Choosing a notebook PC: CDs, DVDs, and other slots

Almost done! To wrap up our series on Choosing a notebook PC, here’s a quick look at a few more features you might want to consider: CD and DVD drives, PC Card slots, and other media/peripheral slots. CD and DVD Drives One big difference between notebooks is the included CD or DVD drives. Most notebooks have … Read more

Choosing a notebook PC: Connectivity

One of the hardest things about buying a new computer is reconciling the manufacturer’s long list of key features with what you actually need. Continuing our series on Choosing a notebook PC, today I’ll take a look at the different networking and connectivity options available in today’s notebooks. WiFi WiFi (Wireless networking, also known as 802.11a/b/g) … Read more

Choosing a notebook PC: Disks, Video, and Memory

Continuing our series on choosing a notebook PC, today I’ll take a look at three more major notebook features: disk drives, video cards, and memory. While these are relatively minor considerations when you buy a desktop machine you can always upgrade them later notebooks are harder to upgrade, so it’s worth taking a moment to consider … Read more

Choosing a notebook PC: Processors

While choosing a PC has never been an easy task, processors used to be easy to tell apart a 2.0GHz processor was faster than a 1.5GHz processor, and cost more money. A Pentium 3 was more efficient than a Pentium 2. Now processor speed means less than it used to, and the manufacturers have helpfully … Read more

Choosing a notebook PC: Screens

Continuing our series on choosing a notebook PC, today we’ll look at the choices you’ll need to make to choose the ideal notebook screen. There are four factors to consider: screen size, resolution, widescreen or regular, and glossy or matte. Screen size is something you’ve already looked at if you read the first installment it’s part of … Read more