Fast Forward Live: Shopping for a Laptop?

Rob Pegoraro (The Post)

Fast Forward columnist Rob Pegoraro was online to talk about The Washington Post's annual guide to laptop computers.

An edited transcript follows:

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Rob Pegoraro: Laptops seem to be on everybody's mind these days, to judge from the market research and from all the questions we've got here today. So let's get started with today's show...

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Upper Marlboro, Md.: I read your article in the Post yesterday, very informative.

Question:

1. I recently bought a laptop. It came with the 802.11b wireless LAN. Is it upgradeable and if so, it the upgrade worth it? Which wireless LAN is best?

2. USB flash drives come in 1.1 and 2.0. Should I only buy the 2.0 since they are faster? As you know, several companies manufacture them, do you have a bias for one brand over the other?

Rob Pegoraro: You're welcome... glad you liked yesterday's package on laptops.

1) Maybe. It depends if your laptop's WiFi circuitry is contained on a replaceable card (usually mini-PCI or PC Card format). But I wouldn't bother, at least not now. 802.11b works just fine, and for all uses except sharing video and (maybe) audio, it's more than fast enough.

2) For drives under, say, 64 MB, the extra speed of USB 2.0 isn't going to make that much difference in the real world. If you can go 2.0 for just, say, $10 or so more, I'd go for it. But I wouldn't pay 1/3 or 1/2 more for that speed boost unless I was buying a larger-capacity flash drive.

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Future Buyer: Which laptops have the fastest Internet connections?

Rob Pegoraro: All of them. Every laptop you could buy these days includes an Ethernet port that runs at 100 million bits per second (megabits per second, or just Mbps). That is about 10 times faster than any Internet connection you can get at home, or will be likely to get at home at any point in the next few years.

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McLean, Va.:

Hi-

I am thinking of getting a new laptop. I want one with a DVD player. However, I might be moving to another country for my job (probably Europe, maybe Canada) and I was wondering if it's possible to get a player that will play different formats of DVDs in a laptop. Any suggestions? Thanks.

Rob Pegoraro: Excellent question--it effectively spotlights the unfairness of the DVD region-coding system, which keeps you from being able to watch movies bought overseas on hardware purchased here, and vice versa.

Fortunately, a number of developers have been able to reverse-engineer the software needed to play DVDs on computers. That's allowed them to produce software that ignores region coding; I wrote about this in a column a few weeks back.

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Silver Spring, Md.: From what I can tell, laptops are currently running four different Intel processors: Pentium 4, 4-M, M, and Centrino. A fifth (codename Dothan) is due in October. This kind of overlap doesn't make a lot of sense from a business or efficiency point of view, but that aside, can you help make sense of the differences here. Is the Centrino worth the premium given that its current processor speed is half that of Pentium 4 or 4-M and its WLAN (b) will soon be outdated with (g)? Is it worth it to wait for the increases cache of the Dothan processor? Battery life is important to me, but not at the expense of one-half processor speed. How powerful a processor does a laptop really need anyway? So many questions . . .

Rob Pegoraro: I blame Intel for a lot of this confusion--its ads for Centrino have been wildly misleading. Centrino isn't a chip at all, but a package of chips, including WiFi, that are built around the Pentium M processor. I.e., there isn't a "Centrino" processor at all.

The Pentium M chip *is* worth paying extra for. Its clock speed is not an accurate indication of its real speed at all--yes, this is the exact same thing that AMD and Apple have been saying for years.

But the Centrino package isn't worth paying extra for. I'd rather get a laptop with a Pentium M chip, but with a WiFi receiver that supported the faster standards (while I don't recommend paying extra to upgrade from 802.11b to 802.11g, I do think it's worth buying g instead of b if you're starting now--the cost difference is becoming negligible).

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Wheaton, Md.: I know that desktops are fairly easy to upgrade, and so it isn't essential to get all the bells and whistles when buying. What about laptops? Can one easily "upgrade" video cards, RAM, hard drives, optical drives as they become available (and as budget allows) or are you "stuck" with what you initially purchase?

Rob Pegoraro: Basically, you're stuck. The only user-servicable system component in most laptops is the memory. Video circuitry is often embedded in the motherboard. In some cases, you can upgrade the hard drive and optical drive, but these upgrades also usually cost more than desktop component upgrades would.

