All-Purpose Notebooks

All-purpose notebooks represent the sweet spot for the industry. This category comprises thin-and-light models with 13.3- or 14-inch screens, as well as heavier systems up to 15.6 inches in size. All-purpose systems generally cost $600 and up, with more expensive models going as high as $2,000.

This category are intended for a broad swath of consumers, ranging from families using them as shared PCs to students, young professionals, or even seniors. Business notebooks, tablet PCs, gaming systems, and any notebook with 16-inch screens or above fall into other categories.

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What Can You Expect From An All-Purpose Notebook?

• Processor: 1.8- to 2.6-GHz Intel Core 2 Duo CPUs are common, as are dual-core 2.1- to 2.4-GHz AMD Turion X2 CPUs.
  
  
• RAM: All-purpose notebooks generally offer 3 or 4GB of RAM, and many systems feature faster DDR3 RAM (rather than the older DDR2 standard).
  
  
• Display: Expect sharp, bright displays in sizes ranging from 13.3 to 15.6 inches, most of which have a glossy treatment. Resolutions are are usually 1280 x 800, 1366 x 768, or 1440 x 900. An LED backlight is often an efficient and environmentally friendly option.
  
  
• Hard Drive: These systems typically come with 250 to 500GB, 5,400-rpm hard drives. Faster 7,200-rpm hard drives are available as options, as are solid state drives, which are smaller in capacity but increase system performance dramatically.
  
  
• Optical Drive: Most systems come standard with DVD burners, but Blu-ray drives are also available.
  
  
• Wireless: 802.11n wireless cards and Bluetooth should be standard, with additional mobile broadband options.
  
  
• Battery: Expect six-cell batteries that offer anywhere from three to five hours of endurance. Extended batteries or battery slices may also be available.
  
  

Buying Tips for All-Purpose Notebooks

• Pick the right screen size: If your all-purpose system is going to spend most of its time sitting on your kitchen table, opt for a 15-inch screen, since increased screen real estate will make working on your laptop more enjoyable. These systems tend to weigh around 6 pounds. If you plan to carry the notebook around the house or around the world, go for a 13.3- or 14-inch system, which will generally weigh 5 pounds or less.
  
  
• Get a powerful processor: Since rock-bottom prices aren’t paramount, insist on a model with an Intel Core 2 Duo processor and at least 2.0-GHz of clock speed. This will give you plenty of power (especially when multitasking), while keeping a leash on battery life.
  
  
• Shoot for speedy storage: If possible, get a 7,200-rpm hard drive over a 5,400-rpm model, as it will greatly improve your overall system performance. If you can afford an SSD instead, you can really supercharge your system.
  
  
• Consider discrete graphics: All-purpose notebooks may have discrete graphics chip options from Nvidia or ATI. If you plan to play games or edit video, you’ll benefit from the increased performance. If not, you’ll save money and improve battery life by sticking with integrated graphics.
  
  
• Blu-ray is not important: A 13- to 15-inch screen is too small to take advantage of full HD content. So unless you plan to attach your notebook to a TV, a Blu-ray drive is not something you need.