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Friday, 6 March 2009
Connect the 2nd monitor on your laptop
Most modern laptops are automatically equipped to connect an external monitor in addition to the laptop's own LCD. This is because many laptops are often used for storing and showing presentations, and it just makes sense to have the laptop all ready to go in that respect.To add the external monitor, locate the monitor connector on your PC's rump. Plug in the monitor, and you're ready to go. You can use that monitor in conjunction with your laptop's LCD or as your laptop's only display.On some laptops, the same image appears on both the LCD and the external monitor.If you want to use the external monitor exclusively, just close your laptop's lid. Most laptops are smart enough to see the external monitor and let you start using it, and also keep the laptop's power on while the lid is closed. When you open the laptop's lid, control returns to the laptop's LCD.Note that if you close the lid, it helps to have an external mouse or keyboard connected to the laptop so that you can still use your software.To activate the external monitor, you may have to press a special key or key combination on your laptop's keyboard.The monitor connector can also be an S-video connector. It allows you to connect your laptop to not only an external monitor but also many TV sets, VCRs, and DVD players.
VISTA TIPS FOR LAPTOP
WINDOWS MOBILITY CENTER
One of the handiest additions to Vista is the Windows Mobility Center, which lets you view and modify plenty of laptop-specific settings, all in one convenient place. Bring it up by hitting Windows key + X, or navigating to Start > Control Panel > Mobile PC > Windows Mobility Center. There, you can adjust your display's brightness, adjust speaker volume, change battery settings, turn your wireless network adapter on or off, configure an external display, set up synchronization partnerships with mobile devices or a desktop computer at home or at the office (see Work Offline below), or control your PC's settings for presentation use in a business environment (see Presentations below).
TIME ZONES
If you're a frequent traveler who often strains to remember which time zone you're visiting, setting up Vista to display different clocks could be just what you need. Just click on the clock in the Start bar, then click "Change date and time settings"¦," and then the Additional Clocks tab. Check the box next to "Show this clock" for each additional you clock you want to add, then specify the time zone and display name for each clock. After you apply your changes by clicking OK, clicking on the clock in the Start bar will show you the clocks for every time zone you've selected.
LID AND POWER OPTIONS
Shutting the lid of your laptop is a natural way to end a computing session, but Vista won't know to do that unless you stipulate it first. Navigate to Start > Control Panel > System and Maintenance >Power Options, then click Choose What Closing the Lid Does (it's on the left section of the screen). Here, you can instruct your computer to hibernate, shut off, or do nothing—or prevent it from waking up without the proper password. You can even specify different settings based on whether your computer is plugged in or running on battery power. Plus, you get to decide what the power button (located in the Start bar) does when you click it.
CHECK YOUR BATTERY
The little battery icon in your system tray gives you an at-a-glance idea of how you're faring power-wise, but you can set it to provide more-detailed information. If you hover the mouse cursor over the icon, you'll see a small pop-up box that tells you what percentage of juice you have remaining. If you left-click the icon once, you'll get a larger version of the pop-up that lets you choose which power plan you want your laptop to follow, so you'll get what works best for you, whether you want to save energy (Power saver), maximize performance (High performance), or get something in between (Balanced).
WORK OFFLINE
It's helpful to be able to take files with you, so you can work on them when you don't have access to the office network. Vista (excluding the Home Basic and Home Premium versions) greatly improves your ability to keep track of everything. When you're browsing your network and you find a file or folder you want to make available on your laptop, just right-click it, select "Always Available Offline," and Windows will download the appropriate files in the background. You can also choose to grab them all at once by going to the Sync Center (via Windows key + X or Start >All Programs >Accessories > Sync Center), selecting Offline Files partnership, and then clicking on Sync. If you return to the Sync Center after you've disconnected from your network, simply double-click Offline Files partnership again to get the full list of offline files and folders.
PRESENTATIONS
The ability to hook up your laptop to an external projector, so everyone can view what you have on your computer, is a boon to presenters everywhere. Unfortunately, it also means that everyone can see what else you have on your computer! Fear not, because the Windows Mobility Center's presentation settings make it easy for you to determine what everyone else gets to see: Just click on the projector icon—you can adjust settings that will ensure your computer stays on and screensaver-free, has an appropriate volume level, and displays an uncontroversial background image. Once you've established your settings, you can turn them on or off with a single click of the Mobility Center button.
One of the handiest additions to Vista is the Windows Mobility Center, which lets you view and modify plenty of laptop-specific settings, all in one convenient place. Bring it up by hitting Windows key + X, or navigating to Start > Control Panel > Mobile PC > Windows Mobility Center. There, you can adjust your display's brightness, adjust speaker volume, change battery settings, turn your wireless network adapter on or off, configure an external display, set up synchronization partnerships with mobile devices or a desktop computer at home or at the office (see Work Offline below), or control your PC's settings for presentation use in a business environment (see Presentations below).
TIME ZONES
If you're a frequent traveler who often strains to remember which time zone you're visiting, setting up Vista to display different clocks could be just what you need. Just click on the clock in the Start bar, then click "Change date and time settings"¦," and then the Additional Clocks tab. Check the box next to "Show this clock" for each additional you clock you want to add, then specify the time zone and display name for each clock. After you apply your changes by clicking OK, clicking on the clock in the Start bar will show you the clocks for every time zone you've selected.
LID AND POWER OPTIONS
Shutting the lid of your laptop is a natural way to end a computing session, but Vista won't know to do that unless you stipulate it first. Navigate to Start > Control Panel > System and Maintenance >Power Options, then click Choose What Closing the Lid Does (it's on the left section of the screen). Here, you can instruct your computer to hibernate, shut off, or do nothing—or prevent it from waking up without the proper password. You can even specify different settings based on whether your computer is plugged in or running on battery power. Plus, you get to decide what the power button (located in the Start bar) does when you click it.
CHECK YOUR BATTERY
The little battery icon in your system tray gives you an at-a-glance idea of how you're faring power-wise, but you can set it to provide more-detailed information. If you hover the mouse cursor over the icon, you'll see a small pop-up box that tells you what percentage of juice you have remaining. If you left-click the icon once, you'll get a larger version of the pop-up that lets you choose which power plan you want your laptop to follow, so you'll get what works best for you, whether you want to save energy (Power saver), maximize performance (High performance), or get something in between (Balanced).
WORK OFFLINE
It's helpful to be able to take files with you, so you can work on them when you don't have access to the office network. Vista (excluding the Home Basic and Home Premium versions) greatly improves your ability to keep track of everything. When you're browsing your network and you find a file or folder you want to make available on your laptop, just right-click it, select "Always Available Offline," and Windows will download the appropriate files in the background. You can also choose to grab them all at once by going to the Sync Center (via Windows key + X or Start >All Programs >Accessories > Sync Center), selecting Offline Files partnership, and then clicking on Sync. If you return to the Sync Center after you've disconnected from your network, simply double-click Offline Files partnership again to get the full list of offline files and folders.
PRESENTATIONS
The ability to hook up your laptop to an external projector, so everyone can view what you have on your computer, is a boon to presenters everywhere. Unfortunately, it also means that everyone can see what else you have on your computer! Fear not, because the Windows Mobility Center's presentation settings make it easy for you to determine what everyone else gets to see: Just click on the projector icon—you can adjust settings that will ensure your computer stays on and screensaver-free, has an appropriate volume level, and displays an uncontroversial background image. Once you've established your settings, you can turn them on or off with a single click of the Mobility Center button.
Laptop speed
Are you ever asked "Why is my computer too slow? Look to the laptop in general? Well you've come to the right place. All portable computers and, especially, are a little slow when wearing them. Unfortunately, Customization place some things that people think they need to buy a new computer, laptop speed. This is simply not true. You can speed up your laptop with these three steps. I also recommend a program that all three of them for you automatically . Accelerate your laptop has never been easier! The first step is to defragment the hard disk on your system. What makes a defragmentation is the speed at which you can access the information. If the computer processes the information they need to jump from one place to another, and this takes time. Defragging allows your computer to obtain information about a current path. This is a laptop to access and launch various programs. The second step is unnecessary that the widest possible number of startup programs. Whenever you install a new program, it automatically every time you have on your computer. This will dramatically decrease the speed, the team may start or close. These programs also eat valuable RAM, which means that the team remains very low. Remove all necessary programs, but the feeling and the incredible difference in the speed of the processor in your laptop. The third step is to clean the log jams. This is undoubtedly the most important step that can make your laptop. Since you are new or old programs to receive our registration offices with congestion and unnecessary files. This makes everything you can ask, why is my computer slow? Get rid of unnecessary files are not only the speed of your computer, but fails to prevent the future. These are the three steps you can do now to protect your computer running as if the box. If you are a beginner and want a program to do the job for you I recommend you visit the link below. Instead of new spending hundreds or thousands of updates on a new laptop, why not just optimize your computer to achieve maximum performance at a fraction of the cost? Try it. You want to turbo charge your computer's speed? With regard to the fixing of the annoying Windows error messages? Get an easy fix their computer for free with the best registry cleaning software on the Internet today.
Thursday, 26 February 2009
Laptop tips
You just got a shiny new laptop to use on your commute to the office, on business trips, vacations and at the coffee shop down the street. Congratulations! You'll be a productivity powerhouse! But hold your horses for a minute there, bucko.
Any road warrior will tell you life with a lappie isn't always easy. As a freelancer with a keyboard permanently propped up on my thighs (like right now on an airplane bound for Seattle), I've got a few hints and tips for extending the life of your laptop and easing the pain of the never-ending outlet and hotspot hunt.
Extend your battery life.
Laptop productivity on the cold, cruel and often electrical outletless road often depends entirely on how much juice you've got left. The screen draws the most power from your battery. When you don't have access to an outlet, dim your screen to the lowest setting to make your battery last as long as possible.
Also, disable unnecessary CPU-cycle-eating processes - like auto Bluetooth device and wifi network detection - to save juice and make your battery last longer.
Save your keyboard and screen.
At the beach house there is sand, at the coffee shop there are crumbs, and right now your fingers are covered in Dorito dust. Protect your keyboard from stray crumbage getting into the cracks with a protective cover. At a reader's recommendation, I invested in the iSkin which does double duty: it keeps crumbs out from between the keys and also protects the screen from keyboard scratches.
