If you're looking for a laptop, there's never been a better time. You're spoiled for choice, with everything from Quad Core 17in giants that will replace your home PC, to a multitude of mini-laptops. The market is teeming with the ultra-tiny, cheap laptops called netbooks - we've reviewed more of them in the PC Authority test labs in the last six months than almost any other type of laptop.
Netbooks aren't for everyone. They make great basic portables, but for many people the perfect laptop might be something different.
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| So what's the cutoff when it comes to "acceptable performance"? An overall 2D performance score of 0.9 in our benchmarks will give you acceptable basic Vista performance - that is, the laptop will run smoothly, and let you open multiple applications without slowing down drastically. The bottom line for Vista is a Pentium Dual Core, or better yet, somewhere around the Core 2 Duo T5600 mark with 2GB RAM, which will cope but will struggle a bit when you ask it to do anything strenuous. |
The perfect laptop could be the cheapest one you can find, or it could be a more powerful laptop that you can also fit in your briefcase or backpack and take on the bus. Perhaps it's time to replace your bulky home PC with a laptop that has enough grunt to let you create videos or engage in some serious digital photography editing.
The perfect laptop will do what you ask of it, at the right price, and will be powering along well after Windows 7 has arrived in the next 12 months.
In this feature we've collected answers to the big questions we hear from laptop buyers, including whether you should buy now or if there's new technology around the corner you should wait for. Which is the best type of laptop for you? Will your laptop run Windows Vista properly and should you consider a Mac?
Our tips will give you a better idea of what your perfect laptop looks like. And once you have that better idea, we've also created buying checklists. You'll find them on the following pages, so you can pick your laptop features in detail.
Should I buy now or wait?
hile we can't predict the entire future for laptops - one of the big rumours is an Apple netbook - we can tell you about some big changes ahead, so you can decide whether it's a good time to buy.
If you walk into any major electronics retailer at the moment, you'll predominantly see laptops using Intel's Centrino 2 platform, which landed last year and doesn't look like going away in the immediate future.
The now-familiar Centrino sticker means that a laptop is equipped with a specific combination of Intel CPUs, wireless networking, and mobile chipsets. Centrino 2 has brought Intel's latest Core 2 Duo processors to laptops, with fast bus speeds, DDR3 RAM support, better onboard graphics, and more efficient power usage.
What's next after Centrino 2? By the time you read this Intel may have unveiled faster Core 2 Duo CPUs. At the time of writing Dell and Acer had also announced Core 2 Quad laptops. These join the likes of the Dell Precision Workstation and other high-end laptops we've seen come through our labs with Q9100 and Q9300 quad-core mobile processors.
As well as faster CPUs on the way, a next-generation laptop CPU codenamed Clarksfield will arrive sometime later this year.
Clarksfield will be the first of Intel's laptop chips based on the Nehalem architecture. Nehalem brings better parallel processing abilities, meaning it will provide much more power for intensive tasks like gaming and video rendering, as well as power saving tricks that should help battery life.
Our understanding is that Clarksfield will be a quad-core CPU, which makes it an extreme performance component, and pricey. It also means it may be rare - we've seen no more than a handful of laptops with current quad-core processors in the year since they were announced.
Intel tells us that Clarksfield is on track for the second half of 2009, but at the time of writing there was no official date as to when you'll be able to buy a new laptop that has one, so you could be waiting six months from now.
You'll see the new chip in laptops using the Calpella platform, which will support Intel's next major round of processors (based on the 32nm process). Calpella won't appear until 2010, which suggests that Clarksfield-based laptops won't be around this year, either.
Intel tells us Calpella laptops will still be branded Centrino 2, though some Web sites seem to think that you'll see ‘Centrino 3' stickers. After Calpella arrives in 2010, we should see a new generation of laptop chips appear (dubbed ‘Westmere'), likely toward the middle of 2010.
If all of this sounds confusing, here's a summary: if you're more interested in engineering computations, or gaming, then the faster Core 2 Duo CPUs due late this year and the Calpella platform will be exciting technology.
