A Lab employee recently contacted the Desktop Support Group when her Sony Vaio laptop computer died. She was looking for a replacement, but wanted a computer that met the following criteria:

• Prompt delivery (within one month)
  
• Light weight and thinner size
  
• Built-in capability to do presentations.
  
• Ports for connecting and external keyboard and monitor for use as a desktop system
  
• Windows software load and compatibility with central business services
  
• Light-weight, long-life battery.
  
• Touch pad (no button).
  
• Light-weight ergonomic mouse for travel use
  
• Desktop printer that is compatible with laptop.

The Computing Infrastructure Support (CIS) Department gets similar inquires around this time of year as employees seek to upgrade their systems before the next fiscal year. Because laptops are now available in a range of sizes, weights and features, Mike McCloud of the Mac/PC Support Group put together the following information to consider when choosing a laptop.

What to Consider Before Purchasing a Laptop

Portability: The main reason to have a laptop or notebook is portability - the ability to take your entire computer from one place to another. If you don't need portability, then you should probably buy a desktop computer.

Expense: Laptops cost almost twice as much as comparably equipped desktops. You can actually buy two comparably equipped desktops for the price of one laptop. As an example, Dell's Inspiron 8200 laptop configuration with P4-1.7 Processor, 256 MB RAM and 32 MB Geforce2 Go graphics has a suggested price of $2,634.64, while the equivalent ClientPro 325 G desktop configuration with P4-1.8 Processor, 256 MB Ram and 32 MB GeForce2 MX 200 graphics card with 17" monitor currently goes for $1375.32. So if you have to have a computer in two separate places, you would be better off with two desktops.

Speed: Laptops are 20-50 percent slower than a desktop with the same features (CPU, hard drive capacity, etc.). Slower CPUs, motherboards, hard drives, and video systems all contribute to the speed loss.

Upgradeability: Laptops are mostly non-upgradeable. The original CPU, video card (built into the motherboard), sound card (also built-in), and screen that come with the laptop are there for the life of the laptop. While it is possible to upgrade main memory and removable drives, the upgrades can cost twice as much as a desktop's. Upgrades using PC cards or docking stations are also very expensive.

Operating System: The newest laptops are beginning to use the latest and greatest video controllers, such as the Nvidia GeForce Go and ATI Radeon chipsets. The problem with this is that the manufacturers of these video chipsets are dropping the driver support for Windows 98, which they consider a "dead" operating system. There is still Windows 98 support for the ATI Radeon mobile chipsets, but not for the Nvidia GeForce Go series. Dell laptops use GeForce chipsets and the recommended operating system is Windows XP. This means that FMS, HRIS and PeopleSoft applications cannot be run on most newer laptops at this time.

Recommended Notebook Features

Memory, Memory, and more Memory: Most lower-priced notebooks are sold with 64-128 MB of system memory (RAM). That's enough for basic word processing and Web browsing under Windows 95 and Windows 98. Power users running Windows 2000 or Windows XP should try to get a notebook with at least 256 MB or more. It is very important that the memory is purchased when you buy the computer as many notebooks have only one or two memory expansion slots and you will wind up throwing away the old memory when you upgrade.

Batteries: Dell laptops are supplied with lithium-ion batteries, which are superior to other kinds. A second spare battery is highly recommended to extend battery life, as 2.5 - 3 hours maximum can be expected on a standard battery with all power management functions enabled. The Dell Latitude C400 offers an optional 16-cell lithium-ion battery with an expected 8-hour life before recharging is needed.

Hard Drives: 20 GB minimum. Dell laptops come with 20 Gig hard drives by default. Of course, more is better, as you can't have too much storage.

Video Screens: There are basically two kinds: active matrix (TFT) and dual scan (STN)/passive matrix screens. Another type of passive matrix screen is called HPA (High Performance Addressing). HPA screens are generally brighter than plain dual scan screens. Active matrix screens are faster, brighter, and cost about $200-$300 more than a dual scan/HPA screen. All of the Dell laptops available under the Lab's Basic Ordering Agreement are supplied with active matrix (TFT) screens.

Video Memory and Screen Resolution: The screen resolution of any notebook or desktop computer is a function of the graphics adapter, amount of Video RAM available, the size (pixel density) of the screen shown (e.g. 640x480), and the number of colors used. These screen features are loosely defined by the type of output the screen can produce (e.g. VGA, SVGA, XGA, and SXGA) as shown in the following table.

