You are ready to purchase a notebook but don't know which one to order? Finding the right laptop for your situation isn't easy with the hundreds of options available these days. Are you going to use the notebook mainly for business, games or perhaps watching DVD's while traveling?

Let's take a look at the different elements of a notebook:


THE CPU
The cheapest laptops are around 400 bucks and come with Intel Celeron processors. The Celeron is the budget
version of the Intel processors. If you are merely going to use your laptop for textual purposes then this kind of CPU will do
just fine. The more recent versions of the Celeron can be used for low-graphic games and web surfing. You may want to consider
looking at getting a bit more RAM to get the most out of your system.

The Core 2 Duo processors are the best ones out there at the moment, offering excellent performance for your most
demanding applications. They are available from 1.6 GHZ up to 2.3 GHZ and will set you back a few hundred bucks more
than the Celeron laptops. The difference is huge though, and definitely recommended for consumers who use their laptop for
graphic intensive applications, such as 3D games and graphic editing programs.

RAM / MEMORY
One of the more important elements of a computer system. Microsoft Windows Vista runs best on 1 GIG of RAM. So if you want to be ready for the newest operating system then look at getting at least 1 GIG of RAM. The cheaper laptops usually come with half of that, 512 MB - which is enough for the lower graphic games, text, and low to medium web use. DDR SDram is installed in the older budget notebooks. The more expensive newer notebooks come with the faster DDR2 SDdram units.

HARD DRIVE
Many people underestimate the importance of a good hard drive. Don't just look at how big it is, but also watch for speed. Having a 2 GHZ duo core 2 system with 2 GIGS of RAM and a 4800 rpm hard drive will not get the most out of your system. If you really want to go for the best performance check to see if you can get a 7200 rpm. Writing and reading will be much faster and your system won't have to wait for your hard drive to finally get it's act together.

VIDEO CARD
Like playing video games? Do graphic intensive work on your notebook? If you answered "yes" to either or both you are strongly advised to look at a video card that can handle your needs. Notebooks are not known for having state-of-the-art graphics, but
this is changing. The more recent generation graphic cards of regular desktop computers can become pretty hot during a sessions of playing your favourite 3D action game. Manufacturers are now producing cards that resemble desktop performance but use much less energy and therefore produce quite a bit of less heat .Notebooks won't be able to match desktop systems in terms of graphical power yet, but it looks like they will in a few years. Don't just look at the amount of memory when looking for graphic cards. Sure 512 MB RAM might look interesting, and it probably is - but also take into account the processing speed of the card and the speed of it's memory. Several video cards from both ATI and NVIDIA use your system's RAM memory to improve their own performance. If you can get a card with 256 MB of dedicated video RAM instead of one that gets 128 MB from your notebook's memory then go for the first.

USB Ports
You quickly have too little USB ports available. Many notebooks come with only 2 USB ports. Now, obviously you could look for another notebook and purchase that one instead - but you will find that the good ones just don't have that many. Thankfully there are ways to expand your USB ports by buying USB port extenders. The common ones use 1 port and convert it into 4. You'll need 1 USB port for your keyboard, and one for your mouse. If you are using a wireless keyboard/mouse - many of them use the same receiver unit and therefore only require 1 port. So 1 or 2 for your basic control units, another to connect your digital camera to - so you are looking at 4 minimum. You are probably looking at an extra 40 bucks for an additional 3 ports. Not a bad deal, and definitely worth thinking about.

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NOTEBOOK NEWS

09/11/2007 - Dell introduced a new budget notebook for just under 500 dollars. The Dell Vostro 1000 is not a high-end system, but does offer value for money due to it's dual-core AMD CPU and wireless solution.
Find out more here.


09/02/2007 - Fujitsu has got something if you are looking for alternative laptops/notebooks. Their new lifebook notebooks are very mobile but come with excellent hardware. Click here to read more.

08/30/2007 - Toshiba recently unveiled the first mobile HD-DVD burning solution. Blu-ray fans were already able to burn their high definition media content on their laptops thanks to Sony. But now the HD-DVD camp gets their own mobile media center.
Click here for more.