LAPTOP COMPUTER BUYING GUIDE
The dooyoo guide to trends in notebook and laptop computers 2007
December 2007
With ever increasing processor speeds, larger hard drives and wireless connectivity, the latest laptop computers offer unprecedented flexibility and computing power. This guide aims to help you select a model that is right for you depending on your computing needs.
Whether you are looking for a desktop replacement with multimedia functionality, a simple budget model, or an ultra light sub-notebook as mobile as you are, dooyoo's buying guide will help you make the right choice. We will cover the key points you need to know about processors, screens and memory as well as providing an overview of trends and developments featured in the latest machines from Acer, Sony, Toshiba, Samsung, Hewlett Packard and Lenovo to mention but a few.
The dooyoo website combines consumer reviews and price comparison in an intelligent mix. We offers tests, opinions and the best prices all in one place and constantly updated. We show you current products and offer advice and information on selection and purchase.
Which is the right machine for you?
Determining which machine is most appropriate for your needs can be difficult given the huge range of models at vastly different prices and capabilities. The first step is to ask yourself what your computing needs are.
In 1965, Moore's law predicted that the number of transistors that could be placed on an integrated circuit would continue to double every two years.
This has proved to be largely true, with today's desktop and laptop machines now exceeding the kind of computing power that sent man to the moon.
As a consequence, sending emails, word processing, compiling spreadsheets, PowerPoint presentations and editing graphics (not to mention playing Warcraft) are a cinch with the right machine (though the software required to launch a space mission is not included with Vista).
Email, word processing and Internet access are well within the capabilities of most budget machines but they tend to be bulkier and heavier than their more expensive counterparts. They 're also slower in raw processing power and have smaller hard drives. If you are storing large amounts of photographs, video and MP3s on your machine, even a 60 GB hard drive can soon fill up. For processor intensive tasks like graphics, audio and video editing or the latest games, a Multimedia machine is a must.
Multimedia machines can still be quite bulky and often have shorter battery lives, so if portability is a key factor then perhaps a sub-notebook is worth considering. If you are thinking about taking your laptop on the road, then weight is an important consideration. Other crucial factors are battery life, the additional weight of power adaptors and whether it comes with built in wireless networking or requires the purchase of an additional card. A light sub-notebook that requires additional drives and has poor battery life has little advantage over a standard model.
The sheer power and versatility of multimedia machines make them viable replacements for desktop systems but if your laptop never moves from your desk remember that desktop machines still represent better value for money in terms of speed and capacity.
In general there is always a trade off between portability and power but with companies like Dell and Sony offering systems configured to your individual requirements a balance can be found that will suit you.
Inside your laptop, the specs that matter: CPU, RAM, HD, and TFT
Processor / CPU
The processor (or CPU) is the most important chip in a computer. Its speed (in conjunction with RAM, more about which later) determines how quickly your machine can accomplish the tasks you set it. With laptops there is a trade off to be made between processor speed and power consumption, with faster processors equating to shorter battery lives. It is worth bearing in mind that even the slower processors found in budget machines (1.4 to 1.6GHz) are perfectly adequate for everyday tasks.
Processor speed becomes more significant if you are intending to run graphics, video or audio editing software on your machine (or play the latest games) but even the fastest processor will only achieve its full potential in these applications when combined with a generous amount of RAM and a decent graphics card.
The latest laptops feature core duo (or core 2 duo) processors. Dividing the workload of the CPU between two chips does not automatically increase the power of the machine but rather enables some applications to be run in the background. This is a particularly useful feature when scanning for viruses or rendering video, the kind of long and automated tasks which would otherwise tie up all of your machine's resources for the duration. This dual core approach can be found even in newer budget models such as core 2 duo T7200 or Turion 64 X2.
Single chip solutions such as the Pentium M, Pentium P4 mobile, Celeron M 430, mobile Sempron 3200+ and Athlon XP Mobile all offer a tried and tested balance between performance and power consumption, as does Intel's Centrino ('Centrino' is Intel's marketing term for how a suite of technolgies - the CPU, mainboard chipset and wireless network interface are combined, it is not a chip itself) range, which will satisfy the majority of users. Processors designated 'M' or 'Mobile' were developed specifically with portable computing in mind, generating less heat and making less demands on the battery.
