Here’s a little knowledge to help you get the right laptop for your needs.

Let’s first discuss Chromebooks vs Windows and Mac laptops.

The Chromebook has an operating system similar to Android phones, with the same limitations. The Chromebook will be fine if all you do is participate in social media, watch movies or write email. For heavier operations such as creating art, music or movies, you’ll find software selection and storage space is limited. If you are a content creator, or want to store media for offline use, A Windows or Mac computer is recommended. Chromebooks almost always have a lower-quality sound system than other computers. However, the Chromebooks are generally less expensive and quite reliable for long, hard use.

You don’t want to be annoyed by a laptop that’s slow. I recently bought a cheap Windows laptop as a backup and was astounded at how slow it was to boot up and load web pages. You’ll want at least 8gb of RAM (memory), and a decent processor (CPU). You can check online to see what is currently fast in the CPU world.

Some laptops seem to have sufficient specifications, but due to poor bus (internal wiring) design or other issues, they can still be slow. If you can physically try the laptop before buying such as in a retail store, turn it off and see how long it takes to boot up. Try visiting a few websites such as YouTube, and see if they seem to come up fast, or take a long time. Of course this will also be dependent on the WiFi available in the store, so you can test several laptops to see if some load the same pages faster than others.

If buying online, make sure the company has a good return policy and reputation, then read reviews on the laptop you’re considering.

Know your processor needs – For basic tasks, an Intel i3 or Ryzen 3 is fine; for heavier work (video editing, programming), go for Intel i7/i9 or Ryzen 7/9.

Get enough RAM (memory) – At least 8GB for general use, 16GB+ for gaming, creative work, or multitasking. The jump from 8GB to 16GB of RAM is probably the single most-important factor in computer speed. That’s because as apps fill up the RAM space, they juggle additional content on and off the hard drive, which is much slower than accessing directly from RAM.

Choose SSD (Solid-State Drive) over HDD (standard, spinning hard drive) – SSDs are much faster.

Consider your storage needs. If all you do is watch movies online, participate in social media or write text, a small amount of storage is sufficient, otherwise, you’ll want at least 256GB of storage.

Check for upgradability – Some laptops let you upgrade RAM or storage later; others don’t.

Consider battery life – Look for 8+ hours if portability and mobility matter.

Look at GPU needs – Only get a dedicated GPU (e.g., NVIDIA or AMD) if you game, render video, or do 3D work.

If you are able to touch the computer you’d like to buy, check the sound quality. This is sometimes difficult in stores, where the ambient noise is high. The difference in sound quality from one computer to another, even in the same price range, might amaze you. Some have reasonably quality, but only low volume. This is fine if you’ll always use a headset or external speakers.

Think about ports – Need HDMI, USB-A, USB-C, SD card reader, headphone jack? Check what’s included.

Most people don’t need DVD drives any more. If you want to play your old movies, or music, or look at assets stored on DVDs, you might look for a built-in DVD drive. However, if you don’t mind something dangling off the side, you can buy external drives for under $30.

Keyboard quality matters – Try to test it in person if you type a lot. Backlit keys are a plus.

Check thermal performance – Thin laptops can run hot. Read reviews for heat and fan noise. Some laptops that are nicely silent until they warm up from doing heavy processing tasks. Then, the fan starts and they make noise that you might find terribly undesirable. Most Chromebooks do not have fans to make noise.

Test the trackpad – A clunky trackpad can ruin daily use.

🖥️ Display

Screen resolution – You’ll want at least 1280 pixels across the screen. Higher resolutions are slightly clearer and allow for juggling more open windows on the same screen.

Screen brightness and contrast can also be an issue. If in a store surrounded by bright lighting, you may not get a clear understanding of a laptop’s brightness.

Size matters – 13–14″ is portable; 15–16″ is great for productivity; 17″ is for power users or people with minor vision impairment. My wife and I sometimes watch movies on a 17″ laptop in bed. We don’t miss the big screen at all.

Refresh rate – 60Hz is fine for everyday use; 120Hz+ is better for gaming or smoother visuals. Most people in most situations do not notice the difference.

Panel type – IPS panels have better color and viewing angles than TN.

Consider brightness – 300+ nits for indoor; 400+ nits for outdoor use.

💡 Software & Operating System

Choose your OS – Windows, macOS, or ChromeOS? Each has strengths. Match it to your workflow. Most people will be opinionated when it comes to operating systems, so you might ask for several opinions. If you have a certain program you’ve been using for a while, make sure it will run on your new computer. If you’ve become used to one operating system, switching may be bothersome until you get used to the new ways of doing things, such as pressing the [Command] key when you used to press the [Control] key.

Check for bloatware – Many Windows laptops come with pre-installed junk software; clean installs are better.

