How to Select a Laptop Computer

The laptop is becoming the computer of choice for CPAs--replacing the bulky desktop machine. And for good reason: It's light--as little as four pounds and can be as powerful as any desktop personal computer. As a result, laptop sales are growing far faster than those of their big desktop cousins. Just a dozen or so years ago the only powerful computers were room-size machines that generated so much heat they needed their own air-conditioning systems. Today, a laptop with equal or more computational and graphics abilities can be tucked into a CPA's briefcase and operated in a cramped airline seat at 37,000 feet or on a commuter train. After returning to the office, the CPA doesn't have to download the laptop's new files manually into a desktop machine. Instead, the laptop can be conveniently plugged into a small desktop component, called a docking station, that connects the laptop to the office network. And for those who still want those big 21-inch screens or spacious keyboards, both can be plugged into the laptop while you're working in the office. WHAT'S A LAPTOP While the term laptop is commonly used to describe all small, lightweight portable computers, often the term notebook is used to designate an especially small laptop. Because there are no specific standards to differentiate a laptop from a notebook, this article uses both terms interchangeably. Before the first true notebook was introduced, just a few years ago, the only option traveling accountants who wanted to bring along their own computers had was to lug around the so-called transportable computer, which weighed about 20 pounds and was the size of a large picnic cooler. It was affectionately called a luggable; however, some CPAs had less affectionate names for it as they hauled it through airports. Today, the well-equipped, peripatetic CPA carries a slim notebook that contains an ample hard disk (which can be slipped out so another hard disk loaded with other applications and files can be used in its place), a CD-ROM drive and a modem for communications. If the CPA is really up-to-date, the laptop also will contain full stereo sound capabilities, a microphone, video capabilities (for presentations) and cellular phone or beeper features. ESSENTIAL INFORMATION To fit so many features into such a tiny space, laptop designers continuously apply the latest technologies. Thus, shopping for a laptop today is a bit more complicated than shopping for a conventional desktop machine. This article, while not focusing on any one make or model, provides the essential information you need to shop wisely. Until this year, the price gap between laptops and their desktop cousins was wide, with laptops carrying about a 20% price premium. Now that laptops have become so popular, computer component developers are designing special equipment for them rather than trying to adapt desktop components (which not only inflated prices but also made the laptops unnecessarily heavy and bulky). As a result, prices have fallen, the machines have become leaner and their power has soared. The CPU: The brain of a computer--and its most expensive component--is the central processing unit (CPU), which is a credit-card-size electronic device. The fastest are based on Pentium-class electronic chips. Pentium is Intel's registered name for the chip; the generic designation is 586, the label usually used by Intel's competitors. Speeds (also called clock rates) of laptops generally range from 75 to 133 megahertz (MHz), but expect higher speeds (150 and even 200 MHz) to be introduced soon. In general, faster is better, but it's also more expensive. Bottom line: Try out machines at different speeds and see if your applications really need the fastest speeds. As a rule of thumb, speeds less than 100 MHz are uncomfortably slow. For perspective, only a few years ago, 33 MHz was considered fast. Bus boards: A bus board is a Critical component that affects a computer's speed. …