If you're looking for an affordable laptop, on the other hand, then Centrino 2 will supply you more than enough power and features.
What's next for thin-and-light laptops?
Up until now, virtually all of the tiny sub-$1000 netbooks we've seen have used the same processor - Intel's Atom N270 chip.
That's going to change. Those dirt-cheap netbooks are gradually getting a little bit more power and fancier features such as DVD drives and TV-tuners.
One of the changes just around the corner is the arrival of dual core Atom 330 chips in netbooks - Asus has already debuted one in a Shuttle-like desktop system, and we expect to see more at Computex this year.
Our benchmarks for the Atom 330 produce slightly snappier response times when you're running Windows applications - an overall score of 0.5, compared to the maximum 0.39-0.43 we've seen from N270-based systems - but an average 16% performance improvement may not be enough to convince you it's worth paying for.
Not only are netbooks getting fancier, and more expensive, but Intel has a brand new netbook platform in the works for the second half of 2009. It's codenamed ‘Pineview' and it will reportedly have faster clock speeds, faster integrated graphics and a smaller, more power-efficient chip than the current Atom.
Is it worth waiting? If there's a significant speed jump or boost to battery life then it might be, but then again, netbooks are for basic jobs like Web browsing and word processing.
If you want the latest and greatest, then keep an eye out for these new netbooks, but if you're after something very cheap, we can't see it being a reason to wait.
Ultraportables are a step up from netbooks, and have some of the features of full-size laptops, such as larger screens and DVD drives, but are much lighter and thinner. Examples include Toshiba's Portege R600 and Apple's MacBook Air.
Ultraportables can cost in excess of $3000, but cheaper varieties are expected to arrive in the second half of 2009, using new versions of Intel's
Ultra Low Voltage (ULV) chips. The current version of these chips has delivered impressive 6hr-24hr battery life for the likes of HP's Elitebook series, and new versions may improve still further. If you're after a laptop for $500 for basic Web browsing and word processing, this won't be it - but if you want an executive class laptop then it might be worth seeing what Intel has planned rather than buying now.
A new type of laptop?
The dark horses in the race to build the Next Big Thing in laptops are Nvidia and ARM. Laptops using Nvidia's Tegra chip could be even cheaper than netbooks, though there were none at the time of writing. Linux netbooks with ARM chips might also arrive overseas this year.
The potential advantage looks like being price, as ARM netbooks will reportedly sell for around US$200. As we went to press we'd seen no hardware, let alone any information about whether these machines would be sold in Australia.
Netbook or laptop?
With high-end netbooks creeping up to the $1000 mark - and in the case of Sony's Vaio P series, well beyond it - the bigger question is whether you should be buying a netbook at all.
If you're wondering if a netbook is the perfect laptop for you, ask yourself this: will you want to work or play on your new laptop for hours at a time whilst viewing a screen 10 inches in size? What about one that copes well with basic tasks, but gets a bit sluggish when you start opening lots of programs at once - especially if they are processor-intensive tasks such as watching video?
As long as you're happy with the small screen size and lack of processing power - we've found that even the new Atom N280 netbook processor can struggle running lots of programs at the same time under Windows XP - netbooks are a great mini laptop for the bus or train, or for around the house or for the kids.
On the other side of the coin, for around the same price as a high end netbook ($800-$900) you can get a full-size laptop with a much bigger screen and full size keyboard, and a CPU that will cope with Windows Vista (which most netbooks can't do).
If something small and light is your priority, look to fully-fledged mini-laptops with Core 2 Duo processors. Prices vary but at the very low end we've seen a 12in laptop with Intel's T5670 Core 2 Duo processor for
How much CPU power do I need?
For a while, there was a line of thinking that said you couldn't buy a bad laptop. Processors were more powerful, technology had improved, and it was hard to put a foot wrong.
This was a good theory until Windows Vista replaced XP as the standard operating system and suddenly cheap $800 laptops seemed as though they were running finite element analysis computations instead of ripping a CD to iTunes.
Many factors determine how smoothly your new laptop will run, including how many free software utilities the manufacturer has installed, whether it's Centrino or Centrino 2, and whether there's a solid state disk (SSD) or hard disk (HDD) included.
