How to choose a laptop for office work. The lightest laptop to run with a good battery. Full HD screen.

A laptop can be an excellent alternative to a stationary computer. It has a much smaller size, takes up little space, it can be used on your favorite sofa or armchair, in the kitchen or in the gazebo at home. Placed in a bag-case, such a laptop will brighten up your leisure time in a cafe or help in your studies at the university. But in order for the laptop to always delight you and cope with the tasks set, you need to purchase a model that will meet your requirements. Therefore, we will show you how to choose the right laptop.

Resolution is another important factor in what information you can see on your laptop screen. Choosing a higher resolution will allow you to see more text on the screen, but it will be smaller. The limiting factor is your laptop's maximum screen resolution.

All-in-one laptop for home

If you will be spending a lot of time in front of your computer, higher resolutions can cost extra money. It won't be as harsh in front of your eyes and will make for a much more enjoyable viewing experience. This is great new function for your laptop. offers a better picture, is more durable and uses less energy. What's more, less power consumption results in longer battery life.

Choosing a laptop - deciding on the goal

Before going around computer shops, decide for what purposes and for what tasks you need it. Based on this, it is necessary to further consider the parameters and specifications compact computer, and of course its cost. So, for example, when choosing a gaming laptop, we immediately recommend “keep your pocket wider”. The fact is that modern games are demanding on the video card, processor and random access memory... If the parameters are not high enough, the game will simply "slow down" or will not start at all. Accordingly, when choosing a laptop for gaming, you should immediately abandon budget models.

The graphics card that you can expect from most laptop computers will have a fraction of the power that a desktop computer will have. Unless you're purchasing a laptop for gamers, a graphics card is likely to be sufficient for office productivity applications and media viewing. However, if you plan to use one or more external monitors, you must ensure that your laptop's video system is capable of supporting this configuration.

The trackpads that provide the functionality that desktop mice provide are made from a variety of materials and have a wide range of capabilities, depending on the manufacturer and model. Even if you plan to order online, visit some stores to check the trackpads to make sure the one you receive responds to your movements. You will get stuck on it for a lot of your computer use, and you need to like the "feel" of that particular trackpad.

When it comes to choosing a laptop for home, the situation is simpler. The fact is that an ordinary family uses such a device for simple actions: listening to music, watching a movie, chatting in social networks, by e-mail, transfer a photo from a camera or play a primitive game. For such purposes, you should not buy laptops with powerful processor and a good video card. Models with a budget and average cost will quite cope with the simple tasks of ordinary people. The main thing is that your laptop has the ability to connect to the Internet.

The size of your laptop keyboard will depend on the screen size you choose. If you're looking for portability on a small screen, you probably won't have a full-size keyboard. Small keyboards are hard to get started with if you have big hands or thumbs, but they will also be missing some keyboard shortcuts that you might get used to.

Before buying a laptop, make sure the keyboard fits your hand and is easy to use. Additionally, some laptops have traditional raised keys, while others have a keyboard that sits flush with the laptop. There may be a slight difference great importance in comfort. Some also offer backlit keys to help you in the dark, although this convenience can drain your battery.

This is not the case when choosing a laptop for work. If at work you only create documents in standard Microsoft programs Office, then you will be quite comfortable with the laptop we recommend for the home. But if business trips and business meetings are not uncommon for you, pay attention to models with a good battery, built-in video camera, Wi-Fi function.

Finally, the most large laptops now even have a numeric pad on the right side like a standard keyboard. Please note that if you prefer to carry a smaller laptop but work with large keyboard at home, you can connect external keyboard with full size.

One of the limiting factors of any laptop is its battery life. You need to consider your lifestyle and decide how important time is to you. autonomous work, and how much more are you willing to pay for a computer with long battery... These new technologies use less power, which is a much more convenient way to extend battery life than including a larger, heavier battery.

What else to look for when choosing a laptop?

Screen size (diagonal). For home use, look at the 14-17 inch models. For travel and business trips, it is better to take a smaller laptop: 7-13 inches. Well, for software designers, photographers we recommend a diagonal from 17 to 19 inches. By the way, you need to be guided by the diagonal of a laptop when choosing a laptop bag. This portable product is made from leather, suede, leatherette, synthetic materials and plastic.

