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Buying a new laptop can be a daunting task. First off, there are many more factors to take into account when buying a laptop than when buying a desktop PC -- size and battery, for example. Budget laptops can be alluring, but will they have the horsepower you need for daily computing tasks? What difference does having an AMD or Intel processor make? And how do you make sense of the alphabet soup that is Wi-Fi (802.11a, b, g, n)? Well, dear reader, and potential buyer, Switched is here to help you wade through the spec lists you see on those Sunday circulars and help you make the best of your laptop money.

 

SIZE
Perhaps the most important factor when shopping for a laptop is what size you should get. Most often, laptops are divided up into four general size categories: ultra-portable, thin-and-light, mainstream, and desktop replacement, each with its own particular pros and cons.

Ultra-portables are for those who want to carry their laptops everywhere everyday. They weigh less than 4-pounds and have long-lasting batteries (four hours or more on a single charge), but also have tiny screens (12-inches or less) and slightly sluggish processors. Ultra-portables sometimes also lack bulky extras such as DVD drives and extra inputs, which make them ideal for business users who need to have a computer with them at all times for work, but do not care about entertainment, gaming or editing their videos or pictures.

If performance and screen real estate are important, but you still plan to carry your laptop around much of the time, then make the jump to a thin-and-light notebook. Models in this category generally weigh in at about 5-pounds and pack in beefier processors, as well as 13- or 14-inch wide screens. This size category is popular with business users or students who need to carry their computers with them always, but want more power for fun tasks like watching movies or downloading and listening to music. Thin-and-light notebooks also have more regular-sized keyboards, which will be a relief to anyone who has to write TPS reports and/or term papers

So-called mainstream laptops are, more often than not, cheaper and less svelte versions of their thin-and-light cousins. 15-inch wide screens are the norm, as are weights of about 6-pounds. These specs make them portable, but they're a bit big to stick in many backpacks and can be tiring to carry around with you every day. Still, you won't get more bang for your buck in another category, which makes mainstream laptops an ideal choice for those on a budget.

At the top of the heap are desktop replacements.These over-sized monstrosities are good if you want top performance, but are tight on space or want to be able to compute from various locations in your home (since they can be easily moved from room to room). 17-inch screens are the standard, but 19-inchers are available as well. The models in this category contain top-of-the-line components that are far better at handling video editing and gaming than the other types of laptops. They also weigh anywhere from 7 pounds to 10 pounds. But with such big screens and powerful innards, desktop replacements only have an average battery life of about two hours, so don't expect them to last for too long away from an outlet.

 

BATTERY LIFE
Part of the appeal of a laptop is its ability to travel with you, so battery life will play an important factor in choosing which computer you buy. There is no reason to accept any less than three hours of operation, and at least four would be preferable. If you're going to be carrying your laptop with you everywhere, you should aim for one of the ultra-portables that can often offer seven hours or more of active computing.

Battery life is tied tightly to a couple of key components, namely screens and processors. The larger the screen and the faster the processor, the less life you can expect to get from a charge. If battery life is key for you, look to those 12-inch ultra-portables and keep an eye out for LV (Low Voltage) or ULV (Ultra Low Voltage) processors from Intel that sip power and stretch a battery as far as it will go. You'll be able to identify them by the model number, which will start with an 'L' or a 'U,' such as U7600 or L7200. Also look for Energy Star certification, a set of standards the ensure power-efficiency (4.0 is the highest rating a computer can get). All the major manufacturers offer a number of laptops that achieve this rating, including most of Dell's Latitude line of business laptops.

 

OPERATING SYSTEM (WINDOWS VS MAC, ETC)
Choosing an operating system (OS) -- essentially the tech term for Windows, Mac OSX, or Linux -- for your laptop can be a tough decision. Macs are sexy and cool, but can you run all the applications you need on them? Windows is the industry standard, but can be a security nightmare, and Vista is bloated and slow. Then there is the dark horse Linux, which is quick on its feet and infinitely customizable, but could give non-geeks migraines if anything stops working as Linux is known for being difficult to use.

