What Do You Need In A Laptop?
If you have not actively been in the market for laptops, whether it is a free laptop or not, within the last 6 months, you’re going to need to know what’s out there and how it compares to the previous generation in terms of performance, capability and affordability.
The major manufacturers of such computer hardware include Hewlett Packard/Compaq, Dell, Toshiba, Lenovo (IBM) and Sony, among quite a long list of others. The players in the processor field, however, are still limited to offerings from Intel and the AMD lineup with its Turion and Athlon processors. While each manufacturer will claim performance levels that rival the other, in general, most field tests pitting comparably-equipped machines with similar processors from Intel and AMD were a toss up. Each of the current processors available from these companies offers excellent performance.
So the question becomes, “What should I buy?” and the reluctant answer is, “Buy what you need.”
Intel seems to have the foothold on the mainstream PC market out there, notebooks and laptops notwithstanding, but AMD is a good choice too. If you ask around, many of the opinions you get typically fall into the “Intel is great for the business apps while AMD is a better gaming platform.” Truth is that many of the business-class notepads are Intel-based and AMD-equipped units are typically targeted for more graphics-intensive applications such as gaming and graphics processing.
In selecting a laptop, what’s more important here is whether the final candidates you whittle your choices down to come equipped with the features you will need today and tomorrow. Ideally, laptops need to support the applications you will be running and offer you options for internet and attaching external devices. Your machine should have plenty of USB ports in all the right places. Not only does the quantity of USB ports you’ll need for the plethora of external hard drives, Ipods, coffee cup warmers, cell-phone chargers and thumb drives matter, but the location of the USB ports and how they work matters too.
Also, you want you mouse on the side you are comfortable with, but probably want a balance of port location so as not to get into a tangle. Also, it is important to buy a case, such as rolling laptop cases, and bags, so as to protect your laptop from harsh elements.