The latest development in the Centrino range, the Santa Rosa or Centrino Pro chipset, builds further on its reputation for good integrated wireless connectivity and adds dynamic power management to further enhance the efficacy and speed of these processors.
Hard drive
Every year or so that nice Mr. Gates releases an operating system or upgrade that takes up even more space on our hard drives and requires ever more RAM. These upgrades combined with photos, videos, and MP3s makes his historic prediction about no one ever needing more than 1 MB of memory on a personal computer now seems something of an understatement.
Hard drives these days start at around 40GB, but 60GB or 80GB drives are well worth the extra money, as upgrading can be a tricky undertaking (in fact even budget notebooks can be found with 150GB drives). If you are intending to edit large photographs or video then internal hard drives up to 250GB are available and even machines that feature multiple drives. The speed of a hard drive is also important when dealing with these kinds of applications, look for something with a speed of at least 5400rpm (ideally 7200rpm) for video and audio editing. Lesser speeds are fine for everyday tasks.
An external hard drive (Firewire and USB2 offer faster data transfer rates than USB1 drives) is also something worth considering, not least because backing up your data is imperative and in the event of a catastrophic hard drive failure (sooner or later it will happen to you!) an external drive, with a copy of your operating system on it, should allow you reboot the machine and find out whether it can be saved. At the very least you will be able to recover some of your data.
RAM
Active software applications are stored in RAM (Random Access Memory) and the more RAM you have the better those applications will run. Most laptops feature a minimum of 256MB but it's worth upgrading to at least 512MB, which is the absolute minimum for Vista (although you will apparently need 2GB to see the flashiest of its new features).
RAM is relatively cheap these days, adding more to your machine is not difficult and should dramatically improve its performance. Even if you settle for the baseline specified RAM at the outset it is a good idea to check the maximum the machine can take with a view to future upgrades as these will often extend the useful life of your notebook by a few years.
Display
The most important difference between laptop displays is transflective (glossy) vs. matted (anti-glare), the former is better for photos, the latter for word processing and web browsing. High-resolution screens, WUXGA (1920-by-1200), produce great detail but are not ideal for text-based work. If your eyesight is less than perfect WXGA (1280-by-800) resolution might be a better choice.
All laptops use LCD (liquid crystal displays) in a range of sizes from 12" (ultra-portable, sub notebooks) to 17" (larger multimedia and desktop replacement models) the average is around 15", measured diagonally.
The more expensive TFT (Thin Film Transistor or active matrix) screens are better for use in direct daylight than the standard passive matrix LCDs. Consider a wide screen format display if you are going to watch a lot of DVDs on your computer.
Graphics Cards
Whilst many laptops use universal or shared memory to power the display and feature integrated graphics processors, gamers and those who make a lot of presentations using their laptops will benefit greatly from the additional dedicated memory found on a graphics or video card such as the ATI Mobility Radeon X1900 or the NVIDIA GeForce Go 6800 Ultra.
These cards will considerably improve your machine's ability to deal with the fast refresh rates required in the latest 3D games environments but make sure you have enough RAM to see their full benefit and don't settle for anything under 128-bit.
Sub Notebooks and ultra-portable models almost all rely on integrated Graphics chips so these models are not the best choice if online (or offline) gaming is your thing. It is worth bearing in mind that a dedicated graphics card will drive up the cost of your laptop and put extra strain on your battery however, as already mentioned, this is an essential consideration if you are a keen gamer as (with the exception of some of Dell's machines) this component is not easily upgradeable once you have purchased your machine.
Removable media (optical drives and flash memory)
Optical drives (CD/CD-R and DVD/DVD -R) are to be found on most machines (the exception being a number of sub notebooks which dispense with these entirely to cut down on weight and power consumption). Even budget models should feature the ability to burn as well as read CDs and writable DVD models are becoming the norm (don't worry, these drives handle CDs as well). Of course someday CDs and DVDs will go the way of the dodo (or the 5.25-inch floppy disk) and it would be a brave, or foolish, person who attempted to guess the outcome of the Blu-ray vs. HD debate.
