This question has come up several times from friends, office colleagues, relatives, and people I've met through various social networking websites and online communities. Naturally, therefore, hey want to know how to choose the best laptop computer. And I always start the conversation by asking, "What is the purpose of this purchase?" What do you hope it will accomplish? And based on the responses I've received thus far, I'd like to categorize the purpose of purchasing a laptop into four broad categories. To read the HP Envy 14 Laptop Review, click here

I believe that because a computer is more personalized than its desktop counterpart, you can't expect it to satisfy multiple intersecting purposes of every individual at your home or workplace. After all, just like your smartphone, a laptop is designed to meet personal needs. But, since you are so determined to get your new laptop, please read on for some guidelines that have helped my friends decide.

We can categorize needs based on the needs of the end-users into four categories:

1) For students in high school or college

2) For Official Use - primarily for official correspondence and business presentations, with limited Internet access.

3) Mostly for online communications, chatting, emailing, etc.

4) Heavy-duty operations - A laptop for performing heavy-duty operations - such as multimedia application processing, gaming, graphics design, and so on - is expected to function as a proper desktop replacement.

Regardless of your specialized requirement, it would be best if you were made aware of a few basic concepts that form the foundation of any laptop and their implications for your choice. Here are the specifics:

1) Processor: Today's laptops support a variety of processors, such as Intel Core 2 Duo, Intel Celeron M, AMD's Turion X2, and others. In reality, the price of a laptop is heavily influenced by the processor it supports. As a result, the Intel Core 2 Duo processor series, such as T7200/7300/T7400/T7500, is highly recommended for a laptop to be used as a desktop replacement, or for running high-end multimedia applications, or for having a joyful gaming experience; whereas, a computer with an Intel Celeron Processor is reasonably priced and suitable for running office applications.

Laptops with AMD processors are reasonably priced and optimized for fast processing speeds. As a result, and because of the cost savings without sacrificing efficiency, these are my recommendations for school/college students, and these models are also suitable for Internet access. If you require a laptop with heavy-duty processing capacity, you should only invest in a relatively expensive processor. Otherwise, such an investment is pointless.

2. Installed Memory: Aside from the processor, the installed memory is the second major factor that differentiates the price and efficiency of a laptop. Most modern laptops support DDR2 memory. While 1GB is sufficient for processing office documents, running applications required by school/college students, and even browsing the Internet, Windows Vista requires a minimum of 2GB of memory.

As a result, finding a laptop with up to 3 - 4 GB of memory is widespread, but there is no point in investing that much unless you have a compelling reason to do so. Furthermore, you can almost effortlessly upgrade your laptop memory at any time.

There is one word of caution: double-check the amount of installed memory. It has come to my attention that some retailers label a laptop model as having "up to 4GB memory capacity," even though the actual memory physically installed in that model may be only 1GB. You can add 3 GB of memory at any time, but for now, you only get 1 GB. As a result, you must be aware of the amount of memory physically installed in a laptop.

3. Hard Disk Space: Space is no longer an issue unless you intend to save all of your music and movie collections on your laptop's hard drive. Laptops with 80GB to 160GB of storage space are a good choice for all purposes. However, for school/college students, you may want to keep the storage capacity on the higher side to allow for large music/movie files.

4. Screen Size: Once again, this is one parameter that must supposebe carefully considered when using a laptop to replace a desktop. In that case,ounterpart. You'll do better with a 17" to 19" screen size, whereas a 14" to 16" screen size will keep the laptop portable without sacrificing usability; however, laptops with 13.3" or less screen size are often referred to as Ultra Portable models, implying that you can travel light and freely while carrying the set. And a laptop with a screen size of 10" or less, known as a Netbook, provides more portability but may not be the best option if you want to use it for presentations!

5. Portability and Weight: This is frequently overlooked when choosing a laptop model, and it is not critical for a laptop that is more likely to be placed on a tabletop for most of its lifetime. However, consider Ultra portable models if you intend to move around a lot while carrying the laptop. Having a 7-pound notebook is not an exciting experience in the long run, in my experience. Therefore, the best option is an ultra-portable model weighing less than 2.5 lbs.

6. Battery: Current laptops use lithium-ion batteries, with newer models employing lithium polymer technology. For light-duty operations, standard laptop batteries typically last two to five hours. Once you've decided on a model, read reviews, grab a scrap of paper, and jot down end users' feedback on battery performance if you need to rely on it more. This is the most effective method for learning about the battery performance of any laptop model. In this case, you should not rely on the manufacturers' claims.

7. Networking and Connectivity: Every modern laptop should support multiple connectivity interfaces, such as an Ethernet card, built-in 802.11 a/b/g/n and Bluetooth connectivity, and a built-in modem. Furthermore, a computer with Expansion Ports such as USB 2.0 ports (minimum three recommended), DVI, RJ-45, RJ-11, and Cable Lock Slot, among others, provides greater flexibility in terms of usage.

8. Built-in components: A laptop with built-in stereo speakers with a microphone and a Webcam is a good choice for Internet access, browsing, online networking, communications, playing multimedia files, or for gaming purposes. Webcams, in particular, are critical for online communication.

9. Graphics Card: For avid gamers or those who want to run graphics applications, it is always best to choose a model that includes an NVIDIA or ATI graphics card.

Finally, it is preferable to purchase a laptop model with legitimate warranty coverage provided by the manufacturer.

So, instead of being trapped by feature-rich expensive models, try to address your needs first and balance your requirementsand available features without exceeding your budget limit when purchasing a new laptop.