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Arlington, Va.: Rob -- Do you recommend any of the lightweight Sharp laptops? Thanks.

Rob Pegoraro: Heh. I reviewed Sharp's Actius MM10 in May. I had high hopes for this little machine. But I found it to be one of the worst-designed laptops I have ever used.

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Parkville, Md.: I know this isn't a "serious" question, Rob but...

I've gotta confess, I've been enduring sleepless nights lately wondering how cool it must be to lay back on the couch and play games of the "Age of Empires" variety on a Tablet PC.

Am I right, or is there something about Windows XP Tablet Edition that prevents this from being as cool as I imagine it to be?

Rob Pegoraro: Probably the limited video circuitry in most Tablet PCs. They're not built for games at all. AoE might work even so, but if you want to play games from the couch I'd stick with a conventional laptop, one with the best graphics card you can get.

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Alexandria, Va.: I want...and this may sound crazy...a dresser-top PC. We've had our PC upstairs from its normal basement home for a while because of post-flood remodeling, and it's about time to move it back down, but I like the convenience of a PC in the bedroom. I'm thinking of a used laptop for space reasons, but having it most always on AC power and either a 802.11b or CAT-5 connection. How old can I go and support 802.11b? Win98? 500mhz?

Rob Pegoraro: WiFi isn't really processor dependent, but the operating system does matter (most add-on cards require Win 98, but some insist on 98 SE, I think). Most important, you need a PC Card slot available for the receiver.

But if you're definitely not going to move this computer, I would recommend you also look into buying a used all-in-one computer like the Gateway Profile, Sony Vaio W or Apple iMac.

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Newbury Park, Calif.: Been confused about buying a 600m or a 5100 Dell laptop. Main issues for me are price, performance (I?m not a game player), expansion flexibility, in house wifi. Agree with you that weight is a key point, but mobility outside my home is occasional. Thanks for your advice Rob.

Rody

Rob Pegoraro: Normally, I'd recommend the 600m over the 5100, just on portability and battery-life concerns. The 5100 uses a desktop Pentium 4 chip; it really is designed for just room-to-room use. So that might make it a better fit for your uses--provided, as I wrote, that your uses don't change after you get this thing home.

Also, I have to reiterate (again!) my speech on performance: Unless you're editing video, any new computer is more than fast enough for just about every task you're likely to put it use at home.

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Arlington, Va.: My organization conducts a lot of PowerPoint presentations that include embedded mpeg video. What should we be considering in our next laptop to insure smooth and consistent video playback on a variety of projectors? In addition to a fast processor and lots of RAM, I assume the graphics/video card is key? But haven't found much that speaks to video results over graphics. Instead the reviews are normally geared towards gamers.

Rob Pegoraro: I would point you to my last answer--unless you're trying to play back high-definition video in your PowerPoint deck, I would be exceedingly surprised if you saw any issues in playback with even "low end" laptops these days.

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Annandale, Va.: Hi Rob,

I'm sending my son off to college. Can you recommend a basic laptop that's durable?

Rob Pegoraro: No. Well, not without more info. Does your son's college recommend any particular operating system or manufacturer?

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Boston: Hi Rob:

I have an IBM Thinkpad I-series laptop-- 1400 and I love it like an old blanket. However.. I want a wireless card and can't have one on the laptop unless I buy extra stuff. Me thinks it's time to get a new IBM laptop. What say you on the matter? My oldie but goody is running 98 and ms office 2000.

Rob Pegoraro: If you want to use it on the road, I'd look at the T and X series (I've got an X30 at home that I love--only about 3 lbs. with the optical-drive slice detached!). If you don't need to take the laptop places, the R series we looked at could work too.

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Fairfield, Conn.: I will getting a Bluetooth installation on my new car, which is great for phone stuff. How could this be used in conjunction with a laptop?

Thanks, Gil

Rob Pegoraro: Bluetooth in your car?! Which model?

I don't know if you could use that with a laptop or not. It depends on the Bt software on the laptop, and how well it might talk to your car. In a practical sense, though, there's this: How on Earth are you going to use a laptop while driving a car?

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Arcadia, Calif.: Hi Rob--

I am in the market for a laptop to buy for law school (where wireless is required), and I have been intrigued by the Acer Travelmate 800-series models, which seem to be feature-packed and well-designed. I haven't read too many reviews of this computer or the company in general, however; what insight can you provide?

thanks very much -- A.K.

