Best laptops for writers

If you travel a lot and write a lot, which laptop should you buy?

Last weekend I had a chance to speak at the annual meeting of the National Association of Science Writers in Palo Alto, Calif., on the subject of laptops. And what many of the attendees wanted to know was whether a low-cost Netbook would be a reasonable purchase for someone whose occupation requires not only frequent travel and note-taking at meetings but also countless hours composing at the keyboard.

The short answer: not unless you have a desktop waiting for you at your home office. You'll find the longer answer, along with my recommended writer-friendly laptops, after the page break.

A Netbook has several advantages for anyone who spends a lot of time at conferences and events: they're featherweight (usually around 2.5 pounds); most cost between $350 and $500; and with some models you can get a pretty decent battery life.

Of course, the disadvantages are considerable: Netbooks' small screens can accommodate only one window at a time and may fatigue your eyes; their performance is really only enough for surfing the Web and typing documents; and they don't incorporate optical disc drives, which some users still require. Plus--and this may be a deal-breaker for many writers--the tiny laptops require petite keyboards and some nonstandard key placement that may make typing difficult, if not infuriating.

Those disadvantages make Netbooks best for use as a secondary laptop for e-mail, Web, and light office work while away from your main computer. If you've already got a primary computer and just want something scaled back for taking notes at meetings, check out three of my favorites: the Dell Inspiron Mini 9, the MSI Wind U100, and the Asus Eee PC 901.

What if you want a laptop that's both travel-friendly and reasonable to use as a primary system? That's where an ultraportable laptop comes in. These systems are generally lightweight (usually 3.5 pounds or less); have the feature set of a full laptop (e.g., PC Card slots, memory card readers, and such security features as fingerprint readers or Trusted Platform Modules); offer stronger performance than Netbooks; and often have a four- to six-hour battery life.

Even ultraportables are not without their flaws--most notably, their high price tags, which generally start around the $1,800 mark. That amount of money still doesn't guarantee you'll get a built-in optical drive (though many systems do include one), and a screen that's smaller than 13 inches may still prove too small to conduct a full day's work. So if you do decide to go with an ultraportable, consider adding additional drives or an external monitor to make things more comfortable when you're at your home base.

My picks for writerly ultraportables begin with one of the most comfortable laptop keyboards out there, which can be found on both the 12-inch Lenovo ThinkPad X200 and the 13-inch ThinkPad X301. The X200 sacrifices the optical drive but offers a lower starting price, while the X301 incorporates all the latest bells and whistles and is priced accordingly. Other picks: the Fujitsu LifeBook P8020 (a recent component refresh of the LifeBook P8010 we reviewed earlier this year) and, for those who want a full-featured laptop in a Netbook-like package, the Sony VAIO TT190.

You may have noticed that the list thus far doesn't include any Apple products. That's because I think the company has left some Mac fans in a tough spot: they have to either drop a huge chunk of change on the sublimely elegant but ultimately under-featured (for the price) MacBook Air or schlep around the 4.5-pound MacBook, which despite being lighter than its predecessor is still too heavy for frequent travel. I do like the MacBook, though, and would recommend it to writers whose work rarely takes them beyond the coffee shop down the street.

As always, I welcome your input: if you're a professional writer, which laptop do you use?

[teachtopia]

I think that authors should have no problem with these netbooks as long as they could get the linux distros they run to recognize the usb keyboard they will need to attach to them in order to type comfortably.

I still think they are an option considering their low cost. Three hundred dollars plus a keyboard is kind of inexpensive.

[beelissa]

The Asus netbooks have a VGA-out port, also, so you could do what I do with my laptop. At home, I sit it next to my flat panel monitor, hook up a USB keyboard and USB mouse. That way I have 2 screens, a nice keyboard -- and I can use the keyboard on the keyboard shelf of my workstation, making it a much better height for lots of typing, and I get to use both monitors. I haven't tried this with my Asus, which I mostly use when I want to go out, or when the kids want to lay on the couch and watch videos online. But it should work. The key for writers to decide is, how often are they going to use the computer at home vs. how often they use it away from home. How important is the portability vs. the usability. This is a different answer for different people, depending on their lifestyle.

