In days of yore the first stop for cheap laptop hunters used to be the high streets and malls, however this strategy is nigh on useless if you haven't already formed an opinion and researched the specs you really need.....Why? Because then you leave yourself open to one of the most dangerous predators in the laptop jungle - the oily sales assistant. These folks often display a remarkable talent for over-selling. Indeed, 3 minutes after sidling up to you and asking innocuously - "Can I help you sir/madam", you could be standing outside the store clutching a smoldering MasterCard, a Josh Groban DVD deal sweetener in your back pocket, and the latest 3-grand multimedia monster stuffed under your arm.
What Kind of Laptop User Are You?
That's fine if cheesy baritone crooners and cutting edge quad-core gaming are on your wish list, but useless if you were just looking to run Excel and play Manic Miner on a ZX Spectrum 48k emulator. That's not to say stores have no part to play in the deal hunting process, but in my humble opinion they're certainly not the first port of call. First visit sites like Laptopical.com - read up on reviews and guides and find out what you really need and what to look out for. Then it's off to do some comparison shopping to find the best laptop deals out there. Just for the sake of generalizing, Laptopical has put together a few guidelines depending on what you plan to do with your laptop.
Home User
Most home users use their computer for all kinds of tasks - in addition to surfing the web, paying the bills and writing a few emails, the laptop will most likely be used for pure entertainment purposes; ripping CDs to beef up that iTunes library, playing some casual games, or hooking it up to a TV for watching movies might be some of the stuff you'll want to use it for. To simplify: You need a versatile laptop with plenty of hard drive space, a reasonably fast processor and a fair amount of RAM. If you're at all into gaming, a dedicated graphics card from Nvidia or ATI is a must.
-When it comes to home entertainment laptops, connectivity is an important element. How easily the laptop can interact with your other multimedia gadgets such as the TV or stereo equipment is everything. HDMI, Bluetooth, and other video and audio out ports are all potentially vital features for a well-functioning entertainment laptop. But there's more to the perfect multimedia laptop. Here are our requirements and recommendations on a great multimedia computer.
Most home users use their computer for all kinds of tasks - in addition to surfing the web, paying the bills and writing a few emails, the laptop will most likely be used for pure entertainment purposes; ripping CDs to beef up that iTunes library, playing some casual games, or hooking it up to a TV for watching movies might be some of the stuff you'll want to use it for. To simplify: You need a versatile laptop with plenty of hard drive space, a reasonably fast processor and a fair amount of RAM. If you're at all into gaming, a dedicated graphics card from Nvidia or ATI is a must.
-When it comes to home entertainment laptops, connectivity is an important element. How easily the laptop can interact with your other multimedia gadgets such as the TV or stereo equipment is everything. HDMI, Bluetooth, and other video and audio out ports are all potentially vital features for a well-functioning entertainment laptop. But there's more to the perfect multimedia laptop. Here are our requirements and recommendations on a great multimedia computer.CPU and Memory
To be able to play and edit media files a proper multimedia laptop should not compromise on performance. Using Intel processors such as the Core 2 Duo will give your laptop good prospects for delivering the best entertainment experience. Dual-core AMD Turion processors are slightly slower, but more than adequate in most circumstances.
To be able to play and edit media files a proper multimedia laptop should not compromise on performance. Using Intel processors such as the Core 2 Duo will give your laptop good prospects for delivering the best entertainment experience. Dual-core AMD Turion processors are slightly slower, but more than adequate in most circumstances.
Memory - Make sure to get at least 2 GB of RAM with your new laptop. A decent amount of memory is required to run multiple programs at once without experiencing slowdowns. This is especially true with Windows Vista, the most common operating system on new computers.
With a fast processor and 2 GB memory you will easily be able to watch HD video files, import, store, and edit images and listen to music. Now, if you want to do all those things at the same time, so called multitasking, lots of RAM is required. Video encoders and converters like Premiere Pro and image editors like Photoshop can use copious amounts of RAM - don't hesistate to upgrade when possible.