Rob Pegoraro: Not much either. Any Acer laptop users who can share their experiences and help out Arcadia?

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Alexandria, Va.: What's your recommendation (Brand and model) for a very lightweight but reliable laptop? I don't need much memory or speed, and the only accessory I want is a CD-RW drive. I'm concerned that lightweight laptops have maintenance and-frequency-of-repair problems; how light can a computer be without maintenance problems? I'm willing to pay a premium price.

Rob Pegoraro: There really isn't a thing as "too light" in terms of maintenance issues. If the manufacturer designed the thing right and it's not beaten up in daily use, it should be every bit as reliable as a larger laptop. You should certainly be able to get what you're looking for in a four-pound machine (iBook, PowerBook 12-inch, Sony Vaio 505); you can go lower, but it may require accepting an external CD-RW unit (e.g., Toshiba Protege R100)

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Washington, D.C.: I'm looking to buy one of the higher-end desktop replacement systems like the Dell D800 or Compaq X1000. I'm in no rush to buy, as the $1400-1700 price tag is a little much. I'm willing to wait four or five months. What do you think these systems will be going for in December or January?

Rob Pegoraro: Going by past pricing behavior, you could reasonably expect a system of comparable power to cost a couple hundred dollars less by the end of the year.

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Edmonton, Alberta: I use demanding image and data processing applications, and need to get an external hard drive, 200GB or more, along with laptop I'm buying (probably Toshiba Tecra M1, or perhaps Dell Inspiron 600M or Thinkpad R40). I've read reviews, telling of drive failure after a few months and other problems. Any recommendations for a reliable large capacity external hard drives?

Thanks, Katie

Rob Pegoraro: I haven't heard of such problems myself, but it's also not a category I've looked into much. The one recommendation I can offer--although it does drastically limit your choice of laptop--is to get a "bus-powered" FireWire drive. This lets the drive run off the laptop's own power, but it requires a full-sized, six-pin FireWire port, not the little four-pin ports most PC manufacturers stick with.

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Annapolis, Maryland: What do you think about the tablet PCs? Namely Toshiba's model that seems to have the power of a regular laptop. I'm looking to replace my standard laptop and get rid of those "scraps of paper" where I end up taking notes...

Rob Pegoraro: Great idea, bad implementation. A Tablet PC only really makes sense if everybody else you know uses one as well; otherwise, you're stuck with notes you've taken that can't easily be shared as anything but big graphics files.

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Washington, D.C.: Not a question but a comment: Anyone who doesn't need to buy a laptop right this second and is thinking about Apple might want to wait until after the MacWorld show in January. It seems likely that by then Apple will have announced new laptops that use the new, faster G5 processors.

(I'm not a shill for Apple, just someone who's been burned more than once by buying an Apple computer that was made obsolete just a few months later.)

Rob Pegoraro: Personally, I don't expect to see G5 laptops at Macworld SF--I think a G5 iMac is a much more likely prospect.

Then again, I also expected Apple to have updated the 15-in. PowerBook to match the 17-incher's features--illuminated keyboard, 802.11g WiFi, aluminum case--by now. But Apple is still selling what's now an increasingly old design. (Ditto for the iBook; it's a great machine, but it's past time Apple at least upgraded the WiFi and put in USB 2.0 ports).

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Los Angeles, Calif.: What's the latest on the timing of new Powerbooks from Apple? I've wanted to switch from my pc since March, but am waiting for an updated 15". My needs are: portability (I'm on the road a lot), getting e-mail, dvd burning, and ability to connect to a larger screen when back home so I can play with Photoshop (the 12" Powerbook doesn't connect to their digital monitors). Should I give up on Apple? My patience with Apple is wearing VERY thin! Thanks!!!

Rob Pegoraro: See, this is what I was talking about in my last response.

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Chicago: As you note in Fast Forward, laptop keyboards can sometimes be a bit annoying. The only thing I don't like about my iBook is the lack of stand-alone forward delete and page up/page down keys. (They're there, but you need to hit control.) Is there a way to program one of the useless function keys to take on some of these functions?