Another way to prevent screen scrapes is a piece of rubberized shelf liner cut to fit inside your lappie like the bologna in a sandwich when you shut it. I've also seen people use a thin piece of cloth.
If your laptop keys are already sticky and furry, give it a good cleaning with some compressed air, cotton swabs and elbow grease.
Keep it cool.
After an hour or so, a computer can burn one's thighs and wrists (like my super-heat conducting titanium Powerbook). If this is a problem for you, get material that doesn't conduct heat well between your skin and your lappie, like a lap desk or your laptop sleeve. Long-sleeved shirts with big cuffs help on wrists when the top of your keyboard gets hot to the touch.
Work offline.
Web-based email's great, but the dream of always-on Internet connectivity hasn't yet come true. Get yourself set up to work offline on your laptop on the plane and other wifi-less locations.
For example, Mozilla Thunderbird is a must-have install on your laptop. In addition to downloading all your mail locally for working with offline, Thunderbird 1.5 has excellent SMTP management so you can switch which server you send your mail through when you get online very quickly. Using a NetZero dialup account that requires you use smtp.netzero.net? Need to use the secure SMTP server at the office for work mail? No problem. You can set up multiple SMTP servers and associate them with different email accounts with Thunderbird.
For more on working offline or with a super-slow connection, check out previously-posted feature How to survive a slow internet connection.
Secure your data.
While you're out and about and on open wireless networks, make sure you've got a secure firewall installed on your laptop and that its settings are extremely restrictive. Turn off folder sharing and any local servers you have running (like a web, FTP or VNC) to keep others from peeking in on your data. Make sure your laptop's logins have strong passwords assigned.
Also, consider encrypting the data on your disk in case of theft, using a utility like Mac OS X's FileVault. If you're really concerned about someone grabbing your laptop and running, check out "Lojack for Laptops" software which helps you trace and recover your stolen computer.
Carry it well.
Your laptop spends a lot of time swinging over your shoulder, banging around on your back, bumping into the guy next to you on the subway, and sliding around on your car's back seat. Wrapping it up in that spare Linux tee-shirt and shoving it into your messenger bag full of gadgets probably isn't a good idea. Make sure that sucker's snug as a bug in a rug. Invest in a padded sleeve or bag made to carry laptops that'll protect it when your bag falls over or gets kicked. I really dig the spendy but stylish Booq bags and sleeves; a little research will turn up the right one for your budget and style.
Back up when you get home.
Portable computers deal with a lot more wear and tear than desktops, and this increases the risk of hard drive failure. So most importantly, make sure you back up the data on your laptop.
A few months ago, a panicked Lifehacker reader wrote in saying the laptop from which she runs her business was stolen and that she had no recent backup. DO NOT LET THIS HAPPEN TO YOU. Create a lappie docking station space at home where you can plug in to recharge the battery and hook up an external drive to backup your data. See more on how to automatically back up your Windows data here.
Pack some helpful extras.
If you've got a CD-R or DVD-R drive in your lappie, keep a few spare blanks or a USB drive for easy backup on the road. A 2 to 3 prong electrical plug adaptor might help in places where your 3 prong plug needs to go into a 2 prong outlet. And of course, an extra charged-up battery, an ethernet cable or phone cord or an extra mouse might be a helpful addition to your portable arsenal.
Any road warrior will tell you life with a lappie isn't always easy. As a freelancer with a keyboard permanently propped up on my thighs (like right now on an airplane bound for Seattle), I've got a few hints and tips for extending the life of your laptop and easing the pain of the never-ending outlet and hotspot hunt.
Extend your battery life.
Laptop productivity on the cold, cruel and often electrical outletless road often depends entirely on how much juice you've got left. The screen draws the most power from your battery. When you don't have access to an outlet, dim your screen to the lowest setting to make your battery last as long as possible.
Also, disable unnecessary CPU-cycle-eating processes - like auto Bluetooth device and wifi network detection - to save juice and make your battery last longer.
Save your keyboard and screen.
At the beach house there is sand, at the coffee shop there are crumbs, and right now your fingers are covered in Dorito dust. Protect your keyboard from stray crumbage getting into the cracks with a protective cover. At a reader's recommendation, I invested in the iSkin which does double duty: it keeps crumbs out from between the keys and also protects the screen from keyboard scratches.
Another way to prevent screen scrapes is a piece of rubberized shelf liner cut to fit inside your lappie like the bologna in a sandwich when you shut it. I've also seen people use a thin piece of cloth.
If your laptop keys are already sticky and furry, give it a good cleaning with some compressed air, cotton swabs and elbow grease.
Keep it cool.
After an hour or so, a computer can burn one's thighs and wrists (like my super-heat conducting titanium Powerbook). If this is a problem for you, get material that doesn't conduct heat well between your skin and your lappie, like a lap desk or your laptop sleeve. Long-sleeved shirts with big cuffs help on wrists when the top of your keyboard gets hot to the touch.
Work offline.
Web-based email's great, but the dream of always-on Internet connectivity hasn't yet come true. Get yourself set up to work offline on your laptop on the plane and other wifi-less locations.
For example, Mozilla Thunderbird is a must-have install on your laptop. In addition to downloading all your mail locally for working with offline, Thunderbird 1.5 has excellent SMTP management so you can switch which server you send your mail through when you get online very quickly. Using a NetZero dialup account that requires you use smtp.netzero.net? Need to use the secure SMTP server at the office for work mail? No problem. You can set up multiple SMTP servers and associate them with different email accounts with Thunderbird.
For more on working offline or with a super-slow connection, check out previously-posted feature How to survive a slow internet connection.
Secure your data.
While you're out and about and on open wireless networks, make sure you've got a secure firewall installed on your laptop and that its settings are extremely restrictive. Turn off folder sharing and any local servers you have running (like a web, FTP or VNC) to keep others from peeking in on your data. Make sure your laptop's logins have strong passwords assigned.
Also, consider encrypting the data on your disk in case of theft, using a utility like Mac OS X's FileVault. If you're really concerned about someone grabbing your laptop and running, check out "Lojack for Laptops" software which helps you trace and recover your stolen computer.
Carry it well.
Your laptop spends a lot of time swinging over your shoulder, banging around on your back, bumping into the guy next to you on the subway, and sliding around on your car's back seat. Wrapping it up in that spare Linux tee-shirt and shoving it into your messenger bag full of gadgets probably isn't a good idea. Make sure that sucker's snug as a bug in a rug. Invest in a padded sleeve or bag made to carry laptops that'll protect it when your bag falls over or gets kicked. I really dig the spendy but stylish Booq bags and sleeves; a little research will turn up the right one for your budget and style.
Back up when you get home.
Portable computers deal with a lot more wear and tear than desktops, and this increases the risk of hard drive failure. So most importantly, make sure you back up the data on your laptop.
A few months ago, a panicked Lifehacker reader wrote in saying the laptop from which she runs her business was stolen and that she had no recent backup. DO NOT LET THIS HAPPEN TO YOU. Create a lappie docking station space at home where you can plug in to recharge the battery and hook up an external drive to backup your data. See more on how to automatically back up your Windows data here.
Pack some helpful extras.
If you've got a CD-R or DVD-R drive in your lappie, keep a few spare blanks or a USB drive for easy backup on the road. A 2 to 3 prong electrical plug adaptor might help in places where your 3 prong plug needs to go into a 2 prong outlet. And of course, an extra charged-up battery, an ethernet cable or phone cord or an extra mouse might be a helpful addition to your portable arsenal.
Saturday, 21 February 2009
How to Clean a Laptop Screen with Household Products
Do you miss that shiny new laptop look or can't stand the thought of the misguided executive image? Here's how to brew your own laptop screen cleaning kit using simple household ingredients.
1. Dilute isopropyl alcohol (not rubbing alcohol, as it may contain oil) into a solution of no greater than 50% alcohol and 50% with distilled water/deionized water. Purified/bottled water works well too. A 50/50 mix of white vinegar and distilled water is also effective.
2. Put the solution in a small atomizer bottle, the type that you push from the top to get a fine mist. Don't use this, however, to spray on the screen itself.
3. Apply the solution to a cotton cloth, such as an old T-shirt, lint-free microfiber cloth, or some other very soft cloth. A large cloth is best, since it will help to reduce the risk of leaving streaks across the screen from finger pressure.
4. Wipe the cloth against the screen in a circular, or other consistent motion. Rapid circular movements generally eliminate streaks. Apply an even pressure to the cloth but take care not to press your fingers into the cloth or screen.
DON'T SPRAY THE SCREEN DIRECTLY!
Friday, 20 February 2009
Laptop Buying Guide
Looking for the perfect notebook PC to suit your needs? With LAPTOP's Laptop Buying Guide, we’ve made selecting the best machine for your needs easy. Here you’ll find tips, advice, and all the information you need to make the smartest buying decision.
What Are Budget Notebooks?
As the name implies, budget notebooks are models aimed at price-conscious buyers who need a basic computer at an affordable price. For our definition, we look for a price of $999 or less, but you can find very good deals in the $799 to $899 range.
What Are All-Purpose Notebooks?
All-purpose notebooks represent the sweet spot for the industry. This category comprises thin-and-light models with 13.3-inch or 14-inch screens, as well as the typical mainstream portable with a screen up to 15.4 inches in size.
What Are Business Notebooks?
Business notebooks are thin-and-light or mainstream models that include the security, connectivity, and durability features a professional user would need. Notebooks intended for corporate use have all that, plus manageability features and a stable platform so the OS image of units deployed now will match that of machines ordered six to nine months from now.
What Are Ultraportable Notebooks?
Thinner and lighter than even a thin-and-light notebook, an ultraportable notebook is a machine that weighs less than 4 pounds but still delivers the functionality of a full PC. Screens are smaller, keyboards are tighter, and processors are generally less powerful than with a full-size notebook.
What Are Desktop Replacement Notebooks?
A desktop replacement is a notebook with a 17-inch screen or larger. While panels that size in a portable were unthinkable a few years ago, they are now commonplace-and some laptops have 19- and even 20-inch LCDs. With such a screen as the centerpiece, most desktop replacement machines focus on the video, multimedia, and gaming experience.
What Are Gaming Notebooks?
A gaming notebook puts 3D graphics performance above all else. That means a powerful GPU (or two) and top-of-the-line CPU, of course, but also fast memory and hard-drive subsystems. A large LCD with fast response times and good grayscale performance (to better render shadow detail) is also a must, and a good audio system doesn't hurt.
