Wednesday, 11 July 2012
Laptop Battery Care
Batteries are laptops'Achilles' heels. Many mobile users have been let down by their battery meters,
too, which can misjudge or misrepresent how much charge is actually left in
your battery. The shortcomings of the built-in Windows meter lead to free tools
like BatteryCare. It's a simple utility that displays your laptop battery's
status and capacity and the time remaining in its discharge cycle. It monitors
and displays CPU and HDD temperatures, too.
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| Replacment Battery |
BatteryCare has a small
but attractive interface that offers a lot more information than the built-in
Windows tool, or many other battery meters we've seen, for that matter, with
tabs for Basic and Detailed Information; the latter includes entries for battery
model, designed capacity, wear level, and more. A system tray icon lets users
display and hide the interface and access not only the program's options but
also Power Settings and Power Plans. Hovering the cursor over the icon called
up a semitransparent window showing battery status and charge but also the
temperature of our CPU and primary hard disk drive. BatteryCare has a lot of
settings for a simple tool, especially in the Notifications section, which
includes not only full, low, and critical battery level warnings but also a
configurable remaining time warning and a unique option to configure a warning
to replace the battery after a certain number of discharge cycles, which can
head off trouble before it catches up to you "in the field." The
Power Plans section included selections for running on batteries and plugged in
to AC power, as well as an automatic option. The Advanced section showed usage
statistics as well as an option of particular interest to Vista users: the
ability to run at startup in Administrator mode, which enables temperature
monitoring and service pausing even when the bothersome User Account Control is
active.
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| Battery For laptop |
If you rely on your
laptop's batteries, we highly recommend a good battery meter like BatteryCare.
Even if your laptop stays tethered to a wall wart, though, it can help you
ensure that your battery is ready to go, when and if you need it.
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| 6 Cell Laptop Battery |
Wednesday, 27 June 2012
How to fix hardware problems without taking apart the laptop
Here’s how you can fix, or to be precise, work around some
hardware problem without taking apart the laptop.
1. Network port failure.
In most laptops the network port (aka RJ-45 port) is soldered
directly to the motherboard. If for some reason the network port fails (I’m
talking about hardware, not software failure), the whole motherboard has to be
replaced.
Instead of replacing the motherboard, you can use a PCMCIAnetwork card (aka LAN PC card). You plug this card into the available PC slot
in your laptop and get a network port instead.
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| Network Card |
2. USB ports failure.
Most laptops have a few USB ports available and if one of them
stops working, usually it’s not a big deal because you still have two or three
working USB ports left. But what if all of them stopped working at once. Let’s
say the USB controller on the motherboard went bad and the laptop stopped
recognizing any USB device plugged in any USB port. Again, I’m talking about
hardware, not software failure. In order to fix this problem you’ll have to
replace the motherboard.
Alternatively, you can use a PCMCIA USB card. You plug this card
into the PC slot and get two or four USB ports instead. It depends on the type
of your PCMCIA card.
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| USB Card |
3. Internal wireless (Wi-Fi) card failure.
Most newer laptops come with an internal wireless card
installed. In some models the wireless card could be easily access through the
door on the bottom of the laptop. In other models, the wireless card is buried
deep inside the case. What can you do if the internal wireless card fails? You
can replace the internal wireless card with another one or use a PCMCIAwireless card instead.
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| WIFI Card |
4. Internal flash memory card reader failure.
Most newer laptops come with an internal memory card reader
installed. You can plug most known flash memory cards into the slot and access
the content right away. Usually the card reader is soldered directly to the
motherboard and if it fails, you have to replace the whole motherboard or use
it as is.
If you don’t want to replace the motherboard you can use an
external USB flash memory card reader. All you have to do is plug the card
reader into the available USB port in your laptop and it’s ready to go.
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| San Disk |
5. Internal CD/DVD drive failure.
You’ll find an internal CD/DVD optical drive in most laptops. If
the optical drive fails and stops reading CDs and DVDs, it has to be replaced
with a new one. Internal laptop optical drives are not cheap.
