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Laptop Computers and the PVP Effect!

 by: Tom Fox

Roll over lumbering desktop computers, the limber laptop is here, and it’s here to stay! For a while now notebooks have outstripped their ageing desktop PC siblings, easily winning the gold medal in the computer sales olympics. We will illustrate how the PVP effect has contributed greatly to the increase in popularity of notebook computers.

(P) Portability:

Firstly it may be stating the obvious, but people buy laptops because they can take them anywhere. Office workers need no more be confined to their claustrophophic cubicles. Instead those statistic charts and data reports can be compiled on a train, in the comfort of an arm chair, or even on the beach! Portability equals flexibility, but alas this hasn’t always been the case. Todays ultra portable laptop computers have a come along way since the bulky, sewing machine sized machines of the late seventies and early eighties. Indeed one of the first portable computers was built by IBM, and this machine (IBM 5100) weighed in at a hefty 50lbs! Today’s corridor warriors would have trouble lugging that puppy from meeting to meeting, unless of course they subjected themselves to an intensive dose of steroids

(V) Value:

In the seventies the aforementioned IBM 5100 would have set you back a staggering 20,000 dollars. Today a top of the range IBM Thinkpad can be bought for around 3000 dollars. Cheaper Thinkpads can often be obtained for well under a thousand dollars, especially if you don’t mind purchasing a used or refurbished model.

(P) Performance:

Many laptops today come fitted with Centrino processors which offer superb performance and improved battery life. What is Centrino I hear you ask? Well this is Intel’s name for their new notebook technology that combines their Pentium M processor, 855 chipset and the Intel PRO/Wireless 2100 WiFi 802.11 network interface. Laptops fitted with these processors are usually lighter because of the smaller components used.

Couple this attractive feature with wireless networking technology and you have a powerful technological package. Wi-Fi is short for “Wireless Fidelity” and it’s usage is growing quickly amongst home users, office workers, even coffee shops. If you enter Wi-Fi areas with a properly equipped notebook, you can access the Internet at broadband speeds.

Laptop Computer Extras for the Mobile Traveler

 by: John San Filippo

A laptop computer certainly provides you with an unprecedented level of freedom and mobility away from the office. However there are a few extras you might want to bring along on your laptop travels:

Extra 1: portable printer

If you travel a lot, you never know when you might need to commit one of your digital documents to paper.

Sure, you can probably find a Kinko’s, or even the business center at your hotel, but the experienced business traveler knows you’re much better off when you’re not at someone else’s mercy.

Extra 2: USB hub

If you need to connect to several external devices simultaneously, the one or two USB ports on your laptop may or may not be sufficient. If not, keep an inexpensive four- port USB hub in your laptop case.

Extra 3: PC card token ring adapter

Ethernet is the industry standard for computer networking, however back in the 1970s IBM introduced a competing technology called Token Ring.

While Token Ring has all but faded from the mainstream, some hardcore IBM’ers still use it.

If you’re going to be working in such an environment, you’ll need a PC Card to connect to the network.

Extra 4: Foreign power kit

If you travel abroad, you’re bound to run into a wide variety of power schemes - power schemes that aren’t compatible with your laptop.

When you’re away from the homeland, you’ll need some sort of adapter/converter if you want to plug into a local wall outlet.

These are relatively inexpensive and can be easily found online.

Copyright (c) 2004 HowToBuyALaptop.com

How To Take Care Of Your Laptop Computer

 by: Joe Chianese

As the proud owner of a laptop computer, you’ll want to keep your machine in the best possible condition.

Aside from cleaning your screen and dusting the keyboard, however, you’ll need to take a few extra steps to maintain your laptop’s health:

– Play it cool

A laptop computer generates a lot of heat, especially when running the latest high-powered software. Too much heat and you risk damaging the internal circuitry.

Always try to keep your laptop in a well-ventilated, cool environment. And ensure you don’t block the fan grills on the sides, back, or bottom of the machine at any time.

– Handle the screen carefully

Avoid touching or playing with your LCD screen.

Yes, it might be fun to watch the waves generated by your finger against the screen, but LCD displays are fragile devices that must be cared for.

Take care when cleaning the screen too, and use only approved cleaning materials.

You won’t want to pay the money for screen repairs or, even worse - a new machine entirely.