Verify OS version – Make sure it includes the latest OS version or free upgrade eligibility. This is not an issue on Chromebooks and Apple (Mac) laptops.

🌐 Connectivity

Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0+ – These ensure faster, more reliable wireless connections. Again, this is not an issue most people will notice.

Cellular options – Some laptops offer LTE/5G if you need internet on the go.

🧳 Portability & Build Quality

Weight matters – Under 3 lbs is ideal for frequent travel.

Build material – Metal bodies (e.g., aluminum) tend to be more durable than plastic.

Hinge quality – Check how sturdy it feels – some wear out or get wobbly quickly. Right now, we’re putting up with an Windows laptop in which within a year the plastic casing around one hinge broke, rendering the screen all wobbly. You can’t really determine hinge strength on a new laptop. Hopefully, if the model you’re considering has hinges that will fail, you’ll catch that in online reviews.

🛍️ Shopping Smart

Set a budget range – Decide what you’re comfortable spending, but be flexible based on your real needs.

As with most gadgetry, mid-range is the most economical. If you go for an extremely low-end laptop, you may have issues with speed, brightness, sound quality, battery life, heat, or fan noise. However, going beyond mid-range is generally a waste of money. A laptop with 16GB of RAM, 512GB hard drive, a good multi-core CPU with known good sound and screen quality in a mid price range will be nearly indistinguishable in daily use from a super-expensive model. The exception would be if you need lots of storage for movies, or processing speed for gaming or video creation.

Apple doesn’t make any low-end computers with disappointing performance. However, most folks don’t need their top-of-the line variations with options such as 8TB of storage, 32+GB of RAM, and highest-level CPUs in the $4,000-plus range.

There are few Chromebooks beyond $350. At the highest level, they are still Chromebooks with limitations.

Wait for deals – Watch for back-to-school, Black Friday, or manufacturer refurb sales. Be careful about refurbished laptops. Some cost only slightly less than new models, yet the new ones tend to have more storage, faster CPUs, more memory and better screens.

Compare multiple models – Don’t buy the first one you see; often better deals are nearby.

Watch out for ugliness. For many people this doesn’t make any difference at all, but there are some who might settle for a dark gray patterned case, or a bright purple case that they later can’t stand.

Read recent reviews – Don’t rely on specs alone. Look at user feedback and benchmarks.

Buy from reputable retailers – For warranties, returns, and post-purchase support.

Check the return policy – Just in case it doesn’t meet expectations or has issues.

Consider extended warranty or protection – Especially if you’re hard on gear or using it daily for work. Look at the fine print on extended warranties. Some are quite liberal and will cover nearly everything even a degree of abuse, sometimes even with in-store service. Others require sending the laptop to somewhere out-of-town, and paying $100 or more for repair plus covering shipping costs yourself.

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I’m offering a FREE, no-strings initial 10-minute consultation in case you’d like to learn exactly how to be your own boss in this business.

Here are the advantages:

1. It’s easy to learn.

2. You can do it entirely from your home, on your schedule with no dress code. You can work in a bathrobe if you wish.

3. Nothing other than a phone and computer is required.

4. There is a way to start making money within your first week, even as a beginner.

5. This line of work allows you to express your creativity, yet you don’t have to be a ‘creative’ person.

6. It will be years before AI can do this all for you, but you can incorporate AI to help you do better work more quickly and easily.

7. It can pay way better than most jobs.

8. You can work as much or as little as you like.

9. It’s fun!

The way it works is this: You can call me anytime. If you’d like to go beyond the initial 10-minute consultation, I charge $2/minute.

If you’re an absolute beginner, we’ll start there. Otherwise, I meet you at your current level of knowledge. Most of this can be done with ordinary phone or email conversations. We can also use Zoom screen sharing sessions when/if needed. I guide you not only in the technical details, but the business itself, letting you know the best ways to get clients, how to estimate and charge money, how to handle unusual client situations and how to expand small jobs into high-paying big jobs.

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Typical sessions run 40 minutes. I can tell you a magical and totally legitimate way to get your first clients within a week, even if you haven’t learned all the details yet. After you’ve established your business, you may have occasional questions. You can contact me any time. Typical follow-up are 9 minutes ($18).

For those who would like, I offer ongoing coaching to keep you focused and motivated. I also worked as a business coach between 1999 and 2003, so as luck would have it, I’m just the guy for you! Your profit will most likely be way more than the cost!

My best client so far learned the business of website design from me about two years ago. He had never built a website. Now he has three full-time employees building websites under him.

So call, text or write, and let’s positively change your life! You’ll enjoy my friendly, informative style! The first 10 minutes are totally free, no strings attached.

– Jeff Napier
Phone: (805) 843-5353
Email: jeff@jeffnapier.com