As the majority of people are aware, on and offline reviews for laptops fulfil a few basic needs. Not only do they give consumers advice on which are good deals and the specifications of a laptop, together with laptop reviews of its performance and usability, but they also give vital consumer advice and assistance which a nervous or first time buyer may find to be invaluable.

The buying advice can be specific to an individual brand or specific laptop and can give consumers advice in what to ask when they purchase as well as what they can expect and be entitled to but there is also general advice which gives consumers an idea of what to expect from any sales forum whether on line or in the High Street.

The Processor

Whether it’s Intel Atom, Core or another processor, most people immediately want to know what processor their laptop will have and what it will give them in benefits when using their laptop. For example, with a netbook, Intel Atom requires little power but can be very slow and sluggish, whilst another form of processor is likely to give faster results but could end up costing a lot more, which might not be good value depending upon your point of view.

Storage Capabilities

Again, this is purely subjective and almost goes without saying but the more memory and storage a laptop has the more space you have for work and the less likely you are to see a slow running machine or the loss of data which can come as a result of overloading. Many laptop retailers offer upgrades on memory and storage as well as additional storage devices such a memory sticks or flash drives.

Wireless Technology Enabled

Wireless technology is that which means that you can sit on the train or in a cappuccino bar and either work or browse on your laptop and from essential to ‘required for my own purposes’, many people see wireless technology and Bluetooth to help in this regard. It’s always worth, although most laptops are wireless-enabled now, to ensure that any new laptop will let you do what you want when you want.

The Operating System

Before buying their first laptop, many people might think that they are automatically fitted with Windows or Linux as an operating system and few still are aware that this is a choice between laptops but it’s another question to ask. Don’t forget to be a little cheeky in this regard as you may be able to get an upgrade or discount on any additional hardware you need for the operating system.

The Physical Appearance of the Laptop

The display, screen size and keyboard are often individual preferences but you may find that one laptop gives you a better keyboard and screen for your requirements than another, so it’s always worth shopping around for your ideal model before settling on something which you may not want to work on for long periods of time or for the foreseeable future.

Charles Reybreck is a freelance writer with an interest in consumer issues, such as laptop reviews and digital camera reviews.

The new HP Envy 14 Spectre Ultrabook is now available to purchase, with prices starting from $1399 for the base system with Core i5 processor, 4GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD. With the price increasing depending on the options you would like.

The HP Envy 14 Spectre has these specifications, Intel Core i5 2467M processor supported by 4GB of DDR3-1333 memory, with a 128GB solid state drive. The HP Envy 14 Spectre comes with a 14-inch 1,600 x 900-pixel display in a 13.3-inch form factor and is equipped with a web camera, backlit keyboard and connectivity provided by 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

• HP ENVY 14-3010NR Spectre 14-Inch Ultrabook (Silver/Black)
• List Price: $1,399.99
• Price: Too low to display
• Read Reviews

The system is also comes with HP Touch to Share technology, a unique NFC feature, that enables users to share data between the laptop and other supported NFC-enabled smartphones.

The Envy 14 Spectre also features a USB 3.0 port, 2-in-1 memory card reader, mini-DisplayPort, HDMI port, and HP’s Beats Audio technology. It has a 20mm thickness and the weight is just under 1.8kg which is average for a 14-inch Ultrabook.

MSI Wind U120-020US 10-Inch Notebook PC (1.6 GHz Intel Atom, 1 GB RAM, 160 GB Hard Drive, 802.11b/g/n, BlueTooth 2.0 EDR, XP Home, 6 Cell Battery)

I am considering getting one of these to dual boot, Windows 7 and Mac OSX. These laptops are known to work with the Apple OS.

The Wind is an acronym for “Wi-Fi Network Device,” it features a fast and energy-efficient Intel Atom 1.6GHz Processor which provides longer battery life and better mobility. The MSI Wind is a lightweight Netbook, it measures about 7 inches wide by 10.23 inches long, and it weighs just 2.6 pounds.

The Wind features a functional keyboard that is only 20% smaller than a full sized notebook keyboard. The MSI Wind comes equipped with a 10″ Backlit LED screen that provides excellent Color quality and brightness giving you better comfort while viewing the internet, watching online videos and viewing photos. The Wind has 802.11b/g/n wireless built-in, so you can enjoy the convenience of accessing the Internet anywhere. It also has video chat with the built-in 1.3 Megapixel Web camera and microphone. The Wind also sports Bluetooth, which enables you to connect to headphones, or other Bluetooth devices so that you don’t have to carry around a bunch of cables. Box Contents: MSI Wind U120-020US 10″ Mini Notebook, 6-Cell Lithium-Ion Battery, 65W (100/240v) AC power adapter, Protective Case. Software Bundle: Windows XP Home, 1-Year Limited Warranty

Here are the Specifications:

# Intel Atom N270 1.6 GHz Processor
# 512 KB L2 Cache, 533 MHz Bus speed
# 1024 MB DDR2 (PC2-5300) RAM
# 10″ WSVGA (1024 x 600) LED Backlit Display
# 160 GB SATA Hard Drive
# Two internal Speakers
# Built-in 1.3 Megapixel Web camera & Microphone
# Facial Recognition Software for Security
# Built-in 802.11 b/g/n Wireless
# 10/100 Ethernet LAN
# Integrated Bluetooth
# 4-in-1 Card Reader: SD, Multimedia Card, Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro
# 3 x USB 2.0, Headphone out; Microphone-in, VGA, RJ-45
# Approximate Unit Dimensions: 10.23″ (L) x 7.08″ (D) x 1.24″ (H)
# Approximate Unit Weight: 2.6 Pounds

Notebook Specials

1/25-1/31
Save up to $454 instantly on HP dv4t Customizable Notebook PC!
Savings includes $150 instant rebate, Free upgrade to 2GB memory from 1GB of memory ($50 value), 50% off 512MB discrete graphics ($75 value), Save $50 on Blu-ray drive upgrade, Save $100 on Integrated Mobile Broadband and get FREE shipping ($29 value). Plus save $60 on a wireless printer!
Save up to $454 instantly on HP dv4t Customizable Notebook PC!

1/25-1/31
Save with a $150 price drop on the ready to ship HP Pavilion dv7-1150us Entertainment Notebook PC!
Save with a $150 price drop on the ready to ship HP Pavilion dv7-1150us Entertainment Notebook PC!

1/25-1/31
Save with a $100 price drop on the ready to ship HP Pavilion G60-120us Entertainment Notebook PC!
Save with a $100 price drop on the ready to ship HP Pavilion G60-120us Entertainment Notebook PC!

Dell is putting out a thin and light laptop to compete with the MacBook Air. There has been no word about this notebook although Dell has listed some laptop accesories that are called Adamo Thirteen.

There have been rumors that the laptop may have an optional external blueray drive which would make the notebook an ultra portable.

The Dell Adamo has official website, but it still under construction. You can check it out here when it arrives.