But above all else, the most important factors are still the CPU, operating system, and the amount of RAM. Getting a strong combination of all three is the key to buying a laptop that isn't sluggish.
Our benchmarking has shown there are three distinct levels of performance you can expect above and beyond netbooks (which aren't really suitable for Vista).
An overall 2D performance score of 0.9 in our benchmarks will give you acceptable basic Vista performance - that is, the laptop will run smoothly, and let you open multiple applications without slowing down drastically; push it harder by opening lots of windows, or by doing multiple tasks simultaneously, such as scanning your hard disk for virus while iTunes rips music, or open a few processor-intensive apps like Photoshop, and you might notice things slow down a lot.
By comparison, the netbooks we test commonly achieve 2D performance scores of 0.39. This is enough for basic jobs like Web browsing or word processing under Windows XP, but it's not quick enough for Vista, and it will slow down drastically if you start pushing it hard by running lots of applications at once, whatever operating system you have. Keep this in mind when choosing between a netbook and a bigger, faster laptop.
The good news is that CPUs in some sub $1000 laptops are fast enough to handle the basics. A Pentium Dual Core T3400 with 2GB RAM will hit 0.9 in our benchmarks, which is acceptable for Vista though can lag when you start opening lots of applications at once.
So what's the cutoff when it comes to "acceptable performance"? Celeron will handle the absolute basics, but we'd advise against it unless your budget can't stretch to a Pentium Dual Core.
We've also tested laptops with Core 2 Duo T5500 and 1GB RAM that can run Vista, but they aren't ideal - with a DVD playing and multiple browser tabs open they get noticeably slower.
The bottom line for Vista is a Pentium Dual Core, or better yet, somewhere around the Core 2 Duo T5600 mark with 2GB RAM, which will cope but will struggle a bit when you ask it to do anything strenuous.
The sweet spot for performance and price are faster chips like the Core 2 Duo T8100 and P8600, which provide smoother sailing under Vista and can achieve overall 2D scores of 1.19. This kind of performance will be snappy under Vista even when opening multiple applications.
The fastest laptops in our tests achieved 2D scores of at least 1.3 in our benchmarks, which is what you should be looking for if you plan on doing serious video or digital photography editing or extreme gaming (which we test using separate 3D benchmarks).
For this, you'll need a Core 2 Duo T9600 or T9400. For the very best possible performance, step up to Core 2 Extreme or the ultimate: a quad core processor.
When more money equals less speed
The choice of CPU is especially critical if you're buying an ultraportable - some of these tiny thin and light laptops cost more than $3000, but have benchmark scores worse than a cheap Pentium Dual Core laptop.
Of course the objective here isn't speed, it's battery life and size - tiny low voltage chips gives your battery a better chance of lasting longer, and these laptops are much lighter.
There are a few CPUs you'll encounter in ultraportable laptops, some with lower clock speeds than a netbook, and the results vary.
Laptops with Core 2 Duo SU9400 and the lower clocked SL7100 perform capably with Windows Vista, though both can get too slow running multiple applications or opening lots of browser tabs. Make sure you try before you buy.
How much RAM?
Our RAM testing last year showed that 512MB RAM isn't enough. While you can get away with 1GB, especially if you're running Windows XP, 2GB is the sweet spot for laptops with Windows Vista.
Netbooks are also hamstrung here, with most models like Dell's Inspiron Mini 12 only letting you use a maximum of 1GB. There are some, like the ASUS N10, that offer 2GB, but they were in the minority at the time of writing. Also keep in mind that 4GB is only useful in a laptop that has a 64-bit version of Windows.
Windows XP vs Vista
The choice of OS has a greater impact the lower the laptop spec. We've already established that a sub $1000 laptop is capable of running Vista. If your laptop has a Core 2 Duo T5600 or higher with 2GB RAM, then it'll handle the basics ok.
