Buyer's guide Laptops perfect for you
Author: By The Get A Life Team
With Apple launching the Macbook Air, the worlds
thinnest laptop, in India on this week, we help you
pick laptops to suit your job
Theres a laptop out there for everyone, no matter
what you are looking for. If you want to pick one up
to make life easier, but find yourself wondering,
What type of system do I need? How fast should it be?
How much will it cost?, check out our buyers guide,
which navigates the tricky terrain of buying
a new laptop.
A laptop thats light as air
Apple CEO and co-founder Steve Jobs holds the MacBook
Air, which measures 0.16 inches at its thinnest point,
with a 13.3-inch LED backlit widescreen display,
Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Price starts at
Rs 96,100
Pic/AFP Photo
For Small Entrepreneur out of home professional
Pick> General-purpose laptop
Why? Its a catch-all term for mid-range, mainstream
laptops. These systems are equally comfortable in the
home office and small business environment.
What they are about: General-purpose laptops dont
cost the earth, have the ability to perform serious
office tasks, such as e-mail, spreadsheet work,
and work on documents, and have systems that dont get
bogged down while multi-tasking.
What to expect: They tend to cost from Rs 45,000 to Rs
55,000, and they typically weigh between 2 to 3.2 kg.
What to look for: A dual core processor, Microsoft
Windows XP Home or Windows XP Professional operating
system, 512 MB memory, minimum 80 GB hard drive,
a mid-range card graphics card, like the Intel
Graphics Media Accelerator 900 or 950 GM, dual layer,
dual-format DVD/RW optical drive, and a 14.1 to
15.4-inch
widescreen.
Our pick: Compaq Presario C713TU
MRP: Rs 40,550
For Fequent Flyer/mobile Worker
Pick > Ultraportable laptop
Why? If you are stuck driving in a car all day, or are
in air more than your office chair, a 1.5 to 2 kg
sturdy ultraportable is perfect. It defies gravity
by integrating every laptop component into the
smallest frame possible, has a smaller keyboard and
smaller screen, but is still efficient enough to do
word processing, e-mailing and web surfing.
What to expect: Your selection of components is
usually limited to low voltage processors, integrated
graphics and fewer connectivity ports. They also
tend to be expensive, and can cost anything over Rs
55,000.
What to look for: Intel Core Duo or Intel Core 2 Duo
processor, Microsoft Windows XP Professional operating
system, 512 MB to 1 GB memory, 40 GB to 80
GB hard drive. Look for laptops with the latest
integrated graphics, such as the Intel Graphics Media
Accelerator 900 and the 950 GM. You should get at
least a combo DVD/CDRW drive. A 12.1-inch screen
display is the perfect size. Anything smaller is a
strain on the eyes and anything bigger will sacrifice
the weight. Two USB ports, a VGA port for external
displays, and a Firewire port are musts.
Extras: Fingerprint reader, a Trusted Platform Module
(TPM) for added security, additional hard drive
protection (accelerometer and rubber protection),
and integrated cellular options, like EDGE.
Our pick: Sony VAIO VGN-FZ25G or Sony VAIO UX
MRP: Rs 69,990 and Rs 99,990 respectively
For Fresher
Pick > a value laptop
Why? Value laptops are inexpensive, hence easy on the
wallet of first-timers, and can be configured
similarly to last years hot models.
What they are about: A Rs 20,000 laptop can search the
Web and send e-mails just as well as a Rs 90,000
laptop.
What to expect: Value laptops are defined by price.
Specifically, they are sub Rs 25,000, tend to be on
the heavier side (over 2.25 kg), and a little ho
hum in design.
What to look for:Intel Core Duo or AMD Turion 64 X2.
Dont settle for an Intel Celeron or AMD Sempron
processor, Microsoft Windows XP Home operating system,
512 MB or more memory, 60 GB hard drive, if available.
Ask for an Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 900 or 950
GM card, a combo DVD/CDRW drive, 14.1-inch
or larger display. Three to four USB ports, a Firewire
port and VGA ports are standard.
Our pick: ACER 4315
MRP: Rs 27,000
For Corporate Climber
Pick > Business laptop
Why? Business laptops are conservative in style and
have added security, such as better hard drive
protection and TPM security.
What they are about: If your job involves commuting
between boardroom meetings and offsite locations,
their tougher metals and lighter cases will help.
What to expect: Business laptops are highly
configurable. They can cost anything over Rs 35,000,
depending on your requirements.
What to look for: Either an Intel Core Duo/Core 2 Duo
or AMD Turion 64 X2 processor, Microsoft Windows XP
Professional operating system, 1 GB to 2 GB memory,
and a 60 GB to 80 GB hard drive. The display screen
should be 12.1 inches or more. Matte screens are
preferable.
Extras: Fingerprint readers are standard. Other extras
include a Trusted Platform Module(TPM) for added
security, additional hard drive protection, and
integrated wireless options.
Our pick: HP Pavilion DV 2701 TX
MRP: Rs 54,274
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