MSI GT660 screams high-end power with its Core i7-720QM 1.6GHz processor (with Turbo Boost for up to 2.8GHz), 12GB DDR3 RAM and 1TB Sata hard disk with Raid 0 configuration for fast data transfer.

Graphics that appear on the 16-inch display are handled by an Nvidia GeForce GTX 285M graphics processor with 1GB DDR3.

Continue to read: MSI GT660R-004 16-Inch Laptop – Black

With the new breed of low-priced notebooks that debuted since last year, you can now purchase a pretty powerful machine for under
$100. It won’t be one of those ultra-slim, featherweight stunners, but that’s not what you need for a desktop, right?

If you travel frequently and truly need an ultra-portable model, prepare
to shell out some extra bucks if it will double as a desktop computer. However, remember that by purchasing only one machine, you’re saving money.

There are too many sub-$1,000 notebooks to mention here; browse the Internet, and you’ll be surprised by the many choices.

One is the Sony VAIO VGN-NS140E/W. For a list price of US$799.99, you’ll enjoy a 2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo; 64-bit processor; 3GB of installed memory; a 250GB, 5,400rpm hard drive; a 15.4-inch widescreen monitor; built-in Wi-Fi (802.11n ); Web cam; DVD drive; Windows Vista Home Premium; and more. Weight runs from 6.4 to 9.9 pounds, depending on the options you select.

For the speed and power mongers, Alienware offers a 15.4-inch version of its Area-51 series machines, the m15x, that starts at $1,499. Widely recognized as the world’s fastest 15.4-inch notebook, this machine is a work horse, with a Smart Bay and many of the treats in the aforementioned m17x.

No matter which model you choose, there are several things to keep in mind. First, notebooks tend to have slower hard drives than desktops; the faster the revolutions per minute, the better. If you are concerned with battery life, look for SATA drives, which are fast and efficient.

Second, memory doesn’t consume energy or radiate heat, so if you are using your notebook for both home and travel use, purchasing
more memory can make up for less-than-great processor speed.

Third, notebooks can have all the ports and extras of desktops and sometimes more. If you need a memory card reader, FireWire, a great video camera, or powerful speakers, keep looking until you find the right notebook for your needs.

Finally, unless you really need a large display on the road, choosing a smaller one will reduce notebook size and weight.

Notebooks can provide an identical experience to that of a desktop, including support for a big-screen monitor, standard keyboard, mouse, printer, scanner, and more. You can attach one or more external hard drives to a notebook, as well, and some notebooks have multimedia ports that output to your video or audio equipment.

Furthermore, virtually all notebooks today have Wi-Fi chips and some have built-in mobile broadband chips, as well as Ethernet and USB ports, making them network-ready.

Many manufacturers make docking stations and port replicators, which enable you to plug your peripherals, like external monitor, printer, drives and others into a stationary base that you can leave behind when you take the notebook on the road. Using one of these turns a 10-minute process into a 30-second treat and ensures you’ll be untangling fewer wires when you return.

If you are purchasing new peripherals along with your PC, consider wireless hardware that can connect with your notebook via Wi-Fi, Infrared, or Bluetooth. Make sure your notebook supports Infrared or Bluetooth if you take this approach. Unlike Wi-Fi, these two wireless technologies are far from ubiquitous in notebooks.

When you use your notebook with an external monitor, you’ll probably
have three choices: use the external monitor without the notebook’s display, extend the Desktop across both, or replicate the Desktop on both. Replication may sound pointless, but it can enable two people to watch the same DVD or review the same document from a few feet apart. With the new Wi-Fi monitors being released, dual view will become possible at a much greater range.

If you use an external monitor, as well as an external keyboard and
mouse, you may be able to close your notebook while in use to prevent dust intrusion. Before you take this step, make sure your notebook doesn’t vent heat through the keyboard and adjust your power settings so that closing the lid doesn’t send the notebook into Sleep mode when you are running your laptop on AC power. To access
the power settings in Windows Vista, click Start, Control Panel, Hardware And Sound, and Power Options.

Finally, when you are at home, run your notebook on AC power as much as possible. Each charge and discharge cycle on your notebook’s battery pack erodes the life of the lithium batteries somewhat, so running on AC power when practical maximizes overall battery life. In fact, if you leave your notebook plugged in for long periods of time, consider removing the battery pack and running on AC power only. Leaving the battery in place offers the distinct advantage of giving you automatic battery backup in case of a power failure. However, over time it will reduce the life of your notebook’s
batteries.

