Can an iPad Do That
Jennifer Demski · T.H.E. Journal Technological Horizons in Education · 2011
NOW THAT the holiday frenzy over iPads, tablet PCs, and netbooks is over, let's settle down into a calmer frame of mind and consider the laptop. You remember the laptop, don't you? That breakthrough technology that allowed computing to become portable? [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Guess what--it hasn't gone away! We surveyed the market to see what features one could expect from a laptop priced similarly to today's tablet and netbook wunderkinds. What we discovered is that these days it's easy to get a solid machine with cutting-edge features for less than $500. The 33 Windows-based models included in our survey are all currently priced at $499.99 and under, and all are categorized as full-size laptops--no typing on tiny netbook keyboards or touchscreens here. And, as we compiled the specs for these models, we noticed that there are a few features that almost all of the laptops at this price point share: * All models feature a widescreen HD display. * All but one come with the 64-bit edition of Windows 7 Home Premium preinstalled. (Only the 15.6-inch Toshiba Satellite L455D-$5976, priced at $426.99, features the 32-bit edition of Windows 7 Home Premium.) * All offer either a 250-GB or a 320- GB SATA hard drive, with the exception of two outliers--the 15.6-inch eMachines eME527-2537, priced at $399.99, features a 160-GB SATA hard drive, while, at the other end of the spectrum, the 15.6-inch Toshiba Satellite C655D-S5088, priced at $479.99, includes a 500-GB SATA hard drive. * All models feature a dual layer CD/DVD(+/-R) optical drive, with the exception of the six lightest machines: the 11.6-inch Toshiba Satellite T215-S1150, the 11.6-inch Toshiba Satellite Pro T110-EZ1110, the 11.6-inch HP Pavilion dm1z, the 11.6-inch Toshiba Satellite T215D-S1160, the 11.6-inch Toshiba Satellite T215D-S1140, and the 11.6-inch Dell Inspiron M101z. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] There were a number of categories, though, where certain models clearly stood out from their peers. In the next few pages, we've compiled the top performers for battery life and weight; processor speed and memory; peripheral support; and connectivity. (Note: All laptops are consumer models released in 2010 and prices are the suggested retail price. These lists are based on manufacturers' specifications; we have not done any product testing to verify manufacturers' claims.) For a complete listing of all the $499.99 and under laptops included in our survey, check out thejournal.com/ laptoproundup. PORTABILITY AND BATTERY LIFE The true portability of a laptop is contingent on both its weight and the battery's ability to hold a charge. These six models aren't just the lightest; their specifications indicate a battery life of five hours or more, perfect for those times when you want to log on without plugging in. MODEL WEIGHT BATTERY PRICE Dell 4.96 lbs 9-cell lithium-ion $499.99 Inspiron 14 battery-up to 8 hrs 10 mins 11.6 Toshiba 3.49 lbs 6-cell lithium-ion $479 Satellite Pro battery-up to 8 hrs T110-EZ1110 11.6 Dell 3.44 lbs 6-cell lithium-ion $429.99 Inspiron M101z battery-up to 6.5 hrs 11.6 Toshiba 3.3 lbs 6-cell lithium-ion $499 Satellite battery-up to 5 hrs T215D-S1150 11.6 Toshiba 3.3 lbs 6-cell lithium-ion $469.99 Satellite battery-up to 5 hrs T215D-S1140 11.6 Toshiba 3.3 lbs 6-cell lithium-ion $469.99 Satellite battery-up to 5 hrs T215D-S1160 PERIPHERAL SUPPORT A laptop's value increases exponentially based on its ability to interact with peripherals, including: connecting to external hard drives, MP3 players, and other USB 2.0 components; reading a variety of memory cards; and outputting digital video and audio to an external display. …