21: What's it made of?
Most laptop cases are still made from molded plastic, but you can find some encased
in metal, which dissipates heat better. Look for models made from light, strong
metal alloys. If you're in the market for a desktop replacement, check that the
case has adequate ventilation for the powerful (and hot-running) components inside.
22: Fixed or swappable
Less-expensive notebooks have fixed drives, meaning the optical and hard drives
can't be removed. Some, though, have a swappable-drive bay, letting you change out
an optical drive for a hard drive or extra battery--or just a spacer module so you
can shed some travel weight.
23: Are you the Tablet type?
Comparable in size and weight to ultraportable notebooks, tablet PCs occupy a
different niche. They're available in two basic designs: Convertibles, which have
displays that swivel and fold flat facing outwards, and slates, which have no
attached keyboards. (Some slates offer optional wired or wireless keyboards.) All
Tablet PCs use a special version of Windows XP that works in tandem with the
display for navigating and entering data using a stylus. Until recently, these
units were primarily used in specialised fields, such as health care, insurance,
and real estate, but sexier models with new software are slowly reaching a broader
audience.
24: Going for the perfect drive
Optical drives of all kinds are available for laptops--from basic DVD/CD-RW combo
drives to double-layer DVD±RWs. We like DVD writer drives for notebooks; they burn
CDs and play both CDs and DVDs. If you want to splurge, a DVD recorder is handy
for backing up as much as 8.5GB of important files at a time.
25: Don't forget to shop for Apples
It's no secret Apple makes some phenomenal notebooks. If you're considering one,
make sure all the specialty software apps you need to run are available for the
Mac platform. Also, factor in what's required to incorporate your new Mac into
your home network.
CNets Asia
Showing posts with label buy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label buy. Show all posts
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Tips To Buy Perfect Notebook For You (4)
16: Modern conveniences
Some common desktop features have made their way into notebooks. Quick-launch keys
are a perfect example. You can program these buttons to launch your favourite apps,
turn on your wireless radio, or switch to a power-saving mode. A few of our other
favourite luxuries are built-in TV tuners, and, for photo junkies, multiformat
memory-card readers.
17: Turn on, tune out--instantly
Want to listen to music or watch a DVD without having to wait for your notebook to
power up? An instant-on feature lets you do just that, so you can get right down
to, um, business, without the boot time. Plus, going this route usually helps
extend battery life. Although this isn't a necessary feature, it can come in handy
on long flights.
18: Connect the docks
A docking station quickly turns your notebook into a desktop. You connect your
peripherals (monitor, keyboard, mouse, and serial devices) to the dock, which
stays at your desk. Simply attach the notebook to the dock, and you instantly get
the conveniences of a desktop without having to unplug everything when it's time
to go.
Another advantage of a docking station is its inclusion of legacy ports many newer
notebooks leave out, such as parallel, serial, and PS/2 ports. If you don't need
all the features of a dock, but could still use the extra connectivity, check
whether the notebook maker offers a port replicator, which is basically a
pared-down version of a dock.
19: When good notebooks go bad
Every notebook is susceptible to accidents and system failures. We recommend
paying for a good three-year warranty with express service. If you can afford it,
get coverage for damage caused by spills, drops, electrical surges, or any other
accident.
20: Essential accessories
When pricing a notebook, set aside cash for important extras. These include a
laptop bag, an extra battery, a mouse and keyboard, and software for office work,
Internet security, and system maintenance. You may even want to consider an
external hard drive for backup.
CNets Asia
Some common desktop features have made their way into notebooks. Quick-launch keys
are a perfect example. You can program these buttons to launch your favourite apps,
turn on your wireless radio, or switch to a power-saving mode. A few of our other
favourite luxuries are built-in TV tuners, and, for photo junkies, multiformat
memory-card readers.
17: Turn on, tune out--instantly
Want to listen to music or watch a DVD without having to wait for your notebook to
power up? An instant-on feature lets you do just that, so you can get right down
to, um, business, without the boot time. Plus, going this route usually helps
extend battery life. Although this isn't a necessary feature, it can come in handy
on long flights.
18: Connect the docks
A docking station quickly turns your notebook into a desktop. You connect your
peripherals (monitor, keyboard, mouse, and serial devices) to the dock, which
stays at your desk. Simply attach the notebook to the dock, and you instantly get
the conveniences of a desktop without having to unplug everything when it's time
to go.
