Although there are a huge number of laptops to choose from, always remember to get what you need and don’t get wrapped up in the latest technology unless you really need, which most likely, you won’t.

Laptops aren’t as customizable as desktops, which means you choice of internal parts is limited to those the manufacturer chooses. Sticking with well-known brands will help ensure the parts inside are decent.

As they are difficult to change, a brand will be split into models by the processor speed and extras. All through the range there are often options for increasing the amount of memory or certain other parts. Pick your processor first, then monitor size. They will match the video card and monitor, so you don’t need to think about this much.

Intel processors seem to be the best overall when it comes to laptops, unlike desktops where the competition is close, Intel is my choice here. Here’s how much you can expect to pay for them.

• $600 and up – Celeron M laptop
• $800 and up – Pentium M laptop
• $1000 and up – Core Duo / Core Solo laptop
• $1200 and up – Core 2 Duo laptop

The monitor should be a size you like, it basically determines the size of your computer. 15 inch is about the smallest for a desktop replacement as anything smaller will be a strain. Otherwise look at our notebook computer guide.

I recommend 2GB of memory for running Windows Vista, at least 1GB for running Windows XP. I used to recommend less, but after some discussion in the comments of this post (thanks Steffan) and my choices when getting my wife her laptop recently, I’ve raised these requirements. Memory has come down in price dramatically since this article was first published so getting more is a very cost-effective investment.

A hard drive should be able to store all your data. If you’re not sure how much space you need just consider the following. Day-to-day storage will not take up much space and a hard drive of 40GB should be fine. A full CD will take 0.7GB, a full DVD movie takes from 6GB to 8GB usually. If you do store DVDs on your computer, then you could consider getting a much bigger drive. I would stick to a drive around 80GB which is flexible. Backup unneeded data to DVDs with a DVD burner.

I recommend a DVD burner because of only slightly more cost, but tons of convenience. Make sure it is built-in.

A laptop needs lots of built-in extras and there are some essential ones.

• USB ports, 2 or 4 at the back are essential, some at the sides or front make for easy connecting.
•  The DVD burner mentioned above.
• Network port
• Modem port
• Wireless
• Bluetooth (might be an option)

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Choosing a laptop computer has become better, but in many ways harder as their popularity has increased. With a wide range of laptop computers on the market, they are extremely customizable to fit your every need.

There are a few reasons you would get a laptop computer as opposed to a desktop computer, and you have to be clear on what you intend to use the laptop computer for in order to get the right one.

Many people want a laptop computer for it’s portability, as that is only the first very logical reason. If you want a super portable computer you might be better off with a notebook computer, which would offer smaller size for those who really need something ultra-portable.

If you are still intent on getting a laptop you will need to spend upwards of $600. This is at the very lowest possible end of the scale and around $1000 would be much more resonable for a good laptop computer.

Let’s consider what you are going to use your laptop computer for.

Programs like Microsoft Office don’t require a huge amount of power to run and will run fine on nearly any laptop computer. You might want a larger monitor if you want to use the laptop computer at home as a desktop replacement. Extras like a DVD writer can be a great investment for a computer that serves as the primary computer at home or at the office. A good graphics card will be necessary if you will use the laptop computer for games of high-quality image editing. Wireless capabilities will be necessary for a computer on the move.

Size does matter, but it only really refers to the size of the monitor. You can get very high performance laptop computers that have 17 inch screens, but these will set you back over $2000. More reasonable is a monitor that is around 15 inches, maybe a little smaller or bigger.

The processor makes more of a difference if you intend to do use programs like video editing software or new games on your laptop computer. For more general tasks, most of what’s available should be fine for your needs. Newer models from both Intel and AMD will improve the performance quite a lot with their dual-core processors. This new bread of computer cpus boost performance without a huge increase in the power consumption of the processor.

Wireless networking should be standard, as it is so common. A few USB ports are essential. A network port for wired networking, which is still very commmon. Firewire is optional, but a good extra. A PC card slot is the only way to add extra cards to a laptop computer, so make sure it has one or even better, two of these. Note that sometimes one is already in use when you get the computer so it might not even be available if you need to upgrade.

