When I buy my first laptop, what are the absolute must-haves I should have for it?

Question

I already have a carry case, and will get spyware, but what type?

Answer 1

Interested in games, movies, music -- or work? Choose, then buy.

For games, you will want a larger hard drive and more memory. For more serious work 1G RAM should do it and an 80GB H.D. Then decide if you want bells and whistles.

You can spend as much or as little as you want but whatever you do, buy from someone who has been in business for a while and who has a reputation for good support.

Know what you need before you buy.

Answer 2

Windows Vista is terrific, despite the bad press. Most new computers will have it, which is great if it's your first. You'll want a CD/DVD burner drive and a wireless card, I'd recommend 1GB of RAM but Vista can use USB memory sticks or other removable devices for extra RAM in a pinch. These days a lot of gadgets are coming with Bluetooth, so if you have a Bluetooth phone or want to use Bluetooth headphones/microphone, that would be a good feature to have. If you can't live with just a touch-pad an external mouse(wireless if you want to avoid clutter) would be a nice addition, though I don't use one except for games. If you plan on playing a lot of games, the mouse is a must and you'll want to pay the extra hundred dollars or so for a better video card since these are often difficult or prohibitively expensive to upgrade at a later time.

Answer 3

Don't get spyware - thats a bad thing! If you're getting a laptop with Linux (a "must-have" for me) then you'll be spyware and virus free anyway.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spyware

Some spare batteries never go amiss - especially if you travel alot.

Personally I also like to get a mouse - I hate all the built in devices.

Answer 4

Get a cooling mat; a mouse & a wireless card (if you need internet access on the road).