How to Buy a Laptop

Introduction


The most highly evolved species of computer, the laptop (aka notebook) computer allows you to work without being tethered to an office. Portability and good performance make laptop PCs an essential part of the daily lives of millions of people, from college students to business travelers. Even the least-expensive of today's laptops are well equipped for everyday work.

The Big Picture
There are more laptop choices than ever. We'll identify and discuss the available options--including screen size, weight, battery life, and communications ports.

The Specs Explained
Do you need a superfast CPU? Or a huge hard drive? We'll guide you through the choices and tell you which features are most critical.
The Big Picture

If you've ever shopped for a laptop, you know that the factors to consider go far beyond performance and connections. Notebook buyers have to think about such additional variables as size, weight, screen dimensions, battery life, and keyboard quality--plus options such as built-in wireless.
Key Features

Processor: Intel's dual-core processors have helped laptops gain ground in the power department. In PC World tests, laptops using these dual-core processors performed considerably faster than laptops using single-core processors, particularly when multitasking. In newer notebooks you may see references to Core Duo, Core 2 Duo, and Core 2 Extreme, which represent steps up in computing power for laptops.

Some notebooks use AMD's Athlon Turion 64 X2 dual-core processor, which also supports improved performance. The Turion 64 X2 and the Core 2 Duo both provide 64-bit support, which will become increasingly useful as more 64-bit applications reach the market.

Low-end laptops offer Intel's Celeron M processor, which is generally not as speedy as the Core 2 Duo processors. And down below low-end are the new mobile processors that appear in netbooks (or mini-notebooks)--sub-$500 machines that run on low-power, low-cost 1.6-GHz Atom CPUs.

System memory: Unless you're buying on the cheap, a new laptop generally includes 2GB of system memory. Many notebooks today are available with 3GB of RAM or more. Before electing to upgrade to more RAM than that, be sure to check which version of Windows your new notebook uses. A 32-bit OS can't efficiently use more than 3GB of RAM. A 64-bit version can go higher. Outfitting your laptop with more RAM at the time you buy it is convenient and helps you extend its useful life.

Graphics memory: Portables can have either of two different types of video chip sets: dedicated video (which means a separate preinstalled graphics card) or integrated graphics. Dedicated video chip sets come from nVidia and ATI/AMD, whereas integrated graphics are typically from Intel. If you intend to use your laptop for even casual gaming, make sure that it has memory dedicated to graphics use, rather than relying on graphics that pull from main memory. Gamers need advanced 3D graphics chips, along with 512MB of dedicated graphics memory. High-end desktop-replacement notebooks have sophisticated desktop graphics capabilities, as well; in the past integrated graphics would work just fine for business purposes, but Windows Vista demands a more-powerful graphics subsystem.

Some laptops now offer Scalable Link Interface (SLI), which provides a means to run multiple graphics chips in one machine. Hybrid SLI, a technology offered by nVidia, involves two GPUs operating within a single notebook. The most basic version of Hybrid SLI already exists on Apple's new MacBook Pro laptop and on a couple of notebooks from Sony's VAIO line. With these machines you toggle between a high-powered discrete GPU for graphics-intensive work or play and an integrated GPU on the motherboard for low-demand graphics. A second implementation of Hybrid SLI will allow an integrated GPU, like nVidia's GeForce 9400M GS, to work in tandem with a discrete GPU for greater performance when needed--and then downshift to a lower-power mode when it isn't.

Screen: Some laptop screens continue to get bigger--and most have gone wide, too, enabling you to view spreadsheets or movies with ease. But other screens have gotten significantly smaller to accommodate all sorts of road-ready computing. Price is no longer much of a deterrent for any of these choices. Even budget shoppers can afford the luxury of high-resolution color: Portables with 14.1-inch and 15.4-inch wide screens now cost well under $1000. Most notebook manufacturers offer laptops with wide-screen panels, to permit better side-by-side document viewing as well as to display films at their proper aspect ratio. These days, netbooks come equipped with screens as large as 10.2 inches. Ultraportable notebooks max out at 13.3 inches. And anything between 13.3 and 17 inches qualifies as an all-purpose machine--a laptop that still fits in your bag. The new middle ground for all-purpose screens is 16 inches because screen of this size can display a true 1080p (1920-by-1080-pixel resolution) picture.

