ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, April 20, 1997 TAG: 9704180035
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: 2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: The Associated Press
Laptops aren't for everyone. You pay a premium for miniaturization, so a desktop PC has more power for the buck. Laptops also are prone to crashes and other problems. But you can't beat one if you travel a lot or have limited space and don't mind a smaller keyboard and display.
A laptop powerful enough to serve as your only PC probably will cost about $2,000 to $4,000, about twice as much as low-end portables. That should buy a CD-ROM, a 133-MHz Pentium, at least 16 megabytes of RAM and a 1.5 gigabyte hard drive.
If you want a laptop as your primary machine, make sure it includes a docking station for hooking up a larger keyboard, monitor and peripherals for use when at home or in the office.
If you're planning to use a laptop as a second computer, expect to pay anywhere from $1,000 to $2,000. That will buy a machine with at least a 100-MHz Pentium, eight megabytes of RAM and a large-capacity hard drive. At the cheap end: Compaq's $1,000 Armada 1120.
Try them for comfort. Type at least a business letter to test the keyboards, which range from too tiny to just right. Typing on them takes some getting used to since most desktop keyboards are bigger.
Active-matrix screens look the best but cost more than dual scans, which are good enough for e-mail and notes. No matter which you choose, buy the largest your budget allows. Bigger screens are on the way from manufacturers.
Pointing devices come in two flavors: Touchpads, which are pressure-sensitive rectangular pads inset below the keyboard, and pointing sticks, which sit in the middle of the keyboard. Touchpads may be better for heavy typing jobs, but the choice is a personal one.
Lithium ion batteries are the longest lasting, but also the most expensive. Make sure replacements for whatever you buy are readily available should they die on the road.
-ASSOCIATED PRESS
LENGTH: Short : 43 linesby CNB