Laptop PC

Shopping for a laptop personal computer can be confusing, so here are some learned tips for how to parse the market. Manufacturers make a big deal out of the weights and sizes of their laptops, but unless you're physically disabled or constantly on the move, there's not much difference between an eight pound unit and one which weighs only three or four pounds.

Two extremely light Notebooks are the IBM ThinkPad X40 and the HP Compaq Presario X1000. These weigh under three pounds and take up practically no room. Display options abound, from built-in LCDs to an active matrix technology called TFT. The advantage of the TFT technology is that you can view your monitor from a number of different angles and get clear images.

Perhaps more important than screen size is resolution. High-resolution displays allow realistic depictions of gaming graphics, PowerPoint presentations, and other audiovisual art. Keep in mind that you don't need a top of the line display if you're getting a laptop for basic business or personal use.

Consider the kind of wireless access that your laptop PC comes with. There are three types of networks: PAN, a personal access network; LAN, a local access network; and WAN, a wide area network. It's almost imperative to obtain a wireless card. Even if you don't plan on accessing the Internet with your laptop or go wireless, you never know when you're going to need to upload files, check e-mail, or IM with clients. Get a decent wireless card standard in your laptop PC, even if it costs extra.