What Are Tablet PCs?
Tablet PCs are arguably the most versatile machines in the laptop genus. Their screens react to input from a finger or stylus, letting you enter notes and drawings freehand. Light weight and long battery life make them suitable for life on the go.
What Are Rugged Notebooks?
Rugged notebooks are machines that have extra protection against a range of environmental and situational hazards. They are designed to work in harsh conditions: dusty construction sites and factories; outdoors in the heat, cold, and wet; and in moving vehicles where they are subjected to shock and vibration.
Who Are Student Notebooks For?
Student notebooks are designed with high-school and college attendees in mind. They can be used for both schoolwork and play (more of the latter, we suspect), so they need decent power and components good enough to let them act as music library, stereo system, DVD player, and YouTube-creation stations.
Wednesday, 18 February 2009
10 Tips for Laptop Use on the Plane
Using your laptop while flying requires a little common sense, practical considerations, and some basic etiquette. The competing interests are protecting your privacy, keeping your “stuff” contained within your personal space and not spilling out into other’s space, and making sure that you keep your laptop protected from damage.
Here are a few tips, most of which I’ve mentioned before, to keep in mind when whipping out your laptop onboard:
1. As you are boarding the plane, keep your laptop in its bag. Don’t try to be working on something as your are locating your seat and getting settled it. I have seen a passenger holding up the boarding process as he tried to turn on his laptop.
2.Watch your laptop bag as you proceed down the aisle. Turning from side to side without giving thought to your surrounding may result in your bag hitting passengers that you are walking by.
3.Turn off your laptop when asked to do so. That means power off, not just put into sleep mode. I know that you think it doesn’t matter, and it may not, but the Flight Attendants are required to make sure that you comply before shutting the main cabin door. Do them, yourself, and everyone else a favor — turn it off.
4.Your laptop is considered carry on baggage. This means that it needs to be stowed for take off and landing. So put it in the overhead or beneath the seat in front of you when requested to do so.
5.Don’t stuff you laptop into the seat pocket. It’s too large and heavy to be restrained there, and it just rips up the seat pocket.
6.Protect personal and confidential information on your screen. Whether your seat mates are intentionally peering at your work, or are just casually looking around and have to glance at your screen, keep your private stuff private. The easiest option, in my opinion, is to use one of the many privacy screen guards that are on the market. A friend also suggested doing your typing in a very small font so that it’s not as easily seen. The only downside to this, however, is that you may not be able to see it yourself!
7.Keep your laptop out of the aisle. I know that there isn’t much room at your seat, but letting it creep out into the aisle is a recipe for disaster. It’s likely to get hit my someone walking by, or get thwacked by the beverage cart.
8.Close the top when the Flight Attendant is serving your row. I continue to be amazed at how often I have to tell people to watch the keyboard as I hand something across. We try very hard not to spill, but accidents and turbulence happen.
9.Use earplugs. If you are watching a movie, playing a game with sound, or listening to music, most airlines require that you use earplugs. It’s annoying to everyone around you, and we don’t need any more noise pollution in such a contained environment.
10.Leave the porn for another time. Adult rated content is not acceptable for viewing in a public location, and that means its off limits for the airplane. N one likes to be a tattler, but someone will mention it to the Flight Attendants, and you will be asked to turn it off. Failure to comply may result in the police chatting with you about it upon arrival at your destination.
Sound like a lot of rules? I travel with my laptop regularly, and have never found them that difficult to comply with. Next time, give it a try!
Here are a few tips, most of which I’ve mentioned before, to keep in mind when whipping out your laptop onboard:
1. As you are boarding the plane, keep your laptop in its bag. Don’t try to be working on something as your are locating your seat and getting settled it. I have seen a passenger holding up the boarding process as he tried to turn on his laptop.
2.Watch your laptop bag as you proceed down the aisle. Turning from side to side without giving thought to your surrounding may result in your bag hitting passengers that you are walking by.
3.Turn off your laptop when asked to do so. That means power off, not just put into sleep mode. I know that you think it doesn’t matter, and it may not, but the Flight Attendants are required to make sure that you comply before shutting the main cabin door. Do them, yourself, and everyone else a favor — turn it off.
4.Your laptop is considered carry on baggage. This means that it needs to be stowed for take off and landing. So put it in the overhead or beneath the seat in front of you when requested to do so.
5.Don’t stuff you laptop into the seat pocket. It’s too large and heavy to be restrained there, and it just rips up the seat pocket.
6.Protect personal and confidential information on your screen. Whether your seat mates are intentionally peering at your work, or are just casually looking around and have to glance at your screen, keep your private stuff private. The easiest option, in my opinion, is to use one of the many privacy screen guards that are on the market. A friend also suggested doing your typing in a very small font so that it’s not as easily seen. The only downside to this, however, is that you may not be able to see it yourself!
7.Keep your laptop out of the aisle. I know that there isn’t much room at your seat, but letting it creep out into the aisle is a recipe for disaster. It’s likely to get hit my someone walking by, or get thwacked by the beverage cart.
8.Close the top when the Flight Attendant is serving your row. I continue to be amazed at how often I have to tell people to watch the keyboard as I hand something across. We try very hard not to spill, but accidents and turbulence happen.
9.Use earplugs. If you are watching a movie, playing a game with sound, or listening to music, most airlines require that you use earplugs. It’s annoying to everyone around you, and we don’t need any more noise pollution in such a contained environment.
10.Leave the porn for another time. Adult rated content is not acceptable for viewing in a public location, and that means its off limits for the airplane. N one likes to be a tattler, but someone will mention it to the Flight Attendants, and you will be asked to turn it off. Failure to comply may result in the police chatting with you about it upon arrival at your destination.
Sound like a lot of rules? I travel with my laptop regularly, and have never found them that difficult to comply with. Next time, give it a try!
Tuesday, 17 February 2009
TIP: Task Manager Shortcuts
In my demos more often than not I bring up task manager (e.g. so I can show the CPU utilization). If you do the same, here are 4 tips.
1. Ctrl+Shift+ESC brings it up (no need to right click on taskbar and select the Task Manager 
menuitem)
menuitem)2. On the Performance (or Networking) tab, double click anywhere to maximize that area (as per the screenshot on left). One of the advantages is that now the window can be resized to be much smaller than what it can be otherwise; plus you can focus more clearly without the other clutter. Double click again to restore or click and drag to move the window around.
3. If you want to point out something interesting in the "CPU Usage" and "CPU Usage History", just hold down the Ctrl key to PAUSE 
the dynamic updating of the graphs. Release the Ctrl key to resume the refreshing.
the dynamic updating of the graphs. Release the Ctrl key to resume the refreshing.4. Change the refresh speed to HIGH
Linux Laptop Tips from Mark Shuttleworth
Linux Laptop Tips from Mark Shuttleworth
If you want to support a Linux desktop, a traveling business user is the hardest person to keep happy and productive. Connecting to strange wireless networks and working offline are both tricky. We asked Mark Shuttleworth how he handles networking and mail.
By Mark Shuttleworth, LinuxWorld.com, 09/07/06
I do use Ubuntu on my laptop, and travel a lot. My laptop is both my primary working environment and my primary development environment. I also have a desktop machine, which runs Kubuntu, and which I use for development at home over the weekends.
NetworkManager is (mostly) my friend. When it works on your hardware it's a blessing, though every now and then it can get itself into a horrible jam. The primary missing feature for me, now, is the ability for it to recognise "locations" and configure printers accordingly.
I'm a Thunderbird fan and use that rather than Evolution. The best tip I can give anyone is to try the Quick File extension for Thunderbird. It was developed in response to a bounty I put out some time ago, and has made my life much, much better in dealing with several thousand mail folders. In simple terms, it lets me file a mail to a folder by typing a hotkey and then a few letters from the folder name. This lets me drive Thunderbird almost entirely from the keyboard. Combined with the offline email function of Thunderbird I can be extremely productive with email in planes, trains and automobiles, which is where I get a lot of time these days.
One glitch in that routine is when people send me email with a URL in it. I am often offline when I get to the email, so it can be frustrating because I can't then see the document they are pointing at. To work around this I use a combination of Firefox bookmarks and T-bird labels. I have a "Needs web access" label, which I use to flag emails that have this issue. And I have a "To read" folder on my Firefox bookmarks toolbar. By right clicking on the URL in the email I can copy the URL, then I right click on the "To read" folder and create a new bookmark to that URL with a note about the context. Then, when I'm online, I can trivially get T-bird to show me all the mails that need online attention, and open all the relevant pages in tabs in a new Firefox window. The result is that I can immediately deal with everything that NEEDS me to be online. This is a huge win if, like me, you are travelling constantly and can only grab net access in short windows while parked outside a Starbucks or in an airport lounge.
If you want to support a Linux desktop, a traveling business user is the hardest person to keep happy and productive. Connecting to strange wireless networks and working offline are both tricky. We asked Mark Shuttleworth how he handles networking and mail.
By Mark Shuttleworth, LinuxWorld.com, 09/07/06
I do use Ubuntu on my laptop, and travel a lot. My laptop is both my primary working environment and my primary development environment. I also have a desktop machine, which runs Kubuntu, and which I use for development at home over the weekends.
NetworkManager is (mostly) my friend. When it works on your hardware it's a blessing, though every now and then it can get itself into a horrible jam. The primary missing feature for me, now, is the ability for it to recognise "locations" and configure printers accordingly.
I'm a Thunderbird fan and use that rather than Evolution. The best tip I can give anyone is to try the Quick File extension for Thunderbird. It was developed in response to a bounty I put out some time ago, and has made my life much, much better in dealing with several thousand mail folders. In simple terms, it lets me file a mail to a folder by typing a hotkey and then a few letters from the folder name. This lets me drive Thunderbird almost entirely from the keyboard. Combined with the offline email function of Thunderbird I can be extremely productive with email in planes, trains and automobiles, which is where I get a lot of time these days.
One glitch in that routine is when people send me email with a URL in it. I am often offline when I get to the email, so it can be frustrating because I can't then see the document they are pointing at. To work around this I use a combination of Firefox bookmarks and T-bird labels. I have a "Needs web access" label, which I use to flag emails that have this issue. And I have a "To read" folder on my Firefox bookmarks toolbar. By right clicking on the URL in the email I can copy the URL, then I right click on the "To read" folder and create a new bookmark to that URL with a note about the context. Then, when I'm online, I can trivially get T-bird to show me all the mails that need online attention, and open all the relevant pages in tabs in a new Firefox window. The result is that I can immediately deal with everything that NEEDS me to be online. This is a huge win if, like me, you are travelling constantly and can only grab net access in short windows while parked outside a Starbucks or in an airport lounge.
