<p>Can someone clue me in?
How do you guys connect to the internet with a laptop? Wha'ts Wi- Fi? bluetooth? and ethernet? how much does it cost per month? DO these have wireless internet connections and how does it all work?</p>
<p>ethernet is the old way of connecting to the Local Area Network (LAN) via a wire and available for many years now. wi-fi is wireless technology, a generic term for some technologies based on IEEE 802.11 specification that is used to connect computers to the internet without wires. Bluetooth is a technology to connect mobile phones, PDAs and laptops over small distances, different from wi-fi. Here is a small article on bluetooth (you don't need to read much except the intro and differences with wi-fi):
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluetooth%5B/url%5D">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluetooth</a></p>
<p>Incognita - it is absolutely essential that your laptop have an internal wireless connection and ethernet -- this is how people connect to the internet these days. Almost all new laptops will have this built in. </p>
<p>If possible, if you are getting a Windows-based machine you should pay the extra cost to get a laptop with a Centrino processor. This is a special version of the Pentium process designed especially for laptops, and is is much faster and more efficient -- however, the lowest cost laptops with the Centrino are about $1200 - and it is more likely you would pay in the $1500-$1700 range. It is just something that is worth paying extra for, if you can afford it. (I am assuming that you want a laptop for college and this will be the main computer you are using).</p>
<p>Of the links you posted, only the third one worked - do NOT buy that computer. The ecost.com link was for a refurbished laptop running Windows 2000 operating system -- you want a computer with Windows XP. It is generally NOT a good idea to buy refurbished computers from retailers - the cost savings is not usually significant, as compared to choosing a new laptop. For example - the model you were looking at cost $739.99 - it was a 1.13 GHz Pentium III, 256MB memory, 30GB hard drive. As of today, CompUSA is selling a Toshiba Satellite M35X-S149 with Intel Celeron, 1.5GHz, 256MB RAM, and 60GB Hard Drive bundled with a multi-function printer (combined printer/scanner) for $799.98 - in other words, for $60 more, a slightly faster computer with a bigger hard drive - PLUS a new printer. I'm sure shopping around you could get equally attractive deals ( though I did an internet search and couldn't beat CompUSA's current offer) - but things change from one week to the next. Now I don't think that particular laptop is the best choice among new computers -- but it certainly is a lot better than the refurbished computer you were looking at. However - as far as the brand - Toshiba is fine - they give excellent tech support and generally have some of the lowest priced computers on the market for the features offered. With a new computer, you get the latest software and the manufacturer's warranty.</p>
<p>If you don't need the computer right away, I would recommend shopping now to pick out the new computer model with good features that you WANT -- but then wait for 2-3 months and watch the price on the closely through various dealers - it is easy to keep checking on the internet - the prices tend to come down as newer models are introduced, and there are always different rebate offers that can bring the price down even more.</p>