| 13
Essential points to consider when buying a laptop/ notebook computer
|
| 1.
Speed Issue |
| Laptops
are 20%-40% slower than their desktop equivalents (having the same
features i.e. CPU, RAM, hard disk capacity etc.) Slower CPU's, Motherboards,
hard drives and video systems all contribute to the overall speed. |
| |
| 2.
Microprocessor |
| Like
standard desktops, laptops are powered by microprocessors. The microprocessor
is the central processing unit of the laptop and controls all functions
through programmed instructions (the Operating System Software).
Speeds of microprocessors are measured in Giga Hertz GHz.(1000Mhz=1GHz)
Intel dominates the market with it's Pentium 4, Pentium 3 and Celeron
lines. If you are after speeds higher than 1.5 GHz, you need a P4.
AMD has established itself in the desktop market and is following
suit into the laptop market with its Athlon and Duron lines. |
| |
| 3.
Operating System (OS) |
| The
operating system is a set of pre-programmed instructions that basically
instructs the mircoprocessor on what to do. Operating systems on
laptops include Windows 98/2000/NT/XP (Microsoft) and Mac O.S depending
on the type of machine PC or Mac. You may want to consider that the
latest O.S may not be the best for your laptop. O.S's vary in their
use of power management, new hardware support features, and newer
operating systems may not support older application programs or may
require upgrades. |
| |
| 4.
RAM (Random Access Memory) |
| RAM
is measured in Megabytes MB, it is the place software and data is
held while in use, and allows for more than one function at a time.
You may be wondering how much memory do you need in your laptop.
The minimum that you should get is 64 MB entry level is 128 MB. If
you are using your machine for intensive computational tasks then
256MB or even 512 MB of Ram is recommended. Also consider the amount
of VRAM (video RAM) you have this is important in running graphics
(minimum = 2MB VRAM). Some laptops allow you to upgrade memory and
many new models have an easy access panel that provides an easy access
and upgrade of memory. Other older models, which are upgradeable,
you may need to open the casing to add memory, or even have it sent
to a technician. Overall performance will improve with more RAM particularly
if you work with several applications at once. |
|
| 5.
Disk Drives |
| Laptops
like desktops have various storage devices known as disk drives.
This is where all files are stored, operating system, data, and application
program files. More storage is better in the long term. All Laptops
have an internal hard disk drive, usually 6-80 MB. In additions to
this most have some type of removable disk storage system such as
floppy drives, zip drive, CD drive and DVD drives. There are 2 options
for drives in laptops: |
| |
1.
Some have more than one bay built into the casing such as floppy
and CD drive. |
| |
2.
Some laptops have one bay which can swap or interchange various types
of drives, usually you can detach one drive and swap it with another.
There are 2 types of swappable drives these are |
|
1.
"Cold swappable" Drives - You are required to turn of the
computer before changing drives or reboot after for the change
to be registered |
|
2.
"Hot-swapplable" Drives - You can change drives without swithching
the machine off |
|
| |
| 6.
Display |
| All
laptops have some type of LCD display screen which typically range
from 12- 15 inches. Basically there are 3 types |
| |
1.
Active Matrix (TFT, thin film transfer) - A type of display
in which each pixel on the screen has it's own transistor controlling
the voltage. This allows more control over the entire screen, a crisper
and brighter display. This is usually a faster display than passive-matrix
provides. |
| |
2. Passive
matrix /(STN) - this is an older technology than active-matrix,
active matrix displays provide a much more superior image quality
than passive matrix. The latter are not as bright and often not as
readable in certain lighting conditions. Very few laptops/notebooks
employ passive-matrix displays. |
| |
3. HPA (High
Performance Addressing) -This is another type of Passive matrix
screen. Provides a better quality than passive, however is inferior
to TFT screens. |
| |
| 7.
Screen Resolution |
| For
any laptop/notebook this is a function of the video adapter /graphics
card, the amount of video RAM available and the overall pixel density
of the screen. E.g 800x600 and the number of colors used. These are
defined by the type of output the screen can produce. |
| Video
Mode |
Resolution
|
No
of Colours |
VRAM
(required) |
|
VGA |
640x480 |
16 |
1 MB |
|
SVGA |
800x600 |
256 |
1-2 MB |
|
XGA |
1024x768 |
64K-16M |
4 MB |
|
SXGA |
1280x1024 |
16M |
8 MB |
|
Super XGA |
1400x1050 |
16M |
8 MB |
|
Ultra XGA |
1600x1200 |
16M |
8 MB |
|
| When
shopping around try to get 2MB or more, with less than this you may
have difficulty running programs in SVGA mode. In order to get true
colour (16 Milliion colours) on an external monitor the graphic adapter
requires a minimun of 4MB video memory . If a laptop has shared memory
in its specification, chances are that it does not have contain dedicated
video memory, which means that the video controller shares the system
RAM with the CPU. There a a couple of disadvantages of having shared
RAM.The video controller will access shared RAM slower than dedicated
memory and the memory being used by the video controller will reduce
the amount of overall RAM accessible to software programs, the end
result may well be slower performance all round. The only advantage
of shared RAM is that it allows laptops to be manufactured cheaper.
