Things to consider when buying a laptop - 3. Keyboard Quality

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3. Keyboard Quality

For long typing sessions, you’ll need to get a laptop that has a comfortable keyboard. You don’t want to get a keyboard that packs in every key under the sun (think keyboards that have squished in number pads) because that can translate to a poor overall user experience when hunting for specifics like the arrow or delete keys.

You want a keyboard that has a comfortable layout with full-sized keys and some space around the arrow keys. The keys should have adequate travel on the downstroke and snappy responsiveness when you let them go.

Make sure the keyboard is also backlit, so that you can type with an easier view on the keys in dimly lit environments. As with the screen, it helps to try before you buy, especially if your main task will be typing.