It's time once again for my annual foray into the morass of friends and family seeking my esteemed advice on computers for the holiday season. I'm writing exclusively about laptops because they are dominant, especially for personal use, but much of my advice applies to desktop systems.
Choosing a laptop is more difficult because they are very much sealed appliances. Desktop PCs provide ease of access to components and usually have some room to grow. Laptops, especially economy laptops, do not. It is thus very important to make the right choice at the time of purchase.
At the beginning of summer, friends often ask me about computers for their kids heading off to college. I usually recommend computers that I think will last the full four years, so up-front economy is not a driving factor. At Christmas, I focus my recommendations on economy laptops.
My only caveat this year is that we are in a transitional period - Windows Vista to Windows 7 and 32-bit to 64-bit. I know money is tight this year but I strongly recommend ignoring economy in favor of adopting the newer core technologies.
I hope you find this helpful. Let me know! (Curious what I said last year? Have a look.)
Laptop or Mini?
One big piece of news this year has been the emergence of a smaller type of mobile computer, dubbed "NetBook" in the press but designated "Mini" by vendors Dell and HP. A Mini is a laptop with a much smaller display, leading to a much smaller and lighter unit. The advantage is mobility.
The idea behind the Mini is that it provides a better experience than a smart cell phone for email, Internet, and video because it has a larger screen and a full keyboard. I think that is its only selling point - it is a computer for those who are growing out of the tiny environment of the cell phone but who do not need anything larger. How big that market will become is anyone's guess.
For kids and school, I don't recommend going Mini. The machines are actually quite expensive considering the feature set and their less powerful processors.
Macintosh or Windows?
For the everyday functions of email, Internet browsing, creating documents (e.g., schoolwork), casual editing of photos or videos, blogging, maintaining a Web site and more, there is simply no difference between a Mac and a PC. Even if document compatibility is an issue (such as school essays being completed in Microsoft Word format), there are attractively-priced or even free solutions.
The Macintosh remains outside economy territory. The least expensive MacBook is $1,000 with relatively modest specifications for the price when compared with a comparably equipped Windows PC. There was some scuttlebutt that Apple would announce a $700 MacBook on September 9, but that event was dedicated to new iPods. (Update, 20 Oct: the newest MacBook is still $1K but has been upgraded to 2.26GHz, DDR3 RAM, 250GB hard disk, and an integrated, 7-hr battery.)
So, how do you choose between a Mac and a PC?
The most important consideration is the software you use. If you have or intend to use Mac-only software and it is important to you, then Mac is the only way to go. Here's the most interesting thing - if you need to use Windows-only software, a Windows laptop is the more economical choice but you can run almost anything on a Mac using virtualization software such as VMWare Fusion or Parallels Desktop for Mac (each $80). This is possible because all Macintosh models employ Intel processors, which means that Windows can run on a Mac. (Mac OS X could run on PCs, but licensing prohibits it.) This will not come cheap; in addition to the virtualization software you'll also need a legal license for Windows.
If you need compatibility with business documents created in Microsoft Office's products such as Word and Excel, you have several options. The most obvious is Office:mac 2008. Two free choices are OpenOffice.org and NeoOffice; I recommend the former.
The PC vs. Mac ads continue their hysterical evolution. This year, with Windows 7 just around the corner, the ads have turned their attention away from Vista towards such things as customer support and PC viruses. At the same time, the new version of Mac OS X, "Snow Leopard," includes for the first time a tool to detect certain specific pieces of malware. In the next year I think Apple's anti-Windows pitch will be a bit more difficult but, I'm quite sure, just as inspired.
What You Need
The rest of this essay focuses on the various components of a laptop computer. It is written with a Windows PC in mind but many of the comments relate equally to a Mac.
My minimum recommendation is noted in each category heading.
Operating System - Windows 7 Home Premium Edition 64-bit
Windows 7 brings welcome relief to the perils of Vista. Okay, Vista wasn't as bad as most folks made it seem but it certainly has been a rough period for Microsoft. Suffice it to say that Win7 is getting strongly positive early reviews and brings a lot to the table. Here are my key recommendations:
- Don't buy any PC without Win7 or a free upgrade to Win7.
