Laptop

What your priorities are for a laptop computer will affect your choice.

Battery life? Screen size? Horsepower? Features?

I needed a "desktop replacement." I looked at ALL the manufacturers. Dell has since added 17" models to their lineup but at the time, they didn't have any at a reasonable price though I would have liked a Dell.

I eventually settled on a discounted HP zd7260. 17" widescreen, P4HT 3.2GHz, DVD burner etc. I only get 1 or 2 hours of battery life but that was a sacrifice I made for raw power - I do video editing with it. (I've also since upped the memory to 1GB and added a faster drive)

A BIG factor for me was screen. I NEEDED a minimum 1280x1024 resolution. Many of the screens out there were 1440x960 - just shy on the vertical. I only found a Gateway with a 15.4" widescreen and the HP with the 1680x1050 resolution.

So, what do you want to DO with your laptop?

There are so many on the market now, your best bet is to narrow BY EXCLUSION. Make a "must have" list of features and go shopping with it.

Email me if you want any more advice.

Chris (delete the obvious from my email address to get through)