Choosing a Travel Laptop - Five Key Points You Must Consider Before Buying

If you're a big traveler, you've already experienced the dilemma: should I bring my heavy laptop on the road, or should I just leave it and do without? Indeed, this can be a hard choice, because traveling light is key to having a good experience, and you certainly won't be traveling light with a heavy laptop, charger, and accessories.
How is the tech savvy traveler to solve this problem? Well, thanks to todays technology, it is possible to purchase a wide array of highly functional, yet incredibly light and compact laptops that are perfect for traveling.
However, buying one of these isn't quite as simple as rushing out and buying the smallest, lightest laptop you can find at the store. Travelers have special needs they need to consider first.
One of the biggest of these issues is durability. Many ultra portable laptops can tend towards the flimsy side, requiring them to be carefully packed and babied at all times. Instead, you want to strike a compromise between size and durability. Look for laptops with strong hinges and frames that will stand up to the rigors of travel.
Secondly, you need to consider what kind of performance you need from your travel laptop. If you're trying to save weight, you're not going to be able to get desktop level performance. Instead, you need to decide which features are most important to you. If you can do without an optical drive, dedicated 3D graphics, and other high end features, you can save quite a bit of size and weight.
Another huge issue with laptops is connectivity. For today's mobile computing needs, there are many options to consider. Pretty much all laptops these days come with the essential wi-fi connectivity, but there are some other options you need to think about. Will you need to dial in with a modem? Ethernet? Do you need mobile, nationwide broadband? Make sure that your laptop of choice comes with the options you need.
In addition to this, you need to think about usability. Do you need a full size keyboard, or can you deal with a compact one? What about screen size and resolution? Need a tablet PC? These types of issues can make or break the usability of your laptop, so getting them worked out ahead of time is critical. If you type a lot, you'll most definitely need a full sized keyboard. If you're doing a lot of graphics work, high screen resolution is key to productivity. Know what you need, and don't compromise.
Battery life is also a huge issue for travelers. Obviously, the longer the better, but keep in mind that a larger battery means more weight. Many laptops will allow you to purchase different sizes of batteries, for different needs. This can help you find the perfect compromise.
Overall, choosing a travel laptop doesn't have to be too complicated. Simply identify your needs, do your homework, and you're sure to walk away with a laptop that will prove to be a perfect travel companion.