You can never have too much memory, and this is even more true in notebooks than in desktops. Just like desktops, notebooks with more RAM work faster. It now costs less to upgrade notebook memory than in the past, however, because of their compact size, there are some notebooks that can't add any additional memory. Because it's so difficult to expand a notebook's memory, it's best to get one with more memory than you think you will need. Many notebook PCs use SDRAM (Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory), which synchronizes itself with the CPU's bus. Some higher-end notebooks use DDR-SDRAM (Double Data Rate-SDRAM), which effectively doubles standard SDRAM's efficiency.
 

Just like RAM, you can never have too much storage. It's like closet space; you always fill up what you have. Hard drives on notebooks, however, are a bit more difficult and a bit more expensive to upgrade; people rarely do it themselves.

 

Many notebooks use a CD-RW/DVD combo drive, offering versatile computing options to notebook users. The CD/DVD capability lets you listen to music, watch movies, play the latest 3D games, and work with the most graphics-intensive multimedia software. 

 

Notebook PCs use a flat-panel LCD (liquid crystal display) screen to display information rather than the cathode ray tube (CRT) that's common in desktop computer monitors. LCD screens typically take up much less room, but don't display fast-moving images and video as well as CRTs. Notebook LCD displays use active matrix technology (also called Thin Film transistor, or TFT), which results in bright, crisp colors, and a fast refresh rate. TFT formats include:

 

The typical notebook LCD monitor has a viewable display ranging from about 14.1 inches to 16.1 inches.

Communication is a major reason many people use notebooks. Most notebooks now come with a 56K analog modem. This, along with your Internet software and a phone line, will enable you to send e-mail and browse the web. Modems can be built in (internal) or come with the computer in the form of a PC card, which fits into your PCMCIA (Personal Computer Memory Card International Association) slot. PCMIA slots also accommodate extra memory, drives, as well as PC cards that allow for an Ethernet connection over a large network. This connection gives you access to the Internet, as well as to other computers on the network. Ethernet transfers data at 10Mbps, and Fast Ethernet transfers data at 100Mbps.