In: Root » Electronics and communication » Wireless » Buying a WiFi Laptop
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So you've read the preceding section of the article, and feel all excited about Wi-Fi. (Okay, you don't have to have read the previous section, you can be excited all on your own!) You're ready to go out and surf while you sip latte, or read your email at the airport (or better yet, poolside). Getting to Know Your Future Wi-Fi LaptopLaptops work in pretty much the same way as full-sized desktop computers—they just come in a smaller package. Most everything is compressed into the small familiar form factor that you can carry around with you (unlike desktop computers, which typically feature separate display devices and system units).
The laptop form factor typically includes the system unit, the display, and peripheral devices including a keyboard and pointing devices all in the single small, lightweight package. Essentially, these elements in the laptop are no different from the elements in a desktop computer; it is the small package size, also called the form factor, that makes a laptop computer what it is.
If you already own a laptop, you can use the software built into the operating system to find out about the microprocessor, RAM, and other components that are part of your computer. Trade-OffsA friend of mine quipped a number of years ago that "the computer you really want always costs $5,000." Over time, the cost has come down, and you can certainly buy a high-end laptop for less than $2,000 today. But the point of the joke is still true. Unless money is absolutely no issue for you, you will have to make same trade-offs such as:
For the most part, these choices will depend on your wallet. But a mobile laptop is a specialized computer, and some of the trade-offs really depend on how you will use the system. For me, it is extremely important to have a lightweight, small machine, but I also wanted a reasonable size keyboard. I chose an IBM model accordingly, and it has worked well on the road for me, and as a Wi-Fi machine—but there were trade-offs involved. For one thing, my IBM machine doesn't have a CD-ROM drive on board. If I want to read a CD, I have to connect an external drive via a USB port. (But I can leave it behind on road trips if I don't think I'm going to need it.)
The general bottom line is: do an assessment of what really matters to you, and purchase accordingly (see the sidebar "What Really Matters" for more tips on this topic).
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