| Roll over lumbering desktop computers, the limber | | | | In the seventies the aforementioned IBM 5100 would |
| laptop is here, and it's here to stay! For a while now | | | | have set you back a staggering 20,000 dollars. Today |
| notebooks have outstripped their ageing desktop PC | | | | a top of the range IBM Thinkpad can be bought for |
| siblings, easily winning the gold medal in the computer | | | | around 3000 dollars. Cheaper Thinkpads can often be |
| sales Olympics. We will illustrate how the PVP effect | | | | obtained for well under a thousand dollars, especially |
| has contributed greatly to the increase in popularity | | | | if you don't mind purchasing a used or refurbished |
| of notebook computers. | | | | model. |
| (P) Portability: | | | | (P) Performance: |
| Firstly it may be stating the obvious, but people buy | | | | Many laptops today come fitted with Centrino |
| laptops because they can take them anywhere. | | | | processors which offer superb performance and |
| Office workers need no more be confined to their | | | | improved battery life. What is Centrino I hear you |
| claustrophophic cubicles. Instead those statistic charts | | | | ask? Well this is Intel's name for their new notebook |
| and data reports can be compiled on a train, in the | | | | technology that combines their Pentium M processor, |
| comfort of an arm chair, or even on the beach! | | | | 855 chipset and the Intel PRO/Wireless 2100 Wi-Fi |
| Portability equals flexibility, but alas this hasn't always | | | | 802.11 network interface. Laptops fitted with these |
| been the case. Today's ultra portable laptop | | | | processors are usually lighter because of the smaller |
| computers have a come along way since the bulky, | | | | components used. |
| sewing machine sized machines of the late seventies | | | | Couple this attractive feature with wireless |
| and early eighties. Indeed one of the first portable | | | | networking technology and you have a powerful |
| computers was built by IBM, and this machine (IBM | | | | technological package. Wi-Fi is short for "Wireless |
| 5100) weighed in at a hefty 50lbs! Today's corridor | | | | Fidelity" and it's usage is growing quickly amongst |
| warriors would have trouble lugging that puppy from | | | | home users, office workers, even coffee shops. If |
| meeting to meeting, unless of course they subjected | | | | you enter Wi-Fi areas with a properly equipped |
| themselves to an intensive dose of steroids :) | | | | notebook, you can access the Internet at broadband |
| (V) Value: | | | | speeds. |