Battery: Laptop battery life continues to improve. In PC World's tests, laptops using a Core Duo or Core 2 Duo processor average roughly 3.5 hours on one battery charge. Keep in mind that manufacturers may improve their times by taking steps such as turning off wireless receivers, which tend to consume a lot of power. Also, check to see if the manufacturer's stated battery-life numbers are for its regular or extended-life battery--the latter kind of battery can last up to twice as long as a regular one. And remember that, in general, lighter laptops tend to have longer battery lives than big desktop-replacement notebooks do.

Keyboard and pointing device: Though you can get accustomed to almost any laptop keyboard, it's best to try before you buy. Thin-and-light notebooks usually have smaller-than-average keys spaced more closely than the keys on a desktop-replacement model, and their layouts may differ from a standard keyboard's. If you have largish hands, be aware that an ultraportable's keyboard may be difficult to use.

You probably won't be invited to choose between eraserhead and trackpad pointing devices; if you have a preference, look for manufacturers that use the pointing device you prefer on most of their products. A better option: Buy a USB mouse designed for laptops. It's a small investment, and your hands will thank you for it.

Optical and other drives: Most manufacturers offer laptops with rewritable DVD drives. But now that Blu-ray Disk has triumphed over HD DVD in the high-definition format wars, more notebooks are being configured with Blu-ray drives. If you need a floppy drive for some reason, you can buy a USB add-on drive for 20 bucks.

Hard drive: Even inexpensive netbooks now come with 60GB hard-disk drives (HDDs). Most all-purpose machines offer hard drives in the range of 200GB to 320GB, and ultraportables now pack solid-state drives (SDDs). Though SDDs are faster and lighter than HDDs, their capacities are considerably lower (maxing out at around 128GB) at a significantly higher cost. In today's market, an SSD adds about $1000 to a laptop's price tag over the cost of a similarly specced machine equipped with a larger-capacity platter-based drive. So, you need to balance speed and weight against price and storage capacity. Whichever choice you make, you'll find that hard-drive space fills up quickly, so you might want to consider buying a portable external drive as well.

Weight and bay design: Laptops range from 15-pound desktop replacement monsters to ultraportable lightweights that rely on external drives to come in at under 3 pounds. One-bay notebooks balance features and weight. Some laptops continue to offer the optical drive as a modular device, so you can swap it out for a second hard drive or a second battery.

When making a purchase, however, keep in mind that you should consider the weight not only of the laptop but also of the AC adapter, the extra batteries, any external modules, and their cables. Ultraportable notebooks have lightweight adapters, but they can weigh almost as much as a full-size notebook if you have to carry an external optical drive, too.

When you return to your desk, you can snap most laptops onto an extra-cost docking station or port replicator (prices range from $100 to $500). Doing so saves you from repeatedly having to plug in and unplug an external monitor, keyboard, mouse, and other desktop peripherals.

Communications: Few laptops come with a full set of legacy ports anymore. Serial ports are as rare as bigfoot sightings at this point, as are PS/2 ports (for a mouse or keyboard). Most notebooks still have one PC Card slot, though many now offer an ExpressCard slot as well. With new GPUs, many notebooks--and even some netbooks--now offer HDMI outputs.

Most laptops have at least two USB 2.0 ports; many offer four, and some up to six. A majority of notebooks include a four-pin FireWire (IEEE 1394) port for connecting an external drive or a digital-video camcorder. Others now include eSATA ports for high-speed data transfers.

