Laptops have been one of the most used in a household after smartphones. Anyone who is in some way connected to the current world is bound to possess a laptop. In the current social distancing scenario and work from home culture, no job can be accomplished nowadays without having a laptop or a personal computer.
Given their portable nature, they are the most trusted gadgets for web developers and designers, who like to live their life on the move. Are you one of those web developers looking for your ideal laptop? Confused with the numerous options? Don’t worry! This article will help in choosing the perfect laptop, keeping in mind the specifications required for Web Development and Designing.
Steps to Choose the Best Laptop for Web Development and Design:
Choosing the perfect laptop which will provide the best performance and will also be pocket-friendly is very tough. A lot of prioritization has to be made, and several future scenarios have to be considered so that the buyer doesn’t regret his/her decision in the long term.
Operating System
The first step is to determine which operating system will be better for the user. If it is MacOS, then Apple MacBooks are the only laptops to go for, however, if the user prefers WindowsOS, then a wide variety of choices are available. If the user has never used a laptop or computer before, choosing WindowsOS will be preferable due to its flexibility and significant adoption rate. For web development and designing also WindowsOS is preferred by many.
Processor
The second step of buying a new laptop is to note down all the purposes the laptop will be used for, which in our case will be Web Development and Designing. Since many coding and graphics work will be involved, the latest generation Intel Core i9 or Intel Core i7 processor will be the best choice. This, accompanied by an Nvidia Geforce graphics card, will handle all the designing and rendering requirements.
Display Size
This is entirely dependent on the user’s choice. If large screen size is something they want, then laptops start from 17.3in, 15.6in, and can do down to sizes in the range of 13.3-in into 12.5-in. The major drawback of getting large display devices is the battery drain and the bulk. Laptops with a big screen are bound to be heavy with some reaching weights of 3 to 4 Kgs, but if someone prefers portability choosing a 12.5-inch laptop weighs around 1-1.5 kgs.
For web development, considerable display size is not required; 13.3-inch is the optimal size that will be easy to carry and provide enough screen space for multitasking.
Screen Resolution
If the laptop is going to be used extensively for entertainment purposes, then this should be at the top of the buyer’s list. Web development and designing require long hours of sitting in front of the laptop screen, so the display should be crisp or else it will put a lot of strain on the eyes. So 1080p (Full HD) is the essential requirement; if budget is not a matter for someone, they should go for 4K resolution. It will also provide closer-to-life color tones and soothe the eyes.
Some examples of laptops that offer 4K display are DELL Inspiron 5509, Lenovo Legion Y7000SE, DELL XPS15, among many more.
RAM
Website Development and Designing require a lot of multitasking, going back and forth, checking and comparing with clients’ requirements, and debugging requires a lot of RAM.
Nowadays, every laptop comes equipped with at least 4GB RAM. Depending on the workload and the nature of usage, the user might require 6GB or 8GB RAM. Although the prices rise very quickly while upgrading for higher RAM storage, it is often advised to buy a device where additional RAM slots are present to add external RAM if he needs any. This will turn out to be a very pocket-friendly decision in the long run.
Storage
Storage comes in different forms and sizes, but Solid State Drives(SSDs) are the most compact and lightweight as per the latest development. SSDs enable the laptop to be slimmer, which helps in improving the aesthetics of the laptop. Slimmer laptops do not support hard disk drives. But one drawback of SSDs is their high cost; one has to compromise either the looks and style factor or the laptop or pay the higher price.
Battery Life
Long battery life is essential if the user travels a lot. Decent battery size is preferable. Although the battery life depends mainly on the device usage pattern and how the battery charges and discharges.
A pro tip for buying a laptop and ensuring its longevity lies in selecting a suitable insurance plan because a laptop is nothing but just another electronic device and is prone to stop working for various reasons. Even physical damage, water damage, or even theft are a few scenarios where an insurance plan can come in handy.
It might seem like an unnecessary expense initially, but according to research, more than 85% of people end up damaging their laptops in some way or form in the first 3-4 years of their usage. So, laptop insurance plans are your best help to recover from the monetary loss in the long run.
Buying a laptop is a critical thing and a significant investment, but if all the above criteria are kept in mind and thorough market research is done, it will be a piece of cake. The main focus should be its usability for designing and developing websites, so the main priority should be given to those features that enhance this Web Dev experience.
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