Imagine having the whole world at your fingertips wherever you go. With the convenience of portable notebook computers, you can do just that. By carrying around an extra six or so pounds, you have the ability to access the Internet, send email, create documents and much more, virtually anywhere you go.

A notebook computer is a portable version of a desktop computer. Like the familiar desktop computers, notebooks come with an internal processor, memory (RAM), a hard drive (for data storage), a keyboard, a built-in color monitor and a modem. The reason why these portables are called 'notebooks' is because they're about the size of a typical paper notebook (usually 9" x 12" and about an inch and a half thick). An average notebook weighs about 6 to 8 pounds, with the battery. Some models may be lighter and smaller but may come with smaller screens and less built-in features.

Virtually all notebooks have special bays for installing a CD-ROM or floppy drive. Higher-priced models may also include a DVD-ROM drive or a CD-Recording drive. All notebooks come with a flat-panel screen (either DSTN or TFT), measured diagonally in inches. Most screens measure from 11 inches to about 15 inches. Smaller notebooks typically have screens smaller than 11". As a rule, almost all notebooks include a rechargeable battery and an AC adapter. J&R carries notebook PC models from Toshiba, Sony, Hewlett-Packard, Compaq, and more. These all use a Microsoft Windows operating system. There are notebook-like computers made by Apple Macintosh, but these are called iBooks or PowerBooks and they use a current version of an Apple operating system.

When portability and space are an issue, a notebook helps get the job done. If you already have a desktop computer at home and are looking for something to use while on the go, a notebook computer is an ideal solution for you. Having a notebook computer will allow you to use your notebook at home or at the office and bring it back and forth. If, on the other hand, you don't have a desktop computer and you're buying a computer for the first time, your options may vary. Notebook computers today perform so efficiently that the only difference between it and a desktop is sometimes the size. If you buy a notebook computer, you'll be able to use it at home, work, school - almost anywhere. However, if you buy a desktop computer and need to take your computer with you, you can't. Most notebooks computers today are made with ports to help turn your notebook into a desktop. When it comes to expansion, however, you may find that notebook computers are very limited compared with desktops.

A mouse is a pointing device. Mice are usually separate units that you move freely beside your desktop computer's keyboard. Notebooks come with built-in pointing devices. Some notebook computer mice come in the form of a little rubber button that you can move freely in any direction with a light push of a finger. This button is usually placed between the G and the H keys on notebook keyboards. Many Toshiba and IBM notebooks use this technology. Other notebooks have built-in touchpads, which are small touch-sensitive pads, usually located directly beneath the built-in keyboard. More and more notebooks now come with touchpads. Few portable computers still come with trackballs. Before buying a notebook, find out which of the three navigation options you are more comfortable with.

Notebook computers have most of the standard ports included with a desktop computer, but fewer in quantity. All notebooks have the ability to accept devices like an external keyboard or mouse via a Parallel, Serial, PS2 or USB port. Some notebooks also come with a PCMCIA card slot for additional expansion, and may even come with a dedicated game port. Although very rare, some notebooks come with a FireWire port for the fastest data transfer capabilities. Connect almost any peripheral such as a scanner, digital camera, and printer to your notebook computer using available interface ports. Notebook ports are usually located on the back panel or the sides of the unit.

Most notebook computers we carry at J&R come with disc drives. For the most part, typical notebook computers have built-in hard drives, CD-ROM drives, and floppy drives. Some notebook computers also have what may be referred to as a selectable bay, which means one slot in a notebook computer can be used to interchange a disc drive and a CD drive or even a battery pack. There is a class of notebooks that are designed to be more compact and lighter in weight than most notebooks - the Subnotebook. Subnotebooks usually have a built-in hard drive but the floppy-disc drive (usually optional) or CD-ROM requires external connection to one of the ports.

Every computer has a central processor, which essentially functions as the "brain" of any computer. The central processor manages and processes all the steps that are required by the program application. There are two leading (and competing) processor manufacturers on the market: Intel and AMD. Intel makes Celeron and Pentium series processors. AMD manufactures Duron and Athlon processors. While there may be arguments over which processor offers better performance, for most home and small office applications, there is virtually no difference.

The big issue with processors is how fast they operate. The speed of currently-produced central processors for desktop computers ranges from 500MHz (MHz = Million cycles per second) to over 1GHz (GHz=Billion cycles per second). Processing speed is really dependent on your needs. For accounting or word-processing, speed is not an issue. If you are interested in high-level graphics and multimedia applications, a higher speed processor is highly recommended. The use of a faster processor also adds to the selling price of the notebook. Faster processing may also contribute to increased battery power drain, when being used as a portable.

