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The most highly evolved species of computer, the laptop (aka notebook) computer allows you to work without being tethered to an office. Portability and good performance make notebook PCs an essential part of the daily lives of millions of people, from college students to business travelers. Even the least-expensive of today's laptops are well equipped for everyday work.

The Big Picture

If you've ever shopped for a notebook, you know that the factors to consider go far beyond performance and connections. Notebook buyers have to mull such additional variables as size, weight, screen dimensions, battery life, and keyboard quality--plus options such as built-in wireless.

Key Features

Processor: Intel's dual-core processors have helped notebooks gain ground in the power department. In PC World tests, laptops using these dual-core processors performed considerably faster than laptops using single-core processors, particularly when multitasking. In newer notebooks you may see references to Core Duo, Core 2 Duo, and Core 2 Extreme, which represent steps up in computing power for laptops.

Some notebooks use AMD's Athlon Turion 64 X2 dual-core processor, which also supports improved performance. The Turion 64 X2 and the Core 2 Duo both provide 64-bit support, which will become increasingly useful as more 64-bit applications reach the market.

Low-end notebooks offer Intel's Celeron M processor, which is generally not as speedy as the Core Duo processors.

System memory: Unless you're buying on the cheap, a new notebook generally includes 1GB of system memory. Many notebooks today are available with 2GB of RAM. Equipping your laptop with 2GB of RAM at the time you buy it will help extend its useful lifetime.

Graphics memory: Portables can have either of two different types of video chip sets: dedicated video (which means a separate preinstalled graphics card) or integrated graphics. Dedicated video chip sets come from nVidia and ATI/AMD, whereas integrated graphics are typically Intel. If you intend to use your notebook for even casual gaming, make sure that it has memory dedicated to graphics use, rather than relying on graphics that pull from main memory. Gamers need advanced 3D graphics chips, along with 256MB to 512MB of dedicated graphics memory. High-end desktop-replacement notebooks have sophisticated desktop graphics capabilities, as well; in the past integrated graphics would work just fine for business purposes, but Windows Vista demands a more-powerful graphics subsystem.

Some notebooks now offer Scalable Link Interface (SLI), which provides a means to run multiple graphics chips in one machine. Some new units, such as Alienware's Area 51M m15x, boast two nVidia GeForce 8800M GTX cards running in SLI; needless to say, such laptops tend to be more expensive.

Screen: Notebook screens continue to get bigger--and most have gone wide, enabling you to view spreadsheets or movies with ease. Even budget shoppers can afford the luxury of high-resolution color: Portables with 14.1-inch and 15.4-inch wide screens now cost as little as $1000. Most notebook manufacturers offer laptops with 17-inch wide screens, too. Frequent business fliers can choose from among the many laptops with screen sizes of 12.1 or 13.3 inches--some of which are wide-screen models, as well.

Notebooks with standard-aspect 14.1- or 15-inch screens remain available, but they're not as plentiful as wide-screen models.

Battery: Notebook battery life continues to improve. In PC World's tests, laptops using a Core Duo or Core 2 Duo processor average roughly 3.5 hours on one battery charge. Keep in mind that manufacturers may improve their times by taking steps such as turning off wireless receivers, which tend to consume a lot of power. Also, check to see if the manufacturer's stated battery-life numbers are for its regular or extended-life battery--the latter kind of battery can last up to twice as long as a regular one. And remember that, in general, lighter laptops tend to have longer battery lives than big desktop-replacement notebooks do.

Keyboard and pointing device: Though you can get accustomed to almost any notebook keyboard, it's best to try before you buy. Thin-and-light notebooks usually have smaller-than-average keys spaced more closely than the keys on a desktop-replacement model, and their layouts may differ from a standard keyboard's. If you have largish hands, be aware that an ultraportable's keyboard may be difficult to use.

You probably won't be invited to choose between eraserhead and trackpad pointing devices; if you have a preference, look for manufacturers that use the pointing device you prefer on most of their products. A better option: Buy a USB mouse designed for laptops. It's a small investment, and your hands will thank you for it.

Optical and other drives: Most manufacturers offer notebooks with rewritable DVD drives. It's still possible to get a notebook with a combination DVD-ROM and CD-RW drive, but few machines feature just a DVD-ROM or a CD-RW drive. If you really need a floppy drive, you can buy a USB add-on drive for less than $100.

Hard drive: Cheaper notebooks with 60GB hard drives are becoming scarce, but you can still save money by opting for a 80GB model. A top-of-the-line (120GB, 7200-rpm or 160GB, 5400-rpm) SATA hard drive will set you back a few hundred dollars if you purchase it when you order your laptop. Hard-drive space tends to fill up, however, so the option of a portable external drive is something to consider.

Weight and bay design: Notebooks range from 17-pound desktop replacements to 8- or 10-pound all-in-one models with the optical drive built in to 3-pound ultraportables that rely on external drives. One-bay notebooks have become more prevalent because of their appealing balance of features and weight. Many laptops offer the optical drive as a modular device, so you can swap it out for a second hard drive or a second battery.

When making a purchase, however, keep in mind that you should consider the weight not only of the notebook but also of the AC adapter, the extra batteries, any external modules, and their cables. Ultraportable notebooks have lightweight adapters, but they can weigh almost as much as a full-size notebook if you have to carry an external optical drive, too.

When you return to your desk, you can snap most notebooks onto an extra-cost docking station or port replicator (prices range from $100 to $500). Doing so saves you from repeatedly having to plug in and unplug an external monitor, keyboard, mouse, and other desktop peripherals.