Built-in ethernet now comes standard on all portables, with many models carrying gigabit ethernet. Many laptops also have built-in Bluetooth. Notebooks using the Intel Core Duo or Core 2 Duo processors--or AMD's Turion 64 X2 processor--include Intel's wireless 802.11a/b/g chip set.

Some laptops come with built-in wireless broadband wide-area networking, enabling them to access, for example, Verizon Wireless's EvDO Broadband Access service.

Most also include a multiformat flash card reader, which can read Secure Digital, MultiMediaCard, Memory Stick, Memory Stick Duo, and xD formats.

The Specs Explained

Before shopping for a laptop, consider how you'll be using it. If your primary goal is to get some word processing or spreadsheet work done while staying on top of e-mail, a netbook (priced at less than $500) will meet your needs. But a netbook does entail some sacrifices: a smaller processor, about 1GB of RAM, not much in the way of hard drive space, no optical drive, and (at biggest) a 10.2-inch screen. On the surface not much separates the netbooks from sexy lightweight notebooks, but the specs under the hood (and a big screen inside it) can inflate an ultraportable's price to as much as $2000 more than a typical netbook.

Remember that most vendors let you custom-build and -price your own laptop by picking from a mind-boggling array of features, which gives you a lot of control over the final product. You may be able to afford a faster notebook by accepting a smaller, less-expensive hard drive or DVD-ROM/CD-RW drive, instead of a BD-ROM.

Unlike those on desktop PCs, only some of the components (such as memory and the hard drive) are upgradable; others (such as the graphics board) are permanent once they're installed at the factory. That's slowly changing, as some manufacturers begin to incorporate upgradable graphics. But take your time and pick only what you need. Following is a rough breakout of some configuration options.

Important consideration: Installed memory. The more installed memory your laptop has, the more applications you can run at once, and the better your machine will perform. Ease of access aside, upgrading memory in a notebook is a bit trickier than with a desktop, so buy as much memory preinstalled as you can afford. Laptops with 2GB of RAM are optimal. If you're running Windows Vista on a laptop, consider upgrading to 3GB of RAM

Important consideration: Processor. The CPU determines how quickly a notebook runs applications and performs on-screen tasks. Core Duo and Core 2 Duo processors are good choices for speedy processing. Atom processors appear only in budget-friendly netbooks, so plan according to your needs.

Important consideration: Screen size. The specified size of a laptop's LCD screen represents a diagonal measurement. The larger the screen, the higher the maximum resolution and the more information you can view at once. At this point, most notebooks are wide-screen models; if you want a laptop with a standard-aspect screen you'll have to search a bit, but they are still available. The aspect ratio seen on some newer 16-inch laptop screens offers the ideal resolution for viewing high-definition movies on the go. (Compare laptops with recommended screen sizes.)

Important consideration: Screen coating. A laptop's LCD panel is only as good as it looks when you look into it. Can you see text and images clearly when you're viewing them in broad daylight? Many notebooks that look sharp on store shelves (thanks to their extra-glossy coatings) may be tough to work with outdoors or in a coffee shop. So keep in mind not only how you plan to use your notebook, but where you want to use it.

Somewhat important: Hard drive. The larger the hard drive, the more data you can keep on your laptop. Most cheap netbooks offer 80GB drives at this point, so why not give yourself a little room to grow? If you plan to work with databases, spreadsheets, or digital photo or video files, opt for a large drive. Be sure to find out the hard drive's speed, too. Older, slower drives run at 4200 rpm, and most current drives clock in at 5400 rpm; but a 7200-rpm model will offer better speed in data-read-intensive tasks.

Somewhat important: Expansion bays. The more expansion baysyour laptop has, the more options you'll have for switching in new optical drives or other storage drives. But switching drives takes time, and modular components aren't as common as they used to be. As laptops gravitate toward flush form factors and unibody designs, may find that your only practical option is to lug around external drives that plug in through USB ports.

Somewhat important: Optical drives. Most manufacturers offer laptops with rewritable DVD drives, which give you the most flexibility. Alternatively, you could purchase a notebook with a DVD-ROM/CD-RW drive, to save money.