Windows: The wealth of applications available for Windows makes it very alluring, but the wealth of viruses and spyware that target the OS can make it terrifying. Windows is the operating system for games, most of the most popular titles, 'Halo,' 'Bioshock,' and 'Crysis' aren't available on Mac or Linux. uTorrent (the best BitTorrent client out there in our subjective opinion) is also Windows only but the software gap between Windows and OS X has all but disappeared outside of the gaming world. If you've decided you need access to the most applications and hardware then you've still got to decide between Vista or XP. If you're planning on picking up one of those low-power ultra-portables, or a more budget conscious PC with limited resources, opt for XP, which is faster than Vista and much easier on your battery. The average user should be fine with Vista Home Premium. While XP may have it's benefits, Vista is the way of the future, and hoping on board now will save you some trouble when Microsoft stops supporting XP in a couple of years.

Mac OSX: After years of being overshadowed by Windows-based computers, notebooks (iBooks and MacBooks) that use the Mac OSX (also known as Leopard, in its latest incarnation) are gaining more acceptance. Third-party developers are building a substantial library of software to supplement the already impressive stable of Mac-exclusive applications, such as iTunes, iLife, and Garage Band, that are shipped with every Mac. Macs excel at creative tasks, such as music creation, photo editing, and video production. They're also more or less free of the viruses and spyware that plague Windows users (though it's a matter of debate whether this security will last or not). Sadly, you'll still encounter some compatibility issues with peripherals, such as printers, cell phones, back-up drives, and 3G wireless broadband cards (also, known as WAN cards, more on that later). And unless you're in publishing or graphic design, the corporate world doesn't appear to be embracing Macs any time soon.

Linux: If you're adventurous, or a tinkerer, you can always opt for Linux. Linux comes in many flavors called distributions. Dell sells PCs with the Ubuntu Linux distribution -- which is the Linux operating system plus a collection of useful software programs -- pre-installed. Ubuntu features useful apps including a Web browser, as well as presentation, document, spreadsheet, and instant-messaging software, and is the particular brand we would recommend, as it is the most user friendly and has one of the largest libraries of available software. Linux has many of the same pros (near invulnerability to viruses and spyware) and cons (lack of games and compatibility issues) as Mac OS X, but has an incredible library of solid free software like Tomboy, a note-taking application, Photoshop replacement GIMP, and the Open Office suite. These aren't perfect programs, by any means, but they certainly get the job done, and on the cheap (meaning, free). Plus, opting for a Linux-based laptop lets you take a stand against Steve Jobs and/or Bill Gates. The downside is that even basic troubleshooting may be a bit much for the novice computer user. Dell will sell technical support, and there is a large community of users out there who are very willing to help you solve your problems if you visit the Ubuntu forums, however solving issues in Linux can often involve complex command line operations or editing cryptic text files buried in hard to find places. If you have to ask what those terms mean, then you probably shouldn't be getting Linux.

 

WIRELESS OPTIONS (CONNECTING TO THE INTERNET AND OTHER GADGETS)
WI-FI: The wireless mess of 802.11a, b, g, n -- that mysterious set of letters and numbers you see on computer wireless spec lists -- is actually much simpler than it would appear. "802.11n" is the latest and greatest, but still not widespread. "802.11g" is the standard and "802.11b" is the original standard. "802.11a" is the red-headed step child that never quite took off, and you probably won't miss it if your laptop won't support it. We strongly recommend making sure your laptop has "n" installed to future-proof your purchase. It's twice as fast as 802.11g -- ideal for streaming or downloading even HD-quality video over Wi-Fi -- but will still work on "g" networks. If the laptop doesn't have WiFi, then don't buy it.

There are other connectivity options to consider when shopping as well. Bluetooth will allow you to use a headset with your PC for placing voice calls over applications like Skype, Google Talk, or Gizmo. It will also allow you to sync your smart phone or use your mobile handset as a modem for getting online when Wi-Fi isn't an option. If you plan on being out and about, but always need to be able to get online, then think about adding a built in 3G cellular WAN (Wide Area Network) connection for broadband speeds from just about anywhere there's a cell phone signal (many ultraportable and thin-and-light notebooks offer this option). You can also get add-on cards for WAN access on laptops that don't have the feature built-in. You'll need a PC card slot or a USB slot for these add-on cards to work. Sprint and Verizon offer 3G EVDO mobile broadband cards, while AT&T Wireless offers 3G HDSPA cards, which will work overseas if you plan on traveling internationally.

