NOTEBOOK AND LAPTOP REVIEWS

Multi-media laptops are for those users who would like to work with graphics, watch movies or listen to music. Most multi-media laptops belong to the desktop replacement laptop category. They are more powerful than the conventional desktop computers and can work with media of all sorts.

Multi-media laptops aren’t necessarily portable. They are heavy and don’t come with good battery life. Travelers who will want to make media-rich presentations will, nevertheless, find them helpful. You may also want to use a multi-media laptop if you are a graphic artist who does some traveling. Opt for a model with a large display. If you do have to travel with a multi-media laptop, don’t forget to have a spare battery. You may also require access to power outlets as using media rich programs will easily drain the battery.

1.Make sure that your laptop’s intake and exhaust vents are not clogged up with dust. Poor air circulation will cause your laptop to get hotter fast. This will affect the performance of your laptop apart from damaging its internal components.

2. Declutter your computer. Clean up your registry and remove old and unused files and programs.

3. Having a lot of programs on your startup list can make your computer slow. Remove unnecessary programs from the startup menu.

4. Solid-state-drives are costlier than drives having moving parts. But they are much faster.

5. Use a good Antivirus Program. Home users can use the powerful AVG antivirus program for free.

6. Encrypt your drive to ensure that the important documents stored on your laptop are safe. BitLocker and TrueCrypt are popular drive encryption programs.

7. Keep every program and application that run of your laptop up-to-date.

The original purpose of laptops was to enable users work from wherever they want. Over the years the popularity of laptops grew and now different types of laptops are available to suit a variety of consumer demands.

Ultra-portable Laptops
As the name itself indicates ultra-portable laptops are the smallest laptops. These laptops are designed for frequent travelers and they don’t weigh very much. If you intend to buy an ultra-portable, choose a model that offers the most RAM possible. If your laptop doesn’t come with good RAM, you will have difficulty running multiple programs on it.

Thin & Light Laptops
Thin and Light laptops are ideal for infrequent travelers. They are portable but weigh slightly more than the ultraportables. Thin and Light laptops are ideal for working with documents and surfing the internet because they come with better and bigger displays.

Mid-Size Laptops
Mid-size laptops are for home users. Most mid-sized laptops are reasonably priced. They are easy to set up and use. Mid-size laptops don’t offer great battery life. So you shouldn’t consider buying one if you travel frequently.

Desktop Replacement Laptops
Desktop replacement laptops aren’t for travelers. They are very heavy and not portable. They don’t offer good battery life either. You can consider buying a desktop replacement laptop if you want to replace your older desktop with a newer laptop.

You have bought a brand new laptop and you are eager to set it up. There are a few essential steps you need to take.

The first step to setting up your laptop is to install a firewall and anti-virus program. Keep all setting up-to-date and then run a scan on your laptop.

Keep your Operating System up-to-date. Once you have updated your OS, re-boot your laptop.

If some additional drivers or software have been shipped with your laptop, install them. Install one drive or program at a time. After installing the programs, re-boot your laptop.

You can find if any software updates are available for your laptop by visiting the manufacturer’s website. If more than one update is available, install them one-by-one. Don’t forget to re-boot your laptop after installing each update.

You will also want to install additional programs. You can install most program updates by saving the .exe file to your hard drive and then running it from there.
Keep note of all the serial numbers of your software programs and other details you used while registering your programs. You may want to use this information at a later time, so keep it in a safe place.

To get the most out of your mobile gear you need to use it carefully. Here are a few tips to make sure that you are using your mobile gear safely.

Don’t overlook the importance of having a surge protector. It will help protect your device from harmful voltage fluctuations. Surge protectors are particularly helpful in unfavorable weather conditions.

If you are not happy with the device after buying it, return it or exchange it for a better device. Don’t try to alter the way the device works. If you do, you will void the warranty.

Before you buy the device do some research to see how different models work and which one is best suited to you.

Don’t expect your mobile gears to start working as soon as you purchase them. Most of them need to be charged before you can use them.

Carefully read the user manual before you start operating the device.

If any add-on software was shipped with your mobile device, you need to install them. If your device has Wi-Fi set it up. If your device is Bluetooth-enabled, try to set up Bluetooth pairings with your laptop or other accessories. You may also want to buy additional accessories like storage cards or cables.

The Acer TravelMate 3201XCi is a thin and light laptop specially made for mobile professionals. It is powered by the Intel Centrino MOBile Technology. And with optional Bluetooth, wired and wireless 802.11b/g LAN connectivity, an optional DVD burner, full dockability, IrDA Wireless Fast Infrared, USB Ports and a 3-in-1 card reader (MS/MMC/SD), the TravelMate 3201 packs enough power inside its chassis. With TravelMate 3201XCi, you will be able to connect to the internet in a variety of ways. The estimated battery life is 4 hours.

