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Laptop PCs: Choosing, Using, Upgrading, Fixing Problems and Repairing Laptop/Notebook/Netbook Computers - Page 1

Last updated on 30 July 2010

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Windows 7 - The latest versions of Windows

Click the link to read the article on this website on Windows 7, the latest versions of Windows: Install, Use, Restore, Recover and Repair Windows 7 - Win7: How It Differs from Windows XP and Vista.

How to choose a laptop/notebook/netbook computer

Another name for a laptop computer is notebook computer.

There are two main species of laptop/notebook computers - the PC laptop that runs Windows (the latest officially-released version of which is Windows 7) and Windows software, and the Apple Mac that runs its own operating system called Mac OS X (the latest version is called Snow Leopard), which has software specially written for it. Apple calls it "the world's most advanced operating system".

You need to make the correct choice, because if you buy a laptop that does not provide the features you need, you cannot return it just for that reason. You will only be able to return it if the laptop that you received was not the make/model that you ordered, it was missing features or components that you ordered, or it was not working out of the box, or it stopped working at a later date and could not be repaired by the vendor or manufacturer. If it was not working out of the box, you are entitled to a replacement of the same model. In that event, if you discovered that you had made the wrong choice, you could negotiate with the vendor in order to be supplied with a more appropriate choice.

If you are going to use the battery for long periods, you must make sure that any netbook/laptop computer you buy provides long battery life. Mobile computers have batteries that are made up of cells - usually from 3 to 9 cells. Usually the more cells a battery has, the longer it will last when fully charged. However, a laptop with a 3-cell battery of the same type from a particular manufacturer will not last as long as a 6-cell battery of the same type from the same manufacturer, but a 3-cell battery from another manufacturer of the same type can last longer than a 6-cell battery of the same type made by other manufacturers, etc.

Therefore, before you make a purchase, you must read the reviews of a particular laptop to find out which type of battery is provided and its expected running time, which depends on the kind of use it is being put through. Heavy PC gaming or playing a video uses more power than using office applications. Most brand-name laptop manufacturers that sell online, such as Dell, provide a choice of batteries of the same type (3-cell, 6-cell, 9-cell). However, if you buy a laptop from a retail store, the battery might not be customisable (you have to accept the battery it comes with).

A battery's mAh rating refers its storage capacity. A battery with a capacity rating of 2400 mAh should be able to deliver a current of 2400mA for one hour. Higher mAh ratings for the same battery type almost always means that the battery will provide power for longer. For example, a 6-cell 4800 mAh Dell Vostro 1510 laptop battery won't last as long as a 9-cell 7200 mAh Dell Vostro 1510 laptop battery. The following link provided information on those two batteries for the Dell Vostro 1510 laptop. You should only consider buying a laptop/netbook that has a Li-ion battery, which almost all current laptops have.

http://www.hunt360.co.uk/Dell-laptop-batteries/Dell-Vostro-1510-battery.html

Detailed infomation on laptop batteries is provided further down in this article.

A subspecies is called the netbook, which has become a very popular purchase during the credit crunch. Wikipedia defines it as follows:

"A netbook is a light-weight, low-cost, energy-efficient, highly portable laptop that achieves these parameters by offering fewer features, less processing power and reduced ability to run resource-intensive operating systems (e.g., Windows Vista). Suitable for web browsing, email, and general purpose applications, netbooks are targeted increasingly at users accessing web-based applications, also known as Cloud computing, that do not require intensive resources available on the client computer. Although specifications and features of netbooks are highly variable, one report at the end of 2008 suggested the typical netbook featured a 3-lb (1.4 kg) weight, a 9-inch (23 cm) screen, wireless Internet connectivity, Microsoft Windows XP, an Intel chip [processor], and a cost of less than US$400."

You should take care when buying a netbook to make sure that it meets your computing needs. For example, the Compaq Mini 702EA PC is a netbook that has a 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 single-core processor (most laptops have dual-core or quad-core processors; dual-core Atom processors are available, currently only for small desktop PCs, but soon to be available for netbooks). MSI has marketed netbooks with dual-core processors other than the Atom.

The more cores a processor has the more capable it is - especially if the software the computer is running has been written for multiple cores - because each core can run its own program/applictaion or set of programs/applications. If you click on the make/model link, above, you will be taken to the page providing its specifications. Note that currently none of the Intel Atom single-core processors runs faster than 2.0GHz.

