The correct term should be what is the best laptop for the needs of the user, as there is a whole multitude of laptop makes ? models with different specifications there really is no best laptop. To find the laptop that's right for you we first need to ascertain the basics that just about every laptop should have ? Wired and wireless networking capabilities ? at least 2gb of ram and the hard drive should be a minimum of 80gb as just about every later version of operating systems, applications and games are larger than previous versions requiring more disk space, and today a 40gb hard drive is simply not large enough.



What else should we consider ?

Size and weight / how portable ? CPU or Processor type ? Windows Vista or XP ? Dedicated or shared memory graphics card ? How many USB Ports do you need ? CD/DVD ? Screen Size and type ? How cool does the laptop look ? what is its role or purpose ? How to save money on top of the range machines.

Size / Portability ? the most common laptop screen sizes are between 13-15 inches, due to this it generally means the lowest prices, which is great if you are out to save some money, but if you travel around a lot then a heavy laptop could work out to be more in Osteopath fees than the total cost of the laptop, so if you travel a lot a small laptop is a real blessing, after all even if the laptop itself is not too heavy, by the time we add the mains adapter, a padded case, plus anything else you need to carry, it can start to get pretty heavy specially if carried around for a while. The same cannot really be said for 17? laptops, if your looking for something with a larger screen that is fine, but if you need to travel at all why not invest in a small laptop and put the extra money towards getting a 19? external screen which is bigger and can also be used in conjunction with the laptop screen, in effect giving two screens.

CPU / Processor ? The CPU has changed a great deal over the last few years and it now seems companies are bolting on more processor cores to get even more processor power from a single chip. Currently a laptop needs to have a dual core CPU to run the later generation of applications well, and as such dual core processors are the standard at the moment, the two most common are AMD's Turion 64 x2 and Intel's Core Duo, they both are very good CPU's, but I have found AMD to have the edge due to it being a little cheaper, although if you do not mind waiting and have the money there are some ultra fast Quad core laptops coming onto the market any time now.

Operating system ? If you want a laptop with XP and you can only purchase with Vista (which is becoming more common now) do not just presume that you can simply wipe Vista and install XP, a lot of new hardware is now not having XP drivers developed for it and this can create problems when trying to change over to XP.

Graphics ? it is usually impossible to upgrade the graphics on a laptop, usually whatever it has is what you stuck with, so if you are into gaming or high end graphics make sure the laptop has a graphics card with dedicated memory, otherwise graphic ability will suffer if used for gaming or high end graphics.

USB ports ? you can never have enough of them, the average amount of USB ports on a laptop is around 4 this may sound like a lot, but after you've plugged in a keyboard ? mouse ? printer ? pen drive there is none left, you can always purchase a hub, but why not purchase a machine with more than you need in the first place. On another note, just about every laptop now has USB 2 ports, but it is not hard to double check this as USB 1 is around 10 times slower.

DVD & CD drive ? A lot of the information given in regards to CD/DVD drives can be pretty confusing when we hear terms such as Dual layer - CD/RW DVD/Rom, most new laptops today should have a Dual layer DVD writer type of drive this will allow you to read and write to CD's and DVD's and read/play them all too.

Screen size ? this was also covered above to a certain degree with the portability section, the larger the screen the heavier it will be, plus the power consumption will be more too, so if you invest in a heavy duty battery it will get even heavier, there are also some lovely screen technologies to choose from including tru brite which gives the screen a shiny effect.

Aesthetics ? what would you prefer a slow laptop that looks superb or a faster machine that looks like a brick? When looking for a laptop there is a wide choice available so you should not have to compromise on either, but as a general rule if you have to, compromise on the looks a little but not on the spec.

Laptop role ? what will the laptop be used for, general Internet browsing ? word documents, pretty much any laptop could do this standing on its head, so the world of laptops is your Oyster. Business applications ? large spreadsheets etc, then mid power will be fine, do not need to worry too much about the graphic abilities and a shared memory type should be fine. Gaming or high end graphics require the most powerful processors and graphics cards, be prepared to dig deep if you want to play the latest games with all the extra effects switched on.

Save Money ? If you would like a very good laptop for a cheaper price (who would not to be fair) there are a few choices, maybe a second user laptop, you can save a plenty of cash this way, but you are somewhat exposed if you don't know what you are looking at, and you could end up with a laptop with no end of problems or maybe one that is not all that it seems, plus unless it still has some type of warranty left you could be taking a big risk.

Refurbished laptop computers offer a much safer way to save money, you will hopefully also get a warranty as well.

The bargain basements offers ? many large retail stores very often have clearances or special offers which can be very good value, check around on the stores website for laptop models that have been superseded or replaced by newer models, again there are some very good machines to be had this way, but be prepared to hunt around a lot as there are always people on the look out for these. Checkout more articles at