System configuration
The TravelMate 3201XCi runs on the Windows XP Pro. It uses the 1.5GHz Intel Pentium M Processor. RAM is 512 MB and hard drive capacity is 60 GB. The display is 14.1” TFT.

Pros:
Elegant design
Dedicated graphics system
eKey system

Cons:
No DVD burner

Buying a universal laptop battery is indeed a wise investment. But which battery should you buy? A good option is the PowerPlus 60 Universal Laptop Battery. At $299, it is reasonably priced and it comes with the universal AC adaptor.

ThePowerPlus 60 Universal Battery provides an uptime of up to 5 hours. It works with over 2000 laptop models. It is based on the advanced lithium polymer technology which is superior to the Li-Ion technology.

Pros
Reasonably priced
Compact and lightweight – weighs just 19.6 oz
Designed in such a way that it is resistant to overcharge and leakage

Cons
It may not work with older model laptops

The new Lenovo ThinkPad X200 is a nice addition to the ThinkPad family. It is an ultraportable laptop delivering strong performance. It has a wide-screen display with good resolution. It also offers a variety of connectivity options.
X200 is slightly smaller than the much fancied X300. And with its prices starting at $1434, it is much cheaper than X300. X200 also offers more hard drive space than X300.

Performance
With its new Centrino 2 components X200 offers better performance than most other ultraportable laptops. Another plus side is the 9-cell battery which offers the longest battery life ever seen on a laptop.

System Configuration
Processor: 2 .4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo P8600; Memory: 2GB at 667MHz; Hard drive: 160GB; Operating System: Windows Vista Business


Pros:
Great battery life
Comes with options like WWAN and GPS
Reasonably priced

Cons:
The nine-cell battery adds significant weight to the laptop
Lacks and Optical drive and touch pad

At just 0.73 inch in thickness, The Lenovo ThinkPad X300 is the sleekest ThinkPad ever. This newest addition to the ThinkPad X series comes with an attractive design and high-end components. It incorporates the best features of Apple’s MacBook Air and Toshiba’s Portege R500. It has its own great features too. For instance, it comes with built-in DVD burner, WWAN connectivity and GPS. ThinkPad X300 is ultraportable. It weighs less than 3.5 pounds. Estimated battery life is 3.5 hours.

System configuration
Operating System: Windows XP Professional SP2; Processor: 1.2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo L7100; Memory: 2GB of 667MHz; Graphics: Integrated Intel GMAX3100; Hard Drive: 64GB Samsung Solid State Drive

The ThinkPad X300 comes with both the TrackPoint pointing stick and a touch pad. It also incorporates features like an Ethernet connection, a built-in DVD burner and 3 USB 2.0 ports. On the flipside the laptop lacks features such as an expansion card slot or multiformat memory card reader. The biggest problem with this model, however, is its price. With a starting price of $2,476, it is way beyond the reach of many people.

Lenovo laptops are getting more and more thin and light. The ThinkPad T400s is no different. It is super thin, has a light weight chassis and is rugged enough to survive the life on the road.

The ThinkPad T400s has an Intel Core 2 Duo SP9600 processor inside and comes with the Intel X4500 integrated graphics. Performance wise this is an extremely good laptop. In fact, it is extremely fast to boot. And with features like SSD, DisplayPort, eSATA, WWAN, a 14.1 inch WXGA + LED backlit display and 5-in-1 multicard reader, it is pretty modern under the hood.

The T400s is more than enough to meet your day-to-day requirements, such as word processing or enjoying an HD movie. It isn’t very good for gaming. The 1.8” drive is much faster than the conventional 2.5” drive. The only major problem with this model is its price. At the starting price of $1599, the T400s is way too costlier than the standard T400.

Pros:
Sturdy yet thin and light
Good keyboard and nice design
Comes with eSATA and DisplayPort
Very fast even with integrated graphics

Cons:
Limited battery options
The 1.8" storage drive is costlier than the more common 2.5” drive

The Lenovo IdeaPad Y450 is a multimedia notebook aimed at students. It has a 14-inch screen. Battery life is good and performance is quite satisfactory. And with prices starting at $579, this laptop is quite affordable.

The Y450 runs on the Windows Vista Home Premium and has an Intel Core 2 Duo Processor T6400 inside. It weighs barely more than 4.5 pounds. The speakers produce good quality sound and the keyboard is the perfect size on a 14-inch laptop. There are three USB ports and a combo USB/eSATA port. Other features include an ExpressCard and FireWire. And with HDMI it is possible to connect your laptop to a larger HDTV or external monitor.

The Y450 should be more than enough to meet your day-to-day computing needs. Gaming is the only area where it lags behind its competition.


