How to buy a laptop in 2005

By Andy Walker

Need a new Windows laptop? Yeah, they are fantastic machines and with wireless technology, they are fast becoming the tech enthusiast's computer of choice. Still, making a decision on which one to buy isn't easy.

You have to balance weight against features, and price against processing power. There's also the sticky issue of battery life and now, to complicate matters further, wireless capability.

Mobile PCs have come a long way in a few years. Fifteen years ago, they were more "luggable" than portable. Today, a notebook can weigh from three to nine pounds - without the carrying case.

One solution to reducing weight is to choose a model that has external drives which you can remove when you don't need them. Mobile geeks call these "ultra portables". It's a dumb term, but it was invented by marketers and not rocket scientists. Go figure.

All right, let's get serious about making a choice!

WEIGHT
Figure out where this device is going to go. Between home and the office? On flights? Will the device travel every day? Or once in a while?

Next, try carrying a notebook around the store for 10 minutes (if you don't buy it online), and see how it feels. You'll have to add the bag (heft the bag empty, to get an idea), any external drives, the power block, peripherals like wireless cards or a mouse, plus maybe an extra battery, to get a real sense of the weight you could be carrying around.

The rule of thumb is to aim for a four-pound notebook or lighter, if you anticipate frequent air travel. A 4-to-6 pound device is ideal for back-and-forth mobility with occasional airport travel. If you expect only occasional portability, it's probably alright to choose a machine that weighs six pounds of more.

PROCESSOR SPEED
You'll also have to consider how much you want to spend. Processing power and price usually go hand-in-hand - the higher the price, the higher the chip speed.

Top dog in mobile processors (as of summer 2003) is the Intel line of Pentium 4 processors for laptops. The Mobile Pentium 4 is a heavy duty processor that offers speeds similar to that of a desktop computer.

The Pentium M is a mobile computer processor that is easy on power consumption, but has no integrated wireless, and the Intel Centrino is the Pentium M processor with built-in wireless functions. Confused? Yeah, it’s daunting, but don’t sweat it. Think of it this way. If you want modest speeds, wireless, and a frugal battery eater, think Centrino. If you want a heavier, battery slurping, yet fast machine, think Mobile Pentium 4. You still have the option of a Pentium III, but these are bargain buys for light duty mobile work and are fast being phased out.

One notable exception is the Tablet PC, which is a laptop that you can write on like a notepad with an electronic pen. It's light and wireless and typically has either a Pentium III or Centrino processor.

AMD is snapping (okay, nibbling tentatively) at Intel's heels with the Athlon XP-M chip for mobile computers. While making a name for itself on the desktop, the Athlon has yet to be embraced by notebook lovers in any mass market kind of way.

Top-end notebooks have 2.4 to 3 GHz Intel Mobile Pentium 4 processors. The Pentium M (and Centrino) series offers between 1 and 1.7 GHz.

AMD tops out with a 2.8 GHz Athlon processor, but argues it's faster than a 3 GHz Intel chip. It's a lot of marketing nonsense if you ask me.

Middle-of-the-roaders should go for a 1.7 to 2.4 GHz processor which will give you a nice selection of machines that are or can be wireless and have reasonable weights.

MEMORY
Regardless of your decisions about speed and weight, you'll want to max out the random access memory (RAM) because the Microsoft Windows XP operating system is memory-hungry.

Opt for a machine with at least 256MB of RAM and shoot for 512MB or more if your budget allows. Check to see what the maximum memory is, because you'll want to add more in the coming years to extend the life of the laptop to handle future software and hardware add-ons. A gig of RAM? Yes, please!

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