Pink laptops are one of the best blends of functional computing and fun fashion. Picking out the right model to give as a gift (either a gift for a loved one, or to yourself) can be overwhelming if you don’t know where to start.

You might think that knowing you want pink in particular will limit your choices. This may have been true a few years ago, but today there are dozens of different pink laptops available. Color is just one of the many choices involved in choosing the right computer.

Here are some of the choices you’ll want to make when selecting a pink laptop that is right for your purposes:

1. Size. How will you use the pink laptop? Do you want one that will be your primary computer? Will it be used just as a secondary computer in the home? Or are you looking for a net book that you can carry with you to check email and browse (but not much else) while you’re on the go?
2. Speed / performance / memory. Decide how powerful you need your computer to be. If you just plan to use it for word processing, that is very different from running powerful software, watching movies or playing games. Figure out how you’ll use it to determine how powerful a processor you need, and how much space you want on your hard drive. If you are a gamer you are in luck because you can get good gaming laptops in pink.
3. Disc drives. If you plan on burning CDs or DVDs on your pink laptop, you’ll need to make sure you have the right disc burning drives. Not all computers come with the same drives, so make sure you have what you need, and don’t just assume it will be included.
4. Wireless capabilities. Most modern laptops come with the ability to pick up wireless network signals and connect to local networks and internet networks this way. But if you want to use Bluetooth (so you can use your matching pink Bluetooth headset) or some other wireless technology, make sure this is an option on the computer you get.
5. Brand. If you are loyal to a specific brand (Sony, Dell, Toshiba, Samsung, Acer), check to see if they make a pink laptop that does what you want. Chances are, they do. And if they don’t, you can get a pink laptop cover to protect the computer and add the color you’re looking for.

If you are looking for a fun piece of technology that is also practical, a pink laptop might be exactly what you are looking for. Of course, this color and style isn’t for everyone, but most people aren’t in the middle about pink. You either love it or you don’t. So those who love pink and use computers can find many excuses to use a machine that is both. Here are five fun reasons to buy a pink laptop, either for yourself or for someone you know.

1. Blend form and function. Color and computing needn’t be mutually exclusive. Why have a plain computer when you can get one that looks more interesting? Yes, you need it to meet a lot of practical needs, but why not have it meet personal ones at the same time?
2. Add personality—stand out from the crowd. Everyone and their mother has a plain colored computer, so pink can be a much needed refreshment from the drab world of grays and blacks. How much you want to stand out may depend. If you work in a more traditional profession, you should probably go with a sleek pearl shade. If you’re in fashion, design, or something else edgy, why not go all out with a bold, hot pink laptop? You know you want to. There are even a variety of pink laptop bags to match your pink laptop.
3. Get the kids out of your hair. Is your daughter at the age where she’s always using the family computer? Get your space back by buying a pink laptop for her to use around the house. You can tell her it’s the family laptop (so you still have say), and she’ll think you’re being generous, when really you just want your desk back. There’s nothing wrong with that.
4. Stellar dorm room. College students love decorating their dorm rooms. Send your freshman off with a pink laptop and she’ll love you forever. (Especially if it matches her sheets, cell phone, iPod, etc.)
5. Because you can. Life is short: why buy boring electronics? A pink laptop isn’t just for kids. If you like the color (or if you’re just having a midlife crisis), why not go all out. A pink laptop is, if nothing else, fun.

A pink laptop might not be everyone’s ideal computer, but for someone who loves the color, there really is nothing better. This fun take on laptop computing adds style, personality, and a fresh attitude to every day tasks, checking email, and browsing the web.

Pink laptops make excellent gifts for a teenage girl, or for a college student going away from home for the first time. They’re also fun for adults who are a bit young at heart, or who just have a penchant for pink and can make this unique color shine.

Combining style with performance is something that is more common in the electronics industry than ever before, but it hasn’t always been this way. When home computers first started out, they all came cased in a dull gray. That gave way to dark gray and black, or fresher white. But only in the past few years have more colors become available.

Laptops in particular, along with portable MP3 players and cell phones, have helped push the advent of multiple color options for personal electronics. As people started using these devices more regular (often on a daily, even hourly, basis), they became less like the electronics of the past and more like personal accessories. The things we carry with us regularly become more personal, and we want to not only have things we enjoy looking at, but own items that we feel express our personal styles. This is half for self expression, and half for wanting things to match.

The great thing about today’s pink laptops is that they are made by some of the day’s leading computer manufacturers. Pink laptops are available from Sony, Dell, Acer, Samsung, and others. These manufacturers make tough laptops so you won’t need notebook repair. Those that don’t come in pink (such as Apple’s Macbook) can be equipped with pink laptop covers. This not only adds personal style and flair to the laptop, but it also adds a layer of extra protection, which helps keep the computer in good shape.

Pink laptops (and pink laptop covers) combine form and function, or at least color and computing. If you are going to use a computer every day, why not use one that you like the looks of?