Is that a Palm, a laptop, or a desktopAug 03 '01 Write an essay on this topic.
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The Bottom Line When buying a laptop, carefully consider your options and if possible, try to actually touch and pickup the notebook.
Choosing a laptop can be a perplexing decision. In fact, it’s probably harder than choosing a desktop because of all of the choices. With an desktop you can easily replace parts or expand, but with a laptop you are pretty much stuck with what you get, and if you want to replace something it will be tedious. I will lay out the three basic laptops and then give some information on them and laptops in general. The three types of laptops are the ultra-portable, the middle laptops, and the desktop replacements. The ultra-portables are usually very small, thin, and light. The middle ones usually sit somewhere between the ultra-portables and the desktop replacements. The desktop replacements are full fledged computers and are usually quite large. Below I have outlined the three types of laptops. We’ll start with the ultra-portables. These are for the mobile travelers who need a small laptop that can be easily carried and won’t take up much room. If you are going to be carrying your laptop around and moving it from place to place, this is a really nice thing to have. The three down sides are that they are usually not as powerful, a lot more expensive, and rarely have screens over 13". A great laptop of this kind is the WinBook X1. Configured with an 800 MH-z Intel Pentium III processor and 128 megabytes of RAM, it comes out to be just under $2,300. The next level of notebooks are the middle line. These usually come with about a 14” screen, and a mid-level processor. These are usually the cheapest type of laptop because they aren’t anything special. They usually have a built in CD-ROM/DVD/CD-R(W) drive, and most of the time come with a floppy drive. These are usually the best for people who want something portable to take around, especially for students who was a solid laptop that they can use during classes. These laptops can be used as your main PC, but you’ll have to decide for yourself if you don’t want to spend a bit more and get a high end laptop. A good laptop that I’ve found that fits this bill is the Compaq Presario 1700 Series. You can get a nicely configured one for just under $2,000. The most advanced laptops are the desktop replacements. These are usually comparable to a desktop in the configuration and speed. They usually have screens that are 15" and up, and are slightly larger and heavier than the rest. The upside is that you get a great laptop, a full size keyboard, built-in optical drive (CD-ROM, DVD, etc.), and a huge screen. The down sides are that they are more expensive, not as portable, and weigh a lot. I’d say the best desktop replacement for your money is the Dell Inspiron 8000. I’m actually using it right now and it’s great. You can get one with a 900 MH-z Intel Pentium III processor with 256 megabytes of RAM, a DVD drive, and a 15" LCD display for just under $2,250 which is an incredible deal. Those are the three types of laptops. There are many that are in between, but for the most part companies try to stick with the three basic few. Next I’m going to give you some advice when picking out a laptop. The first is to buy from a reputable company. Those companies include Dell, Compaq, Gateway, WinBook, IBM, Toshiba, and Sony. Also, make sure to get a screen that’s at least 13" because otherwise you’ll be squinting to see anything. The third tip is to always buy an external mouse (preferably USB). This way, you won’t have to put up with that pitiful built-in one. The last tip is never ever buy a laptop with a Celeron processor. They’re cheap, but pitiful and will soon be obsolete. Go for a Pentium III, Athlon, Duron, or maybe Crusoe. Never a Celeron! Also, use common sense. If the offer looks too good to be true, it is! Another major concern for people buying a laptop is the power. Since people who buy laptops (with the exception of those desktop replacements) are using it where there’s not power 50% of the time, you are going to want a good battery. If you are buying a laptop, look for a battery that lasts at least two hours on a full charge, preferably three. If you know you are going to take it away from civilization for a while or on a plane, get an extra battery and look for a chip that has the word mobile in it (Intel Pentium III Mobile Processor, etc.). That means that it’s optimized for laptops and will try to conserve battery life as much as possible. For example, the Crusoe chip by Transmeta is optimized for low power situations and works great under such conditions. Overall, I’d say that buying a laptop has gotten harder and harder. If you have any questions about buying one, feel free to email me at ssmith619@hotmail.com.  |
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