Laptop Gaming Trends Exposed

The one good thing with following the computer industry is noticing trends developing in front of your very eyes. The gaming laptop boom is such a case that I can clearly give as an example.

A few years ago, a reader asked me to help find the best gaming laptop on the market. I did not know much about gaming notebooks so I conducted some research and wrote a list of the best gaming laptops and a laptop buying guide for gamers.

The one thing that I observed was that they were no real computers made for gamers except for Alienware and Voodoo, two brands that are doing very well today. Most of the gaming laptop computers that I compiled were notebooks that were fast and powerful and with a good multimedia card. In other words, notebook computers that were for multimedia users that would also work for computer gaming enthusiasts.

Today, each major manufacturer has a gaming laptop line to meet the needs of millions who just want a fantastic experience when playing their favorite games. This explosion of choice has made things better for the gamer:

1) gaming laptop prices have dropped as the years go by due to increased competition

2) the quality, speed and power of laptops made for gamers have improved due to the fact that each manufacturer wants to be a step ahead and distinguish its brand and attract die hard gamers to its line.

If you’re into computer gaming, consider yourself lucky to be living in today’s time as the forces are in your favor. Now all the major web and print publications feature extensive coverage on gaming laptop computers and there are even specific sites dedicated to this small but fast growing market.

I will not go into the details of listing some of the best gaming laptop computers on the market today (as I did a few years ago) because by the time I will be done, there will be new models that will make the ones that I will have listed look like toys.

One of these days though, I will list a mini directory of gaming laptop manufacturers, review and comparisons sites and retailers who will give the best value for your hard earned money.

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Best Online Sources of Cheap Laptop Computers

If you’re just looking for the best online stores to shop for cheap laptop computers and don’t read about any buying guides, reviews or other content, below you’ll find a few destinations that will take you to the best deals in “town”.

Amazon.com

The world’s biggest online retail store sells quite a huge array of cheap laptop computers. What most shoppers don’t know is that it also allows other merchant to use its platform to sell their wares meaning that ultimately, the consumer has more choice.

Amazon.com has proved itself to be a reliable retailer and although the selection can be overwhelming at times, the friendly search and shopping tools make the whole experience smooth and fast.

eBay.com

A few years ago, I would have given a thousand reasons to avoid eBay.com as a shopping source for cheap laptop computers. Online auction was still a novel process and like many people, I guess, I was a little bit skeptical to shopping for new, used or refurbished laptops from total strangers and small unheard of businesses.

Now, I think that I am a big advocate of eBay.com. While I still think that you should still exercise some caution while bidding or shopping for cheap laptops, the money saved will be worthwhile.

Dell.com

Brand new cheap laptop computers from the world’s leading computer maker. Why are Dell laptops cheaper than the rest of the industry’s? Because, they sell direct to the customer and since they have such a large market share, their production costs decrease and I guess that they pass on the saving onto the consumer.

The only problem is that the popularity of Dell cheap laptop computers is getting the best of them and they seem to be unable to handle the customer support efficiently because they’re simply overwhelmed.

This has nothing to do with the quality of their products but in order to keep costs down, they don’t increase the support manpower and eventually numbers end up against them.

Overstock.com

“We help you shop smarter by offering top-quality brand-name merchandise at 40-80% off, every day of the week.” Smart business concept if you ask me.

From what I hear their cheap laptop computers are a result of overproduced, returned or overstocked products that they buy at low prices that are passed onto the customer. In all disclosure, I have never personally bought anything from them but a lot of visitors of this website have and I have not received any complaint so far.

I could list more sources of cheap laptop computers but this should be more than enough to get you a fine notebook that does not empty your bank account. Please do share your shopping experiences with me so that we can all benefit from them.

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Where to Find Excellent Laptop Review Sites

As you�ve probably noticed, if you�re not a new visitor to this website, the laptop review sections on this site are not as updated as before. That�s because unfortunately, I don�t have the time to go through the overwhelming list of new laptops that come out each week and give them a proper review for you.

