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Read laptop reviews on ciao. Laptop PCs: Choosing, Using, Upgrading, Fixing Problems and Repairing Laptop/Notebook/Netbook Computers - Page 1Last
updated on 4 November 2009
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The confusing myriad of cables that computers useThe myriad of cables that are in use are often very confusing to the home computer user. The following link provides a slide show of the cables and information on what each cable is used for that should dispell most of the confusion. A World of Cables, Unknotted [Slideshow of all the cables used with a computer] - "You can spend weeks researching which TV or Blu-ray player to buy, and then you would still have to deal with the conundrum of the cables. Other format wars get resolved fairly quickly and definitively (Blu-ray over HD-DVD, VHS over Beta), but cable formats last, it would seem, forever." - http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2009/04/16/technology/personaltech/... |
Laptop/notebook sound
All laptop/notebook computers come with inbuilt speakers for sound. The quality of sound that is delivered varies from one make/model to another. The speakers are usually situated on the top left and right hand corners of the main body of the machine. Some laptops, such as the MSI EX620 laptop, comes with two high-quality Hi Fi speakers that deliver Second Generation Dolby Surround Sound - and even a subwoofer on the bottom of the case.
Dell produces excellent service and user manuals for its laptop PC and you can find YouTube videos on how to add a new hard drive, keyboard, optical drive, upgrade memory, etc. to Dell laptops.
You won't know what the sound quality is unless you test it out for yourself in a showroom. However, most laptops deliver an acceptable quality of sound considering the size of the speakers. Of course, you can add you own external set of portable speakers. All new laptops come with input and output sound ports, and many come with an inbuilt microphone. You can find vendors for portable speakers by entering a search term such as laptop speakers in the Google search box at the top of this page (with its Web radio button enabled.
The sound chip will usually provide a sound-configuration tool in the Control Panel in Windows XP/Vista that allows you to choose sound schemes. In my current laptop, it is the Realtek HD Sound Effect Manager.
LAPTOP/NOTEBOOK COMPUTER NEWSThe UK will be getting the same versions of Windows 7 as the US, including the Family PackAugust 25, 2009. - At the beginning of August, Microsoft announced that due to the dispute with the EU over the inclusion of its Internet Explorer web browser as part of the Windows having been overcome, Europe (including the UK) will be getting the same versions of Windows 7 as the US, including the Upgrade versions, when the new versions of Windows are released officially to home users on 22 October 2009. Microsoft says we will get Upgrade versions of Windows 7 - http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/news/265057/... Now the company has announced that UK users will be able to buy the Family Pack on the release date of 22 October. The pack provides users with three licences for Windows 7 Home Premium for only £150. This means that one copy can be installed and activated on three desktop or laptop computers. We have been told that the offer is available in limited quantities, but no figure has been provided - a common ploy to get buyers rushing to make a purchase. However, there may be a real unknown limit, because when a limited number of discounted copies of the full versions of Windows 7 were released for pre-order, the retail outlets sold out overnight. Sky News exposes crooked laptop repair shopsJuly 23, 2009 - Unscrupulous staff in some of the major laptop PC repair shops in London have been exposed by an investigation conducted by Sky News. To conduct the investigation a laptop PC had a RAM memory chip loosened so that it would not boot. Key-logging software was installed to monitor what was accessed on the computer and the laptop's built-in camera was activated to show what was going on in the repair shops. Files were illicitly accessed, an attempt was made to use fake bank details that were placed there on purpose, some shops said that the motherboard needed to be replaced, charged for replacing it, but obviously didn't replace it because it wasn't faulty. However, none of the shops attempted to install spyware, which would be the most serious crime, because it could allow remote access to the computer and therefore compromise its security. Only one of the investigated shops was honest. Its technician discovered the loose chip, reseated it and said that there was no charge. If you want to read advice on what to do to avoid being ripped off or having your computer abused by repair shops, read this Q&A on this website: Crooked PC repair companies or technicians: If I have to send my desktop or laptop PC in for repairs or recovery, how can I protect the files, data and hardware from unscrupulous repair companies or technicians. Exposed: Repair Shops Hack Your Laptops - http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-News/... The Dell and HP laptop and tablet PCs that have an Nvidia graphics chip that overheats and burns them out...April 20, 2009. - Many models of laptop/notebook and tablet computers sold mainly by Dell and HP have a faulty Nvidia graphics chip that overheats and burns them out. The policy of both companies appears to be not to contact the owners or recall all of the defective machines, but only to repair them when the customer makes a complaint. Note that it can take many months before complete failure occurs. In fact, failure usually occurs after the 12-month-statutory warranty has expired. Moreover, if your laptop PC fails because of the overheating graphics chip, you may see intermittent symptoms during early stages of failure that include: multiple images, random characters on the screen, lines on the screen and no video. The following pages provide information on the affected computers. You should check to find out if you own one of the affected models, because the only remedy that both companies have supplied so far is a BIOS update that increases the speed of the computer's cooling system in order to provide additional cooling to the overheating chip. NVIDIA GPU Update for Dell Laptop Owners - http://en.community.dell.com/blogs/direct2dell/archive/2008/07/25/... NVIDIA GPU Update: Dell to Offer Limited Warranty Enhancement to All Affected Customers Worldwide - http://en.community.dell.com/blogs/direct2dell/archive/2008/08/18/... HP Pavilion dv2000/dv6000/dv9000 and Compaq Presario v3000/v6000 Series Notebook PCs - HP Limited Warranty Service Enhancement - http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/... Which to buy - a 32-bit or 64-bit PC?There is now so much choice in the components installed in a desktop or laptop pc, it can be so confusing to buyers that they just make a choice on purely on price or the advice of vendors - advice that more often than not is provided by people who don't know what they are talking about. To add to the confusion, you can have a 32-bit system or a 64-bit system. The PC's processor can be a 32-bit processor or a 64-bit processor, and the operating system, which is usually a version of Windows can be a 32-bit or a 64-bit version. All of the latest processors from the two major manufacturers - AMD and Intel - are 64-bit and will run a 32-bit or a 64-bit operating system (Windows, Linux, Apple OS X). Note that a 32-bit processor cannot run 64-bit software, so it must use a 32-bit operating system. If you're the average user whose computing needs don't require more than 3.2GB of RAM memory, the limit of a 32-bit operating system, that choice will do just fine. It is compatible with almost all software applications, and compatible hardware device drivers are easily available. 64-bit operating systems will one day be the norm as 32-bit systems are now. However, you should only choose a 64-bit system if the programs you plan to use in the future require a 64-bit system, or more than 3.2GB of RAM memory (i.e., you use 3D-rendering software, intense graphics, etc.). Otherwise, there are currently more drawbacks to running a 64-bit system than there are advantages. The non-availability of 64-bit device drivers for peripherals such as printers, routers, scanners etc., is the major drawback. A 64-bit operating system cannot use 32-bit device drivers, they must all be 64-bit. Note well that although a 64-bit processor can run both 32-bit and 64-bit software, a 64-bit operating system can only run 64-bit software, so your old 32-bit applications will have to be upgraded to their 64-bit versions. The typical computer user is unlikely to notice any gain in performance from a 64-bit system. Visit the Using Windows Vista for more information on the 64-bit versions of Windows Vista. Only Windows XP Professional Edition has a 64-bit version; Windows XP Home Edition is only available in a 32-bit version. Check your PC's motherboard, processor and hard disk drive temperatures, etc."SpeedFan is a program that monitors voltages, fan speeds and temperatures in computers with hardware monitor chips. SpeedFan can even access S.M.A.R.T. info and show hard disk temperatures. SpeedFan supports SCSI disks too. SpeedFan can even change the FSB on some hardware (but this should be considered a bonus feature). SpeedFan can access digital temperature sensors and can change fan speeds accordingly, thus reducing noise. SpeedFan can find almost any hardware monitor chip connected to the 2-wire SMBus (System Management Bus (trademark belonging to SMIF, Inc.), a subset of the I2C protocol) and works fine with Windows 9x, ME, NT, 2000, 2003, XP and Windows Vista. It works with Windows 64 bit too." - |
Apple Mac desktop and laptop computers used to have their own processors, but Apple has recently reluctantly relented and allowed its computers to run the latest processors made by Intel. The latest models are called the Macbook and the Macbook Pro. Only Apple makes Macs, but, as is the case with desktop PCs, PC laptops are made by several major manufacturers, such as Sony, HP, Dell, Toshiba, and Acer. Dell used to sell all of its computers directly, but the demands of the marketplace have recently made the company decide to sell them via retail stores.