Another advantage of a docking station is its inclusion of legacy ports many newer
notebooks leave out, such as parallel, serial, and PS/2 ports. If you don't need
all the features of a dock, but could still use the extra connectivity, check
whether the notebook maker offers a port replicator, which is basically a
pared-down version of a dock.
19: When good notebooks go bad
Every notebook is susceptible to accidents and system failures. We recommend
paying for a good three-year warranty with express service. If you can afford it,
get coverage for damage caused by spills, drops, electrical surges, or any other
accident.
20: Essential accessories
When pricing a notebook, set aside cash for important extras. These include a
laptop bag, an extra battery, a mouse and keyboard, and software for office work,
Internet security, and system maintenance. You may even want to consider an
external hard drive for backup.
CNets Asia
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Tips To Buy Perfect Notebook For You (3)
11: Go wireless
Integrated wireless networking (Wi-Fi) has become an indispensable feature. Most
notebooks ship with a choice of 802.11b/g or 802.11a/b/g. Capable of data
throughput of 11Mbps, 802.11b is fine for ordinary use. Public hotspots typically
use 802.11b or 802.11g. (The latter is backward-compatible with 802.11b.) Unless
you're in and out of office environments, don't worry about support for 802.11a.
Santa Rosa-based notebooks have the option of the fastest Wi-Fi standard to date,
the 802.11n radio which is suppose to give ten times more bandwidth than the
previous 802.11g standard.
12: Power without the plug
Lithium-ion batteries have all but replaced nickel-cadmiums because they're
lighter, have a higher energy density, and don't suffer from recharge-inhibiting
memory effect. So-called "smart" lithium-ions give feedback to the laptop about
their remaining power, so the computer can conserve as necessary.
Two more specs to look for in laptop batteries are capacity (measured in milliamp
hours, or mAh), and the number of cells. Typical batteries have a mAh rating
between 2,000mAh and 6,000mAh; higher is better. Cells are the actual compartments
where power is produced and can range from four to 12; the more the better.
13: What's in a name?
Intel loves its code-names. In the mobile arena, the company's Centrino mobile
technology tops the list. The Centrino platform, which arrived in early 2003,
combines Intel's Pentium M or Core Duo/Solo CPU, Intel chipset, and Pro/Wireless
Wi-Fi circuitry. A notebook must have all three parts to be a Centrino notebook.
A newer version of Centrino, the Core platform (previously codenamed Santa Rosa),
arrived this year. It features Intel's 965 chipset and adds support for HDMI and
800MHz dual-channel DDR3 memory to laptops. What does all this mean? Dual-core or
even future quad-core processing, faster graphics and multitasking, plus increased
battery life over older models. The best news: We expect prices on older--but
still excellent--Centrino models to fall a bit.
14: Tiny, tinny sound
Notebooks are notorious for having terrible speakers. Our recommendation: Get a
good set of headphones, or a stereo or three-piece speaker set.
Laptops generally lack the sound-processing abilities to use surround-sound
speakers, but you can add it. Creative's Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS Notebook slides
into a PC Card slot, providing support for up to eight-channel surround sound.
15: It's not just size that matters
Notebook hard drives start at 80GB. Form factor may restrict your options, but if
possible, go for at least 120GB or 160GB if you'll be storing lots of image or
music files. Capacity isn't the only issue. If you have a choice, select a drive
with a rotational speed of at least 5,400rpm. The faster it spins, the faster
you'll get your files.
From : CNet Asia
Integrated wireless networking (Wi-Fi) has become an indispensable feature. Most
notebooks ship with a choice of 802.11b/g or 802.11a/b/g. Capable of data
throughput of 11Mbps, 802.11b is fine for ordinary use. Public hotspots typically
use 802.11b or 802.11g. (The latter is backward-compatible with 802.11b.) Unless
you're in and out of office environments, don't worry about support for 802.11a.
Santa Rosa-based notebooks have the option of the fastest Wi-Fi standard to date,
the 802.11n radio which is suppose to give ten times more bandwidth than the
previous 802.11g standard.
12: Power without the plug
Lithium-ion batteries have all but replaced nickel-cadmiums because they're
lighter, have a higher energy density, and don't suffer from recharge-inhibiting
memory effect. So-called "smart" lithium-ions give feedback to the laptop about
their remaining power, so the computer can conserve as necessary.