Evaluate Mobile Phone Features

On eBay Australia, the vast selection of new and used mobile phones means that you should be able to find a phone in any shape, size and price category. If your mobile phone  needs are quite basic, you can dispense with the all the bells and whistles associated with some of the higher cost models. If cost is not an issue, you will find a one-stop-shop for all the latest and greatest in mobile phone technology from around the world.

The options to consider when shopping for a mobile phone are often confusing, and new features for mobile phones grow day by day. To narrow your search, think about the following key questions:

Do you plan to use your mobile phone outside of your local area?

If you plan on using your phone outside of Australia, you may want to choose a Tri Band  GSM phone that is able to operate across three GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) frequencies. GSM is the standard network type utilised around the world. If you are not planning using your phone internationally, then a standard GSM phone is generally sufficient within a metropolitan area.


 

 Alternatively, a CDMA  network may suit your needs. CDMA in particular is ideal for users in rural and regional areas due to its coverage over longer distances. This network is also used in North America.

Would you like access to the internet or email from your mobile phone?

Many mobile phones and service providers now offer email and internet access. If you require this functionality, ensure that the model you are interested in is email and/or web-enabled.

Additional Features

The latest model of phones now come with a host of additional features that can further simplify (or perhaps even complicate!) your search. Some features now available include:  built-in camera , rc_done="true">colour screen , PDA , Email/Web ,unlocked , MP3 players , speaker-phone, walkie-talkie, voice-activated calling  and games.

How important is your phone's size and weight?

Functionality and fashion seem to go hand in hand and we now have a vast selection of shapes, sizes and weights to choose from. The main varieties and their comparative advantages include: 

•           Candybar (Standard)  : Simplicity and durability.
• Slide : Soft slide mechanism that smoothly reveals and hides keypad of phone.
• Clamshell (flip-phone) : Portability, increased screensize, keys protected against accidental dialling.
• PDA : Larger silhouette, increased screensize and functionality.

  Select a Mobile Phone Service Provider

  Service providers work with specific mobile phone  manufacturers to produce phones that are compatible with their networks and feature offerings. On eBay Australia, you will find phones for every major service provider. There are also phones ready to be connected with a new service plan, prepaid phones  or prepaid starter kits for those who want no plan at all.
  

  Australian Service Providers

  If you already have a service contract with a carrier and are not looking to change from your service provider, then a new mobile phone that is unlocked  (ie. will work for any service provider) may be what you need.
  The major service providers within Australia that offer mobile phone plans and prepaid sim cards are:
  

  • Telstra
  • Orange
  • Optus
  • Virgin Mobile
  • Vodafone
  • 3  

  Pre-Paid Services

  If you want the convenience of a prepaid service , there are specific phone models which are available for use with prepaid phone cards. Search through the prepaid  section and find the right choice for you. You may also want to find out more about prepaid phones with SIM cards , prepaid recharge cards  or prepaid SIM starter kits .
  

  Coverage

  Once you have narrowed the search of the mobile phones that you are interested in down to just a few, you may want to confirm with your desired service provider that they can provde the coverage you require in your specific geographic area.
  
  

  Buy with Confidence

  Before making your purchase, make sure you know exactly what you're buying, research your seller, and understand how eBay Australia and PayPal protect you.
  
  Carefully read the details in item listings.
  

  • Figure delivery costs into your final price. If you spend a lot of money, make sure the seller will insure the item when it ships.
  • If you want more information, ask by clicking the "Ask seller a question" link under the seller's profile.
  • Always make sure to complete your transaction on eBay Australia (with a bid, Buy It Now, or Best Offer). Transactions conducted outside of eBay Australia are not covered by eBay Australia protection programs.
  • Never pay for your eBay Australia item using instant cash wire transfer services through Western Union or MoneyGram. These payment methods are unsafe when paying someone you do not know.

