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A Notebook on Your Mind? Things to Know Before Buying

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PCQ Bureau
New Update

So you've made up your mind. It's time that your old computer (desktop or the

old notebook) or the computers being used by people in your organization need to

be replaced. Well, we just hope it's not a case of your computer hanging in the

middle of a presentation or something similarly catastrophic and embarrassing

that made you realize this! One can see many products available in the market

but finding the right notebook according to one's requirements, from the

gallimaufry of available brands, is difficult for sure. A little background

check on the available products and figuring out what's right for you and what's

not, goes a long way in taking the right decision; even though innards of a

computer is something you have no clue about. This buying guide presents a

detailed walkthrough on the available technologies and components that you

should carefully scrutinize before you take the plunge.

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Identify your real needs



There is no such thing as a 'good for all' product out there. Different

people use computers differently. For example, an animator or a mechanical

engineer would want a machine that would run visual graphics or maybe AutoCAD

designs smoothly and without any lags. This would require high-end graphic

accelerators and more RAM. On the other hand, a marketing executive would want

easy connectivity to Wi-Fi networks, Bluetooth and a greater variety of display

ports, to facilitate seamless connectivity with projectors and display screens.

This would also enable easy Internet access and allow connectivity with all

kinds of peripheral devices such as printers, phones, digital cameras etc, both

wired and wirelessly. Other pertinent questions could be: is the new laptop

going replace your current desktop? Are you going to be- carrying it around

frequently? If you need to carry your notebook around a lot, then weight and

battery backup are the key factors to watch out for.

Have you ever noticed that notebooks with somewhat similar specs vary in

price from vendor to vendor? Even though the reason behind this is chiefly brand

positioning, it's vital to know if there's more to it than meets the eye. It's

always good to do a little research on different prices on products by different

manufacturers that suit your requirements.

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Check for support



No matter how sturdy a notebook you might buy, still with passage of time

you could face problems such as virus attacks to OS or disk crashes and other

not so pleasant things. Just check on support provided by different vendors. See

if the warranty is onsite or if the manufacturer expects you to carry it to the

service center. Also enquire whether the service is restricted to the hardware

only or for the OS and other apps that it comes pre-loaded with. Find out how

much does the vendor charge for each visit after the product is past its

warranty and how much time do they take to respond.

You could be better off checking with your peers on the efficiency of support

by a particular vendor. Before buying, ask the vendor about the type of warranty

and not just its period. Is it on-site or carry-in? Does the warranty cover both

parts and labor charges if something goes wrong with the product?

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Also whether there are options of extended warranties and insurance available

for your purchase? Most of this information can also be found on the vendor's

website.

Deciphering platform and processor names



Most people confuse the name of the platform or technology a notebook is

based on, with the processor it contains. While, Intel's Centrino technology

comprises of a particular combination of CPU, mainboard chipset and wireless

network interface, to improve performance, battery life and provide broad

wireless network interoperability for systems equipped with these technologies.

There are a number of other such platforms from Intel: the Napa platform

(released in 2006) that comes with the Centrino logo; the Santa Rosa platform,

introduced first in 2007 and comes with a Centrino vPro logo; Intel's offering

for 2008 is the fifth generation Montevina platform that comes with a Centrino 2

or a Centrino2 vPro logo. These platforms boast a second generation Intel Core 2

Duo (code named Penryn) 45nm processor with clock speeds ranging from 2.26GHz to

3.06GHz, the mobile chipset offers RAM support for DDR2-667, DDR2-800, DDR3-800,

DDR3-1066, DDR3-1333 SODIMM and NAND flash-memory based caching, branded as

Intel Turbo Memory, along with Gigabit Ethernet LAN controllers 82567LM and

82567LF. For display, HDMI, DVI and VGA standards are supported, while for

wireless networking these platforms are Wi-Fi and WiMax ready.