Netbooks running Vista can be very slow. Dell, ASUS and HP are three vendors pushing Vista netbooks, but the performance isn't good. As a comparison, we found the ASUS N10 with Windows Vista and 2GB RAM to be less responsive than the ASUS S101 which we loaded with Windows XP and 1GB RAM.
On the other side of the coin, Vista has better management features for switching and customising power saving modes, and more accessible sleep/hibernation features. If you're looking at a tablet with a stylus, Vista also has better handwriting recognition.
ATI vs Nvidia
Graphics vendors seem to be perpetually on the edge of something so epic in scope that the likes of Nvidia CEO Jen-Hsun Huang promise to open cans of "whoop-ass" on Intel with their ability to make screen visuals breathtaking.
The first question is whether you even need discrete or dedicated graphics - that is, graphics chips with their own dedicated RAM, unlike integrated graphics which share main memory with the CPU and won't get you far for playing games.
The fun begins once you hit the $1500 mark for laptops, where you'll see ATI and Nvidia badges aplenty. The claims made by these two rivals are many and broad - but they boil down to games, video and application performance.
Laptop graphics can be grouped into three grades once you move beyond the dedicated Intel variety (ok for Windows, not ok for the latest games) - faster non-Intel integrated graphics, "mainstream" dedicated graphics, and high performance.
At the low end, integrated graphics such as Nvidia's 9400M (the GPU used in the Macbook Air) won't handle the latest 3D games well, but there are a number of other payoffs beyond gaming. Extra muscle helps handle Vista's 3D Aero visuals.
Certain applications like Photoshop CS4 can also make use of graphics chips, meaning your CPU is free for other things. In the near future Apple's next operating system, Snow Leopard, will make better use of onboard graphics.
Picking a laptop with an ATI or Nvidia sticker should also get you better performance if you're playing videos - by offloading the job of handling video processing to a dedicated ATI/Nvidia chip, more CPU power is available to run other tasks (such as when an anti-virus scan kicks in).
Intel set the cat among the pigeons by introducing Blu-ray decoding with Centrino 2, though AMD and Nvidia claim better performance. They also claim better picture quality.
Step up to a "mainstream" graphics chip like ATI's Mobility Radeon HD4570 or an Nvidia PureVideo-capable part, and you'll start to see advanced video features like HDMI output and upscaling, picture in picture, and support for the latest Blu-ray features like BD-Live.
For serious gaming, you'll need to go higher again to a "performance" chip like the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4800 series or Nvidia 9800M GTS for playable frame rates.
Switchable or hybrid graphics is also worth keeping in mind - this gives you the best of both worlds, letting you switch between integrated graphics for better battery life, or dedicated graphics for faster performance.
Battery life
We've seen many near-perfect laptop configurations let down by poor battery life. It goes without saying that 6-cell batteries are the better choice. Also, look for laptops that come with an extra battery - you'd be surprised how many models don't have a second battery as an optional extra.
Predicting how long your new laptop will last on batteries is something of a fine art, but there are a few important things to keep in mind. Low power machines like netbooks and small Core 2 Duo laptops with 13in screens or smaller without powerful graphics should last longer. The parts of the system that consume the most power are the display, hard drive and processor - see our article on getting better battery life for your laptop (PC Authority, May 2009).
Second, don't believe what you see on brochures and advertisements about battery life. Battery scores advertised by laptop makers have been grossly inflated for years.
We don't have room to go into detail of what's wrong with advertised battery life, but in the past we've seen laptops advertised as having 11 hour battery life, that only last for five or six hours.
Mac vs PC
The decision to buy a PC or a Mac deserves its own separate feature. While we don't have room to ignite the Mac vs PC debate in full, suffice it to say that Macbooks were strong sellers last year, and with good reason - their sleek hardware, including a new unibody chassis, and excellent software for photo editing, movie and music making, all add up to a superb system.
Windows laptops have many things in their favour. One is gaming - high performance ATI and Nvidia chips make Windows laptops a no-brainer for serious DirectX10-based gaming. New MacBook Pro models perform so-so, chalking up 45fps on low settings in Crysis, but they're not a patch on the newest - and most expensive - SLI-enabled Windows laptops.