How fast a notebook you need depends on how you intend to use your it. Will you be taking it to work for multimedia presentations, or for typing important notes and letters? Will you use it at home for downloading music and editing photos or taking it with you on business trips so you can email your contacts? Different functions require more or less processor speed. In general, applications that use graphics and multimedia will require more speed. Ideal processor speed for these types of applications are anywhere from 600-850MHz. For word processing and other simple applications, a 500MHz processor will suffice.

Another thing to remember about processors is the faster they are, the quicker they drain battery power. Processors designed for portable use are designed for greater energy efficiency. Intel has developed a certain technology for their notebook processors called SpeedStep. It allows you to select the operating speed and performance to help optimize battery use.

The amount of RAM (Random Access Memory) that your computer needs is associated with the number of applications (programs) you have running at the same time. The operating system (Windows) and each program that you use requires a certain amount of RAM space. If you plan on having several programs in use at one time and if you create large files, you need more workspace for overall efficiency. Most notebook computers come with either 64MB (MB= 1 Million characters of memory) or more. 64MB RAM is considered sufficient for most portable computer needs, while more RAM (about 128MB) is ideal for notebooks that will run professional multimedia applications. Lesser-priced models come with 32MB of RAM, and higher-priced brands come with up to 128MB of RAM. Some notebooks allow the upgrading of RAM space of up to 264MB.

Most notebook computers come with a lithium-ion rechargeable battery. These batteries look and feel very much like video camcorder battery packs. A fully-charged notebook battery pack will last on average two to three hours. Some notebooks give you the option of adding an additional battery pack, which may give you an additional two hours. Different computer functions and applications drain the battery power faster than others. Faster notebook processors are known to eat away at battery life too. Because notebooks operate on a battery, the technology in them usually slows the processor down, trying to save battery energy. Intel has actually developed a technology called SpeedStep to solve this very problem. SpeedStep gives you control over the speed and performance of the Intel processor in your notebook. When choosing slightly slower processing speeds, battery life may be extended.

Video Graphics memory is memory specifically devoted to images. It allows graphics to be processed more speedily and efficiently. Processing text takes less memory than processing images. If you deal with images and graphics on your notebook computer (perhaps for multimedia presentations, or editing video), make sure you have enough Video Memory. Video memory enhances the ability to view text, photographs, illustrations or even movies on your computer screen. Many entry-level notebooks come with 4 to 8MB of SDRAM (Super Dynamic Random Access Memory) or VRAM (Video Random Access Memory). Some higher-priced models may have 16MB memory or more and are capable of delivering professional 2D and 3D graphics. Notebook video memory is usually not upgradeable. Some notebook computers include video boards that allow you to connect a VCR, TV or Camcorder to input and output video images.

RAM is not to be confused with hard disk storage capacity. If we consider RAM your working space on a desk, then the desk drawers would be the hard drive, where you store programs and data files. Hard disk space is measured in bytes like RAM, but the hard drive has much larger storage capacity. Most notebook hard drive capacities range from 4GB to 40GB. The internal hard drive is usually not replaceable in most notebook computers. There are, however, fairly wide selections of external hard drives that have been designed to attach to your notebook for extended hard disk storage capacity.

A CD is a Compact Disc and stores about 650MB of memory per disc. Most computer software today comes in the form of a CD, which is why notebooks need a CD-ROM as an essential functioning drive. A CD-ROM drive means that it can only play or read data from recorded CDs. Now there are recordable and rewritable CD drives where you have the option of saving files (music, video or data) onto a CD, but you can only do so with a special "burner" or CD Writer drive, also known as a CD-RW drive. CD-RW drive may also read standard CDs. Only a few notebook computers come with an integrated CD-RW drive, but we expect them to become more prevalent. There are also CD-RW drives that can be connected through one of your notebook's ports.

A DVD is a Digital Versatile Disc and stores about 4.7GB to 17GB of memory per disc. While many notebook computers still only have CD-ROM drives, CD-RW and even DVD-ROM drives are becoming more common. Most DVD-ROMs can read both CDs and CD-RWs along with DVDs. Although extremely rare, there are DVD-RAM drives that can record, using special recordable DVDs. Several models of notebook computers may include a DVD-ROM drive. DVD-RAM drives are rarely included in a notebook computer but external DVD-RAM drives are optionally available.

Data transfer rates refer to the speed at which data is transferred from the drives (whether CD-ROM, CD-RW, or DVD-ROM) to a notebook computer. The original transfer rate from a CD-ROM is 150KB/sec. 2X is twice that rate, 3X would be triple that rate, and so on. The normal transfer rate from a DVD-ROM is 350KB/sec. The higher the number before the X, the faster the rate of transfer. Most CD-ROM transfer rates for notebooks are 24X. However, these rates are usually insignificant to some extent, because the rate of transfer from any CD-ROM to a drive also depends on the speed already encrypted in the written software.