Most of hardware information that applies to PC laptops also applies to Apple Mac laptops, so I don't need to distinguish between them in that regard. The following links provide articles that cover that current state of play in the PC versus Mac story.
Mac vs. PC cost analysis: How does it all add up? - Everybody knows PCs are cheaper than Macs, right? Wrong! (At least sometimes.) -
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?...
Ding! Mac vs. PC cost analysis, Round II -
"Whose software, reliability is better? Our findings might surprise you. Plus: Figuring in the Mac's fun factor." - http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?...
Note, however, that RAM memory for Apple desktop and laptop computers is much more expensive than standard PC/laptop memory, and can often be ridiculously much more expensive. To find out how much Apple charges for memory for any of its desktop/laptop models, visit http://www.apple.com/, click on Store, and look for Memory down the left-hand side of the page.
Apparently, it is possible to use third-party memory in Macs that is cheaper than memory bought from Apple, but I don't understand why the company charges so much for the memory it sells for its computers. At the time of writing (July, 2007), Apple was selling 4GB of ECC (error- correction) memory for its G5 computer for $2,600, and $1,200 for 4GB of standard non-ECC memory.
Since laptop/notebook computers can easily be damaged by dropping them or spilling liquids on them, etc., you are advised to take care when buying one second-hand. If you want a second-hand machine that has a good specification, you can buy refurbished models with warranties directly from manufacturers such as Dell and Apple.
Two very good tips to bear in mind when buying a laptop are:
1. - Don't be tempted to buy the cheapest model, because it is likely to have a low specification, which means that it probably won't be able to run Windows Vista Premium Edition (the most popular version of Vista) and the latest software comfortably or for long, and it won't be able to play the latest PC games.
By current standards, this is a low-specification model:
Acer Gemstone AS5315 laptop PC for just £299.98 - Intel Celeron M 530 single-core processor - 80GB hard drive - 1GB RAM memory - Dual layer DVD writer - WiFi ready - Microsoft Windows Vista Home Basic Edition
However, note that if you are only going to use the laptop PC for accessing the Internet and running office applications, such as MS Office or OpenOffice (still free), a machine with the specification listed above will do just fine.
You should not consider buying an expensive new laptop unless it has an Intel or AMD dual-core processor, 2GB RAM memory, and Windows Vista Home Premium as the operating system.
2. - It is often possible to buy the same make/model cheaper online from a reputable vendor than it is to buy it from a retail shop. Just make sure that you buy online using a credit card, because you will be able to reclaim your money from your credit-card company should the online store go bankrupt. Debit cards do not provide any cover.
To see images of the latest laptop/notebook PCs, visit the Acer site at http://www.acernotebooks.co.uk/. Use your browser's Back button to return to this page.
You can also download the user manual for a particular model from the manufacturer's website. It provides the machine's specification (the hardware that it provides - the type and amount of memory, the size and type of the hard disk drive, etc.), and how to use it. Having read all of the information provided on these pages, you will then be able to make sense of the information in a user manual for a particular laptop computer and use it to help you make up your mind whether or not to make a purchase. The user manuals are usually in the PDF format that requires a PDF reader, such as the free Adobe Acrobat.
If you need to get a good idea of the components that are used in current desktop and notebook computers all you need to do is read the reviews of the latest machines on the market. Then you can read the detailed information provided about those components on these pages. Here are two links to get you started:
Desktop computers -
http://www.pcpro.co.uk/shopper/archiveproductsearch/2/Desktop-computers
Laptop/notebook computers -
http://www.pcpro.co.uk/shopper/archiveproductsearch/9/Laptops
Bundled software and trialware
Some of the software that is preloaded in many new desktop and laptop PC's is very useful, but much of it is not. Indeed, there can be so much trial and junk software installed that it can slow the system down considerably. Therefore, it is a good idea to remove it by making use of a particular program's own uninstall option, or by using Add or Remove Programs in Windows XP in the Control Panel. In Windows Vista, that feature is now found under the Programs and Features category in the Control Panel. If you have a retail or OEM copy of Windows XP or Vista, you could also remove any partitions on the hard disk drive, format it, and install Windows and any other software that you use.
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The versions of Windows Vista for the home user were made available on January 30, 2007
Note well that the versions of Windows Vista for the home user were officially made available on January 20, 2007. The versions that most home users opt for are Vista Home Basic, Vista Home Premium, and Vista Ultimate. However, at the time of writing (February, 2007) many laptop/notebook computers were still being sold with Windows XP Home or Professional Edition installed.
Both of those versions of Windows XP will be supported for some time to come. Visit http://support.microsoft.com/ for more information on the support that Microsoft is currently providing for the versions of Windows XP. That said, if you plan on using Windows Vista, it is not advisable to buy a new desktop or laptop computer that has Windows XP installed on it, even if it comes with a free upgrade to Windows Vista, because it is always best to have a new version of Windows clean-installed instead of having an outgoing version upgraded to the latest version.
Note that desktop or laptop/notebook computers that can run Vista but which might not be able to use the Media Center or the new Aero graphics feature, are labelled by Microsoft as being Vista Capable. Computers that can run all of Vista's new features are labelled as being Vista Ready. For example, you might purchase a laptop computer that come with Windows XP Professional Edition pre-installed There will be a label on it saying: Designed for Windows XP:Windows Vista Capable, or Designed for Windows XP: Windows Vista Ready.
Visit the Using Windows Vista section of this site for more information on the latest versions of Windows.
Microsoft has extended support for Windows XP Home and Media Center Editions
Microsoft has extended its support for Windows XP Home and Windows XP Media Center Editions to match the support it has always intended to give Windows XP Professional Edition. Support for those versions was supposed to end five years after their introduction, but Windows XP Home Edition was released in October 2001, and Windows Vista was only officially made available on January 30, 2007, so, although Microsoft had to extend its support for them, it has done so very generously.
Windows XP Home and Windows XP Media Center Editions are to receive free mainstream support until April 2009. Mainstream support includes feature requests, security updates, hotfixes, and support. After mainstream support ends, five years of extended support begins. Extended support provides free security updates and paid-for support. Official support for all three versions of Windows XP (including Windows XP Professional Edition) will end in 2014.
Visit http://support.microsoft.com/lifecycle/ for the latest information on the lifecycles of Microsoft's products.
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Desktop PCs are still the most numerous type, but laptop/notebook PCs are quickly gaining ground on them in popularity due to improved technology that is almost as good as desktop technology, and improved battery life.
Note well that power notebooks that can be used as alternatives to desktop PCs don't usually have good battery life. However, there are exceptions to the rule. A good example of such an exception is the HP Pavilion dv8135EA, given a four-star review in Computer Shopper 220 (available from April 20, 2006). It has a 17" widescreen, two 100GB hard drives, and 1GB of RAM, yet its battery can last as long as three hours, which is regarded as good. Four hours of battery life is regarded as excellent.
