Buyers Guide: Laptop

The laptop has become a necessity especially for students and professionals, because it provides the mobility they need when performing computing tasks. There are many kinds of laptops available in the market, but there are things you need to consider before you buy one.

Screen size

This refers to the diagonal length of the screen. Most laptops available are wide-screen models, which are best for viewing videos. A large screen also lets you view a lot of information at once.

Screen size ranges from 7 inches to 17 inches. Although a bigger screen can be helpful in many ways, it can also be too heavy and inconvenient, and can limit your mobility.

There are five categories of laptops according to screen size:

• Netbook. The smallest and least powerful type of laptop, the Netbook has a screen size of 7 to 12 inches.

  Although the most portable, a Netbook may not carry certain important features of a regular-size laptop. If you tend to run more than two applications at the same time, or if you run resource-heavy applications, a Netbook is not for you. As their name suggests, Netbooks are designed for surfing the net and not much else.

  Also, because of the Netbook's size, people with big hands or fingers may find it difficult to use the keyboard. If you're thinking of buying a Netbook, try typing on one first, to see if you're going to be comfortable with the small keys.

• Ultra portable. A bit bigger than the Netbook, this laptop comes with a screen size ranging from 9 to 12 inches, and it's used mainly for basic Web and office tasks. New "ultra thin" models have appeared in the market, most of them thin enough to be placed inside envelopes.
• Midsize, or mainstream. This is the most ideal laptop for those who want a device that carries many features of the desktop computer but is small and light enough to carry around. It's the most comfortable to work on because the keyboard is just the right size, and the laptop itself is just the right weight to carry around.
• Desktop replacement. This is the largest type of laptop, and it's built to literally replace your old desktop computer. Space-saving and portable, it has a screen size of 17 inches or more and carries all the features of a desktop. While it is easier to carry around than a desktop, it may be too heavy for frequent travels.

Features

Portability. Size and weight are among the main considerations when choosing a laptop. Note that while small laptops, such as Netbooks, may be very handy, their performance and storage capacity are often limited to simple tasks such as word processing and saving small files.

Bigger laptops are more suitable for multimedia and graphics work, but they are inevitably bigger and bulkier.

When you look for a laptop, make sure it can accommodate your computing needs but also has a weight and size that you can manage.

If portability is not a major concern to you, then you might be better off getting a desktop computer instead.

Memory. Newly released laptops usually come with 2 or 3 gigabytes of random access memory, or RAM. Installed memory is important, because the bigger the memory, the more applications you can run at the same time (and the more the laptop will cost, too). If you're tempted to consider a laptop with small memory, take note that upgrading the memory may be difficult and expensive. So opt for a laptop with a preinstalled memory already big enough to handle your applications.

Hard drive capacity. This ranges from 80 to 200 GB. The larger the hard drive capacity, the better, especially if you want to store a lot of files. However, you'll also need to consider the size of the files you intend to keep in your laptop. Small hard drives may be sufficient for documents and other small files. If you plan to store a lot of videos or photos, opt for the large hard drive, or get an external hard drive.

Battery life. Most batteries claim to provide five hours of uptime-but it still depends on how the laptop is used. Continuous and frequent use can reduce battery life to 2 to 3 hours. If you're planning to take your laptop on long trips, it's wise to bring extra batteries with you.

Warranty. Most laptops offer at least a one-year warranty, but there are those that feature extended warranties of at least three years. Opt for a laptop with a long warranty.

Summary

• The smallest and most portable laptops are Netbooks. However, their use is limited to Web surfing and small applications.
• Ultra portable laptops are a little bigger and a little more powerful than Netbooks.
• Midsized laptops offer the best balance between portability and usability.
• Desktop replacements are as powerful as desktop computers, but are heavy and bulky.
• The number of applications you can run simultaneously will depend on the laptop's memory. Laptops usually have a 2 to 3 GB of installed memory. Make sure you get enough built-in memory as it can be expensive to upgrade.
• Battery life can last up to five hours, depending on how the laptop is used, and how often. Having extra batteries is advisable if you plan to take your laptop with you on long trips.
• Picking the size of your hard drive will depend on the number and the size of the files you intend to store in your laptop. The bigger the hard drive capacity, the more files you can store.
• Laptops offer at least a one-year warranty. A long warranty is a good indicator of the product's quality.