More Laptop buying tips
All laptops, but not netbooks, come with dual core processors. These provide plenty o processing power for most tasks.
Most laptops come with 15.4in 1,280×800 widescreen displays. These screens are great for watching DVDs or TV but if you want a laptop for home use, it’s worth considering one with a 17in display. This will also give you a higher resolution of at least 1,440×900, giving you a bigger desktop. This makes it far easier to use applications such as video-editing software.
A moden, 10/100 Ethernet port and wireless 802.11b/g networking (WiFi) should be fitted as standard. Bluetooth is handy for connecting to a mobile phone, but is usually fitted on the most expensive business laptops. Memory card readers are standard, but you should check that your camera or MP3 format is supported.
If portability is not a major concern you could go for an entertainment laptop. Entertainment laptops give you loads of features and still keep the price under £1,000. The features you will expect with an entertainment laptop include a 17in widescreen display, hybrid TV tuner and remote control.
You can add features to a laptop without increasing the weight or battery life. A 250GB or 320GB hard disk will give you more storage space, while 4GB of RAM (memory) will help Windows speed through tougher tasks.
Dedicated graphics let you play 3D games and are getting more common on most laptops. Many laptops use integrated graphics, which are ok for most purposes, but can use up substantial system memory.