Instead of replacing the internal drive, you can use an external
USB optical drive. Simply plug this drive into the USB port, let your laptop
detect and install the drive and it’s ready for you. Also, you can use this
optical drive with any other computer which is very convenient.
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| CD/DVD |
Monday, 25 June 2012
Samsung's Blazing Fast SATA 3.0 512GB SSD Lands in October
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| Samsung's Blazing Fast SATA 3.0 512GB SSD |
New Samsung internal solid state
drives are headed your way in October promising blazing fast data transfer
rates of up to 6 gigabits per second thanks to the SSD's Serial ATA (SATA) 3.0
interface.
Samsung's new SSD 830 series will
come in 64, 128, 256 and 512GB storage sizes and will be sold as a 2.5-inch
drive. The full upgrade package for the SSD 830 also comes with a bracket to
fit into 3.5-inch desktop PC slots and Symantec's NortonGhost software. Samsung will also offer a notebook upgrade package
that includes a USB to SATA adapter cable. Pricing was not announced.
This is Samsung's second SSD
announcement in as many weeks. The company previously announced the PM830 SSD,
which appears to be the OEM version of the SSD 830 announced Wednesday. The
PM830 is available to computer makers now and comes in 128GB, 256 GB and 512GB
sizes.
During the PM830 announcement,
Samsung said the drive supports sequential read speeds of up to 500 megabytes
per second and write speeds of 350 MB/s. It's not clear if the SSD 830 will
support the same read/write speeds or perhaps be even faster. Samsung said the
PM830's performance would reduce a computer's boot time to about 10 seconds and
let you transfer up to 5 DVD video files in less than a minute. The PM830 also
features AES 256-bit data encryption, presumably the SSD 830 will do the same.
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| Samsung's Blazing Fast SATA 3.0 512GB SSD |
Saturday, 16 June 2012
Acer Introduces the Aspire S5 as the World's Thinnest Ultra Book
Acer
America today announced the U.S. availability of the Acer Aspire S5 Ultra Book.
Billed as "the world's thinnest Ultra Book," it measures .044 inches
at its thinnest point (.59 inches at the thickest point) and weighs 2.65 lbs
... making it roughly the same thickness and weight as a pad of paper. Acer
also took this opportunity to announce that the Aspire S3 (Acer's first Ultra Book)
is getting refreshed with a 3rd Generation (Ivy Bridge) Intel processor, solid
state drives and a new champagne colour.
Acer Aspire S5 Ultra Book
The S5 features a smooth, curved chassis in an "Onyx Black" finish. The LCD cover and palm rest are made of magnesium-aluminum alloy to keep this laptop as slim and sturdy as possible.
The S5 features a smooth, curved chassis in an "Onyx Black" finish. The LCD cover and palm rest are made of magnesium-aluminum alloy to keep this laptop as slim and sturdy as possible.
The
first SKU of the new S5, the Aspire S5-391-9880, is Acer's first Ultra Book to
feature a "Magic Flip" I/O port panel concealed just below the hinge.
This design feature keeps the edge of the S5 looking as thin as possible while
providing enough room for important ports. It's similar to the way that Apple
handled ports on the original Mac Book Air back in 2008 ... only a little cooler. When you
need the ports you simply press the Magic Flip key and the curved panel opens
to reveal HDMI, USB 3.0 and a Thunderbolt port.
Despite the razor thin chassis the AspireS5 includes a 3rd Generation Intel Core i7-35i7U processor, a 256GB solid state
drive and the previously mentioned Thunderbolt port. Thunderbolt connection
combines high-speed data transfer and high-definition video out in a single
cable, enabling up to six Thunderbolt enabled devices, such as hard drives,
displays, cameras, docking stations and even other PCs to be daisy chained
together.
