by Silvia Holloran,
published November 25, 2008
syndicated: 0 | total views: 45 |
word count: 1030
laesbarhedsindex readability score: Very Difficult Readability
website: http://computer-adviser.com
T
he correct term should be what is the best laptop for the needs of the user, as there is a whole multitude of laptop makes – models with different specifications there really is no best laptop. To find the laptop that’s right for you we first need to ascertain the basics that just about every laptop should have – Wired and wireless networking capabilities – at least 2gb of ram and the hard drive should be a minimum of 80gb as just about every later version of operating systems, applications and games are larger than previous versions requiring more disk space, and today a 40gb hard drive is simply not large enough.
What else needs to be considered? Size / Portability – Processor or CPU – Operating system – Graphics – USB Ports – CD/DVD drive – Screen Size – Aesthetics – Laptop Role – Saving Money.
Size / Portability – the most common laptop screen sizes are between 13-15 inches, due to this it generally means the lowest prices, which is great if you are out to save some money, but if you travel around a lot then a heavy laptop could work out to be more in Osteopath fees than the total cost of the laptop, so if you travel a lot a small laptop is a real blessing, after all even if the laptop itself is not too heavy, by the time we add the mains adapter, a padded case, plus anything else you need to carry, it can start to get pretty heavy specially if carried around for a while. The same cannot really be said for 17” laptops, if your looking for something with a larger screen that is fine, but if you need to travel at all why not invest in a small laptop and put the extra money towards getting a 19” external screen which is bigger and can also be used in conjunction with the laptop screen, in effect giving two screens.
Processor or CPU – Processors have changed a lot over the past few years and now it seems many companies appear to be bolting on more and more processor cores. So at present a laptop needs to have a dual core processor or above. Dual core is the present standard with Intel’s Core 2 Duo and AMD’s Turion 64 x2, both are very good processors, but my personal opinion is AMD has the edge due to its cheaper price. If you don’t mind waiting and have the money, checkout some of the Quad core laptops coming onto the market.
Operating system – If you want a laptop with XP and you can only purchase with Vista (which is becoming more common now) do not just presume that you can simply wipe Vista and install XP, a lot of new hardware is now not having XP drivers developed for it and this can create problems when trying to change over to XP.
Graphics – it is usually impossible to upgrade the graphics on a laptop, usually whatever it has is what you stuck with, so if you are into gaming or high end graphics make sure the laptop has a graphics card with dedicated memory, otherwise graphic ability will suffer if used for gaming or high end graphics.
USB ports – you can never have enough of them, the average amount of USB ports on a laptop is around 4 this may sound like a lot, but after you’ve plugged in a keyboard – mouse – printer – pen drive there is none left, you can always purchase a hub, but why not purchase a machine with more than you need in the first place. On another note, just about every laptop now has USB 2 ports, but it is not hard to double check this as USB 1 is around 10 times slower.
CD/DVD drive - much of the information given in regard to CD/DVD drives can be confusing when we hear the terms Dual layer or CD/RW DVD/Rom, most laptops today should simply have a Dual layer DVD writer this will enable you to read and write to CD’s and DVD’s and play them both too.
Screen size – this really covers the portability of the laptop again, the bigger the screen the heavier its going to be, there are also some nice screen technologies around such as tru brite which give the screen a glossy brighter look.
Aesthetics – what would you prefer a slow laptop that looks superb or a faster machine that looks like a brick? When looking for a laptop there is a wide choice available so you should not have to compromise on either, but as a general rule if you have to, compromise on the looks a little but not on the spec.
Laptop role – what will the laptop be used for, general Internet browsing – word documents, pretty much any laptop could do this standing on its head, so the world of laptops is your Oyster. Business applications – large spreadsheets etc, then mid power will be fine, do not need to worry too much about the graphic abilities and a shared memory type should be fine. Gaming or high end graphics require the most powerful processors and graphics cards, be prepared to dig deep if you want to play the latest games with all the extra effects switched on.
Saving Money – If you want a good laptop for a cheaper price you have a number of choices, the first of these is a second user computer, you can save a lot of money this way, but you need to know what your looking at or you could purchase a problem machine or one that is not all what it seems, plus unless it still has warranty left you simply take the risk. Refurbished computers can offer good value for money, plus you get a warranty too.
Bargain basements – many large computer stores frequently have special offers which can be great value, check on websites for models that have been replaced by a newer model there are some good bargains to be had this way, but be quick as they sell very quickly. checkout more of our other articles at www.computer-adviser.com
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