GEEKBOY’S GUIDE TO GOING PORTABLE

Reprinted from Renfrew-Collingwood News,
July/August 2004 Edition

In recent weeks, I have received several e-mails regarding “what to look for” when buying a notebook computer. With school just right around the corner and the price of “portable” computers coming down so dramatically these days, many of you are probably comtemplating on purchasing a new notebook computer instead of a desktop for you home, office, or school use. So if you are one of those who are in the market for a laptop computer this fall, read on…

NOTEBOOK TYPES
The laptop or notebook computers on the market today, generally, fall in three distinct categories. Before you consider the features of the notebook, you have to consider what you will be using the notebook for and choosing the appropriate type of machine.

Ultraportables – This class of notebooks are designed specifically for individuals that are always on the go and need sufficient computer power to complete their day to day tasks, like: checking e-mails, word processing, or presenting a presentation to a client.

Thin and Light – These notebooks are ideal for everyone. They are powerful enough to allow individuals to send e-mails, view/edit pictures, compose a novel, and play a few odd games. The notebook is also light enough to be carried, if needed, between work and home.

Desktop Replacement – These notebooks are for individuals who would like to replace their current desktop machine with a portable. These machines are just as powerful as their desktop brethren and are not meant to lugged around by the user, most weigh around 9 lbs, but can be moved from room to room quite easily if need be.

Besides trying to max out your budget, you should also consider some of the following factors when buying a new notebook computer:

Processors – The “brain” of the computer is harder to upgrade in laptops than a traditional desktop computer, it maybe more prudent to choose a faster processor in your class of machines and sacrifice other minor features. Despite what the salesperson will tell you, processors from AMD and Intel work and perform exactly the same. The equivalent (Mobile) AMD Athlon 64 machines are both slightly cheaper and better designed than their Intel (Centrino) counterparts.

Memory – Notebook computers, with the exception of the desktop replacement kind, typically have slower processors. Users have to make sure that they purchase a notebook with a least 512 Megabytes of memory to ensure that their machine is up to snuff. If you are planning on getting a machine with less than 512 Megabytes of memory, make sure the machine has an extra DIMM (memory) slot for future expansion, else it may cost you a little more to upgrade down the line.

Battery life – If you are looking to replace your desktop computer with a mobile computer, this is not a very important; for the most part you will have the laptop plug into the wall. For thin and light notebook users, typical laptops will give you 2 – 4.5 hours per battery depending on use. For the “always on the go” crowd, ultra-portables will give you 5 to 6 hours per charge.Screen size – Mobile computer screens range between 10 to 17 inches. Most ultra-portables come in 12 inches or less. The desktop replacement variety usually come at 15 inches or greater. The average laptop will have at least a 14.1 inch screen. Unless you are doing a lot a desktop publishing work or watch a lot of movies, most users probably would not need anything larger than 14.1 inches. Big is not necessarily a good thing in the laptop world, it often means that you will sacrifice battery life and increase the weight of your machine making it less portable. To ensure that images and text are displayed clearly regardless of screen size, make sure that the screen supports high resolution rates. Have the salesperson demo the machine and judge with your eyes.

Keyboard – Mobile computer keyboards are not full size on some models especially the ultraportables. For those of you, who have slightly large hands, this could be quite uncomfortable. Finally, for all the touch typists out there, you may want to give the IBM ThinkPad line of notebooks a try. IBM notebooks have some of the industry’s best tactile keyboards. Make sure you give the keyboard a test drive before you decide to buy.

Mouse – To any computer user, next to the keyboard, the mouse is the most important device. Most notebook computers use a glide pad where individuals move the mouse pointer by moving their finger on a touch sensitive pad other notebooks from Toshiba and IBM use a tiny joystick embedded into the keyboard that the user can control the pointer on the screen. Individuals with slightly larger fingers may find the joystick a little harder to use. Try out the pointing device before you purchase.

Wireless Networking – Many university campuses, coffee hotspots, hotels and homes have WIFI wireless networking setup. If you are planning on using your portable in any of these environments, make doubly sure that your machine as built-in WIFI wireless networking and that it supports 802.11b or the better and faster 802.11g standards. A wireless network will give you access to all of your documents, e-mail family and friends, and surf the net wirelessly. Most laptops today come standard with an Ethernet port for Internet and network access. A majority come with both WIFI and the port. Finally, if you are planning on getting a portable with WIFI, make sure it comes with a switch to turn WIFI on or off. This gives individuals the option of conserving valuable battery power when there is no WIFI access.

Ports – Make sure you have enough USB ports for your digital cameras, printers, MP3 music players, and thumb drives. If you plan on editing your personal videos on the laptop, make sure you also have a firewire connection. Some laptops like the Sony VAIO Notebooks come with a built-in Memory Stick slot for those who use them to store photos and data. Finally, if you need to connect your cell phone or PDA to your laptop, make sure the laptop and your gadgets have Bluetooth or Infrared support.Storage/Floppy Disks – Many of the newer laptops, today, no longer come with any floppy disk drives. So, if you have a lot of information stored on “floppies” make sure your laptop either comes with a floppy drive (internal or external) or you have enough USB 2.0 ports (i.e. 2 or more) to accomodate a USB thumbdrive. USB thumbdrives can be purchased at your local computer store for around $30 – $100, depending on storage capacity. The main advantages to carrying a USB thumbdrive versus floppy diskettes are: (a) smaller size (i.e. same size as your housekey); (b) no moving parts (i.e. less prone to mechanical failures); and, (c) increase storage capacity (i.e. 128 Megabytes and up).

Well, I hope this helps guide you on your shopping trip. For those of you, who really need specific recommendations, feel free to drop me an e-mail by clicking here or at: gb.technobytes@gmail.com.

See you soon,

~ GeekBoy