Toshiba Portege M750-S7212 - Core 2 Duo P8600 2.4 GHz - 12.1" TFT

Usually comparable in size and weight to ultraportable or thin-and-light laptops, tablet PCs let you take handwritten notes and navigate menus, documents, and Web pages using a stylus directly on the screen. The most common type is the convertible tablet, which looks much like traditional a laptop but has a display that swivels 180 degrees and folds flat over the keyboard. (Some manufacturers are incorporating this type of tablet functionality into larger midsize and thin-and-light laptops.) Slate tablets, on the other hand, lack keyboards--they're all screen. The smallest tablets, ultramobile PCs, bridge the gap between PDA and ultraportable, with 7-inch touch-screen displays and enhanced media player features. Once only the tool of specialized industries, tablets are gaining a wider audience, thanks to their portability, flexibility, and wow factor.

Read more in the Laptop Buying Guide

See more Tablet PC notebook computer products

Ready for Windows 7?

If you want to run Windows 7 on your PC, here's what it takes:

• -1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor
• -1 gigabyte (GB) RAM (32-bit) or 2 GB RAM (64-bit)
• -16 GB available hard disk space (32-bit) or 20 GB (64-bit)
• -DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM 1.0 or higher driver

Additional requirements to use certain features:

• -Internet access (fees may apply)
• -Depending on resolution, video playback may require additional memory and advanced graphics hardware
• -For some Windows Media Center functionality a TV tuner and additional hardware may be required
• -Windows Touch and Tablet PCs require specific hardware
• -HomeGroup requires a network and PCs running Windows 7
• -DVD/CD authoring requires a compatible optical drive
• -BitLocker requires Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 1.2
• -BitLocker To Go requires a USB flash drive
• -Windows XP Mode requires an additional 1 GB of RAM, an additional 15 GB of available hard disk space, and a processor capable of hardware virtualization with Intel VT or AMD-V turned on
• -Music and sound require audio output

from windows.microsoft.com

Home users are increasingly turning to notebook computers as their primary PCs, as they like that laptops can offer similar performance and features to those of a desktop PC, and can be easily moved from room to room. Though of course almost any notebook computer will do for typical home use, there are two types of laptops most suitable for home users: mid-size notebooks, which tend to be budget-friendly, and desktop replacements, which are usually packed with features.

Read more in the Laptop Buying Guide

To maximize battery life, notebook computer processors are often designed to save more energy and run cooler than desktop processors. The drawback is slower performance, but more memory can help, which it won't consume energy or radiate heat. Even better, up to 4GB of RAM can now be found in budget configurations. If you want more memory later, expansion is often a simple procedure.

See more Notebook computer RAM products

The central processor (CPU) is the heart of any computer system and an excellent litmus test as to whether a desktop computer or notebook fits your needs. The trouble is, processor names like Athlon and Celeron are as cryptic as system names like Latitude and Pavilion. Here's a quick guide to see which chip is a fit:

See more Notebook processor products