- Start using Win7 as soon as possible.
- Do not buy any PC with Windows Vista Home Basic - a free Win7 upgrade is not offered.
There were a lot of editions of Vista but blessedly only three for Win7 - Home Premium, Professional (the analog to Vista Business and XP Pro), and Ultimate. Home Premium will be fine for most home or personal users. I should note here that I have been very consistent in my standard (as opposed to minimum) recommendation for Windows - XP Pro, Vista Business, and now Windows 7 Pro.
There is only one catch. Windows 7 Home Premium does not support a very interesting feature called Windows XP Mode. This is a downloadable add-in for Win7 that allows programs designed for Windows XP to run properly in Win7. These are programs that, for whatever reason, would not run in Vista and do not run in native Win7. If you think that you might have such programs, buy Windows 7 Professional instead. You will only be affected by this if you're still using XP and you definitely know of a specific compatibility issue.
Note: I think this is a mistake - providing XP Mode at no charge to all versions of Win7 seems like the right thing to do. I'm sure Microsoft's decision is based on the need to get its corporate customers who did not migrate to Vista to make the jump now to Win7. On the consumer side, folks have been buying Vista with new computers because they had no choice. Still...
It's time to embrace the 64-bit world. Buy only the 64-bit edition of Windows. Most 32-bit software will run fine. You may have problems with hardware drivers (printers, etc.), so do check that Win7 drivers for your existing peripherals are available.
CPU Brand - Any
We're long past any concern about whether AMD processors are compatible with Intel processors or not. Every few years one vendor makes a jump in technology and the other rapidly catches up, but this only affects the high end, not the low end. AMD-based systems are sometimes less expensive than Intel-based systems, an important consideration.
CPU Type - 64-bit
Do not buy a 32-bit system.
This should not be hard advice to take because the vast majority of PCs sold today come with a 64-bit compatible processor. Check anyway. Best bets are the Intel Core 2 Duo and the AMD Turion or Athlon lines. Try to avoid Celeron, Sempron, and Pentium, even if the latter is dual core. Note: Pentium Dual Core and Core 2 Duo are not the same.
An excellent utility that will tell you about the key processor technologies is Steve Gibson's Securable, which although focused on security matters tells you instantly whether the processor is 64- or 32-bit. The program does not require installation and is very tiny, so you can carry it to a store on a USB memory key and run it directly.
32-bit Windows will run on a 64-bit processor. Just because you buy a system with a 64-bit processor does not mean you will get 64-bit Windows.
CPU Speed - 2.00 GHz
Faster is always better. However, as the speed rises towards the maximum available, the processor price rises exponentially.
If you are moving away from an existing PC or laptop, make sure the performance increment of new over old is significant. It's very hard to tell from processor designations or clock rates what is faster and by how much. Consult the excellent albeit complex charts from Tom's Hardware, such as the PCMark 2005 CPU comparison.
While information from the vendor must always be taken with a grain of salt, Intel's new consumer processor comparison section of its Web site is excellent and comprehensive. Look for the "Processor Numbers" section on each processor's page - it's extremely helpful and very informative.
Memory (RAM) - 4GB
I am doubling my minimum RAM recommendation from last year. Don't skimp.
Although laptops are sealed appliances, the memory slots in many are more easily accessible and thus an area amenable to self-service upgrades. However, such an upgrade can be expensive. A recent laptop I evaluated came with 3GB of RAM in two slots. To upgrade to 4GB would mean throwing away at least one of those memory cards, but for a reasonable $25 premium an upgrade to 4GB could be purchased at the outset. In this case, the maximum supported by the unit was 4GB, so this meant maxing out the system at the outset. That's not a bad thing.
The reason an upgrade later can be expensive is that memory parts often rise in cost. This is because outdated memory starts to decline in supply, which means that prices rise. 2GB of memory for a given contemporary system could easily cost twice as much in 3 years as it does now even though memory prices in general will be lower then.
A Vista-equipped laptop will only support up to 3GB. Think ahead - buy 4GB anyway.
