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More than 215 000 000 computers will be sold in 2020. As of 2020, 75 percent of Americans owned a desktop or laptop computer. Among all households, about 78 percent had a desktop or laptop, 75 percent had a handheld computer such as a smartphone or other hand- held wireless computer, and 77 percent had a broadband Internet subscription.
The technical specifications of laptops usually fall into the following categories: Processor, Memory, Graphics, Screen Size and Storage. Depending on your needs, you might be either overpaying for something you don’t need, or haven’t set aside the budget for something you do need. Let’s break it down and find out.
When you’re choosing a new laptop computer, it’s important to understand the specs and features you’ll see listed by each model. That way, you can be sure to choose the right laptop for your own particular needs.
Knowing what processor to go for, how much Ram you’ll need and whether or not you require a graphics card are all questions will have a bearing on your setup, and your budget.
Processor – CPU – The brains of the laptop, the better the processor, the faster your computer will run. For a dependable laptop, an Intel i3 is fine, but an i5 will guarantee good speeds. Laptops with i7 chips cost a lot more, and are more suited to those running design software or games.
Screen – Size and resolution of screen will have a big impact on your experience. It’s best not to go smaller than a 13-inch screen, though you can live without 4K displays unless you’re a professional designer or photo-editor. Full HD resolution is fine.
Storage Space– The amount of space you can use to store your files. It’s best not to accept less than 256GB for a solid state drive (SSD, which helps laptops run faster), or less than 1TB for a traditional hard drive (not as fast, but more generous with the storage).
RAM – Used for juggling multiple applications at once. More RAM can give you a speed boost. These days, 8GB RAM is the minimum to aim for. 16GB or 32GB is only needed for high-end machines.
Graphics card– An additional graphics card is used for gaming and image editing. If you only need to browse the web, email and stream video, you can live without an advanced graphics card.
Below are the laptops with the best overall specs as of November 2020:
OS: Mac OS CPU: intel Core i9 RAM: 16 GB Up to 64GB Storage: 512GB Up to 8TB SSD Screen: 16 inch Note: Intel Core i9 processor with up to 8 cores and 16 threads of processing power sustains higher performance for longer periods of time
OS: Win 10 Pro CPU: intel Core i7 RAM: 16 GB Storage: 1TB SSD Screen: 16 inch Note: Ultra-light and versatile. At your desk, on the couch, or in the yard, get more done your way with Surface Pro 7, featuring a laptop-class Intel® Core™ processor, all-day battery,¹ and HD cameras.
Three types of batteries power the laptops you’ll find in service today, nickel cadmium (NiCad), nickel metal hydride (NiMH), and lithium ion (Li-ion), with Li-ion being the most common in newer laptops. Each battery type has a different chemistry for generating a charge and, therefore, different characteristics.
Which is best battery for laptop? Top battery life performers
Is it bad to leave your laptop plugged in all the time? Laptops are only as good as their batteries, however, and proper care of your battery is essential to making sure it retains a long life and charge. Leaving your laptop plugged in constantly is not bad for your battery, but you will need to be careful of other factors, such as heat, to prevent your battery from damage.
There is no reason why a laptop wouldn’t work just fine without the battery in it, as long as you take a few aspects into account. First of all, make sure you’re using the original power adapter that came with the laptop.
Is it OK to use laptop while charging? In short, yes. It is perfectly fine to use your laptop while plugged in and fully charged. Laptops these days are designed to be used while plugged in, as most automatically switch to a power saving mode when running on battery only to extend usage.
A laptop computer battery should last between two and four years, or around 1,000 full charges. The total lifetime of a battery is dependent on several factors. These factors include battery type (NiCad, NiMH, or Li-ion), how often the battery is used, and its age.
How do I know if I need a new battery for my laptop? Once your battery reaches a low enough capacity, Windows will warn you that your battery needs to be replaced. A red “X” will appear over the battery icon. If you click the icon to display more info, you will likely see a message that reads “plugged in, not charging. Consider replacing your battery.”
The processor, sometimes called the CPU (central processing unit), is the heart of any laptop and has the greatest impact on your productivity. A faster processor means apps load quickly, you can run multiple apps at once, and the computer won’t lag and cause slowdowns when you run processor-intensive tasks.
