Laptops, Shopping Advice

Laptops are the glamour queens of the PC world. Richard Wentk explains how to find one with the features you want

Why buy a laptop? In theory the appeal is obvious - you can set up a machine in your study or office, and take it with you if you need to work away from your desk. And there's no denying the glamour factor. Laptops are more desirable than desktops, which typically seem graceless and heavy in comparison.

The reality is less clear cut. Carrying even a light laptop can be a chore, especially once you add extras like a power supply. So if all you want is a portable address book or notepad, you're better off with a PDA. This will be more convenient to use, as there's no need to wait for it to start up. And it's lighter - on the pocket and the wallet.

When considering a laptop, there are also reliability and upgrading issues. Parts aren't generic in the way that desktop spares are. So compared with a desktop, it's harder and more expensive to add an extra hard disk or more memory to a laptop. This also means repair costs are higher - if a laptop's screen goes wrong, you can expect to spend from Ł500 to Ł1,000 for a replacement.

So what is a laptop good for? If you do a lot of serious work - typing, designing, spreadsheet calculations and so on - a laptop makes more sense than a PDA. A good rule of thumb is that if you need a briefcase for your work, you may find a laptop useful. If you can get by with just a Filofax, a PDA may be more convenient and less intrusive.

The Details

When choosing a laptop, convenience usually plays a larger role than speed. The main features to check are overall size, weight, screen size and legibility, and battery life. In terms of size, most laptops are similar. Width and depth are usually comparable to a large glossy magazine. The height varies - from trim designs that are 1cm or so high when closed, to larger models that are three times that. If size is an issue, consider mini-laptops such as the Sony Vaio C1MGP, which is half the depth of a standard laptop and more convenient to carry.

Weight is obviously important and laptops start at 2.5kg, with 3 to 3.5kg about average - any more than that is tending towards obesity. You'll be surprised how much difference weight can make. Even light models are a burden if carried over long distances, and heavy models soon become unbearable. A good light case with handles can make a big difference, so include this on your shopping list.

Screen sizes vary from 12" to 15", with most either 14" or 15", and a standard resolution of 1,024 x 768. You occasionally come across models with higher resolutions (which give a more detailed picture), such as the Pico Systems Oscar which has a 1,400x1,050 display. Remember that larger displays are heavier and consume more power, shortening battery life. Brightness and legibility vary widely between models, so if possible, see your chosen model up close, and check it in bright sunlight.

Battery life on many laptops is surprisingly poor. Two hours is the minimum to consider but three hours is about average, and four hours or more is good. If you need to work for longer, buy spare batteries - although, at between Ł70 to Ł100, these are expensive. They're also heavy, but on long flights or train journeys they make the difference between getting work finished, and staring at a dead screen for hours.

Keyboards and trackpads also vary widely between models so, if possible, try them before buying. If you don't like trackpads (a touch-sensitive pad that lets you steer the cursor with your finger), it's easy to use a mouse instead, although this adds to the hardware you need to carry.

How fast should a laptop be? For most work, speed is not an issue. For business reports or e-mailing (for which you'll also need a mobile phone), almost any speed will do. It's possible to use a laptop for 3D arcade games or audio/video editing, but demanding applications like these need high-spec components, and you'll have to consider spending twice as much as for a standard model.

Pricing

The laptop mid-range is between Ł1,200 and Ł2,000, with the best value around the Ł1,200 to Ł1,500 mark. Famous brands often offer poor value here - a model from a less well known but reputable company, such as Evesham, usually has a higher specification than a comparably priced model from a 'name' brand.

This trend continues at the high end, where models over Ł2,000 often don't seem to offer a significant improvement over mid-range models, although reliability and build quality are usually higher. In fact, these models are built for the corporate market, rather than the homebuyer, and the prices are adjusted accordingly.

If you're looking for bargains, it's easy to find now obsolete machines in the trade press for around Ł500. They are larger and slower than modern models, but can be good value.

Model answers

What do owners think of their laptop? To find out, we asked whether they would recommend theirs to a friend (see November 2001 for survey details). We received enough replies to publish results for the following brands. The percentage is how many would recommend it - the other figure shows how many replied.

What to Buy

MIDDLE-OF-THE-ROAD MODEL
Samsung A10 series, from Ł880
www.samsung.com

Samsung A10 While not winning any points for style, these models are good bread-and-butter machines that offer a capable AMD Athlon processor with a speed ranging from 1GHz to 1.3GHz, a 14.1" XGA (1,024 x 768) display, disk capacities of 10GB or 20GB, and a memory size of 128Mb or 256Mb.

Cheaper models include a CD player, the mid-range models replace this with a DVD player and, at the top of the range, a combined DVD player and CD burner is available. Weight is average at just over 3kg and these laptops are suitable for most office work or for those who want to save space around the house.

WORK USE
Dell Inspiron 8200, Ł2,000
www.dell.com

Dell Inspiron 8200 Dell is noted for steady if unexciting laptop designs, and the Inspiron 8200 is a fairly standard high-end model. It has a 1.7GHz Pentium 4, 256Mb Ram, a generous 30Gb disk drive, a combined CD burner and DVD player, and a built-in 56k modem and 10/100 Ethernet network card for linking to desktop machines.

What makes the Inspiron stand out is its large 1,600 x 1,200 15" screen, and it's a good machine for demanding work, such as big spreadsheets and even video-editing. You can spend more and get higher performance, but this model's mix of value and performance makes it an appealing mid-range product.

TOP END OF THE MARKET
Apple PowerBook Titanium, from Ł2,000
www.apple.com

Apple PowerBook Titanium It may not be as cheap as some, but the Titanium version of Apple's Powerbook is the ultimate laptop fashion statement. The case looks superb, the screen and keyboard are among the best you can buy, and the whole package is irresistible to anyone who wants a light but powerful laptop.

The drawbacks are incompatibility with Windows software, and the fact that, compared with an equivalent Windows laptop, the Powerbook is rather slow. But if you need a stylish address book for e-mail, typing and some design or graphics work on the side, this is as good as it gets.