Hard Disk - 250GB
How much hard disk you need must be determined not by how much you think you need now but how much you think you might be using by the end of the useful life of the laptop. Remember - laptops don't expand or upgrade easily and this is nowhere more true than with hard disks. Buy big now.
Optical Drive - DVD Writer
Most laptops today come with a DVD writer (that also reads and writes CDs). I no longer recommend the "combo drive" (DVD-ROM & CD-RW drive in one). Almost all the DVD writers are capable of writing dual-layer (DL) discs.
I had hoped that Blu-Ray would become more prominent in the last year so that it would become an affordable backup option, but it has been slow to develop and the drives and media are still expensive. For backup I recommend an external hard disk drive.
Display Size - Personal Choice
As long as you or the intended recipient can work with the laptop, the size doesn't matter terribly much. MacBooks start at 13" for a wide-screen display and this is one of Apple's most popular Macs.
Windows PCs tend to be larger. I attribute this trend to the movement of many from desktop PCs with 17" or 19" displays; moving to 13" is quite a shock. I personally prefer about 14" but see the next item for more.
Display Format - Don't Get Me %$#!@*? Started!!
Here I guess I'm really showing my age. The world has moved to the widescreen format. I believe this is due to the rapid evolution of TV to HD, which has the manufacturers of LCDs cranking out screens in this format night and day. That means the HD (16:9 or thereabouts) format is flooding the market, and that means such screens are going to be less expensive for laptop manufacturers to acquire.
For those heavily into media, especially video, the wide screen is a boon. I use my laptop primarily for business and for preparing business documents, where height is more important than width. Because many widescreen LCDs are shorter (pixel-wise) than their standard-width counterparts, moving to widescreen means giving up vertical real estate. Wider laptops also means wider cases, a consideration for those who often travel with their laptops.
So call me an old fogey. I love my Dell UltraSharp 2208WFP 22" Widescreen display (see the 2209WA this year), which I use with my laptop when I'm at my desk. Its size of 1680x1050 gives me lots of room to work and is even slightly taller than the 1280x1024 LCD on my T60 laptop. However, the newer, widescreen ThinkPad laptops are shorter than 1024 pixels, thus going against my grain.
It's strictly a matter of personal taste. Do what you feel is right for you and ignore my rant.
Graphics Adapter Support - "Discrete"
If you've been following PCs for any length of time, you know that many desktop computers come with a "graphics card," the device that runs the display. Long ago the PC manufacturers started integrating the graphics card functions into the chips already present on the laptop. This was a boon to space-challenged laptops, which adopted the technology in droves.
When the graphics function is said to be "integrated," it means that the graphics functions are built in. Integrated graphics systems share the main memory of the computer, so buying more memory for such machines is a good idea. Almost every economy laptop will have integrated graphics.
When the graphics function is said to be "discrete," it means that an extra chip dedicated to graphics is included. This is the equivalent of a desktop computer including a graphics card. Discrete graphics most often come with their own dedicated memory but some can use main memory.
Discrete graphics are usually faster, especially for gaming or video work. However, integrated graphics are fine for everyday use.
Video Connector - Optional
Most laptops come with some kind of connector to allow the connection of an external display. Historically this has been an analog VGA connector and many laptops still include this. Some laptops have the more modern DVI connector. If you are connecting an external display, make sure one of these connectors is provided.
If the convergence of TV and computer is on your mind, if you want to connect the laptop to a TV or media system, look for an HDMI connector. Some laptops still have an S-Video connection but HDMI is better for the purpose and becoming more widely available.
Super-economy laptops will not have an external video connector. One step up gets you a VGA or DVI connection and one step further gets you HDMI. Each step up represents a more expensive laptop.
Network (Wired) - 10/100
I can't remember the last time I saw a computer that did not come with an Ethernet port for networking. Today the port is rarely less than "10/100," which means that it will work on 10Mbps (million bits per second) and 100Mbps Ethernet networks. Many computers today come with 10/100/1000, more commonly referred to as "gigabit." For personal use, 10/100 or gigabit won't make much difference, but get gigabit if it isn't a cost factor.
Network (Wireless) - G
The "G" standard means the wireless (WiFi) connection can run at up to 54Mbps. However, many security advances came along with wireless networking devices at the G level. These are important; the older WEP security protocols are no longer safe enough.
