|
|
| Buying a Laptop Computer |
|
|
 |
|
Get to know
your laptop
Computers are a very strange
product. Everyone needs one, but I would estimate that roughly 90% of the buyers
know little to nothing about what they will spend a $1000 on. Advertisers take
advantage of the naiveté and commercials are full of numbers and qualities that can
be misleading. For example, most people think that a 3GHz machine is always
faster than a 2GHz one. In fact, processor speed is only one factor and without the
proper mixture of components, a fast processor can be almost useless. Do you
think it's fair that what could be the most important factor, the cache memory,
is never mentioned? |
|
|
It's always a good idea to
learn about everything you purchase, especially if it involves a lot of
money. Here's a synopsis of most of what you should know, without any
unnecessary "techno-babble". Take solace in the fact that all computers are
made from pretty much the same components, and you'll be surprised at how a
$800 laptop could be "better" than a $1500 one. Let's get started. |
|
Processor
The central processing unit (CPU)
is often referred to as the brains of a computer. That term is deceiving because
it infers that the CPU is the most important component. Here's a great example
of the "you're only as strong as your weakest link" adage. A computer is only as
fast as its slowest component. You can get a fast processor, but a low amount of
RAM can act like a bottleneck for all the results that the processor is spewing
out.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
There are generally two main manufacturers of
processors; Intel and AMD*. The former has the largest market share, but that
doesn't mean Intel is better or faster than AMD. In fact, as of 3/18/05 AMD had
the fastest processor on the market (AMD Athlon 64-bit). For most consumers, the
difference between the two should not affect your buying choice. Some computer
manufacturers only use one or the other (e.g. DELL always uses Intel).
Intel and AMD each produce two main classes of chips
for consumer computers- a "high-end chip" and a "more affordable" chip (see
table below). Each of these families of chips include those with different
speeds. "Speed" of a chip is measured in gigahertz, or GHz. A faster speed comes up every few month or so, making the slower ones
less expensive until they in turn are not produced any more.
|
|
Furthermore, each of these families includes chips that are made for desktops,
and those for notebooks, which are identified by the letter "M".
|
| |
Intel |
AMD |
|
High-end |
Pentium |
Athlon |
|
Low-end |
Celeron |
Duron |
|
|
Most consumers think that the "high-end" chips are significantly better than the
"low-end" ones, but that is a fallacy that is helped by the manufacturers
themselves because they would rather promote the more profitable Pentium and
Athlon chips. Next we'll take a brief look at the differences between the
high-end and more affordable chips. As promised, no techno-babble. |
|
|
Next >> |
|
* IBM manufactures processors for
Apple computers, but their market share is much less than that of AMD and Intel.
There are other proprietary chip makers. |
|
|
|
|
|
