CONSIDERATIONS ABOUT BUYING A LAPTOP
by Phil Ball

Not pros and cons, just considerations.

A Member told me: I like to work with photos and videos as well as doing ordinary things like email and research. But my old desktop computer is wearing out and needs replacement. I’m thinking of getting a laptop to replace it based upon the compact size. Do you have any recommendations?

Laptops are wonderful because they are portable and take up little space on your desk. They minimize a lot of the clutter of a desktop computer. However, they have some drawbacks. Laptops are more expensive than desktops, comparably equipped.

Laptops generally are not as full featured as desktops, to wit:

Higher cost for equal or lesser features than desktops.

Slower performance. For instance, laptop hard drives are usually smaller and spin at 5400 rpm. Desktop hard drives can be up to a terabyte (1000 gigabytes) or more and usually spin at 7200 rpm which allows them to work faster.

Laptops are more difficult to work on and are therefore costly to repair.

Smaller screens. Screens need to be carefully set for optimum viewing. Just a little off to either side skews what you see. I find it tricky to adjust color of one of my photos on my laptop since it looks different when my head is to one side than when my head is perfectly centered.

Keyboards are often smaller but I find them easier to type on than a regular keyboard due to the short throw for each key.

Touchpads are great. I find them to be very useful when painting in Photoshop. They are almost as good as a graphics tablet and definitely better than a mouse.

The software is the same whether used on a laptop or a desktop.

Laptops give a cleaner work area due to fewer cords and cables. You have only one cord to plug into the wall for the entire computer. The keyboard, mouse, and monitor are built in so they have no cords to clutter up your desk.

Laptops have fewer connection points. For instance, my laptop has only three USB ports, a place to plug in a microphone or headset but no place to input music to the machine, either a VGA or a DVI port (for external monitors or projectors) but not both. My desktop has six USB ports (and they are all in use), both a VGA and a DVI monitor port, and six connections for use with music. And the speakers are much better on a desktop than on a laptop. This is only important if you plan to watch movies or listen to music.

Gee, reading between the lines, it sounds like I’m recommending that you buy another desktop. A desktop is simply a better desktop replacement than a laptop. There, I said it. But that doesn’t mean that another desktop is right for you, it is just that it offers more flexibility. Only you can answer whether you need that flexibility or not.

My main complaint with laptops is the size of the screen. The largest laptop still has a small screen compared with what is available with desktops and my eyes aren’t getting any younger. Also, they must be looked at straight on to accurately judge color.

Some of the lesser features of the laptop can be accommodated by plugging in a regular keyboard, mouse and monitor but that means a bunch of cords again, negating the value of a laptop. These accessories will use some of your USB ports and most laptops don’t have enough to start with! Actually, USB hubs can work like extension cords do for electricity; they make one USB port do the work of several. This is usually trouble-free.

If space is a consideration, consider one of the small desktops that don’t take up as much space. These Slimline PCs are meant to be used as media centers but they can make nice everyday computers provided you don’t need the ability to add internal cards (like video cards) or internal hard drives. They just don’t have the room.

Regardless of form (desktop or laptop), watch the specs for the computer. You probably do not want a bargain basement processor such as an AMD Sempron or an Intel Celeron if you plan to work with photos or videos. They are okay but not as speedy as their bigger brothers. You may find that a slow processor tries your patience. Try to get Core 2 Duo or quad-core if you can. Dual core processors can make working with Photoshop easier and faster.

As to the size of your new hard drive, unless you were squeezed for space, just get one as big or bigger as the one that your old machine had.

Graphics are important for Photoshop use. I’d suggest a separate graphics board (as opposed to integrated graphics which utilize RAM from your motherboard. If available, get 512MB of GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). It will make applying filters, etc in Photoshop to be faster.

If space or clutter is a problem, have you considered one of the all-in-one desktop PCs? The tower is built into the back of the monitor, so your computer consists of a slightly bigger monitor than most plus a mouse and keyboard. That’s it! No big box. Actually, they are usually no better than laptops for lack of upgradeability but you get a larger screen and fewer cords, like a laptop.

Whatever you decide, your new computer will run more smoothly and strong and I think you will like Windows 7 very much. It’s just better.