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Making the Laptop Move All Information Courtesy of Consumer Reports

Making the Laptop Move All Information Courtesy of Consumer Reports. Professional Toolkit Series NSBE – Houston Space Chapter. Conquering the Desktop. Laptops originally grossly inferior in capability or price to desktops – no longer true Any laptop can handle typical computing tasks

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Making the Laptop Move All Information Courtesy of Consumer Reports

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  1. Making the Laptop MoveAll Information Courtesy of Consumer Reports Professional Toolkit Series NSBE – Houston Space Chapter

  2. Conquering the Desktop • Laptops originally grossly inferior in capability or price to desktops – no longer true • Any laptop can handle typical computing tasks • Larger displays – often 15-inch, a few 17-inch models • Prices have fallen – average laptop around $1500, but closeout sales or no-frills laptops can match desktop prices

  3. Display Types • XGA (Extended Graphics Array) 1024x768 pixels (acceptable for most standard use) • SXGA (Super XGA) 1280 x 1024 pixels • SXGA+ (SXGA Plus) 1400 x 1050 pixels • UXGA (Ultra XGA) 1600 x 1200 pixels

  4. Centrino Processor • Intel’s name for the Pentium M • Designed for mobile computing and wireless connectivity • Longer battery lifetimes than other processors • Generate less heat • Quieter than other laptops (don’t require loud cooing fan)

  5. Diminished Significance of Processor Speed • No longer the all-important metric of computer performance • Most processors deliver all the speed computer needs – additional speed not adding capability • 2.4-GHz Pentium 4 and 1.4 GHz Centrino earned same speed score in Consumer Reports tests • Direct speed comparisons difficult to make and potentially misleading

  6. Operating System • Windows is best choice for most users • Macintosh useful for photo editing, music, video, and other multimedia • Select Windows XP Professional and Microsoft Office for business use

  7. Types of Laptops • Lightweight (~ $1500 and up) • Cut weight by using plug-in drives • Processors designed for low power usage and maximum battery life • Screens may be small • Recommended target configuration: • 2.2-GHz Pentium 4 mobile, or 1.4-GHz Centrino, or equivalent • 12- or 14-inch XGA screen • 20 or 30 GB hard drive • Modular drive bay • CD/DVD combo drive • 256 MB RAM

  8. Types of Laptops • Desktop Replacement (~ $1200 and up) • 2.2-GHz Pentium 4 Mobile, or 2.7-GHz nonmobile processor, or equivalent • 15-inch XGA display • 30 or 40 GB hard drive • CD/DVD combo drive • 256 or 512 MB of RAM • 32 MB graphics processor

  9. Special Needs • Serious digital imaging • Desktop replacement augmented with: • 60 GB hard drive • SXGA+ display • For video editiong: • 3 GHz processor or equivalent • 512 MB to 1 GB RAM • DVD writer • For extreme gaming: • 64 MB gamer-class graphics processor

  10. Special Needs • Frequent travel • Lightweight laptop augmented with: • Desktop docking station • Spare battery and padded case

  11. Special Option: Tablet PC • Touch-sensitive screen • Handwriting recognition • Toshiba Portege – laptop that becomes a tablet (flip screen and lock down over keyboard) • Consumer Reports suggests Portege doesn’t hold its own against other laptops, though the tablet PC portion works well

  12. Pre-Configured or Custom? • Customized options pioneered by Dell and Gateway; becoming industry standard • Generally tradeoff of price/convenience vs. optimization

  13. Other Components to Consider • High speed USB port? (40x faster than earlier USB ports) • Modular bay (holds CD-ROM, disk drive, or spare battery) • Card slots • Infrared port • S-video output • 3.5-inch disk drive

  14. Low Cost UnitsUnits don’t have all the frills, but may be options when on a budget • Compaq Presario 2100: $800 to $1700 • Dell Inspiron 1100: $850 to $1600 • Gateway 400: $850 to $1900 • HP Pavilion ze4300: $800 to $2100 • IBM Thinkpad G: $900 to $2000 • IBM Thinkpad R: $850 to $2500

  15. Consumer Reports Best Buys • Desktop Replacement • Dell Inspiron 5100: 2.66-GHz Pentium 4, 15-inch, SXGA+ • $1300 • Lightweight • Gateway 450: 1.4-GHz Centrino, 15-inch, SXGA+ • $1600 • Sony Vaio PCG-Z1: 1.5-GHz Centrino, 14-inch, SXGA+ • $2400

  16. Warranties and Insurance • Get longest manufacturer’s warranty you can afford • If travel often, purchase screen insurance • Won’t need extended warranty from retailer if take full advantage of manufacturer warranty/insurance

  17. Summary • Do your homework before making a purchase • Decide what capabilities you want • Choose pre-configured vs. custom accordingly • Don’t pay hundreds more for features you won’t use • Consider travel needs • Consider peripheral needs • Budget accordingly and enjoy

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