  Know your seller

  Research your seller so you feel positive and secure about every transaction.
  

  • What is the seller's Feedback rating? How many transactions have they completed? What percentage of positive responses do they have?
  • What do buyers say in their Feedback? Did the seller receive praise?
  • Most top eBay Australia sellers operate like retail stores and have return policies. Do they offer a money-back guarantee? What are the terms and conditions

    
    

    Legal Disclaimer

    Buying Guides are intended merely as a guide or review for members when considering what products or services they may be interested in bidding on or purchasing. eBay Australia does not make, and nothing in these Buying Guides is intended to constitute, any warranties, guarantees, representations or assurances about the accuracy of the information or content contained in these Buying Guides. Furthermore, eBay Australia does not make, and nothing in these Buying Guides is intended to constitute, any warranties, guarantees, representations or assurances about the nature or performance of the products or services appearing in the Buying Guides. eBay Australia is not affiliated with nor does it endorse the use of any particular product or service.

  
  
  

Cell Phone Buying Guide 2010

We outline some of the most important factors to look into when purchasing a new cell phone.

When your old cell phone squeaks like a rusty door hinge, has more lint under the screen than your jean pockets, and lasts half an afternoon with a full charge, it’s time for a new one. But with most cell phone contracts lasting two years, a new phone shouldn’t be the type of purchase you make lightly. Check out our quick and dirty guide to your next phone purchase to make sure you cover all the bases on your shopping trip.

Choosing a carrier

Because most U.S. cell phone carriers heavily subsidize phone purchases in exchange for two-year contracts, and lock the phones to their networks, your choice of cell carrier will have more impact on which type of phone you end up with than any other factor. If you already have carrier and feel satisfied with it, the choice is easy. If not, you’ll need to choose one.

AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, and Verizon dominate the cell phone market in the States. Speaking in very general terms, AT&T has a reputation for having the hottest phones but somewhat flaky service due to its overloaded towers, Verizon has the best reception but expensive rates, T-Mobile offers excellent voice plans but has very limited 3G data coverage, and Sprint sells some of the most affordable plans but typically doesn’t offer as many popular phones.

Prepaid carriers like Cricket, Tracfone, and MetroPCS often appear to offer excellent deals, but caveats like poor customer service, limited phone selection and inferior coverage have to be taken into account. Check out our guide to prepaid cellular plans for information on prepaid carriers, andour listing of some of the best if you decide to take that route.

The difference between a smartphone and a feature phone

You could divvy up cellphones into dozens of different categories, but these are the two umbrella groups that matter. Smartphones like the iPhone can serve as personal calendars, e-mail machines, Web browsers, gaming platforms, and a literally unlimited number of other purposes. They’re essentially mini computers. Feature phones are more basic, but they still offer features like cameras, text messaging, and even some limited data connectivity, like checking weather or sports scores. Although smartphones obviously have a lot to offer, they also weigh more, offer less battery life,

Different form factors

Even after choosing between a smartphone or feature phone, you have a lot of choices to make to decide what your phone will actually look like.

A full touch layout like the iPhone has become popular for smartphones, but you’ll usually forgo a hard keyboard as a result. Some smartphones like the Palm Pre or HTC Touch Pro2offer a slide-out keyboard as a compromise, but get thicker as a result, too. Many smartphones also dupe the popular BlackBerry design: small screen on top, small keyboard below.

In feature phones, the flip or “clamshell” form factor has proven especially popular because of its small size and the fact that it protects the screen and keys when closed. Phones with both the screen and keypad on a fixed rectangular slab are typically called “candybar” phones. As with smartphones, you’ll many feature phones with dedicated QWERTY keyboards, which can be handy for frequent text messagers. 

How to Buy a Cell Phone

There's no sense in denying it: For most of us, mobile phones are at the center of our universe. It's your phone, your messaging device, your on-the-go Web browser, your camera, your music player, your GPS navigation unit—and soon, with NFC technology, it could even be your wallet.