There are a few sites that specialize in laptop reviews and I have listed them for your convenience. They do the job better than I could wish to anyway as they sometimes have physical access to the notebook in question and therefore their review of a laptop is more technical than theoretical.

Engadget

The most popular consumer technology blog has a dedicated laptop review and news category that is updated as soon as they get the latest scoop on a given notebook. They get submissions from readers, meaning that nothing goes past them.

PC World

Most of us know PC World as a magazine but they were quick to jump on the Internet as a mean to deliver news and laptop review related material. Smart move as in this fast paced world, a print magazine does not deliver news fast enough.

C|Net

Probably one of the first web mags. This has been my source of laptop review content that helped me write this site especially when making mention of laptops that I have never seen or used to have hands-on experience with them. They also have some nice shopping guides but which are a little bit technical.

PC Mag

Same scenario as PC World. It�s a magazine with a strong web presence. They have a very good laptop finder and review section and I like the clean design, which is a rarity on tech related websites. I would also recommend their Expert Help section which features people who know laptops and other gizmos far better than I could dream to.

Amazon.com

Isn�t Amazon.com a shopping site? Yes, it is. But in my opinion the laptop review content there carries more weight as it comes straight from notebooks� owners who share their daily experiences which is far better information than the one coming from someone who�s used it for an hour.

Gizmodo

The second most popular consumer technology weblog. Like Engadget, it has the latest news and reviews on laptops and it�s a good source to bookmark or subscribe to via RSS. I like their tagline: �So much in love with shiny new toys, it’s unnatural�.

So there you have it, with the above sources, you will be more than informed about laptops and you can find any laptop review. I will constantly monitor the list and update it if I come across worthy links. But for now, you�re in good hands.

Other topics, questions and opinions:

What Gaming Laptop Computer Maker To Seriously Pay Attention To

I write this after reading an article that should make anyone shopping for a gaming laptop computer pretty happy.

Michael Dell, founder of the world�s largest computer company who sees a lot of potential in computer gaming said that he�d spent a week-end asking game architects and designers what they want to see in gaming laptop computer systems and other types of PCs.

What does this mean for the gaming laptop computer shopper in the next few years? Better machines, better prices and especially a better gaming experience thanks to notebooks that are manufactured primarily for that purpose.

Even today, most gaming notebooks are actually multimedia computers that tend to have specs that can make a game run smoothly. But what if future gaming laptop computer systems were specifically designed to enrich the experience?

Will the gaming laptop computer of the future have a different keyboard layout? Will it have better sound? Amidst all features, will it allow the gamer to be ultra mobile meaning that the life of the battery has to be long? Will the gaming notebook of the future allow the user to pimp it according to his or her preferences?

For instance, if a given user wants a different keyboard to accommodate his preferences, will the gaming laptop computer be designed to let the owner exchange one keyboard over another in a matter of seconds?

All these are questions whose answers will come to light in a few years. What we know today is that the computer industry is paying close attention to the gaming segment and that they are providing it with the right tools to enjoy the experience instead of the gamer being limited.

I�ll keep my eyes on Alienware, Voodoo PC and Dell as they seem to be the principal manufacturers racing to develop better gaming laptop computer systems and who are ahead of the competition.

As they unleash interesting models, I will keep you informed. Keep coming back to see if there are any developments!

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The One Thing To Look For In Portable Laptop Speakers

Let me get this off my chest� ALL laptop speakers suck. ALL of them! It does not matter what manufacturer, what model, how powerful or beautiful it is, all laptops have speakers that stink. Those of us, who appreciate good sound, have to rely on our own initiatives.

I have no idea why laptop speakers have such poor quality sound. You�d think that these manufacturers who spend a lot money on research would quickly gather that almost every single computer user listens to music or watches video on his notebook.