The other thing Apple lacks (at the time of wrtiting) is a cheap sub $1000 netbook. Of course there's good reason for this - Steve Jobs is reported to have said Apple doesn't know how to make a $500 laptop that's not "a piece of junk". We beg to differ - netbooks do a good job at the basics.
Then there's price. At the time of writing the white 13in Macbook started at $1649, and 15in Macbook Pros at $3199. You can certainly get a lot cheaper by choosing a Windows laptop.
Still, we think comparing Macbooks and Windows laptops on price is to some extent missing the point of choosing Apple, which provides a different way of working. If you can't afford a Mac, then get a PC, but if you can afford both, then price shouldn't be the main deciding factor.
What type of wireless?
More and more laptop vendors are including integrated 3G wireless in the laptop itself. In our anecdotal tests, we found no great advantage in having a 3G module (including the modem, antenna, and SIM card slot) built into the laptop itself, other than the convenience of not carrying around a USB modem.
Major laptop providers like Dell and Toshiba offer bundled mobile broadband from the likes of Telstra and Vodafone - you should be able to change to another carrier, but it's worth checking this.
Conclusion
The best thing you can do when buying a laptop is pick a type that fits your lifestyle and way of working. Laptop performance has come a long way, but it still varies drastically, along with battery life and features. There's a perfect laptop for everyone, and hopefully we've helped you gain a better idea of yours.
Budget laptops
It's hard to ignore the appeal of the netbook, and we're big fans. They're tiny, with screens from 7 inches to 12.1 inches, and they weigh a light 1-1.5kg, and best of all they're cheap, ranging from under $500 to the majority of recommended models in the $600-$900 range.
But they won't cope with running lots of apps at once, and you're limited to small screens and keyboards, which is why you should also consider full size laptops.
Cheap laptops with 15.4in screens and Celeron chips and can be found for $800, though we'd recommend spending a bit more for a Pentium Dual Core.
Feature checklist:
- Pentium Dual Core T3400 or Core 2 Duo T5600 or higher
- Centrino 2
- Intel X4500 integrated graphics for basic Windows, ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4570 or Nvidia PureVideo compatible chip for better video playback
- At least 2GM RAM for Windows Vista
- 160GB or more HDD
Graphics
Onboard graphics in the form of Intel's X4500MHD for basic Windows applications. Integrated graphics such as Nvidia's 9400M (the GPU used in the Macbook Air) and dedicated GPUs like ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3650 or 4570 provide better onboard video decoding, but won't handle current games at moderate detail levels.
Suggestions: Intel GMA X4500MHD, ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3400/3600 /4500/4750, Nvidia Geforce 9400M/9500M/G110M/GT130M
CPUs
For netbooks, the Atom N280 has arrived with a 667MHz front side bus, along with the new "GN40" graphics chipset in place of Intel GMA 950. For 13in and above, Pentium Dual Core T3400 and Core 2 Duo T5600 with 2GB RAM are the bottom line for Vista, and Core 2 Duo T8100 and P8600 are the sweet spot.
Suggestions: Pentium Dual Core T3400, Core 2 Duo T5600/T5800/T8100/P8400/P8600, Intel Atom N270/N280/330/Z530, AMD Neo.
Sweet spot
Centrino 2, Core 2 Duo P8600 (1066 FSB), 2GB RAM, 15.4in screen, Windows Vista Home Premium, Nvidia 9400M, 320GB HDD, 8x DVD +/- RW, Intel Wi-Fi Link 5100 (802.11a/g/n), 1.3MP webcam.
Thin and Light Laptops
You can pay anywhere from $499 to more than $3000 for a laptop that weighs less than 2kg. Netbooks are the cheapest and slowest of the bunch, though that's changing - as we went to press, a leaked Dell roadmap showed plans for a Dell Inspiron mini 10 with Vista, built-in wireless 3G broadband (no need for a dongle), optional TV-tuner, a 1.8GHz Z-series Atom CPU, and 2GB RAM.
