| Inexpensive notebook computers are more common | | | | commonly found in many of today's notebooks, and |
| than ever these days due to general lower | | | | with Windows 7 that should be enough to run most |
| manufacturing and hardware costs. Gone are the | | | | programs and mid-range games. Refurbished models |
| days of all portable computers costing $2000 -- many | | | | that come with Windows Vista will run slower with |
| can be found these days for less than $500. As a | | | | two gigabytes of RAM, because that is the amount |
| consumer, you should be aware of the features that | | | | that operating system commonly uses itself. |
| a notebook comes with in order to be sure that you | | | | The CPU is also a part that should be given much |
| are getting your money's worth. Just because many | | | | consideration, as it will affect how many processes |
| are affordable does not necessarily mean that they | | | | (programs) you can run simultaneously without |
| are all worth your hard-earned cash. | | | | problems or lag. Dual cores are the standard these |
| Something that people have always paid attention to | | | | days, with quad core CPUs slowly trickling into the |
| at when first looking at a computer is the hard drive | | | | market. A quad core is not a must right now, and |
| space. Most computers come with 160 gigabytes to | | | | likely will not be for a couple more years. Some of |
| 500 gigabytes, with many of the higher tend models | | | | the low end models will have a 1 to 1.5GHz or so |
| reaching up to 1 terabyte (approximately 1,000 | | | | CPU, which is the bare minimum with today's |
| gigabytes). Many of the inexpensive notebook | | | | operating system's and programs. Mid-range CPUs will |
| computers available today have around 160 to 250 | | | | be from 2GHz to 2.6GHz, and while the price will be |
| gigabytes, which is more than enough for any | | | | slightly higher, it is worth it if you intend to run |
| standard computer usage. | | | | multiple programs at once, play games, or run |
| The RAM and CPU also play a big part in the price of | | | | resource-intensive programs. |
| inexpensive notebook computers, and they are | | | | Because of the lower prices, most of the inexpensive |
| something that you should pay more attention to | | | | notebook computers that you will find will not take |
| when purchasing. Hard drive space can be added | | | | your breath away graphically or speed-wise, but they |
| onto via external hard drives, the RAM and CPU are | | | | will be more than enough to do work or casual web |
| not so easy to upgrade. | | | | browsing on. The biggest benefit of notebooks is |
| One gigabyte of RAM is the pure minimum in the | | | | that they can be take anywhere, and in many cases |
| cheapest computer models, and it is not enough to | | | | that convenience is worth giving up a little bit of |
| support many of today's games or intensive work | | | | functionality. |
| programs. Two to three gigabytes is what is most | | | | |