Personal Tech: Laptop Reviews

The Washington Post's Rob Pegoraro was  online to field your personal tech questions and discuss a recent collection of laptop reviews .

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washingtonpost.com: Laptop reviews included the Gadgets to Go mobile computing guide included models from Apple , Dell Gateway , HP and Toshiba .

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Rob Pegoraro: Greetings, fellow computing victims... today's topic is laptop computing, the subject of my column yesterday and the five laptop reviews that accompanied it. Let's get started!

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Alexandria, Va.: I liked your article on the increasingly complicated laptop market. You did a very good job of explaining the things that most people don't think about (and sellers take advantage of). Here are a few more things to consider when buying a laptop:

- What's the keyboard like? Is it too small? Is the Delete key on the bottom right instead of upper right where you expect it to be?

- While the warranties can be expensive, remember that laptops are more prone to failure than desktops. It's probably a good idea to go for a one- or two-year warranty.

- Buy or make a protective cloth to put between the keyboard and the screen. I have seen many laptops of all brands with ugly marks left by keys when the case is closed.

washingtonpost.com: It Takes a Discerning Eye to See Through Laptop Lingo

Rob Pegoraro: Thanks for the kind words and the suggestions, Alexandria.

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Washington, DC: I've been looking at laptops, read the article in Sunday's Post, but am still confused on what to purchase. I know the features that want (kinda) but get confused with the processing speed, storage space, and the myriad of other features that seem somewhat unnecessary. Can you suggest a model based on these features: Low-Low Price, Wireless internet access, play DVDs on battery power, record CDs, a few games, MS office products -- if price can be cut without getting a printer, great -- I have 3 right now.

Rob Pegoraro: Sorry, those requirements don't narrow things down *at all.* Just about every laptop these days comes with WiFi and almost all of the can play DVDs and burn CDs as well.

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Berryville, Virginia: I live in a house with a Linksys wireless network. Could an iBook work with Linksys?;

Can Apples play Windows Media Player files?;

Rob Pegoraro: Yes on the Linksys question.

As for the WMP query, the answer is "sometimes"--Windows Media Player for Mac OS X can't play any copy-"protected" Windows Media files, such as song files purchased off Napster, MSN Music or Yahoo.

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Alexandria VA: What was your criteria this year for the selecting the laptops that got reviewed?; (I really like my Sony VAIO, which didn't make the cut.)

Rob Pegoraro: As with our laptop comparisons of previous years, I wanted to focus this one on machines that would work well in routine away-from-home use, such as on a college campus. I also didn't want to review anything priced too far above average. So anything we tried out had to weigh under 5.5 lbs. and sell for $1,500. Sony couldn't get us a review machine close to that price limit.

(There's

more about this in my newsletter of this morning

.)

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Olney, MD: Rob,

I enjoyed the reviews as I'm thinking about buying a laptop myself. But, what I'm really considering is a convertible tablet PC -- I think it'll be more useful, knowing when and how I intend to use it. I've had trouble finding good reviews of tablets though, as most only compare them to full laptops, and therefore they don't tend to rate as high (it's a versatility versus performance tradeoff, performance earning higher grades). Any suggestions in buying a tablet, or places to look for good reviews that I haven't found?; Perhaps you can review the tablets yourself, next?; Thanks.

Rob Pegoraro: The Tablet PC--a category of laptops that use a version of Windows that lets you tap, write and draw right on the screen--has been one of Microsoft's biggest flops in this decade. It's now been over two and a half years since the first tablet models shipped (at the time, Microsoft was predicting that all laptops would be tablet PCs at some point), and they've yet to grow outside of niche status. Your question, now that I think of it, is the first question I've gotten about Tablet PCs in at least a year.

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Reston, VA: Rob,

I was looking at two Toshiba laptops on Sunday(July 31). Everything(including the price) was identical with the exception of the processor. One had an Intel Premium 4 processor which ran at about 3.3GHz and the other was configured with an Intel Centrino Mobile Technology processor which ran at about 1.8GHz. Is there an advantage of one processor over the other?; Both laptops had 1,024 megs of ram and 100G hard drives.

Thanks,

MH

Rob Pegoraro: Get the laptop with the Centrino chip. It will probably run just as fast as the Pentium 4 machine--at least, to the extent that you'll be able to tell in daily use--and it will provide much better battery life. It should also run much, much cooler.

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Washington, D.C.: Dell Notebook screens ...

The Inspiron700M screen, that I saw for the first time yesterday, seems much more legible than that of the Latitude X300 that I just received -clean as a whistle from the Dell 'outlet' and could return]

Is there indeed a discernible difference between the screens? (for aging eyes)

Is the Insprion X300 'old technology?"

