Decisions 2003: Buying A Laptop Computer

Important note: this document attempts to codify these differences in order to help Penn's local support providers (LSPs) and their University-based clients make intelligent choices when purchasing a laptop computer. It is the result of over ten years of recommending, buying, and using laptops. The statements in this document do not imply an endorsement by either Information Systems & Computing (ISC) or the University of Pennsylvania.

As buying a desktop computer has become more and more of a commodity purchase, buying a laptop computer has become exactly the opposite. Laptop computers are one of the last areas of true differentiation among hardware manufacturers - an IBM ThinkPad is different from a Dell Latitude is different from a Hewlett-Packard OmniBook is really different from an Apple PowerBook.

This document divides buying a laptop into three separate sections; general considerations, technical considerations, and manufacturer-specific considerations.

Part I: General considerations

Rule #1: There are no secrets in building a laptop computer. All laptops fit at some point in the "three Ps" performance, portability, and price. If a laptop appears to be unusually fast, light, or inexpensive, you can bet that it is giving something up to its competitors in the other two criteria.

Definitions:

• Performance: the primary criteria for performance are numbers - disk space, processor speed, screen size, etc., but part of this criteria includes less easily compared capabilities like expandability and docking capability. Performance also extends to the performance of the manufacturer; e.g. how good is their hardware and software support?

• Portability: the primary criteria for portability is weight, but part of the portability rating comes from form factor. In other words, a portability rating goes down if one laptop is harder to palm than most or if it is so wide so as not to fit into most laptop bags.

• Price: the primary criteria for price would seem stunningly obvious, and for the most part, it is - but there are several wrinkles. First, what may appear to be options at first glance (like port replicators and docking stations) often turn out to be essential to making a laptop truly useful; in other words, superior to a desktop computer for the intended purpose. Second, the cost of these add-ons can approach that of the basic laptop; I've had clients buy $1,500 worth of accessories for a mid-range $2,500 laptop.

In general, the highest-priced laptops (often from Apple, IBM, Sony, & Toshiba) have both overall high performance and overall high portability.

Rule #2: Know what you need. There is no best laptop. There is a best laptop for a specific user in a specific school or center. Laptop buying decisions cannot be made in isolation; they must consider environment. It¹s very little use having the world¹s fastest laptop computer if one is only using it for e-mail and word processing. It¹s also no use buying a thin and light laptop if it's never going to leave the office. Be careful to evaluate current and potential needs and buy an appropriate laptop for those needs ‹ not for everyone else's.

Rule #3: If possible, buy one or two steps down from the top of the line. This isn't always possible, but you can often save either hundreds or thousands of dollars by buying one or two steps in processor power down from the top of the line.

Rule #4: Don't give in to buyer's regret. Once you make a purchasing decision, remember that you made (hopefully) a perfectly defensible decision at that time. When the "latest and greatest" is released (and it always will be) be sure to consider the time and use you have already gotten from your purchase.

Part II: Technical considerations

Rule #5: Understand what spindles are and what they mean to you. Spindles are one of the ways that manufacturers in the laptop industry describe the basic characteristics of their various laptop designs.

• One-spindle designs have only a hard drive internal to the laptop: these tend to be extremely lightweight (3 to 5 pound) designs and have some provision for attaching a floppy drive and a CD-ROM/DVD-ROM.
• Two-spindle designs are the most common: these laptops tend to weigh between 4.5 and 7 pounds. As two-spindle designs move up-market and up-price, one of the bays will tend to become modular. At the extreme high end, one may encounter removable hard drives.
• Three-spindle designs have three drives internal to the laptop: these laptops tend to be rather heavy (6 to 9 pounds) ‹ usually the hard drive and the CD-ROM/DVD-ROM drive is fixed, with the third drive modular, though some lower-priced three spindle-designs have three fixed drives.

Rule #6: Understand the actual weight of the laptop you are going to carry. Weight is a hard thing to get a handle on - most manufacturers list the lowest weight conceivable (with only a battery in the laptop). The more honest manufacturers (including Apple and IBM) also list a weight with any removable drives installed. The real weight that matters is either the "traveling weight" (weight with batteries, any internal removable drives, and power supply) or "full-up" weight (weight with everything that you actually carry).