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Laptop buying guide
To choose the right laptop (one with the most appropriate set of features at the right price) you'll need to figure out how you'll want to use your notebook. First, consider the user category you fall into:
Home user
Home users are increasingly interested in laptops as second or third PCs for the home. Quite often, notebooks can offer similar performance and features to those of a desktop PC, but they can be easily moved From place to place. Two types of notebooks are suitable for home users: mainstream laptops and desktop replacements.
Key specifications:
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Mobile Celeron, Pentium 4-M, or desktop (Pentium 4) processors |
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At least 256MB of memory |
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Large hard drive for storing digital photos and video |
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15-inch display or larger |
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Fixed or swappable CD-RW and/or DVD drives |
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Wired and wireless networking |
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External keyboard and mouse |
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Microsoft Windows XP Home |
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Microsoft Works Suite |
Student
Students and other budget buyers should look for a laptop that delivers the most for the least. In particular, students need a notebook that is small and light enough to carry across campus but rugged enough to withstand bouncing around in a backpack.
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Mobile Celeron, Pentium 4-M, desktop Pentium 4, or PowerPC G4 processors |
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At least 256MB of memory |
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Big hard drive |
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CD-RW drive for burning audio CDs |
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Wired and wireless networking for network-equipped classrooms and dorm rooms |
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Microsoft Windows XP Home or Apple Mac OS X |
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Microsoft Office XP Standard Edition or Office X for Mac OS |
Frequent traveller
If you spend a lot of time on the road, size and weight are the two most important factors in opting for a new notebook--even if it means sacrificing a little on performance and features. The smallest and lightest notebooks, ultraportables link goes topage B.a.,weigh less than four pounds and are no thicker than a spiral-bound notebook.
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Mobile Celeron, Pentium 4-M, desktop Pentium 4, or PowerPC G4 processors |
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At least 128 MB of memory |
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A 12-inch display |
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Wired and wireless networking |
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Extra battery |
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Media slice or external USB CD-RW/DVD drive |
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Port replicator for the desk |
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Microsoft Windows XP Professional |
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Microsoft Office XP Professional Edition |
Business power user
If you rely on the same laptop everywhere you need a well-balanced system. And it has to deliver the performance to keep up with a wide range of applications. A lightweight laptopis just what you need.
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Intel Pentium M processor |
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512 MB of memory |
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Midsized hard drive |
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A 14-inch display |
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Swappable, combination CD-RW/DVD drive |
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Wired and wireless networking |
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Extra battery |
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Microsoft Windows XP Professional |
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Microsoft Office XP Professional |
Gamer or Multimedia author
If you demand more From a notebook, you'll need a real desktop replacement. Whether you're designing a Web site, editing home movies, or playing games, your notebook will demand a powerful processor, plenty of memory, great graphics, and a generous hard drive.
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Fastest Pentium M, Pentium 4-M or desktop P4, or PowerPC G4 processors |
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512MB to 1GB of memory |
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A 15-inch display or larger |
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Advanced graphics accelerator with 32MB or 64MB of its own memory |
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The largest and fastest hard drive available |
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Swappable CD-RW and DVD recordable drives |
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Multimedia connectors, such as S-Video, FireWire, S/PDIF |
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External keyboard and mouse |
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Microsoft Windows XP Home or Professional, or Apple Mac OS X |
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Microsoft Office XP Premium, Adobe Photoshop | |
