Have you noticed that your old laptop is slowing down of late? Is it distinctly more tortoise than hare these days? Maybe your productivity is even suffering because of this, and your notebook is holding back your studies at school or university.
A sluggish laptop can cause a multitude of frustrations, but the truth is nobody has to suffer at the hands of outdated technology when there are plenty of fast and slick modern laptops which are affordably priced at AO.
Before we start talking about specific models, let’s pause and briefly consider what makes a laptop become more sluggish over the years. Some of this performance decline can be due to the sheer weight of apps installed on a machine (and remember that even if apps are removed, they sometimes leave traces behind – the sort of leftovers which can accumulate to slow down a machine).
More technically knowledgeable types can solve these sort of issues by reinstalling the operating system, but nobody can get around the simple truth that as time passes, the core components inside a laptop become increasingly dated.
A processor – that’s the brain of a laptop – which was once good enough starts to feel a bit weary. You may no longer have enough system memory to cope with the demands of running multiple apps, and on top of that, if your laptop has an old hard drive, it’s probably a slow model. What’s more, being crammed with files and programs – not to mention possibly suffering from disk errors – will make that drive more sluggish still.
In contrast, switching to a new modern laptop will feel like stepping into a different world: a world where you don’t have to wait drumming your fingers on the table for minutes while your machine boots up, for starters. That’s because many contemporary notebooks use solid-state drives (SSDs) and these are much faster than hard drives. An SSD can boot up in no time at all, and also means that any apps you run will load way more quickly.
Furthermore, modern processors are built not just to be faster, but also to be far more efficient, using less power and therefore placing less strain on your battery.
These days, laptops have made big strides in terms of longer battery life, and this is particularly important when you consider that an old notebook’s battery will definitely have seen better days. The more a battery is used and charged over the years, the more its longevity dwindles, meaning your laptop won’t last for long when you’re away from a power socket.
And that’s obviously bad news for students trying to get some work done while out and about, or anyone else for that matter.
So, if you’re looking for a new notebook right now with going back to school (or university) firmly in mind, then AO has a large and diverse laptop range, with plenty of deals to be had on quality products from HP and other manufacturers.
As an example of a great laptop for students – or indeed anyone else looking for a sleek and fast notebook – check out this 13.3-inch HP Envy model.
This is a modern lightweight laptop which is easy to carry around all day, and has a battery life that makes sure it will run all day, too – in fact, the battery will last for over 15 hours.
That’s particularly impressive when you consider the performance levels on offer with this HP Envy, which is powered by an 8th-generation Intel Core i5 processor that will make short work of any task thrown at it. It’s backed by 8GB of RAM, and that’s enough system memory to ensure that Windows 10 and all your apps run smoothly.
The notebook benefits from an SSD with a capacity of 256GB, which is plenty of storage, and it will help ensure that all your apps load up fast and everything zips along speedily.
Coursework aside, if you want to dabble with playing some PC games, this laptop has Nvidia GeForce MX250 graphics, which can handle a spot of gaming quite nicely. A separate graphics processor like this Nvidia model is faster than relying on a graphics solution built into the processor, which many notebooks use.
The overall appearance of the HP Envy 13 is sleek and stylish, and the 13.3-inch Full HD screen has very thin bezels. These are the borders around the screen, and having them so thin gives you what’s known as an edge-to-edge display, which not only looks premium, but offers a superior viewing experience with no distracting black borders.
There are a couple of further bonuses to bear in mind here. Firstly, HP’s fast charge technology means that this laptop’s battery doesn’t just offer longevity in spades, but also charges up from empty to 50% in only 45 minutes. And secondly, the HP Envy scores with state-of-the-art security, using a fingerprint reader as a highly convenient way to make sure that only you can log in and use the notebook.
At this point, you might be wondering why you should buy this laptop (or indeed any other) from AO rather than elsewhere. Competitive pricing is the simple answer, with the retailer giving away plenty of cashback deals on top.
For example, on the aforementioned HP Envy laptop, you can get £75 cashback, saving you almost 10% on the asking price. These cashback deals are offered across many notebooks in AO’s expansive range.
It’s not just great laptops and savings that AO boasts, though, but top-notch customer service. You only have to look at customer reviews on independent sites like Trustpilot to see evidence of that, but AO goes the extra mile with laptops – offering to set up your device for free.
This remote setup service takes all the hassle out of getting going with your notebook, and is a major helping hand for the less tech-savvy who might be intimidated by the prospect of going through the setup and configuration process. Other retailers can charge for this service – to the tune of £50 in one case – so really, offering remote setup for free is another saving.
All these savings add up, of course, and if you’re feeling tempted to purchase the HP Envy laptop we discussed in detail above, then you can do so here. It’s an excellent all-rounder notebook for students about to head back to school or university, or indeed for anyone who needs a powerful machine which can deal with life-on-the-go all day long.
Alternatively, you can feast your eyes on lots of other popular notebooks from HP here. Whatever machine you decide to go for, buying a laptop from AO means you’re getting a quality product at a very affordable price, with peace of mind thrown in thanks to the free setup service.