Communications: Few notebooks come with a full set of legacy ports anymore. Serial ports are rare, as are PS/2 ports (for a mouse or keyboard) and infrared ports. Most notebooks still have a parallel port and one PC Card slot, though many now offer an ExpressCard slot as well. Quite a few full-size models now come with a DVI port for connecting to an external digital display.

Most notebooks have at least two USB 2.0 ports; many offer four, and some up to six. A majority of notebooks include a FireWire (IEEE 1394) port for connecting an external drive or a digital-video camcorder.

Built-in ethernet now comes standard on all portables, with many models carrying gigabit ethernet. Many notebooks also have built-in Bluetooth. Notebooks using the Intel Core Duo or Core 2 Duo processors--or AMD's Turion 64 X2 processor--include Intel's wireless 802.11a/b/g chip set.

Some notebooks come with built-in wireless broadband wide-area networking, enabling them to access Verizon Wireless's EvDO Broadband Access service, for example.

Most also include one or more card slots for removable media such as CompactFlash, Secure Digital, MultiMediaCard, Memory Stick, or SmartMedia.

The Specs Explained

Before shopping for a notebook, consider how you'll be using it. If your primary goal is to get some word processing or spreadsheet work done while staying on top of e-mail, a $1000 Core Duo model with a 14.1-inch screen and a 40GB hard drive will be plenty fast and will save you hundreds of dollars. Sexy lightweight notebooks and models with top-notch processing power and big screens cost much more.

Remember that most vendors let you custom-build and -price your own notebook by picking from a mind-boggling array of features, which gives you a lot of control over the final product. You may be able to afford a faster notebook by accepting a smaller, less-expensive hard drive or DVD-ROM/CD-RW drive, instead of a Double Layer DVD+/-RW SuperMulti driver.

Unlike those on desktop PCs, only some of the components (such as memory and the hard drive) are upgradable; others (such as the graphics board) are permanent once they're installed at the factory. That's slowly changing, as some manufacturers begin to incorporate upgradable graphics. But take your time and pick only what you need. Below is a rough breakout of some configuration options.

(The "One Laptop Per Child" campaign introduced one interesting development: affordable portables that can handle basic tasks yet don't cost a fortune. The $400 Asus Eee, for example, is a prime choice for students, while the beefier--and slightly more expensive--HP 2133 is a great machine for the classroom and the boardroom.)

Important consideration: Installed memory. The more installed memory your notebook has, the more applications you can run at once, and the better your notebook will perform. Ease of access aside, upgrading memory in a notebook is a bit trickier than with a desktop, so buy as much memory preinstalled as you can afford. Notebooks with 1GB of RAM are optimal. If you're running Windows Vista on a laptop, consider upgrading to 2GB of RAM.

Important consideration: Processor. The CPU determines how quickly a notebook runs applications and performs on-screen tasks. Core Duo and Core 2 Duo processors are good choices for speedy processing. (Check the latest prices for recommended notebooks.)

Important consideration: Screen size. The specified size of a notebook's LCD screen represents a diagonal measurement. The larger the screen, the higher the maximum resolution and the more information you can view at once. At this point, most notebooks are wide-screen models; if you want a notebook with a standard-aspect screen you'll have to search a bit, but they are still available. (Compare notebooks with recommended screen sizes.)

Somewhat important: Hard drive. The larger the hard drive, the more data you can keep on your notebook. Most people don't need more than 80GB. If you plan to work with databases, spreadsheets, or digital photo or video files, opt for a large drive. Also make sure to find out the hard drive's speed; below 7200 rpm, the hard drive could bog down on some tasks.

Somewhat important: Expansion bays. The more expansion bays, the more options you have for switching in new optical drives or other storage drives; but switching drives takes time. Though high-end ultraportables typically have no extra bays, you can purchase external drives for them.

Somewhat important: Optical drives. Most manufacturers offer laptops with rewritable DVD drives, which give you the most flexibility. Alternatively, you can purchase a notebook with a DVD-ROM/CD-RW drive, to save money.

Notebook Shopping Tips

Are you ready to buy a notebook? Here are our recommendations for specifications that will fit the needs of the average user.

A 1.73-GHz Core Duo processor. For everyday work--word processing, spreadsheets, e-mail--you don't need the latest, greatest (read: "most expensive") processor, but thankfully, with the Core Duo, you get strong performance and great battery life. (Check latest prices.)

1GB or more of memory. Anything less will slow your work.

Supplemental battery. If you want more time away from an outlet, buy a higher-capacity supplementary battery when you purchase the notebook, or buy a notebook that has a modular bay capable of holding a supplementary power pack. Secondary batteries usually cost between $99 and $200.

A 14.1-inch wide screen. A screen larger than 12.1 inches eases eyestrain. Unless you're really pinching pennies--or you crave a tiny notebook--bigger is better. (Compare prices for notebooks with at least 14.1-inch screens.)

An 80GB hard drive. Unless you generate multimegabyte music or database files, or install more than one office suite, 80GB is plenty big.

Touchpad pointing device. Pointing devices are a matter of taste. Most people, however, find a touchpad easier to use than a pointing stick. For people who can't decide between a touchpad and an eraserhead pointing device, some notebooks include both. If you buy one of these, make sure that it provides two sets of mouse buttons--one for the touchpad and the other for the eraserhead--so you don't have to stretch to reach.

Multiple USB ports. Many notebooks now come with two or more USB 2.0 ports, useful for connecting more of the latest peripherals.

All-in-one design. Unless you need a lightweight notebook, opt for one with an internal bay for the optical drive. This design enables you to swap in other devices, such as an extra hard drive or a second battery.

ZT from PCWorld



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