Most new laptop PCs now have their displays in the widescreen format. Standard screens have a 4:3 aspect ratio, which is the ratio of the screen's width to its height. This makes them almost square. However, widescreen displays have an aspect ratio of 16:9, which makes them rectangular, with the width of the screen being almost twice its height. Widescreen displays are ideally suited for watching widescreen movies, and using them feels more comfortable when working with panoramic photos and expansive spreadsheets.
There is no such thing as a minimum or ideal specification to aim for when purchasing a new or used notebook (laptop) computer. To find out which product to buy requires identifying what you intend to do with the machine and then looking for a make and model that meets those needs as closely as possible. This requires knowing what the specification of the machine is in detail. Examples of the specifications of budget, midrange, ultra-portable, and gaming notebook computers are provided in a table on Page 2 of this article.
The safest way to upgrade laptop/notebook RAM: Use the UK and US Crucial Memory Advisors
Paul Mullen, the highly-respected computer guru of the Helpfile at ComputerShopper.co.uk - "I have recently been buying my memory only from Crucial Technology. I would rather pay the extra cost than waste time trying to track down the obscure program faults that bad memory can cause."
The memory requirements of the versions of Windows Vista
Most of the versions of Windows Vista require more RAM memory to run optimally on a computer that doesn't use memory-hungry applications than Windows XP. A video-editing application is an example of memory-intensive software. Only Windows Vista Home Basic has a recommended minimum amount of memory of 512MB, which is the same amount recommended for Windows XP. Windows Vista Home Premium, the most popular version, and Windows Vista Ultimate require a recommended minimum of 1GB (1024MB) of memory, which is twice the amount of memory recommended to run Windows XP.
In a new computer, consider 1GB of memory a minimum, and buy a model with more if you can afford it. A 2GB desktop/laptop PC will have sufficient power for almost anything a typical user will use it for. A dedicated PC gamer, however, should go for a 4GB model. If your computer runs a 32-bit version of Windows/Linux/OS X it cannot run more than 3.5GB of memory. The 64-bit versions of those operating systems can run up to 128GB of memory, which no PC is likely to require.
For more information on computer memory, read the RAM pages of this site.
| UK - Crucial Memory Advisor - UK
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| USA - Crucial Memory Advisor - USA
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For example, if your computer has an Asus motherboard, open the menu, scroll down to ASUS, and click GO. If, say, you have a Dell computer, scroll down to DELL, and do likewise. You will be taken to the relevant information on Crucial's website.
If you don't know the make and model of the motherboard installed in your computer, here is a good free utility - Belarc Advisor - that creates an analysis of the hardware and software on a personal computer. Look under FREE DOWNLOAD - http://www.belarc.com/. Another utility that also provides detailed information on the memory itself is CPU-Z.
Five-star and four-star notebooks as reviewed rated by Computer Shopper
The full reviews of the latest notebook computers can be found on the following page:
Laptop/notebook computer reviews -
http://www.expertreviews.co.uk//archiveproductsearch/9/Laptops
Alternatively, visit http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/ to read the the current reviews under PRODUCT REVIEWS, or enter the make and model in the site's Search For: box.
Note that you can make use of the Google search box at the top of this page (with its Web radio button enabled) to locate sellers by entering the make/model.
Note that a laptop/notebook computer that has a graphics card (that has its own dedicated RAM memory) is a superior option to one that has a graphics chip built into (integrated into) the computer's motherboard that shares the system RAM memory. Very few laptops that use system memory are able to play the latest PC games. Also note that most new laptop PCs come with Windows Vista preinstalled, which requires a recommended minimum of 1GB of RAM memory to run, but you should not buy a Vista laptop PC with less than 2GB, especially if its graphics engine shares system memory, unless it has one or more spare memory slots for a memory upgrade. The laptops listed below all come with the 32-bit version of Windows Vista Home Premium preinstalled unless otherwise stated. Note well that a 64-bit version of Windows XP / Windows Vista / Windows 7 requires twice as much memory to run as a 32-bit version. Most current laptops run a 32-bit version of Windows Vista and come with 2GB of RAM. However, economy models can come with 1GB, which will run Windows 7 (due for release on October 22, 2009) much better than Windows Vista. So, if you want an economy laptop or a netbook computer and it only has 1GB of RAM memory, it would be best to buy one with Windows 7 preinstalled on it.
Microsoft stopped selling Windows XP after 30 June 2008. You can make use of the UK or the US Crucial Memory Selectors lower down on this page to find memory on a brand-name PC or motherboard basis that is guaranteed to be compatible or your money back. Shipping is free. All laptop PCs come with a DVD writer, but not many come with a Blu-ray writer, because they add considerably to the cost, so I will indicate here if that is the case. If there is no such information provided, assume that the laptop has a DVD writer. Some laptops are now coming with DVD writers than can read Blu-ray read-only BD-ROM discs - that is can play Blu-ray movies.
Click on the make/model link to visit the manufacturer's site
Issue 258 of Computer shopper, available from mid-August 2009, gave five-star Budget Buy awards to the following netbooks and laptops:
1. - Hannspree Hannsnote SN10E1 netbook - Priced at £260 in August 2009 - SPECIFICATIONS: Intel Atom N270, 1GB RAM, 160GB disk, Intel GMA 950 128MB integrated graphics chip, 10in widescreen LCD, 1.3kg - Review - http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/labs/265639/... and http://www.trustedreviews.com/laptops/review/2009/08/03/... - Supplier - http://misco.co.uk/
2. - PC Nextday Versa 81-2200 general-purpose laptop - Priced at £349 in August 2009 - SPECIFICATIONS: Intel Pentium Dual Core T4200, 2GB RAM, 250GB disk, SiS Mirage 3+ 128MB dedicated graphics card, DVD+/-RW +/-DL, 15.4in widescreen LCD, 2.6kg - Review - http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/labs/265690/... - Supplier - From http://www.pcnextday.co.uk/
Issue 258 of Computer shopper, available from mid-August 2009, gave five-star Best Buy awards to the following netbooks and laptops:
1. - Samsung N120 netbook - Priced at £330.00 in August 2009 - SPECIFICATIONS: Intel Atom N270, 1GB RAM, 160GB disk, Intel GMA 950 128Mb integrated graphics chip, 10.1in widescreen LCD, 1.2kg - Review - http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/labs/265651/... - Supplier - http://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/
2. - Asus K50IN-SX025C general-purpose laptop - Priced at £616.00 - SPECIFICATIONS: Intel Core 2 Duo T6500, 4GB RAM, 320GB disk, Nvidia GeForce G102M 512MB dedicated graphics card, DVD+/-RW +/-DL, 15.6in widescreen LCD, 2.6kg - Review - http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/labs/... - Supplier - http://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/
3. - Sony Vaio FW 41E/H general-purpose laptop - Priced at £880.00 in August 2009 - SPECIFICATIONS: Intel Core 2 Duo T6400, 4GB RAM, 500GB disk, ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4650 512Mb dedicated graphics card, DVD+/-RW +/-DL BD-ROM, 16.4in widescreen LCD, 2.9kg - Review - http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/labs/... - Supplier - http://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/
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Issue 257 of Computer Shopper, available from mid-May 2009, gave five-star reviews to the following laptop PCs. Click the make/model link to visit the manufacturer's website for the detailed specifications. You can make use of the Google search box at the top of this page (with its Web radio button enabled) to locate price-comparison websites or online vendors for any of these laptops.