A modem is, very simply put, a device that allows your computer to communicate through a phone line. You need a modem in your notebook computer in order to access the Internet. Modem speeds are measured in BPS (bits per second), and most notebooks today come with an internal 56K modem. Some higher-end models now come with a DSL modem, which downloads information close to ten times the rate of 56K modems. DSL connections require a monthly service charge from your local phone company. Upgrading modem speeds is also an option, if you feel the connection is too slow.

Most notebook computers today come with a standard 56K modem, which is the fastest modem for regular telephone lines. Where certain notebooks offer an RJ45 Ethernet connectivity port, you may select the option of using a DSL or Cable modem for Internet access at much higher speeds.

All notebook computers have a built-in, flat-panel color screen that serves like the monitor in a typical desktop computer system. These screens use either DSTN (Dual-Scan) or TFT (Active-Matrix) technology. There may be a significant difference in price among models that have DSTN or TFT screens. In general, DSTN works fine if you don't plan to view things in motion. With DSTN technology, motion may appear to be slighted jagged, whereas with TFT technology, motion appears smooth. TFT offers much brighter images with exceptional contrast. Computers with TFT technology will usually cost $200-$400 more, when a choice is available. DSTN is usually found on entry-level models. Most DSTN screens offer good performance at VGA (640x480) or SVGA (800x600) resolution settings. TFT screens can deliver higher XGA (1024x768) resolution, which is among the sharpest images available. Most notebook displays range in size from 11 inches to 15 inches.

All PC notebooks come with a current version of Microsoft Windows, the fundamental operating systems for all PCs. Portable Macintosh computers, manufactured by Apple, are called iBooks or PowerBooks. These computers come with a version of the Apple OS (operating system).

Most notebook computers weigh between 6 to 8 pounds, including the rechargeable battery. Their general size is about 1-Inch High x 12-Inch Long and 9-Inch deep. Notebooks have built-in screens that are 10-Inches (diagonal) or more. A new generation of notebook computers, subnotebooks, have been designed for busy mobile users seeking to minimize weight and size. All of these weigh less than 6 pounds including the battery, and have smaller screens (11" or less measured diagonally). As you reduce size, however, you may lose certain features. The CD-ROM and floppy drives that are included with many standard size notebooks may be external (and optional) in subnotebooks.

With interface or connectivity ports, computer users have the ability to connect numerous external devices. Interface ports may be located on the back or sides of your notebook. These ports allow you to attach a printer, scanner, keyboard, modem, external drive and more. There may also be ports for sound and video input and output. Most notebook computers come with Parallel, Serial, USB and now even FireWire ports, among others.

Notebooks also have a special expansion slot. It has been called a PCMCIA Type 3 slot, although most refer to it as a PC Cardbus slot. There are many peripherals that are made for use with it. It may also be used to read (and write to) memory cards used with digital cameras.

The most common use for parallel ports is for connecting printers. Other peripherals such as backup drives may also connect to a parallel port. Most notebook computers still come with just one parallel port. You can hook two devices up to one parallel port using a pass-through adapter. However, both devices cannot be used at the same time.

USB stands for Universal Serial Bus and is one type of interface port that you may find on your notebook computer. There may be more than one USB port on your notebook, and they are used for connecting devices to your computer. A USB connection allows for fast transfer of information between your computer and a device. Adding a scanner, digital camera or other gadget becomes easier and transfer rates of data become quicker than a parallel port connection.

FireWire is one of the fastest peripheral interfaces available today, which makes it great for use with multimedia peripherals like video camcorders, hard disk drives and printers, among others. Its transfer rate is 400Mbps, and has 30 times more bandwidth than USB.

FireWire is sometimes also termed iLink or IEEE1394. Many video and audio professionals are now turning to FireWire because of its high speed, flexible connectivity and the ability to link as many as 63 devices. Using FireWire, transferring digital video becomes easy and quick. Many new video camcorders now record in this digital format. This format has simplified the process of editing recorded video forever. Recorded digital video is usually stored on a special tape called MiniDV, or Digital 8. Once transferred onto a PC, using a high-speed FireWire port, and using certain software, the digital footage may be edited and enhanced, then transferred back to the digital camcorder with ease.

Although somewhat rare among notebook computers, the FireWire port is beginning to appear on several new models. If you plan to work with transferring video and audio from external devices to your notebook, this port can be very important.