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Last updated on 1 May 2008

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How to choose a laptop/notebook computer

Another name for a laptop computer is notebook computer.

There are two main species of laptop/notebook computers - the PC laptop that runs Windows (the latest version of which is Windows Vista) and Windows software, and the Apple Mac that runs its own operating system called Mac OS X, which has software specially written for it.

There is also a subspecies called the sub-notebook, which is smaller and lighter than full-notebook-sized laptops. They are smaller than the ultra-portable 'mobility' laptops sold by the major manufacturers such as Dell and HP. In fact, at the time of writing (March 2008), there were no sub-notebooks being sold by those two manufacturers. Sub-notebooks are not as popular as full-sized models and are usually made by less-well-known manufacturers such as Vye. Here is a review of a Vye sub-notebook PC that has a 7” screen in a 10” case:

Vye mini-V S37 Review -

http://www.tomsguide.com/us/vye-mini-v-s37,review-1068.html

Most new laptop/notebook PCs now come with a version of Windows Vista pre-installed, but they are still available new with a version of Windows XP (Home Edition or Professional Edition) pre-installed, and they will be available second-hand with a version Windows XP for many years to come.

The vast majority of new desktop an laptop computers now come with Windows Vista preinstalled and operate some kind of recovery system, be it via access to a genuine Vista DVD, a Recovery Disc that usually restores the system to its factory state, or a recovery partition on the PC's hard disk drive that the recovery system uses from within Windows.

Visit the Using Windows Vista section of this site for more information on it.

Microsoft will stop selling licences for Windows XP after 30 June 200, but support for it will continue for many years to come. Visit the Windows Support section of this site for pages that deal with Windows XP.

Microsoft: June 30 not end of Windows XP support -

"Windows XP will remain in what Microsoft calls "mainstream support" to April 14, 2009, and continue in "extended support" though April 8, 2014..." -

http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?...

Apple Mac desktop and laptop computers used to have their own processors, but Apple has recently reluctantly relented and allowed its computers to run the latest processors made by Intel. The latest models are called the Macbook and the Macbook Pro. Only Apple makes Macs, but, as is the case with desktop PCs, PC laptops are made by several major manufacturers, such as Sony, HP, Dell, Toshiba, and Acer. Dell used to sell all of its computers directly, but the demands of the marketplace have recently made the company decide to sell them via retail stores.

Most of hardware information that applies to PC laptops also applies to Apple Mac laptops, so I don't need to distinguish between them in that regard. The following links provide articles that cover that current state of play in the PC versus Mac story.

Mac vs. PC cost analysis: How does it all add up? - Everybody knows PCs are cheaper than Macs, right? Wrong! (At least sometimes.) -

http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?...

Ding! Mac vs. PC cost analysis, Round II -

"Whose software, reliability is better? Our findings might surprise you. Plus: Figuring in the Mac's fun factor." - http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?...

Note, however, that RAM memory for Apple desktop and laptop computers is much more expensive than standard PC/laptop memory, and can often be ridiculously much more expensive. To find out how much Apple charges for memory for any of its desktop/laptop models, visit http://www.apple.com/, click on Store, and look for Memory down the left-hand side of the page.

Apparently, it is possible to use third-party memory in Macs that is cheaper than memory bought from Apple, but I don't understand why the company charges so much for the memory it sells for its computers. At the time of writing (July, 2007), Apple was selling 4GB of ECC (error- correction) memory for its G5 computer for $2,600, and $1,200 for 4GB of standard non-ECC memory.

Since laptop/notebook computers can easily be damaged by dropping them or spilling liquids on them, etc., you are advised to take care when buying one second-hand. If you want a second-hand machine that has a good specification, you can buy refurbished models with warranties directly from manufacturers such as Dell and Apple.

Two very good tips to bear in mind when buying a laptop are:

1. - Don't be tempted to buy the cheapest model, because it is likely to have a low specification, which means that it probably won't be able to run Windows Vista Premium Edition (the most popular version of Vista) and the latest software comfortably or for long, and it won't be able to play the latest PC games.

