| Notebooks have emerged as a bare essential | | | | Mark06 are used as standards to measure the |
| for the business executives who carry their | | | | gaming and graphic potential of different |
| work along with themselves. Notebooks which | | | | notebooks. Likewise, PC Mark05 is taken as a |
| are also known as laptops can facilitate the | | | | yardstick to test various components of |
| work process thereby saving substantial and | | | | notebooks such as hard-disk general usage, |
| valuable time. In short, it is used as tool | | | | multithreading, web-page rendering, file |
| of time management. Owning a notebook is a | | | | decryption and 3D pixel shader. Moreover, |
| dream of many, but since it is very expensive | | | | the battery back-up and wireless connectivity |
| nobody buys it unless it is indispensable to | | | | can be tested using Battery Mark02 and QCheck |
| them. However, some people having shoe-string | | | | as the benchmark. Finally, Vista |
| budget look for a good notebook. They are the | | | | Compatibility Check can be undertaken to test |
| ones who need detailed and comprehensive | | | | if the notebooks have Vista-readiness. Under |
| information on notebooks and laptops before | | | | this test, the performance of the laptops is |
| they settle for one. Basically, buying a | | | | assessed on the basis of Vista drivers and |
| notebook or laptop largely depends upon the | | | | Vista upgradeability. Features: When it |
| personal choice, specific requirement and | | | | comes to features, the list seems endless. |
| social status of a person. Besides, different | | | | Some expensive notebooks have the most |
| manufacturers are introducing notebooks of | | | | advanced features such as built-in webcams, |
| different look with a wide-range of features. | | | | fingerprint readers, TPM and so on. So far as |
| However, some notebooks are launched in the | | | | the features go, they can be divided into |
| market to cater to a particular segment of | | | | five different categories, such as: Physical |
| buyers keeping in mind of their specific | | | | - Screen size and weight of the notebook |
| needs. Accordingly, these laptops differ in | | | | Connectivity - Bluetooth version 1/2, |
| flavor, class and quality. Let`s take a look | | | | infrared, MMC reader, S-Video, DVI port, |
| at the various types of notebooks that are | | | | FireWire. The number and type of USB ports |
| available in the market today. Keeping | | | | and PCMCIA slots. Components - Type of |
| various factors in consideration the | | | | optical drives, whether the notebook has a |
| notebooks can be broadly divided into four | | | | DVD combo, a CD-RW or a multi-recorder |
| major categories, such as: Budget laptops - | | | | DVD-RW. The hard-drive capacity and any |
| Typically, these laptops cost around US$ 1000 | | | | additional component such as wireless optical |
| to $ 1200. Mid-range laptops - Notebooks of | | | | mouse or an MMC adapter. Software - Software |
| this category can be found with a price-tag | | | | have always been an essential part of the |
| of about US$1200 to $1600. Ultra-portable | | | | package. These include recovery CDs, driver |
| laptops - These light-weight laptops ranges | | | | CDs, OSes, etc. Protection - All types of |
| from US$1600 to $2200. Laptops for the | | | | protection available in a notebook, be it a |
| people with a class apart. With all the | | | | finger-print reader, BIOS level HDD |
| standard and advanced features in these | | | | protection, touch-pad lock, TPM, or even |
| notebooks, they cost above US$2200. | | | | rescue option available at the time of boot |
| Performance test of laptops: Notebooks can | | | | up. Pricing and Warranty: All notebooks |
| be tested on the basis of certain benchmarks | | | | ranging from $1200 to $4500 offer warranty of |
| such as Multimedia content creation 2003 and | | | | 1 year and some laptops have the option of |
| Business Winston 2002. These tests determine | | | | additional extendable warranty. So, the |
| the performance ability of different | | | | above discussed comprehensive analysis and |
| notebooks with regard to regular productivity | | | | performance tests will definitely help those |
| applications and multimedia content | | | | who are planning to buy a laptop. |
| application. Similarly, 3D Mark05 and 3D | | | | |