Once upon a time, the tower PC was king. When businesses were planning on upgrading their IT equipment, it was the desktop machine they opted for — notebooks would rarely have been a consideration for office workers. The power and speed simply couldn’t be matched by the mobile machines. However, these days the laptop is taking over from the tower PC.
There are a few reasons for this — for a start the machines are more compact and designed to be portable. More staff are finding the need for a portable machine, whether they are sales people or busy executives. Having the ability to carry your information with you is convenient. The tower PC is still winning on price, but the spec gap is definitely closing. You can get a large hard drive and gigabytes of RAM with the latest laptops, almost matching the specs of most desktop PCs.
A few tips to get you started: When investing in technology, try to keep your machines as similar as possible. For example, there’s no point on having one department’s notebooks from IBM, another’s from Dell and yet another’s from Fujitsu Siemens or Toshiba.
You’ll probably find it’s much easier to keep all your equipment in top working order if you don’t have to deal with different service contracts every time something goes wrong. Also, you’ll be able to familiarise yourself with the equipment much more quickly if it’s all practically identical — invaluable if you are double-jobbing as the IT support for the firm.
Battery life is all very well, but even the most hard-working of notebook batteries will have to recharged at some point. If you plan on using the notebook on the road, you have a couple of choices to keep you powered up. Most notebooks will offer a second, high capacity battery as an extra. You can also opt for a travel charger. This will charge from your cigarette lighter or through a power adaptor on an airplane.
Notebooks for all
There are a few avenues open to you when it comes to choosing your business notebooks. Desktop replacements tend to focus more on power and performance than size and weight. If your employees are mostly office-based, you can opt for such a machine as the chances are, the notebooks are going to stay on the desk. In some desktop replacements, manufacturers opt for a standard processor
instead of the low voltage mobile processors with Centrino technology found in the ultraportable machines.
You’ll usually find the Pentium 4-M in the larger notebooks, which gives you the power you need but builds in battery-saving capabilities. Desktop replacements can also have larger screens than their ultraportable counterparts, which are trying to shrink everything as much as possible. Employees that spend most of their working day out of the office may not be satisfied with a desktop replacement laptop, however. There are plenty of thin, light options out there for businesses that want to invest in the most portable
laptops possible.
This is where Intel’s Centrino mobile technology comes into its own. According to Intel, Centrino isn’t just about the processor. Instead, it’s a collection of components that give you better mobile performance, give you increased battery life, and has integrated wireless LAN capabilities built in. The Pentium M used with Centrino is different to the Pentium 4-M used in some desktop replacement
systems. It has a slower clock speed, for a start, but this doesn’t impact on the notebook’s performance, which we’ve found to be excellent.
With ultraportable, you may have to make some sacrifices but the pay-off can be worth it. Some of the thinner laptops can sacrifice ports that we have all come to know and love (or hate). However, they will also frequently offer a docking station that you can use once back in the office, giving you your parallel ports and serial connections back — not to mention your optical drive.
Processor power
There will never be a one size fits all notebook for all businesses. Like PCs, certain functions are customisable, whether it’s the size of the hard drive or the amount of RAM you choose to install.
The same goes for the processor you choose for your machines. The Pentium processor is the most well known chip out there, but there are other options, like Intel’s Celeron chip. While the Pentium chip is ideal for applications that require more power, the Celeron will certainly do the job well if you are simply using office applications, like word processors.
And if you are looking to save some money, choosing a less powerful processor can be a way to cut costs. If you are running power hungry applications you will need plenty of RAM (Random Access Memory). RAM stores information on a short-term basis, so it
can be easily accessed if needed, but once you turn off the computer, anything stored there is lost. The more RAM you have, the more tasks you can perform without your machine slowing right down to a crawl.
If you run Windows XP, for example, you will need at least 128Mbyte of RAM for it to run effectively. Better still, you can go for a little bit extra and choose up to 512Mbyte of RAM. Most notebooks will allow you to have up to 1024Mbyte of RAM, while others have a maximum of 2Gbyte of RAM. RAM is fairly inexpensive compared to some computer components. If you are in doubt, get as much as possible, as your IT needs may change in the future. There are a few different types of RAM, but one of the most common is DDR SDRAM (Double Data Rate Synchronous Dynamic RAM).
Size is everything
Your hard drive is where all your applications — and your employees’ data — will probably be stored. The size hard drive you choose will depend on the type of work you do.
At one stage, a 3Gbyte hard drive was considered large, but that probably wouldn’t last too long in today’s office environment. These days, the hard drives are more likely to be between 20- and 40Gbyte in size, but you can get 100Gbyte hard drives in notebooks if needed.
Look at the type of files you are storing on a regular basis and the applications you’ll be using — how much space do you need to install your software on each notebook? You are better overestimating rather than underestimating the size you’ll need. However, there’s little point in paying for a 100Gbyte hard drive that will remain for the most part unused — or filled with your employee’s music files
and personal data.
Screen size can be an important factor when choosing your notebook. Average screen sizes are between 1.1 and 15 inches, but you can go smaller with the ultraportable notebooks (some are 12 inches in size) or larger with the widescreen machines (15.4 inches). The widescreen notebooks are great work working on applications side-by-side; the extra space is invaluable.
The important consideration is what works for your business and your employees. While an ultraportable laptop may look great, the screen size may simply be too small for your employees to work with on a regular basis. If you are using your notebook in the office, you can simply hook your machine up to an external monitor and you have all the screen size you need. Others may find that a 15-inch screen may fit their needs better.