The best laptops will offer around 10 hours of battery life. This can allow students to use their laptop throughout the day without having to plug it in. Longer battery life can also be very beneficial when working in a coffee shop, or watching movies on long car rides and airplane rides. With most laptops, you can also purchase a second battery to extend the life of your computer's battery.

Nowadays wireless cards are not really accessories. Almost every laptop will come with the standard wireless communication... As teleconferencing, photo uploading, and video recording become more popular, more and more laptops come with small camera above the screen. it cheap upgrade but in the end it's easy to get a low-quality camera that won't matter much to you.

CPU. Now in laptops there are processors from two companies: AMD and Intel. The latter is considered to be more productive, but it is more expensive. But AMD is cheaper and suitable for a home laptop. For a gaming laptop, it is better to choose at least 2-, or better 4-core processor line Intel Core... For home use, a dual-core AMD is also suitable.

If you plan on using your camera frequently for video rather than taking still images, choose a higher resolution. Most laptops with built-in cameras have 3 megapixels of resolution, which is great for video conferencing. Your laptop is designed to be portable, and you probably want to carry a lot of peripherals like this camera with you when you travel.

Finally, some laptops are equipped with memory card readers that you can use to access popular formats used by digital cameras. One of the disadvantages of a laptop is that it takes a very long time to disconnect and reconnect peripherals every time you want to move your computer. For your power cord, printer, scanner and all other devices, avoid clutter by installing the docking station. You will be able to connect all your equipment to one point of contact with your computer and simply dock and remove the dock with the push of a button.

Video card. The video card can be built-in or external. We recommend purchasing a laptop with an external high-end video card only to those potential buyers who intend to play games.

RAM. This is exactly the case when "the more the better", since the RAM is responsible for the speed of the laptop. It seems to us that it is not worth taking laptops with this parameter less than 2 GB. But given swiftly development of computer technology, it is better to take models with 4 GB of RAM for home and at least 6 GB for games.

Unfortunately, not all laptops are docking compatible, so if you know you have a lot of peripherals, consider this when you shop. This is true especially when it comes to computer games... A few years ago, computer manufacturers had a better mindset. Large companies assumed that all users needed the largest screen available and every feature they could think of. In the end, they learned that some customers wanted a smaller laptop with fewer features at a lower price point.

Winchester ( HDD). The hard drive is responsible for the storage capacity of your device. If you like to save your favorite movies and photos on your computer, then a laptop with a hard drive less than 500 GB is not your case. For a gaming laptop, you need a hard drive with a volume of 1 TB or more.

In addition, when choosing a laptop, pay attention to the material of the laptop (metal, plastic), its thickness, the presence of USB ports (at least 2), a VGA port, a port for connection network cable, Wi-Fi, audio jacks, Blutooth technology, 3G modem, GSM.

Most affordable options

The product they came up with was called a netbook. Thus, the resulting machine will be optimized for portability and durability. They set out to create a computer that you could use for basic lighting computing and general web surfing.

As more variations emerge on laptops, the lines become blurry. Many manufacturers have even abandoned optical discs in favor of thin, lightweight designs with incredible battery life. Laptops are much more affordable than they were just a few years ago, and technology continues to improve and prices fall even more. For just a few hundred dollars, you can purchase a small, lightweight and powerful computer which will give you wireless access to most of the world's knowledge.

In addition, you can create a regular one.

A guide for those looking to find their perfect laptop and get everything they need without overpaying.

Decide what your laptop is for

It so happens that a person buys a laptop “just to be”. This is not very sensible. If you don't have a clear reason to buy, then a brand new laptop is likely to gather dust somewhere on the table or on the far shelf.

This is a pretty surprising fact that would have amazed most computer enthusiasts twenty years ago. While this is great news for technologists and casual users, it's not a perfect world yet. There are many options to consider when choosing your computer and its various components. If you want to get the very car for your money, keep these key features in mind.

What other factors did you consider when choosing laptop? What are the most important parameters for your computer needs? Perhaps when you started your small business, your old Personal Computer was good for your relatively simple needs. In the end, though, you will need a more powerful machine that can handle every process with professional needs. We have compiled a list best computers for your business, an explanation of what is included and where you can buy them.

