Finding the Best Notebook PC For You

You're a master of mobility and you need a notebook that can keep pace with your places-to-go, things-to-do lifestyle. You're not just looking for a portable PC, you're looking for a portal to your electronic life; a laptop computer to manage e-mail, presentations, work and life planning, as well as your favorite photos, social networking, and serve as your personal media center. Even better, you want a great laptop deal. We get it.

When choosing a portable laptop computer, it's hard to go wrong with a notebook from one of our premier manufacturers. Among our nearly 100 systems are, HP laptops, Dell laptops, Apple laptops, Toshiba laptops, and Sony laptops. All you need are your notebook system requirements. Primary laptop considerations include connectivity, processor speed, battery life, memory, and hard drive capacity.

Wireless connectivity is a must for staying in touch - especially while you're away from home or work. With an 802.11G or 802.11N-enabled notebook, you're never far from the people and places most important to you.

If you're a business traveler with limited work time, you don't want a sluggish laptop slowing you down. Both Intel multi-core processors and AMD multi-core processors are built for speed and performance. Though compact, they work as hard as you do and won't drain your battery.

No power outlet? No problem. A rechargeable lithium-ion battery can run your laptop computer up to five hours or more. Some notebook batteries run longer, but they can add cost and weight to your system; something to think about if you're carrying your laptop around all day. Of course, actual laptop battery life varies based on product setting, usage patterns, and environmental conditions.

Make sure your system has enough RAM, to run all of your required applications. Dynamic RAM, or DRAM is the most common type of RAM used today. A minimum of 1GB of DDR2 memory should be sufficient for the average notebook running modern operating systems, like Windows 7. Serious gaming, graphic arts, or multi-media production will require something closer to 4GB of DDR2 RAM. You shouldn't have any trouble finding a system with sufficient memory, but if your laptop is lacking, you can usually add more RAM.

Hard drive capacity affects how much data your laptop can store. At a minimum, look for a notebook with at least a 250GB 5,400RPM hard drive. If you can't leave home without everything you own, opt for a 500GB 7,200RPM hard drive. Don't be afraid to look for a sizeable notebook hard drive. When it comes to laptops, more hard drive does not always mean a higher price.

Computer screen resolution is defined as the number of colored pixels used to make up everything you see on your laptop screen. The higher the resolution, the more pixels used and the better the image looks. Notebook screen dimensions range incrementally from 10 inches all the way up to 19-inch and 20-inch screens. While larger screens are nice, they can reduce battery function and, the larger the laptop, the more it's likely to weigh. Laptops range from $299 up to $1,900 with some laptop prices climbing much higher.

Whatever your computer price point, high-end, mid-range, whether you're looking for a low-price laptop computer, a low-cost notebook PC, an inexpensive, or cheap laptop, we've got a notebook computer to suit your lifestyle and your budget. And, we've got plenty of portable PC accessories to keep your electronics and you on the go in style.