Trade-Offs
A friend of mine quipped a number of years ago that "the
computer you really want always costs $5,000." Over time, the cost has come
down, and you can certainly buy a high-end laptop for less than $2,000 today.
But the point of the joke is still true. Unless money is absolutely no issue for
you, you will have to make same trade-offs such as:
-
Faster CPU or more RAM
-
Lighter weight or less expensive
-
Paying more for a brand name or less for an off-brand
product
-
Bigger and better display or less cost
 |
You shouldn't ever judge a CPU just on the basis of its speed.
Many facets of the architecture of a CPU besides its raw speed can affect its
performance. For example, a Pentium M (Centrino) running at about 1.5 GHz
performs on par with a Pentium 4 running in the mid-2GHz range. |
For the most part, these choices will depend on your wallet.
But a mobile laptop is a specialized computer, and some of the trade-offs really
depend on how you will use the system. For me, it is extremely important to have
a lightweight, small machine, but I also wanted a reasonable size keyboard. I
chose an IBM model accordingly, and it has worked well on the road for me, and
as a Wi-Fi machine—but there were trade-offs involved. For one thing, my IBM
machine doesn't have a CD-ROM drive on board. If I want to read a CD, I have to
connect an external drive via a USB port. (But I can leave it behind on road
trips if I don't think I'm going to need it.)
|
I purchased my IBM laptop a number of years ago, so the
trade-off I made regarding my CD-ROM drive is by way of example. Almost any
laptop purchased today will have a built-in DVD/CD
drive. |
The general bottom line is: do an assessment of what really
matters to you, and purchase accordingly (see the sidebar "What Really Matters"
for more tips on this topic).
|
As I've noted, you'll have to make the final decision on what's
really important to you in a Wi-Fi laptop. To get another viewpoint on how to
make this decision, I asked a friend of mine who is an expert consultant and has
advised thousands of computer purchasers for her words of wisdom. Here's what
the expert says:
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Buy a well-known name brand, such as Apple, Dell, or IBM.
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Don't be too cheap. You can expect a good piece of equipment to
last a long time, so buy one that is rugged and with enough power.
-
That said, you don't need the latest cutting-edge CPU.
-
You should buy one with a CPU designed for mobile
computing.
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If your mobile is too heavy to take with you, you'll end up
leaving it at home. Pay special attention to weight.
-
Buy a system with at least 512MB of RAM (by the way, 256 MB is
the minimum you can get on a Mac portable).
-
Get at least a 40GB hard drive.
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Ergonomics are important. Buy a model with a screen you like to
look at, and a keyboard and other input devices that are comfortable for you to
use.
-
Forget about cute. This is a computer, not a fashion accessory.
Don't buy a computer because you like its color or shape. |
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