Part 3 of my Assignment.

Factors to consider when buying a laptop for college.

I am currently shopping around for a laptop for Christmas. I went into PC world and asked for advice to guide me on what laptop would best suit me and my needs for this college course. I also resourced information on the internet.

What do I need in a laptop?
I will need it to support Photoshop for multimedia. Microsoft office including word processor and PowerPoint for presentations. I will also want to use the laptop for recreational purposes, iTunes, Skype, video, calendar etc...

How much memory do I need?

To support the software I want in my laptop, I will need to have sufficient RAM. I want over the minimum and at least the recommended requirement. The following chart provides a general idea of how a system will run with various amounts of memory.

•Minimum: 2GB

•Optimal: 4GB

•Best: 8GB

What speed do I need?

In addition to the amount of memory installed in the laptop, the speed of the memory will impact the laptops performance. When comparing laptops, I will be sure to check both of these pieces of information. Laptops on the market today typically use DDR3 memory. Which ranges from fastest, [DDR3 1600] to slowest [DDR2 400]

How much money am I willing to spend?

This is one of the most important factors to consider, Money matters and you get what you pay for with a laptop. As a student I will make a fixed budget and find the best possible laptop to suit my needs. Fortunately for me, a basic laptop with good memory and a support for Photoshop would suffice.