The "N" standard, recently approved, is all the rage now. If the device supports N, just make sure it also supports G so that you will be compatible with the widest range of WiFi access points.
If you encounter a laptop that only supports wireless B (11Mpbs), don't buy it.
Note: Always secure your wireless networks.
Bluetooth - Optional
Bluetooth is hardly necessary. However, if you have a Bluetooth-capable cell phone or smart phone, having Bluetooth on your laptop may be handy for synchronization or other functions.
USB Ports - YES!
The question is not "if" but rather "how many?"
The answer is as many as possible. So many devices, from printers to iPods, connect via USB. The minimum acceptable number of USB ports is 2 but look for 4. If you have a variety of USB devices already, determine how many you are likely to use simultaneously and make sure the laptop has at least that many ports. In fact, add one to your count just for good measure - who knows what you'll buy in the next few years?
USB 2.0 is ubiquitous, but check anyway. Don't buy a computer with USB 1.1.
1394 (FireWire) Port - End of Life?
My opinion is that the 1394 port, called FireWire by Apple and iLink by Sony, is dying out. You will only need 1394 if you have a video camera and will need to move video from the camera to the laptop. 1394 was used on video cameras because it was the fastest connection available when these cameras started to appear in the '90s. The rise of DVD- and hard-disk-based video cameras, plus the increased speed of USB 2.0, is making 1394 less important.
Last year Apple dropped the FireWire port on some MacBooks but this year it is present on all models except the MacBook Air. That surprised me; evidently the Mac community was not happy about the port's loss. Kudos to Apple for listening and, more important, acting.
If you need 1394, you'll know. Otherwise don't worry about it.
Memory Card Slots - Optional
An increasing number of laptops come with the convenience of slots that will directly accept a memory card from a camera or other device. These are quite handy.
However, adapters for every card type are available that allow memory cards to be read through a USB port. SanDisk even makes an SDHC card that folds open, exposing a built-in USB connection.
My own preference is for more USB ports in the space that would be used for an integrated card reader, but I acknowledge the convenience of having a built-in SD/SDHC slot.
PC Card Slots - Less Important, Easily Ignored
There was a time when the PC Card slot was a must on a laptop. They were used for telephone modems, network adapters, hard disks, memory card readers, and many other devices. With so much built in to even the least expensive laptops, these slots are far less important. They also require a fair amount of physical space that is better applied to other capabilities.
If a laptop does not have this slot, don't worry about it. Like FireWire, this is one of those things that you'll know if you need.
Expansion Bus Connector - Optional
Some laptops, especially those used for business, have a bus connector that allows the laptop to be attached to a port replicator or dock. Docks are very handy because they provide instant connection to all attached peripherals and the power supply. I've used one for years and find it hard to imagine working any other way. When I'm on longer consulting engagements at a single location, I'll often take my second port replicator along just to make working on site more convenient.
Economy laptops are not built with docks in mind. If price is the foremost consideration, you won't see such a connector.
Nonetheless, I've been surprised to notice that some laptops just a notch up do have an external bus connector. My wife's laptop, now almost two years old, has one.
There are two types of these connectors. My ThinkPad has a connector on the bottom that mates directly with an appropriate ThinkPad replicator or dock. These connectors used to be on the rear and I think some laptops still put them there. My wife's HP laptop has a connector on the side; a cable connects to products like HP's QuickDock or the bigger Media Docking Station.
Software - ???
If you think you're going to get some nice software with that economy laptop, think again. Luckily, there are many fine free programs available in almost every major category.
The Price You Actually Pay
There is one piece of bad news with economy laptops - they come littered with promotional versions of many software products. You'll just have to take that in stride. I do recommend that you take the time to uninstall the things in which you know you will have no interest just so they don't clutter up your system. Some of this litter must be removed by uninstalling via the Windows Control Panel.
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Article Copyright ©2009 by Will Fastie. All Rights Reserved.
Use the suggestions and recommendations herein at your own risk. No warranty, implied or otherwise, is given.
Technology changes rapidly; information in this article could be outdated quickly.