Some models feature slots for flash memory, secure digital and memory sticks, which can come in handy when using your laptop with digital cameras, camcorders and PDA's however since most of these devices can be hooked up to a laptop using a USB cable, dedicated card reader or even wirelessly through Bluetooth, their presence is hardly a crucial factor.
Users with data on floppy disks will these days most likely find themselves having to purchase an external drive, if you are working across a wide range of storage media it might be worth considering a model with a swappable drive bay, though for most users the writable CD/DVD combo should be sufficient.
Ports
USB1 is the standard means of attaching peripheral devices (e.g. a mouse, printer, external drive) to your machine. USB2 is considerably faster than its predecessor and is a more practical option for external hard drives and importing/exporting video (it also works perfectly well, albeit at slower speeds, with USB 1 devices). FireWire is also worth looking out for if you have peripheral devices to connect that support this format (Digital Camcorders, hard drives). Just to confuse matters Firewire also comes in two flavors, the original version, FireWire 400 (IEEE 1394a) and the new and improved FireWire 800 (IEEE 1394b). The new, faster version of FireWire is compatible with older devices but you will need a new cable with an adaptor and again the data transfer rates will be at the older speed.
Legacy devices (such as that old dot Matrix printer you inherited from uncle Bob) use SCSI connections and are probably best abandoned to history at this point as converters (for USB and FireWire) can come at a premium and occupy valuable PCI slots that could be more gainfully employed.
Batteries
Battery life is a key factor if you are intending to use your laptop out and about. Whilst battery lives are constantly improving, as previously indicated, very fast processors, dedicated graphics cards as well as certain tasks, playing DVDs and CDs for instance, will all take their toll. If you are likely to be using your machine away from the mains electricity supply for long periods then a second battery might well be a worthwhile investment. It is also a good idea to check how long the battery takes to recharge and, most importantly, following the instructions closely regarding the charge and discharge cycle will greatly improve both the performance and lifespan of your battery.
Wireless
Wireless networking, the ability to connect your machine to the Internet, other computers in a network, or peripheral devices, is one of features that make computing truly mobile. The Centrino mobile processor comes with many of these features built in, making it a straightforward solution to building networks. Alternatively consider the addition of a wireless LAN card (fitted in the PCI slot) to take advantage of WiFi hotspots. Bluetooth capabilities allow your machine to communicate with your mobile phone but also make possible wireless connections to (appropriately specified) mice and keyboards.
Accessories
If you are planning to travel any distance with your laptop (even if only as far as the local internet café) a good bag is an essential accessory. Attractive and fashionable options can be found from Golla, WalkOn and Targus, all of which include extra space for drives, adaptors, cables, documents and are almost invariably cheaper when purchased online.
Laptops all use a variation on the theme of the trackpad which if used for extensive periods may well reduce your writing hand to a twisted claw. Consider purchasing a decent ergonomically designed mouse (Bluetooth or infrared, to remain cable free) especially if you are using the machine as a desktop replacement. A separate, ergonomically designed, keyboard may also be a worthwhile investment for those putting in long hours at the computer and if editing video or graphics on a regular basis an additional display is highly desirable. If you think that an extra display might be an essential purchase for you then check that the machine comes with a DVI port.
You will also, sooner or later, encounter the need for a printer. Laser printers are bulkier, more expensive but faster and the cartridges have to be replaced far less frequently making them the preferred solution for the office and for those with high volume printing needs. Stationary laptop users might also be tempted by an all in one model, which can function as a scanner, photocopier and fax machine as well as a printer.
Inkjet printers are far cheaper and can produce extremely high quality photographic output but ink is expensive and needs to be replaced frequently. Whilst Inkjet printers, by virtue of their price, relatively small footprint and near photo quality output, have been the preferred choice of the majority of home computer users for the last few years, it has long been suspected that the manufacturers of these devices are selling them almost as loss leaders and making massive profits on their highly expensive proprietary ink cartridges. In some models, replacing the ink cartridge a couple of times can cost almost as much as buying a new printer. Before purchasing an Inkjet printer, check that cartridges are widely available (preferably with a third party alternative that can be bought cheaply online).