Buyer's guide to netbooks - http://www.pcpro.co.uk/html/buyers-guide-to-netbooks/

Dual-core Atom 330 benchmarked -

http://www.pcpro.co.uk/blogs/2008/11/12/dual-core-atom-330-benchmarked/

Intel to launch dual-core Atom processor for netbooks this quarter -

April 14, 2010 - "Otellini was vague on details, and did not specify whether the upcoming dual-core Atom would be for netbooks or small desktops. When asked about the possible launch of a dual-core Atom processor for netbooks this quarter, an Intel spokeswoman declined to comment, only saying a few Atom-related announcements are expected. Intel already offers dual-core chips for small desktops, including the Atom D410 and D510. -

http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9175462/...

MSI announces Wind U210 dual-core netbook -

"MSI has become the first company to announce a dual-core netbook, the 12.1in Wind U210. Two models have been announced, both of which will be powered by AMD's 1.6GHz Neo NV-40." -

http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/news/267088

Video preview of the dual-core MSI Wind U210 -

http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/news/267328/...

You are advised to look carefully at all of the hardware specification of a netbook before you buy it. For example, almost all netbooks do not come with a DVD writer, so you would have to use an external DVD writer for data storage if using a USB flash drive doesn't meet your needs.

The battery of a netbook can last from between two and five hours, with some exceptional netbooks, such as the Samsung N110, lasting up to 9.5 hours. How long the battery lasts depends on how many cells it has or its mAh rating, the power use of hardware specification and what the netbook is used for. If you need to use a netbook on the move, you should choose one that provides the length of battery life between charges that you require.

Compaq Mini 702EA PC netbook has 1024MB (1GB) of RAM memory and no free memory slot, so the memory cannot be upgraded. It has a DVD-RW rewriter and a 60GB SATA hard disk drive, not a Solid State Drive (SSD), which uses flash memory, that works at 4,200 RPM (revolutions per minute), which is very low compared to the 7,200 RPM of most laptop hard drives, so disk-access speeds will be slow. It comes with a 30W AC power adapter and provides 802.11b/g wireless network and Bluetooth wireless-peripheral support (mobile phone, keyboard, mouse, etc.). It has a small 3-cell Lithium-Ion (Li-ion) battery, so battery life will not be long. Reports on the web say battery life is under two hours. However, a web report (not an HP/Compaq report) said that a 6-cell battery that has up to five hours of battery life will soon be available for around £100 - more than a third of the price of the netbook itself.

I have seen the Compaq Mini 702EA PC advertised in different sources as coming with Windows XP SP3 and Windows Vista Home Premium. It should work best with Windows XP because it can run nicely on its hardware, but with Windows Vista Home Premium, the processing power of the Atom processor, only 1GB of memory and an integrated graphics chip (not a separate graphics card), it will be slow. Vista should run on a minimum of 2GB of memory and a 2GHz processor.

That said, the latest versions of Windows - Windows 7 - officially released on October 22, 2009, has much lower processing and memory requirements than Windows Vista, so you should only buy a laptop with Windows 7 preinstalled. Windows 7 Home Premium is the best and cheapest version to buy

Click here! to go to the section of this website on the versions of Windows 7. The best version for ordinary home use is Windows 7 Home Premium.

Windows 7 vs Windows XP on netbooks -

http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/news/index.cfm?newsid=115552

Here are some a good reviews of a netbook that provides most of what a user could require of one. They all provide information that the others miss:

MSI Wind U100 Review - http://laptoplogic.com/reviews/msi-wind-u100

MSI Wind U100-641US 10-Inch Netbook Review -

http://www.uttamah.com/2009/msi-wind-u100-641us-10-inch-netbook-review/

You can read purchaser reviews here:

http://www.amazon.com/MSI-U100-432US-10-Inch-Netbook-Processor/dp/...

Most netbooks use a conventional laptop hard disk drive or a solid-state drive (SSD), which uses flash memory, but MSI has launched the first hybrid netbook that has both types of drive.

MSI launches hybrid netbook -

"MSI claims to have launched the world's first hybrid netbook, sporting both a solid-state disk [should be drive, because an SSD does not use disks] and a conventional hard disk [drive]. The MSI Wind U115 has the operating system installed on the SSD, leaving the hard disk for file storage." -

http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/244645/msi-launches-hybrid-netbook.html

Here is a video review of the Dell Inspiron Mini 9 netbook computer:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=7uAGe3N7PgM

Another subspecies is called the sub-notebook, which is smaller and lighter than full-notebook-sized laptops. They are smaller than the ultra-portable 'mobility' netbook laptops sold by the major manufacturers such as Dell and HP. In fact, at the time of writing (March 2008), there were no sub-notebooks being sold by those two manufacturers. Sub-notebooks are not as popular as full-sized models and are usually made by less-well-known manufacturers such as Vye.

