Laptop Purchasing Guide | Summer 2008 Edition
Version 1.0
Note: DO NOT POST YOUR FAQ IN THIS THREAD. PLEASE START A NEW THREAD. THANK YOU.
Preface: Welcome to the world of laptops. I'm assuming that you stumbled upon this guide in your quest to search for the notebook that is right for you. In that case, hopefully you've come to the right place. Purchasing a laptop can be a hectic experience, and at times you'll be thrown into a foreign world, filled with jargon, countless abbreviations, and a heap of random numbers. The goal of this guide is to help you navigate towards the notebook that is right for yourself, and all the while, deciphering some of the complicated terminology that you'll be sure to face.
Don't like reading? Fill out an
FAQ and we'll do the work for you.
Credit: Loads of credit goes to Chris Yano, author of the current "
Finding the Right Notebook" Guide. This is meant to be an update to that guide, and thus I will plagerize religiously from the previous guide. I will also be plagerizing from some of my other threads, as well as threads by other members. I will attempt to give all credit where it's due. May my former English teachers forgive me.
Forming an Idea
As you probably know (or are about to find out), there are literally hundreds of laptops on the market. To compare each and every one of them against eachother is not a feasible thing to do. Instead, the first thing that you should do is decide about how much you want to spend, when you plan on buying the computer, and what you will be doing with it. Right now, break away from your monitor and grab a piece of paper and pencil. I'll wait...
...Done? Ok, good. It's always a good idea to write down this information for easy retrieval later on. First things first - write down a rough date for when you plan on purchasing the notebook, how much you want to spend, and then make a list of the programs that you will be using. This is going to be the backbone of your search.
The Basic Categories
Most laptops fall into one of a few categories. You constantly hear these about these predefined groups, and thus I will break them down here.
Desktop Replacement - These notebooks are workhorses. Usually starting at 17 inches and larger, if you're looking for something that will be a powerhouse, the laptop that you're seeking probably falls here. Also, almost all gaming laptops will be a desktop replacement. However, due to the size and power of these laptops, their portability is very limited, and they tend to have short battery lives. If you plan on using your laptop in predominantly one place, have consistant access to a power socket, and/or are running resource intensive applications, you will probably be most interested in this category.
Mainstream - The jack-of-all-trades in laptops, these machines are usually 14-15 inches in size and about 6 pounds in weight. Good at everything, yet master of none, this is the most common type of laptop. Due to the expansive number of notebooks that fall into this category, you can find anywhere from a budget machine to a heavy hitter here. If you are looking for a great all-around laptop, or even if you're not sure what you want, this is the category to start with.
Thin and Light - From 13-14 inches, the thin and light category is similar to the mainstream category in that these laptops are great for a large variety of activities. However, as the name states, the thin and light laptops are smaller and lighter than their mainstream counterparts. This reduction aids travellers and those who like to carry their laptops around with them daily. The tradeoff is a smaller screen and usually a less powerful graphics card.
Ultraportables - As their name states, these small (13 inches or smaller) laptops are great for those who are constantly on the move. Their small size is usually coupled with a long battery life, catering to people who travel or need a laptop anywhere they go. However, due to the small size, don't expect these to have the same power as their larger bretheren, or at least not without a heavy addition to the pricetag. A special type of ultraportable is the touchsceen tablet. These machines have a swivel-screen that can be laid flat against the base of the laptop and allow the user to use a stylus and directly write on top of the screen. If you move around a lot and need a machine with a long battery life, an ultraportable may suit you best.
Sub-Notebook - A relatively new entry to the laptop market, these machines are even smaller than ultraportables. With their tiny size, they are also good for travel, however, their main attraction is their price. At under $500, these machines are great for those who need a computer for only the fundamentals. However, they are very limited as far as hardware, and are underpowered for anything other than the basics. If you are on a strained budget, or are looking for something to compliment another computer, the new sub-notebooks are for you.
Business Class - This category encompasses most of the others as you can find business class machines across a wide range of prices with a variety of features. However, the part that differentiates business class computers from the rest is build quality and support. Business class machines are usually water resistant, and feature some sort of structural reinforcement, such as a magnesium rollcage. Another plus is in the area of support. Whereas most large companies have mediocre outsourced support for their consumer lines, business support is still mostly domestic, with better trained representatives. Because of these perks, expect to pay a bit more for a similarly spec'ed business machine compared to a regular laptop.