A versatile laptop for everyday use

Dell XPS 13

This category includes laptops from the middle and higher price categories. A productive and balanced filling allows such laptops to cope with a wide range of tasks, including not too demanding games at medium and even high settings. Thus, gamers who do not prioritize graphics can save themselves the tangible costs of a full-fledged gaming laptop with a productive discrete graphics card.

Price high-quality computer intended only for business use should not be seen as an additional expense, it is a much larger investment. Having a device designed for professional use will save you a lot of time in the long run. Without having to deal with all the software loaded onto your personal computer, the machine will run much faster. A quality business computer will be faster and likely to have fewer technical problems.

TechRadar's Best Laptops of 2017:

Dell XPS 13.
Asus ZenBook UX305.
Razer Blade Stealth.
Asus Chromebook Flip.
HP Specter x360.
Razer Blade.
Samsung Notebook 7 Spin.
Acer Aspire S 13.
Samsung Notebook 9.
Surface Book.
HP Specter x360 15.
MacBook.
Asus ZenBook Flip UX360.
Apple MacBook Pro 15.
Lenovo Yoga 910.

Laptop Mag ranked the best laptop manufacturers based on six key criteria: reviewers' ratings, design, quality technical support and the provision, innovation, range of offered laptops, as well as loyalty to the warranty conditions.

Characteristics of your current computer

The displays are connected to your graphics card using a connecting cable. To help you figure out how many updates you are moving to your current computer, it can be checked by the specs. Your system specifications will be listed in the System section of the Properties page.

Your specifications will be listed here. You can expect this investment to actually stay in you for two to five years. Here are our top three picks for a business laptop. It's comfortable, durable, and has amazing battery life. Don't assume that battery life means it has little under the hood, as this is definitely a strong laptop.

Lenovo.
Asus.
Dell.
Acer.
Apple.
Razer.
Samsung.
Microsoft.

For serious games

Razer Blade

Gaming laptops are very powerful and very expensive. This feature allows you to use gaming laptops for any work, including design, video editing, 3D graphics and design.

It's admittedly quite expensive for a laptop, but it's definitely the way to go if you can afford it. All of these laptop packages are above average at an amazing price point. it the best choice for the best business laptops. They are designed very well, they are thin and light, and they are powerful. Remember, there are a couple of downsides to a laptop. First, a laptop can be easily lost or stolen, especially when you work in a public place or in an office with low security. You can reduce this problem by purchasing software that tracks and helps recover stolen laptops.

The video card is the most important part. In 2016, Nvidia introduced the tenth series of GeForce GTX graphics cards, which are not only much more powerful than previous generations, but also great for installation in laptops, because they do not require a bulky cooling system.

If earlier Nvidia released heavily cut mobile GeForce GTX with the letter M in the name for laptops, now you can install a full-fledged video card in a laptop: as in a stationary PC, but with slightly reduced frequencies.

Back up your files so you can access important business documents in the event of a disaster. Second, the laptop has a smaller keyboard and monitor than a traditional desktop computer. However, this problem can be mitigated by purchasing a device that you connect to your laptop, which allows you to use a regular monitor and keyboard.

I liked the specific model, but I doubt

The base model's specs are already solid, but for some extra cash, you can upgrade the processor and graphics card. It also has an integrated graphics card that will allow you to add a second monitor. Connecting one computer to two screens is extremely efficient and reduces the need to print documents when comparing datasets such as two spreadsheets. We recommend buying an additional monitor for your desktop computer. ... While a smartphone can handle more and more daily workload, it still can't replace a proven laptop when it's time to dodge.

That is, if you buy a gaming laptop with a GeForce GTX 1050, 1050 Ti, 1060, 1070, 1080 or 1080 Ti, you will get the performance level of a desktop gaming PC with a similar graphics card.

The problem is that there are still many outdated gaming laptops in electronics stores, and they cost as new, and sometimes even more expensive. The consultant may try to sell you such a laptop. Don't be tempted to go for a gaming laptop with only GeForce GTX 10 Series.

As a processor for a gaming laptop, the older models Intel Core i5 (for GTX 1050 and 1060), basic Core i7 (for GTX 1070) and older Core i7 (for GTX 1080) are traditionally chosen. The amount of RAM is usually 8 to 32 GB.