Road warriors and frequent flyers will also want to check out the slightly more expensive (but highly compact) portable inkjet printers powered either by their own battery or from a USB port.
As previously noted a hard drive is an intelligent purchase for data (and software) backup. If purchasing an external drive it is worth noting that some of the smallest and most portable models have no fans built in (meaning that they run hot and are unsuitable for long periods of use) and draw their power via a USB port (do you have enough ports for all your peripherals or should you consider buying a hub?). For secure archiving of data as well as the ability to reboot and restore software to your laptop a drive with its own mains power supply is a must. For video and audio editing as well as other applications relying on fast data transfer rates, look for higher speed models.
Whether you need something small, fast and portable or a monster capacity super-fast RAID configured model (for video and massive databases) external drives are available from Iomega, Lacie, Maxtor and Seagate which will fit the bill and your budget.
For the home or office user that occasionally likes to work away from their desk but whose machine usually remains hooked up to a variety of peripheral devices, a docking station (or port replicator) might provide an excellent solution to the issue of all those trailing cables.
Anti-virus software and properly set up firewalls are obviously essential when connecting to the net (Symatec and McAfee both produce reliable and regularly updated options) but you may also want to consider the physical security of your machine in which case an external lock is a excellent solution.
Budget Laptops
Entry level models can be purchased from between £300 and £500 and even at the lower end of this price range price, 80GB capacity hard drives, 512 MB - 1GB RAM, WLAN, internal modems and at least three USB sockets are standard features.
The IBM/Lenovo 3000 N200 for instance, is equipped with Windows Vista Business and sports a DVD burner, a massive 120GB Hard Drive, three USB connections as well as a Widescreen TFT 1280 x 800 ( WXGA) display and 1 GB RAM - impressive specifications for a machine at this price.
Budget alternatives include, Dell Inspiron 1501, HP 530 Celeron-M 420 and the Fujitsu Siemens AMILO PRO V3515 .
Desktop replacement or slim line
For between £500 and £800, build quality and power to weight ratio improves dramatically. The latest core 2 duo processors, massive hard drive capacities and generous RAM, mean machines of this class are great all round solutions, being true desktop replacements but rugged and (in some cases) light enough to cope with the rigors of travel.
The Sony VAIO AR51E C2D/T7250 2GB VHP features a 17" screen, 2GHz of Intel core duo processing power and supports up to 4GB of RAM, though at 3.9kg it might be a more practical option as a desktop machine than a constant traveling companion.
A lighter alternative, by virtue of its smaller screen, The Fujitsu Siemens Amilo pi 2515 (2.6Kg) features the latest Santa Rosa chipset, Intel GMA X3100 graphics, up to 2GB of RAM, and a 200GB hard drive. It also has a dual-layer DVD burner and an ExpressCard slot for those peripheral devices.
The HP PAVILION DV6623 (2.8kg) is another more portable alternative also boasting much of the power of the desktop replacement. Also worth a look in this price category is the ultra portable Toshiba Satellite Pro U300-13O which despite its mere 1.99 Kg still manages to incorporate a 120GB hard drive, DVD burner and an integrated camera and microphone for those all important teleconferences.
We will take a look at some other ultra-portable options later but the slim line notebooks in this price range (max 2.5KG) feature both a standard keyboard and (at least) a 12" display making them a more appealing choice than the ultra light sub-notebooks for many due to their lack of compromise in power, capacity and ergonomics.
Other desktop replacements worthy of note include: Fujitsu Siemens Amilo Pi 2530, Medion MD96163, Sony Vaio N31S, Fujitsu Siemens Amilo Pa 2548.
Multimedia laptops
Architects, commercial artists and 3D professionals (as well as home users looking for a multimedia hub and for whom power is more important than portability) will appreciate the high-end specifications of the multimedia notebook.
With generous widescreen displays, massive storage and RAM capacities, these machines also feature DVI output to enable lossless data transmission to a second display, projector or television as well as integrated TV tuners.
