Laptops or notbooks are the mobile office choice

Notebooks or laptops and Tablet PCs are the most popular mobile office choice because of their portability and increasing performance. Desktops are being replaced by laptops as a choice for consumers. Even though desktops still perform better than laptops in graphics, multimedia, memory etc., due to size specifications. Companies such as HP(Hewlett Packard, Toshiba, IBM, Dell, Gateway, Apple(Mac- Powerbooks), are leading the product line. So which one should you buy?

When in the market for a laptop, keep in mind the following:

Size and Weight of Laptops
This is probably the foremost decisive factor in the purchase of laptops. The larger notebooks offer desktop type performance but are heavy and bulky for travel whereas the ultra portables or light laptops may sacrifice things such as optical drives, dvd burners etc. The CPU on a laptop should be factored to determine your needs. For instance an 800mhz or higher should suffice for dvd players, web browsing and email, but multimedia and graphic needs would require a desktop pc comparable 2ghz or higher processor.

Laptop Memory (RAM)
Laptop systems have a smaller memory allocation compared to desktop PCs. Be sure to check the amount of memory installed in the laptop and also how much of an upgrade the processor handle. Upgrading or installing more memory into a laptop can be a task, given the size of a laptop and the smaller parts contained. If unsure, have a technician help with your laptop system.

Screen Size of Laptops/ Notebook
Another important choice is the screen size on laptops. When in the market, look for the native resolution of the screen. Large screens are preferred, but the high resolution, can distort fonts and make them hard to see. A larger screen is preferred by most. This also increases the size of the laptop. Newer computers offer pricier LCD and plasma displays to offer increased value to laptops.

Hard Drive and Laptop Networking
Laptop hard drives are pretty standard but an optical drive might be more optimal. It can facilitate CD-rom/ DVD combos and can even hookup to an entertainment system for playback. Smaller laptops might lack an optical drive for space saving.
A laptop with at least a 56k modem or ethernet port is good for dial-up connections. For laptop mobility go for an integrated 802.11b wireless adapter. Wireless hotspots are more avaiable these days.

Battery Life and Laptop Warranty
A laptop battery should at least sustain 2 hours of usage. Some laptops may come with an extra battery bay as an add-on feature. Especially a good idea for frequent business travel or entertainment needs. Most laptop batteries are either Ni-Mh or Lithium-Ion. The latter is lighter and hold's a longer charge. Click for Battery Guide.
Warranty on laptops is at least 1 year from the manufacturer. Invest into a 3 year warranty package from the manufacturer or a third party extended. This may be costly but helpful if the laptop is to be used heavily.

Laptop Case-Laptop Bags

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