Monday, 16 February 2009
How to maintain the hard drive
1. Defragmenting your hard drive
A: Click on Start > Programs > Accessories > Disk Defragmenter (See Image 1).
B: You can now analyze your hard drive or start defragmenting immediately. This may take more than an hour (See Image 2).
2. Leaving plenty of available space
Back up your files to another medium (e.g. CD-R, DVD-R, external hard drive) and make sure to leave plenty of free space in case you have to save large files. A full hard drive is very difficult to unpack and wears out much more quickly.
3. Removing unnecessary files
Unused files may include cookies that are downloaded without your knowledge from websites you visit. They may also be support files from programs you've removed and even folders you've erased. These unused files can seriously slow down your computer and generate errors. The best way to eliminate such flies is to use software like CCleaner, which is freely available at sites like download.com.
Sympatico.MSN.ca assumes no responsibility for any damages that may occur during the installation process.
Tips
If you spend a lot of time surfing the web, use an application like CCleaner on a regular basis and defragment your hard drive once a month, ideally; after you have performed your Windows update.
Sunday, 15 February 2009
The Basics of Computer Hardware Cooling
IntroductionThis article is intended for someone who has just completed building a computer or who is planning on building one. It will explain all the components of keeping the hardware in a computer reasonably cool, including processor cooling, graphics cooling, and case airflow. Keeping computer hardware cool is extremely important to the health of the hardware, and having a computer with hardware that functions properly largely depends on keeping the hardware within safe temperatures. A processor that is overheating can cause a variety of problems, including random shutdowns, operating system crashes, overall system instability, and more. Video cards have different overheating symptoms that usually don’t include shutdowns, but instead appear as mistakes in video rendering calculations that are shown by artifacting of random pixels and strange glitches on the screen. If these are overlooked, permanent damage to the graphics chipset and video memory can occur. This article for the most part does not apply to laptops, however some aspects such as the use of thermal compound and temperature monitoring utilities are the same.Part I: Central Processor CoolingThe most common source of heat and heat related problems in computers is the processor or CPU (central processing unit). CPUs have always been considered the “brains” of a computer, and are usually the most powerful and expensive component. CPUs today are manufactured by two companies. Intel is the original manufacturer of processors; they made the 80386 processors, the first x86 processors with a 32-bit architecture, which powered some of the first affordable home computers. They were manufactured and primarily used from the mid 1980’s to early 1990’s. AMD is the other manufacturer; they became a major player in microchip manufacturing with their AMD K5, which was released shortly after the first Intel Pentium in the mid 1990’s. As mentioned earlier, processors, even the early processors that are now obsolete, produce a large amount of heat. A device called a heatsink is used to control the heat. A heatsink is a piece of metal or heat conductor with fins placed over a heat source with the purpose of increasing the surface area, and increasing heat dissipation as a result. A processor should never be run without a heatsink; doing so will destroy the processor. There are two kinds of heatsinks, passive heatsinks and active heatsinks. Passive heatsinks are just metal fins, while active heatsinks include an attached fan. The proper way to use an active heatsink is to have the fan blow toward the heatsink rather than away from it. Heatsinks are different from heatspreaders such as those found on RAM; heatspreaders usually do not have fins that heatsinks are designed with, but instead are just pieces of metal to draw heat away from the heat source. If a computer case has a side air duct, then this should draw air into the case and onto the heatsink. For water cooled systems, the heatsink is replaced by a water block through which cool water or coolant is pumped in from a reservoir, and hot water is pumped out to a heat exchanger or radiator that is usually located outside the case or mounted several 5.25" drive bays.CPUs can be purchased in two ways. They can be bought in retail boxes, which include the processor, a heatsink, warranty, and installation instructions. The other type of packages available for sale are OEM (original equipment manufacturer) packages, which include only the processors themselves. Stock heatsinks that come with retail CPUs are almost always sufficient for keeping the processor cool. Most computer technicians will agree that the only modern processor that usually will need a third party heatsink and absolutely must have high density thermal compound (this is explained further in the next paragraph) at stock speeds is the Intel Pentium 4 Prescott. Pentium 4 processors of that generation are some of the hottest processors still commonly found in modern computers. Although getting a retail box might seem like the most logical option, there are many situations where buying an OEM processor would make more sense. OEM processors are less expensive, and are favored by overclockers because they will be voiding the warranty by overclocking and will most likely have to purchase an aftermarket heatsink anyway. Overclockers should buy OEM heatsinks because they will not obtain the benefits of a retail box, and as a result, buying an OEM processor will be more cost effective. The retail box however is recommended for regular computer builders and for builders of computers with the BTX form factor. Retail boxes are also recommended for builders of computers with the BTX form factor. Special retail boxes are available for sale for use on BTX motherboards in BTX cases. There is no difference in the processor, however the heatsink is optimized for the direct airflow that BTX cases have (this is explained further in Part III).Another element of CPU cooling is using the high density thermal compound just mentioned. Usually, processors come with wax thermal pads; however these are less effective, and should be removed and replaced with thermal compound when some is available. The compound is placed between the heatsink and the processor and assists in the transfer of heat from the processor die or IHS (integrated heat spreader) by filling microscopic cracks on the heatsink and IHS. Only a very little amount of thermal compound is required; a drop the size of a grain of rice is typically placed on the processor die or IHS. For full instructions on applying Arctic Silver thermal compound, click here.The temperatures of a CPU can be detected by a sensor located on most motherboards next to the CPU socket. Free utilities like SpeedFan and MobileMeter can read the sensor and report the temperatures to the user. Processor temperatures in desktops should not exceed 60° C or 140° F. For detailed information on the thermal design power and maximum rated temperatures of major x86 processors, click here. If temperatures go higher, damage to the processor can occur. If the temperatures are too high and go above a certain temperature programed into the BIOS, then the BIOS will shut down the computer to prevent damage, however just because a computer isn't shutting down doesn't mean it isn't overheating. If temperatures are too high, then steps such as those described in this article should be taken to control temperatures.Summary of Central Processor Cooling Information:
A processor that needs a heatsink should never be run without one.
The fan on an active heatsink should be set to blow towards the heatsink rather than away from it.
Retail box processors are usually a better option than OEM processors unless the processor will be overclocked.
Builders of BTX form factor computers should buy retail box processors that are designed for BTX cases.
Thermal pads, or preferably high density thermal compound, should always be used.
Processor temperatures should not exceed 60° C or 140° F.
Free utilities are available to monitor temperatures of processorsPart II: Graphics Card CoolingIn recent years, graphics cards have become more and more important, and have received considerable attention as a result. Modern high-end gaming graphics cards can cost as much as high-end processors, and professional workstation graphics cards can cost over twice that. Graphics card chipsets are manufactured by two main manufacturers, NVIDIA and ATI, with several other companies that make IGPs (integrated graphics processors). NVIDIA calls their graphics chipsets GPUs (graphics processing units), and ATI calls their chipsets VPUs (video processing units). Both companies had their rise to power at about the same time. ATI released the first Radeon VPU, the Radeon 7000, to compete with NVIDIA’s second generation of GeForce GPUs, the GeForce2; both had hardware support for Microsoft’s DirectX 7. Both companies do make cards that their own chipsets are placed on, but for the most part both sell their chipsets to third party manufacturers. New graphics technology has become more advanced, and graphics cards have gotten more powerful to keep up with the advancing technology. The newer and more demanding chipsets and memory now require much larger heatsinks and fans for additional cooling. High-end graphics cards have very large heatsinks and fans, and some even take up two expansion slots because of the size of the heatsink. These cards also consume a lot of power; gaming computers with high-end graphics cards require 700 to 1000 watts of power. And now, to make graphics performance even more powerful, methods of using dual graphics cards are available. NVIDIA has developed a method of connecting two GPUs and using each to render one output called SLI (scalable link interface). ATI uses a different method of linking VPUs it calls Crossfire. Either technology will significantly increase performance, and increase heat output as well. Almost all graphics cards come with heatsinks. Additional cooling is usually not required on integrated cards and low-end models, but high-end cards often do need additional cooling. The stock heatsinks are sometimes not enough to cool the components adequately, and aftermarket cooling devices called VGA (video graphics array) coolers can be installed to further control heat. VGA coolers are either large heatsinks that are installed to replace the standard heatsink that video cards come with, or water blocks for water cooled heatsinks. In addition to VGA coolers, expansion slot fans can be purchased to help exhaust hot air out the back of the case using a spare expansion slot. In addition, many cases with side air ducts for processors will also have side air ducts or vents for graphics cards to help draw cool air in. Like processors, video cards have free utilities for monitoring temperatures. For NVIDIA GPUs, a program called RivaTuner can be use to detect a sensor located on the card, and ATI VPUs have a sensor that can be read using a set of utilities called ATI Tray Tools. If a mid-range to high-end video card is installed in a computer, then it is advisable to take the time and download the software to monitor temperatures since video cards exhibit overheating symptoms in a less noticeable way, and damaging a high-end video card can be very costly to replace. The temperatures of most graphics cards should not exceed 70° C or 158° F, however this can vary slightly depending on the chipset, and some can withstand higher temperatures. If the temperatures do go any higher, then the chipset and memory risk sustaining damage.Summary of Graphics Card Cooling Information:
Modern high-end graphics cards need attention when it comes to cooling.
Graphics cards almost always come with heatsinks, but VGA coolers are sometimes required.
Expansion slot fans can be purchased to help exhaust hot air from graphics cards.
Graphics card temperatures in general should not go above 70° C or 158° F.
