Chapter 2. Buying a Mobile Computer

IN THIS CHAPTER

• What's inside a laptop computer?

• Making the right choices

• Buying a Windows notebook that uses Intel Centrino mobile technology

If you are reading this book, you are in one of two situations:

• You own a Windows-based wireless laptop and want to learn more about using its wireless features.

• You are considering purchasing a Windows-based wireless laptop.

One way or the other, you probably feel excited about mobile computing and are ready to go out and surf while you sip latte, read your email at the airport, or sit beside the swimming pool.

This chapter assumes that you are in the second group. You don't have a laptop that works with Wi-Fi, the networking technology that enables mobile computing. For more information about Wi-Fi, see Chapter 8, "Entering a World Without Wires."

So in this chapter, I suppose that you are getting ready to go out and buy a Wi-Fi mobile computer that runs Microsoft Windows and is based on the Intel Centrino mobile technology. You'll learn about the most important considerations when buying a mobile computer, things to look out for, what's really important, and the best places to buy your computer.

By the way, in this chapter, I am using the terms "mobile computer," "laptop computer," and "notebook computer" to mean exactly the same thing: In all cases, they refer to a very portable computer operating Windows and providing Wi-Fi wireless networking using Intel Centrino mobile technology.