2. What You Can't Do Without

While you need to be prepared for lower end memory and CPU components in an under $700 notebook, there are a few features to be sure you get. These include wireless networking, a display screen that is large enough to show text at a size you can easily read, a weight and size that are ergonomically right for you and a keyboard and mouse pad that work the way you need them to.

Be sure the notebook you buy has 802.11 b/g compatible wireless networking. These specify maximum networking throughput or bandwidth, b=11 Mb/s and g=54 Mb/s. Actual performance with either b or g depends on a number of things, but the most important are the bandwidth of the network you're connecting to (b or g), your distance from the wireless network access point and what's between you and the access point.

Toshiba's Tecra A8-Ez8311 notebook

Displays on the notebooks we're discussing here come in sizes from around 12" to 17", with 17" being pretty rare in this price class. Like modern TV sets, notebook displays can have standard or wide screen displays. Neither is inherently better, but wide displays are best if you want to watch DVDs or other multimedia content on your notebook. You want a display with a sharp, bright and high contrast image. Often displays have special coatings on them to improve contrast. Unfortunately these coatings can cause distracting glare and reflections.

Don't forget the size and weight of the notebook you buy. Large notebooks can be difficult for people with small hands to pick up and move around. When you're carrying them across campus or from home to school and back, heavy notebooks often seem even heavier than they really are. As the fatigue from carry the notebook increases, you just might drop and damage it. Your best bet for carrying a notebook safely and for long distances is either a carrying case with a shoulder strap or a well designed backpack.

You should also think about the keyboard and mouse touchpad on any notebook you're considering. Are the keys big enough and spaced well enough apart for easy, error free typing? Is the touchpad in the intuitively right place for you? That is, when you reach for the touchpad while touch typing, do your fingers fall naturally on it and the mouse buttons? Not all touchpads are created equally. The surface of some is too smooth while the surface of others is the opposite. If your fingers move too easily or not easily enough over the touchpad, you're going to become frustrated when the onscreen mouse pointer either moves too, too slow or, worst of all, in jittery fits and starts. Some of the problems with mouse movement can be fixed with the Control Panel Mouse applet; some can't.

Oh yes, if the notebook you're considering has one of those pencil eraser mouse joysticks nestled in the keyboard, make absolutely sure you're comfortable with it. Compared to a mouse touchpad, it often takes a lot of effort to move these things and the onscreen mouse pointer where you want. You have to train yourself to keep your mousing finger on the top of the eraser and not let it drift down to the sides.

Even if you plan to buy from an Internet retailer, it's best to check out notebook candidates or reasonably close facsimiles in a brick and mortar store such as Best Buy or Circuit City. Because they're usually sold only on the Internet, it's difficult to see whitebook brands before buying them, so be sure you have clear rights of return if you buy one of them.