By current standards, this is a low-specification model:

Acer Gemstone AS5315 laptop PC for just £299.98 - Intel Celeron M 530 single-core processor - 80GB hard drive - 1GB RAM memory - Dual layer DVD writer - WiFi ready - Microsoft Windows Vista Home Basic Edition

However, note that if you are only going to use the laptop PC for accessing the Internet and running office applications, such as MS Office or OpenOffice (still free), a machine with the specification listed above will do just fine.

You should not consider buying an expensive new laptop unless it has an Intel or AMD dual-core processor, 2GB RAM memory, and Windows Vista Home Premium as the operating system.

2. - It is often possible to buy the same make/model cheaper online from a reputable vendor than it is to buy it from a retail shop. Just make sure that you buy online using a credit card, because you will be able to reclaim your money from your credit-card company should the online store go bankrupt. Debit cards do not provide any cover.

To see images of the latest laptop/notebook PCs, visit the Acer site at http://www.acernotebooks.co.uk/. Use your browser's Back button to return to this page.

You can also download the user manual for a particular model from the manufacturer's website. It provides the machine's specification (the hardware that it provides - the type and amount of memory, the size and type of the hard disk drive, etc.), and how to use it. Having read all of the information provided on these pages, you will then be able to make sense of the information in a user manual for a particular laptop computer and use it to help you make up your mind whether or not to make a purchase. The user manuals are usually in the PDF format that requires a PDF reader, such as the free Adobe Acrobat.

If you need to get a good idea of the components that are used in current desktop and notebook computers all you need to do is read the reviews of the latest machines on the market. Then you can read the detailed information provided about those components on these pages. Here are two links to get you started:

Desktop computers -

http://www.pcpro.co.uk/shopper/archiveproductsearch/2/Desktop-computers

Laptop/notebook computers -

http://www.pcpro.co.uk/shopper/archiveproductsearch/9/Laptops

Bundled software and trialware

Some of the software that is preloaded in many new desktop and laptop PC's is very useful, but much of it is not. Indeed, there can be so much trial and junk software installed that it can slow the system down considerably. Therefore, it is a good idea to remove it by making use of a particular program's own uninstall option, or by using Add or Remove Programs in Windows XP in the Control Panel. In Windows Vista, that feature is now found under the Programs and Features category in the Control Panel. If you have a retail or OEM copy of Windows XP or Vista, you could also remove any partitions on the hard disk drive, format it, and install Windows and any other software that you use.

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The versions of Windows Vista for the home user were made available on January 30, 2007

Note well that the versions of Windows Vista for the home user were officially made available on January 20, 2007. The versions that most home users opt for are Vista Home Basic, Vista Home Premium, and Vista Ultimate. However, at the time of writing (February, 2007) many laptop/notebook computers were still being sold with Windows XP Home or Professional Edition installed.

Both of those versions of Windows XP will be supported for some time to come. Visit http://support.microsoft.com/ for more information on the support that Microsoft is currently providing for the versions of Windows XP. That said, if you plan on using Windows Vista, it is not advisable to buy a new desktop or laptop computer that has Windows XP installed on it, even if it comes with a free upgrade to Windows Vista, because it is always best to have a new version of Windows clean-installed instead of having an outgoing version upgraded to the latest version.

Note that desktop or laptop/notebook computers that can run Vista but which might not be able to use the Media Center or the new Aero graphics feature, are labelled by Microsoft as being Vista Capable. Computers that can run all of Vista's new features are labelled as being Vista Ready. For example, you might purchase a laptop computer that come with Windows XP Professional Edition pre-installed There will be a label on it saying: Designed for Windows XP:Windows Vista Capable, or Designed for Windows XP: Windows Vista Ready.

Visit the Using Windows Vista section of this site for more information on the latest versions of Windows.

Microsoft has extended support for Windows XP Home and Media Center Editions

Microsoft has extended its support for Windows XP Home and Windows XP Media Center Editions to match the support it has always intended to give Windows XP Professional Edition. Support for those versions was supposed to end five years after their introduction, but Windows XP Home Edition was released in October 2001, and Windows Vista was only officially made available on January 30, 2007, so, although Microsoft had to extend its support for them, it has done so very generously.

