Category: Buying Guide

Buying Guide for Laptops, Computers and tablets.

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Buying Guide

Must have software for your laptop

Office Suite

open office

Mostly, your windows operating system do not come along with its very popular document handling application Microsoft Office and if you don’t want to purchase licenses for Micorosoft’s Office software, then this free software will fulfill your need. You can do almost everything with this open source office suite like editing, creating and maintaining documents. This software might have some rich features missing unlike Microsoft Office but it is still very effective.

Internet Browser

Google Chrome Browser

Although, Internet Explorer comes with your Windows operating system, but it would be very fair to say that Chrome is more fast and secure than Internet explorer. In chrome browser, Theme and Plugins offers customized browser experience. With JavaScript rendering features, chrome is very fast and secure internet browser.

Data Downloads

Download Accelerator Plus (DAP)

Download Accelerator Plus is very essential tool with its user friendly easy to user interface. It is the fastest of its kind of software. It is not just ordinary download software, but also has capabilities like file shredder, scheduled downloads, trace cleaner and other addons.

PDF Reader

Adoebe Reader

Adobe Reader is free and very popular tool to view pdf files. It has been trusted by millions of users due to its global standard for document sharing over internet.

Backups & Sync

DropBox

Dropobox is  free and tremendously useful tool to store identical copy of  your computer files. You can also keep folders and file jointly shared with other people regardless of they are users of dropbox or not. Dropbox offers 2GB free space, you can increase your space quota by purchasing it.

Multimedia

VLC Media Player

Unlike Windows 7, windows media center does not come along free Windows 8 with operating System. You don’t need to bother with that. VLC media player VLC Media Player will play virtually any media file that you will run across, and there’s a VLC media player version for every popular operating system.

Perfomance tune ups

CCleaner

If you get tired of having tons of PC cleanup and performance tune up software and found they are all just either clean up your old log / history and clean up recycle bins or either just a scam. Then get this package that runs pretty deeps through your web browsers to your Windows Registry.

File Compression and extraction

7-zip

7-zip has better compression ration than Winzip and other compression software of its kind. It has capability of self extraction for 7z format. It can even use as file manager and can ensure file security using encryption.

Security

Antivirus

Always have antivirus software on your machine. We strongly recommend Microsoft Security Essentials and Malwarebytes Pro for virus and malware protection.

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Buying Guide

Laptop Buying Guide

Laptop Buying Tips

If you are reading this, probably you are in the market for a new laptop.It can be an overwhelming decision with different models, different brands and features out there, but  I am about to give you some advise that will help you make right decision for your needs.

Three questions you wanna ask yourself, when you are looking for a new laptop.

  • Where am I going to use it? Is this live on desk mostly at home and at the office mostly or are you taking it with you.
  • What am I going to use it for? Are you planning to have laptop for generalized tasks or for more specialized ones. For ex. Video Editing and gaming.
  • How long am I looking to own it? Is this something you want to own for just a year or two? or Is this something for long term investment?

Basic checklist for everyday laptop

Processor:

Start at Intel® Core™ i3 Processor but if you plan to own it for 2+ years, consider Intel® Core™ i5 Processor

Hard Drive:
  • Minimum 500GB
  • Consider having 750GB for storing more videos, photos and music.
Screen size:
  • Go with 13″ for more mobility
  • At least 15″ for HD experience.
Battery Life:
  • Make sure it is long enough, if you are frequently using it on the go.
Solid State Drive:
  • For fast boot up and performance, SSD is better choice over HDD.

Laptop Upgrade

You can upgrade the RAM and hard drive on most laptops without voiding the warranty.

Upgrade to Solid State Drive(SDD) from Hard Drive.

Consider upgrade to Solid State Drive to get at least 4x speed and fast boot up. SDD has no moving parts, so very efficient option for power savings.

Buy SSD from our store

Tips for Purchasing Battery

Mostly, A Battery with more cells will last longer than a battery with less cells. Usually , 6 cell battery will not last as long as 12 cell battery module. If you are looking for purchasing new battery or replacing your old battery, buy from our store.

Heartland Computers : Top Refurbished Laptops at our store in Sioux Falls