The S5 features a 13.3-inch widescreen
LED-backlit display with a rather unimpressive 1366 x 768 resolution. Of
course, you can always connect the Acer S5 Ultra Book to an external monitor,
projector or HDTV through a single HDMI cable. An HDMI to VGA cable
adapter dongle is included in the box. The S5 also offers triple independent
display support, so images can be shown across multiple screens.
Acer promises the S5 will deliver long
battery life thanks to the "Power Smart" battery pack which provides
"up to three times longer battery life cycles than traditional batteries
(1,000 vs. 300 cycles)." The bottom line for consumers is that the battery
inside the S5 should maintain at least 80 percent capacity after the 1,000
cycle count, which means the battery should last longer and you won't have to
replace it. Speaking of battery life, the Acer "Hybrid Standby
Technology" provides up to 15 days of standby power, or up to 6.5 hours of
continuous use.
Acer Aspire S3 Ultra Books
Acer's first generation Ultra Books, the Aspire S3 Series, has been refreshed to include Intel's latest Ivy Bridge Core i3 and Core i7 processors. In addition, you can now configure models with a single 256GB solid state drive.
Acer's first generation Ultra Books, the Aspire S3 Series, has been refreshed to include Intel's latest Ivy Bridge Core i3 and Core i7 processors. In addition, you can now configure models with a single 256GB solid state drive.
Acer also decided to update the new S3 with
a new champagne colour to help with the sophisticated looks and to help
consumers easily identify the new S3. With prices starting at $648, the Aspire
S3 is one of the most affordable ultra Books on the market and will likely be a
little more popular than the S5 as a result.
Acer Cloud: Acer Gets into Remote Sharing
The Aspire S5 is Acer's first product in the U.S. to ship with Acer Cloud. This new feature provides S5 owners with remote access to the data residing on their Ultra Book via their Android tablet or smart phone. You can access your data and download or share it among other PCs and Android devices even when the S5 is in sleep (standby/hibernation) mode. As long as the Aspire S5 is in sleep mode, Acer Always Connect technology can wake it up through Wi-Fi, allowing the media to be retrieved via a mobile device.
The Aspire S5 is Acer's first product in the U.S. to ship with Acer Cloud. This new feature provides S5 owners with remote access to the data residing on their Ultra Book via their Android tablet or smart phone. You can access your data and download or share it among other PCs and Android devices even when the S5 is in sleep (standby/hibernation) mode. As long as the Aspire S5 is in sleep mode, Acer Always Connect technology can wake it up through Wi-Fi, allowing the media to be retrieved via a mobile device.
Acer Cloud also makes it easy to take
photos on a smart phone and then view them on their S5 at home or in the
office, without manually transferring files. Acer Cloud will be bundled on all
Acer consumer PCs starting in Q4 2012. It will support all Android devices,
while future support is planned for Windows-based devices (we suspect Acer is
talking about Windows 8).
Pricing and Availability
The Aspire S5-391-9880 has a MSRP of $1,399.99 and will be available the last week in June at the Acer website and leading retailers across the U.S.
The
new Aspire S3 Series Ultra books will be available beginning next week at
leading retailers across the U.S. Prices begin at $648 and range up to $999.99The Aspire S5-391-9880 has a MSRP of $1,399.99 and will be available the last week in June at the Acer website and leading retailers across the U.S.
Wednesday, 13 June 2012
Laptop Buying Guide
Many factors are important in finding the right laptop.
Before starting to pore over system specifications, though, take a moment to
decide whether convenience or specs are of primary importance. Often,
portability is a key factor, and these systems are more lightweight and easy to
transport, but typically have less powerful systems than heavier, less portable
laptops.
The pricier laptops are typically either more portable or
more powerful than competitor's models. While desktop replacements offer
all of the features a standard desktop PC does, these are heavier, and much
harder to carry. Likewise, bargain notebooks or thin-and-light notebooks
are similar in many ways, but the bargain notebooks are much less expensive.
