Laptop Guide

Laptop computer sales in 2007 came perilously close to surpassing those of their desktop counterparts, and 2008 might well see portables become dominate in the marketplace.  U.S. laptop shipments in 2007 rose some 21 percent to a total of 31.6 units, still under that of desktops, but 2007 was a banner sales year for the computer that sits on your lap.  And as sales rose, price invariably dropped and entry level laptops are now selling for as little as $499.00. 

So are you ready to take the plunge? Are you ready to purchase a new laptop or used laptop (notebook) computer, but you are not sure which model would fit your particular needs?  Confused by the terminology and seemingly ever shifting display sizes and resolution standards?   Let me help you with your research and eventual purchase decision by doing the leg work for you.  The result: a consolidated summary, a Buying Guide if you will, on laptop computers.  I am confident this Laptop Buying Guide will prove instrumental in saving you time, effort, and perhaps money, in your quest for THE RIGHT laptop computer to your particular needs.

What you need to know when purchasing a laptop computer

Let's start with the basics, namely what type (PC laptop or Apple laptop) of laptop to choose to fit your needs and how they differ in performance.  Deciding whether to buy a PC Compatible (Windows) or MacBook really comes down to personal choice, advertising, size & weight, word of mouth, and budget.  Despite the horror stories about Windows Vista, Windows XP based computers still perform quite nicely thank you. So, don't rule them out of your consideration set.     

All of the principle computer manufactures-Apple, Dell, Gateway, Toshiba, Hewlett Packard, Lenovo, Sony, and Acer-market laptop computers in varying screen sizes from 11.1" (Sony VAIO) all the way up to 17" LCD displays. 

Let's take a look at the two of the most important features to consider when making a laptop purchase, namely processor and screen size/type.    

Processors

Computer processors are of course the heart of any computer and for laptops there are only two manufactures left, Intel and AMD.  Both manufactures offer a dizzying array of processor types for laptops, almost as many as you'll find on comparable desktop units.  But of course the size of the processor has to matter because these little silicon wafers produce a lot of heat while going about the business of computing.  Apple does not offer AMD processors with the MacBook, which is shame because laptops with AMD processors tend to cost $100.00 less than comparable Intel equipped units.

No matter which processor you choose, make sure it has enough power to perform the tasks you'll demand from your new laptop.  Both Intel and AMD offer Duo-Core processors (the operating system sees the processor as two separate units) at varying bus speeds.  Duo-Core and Quad-core processors out-perform their single core brethren by a substantial margin.  The technology undergirding these processors families is too complex with the context of this guide.  For more information on processors, check out the Intel Microprocessor Quick Reference Guide, AMD Processor Guide, and Tom's Hardware 2007 CPU Chart.  The good news is all new laptops, be they Windows-based or Macintosh, ship with Intel and or AMD Dual Core or Core 2 Duo processors.     

TIP: The more the laptop cost, the higher the performance curve and internal processor bus speed.  Most users will not need the power a $2000.00 laptop.

RECOMMENDATION: For entry-level users, I recommend a laptop computer with at least a 1.73GHz Intel Centrino Dual Core processor or AMD equivalent, which should be fine for everyday work; i.e. browsing the Internet, word processing, email, money management, etc.  For these tasks you will not need the latest and greatest processor, but with a Centrino Dual Core, you get admirable performance and stellar battery life.   

