1,000 and is also sleek and slim with a good battery life. It is one of the best in its category for touch-enabled mainstream desktop replacement laptops.
Again, for business, the Apple MacBookPro and MacBookAir are recommended but the Dell Latitude also makes the top of the list and runs for $1,200 to $1,900.
If you are not in the market for a laptop, a tablet might satisfy your needs, especially for mobility, Enjoy the choices!