Two more specs to look for in laptop batteries are capacity (measured in milliamp
hours, or mAh), and the number of cells. Typical batteries have a mAh rating
between 2,000mAh and 6,000mAh; higher is better. Cells are the actual compartments
where power is produced and can range from four to 12; the more the better.
13: What's in a name?
Intel loves its code-names. In the mobile arena, the company's Centrino mobile
technology tops the list. The Centrino platform, which arrived in early 2003,
combines Intel's Pentium M or Core Duo/Solo CPU, Intel chipset, and Pro/Wireless
Wi-Fi circuitry. A notebook must have all three parts to be a Centrino notebook.
A newer version of Centrino, the Core platform (previously codenamed Santa Rosa),
arrived this year. It features Intel's 965 chipset and adds support for HDMI and
800MHz dual-channel DDR3 memory to laptops. What does all this mean? Dual-core or
even future quad-core processing, faster graphics and multitasking, plus increased
battery life over older models. The best news: We expect prices on older--but
still excellent--Centrino models to fall a bit.
14: Tiny, tinny sound
Notebooks are notorious for having terrible speakers. Our recommendation: Get a
good set of headphones, or a stereo or three-piece speaker set.
Laptops generally lack the sound-processing abilities to use surround-sound
speakers, but you can add it. Creative's Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS Notebook slides
into a PC Card slot, providing support for up to eight-channel surround sound.
15: It's not just size that matters
Notebook hard drives start at 80GB. Form factor may restrict your options, but if
possible, go for at least 120GB or 160GB if you'll be storing lots of image or
music files. Capacity isn't the only issue. If you have a choice, select a drive
with a rotational speed of at least 5,400rpm. The faster it spins, the faster
you'll get your files.
From : CNet Asia
Tips To Buy Perfect Notebook For You (2)
6. Finger fitting
As notebooks shrink in size, so do their keyboards. If possible, try some simple
typing exercises before you buy. The smaller the keyboard, the more creative the
vendor may have gotten with key size and placement. Pay particular attention to the
spacebar, Shift, Ctrl, and Backspace/Delete keys. Be sure all are in a good
location for your hand size and typing style.
7: Touchy, touchy
Computing today relies a lot on mousing. With a notebook, all you get is a touch
pad or pointing stick. Unless you plan on traveling with a mouse, test the
notebook's input device for comfort and responsiveness. Some touch pads include
extra features, such as a dedicated area for scrolling. We've never been big fans
of those little pointing sticks tucked in the middle of the keyboard, because
precision is tough and the little nubs wear off, requiring replacement.
8: Vying for video RAM
If you're not planning on doing much graphics work or playing 3D games, shared
memory should be fine. But if you have a choice, aim for a graphics chipset that
shares at least 384MB of system memory. You may not find it in an ultraportable,
but other notebook types may offer more robust graphics chipsets. In fact, many
high-end notebooks have discrete graphics subsystems with dedicated high-speed
video memory. If gaming or intensive graphics work is on the agenda, look for 512MB
or 1GB of dedicated memory.
9: A slot for all reasons
Like a PCI slot in a desktop, a PC Card (or PCMCIA) slot in a notebook provides
expansion opportunities. Additional USB and FireWire ports, wired and wireless
modems, and wireless LAN radios are all available in PC Card form. PC Cards and
slots come in three sizes: Type I, II, and III. Type I cards are normally used for
memory, Type II for input/output devices, and Type III for mass storage and
firewalls. The very latest notebooks include the ExpressCard slot which is set to
replace the PCMCIA card format in the long run.
10: Get connected
Ports, especially USB and FireWire, are necessities, but on notebooks they're
usually in short supply. At a minimum, look for two USB ports, and if you have any
legacy devices, such as parallel printers, look for those ports, too. If you'd like
to use a digital camcorder or iPod with your notebook, make sure the notebook has a
FireWire (IEEE 1394) port. Connecting a monitor will require a VGA port. (If you'll
be giving presentations, a VGA port is also where you'll connect a projector.) And
if you want to output video to a television, find a notebook with an S-Video out.