If you thought choosing a cell phone was difficult before, it's even tougher today. That's a good thing, though, because it demonstrates how innovation in the wireless industry has skyrocketed. We're seeing rapid progress across all fronts, including displays, data networks, user interfaces, voice quality, third-party apps, and even mobile gaming.

To cite just a few examples: All four major U.S. carriers now offer some variation of 4G networks, which (depending on the carrier and technology used) is anywhere from two to 10 times faster than 3G. The latest crop of Android smartphones is more diverse and powerful than ever; Android is also far and away the sales leader in the U.S. when it comes to smartphones, a result few could have predicted just two years ago. Apple's game-changing iPhone 4S—itself a technological marvel—is available on Verizon Wireless and Sprint in addition to AT&T, opening up access to another 150 million customers. Standard "feature" phones (handsets without app-based ecosystems) are beginning to fade in importance and sales are trending downward.

Taken together, these massive changes make much of the old advice about choosing a phone obsolete. So let's throw it all away and start over. The topic has become so important, and involves so many decisions, that we scrapped our existing cell phone and smartphone buying guides in favor of a single comprehensive story—the one you're reading right now.

So what should you be looking for when buying a cell phone? Here are some key points to consider:

-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">First, Choose a CarrierDespite all the recent hardware and mobile software innovation, your wireless service provider remains your most important decision. No matter which device you buy, it's a doorstop unless you have solid wireless coverage. Maybe you have friends and family on the same carrier that you talk to for free, and you don't want that to change with your next phone. Maybe you're lusting after a certain device—say, a 4G LTE-capable Android phone, or an unlocked smartphone for international travel. And of course, you want to choose a carrier that offers fair prices, and provides the best coverage in your area. These are all good reasons to put the carrier decision first.

We have two major features to help you choose a carrier. For our Readers' Choice Awards, more than 10,000 PCMag.com readers told us which carrier they prefer based on coverage, call quality, device selection, and other factors. And for our 2011 Fastest Mobile Networks feature, we sent drivers to 21 U.S. cities to scope out which smartphone carriers have the best data coverage. Because each of the national carriers sells a wide variety of phones, choosing your service provider should be your first move. Here's a quick rundown of what each one offers:

AT&T boasts nationwide coverage and a terrific selection of phones, particularly for texting. It has dramatically improved its service quality in the Northeast over the past two years, and is now powering up its 4G LTE network for the first time. It's also the worst-rated carrier by our readers. Sprint is relatively inexpensive, and offers some neat media services and a solid high-speed network. It also has the most open approach to third-party apps, letting its subscribers add a wide range of Java applications to its feature phones. Sprint has two prepaid brands, Virgin Mobile and Boost Mobile, that sell phones without contracts.

T-Mobile offers mostly cutting-edge phones at relatively low monthly rates and enjoys a reputation for good customer service. It's the only carrier that offers a monthly discount in exchange for paying full price for your phone up front. But its network can be weaker than the other major carriers' in suburban and rural areas. Verizon Wireless is famed for its top-notch network quality and good customer service. Its prices can be higher than the competition, but when it comes to voice quality, Verizon phones often excel. That makes Verizon a perpetual leader in our Readers' Choice Awards. Verizon also currently has the largest 4G LTE network in the U.S.

There are also smaller, regional carriers. U.S. Cellular is only available in about half the country, yet it consistently gets great scores on our Readers' Choice Awards because of its strong commitment to customer service. Last year the carrier launched the "Belief Project," a new customer-service plan offering perks like free battery swaps and replacements for damaged phones. Meanwhile, Cricket and MetroPCS are "unlimited" carriers that offer much lower rates than their competitors and don't require contracts. But they aren't available everywhere, and have a somewhat limited, mostly lower-end selection of phones.

