You don’t have to be a technology guru to end up buying the laptop of your dreams. After all, we all have things that we want our laptops to be able to do. If you are looking to purchase a new laptop, look no further than the tips below to help you make decisions.

It is a good idea to develop your budget before you go shopping. Carefully consider what kind of laptop you want when making a budget. Do you want a Mac or a PC? Macs have great graphics and are good for those that work in this type of environment.

Consider if your laptop will be your primary computer. If it will, you might want to spend more to get a bigger hard drive, more RAM and an increased number of features. If it will only be a secondary computer, used from time to time when you are on the road, you can get away with something less updated and less expensive.

You want your laptop to have multiple USB ports. This is very important and often overlooked. USB ports are necessary to connect any number of peripheral devices to your laptop. Always ensure that the laptop offers at least four ports.

Size up your purchase. Small laptops usually have less features, but can fit in any size case. This makes them easy to carry. Large laptops are harder to stow, but have all the features. If the work you will be doing is processor intensive, you may want to go bigger.

To troubleshoot problems that your laptop has with a wireless Internet connection, if things aren’t working at first, see which connection the computer has chosen. Sometimes your laptop will choose a connection that is secured or that is no longer the active one in the home, cafe or office where you are working. Make sure your connection is the right one.

To keep your laptop from overheating when you are working on it in bed or on the couch, make sure that you do not set the laptop directly on a soft surface, such as a blanket or quilt. A hard surface gives the cooling vents room to operate, but softer surfaces fill the gaps, keeping the heat inside the motors and potentially damaging your laptop.

Think about what any discounts you may qualify for from certain retailers. Some retailers offer senior discounts, student discounts and discounts for members of the military. The discount might be small, but it is worth it to use. When you are purchasing something as large as a laptop, a small discount goes a long way.

Consider safety as you purchase your laptop. There are many protective accessories which can keep your computer in tip top shape, such as a keyboard cover, screen protector or laptop carrying bag. If you invest in these pieces, you invest in the life of your computer, and it’s worth it!

Dim your screen to a low setting to save battery life. The display can drain the battery life of your laptop. so keep its setting low. Find the settings in your computer’s Control Panel.

To prepare your laptop for your favorite applications, create some hot keys to make them easier to run. To make a hot key for an application, right click on a shortcut and then select Properties. Enter a key combination into the Shortcut Key dialog and hit Enter. Use a combination that you do not commonly use in any other programs.

Do you need a DVD drive? If you plan to watch movies, install software or burn back-ups to disk, a DVD drive is a must. If not, you might be better off buying a smaller, lighter laptop at a lower price which doesn’t include a DVD drive. Only pay for what you need!

Consider if your new laptop has bluetooth capabilities. This can come in handy if you want to attach an external mouse, keyboard or other accessory. While most computers come equipped with WiFi, bluetooth is not a guarantee. Look for it before making your purchase, and consider how useful it will be to you when selecting the price point you want to spend.

It is easy to purchase a great laptop when you know what you should be looking for. You don’t need to be technology savvy to purchase something that you will get much use out of. Hopefully, this article has helped you get a better understanding of the subject of laptops.