When I bought my first computer in 1984, I immediately realized the need to easily and quickly move the entire system from one room to another. So, being the do-it-yourselfer that I was raised to be, I constructed a 30″x30″ wooden platform, and mounted the Commodore 64 computer, its optional 5-1/4″ external floppy drive, 12″ green-screen monitor and a power strip on the platform using a funky combination of screws and plumbers metal strapping material. Lugging the 30 pound contraption from room to room was easier with two people, but was doable by one, if need be. It sure beat moving and rewiring all of the individual components.
My, how things have changed. After buying my first laptop computer almost four years ago, I found myself being much more productive. The ability to pick up an entire computer that weighs less than five pounds and measures only 13″x11″x2″ and tote it around with ease is really cool. It’s also neat to be able to watch TV and do computer things at the same time, all from the comfort of the easy chair in my living room. I’m hooked.
For most people, laptop computers make a lot of sense. While desktop computers are still a bit cheaper, the extra cost of a laptop is well worth it for its portability, and not having to devote an entire tables’ worth of real estate to a computer. Unless you are a serious computer gamer, number-crunching scientist or graphics design artist, forget desktop computers; get a laptop.
Consumers around the world are buying laptop computers in record numbers, with laptop sales expected to exceed desktop sales by the end of next year. Competition in the laptop market is fierce. HP knocked Dell out of its coveted number one spot last year. Long a supplier of internal components to almost all computer manufacturers, Acer jumped past Dell and Toshiba this year to claim the number two position, leaving Dell and Toshiba at numbers three and four, respectively. Taiwan factories account for about 80 percent of all laptops produced worldwide. Interestingly, Taiwan’s Quanta Computer produces laptops for HP, Dell and Apple. Hmmmm, so they all three come from the same factories.
Complaints of poor reliability and lagging customer support have contributed to Dell’s downfall, although I have a number of customers who are quite happy with their new Dell laptops. I’ve always slightly favored Acer computers, and, for numerous reasons, can recommend them without hesitation, although there are other good brands.
Picking out a new laptop computer can be a bit like a stroll through a candy store, never really knowing what’s going to taste good until you buy it. I know a teacher whose problematic Gateway laptop finally died, so I loaned her one that I wasn’t using. While she could buy the loaner from me, she’s holding out for the “laptop of her dreams,” which means that it needs to have a snazzy colored case. Dell makes such cool looking machines, specifically in her preferred color: pink. Unfortunately, the nifty colors are not available in the $539 basic Inspiron model, so she’ll need to start out with the $599 model. Dell is famous for luring people in with ultra-low starting prices, and, by the time they pick out the features that they really want, the price has jumped substantially.
I went through the configuration process on Dell’s website and picked out the desired features. The first shocker was learning that the desired pink color was not available unless I also added a built-in Web camera: add $25. Next, I selected Windows Vista Home Premium Edition (XP is not an option on this model), instead of the horrid Home Basic version: add $30. Upgrade from 1 GB of RAM to 2 GB (a necessity when running Vista, in my opinion): add $125. Upgrade from an 80 GB hard drive (this lady stores lots of music) to a 160 GB hard drive: add $75. Upgrade from a mere CD writer/DVD player to one that will also record DVDs: add $40. While there were many other options to consider, I decided to stop there, as the laptop at least already had built-in wireless. Final price of the $599 laptop: $919. Add the price of Microsoft Office and a good Internet security software package, and the price soars to well over $1,000.
By comparison, an Acer Extensa from Best Buy, with the same specifications and an even bigger hard drive is less than $700. Using Best Buy’s “Skins” feature, not only can the laptop be made pink, but also can feature any photo or graphic, all for about $35. Shop carefully, and enjoy the freedom that a laptop computer can offer.