BlueRay compatible optical

drives

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Puma is the latest offering from AMD and consists of AMD's third generation

64 bit Turion dual core processor, a new mobile chipset, ATI Radeon graphics

card, wireless IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n mini PCIe Wi-Fi adaptor and other features

like hybrid hard drive support. Notebooks based on the Puma platform should be

available soon.

A little shiny sticker on your notebook tells about the processor make. If

you compare a computer with a car, then the processor does exactly what an

engine does for a car. Now the key question is what kind of performance are you

looking for? Computer processors have evolved immensely in the past few years

due to the advancements in semiconductor technology. The latest offerings are

dual core and quad core processors. A Dual core refers to a CPU that includes

two complete execution cores per physical processor. It combines two processors

and their caches, and cache controllers onto a single integrated circuit

(silicon chip). Since each core has its own cache, the OS has sufficient

resources to handle intensive tasks in parallel, which provides a noticeable

improvement while multitasking. Similarly, a quad core processor has four cores

instead of two and as you can well imagine by now, it is supposed to double the

processing speed as compared to a dual core processor.

Notebooks are increasingly

equipped with one touch buttons to control multimedia. Some are also

equipped with one touch buttons to access email, open your web browser and

switch on/off Wi-Fi & Bluetooth.
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On the other hand AMD processors for notebooks come under the name Turion X2

ultra dual core and Turion. AMD's Athlon 64 X2 dual core processors provide more

affordable dual core processing capabilities.

Which OS?



Some entry level laptops come loaded with a free version of Linux but if the

notebook doesn't come preloaded with an operating system then you will have to

shell out some more money to buy a licensed copy of the operating system. Or if

you are comfortable with Linux then you can even get a copy of any Linux distro

you like and save money in the bargain.

For Windows lovers, most notebooks come pre-loaded with one or the other

version of Vista. You can choose from Enterprise, Business, Home Basic, Home

Premium and Ultimate, depending on whether you want it for office or home usage.

Vista Business and Enterprise editions have extra features to support enterprise

network connectivity.

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The Apple Mac books come loaded with their proprietary Mac OS. But that's not

the limit. You can even get Windows XP or Vista running on them with the help of

software called Bootcamp, which lets you dual boot between MAC OS or Windows

Vista/XP.

Why a Graphics Card?



If you are going to use applications that are graphically intense or you are

a gaming freak, then you need a powerful graphics card within your notebook.

Most laptop manufacturers provide either an NVIDIA or an AMD card. A graphics

card takes away the load from the CPU, thereby reducing the compromises made on

CPU performance while running graphics intense apps.



Another important parameter to be checked is the amount of video memory
available on board. Notebooks use a part of the main memory as the video memory

which can be adjusted in the notebook's BIOS. However the maximum amount of main

memory that can be allocated as video memory varies for notebooks. If this

memory is not enough then you should search for notebooks that have dedicated

memory for graphics.

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Hard drives and Safe Storage



Storage capacity in notebook hard drives these days range between 160GB to

320GB, and are available at RPM speeds ranging from 5400rpm to 7200rpm. A higher

RPM value provides faster data access from the hard drive, thereby giving better

performance. Make sure that you buy the right capacity up front as upgrading the

hard drive could be a problem in some models.



Besides capacity and rpm, another critical aspect to check is the kind of
protection a notebook provides to its hard drive. Does it come equipped with a

shock absorber for the hard disk? Whenever a notebook senses vibrations, it

removes the head from the main media of the HDD and waits at a safer place until

the sensor stops sensing vibrations. So, the hard drive is less vulnerable to

damage than when it is not in operation. Check whether your notebook provides

this feature.

How much RAM?



Most notebooks these days come with two RAM slots unlike desktops that have

four. It is better to have only one of the slots filled to keep room for future

expansion. For instance, if a notebook has 1 GB RAM then it's better to have a

single 1 GB RAM module instead of two 512 MB modules.

Notebooks these days offer RAM from 512 MB to 4 GB. The popular DDR2 RAMs

come in speeds of 400MHz, 533MHz, 677MHz and 800MHz, while the newer DDR3 RAMs

have speeds as high as 1333 MHz.

