Question on Notebooks:

I intend to buy a notebook for my son who will be entering high school next year. I've narrowed it down to two different Compaq CQ35 models and the Acer Timeline 4810TG.

There are some questions I'm wondering about though:

1. The two Compaq models I've picked out are similar but one costs S$286 more because of a faster 2.66GHz chip compared with the other's 2.53GHz. Is it worth paying more for the speed?

2. The Acer Timeline's processor (Intel SU9400 1.4GHz) is slower than the Compaq's (Intel Core 2 Duo P8800 2.66GHz). It doesn't come with Office and other freebies. Why does it command a higher price than the Compaq systems?

3. Do you have any other comments regarding the three models? Or are there other notebooks you would recommend?

Submitted by Seng, via email (Singapore)

Answer:

Since it is unlikely that your son will need to carry his portable to school on a daily basis, we suggest going for the Compaq CQ35 because it comes with an integrated optical drive and a full-powered Core 2 Duo processor. Regarding your concerns:

1. Frankly, you won't miss the extra speed. Even when performing multimedia encoding, the difference is only a couple of minutes at most. Go for the cheaper option.

2. The Intel SU9400 is a low-powered chip which puts battery life above performance. As such, the battery life of the Acer Timeline is vastly superior to the Compaq CQ35, though the latter will run rings round the Acer when it comes to performance.

3. At this price range, you might also want to look at tougher business-class laptops such as the HP 510 and Lenovo G430. These notebooks are quite inexpensive while decked out with a tougher chassis to survive the knocks and bumps that may occur when commuting.