by Lisa Shaver

Created on: April 17, 2008

Picture this. You're sitting in Starbucks sipping your cappuccino with people chattering animatedly around you. You casually go through the notes for your latest writing assignment while enjoying your beverage and the chatty atmosphere around you, which is giving you great material for another assignment you are playing with. Your computer opened on the table in front of you waiting for you to start typing away at your work.

Without a laptop the above scenario would never work. A writer's most important tool next to pen and paper, is her (or his) computer. A laptop computer offers the flexibility of working for where you choose to instead of being chained to a desk all day. So now you know that you need to buy a new computer, what do you buy? What is the best computer for a writer? Graphic artist and desktop publishers opt for the Mac due to its amazing graphic capabilities, but what does a writer need?

When buying a computer there are so many things to take into consideration, such as RAM, the size of your hard drive, battery life, and so much more. As a writer we have the easiest time buying a computer because we only have the basic needs. We need a computer that works, has a good battery life, and has a writing program such as word.

What is your budget? Computers, especially laptops range from $500.00 to $5000.00 My personal favorite brand of computer is Dell. They are the more durable computer out there and they are the reasonably priced. You can put together your package and buy your computer all from the comfort of your own home. Dell has a great website for customers to do just that. www.dell.ca or www.dell.com. My personal favorite and the one I plan to order is the Dell Inspiron. For my needs and purposes I do not need more than this. It has a 15" monitor, 2 mb RAM and I plan to order an extra back up battery.

Your computer is your main tool for writing. It provides you with access to research utilities, such as the internet and all your files are right there. You can access your notes, your previous work, and your current projects all from your computer. With a laptop you could access them from the airport, the coffee shop or the comfort of your bed if you so choose. Just remember that no matter what you choose for you laptop, it's going to be with you for a long time and as much apart of you as your left arm so choose carefully.

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