Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Laptop buying guide – What kind of laptop is right for You?

While a laptop has become a ubiquitous accessory for modern life, the actual process of choosing the right model can take some serious time and research.
In this guide, we’ll outline the different categories of laptops and which types are best for different users. We’ll also take a look at CPU, hard-drive, and networking options.
Below are a handful of typical user experiences that should help outline what type of laptop Acer aspire 5920 battery is right for you. Chances are, you’ll fall somewhere in between two or more of these archetypes, so carefully consider what you’ll be using your new laptop  for.

What are the different categories of laptops?

The different product categories that laptops fall into is constantly evolving and changing. The introduction of Netbooks in particular has created a relatively new category that has quickly become the fastest-growing segment of the PC market.
While there are many ways to divide the categories–based on weight, price, and components–we use screen size as our primary deciding factor, as it’s the clearest physical difference between types of laptops.

UMPC

UMPCs (or ultramobile PCs) are small handheld devices with screens that are between 5 and 7 inches, but they never really caught on. While the idea of a palm-size computer Dell d620 battery running Microsoft Windows and including most of the features you’d find on a full-size desktop or laptop was an engaging one, most of these devices were not exactly practical outside of a handful of specialized users.
Many lacked physical keyboards and relied on slow, expensive low-voltage processors and wonky touch interfaces. A typical UMPC, such as the Sony Vaio UX390, could cost $2,000 or more.
In the past two years, the iPhone, iPod Touch, and inexpensive Netbooks have largely made this an unnecessary category. The few UMPCs that remain are less expensive, using Netbook components, but are still not terribly useful.
Key features:
5- to 7-inch display
Nontraditional design

Netbook

Depending on who you ask, Netbooks are either the most exciting thing to happen to mobile computing in years, Acer aspire 4520 battery or they are the downfall of an industry engaged in a painful price war race to the bottom. We generally define Netbooks as having 7- to 12-inch screens, a full keyboard, and an inexpensive, single-core low-voltage CPU.
While the earliest Netbooks had 7-inch screens and Intel Celeron processors, the typical Netbook today has a single-core Intel Atom CPU, 1GB of RAM, a 160GB hard drive, and runs either Windows XP or Windows 7.
Small and lightweight, they lack optical drives, have tiny keyboards and touch pads, and are generally underpowered for anything other than Web surfing, e-mailing, and basic office productivity. The payoff is that a typical Netbook can be had for less than $300, an unheard-of sum just a few years ago.
PC makers are currently trying to upgrade Netbooks with faster CPUs and bigger screens, Acer aspire 6935g battery hp 510 Battery and these new models blur the line with the ultraportable category.
Key features:
9- to 12-inch display
No optical drive
Single-core low-voltage CPU, Intel Atom or comparable
Typically less than $500

Ultraportable

Before the rise of Netbooks, ultraportable systems were 11- and 12-inch laptops with then-expensive low-voltage CPUs, allowing them to be small and power efficient, but still relatively underpowered.
The popularity of Netbooks had threatened to make this category irrelevant–after all, who would pay $1,500 or more for an 11-inch laptop, when a $300 10-inch Netbook hp nx6100 battery Hp dv9000 adapter was a reasonable substitute for basic Web and office tasks?
The ultraportable has been revived of late with the introduction of Intel’s new low-cost consumer ultralow-voltage CPUs. These chips are slightly more expensive and somewhat more powerful than the Netbook Intel Atom CPU, and are available in both single-core and dual-core versions.
Some PC makers are calling the thin, upscale laptops that include these new processors “ultrathin,” rather than ultraportable, now. Many of these new versions lack an internal optical drive.
Key features:
9- to 12-inch display
Low-voltage ULV CPU
No optical drive
Typically $600-$800

Thin-and-light

This somewhat unimaginative descriptor is intended for 13-inch laptops. Why do laptops with 13-inch displays deserve their own distinct category? It’s because they occupy a unique space in the industry. We define this by pointing out that a 13-inch laptop is the smallest size we’d be able to work on comfortably all day, and at the same time, the largest size we’d consider carrying around more than once or twice a week.
While it’s not the Dell d830 battery hp nc8430 battery perfect size for either task, it walks the line reasonably well between both. A prime example is the extremely popular 13-inch MacBook and MacBook Pro–perhaps the most imitated laptops of all time.
Key features:
13-inch display

Midsize (aka mainstream)

The traditional 15-inch laptop, along with its newer 14- and 16-inch offshoots, make up this category. Although technically mobile products, most mainstream or midsize laptops tend to stay anchored to one location, or only move around a single home or office.
Less expensive mainstream laptops will have resolutions of 1,280×800 pixels , wide-screen 16:9 models will have resolutions of 1,366×768 pixels, and more-expensive versions can get resolutions all the way up to 1,600×900.
Mainstream laptops Hp dv2000 battery Dell studio 1555 battery have dual-core CPUs, most commonly from Intel’s Core 2 Duo line, along with between 2GB and 4GB of RAM, 250GB or larger 5,400rpm hard drives, and internal DVD-burning optical drives.
This category covers the widest ground in terms of price and features, starting at around $500 and going well past $1,000. Most typical are $700 to $900 configurations.
Key features:
14- to 16-inch display
Dual-core CPU
Internal optical drive