Windows XP Home and Windows XP Media Center Editions are to receive free mainstream support until April 2009. Mainstream support includes feature requests, security updates, hotfixes, and support. After mainstream support ends, five years of extended support begins. Extended support provides free security updates and paid-for support. Official support for all three versions of Windows XP (including Windows XP Professional Edition) will end in 2014.

Visit http://support.microsoft.com/lifecycle/ for the latest information on the lifecycles of Microsoft's products.

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Desktop PCs are still the most numerous type, but laptop/notebook PCs are quickly gaining ground on them in popularity due to improved technology that is almost as good as desktop technology, and improved battery life.

Note well that power notebooks that can be used as alternatives to desktop PCs don't usually have good battery life. However, there are exceptions to the rule. A good example of such an exception is the HP Pavilion dv8135EA, given a four-star review in Computer Shopper 220 (available from April 20, 2006). It has a 17" widescreen, two 100GB hard drives, and 1GB of RAM, yet its battery can last as long as three hours, which is regarded as good. Four hours of battery life is regarded as excellent.

Most new laptop PCs now have their displays in the widescreen format. Standard screens have a 4:3 aspect ratio, which is the ratio of the screen's width to its height. This makes them almost square. However, widescreen displays have an aspect ratio of 16:9, which makes them rectangular, with the width of the screen being almost twice its height. Widescreen displays are ideally suited for watching widescreen movies, and using them feels more comfortable when working with panoramic photos and expansive spreadsheets.

There is no such thing as a minimum or ideal specification to aim for when purchasing a new or used notebook (laptop) computer. To find out which product to buy requires identifying what you intend to do with the machine and then looking for a make and model that meets those needs as closely as possible. This requires knowing what the specification of the machine is in detail. Examples of the specifications of budget, midrange, ultra-portable, and gaming notebook computers are provided in a table on Page 2 of this article.

Although Windows Vista is available now with the Windows Media Center integrated into Windows Vista Home Premium and Windows Vista Ultimate editions, it is still possible to buy a laptop/notebook Media Center PC running Windows XP Media Center Edition for under £500.

For example, the Acer Aspire 5633WLMi - LX.AU30J.090 cost only £408.48 in Febraury 2007. It has these key specifications:

http://www.acernotebooks.co.uk/Acer_Aspire_5633WLMi_LX.AU30J.090/version.asp

Included are an Intel Core 2 Duo T5500 dual-core processor (1.66GHz (x2), 667MHz FSB, 2MB L2 Cache) and 512MB DDR2-667MHz RAM memory. It should have 1GB of memory to run Windows Vista, so a low-cost memory upgrade to 1GB and a free upgrade to Vista is offered.

Although laptops/notebooks are still being sold with a single-core processors, the models with much faster dual-core processors don't cost much more, so, in order to future-proof your investment as much as possible, a laptop with a Intel Core 2 Duo or AMD Turion TM 64 X2 Dual-Core Mobile Technology processor is the best choice.

You may soon also also be able to buy laptops with an Intel Core 2 Extreme mobile processor, which has four cores instead of two. However, note that four cores won't make a dramatic difference in performance compared to two cores, because, as yet, programs haven't yet been written to take advantage of four cores.Therefore, if a four-core laptop costs a much more than a two-core model, it's probably not worth the extra outlay.

You should also buy one with a hard disk drive with as much data-storage capacity as possible. Have a look at the Dell site where the specifications for the various models in a range of laptops are easy to view all at once. You can find out what the data-capacity specifications measured in gigabytes (GBs) are for the hard drives used in expensive and budget models. Currently (February 2007), a laptop computer with a 120GB hard disk drive is a good buy if the rest of the hardware is just as up-to-date.

