Practical MethodsPractical Methods

PERSONAL DECISIONS

Criteria · The Laptop

The Laptop Buyer's Workbook

Fix first. Shape second. Score last.

The decision usually made by a deal. Run the replacement test on the machine you have, write the shape before you open a deals page, run six gates, and score up to five machines. No brands. No spec tables.

$19USD · PDF + Excel · instant download
Get the workbook Not a review. Not advice. A method.
The gates page of the workbookThe Laptop Buyer's Workbook coverThe scorecard page of the workbook
3Replacement questions
6Pass/fail gates
44Questions
5Machines scored

What is inside

Two files. Use either one alone, or both. Most people run the replacement test and write the shape on paper and enter the scores in the spreadsheet.

The workbook

PDF · 18 pages · print at home

  • The replacement test. Three questions about the machine you have, four readings, and the fix list if there was no yes.
  • The shape. Six lines to write before you open a deals page.
  • Six pass or fail gates with tick boxes for five machines.
  • Four criteria at two pages each. 44 rated questions with 1 to 5 circles, signs to walk away and what to check yourself.
  • A scorecard that totals up to five machines on paper.
  • The terms page and agreement for a student or shared machine, a setup checklist and the one-year check.

The scorecard

Excel · 7 tabs · opens in Google Sheets and Numbers

  • Name your machines once. They flow to every tab.
  • Platform, all-in price and weight per machine, checked against the ceiling you set.
  • Pass/Fail dropdowns on the gates. One fail marks the machine OUT everywhere.
  • All 44 rated questions with 1 to 5 inputs for up to five machines.
  • Weighted totals and a ranking of the machines that cleared the gates.
  • A Terms tab with the ownership, replacement and next-machine questions, the agreement and the setup checklist.

The six gates

A gate is pass or fail. One fail and the machine is out. Not scored lower. Out.

The replacement testAt least one yes about the machine you have. No yes, no list.
The requirementIf a school list or a required program names a platform, the machine is on it.
The softwareEvery program you actually run opens on this machine. The specific programs.
The budgetThe all-in number, at the configuration you need, fits under the ceiling.
The carryIf it goes in a bag daily, it is under the weight ceiling with its charger.
The conditionIf used: battery health known, return policy in writing, updates still open. If new: pass.

The four criteria

Each carries a weight. The weights are yours to change. Change one and every total recalculates.

The jobDoes it run what you actually run, at the pace you need, for as long as you wrote. 12 questions.
The lifeBattery on a real day, repairability, and the update window from the release date. 10 questions.
The fitThe screen, the keys, the weight with the charger, the ports against your dock. 12 questions.
The cost to ownYear one including what the box leaves out, and the second machine. 10 questions.

How it works

Seven steps. Most people do the fourth and skip the first.

Run the replacement testThree questions about the machine you have. No yes means a battery, not a laptop.
Write the shapeWho, the job, the platform if decided, the ceiling, carry or desk, the lifespan.
Run the gatesUp to five machines. One fail and it is out.
Score what is left1 to 5 on four weighted criteria. Your judgement, not an average.
Compare the totalsA gap of three is noise. A gap of eight is a decision.
Write the terms, if it is for a studentWhose account, where it lives, who pays, what earns the next one.
Set it up before it leaves the boxBackup first. Protection decided and written down. Then use it.

Three of the eighteen pages

Real pages from the workbook, not mockups.

The Replacement Test page
The replacement test. Three questions, four readings, the fix list.
The Job criterion page
The job. Criterion 1 of 4, weight five.
The scorecard page
The scorecard. Weighted totals for up to five machines.

Who this is for

  • Your laptop is old and you are not sure that is a reason
  • There is a school list, a required program, or a task the old one cannot do
  • You have forty tabs open and a countdown timer on one of them
  • You want the questions before the deals page, not after
  • You want someone to name the laptop to buy
  • You want a spec table or a brand ranking
  • You have already bought and want validation

Questions

What do I get?

Two files, delivered instantly after checkout. An 18-page printable PDF workbook and an Excel scorecard with seven tabs. The spreadsheet opens in Excel, Google Sheets or Numbers.

Does it tell me which laptop to buy?

No. It is a method, not a review. It never names a brand and never prints a spec table. It gives you the replacement test, a six-line shape, six pass or fail gates, 44 questions across four weighted criteria, and a scorecard that totals up to five machines. The answer comes from your answers.

What is the replacement test?

Three questions about the machine you already have. Is there a task it cannot do, a program or update it cannot run, or a part that has failed. No yes on any of the three means you are buying a battery or a storage upgrade, not a laptop. The workbook says so and gives you the fix list.

Is this for a student laptop?

Yes, and for a work or home machine. The shape asks who it is for. A student or shared machine gets the terms page: whose account, where it lives at night, who pays when it breaks, and what earns the next one. A machine for one adult skips it.

Do I need Excel?

No. The spreadsheet opens in Google Sheets and Apple Numbers as well as Excel. The PDF works on its own if you prefer paper. Most people run the replacement test and write the shape on paper and enter the scores in the spreadsheet.

Can I change the weights?

Yes. The four criteria carry starting weights of five, four, four and three. They live on one tab. Change any weight and every total recalculates.

Is there a refund?

Contact us through the email on your receipt if the files do not open or you did not get what was described.

The Laptop Buyer's Workbook

Fix first. Shape second. Score last.

An 18-page PDF and a seven-tab Excel scorecard. Instant download.

Get the workbook · $19 Not a review. Not advice. A method.
$19 PDF + Excel
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