What Laptop CPU is the best? What is the most powerful CPU?
Modern laptops rarely ever run always at 2.6Ghz all cores. If yours does then expect subpar battery life but very good performance. If this happens to be the boost clock than your performance will be objectively terrible. This laptop must be fanless or something.
What is a good CPU speed?
A clock speed of 3.5 GHz to 4.0 GHz is generally considered a good clock speed for gaming but it’s more important to have good single-thread performance. This means that your CPU does a good job of understanding and completing single tasks. This is not to be confused with having a single-core processor.
What’s more important RAM or processor?
RAM is essentially the core of any computer or smartphone and in most cases, more is always better. RAM is as significant at the processor. A right amount of RAM on your smartphone or computer optimizes performance and the ability to support various types of software.
Used for juggling multiple applications at once. More RAM can give you a speed boost. These days, 8GB RAM is the minimum to aim for. 16GB or 32GB is only needed for high-end machines.
How much RAM does a laptop need?
For anyone looking for the bare computing essentials, 4GB of laptop RAM should be sufficient. If you want your PC to be able to flawlessly accomplish more demanding tasks at once, such as gaming, graphic design, and programming, you should have at least 8GB of laptop RAM.
Can you put RAM in a laptop?
Adding or upgrading RAM in a laptop does not require any computer skills, just a screwdriver. First, determine how much memory you‘d like to add. See our guide to estimate the amount of computer memory you need. Another way to improve performance is to upgrade your hard disk drive to a solid state drive.
Which Laptop RAM is best?
Corsair Vengeance LED. Corsair is one of the most trusted names when it comes to the best RAM on the market. Its Vengeance series, especially, has something for everyone with its LED DDR4 offerings.
Which RAM is fastest?
Corsair releases their fastest ever DDR4 RAM. Corsair has announced that their Vengeance LPX DDR4 memory kits are soon to be available in their highest ever speed, and a record for commercially available RAM, 4,866MHz. This RAM will be available in 2x 8GB kits.
How do I get more RAM on my laptop for free?
Using A USB Flash Drive Or SD Card To Increase RAM. ReadyBoost in Windows allows you to increase your PC RAM with the help of a USB drive or SD card. The way ReadyBoost works is by creating a Swap file on the USB drive or SD card. This makes them be utilized as a memory cache.
The most common hard drive capacity in today’s laptops is 1 Terabyte (TB) or 1,000 Gigabytes (GB). Many of the cheap laptops come with a smaller 500 GB hard drive, while 2 TB size is occasionally used in some more expensive notebooks.
Can you add storage to your laptop?
If you can open up your laptop, you can replace its internal drive with a larger drive — or insert a second internal drive, in the off chance that your laptop has a second drive bay. Upgrading your laptop is often possible, but it’s definitely more work than quickly plugging in an external storage device!
How much storage does a laptop need?
If you mainly store text files and photos, then 1TB of storage space is sufficient. However, if you want to store a lot of movies, games, and other large files on your PC, it’s wise to reserve at least 2TB of storage space on your laptop.
Types of storage devices
Primary Storage: Random Access Memory (RAM) Random Access Memory, or RAM, is the primary storage of a computer.
Secondary Storage: Hard Disk Drives (HDD) & Solid-State Drives (SSD) …
Most modern laptops and all-in-one computers now come with integrated webcams built into the display. While these built-in models are more convenient to use, external webcam models do have some advantages.
While they necessitate expense beyond a laptop or PC, external webcams are apt to have higher quality components that allow for fine tuning. Embedded webcams are typically small; small components directly impact the level of camera performance and image quality.
A: To turn on a built-in camera in Windows 10, just type “camera” into the Windows search bar and find “Settings.” Alternatively, press the Windows button and “I” to open Windows Settings, then select “Privacy” and find “Camera” on the left sidebar.
Laptops frequently share memory between the CPU and the GPU, saving space and reducing power consumption. … A laptop displays its graphics on a liquid crystal display (LCD) screen. Most screens measure between 12 and 17 inches, and the size of the screen affects the overall size of the laptop.
Every screen installed in any laptop has a screen model number on the back of the LCD screen. This is without a doubt the best way to order replacement screens. The model number denotes the size, the resolution and the backlight type.
Which laptop screen is best?
