The specs break down pretty well according to categories such as family, student, or gaming, so we used such categories to help you focus your search. For a comprehensive selection of notebook reviews, go to ZDNet's Notebook Supercenter . If you're interested in replacing your home desktop with a notebook PC, you'll want a big, bright display, a comfortable keyboard, enough processing power to handle computer games, and plenty of storage for home pictures and MP3s. PowerPC G3 processor, 64MB of RAM, a 6GB hard drive, a 56Kbps modem, and a CD-ROM drive. Check with your school to see if you'll also need an Ethernet adapter for connecting to the campus network.
Most users rely on their notebook PCs for word processing, spreadsheets, e-mail, and Web browsing.
For these tasks, a mainstream notebook PC more than fits the bill. Mainstream notebooks tend to be larger and heavier than corporate notebooks and can have either fixed or swappable drives. Graphics-intensive computer games, digital audio files, and desktop video all put a major drain on system resources. The Apple PowerBook, with its 500MHz PowerPC G3 processor and twin FireWire interfaces, should be on your short list. ZDNet and ZDNet logo are registered trademarks of ZD Inc. Content originally published in Ziff Davis Media publications is the copyrighted property of Ziff Davis Media.