The Specifics
Now that you have a basic overview of what you would like to buy, it's time to address the individual parts.
Central Processing Unit (CPU)
Commonly known as the processor, this is the heart of your laptop. Used in nearly everything the laptop does, the processor is of utmost importance when relating to the general speed of the laptop. The good news is that current technology has made it so that even the basic low-end processors are powerful enough to do most tasks at an appreciable pace. The two major players in the CPU market are Intel and AMD, both of which have many processors out on the current market.
For most people, a basic processor will suffice. The ones who are going to partake in photo/video editing, heavy number crunching, and gaming will want to focus more in this area.
For a more in-depth discussion on processors and a list of the ones currently available, visit
this thread.
As for the future, be on the lookout for AMD's Puma platform and Intel's Montevina platform coming later this year.
Graphics Processing Unit (GPU)
The graphics card is another important part of any laptop, and come in two distinct categories. For those basic users, there are integrated graphics solutions. These cards are fine for most basic tasks, including watching movies. Due to their low power consumption, an integrated solution can maximize your battery life and thus may actually be a better choice over the more expensive dedicated cards. The other category of video cards is a dedicated solution. Made predominantly by nVidia and ATI, dedicated cards are geared towards those who run heavy 3D applications, most commonly gamers.
For the current lineup of video cards, visit the
GPU Guide by Chaz.
Finally, there is also a special type of dedicated card for professional applications. These workstation cards are based off of their mainstream counterparts, but are optimized for business use. If you are running programs such as CAD and Maya, take interest in these.
More information for professional cards can be found
here.
Note: Unlike most other parts, the graphics card usually can NOT be upgraded after the fact. Thus, spend some time deciding on the GPU as you don't want to regret your choice later.
Currently trickling onto the market are the nVidia 9-series and the ATI 3-series.
Memory (RAM)
The RAM is another crucial part in a laptop that determines the speed of the system. Current notebooks use DDR2 memory, and most now come with 2 Gigabytes(GB) preinstalled. Upgrades to 3 and 4 GB are very common and quite economical, however, most systems are still based on 32-bit architecture and will only recognize a little over 3 GB of RAM. If you are getting 4 GB of RAM in your system, it'd be wise to order it with a 64-bit operating system (find out why
here).
The RAM on a system is a place where smart shopping can save you a few bucks. Because RAM is very easy to install, at times, purchasing a computer with very little RAM and upgrading it yourself will cost less than ordering the same computer with more RAM. You can find the current best prices from our RAM Deals thread.
Hard Drive (HDD)
The main purpose of the HDD is for storage. Every single file on your computer needs to fit into the space on the HDD, and thus the size of the HDD you should purchase is directly proportional to the amount of files you keep. Most laptops come with at least a 120 GB HDD, but for those with many photos, songs, and videos, aim for a 200 GB or larger disk. Remember that you can always use an external HDD once you run out of room on your internal one, so don't let a small HDD turn you off from purchasing an otherwise good computer.
A second thing to look for in HDDs is the speed factor. A faster HDD loads programs quicker, including the operating system, meaning faster bootup and shorter wait times. There are two ways to increase the speed of a HDD. The first is to increase the size of the drive. A larger drive has a greater platter density, which means that the head of the drive doesn't have to move as far to pull information. A second way to increase the speed of a drive is to find one that rotates faster. The standard HDDs in most laptops run at 5400 RPM. Many manufacturers allow you to upgrade to a 7200 RPM drive which will significantly reduce load times.
A new development in HDDs is the Solid State Drive (SSD). Instead of using physical platters like normal HDDs, SSDs use flash memory, similar to a flash drive. The advantage this gives is near instantaneous seek times, meaning SSDs are much faster than normal HDDs, while also being more energy efficient. However, SSDs have very little storage space and are very expensive.
The Screen (LCD)
The screen on a laptop is an often overlooked aspect when one decides to purchase a computer. The difference in quality may mean brighter, more vibrant colors, a larger viewing angle, and something that's better on the eyes. However, unfortunately, since almost all companies contract with multiple LCD manufacturers for the screens on their laptops, 2 units from the same model line can come with drastically different screens. This makes shopping for a particular level of quality very hard, and really it does boil down to luck of the draw at times.
