Step 4: In-built speakers
If you are relying on the in-built speakers of your laptop for listening to music and watching movies, we recommend you to do the following. Take a pen drive and load a couple of your favorite music tracks. Every laptop on display will have a USB port with the Windows operating system on it. Just plug in the drive and use Windows Media Player to play the tracks. Then push the volume to its maximum and decide whether its loud enough for you. You would also need to see whether the sound cracks at the peak volume, which means that if it does you will have to lower the volume. The loudness is particularly important with movies wherein it becomes difficult to listen to dialogs at lower volume levels. HP laptops come with in-built Altec Lansing Speakers which are very good. Some models from Toshiba come with in-built Harmon Kardon speakers, which is a superior name in the world of audio.



Step 5: Added Extra’s—Bluetooth, Card Reader and Carry Bag
Many laptops offer in-built Bluetooth and card reader. Though anything extra is always welcome don’t make it the sole, or as a matter of fact, an important basis for selection. Remember you can get a good external card reader for as less as Rs. 200 and a Bluetooth dongle for around Rs. 300. Besides these, external devices are very small in size and can be easily carried along in your carry case.

Conversely, look for deals that bundle a good laptop carrying bag. Good laptop bags can cost anything above Rs. 1500. We particularly like Compaq and HP carry cases (Compaq belongs to HP and caters to the value segment). These bags are from a popular laptop company called 'Targus'.



Step 6: Operating System and drivers
Many manufacturers sell their entry level models without an operating system. The reason is pretty obvious. Most of the buyers want to cut the cost of Windows (barring the guys who plan to run Linux) and install a pirated copy. Our take on this is very neutral. We leave it to you, whatever you want to do. But, in case you are going in for a laptop without an operating system and later plan to install Windows on it, don’t forget to take the windows drivers from the vendor you purchased the laptop. For a novice it can get difficult locating the drivers online, in fact even on the manufacturers website it can be very confusing. Another thing to keep in mind when you are going for a laptop without an OS (or in plain terms, without Windows) is that you will not get support from the manufacturer for Windows related problems. So in case you don’t know why your laptop is acting funny, you will have to reach your local PC guy to help you. In most conditions you will end up buying an annual maintenance contract worth Rs. 2000, which is more than half the cost of an original copy of Windows XP Home. So at the end of the day, the equation is pretty even. But an original copy will give you unrestricted updates and you will also get support for it from the manufacturer.