Top of the range models from Acer and Asus support HD DVD, while Sony's machines opt for Blu Ray (dual compatibility drives remain, to date, elusive).
Machines for multimedia professionals: Toshiba Tecra S5, Sony Vaio FZ11Z, Dell Precision M6300.
Gaming Laptops
The serious game player has been traditionally ill-served by laptop manufacturers but this is beginning to change with a number of models featuring high contrast, glossy displays with the fast refresh rates necessary for needle sharp 3D rendering, as well as that all important dedicated graphics card.
Power consumption and weight mean that these machines remain better suited to indoor use and their glossy screens are calibrated with the gloom of teenage bedrooms in mind.
Dell's XPS M170 has a GeForce-Go-8700M-GT-Graphics chip, which will satisfy even hard-core gamers, as well as a display with a detail-friendly resolution of 1,920 x 1,200 pixels (WUXGA).
Models featuring earlier versions of the GeForce-Go chips (7800 GTX, 7600) as well as those featuring the Mobility Radeon X1800XT (or X1600) will all deliver the performance demanded by the latest games.
Top gaming laptops: Asus G1S, Toshiba Satellite X200-203, MSI Megabook GX700-7525HD (extreme edition).
Sub Notebooks
Weighing in at no more than 1.5 kg, Sub Notebooks are featherweight machines capable of up to 9hrs battery life, however in order to achieve this, screens and keyboards are often smaller than that of a standard laptop and optical drives are sometimes dispensed with entirely. Look for models featuring UMTS/HSDPA in order to take advantage of WLAN Hotspots for Internet access.
The 1.25 Kg Sony Vaio TX5XN/B offers seven hours of battery life and yet still manages to incorporate a DVD/RW drive, whilst at 1.9kg, the Dell XPS M1330 leads the field in terms of processing power thanks to its Geforce 8400M graphics chip and Core duo T7300er-CPU.
Other sub-notebooks worth a look include: Acer Travelmate 6292, Lenovo Thinkpad X60s and the Sony Vaio VGN-TZ21MN/N.
Tablet and ultra mobile PCs
Smaller and lighter than even a sub-notebook is the tablet PC. Convertible Tablet PCs feature a screen that can be rotated through 180 degrees and many often use a special stylus for data entry. ULV (ultra low voltage) processors guarantee long battery lives but can't match the power of either slimline laptops or sub-notebooks. The other drawback common to many of these machines are their small and rather fiddly keyboards.
New Tablet PCs: HP Compaq Tablet PC Tc4400, Asus R1F K072T
Business notebooks
Business-notebooks are workhorses, which, until recently, had to manage without Multimedia bells and whistles. This is changing rapidly but key considerations should still be battery life (at least 4-5 hrs) and sturdiness of construction. Reflective screens can result in eyestrain if you are putting in long hours at the keyboard so look for models with a non-reflective 1,280 x 800 display.
Other features worth looking out for in this class of machine are DVI connectivity (for external monitors) and VGA (for video projectors). Higher end business machines also feature fingerprint recognition and TPM chips for additional security. Extras like a docking station and HSDPA (for wireless connectivity) should also be considered.
Toshiba's Tecra range offers an outstanding combination of build quality, processing power and value for money whilst the five hour battery life and 2.5kg weight make the Lenovo Thinkpad T61 another popular choice (though be sure to check your model has Bluetooth connectivity specified).
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy and so the Asus V1S AJ016E with its Nvidia 8600m GT Graphic chip and bright 1680 x 1050 display brings gaming capabilities to the business machine. Whilst the ability to keep track of the value of your virtual assets in Second Life (or relieve stress by tracking down the Spider Mastermind in Doom) may be a compelling feature for some, the absence of XP drivers (the V1S is a Vista only machine) may limit the ability to answer the Call of Duty.
Other popular business models include: HP Compaq 6715b, Dell Vostro 1500, Acer Travelmate 6592G.
