In the market for a laptop? These days, there’s more to it than just deciding on a screen size.

There’s those compact, purse-size netbooks, for example, or maybe you’ve got your heart set on a super-slim—but super-pricey—MacBook Air. And while those big, clunky “desktop replacement” laptops aren’t nearly as sexy as the svelte new Intel Ultrabooks, they will give you the most bang for your buck in terms of hard-drive space and features.

This week, we tackle the most important questions you should ask yourself before buying a new laptop. Do you want to take your notebook PC everywhere you go, or will you leave it at home? Looking to cram your new laptop with videos and music? Can you get used to the cramped keyboards found on most netbooks? And last but not least: Mac or PC?

Joining me this week are here’s the thing co-founder Susan Leopold and contributor Adrianna Dufay.

Press the “play” button below to listen, or right-click the “Download” link to save the podcast to your desktop. You can also subscribe to the gadgetcast on iTunes.

Podcast: Play in new window | Direct link (right-click to download)

Have questions, comments, or suggestions for next week? Let us know!