Rob Pegoraro: This is one of the rare times that Apple completely screws up a usability issue. The forward-delete function exists and doesn't need any extra software--but it's not labeled or even mentioned in the manual. Hold down the Fn key as you press the Del key.

The next release of Mac OS X, 10.3, will include a system-wide preference setting for user-designated keyboard shortcuts, so you'll also be able to remap keys at will with that.

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Alexandria Va.: What is the difference between a laptop and a notebook?

Rob Pegoraro: None.

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Austin, Texas: I've seen what appear to be pretty good deals on lower-end laptops, sometimes refurbished. But typically these systems don't have a DVD reader.

I'm not planning to watch movies (apparently battery life would complicate this anyway). So how much do I really need DVD? Is basic software going to be distributed on DVD in the next couple of years?

Rob Pegoraro: The failure of DVD-ROM as a software-distribution medium is really kinda shocking. It's just never taken off. I can think of only a few titles that ship on DVDs at all--Encarta and some of the multiple-disc home publishing and genealogy programs. If you're not going to watch movies, you can get by fine with just a CD-RW drive.

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Boerne, Texas: Yah as far as Acer goes I would probably stay away. My brother had one and it didn't even last 12 months before having a motherboard failure. Then again that is just one experience, but be careful and make sure you get a good warranty.

Rob Pegoraro: One report about Acer laptops...

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Portland, Ore.: I recently bought a Dell laptop and here's why. 5% student discount for a great computer and next day service if anything ever goes wrong. Not that anything ever does. I have owned four Dell computers and have only had to call Tech Support once, occuring when a printer was improperly packaged and was damaged in transit. They sent out a new one the next day via express mail. In short, going with Dell is worth it because although you pay a little extra $, the service and reliability are much better.

Rob Pegoraro: ... meanwhile, this reader is happy with Dell.

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Olney, Md.: Hey, Rob. I really look forward to your columns, but I just wanted to present a couple of caveats to your last column.

I have a Dell Inspiron 8200 that is very heavy and gets very hot. I still think it's the right choice for me, even though I take it on the road a couple of times a year, mostly because I have a Kensington saddlebag carrying case, which has backpack straps. Now I admit that I am taller and wider than average, but for many people carrying 10-15 pounds or more on their back is not going to be exceedingly arduous...as long as you take non-stop flights or have PLENTY of time between connections! I really wanted the 15" screen and faster processor, and I got to watch a couple of DVDs on my last business trip.

I would provide one tip to anyone who wants to take a laptop to watch DVDs on a plane: you may not be able to angle your screen back far enough to get the optimum viewing angle. But I figured out a trick...just put the edge of your keyboard on your belly or chest, and pull the hinge closer to you on the tray. You'll have plenty of room for the largest screens, even in coach...as long as you don't care what you look like.

You mentioned that you can save money by adding memory after you purchase your laptop. But if you've never owned a laptop before, just make sure you're pricing the right memory. And you might want to consider an external USB memory card reader as a cheaper alternative to built-in slots. I got mine free with my digital camera.

Rob Pegoraro: Thanks for the comment. My own follow-up to your point would be that you can now get 15-inch screens without having to put up with 7-lb. laptops or pay over-$2,000 prices. You still do pay more for a five-lb., 15-inch laptop, but I would call that extra expense more than justified by the resulting reduction in physical pain.

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Clayton, Calif.: I see a lot of laptops now in the $800 range. What's your opinion on these?

Rob Pegoraro: Most of them, from what I've seen, are desktop-use laptops. They weigh a lot, and many only include CD-ROM drives. If your budget is that tight, I would recommend getting a desktop instead.

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Laurel, Md.: I enjoyed your article last Sunday regarding notebooks and the features to look for. I found the article very informative and written for non-computer savvy people like myself, however I was left with a few questions I hope you can answer.

I am a self employed college student and I am in the market to buy a notebook. This device will be used mainly for invoicing, paying bills, and surfing the web as I only have one class left. I do not want to spend over $1,500 including the extended warranty. What brands do you suggest I purchase and why, keeping in mind that I know I need at least a 2.0 processor, a "B" WiFi(but I'd like a "G"), and 512 MB.

Rob Pegoraro: Why do you need a 2.0 GHz processor? The answer is you don't--none of those uses you cited would even require a 1 GHz chip. Spend the extra cash on the memory if you must, not the processor.