So when shopping around for a new laptop it is better to have dedicated
RAM, that is if your budget permits this. Usually lower cost laptops
employ shared RAM |
| |
| 8.
Battery Life |
| Sources
of power for laptops/notebooks include, rechargeable battery as well
as being able to use an AC adapter. This is what makes laptops/notebooks
portable. There are 3 types of battery, these are Lithium, Nickel
cadmium and Nickel metal hydride. Battery life varies depending on
the type of rechargeable battery. Lithium batteries tend to be more
superior they tend to hold the charge for much longer. Frequent use
of disk drive can consume a lot of battery power, quite quickly.
When looking at a purchase the minimum battery life on the laptop
should be 2 hours - more is obviously better. Most laptops come with
power management software, which conserves the life of the battery.
This software can be built into the operating system. When the battery
gets low you may notice that the computer runs slower. This is the
result of internal power management software and indicates that you
should plug the computers AC adapter or shut down and recharge the
battery. To recharge the battery the laptop can be plugged into the
wall, or can be connected directly to AC power through the AC adapter. |
|
| 9.
Input/Output Ports |
For
laptops to talk to other devices such as printers, modems, networks,
scanners, external storage devices etc they need to be able to send
and receive information through various input/output ports. These
can include serial ports, parallel ports and USB (universal serial
bus) ports. At a minimum you should have a printer port, which is
usually a parallel port and 1-2 USB ports. In addition to ports some
laptops have expansion slots for PCMCIA standard adapter cards or
PC cards. These cards can be used to upgrade the laptop by adding
a modem, network connection or more memory or a peripheral device.
If you are constantly attaching and detaching your laptop at your
desk, a port replicator makes the job easier. It attaches to the
laptop and provides a multitude of ports allow you to connect up
devices that could not be connected to the laptop directly. A docking
station is a modified/enhanced port replicator, it may also have
a module to charge up a spare battery, place for floppy or Zip drive
a network adapter and extra USB ports. In terms of ports USB is the
future, when looking at a laptop this should be an essential consideration.
|
| |
| 10.
Soundcard |
| Just
like desktop computers most laptops are equipped with a sound card
and built in speakers so they can play audio for a CD. The quality
of the built in speakers in the majority of laptops does not match
that of desktop computers due to the space limitation in the laptops.
If a laptop does not offer sound equipment you can add this through
the PC Card slot. If sound quality is an important factor then you
can improve quality by using external speakers. |
| |
| 11.
Size/Weight Portability |
| The
size of a laptop is an important feature, as the main advantage of
laptops is their portability. Consider the dimensions, length, width
and thickness and make sure that it suits you and does it feel comfortable?
Weight is another important feature, laptops vary from 2Kg - 5 Kg.
If you are a frequent traveler you will probably require something
that's light and easy to carry around. |
| |
| 12.
Communications/Networking |
| If
you need to communicate with your company or customers, access email,
fax documents or access the internet you will need at minimum a 56K
modem. Most new laptops ship with a built in 56Kpbs internal modem
and Ethernet connection if a laptop does not offer this then one
can be added using one of the PC Card slots. It is better to look
for a laptop with an internal modem, this will allow you to send
and receive information just by hooking up to the telephone line.
A growing number of manufacturers are beginning to offer wireless
Ethernet (802.11b) built in as well, this allows you to be a distance
of 50 -100 feet from a wireless access point that connects you to
the wired Ethernet network. Bluetooth technology provides short range
(30 feet) connections to cell phones and PDA's and some printers.
This is an up and coming technology for wireless data transfer over
short distances. |
| |
| 13.
Warranties |
| When
shopping for a laptop be extra inquisitive if you have not heard
of a manufacturer before. Spending a few extra pounds on a brand
name may well save you if you are stuck with a faulty machine. Find
out the exact terms and conditions for warranty repairs, its length
before you make your purchase. |
