Some points to consider when shopping for laptops or notebooks:

The laptop evolved out of the modern executive's need for a 'mobile office' and they offer virtually the same features as their deskbound counterparts, though there are several distinguishing features viz. the screen uses "flat-panel" technology and the units are - in most cases - noticeably more compact and lighter.
They also require powerful batteries to keep them running while on the move and cost a good deal more than desktop PCs.

Questions to ask before buying a laptop

Q: What is the best microprocessor?

If you will use your laptop for basic word-processing, Web browsing or practice management, then the smaller AMD or Celeron microprocessors will be more than adequate. On the other hand, if you do lots of graphics (computer-aided drafting, engineering design) or programming, then you will probably need the speed of a Pentium dual microprocessor.

Q: How long will my battery last?

You should look for a laptop with a lithium battery, because lithium batteries tend to hold their charge longer than nickel-cadmium or nickel-metal hydride batteries, and have no memory effect. Whatever battery you choose, you will need a minimum of two hours of battery life; but of course, four hours is even better. The battery life varies depending on what type of rechargeable battery you have and how you use your computer (frequent use of disk drives consumes a lot of battery power).

Q: How much space should my hard drive have?

All laptops have an internal hard disk drive, usually 40 to 320GBs ( 80GB is a reasonable storage capacity).

Q: What other drives should I have in my laptop?

You should have at least a standard CD RW drive; though you may want a higher capacity usb memory stick, or an external hard drive too so make sure there are at least two USB ports.
If you want to be able to play music or movies on your laptop, then you'll need a DVD drive as well. A DVD or CD Re-writer is useful for back ups of your vital data.

Q: What is a swappable drive?

"Swappable" or interchangeable drives offer the advantage of making a laptop smaller and lighter. With a swappable drive, there is only space in the case for one drive i.e. a floppy, Zip or CD / DVD drive. If you want to change from one type of disk drive to another, you simply pull one out (of the bay) and insert the other. In some laptops with swappable drives, you need to first turn the computer off, change the drive and then re-boot the computer. Other laptop models may have "hot swappable" drives, which allow the interchanging of drives while the computer is still running.
While swappable drives allow the use of several types of drives in a laptop, bear in mind that you'll need to take those extra drives with you if you want to use them on your travels.

Q:What type of screen should I get?

Large LCD screen sizes, active matrix displays and backlighting will make your laptop's screen easier to see, but these technologies will also increase the price of the computer. A 15 inch, active matrix, color screen is worth the investment, especially if you plan to search the Internet often or make multimedia presentations.

Q: What type of input / output ports should my laptop have?

Computers send and receive information through various input / output ports, which may include serial, parallel or Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports. At the very least, you should have a printer port, which is usually a parallel port, and at least two USB ports.

Q: What is a PC card slot?

In addition to ports, some laptops have expansion slots for PCMIA standard adapter cards (Type I and Type II) or "PC" cards. These cards can be used to upgrade your laptop by adding memory, a modem, a network connection or a peripheral device (such as a CD-ROM drive). One or two PC slots will help extend the life of your laptop by allowing you to upgrade rather than replace your laptop in the future.

Q: What is a docking station?

If you want to use your laptop as a desktop as well, you'll need a docking station. With the docking station, you may permanently connect several peripheral devices e.g. a full-size computer monitor; full-size keyboard; mouse; disk drives or printer. You simply plug your laptop into the station, and you're ready to use it as a desktop computer; in other words, you make one connection to your laptop instead of many.
Most laptops have a docking connection.

Q: Which type of input device is the best?

Laptops use either a trackball, trackpoint or touchpad technology to move the cursor across the screen. All of these devices have buttons that act like the right and left buttons on a mouse. The type of device you choose is a matter of personal preference, as some people prefer the feel of a trackball to a touch pad. If you can, try various input devices to see what feels right for you. Remember, most laptops have a port that allows you to connect a mouse to your laptop, but this means carrying another device around with you on your travels.

Q: Should I buy an extended warranty?

Read the fine print on your warranty. A good warranty should cover parts and labour for three years, while freephone, around-the-clock technical support is a big advantage. Some warranties have a 24-hour replacement / repair policy (useful for when away from home). If these features are not in your warranty, consider buying an extended service contract.

Some general buying tips:

* 'Speed stepping' processors can slow themselves down when the laptop is running on battery power, or is idle. This helps to improve battery life.

* Lots of RAM helps to improve battery life, as the hard drive won't be accessed as much.

* Look carefully at the weight of the machine. An extra kilogram will feel like an extra 10 kilos after you've been carrying it for an hour.

* Because a laptop is designed to be carried around, it'll probably take a few knocks and scrapes. It's worth investing in accidental damage insurance.