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San Diego, Calif.: Recently you reviewed a preinstalled version of Lindows. Are you considering a review of Mandrake Linux preinstalled on an HP?

Rob Pegoraro: I reviewed Lindows last year, not that recently--but I do have a writer trying out Lindows 4.0. We should have that review in print pretty soon.

No plans at the moment to review this Mandrake-on-HP bundle, since I think this is the first I've heard of it. Is this available to consumers?

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Washington, D.C.: New computers - even laptops - seem to be overkill for the Web surfing and other light tasks (word processing, basic financial programs) I need it for. On the other hand, the stability of Windows XP would be nice. Are there any barebones new models (under $500 would be ideal), or should I start hunting for a used one?

Rob Pegoraro: If your computer's not that old, just buy the upgrade to XP--that's $100--and extra memory (256 MB is the realistic minimum for XP). No need to buy an entirely new PC in that case.

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Locust Grove, Va.: Older versions of battery packs were mostly NiCad and they would develop a memory ie- the battery's chemical's function would discharge to a limit because over time it would not be fully discharged/recharged. This of course results in loss of life for a laptop. I understand the newer lithium chemical battery does not have that problem. This should result in much better battery life for the laptops using this pack. Am I correct and if so do most of the newer laptops have lithium/iron cells?

Rob Pegoraro: Lithium-ion batteries are just about standard these days--not just in laptops, either. You're correct that they don't have a memory effect. But the speed it takes to charge them really varies by each model. My understanding is that li-ion doesn't have a particular advantage in terms of recharge rate.

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Rob Pegoraro: BTW, I have a question of my own for all y'all: If you've installed the AOL 9.0 upgrade that the service released to members on Friday, how do you like it? E-mail me at rob@twp.com with your thoughts.

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Greasy Corners, Okla.: Lots of manufacturers are now exclusively or primarily mail order. When choosing a laptop, the physical feel of the computer is just as important as the specs. What tips do you have for choosing a laptop via mail order? Is it possible, for example, to try out a Dell laptop before you buy?

Rob Pegoraro: Yes--if you can find a friend with a Dell laptop. Otherwise, you can inspect the laptop photos up close and read reviews. It is an inherent problem with buying laptops sight unseen, since the hardware varies much more between different models than is the case w/ desktops.

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Washington, D.C. : I just returned a 600m to Dell. It worked great, except for the integrated wireless. I even hired a professional technician to come to my home, and he spent 2 hours on the phone with Dell trying to get the machine to talk to a Linksys base station -- no luck. The technician said that integrated units like the one I had have been a problem, and that I should be a wireless upgradeable laptop. Your opinion?

Rob Pegoraro: I don't agree with the technician. There's *nothing* about integrated WiFi that makes it somehow buggier than add-on WiFi. Nothing at all. It's the same basic chips (made by only a handful of vendors) inside the receiver.

Was your 600m a Centrino model, or did it feature Dell's 802.11g receiver? I ask because the Centrino label is supposed to mean the WiFi chipset has been tested exhaustively to prevent the kind of compatibility problems that stopped you.

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Wheaton, Md.: Will the writeable-DVD format war continue for the foreseen future? If so, which format makes most sense for a laptop?

Rob Pegoraro: DVD+RW. It has the best balance between ease of use as a rewritable medium (you can use it like a big hard drive) and compatibility with existing DVD hardware.

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Rob Pegoraro: BTW, a reader e-mailed me this post, saying he couldn't get it through to the LiveOnline server:

Olney, MD:

I like my Dell Inspiron 8200, but Dell's service bites. I recently had a conflict that kept crashing any program I tried to use to watch a DVD -- WinDVD, InterActual, even Windows Media Player. I called Dell and pointed out what file was causing the conflict, and even joked about replacing the file with a different version as I have done in the past. Well, for an HOUR they had me trying different System Restore points, and when that didn't work, they said to call back when I had the Windows CD-ROM available!

I got sick of it and searched my hard drive for all instances of that problem file, and sure enough, there was an OLDER version in the windows/system directory and a NEWER version in a couple of other places. I copied the older one to a safe place, replaced it with the newer version, and I was watching a movie within 2 minutes of hanging up with Dell.

They were nice, OK, but they have NO idea what they're doing.

