Lower prices, higher quality
make laptops appealing
BY MIKE LANGBERG
Mercury News Computing Editor
LAPTOP computers are finally affordable for ordinary consumers.
Lots of attention has been focused on the impressive drop in prices
of desktop personal computers, with fully equipped systems --
including computer, monitor and printer -- now selling for as little as
$699.
But laptops, also known as notebooks or portables, have quietly
gone through similar price reductions.
The major laptop makers -- most notably Compaq, IBM and Toshiba -- are offering
well-equipped models for under $1,800, and lesser-known second-tier companies are selling
respectable units for as little as $1,200.
Until recently, I've always tried to talk friends and acquaintances out of buying a laptop. Portables
are too expensive relative to similarly equipped desktop systems, I'd insist, and portables are too
easily damaged or stolen.
Laptop buyers must still pay a significant ''mobile tax,'' while damage and theft remain a big
problem. But I'm sufficiently impressed with the features now available in the $1,200-to-$1,800
range that I'd recommend many of these models to anyone who fully understands the trade-offs
involved.
IBM, which has regularly won praise for its ThinkPad line of laptops, made the most dramatic
gesture toward affordability in October when the company announced its first line aimed specifically
at consumers: the ThinkPad i series (www.pc.ibm.com/us/thinkpad/iseries), with models as low
as $1,599.
Low-profile companies are offering even better deals. I've just finished evaluating a WinBook XL
300 TFT from WinBook Corp. that's available only from the company's World Wide Web site
(www.winbook.com) for $1,399. It matches and even exceeds the specs of the current $1,599
ThinkPad i model, without any sacrifices that I noticed.
Macintosh users, for the moment, don't get to ride the wave toward lower prices. Apple Computer
Inc.'s least-expensive PowerBook laptop runs about $2,300. But the company says it's working on
a low-cost consumer portable due later this year.
So, now that laptops are affordable, what should you look for when shopping? Here are the key
points:
Be active, not passive. There's a world of difference between the two types of screens found
on laptop computers. Active-matrix screens, also known as TFT displays, are brighter and show
greater contrast than their weaker cousins, the passive matrix screens, also known as DSTN
displays. Passive matrix screens also have a very narrow viewing angle, so the edges often appear
dark when you're positioned directly in front of the screen's center.
Active-matrix screens, until about a year ago, were generally found on laptops costing $3,000 or
more, putting them out of reach for most consumers. But prices have come down so sharply that
passive-matrix screens are confined to laptops selling for $1,500 or less. Laptop makers, by the
way, frequently try to confuse consumers by giving passive-matrix screens flashy names such as
''high-performance addressing.'' Don't be fooled. If the screen isn't called active-matrix or TFT,
then it's passive.
You can discover the difference for yourself at almost any store that sells laptop computers. Find a
model with a passive-matrix screen sitting near an active-matrix unit. Get the same image on both
screens -- such as a page from the Windows help file -- and walk back and forth. You'll quickly
see why it's worth spending a few hundred dollars more for an active-matrix screen.
By the way, both of the laptops I mentioned above -- the ThinkPad i at $1,599 at the WinBook
XL 300 TFT at $1,399 -- have active-matrix screens. If money is really an issue, passive-matrix
laptops are now cheaper than ever; I recently saw one model from a no-name manufacturer
advertised at $899.
If, on the other hand, you can spend more than $1,800, you'll get a bigger screen than the
12-inch-diagonal displays common in entry-level models. But I have no complaints with working on
a 12-inch screen; while that's too small for a desktop system, the design of laptops puts the screen
closer to your eyes.
Don't sweat the numbers. Almost all laptops in the $1,200-to-$1,800 price range come with
sufficient computing horsepower. The minimum, in my view, is a Pentium-class processor running at
266 megahertz or faster, 32 megabytes of random-access memory (RAM) and a 2-gigabyte hard
drive. That's enough for the ''low impact'' computing tasks assigned to most laptops: word
processing, electronic mail, surfing the World Wide Web and personal finance software. If you've
got extra money to spend, I'd look for a bigger screen rather than worrying about more RAM or a
faster processor.
Pick your religion. Laptop users often get into holy wars about which is the best kind of
pointing device: the trackpad, a touch-sensitive square below the keyboard, or the trackpoint,
which looks like a pencil eraser nestled in the middle of the keyboard. I'm agnostic -- I don't like
either, and I carry a mouse with my laptop computer that I use whenever I've got sufficient desk
space.
You should decide which pointing approach you prefer before shopping, because almost all laptops
force you to pick one or the other.
Make sure you get it all. Unlike desktop systems, not all laptop computers come fully
equipped. Some models lack a CD-ROM drive, or don't include a modem. And laptops typically
don't come with a ''bundle'' of software, so you'll have to supply basics such as a word-processor.
Check before buying to make sure you're getting everything you need.
Avoid the ''sub'' way. There's a new class of ''subnotebooks'' on the market that are only an
inch thick, weigh 4 pounds or less and sell for under $2,200. I've tried several of them, and regard
them as potentially valuable for traveling business people who put a premium on carrying a light
load. But the subnotebooks have cramped keyboards and small screens, making them a poor
choice for consumers who want maximum utility. Even though full-sized notebooks are heavy -- the
WinBook XL 300 TFT, for example, weighs 8 pounds -- they are a better deal both ergonomically
and financially for most consumers.
Remember the mobile tax. As I said above, keep in mind the disadvantages of buying a
laptop. Mobility is nice, but you'll pay at least 50 percent more to get the same features in a laptop
as in a conventional desktop PC. What's more, desktop hardware -- unless it shows defects
immediately upon installation -- is very reliable. Laptops, in contrast, often break down after two or
three years of banging around in a brief case or backpack. And, of course, a laptop is much more
likely to get stolen than a desktop.
Many happy returns. When buying a laptop, make sure you understand the seller's policy for
taking back a unit that doesn't work or doesn't meet your expectations. Many stores and direct
sellers charge a ''reshelving'' fee before taking accepting returns, so avoid surprises by asking in
advance.
Write Mike Langberg at 750 Ridder Park Drive, San Jose, Calif. |