Storage
Storing lots of music, videos, and high resolution photos will quickly use up your hard drive space. If this is what you plan on doing there's no upper limit for how large a hard drive you will need. However, you can always expand the storage space with external storage such as a USB hard drive, so it's not as critical as other components that can't be upgraded later
Display and Graphics Card
Entertainment laptops are often used as a media player while connected to a projector or the home TV-set. However, if you are planning to use the laptop as main screen, the bigger the better. If you plan to do any gaming on the laptop, you need a dedicated graphics card from Nvidia or ATI - these will also assist in HD video playback.
Connectivity
HDMI, VGA, S/PDIF, WiFi and other acronyms for output/input ports may be important for an entertainment laptop, depending on where you want to plug it in. Check your current equipment for reference before buying a new laptop. If you want to plug in your computer to your brand new HDTV set, for example, it's advisable to look for a laptop with an HDMI port.The bottom line: Connect to the home theater setup via HDMI. FireWire or USB lets you import your own camcorder videos. DVI and VGA video are primarily meant for hooking up computer monitors, but may also be connected to a High Definition TV.
Student
A tight budget doesn't rule out getting a laptop anymore. A few years ago you had to pay twice as much for a laptop as a similarly equipped desktop PC, but that has all changed. In all fairness, you still get more bang for your buck with a desktop, but it's not half as convenient. A small and cheap netbook like the Asus EEE could be an option, as they're easy to lug around between lectures and whatnot, but keep in mind that they're not suited for anything heavier than basic tasks like web surfing and word processing. Alternatively, you can get a budget mainstream laptop with more horsepower and skimp on the portability.
As a student you need a laptop that enables you to do all basic office tasks and access the internet, which just about any laptop can do, but it's clearly an advantage if it's fast and reliable. As you might be carrying it with you at various classes and seminars, it's also important that it isn't too bulky and weigh you down. Another important factor - perhaps the most important one for a student with a limited budget - is the price tag. In this article we'll give you some pointers on what to think about if you're a student looking for a reasonably powerful laptop that won't completely empty your wallet.
Size
Notebooks can be divided into a few different categories depending on their size; Netbooks with 9" or 10" screens have the advantage of being both small and affordable, but a disadvantage is their less than stellar performance. Full-featured ultraportable laptops with more powerful hardware on the other hand, tend to cost a fortune. If you want the best price/performance ratio, you should look to the mainstream segment with sizes around 15 inches. Those tend to be sort of bulky though, but there are exceptions. Beyond that you get to so-called desktop replacements with 17" or larger screens - also known as luggables.
Notebooks can be divided into a few different categories depending on their size; Netbooks with 9" or 10" screens have the advantage of being both small and affordable, but a disadvantage is their less than stellar performance. Full-featured ultraportable laptops with more powerful hardware on the other hand, tend to cost a fortune. If you want the best price/performance ratio, you should look to the mainstream segment with sizes around 15 inches. Those tend to be sort of bulky though, but there are exceptions. Beyond that you get to so-called desktop replacements with 17" or larger screens - also known as luggables.
Features
When you compare the technical specifications of different models, you should put it in the perspective of how you will be using the laptop. A small and affordable netbook is great to carry around, but it’s definitely not the best choice for video editing or games. Obviously, if you only require basic office and web-surfing capabilities, a netbook might be the best alternative hands down. If you need better performance in your daily tasks, however, you have to turn to larger laptops. In the mainstream segment you can easily find a reasonably fast and powerful laptop for less than $500. The 15-inch Dell Inspiron is a good example of a low-cost laptop (below the $500 mark) that use dual-core processors and come with a spacious 250GB hard drive and 3GB of RAM.
Price
We understand that the cost of a laptop is a deciding factor for most students. What we believe to be a reasonable price for a notebook adjusted for a student is somewhere between $400 (P 18,000.00) and $700 (P 31,500.00), depending on what your requirements are. Whatever the price - make sure that you pay with your credit card as this will the double the manufacturer's warranty. Spending money on purchasing an extra product warranty is often useless. Also make sure to look for student discounts before making the purchase.
Ultraportable
Portability is one of the main reasons to get a laptop, but regardless they come in all shapes and sizes, including huge desktop replacement models. What defines an ultraportable laptop is of course its size and weight; the screen should be no larger than 13.3 inches and the weight no more than four pounds. Thin-and-light laptops are usually not as powerful as larger ones because of the cramped space and limited cooling options. However, if you travel a lot it's easily worth the tradeoff, and even the smallest laptops can handle most work-related tasks you need it for.
