The Laptop Buying Checklist for Coding (FREE) with Raghu Datta

A laptop for coding does not need to be expensive. It needs the right four lines on its spec card, and a few checks that take five minutes in the shop. This free guide shows what to read, what to ask and what to skip, brand-neutral and with no prices that go out of date.

Inside: what your course actually needs (web, Python, Java and SQL, Android, data), from the tools' own published requirements; RAM, free slots and soldered memory, and how to check them in Task Manager; SSD or hard disk; how to read Intel Core, Core Ultra and AMD Ryzen model names; screen, keyboard, battery and ports; what not to pay extra for, including the Android emulator question and testing on your own phone; the bill, the serial number and free student offers; refurbished and second-hand checks, including Windows 11 support and the battery report; a showroom walk-through with a worked two-laptop example; 19 copy-paste AI prompts grouped by job; a one-week plan; and a printable checklist for the shop.

Free, 30 pages, phone friendly, drawn illustrations throughout.

What you'll learn:

The four lines that matter: RAM, storage type, processor generation and screen: what each means for coding, and the numbers the tools themselves ask for.

Read any processor name: Intel Core, Core Ultra and AMD Ryzen model numbers decoded, including the letter at the end and why generation beats the i5 label.

Check it on the laptop: Task Manager shows the RAM, the free slots and whether the drive is an SSD. The battery report shows how worn a used battery is.

Skip what you do not need: Gaming graphics, RGB keys and the Android emulator question, with the budget answer: test apps on your own phone.

Warranty and student offers: Match the serial on the bill to the laptop, and the free student software to claim before paying for any in the shop.

19 prompts and a shop checklist: Prompts to decode spec cards, compare two laptops and check a second-hand one, a one-week plan, and a printable checklist.

FAQs:

Does it recommend a brand or model?

No. It shows how to read any spec card, so it works for whichever laptops are in your budget and your city.

Are there prices in it?

No. Prices change every few weeks, so the guide teaches what to check instead.

Is it only for Computer Science students?

It is written for BSc and BCA students learning to code, but the checks work for any student buying a laptop.

Is it really free?

Yes. Download it, use it, and share it with a classmate who is buying a laptop.