Connectivity Options



Make sure that the laptop you buy has sufficient input/output ports and even

if it's an ultra-light notebook, there's no compromise on the essential ports.

As a thumb rule, you should have at least three USB 2.0 ports, one FireWire, a

VGA out, S-Video out, Ethernet (RJ-45), modem (RJ11), headphone (line-out) and

microphone ports. Even the smallest laptops with a 12.1 inch display should have

these for seamless connectivity with other peripheral devices.

Almost all notebooks today have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth support. Connectivity

options, both wireless and wired, form an important part of a notebook. Make

sure that your notebook is compatible with the latest IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n

standards for wireless LAN communication. 802.11n is a new multi-streaming

modulation technique and notebooks based on its proprietary pre-draft versions

are being sold.

Battery backup



A good battery backup is essential if you are perennially on the move.

Battery backups of most notebooks vary between 2.5 to 5 hours. Notebooks

generally have a power management system of their own that helps in achieving

better battery backups by intelligently reducing the brightness of the LCD or by

switching the notebook to sleep mode, when kept idle for sometime. Most

notebooks come with a 6-cell Li-ion which can be upgraded to a 9-cell or higher

option at an additional cost.

Screen size and weight



Notebooks are available in different screen sizes ranging from 12.1” to 17”

widescreens. The weight of a notebook is in direct proportion to the screen

size. Another important point is that the weight mentioned by the vendor is the

weight of the laptop alone without the carry bag, adaptor and other accessories

that are essential for you. Also when buying a widescreen notebook, check for

its compatibility with external display devices such as a projector or a

monitor.

Optical drive



A CD/DVD writer is being offered with all current models. In case you buy a

laptop that doesn't have it, you always attach a USB/FireWire based drive. These

days Blu-ray format for high-def video is making the headlines. Some of the

high-end notebooks come equipped with a Blu-ray drive and some of the vendors

offer it as an option to buyers at extra cost. The added capacity that Blu-ray

(25GB per layer) discs offer over standard DVDs (4.7 GB per layer) can be an

advantage for those who want their notebooks to be future ready.

Web camera



Integrated web cams are very popular and common in mid level and even entry

level notebooks, given the popularity of instant messaging and voice

conferencing. You can also use them for taking pictures and recording videos.

Check the resolution of the camera on board, the higher the resolution the

better the picture quality. Also having an integrated microphone helps avoid the

irritating headset.

Accessories



Your laptop might come with a few accessories and a carry bag for sure.

Having the right laptop accessories available can make life much easier while

traveling. A wide range of laptop accessories is available in the market but the

ones that can be useful for almost everybody are notebook security cables to

protect from theft; portable storage devices; laptop power adaptors to charge

batteries on the go, headsets and microphones. Other products include portable

printers, wireless laptop mice, presentation devices, etc.

Knee fryers



A good thermal management system is responsible for controlling the amount

of heat that a laptop would dissipate. After continuous working, some part or

the other of a notebook gets heated up, be it a keyboard, the bottom of the

notebook or even the touchpad. If you're not looking to get your knees fried

then buy a notebook that has heat vents on the sides rather than the bottom.

Security/data recovery



Most notebooks have a feature or two for security and privacy. These could

be TPM (trusted platform module), biometric fingerprint or face recognition and

HDD security. As the name suggests the finger print or face recognition system

stores the image of the finger or the face of the authorized user, which is used

to authenticate access to the notebook. These features can also be applied to

individual files/folders on a notebook. Some notebooks also have a one touch

data recovery button for retrieving lost data.

Watchout for these
Battery: Upgrading to a 9

cell or higher battery can be very useful for people on the go as it

increases the power backup. Most manufacturers provide consumers with an

option of a bigger battery at an additional cost.

