Andrew Parker
This is the third part of my series on choosing a perfect laptop – one that suits your needs, be they portability, performance or price.
I’ve discussed ultrabooks, the recently-introduced class of laptop that Intel hopes will revive the PC industry. Ultrabooks are lightweight, sleek and slender machines, delivering good overall performance and a lengthy battery life at a price that Intel’s guidelines suggest should be limited to sub-$1 000 (R7 000) levels – although only a few are able to meet this at the moment, expect prices to fall this year as competition within the category increases. If your computing needs are very basic, and you just want something cheap and cheerful to check e-mail and browse the web – consider a netbook, which I described last week. These affordable, basic laptops feature tiny screens (12 inches or less) and processors that sip battery power – but don’t top any charts for performance.
Many netbooks feature an easily accessible slot underneath that allows the user to install an extra module of computer memory, called RAM.
A RAM upgrade will improve a netbook’s ability to run more complex applications, or improve its overall performance.
Nevertheless, despite their attractive pricing and compact design, owing to their slower processors, netbooks work best as supplementary basic computers that are handy to throw in the backpack.
Computer screen sizes are a matter of personal preference, but most agree that 13 inches (this is always measured diagonally) is about the smallest screen size a typical user can work with comfortably, while also being close to the limit for ideal portability.
Thin and light laptops range from 1.5 to 2.5kg in weight and feature a wide range of processors from entry-level models such as the dual-core Intel Celeron range to high-performance Intel Core i5 and Core i7 processors with 4 or more cores. Each core on a processor acts as a processor itself, so the more cores you have, the more simultaneous processing the computer can do.
There are many business-focused models in the thin and light category. Some of these feature a slot underneath the laptop that connects to an optional accessory called a docking station. Docking stations allow a laptop to simply “dock” into a cradle-like device, connecting it instantly to a standard-sized keyboard, mouse and monitor among other connections. When you need to take the laptop with you, un-docking it is a simple process. Docking stations make it easier to use a laptop with the comfort of a desktop computer, but they’re not essential. You can always simply plug in a USB keyboard or mouse to any laptop, while almost all laptops can connect to a computer monitor via a dedicated output.
Docking stations do away with the extra cables and hassle, but as they are not essential, to save costs and weight, not all laptops will include a docking station interface.
Next week, I’ll introduce the “all-purpose” and “desktop replacement” categories that are aimed at very different market segments. See you then!
