Picking out the Perfect Notebook PC
When you consider purchasing a notebook, you should take into consideration the single most important reason for a laptop: portability. We use notebooks because they can go anywhere you do with ease. If travel is a frequent part of your work schedule, you need a notebook. If you’re a student who makes multiple commutes to and from your University, you need a notebook. I look at a notebook as an essential item in today’s fast-paced mobile world. And there’s no need to worry about losing desktop performance, as today’s notebooks can be as powerful as most desktops with dual-core processors, large hard drives, DVD burners, etc. So now the question is: which one is right for you?
What You Need vs. What You Want
Well, first determine what your needs for the notebook will be. Will the computer be used for professional or recreational purposes? Are you an avid gamer, or just planning to use the notebook in your leisure time? Is processing speed a big concern to you? When considering the purchase of a notebook, it’s important to realize that most notebook components cannot be upgraded, with the exception of memory and hard drives. When you purchase a laptop, make sure it meets or exceeds your requirements. Purchasing a higher-end notebook may cost more, but it saves you the worry of having to upgrade your notebook anytime soon.
Display Size Matters
Screen Size is another determining factor when purchasing a notebook. If you need the ability to run Side-by-Side applications, then consider a widescreen display. Widescreen displays commonly have an aspect ratio of 16:10, which generally gives you plenty of room to fit two full-size windows on one screen. Notebook screen sizes typically range from 13.3-icnhes to 17-inches. The standard screen of a typical 15.4-inch notebook has a pixel resolution of 1280 x 800.
Larger screen sizes provide more viewing area and higher resolutions (1440 x 900, 1680 x 1050, 1920 x 1200) than your standard compact displays. A notebook with a larger screen does have it’s downsides, though. Usually notebooks with larger screens have much shorter battery lives than notebooks with a smaller LCDs (powering that beautiful display doesn’t come free!). If long commutes are a daily part of your life, choosing a notebook with a smaller screen size is probably your best option, as the notebook will have a smaller footprint and weigh much less. However, if you’re looking for a notebook for multimedia purposes (movies, gaming, presentations) choosing a notebook with a larger screen size will be beneficial.
Remember that the purchase of a notebook should make your life simpler, not more complicated. Here are some buying tips to live by:
Notebook Buying Tips
- Laptop microprocessors cost more than their desktop counterparts. That’s because manufacturers have to design the laptop microprocessors to use less power and generate less heat. Those designs take time, so their development cycle is longer, hence the added cost.
- When reading the hardware requirements on a software box, use the “recommended” values, not the minimum. For example, a program may request 256MB of RAM but really thirst for 384MB. If so, get 384MB - or more.
- RAM is where it’s at! If you can’t afford a faster microprocessor, you can afford to buy more RAM. Pack your laptop with as much RAM as you can afford and it can handle.
- Buy the fattest hard drive you can afford. Especially if you plan on putting music on your laptop - you need at least a 80GB hard drive for that, maybe more.
- Don’t buy a laptop with less than 512MB of RAM in it. If you can afford 1024MB of RAM, get it. If you can afford 2048MB of RAM, get it. The more RAM, the better. Also, all but the most stingy versions of Windows Vista require 1GB of RAM minimum to function properly. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.
- Hard Drives: Graphics image files (such as digital photographs), music or audio files, and video files consume huge amounts of hard drive space. If you plan on collecting any of these types of files on your laptop, get the biggest hard drive you can!
By investing in the latest, fastest microprocessor, a lot of RAM, and a ton of hard drive space now, you extend the life of your laptop. That’s a good thing. You want your laptop investment to last for years to come. So pay more now, and you can earn it back down the road when you’re still using your laptop while others have to buy a new one.
Related Links:
Laptop Computers Available at TigerDirect.com!
Source: Yahoo! Tech:How to Buy a Laptop
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