Desktop replacement

These massive 17-inch and larger laptops are meant to literally replace your old desktop, monitor, and keyboard combination with a single device that can also be easily transported in a pinch.
At a minimum, you’ll find an Intel Core 2 Duo CPU, with more-expensive models trading up to a quad-core Core 2 Quad or the new, more powerful Intel Core i7 processor. The majority of desktop replacement laptops have discrete graphics cards, either for help in playing HD video or for running 3D games.
While Blu-ray drives are available in some mainstream systems, they make the most Acer aspire 5520 battery sense in desktop replacements, which often (but not always) have native screen resolutions that can handle hi-def 1080p content.
The tradeoff is that these laptops tend to have very short battery life. Being big and heavy by definition, they’re unlikely to spend much time away from a wall socket, so PC makers opt for more powerful hardware rather than energy-saving designs.
While 17 inches is the most popular size, there are a handful of 18-inch models, and even a couple that top 20 inches. With sizes nearing those of personal TV monitors, desktop replacement laptops make good hybrid entertainment centers for the den or dorm room, putting your computing, video, and music devices in a single box.
Key features:
17-inch (or larger) display
Intel Core 2 Duo of better CPU
Discrete graphics
Poor battery life

What laptop accessories do You need?

If you haven’t accessorized your notebook, you haven’t lived. Here are some of the best ways to do it.

Docking station or port replicator

A docking station contains a mixture of ports, slots, drive bays, and security features, and it usually attaches to the notebook Hp pavilion dv6 battery from underneath. Docking stations come in a variety of shapes, ranging from the same size as your notebook, which is often referred to as a media slice, to much bigger–some stick out five inches past the back of your notebook. As the name implies, a docking station is where you park your notebook when you get back to the office, giving you easy access to your network, along with a bigger monitor, a regular keyboard, additional storage devices, and the convenience of leaving cables plugged in when you walk away from your desk.A port replicator, on the other hand, is a smaller, stripped-down version of a docking station that mainly features–as you might guess–ports, such as USB or S-Video. A port replicator can range from the size of a box of toothpaste to just shy of docking-station stature. When you’re on the road, a port replicator is a convenient way to increase your connectivity.

Laptop bag

You’re about to drop a couple grand or more on a laptop Hp 510 battery Hp 530 battery , and the last thing you want to do is spend even more money on a carrying case. So, you save a few bucks by going with the manufacturer’s basic case. But basic bags often lack a padded shoulder strap or internal pockets. You’ll be kicking yourself soon when your nine-pound load is cutting a groove into your shoulder and all of your accessories come tumbling out of your bag in a tangled mess. Dig into your wallet for a sturdy, comfortable carrying case, and your shoulder will thank you. Look for padded shoulder straps, reinforced corners, and specialized compartments designed to hold the AC adapter, the extra batteries, and so on.

Extra battery

If you do even a modest amount of traveling, we recommend getting the largest battery available for your model–or, if you’re wary of the extra bulk that a larger battery Hp elitebook 8530w battery entails, get a second battery. They range from $50 to $300, and they are well worth the money if you plan to regularly spend more than two to three hours away from a wall outlet. Next time you’re trapped on the tarmac working away on your laptop and your primary battery is about to die, you’ll be glad to have that second cell. If you rarely travel with your notebook, however, and your laptop is pretty much always plugged in, don’t bother with a second battery.

External drives

External drives–storage and media-burning options that hook up to your notebook via cable–can be a pain to carry around and hook up, plus they can be pricey. You’re generally better off buying a notebook that has everything you need out of the box. Nevertheless, external drives are sometimes required. If, for instance, you buy an ultraportable that lacks a built-in CD-ROM drive, you might want an external drive for loading software or reading data discs. Types of external drives include DVD/CD-RW, DVD-rewritable, hard drives, and more. No matter what notebook you buy, we strongly urge you to invest in a thumbdrive that plugs directly into your USB connector sans cable. Priced as low as $15 for 1GB of storage, these little drives are brilliant for transferring small amounts of data between notebooks Hp dv6000 battery or between notebooks and PCs, and they’re much more convenient than burning data onto CD.

Mouse and keyboard

Working for hours with just a pointing stick or a touch pad can take a toll on your hand, wrist, and forearm. To save yourself some wear and tear, invest in a small travel mouse. These can cost as little as $20, they usually hook up via USB, and they’re very easy to tote. The same advice applies to typing for hours on your notebook’s keyboard. If you plant your notebook on your desk when you work, hook up a USB keyboard and relieve your wrists. If you prefer working without wires, get a wireless mouse and keyboard.
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