Display/Monitor

The LCD Displayis the soul of the laptop and as I pointed out about they come in a variety of sizes, measure diagonally of course.  But the most popular business size appears to be 14" while personal laptop are marketed with 15.4" (wide-screen) or 17" (wide screen) becoming increasingly popular as well.  There was a time when one had to struggle between a choice of passive and active matrix screens, but no more, nearly all laptops now ship with sharp, crisp, DVD ready active matrix displays. There are, however, a few things to consider

Widescreen vs. Standard Aspect Ratio         
Like regular aspect (tube, analog) television most LCDs have a screen aspect ratio of about 3:4.  However, like their wide-screen HDTV cousins, wide-screen LCD displays have an aspect ratio closer to the 16:9, which becomes useful when working with more than one application on the screen at a time, or for working on large spreadsheets, or a graphics program that may employ floating toolbars and color templates.  Of course it could also come in handy when watching wide-screen formatted DVDs.  Laptops fitted with 15.4" and 17.0" screens are considered wide-screen.  I like them because you can fit more on the screen than the conventional 14" screen, and the price-point is enticing.  Even some entry-level models can be had with 15.4" screens, but business buyers beware, there are mostly geared towards entertainment seekers and are a bit short on high-end performance.

Screen Resolutions
Screen resolution refers to the amount of pixels on the screen, both horizontal and vertical.  The larger the screen the higher the resolution, the more text and graphics one can place on the screen.  If you want to see big text, you may want to consider staying with the standard screen, which is 1024x768 for a 15.4" screen.  When it comes to laptop screen resolution and technologies, it is getting increasingly difficult to sort it all out.  Let me try to help.  Terminology 101:

• SVGA: Super Video Graphics Array
• XGA:eXtended Graphics Array
• WXGA:Wide-Screen eXtended Graphics Array
• SXGA:Super eXtended Graphics Array
• WSXGA:Wide-Screen Super eXtended Graphics Array
• UXGA:Ultra eXtended Graphics Array
• WUXGA:Wide-Screen Ultra eXtended Graphics Array

Listed below are the most popular screen resolutions, mated with screen size:

• 800x600 (SVGA - standard)/ 12" screen
• 1024×768 (XGA - standard)/ 12", 13.3", 14", 15" screen(s)
• 1280x800 (WXGA - wide) / 14.1", 15.4"
• 1440x900 (WXGA - wide) / 14.1", 15.4"
• 1280×1024 (SXGA - standard) /14", 15", 15.7"
• 1400×1050 (SXGA+ - standard) /12.1", 14", 15"
• 1680×1050 (WSXGA+ - wide)/ 15.4"
• 1600×1200 (UXGA - standard)/ 14", 15", 16"
• 1920×1200 (WUXGA - wide)/ 17", 15.4"

TIP: You would do well to go into your local computer/electronics store and test drive a screen for yourself.  Specifications are one thing, but nothing can beat actually looking at the display to ascertain whether or not it fits your particular needs.     

Other Key Features and Technologies in Laptop Computers:
Other than the processor type and LCD, here are few more items to concern yourself with:

Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports: What started out as a nice-to-have utility is now a must-have for any desktop or laptop computer.  Almost anything you can attach to a computer from printers to mice, to keyboards, to external hard drives, now has a USB connection, so the more a laptop has the better off you are.  The average number seems to have peaked at 4 USB ports located at various spots around the computer body.  But of course the beauty of USB is that you string up to 128 devices from a single USB port, but who wants to carry a USB hub with them no matter how small.     

IEEE 1394 port(s): A must have for connecting a digital camera and or camcorder to your laptop.  All digital cameras have a mini IEEE 1394 or a UBS connection that allows you to "dump" images and or video directly onto the computer for use.  Most laptops, even some entry-level units, have at least one IEEE 1394 port.      

Memory Card Readers: Most laptops now ship with at least an 5-n-1 memory card reader slot that allows to read data directly from a large variety of removable memory media such as SD-Media cards used in most, if not all digital cameras.  It is very convenient to be able to remove the SD-media memory card from your digital camera or even camcorder, slip into the laptops card reader and have instant access to images and or video.  Of course the readers are also great for sharing files with other, because any card inserted into one of the slots is assigned a drive letter like any non-volatile memory device.       

