Laptop computers are an important piece of technology. Whatever you need it for, it will improve your life. Because of the fast pace of technological advances, it can be hard to shop wisely for laptops. Within this article you will find the information that is important to help you purchase your laptop.  
  
Consider online reviews when you want to buy a laptop online. While reviews should be taken with a grain of salt, it can help you see if the model you want is worth buying. Many times, these reviews will contain important information on how great or poor a model is and what their experience was. This can save you a lot of frustration and money if you know what to buy or avoid.  
  
You should test drive any laptop that you plan on buying. You might not be looking at ergonomics as well as hard and fast technology. However, being comfortable and staying healthy while using your computer comes down to ergonomics, which is why you should look at that.  
  
Get a case when you get your laptop. This will prevent wear and tear on your investment, and will also allow you to keep papers and a few other miscellaneous items on hand for when you use your laptop. The case is also an easier way to carry your laptop when you're not home.  
  
Size is a very important feature when selecting a laptop. When measured diagonally, a laptop screen normally ranges from 13" to a bit over 17". If you are replacing a desktop with a laptop, you will probably want the bigger model. If you are looking for portability, you will likely do well with a smaller model.  
  
Do not be confused when it comes to netbooks. Many think they are small laptops. Netbooks do not offer the same features that laptops do. If you need a laptop, don't buy a netbook.  
  
To make the keys on your laptop keyboard keys online easier to see, use one of those layover keyboards that come in bright colors with larger characters. The eye strain that comes with spending long hours at the computer can make smaller characters difficult to pick out, so make things easier on your eyes with one of these specialty keyboards.  
  
To avoid adding even more costs onto the price of your laptop, skip the fancy software. There are plenty of free alternatives available to you, such as Google Docs instead of Microsoft Word. Only purchase software if you must for work or school, and talk to your administrator about discounts available to you before you buy.  
  
It is always nice to have spare parts and accessories. When it comes to laptops, the best spare part you can have around is a charged battery. a place to charge your laptop, or plug it may not always be available, so having a spare battery can possibly be a life saver!  
  
Pixels are important when choosing a laptop. Basically, the more pixels you have, the more information you can fit on the screen. Many budget laptops come with fairly low pixel counts. Higher end laptops will be full HD screens with very high resolution. You should see the difference in person at the electronics store before making a decision.  
  
Customize your laptop if you can. There are many computer builders and manufacturers that allow you to cherry pick the components for your laptop. Perhaps you need lots of storage or additional disk drives, which means you need to customize. This saves you a lot of time by not having to search for a pre-built laptop that might fill your particular needs.  
  
Consider buying your laptop from a dealer who offers you an extended warranty. Computer repairs can be quite pricey, and replacing a computer may be too expensive for many budgets. If you can pay a few bucks for extra years of coverage, you may save yourself thousands of dollars down the road.  
  
Think about some of the different types of laptops when you are looking to buy one. There are ultrabooks, tablets, notebooks, gaming laptops, and UMPCs. Each has different uses and their own lists of pros and cons. Consider all of the specs, what you need the laptop for, and what your budget is when looking at each type.  
  
Computers often go on sale around the holidays. If you can wait, buy your laptop on Black Friday. Look at all the sales ads and check prices online. You may be able to get a better quality computer at a lower price. Remember, these are usually one-day deals that must be purchased at a specific time of day.  
  
Do you have wifi at home? If not, remember that your laptop will need an Ethernet port to connect to your modem or router. If you can't find a laptop you like which doesn't rely on wifi, instead purchase a new wifi router and use that to set up your home for wireless connections.  
  
Avoid buying a laptop computer model that has problems by checking online reviews before you buy. One reliable source for professional reviews is CNET.com. It is also important to check out reviews from customers who own the laptop you are considering. Look for reviews of company customer service as well.  
  
Be ever mindful of keeping your personal financial secrets safe if you own a laptop. Laptops are stolen far more often than you hear about. Either don't keep passwords and personal data on the hard drive, or make sure that the system is so heavily encrypted that no thief can ever hope to crack it.  
  
Only ship your laptop in the proper shipping box. Many shipping places have boxes just for laptops. Buy one if you have to ship it.  
  
As you read in the above article, due to the advances in technology, laptops have made people's lives much easier. It can be difficult discerning which laptop is best for you. Use the information provided in the above article to help you purchase the ideal laptop computer for you.