When considering what price range laptop you're going to buy, an important factor is what type of screen you want. If you are hunting for bargains, beware passive matrix (DSTN / HPA) screens. Basically, they look terrible. The standard LCD laptop screen today is Active Matrix (TFT). Both types of screen are perfectly flat, about half an inch thick, and don't use much power. For passive matrix screens, HPA screens are harder to view at angles, but newer versions have improved greatly from the vague and translucent image quality of old DSTN screens. Still, TFT screens are brighter and sharper than even the best passive matrix screens. LCD manufacturers don't even make passive matrix screens anymore, so if you are buying a new model, you don't have to worry much about that.
Screen sizes and resolutions
Besides the type of screen, which should be TFT, you will want to consider the size and resolution of the laptop screen. Here's a range of laptop screen sizes and the resolutions that are often displayed on the screen:
Screen Resolutions (in pixels) Possible LCD Sizes (diagonal)
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800x600 (SVGA) 12"
1024x768 (XGA) 12", 13.3", 14", 15"
1280x1024 (SXGA) - uncommon size 14", 15", 15.7"
1400x1050 (SXGA+) 14", 15"
1600x1200 (UXGA) 14", 15", 16"
1600x1200 (UXGA+ / Enhanced UXGA - same size, brighter screen) 15"
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About Resolutions
Cheaper screens typically have the 1024x768 resolution. For many, this resolution is fine as text is more comfortable to read. If you demand more desktop space, look for a 1400x1050 or 1600x1200 screen. For whatever reason, standard 1280x1024 screens are not as common lately as they once were. You may want to go and look at different screens at a local computer or electronics store to figure out what size and resolution you require.
Laptop Size
A laptop with a 14" or 15" diagonal screen is going to be physically larger than one with a 12" or 13" screen. The actual size of the laptop has been increased in order to hold the larger screen. So, choose wisely if you want a big screen. As time goes on, larger screens will keep getting cheaper, and instead of increasing screen size, laptop prices will go down. I can't imagine a laptop with a 17" LCD screen, but it is possible if there is demand for it. If you are aiming for a very small notebook, you will most probably end up with a 12" screen.
XGA - This started out as IBM's term for a computer monitor resolution standard of 1024x768 pixels and 16-bit color. IBM released XGA monitors and graphics cards for its PS/2 computers, but unfortunately the standard was interlaced, and ran on 14" monitors. Nowadays XGA just means 1024x768. Laptop makers often mention that their screens are XGA, meaning that they support that resolution.
Super XGA (SXGA) - A display with 1280x1024 pixel resolution.
Super XGA+ (SXGA+) - A display with 1400x1050 pixel resolution. It is a hybrid resolution between SXGA and UXGA found on some LCD screens in laptop PCs.
Ultra XGA (UXGA) - A display with 1600x1200 pixel resolution.
TFT :
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Short for thin film transistor, a type of LCD flat-panel display screen, in which each pixel is controlled by from one to four transistors. The TFT technology provides the best resolution of all the flat-panel techniques, but it is also the most expensive. TFT screens are sometimes called active-matrix LCDs.
Integrated 802.11b/g wireless LAN :
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To support the extension of broadband wireless into mobile applications, 802.11 Wireless LAN (WLAN) solutions optimized for battery-powered, handheld devices. These solutions let consumers connect to the growing number of WLAN networks in offices, homes, and public places, and let service providers increase their network reach and customer base by enabling complementary data and voice services across cellular/PCS and WLAN networks.
IEEE 1394 port :
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A very fast external bus standard that supports data transfer rates of up to 400Mbps (in 1394a) and 800Mbps (in 1394b). Products supporting the 1394 standard go under different names, depending on the company. Apple, which originally developed the technology, uses the trademarked name FireWire. Other companies use other names, such as i.link and Lynx, to describe their 1394 products.
A single 1394 port can be used to connect up 63 external devices. In addition to its high speed, 1394 also supports isochronous data -- delivering data at a guaranteed rate. This makes it ideal for devices that need to transfer high levels of data in real-time, such as video devices.
Although extremely fast and flexible, 1394 is also expensive. Like USB, 1394 supports both Plug-and-Play and hot plugging, and also provides power to peripheral devices.
I hope all the things are clear now.