TechRadar's Top 10 Gaming Laptops:

Razer Blade.
Asus ROG Strix GL502.
Alienware 13 R3.
Razer Blade Pro.
Gigabyte Aero 14.
Dell Inspiron 15 Gaming.
HP Omen 17.
Origin EVO15-S.
Gigabyte Aero 15.
Origin EON17-X.

For maximum mobility

If your lifestyle or work environment forces you to constantly move, then mobility comes to the fore when choosing a laptop. The smaller, lighter and thinner the better. These laptops are often referred to as ultrabooks.

Top 10 Ultrabooks by TechRadar:

Dell XPS 13.
Asus ZenBook UX30.
Razer Blade Stealth.
HP Specter x360.
Samsung Notebook 9.
Acer Aspire S 13.
Surface Book.
Acer Swift 7.
Lenovo Yoga 910.
HP Specter.

For maximum autonomy

If you spend most of the time away from the outlet, then the deciding factor when choosing a laptop is the operating time from a single battery charge.

We bring to your attention the rating of the most "long-playing" notebooks according to the Laptop Mag version. Specified time work is true with constant web surfing in a browser via Wi-Fi without using other resource-intensive applications.

Lenovo ThinkPad T470 - 17 hours
MacBook Air 13 - 14 hours
Microsoft Surface Book - 12 hours
Dell Latitude 7280 - 12 hours
Lenovo Miix 310 - 12 hours.
Dell Latitude 5280 - 12 hours
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon - 12 hours
Dell XPS 13 - 11 Hours
Dell Latitude 5480 - 11 hours
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 Gaming - 11 hours
Acer ChromeBook R 13 - 11 hours
Lenovo Yoga 910 - 10 hours.
Apple MacBook Pro 15 - 10 hours
Asus ZenBook UX330UA - 10 hours.
HP Specter x360 - 10 hours

Instead of a tablet

HP Specter x360

Nowadays, transformers that combine a laptop and a tablet are very popular. The design of this hybrid allows you to unfasten the keyboard, rotate the top cover, or literally turn the device inside out so that the screen is on top. An obligatory attribute of the transformer is a touchscreen display. 2-in-1 notebooks are very compact, lightweight and can completely replace a tablet.

TechRadar's Top 10 Convertible Laptops:

HP Specter x360.
Microsoft Surface Book i7.
Samsung Notebook 7 Spin.
Microsoft Surface Book.
Asus ZenBook Flip UX360.
HP Specter x360 15.
Dell Inspiron 13 7000 2-in-1.
Lenovo Yoga 910.
Lenovo Yoga 900S.
HP Elite x2 1012 G1.

For working on the Internet

If you only use a browser, then look at Chromebooks - more affordable laptops, sharpened for working on the Internet.

Asus Chromebook Flip.
Samsung Chromebook Pro.
Dell Chromebook 11.
Acer Chromebook 15.
Acer Chromebook R11.
HP Chromebook 14.
HP Chromebook 13.

As a more compact and aesthetic replacement for a desktop computer

Big system unit, monitor, mouse, keyboard, speakers and a bunch of tangled wires do not add beauty to the interior and take up a lot of space. The laptop solves the problem easily and gracefully.

Undrey / Shutterstock.com

The configuration and cost of such a laptop will depend on what you usually did on the old one. desktop computer and what do you plan to do on the new one.

For a special job

This includes design, video editing, sound editing, 3D graphics, engineering, and other specialized activities.

The configurations of such laptops are highly dependent on the tasks being solved and the used software, and the cost ranges from tens to several hundred thousand rubles.

If you are looking for just such a professional laptop, then this guide is unlikely to be useful for you. For information on the correct configurations for narrow-profile notebooks, it is best to look up the appropriate sites and forums. Only there you will find experienced professionals ready to help with advice.

What is worth paying extra for

Now you will learn about the really useful things that justify every ruble invested in them.

Latest generation Intel processor

There are no good laptop processors from AMD yet. Perhaps the situation will change with the advent of the Ryzen mobile line, but now the only reasonable solution is to buy a laptop with Intel Kaby Lake on board (Core i5 7xxx or Core i7 7xxx).