If you want to use a PC Card to add a feature to a laptop/notebook computer, such as wireless networking, or a wireless broadband Internet connection, you should make sure that the slot that it provides supports the type of expansion card. For example, the Web 'n' walk data card from T-Mobile that provides a wireless broadband Internet connection is currently (February 2007) only available as a PC Card (PCMCIA card), not as an ExpressCard, which is the latest standard that almost all of the laptop computers sold by Dell have. Very few Dell laptops now provide a PCMCIA card slot. Unfortunately, the specifications provided by laptop manufacturers or vendors often don't say which type of slot is supported. There is more information on this subject on Page 2 of this article.

If you want to connect a laptop computer to a mobile phone, the phone and the laptop must be able to be connected together via either a USB cable or by a Bluetooth wireless connection. Therefore, the phone must support a USB cable connection (all current desktop and laptop computers support USB 2.0), and the laptop and the phone must support Bluetooth.

If you have an erratic power supply, you can protect your laptop computer with a surge protector, or an Uninterruptible Power Supply, (UPS) that provides surge protection and continuous power to the computer in the event of a power failure. You can buy an UPS for less than £50 from reputable computer stores or online that provides power backup and can shut down the computer in your absence. It is best not to buy an UPS that can only provide a power backup. Some UPS provide insurance that covers your losses if your equipment is destroyed by a power surge or failure.

To locate further sources of information on Uninterruptible Power Supplies, try entering a search term such as uninterruptible power supply uk (as is) in the Google search box provided at the top of this page. (Make sure that its Web radio button is enabled). Drop the uk if you live in the USA.

Visit the Using Windows Vista section of this site for more information of the new versions of Windows.

Visit the Media Center PCs page on this site for more information about them and how to build one of your own. Use your browser's Back button to return to this page.

Note well that brand-name and generic (unbranded) components are very easy to obtain for desktop computers. Unfortunately, with the exception of hard disk drives, this is not usually true of laptop/notebook computers, the parts for which are rarely interchangeable, including the RAM modules. For that reason alone, it's advisable to buy a laptop/notebook computer from the major brand-name manufacturers. There are other reasons to follow that policy, such as the availability of device drivers and BIOS updates. You often have to update the video chip's drivers in order to be able to use updated software such as DirectX and OpenGL, and a BIOS update is often required to run a new operating system or to fix bugs in the original BIOS setup program.

The major manufacturers of laptop computers are companies such as IBM, Dell, HP, Acer, Toshiba, Asus, Samsung, Hi-Grade, Fujitsu-Siemens, and Sony.

The safest way to upgrade laptop/notebook RAM: Use the UK and US Crucial Memory Advisors

Paul Mullen, the highly-respected computer guru of the Helpfile at ComputerShopper.co.uk - "I have recently been buying my memory only from Crucial Technology. I would rather pay the extra cost than waste time trying to track down the obscure program faults that bad memory can cause."

The memory requirements of the versions of Windows Vista

Most of the versions of Windows Vista require more RAM memory to run optimally on a computer that doesn't use memory-hungry applications than Windows XP. A video-editing application is an example of memory-intensive software. Only Windows Vista Home Basic has a recommended minimum amount of memory of 512MB, which is the same amount recommended for Windows XP. Windows Vista Home Premium, the most popular version, and Windows Vista Ultimate require a recommended minimum of 1GB (1024MB) of memory, which is twice the amount of memory recommended to run Windows XP.

In a new computer, consider 1GB of memory a minimum, and buy a model with more if you can afford it. A 2GB desktop/laptop PC will have sufficient power for almost anything a typical user will use it for. A dedicated PC gamer, however, should go for a 4GB model.

For more information on computer memory, read the RAM pages of this site.

For example, if your computer has an Asus motherboard, open the menu, scroll down to ASUS, and click GO. If, say, you have a Dell computer, scroll down to DELL, and do likewise. You will be taken to the relevant information on Crucial's website.

If you don't know the make and model of the motherboard installed in your computer, here is a good free utility - Belarc Advisor - that creates an analysis of the hardware and software on a personal computer. Look under FREE DOWNLOAD - http://www.belarc.com/. Another utility that also provides detailed information on the memory itself is CPU-Z.

