Buyers' Guide to Notebook PCs

Key Features

Processor: The old rule about waiting for new technology to drop in price before you buy applies more than ever to notebooks with the latest CPUs. In our PC WorldBench 4 tests, laptops carrying the first iterations of Intel's Pentium 4 ran no faster--and in some cases ran slower--than the same notebooks equipped with 1.2-GHz Pentium III-M chips. A few portables use P4 desktop processors, which can give them a performance advantage if they're built to withstand the extra heat.

Right now, people who have modest computing needs can save a lot of money by sticking with a PIII-M notebook.

System memory: Don't settle for anything less than 256MB of system memory if you want to do more than word processing and e-mail, because Windows XP and newer applications quickly chew up memory and threaten to slow down your work. Memory slots are usually fairly easy to reach on notebooks, if you wish to upgrade.

Graphics memory: You'll want 32MB or 64MB of video RAM if you plan on using your laptop to drive external monitors for presentations. Make sure that the memory is dedicated rather than pulled from main memory; this is sometimes referred to as a universal (UMA) or shared (SMA) memory architecture.

Screen: Some portables with 14.1-inch and 15.1-inch screens now cost as little as $1200. But business-class fliers who prefer a more compact notebook screen size of 12.1 or 13.3 inches may soon have only ultraportables to choose from.

Battery: In battery tests conducted by the PC World Test Center, battery life in units equipped with the new P4-M chip averaged roughly 2.5 hours. While Intel and notebook manufacturers try to iron out the P4-M's power consumption kinks, consider buying a notebook that uses the older Pentium III-M chip; these portables posted battery lives of between 3 and 3.5 hours in most cases. Most notebooks come with a lithium ion rechargeable battery, which lasts longer than the less common nickel metal hydride rechargeable and doesn't need to be replaced as often.

If you want more time away from an outlet, buy a notebook that has a modular bay capable of holding a supplementary power pack. Secondary batteries usually cost between $100 and $200.

Keyboard and pointing device: A thin-and-light notebook usually has smaller-than-average keys spaced more closely than the ones found on a desktop-replacement model. Even notebooks with the same standard 3mm travel (the distance a key depresses) and 19mm spacing (from the center of one key top to the next) can feel different, however, and their layouts may differ significantly.

For people who can't choose between a touchpad and an eraserhead pointing device, some notebooks include both. If you buy one of these dually equipped portables, make sure that it provides two sets of mouse buttons--one for the touchpad and the other for the eraserhead--so you don't have to stretch to reach.

Optical and other drives: Built-in rewritable DVD drives aren't likely to arrive in notebook PCs anytime soon, but if you can afford it, the next best thing is a combination DVD-ROM/CD-RW drive. Midrange machines usually feature a DVD-ROM drive or a CD-RW drive, and only the least-expensive notebooks come standard with just a CD-ROM drive.

The floppy drive has outlasted its SuperDrive and Zip drive challengers and continues to appear in many notebooks. Some "legacy light" portables have phased it out, but you can buy a USB add-on floppy drive for less than $100.

Hard drive: Notebook hard drives will continue to get larger, from 60GB to 80GB and beyond. You can save money by opting for a 20GB or 30GB model, however. Most hard drives are easy to remove if you wish to keep your data safe.

Weight and bay design: Notebooks range from massive 9-pound all-in-one models, which have both the floppy drive and the optical drive built in, to 3-pound ultraportables that must use external drives. The once-rare one-bay notebook has become increasingly prevalent because of its appealing balance of features and weight. For instance, members of IBM's ThinkPad T series include a 14.1-inch screen and a full set of connections yet weigh less than 6 pounds--at least a pound less than most full-size notebooks. The trade-off: ThinkPad T models don't have a built-in floppy drive.

Many full-size models offer the floppy drive as a modular device, so you can swap it out for a second optical drive, a second hard drive, or a Zip drive.

You should consider the weight not only of the notebook, but also of the AC adapter, any external modules, and their cables. Ultraportables have lightweight adapters but can weigh almost as much as a full-size notebook if you take along their external optical and floppy drives.

When you return to your desk, you can snap most notebooks onto an extra-cost docking station or port replicator (prices range from $99 to $499). This saves you from repeatedly having to plug in and unplug desktop peripherals.

Communications: Fewer portables these days come with a full set of legacy ports. Serial ports are rare, and the combination mouse/keyboard PS/2 port and the infrared port soon will be. Most notebooks still have a parallel port and one PC Card slot, though; and most also have at least two USB ports. A growing number now include a FireWire (IEEE 1394) port. Built-in ethernet comes standard on almost all portables. You can also expect built-in 802.11b wireless components to become standard. A few vendors offer notebooks with Bluetooth built in, but you should only consider choosing this option if you already have Bluetooth-enabled devices that you wish to sync.

A smattering of notebooks now come with new types of card slots, including CompactFlash, Secure Digital, Memory Stick, and Smart Media. A notebook with a CompactFlash card or Secure Digital slot is your best bet.