[SCFeldhahn]

Michelle -- you hit the nail on the head with the Fujitsu recommendation. Three months ago, i bought a Fujitsu Lifebook P Series and it is AMAZING. i'm absolutely delighted. I'm a professional writer (author, speaker, and I travel a ton), and i'm forced to work a lot on my laptop even though i really prefer a desktop keyboard. When my Dell Inspiron 700 showed signs of dying i was panicked since Dell doesn't make a small, light computer with a full size regular keyboard anymore (WHY NOT?) and like any professional writer a full-size keyboard is non-negotiable.

Another writer at a coffee shop happened to mention he'd owned Fujitsu laptops for years and would still do so if his company hadn't switched vendors. I had honestly never heard of them before. I went to check them out the next day and learned that they are one of the only computers actually still made in Japan. I tried the Fujitsu; it was 2.2 lbs; i felt like i could lift it with one finger. Full size keyboard, totally workable placement of all the 'extra' keys that you need. It has room for extra memory; i got 4G, and it boots up so fast i can get 30 minutes' work done on a flight when i only have 30 minutes of 'allowed electronics time'. It also, amazingly, has the DVD drive, all the usual ports and even a few extras (3 USB ports). Very different from the MacBook air where it weighs about the same, but has no DVD drive, no extra ports, nothing.

The only downside is user stupidity from being so unused to having such a light laptop. i've gotten so used to my computer backpack being so light now, that two weeks ago I actually left for the airport and didn't realize the computer wasn't even in it!

The Fujitsu Lifebook is probably around $1700-1800 depending on where you get it, but paying a couple hundred extra dollars for thousands in extra productivity and ease of use and travel is a no brainer. i think anyone who gets one will love it.

[mhinnewyork]

Anyone who is going to be looking at the screen a lot should opt for a matt finish rather than a glossy screen. Also, in my opinion, a 9 inch Netbook is too small a screen, I would only consider one of the 10 inch models. Two of the recommended Netbooks, the Dell Mini 9 and Asus 901 both have a 9 inch screens.

[q335r49]

I suppose I'm a writer, grad student in literature, and I use a nokia n810, with a bluetooth keyboard for longer essays. Being a writer (perhaps as opposed to being a 'consumer') usually implies something more bare-bones, lighter, more focused, etc. I've also tried an alphasmart dana before settling on an n810 (with vim as a text editor, there are other, well robust options, like abiword, or maemopad) which does the business end and the distraction end well (text editing and... youtube, email, this website, etc.)...

Yeah, but there a lot of choices out there, def.. But the n810 is carry-anywhere, in your pocket, always on ... you can type while waiting in line, or waiting for the bus. The built in keyboard isn't even all that bad, I use t for most shorter stuff, like this post right now. The only thing that is more convenient than an n810 may be a pocket journal.

[Dalmatian28]

As a writer...anything that can run MS Office 2007 will do!

[Mindflayer]

I write, do technical work, and take photos (not good enough to be called a photographer) - so I carry a Macbook Pro.

[solitare_pax]

QUESTION: If you are looking for "Cheap" and "Writing Impliment" why didn't you touch on the Alphasmart writing device? Full keyboard, 700 hours on 3 AA batteries and pricing starting below these new wiz-bang disposable netbook computers.

Or is it too cheap to be reviewed?

[ultimatebuster]

I would get a dell inspiron 1425

[gparshal]

You know, aren't keyboard worries minimized if you're using VR tech? In which case the limiting factors are CPU speed and RAM. If you could give me something that ran DNS 9 or higher and was relatively small, I'd acccept a "chicklet" keyboard because I wouldn't be using it much.

[floorpie]

I am surprised the Asus 1000H wasn?t mentioned, as it?s probably the best Netbook out there for the writer looking for a satisfactory compromise between price, portability, battery life, and keyboard usability. I am a writer and, having bought my 1000H 2 months ago ($449 from Amazon), I have been extremely pleased with it. Granted, touch-typing is not quite so effortless as on my full-size desktop keyboard, but it is still feasible.

Actually, seems HP will continue to have the best netbook keyboards, and I was tempted by their Mini Note ? and now their Mini 1000 - but those machines are pricier and battery life is still insufficient, especially when I can get 7 hours of typing done on my Asus 1000H, versus the 3-hours advertised on the newest HP.

[spingle]

I once schlepped a 19 lb Remington portable to an island off the coast of Maine--does that count?