THANK "YOU

The choice of the Latitude x300 was based on the fact that colleagues suggested it ... But the Inspiron 700 M really looked beautiful...

Rob Pegoraro: The 700m has a sort of glossy finish on the screen that makes it look brighter. The same kind of treatment is used on many laptops these days.

FWIW, I've got a Latitude X300 at home and it's

not exactly my favorite laptop ever

.

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Washington, DC: Good afternoon, you seem to really like the Apple iBook you reviewed, is that a fair assessment?; How does it compare to the other machines?; Is it a good buy now?;

Thanks

Rob Pegoraro: It was my reviewer who liked it--but I do like Apple's laptops in general. With Apple's latest update to the iBook, it's a terrific buy... unless you need a screen bigger than 12 inches in an under 5.5-lb. machine, or you need a PC Card slot, or you need to run Windows.

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Rockville, MD: What's you quick take on the new Palm LifeDrive?; Is a suitable replacement for a laptop?;

Rob Pegoraro: No.

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Silver Spring, MD: Thanks for taking my question. I tried to run the software for an HP digital camera that I recently purchased. It would not run, so I emailed HP customer service and they advised me that I would need to uninstall the XP Service Pack 2 in order for the software to run. I'm a complete dummy when it comes to my computer, but I don't think I should do this--am I right or is it okay to uninstall?; Thanks again!;

Rob Pegoraro: It is NOT OK to uninstall that update, especially not to install some digital-camera software. Either the HP rep was sniffing glue when he gave you that answer, or HP needs to fire whoever developed this program--it's absolutely unacceptable to force users to uninstall the most important security update Microsoft has shipped in at least the past year, if not ever.

Fortunately, you shouldn't need to install that HP software anyway. XP ought to recognize the camera on its own, and you can use Google's Picasa (www.picasa.com), a good, free photo-album application, to edit and sort your photos.

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Los Angeles, CA: I am a bit baffled by all the possibilities for a LCD monitor. Any suggestions in the 17" and 19" models. Not a gamer.

Thanks,

Jon

Rob Pegoraro: I can't recommend any specific models--LCDs are pretty much commodities these days. All I can do is suggest features to look for. The most important is probably the presence of both analog VGA and digital DVI video connectors, which will allow you to get a better picture out of a computer that has a DVI port. An LCD that doubles as a USB hub will also give you extra ports to plug in gadgets like handheld organizers or USB keychains.

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Alexandria: I recently purchased my first laptop because I'm starting law school in a few short weeks.

What accessories should I look at?; So far, I've only got a wireless mouse, and I know I need to get a cable lock. What else would make life easier?;

Rob Pegoraro: Get something that will let you back up your data easily--if the laptop only has a CD-RW drive, you can save yourself a great deal of time by getting an external hard drive. Just make sure you don't store that in the same place as the laptop.

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Huntingtown,MD: Why does Dell put P4's in the laptop's when the centrino mobile is what is made for laptop's?;

Rob Pegoraro: Dell, like most other Windows-based manufacturers, designs some laptops as "desktop replacements"--big, heavy and cheap machines that use as many desktop-level components as possible. The assumption there is that nobody will be taking these machines any further up or down the stairs at home... but buyers who only see the low, low prices on a desktop-replacement model will be sorely disappointed when they try to lug it, say, from the dorm to the library.

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Washington, DC: Thanks for taking my question. Sometimes, I receive emails that say an email I sent to someone was undeliverable. But, I never sent email to the addresses listed and don't recognize these email addresses. Is it possible my computer has picked up a virus that is sending spam email from my address without my knowledge?; Then, when spam goes to an invalid email address, I get the "undeliverable" message?; I have updated anti-virus, firewall, anti-spam software that tells me there's no infection on my computer.

Rob Pegoraro: That's possible, but it's more likely that a spammer is just sending out e-mails with a forged return address (something that's ridiculously simple to do).

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Washburn, WI: Would it be foolish to buy a laptop based on a 32-bit processor?;

I'm starting to get a feeling that most of the laptops available for purchase right now are on a fast track to obsolescence once Windows Vista comes out. If I'm not mistaken, only those machines based on AMD's 64-bit Athlon and Turion CPUs would be able to handle what will undoubtedly become the dominant OS fairly soon.

Since my purchase is not under time constraints, I've decided to wait a half-year or so to see how the laptop CPU landscape evolves. Am I being overly conservative?;

Rob Pegoraro: You are mistaken in that belief--while Windows Vista, the successor to XP that's supposed to ship late next year, will support 64-bit processors, it will not require then in any way. 64-bit computing will not be relevant to home users in any meaningful way for a long time. Its main benefit, allowing users to work with very large files, just doesn't come into play in any home-computing work these days.