– Don’t drop it

Whatever you do, don’t drop your laptop computer! Keep it safe inside of a carrying case when moving around or traveling.

Don’t leave it on the edge of a table or on an unstable support of some kind. One ill fated drop to the floor could spell death for your mobile office.

Try to make sure the rubber feet underneath are in good condition and are still attached. This will prevent the device from sliding around accidentally.

– Be careful with those drinks…

If you need to have a drink while working or playing, be careful not to spill it.

Your laptop computer could suffer the consequences from just a few drops of liquid poured in the right places.

While you probably do eat and drink around it regardless, you will want to occasionally wipe down the edges, the keyboard, the touchpad, and maybe even wipe down the screen to keep any dirt from accumulating.

– Just say no to viruses

Security wise, make sure you obtain an anti-virus program.

Secondly, keep it updated!

Buying an anti-virus one month and not updating it for the next six really negates it purpose. Your laptop computer could be exposed to hundreds and thousands of new viruses every month if you don’t update your virus definitions.

Most anti-virus programs have automatic update methods, eliminating the need for you to have to remember to do it manually.

– Avoid Popups

Pop-ups are particularly annoying on a laptop computer. Trying to close a bunch of windows without a regular mouse can be a nuisance.

You’ll want a pop-up blocker, such as the Google Toolbar (located at http://tools.google.com), to prevent these pop- up ads.

Many intrusive forms of advertising, and even some viruses, can install software on your machine by using various forms of pop-ups. It’s best to get yourself a blocker and avoid the situation entirely.

– Use a firewall

Always utilize a firewall on your Internet or network- enabled laptop computer. Even if you use Windows XP’s built- in firewall (or purchase one from such companies as Norton), your security will greatly benefit from it.

Blocking out all the unnecessary ports and closing all the loopholes will prevent a hacker or virus from freely entering your hard drive.

So there you go. Combine all of the above tactics and help your laptop enjoy a happier and healthier lifestyle!

How To Save Big Bucks On A Laptop Computer

 by: John San Filippo

If you’re a bargain shopper looking to get the most bang for your buck, you’ll find no shortage of deals on the Internet.

And that’s particularly true in the fast-changing world of laptop computers, where you’ll find three bargain sources right at your fingertips:

1. Clearance Sales

Just like many brick-and-mortar retail stores, many computer manufacturer websites have clearance sections. On these web pages, you can find great deals on last year’s leftovers.

These are all new products (unless otherwise stated) and carry their original warranties. The only difference is that the price has been reduced.

Of course the manufacturers aren’t the only ones with clearance merchandise.

Major electronics and office supply retailers also include clearance sections on their websites, where you may be able to find the laptop bargain of your dreams.

2. Refurbished Laptops

Factory refurbs represent another great bargain opportunity. It works something like this:

• Joe Blow buys a new laptop, but decides a week later he doesn’t like the color.
• He takes it back to the store within the store’s stated return period, so the store is stuck with it.
• Since they can’t sell the laptop as new, the store sends it back to the manufacturer to be “refurbished.”
• The factory inspects that laptop to make sure everything works right, and then ships it out to a retailer that deals in refurbs.
• The refurb retailer then sells it to you at a great discount off the original price.

Buying a refurb can literally save you hundreds.

3. Online Auctions

You can always logon to an auction website and find a great deal on a used laptop. However, beware!

Buying anything used carries with it some risk. Buying a used laptop carries more risk than most people should be willing to take.

When you buy a used laptop from a private party, you don’t get any sort of warranty beyond DOA.

DOA stands for “dead on arrival”, a common auction term that means the seller guarantees the item will work when it arrives at your house.

But what happens if your laptop dies two weeks after it arrives? You’re out of luck, that’s what.

There are enough bargains available on warrantied laptops that all but the most meager budgets should be able to avoid buying used.

Stick to clearance and refurb machines and you’ll save yourself hundreds on your next laptop computer.

Copyright (c) 2004 HowToBuyALaptop.com.

