Key Considerations

One of the most important components of a laptop computer is its LCD screen. LCD technology dispenses with the bulky CRT, or "Cathode Ray Tube", that is a necessary requirement for traditional computer monitors, so that LCD screens can be very thin, in comparison. A laptop screen does, however, need to be large enough to be viewed comfortably, but no so large that it compromises the ease with which the machine can be carried around.

Screen sizes range from, perhaps, 10 inches, in ultra compact, ultra lightweight models, to 17 inches in the largest, heaviest models. Screen size is customarily measured diagonally, so an extra inch, or two, in the quoted dimension can mean a significant increase in the overall viewing area. Many laptop uses find that a screen size of 14, or 15, inches is more than adequate. Most laptop screens, nowadays, feature TFT ("Thin Film Transistor"), or "active matrix", technology, for brightness, clarity and colour of the highest quality. The Acer EX4220 Laptop, for example, has a 14.1 inch, "CrystalBrite" display, with a maximum resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels.

The lightest laptops usually weigh between just 4 and 8lbs, but may, by necessity, be lacking an internal floppy disk, or optical drive. Slighter larger, heavier laptops include these features, and allow for larger screens, and longer battery life. The heaviest laptops can weigh up to 14lbs, and while such models are likely to offer all the mobile computing features that you will ever need, they can also be tiresome to carry around every day.

About Acer

Acer, originally established in 1976, manufactures and distributes a range of flexible laptop computer products, for use in professional business, and in the home. Acer is, in fact, one of the top four computer manufacturers in the world, and supports a distribution network in over 100 countries, globally, including in Asia, Europe and the United States. The company is committed to the development of cutting edge technology – such as its own "CrystalBrite" LCD technology – and the incorporation of that technology into laptops that are innovative in design, but, nevertheless, reliable, easy to use and affordably priced.

Conclusion

The obvious advantage of a laptop computer is that it can be used almost anywhere, within reason, and depending upon the limitations imposed by its overall size, and weight. People who travel frequently, and for long distances, for example, can use a laptop on buses, trains or aeroplanes, to catch up with work, or purely for entertainment purposes. Generally speaking, laptops are still a little more expensive, and a little less powerful, than desktop alternatives, so do try to make sure that you can justify the purchase of a laptop, in terms of the real, practical benefits that you will derive from it.