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Guide for Laptop Upgrades

Hi folks - before we begin, let's review the number one rule of upgrading your laptop:

ALWAYS SHOP AROUND FOR LAPTOP HARDWARE

I can't tell you right now what the best prices are - because frankly, the moment I tell you the lowest price, somewhere else will have a cheaper deal. Amazon is a great place to order from because the dealers are reputable, but they do not always have the cheapest prices.  So, look around before deciding. When you're on Amazon looking at the page, look at the recommended items and see how they compare.

Anyway, moving on, there are three major things that you can upgrade on your laptop that will give you a lot of bang for your buck. The first is, of course, switching to Linux. Honestly, nothing is more secure, more customizable and faster than Linux. If you're new to Linux, start with Ubuntu. Trust me.

LAPTOP RAM

Next, buy yourself some RAM. In fact, if you are shopping for a new laptop, get a laptop that's a bit skimpy on the ram. Because the truth of the matter is that the manufacturer will jack up the price by hundreds of dollars to have it shipped with lots of RAM. But it's just as easy to buy laptop RAM yourself and install it in your computer.

• Crucial 2GB Set(2x1GB) 200-Pin PC2 5300 667Mhz SODIMM DDR2 RAM 
  
• Crucial 2GB 667 Mhz CT25664AC667 DDR2 200-Pin SODIMM Laptop Memory
• PNY OPTIMA 2GB (2x1GB) Dual Channel Kit DDR 400 MHz PC3200 Desktop DIMM Memory Modules MD2048KD1-400 

Personally, I like Crucial - it's what's in my machine right now. But I haven't heard any complaints about PNY.

LAPTOP HARD DRIVES

Laptop hard drives are another easy upgrade. For example, my Macbook came with a measly 80 GB hard drive and now I have a 320 GB. Nice. Anyway, here are my favorites (the first one on the list is the one I bought):

• Western Digital 320GB Scorpio Blue SATAII 5400RPM 2.5IN 8MB Bulk/OEM Hard Drive WD3200BEVT
• Seagate Momentus ST9250410AS 7200.4 250 GB Bulk/OEM 16 MB Cache 7200 RPM SATA 3Gb/s Hard Drive with NCQ 
• Western Digital 250 GB Scorpio Blue SATA 5400 RPM 8 MB Cache Bulk/OEM Notebook Hard Drive WD2500BEVS 

And don't throw out your old drive! Get an enclosure. This wonderful device turns your old laptop hard drive into an external hard drive. Great for backing up. ThisStarTech one is decent, but there are others - you'll see them recommended when you click through.

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