You can buy a laptop with a previous generation Core i5 or Core i7 (fifth or sixth) and get slightly less performance, but the trick is that the difference in cost between them is minimal or not at all. Accordingly, it is better to choose the latest technology.

A powerful processor turns a laptop into a multitasking machine that not only works smartly, but also allows you to play not too demanding games, do video editing, graphics, and so on.

SSD instead of HDD

In order not to burden you with unnecessary words, we will simply leave here the indicators of the time it takes to launch some applications on a laptop with HDD and SSD, all other things being equal.

8 GB of RAM

You've probably heard how voracious Chrome browser in terms of memory consumption, and this is not the only program that requires a lot of resources to work quickly.

RAM is cheap and has a huge impact on the speed of your computer. Don't skimp on it.

Full HD screen

A laptop with a Full HD screen at the standard distance from it makes the pixels invisible to the human eye. Thanks to this, the picture becomes much better. Full HD contains more content, which makes working with desktop applications and the Internet more comfortable and convenient. High-resolution matrices, as a rule, are manufactured using more advanced technologies and have the best characteristics than their younger HD cousins.

GeForce GTX 10 Series

If you are buying a laptop with an eye on new games, then choose a model with a discrete graphics card GeForce GTX 1050, 1050 Ti, 1060, 1070, 1080 or 1080 Ti - depending on the budget.

Never buy laptops with GeForce GTX 9 or earlier series. With very little money to spare, you end up with a much less powerful laptop with no headroom for the future and no normal VR support.

Wi-Fi 5 GHz

Wi-Fi hotspots are ubiquitous these days, but a side effect of this ubiquitous presence is a drop in quality and speed. Roughly speaking, wireless routers jam each other.

The solution may be to move to the 5GHz Wi-Fi range, known as 802.11ac.

Unfortunately for using Wi-Fi 5 GHz also requires a router that supports this technology but as a reward for the extra spending, you'll get ultra-fast and stable wireless internet.

By the way, 5 GHz Wi-Fi support is useful not only for a laptop, but also for a smartphone.

USB-C or Thunderbolt 3 connectors

USB-C is an inevitable future that will come sooner than you think. In the next few years this standard will become the only universal interface for charging and connecting any peripherals to a laptop.

Symmetrical design allows you to connect USB-C any side, and therefore the familiar problem "does not fit, turned over - does not fit" will become a thing of the past.

The famous USB paradox

Advanced Thunderbolt 3, in addition to being compatible with USB-C, has enough bandwidth to connect a 4K monitor, external storage with read and write speeds comparable to SSD, as well as a full-fledged external video card.

What you shouldn't overpay for

Not all manufacturers are adept at creating balanced notebooks. In addition, some of the features found in laptops are often downright useless.

Backlit keyboard

A laptop is a one-piece device and its screen always illuminates the keyboard. Accordingly, additional key illumination is not needed.

The only reason to choose a backlit model or to pay extra for this modification is the habit of working in complete darkness with the minimum screen brightness.

Screen with a resolution higher than Full HD

The capabilities of the human eye are limited. With a sufficient pixel density, we will not see them from a typical distance for working with a particular device. Such screens are best known as those used in Apple products.

For a 13-inch laptop with Full HD resolution, the distance from which the pixels are no longer visible is 51 centimeters. Our eyes are at about this distance when working with a laptop. Thus, increasing the screen resolution, and therefore the pixel density, does not make sense.

If someone is persistently trying to prove to you that QHD and even more so Ultra HD (almost the same as 4K) is cool and necessary, then either you are dealing with a consultant in an electronics store, or you are faced with a victim of marketing.

In addition to being pointless in terms of picture quality, displays with an oversized resolution consume more battery power and require much more resources to render the picture, which negatively affects performance.

Mandatory Intel Core i7

The latest generation Intel Core i7 is a really cool processor, but there is such a thing as sufficient performance.

Simply put, you do not need a Nissan GTR if you use a car to travel to Auchan and to work on congested roads.

Core i7 is good for heavy computing, video editing, graphics and top-end gaming computers... The average user will not take advantage of even a fifth of his productivity, but will pay the full cost.

A must-have discrete graphics card

A separate video card is needed for hardcore gamers who want to play new items with cool graphics, as well as for individual specialists. For web surfing, office work and watching movies have enough power offered by the built-in graphics.