 |
|
Notebooks Budget Options : |
 |
|
|
 |
Most notebooks sell in the $1,000-to-$2,000 range,
although you can pay anywhere from $500 to more than $3,000. In
virtually every case, the price includes the notebook, the battery and
transformer, a hard drive, a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive, one or two USB
connectors, a version of Microsoft Windows, a built-in modem, and a
one-year warranty. Usually you also get a floppy disk drive (allocate
$50 to $75 for one otherwise) and two PC Card sockets (just one on an
ultraportable). The package may also include an Ethernet network adapter
and software (Microsoft Office or Works), but it usually does not
include a carrying case (about $25 to $150). Here's a breakdown of how
much you can get for your money, and what it costs to upgrade various
components.
 |
Cost-constrained user ($500 to $1,000). For
$500, you might find an end-of-life value system using 6- to
12-month-old components, such as a 750-MHz Celeron processor, a
12-inch dual-scan LCD, a 10GB hard drive, 64MB of RAM, and a modem.
Special orders aren't possible, because the model is probably out of
production. You'll get better performance if you upgrade the memory to
128MB. At $900 to $1,000, you'll find current systems with acceptable
configurations, such as a 1-GHz processor, a 20GB hard drive, 128MB
RAM, a 14-inch display, and a CD-ROM rather than DVD drive.
Getting the best deal may entail taking advantage of a mail-in rebate,
which is typically about $50 to $100 off the price of the system, or
buying direct (mail-order), where you may be offered free shipping, or
choosing a refurbished (but actually quite new) notebook. And if
you're buying direct, check the warranty: It may be only 90 days, so
budget $50 extra to extend it to one year.
Look for a notebook in this price range if you will be doing
mostly word processing and Web surfing and you don't need much
storage. And remember to mail in the rebate that gets you the last $50
off the price. |
|
Budget-minded user ($1,000 to $1,500). An
appropriate notebook includes an entry- or mid-level Celeron, either a
Mobile Intel Pentium III Processor-M (a lower-voltage,
battery-conserving chip, called PIII-M for short) or an AMD Duron
processor running at about 1 GHz, a DVD-ROM drive, 256MB of RAM, a
20GB or 30GB hard drive, a built-in Ethernet adapter and 56-Kbps
modem, and a 14-inch active-matrix display with XGA (1,024-by-768)
resolution.
Look for a notebook in this price range if you need an
all-purpose system, would like to save a few hundred dollars, and
don't mind a slightly bulkier case. You're not giving up much in
performance. |
|
Home/family ($1,500 to $2,000). NNow you're
looking at a mainstream personal/home-use notebook with a 14-inch XGA
display (1,024-by-768 resolution), two drives (hard drive and DVD-ROM
drive), and 256MB of RAM. The unit is most likely to have controls for
easy playing of audio CDs even with the system off. The processor may
be a Celeron, Pentium III, PIII-M, or Duron running at about 1 GHz.
You'll get a bunch of free software, including banking (Quicken or
Microsoft Money), virus protection, and, with luck, word processing.
Look for a notebook in this price range
if you'll be performing
a variety of tasks, including personal entertainment, and you don't
want your notebook to feel out of date in six months. |
|
Road
warrior: ultraportable ($1,500 to $2,500).
An ultraportable notebook weighs 2.5 to 4 pounds. A 10- or 12-inch XGA
display, 18- or 18.5-mm-wide keys (as opposed to the standard 19 mm),
and an external CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive (usually included) keep size
and weight down. The CPU is probably a 1-GHz PIII-M, and the hard
drive and installed memory are around 20GB or 30GB and 256MB,
respectively. A floppy disk drive may be optional. The battery pack
has only about 4 to 6 cells to save weight and cost. Ethernet is
integrated and, increasingly, so is wireless Ethernet (802.11b).
Better units include expansion bases that add two drive bays (one can
be for an extra battery) and more ports, as well as 2 more pounds and
an additional half-inch in height.