Luckily though, there are a few points that you can control. First is the choice between matte or glossy. The majority of laptops on the market come with glossy screens, which allow for very vibrant colors, making them great for pictures and movies. However, they are also reflective, which can bother those who work in places with many lights. The alternative is a matte screen, which are better for office work, though they can get washed out in direct sunlight. It is best for you to see the difference between the two for yourself, so head down to a local electronics shop and take a close look in order to find what you prefer.
The second factor for deciding on the screens is the resolution. Typically, a large monitor will come with a higher resolution, though you will still have a great deal of choice over what resolution you want for a certain laptop. A higher resolution will allow for more things to be on the screen at a single time. The drawback is that everything, including text size, will be smaller. Again, this is something that you should see before you make your decision as a lot of it is personal preference.
A few resolutions to note are WXGA (1280x800), which is the standard resolution on most laptops, and the lowest resolution allowing for 720p HD videos. Another one is WUXGA (1920x1200), a very high resolution, most frequently found on desktop replacements, allowing for 1080p video.
For Gamers: A higher resolution means that the graphics card must output more pixels when rendering. This puts a great deal of load on a GPU, and thus only the highest end cards can cope with the highest resolutions. You have the ability to play games at a non-native (lower than the resolution of the monitor) resolution, but this causes slight blurring. To find a discussion on this, click
here.
Wireless Technologies and Mobile Broadband
All laptops come with an integrated wireless reciever. The older laptops are fitted with Wireless G cards, while the newer ones have Wireless N cards. Wireless N(248 Mbps*) runs much faster than G(54 Mbps*), though it is backwards compatible, meaning that G cards will work in N networks. Another advantage of Wireless N is the much greater range (2x) than G networks. However, remember that your internet speed will be capped by your provider (usually in the range of 1-10 Mbps for DSL and Cable). This means that a faster wireless network doesn't necessarily mean faster internet, just a faster personal network for tasks like file transfers from one computer to another. In addition, some laptops come with a Bluetooth card. Bluetooth enables short range linking of your computer and devices like Bluetooth mice and cellphones. This can reduce the number of cables flowing around your computer, and may free up some USB ports
Another technology is Mobile Broadband. With either an internal card or a PCMCIA/ExpressCard/USB adapter and a contract with a cellular provider, Mobile Broadband allows you to recieve internet whereever you can get a cellphone signal. An expensive (~$60/month) alternative to traditional broadband, Mobile Broadband allows much more freedom for the user. However, coverage areas can greatly differ between the companies, and thus it is wise to test out the networks beforehand.
*Maximum theoretical throughput for data.
Optical Drive
Almost all laptops come with a DVD burner as the standard configuration. The newest option is outfitting your laptop with a BluRay drive. Though expensive, a BluRay drive allows you to play the new BluRay HD movies. While still in its infancy, BluWRay will take over from DVDs in the future. However, due to technological advances, many things that once only came on discs can now be downloaded or streamed from the internet.
Miscellaneous
Battery - The average battery life for a laptop is around 2 to 4 hours. If battery life is a high concern for you, be on the lookout for laptops with extra-large batteries, or with special modular bays that are capable of holding an extra battery. The drawback to this is the added weight and/or loss of function from having another item in the bay (such as a DVD drive).
Webcam - A webcam allows communication between two people over the internet. It may also serve as a crude video recording device for the user. Most webcams are 1.3 Megapixel, but take video at 640x480.
Fingerprint Reader - This pseudo-security device basically types in your passwords for you when you swipe your finger. Great for convienience, though not necessarily any more secure than using a good password.
Multimedia Keys - Some laptops come with special dedicated keys for controlling a media center application.
Memory Card Reader - Integrated into the chassis of some laptops, the memory card reader can take the common flash cards found in cameras, most frequently SD, xD, and Memory Sticks.
Ports
USB - The universal port, expect at least 2-3 of these on most laptops. There are literally hundreds of different gadgets that plug into these, the most common being mice and flash drives. You want as many of these as possible.
Firewire - An alternative to USB, Firewire is now mainly used for video transfer.
Audio - All laptops are going to have at least one headphone jack and one microphone jack. Some have an additional headphone jack as well as a line-in jack.
S Video - An older video port, limited to standard definition resolutions, this allows you to output video to an older television.
VGA - The ubiquitous video port, the commonly blue VGA port allows video output to all desktop monitors and most newer HDTVs.
DVI - This digital video port offers slightly better video quality than VGA. Convertable to VGA if necessary, the DVI port can completely replace a VGA port.
HDMI - The combination of DVI and audio, the new HDMI port is great for outputting video onto an HDTV. It is also easily converted to DVI.
