MillPondNews - Source of News and PR: Notebooks - Size vs. Practicality Notebooks - Size vs. Practicality ================================================================================ GlenVil on 04/03/2010 16:16:00 The market for portable computers is filled with varying styles, sizes, and price ranges. From mininotebooks that offer enough power for basic email, word processing, and Web use to number-crunching, big-screen notebooks that can handle work with large databases and 1080p video playback. Likely, your business needs are something in between. Will the newest mini-notebooks offer enough speed for business travelers to get work done efficiently? Or should you invest in a full-sized notebook that covers the variety of work your employees may need to perform on the road. We'll detail what type of performance you can expect at given price ranges and sizes to help you select the laptop that perfectly suits your needs. What Is A Mininotebook? A mininotebook, also referred to as a netbook, is a laptop that features Intel's Atom processor. Atom is the extremely small (60% smaller than a typical notebook CPU), energy-efficient technology that lets vendors create exceptionally thin, lightweight laptops. Typically, a mininotebook will also feature 512MB or 1GB of memory, a hard drive with 160 to 250GB of storage, and Wi-Fi connectivity. However, mininotebook vendors typically don't include an optical drive for reading CDs and DVDs, and they often offer fewer connectivity ports (USB and FireWire) than what is on traditional notebooks; and they place the hardware within a case that features a 10-to 12-inch display. These may seem like key features to leave out, but due to the power limitations of the Atom processor, most mini-notebooks struggle when playing back video at high resolutions and aren't capable of efficiently working with large databases or complex applications that may need to utilize the extra connectivity ports. Mininotebooks equipped with Nvidia's Ion graphics processor are the exception to video playback limitations. Ion performs the processing of HD media and video games rather than the Atom processor. However, the Ion won't help improve productivity with mininotebooks for people who need to work with large spreadsheets or extensive client databases. On the plus side, the technological exclusions help keep mininotebooks affordable and portable. And if all workers need to do is access the Web or use basic office applications, such as Microsoft Word or PowerPoint (provided the presentation isn't filled with video clips), a mininotebook may be the ideal option. For travelers who rely on Microsoft Outlook for email, calendar, and notes, performance will be a bit slower than you're used to— especially if you regularly run up against your company's personal folder size limit—but not unusable. Another downside that you'll want to consider is that many mininotebooks have operating systems that may not be compatible with some of your company's software. Most of these computers run Windows XP Home, while some offer Windows 7 Starter Edition, which does not support all the features, such as Bit-Locker encryption, found in the Home Premium, Professional, and Ultimate versions of Win7. Older models may include a version of Linux, and many workers may be unfamiliar with the Linux OS. What Is A Notebook? A notebook should include all the bells and whistles you have come to expect in a PC. It should provide a desktop-like experience, which includes the ability to connect a variety of peripherals, play and burn DVDs, and provide a work space on a display that is between 13 and 18 inches wide. And as long as you purchase a current model, your notebook should include between 2 and 4GB of memory and a dual- or quad-core processor—meaning the notebook will be capable of handling demanding business applications, such as stock market analysis, CAD, or photo-editing programs. Lenovo's ThinkPad T400 (starting at $739; www.lenovo .com), for example, features an Intel Core 2 Duo processor (which can be configured at speeds up to 3.06GHz); Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity; a 2MP Web cam and built-in microphone; and a DVD or BD (Blu-ray Disc) burner. These features are fairly typical for a high-end business notebook, and although a mini-notebook may offer some of these features, there is not enough space inside the miniature case for all the hardware. Display and keyboard size is a concern for some people who need to work on their laptops for a few (or more hours each day. Mininotebooks typically feature a compact keyboard that may not be comfortable to work on all day long, which may also lead to entry and typing errors. Most notebooks, such as the Lenovo ThinkPad T400, offer a full-sized keyboard and a display that's comparable to that of a desktop monitor. In addition to your typical notebook hardware, business users may also require greater security. For example, many business notebooks offer a fingerprint reader to authenticate your identity rather than relying on a password that could be stolen or discovered by spy-ware. In most cases, businesses can set up two-factor authentication, where you'll need both a fingerprint and a password to access the notebook. You could purchase a USB fingerprint reader to connect to a mininotebook, but then your employee using the computer would need to have the fingerprint reader with him at all times. Another option is the inclusion of a TPM (Trusted Platform Module), which is a tiny chip that encrypts data and authenticates your notebook over the VPN. And with the BitLocker Drive Encryption feature built into some versions of Windows Vista and Win7, business notebooks can now use the TPM chip to encrypt the entire OS and data stored on the drive. If the information stored on a notebook contains sensitive corporate data, the inclusion of TPM may be a necessity that would be difficult to find on current mininotebooks. You'll also need to consider the amount of hard drive space business travelers will need, especially if thev travel with a collection of training videos or CAD files. It is also something to consider if the employee would need to travel with an external hard drive to store the large files.