1. - Acer 6530G - General-purpose laptop - Five stars - Budget Buy award - AMD Turion X2 RM-70 dual-core processor, 4GB RAM, 250GB hard disk drive, integrated ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3650 graphics with 512MB of dedicated graphics memory, DVD+/-RW +/-DL BD-ROM (can read Blu-ray BD-ROM (read-only) discs, but not write to recordable record-once BD-R and rewritable BD-RE Blu-ray discs), 16" widescreen LCD display, 3.5kg - £500 in May 2009 - Review - http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/labs/252633/acer-6530g.html
2. - Acer 6920G - General-purpose laptop - Five stars - Budget Buy award - Intel Core 2 Duo T5800 dual-core processor, 3GB RAM, 320GB hard disk drive, integrated Nvidia Geforce 9500M graphics with 512MB of dedicated graphics memory, DVD+/-RW +/-DL BD-ROM (can read Blu-ray BD-ROM (read-only) discs, but not write to recordable record-once BD-R and rewritable BD-RE Blu-ray discs), 16" widescreen LCD display, 3.5kg - £593 in May 2009 - Review - http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/labs/252637/acer-6920g.html
3.
- Dell Studio XPS 13 - Ultra-portable laptop
- Five stars - Best Buy award - Intel Core
2 Duo P8400 dual-core processor, 3GB RAM, 250GB hard disk drive, integrated Nvidia
GeForce 9400M G graphics with 256MB of dedicated graphics memory, DVD+/-RW +/-DL,
13.3in widescreen LCD display, 2.2kg - £799 in May 2009 - Review -
http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/labs/252645/dell-studio-xps-13.html
4. - The following laptops were given five-star reviews. Here are their online reviews:
Acer
Aspire 8930G - Desktop replacement laptop - Best
Buy award - £1,250 in May 2009 - Review -
http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/labs/252655/acer-aspire-8930g.html
Toshiba Protege R600-11B - Ultra-portable laptop - Best Buy award - £1,250 in May 2009 - Review - http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/labs/252660/...
Sony Vaio VGN-Z31VN/X - Ultra-portable laptop - Ultimate award - £2,000 in May 2009 - Review - http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/labs/252666/sony-vaio-vgnz31vnx.html
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Issue 254 of Computer Shopper, available from mid-February 2009, gave five-star and four-star reviews to the following netbook PCs. Click the make/model link to visit the manufacturer's website for the detailed specifications. You can make use of the Google search box at the top of this page (with its Web radio button enabled) to locate price-comparison websites or online vendors for any of these laptops.
1. - Dell Inspiron 1525 - General purpose laptop - Four stars - Budget Buy award - £400.00 in February 2009 - Review - Purchase direct from Dell - Review - http://www.computershopper.co.uk/labs/248084/dell-inspiron-1525.html
2. - Samsung Q310 - Ultra-portable laptop - Five stars - Best Buy award - £636.00 from http://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/ (February 2009) - Review - http://www.pcpro.co.uk/labs/242127/samsung-q310.html
3. - Asus X71SL - Desktop replacement laptop - Five stars - Best Buy award - £650.00 from http://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/ (February 2009) - Review - http://www.computershopper.co.uk/labs/248095/...
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Issue 253 of Computer Shopper, available from mid-January 2009, gave five-star and four-star reviews to the following netbook PCs. Click the make/model link to visit the manufacturer's website for the detailed specifications. You can make use of the Google search box at the top of this page (with its Web radio button enabled) to locate price-comparison websites or online vendors for any of these laptops.
1. - Dell Inspiron Mini 9 - Netbook computer - Five stars - £293 in December 2008 - Seller - http://www.dell.co.uk/mini - Article review - http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/reviews/index.cfm?reviewid=103977
2. - Samsung NC10 - Netbook computer - Five stars - Best Buy award - £310 in December 2008 - Seller - http://www.expansys.com/ - Review - http://www.pcpro.co.uk/blogs/2008/10/02/first-look-samsungs-nc10-netbook/
3. - MSI Wind U100 - Netbook computer - Five stars - £316 in December 2008 - Seller - http://www.microdirect.co.uk/ - Review - http://www.pcpro.co.uk/reviews/210372/...
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Issue 251 of Computer Shopper, available from mid-November 2008, gave five-star and four-star reviews to the following laptop/notebook PCs. Click the make/model link to visit the manufacturer's website for the detailed specifications. You can make use of the Google search box at the top of this page (with its Web radio button enabled) to locate price-comparison websites or online vendors for any of these laptops.
1. - Sony Vaio VGN-NS10J - Five stars - Best Buy award - General purpose laptop - £449 - https://www.sonystyle.co.uk/
2. - Toshiba Satellite L350-14F - Four stars - Budget Buy award - General purpose laptop - £399 - http://www.toshiba.co.uk/
3. - Rock Pegasus 520 - Five stars - No link provided because http://www.rockdirect.com/ did not work when I tried it - General purpose laptop - £999 - Review - http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/reviews/index.cfm?reviewid=106692
4. - Apple MacBook 2.4GHz - Five stars - £850 - General purpose laptop - Review - http://www.computershopper.co.uk/reviews/238782/apple-macbook-24ghz.html
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Issue 250 of Computer Shopper, available from mid-October 2008, gave five-star and four-star reviews to the following laptop/notebook PCs. Click the make/model link to visit the manufacturer's website for the detailed specifications. You can make use of the Google search box at the top of this page (with its Web radio button enabled) to locate price-comparison websites or online vendors for any of these laptops.
1. - Advent 5511 - Four stars - Budget Buy award - General purpose laptop - £500 - http://www.pcworld.co.uk/
2. - Samsung Q210 - Five stars - Best Buy award - General purpose laptop - £660 - http://www.samsung.com/uk/
3. - Sony Vaio FW11E - Five stars - Best Buy award - General purpose laptop - £658 - https://www.sonystyle.co.uk/
4. - Asus U6V - Five stars - Best Buy award - Ultra-portable laptop - £1,287 - http://www.asus.com/
Laptop PCs: The technical details
If you want to find out about the technical details involved in laptop/notebook computers, the article called, How Laptops Work, is a good place to start.
