Even though laptops have significantly fallen in price in the last 18 months, buying a laptop is still an expensive decision, and you want to buy the best laptop for your needs. This laptop buying guide will walk you through the main decision factors you need to consider when buying a laptop computer. Unlike desktop PCs which all "look" more or less the same, a laptop is something you will be carrying with you (although they work fine as a desktop replacement as well), running your fingers over, hunching over all day perhaps. So after you do your research, SPEND SOME TIME at Circuit City of Best Buy and get your hands on these machines to see what they FEEL like - the weight, the key spacing, etc.
What is the best laptop for me?
Before selecting a particular laptop brand, ask yourself what your basic laptop needs are. Is the laptop for business use? Are you a college student? Is portability (battery life, weight) the main factor? Are you looking for a gaming machine? Do you need a large screen for giving presentations? Are you looking for a Mac (if you want a Mac, see their best-selling Mac laptops here), or strictly a PC? Do you need a DVD drive and burner? How much storage (hard disk space) do you need (ie, do you carry around tons of large music and video files, or just basic business stuff)? Start by writing down a list of your top 5 requirements in a laptop.
Now think about the size of the laptop you are looking for, since most PC makers divide their product lines by size and weight. The smallest laptop PCs are less than 1" think and weigh just 2-3 pounds. Newer tablet PCs that allow you to "write" on their touch-sensitive screen with a digital stylus are very light but normally lack CD and DVD drives, limiting their usability. If you are choosing a desktop replacement that will sit on your desk all day, you can select a larger, heavier feature-packed model where weight is not an issue. If you will be on the road all day with a computer bag hanging over your arm, you will likely want a lighter weight laptop computer. If you're ready to buy online, we recommend shopping with Amazon (check out their laptop section), one of the most trusted, reliable Internet retailers (and yes, they carry all the big brands of laptops at good prices).
Laptop Technical Specifications
Since laptops are by their nature small, manufacturers need to make trade-offs when designing these portable machines. Big batteries last longer but weigh more. DVD players are nice, but they add bulk and weight. Special low-voltage processors are needed to minimize energy use and extend battery life. The Intel Celeron and Mobile Intel Pentium 4 are common chips you will see in laptop configurations. AMD also makes chips especially for laptops, but they have a much smaller market share than Intel. Look for the Celeron which is specifically designed for mobile use. For memory, all Windows XP need at least 256MB of RAM minimum. 512MB feels much better, and 1GB will leave you smiling all day. LCD screen size is another choice - small screen and smaller, lighter, machine, or big screen and heavier laptop? For a desktop replacement, you may well be connecting your laptop computer to an external monitor, so LCD screen does not matter. A 14 inch screen is about average - the large 17" ones are difficult to open on a cramped airplane workspace. 20GB hard drives are the current standard in laptops, but 40 or 60GB gives you more space, especially if you are a music or video fan, as those files can fill up space quickly. And if you are a movie fan, you probably want an internal DVD drive (recordability not as important, unless you plan on doing your backups on DVD). Remember again, all these things add to the weight, and you need to consider that list of "requirements" you made at the start. Almost all laptops come with built-in ethernet ports for connecting to a network or an internet connection (broadband). You may also want to consider built-in wireless support (802.11b or g), although plug in adapter cards are readily available, cheap, and easy to use.
2008-2009 update: Of course laptops keep changing each year, so we try to keep this page up to date as things change. In 2008 and 2009, Vista is the default operating system you'll find on almost every laptop. Now some people still complain about MS Vista and think Windows XP is better, but overall, we have to recommend Vista, even with its flaws. Mainly, it is much more secure than XP, which is critical when it comes to Internet usage and all the bad stuff that lurks out there. One drawback is the requirement for substantially more RAM (memory) to run Vista properly - 2GB is about the minimum, but many machines now offer 3 or 4 GB -- we picked up a new HP Vista machine with 4GB RAM and 250GB hard disk in the last 6 months and have been very happy with it. If you can afford the extra $75 or so, opt for more memory (3-4GB vs. 2GB). On to hard drives. Most machines now come with a minimum of 100-150GB drives -- again, get as much as you can afford. For just $50 more you can usually move up to 200-250GB, which gives you a good buffer of room to handle digital photos, audio, and video files, all of which seem to take up more and more space on our computers these days. Built-in wireless Internet access is pretty much standard on all models - you want that, though the particular flavor or speed is not all that important, as they are all backwards compatible with older equipment and you can rarely notice a difference in speed anyways. Laptop screen size -- I'd say 13" minimum. Again, you are probably going to want to check out a few screens in person at the electronics store to see what these sizes really mean. Do you really want a 17" screen on a little laptop (make that BIG laptop)? You have to decide that one for yourself. Another big one is battery life. Many notebooks come with a basic battery that gives just 2 hours or so of usage. I opted for a much larger battery (it sticks out the bottom of the machine like footrest, about 2X the size of a normal battery), but it provides almost 5 hours of usage -- a HUGE increase. So depending on how much time you plan to stay disconnected from the wall socket, consider a larger battery. Finally, look for a built-in memory card reader to handle SD, MMC, XD, and other formats -- these are handy for easily transferring data to and from digital cameras, cell phones, etc. without having to worry about cables. So how much should you plan on spending on a new laptop? At the low-end, you can probably get by at $400-$500, and personally, we wouldn't spend more than $900 on the upper end. You'll find some machines selling for more than $1000, but these are normally the fanciest, thinnest notebooks out there, which most of us just don't need.
Buying a Notebook Online
You can compare online prices to store prices, but we find them to be pretty close. If you are ready to buy a laptop online, we recommend going through Amazon.com -- you can browse their laptop buying guide section and list of best-selling laptops here. We really like the HP line vs. Dell or others. The Pavillion DV laptops are great, full-featured machines, very reliable. We are running an HP Pavillion DV4 model now -- very happy with it (4GB RAM, 250GB hard drive). The full HP line is here.
When it comes down to it, cost will also be an important factor in your final decision. You'll want to visit the major online notebook companies and compare features and prices. Your goal is to reduce your choices to 3 or 4 models.
Dell - Latitude, Inspiron, Precision Laptop PCs
HPShopping.com - HP laptop and Compaq notebook families
You'll also want to read some reviews from technology editors - CNet, PCWorld, and PCMagazine are good places to do some preliminary research. The good news is that you will now find laptop and notebook computers at discounted prices - as low as $399 for a decent machine. Check your Sunday circulars as well for special sales and discounts on notebook PCS - they ofter feature a $699-999 machine with more than $200 worth of mail-in rebates coupons.
Do you have a quality site or product that belongs in this guide? We are always happy to evaluate or review new products and websites. Feel free to contact us at the email address below and let us know about you. If you have a demo product you'd like us to look at, please contact us before sending anything. Thank you.
BUYING GUIDES
), or strictly a PC? Do you need a DVD drive and burner? How much storage (hard disk space) do you need (ie, do you carry around tons of large music and video files, or just basic business stuff)? Start by writing down a list of your top 5 requirements in a laptop.
model now -- very happy with it (4GB RAM, 250GB hard drive). The full HP line is here