Here is link to an updated table showing images and the main specifications - screen size, processor, RAM memory, storage, operating system connectivity (e.g., 802.11b/g WiFi, Bluetooth, USB ports, VGA/DVI graphics/video output, SD card reader), battery, webcam, dimensions, weight, colours, availability - and prices in US$ of a wide range of sub-notebook computers (43 models at the time of writing this in August 2008):

http://creator.zoho.com/showViewLinkAlone.do?...

Here is a review of a Vye sub-notebook PC that has a 7" screen in a 10" case:

Vye mini-V S37 Review -

http://www.tomsguide.com/us/vye-mini-v-s37,review-1068.html

The alternative type of computer are desktop PCs, which are dealt with in the Desktop PCs section of this site. Here is a link to an article that compares the two types.

What to Buy, a Notebook or Desktop PC? -

http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/desktop-vs-notebook,review-30954.html

Most new laptop/notebook PCs now come with a version of Windows 7 pre-installed, but they are still available new with a version of Windows Vista pre-installed, and they will be available second-hand with a version Windows XP for many years to come.

The vast majority of new desktop an laptop computers now come with Windows 7 preinstalled and operate some kind of recovery system, be it via access to a genuine Windows 7 DVD, a Recovery Disc that usually restores the system to its factory state, or a recovery partition on the PC's hard disk drive that the recovery system uses from within Windows.

Visit the Using Windows Vista section of this site and Install, Use, Restore, Recover and Repair Windows 7 - Win7: How It Differs from Windows XP and Vista for detailed information on those versions of Windows.

Microsoft stopped selling licences for Windows XP after 30 June 2000, but paid-for and free support for it will continue up to 2014. Support for Windows XP has to be paid for now, but security updates will be free until 2014. Visit the Windows Support section of this site for pages that deal with Windows XP.

Microsoft: June 30 not end of Windows XP support -

"Windows XP will remain in what Microsoft calls "mainstream support" to April 14, 2009, and continue in "extended support" though April 8, 2014..." -

http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?...

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/7 that allows you to choose sound schemes. In my current laptop, it is the Realtek HD Sound Effect Manager.

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 7 Home Premium Edition (the most popular version of Vista) and the latest software comfortably or for long (will drain an ecomomy 6-cell battery) when not connected to the mains, 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

Note that if the specifications for the processor (CPU) don't state that it is a dual-core or a quad-core processor, which have two and four processing cores respectively, then it will be a single-core processor, which is inferior to a dual-core and quad-core processor.

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, 1GB RAM memory, and Windows 7 Home Premium as the operating system. The more memory it has the better. If it has a 64-bit edition of Windows 7, it should have a minimum of 2GB of memory.

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 and Window 7 that feature is now found under the Programs and Features category in the Control Panel.

****

The versions of Windows Vista for the home user were made available on January 30, 2007 and the equivalent versions of Windows 7 were made available on 22 october 2009

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. Since then, the versions of Windows 7 have been made available. Win7 is a better operating system than Windows Vista, so you should choose a desktop or laptop computer that runs it in preference to one that runs Windows Vista.

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 7, it is not advisable to buy a new desktop or laptop computer that has a version of Windows Vista installed on it, even if it comes with a free upgrade to a version of Windows 7, 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 Windows 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.

The Capable and Ready designations are not applicable to Windows 7, probably because Microsoft had many problems with them in regard to Vista and because Windows 7 can run on lower-specification hardware than Vista.

Visit the Using Windows Vista section of this site and Install, Use, Restore, Recover and Repair Windows 7 - Win7: How It Differs from Windows XP and Vista for detailed information on those 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. 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 16.10 or 16:9, (the later matches the aspect ratio of widescreen movies) 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.

Visit the Monitors section of the site for information on aspect ratios.

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 RAM memory: Use the UK and US Crucial Memory Advisors

Paul Mullen, who was 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 best way to choose RAM memory for a brand-name desktop or laptop computer, or memory for a particular make/model of PC motherboard is to make use of the Crucial Memory Advisors (provided under the brief guideline on the minimum memory requirements for Windws XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7). If the Crucial memory you receive does not work, you are guaranteed a refund and standard shipping is free.

The memory requirements of the versions of Windows Vista and Windows 7

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 minimum memory recommended to run Windows XP. Note that if you are using a 64-bit version of Windows, up to 4.0GB, it requires twice the amount of memory as a 32-bit version, which can only use a maximum of about 3.5GB. For more information on computer memory, read the RAM pages of this site, which includes information on the lower memory requirements of Windows 7.

