Everyone loves new laptop computers, but no one except computer geeks loves shopping for them. This is because online searches for “new laptop computer,” “buy new laptops”or “deals on laptops” yields information mountains up to 56 million hits. Shopping for a new laptop need not be fun, but at least should be engaging and not repellent. This article explains some shopping obstacles and tips to overcome them.

The threshold obstacle is defining “laptop,” which is both a marketing and a technical description. Although geeks know the differences, it is easiest to consider laptop as an umbrella term for all portable computers. This covers names such as notebook, netbook, tablet, ultra-portable and new names still being created as laptop technology changes.

A related shopping obstacle is that laptop technology incessantly changes, generally improving performance and capabilities. Rather than trying to hit a moving target, better to pull the trigger when ready and accept that whatever you buy will be quickly overshadowed.

The last major obstacle is the sheer number and variety of laptop choices. An incomplete list of choices includes: processing speed, memory, hard drive, video memory, dimensions, weight, battery life, speakers, touch pad, Wi-Fi, webcam, blu-ray reader, Firewire, ergonomics and biometrics, not to mention manufacturer and pricing. There is no easy way to consider carefully everything, which leads to the single most important shopping tips.

Never go shopping without your shopping list. Geeks create and refine their lists constantly by knowing in detail their needs and wants. Do your homework to understand what you really need and want, at whatever level of detail you are comfortable with. There are two primary ways to do this. The easiest is to cheat by having someone tell you your answers. Ideally this is someone who has laptop experience, shares or at least understands your needs and wants, and is trustworthy; otherwise, caveat emptor.

The other way is to visit several technical websites that advertise their laptop “buying guides.” At their best, these sites first help you define your needs and wants, often by answering a series of straightforward questions. Then they use this information to suggest several laptop models that best meet your requirements.

Once you have specific models to consider, search for evaluations of them. Some of these evaluations can be found on the same websites that have the buying guides, but also look for others, including those that post comments from actual users of the models.

Finally, if all the above instruction fails to help you understand then become a geek.

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