From : CNet Asia
As notebooks shrink in size, so do their keyboards. If possible, try some simple
typing exercises before you buy. The smaller the keyboard, the more creative the
vendor may have gotten with key size and placement. Pay particular attention to the
spacebar, Shift, Ctrl, and Backspace/Delete keys. Be sure all are in a good
location for your hand size and typing style.
7: Touchy, touchy
Computing today relies a lot on mousing. With a notebook, all you get is a touch
pad or pointing stick. Unless you plan on traveling with a mouse, test the
notebook's input device for comfort and responsiveness. Some touch pads include
extra features, such as a dedicated area for scrolling. We've never been big fans
of those little pointing sticks tucked in the middle of the keyboard, because
precision is tough and the little nubs wear off, requiring replacement.
8: Vying for video RAM
If you're not planning on doing much graphics work or playing 3D games, shared
memory should be fine. But if you have a choice, aim for a graphics chipset that
shares at least 384MB of system memory. You may not find it in an ultraportable,
but other notebook types may offer more robust graphics chipsets. In fact, many
high-end notebooks have discrete graphics subsystems with dedicated high-speed
video memory. If gaming or intensive graphics work is on the agenda, look for 512MB
or 1GB of dedicated memory.
9: A slot for all reasons
Like a PCI slot in a desktop, a PC Card (or PCMCIA) slot in a notebook provides
expansion opportunities. Additional USB and FireWire ports, wired and wireless
modems, and wireless LAN radios are all available in PC Card form. PC Cards and
slots come in three sizes: Type I, II, and III. Type I cards are normally used for
memory, Type II for input/output devices, and Type III for mass storage and
firewalls. The very latest notebooks include the ExpressCard slot which is set to
replace the PCMCIA card format in the long run.
10: Get connected
Ports, especially USB and FireWire, are necessities, but on notebooks they're
usually in short supply. At a minimum, look for two USB ports, and if you have any
legacy devices, such as parallel printers, look for those ports, too. If you'd like
to use a digital camcorder or iPod with your notebook, make sure the notebook has a
FireWire (IEEE 1394) port. Connecting a monitor will require a VGA port. (If you'll
be giving presentations, a VGA port is also where you'll connect a projector.) And
if you want to output video to a television, find a notebook with an S-Video out.
From : CNet Asia
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Tips To Buy Perfect Notebook For You (1)
1. Choose Your Form
We divide notebook into 4 form ( thin-light, ultraportable, mainstream, desktop
replacement ). Decide which form is suit for you.
-> Thin-light if you need balance between size, battery and power. This form is
suit with students or bussinessman. Their larger screens (14-15) and it's
roomier keyboard makes it better for longer usage
-> Ultraportable, if you will use your notebook on the road (mobile). This form has
small size, that's make it easy to bring. Finally, tiny tech comes with higher
price.
-> Mainstream, if you need laptops for daily usage. Although they don't have small
size ( 14' screen or larger, big keyboard, and standard ports ), they still
offer portability. So, this form just like budget desktop's : they good for
general tasks but won't win any contests for their performance or features.
-> Desktop Replacement, if you need desktop power. With screen size between 15-17',
travel weights, and longer battery life (Upto 3 hours). They offer wide range
performance, but decreased a little portability.
2. The CPU
For CPU you should choose the fastest you can afford. You have a lot options.
Intel's Centrino is good, but if you prefer one which has affordable price you can
choose AMD. But AMD is still behind Intel's (based on CNet mobilemark test).
3. Screen
Wide screen offers sharper and better image, they are great for watching DVD's or
you can open two documents side by side. A spacious 17-inch wide-screen laptop is a
nice luxury if you're not planning on traveling with it.
4. The (not-so) great outdoors
Sunlight is not ideal for computing -- specifically, for seeing the screen. If you
want to work outdoors, you have options, but most consumer models have what are
known as transmissive screens. These screens are lit from behind, and despite what
you've seen in the commercials, they're virtually invisible on a bright, sunny day.
Reflective LCDs, which light the screen's pixels from the front and reflect
polarised light from the environment, are much better for outdoor work, but their
screens look dim indoors. What's more, they're mostly reserved for vertical-market
notebook models and are pretty tough to come by.
