If you're in the market for a brand new laptop, you'll definitely want to scout around and find the best laptop for your needs. Although notebooks come in all shapes and sizes, the following tips should guide you well enough to find the most perfect laptops all the time.

Firstly, you want to make sure that the technical specs of your laptop is exactly what you need. You should get exactly what you need to match your activities, not more, and not less. 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 the center of your home entertainment system.

Different applications need different type of laptops, and getting more than what you need generally is a waste of savings. 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 laptop. Generally speaking a faster CPU is better as it will cut down on loading and processing time, but there is a choice between Intel processors, or others.

The size of your laptop screen and the overall weight is also important. If you're a woman or just prefer lighter loads, go for thinner ones than weight less than 1.2kg - these are usually on the higher price range but it will be worth the money, and the lack of back aches!

Equally important is the warranty length, and additional service details. Generally speaking most laptops come with standard one-year warranty, but companies like Sony also offer "extended" three-year warranties 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 brand of laptops, especially the HP IdeaPad series 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 fit the bill though, so shop for your notebook wisely!