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Arlington VA: Why don't more mfr's offer backlit or fiber-optic lighted keys?; The best ones cause only the characters on the keys to glow. I can't think of any feature that would be more useful, in more situations. Or one that is currently rarer in the marketplace. Any idea?;

Rob Pegoraro: You're absolutely right, Arlington. I love the backlit keyboard on the PowerBook, and the keyboard light in the lid of IBM/Lenovo ThinkPads. But nobody else bothers to include this simple feature.... somehow I doubt that only Apple and IBM users have to take notes in darkened auditoriums and classrooms.

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Arlington, TX: I wanted to know if you had any opinions on the ASUS notebooks--while they are not "name brand", per se, they are often as stylish as Apple's notebooks, have you hade any experience with them, and if so, would you care to share?;

Rob Pegoraro: Sorry, no experience with 'em as yet.

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Chicago, IL: I have a three year old, 700 mhz iBook. It is slow, slow, slow. I haven't upgraded to Tiger or gotten the new iLife, only because I think it might actually hurt performance. I get the spinning beach ball of death often when using safari, firefox and iPhoto (and I have maxed out memory).

My plan for replacement was a G5 Powerbook, which we now know will never exist. The G4s are way out of date now, still quite pricey, and it's unclear if they will be updated before the Intel models come out. When the Intel models do arrive, I'll probably want to wait for the first tuneup to buy. I'm assuming this could be as much as 18 months away. I can't wait 18 months for a new computer, but I'll probably want an Intel Mac sooner rather than later.

Any ideas?; I'm leaning towards getting one of the new iBooks as a stop-gap. I've looked at the used powerbooks at the online apple store, but they're not so cheap, particularly once you upgrade the memory. I really feel like I'm between a rock and a hard place here ...

Rob Pegoraro: I'd get a new iBook in that case.

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Washington DC: I want to buy a laptop to access my workplace desktop from home, but I need Microsoft Word to do so. Many of the laptops I've checked out(the Dells, for example) come with Wordperfect, meaning I have to spend hundreds of dollars on software on top of the cost of the computer. Are there good laptop deals that include Word?

Rob Pegoraro: No. You pretty much always have to pay extra for a copy of Word or Microsoft Office. But you shouldn't have to pay "hundreds of dollars" extra; for example, Dell charges $49 extra for a copy of "Works Suite," a bundle that includes Word 2002. A full copy of Office runs $149.

(Also, there's always the free option of OpenOffice, which reads and writes Word files very well.)

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Detroit, Mich: Hey, thanks for the guide. What about the Sony Vaios?; I know you can't review everything,but can you compare the Vaio to the others?;

Rob Pegoraro: Sony does a lot of creative work, especially in the ultralight category. (See, for instance, the T350 I reviewed last month.) But it prices most of its laptops--especially those under six pounds--as luxury items. And a lot of the software and hardware that Sony bundles is woefully proprietary (sorry, a Memory Stick slot is useless when both my phone and my camera use SD Cards).

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washingtonpost.com: Good Laptop Gains Little From Built-In Cell Receiver (July 10, 2005

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Lexington, KY: As an Architecture student I want my laptop to perform the following three:

1. Word Processor -MS Office or Open Office]

2. Photo and 3D Rendering -Photoshop, 3dMax, FormZ, AutoCAD]

3. Taking classroom notes with a writeable screen like the TabletPC -optional]

Question:

1. Is there a performance assessment on what laptop configuration would comfortably execute 'simultaneously' MS-Word, MS-Outlook along with Firefox/IE browser.

2. Is there an assessment of laptops for graphic processing -not gaming performance] to evaluate configuration for serious graphical work?;

3. How good are the tablet PCs with taking notes really fast to keep pace with lectures?; Does one need to write 'slowly' with tabletPCs to suit 'sedate' corporate meetings?;

4. How does your comment 'Pentium 4 may not be any better than Pentium M' pare with the word-processing and non-gaming graphics needs?; What about AMD and 64-bit?;

Rob Pegoraro: We didn't test laptops for their performance running pro-level graphics apps like Photoshop, but if anybody wants to offer advice from their own experience, please do so.

Re: AMD: Intel's rival is coming out with a new laptop-oriented chip called the Turion that's designed for the same uses/market as the Pentium M, but none of the machines that we reviewed included it. (We didn't request any particular processor when we talked to manufacturers about getting review hardware.)

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Baltimore, MD: I just graduated and am about to begin life in the real world as a teacher. I want a laptop I can use in my classroom and at home. I would use it mainly for Microsoft Office and the Internet-- no movie editing or video games for me. Low cost is my biggest priority, and then portability and battery life. Can you offer any suggestions?; Thanks!;

Rob Pegoraro: The requirements you laid out basically overlap the ones we set out when putting together this laptop review. Of those, the cheapest one we tried, by a long shot, was the iBook. And Microsoft Office v.X for Mac OS X is, in my opinion, much better than Office for Windows.

