While a laptop has become a ubiquitous accessory for modern life, the actual process of choosing the right model can take some serious time and research. In this guide, we'll outline the different categories of laptops and which types are best for different users. We'll also take a look at CPU, hard-drive, and networking options.
The most important consideration when buying a new laptop is how you’ll use it. Here are five questions to simplify your selection.
How well does it travel?
If you’re carrying your laptop on a daily basis, light weights and thin frames are top considerations. But if you’re using it to go from one room in your house to the next, you’ll get more out of a heavier, bigger screen with more visibility and higher resolution.
Specs range
3 lbs, smaller screen, easy to carry
7 lbs, bigger screen, best at home
How long does the battery last?
If you use your laptop in classrooms, conference rooms, or other public spaces, or if you spend a lot of time en route, an 8-hour battery is your best bet. A 4-hour battery is better suited for home or office use.
Specs range
4 hours, slim PCs, best used close to power outlet
8 hours, great PC for traveling or life-on-the-go
What is your display experience like?
If you use your laptop mostly for managing a busy household and keeping in touch through email or social networks, a 10-inch screen would get the job done. For movies or TV, a 14-inch screen provides a better cinematic experience.
Specs range
10-inch screen, great for everyday tasks and socializing
14-inch screen or larger, best for watching movies and gaming
How much does it store?
160 GB is the sweet spot for storing email, photos, attachment downloads, and other documents. More graphic-intensive pursuits like editing video or installing games require storage up to 350 GB.
Specs range
160 GB, enough space for email and photos
350 GB or more, enough space to handle video editing
What are the different categories of laptops?
The different product categories that laptops fall into is constantly evolving and changing. The introduction of Netbooks in particular has created a relatively new category that has quickly become the fastest-growing segment of the PC market. While there are many ways to divide the categories--based on weight, price, and components--we use screen size as our primary deciding factor, as it's the clearest physical difference between types of laptops
Netbook laptops Depending on who you ask, Netbooks are either the most exciting thing to happen to mobile computing in years, or they are the downfall of an industry engaged in a painful price war race to the bottom. We generally define Netbooks as having 7- to 12-inch screens, a full keyboard, and an inexpensive, single-core low-voltage CPU. While the earliest Netbooks had 7-inch screens and Intel Celeron processors, the typical Netbook today has a single-core Intel Atom CPU, 1GB of RAM, a 160GB hard drive, and runs either Windows XP or Windows 7.
Ultraportable laptops Before the rise of Netbooks, ultraportable systems were 11- and 12-inch laptops with then-expensive low-voltage CPUs, allowing them to be small and power efficient, but still relatively underpowered. The popularity of Netbooks had threatened to make this category irrelevant--after all, who would pay $1,500 or more for an 11-inch laptop, when a $300 10-inch Netbook was a reasonable substitute for basic Web and office tasks? The ultraportable has been revived of late with the introduction of Intel's new low-cost consumer ultralow-voltage CPUs. These chips are slightly more expensive and somewhat more powerful than the Netbook Intel Atom CPU, and are available in both single-core and dual-core versions. Some PC makers are calling the thin, upscale laptops that include these new processors "ultrathin," rather than ultraportable, now. Many of these new versions lack an internal optical drive. Key features: 9- to 12-inch display Low-voltage ULV CPU No optical drive Typically $600-$800
Thin-and-light laptops This somewhat unimaginative descriptor is intended for 13-inch laptops. Why do laptops with 13-inch displays deserve their own distinct category? It's because they occupy a unique space in the industry. We define this by pointing out that a 13-inch laptop is the smallest size we'd be able to work on comfortably all day, and at the same time, the largest size we'd consider carrying around more than once or twice a week.
Midsize (aka mainstream) laptops The traditional 15-inch laptop, along with its newer 14- and 16-inch offshoots, make up this category. Although technically mobile products, most mainstream or midsize laptops tend to stay anchored to one location, or only move around a single home or office. Less expensive mainstream laptops will have resolutions of 1,280x800 pixels , wide-screen 16:9 models will have resolutions of 1,366x768 pixels, and more-expensive versions can get resolutions all the way up to 1,600x900. Mainstream laptops have dual-core CPUs, most commonly from Intel's Core 2 Duo line, along with between 2GB and 4GB of RAM, 250GB or larger 5,400rpm hard drives, and internal DVD-burning optical drives.
Desktop replacement laptops These massive 17-inch and larger laptops are meant to literally replace your old desktop, monitor, and keyboard combination with a single device that can also be easily transported in a pinch. At a minimum, you'll find an Intel Core 2 Duo CPU, with more-expensive models trading up to a quad-core Core 2 Quad or the new, more powerful Intel Core i7 processor. The majority of desktop replacement laptops have discrete graphics cards, either for help in playing HD video or for running 3D games.
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