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Weekend Discussion | What's your deal breaker when buying a new laptop?

The MacBook Pro is a popular option for most, but its lack of a NumPad has irked some users (Image source: Apple)
The MacBook Pro is a popular option for most, but its lack of a NumPad has irked some users (Image source: Apple)
Some users will refuse to buy any smartphone if it doesn't come with a 3.5 mm audio jack. Are there certain features on a laptop that you absolutely must have when shopping for one as well?

There's no such thing as a laptop that has it all. Even if you have an unlimited budget, there's always a sacrifice to be made whether it be on size, ports, weight, battery life, performance, or more. For this weekend's discussion, we want to know what sort of features our readers are always looking for and what nitpicks they may have when deciding on their next laptop purchase.

Probably the most common requests we see are HDMI and Thunderbolt 3 compatibility as these two are as ubiquitous and versatile as they come for multimedia purposes. For enthusiasts, however, we suspect that easy serviceability and upgradeable RAM or storage would be near the top of the list. Upgradeable components often mean you can purchase lesser SKUs at a cheaper price and then upgrade the system yourself down the road as needed.

For our part, we believe in high quality chassis designs and parts to prolong the life of the laptop. Things like weak and creaky hinges, no matter how small, leave bad first impressions as they will likely worsen over time. Universal USB Type-C charging has also become a newfound convenience especially when traveling.

If you have your own laptop must-haves and pet peeves, feel free to share them below.

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Allen Ngo, 2020-02-28 (Update: 2020-02-28)