Look for a notebook in this price range if you need a computer
that doesn't take over your shoulder bag, you like sleek looks, you
read more documents and e-mails than you create, and you can deal with
smaller typing keys. Compare screen and key-pitch sizes closely.
|
|
Road
warrior: mainstream ($1,250 to $2,000). A
mainstream or desktop replacement notebook uses a PIII-M, P4-M, or
mobile AMD Athlon processor running at 1 to 1.2 GHz. Expect a 14- or
15-inch display with XGA (1,024-by-768), SXGA+ (1,400-by-1,050), or
even UXGA (1,600-by-1,200) resolution, along with a DVD-ROM, CD-RW, or
combo DVD/CD-RW drive. Most such notebooks include wired networking;
many include or offer wireless networking, too. A 30GB hard drive is
typically standard, with 40GB optional, and this kind of notebook
usually has two drive bays. Prices are similar whether you're buying a
two-bay, thin-and-light system or a slightly bulkier two- or three-bay
desktop replacement system.
Look for a notebook in this price range
if you use your
notebook a lot, need the same performance and power you had in your
desktop two years ago (and possibly need more disk space), and connect
to a network in the office or broadband at home. |
|
Multimedia user ($2,000 to $3,000). This
ultimate desktop replacement notebook boasts high-performance graphics
and multimedia capabilities. In most cases, it is big and heavy (7 to
9 pounds). It includes the fastest available processor (a Pentium 4
chip running at 1.7 GHz or higher), a 16-inch display with an SXGA
(1,280-by-1,024) or UXGA (1,600-by-1,200) resolution, a graphics
adapter with 32MB or 64MB of video memory, a 40GB hard drive (with
60GB optional), a DVD-ROM drive (DVD/CD-RW combo optional), and
possibly a floppy disk drive. It also supports extra connectors for
broadcast video, camcorder video, and DV camcorder video. The DV
connector, called the FireWire or IEEE 1394 port, can also connect to
an external drive or another FireWire-equipped computer. This type of
machine will probably be the first to include the new USB 2.0
connectors, which are compatible with USB 1.1.
Look for a notebook in this price range if you want the most
power and biggest display possible, you give presentations and handle
other multimedia tasks, you want superfast graphics when playing
games, and you aren't bothered by size and cost issues. |
|
Upgrade
prices. Most manufacturers can
custom-configure and deliver a notebook in about a week. For a machine
already sitting on a store shelf, the dealer can at least upgrade the
memory. This is approximately what it costs to have a notebook built
your way:
 | Next-faster processor, or an upgrade from "value"
to "standard" processor at the same speed (say, from Intel Celeron
to Pentium III), $100. |
| Next-larger hard drive (20GB upgraded to 30GB),
$100; step up to the biggest hard drive (50GB), $250. |
| Extended warranty (upgraded from one year to two
or three), $100. |
| Next-bigger display (upgraded from 14- to
15-inch), $200. |
| CD-ROM drive upgraded to DVD-ROM drive, $100.
|
| CD-ROM drive upgraded to CD-RW drive, $150.
|
| CD-ROM drive upgraded to combo DVD/CD-RW, $200.
|
| Higher-capacity battery (not a second battery),
$50 to $100. |
| External floppy disk drive, $50 to $75.
|
| Ethernet network adapter, $50 to $100.
|
| Wireless Ethernet adapter, $75 to $150.
|
| Microsoft Office instead of Microsoft Works,
$150. |
| Microsoft Windows XP Professional instead of
Windows XP Home, $100. |
| More memory (upgraded from 128MB to 256MB RAM,
which is highly recommended), $50. |
| Better graphics adapter with more memory
(available on some systems only), $100. |
| Longer warranty or on-site service, $100.
|
| 250MB Iomega Zip Drive custom-fit to your PC's
removable drive bay, $250. |
|
|
|
 |
  |
|
| |
|
|
|
