Value Added Bundles and freebies Consideration
Laptop bag - Check if laptop bag is provided this will add value to your purchase. its certainly not a deal breaker as you get a lot of cheap bags in stores/online. For cheap entry level laptops usually comes with cheap entry level laptop bags. So you may end up buying laptop bag anyway to carry your machine around.
Wireless Mouse - If you are casual user or relatively new to computers and laptops. I mean not used to a mouse. Consider not using/getting a mouse with laptop. My reason is that touch pad on laptop is certainly usable and I see my nephew and niece using laptop with such an ease with touch pad. My problem is I am so used to mouse that it has become a crutch. If you are buying a cheap laptop for kids to learn let them become comfortable with touch pad instead.
Laptop Cooler Pad - If you are using laptop on a table or hard surface then its not necessary.
I will recommend it's use if you will be using it on bed, as soft surface will block air vents.
It comes as cheap as 300 INR, So not a deal breaker if you are not getting one free with your laptop.
Mostly you get this kind of accessory bundles from dealer and not from online stores. as they justify the prices by convincing you about the freebies they are giving and of course the service they will be providing. I will say one thing try telling them to give you discount instead. About service they will not be providing you service anyway other than telling you the service center number or address. For the margins nowadays laptop sells for, it is unpractical for the dealers to provide service. they may try to sell you AMC or extended warranty.
Extended Warranty. In my opinion extended warranty is not worth buying at full rates. sometimes you will find deals with extended warranty bundled. Or at some discount. then you should consider extended warranty. It does gives peace of mind. Even if the company tries to screw you out of the warranty by telling you what exactly you did wrong.
Software bundles: mostly anti-virus comes bundled with PC with usage time like one year or six months. they are okay but certainly you will find much cheaper subscription on sale somewhere. Not worth making/breaking a deal over it.
Final Considerations (last minute doubts)
1) I am worried laptop will be slow, if i buy a cheap laptop.
Computer is as fast as its slowest component and laptop market price is based on CPU/features/brand value. So CPU will be least of you worries if you are not advanced/high end user.
Consider buying and installing an SSD. If you are worried about speed. Even the cheaper laptops will show great speeds with SSD. a 64 GB SSD can be found online as low as 2800 odd rupees
ADATA 64 GB SSD is available on both Snapdeal and Amazon for under 3K. do this and you will not regret and put your bundled HDD inside a USB casing and use it as removable storage device.
2) what are ports and how do they matter?
Ports provide expand-ability to the device.
i)HDMI/VGA port - one or both will be present, allow you to extend, duplicate or transfer display to external viewing device like monitor, projectors and TV,
if you wish/need to connect to these devices check if HDMI port is there nowadays most of these devices has HDMI ports and HDMI has added advantage of carrying sound along with display.
ii) USB 3.0/2.0 ?
used to connect wide range of devices from mobile phones to pendrive and everything in between. look for USB 3.0 if absent should be a deal breaker imho. More the ports more the merrier.
for USB 2.0 you can use cheap hubs but for USB 3.0 hub will cost an arm and a leg and something in between.
iii) LPT1/serial/fire wire
you kidding have to use a converter, I have not seen these ports in cheap laptops and not the recent one too.
iv) e-SATA port
will not be available in cheaper laptop, used to connect SATA devices (HDD's)
v) audio header
will be available do not worry (3.5mm).. you say spdif ? I will say no kidding..
3) You have kept silent about battery what size 3 / 6 / 9 cells, which to get ?
Get anyone, for cheap laptops you will generally get 3 cells battery, the more number of cells longer is the battery backup. with kind of laptop, I am trying to buy even 3 cell battery will give a decent backup and laptop will be light to carry around.
Now armed with my knowledge and conviction, I will be recounting how I bought a VFM laptop was decent specs in part 4 of this blog..
Laptop bag - Check if laptop bag is provided this will add value to your purchase. its certainly not a deal breaker as you get a lot of cheap bags in stores/online. For cheap entry level laptops usually comes with cheap entry level laptop bags. So you may end up buying laptop bag anyway to carry your machine around.
Wireless Mouse - If you are casual user or relatively new to computers and laptops. I mean not used to a mouse. Consider not using/getting a mouse with laptop. My reason is that touch pad on laptop is certainly usable and I see my nephew and niece using laptop with such an ease with touch pad. My problem is I am so used to mouse that it has become a crutch. If you are buying a cheap laptop for kids to learn let them become comfortable with touch pad instead.
Laptop Cooler Pad - If you are using laptop on a table or hard surface then its not necessary.
I will recommend it's use if you will be using it on bed, as soft surface will block air vents.
It comes as cheap as 300 INR, So not a deal breaker if you are not getting one free with your laptop.
Mostly you get this kind of accessory bundles from dealer and not from online stores. as they justify the prices by convincing you about the freebies they are giving and of course the service they will be providing. I will say one thing try telling them to give you discount instead. About service they will not be providing you service anyway other than telling you the service center number or address. For the margins nowadays laptop sells for, it is unpractical for the dealers to provide service. they may try to sell you AMC or extended warranty.
Extended Warranty. In my opinion extended warranty is not worth buying at full rates. sometimes you will find deals with extended warranty bundled. Or at some discount. then you should consider extended warranty. It does gives peace of mind. Even if the company tries to screw you out of the warranty by telling you what exactly you did wrong.
Software bundles: mostly anti-virus comes bundled with PC with usage time like one year or six months. they are okay but certainly you will find much cheaper subscription on sale somewhere. Not worth making/breaking a deal over it.
Final Considerations (last minute doubts)
1) I am worried laptop will be slow, if i buy a cheap laptop.
Computer is as fast as its slowest component and laptop market price is based on CPU/features/brand value. So CPU will be least of you worries if you are not advanced/high end user.
Consider buying and installing an SSD. If you are worried about speed. Even the cheaper laptops will show great speeds with SSD. a 64 GB SSD can be found online as low as 2800 odd rupees
ADATA 64 GB SSD is available on both Snapdeal and Amazon for under 3K. do this and you will not regret and put your bundled HDD inside a USB casing and use it as removable storage device.
2) what are ports and how do they matter?
Ports provide expand-ability to the device.
i)HDMI/VGA port - one or both will be present, allow you to extend, duplicate or transfer display to external viewing device like monitor, projectors and TV,
if you wish/need to connect to these devices check if HDMI port is there nowadays most of these devices has HDMI ports and HDMI has added advantage of carrying sound along with display.
ii) USB 3.0/2.0 ?
used to connect wide range of devices from mobile phones to pendrive and everything in between. look for USB 3.0 if absent should be a deal breaker imho. More the ports more the merrier.
for USB 2.0 you can use cheap hubs but for USB 3.0 hub will cost an arm and a leg and something in between.
iii) LPT1/serial/fire wire
you kidding have to use a converter, I have not seen these ports in cheap laptops and not the recent one too.
iv) e-SATA port
will not be available in cheaper laptop, used to connect SATA devices (HDD's)
v) audio header
will be available do not worry (3.5mm).. you say spdif ? I will say no kidding..
3) You have kept silent about battery what size 3 / 6 / 9 cells, which to get ?
Get anyone, for cheap laptops you will generally get 3 cells battery, the more number of cells longer is the battery backup. with kind of laptop, I am trying to buy even 3 cell battery will give a decent backup and laptop will be light to carry around.
Now armed with my knowledge and conviction, I will be recounting how I bought a VFM laptop was decent specs in part 4 of this blog..
No comments:
Post a Comment