Alienware m15 (2019): 265% The Alienware m15 tops the list with its incredibly vibrant display.
I would prefer the laptop with the smaller screen and make sure you have miracast or google chromecast. That way you could use mostly all TVs as your screen when needed. The other option you have a big screen and a computer that might not preform.
11 to 12 inches: The thinnest and lightest systems around have 11- to 12-inch screens and typically weigh 2.5 to 3.5 pounds. 13 to 14 inches: Provides the best balance of portability and usability, particularly if you get a laptop that weighs under 4 pounds.
How do I know my laptop size?
To measure a laptop screen size, take a measuring tape and start measuring from the bottom left of the laptop screen diagonally to the top right of the laptop screen. That is your laptop size.
15″ laptops weigh less, are easier to carry around and have better battery life. There isn’t much difference performance wise between a 17″ and a 15″. The main differences are portability and the optional keypad.
The larger the laptop, the bigger the screen. Big screens are nice, but for a laptop it comes at the cost of size and weight. So basically you have to balance the tradeoffs between portability and screen size.
Battery life tends to be better for larger laptops due to there being more space for a battery, but not all models make use of it. And in some cases the larger sizes of machine have a different set of hardware which may actually drain the battery faster.
The larger the laptop, the bigger the screen. Big screens are nice, but for a laptop it comes at the cost of size and weight. So basically you have to balance the tradeoffs between portability and screen size.
The larger the laptop, the bigger the screen. Big screens are nice, but for a laptop it comes at the cost of size and weight. So basically you have to balance the tradeoffs between portability and screen size.
Battery life tends to be better for larger latpops due to there being more space for a battery, but not all models make use of it. And in some cases the larger sizes of machine have a different set of hardware which may actually drain the battery faster.
Of course Macs (of any model) are “worth it” to literally tens of millions of people a year. That’s not hype. Apple actually sells that many every year. And Macs have topped customer satisfaction ratings for literal decades as a result:
Apple has cemented its place atop the American Customer Satisfaction Index, a sort of Michelin guide for customer service, for the eleventh straight year.
In a new report released by ACSI, Apple continued its lead over big name rivals such as Dell, Acer, Hewlett-Packard and the catch-all “All Others” when it comes to satisfaction with computing devices — including desktops, laptops and tablets. Scores are based on everything from pre-sale customer expectations, to perceived value and quality, customer complaint incidents and overall consumer loyalty.
If you are new to Macs, it would be good for you to do a little of your own research before making a final decision. Have a look at Apple’s webpage just for new Mac users:
If you can, go to your local Apple Store and play around with some Macs. That will also give you a good idea of the differences between the different models.
And with that, I’ll give you my own personal perspective on this topic:
I’ve used and written software for Macs (and all of the other mainstream platforms) since the 1980s when there were no standardized mainstream platforms. I make a living developing enterprise software for Linux, Windows, macOS, etc on a daily basis. I’ve done the overwhelming majority of my professional work – especially later in my career while earning much more money – on Macs. But I use them for lots of other things like encoding HD video, editing AV media, graphics work, running virtual machines and Docker containers, and so on.
Windows flat-out sucks for software development and system architecture work – and it’s pretty bad for general desktop use as well, IMO. I can say this because I use Windows for such things daily. Most of the development tools I need to use regularly aren’t built into Windows, and are more complicated to use and configure. For instance, GitBash has a different console than Windows. OpenSSH, Ruby, Python, Apache, and tons of other languages / tools aren’t built in and are more of a pain to install and configure, and the list goes on and on. In general, Windows makes you work harder than you would on a Mac. Microsoft has tried to make things better by providing a Linux subsystem – and I’ve used Cygwin long before that – but even those are a kludge in comparison to Unix being the core of the OS in macOS, and all of the normal tools coming pre-installed. And macOS has lots of features (like Continuity) that significantly improve your productivity – those mostly don’t exist on other platforms.
I can tell you the 2019/2020 model MacBook Pros are huge upgrades from previous MacBook Pro models. The 2019 16-inch MacBook Pro in particular is a fantastic machine.
For all of the hype about keyboard issues in previous models, Apple’s return to the scissor-switch keyboard is of course great, and the Touch Bar includes a physical Escape key as well. But the truth is those keyboard problems affected a relatively small number of people, and there are much bigger improvements than that.