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Falls Church, VA: I bought a used laptop for $550 from a local store that sells old leased equipment. It's a pentium 1GHz with 256m ram and 20g harddrive. I don't need it for work and I already have a good desktop at home. I wanted something just to take to bars with free WiFi to surf the web and chat with people and play online poker and I didn't want to spend $1k. What do you think of that?;

Rob Pegoraro: For those uses, yeah, a used machine with those specs is fine. If you upgraded the memory to 512 megs, you'd get a pretty decent boost in performance, though.

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Harpers Ferry, WV: Do you have any opinions concerning "off-brand" laptops?;

One hears claims that Dell, Gateway, HP, etc are simply putting their own labels on machines built by Chinese and Taiwanese firms, and that you can get the very same computers from lesser-known outfits like Sager for a lot less money.

Any advice?;

Rob Pegoraro: Without trying out one of these machines firsthand, I couldn't offer you advice either way. You should look closely at their warranty and tech-support policies, but that's true for any manufacturer.

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Burtonsville, MD: Hi Rob. I took my 12 year-old daughter on a cruise recently where she met and made several friends. I asked her whether she had exchanged e-mail addresses with her new friends and she replied that she couldn't because her friends all used IM exclusively (which I have not allowed her to use), that nobody used e-mail anymore. I have always been warned away from IM by the Tech media but I don't want my daughter to be left out of the loop because of my paranoia. What's the real deal: is e-mail already obsolete among the young?; Will my firewall and anti-virus software provide us with reasonable protection should I re-consider my ban on IM?; Thanks.

Rob Pegoraro: I'm in my mid-30s, so I don't know if I'm the best source about what kids today are up to :) IM certainly is popular, and some of my friends use it far more than e-mail, but others don't use it at all. (Some offices ban its use.) Either way, it doesn't pose any more or less of a security risk than e-mail.

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Alexandria, Va.: To the architecture student: it is rather unlikely that you will find a computer with great graphics performance AND a Tablet PC screen. Perhaps you should consider an external writing tablet, like the ones made by Wacom, if that would fit your need.

Rob Pegoraro: Thanks, Alex.

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Washington, DC: One thought for a prospective laptop buyer: When I was shopping, I noticed that the high-gloss screens reflected a lot more glare from the store's overhead fluorescents. If one is going to be using the laptop at home, this probably isn't much of an issue, but if one expects to be using the laptop underneath harsh overhead lights (airports, many offices), it's something to consider.

Rob Pegoraro: Good point...

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San Francisco, CA: What do you think of sony's vaio pcg-grx550?

The reason why I am asking is because the screen is dark and I cannot get connected to the system after once the screen died down gradually, from being visible to invisible and then to unbootable.

Your advice is appreciated.

Andy Mo

Rob Pegoraro: Uh, I think your laptop is broken?

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College Park, Md.: Hello, Rob. I've been a fan of your columns and chats.

My question concerns Internet Explorer on my Sony Vaio laptop. The program freezes entirely too often, and I suspect that it has become corrupted somehow. I've made this switch to Firefox, but it's still very inconvenient when I visit a site that's only compatible with Internet Explorer (i.e., Cdigix, a music download service offered by my university).

What I would like to do is to reinstall Internet Explorer so that I can start with a clean slate. However, the Web site won't let me download a new copy because the latest version is already on my computer. I can't uninstall Internet Explorer, either. What does Microsoft expect me to do in this type of circumstance?; Internet Explorer is basically useless to me at this point.

Rob Pegoraro: Yes, wasn't it such a brilliant move to "integrate" the browser into Windows like that? What I'd try would be to clear out as many IE settings as possible--delete all your cached "temporary Internet files," your history files and any downloaded "browser objects" (if you've installed XP SP2, as I trust you have, you can do that via the "Manage Add-Ons" item under IE's Tools menu).

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San Diego, CA: A common comment made by many computer users is that hackers seem to be extremely talented. Why do they use their efforts to be destructive rather than be constructive? I'm just guessing that it's just more fun knocking down sand castles than to build one that somebody else might come along and knock down. But couldn't these same talents and efforts be put to good use by simply redirecting them at malicious websites that distribute child porn or that gather "phishing" information? It would like be sanctioning hunters to shoot predators. It's got to be a lot of fun to anonymously make life miserable for unscrupulous techies who go around trying to steal identities and passwords. Remember how much we all enjoyed the Charles Bronson movies were he out "bads' the bad guys? Surely, there must be something that can be done to encourage and glamorize the hackers that hack the hackers. We might as well put some of them to good use.

washingtonpost.com: Computer-security blogger Brian Krebs is in Las Vegas to cover the annual Black Hat and DefCon conferences. Check out Security Fix for regular reports.

