When should you buy a new laptop?

Artwork: Chip TaylorWe have all been there, or someone who has experienced: finally replacing the ageing, annoying old laptop with something new, just to see a laptop significantly better go on sale only one or two months later and polished. Nobody likes to make a big purchase only to discover that you're stuck with last year's model. A credit card is all the more difficult to swallow when you're still paying for a laptop that is no longer even for sale. How do I know when is the right time to buy a new laptop, or if you really even need a new laptop at all?

You really need a new laptop?

First, to assess whether elegant package made of metal and Silicon that is eyeing something that you need. Sure, the new templates are sleek and graceful and hold great promises of greater power and current laptop has no additional functionality. But consider this: as time goes by, the same money you get more portable or the same power and features gets cheaper. The longer you hold on to the laptop you have, the more you bang for your buck when you update finally.

Consider what to do with your laptop, and what you want to do. If the current model still works correctly, runs all the applications you want to run quite nicely and access all the services you want, without problems, might as well stick with it. The right time to get a new system when you notice that you have changed your current needs and laptop no longer meets those needs. Perhaps you have bought a laptop heavier because rarely travel, but find yourself in a new job or position that requires a lot of travel. Now, the weight and limited battery life of your laptop are a constant source of frustration. Perhaps the games you've played two years ago racing purposes on your laptop, but not modern games and gaming is a big part of your laptop use. Maybe web services have evolved beyond the capabilities of your laptop and Hi-def YouTube clips (for example) stutter and chop, forcing you can view the low-res version.

Of course, if the laptop is not working properly, is beyond warranty, and will cost more to what is truly worth repairing, you're better off buying something new. If this is the case, or if you find that needs have outgrown your current laptop, it's time to start shopping.

Timing your purchase

There are dozens of considerations in purchasing a new laptop. Depending on your needs, you will want to look for size, weight, battery life, performance (CPU, RAM, graphics, speed of the drive) storage options, and more. That is beyond the scope of this article-suppose you have some idea of what you want. (If you haven't, start with our guide to purchasing laptops).

If you do not want to buy something just to have a better or cheaper model to hit the market a few weeks later. At the same time, can't wait forever. At some point you heat your credit card and pull the trigger on a new laptop purchase. When is the right time?

If you're eyeing Apple products, the timing is relatively simple. Apple won't move prices, all that often, so the biggest concern is to avoid buying a new MacBook just before the next major revision hits the market. Apple tends to update its line of laptop twice a year: typically there is a significant change in the line-up in spring (March to may timeframe) and some minor updates in autumn (October or November). The exact timing varies, but if you read the rumor Apple focused websites and blogs and visit regularly our friends at MacWorld, you'll get a sense of when the new models are coming.

Laptop Windows side come from a wide range of suppliers, and timing is all over the map. When Intel released new processors (such as the "Sandy Bridge" 2nd generation processors just released), you can count on updates to existing product lines from most major PC vendors. Other times warm for updates to the laptop is in late spring ("Grads and dads") and mid-to-late summer ("back to school"). Sometimes you will see a few new models leading into the rush vacation at the end of the year, but that time is most often eaten with special offers and discounts on existing models.

The most important thing to remember is: Don't Panic (with apologies to Douglas Adams). No matter when you buy, you can be sure that something better still getting long before too long. Focus on improving your new laptop on the old one and try not to get hung up on what you could have gotten if they only had waited another six months. If you waited to buy a new laptop until you really need one, you really shouldn't miss.

Don't overlook the previous generation

Even when the new models of laptop hit the market, it could be appropriate to take into account patterns of "old" that were all the rage just a couple of months earlier. These are often sold at a discount to clear out inventory deep, possibly saving you hundreds of dollars. These may not have the glitz and glamour of the latest and greatest thing that has just hit the market, but that hardly makes them obsolete. After all, these were quite large and current models only a couple of months earlier.

It is not like the fast moving world of smartphone where new OS versions may be available only on newer phones, locking is old software and exciting new features if you buy one before. This is the world of Windows (or Mac OS or Linux). The main features and software are the same and maybe just run a little slower. If you can live with that, and if the template you just withdrawn offers all the functionality you need, it's worth keeping in your list of potential purchase if discounts are deep enough.