A Comparison of Laptop Computers
While the term laptop may seem descriptive, it is actually quite vague. There are many types of laptops available in many different configurations, and when shopping for a laptop, it is best to make some comparisons.
Other People Are Reading
-
Netbooks
-
The smallest of all laptops, netbooks have displays between 10 and 12 inches and are usually between 2 and 4 pounds. They are also the least expensive laptops available and offer battery life of up to 14 hours. Netbooks do not perform complex tasks well, but they are adequate for web browsing and word processing. The keyboards and displays on netbooks are uncomfortably small.
Ultraportable Laptops
-
This category of laptop tends to overlap with netbooks, as ultraportables have displays between 11 and 13 inches in size and usually weigh around 4 pounds. Ultraportables are distinct from netbooks, however, because they are more expensive and offer better performance. The battery life on ultraportables can be up to 10 hours. Ultraportable displays and keyboards are a bit bigger than netbooks, but still small, making them easy to carry.
-
Thin and Light Laptops
-
Aimed at users who want portability but also a full sized keyboard and screen, thin and light laptops have display sizes between 13 and 15 inches. They are light and thin, however, so they don't often weigh more than ultraportables. The performance of thin and light laptops is good and battery life is usually around 6 hours. All of these advantage are costly, however, and so thin and light laptops are more expensive than all other types of laptops, except for workstations and gaming laptops.
Mainstream Laptops
-
Mainstream laptops are actually very powerful, but they also tend to be large, with displays between 14 and 17 inches. Mainstream laptops are often thick and heavy with weights between 5 and 8 pounds. Battery life is also poor with most mainstream laptops only managing 4 hours. Mainstream laptops make up for this in price, however, as it is possible to purchase a powerful 15-inch mainstream laptop for well under a $1000 as of 2010.
Desktop Replacements and Mobile Workstations
-
These desktop replacement and mobile workstation laptops are not meant to be frequently moved at all. They have screen sizes between 16 and 18 inches and can weigh up to 10 pounds. This size and weight is needed to make room for the powerful hardware inside, as many desktop replacement and workstation laptops can challenge desktop computers in benchmarks. Battery life is very poor with these laptops, with most managing just 3 hours. Pricing varies greatly depending on the configuration.
Gaming Laptops
-
Built to play the latest games, gaming laptops share a lot in common with desktop replacements. Screen sizes tend to be between 15 and 18 inches and weight can yet again be as heavy as 10 pounds. All gaming laptops have excellent graphics processors, which are required to play the latest games. It is also very common for even a gaming laptop with a 15-inch display to have full 1920-by-1080 high-definition resolution. All of this hardware comes at price, however, and gaming laptops are among the most expensive laptops sold.
-
References
- Photo Credit laptop image by martini from Fotolia.com