- Notebooks come in a few different size categories and the smallest and most portable ones are nice little things with the suiting name "Ultraportables" - usually between 12" and 13" in size and very light weight. As with all technological gadgets there are a few things you should know before making a purchase. Take a look at this guide and make sure that you get what you're paying for.
Portability
Obviously, an ultraportable laptop is bought for a purpose - you want to be able to take it with you wherever you go, and as they're the smallest on the market this won't be a problem. The most common screen size for an ultraportable is 12" but sometimes they also come with smaller or slightly larger 13" screens. So, if you purchase an ultraportable you won't have any problems working on the move or if you're just slacking around in your apartment. Remember, that they're easy to connect with an external screen if you're at home. And oh… Did we mention that they're supposed to be very light-weight as well? Well, they are.
Speed
It's important to know that notebooks in general are often slightly slower than a desktop PC with similar components, and ultraportables more so than others. Hard drives, motherboards and slower CPUs are all responsible for the downgrade in speed. However, this won't this affect your work considerably, depending on what you will do with your ultraportable laptop of course. If you're mainly going to work with the Office suite you won't notice this at all.
Battery Life
As you probably will be working with your ultra portable laptop in places where you can't plug it into a socket its battery life is vital. You want something that combines long battery life and a petite size. What you can, and should, demand is something that gets you through an entire work day. It's often possible to get a larger battery when you purchase an ultraportable and yes - they will improve the life of your battery but they'll also add some weight to the notebook.
Pricing
The price tag on a good ultraportable laptop varies quite a lot, depending on what you require from it, and it could end up costing you anything from $1000 (P 45,000.00) to $2500( P90,000.00). If you think this is too much you might want to take a look at "netbooks". They're in the same weight category but have smaller screens, and cost between $400 (P 18,000.00) and $600 (P 28,000.00)- obviously you'll lose many of the features that come with a full-featured ultraportable, but if you need both portability and affordability, have a look at netbooks.
Business User
If your work only involves basic office tasks, such as editing spreadsheets and keeping up with the company correspondence, it's safe to say you don't need a super fast laptop with the latest gaming graphics card. There are lots of options for small and large businesses - from really cheap, low-end laptops with just the basics, up to powerful workstations with professional grade video cards. When you have assessed what you need, it's also important that the laptops have a solid and durable build quality and that the manufacturer provides the right amount of long-term support.
- In and out of meetings, conferences and cubicles calls for a special kind of laptop - we are of course talking about the ultimate business laptop. A portable little thing, requiring little of your time for maintenance and perfect to bring and set up at meetings and business trips. Below you'll find all preferable laptop features that you need to look for when buying a notebook for work. Here you will also find our laptop recommendations.
Key Features for business laptops
Size - retain portability and keep the size to a 15 inch maximum. Simplicity - keep it clean, with no unnecessary programs or other RAM and CPU-consuming features. Fast processor - make sure the processor is fast enough to handle multitasking. Long battery life - during business trips, meetings or conferences, being able to work without an outlet for hours might be important.
Size
The size of the business laptop is important, in terms of storage capabilities as well as screen size and weight. The hard drive should be able to store your documents, spreadsheets and presentations with a remaining margin of at least a few GB's. However, the aforementioned types of files are usually small, so you don’t necessarily need the largest hard drive. Besides, by keeping backups and dated files stored on an external hard drive you will be able to save additional space. Keep your work laptop free from unnecessary bloat and it will run longer and faster.
Screen
Regarding screen size it all comes down to how you will use the laptop. If you are constantly on the road or off to meetings, the more portable a laptop is the better. A 12-inch laptop weighs little, is easily transported and can be connected to external projectors and monitors if greater resolution is needed. On the other hand, if you always keep it in your office or cubicle, there isn’t much of a reason to get an ultraportable laptop – they’re quite expensive and don’t provide as much screen real estate.