Dell Computer Corporation Recall of Latitude / Inspiron Laptop AC Adapters

 by: John Gall

Dell Computer Corporation Recall of Latitude / Inspiron Laptop AC Adapters

If you own one of the following models of Dell Latitude or Inspiron PC laptops you may want to check your AC Adapter part number. Dell is recalling 990,000 AC Adapters used on the following Laptop Models: Latitude CP, CPi, CPiA, CPtC, CPiR, CPxH, CPtV, CS, CSx, CPxJ, CPtS, C500, C510, C600, C610, C800, C810, V700, C-Dock and CPort

Inspiron: 2500, 2600, 3700, 3800, 4000, 4100, 4150, 5000, 5000e, 7500, 7550, 8000, 8100

The Dell AC Adapter recall is due to the possibility that the AC Adapter could overheat and start a fire or produce an electrical shock. The issue appears to be in the cord which is damaged at the connection to the AC Adapter from bending in regular use. Dell is requiring that the AC adapter be shipped back to ensure that it is no longer in use.

The AC Adapter Part Numbers affected are:

P/N 9364U

P/N 7832D

P/N 4983D

The Manufacturer must also be Delta Electronics and made in Thailand

I have many Dell AC adapters with the affected part #’s and are not made by Delta Electronics but made by ASTEC in China. Those AC Adapters are ok. If you want to verify this please call the 1-800 number at Dell to confirm your AC Adapter is safe. You will need to read them the last twelve numbers on the AC Adapter bar code label. The web site also has a form to enter this information and generate a request for a new Dell AC Adapter.

Owners of these AC Adapters can visit http://www.delladapterprogram.com or call 1-800-418-8590 to obtain a replacement AC Adapter

At my company we did have one of these smoke and start on fire. The FAQ on Dell’s AC Adapter recall website states that it is a very small number of these Recall affected AC Adapters that have actually caught fire.

Buying Used Dell Laptops, PC’s and Servers on eBay - How to be successful.

 by: John Gall

Two years ago I needed a way to refresh more PC’s and Laptops at my company without spending more. New Dell laptops were great but expensive and over the years we had accumulated many Latitude C series parts. The C series ran from the CPX C600 C610 C400 and C640 models before their new D line of Latitude laptops were released. The docks, drives and many other parts are usable in any of these models so we decided to take advantage of this and purchase used Dell laptops. eBay was where we sourced these. Over the years I’ve learned some valuable things about buying these expensive items. Here are some tips and some recommendations of sellers I’ve found to be very reliable.

Know what you are buying.

Don’t just go by the model and specs of the machine. I’m seeing two types of units out there. Those that are complete PC’s sold as used units. Also refurbished units that have no serial number on the bottom or in the bios. These units can be had at very good prices and so far I’ve found them all to be in great condition. The problem is that without the serial you can’t even get tech support from Dell and obviously there isn’t a warranty. If you don’t mind this from the right seller these are great. For my use at my company it just isn’t worth the appearance of a model with no serial number. I’m passing on these for now.

Always pay using Pay Pal or some other service that lets you use a credit card.

Even when you use a credit card on Paypal your covered by the dispute and charge back protection provided by your credit card company. I’ve had two instances where the seller did not ship my laptop and I had to dispute the charge with my credit card company. In both cases I received a credit back from my company and had no trouble from Paypal. Before disputing open a formal case with Paypal as they require that before you do a charge back. I’m not sure what the consequences would be but better to appear as if you are trying to use their system.

Buying regularly? Try to form a relationship with a couple reputable sellers.

After doing business with a handful of sellers I trust I now completely bypass eBay. The sellers love the money they save on fees and I can often have them hunt down mint condition Latitude laptops. Some will even customize the laptop to your specs.

Check the sellers feedback.

Look to see that the seller regularly sells Dell equipment. This tells you two things. One that they are a reputable seller and have a history of people who bought the exact same item and were happy. The other thing is that if you see positive feedback regarding non-similar equipment you can assume that they will have no spare parts or service ability. If you see many sales of similar Dell equipment you can be sure that if you have a problem and notify them right away they will probably be able to fix your laptop.

Ask about warranty or warranty transfer assistance.

If you are lucky the unit you purchase will come with some warranty left from Dell. However Dell will not transfer the warranty into your name unless you have the original owners name and address. If you can find a seller willing to provide this you just struck gold! Note, this is not common at all. You can still get Dell to service an in warranty unit but they won’t transfer the ownership to your name.

Buying Servers? Look for Dell refurbished units with a warranty.

