Features a good laptop should have in 2011

I was thinking today about my next gadget purchase. Most likely it will be a laptop. It’s not that my current Core i5 Full HD Sony Vaio F laptop is not good anymore. It’s almost a dream machine to work on, but at 7.7 pounds (~3.5 kg) it’s too heavy to carry around, has a (very) thick 9 cell battery that lasts only 3,5 hours and this is what makes me want a second machine.

So, if you are too in a market for a good laptop in 2011 what should you be looking for? That’s the question I would like to answer in this post. I won’t give you examples of laptops to buy (some of the best laptop deals are on Amazon), but merely guide you to the specs and features you should be looking at to ensure you get a good notebook for the money. The list is not ordered in any way, so you should consider the things you want more as I’m sure you won’t find a laptop that has all of the aforementioned features and is light or cheap. If you do find the idea laptop give me a buzz please!

Sandy Bridge

This is the codename of Intel’s second generation Core series (more details here), featuring improved performance in a lower power envelope that now allows even 14 inch laptops to feature quad core processors. Turbo boost (dynamic overclocking) has now reached version 2.0 and brings significant improvements in single threaded apps. And there are also lots of improvements that are worth considering (6 Gbps SATA for example) that make the Sandy Bridge architecture a mush have in a 2011 laptop.

Solid State Drive (SSD)

If you want to upgrade the performance of your laptop to the highest possible level the easiest way to do that is to get an SSD drive. Sure they’re still more expensive than normal HDDs (at least 7-8  times more expensive), but that’s not a problem for some. If current hard drives top out at around 100 Mbps on large files SSD drives go up to 500 Mbps and keep performance levels even when multiple apps are accessing the drive. That’s the advantage of having no moving parts and that’s why SSDs are a must have upgrade if you want the ultimate performance in a laptop.

USB 3.0

If you transfer lots of files between external hard drives and your laptop then you want to make sure the bandwidth of the USB 2.0 ports is not limited in any way. So the look for the blue USB 3.0 ports found in some of the current laptops. Theoretical maximum speed is increased from 480 Mbps to 5 Gbps (around 10 times more) so you get faster transfer speed that are now limited by your hard drives, not by the wires. And best of all: USB 3.0 is backward compatible with USB 2.0 standard so you can use your old accessories without any issues.

Intel Wireless Display

This is one step forward towards true mobility: output your laptop’s display to a big screen TV with no wires. Intel Wireless Display is compatible with some of the current laptop CPUs from the Sandy Bridge architecture as well as some of the 1st get Core iX models. Add the Intel HD 3000 integrated graphics and certain WiFi chips together with a special adapter for the HDTV (see complete list here) and you can mirror the laptop display with no wires. If you’re a multimedia addict this is one thing you want to have in your next notebook.

Lightweight solid build case

With the advances in chassis construction the last thing you want is a glossy plastic case: it catches fingerprints easily and doesn’t provide enough structural strength to keep the keyboard steady (no flex) while typing. And aluminum cases are also very good at dissipating heat. Make sure you get an aluminum case or at least magnesium plastic alloy (like in the latest Lenovo Thinkpads). No matter what you do don’t go for plastic only cases. Also if you don’t want to exercise your back muscles try and get a lightweight laptop (up to 14 inches form factor max). 4-5 pounds laptops are not hard to find today.

Good keyboard with backlight

One of the most important things that are often overlooked in a laptop is the keyboard. Some flex under typing, others have low feedback or are noisy, so you want to make sure you ‘test drive’ the keyboard before buying. Most keyboards are chiclet/island these days so you want to make sure you buy one similar, but with good activation point feedback (it means you should clearly fee when a key press is being activated). Backlight is also important if you work at night, so make sure your 2011 laptop has that.

Large precise trackpad with multitouch gestures

That’s something Apple is doing right for a long time. But if Apple laptops are out of reach (budget wise) or you don’t like the lack of features like USB 3.0, Intel Wireless display then go for a laptop with a generously sized trackpad and good sensitivity (you don’t wan the cursor to be too slow or to jump on the screen). Multi touch gestures like pinch to zoom, two finger scroll or flick navigation are a must, so check before you buy.

Matte display with high resolution

99% of the laptops bought today have glossy screens. They’re the worst choice as you get a highly reflective surface with almost no outdoor screen legibility. Unfortunately manufacturers don’t really care about this aspect and keep pushing those annoying glossy screens. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t good screens to guy out there, so look for professional laptops from Lenovo, HP and Dell. They’re most likely to feature matte displays.

And the second thing, get a higher resolution display. Don’t settle for 1366 x 768 pixels (HD ready) and get a higher resolution model. It shouldn’t be hard to find on laptops bigger than 13-14 inches. You’ll thank me as you get a lot more screen real estate to play with. Keep in mind that your vision will suffer if you choose a higher dot pitch so make sure you can handle that as there’s nothing more important than your health.

Good battery life

The main reason a laptop is bought is mobility: it can be easily moved around and you get to keep all your work in one place. But if battery life is just 2-3 hours you will find yourself tied to a wall plug. Given the evolution in battery life try and get a laptop that lasts you at least 5 hours on a charge (real usage, not manufacturer claims, which are sometimes double the real scenario). More and more manufacturers offer the option to go for a bigger battery that weight a little bit more. I say go for it in a heartbeat!

Final words

I think those are the most important aspects to consider when buying a laptop in 2011. If you have more let me know in the contacts area below and I’ll make sure to update this post. Enjoy and good luck finding the notebook you want in 2011. If you want to get a good deal on laptops I recommend Amazon’s own laptop page.