Optimising/optimizing PC performance

The web has many sites that provide PC optimisation information, or that provide or run optimisation programs from their sites. You can make use of the Google search box (with its Web radio button enabled) provided at the top of this page to locate them. Here is one of the best sites:

PC Pitstop Optimize 1.5 -

"Run our free Optimize scan and identify many common problems that plague most computers. Find out what it takes to get a better performing computer without the expense or difficulty of adding new hardware." -

http://www.pcpitstop.com/store/optimize.asp

The BIOS setup program

The BIOS Setup program of a PC configures its hardware and some of its software for use by the operating system, which is usually a version of Windows or Linux.

The BIOS is accessed and works in a laptop/notebook PC in exactly the same way as it is accessed and works in a desktop PC. However, most laptop PC manufacturers limit the number of possible configuration settings that the user can enable or disable. This is probably done in order to prevent users from enabling settings that conflict and could cause the system to fail to start up. Inexperienced users would then call the manufacturer's free support service for help while the machine is under warranty. The manufacturers are obviously keen on making their laptops as foolproof as possible in order to reduce support costs.

Most laptop manufacturers include a section on the BIOS setup program in the user manual that comes with their laptops. It usually gives a brief explanation of what each setting is for, and/or what happens to the system when a setting is enabled or disabled.

Most laptops start up by showing the manufacturer's logo instead of the RAM memory count and Windows setup screen. If you haven't seen the startup screen, have a look at the examples shown on the first page of the section devoted to the BIOS on this site. If you prefer to see the memory count, most of the BIOS setup programs used for desktop and laptop PCs have a setting that disables the appearance of the manufacture's logo. The user manual will usually tell you how to disable it.

Click here! to go to information on the BIOS on this site.

Of pre-loaded software, self-loading advertisements, and large hidden partitions

Good advice is not to buy them from a vendor that has them made in the Far East where they are cobbled together with little or no thought of providing spare parts or updates. How can you tell if a vendor provides spare parts and updates? - It should have a website, such as Dell's, that you can visit and from which updates can be downloaded and spare parts or upgrades can be purchased.

The problem with laptops made by the major manufacturers is that they come pre-loaded with plenty of software, much of which is useless, and are usually configured to offer special deals from the manufacturer's marketing partners, such as offers to sign up with an ISP or photo service, or with a particular antivirus program and service, etc. Moreover, a Windows CD is not usually provided. Various types of recovery systems are used instead that usually make use of one or more large hidden partitions on the hard drive that can only be used for recovering the system. Recovering that space requires knowledge of what has been installed on it and how it can affect the rest of the system if removed. Read this article if you want to know more on this topic: Laptop Setup Secrets.

Business-class or home-use class?

Notebook computers specifically designed for use by business professionals who are constantly on the move are more expensive than notebook computers designed for the home market. The main reason for this is because the components of a portable computer suffer most from the affects of shock and vibration. Therefore, you are advised to purchase a business-class, ultra-portable machine if it is intended to be used mostly while on the move from place to place, because that class of mobile computer is specifically designed to be protected from the affects of shock and vibrations.

For more information on this topic, read the Q&A on this site called Are vibrations harmful to the components of my computer, such as its hard disk drive? Use your browser's Back button to return to this point on this page.

Price

The prices of notebooks computers can range from as low as £450 to as high as £2,500 or more. If your computing needs can be met by a £450 notebook, you'll be throwing away money if you buy a more expensive product. Likewise, if your computing needs require a £1,500 notebook, you'll probably be causing yourself unnecessary problems if you buy a much cheaper model.

Battery power, the mains adapter, and the carry case

"Smart" batteries

Portability and the life of a battery have to be matched properly against the performance and the features provided by the hardware.

Most new notebook computers use "smart" batteries which contain internal micro-processors. These special circuits communicate valuable charge/discharge information to the notebook computer, which makes it possible to provide useful features such as a battery fuel gauge while also providing extra safety. For instance, the battery can inform the charger when the charing cycle is completed and end it so that the battery can't be overcharged.

If you are using a charger to charge the batteries for a mobile phone, etc., you should use a quality charger that can switch off when the recharging is completed. Low-quality chargers just keep charging the battery or batteries until they're switched off, and this reduces the battery life.