Ultraportables: These are notebook

like PCs in very small form factor. They're meant for consumers who are

looking for notebooks which can be easily carried around and also have

sufficient computing capabilities. These are also known as ultra mobile PCs

or UMPCs. Models available are based on Intel's Atom processor. Standard

features on such notebooks include a touch screen panel, I/O ports,

fingerprint recognition and some are even equipped with GPS navigation.

1 lakh plus : Lenovo ThinkPad X300

Quick Specs
Specs:

Intel Core 2 Duo L7100 1.2 GHz, 2GB DDR2 RAM, 64GB of SSD, 13.3” back-lit

LED screen, Web cam with mic, Ultra thin DVD +RW



Price: Rs 1,44,900 (3 yr warranty)


Contact: Lenovo India. Tel: 1800-425-3336, Email:
buy@in.lenovo.com

This ultra-light notebook from the ThinkPad lineage is for business users who

demand everything from their notebook, yet want to travel light. With a weight

of about 1.5 Kgs and thickness equaling that of an actual paper notebook, it's

surprising how Lenovo has managed to make X300 so thin without excluding

anything. Looks wise, it's bland with no gimmicks; but is sturdy and when it

comes to features it has all packed in to meet the requirements of a business

user. It has an integrated webcam with microphone and stereo speakers, and on

top of that it also features an ultrathin DVD writer. It has a 1.6 GHz Intel

Core 2 Duo with 2 GB RAM and boasts of a Solid State Drive (SSD), which brings

down the weight and power consumption but restricts the capacity at present to a

mere 64 GB. While low HDD capacity might be a drawback, the light weight and

performance boost because of SSD more than make up for it. Being a ThinkPad

protégé, it features both a touchpad and a TrackPoint. For connectivity it has

Gbe, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and for security there's a fingerprint scanner. X300

managed to score 3300 in PC Mark and 448 in 3D Mark, which is acceptable for its

size and intended usage. Being ultra light, its battery gave an astounding

backup of 3 hrs 52 mins. However, at this price, it's more suited to the elite

business class fliers wanting to keep their baggage light.

Apple MacBook Pro

Quick Specs
Specs:

Intel Core 2 Duo T9300 2.5 GHz, 2 GB RAM, 120 GB of HDD, 15.4” screen,

NVIDIA GeFORCE 8600M GT graphics card, Multi-touch trackpad



Price: Rs 89,200 (1 yr warranty)


Contact: Apple India, Tel: 1800-425-4646, Email:
indiasales@mac.com

The MacBook Pro is a power performer, based on Intel's new 45 nm 2.5 GHz

Penryn processor. For high graphics capabilities there's an NVIDIA GeForce 8600M

GT graphics card bundled into the smart and sleek aluminum chassis, which

reflects the craftsmanship put in by Apple. Once you open the lid housing the

15.4” backlit LED screen and iSight camera; a full-sized backlit keypad, stereo

speakers, a single button touchpad greets your sight. It has a slot DVD drive

and 2 USB ports. It was the only notebook we received that had both FireWire 400

and 800 ports. The ambient light sensor illuminates keypad and adjusts screen

brightness. For Windows users, getting attuned to Mac would require time. The

touchpad enables multitouch inputs- in Mac OS you can use three fingers to zoom

in and out, rotate and scroll, whereby in Windows two fingers can be used for

scrolling. We used BootCamp to load Windows Vista and run our benchmarks. For PC

Mark it gave an excellent score of 5923 while for 3D Mark it achieved an

astonishing high score of 4447. It gave a battery life of about 2 hrs 30 min.

One would be tempted to play games, but platform support would limit that and to

counter that Windows will have to be loaded using Boot Camp. MacBook Pro with

such graphics capabilities is meant for professionals who use graphic intensive

applications of multimedia, animation, or designing.