Working wirelessly
Wireless capabilities can come in handy whether you plan on keeping your business notebooks in the office or using them on the move.
In the office, wireless communication can come in handy for setting up a wireless network. This is particularly useful when setting up a regular wired network is difficult, such as in a listed building. It also means that your employees can access the network from anywhere in the building — they are no longer tied to their desks.
Outside the office, there are plenty of wireless hotspots available in Ireland, whether it’s in a hotel, café (Insomnia) or at the airport (Dublin Airport’s wireless hotspot is run by Esat). Users only need to buy a card or take out a subscription to the service, and they can log on and access the Internet wirelessly.
Because of their portable nature, notebooks are a bit more vulnerable to theft, putting your company data at risk.
Many notebooks will come with Kensington lock slots built in these days, and you can get security locks that are designed to loop to a table so your notebooks are secure even when they are out in public.
There’s also the option of encrypting your data, so even if your notebook is stolen, thieves won’t gain access to your sensitive or confidential information.
If you’ve decided to go for laptops in your office, there are a few to choose from.
IBM Thinkpad T42
The T42 uses a 1.7GHz Pentium M processor, with 512Mbyte or RAM as standard and 2Gbyte maximum. Hard drive size weighs in at a more than respectable 60Gbyte, and the laptop also comes with IBM’s Embedded Security Subsystem.
The 15in XGA TFT CD screen is supported by 64Mbyte ATI Radeon 9600 graphics.
There are plenty of networking options, with 1Gbyte Ethernet, Intel 802.11b/g wireless and Bluetooth all built in.
Dell Inspiron 8600c
The Dell Inspiron 8600c comes with an Ultrasharp widescreen LCD display, at 15.4 inches, and up to 2.0GHz mobile Pentium processors. The notebook is also well equipped for wireless communication, with 802.11a and 802.11a/b/g support.
Hard drives come in up to 100Gbyte in size, and if you need any extra, te modular bay can be used for an extra hard drive or a high-capacity battery, ideal if you need extra storage space or longer power supply on the road.
The 8600c comes in a choice of colours and finishes, from burlwood and bamboo to graphite swirl and Venice blue.
You can install up to 2Gbyte of DDR SDRAM on the machine,
Samsung Q25
The Q25 is designed to be a head turner; it’s extremely thin and comes in a silver and blue magnesium alloy case.
The notebook also uses Intel’s Centrino technology and is powered by a low voltage 1.GHz Pentium M processor, which keeps the power consumption — and the temperature — down.
Standard memory is 512Mbyte of DDR RAM, with a maximum of 1024Mbyte allowed. The screen size is smaller than other notebooks, at 12.1 inches, and the wireless communication is covered by Intel Pro wireless 802.11g 54Mbit wireless LAN. It doesn’t support a DVD rewriter, but you can opt for a CD rewriter with a combined DVD-ROM drive instead.
Toshiba Portégé R100
Ultra light and ultra portable, the R100 is only 15mm thick and weighs in at a feather-light 1.1kg. The magnesium alloy casing houses a slim hard drive (1.8in thick), Intel Centrino technology and integrated WiFi (802.11b) for wireless networking. Two USB 2.0 ports are included in the package, along with 512Mbyte RAM, a 40Gbyte hard drive and a 12.1inch TFT LCD screen. The R100 is powered by a Pentium-M 1.0GHz processor.
To improve your battery life on the road, the R100 comes with a high-capacity lithium-ion battery, and the optical drive is available as an optional extra — external of course.
HP Compaq nx7010
The nx7010 is another widescreen notebook, complete with its 15.4in screen and 16:10 aspect ratio.
The notebook also allow you to choose a larger hard drive (60Gbyte) and decide between CD and DVD burners.
Three USB 2.0 ports and a Firewire port take car of peripherals, and Intel Centrino mobile technology combines 802.11b wireless with a Pentium-M processor. The nx7010 comes with a choice of memory, at a minimum of 256Mbyte and a maximum of 2Gbyte. Hard drives also come in two sizes, with 40Gbyte and 60Gbyte varieties on offer. The notebook weighs a little more than some portable notebooks; at 2.95kg it’s less ultraportable than other notebooks mentioned here. The battery lasts an impressive five and a half hours, so there’s less chance of being stuck without power when your employees are out and about.
Fujitsu Siemens
The Fujitsu Siemens Amilo 8820 comes with a 2.8GHz Intel Pentium 4 processor, 512Mbyte of DDR RAM and a 60Gbyte hard drive to ensure that you egt the most out of your notebook.
The 15-inch screen is SXGA display, and combined with 64Mbyte Mobility ATI Radeon 9000 graphics and built-in stereo speakers, it makes the Amilo the perfect multimedia machine for business and pleasure. Users also get a DVD/CD RW combo drive and Firewire connections, with three USB 2.0 ports and a 10/100 LAN connection built in.
The Lifebook S7010 from Fujitsu Siemens is powered by an 1.8 GHz Intel M Pentium processor and comes with a 14.1in TFT-XGA screen, up to 80 Gbyte hard drives, 256 MByte SDRAM and a number of optical drive options including recordable DVD drives.
The Lifebook also comes with built in 10/100/1000 Mbps GBLAN and V.92 56k Lucent AC Link Modem and up to five hours of battery life.
20/12/04
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