Posted to Notebooks Articles 2009-05-12
1) Your Needs and Budget
Although determining how much to spend on a notebook is important, it all depends on what your needs are. When shopping for a notebook, I recommend answering, "What is this notebook going to be used for". Some of the more common responses are; "home", "school", "business", "email", "listening and downloading music", "gaming", "graphic work", and "creating DVDs" (plus a combination of the above). The answer to this question will go a long way in determining how much you are going to spend.
2) Size Matters
Notebook computers come in different sizes and shapes. Often, the smaller the footprint of a notebook, the more expensive they are going to be. When shopping for a notebook, keep the following in mind:
- If weight is a big factor for you, look for a sub-notebook (these weigh anywhere from 1 lb - 5.9 lbs).
- The tablet notebook is now getting the respect it deserves. Its' ability to allow the use of a stylus to input information directly on the screen (without using the keyboard) is a great convenience. Real estate agents, doctors, lawyers, dentists, teachers and students are just some of the people who should consider a Tablet notebook. These notebooks weigh 6lbs or lighter.
- The traditional notebook will weigh anywhere from 6.0 lbs - 7 lbs.
- Desktop replacement notebooks are becoming more common because they take less space than a desktop PC. These notebooks usually weigh anywhere from 7.1 lbs and up.
3) Processing Power
This is a very important feature to be considered when purchasing a notebook. When contemplating which processor to purchase, go with the fastest you can afford (for whichever category of notebook you are looking at). The two major players in this area are Intel and AMD (Advanced Micro Devices). To read more on notebook processors, click on either one of these links.
http://www.intel.com/products/laptop/index.htm?iid=CANADA+homepage+laptops
http://www.amd.com/us-en/Processors/ProductInformation/0,,30_118,00.html
4) Storage
While traditional notebook hard drives start at 30GB or higher, many of today's models have at least 60 GB. With the proliferation of MP3 players and digital cameras, more data is stored on computer hard drives than ever before. Aim for the biggest hard drive available!
One more thing that is usually overlooked is how fast the notebook hard drive spins. Notebook hard drives spin at 4200 RPM (and some of the newer hard drives spin at 5400 or 7200 RPM). The faster the hard drive spins, the faster it retrieves the data (so faster is better).
Although notebooks traditionally came with a CDRW drive, most new models now have dual layer DVD writers. What is a dual layer DVD writer? It allows you to backup or store 8.5 GB of information using a dual layer DVD disc. While dual layer DVDs cost more, you will be able to backup more information than on a regular DVD.
5) Display
Notebook screens come in different sizes. They start at 4.5 inches all the way up to 21 inches (the most common sizes are: 12.1, 13.3, 14.1, 15.4 and 17 inches). One of the biggest changes has been the aspect ratio of the screen. An aspect ratio of 16:9 (for every 16 inches wide, the screen is 9 inches high) offers a wider image than 4:3 traditional notebooks.
When looking at a screen of a notebook you should familiarize yourself with the following terminology by some of the manufacturers;
- Toshiba - TFT with TruBrite™
- HP/Compaq - TFT with BrightView
- Sony - TFT with XBrite™
These are just four of many manufacturers that have come out with screens that have a glossy look to them (they have unique names but similar appearances). The screens are usually in the 16:9 ratios and tend to be brighter and sharper to look at. The only challenge with these screens is that they give off a lot of glare.
6) Memory
If you have ever wondered why your system is running slow, it can be because you have three or four applications running at once (plus surfing the net) and not enough memory. So how much is enough?
512 MB - Good for a home machine using the following applications; MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook), Internet, MSN, printing, minor photo editing (e.g. red eye removal), and downloading music.
1GB - All of the above plus photo editing using programs such as Adobe Photo Shop, video editing, gaming, and web design applications (Front Page, Dream Weaver, Go Live etc.).
2GB or more - All of the above plus doing more serious video editing, music editing, photo editing and CAD work.
As manufactures come out with newer versions of software, they often require more Memory to run efficiently. Keep in mind all the software (and their system requirements) when determining how much memory may be required. To make your notebook experience a happier one, I would recommend upgrading or purchasing as much RAM as you can afford. Keep in mind this can be done at any time.
