Azuka awoke with a blinding headache on Saturday. She held her throbbing skull in both hands and wondered what to do next. She wasn’t ill, but after six awful nights spent agonizing over how to avoid another big mistake, her nerve endings were on fire, screaming for relief.

She had paid dearly for buying her last laptop on a whim (she was swayed by the size and colour) but discovered a little too late that it was dysfunctional, out of date and slow.

Thousands of Naira later and after dozens of visits to repair shops, she had learnt her lesson, but now she had no idea where to start, apart from hopping into the first taxi and heading to the closest computer hardware store at Otigba.

Buying a new laptop computer can be both frustrating and expensive. Technology is growing with times, a sign of transformation.

Same can be said in the computer world, previously we used to be happy with just basic PC but now the game has changed with the people wanting more out of their PC.

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Luckily, getting a new laptop need not result in moans before or after purchase, as there are a couple of things everyone, including dyed-in-the wool technophobes, can learn to look out for, without needing to present a systems engineering certificate.

According to Chuks, an ICT consultant at the computer village who has been in the business for over 10 years, one needs to read beneath the incomprehensible computer-geek gobbledegook available all over the internet and stick to brass tacks. Here are 7 things to look out for when buying a computer;

Size and Weight
Heavy laptops kill mobility. In 2011, computer processor maker Intel began pushing an Ultrabook category that focuses on lightweight systems — usually weighing about 3 pounds (1.3 kilograms) — to make use of its ultra-low voltage CPUs.

Ultrabooks do away with disc drives and focus on portability, long battery life. These laptops aren’t powerful enough for some users, and do away with a disc drive others find important, but they demonstrate a trend towards lightweight notebooks that are extremely portable.

The best way to get around the weight issue is to select a computer that makes weight and size a priority concern.

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The downside however is that such computers are usually more expensive, which largely depends on what brand you drawn to.

Storage and Memory
Now, there are probably so many users who detest keeping an eye out for the memory size. It is however a necessary item on the purchase checklist if you want to avoid your computer freezing like Azuka’s which froze every three hours of every other day.

Storage space may not be a big concern for you — if you not a heavy user and don’t plan to load a computer up with gigabytes of music and video, an  SSD or small HDD will suit you just fine. Random access memory (RAM) is a different story.

Every piece of software running on a computer and the operating system itself (usually meaning Windows) stores data in RAM to function. The more RAM you have, the better.

Google your laptop to see if owners have found it easy to add additional RAM or swap out the hard drive. Either of those upgrades could give your laptop an extended lease on life sometime down the road, but some casings are much easier to open up than others.

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Battery Life
The Battery Life is directly or indirectly the first need of any user. If the device’s battery system is of poor quality, then one will face many inevitable problems.

Laptop computing is all about mobility, and battery life is perhaps the most crucial consideration when picking a laptop that’s going to be used regularly on the go.

As laptops get slimmer and designers pay more attention to making them sleek and compact, more and more systems use integrated non-removable batteries.

The very first thing to do as a customer is, first ask about the Laptop’s battery life. So one should check and enquire about maximum support the Laptop’s battery will give, when being used in full capacity.

The size and power of a laptop affects how much room there is in the body for a battery (and how quickly it’s drained). It is in your best interest to find that size and weight sweet spot when purchasing a laptop.

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Processors and Graphics
The simplest way to explain the processor is that it’s the brain of the machine. If you want a fast computer that boots up programs in a flash, completes tasks as soon as you start them, and doesn’t keep you waiting, then you want the strongest processor available — and who doesn’t? You just have to know what you’re looking at when you see a processor’s details.

The key to selecting processors is in the number of cores and the speed (labelled in GHz or Gigahertz) of the processor.

The speed of the chip will tell you how much data it can process in how much time, so the bigger the number, the better. (e.g. a single-core 2GHz processor is a lot slower than a four-core 2GHz processor).

Multiple cores can also help with multi-tasking, as each can be working on different tasks. If you don’t use a lot of programs at the same time, you may be content with just one or two cores and don’t need to spend a little extra money to snag a few more.

Make sure to ask how many cores are on the chip and what the clock speed is.

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Two computers might both say they have an Intel i5 chip, but the number of models that go into the group are many, and their speeds and core counts can be leagues apart.

If you want to get into really nitty-gritty bits of the processor, you can compare a number of different CPUs to see if you’re getting the best one, and even see if you’re getting the best for your money.

So whether it be for work or play, the simple rule to remember when buying a computer is: the more/higher the processor, the better for you.

Ports and Expandability
Every computer user is familiar with the USB port, but not everyone is aware that a much faster update to the standard, USB 3.0, is slowly spreading through the computer industry.

USB 3.0 can be 10 times faster than its predecessor in real-world usage, delivering transfer speeds of up to 400 megabytes per second [source: EverythingUSB].

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Even if you don’t own any USB 3.0 hardware right now, consider future proofing when buying a new laptop. You might be really thankful you have that USB 3.0 port down the road.

There are other ports to consider as well. Do you want HDMI to output video to a TV? Do you need an SD card slot for downloading digital camera photos to your laptop? Will you need an Ethernet port for Internet or will a laptop’s built-in Wi-Fi connection be enough?

Warranty
Being careful with your laptop is the best way to protect it. Picking a warranty isn’t an easy decision, either. If you’re clumsy and accident prone (or paranoid), opting for a long warranty will put your mind at ease.

But it will also cost you more, depending on the kind of coverage you choose. Total coverage packages for accidents are expensive, but you’ll be glad you have it if you accidentally step on your screen and break the LCD.

There are companies that offer free technical support for a year or less, whatever you are getting, start by trying to understand the terms and conditions stated in the warrant policy when deciding to purchase a computer. And there’s nothing wrong with going for the cheapest limited warranty you can — just don’t drop your new laptop!

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Price
Everyone has a budget, and one should buy Laptops bearing same in mind. For instance, if your budget is 25, 000 and you are dreaming of a device which costs 50, 000, this is calling for avoidable debts.

So, in such case, you should concentrate on main functions needed for your use. In cheap price you can’t enjoy latest technology but can surely seek out functions which are basic and required one.

New systems usually come out shortly after Intel launches new processors. Look up review for laptops. See a model that was highly rated but came out nine months ago? A newer version will probably be along within a few months. Don’t buy a laptop months into its release cycle unless you’re shopping on a budget and spy a killer deal.

Buying a laptop isn’t always simple. After all, there are myriad factors to consider, but by arming yourself with knowledge, you can avoid Azuka’s migraine and enjoy easy clicking for much longer.

Chisom Oluka is a strong advocate for women/girls in IT/ICT and writes from Lagos State.

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