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Laptop Computers |
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A laptop computer can transform your home and working life. But which is best for you? Ursula Seymour, who writes for PC Advisor, Mac World, Computer Buyer and The Sunday Times among others, picks five of the very best Click to view Top 5 Laptop Computers.
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Laptop computers |
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 Opting for a laptop computer brings many advantages - you can carry it with you and work wherever you want, it can be hidden away at home so it doesn't take over your living room and you no longer have to compromise on power to go portable. Here we show the key areas to consider when making your choice:
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| PROCESSOR |
This is the microchip that drives the whole laptop and, in simple terms, the more powerful this is, the faster your laptop should run. Of course there are other factors that will affect performance, but in general it's a good idea to opt for the fastest processor you can afford. The power of processors is measured in gigahertz (GHz). On average this rating will be from about 1.8GHz or more for a high end laptop and 1.6GHz for a more budget model.
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 But it's not just the gigahertz that matter, it's also the type of processor that counts, as some are designed to run faster than others. The main manufacturer of laptop processors is Intel, and its latest version is called the Intel Core 2 Duo, which uses two processors for improved performance. But you will also see its predecessor the Core Duo, plus budget options the Pentium M and Celeron M. These latter two processors won't offer such good performance as the Core Duo as they contain just one processor, but they are good value options if money is tight.
Intel isn't the only processor manufacturer, although it is the most prevalent, so you might also see AMD's Mobile Turion used in a laptop. These are less common but do provide good performance and value for money.
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| MEMORY |
Computer memory, referred to as DDR RAM (double data rate random access memory), is measured in MB (megabytes) and GB (gigabytes) and, again, the more you can afford the better. The more memory a computer has, the faster it can carry out multiple tasks, so if you want to run several applications at the same time, as most of us do, then more RAM means better performance. As a rule of thumb, high-end laptops will have upwards of 1GB installed, while budget models can have as little as 256MB. If you can choose the features of your laptop, you can often add in some extra memory for very little cost and it's well worth the outlay as it's hard to add at a later stage.
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| STORAGE |
 HARD DRIVE – This is where all your stuff is stored, from software applications to all your documents, photos, video clips and so on. So again the higher the capacity you can go for the better. Hard drive storage is measured in GB (gigabytes) and you will often get less on a portable PC than on a desktop, which is worth bearing in mind if you do have lots to store. Budget laptops can have as little as 40GB, while our Ultimate Laptop from Sony has 200GB.
OPTICAL DRIVES – This is another way of referring to CD and DVD drives. These are used to both access content from CD and DVD discs, and to write data to these discs. A drive that can write to these discs is useful if you want to back up data held on your hard drive as a safeguard or to free up space on your computer. DVDs have a higher capacity than CDs so if you want to store lots of stuff off your PC then opt for a laptop with a DVD writer. Most laptops will have a CD writer, but check to see if budget models also include a DVD writer. Blu-Ray is a newcomer to this area, offering higher quality and greater storage, so we may see more of these drives being added in the future. For more info on this read the best ultimate laptop review.
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| VISUALS |
 SCREEN – The screen on a laptop is essential as it's built in, so you can't upgrade in the same way as a desktop. The average size is now 15.4in, not as large as a desktop display, but plenty big enough. Many come with a reflective coating, which gives a glossy finish and sharper, brighter image quality. High-end laptops can offer larger screens up to 17in, which is useful if you plan to use your laptop for home entertainment.
GRAPHICS CARD – This is the technology used to draw the images on your laptop's screen. It's quite a complex area, but a standalone graphics card will usually offer better quality images than a built-in version. If you want to use your laptop to play games go for the best and most powerful graphics card possible to get anywhere near the power you need to run demanding games.
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| WARRANTY AND SUPPORT |
 Fixing a laptop is not easy and they can be prone to problems so, whatever you do, buy from a reputable company and if you aren't that technically savvy consider a decent warranty. It is tempting to go for a super powerful laptop from an unknown company, but in the long run this might not prove to be the best value for money, as when problems arise the company might be unwilling or unable to help, as profit margins are too tight to pay for decent after-sales service.
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