Quick question about portable computers?

Question

I will soon be in a job where I commute half the week home half the week, and want to buy a powerful but affordable portable computer. I don't even know the diff between a laptop and a notebook. Whichever is most portable with an adult sized keyboard and a nice screen. Any suggestions? This is for leisure use. I would like to use it for DVD, mp3, and small games (less than 100MB programs stored in the hard drive running out of RealArcade, etc). Hoping to spend less than 1000 USD.

Related is an internet question. I would like access from the new computer whether I'm home or away. I know a little about wi-fi but I think this depends on nearby signal. Since my job and home are 70 miles apart, and the job is in a rural area, wi-fi is unlikely. So can you get internet piped into a portable computer in an out of the way location? How much does this service cost, and who provides such a service? I guess it would be comparable to "roaming" on a cell phone.

Thanks for any help!

Sorry, need to clarify. My home computer is tied to my telephone service, a landline. It is up for now, but I have a cell phone and could easily shut it off if I didn't need either. I won't be home enough to justify paying for both portable and home-based internet and phone.

And I am looking for high speed internet...

Answer 1

Notebook & laptop are nearly interchangeable these days. Most now come with a choice of 3 screen sizes--14.1, 15.4 & 17 inch.

The 14.1 is considered ultra portable, the 17 is more or less a desktop substitute. The 15.4 is probably the most practical unless you have to carry it a great deal. All of the laptops today have nice screens, DVD/CD drives and can play a lot more the just the small games you mentioned. You can find machines that will do a great job for $700.00 to $800.00 these days. Check out HP or Dell web sites for prices.

Go to Best Buy or Circuit City to see the computers and get a hands on feel for what you need. The sales associates in these stores actually know their products and have had training on them.

You can now get broadband for you laptop like a cell phone. It's a monthly subscription fee of about $80.00. This service is offered by cell phone providers so you should check to see which company has signal in the area you will be using it. Some of the new computers offer this service built in, but you can get the PCMCIA card from the service provider and it inserts into the PCMCIA slot in side of your laptop. This does not use a local router.

WiFi is the signal from a router that is connected to a modem then is connected to wired computer. Then the wireless notebook can receive the signal from the router. It's local--as in LAN (Local Area Network) and usually carried 50 to 100 feet from the router.

Verizon & Sprint offer mobile broadband service. You need to check their websites for details.

Answer 2

Laptop and notebook means the same. You can probably get a decent notebook computer for your price range. I have some link to make you decide what you want for that price.

When your home I assume you have Internet provider to access on-line. When away If you have no nearest wi-fi signals, then you can just get a Little extra service with your cp provider either AT&T or Verizon.

Worst comes to worst you can use sattelite service providers here's a link.

Answer 3

You should just look into a dell notebook (btw, notebook and laptop, same thing). They are affordable and seem like they'd do what you want. Oh, as for portable internet, you can always get a card from a cellular provider. I'm not sure how much they run, but I think the service is about $50 or so a month.

Answer 4

Take this question to the nearest Best Buy!