Laptops come in a variety of sizes and capabilities — learn how to pick the perfect one.
Learn the Lingo
- Celeron Celeron Intel's budget CPU; inexpensive but not a great performer.
- Centrino Centrino Intel's collection of technologies, including a CPU and wireless technology.
- Core 2 Duo Core 2 Duo Intel's latest CPU, the current performance leader; part of Centrino.
- Turion Turion AMD's primary laptop chip; inexpensive but not a great performer.
- TFT TFT A thin film transistor; also known as an LCD.
- Wi-Fi Wi-Fi Wireless networking with a range of a few hundred feet; part of Centrino.
- Wireless broadband Wireless broadband A built-in technology allowing high-speed access on the cell phone network.
- DL DVD DL DVD Dual-layer DVD; this optical format has a capacity of 8.5GB.
- HD DVD HD DVD High-definition DVD; now appearing in a few laptops, these discs have a capacity of up to 30GB but are read-only for now.
- ExpressCard ExpressCard An update to the PC Card format, the thick business-card-sized slot used for some peripherals.
The Basics
There are 4 main types of laptops :
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Ultralight
Pros: Extreme portability
Cons: Minimal power, very expensive
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Tablet
Pros: Swiveling touch screen, good for note-taking; compact
Cons: Limited power, small screen, generally expensive
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Budget/Mainstream
Pros: Best prices, good power, lots of features
Cons: Less portable
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Desktop Replacement
Pros: Extreme power, biggest screen
Cons: Terrible battery life, very heavy, expensive
What Matters Most
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- Screen Size
- The bigger the screen, the heavier the laptop; the biggest and smallest screens (and laptops) are the priciest.
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- CPU and RAM
- Get a multicore CPU, but avoid the very fastest and you'll save a lot of cash. Also, install as much RAM as you can afford.
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- Extra Features
- An optical drive for burning CDs or watching DVDs, media card reader to access camera storage cards, a good video card for games.
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- Battery Life
- Most vendors sell larger, secondary batteries for extra power, but you can also tweak your system to extend battery life.
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