Holiday Gift Guide to Laptop Features

Laptops have become a universal accessory for modern life and the decision to buy one is very simple. It is the process of choosing the right brand and model, however, that can take some serious time and research. You need to make sure that you invest in a laptop that will best fulfill your computing needs, whether it be to run your business, organize your family’s digital photos, or browsing the Internet and social media. The brands and models are endless this shopping season, from Mac Pro to Toshiba laptops, and the choices can be overwhelming.

This holiday season, make sure you do your research before throwing down hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars on your or your loved one’s digital future. Check out this laptop holiday gift guide of features in order to become a properly-informed laptop shopper.

Size and Weight
The size and weight of a laptop is obviously important, but beware of laptops that offer light weight and size that skimp you on performance. While shopping, make sure to pick a laptop up and see if it is something you are willing to carry around. There are now laptops available that are ultralight, ultra-thin, and still perform up to anyone’s savvy standards.

Processors (CPU)
These days, dual-core processors are standard and help any busy user with everyday multi-tasking duties. Processors will, however, vary depending upon the size and purpose of the laptop, and will directly impact the performance and battery life of the computer.

Memory (RAM)
When shopping for the right Mac Pro, Dell, or Toshiba laptop, make sure you check out the maximum memory its system can handle, as well as the amount that is already installed. Another useful tidbit to find out is whether a memory upgrade can be done by yourself or it it has to be done by a technician. The minimum amount of memory should be 2GB, with the ability to upgrade to 4GB for improved performance.

Display
A laptop’s video capabilities are determined by its display and video processor. Display is defined by screen size and resolution, which usually correlate: the larger the display, the higher the resolution. The video processor determines the performance of the computer with complex graphics and hi-def video. Wide screens are now a standard, but impact the portability of the laptop. You may have to trade off between display and video quality with portability, but there are still great Mac Pro laptops available that can give you the best of both worlds.

Drives
Hard drives determine the amount of storage space you need. When shopping for a laptop, you will find that drive size is fairly straight forward and will impact performance. Optical drives will play an important role if you are shopping for a PC, such as a Dell Inspiron, Acer Aspire, or Toshiba laptop.

Battery Life
What good is a laptop if it is constantly charging? Find the manufacturer’s listed battery life for their standard battery. You should look for a laptop with at least two hours of life under normal conditions. There are several Toshiba laptops available that are eco-consciously engineered with power-saving options and equip with ultra-low voltage processing, and qualified as Energy Star 5.0. And they charge will they sleep.

Warranty
Laptops live a portable life, and thus take tons of abuse. Make sure you get a minimum one year warranty from the manufacturer. If you have the option of a three-year warranty, it will cost more, but is a solid investment.

Don’t make an expensive laptop purchase without knowing what you need first. Use this buyer’s guide to laptop features to inform yourself before you invest this holiday season.

Ethan Luke. toshiba laptop - With a singular focus on shopping, Shopping.com offers shoppers easy-to-use search tools, engaging content and time saving navigation, along with millions of unbiased product and merchant reviews from the Epinions community, all in one place.
Time To Switch To An Apple Macbook
The Apple MacBook is the most talked about laptop this year, but does it live up to its hype? The Apple MacBook is a follow up from the Apple MacBook Pro giving a more consumer-friendly price with a new design. Around a thousand dollars cheaper the Macbook pro, the Macbook still has a lot of the same cool features:
? Has an updated Intel's Core 2 Duo CPU ? A built in Webcam with remote control ? Is able to run Windows XP ? Two USB 2.0 Ports ? FireWire 400
The MacBook definitely lives up to its expectations starting at only 1,099 dollars. These 13.3 inch laptops can almost do everything their predecessor MacBook Pro can, costing a thousand dollars less. It has many of the same features as the pro including iSight Camera and a great distinctive look. The Macbook is great for anyone looking to update their older Macbook.
The MacBook has a very nice screen with a resolution of 1200x800 pixels and is 13.3 inches wide making everything clear and easy to read. The Pro offers 1,440x900, but the difference is almost nothing to the naked eye. One of the greatest changes Apple has incorporated into the MacBook is the keyboard. It has totally flat keys like the Sony VAIO C150P/B other than the concave keys they use to have. The MacBook also has a two finger scroll making the laptop much easier to use without a mouse. Apple is known for their innovation, and the MacBook?s AC adaptor shows that. The AC adaptor is attached magnetically, so if you trip over the wire it will simply detach instead of sending your whole laptop crashing down. Genius right?
Performance and Upgrades
Several battery tests have been given to the Macbook with impressive results. The average length of battery time was 3 hours and 30 minutes which was 30 minutes more than the MacBook Pro.
There are many upgrades and accessories available for the Macbook. One of the most popular is $59 dollars for an airline power adaptor called the MagSafe Airline Adaptor. With it, you could easily watch a movie or two during your flight. The basic MacBook Pro comes with 1GB of RAM and a 120GB hard drive. You can double all of that for $175, or you can spoof up your hard drive to 160 GB for 100 dollars or 200 GB for 200 dollars. Apple also sells a number of external accessories including a USB modern jack for 49 dollars or a mini-DVI-to-VGA adapter for 19 dollars.
Although the MacBook and MacBook Pro share a lot of similarities there are some major differences including the price, screen size, and design. One of the major changes is that The MacBook Pro is equipped with ATI Mobility Radeon X1600, while the MacBooks are stuck with Intel GMA 950 graphics. If you?re a gamer you should consider getting the Pro.
The new MacBook is definitely a hit giving consumers a chance to own a business-like laptop for a very reasonable price. Although there are some differences, the MacBook still has a lot of the great features of the MacBook Pro.
DigitalGraphicsResources.com Named Tablet PC Reseller
Savannah, Georgia (PRWEB) November 15, 2006 -- DigitalGraphicsResources.com recently became an authorized reseller of "on-the-go" tablet PCs. The clipboard-style personal computer can be used in the field--anywhere outside a traditional office setting. With wireless connectivity, you are no longer limited to doing business in an office with these lightweight, portable PCs. The company sells the entire line of these Motion Computing brand tablets.

