Size and weight, battery, memory and hard disk, and maybe even tablet? • The Corona crisis has caused a huge surge in the sale of laptops, and quite a few of us are lost among all the data. • We've put you in order of everything you need to know a moment before you give out your credit information.

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In the past few weeks following the house shutdown, many have been taking long video calls with 20-30 people, and when they finish doing that, Netflix and YouTube are all day long to pass the time until tonight. It's just the kids who spend time in front of the screen because there are no kindergartens and schools, even before we talk about the parents who also need to work on the computer.

How to choose a laptop for work, video calls and watching movies and shows? The short answer is: the one you can afford right now. A laptop that meets the minimum requirements will cost between NIS 2,500 and NIS 4,000. Yes, on the shopping sites you will also find cheaper. Will they fulfill these tasks? Yes. But may be slower and with a lesser viewing experience, and not relevant for another year or two.

The more detailed answer is that you have to look carefully at the specifications and decide what is important and what can be given up, according to your needs. These are the things to pay attention to in your specifications before handing over your credit or paypal details.

1. Size and weight

Ask yourself how much you need to mobile your computer now and after the mess is over. And whether it's just moving from room to room and taking work in the morning, or is it something you'll have to hang out with all day.

The computers with good specifications that weigh up to 1.5 kilos are very comfortable on the back but will be the most expensive. Computers that weigh between 1.5 and 2.5 pounds will already reach more reasonable prices and still be relatively mobile. All that weighs more than that is a huge block that replaces a desktop computer. If the laptop should not move too much - save money and don't consider weight as a crucial factor.

Notable models of laptops come with a screen of 10.1, 11.6, 13.3, 14.1 or 15.6 inches (the measurement is diagonal). Larger, 13.3 inches is the size from which you can clearly see what's happening on the screen - whether it's a TV series or another 5 heads in a conference call, but it's up to your eyes. In order of magnitude, the diagonal of a standard printer page is about 14.3 inches. Think if more or less is needed.

2. Screen resolution

The term resolution simply means how many pixels (dots) there are across and across the screen. The more there are, the sharper and higher the screen, and the more pleasant viewing. To enjoy movies you should choose at least 1366x768 pixels.

It should be taken into account that the larger the screen, the higher the points spread and the quality will decrease. So on 15.6-inch screens you can already climb to 1920 X1080 pixels. If watching movies and gaming is the exclusive use, jump to 3840x2160 pixels. But then the financial expense will say accordingly.

Important to remember: You can connect any computer from the last years, to any TV from the last years with the help of an HDMI cable. Some laptops may require a special adapter or cable - consult the store about what your computer supports and what connections it has, and attach an adapter to order as needed. A television connection is good for watching movies, but less suited for conversations, because the camera is in the screen.

3. Battery

Laptops will guarantee a specification between 7 hours and 15 hours of battery life. But this is on paper and under optimal conditions. If the screen is turned on at high brightness, the processor struggles and there is a wireless connection that works, time decreases. So in reality you get about 70-80 percent of the promised time.

Battery life depends, among other things, on the physical size of the computer. On a larger laptop, there is room for a larger battery that should last longer. On the other hand, a large high-resolution screen and an older and less economical processor will change the larger battery.

The most important thing to look at is watt-hour (WHr). The larger the number, the longer the battery life. On the other hand, if you are quarantined or isolated and work mainly when plugged in, this consideration can be put at the bottom priority.

4. Performance, memory and hard disk

Most of the computers sold in Israel come with Intel Series I processors, which have a book. 3,5,7 or 9. Of course, the higher the series, the more powerful and economical the processor (which means less battery for the same operations), and basic needs can be satisfied with 3 or 5. But it's also important to look at the processor generation - which is a given To appear in the technical specifications. The most advanced generation is tenth, but one can certainly settle for the ninth.

Next to the processor, you need enough internal memory (RAM) - for two tabs to run simultaneously without the computer crashing or the video calls getting stuck and interrupted. It is strongly recommended to choose a computer with 8 Gb, but if you have to settle for the price, 6 Gb will also suffice.

Laptop - Many laptops come with a hard drive called SSD, which has no moving parts and is faster, quieter and much more durable than the older drives. Can he also crash? for sure. It is recommended to back up important materials. Take at least 250 gigabytes (of which the operating system and older software will part). If you need to shed a lot of other photos and material, take half a tare (500 g) or higher.

Some computers will still offer you an optical drive (DVD). There are those who still have a rare collection of discs and must hear them, movies dubbed into Hebrew that are nowhere else, or a rare old game that can no longer be obtained in another legal way. If these aren't important to you, this is something you can definitely give up.

5. Important jacks and connections + webcam

Almost every laptop will come with a webcam. You should look for one with an HD camera to see you clearly, but you don't need more than that if you are not directing live broadcasts.

Other connections to consider - SD card reader for those who need to quickly transfer materials from a camera or digital recorder, network socket (RJ45) that exists on larger computers - if you want to connect directly to a router for a more stable network connection, and HDMI for an external screen connection and of course a headphone jack.

Thin and small computers may only include USB Type-C connections (their smaller rounded edges). This means that for the phone, on-disk, external screen, USB headset (with microphone) or any other accessory with the large rectangular USB plug, you will need to purchase appropriate adapters.

All computers should include WiFi to connect to the home network, and Bluetooth for an external keyboard and mouse or headset (just the same pair that can be connected to the phone as well).

6. And maybe even better than a tablet

If a laptop is too high, and if you don't need anything except video calls and watching movies, you can simply buy a tablet for between NIS 1,000 and NIS 2,000. You can even attach it to a bluetooth keyboard, if you need to type here and there and it becomes a spring for an elaborate and most uncomfortable, but pretty usable laptop. You may want to buy a cover that includes a leg, or improvise a stand at home. Because holding them is tiring.

In a big way, the world of tablets is divided into iPads and Android. IPads (referred to as augmented iPhones) have great performance but are low on customization options, don't support a variety of file types, but you can watch Netflix and YouTube without any problem.

Android-based tablets are more flexible in their options, and not always at the same level of performance, but there are also many more to choose from, and you can find very cheap models that will serve you (or your kids) faithfully - even where video calls, Netflix and YouTube will run.

How do you know what to choose? In large, for those with an iPhone, the iPad will be easier to navigate, and the 10.2-inch model will close the corner. How much memory to take? If there is no plan to load apps, the basic model will suffice.

For those who have an Android phone, you should also buy an Android tablet. The problem is that there is a huge selection, even of tempting products at NIS 200-400 (which will not always be a complete experience). Shopping sites do not always list properly, so we recommend looking for the model at gsmarena.com. It is important that the operating system be from version 9 upwards, that this is a brand that you have heard about, and that it has released in the last year.