I don’t know how it works but there are many resellers of Dell Servers that are new or refurbished from Dell. These come with the Dell warranty and are transferable. When the server arrives its in the original Dell box still sealed up. The price can’t be beat and I’ve never had a problem. My suspicion is that for those with the right connections, Dell will sell you volumes of over production and refurbished units far below pricing you’d see in their Dell Outlet site. http://www.scsistuff.com is a great vendor for this type of buy.

7 Reasons NOT to Take Your Laptop on Holiday!

 by: Steve Robson

Heading off on vacation soon?

Then perhaps you’re tempted to take your trusty laptop along for the trip.

After all, you bought it for its mobility, and it’s nice to stay in touch via email with your family and friends back home.

However, just before you start packing, its pays to consider the downside of traveling with a laptop, particularly if you’re planning to go abroad:

1. Weight

A laptop (plus accessories) starts to feel heavy very quickly. And who really needs MORE luggage to carry around?

2. Security risk

To you, it’s a laptop computer. To a thief, it’s a bag of easy money. (About $1000). And that bag is something you have to guard every second of your vacation.

3. Power supply problems

You’ll need a different power adaptor plug for each country you visit. And depending on your laptop power supply cable, you may also need a step-up / step-down voltage transformer.

4. Connection complications

You’ll need to find a way of connecting to the Internet. If your laptop is suitably equipped and you can find a local hotspot, you can take advantage of wireless Internet access.

Otherwise you’re stuck with dial-up modem access, which means a choice between:

- using your existing ISP’s local call number in the country you’re visiting (provided your ISP has a local number! AOL and Compuserve generally do.)

- making a long-distance telephone call to your regular dial-up number back home

- signing up with a local ISP (rarely practical in the short-term)

5. Telephone socket trouble

Different countries have different types of telephone socket. If you’re planning on connecting via dial-up access, you’ll have to bring a suitable telephone adaptor plug.

You’ll also need a digital signal tester to test for higher- voltage digital telephones lines. Otherwise you could end up frying your modem and possibly the motherboard too.

6. Extra insurance cover

It’s highly unlikely your travel insurance policy extends to laptop computers. You’ll therefore need to arrange separate specialist insurance cover, which isn’t cheap.

7. You’re on holiday!

Do you really want your office with you on vacation? Aren’t you supposed to be getting away from it all?

If you’re beginning to think that traveling with a laptop computer is a major logistical exercise, then you’re right. (Just ask any “road warrior”!)

However, there IS an alternative:

An Internet Cafe.

Almost every city and large town now has several Internet cafes. To locate one when you’re abroad, just ask your hotel receptionist or a friendly taxi driver.

You’ll also find Internet cafes in airports, railway stations, major hotels, business centers, public libraries, and even onboard cruise ships.

Before you leave on your travels, simply ensure you can access your email via a web browser. (This is known as “webmail”. Most ISPs offer this option automatically - just ask them if you’re unsure.)

Alternatively, set up a free webmail address (at hotmail.com or yahoo.com) for the duration of your trip and give it to anyone who might need to contact you.

With webmail set up, all you have to worry about is remembering your email login and password. Everything else - hardware, connectivity, security - is somebody else’s problem.

To summarize:

Unless you have a very good reason for taking your laptop on holiday, you’d be wise to leave the darn thing at home and use an Internet cafe instead.

And who knows - maybe your laptop could use a vacation from you!

5 Tips For Buying The Right Laptop Computer

 by: John San Filippo

It’s easy to be intimidated by all the laptop models on the market today. There are literally dozens and dozens in every price range.

The key to finding the right one for you is to step back and consider exactly how you plan to use your laptop. When you define what you need before you go shopping, buying the right machine becomes much easier.

Here are 5 basic factors to consider:

1. SIZE

In the world of mobile computing, size definitely matters. The size of a laptop affects two key areas: portability and display size.

If you’re always on the go and will be using your computer only in short bursts, a so-called ultralight will save you some shoulder strain.

On the other hand, if you’re going to spend hours in front of your laptop, a larger display may be in order.

Today, some laptop displays exceed 17 inches, rivaling the display size of many desktop systems. The down side is that these monsters can easily weigh three times as much as an ultralight.

2. HARD DRIVE

Speaking of size, what about the size of the hard drive? One way to approach this issue is to ask yourself the following question:

Will this be my primary computer, or will it supplement my desktop system?

If the former, you should look for a bigger hard drive - 60 GB or more.

If the latter, you may be able to make it with a 20-30 GB hard drive.

