Shopping for a Laptop? Expect Lots of Choices, And a Range of Prices
Choosing a laptop computer is trickier than buying a desktop PC because laptops are more diverse and more personal. The "laptop" category includes a mind-boggling array of computers, from featherweight models that are great for travel to bulky multimedia machines that double as TV sets and are almost as hard to budge. Their prices range from around $500 to nearly $4,000.
So here's a basic buyer's guide to buying a laptop. As always, my advice is aimed at mainstream users doing typical tasks. Hard-core gamers or folks doing video production need more powerful laptops than those specified here.
Laptop prices, like those of desktops, continue to fall. This week, for instance, Office Depot is advertising a Hewlett-Packard model with a 15-inch screen, a 40-gigabyte hard disk and a DVD drive for $499, after rebates. That's unusually low, but it's easy to find entry-level laptops for $600 to $900.
Meanwhile, performance has risen. Intel's latest Centrino-brand chip platform, code-named Sonoma , boasts faster speeds and better graphics.
Laptop buyers should follow the same basic advice I offered last week for desktop shoppers. Get at least 512 megabytes of memory. Don't worry much about processor speed. Buy as much hard-drive capacity as you can afford. Make sure your computer has multiple USB 2.0 ports, and slots for the memory cards used in cameras.
Also, on Windows laptops, security is crucial. Make sure that you get the more secure SP2 version of Windows XP and that you immediately install antivirus, antispam, antispyware, antipopup and firewall software. If you plan to use your laptop in public wireless hot spots, take the time to enable its wireless security features.
But laptop buyers must also consider some issues that are specific to portable computing.
In general, I believe International Business Machines' ThinkPads, Apple Computer's PowerBooks and iBooks, and Sony's Vaios offer the best combination of screens, keyboards and wireless networking. But these brands aren't the least expensive. Toshiba, H-P, and Dell are also good.
Size and Weight: There are several classes of laptops. At the light end are machines weighing just two to four pounds. These models are designed for mobility and are meant to complement a desktop PC. They are very thin, and have screens of 12 inches or less. Some, like the ThinkPad X41, lack internal CD or DVD drives. Others, like the Sony Vaio T250, include these drives.
On the heavy end are bulky machines that weigh seven pounds or more and are really desktop replacements, meant to stay put. Many boast 17-inch screens, and some include TV tuners. Examples are Toshiba's Qosmio models.
In the middle are laptops weighing between four and seven pounds. These models can serve as desktop replacements but can also be toted on trips. They typically have 14-inch or 15-inch screens. Two excellent choices in this group are the Sony Vaio S series, at 4.2 pounds, and the Apple 15-inch PowerBook, at 5.6 pounds.
Windows or Mac: Most laptop buyers will go for Windows machines. But Apple's iBooks, starting at $999 and 4.9 pounds, and its PowerBooks, starting at $1,499 and 4.6 pounds, are excellent choices. They are fast and elegant, with good battery life. And, like all Apples, they require little attention to security, because, so far, there hasn't been a virus or spyware problem on the Mac platform.
Processor: If you want the best combination of power and battery life from your Windows laptop, get one that uses Intel's power-saving Pentium M processor. These chips are included in models bearing the Centrino label, offered by many manufacturers. But they are also available in some non-Centrino models that use different wireless chips. If you aren't especially concerned about battery life, laptops with AMD processors or Intel's Celeron or Pentium 4 processors are fine.
Don't pay extra for faster processor speeds. Even the slowest laptop processors can handily perform the most common computing tasks.
Battery Life: Insist on a laptop that can run for at least three hours on its standard battery. Some models can do much better. Unfortunately, Intel's latest Centrino chip platform actually cuts the battery life offered by prior models by about half an hour in many cases. Some companies, like IBM, still offer models with the original Centrino chips for users seeking the best battery life.
Screen and Keyboard: Try to test laptops in stores to ensure you like their screens and keyboards. You don't need a huge screen if you can get one with high resolution. I think a 12-inch to 14-inch screen is just fine if it's sharp and clear. I also believe IBM's ThinkPads have the best keyboards, but other brands have gotten better.
Wireless Networking: Built-in Wi-Fi networking is a must. Buy a laptop with the newer "g" version. Wireless reception capabilities vary in laptops, because of different antenna and case designs. In my experience, IBM and Apple laptops tend to have the best reception, but individual laptops may do better or worse in various locations.
If you plan to use your cellphone as a modem or to synchronize data with a cellphone or PDA, make sure your laptop has another type of wireless networking, called Bluetooth.
And as with shopping for desktop PCs, don't be railroaded by sales talk. If you're confused by technical specifications, postpone your purchase until you understand the terms clearly.