Your rights under the Sale of Goods Act in the UKIt is well worth noting that the Sale of Goods Act in the UK protects the purchase of goods over their expected useful life. This is valuable protection for goods that have an expected useful life that is longer than the standard 12-month warranty. It means that if the product, such as a desktop or laptop computer, has an expected useful life of four years, its owner can get it repaired or replaced if it dies within that period, regardless of any warranties, standard 12-month or extended. All computers should have a useful life of at least four years, so it is a waste of money to buy an extended warranty for a desktop or laptop computer. However, the vendor or manufacturer will probably try every trick in the book to avoid having to repair or replace a computer that is out of its warranty period and which has no extended warranty. That said, if you have the product examined by a reputable third party and then insist on your rights under the Sale of Goods Act, if the product fails within its expected useful life, you will always be entitled to having it repaired or replaced. Sale of Goods Act Fact Sheet - http://www.berr.gov.uk/whatwedo/consumers/fact-sheets/page38311.html Sale of goods - "While laws concerning sale of goods date back 100 years, the only phrase you need to memorise is 'The Sale of Goods Act 1979 (as amended)'." - http://www.bbc.co.uk/consumer/guides_to/law_goods.shtml If you enter my rights under the sale of goods act in the Google search box (with its Web radio button enabled), you will be presented with many useful links to information on this subject. Windows Vista: Windows Media CenterIn Windows Vista, Windows Media Center is no longer a separate edition. It is integrated within the Windows Vista Home Premium and Windows Vista Ultimate editions. Windows Media Center - http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/.../mediacenter.mspx How to wipe the data on a desktop or laptop PC before you get rid of itRetire that computer more safely - "If you're ready to replace, sell, or retire your old computer, it's very important to eradicate personal data stored on its hard drive before unplugging it for the last time. You should always remember that even though you manually delete computer files, an identity thief might still be able to recover them, possibly putting you or your family at risk." - http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/update/donatecomputer.mspx ARTICLES RELEVANT TO LAPTOP/NOTEBOOK/NETBOOK PCsHow to secure a business notebook - Several articles are gathered on this page. - http://www.pcpro.co.uk/html/how-to-secure-a-business-notebook/ Review: Three 17-in. laptops provide big screens for low prices - "Notebook too cramped? Try one of these (surprisingly affordable) big boys from Acer, Dell and Toshiba." - http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9138430/... Dell launches wireless-power laptops - "Dell has launched a new range of laptops that can be charged wirelessly." - http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/news/... Intel unveils Core i7 laptop processors - http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/news/269401/... "ImpactComputers.com is dedicated to the business of replacement parts distribution for manufacturers such as Acer, Compaq, Hewlett-Packard (HP), IBM, Toshiba, SONY, Panasonic, and many more." - http://www.impactcomputers.com/ Laptop Battery Shop - AC adapters and batteries for most of the popular makes of laptop - http://www.laptopbatteryshop.co.uk/ Microsoft Portable Keyboard Cuts Down on Heft, Logic - "Microsoft will gladly sell you a portable keyboard to go along with your portable computer." - http://gadgetwise.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/11/... 6 easy laptop repairs: Your step-by-step guide - "Move over, MacGyver! There's a lot you can do to fix a broken notebook yourself." - http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9137518/... Samsung releases super-slim laptops - http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/news/267616/... Samsung sneaks out Windows 7 netbooks - http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/news/267604/... Dual-screen laptop on sale by Christmas - "The world's first truly dual-screen laptop, which will allow computer users to multi-task while on the move, is due to go on sale by the end of the year." - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/6105506/... Upgrade your laptop [10 pages] - "You may think an upgrade is a fiddly business but, as Jim Martin explains, it isn't hard to give your laptop a performance boost." - http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/features/266800/upgrade-your-laptop.html Windows 7 worse on netbook battery life than XP? - "Complaints roll in about run times, but one analyst says it's too early to condemn new OS." - http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9137056/... The Laptop Repair Workbook Ebook - http://www.fonerbooks.com/elapbook.htm Extracting data from a dead laptop with a laptop hard drive adapter - Laptops only have space for one hard disk drive, so if the laptop fails fails but the hard drive is still working, you can't install the drive in another laptop, buy you can extract the data to a desktop PC by making use of a hard-drive adapter. http://articles.techrepublic.com.com/5100-10878_11-5160538.html How to encrypt a business notebook [Video] - http://www.pcpro.co.uk/html/how-to-secure-a-business-notebook Hacking your Laptop for Peak Gaming Performance - http://laptoplogic.com/resources/hacking-laptop-for-peak-gaming-performance How to Create the Ultimate Gaming Laptop Setup - http://laptoplogic.com/resources/create-the-ultimate-gaming-laptop Eurocom’s Core i7 Notebook: Walking The Panther : Defining The Mobile Workstation - "Performance notebooks with desktop processors are nothing new, but Core i7’s thermal challenges are new. With thermal management potentially slamming the brakes, can Eurocom’s D900F Panther outpace current notebook technology under full benchmark loads?" - http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/eurocom-d900f-panther,review-31626.html This old laptop: Revitalizing an aging notebook on the cheap -All it takes is a couple hours and about $125 to breathe new life into an old laptop - http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?... A buyer's guide to laptops -- from mighty mites to mobile monsters - "Notebooks come in all shapes, sizes and prices. Here's help in picking the right one." - http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do... MSI GT627 [quad-core gaming laptop] - http://www.pcpro.co.uk/reviews/252581/msi-gt627.html Windows 7 vs Windows XP on netbooks - http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/news/index.cfm?newsid=115552 Intel goes after Windows 7 on netbooks with Linux - http://www.computerworld.com/action/... Linux Distros For Netbooks - "Our Linux expert tries out netbook-ready Puppy Linux, Ubuntu Netbook Remix, Xubuntu, gOS, and Moblin, and reports on how they stack up." - http://www.informationweek.com/news/personal_tech/reviews/... Windows XP to be available on netbooks after Windows 7's release Microsoft exec: Netbook makers will be able to get Windows XP for a year after new OS ships - http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?... Monitor your PC's performance today, for FREE! - Monitor system, process and network performance with PC Advisor, on your desktop or online. While PC Performance Monitor is not intended to compete with professional monitoring tools, it provides a free, lightweight solution for end-users who wish to determine whether a hardware upgrade is indicated, for example, or for IT professionals to analyse the effects of new applications, hardware configurations, or Windows version upgrades." - http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/pc-performance-monitor/ How To Connect Your Laptop [PC and Apple Mac] To Your Television - http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-connect-your-laptop-to-your-television When Laptops Go Light - http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/26/technology/... Hands on: Running Windows 7 on a netbook - "Microsoft has said that any version of Windows 7 will run on a netbook. We try it with Windows 7 Ultimate." - http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?... How to save money with netbooks - "Can you use netbooks for business? The answer depends on your specific needs, but there's a good chance you can with current hardware. And more powerful, upcoming hardware is even more likely to work. Here's how to figure out if you can save money with netbooks." - http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/blogs/index.cfm?entryid=114262&blogid=4 Review: Apple's new 17-in. MacBook Pro rocks - "Apple finally redesigned its top-end 17-in. MacBook Pro and has offered one up for review that's tricked out the way Steve Jobs might demand -- with 8GB of RAM, a 256GB solid-state drive and a blazing 2.93-GHz Core 2 Duo processor. Is it worth the high price you'll pay for all that computing goodness?" - http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?... APC’s Universal Notebook Battery Booster : Boost Your Notebook Battery Run Time - http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/apc-universal-battery,review-31542.html How to update the firmware [CD/DVD-Blu-ray drives, routers, etc.] on any hardware in your computer - http://www.ehow.com/how_2225435_update-firmware-any-hardware-computer.html Apple MacBook Review: Part 1 : Introduction - http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/apple-macbook-laptop,review-31498.html Apple MacBook Review: Part 2 : The Mac OS X Operating System - http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/apple-macbook-laptop,review-31499.html SLI & Centrino 2: Gaming Laptops Battle - http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/gaming-notebook-roundup,review-31344.html Ultra Mobile PC Buyer's Guide - We look at a range of versatile UMPCs and mobile Internet devices (MIDs) from ASUS, Gigabyte, and Samsung, Amtek, OQO, Roan Digital, Vye, and WiBrain." - http://www.informationweek.com/news/hardware/... Invasion of the large-screen notebooks: Bigger really can be better - "All but the kitchen sink: These three full-featured notebooks offer everything you need, including an 18-in. or bigger display, a fast processor, multiple hard drives and a TV tuner." - http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?... How much is too much? Upgrade your notebook without going over the line - http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?... Mobile CPU [Processor] Chart Update and Forecast - http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/cpu-notebook-laptop,review-30865.html Asus Eee [laptop] PC Tweak Guide - http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=4062 Watching TV on your PC [Video] - "Ben Meyer uses a USB tuner stick to watch free hdtv programming on his laptop." - http://www.tomsgames.com/us/site/flash_videos/watching_tv_on_your_pc.html Return of the Mac: Are They Any Good For Gaming? - "The idea struck us a couple of months ago to write a piece on the latest Macs (particularly the Macbook Pros) when we noticed that they come equipped with fairly well-rounded gaming equipment and graphics cards that qualify them as “mobile gaming PC’s” up there with Windows PC manufacturers. Read on to see how they compare..." - The conclusion is that the latest Macs are no suitable for gaming. - http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/Guide-Macs-Gaming,review-30289.html All you need to know about: Laptops and Notebooks - http://www.tomsguide.com/us/theme-Laptops-Notebooks,101.html 10 Tips To Secure Your Laptop - "Whether you're home or on the road, these security steps will help protect you and your computer from wireless scoundrels." - http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml... Simple tips save power and the environment - http://windowssecrets.com/2007/11/15/03... Carry a flash drive instead of a laptop - http://windowssecrets.com/comp/071011/ How to Tweak Your OS for Better Battery Life - http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/laptops-lithium-ion-batteries,review-25349.html |
Although Windows Vista is available now with the Windows Media Center integrated into Windows Vista Home Premium and Windows Vista Ultimate editions, it is still possible to buy a laptop/notebook Media Center PC running Windows XP Media Center Edition for under £500.
