A new laptop is a great choice if you're thinking of buying a new computer. Just make sure to do your research and find the perfect one that best fits your needs.

Laptop Packages:
Knowing what options are right for you can help you save up to 50% on your new laptop!

WHICH CATEGORY OF LAPTOP IS BEST FOR YOU?

The size and weight of a laptop can make all the difference when carrying your notebook around campus or back and forth to the office. Check out the 3 Main Categories of Laptop Computers:

Thin and Light Laptops have Longer Battery Life. Thin and light laptops offer incredible mobility while still maintaining performance. Plus, they often provide great options like CD and DVD drives. Several manufacturers have developed thin and light laptops with Intel Centrino mobile technology. Great battery life in thinner, lighter designs can be achieved through computing efficiencies. Typical thin and light laptops include:

Intel Centrino mobile technology
Weighs 4 to 6 lbs.
Case measures .50 to 1 inch thick

Full-size Laptops include Desktop-like Features. Full-size laptops are great if you occasionally take your laptop with you and want the convenience of near desktop-like features and more powerful processing. They're the right choice for folks who use processor-demanding multimedia programs and/or intensive gaming software. Full-size laptops usually include:

Processors like the Intel Pentium 4
Weighs 6 to 8 lbs.
Case measures more than 1 inch thick

Value Laptops provide Huge Cost Savings. Value laptops are a great value if you need a laptop simply to e-mail, surf the Internet or type a letter in your word processing software. Simple, standard designs give consumers huge cost-savings. Value laptops have features like:

Mobile Intel Celeron processor
Weighs 6 to 8 lbs.
Case measures more than 1 inch thick

Laptop Accessories to Consider when you're on the Road:

A second battery for power on long trips.
A second power cord - one for home and the other for the office.

Options to Consider for your Laptop Computer:

Hard Drive Capacity. A hard drive is your computer's long-term storage. It holds huge amounts of data and programs and stores it until you decide to delete it. The more space your hard drive has, the more stuff you can do with your notebook.

So, If you plan to edit video or audio clips, you'll want a high-capacity hard drive. Don't skimp on mass storage. The difference between a 40GB and a 60GB hard drive may be as little as $50 when you order your laptop computer, so make sure to order a system with as big of a drive as your budget will allow. Upgrading to a bigger drive later will cost much more and can be particularly difficult with a laptop.

Random Access Memory (RAM). If your hard drive is your computer's "long-term memory," then the RAM is its "short-term memory." RAM provides quick recall of current information. (The more applications you're running at one time, the more RAM you'll need to operate them.) So, when ordering your new notebook, make sure you've got enough RAM to meet your computing needs.

Central Processing Unit (CPU or Processor). The Processor is the "brain" of your computer; it does all the "thinking" which runs the programs. The CPU/Processor determines the speed of your computer. Processor speed is measured in Gigahertz (GHz). The higher that number the better; so get a fast one. It does make a difference!

Screen Size and Resolution. Screen resolution is measured by the number of pixels ("pic"ture "el"ements) on your screen - the more pixels, the finer the detail on your screen. Although 1024x768 is sufficient for most uses, if you are doing detailed graphics work, you may find that you need a screen with higher resolution. You may also find that a larger screen (15 inches or larger) is easier to read, especially at resolutions higher than 1024x768.

CD-R / CD-RW / DVD / DVD-R /DVD-RW Drives. Your computer must at a minimum contain a CD-RW drive, which reads and writes ("RW") files to CD-RW or CD-R media. Perhaps the better choice for you is a DVD-RW drive, which will allow you to not only watch DVD movies, but also archive large amounts of data to DVD-R or DVD-RW discs.

USB Storage Options. Another option you may want to consider is the USB "memory key" or flash memory stick. About the size of a pack of gum, this storage device plugs into the USB port on your notebook computer. You can then use it to transfer large files between your work, home or school computers.

Network Connectivity. A notebook computer with the wireless networking built-in is the way to go! Although most notebook computers come with a 10/100 Ethernet port installed, this type of network card is for connecting to a wired network only and will not connect you to wireless networks and "hot spots." So make sure you've got wireless built-in!

Accessory Connections. Today's standard ports allow you to connect your computer to a vast number of devices like printers, scanners, digital cameras, microphones, desktop speakers and so on. So be sure to look for VGA, USB, Headphone, Microphone Jacks and FireWire ports depending on your needs. Often times notebook manufacturers include multiple USB ports (which is great!) Each accessory has its own port that way. When it comes to ports, the more the merrier!

When it's finally time for you to buy that new laptop computer, there's a good chance you'll find more variety and better deals if you shop online.

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