More and more people these days are choosing laptops instead of desktops, but how do you make sure you are choosing the right one?  Here are a few things to keep in mind…

Boot Speed – using a stopwatch, measure the time between pushing the power button and when the machine is ready to use.
Program Launching – Fire up whatever applications are installed, and see how quick it feels – Internet Explorer, Control Panel and Antivirus are our favourites to use.
Viewing Angle – This is not really important for everyone, but look at the monitor from different angles to see if the screen looks fainter or if the colours change.
Display – If you can, look at the display under different lighting conditions and different brightness settings.
Keyboard – Keyboards are somewhat subjective – different people like different keyboards. Just make sure you are comfortable with the fell of the one you are trying out.
Touchpad – Test the touchpad’s responsiveness by scrolling through windows and clicking on things.

These are just a few things to look at… not to mention the RAM, Hard Drive, weight, warranty and price.