Buying PC's is like buying boats, there's no one-size fits all -- and there are always compromises.

Here are a few tips to look for:

Screen size vs. light weight (choose one)

Large screen and higher screen resolution (number of pixels) don't go hand in hand. If 1080p video is important you need at least 1920x1080 pixels even if you buy a smaller screen.

1920x1080 pixels in a small screen form factor will not be easy on older eyes, and will result in small text. Grab your reading glasses or spring for the larger screen.

Thinness usually means no DVD/Blueray drive built-in. It also might mean shorter battery life and a more fragile machine. You can always use an external DVD/Blu-ray on USB, but that's extra parts to carry. How often do you plan to use one? That's a decision factor.

Do you want an internal cellular broadband modem? Or would you prefer an external mobile hotspot (e.g. Mi-Fi) that can support multiple devices (e.g. tablet)?

Hybrid drives are a way of marrying cheap drives with better performance SSD (solid state drive) memory on boot-up and suspend/resume; but matter how much cache it has in SDD, the 5400 RPM Drive is a DOG on longer searches and prolonged disk read/write operations.

If your budget allows, turn your back on hybrid drives and spend a few hundred more for a larger SSD drive with NO SPINNING DISK. You will get lightning fast performance and far greater reliability, and longer battery life with less sensitivity to environmental factors such as magnetism, vibration, heat/cold, and shock. This is a huge advantage all around, especially on a boat.

Drive size: Unless you're heavily into video collecting and collecting hi-resolution photography/art as a profession or hobby you'll likely never need larger than 256 GB, in fact 128GB is rarely exceeded. Don't be impressed by the size of the drive, it's an insignificant specification once you get beyond 256.

15” screens are large in a laptop; a 15+ inch notebook is a 5-6+ pound machine without accessories or power brick and is big to be portable except occasionally. If you need mobility, a 14" is a better middle choice. 13" and smaller are for high mobility and you might find a good compromise is a smaller laptop AND an external monitor for your at-home desk.

Newer browsers use tabbed interfaces and each tab uses more memory and processing power, as does every document you keep open in other programs. Modern software programs are large and use lots of system resources, so get at least 8GB of RAM (main memory). RAM is cheap, the difference between 4GB and 8 is only about $50 and it is a huge performance issue if you don't have enough. If you keep lots of windows and documents open you'll easily exceed 4GB of RAM so get 8GB.

Don't save money on the screen either... Different companies have different names for their higher-end screens; in HP’s case it is Ultrabrite you want ; the low end screens are darker and have fewer shades between light and dark. They do this mainly to save on power and boast longer battery life but the standard screens are dull and dark at their brightest. They also have fewer pixels for a given size.

Touch screen not required on Windows 8.1 unless it's a tablet.

Finally -- Windows 8.1 will have a big learning curve for an XP user, and you need a good tutorial from someone who knows how to navigate and train. Otherwise go with Windows 7 if you don't want to deal with it and learn. Windows 8.1 is faster, and more secure. The Windows key is your "Start" button: Press the windows key and start typing whatever program or function you want, and your choices will instantly appear. Click the one you want. There are other tricks. It's Waaay faster than XP once you "get it". The thing that's most confusing to most users is switching back and forth between the "modern interface" (tiled UI that's finger friendly) and the traditional Windows desktop interface that's more keyboard/mouse friendly. Some of that can be alleviated if you change some default settings but I won't get into that here.

Hope this helps. Maybe I'll make it into a blog.(nl)