Laptop Best Buys

Laptop Best Buy For Under £350: Asus X5DIJ Windows 7 Laptop

• Screen size - 15.6 in
• Processor - Intel Celeron
• Hard Drive - 320 GB
• RAM - 2 GB
• Operating System - Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)
• Webcam - Integrated

Laptop Best Buy For Under £500: Sony VAIO P11Z/W Mini Laptop - White

• Intel Atom Z520 processor.1.3GHz processor speed
• Compact size with 8 inch screen
• Hard Drive - 320 GB
• RAM - 2 GB
• HDD shock protection
• VGA Port included on adapter
• 2 USB ports and 1 Ethernet port

Ever Considered Buying Refurbished Laptop?

Not Sure What To Buy? Read Our Buyers Guide:

Types of laptops

• Ultra mobile PCs -- these portable computers are usually around the size of a PDA.(Personal Digital Assistant) and should fit comfortably in the hand. Due to their size they are usually controlled with touch screen functions although some models do have a keyboard.
• Ultra portables / portables -- these laptops are slighter bigger the ultra mobiles but are probably the smallest and lightest of the traditional laptops. They will generally weigh up to 6lbs with variable screen sizes (the largest being about 14"). Some ultra portables may not come with a full sized keyboard.
• Standard laptops -- standard laptops can weigh up to 7lbs and have various options for screen size (typically 15" to 19").
• Desktop replacement laptops -- these laptops (also known as desk notes) are designed to replace a standard desktop computer and are the largest and heaviest type of laptop. They can have screen sizes of up to 20" and will usually have more processing power, memory and functions than smaller models.

Major laptop components

• CPU/Processor -- the processor (or CPU as it is more commonly known) is the processing core of a computer. It contains all the information that is needed for the computer to perform its processing functions. The major processor manufacturers are Intel and AMD.
• External drives -- these drives allow a user to extend the laptop's storage capability and, depending upon the drive type, may allow storage and retrieval of information on optical media such as CDs and DVDs, ideal for those managing large volumes of data such as photos or videos and for archiving. These drives may thus be CD-ROM/RW, DVD or hard disk drives (the same type of drive used internally in the laptop to store data).
• GPU -- the Graphics Processing Unit allows the laptop to deal with graphics and related applications. Some laptops have a dedicated GPU and others have this capability integrated within the main processor.
• Hard drive -- the internal hard disk drive stores the data used by all software applications on the laptop, including settings and user data such as documents and spreadsheets. Hard drive technology continues to fall in price with the result that laptops are being offered with ever larger drives, typically starting from around 40GB (gigabytes) and rising through the model ranges through to several hundred gigabytes. In general terms, the larger the hard drive, the better although unless you are likely to be storing large quantities of image or photo data, a drive of around 60-80GB should be more than sufficient for most domestic and business users.
• Memory -- the memory in a computer is also known as RAM (Random Access Memory). In general terms higher specification laptops will come with a larger memory. Memory serves as a work area for the laptop as it processes your requests and runs applications. The more memory it has, the less it will need to temporarily save information to the hard disk drive when swapping between applications or handling a complex request and thus the better the performance, Memory of 1 GB (gigabyte) and above is now commonplace and should be more than sufficient for most users.
• Modem -- many laptops now have a built-in modem allowing them to connect to the Internet via a dial-up connection although this is rapidly being subsumed by wireless technology for connection to a broadband / ADSL router via wireless. You will need to check the compatibility of your existing wireless equipment, if any, when considering this component as there are a number of standards in force.

Further laptop terminology

• Docking station -- some laptops can be used with a standard monitor and removed when they need to be used on a portable basis. Some manufacturers provide a docking station as an option which allows you to simply slide them in and out of a base which makes and breaks the connection to mains power, the monitor and perhaps a network via a special connector on the laptop and on the docking station which removes the need to hand plug and unplug these devices.
• Hardware -- hardware refers to the laptop itself and any physical devices that may be connected to it.
• mAh -- mAh (milliamp hours) refers to the battery capacity of a laptop. The higher a rating the longer it can be used before needing to be recharged.
• PCMCIA card -- this is a miniaturised device similar in size to a credit card but a couple of millimetres thick. It can be inserted into a laptop to provide a required additional facility such as a modem, USB port or Wi-Fi connection. Most laptops have at least one if not two PCMCIA slots to receive these devices.
• Processor speed -- this describes the speed at which the processor can perform its functions. It is measured in megahertz or gigahertz (MHz/GHz) - -as ever, the faster, the better.
• Screen size -- screen size is measured diagonally with laptops as with TVs (from the bottom left to the top right).
• Software -- software describes any computer programmes that are installed and used on a laptop.
• S-Video -- if the laptop has a specialist video card, this allows it to interconnect with other audio / visual devices such as a television, DVD player / recorder and so forth and may allow the laptop to be used as a monitor for watching video output. Dedicated video cards are more commonly found on higher end laptops and those designed specifically for multi-media use.
• Touch pad -- this is the built-in mouse on a laptop. It is usually a square area on the keyboard over which you slide your finger to move the mouse. Any laptop can have an external mouse added via the USB port, if you prefer.
• USB -- USB ports are found on the outside of the laptop. They are used to connect the laptop to external devices such as a mouse, digital camera, web cam and a host of other device types. Given the number of potential devices requiring USB, it is worth looking for at least two USB ports although you can also buy USB hubs which are an external device that allows you to extend the number of USB ports as required.
• VGA port -- this port allows the user to connect the laptop to an external monitor or projector - important if you are intending to use the laptop during presentations. Some of the ultra portables may not have this port on the 'basic' machine and may require an extension bar to provide this and other connections. Whilst this usually comes with the laptop, it can be an annoyance to carry around with you.
• Wi-Fi -- a laptop that has a Wi-Fi capability can access the Internet via wireless technology, assuming suitable connections are available within range.

Future developments of laptops

Conclusion