Rob Pegoraro: You might as well ask "what makes people evil?" And despite several thousand years of philosophizing, prayer and research, I don't believe we have reached a consensus on that subject.

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Philly, PA: Question on Thinkpad X32s. They come with only 16mb video ram. If I buy this, can I upgrade or is there not enough room?;

Rob Pegoraro: I don't know that model in particular, but the odds are that the video memory is not upgradeable. Most motherboard-level components on a laptop, excluding main memory, are upgrade-proof; you're stuck with whatever the machine shipped with.

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Kensington, CT: I am concerned about security with a WI-FI laptop. I understand that someone could be outside in their car and get into a WI-FI laptop. How can I guard against this?;

I only use my computer for internet access, email, & MS Office (mostly Word, Excel, Power Point), Quicken. I do not use it for games or music. So, please suggest the features I need and a brand. Thank you.

Avis Robin

Rob Pegoraro: You keep a laptop safe over WiFi the same way you'd keep it safe over any other sort of Internet connection: Keep current on all the security updates for your operating system, protect your PC with a firewall and practice skeptical computing when it comes to any new programs or data landing on your machine.

Also see

my how-to piece on computer security from last year

.

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Boston, MA: Why do some Java programs (applications) run much faster on one kind of laptop (e.g., Dell) vs. others (e.g., IBM) even though they have the same operating system, processor, disk speed, and other parameters that are usual suspects in such a difference?;

Rob Pegoraro: Are both laptops running an up-to-date version of the Java software? If one is running the obsolete Microsoft version and the other has the current release from Sun Microsystems (www.java.com), that would explain things.

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Arlington, VA: Hi Rob. IN your last chat, you said you "suppose" a virus could be transmitted via a podcast. I was always told that MP3s could not contain viruses because they contain no executable material. Which is true?

washingtonpost.com: Discussion Transcript (July 25, 2005)

Rob Pegoraro: Both are, in a way. A virus writer could try to crash your MP3 program with a malformed file, opening up space in your computer's memory for him/her/it to insert some other, malicious program--what's called a buffer overrun attack. It's also possible to give an executable program an "mp3" file-name extension, so that it looks like an MP3 but really is not.

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Louisville, KY: Do you imagine we'll ever see laptops in the $300-500 range like the eMachine brand?; I, like most people, don't need much more than an internet connection, word processor and a hard drive for music, and don't feel the need to spend upwards of $1,000 to get that.

Rob Pegoraro: I'm sure we'll see that. There are folks at places like MIT working on designs for $100 laptops that would be made for use in the Third World, and meanwhile everyday laptop designs keep getting cheaper and cheaper. I think you can already find $500 laptops with a little work, although they may be awfully stripped down.

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New York: You mentioned a 'minimal' mode for just playing movies on a laptop - where is that software, typically?; Or is that dependent on the maker?;

I'm only getting 2 hours out of my new laptop...so anything to squeeze more battery life would be great. I've turned off most useless background processes.

Rob Pegoraro: It's an option that some Windows vendors now provide--essentially, they load a separate operating system (often, some version of Linux) that comes programmed only to play music and video. When you start up the machine, you can choose this software or Windows.

I'm kind of amazed that manufacturers are doing this; in the bad old days, Microsoft would have threatened to yank their license to ship Windows the instant they got wind of a such a plan.

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Santa Barbara, CA: Do you have any more information regarding whether Apple will decide to allow both the Mac and Win OS on there new machines carrying Intel chips?; I've stuck with PCs for a long time because I use many apps that are Win-specific, but am salivating at the prospect of getting a Mac than can handle apps for both OS's.

Rob Pegoraro: Apple won't ship Windows with Macs built on Intel processors, but it says it won't do anything to stop you from loading Windows on them. What's interesting about this switch is that you may also wind up being able to run Windows apps from within Mac OS X itself .

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London UK: It seems that having built in wireless is increasingly worth having. The AMD Turion combines wireless with 64bit technology. Is it the ideal combination it would seem?; Presumably there will be a 64 bit version of Windows Vista so a Turion bought today may be kept up to date in 18 months time. Or should people simply buy a Centrino and hope that 64 bit doesn't take over before they replace their notebook?;

Rob Pegoraro: 64-bit computing isn't "taking over" any part of the home-computer market anytime soon. Don't even worry about it.