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Alexandria, Va.: I live in a high rise condo. Is it possible to create a wi-fi network strictly for our use? Any idea of costs?

Rob Pegoraro: You can't stop the WiFi signal from leaking out of your condo, but you can secure it from unauthorized use if you'd like. That's a free feature with any WiFi base station. Some WiFi access points (e.g., Apple's AirPort Extreme) will also let you decrease the signal strength, so it doesn't radiate as far.

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Boerne, Texas: I'm starting at the University of Texas at Austin in a few weeks. They are basically telling us to stay away from mac because they just are not used in the engineering department. What would you recommend getting?

Rob Pegoraro: It sounds like you want to use a Mac, but are getting some discouragement from the e-school. I'd ask them what programs you need to use, not what hardware "everybody always uses." If the apps and data involved can be used on a cross-platform basis, then buy whatever you like. If this software is Windows only, then have a look at our review--and see if UT has any kind of discounts with any manufacturers (say, the very, very large manufacturer based up the road in Round Rock :)

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Gaithersburg, Md.: I was looking at the Dell line myself, and noticed that the machines with pentium M chips only have 14" screens, while the machines with the pentium 4s can have 15" screens. They apparently seem to think that anyone who wants a 15" screen doesn't care about battery life. Do you think that if I wait a few months, the M chip will take over the laptop market and I can get the M chip in anything I want, or do you think this kind of chip will be only used in the traveler's laptops in the forseeable future?

Rob Pegoraro: I'm not sure. The Pentium M really is a good chip, but Intel's stuck in a marketing box of its own creation--by Intel's traditional measurement of clock speed, it looks weak.

However, in our review we did cover some Pentium M machines with 15-inch LCDs, such as the Compaq X1000.

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somewhere, USA: This is more a comment than a question, and it's more about politics than laptops, but still....

Regarding the DVD-region issue. Has anybody noticed that this situation is especially unfortunate given the troubled world we're living in? It complicates the exchange of ideas (in the form of movies) between the U.S. and the rest of the world. And anything that even indirectly discourages Americans from learning more about the rest of the world just isn't real helpful at this point.

Rob Pegoraro: Interesting point, which I am glad to pass along here.

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Silver Spring, Md.: Just bought an iMac over the weekend. Love it thus far and am really interested in the dotMac features.

We have an old G3 (running on 9.2) on extended loan and need to transfer a whole lot of data to the new computer.

On a scale of 1 to 10, how easy is this going to be? Any suggestions for sources on how to do this? Presumably some version of AppleTalk, but I don't know how easy that works with the new OS.

Rob Pegoraro: It's not that hard. Get a crossover Ethernet cable (see if you can't borrow it from somebody's office, or just buy one from a computer store). Turn on AppleTalk and personal file sharing on both Macs, making sure each computer has a different name, connect their Ethernet ports with that cable, and designate the old Mac's entire hard disk as a shared folder. Then copy your stuff over.

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Washington, D.C. : Re: The returned 600m Dell question. FYI, it was a Centrino chip. The technician said that he had seen several laptops that refused to hold a 802.11b connection -- some were Dell, and some were Toshiba. Dell tech support was totally stumped -- I spent about 6 hours with tech support, and he spent 2 hours. Yet, my neighbor can stand next to my house and log on with his Compaq!;

Rob Pegoraro: Wow. I'll have to ask my Intel contacts about that.

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washDC linuxhead : having problems getting a Dell TrueMobile card to work under linux (redhat 9); no problems under windows, but who wants to wallow naked in shark-infested seas (which is what being on wireless net in windows feels like)?

Rob Pegoraro: I've yet to get my X30's WiFi hardware working in Red Hat myself (although I haven't put in any effort in a little while). I'll post this in case anybody online has solved this particular problem, but you might have to take this to the next user group meeting.

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Washington, D.C.: You just mentioned you have an IBM X-series laptop. How hard was it to get used to the little pointing stick? I've had Apple Powerbooks and a Dell laptop with a trackpad. I find them just as easy to use as a mouse, but every time I've tried an IBM I've given up in frustration.

Rob Pegoraro: It was--is--work. I've never liked the IBM "eraserhead" pointing stick; it took me a while to learn to use an easy touch with it. The problem is that, unlike touchpads, it provides no tactile feedback. It just stands there, motionless, in the middle of the keyboard. So your initial instinct is to shove your finger against it.