How to Use the Crucial Memory Advisor

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.

Laptop/notebooks/netbooks as reviewed and rated by Expert Reviews

The full reviews of the latest notebook computers can be found on the following page:

Laptop/notebook computer reviews -

http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/laptops

January 15, 2010. - The Expert Reviews website is the online presence of the Computer Shopper magazine. Issue 265 of Computer Shopper (the January 2010 called its March 2010 edition) reviewed the following laptop computers. Samsung N140 netbook computer - five-star Best Buy award - Asus K50IJ general-purpose laptop - Five stars - Best Buy award - Samsung R520 general-purpose laptop - five-star £500 laptop Budget Buy award - Mesh Edge15 Gamer CS general-purpose laptop - four-star £700 laptop Budget Buy award - Samsung R620 general-purpose laptop - £700 laptop Best Buy award. At the time of writing, this the reviews had yet to appear on the Expert Reviews website. You can make use of the Google search box at the top of this page (with its Web radio button enabled) to locate reviews and sellers.

Here are some recent examples rated as five-star products:

1. - Dell Inspiron 1764 review -

"The Dell Inspiron 1764 is the first laptop we've seen to use Intel's new mobile Core i5 processor. At face value, the 2.26GHz Core i5-430M isn't that much faster than the Core i3-330M processors we've seen in quite a few laptops, but it also includes Turbo Boost technology to give it an extra edge." -

Price when reviewed: £653

Supplier: http://www.dell.co.uk/

Manufacturer's website: http://www.dell.co.uk/

Review - http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/laptops/276817/...

2. - Acer Aspire 5940G review [general-purpose laptop] -

"Acer's 5940G is the first laptop we've reviewed with one of Intel's new Core i7 mobile processors, the 1.6GHz 720QM. It flew through our benchmarks, scoring 99 overall, the highest score we've seen from a laptop, and only just short of our reference desktop PC. For £1,000 you also get a decent graphics chipset, a 500GB hard disk and, amazingly, a Blu-ray writer." -

Price when reviewed: £1,000

Supplier: http://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/

Manufacturer's website: http://www.acer.co.uk/

Review: http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/laptops/274753/...

3. - Toshiba Satellite T130-11H review [ultra-portable laptop] -

"Toshiba's T130 is a slim ultra-portable laptop that uses one of Intel's new Consumer Ultra-Low Voltage (CULV) processors, giving it a battery life of almost eight hours. There's no optical drive and it has fewer expansion ports than a typical laptop, but it makes up for this in portability at only 1.8kg. Its glossy, attractive case makes it look a class apart, even if it's hardly more sophisticated than a netbook."

Price when reviewed: £469

Supplier: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Toshiba-Satellite-T130...

Manufacturer: http://www.toshiba.co.uk/

Review: http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/laptops/274756/toshiba-satellite-t130-11h

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 runs Windows 7 (released 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. Note that the 64-bit versions of Windows 7 require 2GB or more of memory.

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.

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.

Although laptops/notebooks are still being sold with a single-core processors (at the time of writing in December 2009, Dell was still selling laptops with single-core Intel Celeron processors), the models with much faster dual-core and quad-core processors don't cost much more, so, in order to future-proof your investment as much as possible, a laptop with an Intel or AMD dual-core or quad-core processor is the best choice.

Mobile CPU [Processor] Chart Update and Forecast -

http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/cpu-notebook-laptop,review-30865.html

The graphics of a laptop PC can be powered by a graphics chip integrated on the motherboard, which usualy uses system RAM memory or by a separate graphics card that can often be upgraded and which has its own video RAM memory. Here is a list of all of the current laptop graphics solutions:

Comparison of Laptop PC Graphics Cards -

"In the following we will briefly list all graphics cards which are available for notebooks at the market today. The GPUs are sorted by performance and classified in different classes. To get a better overview on current laptop graphic cards, older cards can be greyed out." - http://www.notebookcheck.net/Comparison-of-Graphic-Cards.130.0.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 Windows 7 section of this site for more information of the latest 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 -

"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 £350 to as high as £2,500 or more. If your computing needs can be met by a basic £350 laptop/notebook, such as the popular Dell Inspiron 15, 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

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

Note that 6-cell Li-ion battery has a shorter batter life than a 9-cell Li-ion battery. Economy laptops usually have a 6-cell battery, but many manufacturers give the purchaser the choice of a 9-cell battery, which increases thye cost of the computer

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.

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).

PC Buyer Beware! Copyright © Eric Legge 2004-2010. All rights reserved.