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Alexandria VA: Heat!; Heat!; Heat!; I find it hard to call most of these things laptops anymore. My current dell d600 is great other then burning my lap or left hand. What's the best model you think now or coming to deal with this problem?;

Rob Pegoraro: This is a huge issue with manufacturers. It does help if you order machines with slower processors, but manufacturers themselves need to do a good job of building laptops that dissipate heat effectively. And that can vary widely between one machine and the next in any one vendor's lineup.

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Washington, DC: Rob

For a home user, does Apple iBook have sufficiently forward looking technology (e.g., compatibility with other consumer technology)?; How is it for gaming?;

Thanks

Rob Pegoraro: The current iBook should do fine. The only thing it won't be able to do that future Apple laptops will is run Windows natively, as Intel-based models will in a year or two.

But for gaming? It's pretty terrible. As a Mac, it doesn't play nearly as many games as a PC, and among Macs the iBook has a fairly low-powered graphics accelerator. You could play The Sims on it, but don't expect to run some first-person shooter at its peak frame rate.

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Bethesda, MD: Thanks for sharing your knowledge.

I'm an amateur photographer considering digital SLRs. Do you think 6 megapixels is sufficient or is more better?; 99 percent of my photos are family pics and will be printed in 4x6 or 5x7. On the one hand, I've heard that too many megapixels creates "pixel-confusion" when print labs produce photos. On the other hand, more megapixels allows for more cropping, flexibility for the occasional jumbo print, etc. Your opinion?;

Rob Pegoraro: 6 MP is more than enough--so is 5, I think, unless you're doing massive cropping and you routinely order 8-by-10 prints.

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NYC: Rob, thanks for taking questions. My question is about laptop hard drives. Mine is too small!; The laptop (a Vaio) is great, and I don't want to replace it. But the hard drive is quickly filling up with stuff I want (and I don't just want to store on an external hard drive). Plus, the hard drive was split into two drives (C: and D:) - and now the C: is almost completely filled. What can I do about this?;

Rob Pegoraro: Sony used to engage in this particularly idiotic practice, but eventually stopped. At this point, you'd either have to back up your data and reformat the hard drive, or use a partitioning utility to merge the two partitions (but before doing that, you should back up your data anyway).

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Anonymous: Rob:

I'm spending about $1,000 for a DELL Inspiron 600M. For another $100 I can get one of two screen options. Which option will give me the better screen view upgrade: going from 32 MB Video card to 64 MB...or XGA to SXGA+. I plan to use this mostly for business applications, internet and DVDs on planes.

Thank you.

Rob Pegoraro: None of those uses require a better graphics accelerator--get the higher resolution.

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Washington, D.C.: Re: Tablet PC - A year ago, I bought a Toshiba Portege M200. I absolutely enjoy the compact, lightweight design, with a 12.1" screen. Yet, it provides high resolution, SXGA, that gives as much/greater detail as many larger 14 or 15" screens. The tablet fits comfortably when in-flight, in a coach class seat and the battery life can provide 3-4 hours (I turn off wi-fi when in the air, since it's unavailable; thereby conserving battery). The pen/tablet mode is useful for drawing, taking notes, and many other tasks. Though, for outdoor use, the M200 isn't that suitable with its LCD display. There are other rugged tablet pcs that have suitable screens for outdoor use, in bright sunlight.

Rob Pegoraro: Thanks!

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NYC: Would you suggest running Spybot and Ad-aware every couple of days?; (Free version, not "pro" so no real-time protection.)

Rob Pegoraro: No. Once a week should be enough if you're taking reasonable care online, like being choosy about installing new programs, running a firewall and using Firefox. And if you're not taking reasonable care online, even running these apps every day won't keep you out of trouble.

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Washington DC: Thanks for taking my really basic question. I have been told that because I am likely to take my laptop with me to classes/library/coffee shop, I should get one with the Centrino chip. Is it true that this is the only way that I will be able to access the web whenever I am in one of the hotspots. I will use the computer primarily for wordprocessing, spreadsheets, internet and Itunes.

Rob Pegoraro: The Centrino brand name means NOTHING when it comes to WiFi compatibility--this chipset uses the same basic WiFi circuitry as everybody else. Intel says its WiFi chips have been tested more thoroughly and use less power than other vendors', but I have yet to see or hear of a meaningful difference.

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Springfield, VA: I've had several laptops in my lifetime and for the last three (Toshiba, Thinkpad, HP; in that order) I've had problems with the screen. It is the same problem for every one of them: after a couple of years the screen is dims to a point that it is almost black (I've gone through the brightness setting but does not work) that I end up attaching it to an external video monitor. Is this unique to my experience or is this a real laptop problem?;

Thanks.