DigitalGraphicsResources.com was recently selected to partner with Motion Computing, the industry leader in mobile technology solutions.

As a Motion Computing partner, DigitalGraphicsResources.com now offers the entire line of Motion Computing products, including the highly acclaimed LE1600 series of tablet personal computers. These ultra-mobile computing products offer the latest innovations with Intel Centrino or Celeron M Mobile Technology and integrated high-speed wireless connectivity. The "On-the-go" functionality of the LE1600 series can be taken anywhere. With a unique touch screen and a digitizer pen, the slate can function much like a clipboard. It easily converts handwriting to text.

Due to its light weight and mobility, the LE1600 series is geared toward professionals who need a computer outside a traditional office setting. Doctors and nurses can use this in healthcare settings. Teachers can use this in a classroom to share wireless information. Civilian and military personnel can use this in the field and those in manufacturing can easily carry the slate in their plants. Real estate professionals also find the slate convenient. The hospitality industry can use this technology wherever clients are gathered.

The LE1600 line of slate PCs are equipped with a 12.1" display for optimal viewing. They can be combined with the FlexDock docking station, a USB keyboard, and a DVD/CD RW drive. An optional magnetic stripe reader offers additional functionality. The LE1600 can be ordered with custom configurations to match every need.

DGR also carries the Motion Computing LS800 Tablet PC, with an 8.4" display. This "Ultra-Mobile" slate has the power of a full-size tablet PC in the size of a paperback book. The 12.1'' LE1600TS PC, a touch screen product that is ideal for repetitive data entry with minimal handwritten input, is also available.

Product demonstrations are offered in DGR's new showroom and store, located in Savannah, Georgia. Products may also be ordered online within the U.S. For more information on these and other DigitalGraphicsResources.com products and services, call 1-866-26-IMAGE

About DGR: DigitalGraphicsResources.com (DGR) is an authorized source of high-end digital graphics products and ships to all points in North America. DGR is the largest reseller in North America of Pantone's color matching products and Wacom's Cintiq interactive monitors. DGR is an authorized reseller of Motion Computing tablet PCs, Canon large format printers, GretagMacbeth calibration tools and imaging software. For more information on these and other DGR products and services, call 1-866-26-IMAGE, visit
Laptop 4 GB memory- Make your laptop function efficiently
A fully loaded laptop 4 GB memory is what you should be looking for in case of high end use of the system. The most advanced graphical design, architectural modeling, geological estimation and for playing the latest games available. Today most of the laptops and desktops come equipped with 3 to 4 GB of RAM and 160 GB hard disk drives and handle the maximum amount of workload and data storage requirement.
Memory in a laptop does a lot many things for you. If your storage memory is more, you can download music, games and a host of other programs for yourself. You can also work on a number of files and save them in your computers without ever having the need to delete the. Hence storage capacity of your laptop or computer needs to be augmented if you are still grappling with 10 GB or 20 GB hard disk drive.
In fact the minimum configuration now acceptable to customers is 80 to 120 GB of data storing capacity and the latest ones come equipped with 160 GB. What you should be looking at is your requirements and the offerings of your chosen model of desktop computer or laptop.
When it comes to Random Access Memory or RAM in short for your laptop, the situation becomes a bit trickier for making the right decision. How much RAM is suitable for running your multiple applications? Should it be 1 GB, 2 GB or you should go for 4 GB memory chip to get maximum mileage.
Remember that a number of models nowadays come embedded with 4 GB memory chips to make you think that your laptop is top of the lot. However when you actually see the memory available in your system, it shows only 3325 or so memory available as against installed memory of 4096 MB RAM. Thus you may still not get the full 4 MB memory even if you have paid for that. This is applicable for all the computer systems and leaves you wondering, where the remaining memory has gone. We will try to examine the issue with a little more curiosity.
Most of the operating systems including Windows, Windows NT and Windows XP are a 32 bit application architecture. The 32 bit system has a maximum available memory slot of 4 GB memory.
Thus the system having only 4 GB memory capacity also reserves a portion of it for running other processes and applications such as BIOS, graphic card interface, Input/Output device running, reserved memory addresses and so on. This leaves your available memory far less than the 4 GB memory you have paid for. Thus if you are seriously wondering to upgrade your PC to 4 GB RAM, remember that the operating system?s constraint may not make your laptop 4 GB memory worth.