Laptop Buying Guide

Batteries

Although the number of cells in a battery and measurements in milliamp hours (mAh) can help you determine how much juice a battery can actually store, neither really gives an insight into what you really want to know, which is how long they’ll actually last in your laptop. Refer to manufacturers’ claimed battery life figures to get an idea what a given machine is capable of, but keep in mind these are best-case-scenario numbers you probably won’t achieve in real life. Cut them about in half off for an intense usage scenario (like gaming or watching videos), and shave about a third off for more typical use, like casual surfing.

Up until recently, almost all laptops used swappable lithium-ion battery packs, making it easy to change a stock battery out for a larger model with more capacity or to replace it at the end of its lifetime. More recently, a number of laptops, including Apple’s popular MacBooks, have begun using sealed lithium-polymer batteries. While lighter in weight, they also make it impossible to upgrade capacity or keep spare batteries on hand, and if one wears down, you’ll need to send it to a technician for replacement. Many users never touch their batteries anyway, and won’t miss the flexibility, but road warriors and those who plan to keep their machines running for years and years should take note.

Display

The size of your notebook will dictate the size of your screen, but that’s only one of many factors that can make or break a quality display.

Choosing whether you want a matte or reflective screen can dramatically impact how useful your notebook will be in the field. While reflective screens often seem to “pop” more brightness and color, they also act as mirrors to some degree, which can make them downright unusable in the sun or under bright lighting. Matte screens, meanwhile, don’t quite catch the eye as much as their reflective cousins, but perform better in a variety of ambient lighting conditions.

Brightness will also determine whether you’ll be surfing away on a park bench on the first sunny day in spring, or squinting into a dark abyss. Candelas per meter squared (cd/m2) are considered the standard measurement for brightness. Average laptops typically offer around 250 to 300 cd/m2, while those with premium screens can offer up to 400 cd/m2.

Contrast ratio – the difference between the brightest whites and darkest blacks a screen can produce – should also come into play, but companies have found ways to twist these stats significantly, so take numbers with a grain of salt and trust your eyes. Viewing angles – how far you can turn to the side before the screen colors distort or wash out – are often similarly misrepresented, but you should read reviewers’ impressions to see whether a particular laptop excels or lags behind in this department.