Sadly, laptops do not last forever and do need to be replaced. But before your laptop dies, back up all your data to make the transfer to a new laptop as seamless as possible.

Screen Size: What will you be using your laptop for, and where will you be using it? If the laptop will sit on a desk all the time, portability is not a problem, so look for a 15.6 in screen or even a 17in screen. But beware, the 17in laptop is a large beast, and not very portable. If you are on the move, then the smaller and lighter, the better. Look out for good battery life.

Other features:

1. Touch screen
2. DVD drive

In 2021, 4GB of RAM is the minimum requirement, 8GB of RAM is much better.

What can I buy for under £500?

The golden age of tech buying, when every year, computers got cheaper and more powerful is now over, and prices do seem to be on the rise. However, there are some bargains to be found. It is worth doing your homework to work out what you really need. The following links may help with your research:

https://www.techadvisor.co.uk/test-centre/laptop/best-budget-laptop-3214583/

https://www.t3.com/features/best-laptops-under-500

https://www.wired.co.uk/article/best-cheap-laptop

https://bdmpublications.com/essential-guide-buying-laptop/

Chromebook

This is a good budget choice if all you require is web browsing and emails. Will also be useful for Zoom calls or if you require a laptop to supplement your main (desktop) computer.

If you have Office 365, then you can use the Office 365 apps (Word, Excel, Powerpoint etc) on the Chrome book.

Pro: Much cheaper than a Windows laptop. Reliable and very secure. Great for accessing online services.

Against: No storage for files and photos. Most of your data will be held in cloud storage. No DVD (optical drive). Will not run Windows apps and programs.

Windows 10 laptop

More expensive than a Chromebook. A few models still have a DVD drive, but most do not. Can be used to store photos and other documents.

Pro: Storage, useful for your photo archive. Supports Microsoft Office. Android smartphone can be linked to laptop. Wide range of software can be supported.

Against: Lower spec laptops can be slow. Windows Update can sometimes cause problems.

Minimum requirements for a Windows laptop.

Buying a new windows laptop can sometimes seem a very daunting prospect and laptops vary considerably in price.

Memory: 4GB of RAM if all you want to do is a little browsing and read some emails. But if you want to do a bit more than this, perhaps edit some photos, open a few spreadsheets, got for 8GB of RAM

Processor: AMD Ryzen processors are fast, powerful and cheaper than a similar Intel processor, otherwise look for an Intel i3, i5 or i7 processor. The Intel Celeron or Pentium processors will be much slower.

Disk: These days, most laptops have a fast solid-state drive (SSD) instead of a disk that rotates. The SSD will make your laptop much faster. But capacity may well be a problem. Look for at least 256GB, or better still, 500GB. If you want masses of storage, look for a conventional HDD with 1TB (or more).

Macbook

If you have an Apple phone and an iPad, you may prefer to have a Macbook, which will allow seamless integration between all your Apple devices.

Pro: Beautiful and functional.

Against: Much more expensive than a Windows laptop.

Laptop suppliers

Bricks and mortar shops

There is nothing quite like seeing what you are buying. You may find that you do not need such a large screen or conversely, you would prefer a larger screen.

• John Lewis in Kingston
• Currys PC World

On line suppliers

• Direct from the manufacturer, many manufacturers such as Dell, HP and Lenovo sell direct.
• Ebuyer
• AO
• Argos
• Amazon

Schofield’s Laws of computing

 

Schofield’s laws of computing are about your data. Your data is often a record of your life and your family’s life and is worth far more to you than any computer.

Schofield’s First Law of Computing states that you should never put data into a program unless you can see exactly how to get it out.

Make sure you know how to get at your old photos and other data stored on old devices. When you get a new computer or phone, make sure your move your data. Beware of obsolescence. If your family archives are stored on floppy disks, or even DVDs, you may struggle to access them. Be prepared to migrated your archives when you buy a new computer.

 

Schofield’s Second Law of Computing states that data doesn’t really exist unless you have at least two copies of it.

Always back up your data. It is so easy to lose a precious archive, either by deleting it accidentally, or by equipment failure. Data backup can also include a cloud solution.

If you upload everything to a cloud provider (GDrive, One Drive, iDrive etc.) make sure that you do keep a copy of your data in the real world, and that you back up your data regularly.

Schofield’s Third Law of Computing states that the easier it is for you to access your data, the easier it is for someone else to access your data.

Obviously, military grade security may be over the top for a computer that only you use but bear in mind that a list of passwords can be extracted from some computers, especially older machines.

Remembering passwords is a pain. If necessary, make a note of the key passwords in a book (not on a yellow post-it note stuck to the computer screen) and store safely (perhaps in a safe). Online thieves are not going to find your notebook hidden behind the cookery books. This is especially important if you are using encrypted storage, for your password is the encryption key. Loose this and you will not be able to access your data.

Jack Schofield was the editor of the Guardian computer column, Ask Jack and wrote extensively about computer issues for several years. Sadly, Jack died in March 2020, but his voice lives on in his work which can still be accessed: Ask Jack | Technology | The Guardian