5. Memory
Having enough memory is vital to system performance, and lots of RAM lets you run
more applications simultaneously. Sufficient RAM is also necessary for graphics
work, image editing, and video editing, and crucial for 3D gaming. This is
especially true in notebooks, because notebook graphics processors frequently have
little or no memory of their own and share the main system RAM.
1GB: Good for basic office apps, running one at a time.
1.5GB: Adequate for running several programs at once, photo editing, and basic 3D
gaming.
2GB or more: Recommended for high-performance 3D gaming, demanding graphics work,
and video editing.
From : CNet Asia
We divide notebook into 4 form ( thin-light, ultraportable, mainstream, desktop
replacement ). Decide which form is suit for you.
-> Thin-light if you need balance between size, battery and power. This form is
suit with students or bussinessman. Their larger screens (14-15) and it's
roomier keyboard makes it better for longer usage
-> Ultraportable, if you will use your notebook on the road (mobile). This form has
small size, that's make it easy to bring. Finally, tiny tech comes with higher
price.
-> Mainstream, if you need laptops for daily usage. Although they don't have small
size ( 14' screen or larger, big keyboard, and standard ports ), they still
offer portability. So, this form just like budget desktop's : they good for
general tasks but won't win any contests for their performance or features.
-> Desktop Replacement, if you need desktop power. With screen size between 15-17',
travel weights, and longer battery life (Upto 3 hours). They offer wide range
performance, but decreased a little portability.
2. The CPU
For CPU you should choose the fastest you can afford. You have a lot options.
Intel's Centrino is good, but if you prefer one which has affordable price you can
choose AMD. But AMD is still behind Intel's (based on CNet mobilemark test).
3. Screen
Wide screen offers sharper and better image, they are great for watching DVD's or
you can open two documents side by side. A spacious 17-inch wide-screen laptop is a
nice luxury if you're not planning on traveling with it.
4. The (not-so) great outdoors
Sunlight is not ideal for computing -- specifically, for seeing the screen. If you
want to work outdoors, you have options, but most consumer models have what are
known as transmissive screens. These screens are lit from behind, and despite what
you've seen in the commercials, they're virtually invisible on a bright, sunny day.
Reflective LCDs, which light the screen's pixels from the front and reflect
polarised light from the environment, are much better for outdoor work, but their
screens look dim indoors. What's more, they're mostly reserved for vertical-market
notebook models and are pretty tough to come by.
5. Memory
Having enough memory is vital to system performance, and lots of RAM lets you run
more applications simultaneously. Sufficient RAM is also necessary for graphics
work, image editing, and video editing, and crucial for 3D gaming. This is
especially true in notebooks, because notebook graphics processors frequently have
little or no memory of their own and share the main system RAM.
1GB: Good for basic office apps, running one at a time.
1.5GB: Adequate for running several programs at once, photo editing, and basic 3D
gaming.
2GB or more: Recommended for high-performance 3D gaming, demanding graphics work,
and video editing.
From : CNet Asia
Saturday, January 19, 2008
MacBook Air: How Incomplete Is It?
Steve Jobs is, among many other things, the great denier. Second mouse buttons, floppy drives, 56-kbps modems--for decades, he has been perfectly willing to release products lacking one or more features that are standard equipment on everyone else's computers, if he thinks they're unnecessary or they offend his design principles or aesthetic sense.
Typically, the news that a new Mac is missing a feature is met by yelps of protest. But then, sooner or later, the rest of the industry follows Jobs's lead. (Okay, usually--I haven't seen any one-button mouses on PCs lately.) Jobs, in other words, tends to figure out that we can live without something before the rest of the world does.
I'm not sure if he has ever denied Apple customers as many features as he will with the MacBook Air, the superthin notebook that he unveiled at this morning's Macworld Expo keynote. In introducing the Air, Jobs said that manufacturers of other thin-and-light laptops made too many compromises to make their machines sleek, like using small keyboards and screens and wimpy CPUs. But nobody else in the industry would dream of making some of the compromises that the Air makes.
So what's missing? And how big a deal is it?
An optical drive
Mildly annoying omission
This is the one thing everybody assumed the Air would leave out, although I was holding out hope that Apple would take its cue from Toshiba's optical-drive-bearing featherweight Portege 500. There's a long history of subnotebooks skipping the optical drive to shave off weight and space, so the Air's doing so won't strike anyone as shocking. And Jobs is right in that a lot of things people do with optical drives--such as watch movies and install software--can be done these days without one. (Apple's new Remote Disc feature will help in the latter instance.)