Spend a little more, and you can also find 13in Core 2 Duo laptops with bigger screens and DVD drives. Finally, ultraportables have ultra-thin chassis, low voltage CPUs, wafer thin LED screens, and solid state drives (SSD). These laptops won't weigh you down, but performance varies.
Feature checklist:
- Windows XP for netbooks, Vista for ultraportables
- Transreflective LCD display for better visibility in direct sunlight
- 6-cell battery, plus extra battery
- LED screen, for battery life
- Bluetooth
- Integrated graphics, or switchable/hybrid graphics
- Solid State Disk (SDD) for performance/battery life
- Intel Core 2 Duo P8600, or SU9400 for battery life.
- Sleep and charge USB ports (charge phones/cameras via USB when laptop is off)
Graphics
Integrated graphics such as Intel X4500MHD or Nvidia 9400M for better battery life. Switchable or hybrid graphics let you swap between onboard GPU and dedicated graphics.
We've seen netbooks with switchable graphics, but you'll need to remember battery life will drop in graphics mode, and decide whether you'll make use of the graphics power.
Suggestions: Intel X4500MHD, Nvidia 9400M/9300M, ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4300/3400/3600
CPUs
Look for: Low voltage chips such as Intel SU, SL, and SP chips will give better battery life but can struggle to run multiple applications under Vista.
For example, an Intel SU9300 Core 2 Duo will achieve around 0.6 in our overall 2D performance benchmark - better than a netbook, but less than a Pentium Dual Core T3400.
Suggestions: Intel Atom N280/330, Intel Core 2 Duo T5600/T8100/P8600/SU9400/SU9300/SP9400/SL7100, AMD Neo
Sweet Spot
Intel Core 2 Duo P8600, 2GB RAM, Centrino 2, 13.3in LED screen, Windows Vista Home Premium, 320GB HDD, Intel GMA X4500MHD, Intel WiFi Link 5300, under 2kg.
Performance Laptops
At the performance end of the field, big 17in laptops weigh a tonne, and should happily replace your desktop PC for serious gaming, and photo and video editing.
The good news is it's possible to get a big 17in performer for under $2000, usually without high-end gaming graphics.
Another category is HD entertainment machines: look for an 18.4in widescreen display with HDMI, and the biggest hard drive array you can find for storing TV, movies and music.
The big price jumps are for high-end gaming graphics (especially SLI), and quad core CPUs. Gaming laptops can cost upwards of $4000.
Feature Checklist:
- Gigabit Ethernet
- 17in or 18.4in widescreen display
- Performance-level dedicated graphics
- HDMI output for connecting to big screens
- Core 2 Extreme or at least P9400 Core 2 Duo
- Blu-ray for HD movies
- ExpressCard for copying from external hard drives at top speed
3GB RAM
Graphics
Our tests show that "performance" parts like Nvidia's 9600M GT will give you playable frame rates on the latest demanding games at low detail settings, but for truly smooth gaming step up to ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4800 series, or Nvidia's 9800M or GTS 150/160M and 260/280M GTX series chips.
Suggestions: ATI Mobility Radeon 4800/4600, Nvidia GTX 280M/260M, Nvidia GTS 160M/150M, Nvidia GeForce 9800M/9700M/8800M
CPUS
For high-end gaming and multimedia laptops, there are three performance levels to consider: high end Core 2 Duo chips such as the T9400 and 9500, Core 2 Extreme, and Core 2 Quad. Serious photo and video editing can benefit from quad core, though there'll be a price premium.
Suggestions: Intel Core 2 Extreme Q9000/QX9300/QX9775/X9100, Core 2 Quad Q9100, Core 2 Duo T9400/9500/9600/P9400/P8700/P9600
Sweet Spot
Intel Core 2 Duo T9400, Centrino 2, Nvidia GeForce 9600M, 320GB HDD, 3GB RAM, 18.4in LCD, HDMI,
Blu-ray, Windows Vista Ultimate, 17in screen.
Note: this spec gets you a powerful 17in laptop at a reasonable price.
For the ultimate gaming performance, pay more for an Nvidia GeForce 9800M or ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4870, or SLI arrangement, and a quad core CPU.