Free utilities are available to monitor the temperatures of graphics cards.Part III: Case Airflow DesignGood processor and graphics cooling alone cannot keep your components at adequate temperatures. Case airflow is a very important factor in cooling. Good case airflow involves having well-positioned fans blowing in certain directions. In ATX computer cases, front fans at the bottom should draw cool air in, while fans located higher up in the back and sometimes on the top should exhaust hot air. Power supplies usually have fans, and these should take air in at the bottom and/or exhaust hot air at the back. Unfortunately, one of the major flaws of the ATX motherboard and case design is the fact that the power supply is directly above the processor in most cases, although many now have the power supply at the bottom. Because power supplies often have fans on the bottom, they will take in hot air from the processor. This is why it is very important to have at least one large fan in the back; having more than one will be better for the processor and power supply. Since the air inside the case will get hotter as hot components release heat energy, the air will rise, and no fan blowing up is necessary. As mentioned earlier, side air ducts should also be intake fans. In general, larger cases such as ATX Full Towers have better airflow than smaller cases such as the common ATX Mid-Tower because there is more room for air to move. BTX cases have a slightly different design. The goal of the BTX form factor is to be able to cool small cases efficiently by having a more direct airflow with fewer obstructions between the intake and exhaust fans, as well as with the processor farther away from the power supply. BTX cases for the most part use power supplies with the same form factor as ATX power supplies, and as a result don't have a change in power supply cooling. BTX motherboards don't have the flaw mentioned earlier that ATX motherboards do; BTX motherboards have the processor in the middle of the motherboard away from the power supply.Another important but often overlooked factor is the ratio of intake to exhaust fans. There should be more fans exhausting hot air than taking cool air in. This way, vents located near drive bays and other places at the front of the case, as well as over the CPU and video card if no side air duct is present, will draw air in without the need for a fan. To get the maximum efficiency out of fans, use the largest fans possible. 120mm fans will move the most amount of air with the least speed, and therefore the least amount of noise. If fans are too noisy when running at full speed, then fan controllers that fit in a front drive bay can be purchased inexpensively to slow down the speed of the fans when the components are not under load, and as a result not producing as much heat. Unfortunately, having fans alone won’t get the job done. It is important to make sure that cables and connectors, especially PATA (parallel advanced technology attachment) and floppy cables, do not obstruct airflow. These are called ribbon cables because they have parallel wires that are very wide like ribbons, and as a result, can significantly block the airflow created by the fans. It is recommended that round PATA and floppy cables, which will obstruct airflow less, are purchased to replace the standard ribbon cables that come with motherboards and retail hard drives. Newer hard disks and some optical drives that use the SATA (serial advanced technology attachment) interface have much thinner cables, and are favored not because they are newer and have a higher bandwidth, but because they are thinner and interfere with case airflow a lot less. In addition to cables, dust can obstruct fans. All computers should be dusted out every 2 to 3 months with a can of compressed air that can be purchased inexpensively at most electronics and office supplies stores. Many computer builders often talk about water cooling and want to implement it in their own computers. Water cooling however is an extreme form of cooling, and is usually not necessary for normal computer users, or even light overclockers. Quality aftermarket heatsinks can cool processors well enough even with moderate to high overclocks. Water cooling is only a necessary step when there is an excessive number of heat producing components present in a medium to small case, such as an ATX mid tower. An example would be a dual processor system with two pairs of high performance RAM, a top-of-the-line chipset, and two high-end graphics cards in SLI or Crossfire. For that example, water cooling would be available for all the high heat producing components. Another situation where water cooling might be necessary would be a computer located in a hot environment. In that situation, the computer would be unable to pull in cool air, and water cooling would help if the water was cooled by a thermoelectric cooler, which would cool the water or coolant below the ambient temperature.The program called SpeedFan that was mentioned earlier can also monitor, and in some cases control, the speed of fans. This makes it easy to tell if any are malfunctioning or acting abnormally in order to detect and correct the problem. It can also eliminate the need to buy a fan controller.Summary of Case Airflow Design Information:
Front fans should be intake fans, and rear and top fans should be exhaust fans.
ATX computer cases should have at least one large intake fan and one large exhaust fan.
Power supplies should draw hot air in at the bottom, and exhaust it at the back.
ATX cases with power supply bays at the bottom will have fewer power supply and processor heat problems.
Side air ducts in cases for processors and graphics cards should draw cool air in if present.
BTX cases have a more direct airflow than ATX cases and are usually smaller.
ATX Full Tower cases will have better airflow than smaller cases such as ATX Mid-Towers.
There should be more fans exhausting hot air than taking cool air in.
Larger fans like 120mm fans will be more efficient and will move more air with less speed and noise.
Fan controllers can be purchased to slow down noisy fans when the computer is idle.
Standard ribbon cables should be replaced with round ones, and SATA drives are preferred over PATA drives.
The inside of a computer case should be dusted out with compressed air about every 2 to 3 months.
Water cooling is only needed for computers with small cases and/or in hot environments.
A program is available to monitor and control the speed of noisy fans.Closing StatementTaking all the necessary steps for cooling a computer can seem like a large task, but it is not difficult. It is broken down into the three main categories, processor cooling, graphics cooling, and case airflow. If the steps mentioned in this article are implemented when the computer is purchased or built, then overheating components will not be a problem, and the computer will have no heat-related hardware problems that subtract from the life of the components. A well-cooled computer can easily last 8 to 10 years, and sometimes longer than that, despite becoming obsolete.Special thanks to Indoril Nerevar, Tumbleweed36, and linderman for reviewing this guide extensively and giving lots of helpful feedback so that it would be what it is now.
A processor that needs a heatsink should never be run without one.
The fan on an active heatsink should be set to blow towards the heatsink rather than away from it.
Retail box processors are usually a better option than OEM processors unless the processor will be overclocked.
Builders of BTX form factor computers should buy retail box processors that are designed for BTX cases.
Thermal pads, or preferably high density thermal compound, should always be used.
Processor temperatures should not exceed 60° C or 140° F.
Free utilities are available to monitor temperatures of processorsPart II: Graphics Card CoolingIn recent years, graphics cards have become more and more important, and have received considerable attention as a result. Modern high-end gaming graphics cards can cost as much as high-end processors, and professional workstation graphics cards can cost over twice that. Graphics card chipsets are manufactured by two main manufacturers, NVIDIA and ATI, with several other companies that make IGPs (integrated graphics processors). NVIDIA calls their graphics chipsets GPUs (graphics processing units), and ATI calls their chipsets VPUs (video processing units). Both companies had their rise to power at about the same time. ATI released the first Radeon VPU, the Radeon 7000, to compete with NVIDIA’s second generation of GeForce GPUs, the GeForce2; both had hardware support for Microsoft’s DirectX 7. Both companies do make cards that their own chipsets are placed on, but for the most part both sell their chipsets to third party manufacturers. New graphics technology has become more advanced, and graphics cards have gotten more powerful to keep up with the advancing technology. The newer and more demanding chipsets and memory now require much larger heatsinks and fans for additional cooling. High-end graphics cards have very large heatsinks and fans, and some even take up two expansion slots because of the size of the heatsink. These cards also consume a lot of power; gaming computers with high-end graphics cards require 700 to 1000 watts of power. And now, to make graphics performance even more powerful, methods of using dual graphics cards are available. NVIDIA has developed a method of connecting two GPUs and using each to render one output called SLI (scalable link interface). ATI uses a different method of linking VPUs it calls Crossfire. Either technology will significantly increase performance, and increase heat output as well. Almost all graphics cards come with heatsinks. Additional cooling is usually not required on integrated cards and low-end models, but high-end cards often do need additional cooling. The stock heatsinks are sometimes not enough to cool the components adequately, and aftermarket cooling devices called VGA (video graphics array) coolers can be installed to further control heat. VGA coolers are either large heatsinks that are installed to replace the standard heatsink that video cards come with, or water blocks for water cooled heatsinks. In addition to VGA coolers, expansion slot fans can be purchased to help exhaust hot air out the back of the case using a spare expansion slot. In addition, many cases with side air ducts for processors will also have side air ducts or vents for graphics cards to help draw cool air in. Like processors, video cards have free utilities for monitoring temperatures. For NVIDIA GPUs, a program called RivaTuner can be use to detect a sensor located on the card, and ATI VPUs have a sensor that can be read using a set of utilities called ATI Tray Tools. If a mid-range to high-end video card is installed in a computer, then it is advisable to take the time and download the software to monitor temperatures since video cards exhibit overheating symptoms in a less noticeable way, and damaging a high-end video card can be very costly to replace. The temperatures of most graphics cards should not exceed 70° C or 158° F, however this can vary slightly depending on the chipset, and some can withstand higher temperatures. If the temperatures do go any higher, then the chipset and memory risk sustaining damage.Summary of Graphics Card Cooling Information:
Modern high-end graphics cards need attention when it comes to cooling.
Graphics cards almost always come with heatsinks, but VGA coolers are sometimes required.
Expansion slot fans can be purchased to help exhaust hot air from graphics cards.
Graphics card temperatures in general should not go above 70° C or 158° F.