In terms of processing power, RAM, and storage, you can configure it all the way up to a 2.4GHz 8-core 9th-generation Intel Core i9 processor (Turbo Boost up to 5.0GHz), an AMD Radeon Pro 5500M with 8GB of GDDR6 memory, 64GB of 2666MHz DDR4 memory, and 8TB of 3.2GB/s SSD storage.
The thermal cooling system is redesigned and much more efficient. It’s so efficient, in fact, that thermal throttling is truly a thing of the past.
The screen outputs 500 nits of brightness and has automatic True Tone color shifting with a consistent P3 wide color gamut. It’s just plain gorgeous.
The sound system is a completely redesigned six-speaker setup that has way more bass and much less distortion than any model before it. Stereo separation is remarkable, mids are clear, and the bass is better than I’ve heard on any laptop before. It sounds amazing. And they redesigned the microphones into a three-mic array which really improves audio recordings too.
I own the beefiest 2019 16-inch MacBook Pro with the 2.4GHz 8-core 9th-generation Intel Core i9 processor (Turbo Boost up to 5.0GHz), the AMD Radeon Pro 5500M with 8GB of GDDR6 memory, 32GB of DDR4 memory, and 2TB of SSD storage. I bought it when it was first released. And I’ve been putting it through different work loads since I got it.
And I’m pleased to report my MacBook Pro happily encodes HD video (one of the most demanding tasks I do on a regular basis) with all cores maxed out for literal hours, at a sustained speed of somewhere above 3GHz, without any CPU throttling, and the temperatures hovering in the 83-95° C range. The fans while this is going on are surprisingly quiet. The bottom of the case (which often feels like a heat sink in older models) doesn’t even feel very warm to the touch compared with older models.
It’s downright speedy. The display is gorgeous and bright. The keyboard is really nice and responsive. The trackpad, like Apple’s others, is the best in the industry. It’s a beast in a really thin, fairly lightweight, relatively small package. I’m loving it!™
It’s worth every single penny.
2) Are MacBook Pro models designed and made more durable over time?
As someone who has used and owned various model Apple laptops since the 1998 PowerBook G3 250 (Wallstreet), I’m happy to report that Apple has indeed designed their laptops to be more durable as time goes on and newer models are released.
Anyone who has used Apple laptops for a minute can tell you today’s aluminum unibody MacBook Pros are far more durable than the PowerBook G4 models they replaced, which were in turn far more durable than the plastic PowerBook G3 models they replaced.
The unibody construction Apple introduced in 2008 was a huge leap forward in rigidity of the chassis which translates into a corresponding natural increase in durability. It’s no mistake that all of Apple’s top competitors in the laptop space are copying this design. Before that, the chassis consisted of multiple parts that were held together with brackets and screws, which naturally made them much less durable. And before that, lots of plastic was used, which was even weaker. And as anyone who was alive and using laptops back then knows, that was the state of laptops until Apple innovated in that area.
As is so often the case, Apple leads, the industry follows.
The MacBook Pro has a fan, the MacBook Air does not have any fan at all
That means that the biggest difference is that the MacBook Pro can spin up the fan to provide much more cooling so it then can ramp up the processor clock rate (what Intel calls Turbo Boost)
There is minor difference in that the lowest cost MacBook Air (below $1,000 USD) has 7 GPU cores instead of the 8 cores in the more expensive MacBook Air model, and 8 GPU cores in the more expensive MacBook Air model. This is a relatively minor difference and most users will not notice any difference
That is because Apple actively expends a huge amount of effort into protecting your privacy and security, farmer effort than any and all other operating systems (including Windows, Android, and Linux)
Buying refurbished products directly from Apple is a good way to pay less, in my experience.
When Apple refurbishes a product, the product is sent back to the factory where faulty or damaged parts – including parts with scratches or blemishes – are removed and replaced with brand-new parts. Then it undergoes a battery of low-level and high-level tests to ensure all parts function correctly. When you receive an Apple-refurbished product, it is virtually indistinguishable from a new product. It quite literally looks and smells new. And it comes with the same standard warranty and support as a new product. The only noticeable difference is that the packaging is plain rather than being the retail packaging, and of course the price is often significantly reduced compared to a new product. I’ve purchased Apple refurbished products for years and have been pleased with every single one.