First, lets note some differences.

Although the terms laptop and notebook are often used interchangeably I will use them to separate portable computers into two major groups.

Customizable Systemax laptop with 15 inch wide screen display

Laptop computers are designed to almost replace the desktop computer, but with something that can be moved around from place to place. At the top end they offer features that rival the most expensive desktop computers, along with larger screens and more powerful graphics cards. They also have the extras built-in like DVD burners. Potentially much more powerful, but less portable. Go to the Laptop Computer Guide.

Notebook computers are smaller, and definitely more portable. They are much lighter and easier to move around. They are not as powerful as desktop computers and that kind of power becomes very expensive. The screens are smaller and are not suitable for playing games. Quite a few of the extras, like floppy drives and DVD drives are external and need to be plugged in separately, and quite often have to be bought separately. Much more portable and less powerful, but certainly enough for most applications. Go to the Notebook Computer Guide.

Is wireless included as standard?

There are still a few laptop pcs that do not have wireless capability built in. Make sure that it is there before looking any further. There is a chance that you don’t really need a wireless laptop and perhaps any old laptop pc will do if you are just working on documents locally.

Built in or added on?

If a laptop is older, perhaps refurbished or just an older model there is a good chance that the wireless capabilities have been added via a pc card. The reception is often as good as the built in kind and can be a good option. The downsides are that it takes up a pc card slot on the computer. There are usually a maximum of two of these slots on a laptop computer and are the only way to add on expansion devices. The other issue is that of the aerial. With a built in model the aerial is integrated into the case of the laptop pc, allowing a very long aerial built into the layout of the casing.

Does it have good reception?

The strength of the signal at wireless hotspots can vary greatly, but it is made that much worse when your computer has a hard time picking up that signal. Checking that the particular brand of computer you have can pick up very weak signals, or that the wireless card can, will make using the internet that much easier and make it that much more accessible.

Can it be turned on and off?

Laptop pcs are at the mercy of their batteries. If there is no power point then the battery is the only source of power. If you use the computer for extended periods of time away from a power point then the battery life becomes that much more important. Wireless cards are constantly scanning and sending information to keep up the connection. This drains a lot of power and you can get up to twice the battery life with the wireless turned off. A physical button is the best and most convenient as long as it is not easily bumped by mistake, otherwise it can always be turned off by the software.

Is it fast enough?

Two speeds are currently in use, 54Mbps or 108Mbps. If you connect to the internet then the speed of the internet will definitely be slower than your connection to the network, so there is very little worry there.

Choosing a wireless laptop doesn’t need to be painful and the best way to get the laptop pc that suits your needs best is to make sure that you have a test run with that particular wireless laptop or get honest and detailed opinions about the laptop pc you intend to by from the Internet or friends.

Old does not equal bad.

Older models are not to be looked down upon, especially as they have been well tested and you are sure to know what you are getting into before buying. Just because it doesn’t have 37 cores, and 93.2MB of XYZ, doesn’t mean it won’t be up to the tasks you want it for.

For web browsing, editing documents, putting together presentations, checking email and the like choose something which is Centrino or Centrino Duo Mobile based. With either of these you are on the right track.

Systemax laptop with 15 inch wide screen display. You can customize nearly all the specifications to get exactly the laptop you need.

512MB of RAM will do, 1GB is better, but not completely necessary. I recommend at least 512MB for Windows XP and 1GB for Windows Vista.

Get a hard drive with 40GB or more. Also get a DVD writer, then any data you need to store safely or need to move to free up space can be burnt to a DVD.

Get a wide screen monitor if possible. Laptop screens are smaller, extra width makes a more roomy desktop environment. 15 inches and up make for more comfortable viewing, but take up space, get smaller for greater portability.

USB 2.0, firewire, built-in audio (in/out/mic) are must-haves, all laptops should have them.

Get a power supply, and an extra battery if you plan to be away from power for a long time (think long plane trips).

New laptop or notebook computers will set you back from $1000 upwards and from $600 up for refurbished models