Network Cards (wired & wireless): Make sure any new laptop you are considering has both a wireless (802.11a/b/g/n or some combination thereof) and wired Network Interface Card (NIC).  The former is essential for taking advantage of wireless hot spots and the latter for attaching to a wired network at work, school, or at home.  Most older (four years or older) laptops will not have wireless NIC's, so if you considering used, make sure you check.  New laptop should have a wireless NIC that can connect to the newest wireless standard 802.11g/n, which transmits and receives at speeds of up to 154Mbps.                 

Random Access Memory: It is my belief that a computer running with one of today's modern operating systems (OS) can never have too much memory.  Windows Vista, even the Home Editions, as memory hogs and while 1GB is enough to satisfy the OS, 2GB is better and 4GB is optimal.  It is more cost effective to purchase more RAM during the initial purchase-if you can afford it-than to purchase it after the fact.  For the MacBook users in the crowd who might want to run Windows XP on a virtual machine, extra memory capacity becomes that much more important.       

Battery Capacity: Often THE measure of a laptop's worthiness, battery longevity is on the rise, but still averages only 2.5 -3.0 hours depending on what you are running.  I plug my laptop(s) into the wall whenever possible thus ensuring a fully charge battery for when I really need it.  The more cells your laptop's battery has the more staying power the battery will have; but of course 12-cell batteries cost more than 8-cell batteries.  Apple claims its 15" MacBook Pro with a 60-watt lithium-polymer battery will last some five hours!      

Multi-media features:  More and more laptop are becoming desktop replacement, especially at the high-end and as such we are starting to see multi-media features once reserved for desktop festoon the ever populated side of laptops.  It's not uncommon to see High Definition tuners and HDMI ports on some high-end laptops.  The MacBook Pro 17" offers DVI output and Blue-ray DVD is now a widely available option on laptops like the Dell XPS M1730 and the HP Pavilion dv9700t.   

My Recommendations (as of April  2008)

When I shop for a new laptop (for personal use) I look for the unit that will give me the most features and performance for my dollar and as such I generally prefer a few laptops over all other: HP laptops, Toshiba laptops, and Dell laptops.  For business (high-end) use my first choice is a Dell laptop, Toshiba laptop, or Lenovo laptop.  But of course the laptop computer you ultimately purchase depends on what features you need and want balanced against the cost.

For those looking for an inexpensive (cheap) laptop...
I like a Dell laptop. The Dell Inspiron 1525 (starting price $599.00) with the Intel Pentium Dual Core T2370processor at 1.73GHz, generous 120GB hard drive, and wireless NIC is a good deal.  The laptop is clearly aimed at buyers who computing demands to do exceed the norm and as such is ideal for college students.  I also like the Apple MacBook(starting price $1,099).  Though limited to a 13.3 TFT display, and (2) USB ports, the little Mac ships with an Intel Core 2 Duo at 2.1GHz standard, 1GB of RAM and a 120GB hard drive Mini-DVI-out port and a Firewire 400Mbps port and weighs in at just 5 pounds.   

For those looking to spend under $1000 on a laptop.... 
I recommend a HP laptop. I especially like the HP Pavilion dv9700t series(starting at $949.99) with your choice of Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 17" TFT wide-screen display, up to 4GB RAM, Wireless-N NIC, up to a 640GB hard drive, and your choice of HP's Lightscribe DVD, or Blue-ray DVD. This laptop is clearly aimed at the user who wants more than just browse the Internet or word process; this is a powerful laptop with a plethora of user configurable options.  The only drawbacks I see are the limited number of USB ports (only three) and the inability to have Windows XP factory installed.  An additional version of this laptop computer is the HP Pavilion dv9700z series(starting price $799.00) is also available; it feature AMD Athlon Dual-Core and Turion Dual-Core Mobile Technology processors.     