Me, I mostly use my MacBook's Superdrive for two things: ripping CDs into MP3s and making data CDs and DVDs to distribute files to friends and colleagues. I guess I could do the former on another computer and then move the MP3s to an Air--sorry, Steve, I'm not ready to buy all my music from iTunes. And cheap thumb drives can probably do the trick when I want to hand out copies of files. Still, if I were to buy an Air, I suspect I'd spring for the $99 external Superdrive.
Ethernet
Seriously annoying omission
In the old days, no notebook had built-in ethernet; you had to futz with external adapters. Then it became standard equipment. The fact that the Air lacks it makes the machine a throwback.
Jobs spoke of the Air as a machine built to be used wirelessly. But most of the hotels I stay in assume that my computer has ethernet. It's also damn handy at work. I can't imagine there are that many people who can spring for a $1799 Air who won't need ethernet at least from time to time. Apple sells an external adapter, but if I traveled with an Air, I'd probably just toss my Airport Express travel router into my briefcase, giving me a form of ethernet compatibility that doesn't actually make me plug an ethernet cable into the Air.
Multiple USB ports
Mildly annoying omission
I'm not sure when I last owned a computer with only one USB port, but it's been a very, very long time. On the other hand, it's rare that I want to plug two USB devices into my MacBook at once, and at least one of the ones I use (a SanDisk MicroMate card reader) blocks access to both of the MacBooks ports when I use it anyhow. So I wouldn't not buy an Air because of its solo USB.
Typically, the news that a new Mac is missing a feature is met by yelps of protest. But then, sooner or later, the rest of the industry follows Jobs's lead. (Okay, usually--I haven't seen any one-button mouses on PCs lately.) Jobs, in other words, tends to figure out that we can live without something before the rest of the world does.
I'm not sure if he has ever denied Apple customers as many features as he will with the MacBook Air, the superthin notebook that he unveiled at this morning's Macworld Expo keynote. In introducing the Air, Jobs said that manufacturers of other thin-and-light laptops made too many compromises to make their machines sleek, like using small keyboards and screens and wimpy CPUs. But nobody else in the industry would dream of making some of the compromises that the Air makes.
So what's missing? And how big a deal is it?
An optical drive
Mildly annoying omission
This is the one thing everybody assumed the Air would leave out, although I was holding out hope that Apple would take its cue from Toshiba's optical-drive-bearing featherweight Portege 500. There's a long history of subnotebooks skipping the optical drive to shave off weight and space, so the Air's doing so won't strike anyone as shocking. And Jobs is right in that a lot of things people do with optical drives--such as watch movies and install software--can be done these days without one. (Apple's new Remote Disc feature will help in the latter instance.)
Me, I mostly use my MacBook's Superdrive for two things: ripping CDs into MP3s and making data CDs and DVDs to distribute files to friends and colleagues. I guess I could do the former on another computer and then move the MP3s to an Air--sorry, Steve, I'm not ready to buy all my music from iTunes. And cheap thumb drives can probably do the trick when I want to hand out copies of files. Still, if I were to buy an Air, I suspect I'd spring for the $99 external Superdrive.
Ethernet
Seriously annoying omission
In the old days, no notebook had built-in ethernet; you had to futz with external adapters. Then it became standard equipment. The fact that the Air lacks it makes the machine a throwback.
Jobs spoke of the Air as a machine built to be used wirelessly. But most of the hotels I stay in assume that my computer has ethernet. It's also damn handy at work. I can't imagine there are that many people who can spring for a $1799 Air who won't need ethernet at least from time to time. Apple sells an external adapter, but if I traveled with an Air, I'd probably just toss my Airport Express travel router into my briefcase, giving me a form of ethernet compatibility that doesn't actually make me plug an ethernet cable into the Air.
Multiple USB ports
Mildly annoying omission
I'm not sure when I last owned a computer with only one USB port, but it's been a very, very long time. On the other hand, it's rare that I want to plug two USB devices into my MacBook at once, and at least one of the ones I use (a SanDisk MicroMate card reader) blocks access to both of the MacBooks ports when I use it anyhow. So I wouldn't not buy an Air because of its solo USB.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Latest Vista SP1 Beta Opened Up to Public
Microsoft has reversed field and opened public access to the latest beta build of Vista Service Pack 1. Users can now download
Vista SP1 RC Refresh from Microsoft's Web site.