For example, the Acer Aspire 5633WLMi - LX.AU30J.090 cost only £408.48 in February 2007. It has these key specifications:
http://www.acernotebooks.co.uk/Acer_Aspire_5633WLMi_LX.AU30J.090/version.asp
Included are an Intel Core 2 Duo T5500 dual-core processor (1.66GHz (x2), 667MHz FSB, 2MB L2 Cache) and 512MB DDR2-667MHz RAM memory. It should have 1GB of memory to run Windows Vista, so a low-cost memory upgrade to 1GB and a free upgrade to Vista is offered.
Although laptops/notebooks are still being sold with a single-core processors, the models with much faster dual-core processors don't cost much more, so, in order to future-proof your investment as much as possible, a laptop with a Intel Core 2 Duo or AMD Turion TM 64 X2 Dual-Core Mobile Technology processor is the best choice.
You may soon also also be able to buy laptops with an Intel Core 2 Extreme mobile processor, which has four cores instead of two. However, note that four cores won't make a dramatic difference in performance compared to two cores, because, as yet, programs haven't yet been written to take advantage of four cores. Four core make a difference if the user runs many programs at once, because each program can run on its own core. Therefore, if a four-core laptop costs a much more than a two-core model, it's probably not worth the extra outlay unless you run multi-thread software that is designed to run on multiple processors, such as most video-editing software. The following page provides information on the current mobile laptop/notebook processors.
Mobile CPU [Processor] Chart Update and Forecast -
http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/cpu-notebook-laptop,review-30865.html
You should also buy one with a hard disk drive with as much data-storage capacity as possible. Have a look at the Dell site where the specifications for the various models in a range of laptops are easy to view all at once. You can find out what the data-capacity specifications measured in gigabytes (GBs) are for the hard drives used in expensive and budget models. Currently (February 2007), a laptop computer with a 120GB hard disk drive is a good buy if the rest of the hardware is just as up-to-date.
If you want to use a PC Card to add a feature to a laptop/notebook computer, such as wireless networking, or a wireless broadband Internet connection, you should make sure that the slot that it provides supports the type of expansion card. For example, the Web 'n' walk data card from T-Mobile that provides a wireless broadband Internet connection is currently (February 2007) only available as a PC Card (PCMCIA card), not as an ExpressCard, which is the latest standard that almost all of the laptop computers sold by Dell have. Very few Dell laptops now provide a PCMCIA card slot. Unfortunately, the specifications provided by laptop manufacturers or vendors often don't say which type of slot is supported. There is more information on this subject on Page 2 of this article.
If you want to connect a laptop computer to a mobile phone, the phone and the laptop must be able to be connected together via either a USB cable or by a Bluetooth wireless connection. Therefore, the phone must support a USB cable connection (all current desktop and laptop computers support USB 2.0), and the laptop and the phone must support Bluetooth.
If you have an erratic power supply, you can protect your laptop computer with a surge protector, or an Uninterruptible Power Supply, (UPS) that provides surge protection and continuous power to the computer in the event of a power failure. You can buy an UPS for less than £50 from reputable computer stores or online that provides power backup and can shut down the computer in your absence. It is best not to buy an UPS that can only provide a power backup. Some UPS provide insurance that covers your losses if your equipment is destroyed by a power surge or failure.
To locate further sources of information on Uninterruptible Power Supplies, try entering a search term such as uninterruptible + power supply + uk (as is) in the Google search box provided at the top of this page (with its Web radio button enabled). Drop the uk if you live in the USA.
Visit the Using Windows Vista section of this site for more information of the new versions of Windows.
Visit the Media Center PCs page on this site for more information about them and how to build one of your own. Use your browser's Back button to return to this page.
Note well that brand-name and generic (unbranded) components are very easy to obtain for desktop computers. Unfortunately, with the exception of hard disk drives, this is not usually true of laptop/notebook computers, the parts for which are rarely interchangeable, including the RAM modules. For that reason alone, it's advisable to buy a laptop/notebook computer from the major brand-name manufacturers. There are other reasons to follow that policy, such as the availability of device drivers and BIOS updates. You often have to update the video chip's drivers in order to be able to use updated software such as DirectX and OpenGL, and a BIOS update is often required to run a new operating system or to fix bugs in the original BIOS setup program.
The major manufacturers of laptop computers are companies such as IBM, Dell, HP, Acer, Toshiba, Asus, Samsung, Hi-Grade, Fujitsu-Siemens, and Sony.
Optimising/optimizing PC performance
The web has many sites that provide PC optimisation information, or that provide or run optimisation programs from their sites. You can make use of the Google search box (with its Web radio button enabled) provided at the top of this page to locate them. Here is one of the best sites:
PC Pitstop Optimize 1.5 -
"Run our free Optimize scan and identify many common problems that plague most computers. Find out what it takes to get a better performing computer without the expense or difficulty of adding new hardware." -
http://www.pcpitstop.com/store/optimize.asp
The BIOS setup program
The BIOS Setup program of a PC configures its hardware and some of its software for use by the operating system, which is usually a version of Windows or Linux.
The BIOS is accessed and works in a laptop/notebook PC in exactly the same way as it is accessed and works in a desktop PC. However, most laptop PC manufacturers limit the number of possible configuration settings that the user can enable or disable. This is probably done in order to prevent users from enabling settings that conflict and could cause the system to fail to start up. Inexperienced users would then call the manufacturer's free support service for help while the machine is under warranty. The manufacturers are obviously keen on making their laptops as foolproof as possible in order to reduce support costs.
Most laptop manufacturers include a section on the BIOS setup program in the user manual that comes with their laptops. It usually gives a brief explanation of what each setting is for, and/or what happens to the system when a setting is enabled or disabled.
Most laptops start up by showing the manufacturer's logo instead of the RAM memory count and Windows setup screen. If you haven't seen the startup screen, have a look at the examples shown on the first page of the section devoted to the BIOS on this site. If you prefer to see the memory count, most of the BIOS setup programs used for desktop and laptop PCs have a setting that disables the appearance of the manufacture's logo. The user manual will usually tell you how to disable it.
Click here! to go to information on the BIOS on this site.
Of pre-loaded software, self-loading advertisements, and large hidden partitions
Good advice is not to buy them from a vendor that has them made in the Far East where they are cobbled together with little or no thought of providing spare parts or updates. How can you tell if a vendor provides spare parts and updates? - It should have a website, such as Dell's, that you can visit and from which updates can be downloaded and spare parts or upgrades can be purchased.
