Chapter 1

Buying a Laptop

IN THIS CHAPTER

Understanding computer types

Getting an overview of hardware

Understanding the roles of input and output devices

Appreciating operating systems and applications

Deciding on a laptop type

Comparing display types

Evaluating your storage options

Considering your Internet options

Shopping for your ideal laptop

If you've never owned a laptop computer and now face purchasing one for the first time, deciding what to get can be a somewhat daunting experience. There are lots of technical terms to figure out and various pieces of hardware (the physical pieces of your computer such as the monitor and keyboard) and software (the brains of the computer that help you create documents and play games, for example) that you need to understand.

In this chapter, I introduce you to the world of activities your new laptop computer makes available to you, and I provide the information you need to choose just the right laptop for you.

Remember as you read through this chapter that figuring out what you want to do with your laptop is an important step in determining which one you should buy. You have to consider how much money you want to spend, how you'll connect your laptop to the Internet, and how much power and performance you need.

What Is a Laptop?

A personal computer (PC) is a computer designed to be used by one person. The word "personal" helps distinguish PCs from a variety of other computer types, everything from the powerful servers that calculate trajectories at NASA to the computer chip that controls the temperature in your refrigerator.

There are two basic categories of PCs: those that are easily portable and those that aren't. The more portable models are laptops (sometimes called notebooks), and the less portable ones are desktops. This book focuses on laptops, but there's a lot of similarity between the two, so even if you have a desktop PC (or want to have one), you can still learn a lot from this book. In this book, I use the terms computer and laptop more or less interchangeably, because all laptops are computers.

Desktop PCs are big and rather heavy; you can't just throw one in a briefcase and hit the open road. But you tend to get more features and power for your money with a desktop, and they're easy to repair and upgrade. Desktops can have very large external monitors, which is good news if your eyesight isn't great and you need a big screen.

Laptops are lightweight and easy to handle. They can run on battery power for hours at a time, so you can use one anywhere - like in the passenger seat of a car, or in the middle of a national park. The built-in display, keyboard, and pointing device mean there are no cables to get tangled or come unplugged, too. Because there is less space for fans, laptops sometimes run hot to the touch. Laptops tend to be more expensive for the same hardware capabilities, though, and more difficult (read: expensive) to repair. Most laptops have very limited upgrade possibilities.

Laptops come in a variety of sizes, mostly determined by the screen size (which is measured diagonally). The smallest mini laptops have screen sizes as small as 9"; the largest ones have screen sizes of 17" and upward. Larger displays are easier to see, but larger laptops are also bulkier and heavier (sometimes as much as 8 to 10 pounds), use more power, and can't run as long on a single battery charge. The smallest laptops may have undersized keyboards that are awkward to type on, and may have fewer features or less capability. For many people, a screen size of between 14" and 16" is a good compromise. Figure 1-1 shows a moderately sized model.

FIGURE 1-1

Many of today's laptops (and some desktops) have touchscreens that allow you to interact with them using your finger or a digital pen. See Chapter 2 for advice on using a touchscreen computer.

A tablet is a small portable computer that consists of a flat tablet, like a pad of paper you might draw on, with a touchscreen. Tablets such as the iPad offer many basic computing capabilities and are extremely lightweight and portable. You can read books, check your email, play games, listen to music, watch videos, and more. A tablet can't take the place of a real PC, though. It doesn't have a real keyboard (although you can buy an add-on wireless keyboard if you really want one), so your finger on the touchscreen has to substitute for both keyboard and mouse. There's no expandability or upgradability, and most tablets don't even interface with common external devices like printers. Enjoy your tablet - or your mobile phone - but don't expect it to have all the same capabilities as a PC.

What Can You Can Do with a Laptop?

Today's computers can do some pretty amazing things. Not only can they connect you to the wide world of the Internet, but they can also run applications that let you store and organize photos, write your memoirs, make your own greeting cards, play all kinds of games, track your investments, and so much more. And a laptop lets you do all those things from almost anywhere you happen to be.

The following list walks you through some of the things a laptop computer will enable you to do. Depending on what activities are important to you, you can make a more-informed purchasing choice.

• Keep in touch with friends and family. The Internet makes it possible to communicate with other people via email; share video images using built-in video recorders or webcams (tiny video cameras that capture and send your image to another computer); and make phone and video calls using your computer and Internet connection to place calls with services such as Zoom and Skype. You can also chat with others by typing messages and sending them through your computer using a technology called instant messaging (IM). These messages are exchanged in real time, so that you and your grandchild, for example, can see and reply to text or share images immediately. Part 3 of this book explains these topics in more detail.
• Research any topic - from anywhere. Online, you can find many reputable websites that help you get information on anything from expert medical advice to the best travel deals. You can read news from around the corner or around the world. You can visit government websites to get information about your taxes and Social Security benefits, and go to entertainment sites to look up your local television listings or movie reviews.
• Create greeting cards, letters, or home inventories. Whether you're organizing your holiday card list, tracking sales for your home business, or figuring out a monthly budget, computer programs can help. For example, Figure 1-2 shows a graph that the Excel application created from data in a spreadsheet.

  FIGURE 1-2

• Pursue hobbies such as genealogy or sports. You can research your favorite team online or connect with people who have the same interests. The online world is full of special-interest discussion groups where you can talk about a wide variety of topics with others.
• Play interactive games with others over the Internet. You can play everything from shuffleboard to poker and even participate in action games in virtual worlds. Love backgammon? Got you covered. Online bridge league? There are hundreds. Any game that you love offline, you can play online. You can play games with the computer, with total strangers, or (my favorite) with family and friends.
• Share and create photos, drawings, and videos. If you have a digital camera or smartphone, you can transfer photos to your computer (called uploading) or copy photos off the Internet (if their copyright permits it) and share them in emails or use them to create your own greeting cards. If you're artistically inclined, you can create digital drawings. Many popular websites make sharing your homemade videos easy, too. If you have a digital video camera or smartphone and editing software, you can use editing tools to make a movie and share it with others via video-sharing sites such as YouTube or by email. Steven Spielberg, look out!
• Shop online and compare products easily, day or night. You can shop for anything from a garden shed to travel deals or a new camera. Using handy shopping site features, you can easily compare prices from several stores or read customer product reviews. Many websites, such as pricegrabber.com, list product prices from a variety of vendors on one web page, so you can find the best deals. Beyond the convenience, all this information can help you save money.
• Manage your financial life. You can do your banking or investing online and get up-to-the-minute data about your bank account, credit card balances, and investments. For example, Figure 1-3 shows Quicken, an application that enables you to track and view all your bank accounts and investments in one place.

FIGURE 1-3

Get Up to Speed on Laptop Hardware

Your computing experience consists of interactions with hardware and software. I will explain...