Which Laptop Should I Buy?

We talked about using the Internet to research schools, jobs, and phone plans. If you're considering buying a computer, how can you use the Internet to help your research? You want your search to be as specific as possible, but you don't want it so specific that you want see results that might be helpful to you.

First you should decide if you want a desktop computer or a laptop. If the computer will be used by several people in the family, including children, a desktop computer is probably best. It's stationary, so children can't carry it around and throw or drop it. You can put it in a central location, such as a living room, so that you can supervise what your children do on it.

If you want a computer for your personal use, a laptop is probably best, and that's what I'm going to write about here. You can find many guides on the Internet to help you decide what features you want, but you'll have to decide how much money you want to spend. It's tempting to spend a lot of money for something fancy and powerful, but you may not need all the features it has. Many people do fine with an inexpensive, basic laptop. However, you don't want to buy something too cheap that won't last. If speed is important to you, spend the money to get a laptop with more RAM (random access memory).

My suggestion: Click on any of the links below for some guidelines that will help you decide what you want and need in a laptop.

LINK: What Kind of Laptop Are You--A detailed multiple choice "quiz" and suggestions 

LINK: Laptop Buying Guide: 8 Essential Tips from Laptop Magazine

LINK: Pick a Laptop (Notebook)--Click Show Me to answer questions and get recommendations based on your answers