It�s ridiculous� they fight to have the fastest machines which are supposed to play video better and yet they sort of ignore the fact that no matter how amazing the video card is, the whole experience will be messed up if the user can�t even appreciate the sound.

Most of us usually revert to an external sound output such as an external sound system but we can�t always lug around our sound when we need to take the computer on a trip or even to another room, can we?

Fortunately, some observing businesses did something about it by now offering laptop speakers. These specific speakers are meant to be portable and deliver superior sound that will allow the computer user to richly hear every single piece of audio.

A quick Amazon.com search reveals a plethora of laptop speakers from various brands. They all have features that make them unique in their own right but also different to accommodate needs of different computer users.

For instance, some are made more for video conferencing than movie watching and vice versa. Some are made to cute while some are ugly because it�s simply impossible to deliver superior sound while delivering nice aesthetics at the very same time. I guess that it�s like the beautiful person phenomenon. It�s kind of rare to see very attractive people that are very intelligent.

You�d imagine that laptop speakers would be rather expensive computer accessories. The prices seem fair starting from thirty American dollars upwards.

As a musician, the best laptop speaker shopping advice I can give you is that if they�re kind of heavy, they will do the job right. I won�t get into the complexities of speakers now but usually, the heavier they are, the better their quality. But of course, expect to pay extra for the privilege.

Since laptop speakers are meant to be portable, they will need a power source. Using normal power source (electricity) would be kind of defeating the whole exercise because they would require the user to be chained to a place with a plug.

Most laptop computer portable speakers are USB powered which means that you might also want to invest in a USB multi plug if you find that all your plugs are assigned already.

I would avoid those laptop speakers that have to be plugged into the main power because they would impractical. If you don�t move your notebook a lot and want sound, just invest into a proper system for your laptop as it will be cheaper and provider better sound that portable speakers.

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Why (Not) Buy Alienware laptop computers

Upon acquisition from Dell, Alienware laptop computers faced an interesting fate from the get-go.

Some Alienware laptops’ fans were outraged stating that the brand was going to be mass manufactured thus rendering their quality low. Others argued that the fact that they had a big and powerful owner, they would have all the resources to create more innovative computers.

The potential problem of the acquisition is that Dell has a nasty reputation of making cheap computers. Cheap as in low quality and cheap as in low prices. Everything that a typical Alienware laptop is not known for!

Dell is a company focused on profits. Which business isn’t? Well there are two ways to generate massive revenues and Dell and Alienware use one and the other respectively, which makes this acquisition interesting.

Dell’s way is to mass produce thus reducing the costs and being able to sell low priced computers to a wide audience.

Alienware’s way is to produced a small amount of quality of computers that justify the high prices.

So it’s easy to understand that this deal is like a Wal-Mart type of person getting married to a Neiman Marcus type of person.

To be fair though Alienware laptop computers can become cheaper if Dell decides to leverage its large distribution network. By producing and marketing more quality Alienware laptops, they can reduce the manufacturing costs and therefore drop the selling prices of Alienware laptop systems.

After all, it has worked with the iPod. Since its inception, the iPod has become cheaper in price. Granted, they’ve removed certain accessories such as extra cables and the dock but the prices dropped mainly due to the fact that the more portable digital players were made and sold, the cheaper the customer paid ultimately.

I hope that two things happen with this acquisition:

1) More Alienware laptop computers availability to people from all over the world. They’re amazing notebooks and the gamer’s dream. At the rate computer gaming is growing, the Dell deal makes sense.

2) That the prices drop. Alienware laptop computers are pretty expensive. It does not matter how good they are but paying a lot of money for a piece of technology that will be obsolete in less than five years is kind of senseless.

I just fear that Dell being the corporate giant that it is, will end up cheapening the brand by cutting corners on specs and features and by moving Alienware laptop computers from the concept that made them loved by their happy owners worldwide in the first place.