Notebook shopping checklist

Most new laptops sold today rely on Intel's Core 2 Duo processor which has gained widespread acceptance through its excellent mix of performance and battery life. With the new-generation Centrino (codenamed Santa Rosa) platform due in March 2007, prices on the older Centrino notebooks are likely to drop further. We've also noticed a strong trend towards desktop replacement notebooks with multimedia features such as the ability to play DVD/MP3s without bootup.

How they stack up
Check this out first to help narrow down your choices. Notebooks typically come in four sizes:

Ultraportables	< 1.5kg; 30mm thick or less; has slimmest profile, but can be at the expense of built-in optical drive and features; high-priced.
Thin-and-lights	1.8 - 3kg; < 40mm thick; onboard optical drives and offers best compromise between ultraportables and mainstreams with a good balance of speed, features and size.
Mainstreams	3 - 4kg; around 40mm thick; bulky though they offer good value with a good combo of features and speed.
Desktop replacements	3.5kg and above; > 40mm thick; delivers the best performance and features but usually too bulky to be lugged around comfortably; top-end models come with TV tuner and PCMCIA remote.

Processor
If you want speed and battery life, Intel's Core 2 Duo processor is the best choice available today. But if your computing needs are basic, laptops powered by Intel Pentium M and AMD Sempron chips offer the best value for money. Desktop replacements these days usually run on Core 2 Duo chips, though occasionally, there are some equipped with AMD's Turion X2.

Memory
You will need at least 512MB of RAM to run Win XP smoothly. Opt for 1GB or more if you plan to open multimedia apps or upgrade to Windows Vista.

Hard drive
With the introduction of perpendicular recording technology, the price of portable drives is falling, and 60GB - 80GB capacity drives are available for around AUD$100 each. If you want to store lots of photos, MP3s and movies on your machine, then consider a 100GB or even 120GB.

Screen
If you're looking for an ultraportable, expect screens that are 12.1 inches or smaller. For a decent-sized display, consider at least 13.3 or 14.1 inches. Notebooks with 15-inch and above screens usually come at the expense of portability. Also, if you're on the lookout for sharp image quality, you might want to consider a reflective screen.

Graphics card
The best bet here is a dedicated 3D graphics card with at least 64MB of memory. If you're a Doom 3 gamer, you may want to check out the top-end models running on 128/256MB of dedicated memory which come fitted in higher-end and larger machines. Most ultracompacts and several thin-and-lights offer integrated graphics, which shares its memory from the system RAM.

Optical drive
The majority of notebooks today sport at least a DVD/CD-RW combo drive which should suffice, though look for a multiformat DVD burner. DVD+/-R double-layer burners can can store up to 8.5GB of data. Some notebooks also offer hot-swappable drive bays that give you more flexibility to install a second hard drive or battery in place of the optical drive.

Connectivity
Standard options should include at least two USB 2.0 ports, FireWire, Ethernet (RJ-45) and modem (RJ-11), 802.11b/g wireless LAN, audio jacks, VGA-out and Type II PC Card slot. Bluetooth is becoming increasingly popular, which is good for synching with headsets and your mobile phone. Look out also for notebooks offering onboard multi-format flash memory readers which can come in very handy.

Warranty
Notebooks generally come with a one-year warranty, but if you use it outdoors frequently, look for longer support plans.

Related: DIY: Notebook buying