Depending on your needs and budget, some considerations may steer you away from notebooks. In recent years, they have become much
more powerful and less expensive. Nevertheless, they are still more expensive than their equivalent PC counterparts, especially in the upper-performance ranges. If you are a game or video fanatic, a notebook that will slake your thirst for speed and power will cost considerably more than a desktop equivalent.

For example, Alienware’s Area-51 m17x notebook is a monster gaming machine with an equally monster price. For that stratospheric price, you gain a top-of-the-line Nvidia GeForce graphics card with a dual GPU configuration, up to 1GB of dedicated for graphics memory, an Intel Core 2 Extreme processor, a 17-inch widescreen display, and up to 1TB of storage in a RAID 0 configuration.

A notebook such as this is a superior performer, not only for gaming
but also for HD video editing, 3D rendering, and any graphics and processor intensive tasks. In average operation, it will be a speed demon. The bad news for notebook buyers? Alienware’s similarly equipped desktops start in the $1,200 to $1,400 range.

With that said, if the description above left you reeling, or you are not
a serious gamer or video editor or a professional graphic designer or
drafter, you don’t need this much muscle. At the lower end of the spectrum, the price differential between notebooks and desktops is considerably less.

Another thing with notebooks is interior access. These enclosed systems generally cost more to have repaired or upgraded than their desktop counterparts. Space is at a premium in these babies, so parts are smaller and may be configured in such a way that getting to certain components requires more disassembly. Furthermore, on some of these models, if the monitor goes out you might as well replace the whole notebook. Fortunately, this is less of a problem than in previous years, notebook repair and monitor replacement is easier and less expensive now than ever.

Oddly enough, a final important downside to using a notebook as your
primary PC can be weight. Although some of today’s notebooks weigh
less than 2 pounds, a few of the most full-featured ones now weigh more than 20 pounds. If you want so many bells and whistles that the model you love compares to a concrete block, you might as well stick with a desktop.

This does not mean you cannot find a great notebook that is light enough for travel. At a reasonable price, which under $1,000, you can buy a midweight model that is plenty good enough for home use. It may also have better battery life than some lighter-weight models.

That’s one of the reasons business-centric, presentation-optimized
models are often the heaviest units, they need great performance for
a long period of time.

Notebooks as primary PCs aren’t for everyone, but many users who love them. Many report that once they switched to a notebook-only solution, they found themselves taking their PC on the go more frequently, enhancing recreation options and enabling greater work
productivity. On the other hand, if you believe electronics have insinuated themselves too heavily into our lives, you’ll probably hate the idea. A notebook as a desktop can streamline your life or add another ball and chain; it’s all in your perspective.

With notebook sales moving steadily upward and manufacturers touting the features of their new, low-priced models, is it time to ditch your desktop for a notebook? Could a notebook work double duty, both at home and on the road?

The answer for an increasing number of people is yes. For the 2007 holiday season, more than 75% (16 out of 20) of the top-selling PCs on Amazon.com were notebooks, and although the numbers weren’t out as of press time, the predicted results for the 2008 holiday season. Research firm IDC projects that by 2011, notebooks will enjoy a solid lead, with 66% and 71% of sales in the corporate and consumer worlds, respectively.

However, as most of parents drilled into us as children, just because everyone else is jumping off a bridge doesn’t necessarily mean we should do so.

If your desire to own a notebook is fueled by envy of cool-looking people tapping happily away outside your local coffee shop, think long and clearly about the decision. If you rarely travel or don’t find yourself pining for PC mobility when you do travel, a notebook-as-desktop solution may not be for you. This is especially true if you already have a smartphone with Internet access and other productivity enhancements.

However, if one of the following scenarios fits you, you are a prime candidate for a notebook-as-desktop replacement.

• You currently own both a notebook and desktop, and one of them needs upgrading
• You are considering purchasing a notebook for the first time.
• When traveling, you frequently head to a library, business center or other public PC to check email or perform key tasks.
• You have or are implementing a wireless network in your home and don’t already own a notebook.

With a notebook as a primary PC, you won’t spend hours copying files you need on the road from the desktop to a notebook or external, portable drive. You will never discover after you leave that you forgot to bring key information. Finally, you won’t return home with duplicate data sets you must resolve.

Furthermore, if you live in a hazard prone area such as the Gulf or Atlantic coasts or Tornado Alley, a notebook is a particularly sensible choice as your main PC. Admittedly, when disaster threatens, grabbing an external drive is as easy as unhooking a notebook.

However, if you lose touch with loved ones, an external drive won’t let you surf the Internet for news or send email messages.