The problem with laptops made by the major manufacturers is that they come pre-loaded with plenty of software, much of which is useless, and are usually configured to offer special deals from the manufacturer's marketing partners, such as offers to sign up with an ISP or photo service, or with a particular antivirus program and service, etc. Moreover, a Windows CD is not usually provided. Various types of recovery systems are used instead that usually make use of one or more large hidden partitions on the hard drive that can only be used for recovering the system. Recovering that space requires knowledge of what has been installed on it and how it can affect the rest of the system if removed. Read this article if you want to know more on this topic: Laptop Setup Secrets.
Business-class or home-use class?
Notebook computers specifically designed for use by business professionals who are constantly on the move are more expensive than notebook computers designed for the home market. The main reason for this is because the components of a portable computer suffer most from the affects of shock and vibration. Therefore, you are advised to purchase a business-class, ultra-portable machine if it is intended to be used mostly while on the move from place to place, because that class of mobile computer is specifically designed to be protected from the affects of shock and vibrations.
For more information on this topic, read the Q&A on this site called Are vibrations harmful to the components of my computer, such as its hard disk drive? Use your browser's Back button to return to this point on this page.
Price
The prices of notebooks computers can range from as low as £450 to as high as £2,500 or more. If your computing needs can be met by a £450 notebook, you'll be throwing away money if you buy a more expensive product. Likewise, if your computing needs require a £1,500 notebook, you'll probably be causing yourself unnecessary problems if you buy a much cheaper model.
Battery power, the mains adapter, and the carry case
"Smart" batteries
How dangerous can faulty laptop batteries be?You have probably read the seemingly endless stories on this site and others about the recall of faulty, potentially dangerous laptop/notebook batteries. Ever since a Dell notebook battery was shown exploding on TV, there has been non-stop coverage of stories about battery recalls. But, note well, of the over four million batteries involved in Dell's recall, there have only been six reported cases of property being damaged. You should visit the website of your laptop manufacturer to check if its batteries are being recalled. If they are, then the site will provide you with the information you need in order to get a new battery or batteries. Otherwise, you shouldn't worry about your safety and the safety of your property when using your laptop, because in the vast majority of cases no damage has resulted, even when the Lithium Ion (Li-ion) batteries that have potential problems were being used. Just follow the safety rules regarding storage and don't use a battery if it has been damaged or has become ruptured. Windows Vista: Data storage Windows Vista has an improved file system, support for hybrid disk drives (H-HDDs), volume shrinking and volume extending, and drive encryption features. "Microsoft also expects that H-HDDs will extend the lives of batteries and disk drive. Known as Windows ReadyDrive, H-HDDs cache disk reads and writes without needing to spin the disk drive. According to Hiroshi Sakakibara, product manager on the Windows client team, this saves battery power on the machine and can also prevent disk failures when using laptops while on the go. "Windows ReadyDrive makes your laptop more rugged since it is less likely the disk will be spinning and susceptible to damage as one is running from meeting to meeting", say Sakakibara." - Five things you'll love about Vista's storage - http://www.computerworld.com/action/...Basic&articleId=9004513 |
Portability and the life of a battery have to be matched properly against the performance and the features provided by the hardware.
Most new notebook computers use "smart" batteries which contain internal micro-processors. These special circuits communicate valuable charge/discharge information to the notebook computer, which makes it possible to provide useful features such as a battery fuel gauge while also providing extra safety. For instance, the battery can inform the charger when the charing cycle is completed and end it so that the battery can't be overcharged.
If you are using a charger to charge the batteries for a mobile phone, etc., you should use a quality charger that can switch off when the recharging is completed. Low-quality chargers just keep charging the battery or batteries until they're switched off, and this reduces the battery life.
Ni-Cd (Nicad or Nickel Cadmium) batteries, still used in older laptop/notebook computers, have been superseded.
The batteries used in all recent notebook/laptop computers are Li-ion ("Smart" Lithium Ion), Li-poly (Lithium-ion polymer battery), and Ni-MH ("Smart" Nickel Metal Hydride) batteries. Ni-MH batteries, which have a shorter battery life per charge, are inferior to Li-ion batteries. Therefore, if you're going to make plenty of use of the battery, make sure that the battery the notebook computer is supplied with, or which you buy, are Li-ion batteries. Most laptops now use Li-ion or Li-poly batteries, but you should check a particular machine's specifications just to make sure.
"Lithium-ion polymer battery - Lithium-ion polymer batteries, Polymer Lithium Ion, or more commonly lithium polymer batteries (abbreviated Li-poly, Li-Pol, LiPo, LIP, PLI or LiP) are rechargeable batteries which have technologically evolved from lithium-ion batteries." -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithium-polymer
Ni-MH (NiMH) batteries can be recharged up to 1,000 times if used properly. The lifespan of Li-ion batteries depends on how they are used. However, a user would be lucky to get more than five years use out of one, or somewhere between 300 and 400 recharge cycles.
Lithium Ion battery cells are packed in a higher density than Nickel-based batteries (Ni-Cd, Ni-MH), and since Lithium is the lightest metal, the battery life per charge is longer and the weight of the battery pack is lighter. You can also recharge a Li-ion battery whenever it's convenient, without the full charge/discharge cycle that's necessary to keep nickel-based batteries at peak performance. Over time, crystals build up in nickel-based batteries that prevent them from being charged completely, requiring an inconvenient full discharge and recharge.
External laptop/notebook batteries
If your laptop/notebook computer has a failing Ni-MH battery and you can't find a replacement, you can buy an external laptop battery that is usually about the size of a laptop itself, which plugs into the computer where its power cable connects. To find vendor's and information enter external + laptop + battery (as is) in the Google search box at the top of this page (with its Web radio button enabled). Such batteries usually provide longer battery life than internal laptop batteries.
Note that there are many companies in the US that recondition Ni-MH batteries by replacing the cells with new ones, but I was unable to locate any such company in the UK.
