NOTEBOOKS: HOW DO I BUY ONE? | Games And Gadgetry

I remember watching two guys at my college canteen. These two guys would bring notebook computers. Not that they were computer science students, hackers or tech-freaks. They would sit with a cup of coffee and fiddle around with notebook, looking for something to do on it, apart from playing solitaire. They would occasionally look around to see if anyone was eyeing them in envy, or if the girl at the next table was impressed. Unfortunately, everyone knew that they had out-of-date 6.5kg notebooks.

The assorted ads of colorful I-Macs and people carrying laptops dressed in fine suits, the class and style of looking cool and efficient associated with owning a notebook has preceded the notebook itself. Actually, anyone who wants one can own one –if you can afford one. People assume "Once I have a notebook, I can connect to the Internet from anyplace I like." If you're one of these people, read on. Owning a notebook is desirous, even if you don't really need it.

Buying a notebook computer can be great if you need to move around frequently, even if it's in the house. Maybe you haven't seen the sun for the past year because of your new desktop computer. Maybe you live in a cramped one bedroom apartment and want a computer but don't have any space for it; you could consider a notebook since you could even use it in the bathroom. The notebook computer is built with the idea of making a portable electronic notebook for ease and mobility, but it comes with a few handicaps. If you like to be up-to-date, especially with the latest in hardware (unless you are exceptionally wealthy), a notebook is not the most economical investment. The capability and efficiency of notebook computers is often behind desktop performance, so let me help you.

Be extra careful when buying a notebook; buying one that suits your needs. I don't know much about you, so I'll have to tell you more about notebook computers and let you pick one that fits your profile. What you need to consider:

WEIGHT & SIZE: Notebooks usually come in two shapes and a plethora of sizes. One shape is the normal rectangular shaped notebook and the other is the two-colored, bright, slightly curved Mac. Most notebooks are about 1.5kgs to 5kgs and average around 3kgs. Selection depends on your needs and what you want to carry around (i.e. If you are a frequent traveler, you'll want a light one.) Notebooks vary in thickness, usually between one and two inches. Not only should you consider the size, but the screen size; it might make you squint. Common screen sizes are 15, 16.1, and 17 inches.

DISPLAY: If played with one, you'll notice that some screens are soft and when you press the display, you can see the result of the pressure. You don't want a lousy display. There are two types of screens to choose from, the Active-Matrix –TFT (Thin-film transistor) or Passive-Matrix –Dual Scan. This shouldn't be a problem; most notebooks come with a TFT screen because they preferred. TFT screens are more expensive, but the images are sharper and move more smoothly when played (like video files). Dual-scan screens manipulate the images more slowly. To test what screen you're dealing with, move you cursor very quickly across the screen. If the cursor disappears while moving, the display is passive-matrix, and if you can keep your eye on it, it's active.

INPUT DEVICES: Notebooks sometimes have cumbersome input devices (to navigate the cursor), or at least, they used to. Touchpads are small rectangular, grayish, touch-sensitive. You navigate by running your finger on them –as if drawing. They usually have a right and left-click mouse button below them. This can be clumsy at first, but you'll be fine in minutes. Most notebooks sport Touchpads. The Pointing-Stick or Rubberized Nipple is a small rubber device found between the G, H and B keys. It responds to finger pressure; you apply pressure in the direction you want the cursor to move. It sounds easy, but most people find it frustrating because the arrow flies across the screen with the slightest touch. But mind you, notebooks allow you to plug in a standard mouse.

BATTERIES: Yes, you can plug the notebook into the wall, but you want to buy a notebook for the freedom of movement, so you'll want to a decent battery. Most notebooks come with their own batteries. It's a good idea nonetheless, to check the battery out for the type and durability. Lithium-ion – Li+ are the best; it takes four hours to completely exhaust them.

Checking out the keyboard is a good idea, especially if you are the spilling type since spill-resistant keyboards are also available. If you are the outdoor, wilderness, and adventure type, you could check out shock-resistant notebooks.

After reading all that, don't forget that a notebook is still a computer; there are some basic computer features you need to look out for.

HARD DRIVE: The hard drive is your computer's storage device. Your work is saved there until you decide to delete it. Nowadays, many notebooks come with at least 20GB is space; you may want to consider one with a higher capacity (according to your needs).

RAM: The Random Access Memory stores temporary memory. The hard drive is permanent memory. RAM stores everything you do unless you save what you are doing. If you like to multi-task (do many things at the same time), like writing mail, playing solitaire, browsing the net and playing music at the same time, you'll want more RAM. The standard is 128MB.

CPU: The Central Processing Unit is the brain of the computer and controls the speed of the computer. The latest notebooks are armed with the Intel Centrino processors designed especially for notebooks. They also help in saving battery power. Other processors like the Intel Pentium 4, or AMD work just fine.

PORTS: Check make sure you can connect all the peripheral accessories (mouse, webcam, digicam, scanner, printer, etc) you need by checking the ports. Most notebooks feature serial, parallel, infrared and USB ports. It's better to get a notebook with two USB 2.0 ports because these are turning out to be the most widely used.

DVD/CD: With Floppies building a reputation of being unreliable, and software tends to come on CDs, an optical drive is a must. Even better are the DVD/ CD-R combo drives, where you can watch DVD's and also burn CD's.

MODEM/ETHERNET: This is a requirement if you want to connect to the Internet. Modems come in different speeds but the standard is 56kbs and internal. A modem converts your phone's analog signals into digital signals and vice-versa. If you're planning to make full use of the notebook's mobility, an Ethernet Card is a must to take advantage of WI-FI, high-speed, and phone-bill free Internet connections.

Notebook prices still dropping due to the demand and popularity increasing, but they are still more expensive than desktops. Keep in mind that you've got to know your needs and your budget. Don't get fooled into buying a glow-in-the-dark mouse pad (especially when you don't need a mouse). Don't forget that it's mobile…take it with you.