Laptops

A laptop is a type of personal computer designed for portability. Laptops often house the computer components in a small, flat case that also houses a built-in keyboard and track pad (which is meant to perform the point and click functions of a computer mouse). Laptops also include a foldable screen and a rechargeable battery that allows you to use the computer portably as well as plugged into a wall socket at your desk.

There are several different types of laptops on the market today. 2-in-1 laptops are a tablet laptop hybrid device in which the screen has touch screen functionality like a tablet. These models switch between tablet mode and mouse and keyboard mode by either folding the keyboard back and away behind the screen or by allowing the screen itself to detach from the keyboard.

Ultraportable and Ultrabook laptops are lightweight and slim for maximum mobility. Their design also improves the battery life, although their benefits come with a reduction to the number of ports.

One of the easiest things you can do to minimise the need for cleaning or replacing damaged components is by keeping your laptop away from food, drink, water and other environmental hazards.

Extreme temperatures can also put significant stress on the internal components of your laptop. When your laptop is on, you should be mindful of where the heat sinks and fans are so that you do not inadvertently block them, which causes heat to get trapped and build up inside your computer. Many laptops have heat vents underneath and to the sides, making soft surfaces like bedding and cushions unfavourable surfaces for using them. Dust and pet hair can also block vents and is best cleaned using compressed air.

At the software level it is important that you keep your operating system, virus protection and other software and apps up to date. Software is always being updated to improve performance and security as well as add features. Out of date software is vulnerable to security threats and viruses.

If you have grown accustomed to capturing screenshots on your smartphone you may find yourself wanting to do the same thing on your computer. A laptop, just like any other computer or smart phone, can capture all the visual elements on your screen and save them as an image file.

On PCs running Windows 10, the PrtScr (Print Screen) button will copy an image of your entire screen (and every screen in a multi-screen setup) to your clipboard, which can then be pasted to any graphic design or image editing program you prefer using Ctrl+V or a right mouse button click. Pressing Alt+PrtScrn will do almost the same thing except it will capture the window you have open, rather than the full screen.

The above methods also carry forward into the new Windows 11, which can also instantly save screenshots to a Pictures > Screenshots folder as well as the Windows Photo App by pressing Windows Key+PrtScr.

Software like the Windows Game Bar will let you record video of what’s happening on your screen.

When choosing a new PC, including laptops, it is beneficial to think about how you will be using it. Having a clear understanding of this will let you find a PC that is powerful enough to efficiently perform the tasks you want to do without paying extra for unused features or excessive high-performance components.

Designed for frequent users, a mid-range PC will be powerful enough to cover a wide range of general uses including internet browsing, multi-media streaming and most software and games. Mid-range laptops tend to have battery life and are designed for easy portability. Low-end laptops will be enough to cover basic internet browsing, email and word processing. High-end laptops are designed for more intensive tasks like professional multimedia production, 3D graphics modelling and state-of-the-art gaming.

For many people storage capacity will be a key feature to look for. Solid State Drives (SSD) are much faster than hard drives, boosting the overall performance of your laptop. Check out our Laptop Buying Guide for more info.