Ni-Cd (Nicad or Nickel Cadmium) batteries, still used in older laptop/notebook computers, have been superseded.

The batteries used in all recent notebook/laptop computers are Li-ion ("Smart" Lithium Ion) and Ni-MH ("Smart" Nickel Metal Hydride) batteries. Ni-MH batteries, which have a shorter battery life per charge, are inferior to Li-ion batteries. Therefore, if you're going to make plenty of use of the battery, make sure that the battery the notebook computer is supplied with, or which you buy, are Li-ion batteries. Most laptops now use Li-ion batteries, but you should check a particular machine's specifications just to make sure.

Ni-MH (NiMH) batteries can be recharged up to 1,000 times if used properly. The lifespan of Li-ion batteries depends on how they are used. However, a user would be lucky to get more than five years use out of one, or somewhere between 300 and 400 recharge cycles.

Lithium Ion battery cells are packed in a higher density than Nickel-based batteries (Ni-Cd, Ni-MH), and since Lithium is the lightest metal, the battery life per charge is longer and the weight of the battery pack is lighter. You can also recharge a Li-ion battery whenever it's convenient, without the full charge/discharge cycle that's necessary to keep nickel-based batteries at peak performance. Over time, crystals build up in nickel-based batteries that prevent them from being charged completely, requiring an inconvenient full discharge and recharge.

External laptop/notebook batteries

If your laptop/notebook computer has a failing Ni-MH battery and you can't find a replacement, you can buy an external laptop battery that is usually about the size of a laptop itself, which plugs into the computer where its power cable connects. To find vendor's and information enter external + laptop + battery (as is) in the Google search box at the top of this page (with its Web radio button enabled). Such batteries usually provide longer battery life than internal laptop batteries.

Note that there are many companies in the US that recondition Ni-MH batteries by replacing the cells with new ones, but I was unable to locate any such company in the UK.

The battery meter is not showing the correct charge, the battery is not holding a charge, or the battery charge light blinks while making a clicking sound

If the battery is not showing the correct charge, if necessary, consult the laptop's user manual to find out how to complete at least one battery charge/discharge cycle. Don't worry if the battery doesn't begin charging immediately, or if a slight clicking noise is produced for a while as the battery charge light blinks on and off. This is caused by the battery having been fully drained, or when the battery has been left in storage for a long period. If left for an hour or so, the charging should begin and the light should stop blinking. If the battery is still not working as it should, then it is probably dead.

The most commonly used Lithium Ion (Li-ion) batteries produce no memory effect, nevertheless the battery will have a longer life if it is properly fully discharged every time. A Lithium Ion battery, or any other rechargeable battery, will only recharge for a certain number of times - between 500 and 1000 - before it dies. So, if the laptop is used on battery power and is plugged into the mains to top the battery up, the recharge times are being used up a lot faster than if complete charge and discharge cycles were being employed. Therefore, unless it is being charged, you should take the battery out out when the laptop is being powered from the mains. Only charge it when it has drained completely if you want to maximise its lifespan.

Surge-protection for computer equipment: Surge protectors

Most power lines are buried underground, so lightning-induced power surges are more likely to strike through TV antennas and telephone lines, etc. Large electrical motors, such as power tools can generate 'spikes' when they start up. The electrical cables that serve a building often run next to one another through the same conduit boxes. A surge through one circuit can induce surges in neighbouring circuits, so a surge through a power line to which power tools are connected can spread to a power line to which electrical equipment is connected. Therefore, it is the best policy to place surge protectors as close as possible to the equipment that they are protecting, with the shortest possible cable between the equipment and the surge protector. Good surge protectors come with free insurance policies that cover any failure to provide protection, and have an indicator light that shows if they are working properly. Surge protectors are available that protect network, telephone, and TV/cable line. The best brands are Belkin and APC, which also manufacture UPS units.

Click here! to go to information on this site on Uninterruptible Power Supply units (UPS).

PC Buyer Beware! Copyright © Eric Legge 2004-2008. All rights reserved.