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In this guide, I will put together the clearest possible presentation of selecting a notebook suitable to your needs as well as a few hints and tips when purchasing your notebook. I believe this is the most updated outlook on purchasing a notebook as it often changes. NOTE: The words laptop and notebook are interchangeable. Begin here with:
-The way you plan to use your notebook, will tell you what style (size) notebook you should buy.
I really only like to seperate the styles into (2) categories: The Home User and The Student / Traveler. This is because with today's laptops being so afforadble it doesn't cost too much to upgrade a student/traveler notebook to come close to the capabilities of a home user notebook. I'll explain more within the body.
The Home User
recommended notebook: Desktop Replacement (DR)
Size:
-Thick
-More than 7 lbs (bulky)
-17" - 20" screen size
Pros:
-Extremely capable processors and graphics
-Wide array of ports and connections and a good number of them
-Large keyboard
-Seperate number pad
Cons:
-No traveling
-Batteries not designed for lengthy mobile use
~In short, if you don't plan on buying a desktop PC, and you need a machine that can handle your entire family's needs, a Desktop Replacement is the go to notebook. Today's Desktop Replacements deliver power and features you'd get from a desktop PC. Suitable for heavy video/image editing, heavy gaming and other demanding tasks. However, you would sacrifice the growing popularity in Desktop PC huge widescreen sizes. Also, this notebook is too bulky to really be transported out of the house.
The Student / Traveler
Someone who would regularly be transporting their notebook place to place including their home, school, or wireless hotspots such as Starbucks. They may or may not have a desktop PC at home and will have to customize their notebook accordingly.
recommended notebook: Ultra-portable (smallest) or Thin and Light
Size:
-Thin
-Less than 6 lbs.
-12" to 14.1" screen size
Pros:
-Portable / easy travel
-Extremely capable processors and graphics
-More attractive/ more customizing design options
Cons:
-Limited type of ports and connections and number of them
-Some have smaller keyboards and rarely an independent number pad
-More expensive
~So if you plan on traveling with your laptop at all, these are really your only choices as a Desktop replacement is out of the question. Notice that I don't even mention the mid-size (15"-16" screens) notebooks, because I feel there is no user for them. If you plan on only buying a notebook to keep in the house- get a Desktop replacement. They're very capable, (normally cheaper than mid-sized) and it's not hard to move room to room. If you plan on buying a notebook to travel with- get a ultra-portable or a thin and light. They're very capable, and anything above a 12" screen is sufficient in a public or classroom setting. Additionally, classrooms and Starbucks usually have a very small writing surface where a midsize is too much notebook. I have actually learned that new college students not thinking about this are complaining about this very issue. Now, back to the issue at hand. Today's ultra-portables and thin and lights DO have the capability to perform at, or near a desktop replacement level. The only problem is that it will cost you more amount of money for an Ultra-portable or thin and light that can compete performance-wise with a desktop replacement. However, this may not even be a necessary feature of a student / traveler user depending on a few questions:
-Do they own a desktop PC at home?
-How demanding are their tasks?
Obviously, if the student / traveler user owns a desktop PC, and they don't need to run all their applications outside of their homes, then their notebook only needs to be as capable as it needs outside of the home. Sound good?
Second, the student / traveler user may not even need desktop capabilities entirely! It would depend on how demanding their tasks are. Word processing, web browsing, light music and video storage are NOT demanding tasks. It isn't until heavy gaming, video and audio editing etc., desktop replacement capabilities are needed.
~In short- ultra-portibles / thin and lights are the only way to go if you're going to travel with them. Today's screens are extremely easy to view even at this small size. If you need portability AND power, you can customize, or choose a higher model but it will cost you significantly more at a ultra-portible / thin and light level. Shop around as different manufactures will offer only a limited amount of connections and ports due to the smaller size. (This can be a hassle for students running webcams, a mouse, and more etc. in for example a SONY C-SERIES which only has (2) USB ports)
Key Components to Look for
This is regardless of the style of notebook.
CPU
At the time of writing ( 5/2007 ) the BEST and most capable processor out is the Pentium CORE 2 DUO. Keep in mind there are different models WITHIN this line that are faster/more expensive as well as ENTIRELY DIFFERENT PENTIUM CPU models that may sound the same. (This is a big problem when uninformed buyers see an ad in the paper for a cheap notebook with a PENTIUM processor and instantly think, OH IT'S A GOOD BUY-it's a pentium!-Think again as they are not all created equal) The CORE 2 DUO will give you the BEST performance with the most EFFICIENT battery life. The catch? It'll be the most expensive.
The next best choice would be AMD DUAL CORE ATHLON 64 X2.
-If you're trying to decide between the two, the average user would not notice a huge significant difference in performance but perhaps slightly in the battery life. But you WILL feel a significant difference in the wallet. Weigh it out.
Memory
The amount of Memory is your notebook's capability of running demanding applications and different applications simutaneously--SMOOTHLY. The bare minimum for memory is 512MB[megabyte]. With Windows Vista becoming the standard on all new notebooks, Microsoft recommends 1024MB which is also known as and equal to 1GB-[gigabyte]. They say that this is optimal for the best Windows Vista experience. If you're doing heavy photoshop, running Vista in the background, editing audio and video, and playing heavy games then 2GB's is recommended. More than 2GB is often not supported.
Hard Drive
This is where you save programs and files indefinitely. If you try and skimp, it's one of those things where you'll find yourself trying to delete things to make more space for new things--NOT GOOD. The bare minimum is 60GB. This is if you have very minimal pictures, videos, and songs. A 120GB hard drive will store up to 44,000 photos, 25,000 songs, or 66 hours of video. You determine how much you'll need. Hard drive sizes for notebooks typically go up to 160GB. Also another factor besides size is SPEED. The bare minimum is 5400rpm. The faster the rpm's the better it performs. BUT KEEP IN MIND, faster speed does equal more required juice therefore reducing battery life.
Tips, Tricks and Hints When Buying Your Notebook
-If you are NOT in a RUSH to buy your notebook then DON'T. I read that computer prices drop 10-15% every 3-4 months. Just think about how much notebooks in general cost 2 years ago ($2,000 - 4,000!). So much new stuff comes out ALL THE TIME.
-The best time to BUY your notebook is around July / August as manufacturers/retailers are trying to unload as much as possible for the school season. Or on BLACK FRIDAY (day after thanksgiving) as there are actually many many great sales.
-Check out ALL the manufactuers after knowing what specs you want. I have found that some manufacturers have some really poor designs. It makes you wonder if any of the designers actually used the thing. Design elements to look out for:
-Touchpad location. Some get in the way. Make sure you can turn it on/off if it is in fact in the way.
-Touchpad feel. I think certain HP's have questionable touchpads. Some are too sticky and your fingers just don't glide. Compare as much as you can. Get a feel for Sony's.
-CD drive "open button" location. Pick up the notebook. I've found some have this little button placed in terrible spots so that when you carry your notebook your fingers always find a way to accidently pop open the drive!
-Brands I like: Sony, HP, and Dell
-If buying your notebook on eBay, don't expect a HUGE deal, as notebooks are very competitive. I've noticed you'll save typically $40 to maybe $150 off of retail.
-Check out- FRY'S ELECTRONICS. They are STELLAR.
and that about wraps it up. If this guide has helped you in any way, please let me know by giving it a quick vote. I will be sure to add more tips, tricks, and hints if I find that people are actually reading my guide! Thanks for your time, have a blessed day.
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