Laptop/notebook batteries: Use, storage, and energy-saving tips1. - Always purchase a laptop battery from a reliable source that comes with a guarantee. 2. - Never allow a laptop computer's battery to be left discharged for more than a couple of months, because it probably won't charge or hold a charge properly thereafter. Always store an Ni-MH battery in a fully charged state. Check it from time to time and charge it fully. Discharge and recharge it every few months. If a notebook computer that has a Ni-MH or a Li-ion/Li-poly battery is only used infrequently, charging and discharging its battery at least once per month is recommended. If you don’t plan on using your notebook computer for more than six months, you should remove and store the Li-ion battery with a 50% charge. Make sure that it is stored in a cool place. Take great care not to overcharge a battery, because overcharging is very destructive of rechargeable batteries. In order not to overcharge a battery it's best to discharge it completely and then allow it to recharge over the correct length of time for a full recharge to take place. The charge times vary between battery chargers. To find out what the charging times are for the different types of battery, read the relevant documentation that came with the notebook computer. Because of the nature of notebook batteries, you should always buy them from a reliable source, because unreliable sources might leave their batteries in a discharged state for longer than a few months. Rechargeable laptop computer batteries self-discharge when left unused, so recharge a stored battery from time to time so that it is never left in a discharged state. Laptop computer batteries are expensive and can deteriorate in storage or when being left unused in the computer. Remember that a battery is more likely to expire through a lack of use than it is to expire through being used properly. Li-ion/Li-poly batteries need to be used frequently for maximum performance. If you don’t use your notebook computer often, make sure that you complete a charge cycle at least once a month. A charge cycle with regard to a Li-ion battery is defined as using and recharging 100% of the battery's capacity. But that doesn't have to mean doing it as one full single charge. For instance, you could use your notebook computer for a few hours one day, using half of its battery power, and then recharge it fully. If you did the same thing the next day, it would count as one charge cycle, not two. Therefore, you can take several days to complete a charge cycle. Each time a charge cycle is completed, it diminishes the battery's capacity slightly, but you can put notebook batteries through many charge cycles before they will only hold 80% of the original battery capacity. As with other rechargeable batteries, you will eventually need to replace the battery. Ni-MH batteries can be recharged when not fully discharged, but require to undergo a full discharge/charge cycle that's necessary to keep Nickel-based batteries at peak performance. Over time, crystals build up in Nickel-based batteries that prevent them from being charged completely, requiring an inconvenient full discharge and recharge. A new Ni-MH battery must be fully charged before use or it will recall a semi-charged state as being the fully-charged state and thereafter never exceed that semi-charged state when recharged. An Ni-MH and a Li-ion notebook battery needs to be fully charged and discharged a few times before it conditions itself to its full capacity. 3. - When using a laptop computer in battery mode, always turn down the screen's brightness and contrast, and use the power management features offered by Windows under Power Management in the Control Panel. Set the profile to Max Battery to make Windows use the most aggressive power management available to it. Set a screensaver to make the screen go blank after between two and five minutes of not being used, or use a free utility such as Wizmo. The backlight of the screen is one of the biggest users of power, so reduce the brightness or find out what the keyboard shortcut is that lowers the brightness when the computer isn't being used. The computer's user manual should provide such information. You should also open the BIOS setup program to make sure that all of the other power-saving features are enabled, such as Intel's SpeedStep and AMD's Cool & Quiet. Consider installing additional RAM to make the total RAM 512MB if the computer has less than that and it has a free memory slot, because the additional memory reduces the usage of the hard disk drive, which consumes much of the battery power. A typical notebook's hard disk drive uses 10% to 15% of its battery power. But don't install too much RAM because it uses power even if the RAM isn't being used by the system. Note that if the "hibernation" feature is used, it involves writing the entire contents of RAM (even if it's unused) to the hard disk drive and reading it back into the RAM when the system comes out of hibernation. Having plenty of extra RAM installed will slow down hibernation stops and starts, but will increase the size of any back-ups you make if they include the hibernation file (usually called hiberfil.sys in the root directory). Close any unused applications and monitoring utilities showing in the System Tray (Notification Area) in the bottom left-hand corner of the screen. Open the Windows Task Manager by pressing the Ctrl+Alt+Del key combination. In Windows XP, other programs running in the background are listed under the Processes tab. You can find out which programs they belong to by using the Search facility to locate the folders that the named files are in, and, on that basis, decide if you can end the process. The Performance tab shows the CPU Usage, which provides the current level of use of the processor shown as a percentage and a graphic depiction of the use over a period of minutes. Click Options on the window's menu and use the mouse to place a check mark beside Hide When Minimized. When you click to minimise the window it displays an icon in the System Tray. If you hold the pointer of the mouse over it, the processor's use as a percentage is displayed. Read Managing Processes and Tasks in Windows Vista to find out what the differences are between the Task Manager in Windows XP and Windows Vista. Disconnect unused PC Cards or USB devices. Avoid playing DVD video files or graphics-intensive video games. 4. - Don't short circuit the battery's terminals by placing anything that conducts electricity across them. If the battery is short-circuited it will be ruined. Therefore never store a battery with metal parts. As with anything else electrical, a battery must not be exposed to damp conditions, or be allowed to get wet. If you use notebook computer in temperatures higher than its specified operating range, which is usually 95°F (or 35°C), you may permanently damage the battery’s capacity and it won’t provide power for as long on any given charge. You may damage it even more if you charge the device in these temperatures. Moreover, even storing a battery in a hot environment can damage it irreversibly. You may find that using a notebook in a very cold environment decreases the battery life, but, unlike the real and permanent damage that can take place in a hot environment, this is a temporary condition. After the molecules in the battery warm up, the battery will return to its previous capacity. 5. - Li-ion batteries can be adversely affected if the computer is constantly used from the mains supply and not run from the battery. Therefore, most of the brand-name manufacturer's of notebook computers have an automatic power-management mode that uses the battery instead of the mains supply in order to provide the discharge/charge cycle that keeps the battery in good condition. If your notebook provides this feature, make sure that it is enabled. 6. - Many notebook computers now provide a battery recalibration routine in the computer's BIOS setup program. The battery's smart electronics report how much charge the battery is carrying. This can become inaccurate over time, leading to a false report that says that the battery is fully charged when it isn't. The charging therefore stops prematurely, making it look as if the battery's performance is declining. To correct that, the recalibration routine runs the battery's cells flat and completely recharges them so that the smart electronics can function properly again. Click here! to go to information on the power management options of a Gateway laptop that includes recalibration. Tips for Extending Battery Life - http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/tips-for-extending-battery-life-uk,review-1932.html Visit the following page for more information on laptop computer and other batteries. For information on battery technology, visit: BatteryUniversity.com - http://www.batteryuniversity.com/ **** This relevant article appeared in Computer Shopper in January 2006: Improve notebook battery life - http://www.pcpro.co.uk/shopper/.../improve-notebook-battery-life.html **** SpeedswitchXP - Processor (CPU) frequency control for notebooks running Windows XPWhat the different power schemes do in Windows XP is not clear, and it's not possible to adjust the schemes because the important settings are not accessible through the Control Panel. SpeedswitchXP provides access to all of the power scheme settings. It comes in very handy for laptop/notebook users when they want to use the full power of their processor when connected to the mains. - http://www.diefer.de/speedswitchxp/ |
The battery meter is not showing the correct charge, the battery is not holding a charge, or the battery charge light blinks while making a clicking sound
If the battery is not showing the correct charge, if necessary, consult the laptop's user manual to find out how to complete at least one battery charge/discharge cycle. Don't worry if the battery doesn't begin charging immediately, or if a slight clicking noise is produced for a while as the battery charge light blinks on and off. This is caused by the battery having been fully drained, or when the battery has been left in storage for a long period. If left for an hour or so, the charging should begin and the light should stop blinking. If the battery is still not working as it should, then it is probably dead.
The most commonly used Lithium Ion (Li-ion) batteries produce no memory effect, nevertheless the battery will have a longer life if it is properly fully discharged every time. A Lithium Ion battery, or any other rechargeable battery, will only recharge for a certain number of times - between 500 and 1000 - before it dies. So, if the laptop is used on battery power and is plugged into the mains to top the battery up, the recharge times are being used up a lot faster than if complete charge and discharge cycles were being employed. Therefore, unless it is being charged, you should take the battery out out when the laptop is being powered from the mains. Only charge it when it has drained completely if you want to maximise its lifespan.
Surge-protection for computer equipment: Surge protectors
Most power lines are buried underground, so lightning-induced power surges are more likely to strike through TV antennas and telephone lines, etc. Large electrical motors, such as power tools can generate 'spikes' when they start up. The electrical cables that serve a building often run next to one another through the same conduit boxes. A surge through one circuit can induce surges in neighbouring circuits, so a surge through a power line to which power tools are connected can spread to a power line to which electrical equipment is connected. Therefore, it is the best policy to place surge protectors as close as possible to the equipment that they are protecting, with the shortest possible cable between the equipment and the surge protector. Good surge protectors come with free insurance policies that cover any failure to provide protection, and have an indicator light that shows if they are working properly. Surge protectors are available that protect network, telephone, and TV/cable line. The best brands are Belkin and APC, which also manufacture UPS units.
Click here! to go to information on this site on Uninterruptible Power Supply units (UPS).
LAPTOP/NOTEBOOK PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONSClick here! to go to the laptop/notebook problems dealt with on this site. |
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