The Problem:
Just like buying a car, choosing the best laptop computer for you can be confusing and sorting through the techno-babble can be downright painful. How can you ease the pain and get the laptop you need?

The Solution:
First, stick with the big-name brands such as Sony, Dell, IBM, Apple, Gateway, eMachine, Compaq, and HP. The working guts of most machines are very similar and may even come from the same manufacturer, even though they are sold under different brand labels. The reason to stick with the big names is not the product itself but both the initial sales experience and the after-sales support.

Fortunately, you can buy a decent laptop for about a $1000 dollars. Minimum specifications include 60GB of hard drive space, 512 MB of RAM, USB 2 - 3 ports, built-in wireless ability and a network card. Don't worry about processing speed. Any new laptop will come with a processor that's speedy enough for most users. With that in mind, though, do spend the extra money to add RAM memory, preferably 1GB (Giga Byte) or more. And if you're planning to warehouse a ton of pictures and music on it, get the model with the larger hard drive.

Unfortunately, the world of laptops is a very subjective business. One person's dream machine is another person's oversized paperweight. If you are an average computer user needing a laptop for word processing and basic Internet surfing, the following list will help you shop with confidence.

Screen: Seeing is believing. If at all possible, try before you buy. Assuming the screen image is bright and clear, a 14" screen offers plenty of eyeball space. And screens can be too big. If you're a frequent traveler, consider that the gorgeous laptops with the monster 17-inch screens don't fit nicely on the tray in coach seating, especially when the guy in front decides to recline his chair and take a long snooze.

Keyboard: Here's another item that is nice to try before your plunk down your charge card. Go for a full-sized keyboard, and make sure it feels good when you use it. A keyboard should be firm but responsive. You shouldn't have to work to press the keys.

Size/weight: Size does matter and very pound counts. For example, if you are a true road warrior, carting your machine in and out of airports, then your shoulder will quickly tell you that there is a significant difference between a 3lb computer and the 4lb one. There are really cool ultra-thin laptops on the market now that weigh in at about 3 pounds. I love them, but be sure they have the CD/DVD drives you may need on that long flight.

Screen size: Laptops in the 4-7 lbs range typically offer larger screens and more features, but their weight probably makes them ill-suited for frequent trips. And those gorgeous laptops with the monster 17-inch screens don't fit nicely on the tray in coach seating, especially when the guy in front decides to recline his chair and take a long snooze.

Battery Life: If you're a road warrior, you'll need long, reliable battery life. Three hours off a single battery is minimal. Spend the extra money and get the extended life batteries if they are offered. I use a P-series Fujitsu laptop and can squeeze 14 hrs of juice out of the dual batteries. That's a lot of DVDs on those long flights to Tokyo!

Processor: Look for a unit with Intel's Pentium M chip. The M chip is optimized for laptop use since it doesn't suck up as much battery and doesn't require as much cooling. In practical terms, that means your laptop won't be so thick (aka heavy).

Wireless Networking: This is a real must these days. Make sure your laptop has built-in Wi-Fi wireless networking. You will want one that supports the latest "g" version of Wi-Fi. If you plan on synching your PDA with your laptop or using your cell phone as a modem, make sure your laptop also has Bluetooth wireless networking for short-range connections.

The best advice is this. Try before you buy. Just like buying that car, how the all-important test drive is always such a deal breaker, trying the laptop before you plunk down your money is really the best thing you can do. Find a store, or a friend/colleague, and poke around on some machines for a few minutes. Does the keyboard feel good? Does the screen look good? Is it heavy? Aside from whether it has the recommended 2-3 USB ports, the right slots for your digital camera, and the "g" wireless card, the deciding factor will be: Do you like it?

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