Category: laptops

This year s best rated laptops seem to have one thing in common. They are all called Apples. They have taken this honor from several leading computing and electronics magazines, and the trends in sales seem to suggest that consumers are feeling the same warm way about them, too.

Laptops such as the PowerBook and iBook have helped Apple stand tall among the other major players in the computing world, such as Dell, IBM, Compaq, and HP. In 2004 alone, Apple announced that it had an overall net income growth of 300 percent. That equaled a profit of $295 million in the last quarter. If you own Apple stock, that must make you smile.

Single computer model sales show the same trend. For instance, the iPod desktop version disappeared off the shelves at the rate of 4.5 million per year. The iMac tripled its sales. It share of the international market may still be lagging behind, though. Dell still has top honors with 18 percent of the world market. HP comes in a close second with 16 percent. And in a distant third, IBM brings in 6 percent of the share. Still, Apple is getting the press lately that could put a dent in those figures.

First and foremost, keep your eye on the basics: the hard ware. Computers essentially need three things to run. They ought to have ample hard drive room to store vast amounts of files, programs, and other information without fear of running out of space. 
Then they need a lightening quick processor to juice up your online experience and the speed of your applications. Finally, do not underestimate the need of RAM. This short-term memory is what essentially runs open applications, so the more of it your computer has, the faster and more multi-tasking it can do.

Next, assess the accessories that a laptop offers. Accessories should focus on a laptop s main benefit over desktops, which is, of course, mobility. Depending on what you need you notebook for, this mobility could mean wireless Wi Fi technology, USB and FireWire ports, and mobile chip technologies like Intel s new Centrino.

Finally, there are the intangibles that make a computer great. Body weight, chassis style, screen size, battery life these are the things that some people overlook. But if you want one of the best rated computer laptops, you need to take all of these factors into consideration.