Thoughts about upgrading or even buying a new laptop

During this new normal brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic situation, and work and school are being done remotely, it is inevitable for the need to procure or secure a laptop. Well, a good stable internet connection is likewise a necessity. But let's focus on what's necessity nowadays: a good working laptop. Why a laptop, and not a desktop? Well, primarily for portability and limited space where to setup a desktop. I am a desktop user before. But trust me that it's hard to clean especially when it's pretty-much dusted-up. But different strokes for different folks, I guess. Some may still prefer a desktop. I just pretty much prefer a laptop.

In securing a laptop, here is the primary consideration: Budget. Life's hard nowadays and we might be procuring with a limited available budget only.  I have below the budget categorizations (from Low-High) Hint: I am not a techie person. I am just basing on my experience and some knowledge regarding these:

1. Basic netbooks (when we say basic, Intel Celeron is what comes to mind.) - practically, ok or ideal for online schooling needs of Kids. When only Google Meet and basic office/school applications in mind. These are the better options. Price point: P10K - P18K. With this price point, we don't necessarily expect much in terms of performance but just to be able to meet basic needs and functions. These types aren't upgradeable. Budget wise and for just simple everyday tasks, this may work for you.
2. Low Range - Ok my basis for categorizing Low range is the processor again. Usually, the Intel I3 or Ryzen 3 would fall into this category. It would be able to handle online schooling that wouldn't usually require much multi-tasking functions. Ok for work as well, but not on those that would require installations of heavy applications like 3D graphics, Video editing applications, software programming languages, etc. OK for basic schooling needs and surfing the internet for research and for social media. Likewise for gaming (based on reviews) as I am not into gaming myself. Gaming but only on low graphic settings games and not on the heavy ones. Price point: P19K - P25K. Opt for at least the 4MB RAM and the SSD storage capacity. I could recommend this for everyday use. There are models that are upgradeable as well in terms of RAM and ROM but this would up the price. If with extra budget, I would recommend to push through with the upgrade.
3. Medium Range - for these, the Intel I5 of Ryzen 5 processor comes to mind. Usually, these are the processors that are OK for work and can be able to perform much in terms of schooling needs and requirements. Maybe able to handle multi-tasking functions well without the lags, play decent games under acceptable and more than acceptable settings too. Usually, these are the 15" monitored laptops. For people who's prefer larger views, this is the very acceptable laptop for you. Price point: P35K - P50K. This is perfect for those who are after better performance despite a rather heavy application usage. Again if with extra budget, I would recommend to push through with the upgrade. Select the models that has room/slot for memory upgrades and extra ROM space.
4. High Range - for these, the Intel I7 or Ryzen 7 perfectly fits. I usually, don't go for these not unless you are a very heavy IT user (programmer, network engineers, IT admins). Of course, the higher the processor, the higher the price. These is the ideal for heavy gamers, or vloggers who does video editing. If you have the bucks to shell out, price point usually ranges from P50K - P100K or even more.

Given the categorizations I've enumerated above, here are some primary considerations:

• Always prefer the models where there's an expansion slot for RAM and ROM. Technology changes rapidly, at least provide for a leeway for your laptop to avoid the bloat. If initial package includes 4GB of RAM always ask if there's a slot to expand RAM to a higher one, say 8 GB RAM. It's one way of future-proofing your laptop to avoid purchasing another one whenever there's an upgrade.
• Always prefer known brands because of after support and warranties. They may be higher in price as compared to the no known brands. But warranty most definitely matters. As much as possible avoid the "puchu-puchu" and never heard brands who might be offering better specs ("daw") for a lower price.
• Consider the display: a lot of the settings are Full HD already. Prefer the ones with the  IPS settings for a more rich viewing and angles. Though this functionality would entail additional price.
• Consider your needs. You don't want to spend much on something you don't necessarily need. List down what you need and what you are looking for in a laptop and start from there.

I most definitely think that the Low range ones offer much already just for everyday use. But consider to have the upgrades or if not yet needed, models that offer room for expansion of memory and storage space. Think forward. You may need these to avoid slowdowns and lags of your laptops in the future.

And lastly, always ask for discounts. They do offer discounts for cash payments and even credit card transactions. And likewise for freebies. A wireless mouse or keyboard and a bag are most definitely handy, right? 

BTW, if you prefer Mac and have the dough to spend, then Go for it! However, it may be hard to transition from Windows to mac. Though I haven't really tried it. Considering that I've been using Windows eversince.

Note: you need to have some additional budget as well to purchase the MS Office application.

Happy laptop hunting!