But even this isn’t absolute.

If, for example, you plan to copy a huge MP3 library from your desktop system to your laptop to make your music library portable, you’d be well advised to err on the side of too big.

3. MEMORY

In determining the right amount of system memory, or RAM, take a look at the ways in which you intend to use your laptop:

If your needs are somewhat mundane - email, spreadsheets, word processing, etc. - 256 MB of RAM should be plenty. This is a common configuration for many laptops, so it means you probably won’t need to spend extra for more RAM.

On the flip side, if you’re an aspiring mobile digital photographer or videographer, you should stuff your laptop with as much RAM as it can hold.

In fact, exactly how much RAM your laptop can hold may in part drive your purchase decision. Applications for editing and manipulating multimedia content are notorious resource hogs.

4. NETWORK CONNECTIONS

Thanks in no small part to the Internet, computing in the 21st century relies heavily on being connected:

Connected to the Internet, connected to a corporate network, connected to a wireless network, connected to a home network, connected to an online service.

Your life will be easier if you buy a laptop that includes built-in means to connect to them all.

5. PRICE

If you’re considering a laptop, you’re probably wondering how much money you’ll need to spend.

A few years ago, you’d be hard-pressed to find one for under $2,000. Today, there are plenty of laptops to be had for under $1,000.

What’s more, most of the major manufacturers offer a variety of financing options.

Laptop prices have come down, to be sure. However, a laptop still represents a fairly major purchase for most people.

If you take the time to search for a laptop that meets your specific needs, you should get many years of use and enjoyment from this important investment.

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You may republish this article, but must keep the resource box and copyright at the end.

3 Easy Step To Locate A Real Bargain On Laptop Batteries

 by: Jim Panyavorachart

Looking for a real bargain on laptop batteries? How do I know the batteries are running good as advertised? Which merchants are offering quality rechargeable cells? Where can I get the bargain? Where to buy?

Many of you have some of these questions? Certainly!!. We surely want to saving our hard to earn $$ and only buy quality cells.

Here are the simple 7 ways to to locate the real bargain.

1. Shop online Why?

Most of suppliers/distributors are now targetting retail consumers themselves. The online store overheads are much less than retail stores. No store leasing, No utitlity bills and much less employee payrolls. With all these, they can pass the big savings to customers. Importantly, they have the same guarantee and warranty as retail stores..plus…it’s convenient!!! Quailty merchants offer FREE shipping!!

2. Find the saving coupons

This is the beauty!!….”saving coupons”….Online marketting is highly competitive. They are million of stores out there. Merchants want to get noticed, they want sales…they issue saving coupons for marketting…….buying your laptop batteries using “online saving coupon” is double savings.

how to find?…here we go….

go to your favorite search engines “laptop battery coupon” as an example. you will find many coupons from many merchants…..now what…which one to buy?? ….let move to the next step.

3. Find the quality merchants (ONLY)

Now we found many merchants selling online and offering saving coupons. Let buy…?? Nope…not yet…..please make no mistake - buy from the cheapest possible stores is NOT a real bargain. We also want quality. laptop batteries need to meet or exceed the original battery specification. Merchants need to own the following qualities…

• Free shipping
• Free handling
• Free customer support
• Well established in battery industry
• 30 days return policy
• Full manufacturer warranty
• Guarantee to meet or exceed the original specification
• 100% fully compatible with your laptops
• Online FAQs for yor battery inquiries
• Optional express shipping How do we know?…..Let brainstorm!!!!…Let hear from others!!!….Review customer comments….Most quality merchants are listing their customer testimonials, customer ratings from 3rd party rating system such as BizRate, epinion,Pricegrabber or Dealtime.

You can normally locate the Bizrate reviews at the merchants’ homepages. Simply click on the links they provide to review previous customers’ comments.

Simply follow these 3 easy steps, you will find the real bargain comparing to local retail stores. Have a pleasant online shopping experience!!

You’ve laid out good money for your laptop computer, but
you’re not done spending just yet.

There are a few more laptop accessories you may want to
consider to make the package complete.

1: Laptop Case / Bag

As the newest member of the mobile computing force, you’re
required to take an oath of safe computing.

And that starts with investing in the most important of
laptop accessories - a laptop bag. You can’t very well go
traipsing around the world with your laptop exposed to the
elements.