What features should a laptop/netbook have? Design, of course. It's simple that elegance/simplicity is what people are raving about these days. Looking further, obviously, we can see that design sometimes compromises a fully-functional device. Sure design is all-too-important in showing off your gizmo. But what about the other "essential" ideas that a purchaser like you should consider? In this list, I'm going to point out what important components your electronic buddy should have. In the days of old, laptops were so expensive, people didn't even have the idea of purchasing one, and by purchasing one, they really did some good analysis and canvassing. That's what you should do too.
Pay close attention to this post and always keep in mind what I say before you buy the gadget:
"A device should always be pound-for-pound."
1. ERGONOMICS
Every good laptop must provide comfort for its user. That is why before purchasing online or at a local department store, try out the product first, so you won't complain when you're already using it. Be picky or end up with Carpal Tunnel.
2. BATTERY LIFE
Battery life is important. Most netbooks today only shell 3 hours of battery life. If you don't want your electronic buddy to die out on you, purchase one that has at least a 6-cell battery. That way, portability will make amends with longevity.
3. WEIGHT
Weight is not so much of a factor to consider, because almost every notebook/netbook being released nowadays is lightweight.
4. DISPLAY
Standard screen display for netbooks and ultraportables plays around at 8-12 inches, meaning you get to have 1024x768 pixels of resolution. Laptops, however are using 14-16 resolutions. If opening a lot of tabs and applications is your thing, be picky about the resolution. You don't know it, but you might be missing out on a wider display for a gadget that's of the same price.
5. PROCESSOR
Go for Intel. Though I'm an AMD fanboy, Intel's Core2Duo Processors are simply a powerhouse when it comes to delivering top-notch performance. Netbooks, on the other hand, right now, are mostly being powered by Atom Processors, Intel's line of energy-efficient chips. You might wait for another year to get your hands on a low-priced, power-efficient dual-core processor netbook.
6. RAM
Standard RAM for new laptops should be playing at around 2-4 GB at DDR3 frequencies. For netbooks, 1-2GB of DDR2 RAM should be enough, since the processor will only impair the free memory.
7. GRAPHICS
Okay, this is where it gets really interesting. Seeing integrated graphics makes you comfortable with a netbook, right? Well, don't be. "Discrete graphics" as we most professional tech reviewers call them, are the way to go. Most applications won't run so well on built-in graphics that most netbooks offer. Be choosy. Right now, there's this new release of NVidia Ion graphic chipsets -- find a laptop/netbook that has this chipset. Don't let graphics bottleneck your device's performance.
8. HARD DISK DRIVES
Though Solid State Drives (SSD's) are making their way into the competition, the storage space they provide aren't actually fitting for someone who stores a plethora of files, including discographies into his/her portable device. Standard hard disk spaces start from 250GB, which is plenty enough to store all your precious files into.
9.. MULTITOUCH TOUCHPADS
This is definitely what the multitasking portable device owner should have. Imagine having the capability to use every finger to command the desktop. Brilliant idea, isn't it? Go for this feature.
10. BLU-RAY DRIVES
If you're planning on purchasing a notebook, you're given the option to upgrade your drive into a Blu-ray one. For me, it doesn't really matter if you're going to take it or not, since Blu-ray disks aren't really mainstream yet. If I was given the option to choose, I'd probably skip the upgrade. For netbook users, however, don't take it, since you're going to use an external drive anyway, might as well wait for a couple more months for the prices of these drives to become more affordable.
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