What Makes a Notebook Fast for You?

Help me settle an argument here at LAPTOP. As you might expect, we’re notebook geeks so when we talk about performance, we’re thinking of many different tests. We have PCMark Vantage to measure overall system speed; 3DMark06 to test graphics;  a video transcoding test that also measures performance; a Wi-Fi test; gaming tests that measure frame rates; a file copy test that measures hard drive speed; and a battery test to determine endurance. We use all of these tests, along with our personal impressions, to give our readers a comprehensive idea of what they can expect from a given notebook. We’re happy with our suite of tests, but we’re also curious about what stands out most to consumers. We were talking in the office the other day about how an average user judges a notebook’s performance and we had a diversity of opinions. Readers, will you help us? If you were handed a notebook and started using it for the first time, what would make you say, “This is a fast machine,” or “This is just too slow?” Is it the time it takes the system to boot, to launch programs, to crunch videos, or to load Web sites? Is it the frame rate you get in your favorite game, the smoothness of high-def videos you watch or is it something else entirely? Tell us which task stands out most when you evaluate everyday, real-world laptop performance.