Rob Pegoraro: That's unique to your experience. Laptop backlights consist of a fluorescent bulb or two adjacent to the screen; these bulbs are rated to last far longer than the rest of the laptop.

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Los Gatos, California: Although laptops are often replacing desktops, don't they have these significant disadvantages:

Less flexible and virtually irreplaceable displays;

Shorted lived hard drives;

Less space, difficult geometry, and fewer options for RAM;

Inconvenient and relatively small keyboards?;

(And I drop mine too often, i.e. more than once.)

Jack.

Rob Pegoraro: Those are all true. But most desktops are designed to be as bulky, inelegant and cluttered as possible. Only Apple and, to a lesser extent, Sony and Gateway, are putting any real effort into making all-in-one desktops.

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RE Centrino: Umm...my 2-week old VAIO gets pretty hot...I was assuming that given the ultra-skinny profile, it'd be very hard for them to cram all of the parts into it AND keep it cool. But you just said that Centrino runs cooler...?;

Rob Pegoraro: Imagine having a Pentium 4 inside that machine!

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Worcester, MA: At the risk of stirring up the PC/Mac debate, I was wondering how much weight you give the iChat program. I use the video chat capability on my PowerBook to keep in touch with siblings in Las Vegas and South Africa and my parents in Florida. It is, perhaps, the best free program I have ever used. And the camera is cheap, too. I look forward to your comments.

Rob Pegoraro: IChat is a great program--I wish there were something like it on the PC. (AOL's AIM program is not; it's an ad-infested mess that requires a careful installation and subsequent maintenance, lest it turn your computer into a billboard for AOL's advertisers.)

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Washington, DC: I enjoyed reading your laptop reviews in Sunday's paper - good job. I just want to check with you if you were aware of a design flaw that affects all Dell Inspiron 700M units. The problem is documented in the website - http://www.recall700m.com . I was leaning closer to an Dell 700M purchase until I came across that problem last week as given in consumer reviews in cnet.com. Comments?; Thank you.

Rob Pegoraro: I had not heard about this. Thanks for passing along that link.

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Richmond, VA: Hi Rob.

I am in the process of buying an apple ImaC G5. The one I'm buying has the built in @irPort Extreme and Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR. I am also thinking of buying a couple of Ibooks from the Henrico County sale on August 9th ($50 bucks ech, you've probably heard of this). Since the Imac has Airport extreme built into it, can I network all the computers without buying an Airport Extreme base?

This maybe a stupid question, but I've never gone wireless before and I'm going to be a first time apple user.

Rob Pegoraro: Yes, you can network all those computers. You'll just need to enable an option in the iMac called "software base station"--and then you'll need to keep the iMac running all the time, or the iBook won't be able to get online.

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Reston - Samsung i730 or Treo650: This is a repost that I don't think you had time for last week. Have had the T600 for a couple years but not willing to pay another few hundred to upgrade to the 650 right now. Have you reviewed these two phones yet?; I know you are typically a Palm guy as am I, just wondering if the 730 was worth it or if the MS/OS on the phone is as bad as people say it is.

Rob Pegoraro: The i730 does support Verizon's EVDO data service (300-500 kbps downloads), but that also costs $80/month for unlimited access. The software on the i730 would be my biggest concern, especially since it's already obsolete; devices running the new Windows Mobile 5 software are supposed to be arriving within... well, within sometime. Microsoft announced this update a couple of months back, but I'm not yet seeing any imminent signs of it being shipped with new handhelds or phones.

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Arcadia, CA: I recently bought a 17-inch screen laptop. Well I think it's just 2-inches too wide. I mostly use it to cruise the web, when there is 2-inches of blank space to the right and 2-inches taken up by "my favorites" to the left. The only thing 17-inch seems to be good for is watch movies, and made it too big for backpacks or brief cases. True?;

Rob Pegoraro: If you routinely multi-task, having that wider screen does help you see a bit of all the different programs you're running at once. OTOH, if you're only running a Web browser, or any other single application, you will wind up with some of the screen going unused.

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Winter Springs, FL: Hi Rob:

Just curious on any info/reviews/comments you

might have on the Lance Armstrong special

edition laptop put out by HP?;

Pavilion L2005cu Special Edition Notebook

AMD Turion 64 Mobile Technology ML-34 Processor, 1GB RAM, 100GB Hard Drive, 14-inch WXGA TFT Display, DVD+/-RW Drive, Windows XP Professional

It seems to have impressive features for a

pretty reasonable price (~$1399 list) at

CompUSA, etc.

Thanks,

Roger Winters

Rob Pegoraro: HP is really getting out of hand with these "special edition" models. (It also sells a "Harajuku Lovers" digital camera, which is somehow modeled after/inspired by the Gwen Stefani song "Harajuku Girls" song; if you've never been to this Tokyo neighborhood, I can't begin to explain its awesome weirdness here. But I digress...)