Users can install the beta via Windows Update, but Microsoft is providing a list of procedures users should follow to avoid problems.
Microsoft originally released the Refresh beta on Jan. 9 to approximately 15,000 beta testers that included corporate customers, consumer enthusiasts, software and hardware vendors, and others, according to a company spokesman.
The spokesman said on Jan. 10 Microsoft decided to make the beta open to everyone with an interest via its TechNet Web site. Microsoft said its intention was to get the widest and deepest feedback it can before releasing the software.
The spokesman said Vista SP1 is still slated for release before the end of March.
More Popular in Businesses?
The beta news comes on the heels of the third phase of a year-long study conducted by Walker Information for IT services and product supplier CDW, which shows Vista gaining popularity in the business market. The study shows that 48% of respondents are using or evaluating Windows Vista -- up from 29% in the previous poll from February 2007 and from 12% in the first poll taken in October 2006.
Microsoft first made Windows Vista SP1 RC Preview available on Nov. 14 to 15,000 testers as part of its private beta program. In December, the company opened the beta to the public.
Microsoft hopes to align SP1's availability with Windows Server 2008, which Microsoft hopes to ship on or before its Feb. 27, 2008 launch event in Los Angeles.
Vista SP1 will include a number of bug fixes and performance enhancements but no new features, Microsoft said. Microsoft also is updating its set of Vista migration tools, including the Application Compatibility Toolkit 5.0, Windows Vista Hardware Assessment 2.1 solution accelerator (formerly called Business Desktop Deployment), and Microsoft User State Migration Tools 3.0.
Microsoft officials said the Vista SP1 RC includes changes that streamline setup and installation. It also includes all previously released updates since RTM, performance and reliability improvements such as file copy, network browsing and improved response time to resume from sleep, and change to administration features, including changes to BitLocker that allow encryption for multiple volumes.
Over the years, SP1 versions of any Microsoft products have become a traditional milestone that some corporate users wait for before they even consider rolling out the software.
Uptake of Vista has been slow by corporate users, many of whom have standardized on XP and are reluctant to undertake another migration.
Vista SP1 RC Refresh from Microsoft's Web site.
Users can install the beta via Windows Update, but Microsoft is providing a list of procedures users should follow to avoid problems.
Microsoft originally released the Refresh beta on Jan. 9 to approximately 15,000 beta testers that included corporate customers, consumer enthusiasts, software and hardware vendors, and others, according to a company spokesman.
The spokesman said on Jan. 10 Microsoft decided to make the beta open to everyone with an interest via its TechNet Web site. Microsoft said its intention was to get the widest and deepest feedback it can before releasing the software.
The spokesman said Vista SP1 is still slated for release before the end of March.
More Popular in Businesses?
The beta news comes on the heels of the third phase of a year-long study conducted by Walker Information for IT services and product supplier CDW, which shows Vista gaining popularity in the business market. The study shows that 48% of respondents are using or evaluating Windows Vista -- up from 29% in the previous poll from February 2007 and from 12% in the first poll taken in October 2006.
Microsoft first made Windows Vista SP1 RC Preview available on Nov. 14 to 15,000 testers as part of its private beta program. In December, the company opened the beta to the public.
Microsoft hopes to align SP1's availability with Windows Server 2008, which Microsoft hopes to ship on or before its Feb. 27, 2008 launch event in Los Angeles.
Vista SP1 will include a number of bug fixes and performance enhancements but no new features, Microsoft said. Microsoft also is updating its set of Vista migration tools, including the Application Compatibility Toolkit 5.0, Windows Vista Hardware Assessment 2.1 solution accelerator (formerly called Business Desktop Deployment), and Microsoft User State Migration Tools 3.0.
Microsoft officials said the Vista SP1 RC includes changes that streamline setup and installation. It also includes all previously released updates since RTM, performance and reliability improvements such as file copy, network browsing and improved response time to resume from sleep, and change to administration features, including changes to BitLocker that allow encryption for multiple volumes.
Over the years, SP1 versions of any Microsoft products have become a traditional milestone that some corporate users wait for before they even consider rolling out the software.