Until I started working in still photography and video, I used only laptops for their portability. I tend to prefer Toshiba, though I had a very nice Compaq (with a kind of hard rubber surface that seemed stunningly utilitarian), & my all time favorite portable was a ThinkPad 240 (alas, ram maxed out at 192 meg making it viable only for Linux or Win 98.) I'd go back to it in a flash if I could upgrade to Win XP. I remember the first time I discovered it fit into a hotel room safe: true freedom as I went down for a drink at the pool. Steal my pants, but leave my work!

It really doesn't take much to make a good travel PC for a writer: decent keyboard, screen, a little storage space & 5 lbs or less. Pretty much any PC built in the last 4 or 5 years is overkill for the basics -- if you're comfortable with it. If you're also hauling a camcorder or camera, you'll want to crank up the power & storage a bit to accommodate the graphic needs. I never expect a laptop to keep up with my home workstation ... but the ability to noodle in the field is a good thing.

As a writer I discovered several years ago that I know way more about computers than I ever really wanted to know. I'm tired of the OS wars and, at the end of the day, I spend 99% of my time in applications, not OSs. XP had been bombproof for me; I own Windows programs... I have no desire to pay for the visual elegance of a Mac (past experience with Macs leads me to believe they have a stunning marketing department ), or delve into the cosmic geekiness of Linus (though, Lord knows I seem to have spent biblical years waiting for the appearance of The One Distro that wouldn't make me spend hours converting myself into Ubergeek the Wonderbeing just to be able to use OpenOffice).

So I have my personal priorities. Win XP (don't need no stinking VISTA, neither). Size, depending on intended use. A roomy hard drive (yep, stick some of those Nikon RAW files in there; & maybe a tune or two as well for entertainment). A good keyboard & display. Prime machines at the moment: a 5-lb 2 year old mid-level Toshiba that's perfect for most mid to long term travel. Great screen, keyboard, Pentium processor, 200 gig HD, 2 gig RAM & a DVD player. And Acer's Aspire One -- with a 160 gig HDD, 6 cell battery, 1 gig RAM & Atom processor. For that weekend in Cancun & the daily commuter rail slog to work. It's not quite as perfect as the old TP240, and I toyed with Lenovo's S10 -- but with half the specs (except for size) at the same price, it was no contest. The Aspire one takes some getting used to (as does driving a Prius if your previous vehicle was a Hummer), but for the kind of use a highly-portable unit should get it's quite well laid out & usable.

[rnaoncfixd]

I still carry around a type writer every once in a while. Is that still hip or not?

[OblivionSundae]

Not completely relevant to the whole writer thing, but, "schlep around the 4.5-pound MacBook"?
Honestly. My 2 generations old (5 LB) BlackBook doesnt leave my side. Unless you've never lifted a textbook, carrying a 5 lb computer smaller than a sheet of legal paper around shouldnt exactly be an epic task.

[Myshkin57]

Not that 5 lbs is a lot, but there are times when 5 lbs does seem like a lot. If I'm out writing and then my girlfriend meets me for lunch it can be a bit much carrying an extra 5 lbs around, along with my books and whatever else I have, especially if we're going to walk a bit. It depends on your lifestyle, but 5 lbs can be a bit heavy if you're going to be carrying it A LOT.

[b_baggins]

Hilarious. The author is asked a question about laptops for writers and then goes on to list all the features you need in a laptop that are completely irrelevant to writing. She even has the chutzpah to say that netbooks are only good for surfing the web and typing documents. HELLO, Macfly! Typing documents is what writers do.

THE most important factor for a writer is a good keyboard. If the writer is on the road a lot, then a good keyboard combined with a light-weight machine.

The truth is the Macbook Air is an excellent laptop for a writer. It's performance is more than adequate for writing, it has an awesome keyboard, a bright, crisp screen and is one of the cheapest laptops in its category.

[Myshkin57]

I am a writer and have an ASUS Eee pc 1000 and find it to be more usable than my old 14-incher. If you have your documents fill the screen, the font is the same size as is normally on a standard-sized screen. So, I'm confused as to what the problem is supposed to be with netbooks generally.

Also, what is it that writers do other than typing documents? That's what I do mostly. I'm not sure why a computer that's good for typing documents is not good for writers.

[rofactor]

what about the sony vaio z?? it's more full-featured than any machine mentioned and weighs 3.4 lbs, but apparently isn't worthy of mention. props to cnet for putting forth incomplete assessments that people will inevitably take as gospel.