Pros:
Build is good
Value for money; good performance for the price
Good speakers

Cons:
Heats up pretty easily
At 1366x768, the screen resolution isn’t very good

Mobile professionals need a laptop that is thin and light. By thin and light, we mean laptops that weigh more than 4lbs but less than 7lbs. Most thin and light laptops have larger displays and larger hard disk drives, but they are still very much portable. So which are the top five thin and light laptops?

Toshiba Satellite M105-S3064 Notebook
The Toshiba Satellite M105-S3064 comes with a 14.1”widescreen display and an Intel Core Duo processor. The hard drive can store up to 120 GB of data. There are four USB 2.0 ports, one FireWire an external VGA connection, a dual-layer DVD/CD burner and one memory card reader. With its powerful processor and ample RAM this one works really well on the road.

Fujitsu LifeBook S6240 Notebook
The Fujitsu LifeBook S6240 weighs just 4lbs making it ultra portable. It has a 13.3" Crystal View XGA display. There is an integrated fingerprint sensor for security purposes. Hard drives ranging from 60GB to 100 GB can be installed on this notebook. It also comes with an Ethernet LAN connection and a 56K V.90 modem.

Apple PowerBook G4 Notebook
The Apple PowerBook G4 Notebook has a 17” display that is ideal for sharing documents and presentations. The PowerBook G4 has built-in Wi-Fi. It also comes with Bluetooth and FireWire capabilities.

LG LM50a XNote
The best thing about this thin and light laptop is its battery life and great display. The 15” wide display is ideal for presentations. The brightness levels can be easily adjusted so that the laptop works well in any circumstances.

HP Compaq nc6000 Notebook
The HP Compaq nc6000 Notebook offers up to 5 hours of battery life. It is sturdy and Wi-Fi enabled. There are enough security tools. The notebook comes with Windows XP Pro Edition pre-installed.

The Lenovo Z60T is a thin and light laptop ideal for mobile professionals. It weighs just under 5lbs making it highly portable. The notebook comes with several great security features including a biometric fingerprint reader. Another useful security feature is the ThinkVantage Active Protection System which will shut down your hard drive if the notebook is dropped or bounced accidentally.

Who should buy ThinkPad Z60t?
Well, any mobile professional who wants an ultra portable laptop with a widescreen should consider buying this. ThinkPad Z60t comes with a powerful processor: It can be configured with 2.13 GHz Pentium M processor or the Intel Celeron M 1.5 GHz processor. It has three 3 USB 2.0 ports, a media card reader and FireWire. You can install up to 2GB of RAM on this PC. The Z60t doesn’t come with a dedicated graphics card. There is, nevertheless, Intel’s integrated multimedia accelerator with which you can still play a lot of games.

Your laptop needs special care in hot and warm weather. Most laptops work properly at temperatures ranging from 10 to 35 degrees Celsius.

If you need to bring in your laptop from the warm hot air to a cooler place, allow it enough time to cool down to the temperature inside before you use it. Similarly if you need to use your laptop outdoors, let it warm up to the outside temperature.

Don’t leave your laptop behind in a car in hot weather. The internal parts of your laptop and its external casing will get damaged in hot temperatures. Humidity is another culprit. It causes damage to the internal components of your laptop and you may not even realize that.

Do not expose your laptop to harsh sunlight. If you must use your laptop outside in bright sunlight you must use a laptop glare screen or a laptop hood.

While traveling don’t forget to carry equipments like surge protectors, power inverters and spare batteries with you. In storms and other unfavorable weather conditions you cannot fully rely on grid power.

Invest in a laptop stand that helps disperse the heat your laptop generates. Different kinds of laptop stands are available. Some even include fans.

Use a well-padded laptop case to keep it insulated from heat, moisture and direct sunlight. Your laptop case should have enough room to keep all of your mobile gear.

The Dell Precision M6400 Workstation is a powerful desktop replacement laptop. Its features make it useful in entertainment, media industries, engineering and biosciences.

The machine supports up to 16 GB RAM. It has an Intel Core 2 Duo Quad-Core qx9300 Extreme Edition processor inside. There are four memory card slots. You can use Windows Vista Ultimate or Windows Vista Business on this PC. It supports both 32-bit and 64-bit operating systems. If you really want, it is also possible to use Red Hat Linux 5.1 64-Bit.

The M6400 has a 17" edge-to-edge back-lit display. It supports Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1 and GPS connectivity. Users in the US will also be able to use Ultra-Wideband Next Generation Mobile Broadband7 connectivity. To make your data secure, there is an optional Fingerprint Reader and TPM 1.2.

At 8.5lbs/3.86kg8 the M6400 Workstation is a bit heavy. But it shouldn’t bother you if what you need is a machine that combines the features of a laptop and desktop. There are several machines that are heavier but don’t do even half as much as this.