LAPTOPS LONG AGO replaced desktops as
the go-to computer for most consumers.
And many of today’s laptops are lighter
and more capable than earlier models.
For just a few hundred dollars, you can
pick up a laptop that streams video
from Netl ix, handles spreadsheets, and
breezes through basics such as writing
emails and browsing news sites.
“You’re going to be l oored by the
new laptops if you haven’t bought a
computer recently,” says Richard Fisco,
an electronics testing program leader at
Consumer Reports.
But computer shopping can be a
confusing and jargon-heavy experience.
When you buy a laptop, you often face
decisions about individual components
in the device. Will you benei t from the
most advanced Intel Core i9 processor?
Will you be happier with a traditional
hard drive, or should you spring for
one of the newer solid-state drives? And
which screen, or display, resolution
is best: high-dei nition or Ultra High
Dei nition (4K)? A few key decisions can
cost—or save—hundreds of dollars, even
between similar-looking machines.
To help, we’re going to look at
each laptop component separately,
answering a basic question: What’s the
best choice for most people?
Are Hard Drives Gone?
Instead of a traditional hard drive,
many of today’s laptops have a solid-
state drive, or SSD. An SSD doesn’t have
to spin a disk like an old-fashioned LP
to retrieve data, which means it can
copy Word i les or open apps quickly.
Compared with a conventional hard
drive, SSDs save on battery life, too.
And they may last longer because they
have no moving parts to wear out.
The catch? SSDs are expensive, and
they tend to store less data. Laptops
with older hard drives often have at
least a terabyte, or TB, of storage,
which is 1,024 gigabytes. Only the
priciest laptops have 1TB SSDs.
THE BEST CHOICE FOR MOST PEOPLE:
An SSD is a worthwhile upgrade, Fisco
says—the advantage in speed will be
noticeable. And if you’re looking for a
lightweight, high-performing laptop,
all your options may come with SSDs.
However, the choice ultimately depends
on your priorities: You can save money by
buying a laptop with a traditional hard
drive. It will be heavier and slower, but as
a bonus you’ll get more storage.
How Much Storage Do I Need?
Even laptops with SSDs vary a lot in
how much storage they provide.
These days, many of the biggest
i les on home computers are photos
and videos, transferred from cameras
and smartphones that shoot in Ultra
HD (4K) resolution. Ten minutes of
4K video of the kids recorded with
your iPhone can eat up nearly 2GB,
according to Apple. Music collections
can also take up a lot of space.
These points argue for choosing the
biggest possible hard drive, right?
But if you use Apple Music or Spotify,
you might not want to store thousands
of music i les on your computer. And
Apple’s iCloud, Google Photos, and
Microsoft OneDrive will help you
o' oad your pictures, too. Apple, for
example, gives you 5GB of storage
free of charge; $10 per month will get
you 2TB. And you can get unlimited
free storage on Google Photos if the
images are 16 megapixels or less
in resolution—i ne for most uses,
according to CR testers.
THE BEST CHOICE FOR MOST PEOPLE:
256GB of storage is what CR testers
recommend. “If you’re good with storing
A lost or stolen laptop can let
criminals see your browsing
history, bank account totals,
credit card numbers, and
more. That’s why security
experts have spent years
urging consumers to protect
their laptops with a password.
But certain new laptops
give you “biometric” security
options beyond typing in a
long string of characters—
fingerprint scanners and
facial-recognition software.
Fingerprint readers
may be familiar from your
smartphone. They work the
same on a laptop—touch a
special keypad with one
of your fingers and the
screen unlocks. This option
can be found on certain
Apple computers as well as
midpriced Windows models.
Facial recognition uses
the laptop’s built-in webcam
to confirm your identity and
unlock your computer.
This technology is available
in higher-end Windows 10
laptops and is part of the Hello
sign-in feature. “It’s great,”
says Rich Fisco, a Consumer
Reports electronics testing
program leader. “It’s obscenely
fast, and it’s really secure.”
Whether you use a
fingerprint scanner or facial
recognition, you’ll still
need to establish a password
as a backup.
L
THE
LAPTOP
LOCKDOWN
ILLUSTRATION:
MARTÍN LAKS
MAN. PHOTOS:
MOSUNO/STOCKSY (WO
MAN); GETTY I
MAGES (
MAN)
44 CR.ORG DECEMBER 2018
