Buying a notebook computer online today is a great idea. Thanks to intense competition among manufacturers, you can find deals online that represent a true bargain -- unless you start adding options at the time of purchase. Know which options to pass up, though, and you could walk away with a perfectly capable notebook for considerably less than you would pay in a traditional store.
CPU
Buy a notebook online, and the first decision you'll have to make is whether to spend more money on a faster processor than the one offered in the base model. Unless money is no object, just say no. The CPU in notebook computers is rarely the performance bottleneck, and even today's slowest processors are plenty fast to speed your way through business applications, the Internet, and e-mail.
There's a miniscule amount of real-world difference between a base system with, say, a 1.7GHz Pentium chip and a more expensive system with a 2GHz chip.
Display
You'll find LCD panels with designations such as XGA, SXGA, and UXGA. Wide-screen notebooks put a "W" in front of those acronyms, so you'll see WXGA, for example, for the base models.
SXGA offers finer resolution than XGA, and UXGA offers finer resolution than SXGA. Finer doesn't always mean better, however. Each bump up in resolution for a notebook computer means that on-screen elements such as icons, menu choices, and text will appear smaller than with the lower resolution panels.
For aging eyes, smaller is not better -- it's worse.
The standard notebook resolution offered by the model you're looking at is perfect for the majority of people. Those with good eyes who need to get the most information on the screen -- for instance, in order to see extra wide spreadsheets or place two programs side-by-side -- can pay more for the higher resolution screens.
Memory
Memory is one of the easiest do-it-yourself upgrades for notebook computers today, and you can save considerable money by not purchasing extra memory through the manufacturer of your notebook. Instead, purchase the base amount of memory, and go to an online memory vendor such as Newegg.com or www.crucial.com to purchase the amount of memory you want.
Upgrading a notebook computer's RAM from 512MB to 1GB at the time of purchase, for example, can typically cost from US$150 to US$200. That same amount of memory costs half that elsewhere.
Installing memory in a notebook PC usually involves loosening a screw or two on the back of the unit in order to remove a plastic cover. From that point, you just detach the installed RAM and insert your new modules. Detailed instructions for installing RAM in a notebook are widely available online. Notebook user manuals also often include information about upgrading RAM.
Hard drive
Next to amount of memory, the hard drive in a notebook computer has one of the biggest impacts on overall system performance. Drives that spin at 7200 revolutions per minute (rpm) are to be preferred. Base model notebooks from manufacturers today typically come with 40GB hard drives that spin at 4200 rpm or 5400rpm.
Upgrading the hard drive while purchasing a notebook computer can cost you US$150 or more. A 7200rpm 60GB hard drive purchased separately costs just over US$100. So skip the upgrade at the time of purchase. Like memory, the hard drive in your notebook is one of the easiest components to upgrade. You simply unscrew a cover, slide out the drive, and slide in the new one. Of course, you'll have to reinstall the operating system and any of your applications when you install a new hard drive. You should have the software ready before you perform the operation.
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