Laptops

Many manufacturers produce a range of laptops under a “series” or “family” name, such as Aspire, Swift or MacBook. While the name remains the same, performance between these models can vary considerably.

Often there will be a flagship model, likely the one you’ll see advertised on TV. It will have a large storage drive, plenty of random access memory (RAM), a powerful processor and possibly a separate graphics processor for running the latest games and editing software. These laptops also come with a large price tag.

Next up is the mid-range model. Aimed at families and business people, this machine isn’t as flash but can easily handle multi-tasking and daily computing.

Lastly, there’s the entry-level model which is suitable for light computer users. These have limited computing power and storage. They are a good fit if you’re only web browsing, using email and word processing.

Kids are likely to want to play games or download music and video, so look for one with separate graphics and a large storage drive. If it’s for school, check the school’s minimum requirements for “bring your own device” (BYOD) laptops.

Most laptops have one of 2 types of internal storage drive: the larger capacity, but more fragile, HDD or the faster and more robust SSD. All recommended laptops in our test use SSD storage.

Which you choose not only affects your laptop’s performance, but how much you pay at the counter.

SSD (solid state drive)

• Uses memory chips, similar to RAM (random access memory), and has faster read and write speeds, resulting in better performance.
• Popular in laptops as it's compact and has no moving parts, which means the odd knock or drop won’t leave you staring at an alarming blue error.
• Has a higher price tag than HDDs, though this gap is closing.

HDD (hard disk drive)

• Traditional HDDs operate by storing data on a spinning disk, resulting in that familiar whirring sound.
• As they have moving parts, they are more susceptible to damage.
• Are relatively inexpensive and easy to manufacture. Their low cost means they often have large capacities (500GB+), which makes them ideal for budding directors and gamers.

Size matters

Laptops with a small hard drive are aimed at users who use cloud storage and run a relatively small OS such as Chrome.

We’ve tested some laptops that only have 32GB storage drives. That’s barely enough room for Windows 10, and not enough to install the latest OS updates. This is a security risk, as these updates often include security patches. If you’re running Windows 10, look for a minimum storage drive size of at least 64GB.

Cloud storage

Cloud storage is an even more robust form of storage where your data is stored online by a service such as Google Drive or Dropbox. It is only accessible via an internet connection, but a bonus is your data is always backed up. However, it doesn’t totally replace a laptop’s internal storage as the operating system still needs to be housed somewhere.

While any laptop can use cloud storage, Chromebooks are designed to store user data to the cloud. They run the lightweight operating system, Chrome OS, which means they can have as little as 16GB of internal storage. If you’re on a budget, Chromebooks are a good choice, with prices starting from $300.

It’s clear the days of HDDs in consumer laptops are numbered. But until the cost and size of SSDs can match them, we’ll continue to see both available. Regardless of drive, you can also future-proof and protect your data by using cloud storage.

Spectre and Meltdown are two security flaws that have been in the headlines recently. These vulnerabilities can leave your personal data at risk.

What do they affect?
These vulnerabilities are unusual in that they concern the hardware – specifically the central processing unit (CPU), whereas most security flaws affect the software on your computer. Any device with a modern processor (this means everything from iPhones to Windows computers) are at risk from these two. Meltdown affects only Intel processors while Spectre affects all brands.

How do they work?
Programs are made up of a series of individual processes a CPU performs. To save time, many CPUs pre-emptively perform calculations that are the likely next step in a process and the resulting speculative data are stored. This speculative data can contain sensitive data, such as credit card numbers.

Meltdown operates by “melting” security barriers between your CPU and these processes, allowing a “bad” process to target and “steal” any speculative data.

With Spectre, a “bad” process tricks a “good” one into handing over its speculative data.

So far, these flaws haven’t been exploited “in the wild”, but lab tests show it can be done.

How to stay protected?
To patch the flaws, install the latest operating system update for your device and keep it up to date, further patches will be released in coming months. While updates could slow your device down, it’s a small price to pay to protect your information.

