What should I look for in a laptop?

[Keyboard Hound]

I'm thankful to all of you who have helped me so many times with computer problems.

Now I'm looking for a new computer. I'm hoping to find a good deal at tomorrow's sales, but I don't even know what to look for.

I'll mainly be using a laptop to write, take notes, take to meetings, and maybe do a little photo touchups on. Can anybody offer some suggestions as to what size hard drive, ram, and all that stuff to look for. I don't know much about computers.

Again, thanks so much for your help.

Keyboard Hound

[scarletpeaches]

Have you thought about a netbook? Much more portable. I have an acer aspire. The battery life is just fantastic. Trouble is, you might need to buy a separate DVD drive (although I get by without one) for installing games and software and such, but it's something to think about.

[Keyboard Hound]

Have you thought about a netbook? Much more portable. I have an acer aspire. The battery life is just fantastic. Trouble is, you might need to buy a separate DVD drive (although I get by without one) for installing games and software and such, but it's something to think about.

I've seriously considered the netbook. I'm hesitating only because I sometimes do photos with my articles and interviews. I've been told they don't have enough memory and stuff to support photoshop. I'd love the small size and the battery life though. That would be ideal carrying it around.

I have big hands and the Acer I tried seemed to have a smaller distance between keys that cramped my typing. I don't know how that would work. Most I've seen have been on but locked down until I couldn't really try them.

I'm open to either netbook or regular size.

Thanks,
Keyboard

[brokenfingers]

Pretty much just about any laptop you buy should do you good. Everything you'll need just about comes standard nowadays.

You should be able to get a full laptop anywhere from 300 dollars up, over the next few days.

[Medievalist]

My first response is get a Mac, of course, but in all honestly the thing to do is go look at the laptops in person, and check the screen (look at text not just images) and try the keyboard.

[Shadow_Ferret]

Something that fits in your lap.

[benbradley]

I've seriously considered the netbook. I'm hesitating only because I sometimes do photos with my articles and interviews. I've been told they don't have enough memory and stuff to support photoshop. I'd love the small size and the battery life though. That would be ideal carrying it around.

I have big hands and the Acer I tried seemed to have a smaller distance between keys that cramped my typing. I don't know how that would work. Most I've seen have been on but locked down until I couldn't really try them.

I'm open to either netbook or regular size.

Thanks,
Keyboard
I think the standard memory size for a netbook is one gigabyte, and the hard disk is probably a hundred gigabytes on the cheapest model. Look at what Photoshop requires and see if that works. Perhaps the worst part about editing pics on a netbook would be the smaller screen size and the mousepad thingie, but you can get an external mouse cheap enough. If you nave a video monitor of a size you like, you can plug it into the netbook's video output (Yes, it becomes a second monitor to Windows with settable resolution higher than the notebook's screen) for a larger "at the desk" screen.

We discussed netbooks and I recently bought one as described here:
http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=142975

This is my first "laptop" and I HATE all laptop keyboards and am amazed people can type anything on them much less 2,000 words per hour, so I have a $10 PS2-to-USB adapter (not neccesary if you use a USB keyboard, but the keyboards I insist on all use the legacy PS/2 connections) and a Real "desktop" keyboard.

If you have a "desktop" or other computer with a CD drive you can perhaps transfer CD programs to a USB memory stick and install them on the netbook with that, and not even have to buy an external drive for the netbook. And you can download software (such as, from, say, http://www.openoffice.org) directly to the netbook with a wifi connection (wifi routers for DSL lines are pretty cheap, or the wifi service at many restaurants and coffee shops is even cheaper).
Something that fits in your lap.
My Space Saver keyboard fits in my lap, and if I put it there there's room on one of those small coffee-place tables for someone else to put a full-size laptop. Perhaps I should have someone take a pic of me at a nanowrimo write-in.

Did I ever say I hate laptop/netbook keyboards?

[Fenika]

I have a toshiba netbook and love it. The keyboard is 97% full size and very flat, which means my fingers can glide across it (I HATE the standard keyboard keys since owning laptops. urgh)

You can upgrade the ram to 2gigs for under $40. If you don't multitask, you shouldn't have trouble doing your photoediting (but check requirements, as someone noted)

Also, for around 100$ or a little more, you can get an external monitor to plug into at home. Just tip the netbook monitor down a bit and off you go. This is what I do- it saves my neck and my eyes, and it's very easy to switch back and forth with my Toshiba.

Total cost: About $500. Totally worth it imo.

[Clair Dickson]

I second the requirement of making sure you're comfortable with the keyboard. This is huge for anyone who spends any time writing on it. Especially if you have preferences. Now, I didn't pay anything for my hand-me-down lappy (A Toshiba Satellite that I do like a lot) so I don't complain too much about the keyboard, but it does seriously slow me down. Esp. since the cheap space bar only registers if his just right (which my right thumb does, but my left does not so well.)

Other than that, only you can decide what matters to you. As for specs, most computers are, IMO, overpowered for the average user. Just as most cares are seriously overpowered for the average driver. So, you should be fine on specs. Double check the ones for any programs you're concerned about, but chances are you'll be well within operating range. I can do everything on my little old computer (only 512MB of RAM and 1500Mhz for process speed, woot!, less than half of what most comptuers today run) except video editing. That crashes this beastie faster than teens in those motor carts at Wal-mart after Midnight.

[Medievalist]

I don't complain too much about the keyboard, but it does seriously slow me down. Esp. since the cheap space bar only registers if his just right (which my right thumb does, but my left does not so well.)

It might have something stuck under the spacebar.

Using a post-it, sticky side-up, gently GENTLY (did I mention the importance of being gentle?) run it around and under the edges of the space bar; it may need more than one. You'll be removing, err, crud.

Don't be hasty; don't leverage up the keycap.

[Clair Dickson]

It might have something stuck under the spacebar.

Using a post-it, sticky side-up, gently GENTLY (did I mention the importance of being gentle?) run it around and under the edges of the space bar; it may need more than one. You'll be removing, err, crud.

Don't be hasty; don't leverage up the keycap.

I wish this was it. I have removed the space bar to clean it and figured out that it's got one receiver and only the one cheap plastic hinge piece in the middle. Well, my thumbs don't hit the middle of the space bar. One only hits the edge. Plus I get so spoiled at home with my uber-responsive lasts-forever keyboard on my desktop. (11 years and counting,with over 5 million keystrokes last year alone!) I think it's just a cheap part. When I get used to it-- those weeks when I spend more time typing on lappy than on the desktop-- I can make the adjustment and type better. But I got the lappy for free and though it's slower typing, it's a lot more words than I would get without the lappy with me.

[Medievalist]

I think it's just a cheap part

It is--and mostly you can buy a replacement online for three to five bucks for a new one. It is sometimes called a key assembly, and sometimes a "scissor hinge."

I know mostly people don't bother but I thought I'd mention it . . .