Consumer Reports - Laptops

Laptops account for about 25 percent of sales."glossy" surface instead of a dull one. Those look
It's not hard to understand why. Small screensbetter in bright ambient light, as long as you avoid
and cramped keyboards have been replaced bydirect reflections.
bigger, crisper displays and more usable keyMost laptops use a small touch-sensitive pad in
layouts. Processors have caught up in speed, andplace of a mouse--you slide your finger across
innovative new processors provide some realthe pad to move the cursor. You can also
advantages. Fast CD and DVD recording drivesprogram the pad to respond to a "tap" as a
are common, as are ample hard drives. And a"click," or to scroll as you sweep your index finger
growing interest in wireless computing plays toalong the pad's right edge. An alternative pointing
the laptop's main strength: its portability. A laptopsystem uses a pencil-eraser-sized joystick in the
is the most convenient way to take fullmiddle of the keyboard. You can attach an
advantage of the growing availability of high-speedexternal mouse or trackball if you prefer.
wireless Internet access at airports, schools,Laptops include at least one PC-card slot for
hotels, and even restaurants and coffee shops.expansion. You might add a wireless network card
The Centrino technology that's central to Intel'sor a digital-camera memory-card reader, for
newest laptop processors has wireless capabilityexample, if those are not built in. Many laptops
built in, and delivers commendably-long battery life.offer a connection for a docking station, a $100
The thinnest laptops on the market are less thanor $200 base that makes it easy to connect an
an inch thick and weigh just 2 to 5 pounds. Toexternal monitor, keyboard, mouse, printer, or
get these light, sleek models, however, you'll havephone line. Most laptops let you attach these
to pay a premium and make a few sacrifices.devices anyway, without the docking station. At
WHAT'S AVAILABLEleast two USB ports, for easy hookup of, say, a
Dell, Gateway, Hewlett-Packard, Compaq (nowprinter, digital camera, or scanner, is standard. A
owned by HP), IBM, Sony, and Toshiba are thewired network (Ethernet) port is common, as is a
leading Windows laptop brands. Macintosh laptopsFireWire port for digital-video transfer. Many
are made by Apple. Laptops can be grouped intomodels have a standard or optional internal
several basic configurations:wireless-network ("Wi-Fi") adapter. The infrared
Budget models. These have slower processorsport found on a few models can be used to
and lower screen quality than others, but aresynchronize data wirelessly between the
suitable for routine office work and homecomputer and a personal digital assistant (PDA).
software. Price range: $800 or less.Laptops typically come with less software than
Workhorse models. These have faster processorsdesktop computers, although almost all are
and more built-in devices, so there's less need forbundled with a basic home-office suite (such as
external attachments. They're not lightweight orMicrosoft Works) and a personal-finance program.
battery-efficient enough for frequent travelers.The small speakers built into laptops often sound
Price range: $1,000 and up.tinny, with little bass. Headphones or external
Slim-and-light models. These are for travelers.speakers deliver much better sound.
They can be less than an inch thick and weigh asHOW TO CHOOSE
little as 2 or 3 pounds. They generally require anDecide if a laptop is right for you. If you're on a
external drive to read DVDs or burn CDs. Pricevery tight budget and aren't cramped for space,
range: $1,500 and up.a desktop computer may still be OK. Otherwise,
Tablet-style. These sit in your hands like aconsider a laptop.
clipboard and have handwriting-recognitionWindows vs. Macintosh. Many people choose
software. Some convert to a "normal" laptop withWindows because it's what they've always used.
a keyboard. Price range: $1,800 and up.Apple's iBook will suit you if you're interested in
IMPORTANT FEATURESphoto editing, music, video, and other multimedia
A diskette drive is becoming a rarity in allapplications. Apple computers are also less
computers. As an alternative, you can use a USBsusceptible to most viruses and spyware than
memory drive (about $20 and up), which fits on aWindows-based computers. The Apple
keychain and holds as much data as numerousPowerBook is relatively expensive as laptops go,
diskettes. Or you can save files on a writeable CDhowever.
or camera memory card. Most laptops have slotsBuy à la carte. Dell and Gateway pioneered the
that can read one or more types of memorynotion that every computer can be tailored to an
cards.individual buyer's needs, much like choosing the
Windows laptops generally have a 1.5- to 3.5-GHzoptions for a car. This configure-to-order model is
processor. Pentium 4 processors have the highernow common practice for laptops as well as
speed ratings; the new Pentium M and Celeron Mdesktops.
processors have a slower rated speed butYou can also purchase a preconfigured computer
actually perform on a par with other processors.off the shelf. (You can do the same online if you
Macintosh Power PC processors are measured onopt for the default choices of equipment the
a different basis altogether. In short, the differentmanufacturer offers.) That's fine if you don't have
types of processors make direct speedvery strict requirements for how a laptop is
comparisons difficult. It doesn't pay to tryoutfitted or if you want to take advantage of an
because any type of processor is likely to deliverattractive sale.
all the speed you'll need.Configure-to-order menus show you all the
Laptops come with a 40- to 160-gigabyte hardoptions and let you see how a change in one
drive and 256 megabytes or more of randomaffects the overall price. You may decide to use a
access memory (RAM) and can be upgraded to 1less-expensive processor, for example, but spend
gigabyte or more.more for wireless capability or better graphics.
Today's laptops use a rechargeable lithium-ionConfigure-to-order will often give you choices you
battery. In Consumer Reports tests, batterieswon't get if you buy off the shelf. And
provided 2 to 5 hours of continuous use whenconfigure-to-order means less chance of
running office applications. (Laptops go into sleepoverlooking important details.
mode when used intermittently, extending theDownplay the processor speed. Speed is no
time between charges.) You can extend batterylonger the be-all of personal computers. For years,
life somewhat by dimming the display as youprocessors have delivered all the speed most
work and by removing PC cards and turning offpeople need. That's still very much the case.
wireless devices when they aren't needed. PlayingSpend the money on more memory instead. A
a DVD movie uses more battery power thanPentium 4 processor with a speed of 2.4 GHz and
usual, but any laptop should be able to play aa Pentium M at 1.4 GHz earned the same speed
movie through to the end.score in our tests. The different types of chips
A laptop's keyboard can be quite different fromnow on the market make direct speed
that of a desktop computer. The keyscomparisons difficult.
themselves may be full-sized (generally onlyLook closely at warranties and insurance. Get the
lightweight models pare them down), but theylongest manufacturer's warranty you can afford;
may not feel as solid. Some laptops have extramany offer one or two years above the basic
buttons to expedite your access to e-mail or aone-year warranty, for a price. If you intend to
Web browser or to control DVD playback. Youtravel a lot, buy screen insurance from the
can attach an external keyboard, which you maymanufacturer. If you take full advantage of the
find easier to use.manufacturer's warranty and insurance, you won't
A 14- to 15-inch display, measured diagonally,need an extended warranty from the retailer.
should suit most people. A few larger modelsCopyright © 2002-2006 Consumers Union of
have a 16- or 17-inch display. A resolution ofU.S., Inc.
1,400x1,050 (SXGA+) pixels (picture elements) orFor the latest information on this and many other
more is better than 1,024x768 (XGA) for viewingproducts and services, visit
the fine detail in photographs or video, but mayFind More
shrink objects on the screen. You can useLaptops with Easy Deal
settings in Windows to make them larger. ManyShopNdeal.
models are now offered with a display that has a