What do I actually want/need one for?
- Portability — the ability to take it to a sunny park bench and browse the net, write stuff, or practice some programming.
- Getting away from the house. My current living situation demands that my desktop PC is near a television set, which seems to get extremely heavy usage by other occupants. It's hard to get anything done when my ears and peripheral vision are being accosted with rubbish.
- Playing some lightweight "retro" games. I've been playing 80s / 80s-style games since before they got popular again!
- There's a possibility that I'll be able to use my laptop as a mobile sound + music keyboard controller for a band that I may create or join (I'm into that sort of thing).
- The lack of speed and limited storage may actually suit me quite well. It'll challenge me to keep it "lean and mean" with minimal bloatware. (Unlike my PC, which seems to evolve, given enough nutrients!)
That's the dream anyway. However, after shopping around for a bit, I found a lot of potential cons:
- Questionable durability — flimsy looking plastic cases. Even the latest cell-phones seem more rugged!
- If I open and shut the LCD 1000 times, will it still work? Will the hinge lose its precisely tuned level of friction and start squeaking or become loose?
- If I spill something on the keyboard, what's the risk that the liquid will destroy the motherboard?
- The hardware options are both numerous and limited. As of mid-2009 there seems to be a glut of 15.x" screens or larger, 10.x" screens or smaller, but very little in between! I've seen a few with screen sizes between 12" and 14" but they are rare and priced accordingly.
It seems like an inordinate amount of homework just to make sure I don't accidentally buy a dud!
Other things that I'm looking out for:
- LED backlights instead of CCFL. The lack of information on manufacturers' sites leads me to suspect that they are deliberately downplaying the difference in order to get rid of old stock.
- Extra battery cells and as much AH (ampere hour) capacity as practical.
- A matte screen, not glossy! The whole point of a laptop PC is to use it in bright, shiny places where desktop PCs cannot go! Unfortunately, the manufacturer sites that I've seen always use annoying sales terms such as "true bright" and "sparkletone" (I only made up the latter one).
Advertisers are shouting about "end of financial year savings" but I'm taking my time. I haven't even decided on a specific make or model yet. Maybe a mid-spec'd Dell or Lenovo with a 14" screen.
