Laptops Buying Guide
Don't be mystified by jargon or fooled by hype. Our comprehensive Buying Guides help you choose the right products.
What you need to know, from the kind of user you are to current technologies:
WHICH KIND OF LAPTOP IS RIGHT FOR ME?
To choose the right laptop -- one with the right set of features at the right price -- you'll need to work out how you'll use your machine. Match your needs to one of these user profiles to get started.
Home user | Student | Frequent flier | Business power user | Multimedia author or gamer
Home user
Home users are increasingly turning to laptops as second or third PCs for the home. Laptops can offer similar performance and features to those of a desktop PC, but they can be easily moved from room to room. Two types of laptops are suitable for home users: mainstream laptops and desktop replacements.
KEY FEATURES:
Mobile Celeron, Pentium 4-M or desktop (Pentium 4) processors
At least 128MB of memory
Large hard drive for storing digital photos and video
14-inch display or larger
Fixed or swappable CD-RW and/or DVD drives
Wired and wireless networking
External keyboard and mouse
Microsoft Windows XP Home
Microsoft Works Suite
Student
Students and others on a tight budget should look for a laptop that delivers the most bang for the buck. In particular, students need a notebook that is small and light enough to lug back and forth across campus, but rugged enough to withstand bouncing around in a rucksack.
KEY FEATURES:
Mobile Celeron, Pentium 4-M, desktop Pentium 4 or PowerPC G4 processor
At least 256MB of memory
Expansive hard drive to hold all those MP3s
CD-RW drive for burning audio CDs
Wired and wireless networking for network-equipped classrooms
Microsoft Windows XP Home or Apple Mac OS X
Microsoft Office XP Standard Edition or Office X for Mac OS
Frequent flier
If you spend a lot of time on the road, size and weight are the two most critical factors in choosing a new laptop -- even if it means sacrificing a little on performance and features. The smallest and lightest laptops, 'ultraportables', weigh less than 2kg and are no thicker than a spiral-bound notebook.
KEY FEATURES:
Pentium III-M processors
At least 128MB of memory
A 12-inch display
Wired and wireless networking
Extra battery for those long-haul flights
Media slice or external USB CD-RW/DVD drive
Port replicator for the desk
Microsoft Windows XP Professional
Microsoft Office XP Professional Edition
Business power user
If you rely on the same laptop at work, at home and on the road, you need a well-balanced system. And it has to deliver the performance to keep up with a wide range of applications. A 'thin-and-light' is just the ticket.
KEY FEATURES:
Intel Pentium M processor
256MB of memory
Midsized hard drive
A 14-inch display
Swappable, combination CD-RW/DVD drive
Wired and wireless networking
Extra battery
Microsoft Windows XP Professional
Microsoft Office XP Professional
Multimedia author or gamer
If you demand more from a laptop, you'll need a true 'desktop replacement'. Whether you're designing a Web site, editing home movies or mowing down aliens, your notebook will demand a powerful processor, plenty of memory, great graphics and a healthy hard drive.
KEY FEATURES:
Fastest Pentium M, Pentium 4-M or desktop P4 or PowerPC G4 processors
512MB to 1GB of memory
A 15-inch display or larger
Advanced graphics accelerator with 32MB or 64MB of its own memory
The largest and fastest hard drive available
Swappable CD-RW and DVD recordable drives
Multimedia connectors, such as S-Video, FireWire, S/PDIF
External keyboard and mouse
Microsoft Windows XP Home or Professional or Apple Mac OS X
Microsoft Office XP Premium, Adobe Photoshop
More... from CNET.co.uk and the Internet
