| The correct term should be what is the best laptop | | | | thats what your laptops stuck with, If you are into |
| for the needs of the user, as there is a whole | | | | gaming or need other high end graphic performance |
| multitude of laptop makes – models with | | | | the laptop will need a graphics card with dedicated |
| different specifications there really is no best laptop. | | | | memory, otherwise graphic performance of your |
| To find the laptop that’s right for you we first | | | | application will suffer if it involves in depth graphics or |
| need to ascertain the basics that just about every | | | | high end gaming. |
| laptop should have – Wired and wireless | | | | USB ports – You can never have enough, the |
| networking capabilities – at least 2gb of ram and | | | | average amount of USB ports on a laptop is 4 this |
| the hard drive should be a minimum of 80gb as just | | | | may sound like plenty, but once you plug in |
| about every later version of operating systems, | | | | peripherals such as a keyboard –printer– |
| applications and games are larger than previous | | | | mouse – pen drive it wont seem so many, of |
| versions requiring more disk space, and today a 40gb | | | | course you could always purchase an external hub, |
| hard drive is simply not large enough. | | | | as they are very cheap, but best option is to buy a |
| What else needs to be considered? Size / Portability | | | | laptop with more ports in the first place. Another |
| – Processor or CPU – Operating system | | | | point worth checking; Every laptop should have USB |
| – Graphics – USB Ports – CD/DVD drive | | | | type 2 ports, but its worth checking this to confirm |
| – Screen Size – Aesthetics – Laptop Role | | | | as USB 1 is around 10 times slower. |
| – Saving Money. | | | | DVD & CD drive – A lot of the information |
| Size / Portability – the most common laptop | | | | given in regards to CD/DVD drives can be a little |
| screen sizes are between 13-15 inches, due to this it | | | | confusing terms such as Single and Dual layer - CD |
| generally means the lowest prices, which is great if | | | | RW DVD/Rom. Just about all new laptops now |
| you are out to save some money, but if you travel | | | | should have a Dual layer DVD writer drive this will do |
| around a lot then a heavy laptop could work out to | | | | just about everything such as reading and writing to |
| be more in Osteopath fees than the total cost of | | | | CD’s and DVD’s and reading and playing |
| the laptop, so if you travel a lot a small laptop is a | | | | them too. |
| real blessing, after all even if the laptop itself is not | | | | Screen size – this really covers the portability of |
| too heavy, by the time we add the mains adapter, a | | | | the laptop again, the bigger the screen the heavier its |
| padded case, plus anything else you need to carry, it | | | | going to be, there are also some nice screen |
| can start to get pretty heavy specially if carried | | | | technologies around such as tru brite which give the |
| around for a while. The same cannot really be said | | | | screen a glossy brighter look. |
| for 17” laptops, if your looking for something | | | | Aesthetics – what would you prefer a slow |
| with a larger screen that is fine, but if you need to | | | | laptop that looks superb or a faster machine that |
| travel at all why not invest in a small laptop and put | | | | looks like a brick? When looking for a laptop there is |
| the extra money towards getting a 19” external | | | | a wide choice available so you should not have to |
| screen which is bigger and can also be used in | | | | compromise on either, but as a general rule if you |
| conjunction with the laptop screen, in effect giving | | | | have to, compromise on the looks a little but not on |
| two screens. | | | | the spec. |
| Processor or CPU – Processors have changed a | | | | Laptop role – what will the laptop be used for, |
| lot over the past few years and now it seems many | | | | general Internet browsing – word documents, |
| companies appear to be bolting on more and more | | | | pretty much any laptop could do this standing on its |
| processor cores. So at present a laptop needs to | | | | head, so the world of laptops is your Oyster. |
| have a dual core processor or above. Dual core is the | | | | Business applications – large spreadsheets etc, |
| present standard with Intel’s Core 2 Duo and | | | | then mid power will be fine, do not need to worry |
| AMD’s Turion 64 x2, both are very good | | | | too much about the graphic abilities and a shared |
| processors, but my personal opinion is AMD has the | | | | memory type should be fine. Gaming or high end |
| edge due to its cheaper price. If you don’t mind | | | | graphics require the most powerful processors and |
| waiting and have the money, checkout some of the | | | | graphics cards, be prepared to dig deep if you want |
| Quad core laptops coming onto the market. | | | | to play the latest games with all the extra effects |
| The Operating system – If you want a laptop | | | | switched on. |
| with Windows XP and you have found you can only | | | | Saving Money – If you want a good laptop for a |
| purchase with Windows Vista (which is more | | | | cheaper price you have a number of choices, the |
| common now) do not just presume that you can | | | | first of these is a second user computer, you can |
| simply wipe away Vista and replace with XP, a lot of | | | | save a lot of money this way, but you need to |
| new pc hardware may not have XP drivers | | | | know what your looking at or you could purchase a |
| developed for it, this can create real headaches when | | | | problem machine or one that is not all what it seems, |
| trying to change over to XP. | | | | plus unless it still has warranty left you simply take |
| Graphics Cards – it is generally not possible to | | | | the risk. |
| replace or upgrade the video capabilities on a laptop | | | | Refurbished computers can offer good value for |
| computer, usually whatever video card is installed | | | | money, plus you get a warranty too. |