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| Used Laptops |
People who are concerned about cost and want a model with
good features often opt for bargain notebooks. Those who are concerned most
about portability may select either ultraportable or
thin-and-light models. Typically, ultraportable models weigh less than 4
pounds, while thin-and-light models weigh between 4 and 6 pounds. In contrast,
a bargain notebook weighs between 6 and 8 pounds, while a desktop replacement
may weigh over 7 pounds.
In addition to the weight of the laptop, factor in the
weight of the carrying case in addition to all necessary accessories. Some
accessories might include power cords, extra batteries, USB cables, and flash
or external drives.
One of the most important considerations when purchasing a
laptop is evaluating what purpose the new computer is expected to serve. Home
users may want a laptop that's portable enough to carry into another room or
upstairs. They typically want many of the features of a standard desktop PC,
but are concerned about price. A bargain laptop is often the best choice, and
many people today prefer models that feature internal Wi-Fi capabilities for
accessing the Internet.
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| Used Laptops |
Students may want a lighter weight laptop that is portable
enough to take to the library after class. Some colleges are more particular
about specification requirements than others, so check with the university to
determine what systems or user platforms are supported through the
institution's network system.
If the university doesn't have particular requirements, a thin-and-light or ultraportable laptop
may be the ideal choice. Many students prefer to purchase models with software
packages like Microsoft Office. Internal Wi-Fi is probably
essential, and a minimum of 1GB of ram, as well as either a CD or DVD burner,
are also highly important features.
For those who are frequently on the go, traveling for
work-related reasons, a lightweight computer is almost certainly the way to go.
Think thin-and-light or ultraportable. Internal
Wi-Fi, a software package like Microsoft Office, and a minimum of
1GB of RAM are essentials.
Business users require laptops that are travel-friendly, but
will help them to create the presentations and spreadsheets essential for their
work. Network connections are also a prime factor. Thin-and-light or desktop
replacement laptops that offer software applications like Microsoft
Office, as well as internal Wi-Fi or an external Wi-Fi card, as well as a
larger hard drive and at least 1GB of RAM will generally help business
professionals meet their computing needs. Those with minimal travel
requirements will probably find that a desktop replacement best meets their
needs.
Gamers will want laptops that feature high-speed
processors, superior graphics resolution, and at least 2GB of RAM. Desktop replacement laptop with a large display screen and a 512 MB 3D card
for graphics will probably be the best option for gaming.
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| Brand New Laptops |
Multimedia buffs will probably be best served
with a desktop replacement model that offers at least 2GB of
RAM, as well as a hard drive offering at least 80GB of free space, and a
monitor screen at least 15 inches in size. Select a model with multiple USB
ports for downloading via digital camera, uploading to an MP3
player, or connecting via other media devices. Movie buffs will probably
enjoy the features of a DVD RW drive, which will allow them to burn
movies.
Choosing the Right Laptop Processor
Many of the processors used in laptops are made by AMD or
Intel. Some offer optimization of batter capacity, while others maximize CPU
performance. Generally, mobile processors require less power
than desktop processors do. Persons who are not purchasing a desktop
replacement model should strongly consider a mobile processor. This will also
help reduce the risk that the laptop will overheat. Some of the processors
available include:
- Celeron: Made by Intel, this processor is budget friendly, but offers speeds of up to 2.5 GHz. They are faster than the Pentium M chip, but slower than the Pentium processor.
- Celeron M: One of the most budget friendly processors on the market. This processor can achieve speeds of up to 1.5 GHz, and is ideal for basic web surfing, word processing, and email.
- Pentium M: This processor is designed to maximize battery life, but offers processing speeds up to 2.1 GHz.
- Pentium 4: These are primarily used for desktops, and can cause overheating. In addition, they wear down the battery quickly. The trade? Processor speeds of up to 3.33 GHz.
- Intel Duo Core: These feature multiple processors in a single chip, and are helpful for persons who use simultaneous applications that require higher processor speeds.
