Home User
If you already have a PC, but you are looking for a second model, then a laptop may offer additional flexibility. You can use it anywhere in the house - and even in the garden. What’s more, if you have the occasional need of a computer outside the house, you don’t need to load up a main unit, monitor, speakers, keyboard, and so on. For you, a relatively cheap ‘thin-and-light’ will be perfect - average in everything, including price. If you do want more processing power, then you could consider getting a ‘desktop replacement’ model, but these are more expensive. A PC will offer better much value, so decide whether you definitely need the portability.
Student
For student, read budget: if you are mostly going to take notes, write essays, and check emails then a budget notebook will suit you perfectly. Of course, if you are studying graphic design, or building powerful SQL databases, then your laptop may require more power: read the relevant buying advice for those categories.
On the road
If your laptop will be spending most of its time being used on trains and planes, then there are two very important factors: portability and battery life. Ultra-portables are extremely small, lightweight, although they can sacrifice a little processing power. They will easily allow you to run Excel, Word, and the internet, but may struggle with high-resolution graphics.
Advanced Business User
Laptops that spend a lot of time between your desk at work, and at home, and sometimes in the odd internet cafe, need to offer a balance between performance and portability. Hence, you need to question just how much performance you need, and how much you can afford. Therefore, look at budget models, thin-and-lights, and desktop replacements.
Gamer and/or Graphic designer
At this level, you need processing power, and lots of it. However, you are going to pay for it, and so are your muscles when you try to carry it. You need a ‘desktop replacement’ model, and the name means that: this is a laptop that spends most of its time in the same place, or at least in the same building. Therefore, carefully consider whether the extra performance will ever be necessary.
Laptop Categories
• Desktop Replacement. With specifications at least close to a good PC, a desktop replacement is ideal for somebody who does not normally need to travel far, but needs a little portability. It can also be good where there is only limited space. They will be capable of playing games, photo and video editing, and even running large databases. However, you will need to have almost constant access to a power supply, as battery life is poor. Remember also that they are heavy (over 4kg), and you will not want to be carrying one of these very far over your shoulder.
Many models now feature 17-inch widescreens - ideal for having two windows open side by side, and watching DVDs without having annoying black bars above and below. Performance should be excellent, with at least a 3GHz processor, 512MB of RAM, and a minimum 80GB hard drive that spins at least 5400rpm. If graphics are important, look for a model with a dedicated 128MB card. If you are doing lots of video editing, you may also want a DVD writer.
If graphic design is very important to you, look at Apple PowerBook models: they tend to be expensive, but they do offer almost unbeatable performance. However, lack of compatibility with PCs can bring its own problems.
• Thin-and-lights. Despite sounding like a cigarette, this category of notebooks is really the all-round model to suit everybody. Typically weighing 2.5kg, about 1.5 inches thick, they are easily portable, but do not sacrifice too much processing power. They will play back videos and music, do basic photo editing, and run complicated spreadsheets, without much hesitation. This is ideal for the average business user - it can be taken between home and work easily, or on the occasional trip. Additionally, you won’t need to squint at the screen, so it is ideal for spreadsheet and document work.
Expect at least 1.5GHz of processing power, ideally using the Intel Pentium M, as this offers superior battery life. You may get a dedicated graphics card, although you only need to pay extra for this if you are going to be doing some graphic design or playing games. WiFi networking should be included, using the 802.11g standard; also look for Bluetooth if you want to connect to your phone and/or PDA. Screen size can vary from 14 inch models, through to 15 inch, and even 15.4 inch widescreen. Bigger screens will be easier to work on, but a little less portable. Also look for ports - it should definitely feature at least a couple of USB 2.0 ports, for connecting a mouse, printer, etc. Most of these models should also include a DVD drive, and most will be capable of writing to CD as well.
• Ultra Portables. Extremely small and lightweight, an ultra-portable offers a great solution to anybody travelling a lot, although it sacrifices a little processing power as a result. These models are not designed to be used for processor-intensive computing, and so will normally feature a minimum 1.2GHz CPU, with 256MB to 512MB of RAM. Don’t expect to play games, although DVDs should play fine. Screens are normally quite small, between 10 and 12 inches. Your hard disk should be minimum 40GB, but ideally 60GB. You should have a video out port (for giving presentations on projectors), a couple of USB 2.0 ports, and maybe a headphone jack. Optical drives are not always standard - although some manufacturers squeeze a CD writer in, this adds about 1kg to the weight. Connectivity is a huge issue here, and therefore you will need 802.11g WiFi. Another important consideration is battery life - expect at least 3 hours.
• Budget Models. The cheapest laptops now come in at under £400, which is astonishing given that this would just about have bought you a PC a couple of years ago. However, Granny was right when she said you pay for what you get. Don’t expect to be playing any 3D games, or running any complicated video software or flashy presentations. DVDs should just about play back, though. These models are mainly for people wanting to do portable word processing, and check emails in internet cafes.
Nonetheless, there are plenty of bargains, so don’t get ripped off. Look for at least a 1GHz processor, and 256MB of RAM. The hard disk should be at least 40GB, and most will at least include a DVD-ROM, although you may be lucky and get a CD writer too. With the Celeron M processor, you will also get WiFi 802.11b/g, which is a great option for the future. Where you will really suffer at this price is with battery life, but it should still be at least 2 hours. You should also check out the screen quality, as some will suffer from poor contrast and dim lighting.