Video Memory and Screen Resolution Table

For a given screen size, the items on the screen (icons, etc.) will be smaller as screen resolution is increased. Although the display can be run at a lower resolution than it is designed for, the resulting display will appear fuzzy due to the computer using software interpolation (anti-aliasing) to resize the display. Recommended screen resolution is XGA for 12-14.1-inch screens and SXGA or SXGA+ for 15 inches and larger. Higher resolutions tend to make the items on the screen too small for most users. Windows XP does a better job of resizing desktop items than either Windows 98 or Windows 2000.

Laptops with no dedicated video memory: If your notebook specifications list the term "shared memory," it's likely that it does not include dedicated video memory. The video controller shares system RAM with the CPU, eliminating the requirement for dedicated Video RAM. For notebooks that use shared RAM, the video controller's capability is the limiting factor for screen resolution.

There are two drawbacks to shared RAM: The video controller accesses shared RAM slower than dedicated Video RAM, and the memory used by the video card reduces total system RAM available to software programs.

So what is good about shared RAM? Shared RAM allows manufacturers to cut cost, size, and heat generation by eliminating Video RAM. You will usually see shared RAM in lower-cost laptops and notebooks. The Dell laptops recommended by CIS all come with dedicated video memory.

How do I order a laptop?

Purchasing a laptop through the Lab has been made fairly simple and is done through the

 Laptop Basic Ordering Agreement

NOTE: Dell laptops cannot be ordered withWindows98; The on-board GeForce Video is not and will not be supported under Windows 98.

Procurement and the Computing Infrastructure Support Department have a Basic Ordering Agreement (BOA) with Dell Marketing for ordering laptop computers. The only method of purchase will be with Berkeley Lab's Procurement Card. There are three laptops or standard configurations to choose from. Delivery will be within 30 days. To configure and order a laptop:

1. Go to the CIS home page
   
2. Choose the "Buy a Computer Link"
   
3. Select LBNL standard Laptop PC (which takes you to the procurement page explaining the DELL Basic Ordering Agreement)

At this point, you can pick up a phone or send email to our Dell representative, or continue on and look at alternative configurations on line.

4. Follow the "Dell Web Page" link
   
5. Finally, click on the "your online store" link in the upper left hand side of the page.

The LBNL on-line store and the DOE ICPT store (which is the contract the Lab's on-line store is based on) both appear. We have deliberately chosen to highlight just three laptop models in our store. The page allows you to obtain an e-quote pricing the model and options selected. The LBNL on-line store page looks like this:

From this point you can click on "Select and Price" in order to view/change the configuration.

CONFIGURATION EXAMPLES:

1. The Dell Latitude C400 is an ultralight laptop without built-in floppy or CD-ROM drives; it runs at least eight hours on a battery charge and has a full carrying case. This laptop is for someone who can get by with a smaller screen size (12.1-inch XGA), and where portability is the main concern. The default configuration is Office XP Standard, no CD/Media, no carrying case, and no second battery.

Click on "Select and Price," and the configuration window will appear. Above the price, you are able to select several different views. My preference is "View All System Options" so that I can see all options at once without using a drop-down list. The window looks like this:

Select the options you want by clicking on the buttons to the left of the desired item. In this case we will select "Carrying Case, Leather Carrying Case" and "Additional Battery, 16-Cell Lithium-Polymer External Battery. After selection is complete, click on "Update Price" at the bottom of the page and change the view to "View Configuration Details" at the top. The window will change to show the current configuration, with the estimated price updated for that configuration:

Clicking on the "Save E-Quote" button opens a form which can be filled out and forwarded to your buyer and anyone else who you designate as a recipient. The recipient receives an email with a Quote Number, which is good for 30 days and can be used to place the order through Dell.

2. But what if you have different requirements? You want good performance with SXGA+ screen resolution, 512 MB of RAM, 40 GB Hard Drive and Microsoft Office Professional (which is not offered on the Dell page). The defaults are 1.0 Gig Processor with XGA Screen Resolution, 256 MB RAM, 20 GB hard drive and Microsoft Office Standard. You would have to supply your own licensed copy of Microsoft Office 2000 Pro for installation after delivery.

The final configuration would look like:

Final Advice

The brand of the laptop is the most important thing. This determines the quality of the computer, warranty, and parts availability. My brand suggestions are Dell, IBM, and Toshiba. If you buy a laptop from one of these companies it should be a good product.
If you can, try out some laptops to determine which features you like. Screen viewability, keyboard feel, pointing device and weight are all decision factors when buying a laptop.

Much of the information for this article was obtained from a variety of internet sites, including Info HQ's Web site, along with my personal opinions.