- AMD Sempron: AMD's most budget friendly option, this processor is best for those who don't have heavy computing needs.
- AMD Athlon 4: Ideal for gamers, this processor is typically used with desktop replacement laptops.
- AMD Athlon 64X: This is a popular chip for those who favor over clocking, and is very similar to other processors in the Athlon 64 line.
Wednesday, 6 June 2012
Laptop Batteries
Laptop Batteries
One of the main problems and concerns of laptops is their battery life. They work great at first and the laptops can last for 4 or 5 hours, but then over the passing months and years, you're lucky if your laptop can last half an hour without the AC adapter plugged in.
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| Laptop Battery |
How do I make my laptop battery last longer?
When you first get your laptop or new laptop battery, make sure to fully charge your laptop before using it. This will allow a full charge for the battery and insure it lasts longer.
Don't use your laptop with the AC adapter frequently. In the long run, this will cause the laptop battery to have a chemical memory, which will basically make the laptop have a life-span of about 3 seconds without the AC adapter plugged in.
Keep your laptop stored at room temperature. Low or high temperatures can reduce the life span of the batteries.
Allow your battery to get to a low charge level before charging again. The lower your battery is when you start to charge it again the longer it will last. So allowing your laptop to die before charging it will insure the longest life span.
Where can I get a replacement battery for my laptop?
When it comes to purchasing laptop batteries, you have two options.
Option 1
First, you can call the manufacturer of the laptop or battery and purchase a new replacement battery. This is always the safest decision you can make when purchasing a replacement battery for your laptop. You may have the guarentee of the company in that they may send you a replacement battery free of charge if you purchased a defective replacement battery. But while it may be the safest choice, there is a downside to it, and that is the manufacturer's overprice the laptop replacement batteries by way more than the actual cost of a replacement battery, which is around $30.
Option 2
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| Laptop Battery |
So for the safety of yourself and your laptop, make sure to do a little research on the company you are going to be purchasing from before you actually proceed. And if you don't want to take the risk then the manufacturer's site is always a safe way to to purchasing a replacement battery, but at the expense of paying more. But you may end up spending as much as $150 for a replacement battery.
Making the most out of your laptop battery
Laptop batteries are the most important part of your laptop. Without them your laptop is basically a miniture desktop computer, and they are no longer portable. So here are some tips and advice that will allow you to care for your laptop battery and get the most out of them.
Most laptop batteries today are Li-Ion/Lithium Ion batteries. They are great as they have great energy capacity and they don't have memory effect, meaning you don't have to or should let the battery die down all the way before charging it again. You may have heard that is better to let your laptop die all the way before charging it, but that is quite the opposite if your battery is a Lithium Ion battery, in fact it causes your laptop battery to get worse faster, so make sure to not allow your Lithium Ion battery to completely discharge, or die. But for the first 2 or 3 times charging your Lithium Ion battery, you SHOULD let it die all the way, but after that you do not need to or should do so.
Tips and Advice
Defrag your computer regularly. This will allow your hard drive to not work as hard which won't drain your battery more.
Lower the brightnest of your screen. The brighter your screen, the more power being used.
Try to keep the amount of programs to a minimum. Every program open helps drain the battery a little bit more.
Cut down on external devices, such as USB devices, like a mouse. Also WiFi will drain your battery so turn it off when you aren't using it to save power.
Clean the battery contacts. Every 6 months are so you should take out your battery and clean the contacts that connect to the laptop. You can use a cloth with rubbing alcohol to achieve this.
If you ever put your computer on standy, you should try to switch to hibernate, as hibernate fully shuts down your computer, but it allows you to quickly resume your work when you turn it back on.
Go to “Power Options” on your laptop and change it's setting to Max Battery, Super Energy Saver, or one of the other many different forms of it. But it all means the same thing, switch to the setting that is set for saving the most amount of energy.
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| Laptop Battery |
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