Free utilities are available to monitor the temperatures of graphics cards.Part III: Case Airflow DesignGood processor and graphics cooling alone cannot keep your components at adequate temperatures. Case airflow is a very important factor in cooling. Good case airflow involves having well-positioned fans blowing in certain directions. In ATX computer cases, front fans at the bottom should draw cool air in, while fans located higher up in the back and sometimes on the top should exhaust hot air. Power supplies usually have fans, and these should take air in at the bottom and/or exhaust hot air at the back. Unfortunately, one of the major flaws of the ATX motherboard and case design is the fact that the power supply is directly above the processor in most cases, although many now have the power supply at the bottom. Because power supplies often have fans on the bottom, they will take in hot air from the processor. This is why it is very important to have at least one large fan in the back; having more than one will be better for the processor and power supply. Since the air inside the case will get hotter as hot components release heat energy, the air will rise, and no fan blowing up is necessary. As mentioned earlier, side air ducts should also be intake fans. In general, larger cases such as ATX Full Towers have better airflow than smaller cases such as the common ATX Mid-Tower because there is more room for air to move. BTX cases have a slightly different design. The goal of the BTX form factor is to be able to cool small cases efficiently by having a more direct airflow with fewer obstructions between the intake and exhaust fans, as well as with the processor farther away from the power supply. BTX cases for the most part use power supplies with the same form factor as ATX power supplies, and as a result don't have a change in power supply cooling. BTX motherboards don't have the flaw mentioned earlier that ATX motherboards do; BTX motherboards have the processor in the middle of the motherboard away from the power supply.Another important but often overlooked factor is the ratio of intake to exhaust fans. There should be more fans exhausting hot air than taking cool air in. This way, vents located near drive bays and other places at the front of the case, as well as over the CPU and video card if no side air duct is present, will draw air in without the need for a fan. To get the maximum efficiency out of fans, use the largest fans possible. 120mm fans will move the most amount of air with the least speed, and therefore the least amount of noise. If fans are too noisy when running at full speed, then fan controllers that fit in a front drive bay can be purchased inexpensively to slow down the speed of the fans when the components are not under load, and as a result not producing as much heat. Unfortunately, having fans alone won’t get the job done. It is important to make sure that cables and connectors, especially PATA (parallel advanced technology attachment) and floppy cables, do not obstruct airflow. These are called ribbon cables because they have parallel wires that are very wide like ribbons, and as a result, can significantly block the airflow created by the fans. It is recommended that round PATA and floppy cables, which will obstruct airflow less, are purchased to replace the standard ribbon cables that come with motherboards and retail hard drives. Newer hard disks and some optical drives that use the SATA (serial advanced technology attachment) interface have much thinner cables, and are favored not because they are newer and have a higher bandwidth, but because they are thinner and interfere with case airflow a lot less. In addition to cables, dust can obstruct fans. All computers should be dusted out every 2 to 3 months with a can of compressed air that can be purchased inexpensively at most electronics and office supplies stores. Many computer builders often talk about water cooling and want to implement it in their own computers. Water cooling however is an extreme form of cooling, and is usually not necessary for normal computer users, or even light overclockers. Quality aftermarket heatsinks can cool processors well enough even with moderate to high overclocks. Water cooling is only a necessary step when there is an excessive number of heat producing components present in a medium to small case, such as an ATX mid tower. An example would be a dual processor system with two pairs of high performance RAM, a top-of-the-line chipset, and two high-end graphics cards in SLI or Crossfire. For that example, water cooling would be available for all the high heat producing components. Another situation where water cooling might be necessary would be a computer located in a hot environment. In that situation, the computer would be unable to pull in cool air, and water cooling would help if the water was cooled by a thermoelectric cooler, which would cool the water or coolant below the ambient temperature.The program called SpeedFan that was mentioned earlier can also monitor, and in some cases control, the speed of fans. This makes it easy to tell if any are malfunctioning or acting abnormally in order to detect and correct the problem. It can also eliminate the need to buy a fan controller.Summary of Case Airflow Design Information:
Front fans should be intake fans, and rear and top fans should be exhaust fans.
ATX computer cases should have at least one large intake fan and one large exhaust fan.
Power supplies should draw hot air in at the bottom, and exhaust it at the back.
ATX cases with power supply bays at the bottom will have fewer power supply and processor heat problems.
Side air ducts in cases for processors and graphics cards should draw cool air in if present.
BTX cases have a more direct airflow than ATX cases and are usually smaller.
ATX Full Tower cases will have better airflow than smaller cases such as ATX Mid-Towers.
There should be more fans exhausting hot air than taking cool air in.
Larger fans like 120mm fans will be more efficient and will move more air with less speed and noise.
Fan controllers can be purchased to slow down noisy fans when the computer is idle.
Standard ribbon cables should be replaced with round ones, and SATA drives are preferred over PATA drives.
The inside of a computer case should be dusted out with compressed air about every 2 to 3 months.
Water cooling is only needed for computers with small cases and/or in hot environments.
A program is available to monitor and control the speed of noisy fans.Closing StatementTaking all the necessary steps for cooling a computer can seem like a large task, but it is not difficult. It is broken down into the three main categories, processor cooling, graphics cooling, and case airflow. If the steps mentioned in this article are implemented when the computer is purchased or built, then overheating components will not be a problem, and the computer will have no heat-related hardware problems that subtract from the life of the components. A well-cooled computer can easily last 8 to 10 years, and sometimes longer than that, despite becoming obsolete.Special thanks to Indoril Nerevar, Tumbleweed36, and linderman for reviewing this guide extensively and giving lots of helpful feedback so that it would be what it is now.
Saturday, 14 February 2009
How to Maintain Your Laptop’s Li-Ion Battery
Newer laptops typically come with Lithium Ion (Li-Ion) batteries. This newer technology means that you have a smaller, lighter battery: one that is capable of holding more power despite the reduced size and weight.If you take proper care of your laptop’s Li-Ion battery, you’ll have hundreds and hundreds of hours’ worth of power. But if you mistreat your power source, you risk hurting yourself and damaging your laptop. You’ll also have to replace the battery sooner. Here’s how to protect yourself, safeguard your expensive computer and save money on replacement batteries.-When you buy your new laptop, make sure that the battery charges to 100 percent before you unplug the AC power cord. -You should keep the battery in a cool, dry place. This is especially true when you aren’t using your laptop. -If you aren’t going to use your laptop for a few weeks or months, take out the battery and store in a cool, dry place. A box in the top of your closet is a good spot. Be sure to re-insert the battery and boot up the computer about once a month to keep all the cells fresh and useable. -Do not perform a “deep discharge.” Other types of batteries benefit from being completely drained on a regular basis, but Li-Ion types do not. You should use the battery, of course, but not until there is no power left at all.Tip: If you’re running Windows XP on your laptop, the default power-management settings prevent deep discharging. The notebook shuts down before you completely drain your power source. If you’ve changed these settings in the past, you should restore them to their defaults.-You will need to replace the battery at some point. When this happens, buy the newest Li-Ion battery possible. The less time the battery spends between being manufactured and being used, the longer its life will be. So, buy the freshest battery you can and start using it as soon as possible.-Avoid cheaply-made replacement batteries. Shop through your computer maker to find approved, official products. You’ll get a quality product – and if something goes wrong, you haven’t voided your warranty by using a non-approved battery. -Never try to refresh or otherwise “fix” your dead laptop battery. You could hurt yourself seriously – and you risk damaging your expensive computer. Just take the battery to the appropriate recycling center and buy a new one. Ultimately this is cheaper than risking everything, including your safety, to get a few more hours out of the old battery.You can find additional information in your owner’s manual or by visiting your computer manufacturer’s Web site. FAQ pages or a live chat with technical support should give you any answers that you still need. The manual will also give you brand-specific information so that you can take the best possible care of your laptop’s battery.With all this on your side, you and your laptop can enjoy a long and productive life.
Friday, 13 February 2009
How To Maintain a Laptop
Owning a laptop is easy and convenient. Those who use these laptops tend to rely heavily on it for work, study and relaxation. In this gadget gate memories of life and vital information, it is important to know these ten things that makes working with a laptop is a breeze.
The first rule of owning a laptop is to know the warranty rules. The laptop buyer must never forget to ask about the warranty and keep records to ensure that the distributor would be to replace or repair the laptop for free, he / she buys a lemon.
The second rule is to choose the right laptop bag that would protect them from sunlight, scratches and small accidents. Laptop bags are available in different sizes to ensure a good fit, these bags are also strong with padding to absorb impact, it is transported.
The third rule is to ensure that the laptop is loaded for the first time. Departure from the laptop charging around 3-4 hours to fill the capacity of the battery, once full, the charger must be removed. There are two types of batteries used in laptops, it is nickel metal and the other Li-ion. Ni-metal batteries tend to heat a laptop quickly. This being the case, a machine that uses this type of battery should never be left in charge more than its capacity. Most laptops today, Li-ion whether, if costs and more efficiently without overheating the machine, it is always best to let the battery charge after full capacity is reached. For those who are always in motion, May it be a good idea to spend more for a spare battery.
The fourth rule is to ensure that all software installed on your computer are genuine. Pirated software May be much cheaper, but the pop-up asking for authentication, copyright laws in May also be given to lawyers of piracy with a vengeance.
Before attempting to connect to the internet, we must ensure that the interior of the laptop is protected. Anti-virus and anti-spyware are necessary as hackers, viruses, worms and loves is still waiting for vulnerable victims.
After months of storing files and installing software, the laptop in May operate more slowly than usual. In most cases, the solution is simply to upgrade the memory to increase speed. This is a simple process that increases the speed of the computer.
It is also important to constantly clean a laptop. To keep the screen clean and keyboards, there are cleaning kits on sale in the mall. The kit includes a cleaning brush for the keyboard, a cloth and cleaning solution specially formulated to dry quickly when used on the keys. Beyond that, there is a small specialized vacuum cleaner with a nozzle that attaches to the buttons. This center is ideal for any dust from the machine.
Finally, laptop lifespan depends on the frequency of use and maintenance. Accidents can happen at any time. Backing up files is a necessary and useful for laptop owners. External Hard Drives are available in any store of about $ 100. A small price to pay to ensure the safety of all the precious files.
The first rule of owning a laptop is to know the warranty rules. The laptop buyer must never forget to ask about the warranty and keep records to ensure that the distributor would be to replace or repair the laptop for free, he / she buys a lemon.
The second rule is to choose the right laptop bag that would protect them from sunlight, scratches and small accidents. Laptop bags are available in different sizes to ensure a good fit, these bags are also strong with padding to absorb impact, it is transported.
The third rule is to ensure that the laptop is loaded for the first time. Departure from the laptop charging around 3-4 hours to fill the capacity of the battery, once full, the charger must be removed. There are two types of batteries used in laptops, it is nickel metal and the other Li-ion. Ni-metal batteries tend to heat a laptop quickly. This being the case, a machine that uses this type of battery should never be left in charge more than its capacity. Most laptops today, Li-ion whether, if costs and more efficiently without overheating the machine, it is always best to let the battery charge after full capacity is reached. For those who are always in motion, May it be a good idea to spend more for a spare battery.
The fourth rule is to ensure that all software installed on your computer are genuine. Pirated software May be much cheaper, but the pop-up asking for authentication, copyright laws in May also be given to lawyers of piracy with a vengeance.
Before attempting to connect to the internet, we must ensure that the interior of the laptop is protected. Anti-virus and anti-spyware are necessary as hackers, viruses, worms and loves is still waiting for vulnerable victims.
After months of storing files and installing software, the laptop in May operate more slowly than usual. In most cases, the solution is simply to upgrade the memory to increase speed. This is a simple process that increases the speed of the computer.
It is also important to constantly clean a laptop. To keep the screen clean and keyboards, there are cleaning kits on sale in the mall. The kit includes a cleaning brush for the keyboard, a cloth and cleaning solution specially formulated to dry quickly when used on the keys. Beyond that, there is a small specialized vacuum cleaner with a nozzle that attaches to the buttons. This center is ideal for any dust from the machine.
