When you are presenting information in the Courtroom or to potential clients, you always want your presentation to go smoothly and problem free. One of the areas within your control, at least to some degree, is the hardware you are working with. Generally speaking, there are a variety of configurations and specifications that make up a capable laptop/computer. Sometimes in the heat of battle or last minute decision making, a purchase of a new laptop is made hastily. I hear frequently from customers who say “the guy at BestBuy said this is a top of the line laptop”. It probably is… if it were being used in a “normal” work environment. The Courtroom is not a “normal” work environment by any stretch of the imagination. It is a pressure cooker at least 3 fathoms deep and can take years off of your life if you are in the hot seat. You cannot rely on the “BestBuy” guy to know how you are going to use the laptop and the miracles you will be asked to perform on a daily basis. This is the first of a multi-part series discussing hardware and some suggested areas to look at when you are purchasing a new laptop or evaluating the condition of your current system(s).
Video:
Before we talk about video memory, we need to focus first on the video card. It is important to make sure that the laptop comes equipped with a dedicated video card, not an integrated graphics solution or integrated video card. Laptop manufacturers choose integrated graphics over dedicated graphics because it is more cost effective, uses less power and requires less physical space. Having the GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) on the motherboard sounds like a good idea, but it uses shared system memory, not dedicated video memory. This is bad! Especially if you are going to be required to play synchronized video and display documents at the same time.
If the laptop has a dedicated video card and integrated video, you will want to turn the integrated video off. Otherwise, the playback will end up switching between adapters and determining for itself the best way instead of using one or the other. There is no substitute for dedicated memory.
A top feature on your list needs is a video card with a minimum of 1GB of RAM or it will have a specification of 1GB RAM-DDR3 Memory. If your budget will allow for 2GB RAM-DDR3 Memory, I would definitely get that! You can never have enough VRAM, Conventional RAM or Hard Drive space in my opinion – so in this case more is always better.
Here are three laptop configurations that should accommodate anyone’s budget.
Budget PC:
Lenovo ThinkPad L530
| Processor: | Intel Core i5-3210M Processor (3M Cache, up to 3.10 GHz) |
| Operating System: | Windows 7 Professional (64 bit) |
| Operating System Language: | Windows 7 Professional 64 - English |
| Display Type: | 15.6" HD (1366 x 768) LED Backlit AntiGlare Display, Mobile Broadband Ready |
| System Graphics: | Intel HD Graphics 4000, Mobile Broadband ready |
| Total Memory: | 4 GB DDR3 - 1600MHz (1 DIMM) |
| Keyboard: | Keyboard - US English |
| Hard Drive: | 320GB Hard Disk Drive, 7200rpm |
| Micro Hard Drive (mSATA): | 16GB mSATA Solid State Cache Drive |
| Optical Device: | DVD Recordable |
| System Expansion Slots: | Express Card Slot |
| Battery: | 6 Cell Li-Ion TWL 70+ |
| Power Cord: | 65W AC Adapter - US (2pin) |
| Integrated WiFi Wireless LAN Adapters: | ThinkPad 1x1 b/g/n |
| Integrated Mobile Broadband: | Mobile Broadband upgradable |
| Language Pack: | Publication - US English |
Middle of the Road:
Lenovo ThinkPad T530
• Windows 7 Professional (64 bit)
• 15.6" HD+ (1600 x 900) LED Backlit AntiGlare Display, Mobile Broadband Ready
• NVIDIA NVS 5400M Graphics with Optimus Technology, 1GB DDR3 Memory
• 8 GB DDR3 - 1600MHz (2 DIMM)
• Keyboard - US English
• UltraNav without Fingerprint Reader
• 720p HD Camera with Microphone
• 320GB Hard Disk Drive, 7200rpm
• 16GB mSATA Solid State Cache Drive
• DVD Recordable
• Express Card Slot & 4-in-1 Card Reader & Bezel
• 6 Cell Li-Ion TWL 70+
• 90W AC Adapter - US (2pin)
• Intel Centrino Wireless-N 2200 (2x2 BGN)
• Mobile Broadband upgradable
• Publication - US English
Recommended:
| Lenovo ThinkPad W530 - | |
| Processor: | Intel Core i7-3630QM Processor (6M Cache, up to 3.40 GHz) |
| Operating System: | Windows 7 Professional (64 bit) |
| Operating System Language: | Windows 7 Professional 64 - English |
| Display Type: | 15.6" FHD (1920 x 1080) LED Backlit AntiGlare Display, Mobile Broadband Ready |
| System Graphics: | NVIDIA Quadro K1000M Graphics with 2GB DDR3 Memory |
| Total Memory: | 8 GB DDR3 - 1600MHz (2 DIMM) |
| Keyboard: | Keyboard Backlit - US English |
| Pointing Device: | UltraNav with Fingerprint Reader |
| Camera: | 720p HD Camera with Microphone |
| Hard Drive: | 128GB Solid State Drive, SATA3 Apricorn Aegis Padlock SSD 256GB |
| External Hard Drive: Optical Device: | DVD Recordable |
| System Expansion Slots: | Express Card Slot & 4-in-1 Card Reader |
| Battery: | 9 Cell Li-Ion TWL 70++ |
| Power Cord: | 170W Slim AC Adapter - US (2pin) |
| Integrated WiFi Wireless LAN Adapters: | Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6205 AGN |
| Integrated Mobile Broadband: | Mobile Broadband upgradable |
| Language Pack: | Publication - US English |
