Buying Tips and Tricks -PCMag.com

Bear these thoughts in mind when buying and using notebook PCs.Consider the travel weight. Compare travel weights, not system weights. That's the notebook (system weight) plus the power adapter (typically 0.75 pounds). For one-drive systems, add an expansion slice for the optical drive (2 to 3 pounds). If the vendor quoted the weight with a weight-saver bezel (translation: a blank plate in place of the optical drive) you may have to add the weight of an internal CD or DVD drive (0.5 pounds).Don't get hung up on small weight differences. What really counts is the total weight of the bag you sling over your shoulder. On its own, a 5-pound notebook with a nice screen and two drives weighs 25 percent more than a 4-pound system with a smaller screen, smaller keys, and no DVD drive. But notebook bags weigh 2 to 5 pounds and all your other stuff (power adapter, cell phone, music player, paper documents, and paperback novel) adds 2 to (gulp) 10 pounds. A heavier notebook might add an additional pound to the bag's overall weight, but when everything weighs 10 pounds is that extra pound really worth worrying about?Why 3.5-pound subnotebooks weigh more than 5-pound thin-and-lights. Before you spring for that svelte one-drive subnotebook with a smaller display and keyboard, consider how you normally travel. If you need the optical drive more than occasionally, your real walking weight will be 3.5 pounds for the notebook, plus an additional pound for the modular slice that contains the optical drive.Small notebook, smaller battery. Manufacturers sometimes keep weight down on subnotebooks by shipping with three- to four-cell batteries that are good for just 2 to 3 hours of power. Serious users will need to add an extended battery that mounts underneath or a replacement main battery that sticks out the back. Often times, purchasing an extra battery is cheaper when you buy it with your system.Bigger equals more rugged. A small system with tightly integrated components is somewhat more likely to break in a fall than a bulkier unit where there's room for extra bracing. Conversely, the smaller the LCD, the less likely it is to break.

Midlife battery crisis. Batteries don't last forever. A frequently used 2- or 3-year-old notebook may be due for a new battery (usually $100 to $150). One way to lengthen your battery life span is to charge it up fully, unplug, let the battery run down and then recharge again.Think about the extended warranty. An extended warranty is a moneymaker for the seller.

For individual buyers, there is the comfort of knowing that if the notebook breaks, especially early in life, the store may just hand you a new one.Think twice about hi-res. Higher resolution is generally better, except when you try to read the fonts. Users with imperfect eyesight may want to stick with WXGA (1280-by-800) resolution rather than WUXGA (1920-by-1200).

Make sure you know the difference between a transflective (glossy) screen versus a matted (anti-glare) screen. A transflective screen is better suited for movies, photos, and video editing but produces more glare. In contrast, a matted screen has an anti-glare coating that's ideal for word processing and web browsing.You might want two power adapters. Then you can have one at home and one at the office. One of the two can be a multi-product charger (from Targus or iGo) that also handles PDAs and cell phones. They cost between $75 and $100.