Tips for buying and giving a mobile device

• What does my rate plan cover?  Basically  you are going to want to know if you will have unlimited text messages (essential these days I think), how many minutes you will be allowed if there are any overage fees for going over your plan limit, etc.
• What kind of speeds/data am I getting?  Will it be important for you to get information to your phone at lightning fast speed?  Maybe you want to hook your laptop up to the phone, so you can use the internet wherever you are.  Speed will be very important for you in that case.  If you won’t be a heavy internet user on your phone, it will be less essential, obviously.  T-Mobile has a great calculator for you to check out http://www.t-mobile.com/Tools/MBCalculator.aspx 
• What is the exchange/return policy?  Sometimes a phone can be like getting married to someone you met on the internet.  You really don’t know the phone until you pick it up and actually use it.  Maybe after you’ve used it for a few days, it just doesn’t feel right in your phone, or the volume button keeps getting in your way.  Whatever it is, you should have an escape clause!

• How much will my monthly payments/charges be?  You will for sure need to know if you are going to be able to pay your bill every month!
• What are roaming charges?  Roaming charges can occur when you are out of range of your network.  Once (many years ago) I came to Utah for Thanksgiving, and my husband was still home, we chatted often on our cell phones, not realizing I was racking up some serious roaming charges.  A $500 bill later, you learn to ask about these things.
• What are your warranty/insurance policies?  I’ve dropped many-a phone.  Sometimes in the toilet, sometimes in a parking lot, and sometimes the phone just doesn’t work right out of the box.  Whatever it is, even though sometimes you can get a phone for super cheap, the actual phone is much more expensive.  Buying one while you are still within your 2 year contract can be super expensive.  Cover yourself, and make sure you know what you can do when things go wrong.

T-Mobile has some great contract free plans as well.  I know my sister’s family has been on a pre-paid plan for YEARS, and they are incredibly happy with it.  So if you don’t want to get locked into a contract, T-Mobile has great options for you, but you may have to pay a bit more for a phone up front, but if you don’t use it much, you may end up saving BIG!

Are you buying your teenager their very first phone this year?  T-Mobile has some great tools for you and for them to help make sure they aren’t abusing the privilege.

• e-type: square; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">DriveSmart Plus-Distracted driving is dangerous, especially with new drivers.  DriveSmart manages distractions by silencing incoming notifications, sending callers to voicemail and auto responding to text messages.  There is automatic driving detection and parents parental control options.  (including notification of cell phone use while driving)

Cell Phone Buying Guide

The cell phone industry is complicated because customers' needs are so complicated. Cell phoneshopping doesn't need to be painful. It can actually be a lot of fun when you're not being pressured by a pushy phone salesman! This cell phone buying guide will give you some useful information, so you can purchase the right one on your own.

What You Need to Know:

1. Sound quality and reception: The most important characteristics of any cell phone are good sound quality and reception. Nothing's worse than having to end a conversation prematurely because of bad reception, especially if you have to do it over and over again. You might want to try a mobile phone with an external antenna for the best reception. Also, signal strength depends on your signal provider, so do your research before purchasing a cell phone plan.
2. Business use: PDA cell phones, also called smart phones, are popular for professionals. They mix schedulers, e-mail and other office programs into a compact device you can use at home, in the office or on the go. Many smart phones feature qwerty keyboards, smaller versions of what you'd find on your laptop. You should also consider the appearance of a phone for business purposes. A sleek black or silver phone might look a little more professional than a bright pink discount cell phone, but then again, that all depends on your type of business.

3. Kids and teens: If you're buying mobile phones for your children or teenagers, you don't want to get cheap cell phones, but you may want to think twice about certain features. Do you want them using their phones to log on to the Internet? You'll be charged for it, usually by the minute or data downloaded, which will cost an arm and a leg if used excessively! Will cell phone games be a distraction during school? Don't get any extra features if you'd rather they didn't use them.
   
4. Make it your own: Since practically everybody has one, you need to turn your cell phone into something unique. Whether you get a hard plastic case or a padded leather case, you can protect your phone and make it look cool all at the same time.