WHICH KIND OF LAPTOP IS RIGHT FOR ME?

To choose the right laptop -- one with the right set of features at the right price -- you'll need to work out how you'll use your machine. Match your needs to one of these user profiles to get started.

Home user | Student | Frequent flier | Business power user | Multimedia author or gamer

Home user

Home users are increasingly turning to laptops as second or third PCs for the home. Laptops can offer similar performance and features to those of a desktop PC, but they can be easily moved from room to room. Two types of laptops are suitable for home users: mainstream laptops and desktop replacements.

KEY FEATURES:

Mobile Celeron, Pentium 4-M or desktop (Pentium 4) processors

At least 128MB of memory

Large hard drive for storing digital photos and video

14-inch display or larger

Fixed or swappable CD-RW and/or DVD drives

Wired and wireless networking

External keyboard and mouse

Microsoft Windows XP Home

Microsoft Works Suite

Back to top

Student

Students and others on a tight budget should look for a laptop that delivers the most bang for the buck. In particular, students need a notebook that is small and light enough to lug back and forth across campus, but rugged enough to withstand bouncing around in a rucksack.

KEY FEATURES:

Mobile Celeron, Pentium 4-M, desktop Pentium 4 or PowerPC G4 processor

At least 256MB of memory

Expansive hard drive to hold all those MP3s

CD-RW drive for burning audio CDs

Wired and wireless networking for network-equipped classrooms

Microsoft Windows XP Home or Apple Mac OS X

Microsoft Office XP Standard Edition or Office X for Mac OS

Back to top

Frequent flier

If you spend a lot of time on the road, size and weight are the two most critical factors in choosing a new laptop -- even if it means sacrificing a little on performance and features. The smallest and lightest laptops, 'ultraportables', weigh less than 2kg and are no thicker than a spiral-bound notebook.

KEY FEATURES:

Pentium III-M processors

At least 128MB of memory

A 12-inch display

Wired and wireless networking

Extra battery for those long-haul flights

Media slice or external USB CD-RW/DVD drive

Port replicator for the desk

Microsoft Windows XP Professional

Microsoft Office XP Professional Edition

Back to top

Business power user

If you rely on the same laptop at work, at home and on the road, you need a well-balanced system. And it has to deliver the performance to keep up with a wide range of applications. A 'thin-and-light' is just the ticket.

KEY FEATURES:

Intel Pentium M processor

256MB of memory

Midsized hard drive

A 14-inch display

Swappable, combination CD-RW/DVD drive

Wired and wireless networking

Extra battery

Microsoft Windows XP Professional

Microsoft Office XP Professional

Back to top

Multimedia author or gamer

If you demand more from a laptop, you'll need a true 'desktop replacement'. Whether you're designing a Web site, editing home movies or mowing down aliens, your notebook will demand a powerful processor, plenty of memory, great graphics and a healthy hard drive.

KEY FEATURES:

Fastest Pentium M, Pentium 4-M or desktop P4 or PowerPC G4 processors

512MB to 1GB of memory

A 15-inch display or larger

Advanced graphics accelerator with 32MB or 64MB of its own memory

The largest and fastest hard drive available

Swappable CD-RW and DVD recordable drives

Multimedia connectors, such as S-Video, FireWire, S/PDIF

External keyboard and mouse

Microsoft Windows XP Home or Professional or Apple Mac OS X

Microsoft Office XP Premium, Adobe Photoshop

Back to top