SYSTEM MEMORY
The Rs 15,000 or so laptops come with 512 MB, but ideally you must at least have a memory of 1024 MB. If you want to do more than word processing or Internet surfing, then go in for higher memory. Nowadays you have notebooks with 2 GB RAM. Even if you do have a small memory, it is sensible to upgrade it, as it will make your laptop more efficient.
GRAPHICS MEMORY
If you intend using your laptop for gaming and other graphic oriented applications then you will need at least 64 MB or 128 MB RAM as video space. You even get 512 MB of dedicated graphics memory.
SCREEN
You could get 14-inch or 15-inch in the entry or budget level. You also have 17-inch widescreens in the budget range, which makes spreadsheet application easier to view. If you travel a lot or need extremely small and portable notebooks which are available in screen sizes between 5.6-inch and 13.3-inch, and some of these are even widescreen.
BATTERY
It is most critical to know the battery life of the laptop you intend buying. At the minimum the laptop should be able to function for at least three hours on full charge. Some laptops even offer seven hours.
KEYBOARD
This is necessary to look into especially if you are buying a small notebook with their smaller than average keyboard. Though you will eventually get used to whatever keyboard you buy, it wouldn't hurt to try it out before you buy.
OPTICAL AND OTHER DRIVES
You can choose from Combo drives, DVD writers and Blu-ray drives. If you don't intend spending too much money, go for the DVD writers.
HARD DRIVE
A hard disk of 40 GB sounds more than sufficient, but when it comes down to actual usage you'll never know where all the space went. Most laptops will have at least 40 GB. Those who want more space can opt for the 60 GB or even 120 GB models, else you can always upgrade the existing hard drive.
WEIGHT
A laptop can be as heavy as 3.5 kgs and as light as .63 kg – it depends on the variety you go for. As mentioned earlier, the frequent flier would probably opt for the 1.4 Kg as its easy carry, whereas the desktop replacement could be the 3.5 kg laptop. But you need to look at the weight of the AC adaptor, any external modules, and their cables as well as you'll be carrying that along with your laptop. Usually lightweight laptops come with light AC adaptors.
CONNECTIVITY
Most laptops today come with 2.0 ports; some with four and few other even have six. Today, parallel ports have become more commonplace. The basic connectivity options include Wi-fi, USB, and LAN card. Apart from this you also have FireWire (most mid-range and high-end laptops have this) and in-built Bluetooth.
While there are dime a dozen options to choose from with an array of features, here are a few tips to make choosing easy for you. Opt for 1024 MB RAM because anything less will not be sufficient for any work. A 1.6 GHz mobile processor is enough for working on Office applications and surfing the Net. Bigger is better, so a screen larger than 12 inches is better for long hours of work; unless you really want to stick with portability. Again, unless you have a storehouse of movies and music, 60 GB is more than enough space. Most laptops come with multiple ports, so gadget savvy users can connect all their peripherals to these ports. A design with an internal bay will allow you to swap an extra hard drive or another battery but if you prefer lightweight designs, you will have to miss this feature.
Slick and lightweight notebooks come with top-notch processing power and big screens, thereby adding to their cost. But vendors selling laptops allow you to custom configure your model with your desired specs. So you may opt for a faster notebook with less expensive hard drive or a DVD writer drive instead of a Blu ray drive. Remember unless you really want to use your laptop for hard core multimedia apps, you can easily do without a Blu ray drive.