For a fully loaded, high end laptop, where money is no object, I have a couple of unit I like...
Well, three to be precise.  First up is a Dell Laptop: the Dell Precision M6300(starting at $2162.00), which can be had in any number of configurations: with Windows XP or Vista (32-bit); with Red Hat Linux Enterprise, and; a 64-bit version of the unit that ships with either Windows XP Profession 64-bit edition, Windows Vista Business 64-bit edition, or Windows Ultimate 64-bit edition.  All versions sport Intel Core 2 Duo processors, 17" screens, up to 8GB of RAM.  This unit is meant to be a true business class desktop replacement computer.

I also like a Toshiba laptop: Toshiba Qosmio G45(staring at $2,888.99).  Built around the Intel Core 2 Duo processor and chipset, this laptop boosts a 17" TFT wide-screen LCD, 3GB of RAM, integrated HDTV tuner, HDMI out connection with 1080p, S-video out connector, up to 380GB hard drive, DVD SuperMulti, 802.11a/g/n wireless NIC + Bluetooth, webcam w/built-in Mic, 5-n-1 media card reader, and 5 UBS ports!  The Qosmio is a true desktop replacement machine with loads of multimedia savvy. 

Did you say Apple laptop?  Yes I like the MacBook Pro(staring at $1,999.00 for 15" model and $2,799.00 for the 17" model) because is just darn clever and functional and it is after all a Macintosh.  Endowed as it were with an Intel Core 2 Duo processor running at speeds of up to 2.6GHz, and up to 4GB of RAM, the MacBook Pro is no performance laggard.  Mated with either to 15" or 17" TFT LCD screen, up to 300GB hard drive, DVI output; two Firewire ports (one at 400Mbps and the other at 800Mbps), an 802.11a/b/g/n wireless NIC, and boosting of up to 5 hours of battery time, the MacBook Pro is certainly a viable alternative to any Windows-based laptop and a potent desktop replacement unit that can be used for business or pleasure. The only drawback I see it the lack of a large number of USB ports; there are only three.             

I would like to wrap up with a few words about that other Macintosh, the MacBook Air(starting at $1799.99), which on the surface might seem like to ideal laptop.  But, close examination reveals functionality issues that bear serious consideration before any buying decision is made.  Built around the Intel Core 2 Duo, like all MacBook's with 2GB of RAM, the little Mac does not suffer from performance anxiety, but the screen is only 13" and the hard drive is a paltry 80GB ($1799.99 model) and 64GB sold state on the model costing a whopping $3,088.99.  And while the Mini-Mac does have an 802.11a/b/g/n wireless NIC, it only has one USB port and no Firewire ports making external peripheral connection problematic.  In other words the MacBook Air is a novelty unit, designed primarily for those who want a lightweight, but powerful laptop for trips.                              

Additional Sources for more information on Laptop Computers.

There are number of places to gleam information on laptop computers. Most of these reside on the Internet, but I used off-line sources as well such as PC Magazine, PC World, Wired, and Network World magazines(s).  Always do your research before heading to the local Best Buy or Circuit City to purchase your laptop.  Chances are the sales representative will know just as much of not less than you about the laptops and only you can know what your particular situation is.   

On-line sources include: 
When shopping for a laptop, your best bets are to check independent reviews such as those in PC World's Reviews and Rankings section.  Also, visit you local electronics store and let your eyes help do the deciding.  But also check out these on-line resources:

• Wikipedia.org: this a fine place to do general research on monitors, their functionality, as well as terms you might want to become familiar with before starting your search for the best.
• CNET 10-Ten Laptops : a good place to find general knowledge on anything computer-related.  And the site offers price comparisons as well as basic reviews.
• PC Magazine Laptop Buying Guide:  an excellent course for all things computer-related.  The site, which is a reflection of the magazine, offers in-depth professional reviews on all manner of computer products and services as well as electronics.
• PC World Best Laptops Under $1000: another excellent source for professional reviews and information on computer-related products and services. 
• Notebook Reviews.com:excellent source for not only notebook reviews, but PDA and Tablet PC reviews as well.