If you have ever seen an online store full of laptops, you know that the specs of the product can make you feel overwhelmed in no time. There is no reason to make a hasty purchasing decision. Instead of letting negativity take over, use the following tips to help you understand laptops better.

Before buying any laptop, it is important to consider what you will be using the laptop for. For example, if you will be using your laptop to primarily play games, you need one that has a graphics card. If, on the other hand, you will be using your laptop to do business presentations, you will need one that comes with the necessary programs.

One of the first things to consider when buying a laptop is if you want a PC or an Apple product. PCs are often considered better gaming units, while Apple products are known for their photo editing abilities. Consider how you will use your laptop when making this important brand decision.

If you expect to do a lot of video production on your laptop, make sure you buy one with enough processing power and storage to fit the need. Budget laptops typically don't fit the bill here. You'll need to pony up some additional money to get a laptop that can deliver.

Investing in a cooling pad for your laptop will extend its life by keeping it from overheating. A major cause of laptop problems is due to overheating. A small investment of $20 can keep your computer cool and functioning properly.

Do not overspend on your laptop purchase. There was a time when you had to spend $1000 or more to get a good laptop, but those days are long gone. Today, you can find great options for $700 or less, and it is worth shopping around to get these type of prices.

The first step in buying a laptop is always to set up a budget. You need to know exactly how much money you can spend without causing yourself to be unable to pay bills next month. If you set an exact limit, you'll be sure not to have financial issues down the road.

Be certain that multiple USB ports are available. These ports are often overlooked when considering laptop choices. You might need to connect things simultaneously that require a USB port, such as mouse, memory card, etc. Opt for at least four USB ports, but get more if you can.

If you are looking to reduce the weight of your laptop, consider skipping the optical drive. You don't need a DVD or Blu-Ray drive because most content can be downloaded from the Internet, including movies, games and software. You can save about a half pound of weight by losing the optical drive.

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!

Back to school time, in September, is a great time to buy a new laptop computer. Almost all manufacturers offer special deals and discounts at this time. They may also offer discounts on bundles that may include software and add ons, such as printers. Even if you are not going back to school, you can save money.

To start out setting up your new laptop, the first thing you need to do is install and activate the antivirus software that you should have bought with your computer -- or that came free with it. After all, you wouldn't walk around downtown with your ATM PIN on your forehead, so keep your computer information secret from the beginning.

To save money, consider buying a laptop with limited hard drive space and instead storing your data in the cloud. Whether using Apple's iCloud or a service like Amazon's EC2, this gives you easy access to your data from any computer around the world, meaning you don't need a huge hard drive any longer.

In order to keep track of all of your passwords, create a password manager to track your accounts, enter your passwords with just one keystroke, and even generate complicated passwords that hackers cannot guess. This place saves you from having to write all of those passwords down (and lose them), and it stores your information securely.

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.

You should ask yourself if you are gong to use your laptop as the primary computing device. Many people have replaced their PCs with smaller devices. If you want to do this, you'll likely require a bigger screen, more RAM than a budget laptop typically comes installed with and a faster processor.

Every time a new model of laptop is released, an older model will be reduced in price to clear the stock. If you are budget conscious the next time you need a new laptop, look for the previous model instead of the newest. There may not be a lot of difference except in the price.

If you want to control power used by your laptop, tweak the settings for power usage. Under the Control Power you will find a "power options" setting. Display brightness and sleep function are the two main areas to consider changing.

It is easy to get a better understanding of laptops when you know where to look. This article has compiled some of the best and easy to understand tips online. Use what you have just learned to help you start your understanding of laptops and to make wise decisions when it comes to purchasing them.