Ethernet - For those without wireless networks, or looking for a quick data transfer, almost all laptops come with an ethernet port for wired networks. A smaller number of computers come with Gigabit ethernet connections, allowing for much faster networking.
Modem (Phone Line) - The old-fashioned dial-up modem is still commonly found on most laptops.
ExpressCard - Replacing the outdated PC Card, the ExpressCard slot offers a large amount of bandwidth for various accessories, including Mobile Broadband cards and expansion ports.
eSATA - Otherwise known as external SATA, and eSATA port allows for very fast transfers between a computer and an external hard drive.
From Here on Out
Choosing the Laptop Right for You
Now that you know what you want, and you have an idea of what to look for, it's time to look at the actual laptops. Because of the ever-changing selection of laptops, it is impossible for me to go through every one of them here for you. However, here at Notebook Review, the many registered members can help you choose one. So go ahead and fill out the FAQ and post it in the "What Notebook Should I Buy" forum.
Commonly Recommended Laptops
Sub-Notebooks - Asus eeePC
Budget Laptops -
Dell Inspiron 1525, HP dv6700t, Dell Vostro 1500
Thin and Light - HP dv2700t, Dell Inspiron 1420, Gateway T-series
Ultraportables - Dell XPS m1330, Sony SZ-series,
Lenovo Thinkpad X300,
Apple Macbook Air
Graphics-on-the-Go - Sager 2092/Compal IFL90, Dell XPS m1530, Apple Macbook Pro, HP Compaq 8510w, Asus G1sn, Asus M50Sv, Dell Vostro 1500, Alienware m15x, Clevo M860TU (pre-order only).
Powerhouse Graphics (Gamers) - Gateway P-series FX/Gateway P-6860FX, Sager NP5793, Sager NP9262, Alienware m17x, Dell XPS m1730
Business Class - Thinkpad T61(p), HP Compaq 8510p, Dell Latitude D630, Panasonic Toughbook
The Question
Ok, so you've found a laptop that's perfect for you. Here comes the unevitable question: "Should I wait?". In the world of computers, something new is always around the corner. To constantly wait for the next-best-thing is an excersize in futility. Thus, this is why I had you write down an approximate date of purchase beforehand. Instead of second-guessing yourself, try and stick to that date. Maybe not to the day, but at least to the week or month. That way, you won't be chasing the never-ending line of updates that are "just around the corner".
Beyond the Laptop
Whereas most purchasing guides would have stopped after the last paragraph, remember that the laptop is just the first of many things to consider throughout the buying process.
The Warranty
Most laptops come standard with a one year manufacturer's warranty. Along with this most companies offer a plethora of other options for your laptop. Expect to pay a few hundred dollars for an extended warranty that will cover your system for 3-4 years.
There are two main types of warranties - basic and accidental. Although they may come with many different names, the differences are quite simple. A basic warranty covers anything that the laptop does to itself - such as hardware failure. An accidental warranty extends this coverage to almost anything you do to the laptop - such as drops, spilling water over it, etc... Thus, an accidental warranty encompasses a great deal more than the basic ones, however, this does come with a price premium, usually a good hundred dollars more than a basic warranty.
Whether or not you purchase a warranty is determined by a few factors. First, if you're not good with technology, and don't know much about computers, it'd be wise to get at least the basic extended warranty. If you're travelling a lot, or are going to be constantly moving your computer around, consider the accidental ones. Remember that you're not limited to the computer manufacturer or retailer when purchasing a warranty. Shop around; places like your insurance company also provide coverage on laptops, and may provide a more competitive rate.
Special Note: If you're buying your laptop with a credit card, some major credit card companies will automatically double the manufacturer's warranty. Find out if you qualify
here.
Accessories
There are many gadgets that can help you maximize the productivity of your computer. I will list the most common ones here.
Mouse - Whether it be wired or wireless, a mouse can greatly speed up your control and improve your accuracy over the standard touchpad. Unless you're always on the go - and even if you are, invest in a mouse. Even the cheapest $5 mouse will do, as most are now the USB Plug and Play type.
Carrying Case - A good case will make even the heaviest laptop feel like a feather. Along with protecting your laptop from dings and nicks, a carrying case for your notebook is a must if you like taking your laptop with you. Try and find one that has room for other accessories, and maybe a folder or two.