Luxury notebooks
At the top end of the price range (1500 - 3000) we find luxury models for those who insist on the very best in design and build quality. Acer's, Ferrari 5005WLHi finds the company collaborating with the Italian sports car company to bring you a high-end laptop with red racing stripes. Panasonic's toughbooks (whilst not so easy on the eye) feature military grade components and housings, which make these machines as close to indestructible as a laptop is ever likely to get.
The highly covetable Apple MacBook Pro has a fiercely loyal user base, which is not entirely due to the marketing savvy of CEO Steve Jobs. Their reputation as expensive and underspecified machines is a little unjust as the stability of Apple's OS X and its relative immunity to viral attack combined with consistently innovative design, high resale values and the ability to run Windows are winning more and more converts. Even Apple's lower end MacBook models demonstrate categorically that a laptop can (and perhaps should) be a thing of beauty.
If bling is your thing, other high end models include: HP Compaq Mobile Workstation nw8440, Asus W2W, Toshiba Qosmio.
Seven Top tips for buying a laptop
- Identify your needs and your budget.
Are you intending to use your machine as a desktop replacement or is portability more important than sheer computing power? A combination of the two is possible but you might have to compromise a little either on weight or battery life. Remember that even the slowest CPUs will cope with most day-to-day tasks. Models that are a few months old will often be cheaper than the latest releases and still provide the specifications you need. Having identified your needs, make a list. Whether you decide to buy online or from a shop it is all too easy to be blinded by all those different specifications.
- Battery life is more important than weight.
If you are a mobile user the life of your battery should be a key consideration, don't settle for less than 4hrs. Ultra lightweight machines often have smaller batteries (which may mean having to carry a spare). If drives have also been omitted to bring the weight of the model down you may also need to carry these, thus the advantages of owning a featherweight laptop will be quickly undermined and your 1kg super slim machine will require 3kg of accessories. Heavier machines also have the advantage of stronger build quality.
- Does the machine feature the ports you need?
A USB hub is a relatively inexpensive accessory but your machine should have a minimum of three ports built in and remember USB2 is much faster than USB1. If you are using a Camcorder look for FireWire and check any specialized input or output requirements (DVI, VGA, S-Video in/out) that you may have as in some cases converters can be expensive or hard to come by.
- Don't economise on the processor.
Whilst you may not need the power of the fastest and latest chip it is worth bearing in mind that the CPU is the laptop component that will become obsolete first and upgrading it can be tricky and expensive. 2 core solutions may, in some cases, feature lower clock speeds than their single core predecessors but their multitasking and dynamic power management capabilities have great advantages. Stick with familiar brands and opt for chips developed exclusively for laptops to maximize efficiency (and minimize heat).
- The speed of your hard drive matters as well as its capacity.
A faster hard drive will see considerable gains in performance. Ultra fast drives were, until recently, relatively rare in laptops because of the heat they tend to produce but they are now appearing in some models. If you are likely to be using your machine for processor intensive applications (gaming and video editing for instance) then the speed of your hard drive is an important factor.
- RAM is always a worthwhile investment.
It doesn't matter how fast your processor is or how big your hard drive; RAM, RAM and more RAM will go a long way in determining the performance you get from your computer.
- Consider an Extended warranty.
In general Extended Warranties should be approached with caution but in the case of laptops may well be a worthwhile investment. Check the details carefully to make sure what is covered.
Summary
As we have seen, laptops come in all different shapes and sizes as well as a huge range of prices. In general older models will sell for less than the latest releases and often be more than sufficient for your needs. As with a lot of fast moving technology, features that today are only found in high-end machines migrate to tomorrow's budget models with alarming speed, however it remains generally true that you get what you pay for. Whilst there may not be a huge difference in the apparent specification of a budget machine and a luxury model, with the latter you are paying for build quality and reputable components not just sleek design.
Multimedia designers and obsessive gamers can still expect to pay premium prices to satisfy their specific requirements but for the rest of us the laptop is fast becoming a viable and appealing 'all in one' alternative to that space invading desktop system. If portability is a key factor, don't get over obsessed with weight differences of a couple of hundred grams. These are often achieved at the expense of the machine's robustness or by omitting features that you will have to carry around as peripheral devices.