Other retailers do not use Apple’s process when they refurbish items. Each one is different. Some give you a product with scratches, blemishes, and even fingerprints on it. Some do little more than wipe the product with a rag and throw it back in the box. Some do component-level (soldering, etc) repairs that may or may not actually fix all of the problems. Some don’t even bother testing functionality after repair is done. And often there is no adjustment to the original manufacturer’s warranty, which means depending on the age of the device, you’re only going to get a partial warranty – assuming the warranty wasn’t voted by whoever “repaired” it before you got it. For this reason, I don’t recommend buying refurbished Apple products from anyone but Apple directly.
You could probably use it for that – but I have to say if you listed every computer on sale today – and asked me to rank them in order of which one I’d get – the surface pro would be at the very bottom of the list.
The MAIN thing I find essential is to have a large, high-res screen and a proper keyboard and mouse.
Personally – I’d get a cheap used laptop – and spend your money on a 27″ external monitor and a nice external keyboard and mouse. That way, you have a good setup for home/office use – and can still pick up the laptop and take it with you at other times.
I guess you could probably to that with the Surface Pro 2 – but it’s three times the price and half as good as a low end laptop.
No they are different devices intended for different uses.
MacBooks can perform all computers tasks
Can run an unlimited variety of apps installed on the machine
Runs all macOS apps
Runs all Windows apps (if you install Windows)
Runs web apps
Runs UNIX apps
Runs (well written) Linux apps
Well built, top quality hardware that lasts for many years
Known for having the best security and privacy
Chromebooks are strictly restricted
Can only run Google apps
Must have a good connection to access all apps
Known as a “Thin Client” or a “NetBook” which means it it the least powerful, lowest cost device to barely get a minimal job done with greatly reduced functionality.
Built on the cheapest possible hardware because Cost is the primary driving factor for this product
Unknown security and has no privacy because this a Google product
To Conclude: Chromebook is the cheapest possible way to get a few tasks done, where a MacBook is the most versatile, powerful, dependable, secure way to get everything done over many years.
The Chrome operating system is a and Heritage from Linux and has many of the Great features found in Linux I believe that Windows is inferior to Linux and therefore inferior to Chromebook an advantage of Chromebook is that in general it is less costly than a comfortable Windows system
Linux vs Windows
MS generally works as does Linux. Both have places where they break but both work most of the time.
Linux has almost all of its software in a repository, that is like an app store but Linux is free and also has no advertisements. It is also all security checked and tested to work.
In 99.99% of the cases you will need no other software.
Virus
Linux can have viruses etc but in reality that is not true. I have used it with no malware (virus) checker and NEVER had any sort of invasive or take over software. There few attempts to create malware for Linux because Linux designers are security virulent so it is very difficult to break while Windows is easy.
There are more Windows systems The result is hackers attack Windows not Linux.
Linux has some things that I find wonderful. When you update you almost never have to reboot. Updates take place in the background and never interrupt your work or force you to reboot when you don’t want to. You never have to type in software keys.
5. Invest in some Battery > > Usually six-cell battery is used by most of the people, but many manufacturers offer eight- or even 12-cell optional upgrades, which can double your power.
6. Charge it properly – Dont overcharge or discharge completely
7. Set your screen brightness to medium
8. Close any unnecessary programs that you are not using at the moment.
9. Keep your laptop safe from viruses and trojans ect as they can create processes in the background which inturn will increase cpu utilisation which wil consume battery.
10. Keep the laptop to sleep if you are leaving it idle for a short period of time
11. Do not connect any unwanted devices to the laptop as they will draw some power from the ports
12. Turn off the radios(Bluetooth,wifi etc) when not in use.
With a weight under 3 pounds and a tall 17-inch display, you get the space for keeping up your productivity in a body made for working at home or anywhere else.
If you’ve been working from home on a 13-, 14- or 15-inch laptop and you’re finding your productivity suffering by working on its small screen, you may be craving moving to something larger. An external display might make the most sense assuming you’ve got the room for one. But, if you need something more mobile and lap-friendly, the LG Gram 17 might do the trick because, despite its tall 17-inch display, it’s incredibly light with a long battery life making it a standout in the category.
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