CPU, Memory and Graphics
A good business laptop should be fast and efficient. Dual core processors like Pentium Dual Core, Core 2 Duo or AMDs Turion X2 will guarantee decent processor speed. With 2 GB or more RAM you will be able to multitask with little limitation. As far as the graphics card go, you will probably be fine with integrated graphics such as Intel’s GMA950, X3100, or 4500MHD. With these chips you won’t have gaming or high-end graphics capability, but they cost much less.
Connectivity
Both Wi-Fi and Ethernet are invaluable features concerning connectivity in a business laptop, and you’d have trouble finding a laptop without it nowadays. However, you might also have some use for Bluetooth if you want to sync data with a smartphone. At least 3-4 USB ports is also a good guideline if you want to avoid using a hub for connecting external peripherals.
Accessories
As we have stated above, portability, performance and durability are important in a business laptop. When you use it for hours a day, an external and ergonomically correct keyboard/mouse kit might also come in handy to avoid repetitive strain injury. Also consider using a docking station if the option is available. That way you don’t have to connect and disconnect 6-8 cables each time you move the computer.
Gamer
The single most important requirement in a gaming laptop is the dedicated graphics card, and if you're really serious about gaming on your laptop it needs to be a powerful one. Because of the heat they generate, you normally only find these in larger, 15 or 17-inch laptops. Laptops dedicated to gaming are very powerful and tend to drain the battery fast and be very pricey, and it's quite a niche market because of it. Nevertheless, if you want to see your LAN party buddies green with envy, this is what you want.
- When looking for a laptop that will give you to get the best gaming experience possible there are a few things you should take into consideration. For example, some laptops graphics card use the RAM as memory for the graphics card (so-called integrated graphics), making it a painfully slow experience. Processor, size and price are other factors that all play their part when choosing. Take advantage of our pointers before making a purchase - we'll help you find the right gaming laptop.
Graphics Card
First of all: If you want a laptop that works well with modern 3D-games, look for the latest NVIDIA or ATI GPUSs! Mobile graphics cards weren't all that good for gaming in previous generations, but as laptops are grabbing more and more market share from desktop computers this is slowly changing. However, notebooks will be somewhat more expensive and less powerful because of the miniaturized components and thermal considerations. The graphics circuits will also be heavily strained meaning that they'll get very warm, and in a laptop there isn't much room for cooling. Hence, you will only find the fastest GPUs in larger laptops that allow ample room for cooling. Furthermore, fast components will need more current - resulting in a shorter battery life. All of this is fine, and just a compromise you have to face with the fastest gaming laptops.
First of all: If you want a laptop that works well with modern 3D-games, look for the latest NVIDIA or ATI GPUSs! Mobile graphics cards weren't all that good for gaming in previous generations, but as laptops are grabbing more and more market share from desktop computers this is slowly changing. However, notebooks will be somewhat more expensive and less powerful because of the miniaturized components and thermal considerations. The graphics circuits will also be heavily strained meaning that they'll get very warm, and in a laptop there isn't much room for cooling. Hence, you will only find the fastest GPUs in larger laptops that allow ample room for cooling. Furthermore, fast components will need more current - resulting in a shorter battery life. All of this is fine, and just a compromise you have to face with the fastest gaming laptops.
The Importance of RAM and CPU
Next to the graphics card you should look for a decent amount of RAM and a fast CPU in a gaming laptop. This probably won't be a problem, as most gaming laptops come with high-end components out of the box, but look for at the very least 2GB of RAM in a new laptop, preferably of the faster DDR3 variety, as this might improve the framerate of your games somewhat. When it comes to having a fast CPU, it's nowhere near as important as the graphics card for gaming purposes, but it does affect all tasks on a computer, so it's not a component to skimp on.
What Size should it be?
This is a no-brainer.. In most cases you have no choice because of the cooling requirements - gaming laptops are large. A 15-inch form factor is a minimum to accommodate high-end GPUs, but most are 17" or even larger. As you'll be gaming you probably want a large screen anyway, so this shouldn't be a problem. It goes without saying that tiny screens won't do your games any justice.
How much will it Cost?
As mentioned previously, gaming laptops aren't exactly the cheapest computers on the market. You probably have to spend anything between $1,200 (P 50,000.00) and $4,000 (P 115,000.00) (yes, there is a huge gap in the pricing on these notebooks). If you can settle for last year's model you could probably score a great bargain, however.
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