The total variety of laptops has grown, it seems, exponentially in the past few years.  And in looking at the latest crop for this year, the trend is continuing.  They come in a wide range of sizes, shapes and overall packages including some of the smallest, largest and thinnest models available.

The range of designs is not without purpose.  Some have reduced size in order to lower cost or to improve portability.  Some of the thinnest available are less than an inch thick and only weigh 3 to 5 pounds. 

You may have lately seen advertisements for “netbooks.”  This is a new class of laptop that have very small (7 to 9 inch) screens and weigh only 2 to 3 pounds.  The attraction is they only cost about $300.

As costs reduce on laptops, they really are a better choice over desktop computers.  What you might lose in ability to upgrade and expandability, you gain in versatility and portability.  With the right home accessories for your laptop you can fix the typical ergonomic issues of only using a laptop.   And with the ever increasing public wireless access, a laptop is becoming even more advantageous over a desktop computer.

The Basic Choices (Categorized by screen size):

15.4 inch Models:

This is the direction you should go if you are leaning toward portability, lower cost and good performance as your key laptop attributes.  Performance and cost are most closely related, so just know that the lower the cost the slower the processor.  For most applications this is not an issue.  However, if price outweighs performance then this is a great choice.

17 inch Models:

When power and performance are what you are looking for then point yourself toward these larger laptops.  Obviously there are some things you have to sacrifice.  For example portability is compromised slightly in that these models do not always fit in the smaller sized laptop bags.  They also can weigh up to 6 pounds so if you tend to have long walks in airports this may be a consideration.

But what you gain is higher performance, obviously a larger screen and in most cases better graphic capability.

14.1 inch Models:

These guys fit right in the middle with slightly less weight at 5 to 6 pounds and slightly lower price then the larger 17 inch models.

13.3 inch Models:

These models are the best bet for light weight portability.  Due to the smaller footprint these models have a higher price.  They only weigh around 3 to 5 pounds.  A word of caution on these smaller size models, make sure you check what is included within the frame of the laptop.  Although these models seem more portable, many of them require external storage or external DVD players.

Netbooks:

These have been referred to as “sub-notebooks” but are now generally called netbooks.  They are very small with screens in the range of 7 to 10 inches and are targeted toward users that focus on email and Web browsing.

Key Features to Compare When Laptop Shopping:

Processors:

This can appear confusing.  To simplify; For most users for home and school look for a laptop that has a “Pentium” Dual Core or AMD Turion X2.  For the user that is looking for more performance (and higher cost…) then steer toward Core 2 Duo.  There is a new version called Centrino 2 for laptops.  A good choice for the “power” user.

Hard Drive and Memory (RAM) Capacity:

The range of capacities for hard disk drives continues to increase dramatically.  Laptops are typically offered with hard drives from 120 to 500 GB and from 1GB to 2 GB of RAM.  Even if you have to pay a bit more, you should go with the 2GB of RAM as the new operating systems (Vista) require more memory and this can really enhance the laptop performance. 

Operating Systems – Windows vs. Mac:

Windows has continued to be the most dominant operating system for laptops.  However, if you talk to a Mac user they are usually die hard customers.  Both are excellent and have their pluses and minuses.  While Windows still has many more applications available, Macintosh users can still claim that they are less susceptible to viruses and spyware.

So go through this list and check off which attributes are most important and then you will be more then ready to make your laptop purchase.  As with most electronic equipment, accessories can be very important to improve the efficiency and overall enjoyment of your laptop.  Make sure you investigate the right accessories and add them to your list.

Traveling on business today is much different than it was even a few years ago. You must know the essentials now, follow them, and you will make your business trip as painless as possible.

Business Travel Preparations

Wherever you are going on a business trip, you must remember it begins with your preparation. This can be weeks ahead of the trip itself, but you must prepare.

Professional Preparation

Make a professional checklist of what you need to accomplish, by when, and to whom.

If there will be some professional socializing (diners, parties, etc.) you must decide on what you will be wearing, where you will go, and who you will be with.

In addition to you normal business preparations, you must prepare for all eventualities while away from your office and home.

Investigation into Destination Cities

Rules are changing by the minute, and some airlines and some airports have different rules and restrictions than others. You must research well your destination airport and city.

If you are going by air, you have different check-in minimum times, different carry-on allowances and restrictions, and also transport to/from airports.

A bit of investigation will save you trouble, time, and heartache in many cases.

Basic Wardrobe

Do not carry a lot of clothing. You need your basic wardrobe and some leisure items (sports maybe), but make sure that it’s consistent with the local weather conditions, and custom.

Fly Light Fly Right

The days of full carry-on baggage are coming to an end. Some airlines will permit the pilots case in business class, some wont, so be prepared to check your luggage.

Whatever it is, the lighter your fly the better. Chances are you have a notebook computer and accessories, and your business bag, so you will add this to the pre and post flight hand carry items.

If you are flying with a heavy load, you will become tired very quickly, you will be burdened with this extra weight, and chances are you will not need the half of it wherever you are going. Plan ahead.

Airport and Flight Security

Airport security is a necessary evil for the business traveler.

It slows down the whole process, and has modified what you can do, when and where you can do it, and what you can take with you on board (and work with on board).

So wear shoes that come on and off easily, and belts that do the same, or don’t wear a belt.

Don’t keep anything on your person that will slow down the process, including a lot of gadgets. Pack them away if possible, or leave them behind.

Have your identification and tickets at the ready to show when challenged to do so.

In many American airports, even the slightest event can become an issue.

Therefore refrain from talking to anyone except the workers or airline employees, do not joke about anything, and do not leave your hand luggage unattended.

Business travel was never easy, but now it is becoming tedious. So prepare for it, and make the best out of it.