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It Is never a good time to buy a notebook, because three weeks after you buy, the cost of your model will fall by 25 per cent. Three weeks later, the company introduces a faster, lighter, smaller, brighter version of your new toy.
On the other hand, it's always a good time to buy, because this year's model is always at the cutting edge, and last year's is half the price your neighbour paid.
The state of the art
Processor: Must be Pentium. Entry level is 100MHz, top of the range currently 150MHz
Hard disk: 700Mb is a start, 1Gb is more common
Memory: 8Mb entry level. Practically, 16Mb does the job
Screen: Colour screens are everywhere. There are two types: dual-scan screens are duller, and the colours are not even; TFT screens cost about pounds 500 more but are much brighter. The standard resolution is 800 by 600 pixels
Disk drives: Expect a floppy as standard, but you have to pay pounds 500 more for a CD-Rom drive. Often you can swap between CD-Rom and floppy drive.
Battery life: Some notebooks use nickel metal hydride batteries, some use the more advanced lithium ion. Battery life claimed by manufacturers is often unrealistic - subtract a third. Battery life is reduced by TFT screens, CD-Rom drives and extra memory. Expect two and a half hours.
Size and weight: This varies enormously - 2kg is the current minimum for slimline models. 3kg is standard.
Price: You can pick up bargains for as little as pounds 1,200. Multimedia notebooks cost pounds 2,500.
Slimline:
One of...