Laptop 101

Demon_Skeith

Demon_Skeith

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I finally got my car payed off and so my next thing I want to buy is a laptop, unfortunately I know little about them. I imagine this month and the next few before October would be the best time as they would be on sale for school or get rid of W7 PCs for W8.


So on a budget of $700 dollars and with the minimal specs: Dual core CPU 2.0GHz, Graphics with 256MB memory and Sound card
with CD-ROM drive anyone know some good deals?


And do/should people get cooling mats so the laptop doesn't over heat? And any other needed addons?
 
Never got any cooling mats or whatever, so they're probably not necessary. But if you're doing some high end stuff for an extended amount of time, they're probably a good investment. I don't know much about them though.

I've always gotten Acer laptops, they're cheap. They have a high failure rate apparently? But I've only had an issue once and I sent that in and got it fixed pretty easily, so it wasn't anything I had to worry about.

I hear Lenovo or Asus stuff is good though if you're willing to put down the cash.
 
The ASUS A53SD-ES71 15.6 Inch Laptop for $759 at Amazon is a good deal. The price would most likely be cheaper in September during back to school sales, or October when Windows 8 is release.

The Asus laptop has all the features you are looking for, and is fast enough to play PC games according to some reviews.

Specs

Intel 2.2 GHz CPU
6 GB DIMM
750 GB 5400 rpm Hard Drive
15.6-Inch ScreenNvidia GT 610M 2G
15.6-Inch Screen
DVD/CD-Burner drive

Cooling pads are good for keeping your laptop cool. I always like using one since they only cost 10-30 dollars depending on where you buy it, and makes the laptop cooler, so my hands don't get as hot, and it also seems to make the area around the laptop where I am sitting not as hot since the fans on the cooling pad moves the air around where I am sitting. I use a Targus cooling pad. If you are planning to use your laptop on your legs when sitting down, a cooling pad is recommended since the bottom of the laptop can get very hot, and a laptop runs cooler when it is on a hard surface.
 
The HDMI port is used to connect your Laptop to a TV or monitor with HDMI ports, so you can watch movies, play games, and do other visual stuff in HD and with sound like how you use a HDMI cable to connect your PS3 to a HDTV.
 
HDMI is easy to use since you just need to plug it into the TV with one cable like how you plug in a PS3 to a HDTV with HDMI.

A HDMI port + cable transmit sound, video, and the audio and video signal digital, so the picture quality is very clear compared to analog. HDMI can also display a 720P-1080P video if your videocard, and TV is both capable of a 1080P picture.

I think HDMI can also support surround sound if you got a surround sound speaker system.
 
I think 1080P and 1080i are both very high quality, and you need a bigger 50 inch or bigger TV to see the small difference in quality.
 
I'm also wondering, should or need I get extended warranty on any laptop?

also does anyone know a cheap cable to connect a laptop to a tv? I was looking at getting this:

http://www.amazon.com/PTC-Premium-Monitor-Projector-AUDIO/dp/B001R0LMMM/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top
 
I know of a few people who needed extended warranties to fix the keyboard, and other parts which are hard to find. Some friends who have laptops buy extended warranties for them, and say they are worth it. I think if the warranty mean you can have it fix locally at the store you bought the laptop from, or fixed faster then it may be a good deal.

The cable you posted above would be a good cable for connecting your laptop to a TV or monitor if both your laptop and TV has VGA plugs. I think you may need a RCA Y-Connector http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001B8QUS6/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001B8QUS6&linkCode=as2&tag=johsgamsto-20 if you also want to use your laptop sound on your TV since I'm not sure that many TV has 3.5mm line-in/auxiliary plugs for sound from a 3.5mm audio cable.

You can also use a HDMI cable to connect your Laptop to your TV if both your TV and laptop has HDMI.

There are also USB to HDMI adapters if your laptop does not have HDMI built-in to it. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004MS0DIK/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004MS0DIK&linkCode=as2&tag=johsgamsto-20
 
Yes, You would need a RCA Y-connector unless your TV has line-in/auxiliary inputs like some newer car and home stereos which let you plug in a 3.5mm audio cable to connect your MP3 player. CD player, and other players to your speaker system.
 
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