Anyway, the laptop's specs seem fine, if unremarkable overall. Shouldn't a computer named in honor of a guy who races on carbon-fiber bikes weigh less than 5.4 lbs.?

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Germantown, MD: The scope of my job is changing and I'm going to be traveling by plane on a regular basis. I like to travel light and was wondering what laptop you would recommend that's not going to weigh me down. I have a Dell Inspirion 6000 now and I feel like I'm carrying a bag of bricks.

Sandy

Rob Pegoraro: Get something that weighs under 5 pounds, and with either a widescreen LCD or one that's no bigger than 12 in. across (that way, you won't be in danger of having it crushed when the passenger in front leans back).

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Bethesda, Md.: Hey Rob!; Did you hear about this iBook fire sale that's going on later next week in the Richmond area?; Apparently Henrico County Schools is selling 1,000 iBooks for $50 each. They are older models (G3/300, I think) and I'm wondering if it's worth making the drive down there for what is sure to be a madhouse for an old laptop. But still!; $50!;

Rob Pegoraro: Yup, I'd heard of this too. I wonder: Does the school board there think it's doing a good job with the taxpayers' money by staging such a fire sale?

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Washington, D.C.: My desktop computer died at about the same time I moved to a new apartment that didn't have room for my desk, so I haven't yet bothered to replace the computer. I'm wondering now if a laptop might be an option. I have never considered one in the past because I don't have much need or desire for a portable computer. Would a laptop be that much less intrusive in a home than a desktop, or would there still be issues with wires and paraphernalia?; If I don't need the portability function of a laptop, would I be disappointed with its capabilities compared to a desktop, or have they become very similar over the years?; Does the Apple laptop compare favorably to the iMac?; I'm just looking for something to cover the basic needs - web use, e-mail, basic Office-like functions, and compatibility with a digital camera and iPod, which I'd like to get. Thanks so much for your input.

Rob Pegoraro: Just about ready to wrap up this chat, as I've got plenty of other work waiting...

This is a great question. The thing that a lot of people worry about when they switch from a desktop to a laptop--but shouldn't fret over--is expandability. Laptops don't let you add or upgrade components internally, but most people don't modify their desktop computers like that in the first place.

OTOH, many people don't think about, but should ponder, is the different ergonomics of a desktop and a laptop. A desktop computer's keyboard will always be roomier and lower than a laptop's. A desktop screen is also far easier to adjust than a laptop's (it's usually bigger, too).

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Capitol Hill: I've considered buying an Apple laptop but I've noted on the Apple Website something about a logic board problem on the iBook. Has that problem been resolved with the latest models? There's also some indication that G5 iMacs are having some logic board problems. Is this a stain on the vaunted reliability of Macs?

Rob Pegoraro: I wrote about the iMac G5 issue in my Help File column a couple of weeks back . That seems to be resolved; the iBook logic-board problem came and went much farther back.

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Crackberryland: Rob:

Crackberry or Treo?; Which do you like better?;

Rob Pegoraro: Treo. The Blackberry is enormously overrated--data service costs way too much, you can't run any worthwhile third-party software, and the RIM's user-interface designers ignored some of the most basic principles of good UI design in crafting this thing's software.

FWIW, I just don't get what's cool about admitting to this sort of addiction to checking work e-mail on a Blackberry. Are they really that vital to their employers that they cannot bear to log off even for a few minutes? Do they find getting a steady stream of interoffice memos, sales pitches and junk e-mail that exciting? The phrase that comes to mind is, as William Shatner so memorably put it, "get a life!"

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Alexandria, Va.: It really is too bad that Lenovo didn't get back to you on your request for a review unit. After seeing quite a few pretty-but-flimsy laptops from other manufacturers, the only Windows-based laptops I'd consider buying are the sturdy-but-pricey ThinkPads. Apple's recent offerings have impressed me too.

And that brings me to a question: what are the tradeoffs between an iBook and a PowerBook, besides processor speed and graphics card?; The iBook case is plastic; is it sturdy enough?; Does it have the same keyboard layout as a PowerBook of the same size?;

Rob Pegoraro: Both 'Books have the same keyboard, but the PowerBooks comes with backlighting on the 15-in. and 17-in. models. The tradeoffs mainly come in expandability (PowerBooks come with FireWire 800 ports and, on the 15- and 17-in. models, PC Card slots) and screen size (the 15- and 17-in. LCDs available on the higher-end PowerBooks). Oh, and those 15-in and 17-in. models *start* at $2,000.

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Rob Pegoraro: That's all, folks! I gotta sign off here. I should be back here in a couple of weeks.

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