IBM's most recent ThinkPads now include touchpads as well as TrackPoints. Other manufacturers, such as Dell, that once included pointing sticks don't anymore. I think this design is on its way to being selected out of the laptop ecosystem.

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Not a laptop question: I'm looking for a pocket-sized digital camera, with at least 3x optical zoom, good image quality, at least 3 megapixel resolution, very short lag times for taking/viewing pictures, turning camera on, etc., and that uses SD memory (to be able to share with some other devices that I have). Any suggestions? The SD requirement seems to limit me to Pentax, Kodak, and Samsung; are there any other companies using SD cards that you know of?

Rob Pegoraro: Quite a few others, in fact. Here's my advice. Visit the Digital Camera Resource Page Web site (www.dcresource.com). Click the "reviews & info" link at the top, which lists all current models; you can prune that listing to show only SD-compatible models with 3 MP resolution.

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Houston: Which laptop is portable, has good performance, and the least amount of problems?

Rob Pegoraro: I'm sorry, but this is the kind of question that I cannot answer--as much as I wish I could, since I get it all the time. But a lot of different laptops match that sort of description. I need to know if you're shopping for a PC or Mac, how comfortable you are with smaller keyboards and screens, what sort of programs you'll use, etc.

Basically, if there were one "best" laptop, we'd all be using it, and our annual laptop guide would be a lot shorter.

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Reston, Va.: Rob,

Is Ebay the easiest way to get an older, used laptop? I'm looking for something cheap to burn images from a CF card onto a CD while on the road taking pictures. I'm looking basically for something slow and cheap with a CD burner ...

Thanks!

Rob Pegoraro: Easiest, but not risk free. I would much rather buy from somebody local, so I could inspect the laptop up close. A friend of mine got burned a couple of times on eBay purchases.

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Boerne, Texas: With the introduction of centrino and the Pentium-M is there any reason to go for a Pentium 4-M?

Rob Pegoraro: Sorry I missed this one before--it's a very good question. The answer, to go by what I've heard from Intel itself, is no. The company's own speed tests have shown that a 1.4 or 1.6 GHz Pentium M beats a 2.2 GHz Pentium 4-M. In terms of battery life, it's no contest at all.

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Reston, Va.: Rob,

I work for Apple as a Curriculum Developer in the Technical Training and Certification department, just lurking here. A minor point -- with all recent Macs going back a couple of years (and for that matter with some Wintel hardware these days), you don't need a crossover Ethernet cable -- the Ethernet ports will automatically detect and autonegotiate whether they're connected to a hub/switch or directly to another computer (Mac or otherwise). The person who needs to connect his old G3 and his new iMac can just use any old Ethernet cable and doesn't need to use a crossover cable.

Paul Suh
Curriculum Developer/Trainer
Technical Training and Certification
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Rob Pegoraro: Ah, tech support. But I thought Apple's desktop hardware didn't include auto-sensing ports until after the introduction of G4 machines. Is that not so? If it is, then our reader can save a few bucks on the cable.

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L.A., Calif.: Rob, Please Help!

I need a new laptop soon, but I'm hearing that Apple will soon be releasing a replacement for their 15" model. Do you have ANY word on when that might happen. Thanks!

Rob Pegoraro: Perhaps that Apple rep who just posted to this chat can tell us :) A new 15-in. PowerBook is certainly overdue.

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Re: finding used laptops: One suggestion: find a friend/associate whose company buys new laptops every year or two. You could probably pick up a reasonably recent model for lower prices, and you should be able to check it out before buying. If you don't know anyone whose company does this, there must be advertisements for this kind of thing.

Rob Pegoraro: Good tip--thanks.

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Washington, D.C.: I'm going to business school in the Fall and my university sent me the following minimum requirements for a laptop:

Pentium IV processor
256 MB of RAM
20 GB Hard drive
Network card
56.6 fax/modem
CD-RW

I'm looking to spend around $1500 and was wondering if you could give me any suggestions. THANKS!!!

Rob Pegoraro: The P 4 requirement seems bogus. How do they know that, say, an AMD chip or a Pentium M won't do? 256 megs is certainly correct. A 20 GB hard drive is too small, and you may not even be able to find machines with hard drives that compact. WiFi should be on the shopping list too.