Finally, laptop lifespan depends on the frequency of use and maintenance. Accidents can happen at any time. Backing up files is a necessary and useful for laptop owners. External Hard Drives are available in any store of about $ 100. A small price to pay to ensure the safety of all the precious files.
Thursday, 12 February 2009
How to Placing Parts : Hard Drive
Step 1 - Remove the battery
Slide and hold the battery release latch to the release position.
Lift the front edge of the battery and remove it from the battery bay.
Step 2 - Remove the hard disk drive
Loosen the two captive P1 Phillips-head screws that secure the hard disk drive cover to the bottom of the notebook.
Use your finger or a flat-bladed tool to lift the outside edge of the hard disk drive cover and remove it.
Grasp the Mylar tab and pull the hard disk drive toward the outside edge of the base enclosure to disconnect the hard disk drive from the system board connector.
Place the hard disk drive in a static dissipative bag.
Step 3 - Replace the hard disk drive
Remove the hard disk drive from the static dissipative bag.
Place the hard disk drive into the hard disk drive bay.
Push the hard disk drive toward the inside of the base enclosure until the connector is seated.
Toe the inside edge of the hard disk drive cover into the base enclosure and lower it into position.
Tighten the two captive P1 Phillips-head screws that secure the hard disk drive cover to the bottom of the notebook.
Step 4 - Replace the battery
Toe the rear edge of the battery into the base enclosure.
Lower the front edge of the battery and press the battery into the battery bay until the release latch clicks.
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Slide and hold the battery release latch to the release position.
Lift the front edge of the battery and remove it from the battery bay.
Step 2 - Remove the hard disk drive
Loosen the two captive P1 Phillips-head screws that secure the hard disk drive cover to the bottom of the notebook.
Use your finger or a flat-bladed tool to lift the outside edge of the hard disk drive cover and remove it.
Grasp the Mylar tab and pull the hard disk drive toward the outside edge of the base enclosure to disconnect the hard disk drive from the system board connector.
Place the hard disk drive in a static dissipative bag.
Step 3 - Replace the hard disk drive
Remove the hard disk drive from the static dissipative bag.
Place the hard disk drive into the hard disk drive bay.
Push the hard disk drive toward the inside of the base enclosure until the connector is seated.
Toe the inside edge of the hard disk drive cover into the base enclosure and lower it into position.
Tighten the two captive P1 Phillips-head screws that secure the hard disk drive cover to the bottom of the notebook.
Step 4 - Replace the battery
Toe the rear edge of the battery into the base enclosure.
Lower the front edge of the battery and press the battery into the battery bay until the release latch clicks.
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Wednesday, 11 February 2009
How to Placing Parts : Battery
Step 1 - Remove the battery
1.Slide and hold the battery release latch to the release position.
2.Lift the front edge of the battery and remove it from the battery bay.
Step 2 - Replace the battery
1.Toe the rear edge of the battery into the base enclosure.
2.Lower the front edge of the battery and press the battery into the battery bay until the release latch clicks.
How to Placing Parts : Wireless LAN Minicard
Step 1 - Remove the battery
1.Slide and hold the battery release latch to the release position.
2.Lift the front edge of the battery and remove it from the battery bay.
Step 2 - Remove the wireless LAN Minicard
3.Loosen the two captive P1 Phillips-head screws that secure the memory/wireless LAN Minicard cover to the bottom of the notebook.
4.Use your finger or a flat-bladed tool to lift the edge of the memory/wireless LAN Minicard cover and remove it.
5.Carefully disconnect the wireless antenna cables from the wireless LAN Minicard with a small needlenose pliers or tweezers.
CAUTION:
Use care when disconnecting the wireless antenna cables from the wireless LAN Minicard. Damaged cables or connectors can degrade notebook performance.
NOTE:
If three antenna cables are connected to the wireless LAN Minicard, the cable labeled 1 connects to terminal 1, the cable labeled 2 connects to terminal 2, and the cable labeled 3 connects to terminal 3. If two antenna cables are connected to the wireless LAN Minicard, the cable labeled 1 connects to the MAIN terminal and the cable labeled 2 connects to the AUX terminal.
6.Remove the two 3 mm P1 Phillips-head screws that secure the wireless LAN Minicard to the system board and allow it to release to the spring tension position.
7.Grasp the wireless LAN Minicard by the edges and pull gently to remove it.
Place the wireless LAN Minicard in a static dissipative bag.
Step 3 - Replace the wireless LAN Minicard
1.Remove the wireless LAN Minicard from the static dissipative bag.
2.Locate the alignment slot and align it to the board receptacle.
3.Grasp the wireless LAN Minicard by the edges and push gently to replace it.
4.Press the wireless LAN Minicard down and replace the two 3 mm P1 Phillips-head screws that secure the wireless LAN Minicard to the system board.
5.Reconnect the wireless antenna cables to the wireless LAN Minicard.
CAUTION:
Use care when connecting the wireless antenna cables to the wireless LAN Minicard. Damaged cables or connectors can degrade notebook performance.
NOTE:
If three antenna cables are connected to the wireless LAN Minicard, the cable labeled 1 connects to terminal 1, the cable labeled 2 connects to terminal 2, and the cable labeled 3 connects to terminal 3. If two antenna cables are connected to the wireless LAN Minicard, the cable labeled 1 connects to the MAIN terminal and the cable labeled 2 connects to the AUX terminal.
6.Toe the memory/wireless LAN Minicard cover into the base enclosure.
7.Tighten the two captive P1 Phillips-head screws.
Step 4 - Replace the battery
1.Toe the rear edge of the battery into the base enclosure.
2.Lower the front edge of the battery and press the battery into the battery bay until the release latch clicks.
How to Placing Parts : Removing and Replacing the Optical Drive
Step 1 - Remove the battery
1.Slide and hold the battery release latch to the release position.
2.Lift the front edge of the battery and remove it from the battery bay.
Step 2 - Remove the optical drive
1.Remove the 8 mm P1 Phillips-head screw that secures the optical drive to the bottom of the notebook.
2.Use your finger to grasp the edge of the optical drive bezel and slide the optical drive out of the base enclosure.
Step 3 - Replace the optical drive
1.Insert the optical drive into the base enclosure until the connector is seated.
2.Replace the 8 mm P1 Phillips-head screw that secures the optical drive to the bottom of the notebook.
Step 4 - Replace the battery
1.Toe the rear edge of the battery into the base enclosure.
2.Lower the front edge of the battery and press the battery into the battery bay until the release latch clicks.
Tuesday, 10 February 2009
How to Placing Parts : RAM
Step 1 - Remove the battery
Slide and hold the battery release latch to the release position.
Lift the front edge of the battery and remove it from the battery bay.
Step 2 - Remove the memory board
Loosen the two captive P1 Phillips-head screws that secure the memory/wireless LAN Minicard cover to the bottom of the notebook.
Use your finger or a flat-bladed tool to lift the edge of the memory/wireless LAN Minicard cover and remove it.
NOTE:
The primary and expansion memory slots are both located under the memory/wireless LAN Minicard cover. The primary memory slot is located on the bottom and the expansion memory slot is located on top. If an expansion memory board is installed, it must be removed before the primary memory board can be removed.
Push both arms outward simultaneously to release the memory board to the spring tension position.
CAUTION:
When handling a memory board, use care to prevent touching the memory chips on the board. Touching the memory chips could damage or destroy the memory.
Grasp the memory board by the edges and pull gently to remove it.
Place the memory board in a static dissipative bag.
Step 3 - Replace the memory board
Remove the memory board from the static dissipative bag.
Locate the alignment slot and align it to the empty board receptacle.
Grasp the memory board by the edge and push gently to install it.
CAUTION:
When handling a memory board, use care to prevent touching the memory chips on the board. Touching the memory chips could damage or destroy the memory.
Press the memory board down to latch the arms.
Toe the memory/wireless LAN Minicard cover into the base enclosure.
Tighten the two captive P1 Phillips-head screws.
Step 4 - Replace the battery
Toe the rear edge of the battery into the base enclosure. Lower the front edge of the battery and press the battery into the battery bay until the release latch clicks.
Slide and hold the battery release latch to the release position.
Lift the front edge of the battery and remove it from the battery bay.
Step 2 - Remove the memory board
Loosen the two captive P1 Phillips-head screws that secure the memory/wireless LAN Minicard cover to the bottom of the notebook.
Use your finger or a flat-bladed tool to lift the edge of the memory/wireless LAN Minicard cover and remove it.
NOTE:
The primary and expansion memory slots are both located under the memory/wireless LAN Minicard cover. The primary memory slot is located on the bottom and the expansion memory slot is located on top. If an expansion memory board is installed, it must be removed before the primary memory board can be removed.
Push both arms outward simultaneously to release the memory board to the spring tension position.
CAUTION:
When handling a memory board, use care to prevent touching the memory chips on the board. Touching the memory chips could damage or destroy the memory.
Grasp the memory board by the edges and pull gently to remove it.
Place the memory board in a static dissipative bag.
Step 3 - Replace the memory board
Remove the memory board from the static dissipative bag.
Locate the alignment slot and align it to the empty board receptacle.
Grasp the memory board by the edge and push gently to install it.
CAUTION:
When handling a memory board, use care to prevent touching the memory chips on the board. Touching the memory chips could damage or destroy the memory.
Press the memory board down to latch the arms.
Toe the memory/wireless LAN Minicard cover into the base enclosure.
Tighten the two captive P1 Phillips-head screws.
Step 4 - Replace the battery
Toe the rear edge of the battery into the base enclosure. Lower the front edge of the battery and press the battery into the battery bay until the release latch clicks.
About Hardware
Hardware for notebook computer .The components of laptops are similar in function to their desktop counterparts, but are miniaturized, adapted to mobile use, and designed for low power consumption. Because of the additional requirements, laptop components have worse performance than desktop parts of comparable price. Furthermore, the design bounds on power, size, and cooling of laptops limit the maximum performance of laptop parts compared to that of desktop components. The following list summarizes the differences and distinguishing features of laptop components in comparison to desktop personal computer parts:
Mainboard or Motherboard – laptop motherboards are highly make- and model-specific, and do not conform to a desktop form factor. Unlike a desktop board that usually has several slots for expansion cards (3 to 7 are common), a board for a small, highly integrated laptop may have no expansion slots at all, with all the functionality implemented on the motherboard itself; the only expansion possible in this case is via an external port such as USB. Other boards may have one or more standard or proprietary expansion slots. Several other functions (storage controllers, networking, sound card and external ports) are implemented on the motherboard.
