If you're in the market for a brand new laptop, you'll definitely want to scout around and find the ideal laptop for your needs. Although laptops come in all shapes and sizes, the following tips should guide you well enough to find the best laptops all the time.
The "tech specs" of your laptop is perhaps the most important consideration. Nothing more, nothing less; exactly what you need to match your activities. For example, you need totally different machine if you're just planning to use it for work related purposes, as opposed to letting your laptops be your entire home entertainment system.
Different applications need different type of notebooks, and getting more than what you need is literally a waste of funds. On the other hand, getting less than what you need will just frustrate you and waste your time.
The first thing you need to consider is the Central Processing Unit or CPU; it is the "brains" of your computer. Generally speaking a faster CPU is better as it will reduce loading and processing time, but there is a choice between Intel processors, or the rest.
Equally important is the weight, size and screen dimensions. If you like to keep it light and portable choose thinner ones that weight less than 1.2kg - these are usually on the higher price range but it will be worth the money, and the lack of aching backs!
Thirdly, and most importantly, the warranty period and service terms for your laptop. Generally speaking most laptops come with standard one-year warranty, but certain brands like Dell also include "extended" three-year upgrades and on-site repairs. Expect a premium for the "on-site" repairs, but extended warranties are becoming more commonplace and you should kep your eyes open for current models that include them at no extra cost.
As for my choice, I always choose the HP notebooks, especially the HP IdeaPad model that is both affordable and sufficient for high-end processing. Ideally, any laptop you get should be good enough to get you through the next four years without needing an upgrade or replacement. Not every laptops live up to that promise though, so shop for your laptop wisely!