UMPCs



Asus R2E

Quick Specs
Specs:

Intel Mobile 945GM processor, 1GB RAM, 80 GB HDD, Webcam



Price: Rs 64990 (2 yr warranty)


Contact: ASUS Technology, Mumbai, Tel: 67668800 Email:
media_india@asus.com

The Asus R2E is another UMPC that comes with a rather strange design--Its

screen and keyboard are separate from each other. Moreover, the keyboard can be

folded into half, and when you open it, a flimsy lock prevents it from closing.

In fact, a user could accidentally try to close it before unlocking and actually

break the lock. The screen has a stand at the rear to hold it in place while you

work.

The UMPC runs on a 800 MHz Intel Mobile 945GM processor with 1 GB RAM and 80

GB hard disk. You have lots of options to navigate through it. For one, the 7”

TFT screen offers a max resolution of upto 1024x600 and is touch-enabled;

secondly toward the right is a pointer, which acts as your on-screen mouse by

default. For additional mouse options, there are dedicated keys for navigation.

It also has a 1.3 MP cam with in-built mic, a biometric fingerprint reader, a

memory card reader, audio jacks, two USB 2.0 and a mini-USB port, and an

Ethernet port.



Similarly, connectivity is handled by an 802.11 b/g wireless receiver and
Bluetooth. Thanks to its ultra mobile nature, it also has a GPS receiver, and

also 3.5G. Considering the price, and the features offered it is slightly on the

costlier side.

Fujitsu Lifebook U2010

Quick Specs
Specs:

Intel Atom CPU Z530 @ 1.86 GHz, 1 GB of RAM, 50 GB HDD,Web cam



Price: Yet to be declared


Contact: Fujitsu PC, Gurgaon. Tel: 014-4705100, Email:
mansi.saxena@in.fujitsu.com

The Lifebook U2010 is one of the latest ultra portables that features Intel's

latest Atom processor clocked at 1.6 GHz. It has a 50 GB hard and 1 GB RAM. Plus

it has a rotational touchscreen, which let's you use it as a Tablet PC. The LCD

touchscreen panel offers a resolution of 1280x800. The UMPC comes with Vista

Home Premium pre-installed. While it works just like a regular PC, it has its

share of woes. The screen is so small that you really have to strain your eyes

to read anything. Even if you were to press the button and zoom into the screen,

you'll have a hard time typing anything on the tiny keyboard.

You could use it in Tablet mode using the stylus on the touchscreen, but then

again, you need a lot of precision to point and click at the right spot on the

screen.

Vista Home Edition we received with it ran very slow, and keys on its

keyboard were so small that we invariably ended up making mistakes while trying

to type anything. The tiny device is quite feature rich though, with built-in

WLAN, 3.5G, fingerprint scanner, and Bluetooth. It also incorporates GPS for

navigational purposes.

HCL MiLeap V02

Quick Specs
Specs:

Intel 800 MHz Ultra Mobile Processor, 1GB RAM, 80 GB HDD, Web cam



Price: Rs 34990 (1 yr warranty)


Contact: HCL Infosystems. Tel: 9818989875, Email:
product.lab@hcl.in

The MiLeap is HCL's very own ultra-portable Tablet PC offering that packs a

moderate amount of punch and can prove to be a very useful companion for

professionals on a strict budget. Its main list of features include: a 800 MHz

Ultra Mobile Processor, 7” LED back lit Touch Screen panel with a max resolution

of 1024x600, 80 GB HDD, 1GB RAM, VGA-out, SD/MS card reader, and 1.3 MP webcam.

The machine comes with Vista Home Premium pre-installed with Aero turned ON

by default. Although it deals with the heavy aero effects fairly well, but it

runs best with the display settings set to Vista Basic.

As expected, the keys are not big so it does take a little time to get used

to them, and so do the other features, just as in the LifeBook.

To the left of the display, we have the pointer button which basically acts

as your on-screen mouse, and a D-pad. To the right, there is a customizable

launcher shortcut button, a shutter button for taking instant pictures using the

web camera, buttons for controlling the brightness and screen rotation,

dedicated buttons for scrolling up and down, and finally, the usual left and

right clicks.

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