Central processing unit (CPU) – Laptop CPUs have advanced power-saving features and produce less heat than desktop processors, but are not as powerful.There is a wide range of CPUs designed for laptops available from Intel (Pentium M, Celeron M, Intel Core and Core 2 Duo), AMD (Athlon, Turion 64, and Sempron), VIA Technologies, Transmeta and others. On the non-x86 architectures, Motorola and IBM produced the chips for the former PowerPC-based Apple laptops (iBook and PowerBook). Some laptops have removable CPUs, although support by the motherboard may be restricted to the specific models.In other laptops the CPU is soldered on the motherboard and is non-replaceable.
Memory (RAM) – SO-DIMM memory modules that are usually found in laptops are about half the size of desktop DIMMs.[28] They may be accessible from the bottom of the laptop for ease of upgrading, or placed in locations not intended for user replacement such as between the keyboard and the motherboard.
Expansion cards – A PC Card (formerly PCMCIA) or ExpressCard bay for expansion cards is often present on laptops to allow adding and removing functionality, even when the laptop is powered on. Some subsystems (such as Wi-Fi or a cellular modem) can be implemented as replaceable internal expansion cards, usually accessible under an access cover on the bottom of the laptop. Two popular standards for such cards are MiniPCI and its successor, the PCI Express Mini.
Battery – Current laptops utilize lithium ion batteries, with more recent models using the new lithium polymer technology. These two technologies have largely replaced the older nickel metal-hydride batteries. Typical battery life for standard laptops is two to five hours of light-duty use, but may drop to as little as one hour when doing power-intensive tasks. Batteries' performance gradually decreases with time, leading to an eventual replacement in one to three years, depending on the charging and discharging pattern. This large-capacity main battery should not be confused with the much smaller battery nearly all computers use to run the real-time clock and to store the BIOS configuration in the CMOS memory when the computer is off. Lithium-Ion batteries do not have a memory effect as older batteries may have. The memory effect happens when one does not use a battery to its fullest extent, then recharges the battery.
Video display controller – on standard laptops video controller is usually integrated into the chipset. This tends to limit the use of laptops for gaming and entertainment, two fields which have constantly escalating hardware demands. Higher-end laptops and desktop replacements in particular often come with dedicated graphics processors on the motherboard or as an internal expansion card. These mobile graphics processors are comparable in performance to mainstream desktop graphic accelerator boards.
Display – Most modern laptops feature 12 inch (30 cm) or larger color active matrix displays with resolutions of 1024×768 pixels and above. Many current models use screens with higher resolution than typical for desktop PCs (for example, the 1440×900 resolution of a 15" Macbook Pro can be found on 19" widescreen desktop monitors).
A size comparison of 3.5" and 2.5" hard disk drivesRemovable media drives – a DVD/CD reader/writer drive is standard. CD drives are becoming rare, while Blu-Ray is not yet common on notebooks. Many ultraportables and netbooks either move the removable media drive into the docking station or exclude it altogether. Internal storage – Hard disks are physically smaller—2.5 inch (60 mm) or 1.8 inch (46 mm) —compared to desktop 3.5 inch (90 mm) drives. Some new laptops (usually ultraportables) employ more expensive, but faster, lighter and power-efficient Flash memory-based SSDs instead. Currently, 250 to 320 Gb sizes are common for laptop hard disks (64 to 128 Gb for SSDs).
Input – A pointing stick, touchpad or both are used to control the position of the cursor on the screen, and an integrated keyboard is used for typing. External keyboard and mouse may be connected using USB or PS/2 (if present).
Ports – several USB ports, an external monitor port (VGA or DVI), audio in/out, and an Ethernet network port are found on most laptops. Less common are legacy ports such as a PS/2 keyboard/mouse port, serial port or a parallel port. S-video or composite video ports are more common on consumer-oriented notebooks.
Mainboard or Motherboard – laptop motherboards are highly make- and model-specific, and do not conform to a desktop form factor. Unlike a desktop board that usually has several slots for expansion cards (3 to 7 are common), a board for a small, highly integrated laptop may have no expansion slots at all, with all the functionality implemented on the motherboard itself; the only expansion possible in this case is via an external port such as USB. Other boards may have one or more standard or proprietary expansion slots. Several other functions (storage controllers, networking, sound card and external ports) are implemented on the motherboard.
Central processing unit (CPU) – Laptop CPUs have advanced power-saving features and produce less heat than desktop processors, but are not as powerful.There is a wide range of CPUs designed for laptops available from Intel (Pentium M, Celeron M, Intel Core and Core 2 Duo), AMD (Athlon, Turion 64, and Sempron), VIA Technologies, Transmeta and others. On the non-x86 architectures, Motorola and IBM produced the chips for the former PowerPC-based Apple laptops (iBook and PowerBook). Some laptops have removable CPUs, although support by the motherboard may be restricted to the specific models.In other laptops the CPU is soldered on the motherboard and is non-replaceable.
Memory (RAM) – SO-DIMM memory modules that are usually found in laptops are about half the size of desktop DIMMs.[28] They may be accessible from the bottom of the laptop for ease of upgrading, or placed in locations not intended for user replacement such as between the keyboard and the motherboard.
Expansion cards – A PC Card (formerly PCMCIA) or ExpressCard bay for expansion cards is often present on laptops to allow adding and removing functionality, even when the laptop is powered on. Some subsystems (such as Wi-Fi or a cellular modem) can be implemented as replaceable internal expansion cards, usually accessible under an access cover on the bottom of the laptop. Two popular standards for such cards are MiniPCI and its successor, the PCI Express Mini.Power supply – laptops are powered by an internal rechargeable battery that is charged using an external power supply. The power supply can charge the battery and power the laptop simultaneously; when the battery is fully charged, the laptop continues to run on AC power. The charger adds about 400 grams (1 lb) to the overall "transport weight" of the notebook.
Battery – Current laptops utilize lithium ion batteries, with more recent models using the new lithium polymer technology. These two technologies have largely replaced the older nickel metal-hydride batteries. Typical battery life for standard laptops is two to five hours of light-duty use, but may drop to as little as one hour when doing power-intensive tasks. Batteries' performance gradually decreases with time, leading to an eventual replacement in one to three years, depending on the charging and discharging pattern. This large-capacity main battery should not be confused with the much smaller battery nearly all computers use to run the real-time clock and to store the BIOS configuration in the CMOS memory when the computer is off. Lithium-Ion batteries do not have a memory effect as older batteries may have. The memory effect happens when one does not use a battery to its fullest extent, then recharges the battery.
Video display controller – on standard laptops video controller is usually integrated into the chipset. This tends to limit the use of laptops for gaming and entertainment, two fields which have constantly escalating hardware demands. Higher-end laptops and desktop replacements in particular often come with dedicated graphics processors on the motherboard or as an internal expansion card. These mobile graphics processors are comparable in performance to mainstream desktop graphic accelerator boards.
Display – Most modern laptops feature 12 inch (30 cm) or larger color active matrix displays with resolutions of 1024×768 pixels and above. Many current models use screens with higher resolution than typical for desktop PCs (for example, the 1440×900 resolution of a 15" Macbook Pro can be found on 19" widescreen desktop monitors). 
A size comparison of 3.5" and 2.5" hard disk drivesRemovable media drives – a DVD/CD reader/writer drive is standard. CD drives are becoming rare, while Blu-Ray is not yet common on notebooks. Many ultraportables and netbooks either move the removable media drive into the docking station or exclude it altogether. Internal storage – Hard disks are physically smaller—2.5 inch (60 mm) or 1.8 inch (46 mm) —compared to desktop 3.5 inch (90 mm) drives. Some new laptops (usually ultraportables) employ more expensive, but faster, lighter and power-efficient Flash memory-based SSDs instead. Currently, 250 to 320 Gb sizes are common for laptop hard disks (64 to 128 Gb for SSDs). 
Input – A pointing stick, touchpad or both are used to control the position of the cursor on the screen, and an integrated keyboard is used for typing. External keyboard and mouse may be connected using USB or PS/2 (if present).
Ports – several USB ports, an external monitor port (VGA or DVI), audio in/out, and an Ethernet network port are found on most laptops. Less common are legacy ports such as a PS/2 keyboard/mouse port, serial port or a parallel port. S-video or composite video ports are more common on consumer-oriented notebooks. about notebook & laptop
A laptop computer is a personal computer designed for mobile use that is small enough to sit on one's lap[1]. A laptop integrates all of the typical components of a desktop computer, including a display, a keyboard, a pointing device (a touchpad, also known as a trackpad, or a pointing stick) and a battery into a single portable unit. The rechargeable battery is charged from an AC/DC adapter and has enough capacity to power the laptop for several hours.
A laptop is usually shaped like a large notebook with thickness of 0.7–1.5 inches (18–38 mm) and dimensions ranging from 10x8 inches (27x22cm, 13" display) to 15x11 inches (39x28cm, 17" display) and up. Modern laptops weigh 3 to 12 pounds (1.4 to 5.4 kg), and some older laptops were even heavier. Most laptops are designed in the flip form factor to protect the screen and the keyboard when closed.
Originally considered "a small niche market" and perceived as suitable for "specialized field applications" such as "the military, the Internal Revenue Service, accountants and sales representatives", battery-powered portables had just 2% worldwide market share in 1986. But today, there are already more laptops than desktops in the enterprise and, according to a forecast by Intel, more laptops than desktops will be sold in the general PC market as soon as 2009.
A laptop is usually shaped like a large notebook with thickness of 0.7–1.5 inches (18–38 mm) and dimensions ranging from 10x8 inches (27x22cm, 13" display) to 15x11 inches (39x28cm, 17" display) and up. Modern laptops weigh 3 to 12 pounds (1.4 to 5.4 kg), and some older laptops were even heavier. Most laptops are designed in the flip form factor to protect the screen and the keyboard when closed.
Originally considered "a small niche market" and perceived as suitable for "specialized field applications" such as "the military, the Internal Revenue Service, accountants and sales representatives", battery-powered portables had just 2% worldwide market share in 1986. But today, there are already more laptops than desktops in the enterprise and, according to a forecast by Intel, more laptops than desktops will be sold in the general PC market as soon as 2009.
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