Buyer's guide to bargain notebooks

We've outlined all of the top points to consider when beginning your quest for a bargain laptop. Make sure to take all of them to heart, as it only takes one component to make your whole notebook go bad.

Features
You don't get any second chances on the road, so be sure your components are a good fit before you fly.
 
Usability and Portability
You need a different notebook for the trip to your annual family reunion than you do for weekly travel.
 
Software
Learn the difference between solid software and shovelware.
 
Service and Support
You'll be glad you've got good support when your notebook breaks the day before your big presentation.
 
Buyer's Checklist
The time-crunched can check out this quick list of bargain notebook dos and don'ts.
 
Stephanie Bruzzese is senior editor for CNET Hardware.
Features 

RAM Cram
Don't even think about a notebook that includes less than 32MB of RAM. That's plenty for most notebook jobs (and even some that aren't always suitable for portables, such as image processing). But to run performance-intensive apps or to load multiple programs, the more memory, the merrier. You may want to spring for another 32MB at purchase time to bring the total to a desktop-worthy 64MB. Expect to keep the notebook for more than a couple of years? Make sure the system includes at least one free, easily accessible RAM slot for future upgrading. The best way to ensure a free slot is to request that all your RAM comes on one module when ordering your system.

Big and Bright Screens
Big and brightly lit screens are the bargain notebook norm nowadays. Fewer and fewer bargains feature dimmer, passive-matrix LCDs, and even most of those sport at least 12.1-inch, 800-by-600-pixel panels that do at least 16-bit color. Several more use the same-sized screen but bump up to the sharper and brighter active-matrix technology. All things being equal (though they rarely are), bigger and brighter are always better. Eyestrain, particularly quick to come with a laptop, can be forestalled with the largest, sharpest, brightest LCD you can find.

Video Killed the Laptop Star
Mobile video solutions hit notebooks where they hurt. Due to size constraints, notebooks will never have the extremely fast video cards and plentiful video RAM that desktops do. Rather, notebooks must settle for onboard video chips that currently support up to 16MB of video RAM, though you'll find 2.5MB to 4MB in most bargain laptops. The most important feature to secure in a video chip is the ability to support high resolutions on external monitors (and the more video RAM, the more color you'll have at those higher resolutions). That way, you can export your image to an external monitor and give presentations to larger audiences.

Gigabytes to Go
Most bargain notebooks carry at least a 4GB hard drive. Unless you're a sound or image fiend, that should be enough to last the effective life span of the notebook. The fastest notebook drives spin at 4,900 rpm, but the average speed is 4,200 rpm. The highly speed-conscious can eke out a bit more performance from a 4,900-rpm drive, but general-apps users won't notice the difference.

Gotta Get a Modem
If you wanna Web, you gotta get a modem. We appreciate internal modems the most: they leave PC Card slots free for other add-ons, such as network adapters, and there's nothing to forget at home. Notebooks sans modems may not be as problematic as they seem at first glance, especially if you're upgrading and already have a transferrable PC Card modem. Still, a modemless notebook is, as we say, half a notebook.

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Usability and Portability 

Fits Like a Glove
Ergonomics often go right out the window when designers start crowding parts inside a laptop case, so try mightily to put your hands on the real thing before you buy. Pick it up. How heavy does it feel? Hold it as if you were carrying it without a bag. Does it seem awkward in size--particularly its thickness? Lay your hands on the keyboard. Are the keys too small for your fingers? A top-notch notebook should also sport a generous wrist-rest area, a responsive touchpad or pointing stick, nearly full-sized keys, and a keyboard layout you can live with. Watch out for dinky Delete keys, no Windows keys, flat keyboards with little key definition, and rear-port panel covers so flimsy they'll be lucky to make it home intact.

Drive Swapping
A lot of laptops reduce base weight (but not traveling weight) with swappable bays that hold one drive (and often an extra battery) at a time. Many bargain notebooks don't offer swappable bays, although you can order most of them with the drive of your choice already installed. To shave off a few pounds, you can check out other notebooks with this modular bay flexibility. But swapping drives also means more components to track.

Sitting in a Dock or a Bay
Although a typical bargain notebook's chassis and components are growing constantly bigger and better, you'll still be hard-pressed to find one that rivals your desktop. You may be able to tolerate things such as a smaller keyboard and screen on the road, but you might want to hook up peripherals--such as monitors, mice, and keyboards--at home. The easiest way to do this is through a port replicator or a docking station. These pieces of hardware usually contain a full list of ports, including serial, parallel, PS/2, and USB. You can plug all your peripherals into the port rep or dock, then simply plug and unplug your laptop from the port rep or dock; this saves you the tremendous headache of having to plug in peripherals one by one. But beware: many notebooks don't offer a port rep or dock option. Before you buy, be sure to ask whether your particular model supports one.

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Software 

Just because a notebook comes with software doesn't mean it's a good deal. And vice versa: a notebook without apps isn't necessarily a hunk of junk. Businesses typically supply their own programs, so many manufacturers save their software money and put it toward extra support or other additional features. But home users who don't already own software--especially those on a budget--should make it a higher priority: software suites such as Microsoft Office and Lotus SmartSuite can cost hundreds of dollars. And those users should settle for nothing less than a suite rather than a few random, generally useless titles.

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Service and Support 

One of the big differences between high- and low-end notebooks is their service and support. Most bargain systems offer nothing more than a 12-month parts and labor warranty. But there's still no reason to settle for less than unlimited, toll-free phone support, which some vendors offer and some don't.

Although you likely won't find it in a bargain notebook, onsite plans are the crème de la crème of service plans. This means that no matter where you are, a tech will come to you to fix your computer, saving you lots of shipping hassles.

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Buyer's Checklist 

For the maximum price/performance value, get an Intel Celeron processor or an AMD K6-2 or K6-III chip. Don't settle for less than two hours of battery life.

Your ideal bargain spec list will include 32MB of RAM; a 4GB hard drive; 2.5MB of video RAM; a 12.1-inch, active-matrix screen; and a 56k modem.

Try to play with the notebook before you buy so that you can decide whether it's a good personal fit. To save yourself some weight, get a laptop that has a swappable modular bay.

Consumers especially should make sure they get a full software suite, preferably Microsoft Office.

Twelve months on parts and labor, as well as unlimited, toll-free tech support, are best.

Intro

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Features

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Usability and Portability

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Software

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Service and Support

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Buyer's Checklist