Hi Vilia! Here are a few things to help shape your thinking...
There are a few different categories of laptops. When you go to a web site or talk to a vendor, this is the terminology you can expect to be thrown around:
- Ultra Portable. Best for people who travel a lot, like to use their laptops on airplanes, and want something small, long battery life (5-6 hours), and lightweight (3 pounds). Dell and Sony are the leading vendors in this arena. I love my tiny little Sony, but it was very expensive. Definitely not for everybody.
- Portable. Bigger than ultra-portables, but still meant for people who travel a lot. Weigh about 5-6 pounds. Battery life around 3-4 hours. Typically pretty affordable. This might be the best fit for your husband.
- Desktop Replacement. These have a bunch of USB ports into which you can plug your printer, your scanner, a keyboard, and any other devices. They tend to be larger and heavier than portables. Meant for people who take them back and forth between home and work. Designed to work with a docking station.
- Multi-Media Machine. Meant for people who plan to play video games on their computers. High-powered video card for showing the video game's graphics, and high-powered processors for implementing those displays. Expensive, but joyful for people who like gaming.
I'm guessing that of the above categories, "portable" or "desktop replacement" would suit your needs.
Here are some features to look for:
- A slot into which you can stick the memory card from your digital camera so the computer can read from it directly, without having to fuss around with cables. Most laptops these days have them, the trick is finding one whose slot can hold whatever type of memory card your particular camera takes.
- A firewire port. This is a type of cable often used to connect video cameras, external hard disks, and other devices to your computer.
- Several USB ports. My larger Sony has only two - I wish it had more.
- Writeable DVD/CD drive. (Keep an eye out for this - some manufacturers are still trying to sell drives that write CD's but not DVD's. Even if you don't plan to use this computer for video work, the writeable DVD's are great for making backup copies of data from the computer because they hold a lot more than a CD.)