Notebooks Computers: 10 Essential Buying Tips

I’m Ailsa and I got really confused when I was looking for a new notebook computer. I didn’t know my Core 2 Duo from my RAM or why I should get excited by a hard drive. Luckily for me, my friend Andy knows all about computers and translated all the technical jargon, so even I could understand it. Here’s what he told me:

1. What Do You Want to Use Your Notebooks Computers For?

This is the critical question. If you just want to do some simple word processing or spreadsheet work and manage your e-mails then a netbook costing from $200 may be perfect for you.

But if you’re want to watch online videos, listen to your music, edit your photos, play games and view DVD’s then you’ll probably need a laptop.

2. Multi-tasking

If like me, you multi-task and open several applications at once, like playing music, surfing the web, checking e-mails and working on a document, you’ll need plenty of memory. More memory means your notebook will perform better. Ideally you need 2GB of RAM (memory). If you’ll use Windows Vista, think about 3GB.

3. Fast or Slow?

A processor (CPU) is the part of a computer that runs applications (software), on-screen tasks and processes data. If speed is important to you, you’ll need to invest in a good processor. Dual-core processors perform much faster than single-core processors, especially when multi-tasking.

Look for Intel’s Core Duo, Core 2 Duo, and Core 2 Extreme for increasing computing power. Low-end laptops offer Intel’s Celeron M processor, which is slower.

4. Playing Games

This is only really important if you want to play games. If so, make sure your notebook has memory dedicated to graphics use. To get good quality and performance gamers need 3D graphics chips and at least 512MB of dedicated graphics memory.

5. Screen Size and Quality Matter

There’s a huge choice of screen size and resolution, so how big is your bag? Do you work on spreadsheets or want to watch movies in widescreen? Is it important to view documents side by side?

The screen size is measured by the diagonal measurement. The bigger the screen, the higher the maximum resolution and the more information you can view at once. 

Ultraportable notebooks go up to 13.3 inches and laptops usually vary from 13.3 inches to 17 inches. A good standard is a 16 inch screen with 1920 by 1080 pixel resolution.

You’ll enjoy movies and photo editing with higher resolutions.

Consider what sort of work you will be doing. Long periods dealing with spreadsheets and word processing will be easier on your eyes with a larger high resolution screen.

6. Readability

Check you can see text and photos clearly inside and in daylight. Some screens look really sharp inside, but are very hard to read in daylight. If you work outside or like to work in your local coffee shop make sure the screen is readable and not too reflective.

7. Elephant or Fish Memory?

Hard drives store the data you keep on your computer. If you want to store photos, video files, spreadsheets and databases, then choose a large drive. You should get at least 80GB and can go as high as 120GB or 160GB.

Check the speed of the hard drive too. Most offer 5400 rpm, but 7200 rpm will give a better performance with data intensive tasks.

8. Music and Camera Connections

If you want to use a wireless mouse, connect to your iPod or download photos from your digital camera you’ll need a USB port. Look for at least 2 USB ports and 1 Firewire connection.

9. How Long Before the Battery Dies?

You can guarantee that you’ll never be able to operate your notebook computer for as long as the manufacturer claims. So be skeptical when you check battery life. Claims vary from 1.3 to 12 hours…

10. Are Your Fingers Too Big?

More likely is the keyboard too small. Check this out and the mouse-pad or pointing device. There’s nothing more frustrating than tiny keys. Get a mini-mouse, you’ll thank me.

11. Light Weight or Dead Weight?

I’m sure my shoulders are uneven because I’ve been weight-training with a laptop. If you’re mobile and you’ll be carrying your notebook a lot then test the weight. It might seem OK but will you still think so after a long day?

Remember to include the AC adapter, any extra batteries and cables. They add to the weight.

I bought a docking station for my desk, so I can leave my cables and portable mouse in my bag. I hated all that unplugging and re-connecting.

12. Wireless and Bluetooth

A built in wireless capability means you can connect to the internet from just about anywhere. And Bluetooth means you can quickly share information with your phone and other devices.

13. Looks

Looks aren’t everything, but those black boxes just look so dull. Check out some of the stylish options.

14. Backing up

Some laptops have DVD burners to back up documents, photos and music files. I prefer to use a USB Flash Drive.

15. Protect Your Notebook

Too many of my friends have had their notebooks stolen. The stress and heartache is terrible. Look at anti-theft devices.

Hey, 15 things to consider for when you buy your notebooks computers. I hope they help you as much as they helped me. Special thanks to Andy, the lovely geek.

*****

Laptop Computer Review

Notebook computers are now configured by manufacturers to best match the needs of the user. This means customers can buy a laptop that will have the features and performance that they need from their computer.

Don’t think that any laptop will do. A little research will make your daily time on your laptop a much more productive and enjoyable experience. Buying a laptop is becoming similar to buying a car. Do you want a big SUV, a small compact, economical car, a sedan, a sports car or a truck?

This review will help you to narrow your choice.

Everyday Use

These laptops are designed for the average computer user. They are excellent for word processing, e-mail, managing small business and household data requirements, photos, music, internet surfing and are reasonable for watching movies.

Typical prices range from $500 to $1000 although you can pay more if you choose. The Toshiba Satellite L505-S5993 TruBrite with a 15.6 inch screen and the ASUS UL30A-X5 13.3 inch screen are good examples.

Ultraportable

These notebooks computers are designed to be light and easy to carry. They have small screens to save battery power. Think of these as your fast small car, quick enough to operate, with excellent fuel economy, but not much in the way of storage. So battery life is great, typically from 7 to 12 hours, but don’t think you’ll be able to store much music or many photos and multitask with too many operations.

Prices vary from $500 to $800. The ASUS UL 20A-A1 Thin and Light with a 12 inch screen and 7.5 hours of battery life is a good example as is the Toshiba Satellite T135-S1307 with a 13 inch screen and over 9 hours of battery life. 

Business

Business laptops are designed to provide full computing functionality away from the office. They are designed to hold huge amounts of data and usually have larger screens to display spreadsheets, graphs and charts. Battery life is around 3 to 3.5 hours, so consider buying an extra battery.

Expect to pay $800 to $1500 for one of these laptops. The HP Pavilion DU6-1361SB with 15.6 inch screen and 3.5 hours of battery and the Toshiba Satellite A505-S6981 16 inch screen with 3 hours of battery life are typical examples.

Student

Student notebooks are similar to the business computers. They need to store plenty of data but are also configured to accommodate music, some gaming capability and reasonable viewing performance.

Prices are in the $500 to $800 range. Toshiba and ASUS offer good options to this market.

Gaming

Computer games need a huge amount of dedicated graphics memory (at least 512MB) and 3D graphics chips. Gaming notebooks need memory to be dedicated to graphics use. 

This performance requirement increases the price. You need to spend $800 to $2000 for a good gaming computer. The ASUS G51J-A1 15.6 inch screen and the HP Pavilion DV&-2270US 17 inch screen are good gaming performers.

Entertainment and Multimedia

These computers usually have larger screens and high resolution. They are designed for movie viewing, photo and video editing. Expect the battery life to be quite short, so you may need battery back up or be able to be close to a power source.

Typical prices are in the $600 to $1500 range. The HP DV7-3060US 17 inch and Toshiba L505-S6992 are worth looking at.

 

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