Laptop Computers

Laptop FAQ

Do you have laptops on display at your Sydney stores?

Yes. At any given time, our stores usually have around 10-15 laptops on display. From study laptops, to high end gaming. Just don’t spill your coffee on them :)

I’m interested in a specific laptop, can I request it to be available to test at your Sydney stores?

Yes, however this is a case-by case basis. For example, some of our laptops may be in stock with the supplier, and not with JW. So we might only be able to show you a similar laptop from the same manufacturer.

Other times, we will have the laptop in stock, and have no problems for you coming to test it out. Simply call us before visiting, and we’ll help you as best we can.

Do you do laptop repairs?

Yes. We offer repair services to fix laptop keyboards, monitors, trackpads and everything in between. These laptop repairs are performed in house.

Can I buy laptop batteries at your stores in Sydney?

Yes. We have a large range of laptop batteries available. You can also phone us with your model number to ensure we have it in stock.

What laptop should I get?

A very open ended question we receive a lot. To answer it in a sentence, you should get the laptop that matches your professional requirements with a physical build to complement your daily activities.

For example, if you are a student and carrying the laptop around all day, you may value a lightweight elitebook laptop (under 1.5kg) and a screen size of around 13” so it can fit neatly on awkward university tables. You would also want a laptop with awesome battery life (8 hours+), so it’s okay to spend less on higher specification parts and allocate that budget towards a laptop with excellent reliability & ergonomics. Chances are, you’ll just be typing all day, so you won’t need a high end laptop.

On the other hand, if you are using the laptop at work all day. You may value a “bulkier” laptop with a bigger screen size, higher specifications and stronger build quality. If you’re going to throw a few tantrums and handle it with dirty hands, you want a laptop that can withstand heavy duty use.

Almost everyone values a solid battery life. Take note of each laptop and their real world battery life. We’d consider 10-12 hours use to be an excellent battery life. Of course, if you purchase a gaming laptop or powerful high end laptop, it’s very unlikely that you will have awesome battery life.

Laptops have a lot of other elements that people will either love or hate. The keyboard size, trackpad responsiveness, the placement and type of ports, if it gets hot underneath (no good if you sit your laptop...on your lap) and the warranty. Watch youtube videos to get a “feel” for them.

To find the laptop that is best for you, find out your budget, your ideal design, your warranty goals and performance requirements and start from there. It’s a choice you’ll only need to make every few years, our staff are here to help you get it right the first time.

How can I speed up my laptop?

If possible, replace the mechanical hard-disk drive with a Solid State Drive (SSD). Many times, storage is a “user replaceable part”. Meaning, the owner of the laptop can replace the HDD without voiding the warranty (check with your manufacturer).

For people who own older MacBooks or laptops with 2.5” SATA drives, you can easily replace them with a new SSD. It will make the laptop perform better than new, and breath new life into the machine.

Unfortunately, some laptop’s storage is soldered into the motherboard, meaning it cannot be replaced.

The next best thing to do, is to reformat the laptop. You’ll need your copy of windows and the drivers for the laptop, and some technical skill. Reformatting will erase windows to default (i.e. you lose all files), and the laptop will perform around the same as the day you got it.

We’d also recommend you manually edit the programs that open by default. On Windows, you can type “msconfig” into the Start Menu, navigate to the “Startup” tab and disable anything you think might be slowing down the laptop.