9th May 2008

Cheap Laptops & Discount Notebooks. What to look for in a laptop.

Topics in our laptop buying guide
What to look for in a cheap laptop.
Overview of refurbished & used laptops.
Laptops and Upgrading.
Laptop & notebook jargon
laptops & laptop suppliers


		Everex LM7WZ StepNote Celeron M 350J 1.3GHz 256MB \| 40GB HDD \| 15.4" DVD-CDRW - $449.97 !! click here for more info.

		Advent 7109A Laptop Celeron M 420 1.40GHz 1024MB \| 60GB HDD \| 15.4" DVD-RW \| £398.72 !! click here for more info.

What to look for in a cheap laptop or notebook.

The main thing to consider when choosing a cheap laptop is what you are going to be using it for.

Most people use laptops for light work, ie, word processing, accounts, surfing the internet, emails, etc.

Most modern machines will cope easily with this sort of use. In fact, nowadays most laptops boast features that would have been considered top of the range for PCs just over 12 months ago!

When choosing a cheap laptop ensure it has all the features you may require. Including anything special such as Wireless connectivity, although this can be added through the use of a special card, see Wireless below.

The performance of your laptop will depend on many factors. The most important of which are the processor type and the amount of memory (RAM) the laptop has.

Laptop memory can be upgraded very easily, but processors can be tricky. For this reason, concentrate on the processor type and speed, rather than the amount of memory the laptop has.

Hard drives in laptops can also be quite easily upgraded, although you should really go for a laptop with at least a 30GB hard drive. A 30GB hard drive (or above) should be adequate for most users, unless you intend to store many large files on your laptop.

Other devices like CD Writers, floppy drives, and more USB ports can be easily added. These devices shouldn't be at the top of the list when choosing your cheap laptop, unless it is vital.

The operating system that comes with your laptop will depend on when the laptop was manufactured. When choosing your laptop, always keep in mind any minimum requirements of any operating system that you may want to install in the future.

Overview of refurbished & used laptops.

Refubished Laptops
Refurbished laptops can be absolute bargains!

If you don't need the latest spec, then quality refurbished laptops are a great way to get deals.

Most refurbished laptops are machines that have been returned by the consumer within a certain period of time. The machine is then sent back to the manufacturer, where it is tested, checked and then resold.

Used Laptops
These tend to have had a lot more use than refurbished laptops. Used laptops are usually lower spec than their refurbished counterparts, but they are also cheaper.

When buying a used laptop always check the type and length of the warranty. Always buy from an established outlet, so if you do have a problem it gets dealt with correctly.

Laptops and Upgrading.

When it comes to upgrading a laptop the options are limited compared to upgrading a desktop PC.

Laptops tend to have onboard graphics and sound controllers which means they can't be replaced, however hard drives and memory (RAM) can be easily upgraded.

Optical drives (CD-ROMs, CD Writers, etc) can be upgraded, but original manufacturer's drives (internal) can be quite expensive. External USB optical drives are widely available, easier to install, and a great deal cheaper.

Laptop memory (RAM) can be upgraded very easily, laptops usually come equipped with at least 2 slots for memory modules.

Armed with just a screwdriver and a little care you can either change the existing memory module(s), or add another if a free slot is available.

Laptop & notebook jargon

LAN (Local Area Network) card - This is very handy if ever you want to transfer files from your laptop to your pc, also some broadband internet providers require a LAN card for internet access (always check with your ISP).

See also Wireless LAN below.

CD Writer - This device allows you to burn CDs, it is down to personal preference, although they are very handy for backing up large amounts of data and they double as a CD ROM drive.

DVD Player - Again this is down to personal preference, but unless you really want a dvd player in your laptop it can be a bit of an overkill, further, most economic laptop graphics systems can struggle to produce a smooth image if they don't have sufficient memory.

DVD-CDRW - This type of drive is a CD writer and a DVD reader all in one.

DVD-RW - This is a DVD writer which can also burn CDs, very handy for backing up files as DVDs can store more data than CDs.

It enables you to burn DVD movies as well as watch films on your laptop. Some laptops have a TV out socket, allowing you to plug the laptop into your TV and watch DVDs on the big screen.

For more, see our dictionary entry for DVD Writers.

56K modem - This component is used for standard dial-up connections to the internet, it is a fairly standard component found in most modern laptops, but always check to ensure it is included if required.

IrDa (Infrared) - This allows you to communicate with other infrared devices such as mobile phones, laptops and PDAs without the need for cables.

Bluetooth - Provides fast wireless communication for data transfer to/from other bluetooth devices such as other laptops, pcs, mobile phones and PDAs.

Click here for more on Bluetooth.

Wi-Fi - Wireless LAN Adaptors - Provides fast wireless LAN (local area network) capabilities, allowing the user to connect to any available Wireless networks, like that found in airports and cafes.

These capabilities also allow you to connect wirelessly in your home when used in conjunction with a wireless router.

Wi-Fi or Wireless 802.11 adaptors are often built-in to newer laptops, always check the specifications if you require this. If the laptop you have your eye on doesn't have one of these adaptors integrated, then PCMCIA (plugs into the side of the laptop) Wi-Fi Wireless adaptors are widely available to buy and are very reasonably priced.

For more on wireless see WIFI in our dictionary.

Laptops & laptop suppliers


		Gateway MX3044 Celeron M 1.5GHz \| 14" 512MB \| 80GB HDD DVD-RW \| $589.97 !! click here for more info.


		Compaq C300EA Laptop Intel M 420 1.60GHz 1024MB \| 80GB HDD\| 15.4" DVD-RW \| £449.99 !! click here for more info.