If your laptop is slowing down, don’t give up on it yet. Some simple maintenance and upgrades might breathe new life into it.

• Install the latest OS updates: Updates can speed up your laptop and plug critical security holes.

• Clean up storage: Audit your files (it doesn’t hurt that much). Keep your most frequently used files, remove anything you don’t need and move everything else to external storage, such as the cloud.

• Remove old programs: Uninstall programs you don’t use anymore. They take up storage space and could be using system resources in the background.

• Manage programs that launch at start-up: Computers have a list of programs that automatically launch on start-up. Unless you use a program daily (for example, internet security), remove it from the list. To see which programs launch at start-up:

  • Windows: Open Task Manager (Ctrl+Alt+Del, select “Task Manager”) and choose the Startup tab.
  • Mac OS: System Preferences –> Users & Groups, select your account and click on Login Items.

Upgrades

You can upgrade some laptop components, but keep in mind a botched DIY job can void your warranty.

• RAM: Upgrading RAM can increase the speed of daily tasks, such as web browsing. It’s a fairly easy process on most laptops.

• Storage drive: Replacing an older hard drive (HDD) with an SSD will improve your laptop’s start-up speed and everyday performance. This is more complicated as you will need to reinstall the operating system (you’ll likely need a product key) or clone your old storage drive.

• Battery: Laptop batteries can gradually lose charge capacity. Replacing the battery can give your laptop a new lease on life.

Before you get out the screwdrivers, make sure your laptop can be upgraded and check new components are compatible (see your laptop manufacturer’s website). Consider how difficult it’s going to be, some laptops have easy access panels to components such as storage and RAM. If in doubt, search the internet for a step-by-step guide or video of someone upgrading the same model.

Here’s what to consider if you’re switching from a desktop to a laptop, or from a standard laptop to a hybrid.

When it comes to performance, a laptop can be just as powerful as a desktop but there are some drawbacks.

• A laptop has limited ports compared to a desktop, as there is less space to install them. Laptops usually have between 2 to 3 USB ports and an HDMI or mini HDMI port, whereas desktops usually have at least 6 ports and can potentially have as many as you can fit.

• Laptops can get hot, which can be uncomfortable if you’re using one on your lap.Make sure a laptop’s exhaust vents are clear. If you don’t, then a laptop can’t expel the hot air it generates and its interior heats up. Over time, this can damage a laptop’s internal components.

• A laptop will have a trackpad. It allows you to control the cursor by running your finger over the pad’s surface. Your finger’s movement is interpreted the same as the movements of a mouse. However, if you still crave a mouse, you can easily add one.

• Laptops have a smaller keyboard and unless you buy a large laptop, you will often find the numeric keypad is missing and less commonly used keys have been combined. For example, you may find the F4 key and the volume down key are combined. To activate F4 you need to hold down the Fn (function) key first.

• Laptops, and especially hybrids, tend to have shared graphics. This means the same processor and memory is used for running the computer and the screen. Any graphics and processing activity, such as playing games, are slower with shared graphics.

From a standard laptop to a hybrid

• Hybrid laptops have touchscreens, which means they can be used like a tablet. Some basic touchscreen tips:
  • There is no double click on the touchscreen, instead they use a long touch.
  • To zoom in, pinch and move your fingers out. Reverse to zoom out.
  • The keyboard will appear on screen whenever you touch a text field/box. If it doesn’t, try touching in some white space, and then touch the box again.
    
    

• For hinged models, check the quality of the hinge. Repeated movement of a hinge can cause structural issues – plastic hinges aren’t as durable as metal hinges.

• If the hybrid has a detachable screen, check how the screen and keyboard attach. If it docks with a small plug connecting the screen and keyboard, check there are substantial parts of the body around this plug so you don’t accidentally bend or break it.

• If the keyboard connects through Bluetooth, remember using Bluetooth can reduce a laptop’s battery charge.