Laptop Lock - Almost all laptops are fitted with a Kensington Lock hole, and they're there for a good reason. Laptops are great targets for thieves, and thus you'll want to protect your investment with a lock. Most locks are quite simple, they attach your laptop to a piece of furniture, be it a desk or chair. Serving more as a deterrent to opportunity thieves, it doesn't take much to break one of these. Some locks come with a built in alarm that activates when pulled. This adds another level of security to your system. Remember though, that the best protection is your own vigilance. Never leave your laptop unattended, take it with you - even if you'll only be gone a second.
Surge Protector - As with any electronic, you're going to want to plug it into a surge protector instead of directly into the wall. Losing a $20 protector is much easier on the psyche than losing your brand new $2000 laptop.
Software
Antivirus/Antispyware/Firewall
First and foremost, you must protect your investment. An unprotected computer can get bogged down by viruses and spyware, stopping even a top-of-the-line model to a halt. More importantly however, is that you put your personal information at risk if you don't protect yourself. Antivirus and antispyware is easy to come by. Most computers come preloaded with at least a 60 day trial of either Norton or McAfee, and it is up to you to decide what you want to use. There is a wide selection of programs, some with yearly fees, and some that are completely free. Take a look at the recommended software
here.
Office Suite
Almost everybody uses an office suite of some type. To satiate the demand, there are many different suites out on the market, from free to a few hundred dollars, the quality of the programs also vary greatly. The most common suite is Microsoft Office, but at $149 MSRP for the cheapest "Home and Student" pack, it's pretty heafty on the wallet. Free alternatives are OpenOffice, an open source software that you can download online, as well as Google's Software, which is again, online. Most computers will come with very basic software such as Microsoft Works which will be fine for most people. While better suites can offer many more settings and formats, don't think that you absolutely need an expensive suite. For example, this guide was written using Notepad.
Internet Browser
While most people don't give a single thought to the browser that they use, I urge everyone to give Mozilla Firefox a try. As a fully customizable browser, Firefox allows the user to modify it to completely fit their tastes. Firefox is also a safer, more secure browser, and since it's free, I recommend to try it for yourself. Download it
here.
Lojack for Laptops
A theft recovery software from the company Computrace, Lojack works by tracing the location of your laptop through an internet connection if it is stolen. Lojack is perfect for those fearing loss or theft; businessmen (and women), travellers, and especially college students should think about purchasing this software. At $50 for a 1 year subscription, and $100 for 3 years, Lojack is a little pricy, but still much cheaper than having to buy a replacement laptop.
Tweaking Your System
Make Restore Discs
Before you do anything with the computer, make restore discs. Most laptops no longer come with a premade set of recovery discs, leaving you without anything but the recovery partition in case something goes wrong. Restore discs create another layer of security. No matter what happens later on, as long as the problem is software related, restore discs can put you back to factory settings. I cannot stress this step enough. Make restore discs now!
Bloatware Removal
You would think that a brand new computer would be as fast as possible, however, companies these days have the bad habit of loading their machines with "bloatware", or trial software. This is usually done to offset some of the costs of the laptop, which means cheaper prices for you. However, bloatware can have a very detrimental effect to the speed of an otherwise fast computer. Take a few hours after you recieve your computer and do one of two things. I personally recommend the clean install - this procedure wipes the system clean of everything and leaves you with an absolutely flawless system. The drawback to this is that a clean install is time consuming, and also requires a bit of knowledge. Yet with a
good guide, a clean install is arguably one of the best things you can do to your system.
The alternative is uninstalling the bloatware. Although this may seem simpler than a clean install, after all is said and done, they both usually take the same amount of time. Remember that uninstalling the bloatware does not rid the system of everything. There will still be entries in the registry that remain. Use a program like
CCleaner to help you remove everything.
Other Tweaks
After bloatware removal, there are many things that you can do to the system to tweak it to your preferences. Visit our
tweak guide for a long list of things to do. I do warn that there are things which can ruin your system if done improperly. Proceed with caution, and if you don't have the confidence that you can preform all these procedures, feel free to leave your system alone.
Conclusion
I hope that this guide has helped you on your way to a laptop. Remember to fill out an
FAQ for your personalized recommendations. Have a fun time with your new laptop.
---------------------------
Version History
0.9: 05/21/08
1.0: 05/30/08, Business, TnL, Lojack, Wireless
Laptop Purchasing Guide: Summer '08
Re: Laptop Purchasing Guide: Summer '08