As far as ports (a.k.a. inputs on your computer) go, make sure that the laptop you choose has at least 2 USB ports, but the more the merrier. You'll need these to plug in the aforementioned mobile broadband cards, but also printers, Webcams, mice, and cameras. A DVI output is also good to have, since most external computer monitors will work with it as will many HDTVs. If you plan on watching HD movies on a TV, consider getting a laptop with an HDMI output. VGA outputs will also work with most computer monitors, but may be the most limiting option. If you're getting a Windows-based laptop, you'll want to get a model with a built-in multi-format memory card reader, which lets you transfer images, video, and music much faster than with a USB cable.

 

TECH SPECS AND OTHER FEATURES
This is the really techy stuff. AMD or Intel processors? What speed? How much RAM (random access memory)? The most important thing to look for is RAM, which is what will help your computer work faster. Accept no less than 1-gigabyte, but if you've got the cash, spring for 2-gigabytes, just to be safe, especially if you intend to run the resource-hungry Vista. The exception to the rule is Mac, for which we'd recommend getting 2-gigabytes from the get-go. Why? Because upgrading RAM on a Mac is either really complicated or really expensive. If you're determined to save some money on RAM for your Mac, then buy the standard 1-gigabyte and get your technologically inclined nephew to upgrade it for you after the fact. (Hint: Shopping at Newegg.com could save you up to $100 over the Apple memory upgrade.)

When choosing a processor, the decision between AMD and Intel is pretty simple: Unless you plan on only e-mailing or word processing, or if price is a concern, you should go with an Intel processor -- they just tend to be faster and more efficient, which means fewer mysterious freeze-ups during computing and longer battery life. Any Core 2 Duo (logo above) will do -- and aim for the 2-gigahertz and higher models if you plan to do any gaming. If the laptop you like only offers AMD processors, then go with AMD's top-of-the-line Turion 64 X2 mobile processor (logo above).

Intel's standard Pentium line (not Pentium M or Pentium 4, just plain Pentium) is fine for those with only basic computing needs and tight budgets, but avoid anything that has the word Sempron in it. Sempron is the bottom of the barrel, bargain processors from AMD, and it's only single-core, under-powered, and outdated by the time you get it home. We'd also recommend holding-off on Celeron processors until the end of 2008, when the more affordable processor brand from Intel will get a dual-core upgrade. While both Sempron and Celeron processors may do the job for a brief period of time, you'll be wishing you dropped the extra $50 on a processor upgrade when it takes a full three minutes to launch the next version of Internet Explorer or Firefox.

If you really want to future proof your purchase, look for the latest processors from Intel, which are built on the chipmaker's new 45nm process. The technology leads to faster and cooler processors that wont burn your lap under heavy use, and will survive a little longer on a charge. The latest from Intel are still called Core 2, but can be distinguished by their processor numbers that start with "8" or "9" (i.e. T9500 or T8300). The current versions available now are aimed at more demanding users such as gamers and media enthusiasts, but the technology will trickle down to the lower end of the company's processor line in the next couple of years.

When it comes to optical drives, a DVD +/- writer is the standard, and is good enough in most instances since it'll handle the most common disc formats. If you plan to watch HD movies, look for a Blu-ray drive -- it's pricey and only worth it if you're an early-adopter, high-def movie buff (don't pay for a competing HD-DVD drive, since that format is all but dead). Be warned, though, that many ultra-portables, such as the MacBook Air and the Lenovo X61 shed an optical drive to save size and weight, which means an external drive will be needed to watch DVDs, rip and burn CDs, or, in most cases, install software from a CD or DVD.

The last thing to look at is a graphics card. Many laptops use "integrated" graphics, which means they're built into the system and borrow RAM to operate. These graphics chips are good enough for most everyday tasks, but if you plan to do any gaming beyond playing 'Minesweeper' and/or run Vista, then look for a "discrete" graphics solution from either ATI or Nvidia that has its own memory. Look for either an ATI HD 2xxx or an Nvidia GeForce 7xxx or 6xxx series with at least 128-megabytes of memory for Vista, or if you're planning on using your laptop for HD video playback. If you plan on doing any serious gaming or video editing, then spring for the top of the line GeForce 8800 or ATI's HD 3600 series with 512-megabytes of dedicated memory.