Lap dance: it's back-to-school season, and that can mean only one thing: great computer deals

Men's Fitness, Sept, 2005 by Joshua Goldman

FORGET THE KIDS--WHEN THE likes of Best Buy offer great back-to-school deals on laptops, it's you who benefits. Today's laptops have the same capabilities (and power) as many of their desktop counterparts but take up a fraction of the space.

When it comes to buying one, there are two key factors most people consider: weight and price. If you travel a lot, opt for something lighter than four pounds (unless you enjoy lugging things around). Going smaller can help in other ways as well--as a rule of thumb, the bigger the notebook, the shorter the battery life.

As for price, compared with desktops, notebooks aren't cheap--a good one will cost you at least $1,000. But luckily, since people won't carry something ugly, at least you get a sleek-looking machine for all those hard-earned dollars.

SPECS TO CHECK

Make sure the laptop you buy meets the following requirements

PROCESSOR

Intel Pentium M or AMD Turion 64 for PCs, G4 b for Macs (get as fast a speed as your wallet allows)

MEMORY

A minimum of 512 megabytes

HARD DRIVE

60 gigabytes or more

OPTICAL DRIVE

Unless you're making movies, a DVD-playing, CD-burning drive is plenty

PORTS

USB 2.0 and FireWire (aka 1394)--the more, the merrier

WIRELESS NETWORKING

Look for it built in; 802.11g is ideal

WARRANTY

Don't skimp--get as much as you can afford

SONY VAIO T35OP, $2,300

It's small and nasa long battery life, but it's the built-in wireless radio, which lets you surf the Web on Cingular's high-speed cellular network, mat makes this Vaio the road warrior's ultimate tool. sonystyle.com

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DELL INSPIRON 7OOM, $999

The epitome of always-on-the-go computing, the 700M features a bright, 12.1-inch screen, weighs only 4.1 pounds, and is just 1.5 inches thick. dell.com

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ALIENWARE AREA-51M7700, $1,999

This gaming powerhouse uses the most advanced graphics card, which means it will play the latest and most demanding games with ease. Its backbreaking heft, however, makes it an unlikely travel companion. alienware.com

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PANASONIC TOUGHBOOK W2, $2,300

Encased in magnesium alloy, the 2.8-pound, semirugged W2 is as strong as it is light. It has an anti-shock hard drive and can take a one-foot drop onto the floor. panasonic.com

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APPLE POWERBOOK G4, $1,999

The PowerBook offers more than good looks. The current 15-inch model has a large wide-screen display and a superfast DVD burner and uses the most reliable operating system, Mac OS X. apple.com

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TOSHIBA QOSMIO G25-AVS13, $2,999

The Qosmio G25 (pronounced cos-mee-oh) features a built-in TV tuner, a bright, 17-inch wide-screen display, and impressive speakers (for a laptop). It's the finest portable entertainment center around--and yes, it'll handle spreadsheets, too. toshiba.com

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HP SPECIAL EDITION L2000 LIVESTRONG, $899

The Lance Armstrong-themed L2000 is built for endurance and performance. It also trumps those yellow bracelets when it comes to support--$50 from each sale goes to the Lance Armstrong Livestrong Foundation.

shopping.hp.com

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CARRY ON

Your image, like your notebook computer, needs protecting. Skip the cheap fabric, and dare to go with colors and style,

ACME MADE DESIGNER SLIM, $170

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JACK SPADE NYLON-CANVAS VERTICAL MESSENGER, $125

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BALLY HAMILTON $795

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JACK SPADE NYLON CANVAS DAY BAG, $90

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APC ULTRA-LIGHT POWER-READY CASE, $40

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