$1,500 will definitely get you a laptop that fits. But stick to machines that weigh in the five-pound range, if not less. Of the laptops we reviewed, that would limit you to the Dell 600m or the lower-cost Vaio 505B model.

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Alexandria, Va.: I have a 3 year old Toshiba laptop, model 1280. Is there somewhere that gives an unbiased resale value on used laptops?

Rob Pegoraro: What I usually do is hit eBay, search for the model of computer I'm looking to sell, and add in the cost of shipping (assuming you'd sell to a local buyer, who therefore wouldn't have to deal with that cost).

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Washington, D.C. : Thanks for your article on laptops. It was very helpful. I need to buy a basic laptop for my daughter (6th grader), which I will connect into our home network. I also need word (not word perfect). I don't need to go over board. Any suggestions?

Rob Pegoraro: A laptop for a sixth grader.

?!

I feel quite old now. Uh, I don't know. I'd buy the sturdiest laptop you can find, but also the cheapest. But you can also forget about weight in that case, since--I hope--your kid won't be taking this thing to school. Get one of those basic $800-$1,000 models.

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D.C.: I'm going to be a junior in college who just had my laptop (Dell Inspiron) stolen. Major bummer. I loved my Dell...any suggestions for similar laptops? Thanks so much.

Rob Pegoraro: Sorry to hear of this. That's lousy news. And it reminds me--I should have stated upfront in the column that if you'll be taking a laptop to school, you should get one of those security cables and get in the habit of using it all the time.

If you liked the Dell, then I'd start with another Dell. The 600m we reviewed (I tried out a test model back in March) really is a good machine.

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Arlington, Va.: Which brands put good keyboards on their laptops? As a desktop lover, I hate laptop keyboards that are small and flimsy. Many of them place lesser-used keys in strange places, and a friend of mine had a Shift key pop off of his Dell laptop after only a couple weeks' use.

Rob Pegoraro: Most companies do a decent job on this, but that's also a function of the size of the laptops. You don't see the worst mistakes until you get to the ultralight category. I can tell you that IBM, Apple and Toshiba generally do an outstanding job with keyboards. But I've seen some really unwise, if not outright malevolent, keyboard layouts from Fujitsu, Sharp and Sony.

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Clayton, Calif.: How do I tell if a laptop has a desktop processor in it?

Rob Pegoraro: The processor will be described as a "Pentium 4"--not "Pentium 4-M" or "Pentium M," but just Pentium 4. Yes, this is confusing, even to techies.

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Potomac, Md.: The question on incoming college students' minds is what is easier for college, a laptop or a desktop? Any ideas?

Rob Pegoraro: A laptop is a lot more useful because you can take it to class, the library, wherever. (In my undergrad days, I regularly saw students hauling entire Mac Pluses and SEs to and from the library... laptops were not nearly as cheap and common as they are now!)

The only real downsides are cost and that same portability--a thief might decide to take it places as well.

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Atlanta: Don't know if you're the one to complain to, but...

Ever since they redesigned the Personal Tech page, it's impossible to find the Sunday software reviews. You basically have to click around and hope to find an article with a link to them. This weekend, for example, I finally found the reviews by opening the WiFi article, which had a link to the July 20 reviews, which had a link to Sacha Cohen's report on toolbars, and THAT had a link to this week's software reviews. Is there an easier way to find this, or did y'all forget to include it when you redesigned the page?

washingtonpost.com: Thanks for pointing this out. We'll do a better job of making that feature easier to find on the Web site. In the meantime, you can always find the reviews at this address:

www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/technology/personaltech/reviews

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Laurel , MD: I am interested in running a flight simulator on a laptop.
The Laptop mag. had a good write up on the HP x1000, with a Radeon 9200 (64M) graphics card.

What do you recommend? What should be the major considerations?

Rob Pegoraro: If you're talking "flight simulator" as in games like Microsoft Flight Simulator (look for our review in Sunday's paper), I would think that configuration would work. It's far above the minimum specs Microsoft lists for FS 2004.

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Rob Pegoraro: It's been almost 90 minutes and I've barely ever stopped typing! Unfortunately, I have to sign off. If I missed your question, e-mail me (rob@twp.com) or bring it up at our next chat, which should be in a couple of weeks. Thanks!

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