Shopping Advice on Laptops: buying guide

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A laptop computer needed to be was smaller and more portable than the desktop version. These days the range on offer can be shaped and adapted to fit a number of different uses. Configurable product choices of the type instigated by companies like Dell and Sony, mean that you can mix and match components to fit your exact needs and get all that you need for a price that you can afford.

Key features:
Laptop Processors: Central processing unit (CPU) is sometimes described as the most important chip in the computer. It contains the arithmetic and logic unit (ALU), so the computer can do calculations, and the control unit that controls the flow of data between the ALU and memory. There's a lot of competition between manufacturers of processors and the speeds they offer, but the plain fact is that while it is heavily featured in the marketing literature even the slower processors are fast enough for most uses, even though 3.0GHz is offered on many laptops. Money saved on processors might more usefully be spent on memory. There are two things that really matter with laptop processors: The balance struck between processor power and battery consumption, and the links to mobile technology that enable you to make the most of the laptop's portability.

For the first, simply put, processors with the word mobile in their name are going to be the best choice, as in Mobile Intel Pentium 4 or Athlon XP Mobile. These use less power and run cooler. For the second, Intel's combination of processor, chipset and wireless card technologies marketed under the brand name Centrino is hard to beat.

Laptop RAM: Random Access Memory (RAM) is where the computer stores applications that are running and data. Most laptops come with a standard 256MB of Random Access Memory. Moving up to 512 MB installed RAM is a must if you are intending to use the laptop for digital video or downloading music. Even if you are not, buying as much RAM as you can afford is one area of expenditure on computers that will always pay you back in the future. Check out the RAM capacity to see how much room you have for future upgrades.

Laptop Hard drives: The computer uses the hard drive to store programs and files. The storage capacity of a basic 20GB hard drive is more than enough for most users. However, if you want to work with databases, or digital photos and video files then moving to a bigger hard drive, say 40 or 60GB, may be worthwhile. Some laptops are equipped with 120GB hard drives.

Optical drives

CD-RW is better because not only can you read CDs you can also write and record data to them. Depending on the CD format you can record once (R) or multiple times (RW). Best if you want to copy music from your CDs into your notebook.
DVD-ROM can read DVD discs as well as CDs. Best if you want to watch DVD movies on your laptop and install software from DVD or CD.

Laptop Screen sizes: The liquid crystal display (LCD) screens used in laptops come in a range of sizes from 12" to 17" (measured diagonally). Smaller screens mean lighter and more portable laptops but a 15" screen is common. If you are going to be working on the machine a lot then a bigger screen with a decent resolution, say 1024/768, will be better for you in the long run. Higher resolutions mean you can fit more in on the screen, but you may find it harder to read. TFT (thin film transistor) screens are designed to perform better in bright light or sunlight and can produce clearer images.

Batteries: Most laptops use Lithium Ion batteries. Battery life varies between laptops but somewhere between 2 and 5 hours, depending upon the number of things that you are asking the laptop to perform would be about average. Laptop battery recharging times will also vary - around 75 minutes is common - so buying a spare battery is well worth considering.

Touch sensitive mouse pads: This replaces the mouse on most laptops. Some users find that initially this can be difficult to operate. It is well worth testing out before you buy if you can.

USB ports: Many laptops come with more than one USB port which makes connecting to peripherals a lot simpler. Newer models are also available with a Fire wire connection to transfer digital information from camcorders or MP3 players.

Accessories:

Wireless LAN card: You will need one of these if your laptop does not have built-in mobile technology. It should fit into the PC Card slot of your laptop.
Printers: Mobile or not at some time you are going to want to print. The choices to make are between inkjet, laser and all-in-ones.
Anti-virus software: Vital if you are going to make any connection to the internet and you value your data and security. Many laptops are sold with trial versions of products from major suppliers like McAfee or Symantec pre-installed.
Floppy disk drive: Still around, still working, and floppy disk drives are still the cheapest storage solution for data around. Investing in an external floppy disk drive means you can safely back-up very small amounts of data from your laptop and still make use those old floppies you have hanging around.
Memory sticks: Memory Sticks are an easy way to transfer small amounts data from your laptop to a desktop. They should not be treated as a means of permanent storage.

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