Laptops come in all shapes and sizes, with a diverse range of price tags too.<\/p>\n
Your budget shouldn\u2019t be based solely on spending as little as possible (or as much as possible, for that matter). Instead, base it on getting the best possible laptop with the features you need<\/em> without forcing yourself onto a diet of dried noodles for the next year.<\/p>\n In general, a good new laptop will cost between \u00a3400 and \u00a31000. You don\u2019t have <\/em>to spend between those amounts, but that should get you a high quality laptop with decent specs and the latest features.<\/p>\n If that\u2019s too much to spend, you can still pick up a good netbook (or Chromebook) from around \u00a3150. You won\u2019t get as many features but it should serve basic requirements.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t be tempted to overspend either. There\u2019s no point paying for features you don\u2019t need!<\/p>\n Shopping around, especially at this time of year, can lead to some serious savings as rival companies fight to win your business.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re shopping online, use a price comparison website. If you\u2019re out shopping, never settle for the first laptop you see; take a look around and maybe even indulge in a bit of haggling (you might even be able to get a few accessories for free!).<\/p>\n Laptops can be surprisingly heavy, with top end models weighing anything up to 7lbs. If you\u2019re regularly traipsing between halls and uni, you\u2019ll need something that\u2019s light but durable. A MacBook is an ideal option (if you can afford it…)<\/p>\n To be honest, going portable is a good option even if you think you\u2019re going to spend most of your laptop time at home – you’ll be thankful when your printer packs in on assignment night and you have to dash across campus to the library.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re planning to use your laptop in the library or in a coffeeshop, you\u2019re going to need a laptop with decent battery life (unless you don\u2019t mind waiting hours for a plug socket to come free and\/or wrestling for one).<\/p>\n The \u201d\u02dcideal\u2019 battery life is around 6 hours from a full charge, although any extra is a welcome bonus.<\/p>\n It\u2019s tempting to buy the cheapest and most cheerful laptop you can find, but it\u2019s not a good idea in the long run. Laptop technology becomes obsolete fairly fast, which means your laptop will be agonisingly slow in a couple of years.<\/p>\n Instead, invest in something that will last. A laptop with the latest operating system, around 4GB of RAM and an Intel Core i5 processor should see you right for the next few years, at least.<\/p>\n If you want to buy a mid-to-high end laptop, Windows and OS X are going to be your main options.<\/p>\n Unless you\u2019re buying a MacBook, you\u2019re probably going to end up with a Windows laptop. The good news is that Microsoft recently launched Windows 10 and it\u2019s completely free. If you buy a Windows 8 laptop, you should be offered the Windows 10 upgrade automatically \u201d\u201c hooray!<\/p>\n You only need to worry about OS X if you\u2019re buying a MacBook. Apple is launching OS X El Capitan later this year, which includes some key performance improvements. If you own a couple of Apple products already, especially an iPhone, a MacBook may be your best option as Apple devices are designed to work together to make your life easier.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re working with a limited budget, you might want to consider Chrome OS. Available on budget Chromebooks, this is essentially a souped version of Google\u2019s Chrome browser. As such, it doesn\u2019t offer the same variety of features as Windows or OS X, but it should be fine if you just want to use your laptop for browsing and online-based work.<\/p>\n Given how often new laptops come out and computer technology advances, there are always second hand laptops on the market \u201d\u201c and most of them aren\u2019t even that old!<\/p>\n Buying a second hand or refurbished laptop is the easiest way to save money, and you should get a few good years out of the device too. Make sure you only purchase from reputable sellers though.<\/p>\n If you need a bit of extra cash for your new laptop, why not sell your current laptop<\/a> with musicMagpie? Just click below to get an instant price!<\/p>\n
\nKeep an eye out for bargains<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\nHow portable does it need to be? <\/strong><\/h3>\n
\nGet a good battery<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\nThink of it as an investment<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\nChoose your OS wisely<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\nBuy refurbished or second hand<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n
![\"Start](\"http:\/\/192.168.3.178\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/start-selling-button.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"