笔记本电脑选购指南
选择笔记本电脑比购买台式电脑要难得多，因为笔记本电脑种类更多，并且更个人化。笔记本电脑种类难以置信地丰富，从轻薄的适宜于旅行的电脑到尺寸为电视机两倍大、几乎难以搬动的大体积多媒体电脑，不一而足。其价格从500美元到近4,000美元不等。
本文是选购笔记本电脑的一个基本指南。像往常一样，我的建议针对的是利用电脑进行一般操作的主流用户。游戏玩家或者影像工作者则需要功能更强大的电脑。
和台式机一样，笔记本电脑价格持续下滑。比如，本周Office Depot热推惠普(Hewlett-Packard)一款15英寸屏幕、40G硬盘、带DVD驱动器的电脑，打折后售价为499美元。这一价格异乎寻常地低，但找到价格在600－900美元之间的入门级笔记本电脑也很容易。
同时，电脑性能在提升。代号为Sonoma的英特尔(Intel)最新迅驰(Centrino)晶片平台宣扬其速度加快、图像质量更佳。
笔记本电脑买家应该遵循我上周给台式机买家的基本建议：至少应该有512M内存；不要过于担心处理器速度；根据你的财力尽可能购买大容量硬盘；确保电脑有多个USB 2.0接口和相机存储卡插槽。
同样，对于Windows笔记本电脑，安全性至关重要。确保你的电脑安装了安全度较高的Windows XP的SP2版本，并且你应该立即安装反病毒、反垃圾邮件、反间谍软件、反弹出窗口的软件和防火墙软件。如果你打算在公共无线上网区域使用笔记本电脑，你要花点时间设置无线安全功能。
但是笔记本电脑买家还必须考虑涉及到移动的一些具体问题。
总体而言，我认为国际商业机器公司(International Business Machines (IBM))的ThinkPads、苹果电脑(Apple Computer)的PowerBooks和iBooks、以及索尼公司(Sony Corp., 又名:新力公司)的Vaios笔记本电脑为用户提供了屏幕、键盘和无线联网的最佳组合。但是这些品牌的价格可不低。东芝(Toshiba)、惠普和戴尔(Dell)也不错。
尺寸和重量：笔记本电脑有数个级别。最轻的笔记本重量仅为2-4磅。这些机型重点强调便携性，旨在为台式机提供补充。这些电脑非常薄，屏幕为12英寸或更小。一些电脑，诸如ThinkPad X41，没有内置的CD或DVD驱动器。其它一些电脑，比如索尼的Vaio T250，则包括这些驱动器。
最重的是一些7磅或更重的大体积电脑，这些笔记本电脑实际上是台式机的替代品，它们摆放在固定的位置上。许多电脑配备17英寸的屏幕，一些电脑还有电视调谐器。东芝的Qosmio就属于这种类型。
居中的是重量为4-7英镑的笔记本电脑。这些电脑能够替代台式机，但也能携带旅行。它们的电脑屏幕通常为14或15英寸。在这一阵营中，有两款优秀机型：索尼的Vaio S系列，重4.2磅；苹果15英寸的PowerBook，重5.6磅。
Windows还是Mac：大多数笔记本电脑买家都会选择Windows电脑。但是苹果起价999美元、4.9磅重的iBooks和起价1,499美元、4.6磅重的PowerBooks是很不错的选择。这两款电脑运行速度快、做工精细，电池使用时间长。和所有苹果电脑一样，你几乎无需担心安全问题，因为迄今为止，在Mac平台上还没有出现过病毒或间谍软件问题。
处理器：如果你希望你的Windows笔记本电脑获得动力和电池使用时间的最佳组合，那你就购买一个使用英特尔节电Pentium M处理器的电脑。贴有迅驰标签的多个品牌的电脑都含有此类晶片。但是使用无线晶片的一些非迅驰电脑也有此类节电处理器。如果你对电池使用时间不是特别在意的话，使用AMD处理器或英特尔Celeron或Pentium 4处理器的电脑就很不错了。
不要为更快的处理器速度额外破费。即使是最慢的笔记本电脑处理器都能很轻松地处理普通的运算工作。
电池使用时间：一定要购买标准电池使用时间至少达到3小时的笔记本电脑。一些笔记本电脑有更出色的表现。不幸的是，英特尔最新的迅驰晶片平台实际上在许多情形下将以前款式所提供的电池使用时间减少了大约半个小时。诸如IBM等一些公司仍然销售装配有最早迅驰晶片的电脑，以满足追求最佳电池使用时间的用户的需要。
屏幕和键盘：尽量在商店测试笔记本电脑，以保证你喜欢电脑的屏幕和键盘。如果屏幕分辨率很高，你就不需要一个大的显示屏。如果屏幕图像清晰，我认为12-14英寸的显示屏正好。我还认为IBM的ThinkPad有最好的键盘，其它一些品牌也正做得越来越好。
无线联网：内置无线保真(Wi-Fi)网络是必备功能。买一个配备有“g”标准Wi-Fi设备的笔记本。各种笔记本的无线接收能力有很大区别，因为天线和机身的设计不同。根据我的经验，IBM和苹果笔记本电脑常常有最好的接收能力，但是在不同的地点，各个笔记本的接受能力则表现不一。
如果你打算将手机作为调制解调器使用，或将电脑与手机或PDA进行数据同步，你要确定你的笔记本电脑有另外一种无线联网功能－－蓝牙技术(Bluetooth)。
在选购笔记本电脑时，不要受销售人员花言巧语的左右。如果你对技术细节感到困惑，那就暂时不要购买，直到你弄明白为止。