Uptake of Vista has been slow by corporate users, many of whom have standardized on XP and are reluctant to undertake another migration.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
How To Run Vista Legally Without Activation for a Year
A security expert says Windows Vista can be run for at least a year without being activated, but Microsoft calls the process an antipiracy 'hack'.
Windows Vista can be run for at least a year without being activated, a serious end run around one of Microsoft's key antipiracy measures, Windows expert Brian Livingston said Thursday.
Livingston, who publishes the Windows Secret newsletter, said that a single change to Vista's registry lets users put off the operating system's product activation requirement an additional eight times beyond the three disclosed last month. With more research, said Livingston, it may even be possible to find a way to postpone activation indefinitely.
"The [activation] demands that Vista puts on corporate buyers is much more than on XP," said Livingston. "Vista developers have [apparently] programmed in back doors to get around time restrictions for Vista activation."
Microsoft Calls it a Hack
Microsoft promptly labeled the registry change a "hack," a loaded word that is usually synonymous with "illegal."
"Recently it has been reported that an activation hack for Microsoft's Windows Vista operating system has been identified," said David Lazar, the director of the company's Genuine Windows program, in an e-mail. "Although these reports are purely speculative at the moment, we are actively monitoring attempts to steal Microsoft intellectual property."
"This is not a hack," Livingston shot back when Lazar's e-mail was read to him. "This is a documented feature of the operating system." To back up his view, Livingston pointed out links to online support documents where Microsoft spells out the pertinent registry key. Nor is it speculative; Livingston demonstrated the procedure live via a Web conference session Thursday and claimed "we have run this dozens of times."
Postpone Activation
Livingston last month revealed that a one-line command lets users postpone Vista activation up to three times. Combined with Vista's initial 30-day grace period, that meant users could run Vista for as long as 120 days before they had to activate the OS. At the time, Microsoft seemed unconcerned with the disclosure, and flatly stated that using it would not violate the Vista End User License Agreement (EULA).
"The feature that I'm revealing today shows that Microsoft has built into Vista a function that allows anyone to extend the operating system's activation deadline not just three times, but many times," Livingston said.
Microsoft documented the key on its support site in a description of what it calls "SkipRearm". In it, Microsoft explains that "rearming a computer restores the Windows system to the original licensing state. All licensing and registry data related to activation is either removed or reset. Any grace period timers are reset as well."
By changing the SkipRearm key's value from the default "0" to "1," said Livingston, the earlier-revealed "slmgr -rearm" command can be used over and over.
In tests with several editions of Vista purchased at different times, Livingston found that copies of Vista Ultimate and Vista Home Premium obtained at the end of January would accept the SkipRearm change only eight times. Together with the three postponements made possible with slmgr -rearm and the opening 30-day grace period, that would give users nearly a year (360 days) of activation-free use. A copy of Vista Home Basic bought March 14, however, ignored the SkipRearm registry change.
"Microsoft has slipstreamed something into Home Basic and Home Premium," Livingston said. "But from my reading of the support documents, Microsoft needs to keep this feature in its business editions, Vista Business, Enterprise and Ultimate. It seems that Microsoft is sympathetic to enterprises' difficulty in rolling out Vista within the activation deadlines."
Lazar did not answer several questions e-mailed to him Thursday, including one that asked why Microsoft had included the SkipRearm feature in the first place. However, he indicated that the feature could be blocked if Microsoft desired. "It is important to note that these hacks are, at best, temporary. Microsoft has systems in place to detect and block piracy."
The following describes the Registry key that's involved.
Step 1. While running a copy of Windows Vista that hasn't yet been activated, click the Start button, type regedit into the Search box, then press Enter to launch the Registry Editor.
Step 2. Explore down to the following Registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Windows NT \ CurrentVersion \ SL
Step 3. Right-click the Registry key named SkipRearm and click Edit. The default is a Dword (a double word or 4 bytes) with a hex value of 00000000. Change this value to any positive integer, such as 00000001, save the change, and close the Registry Editor.
Step 4. Start a command prompt with administrative rights. The fastest way to do this is to click the Start button, enter cmd in the Search box, then press Ctrl+Shift+Enter. If you're asked for a network username and password, provide the ones that log you into your domain. You may be asked to approve a User Account Control prompt and to provide an administrator password.
Step 5. Type one of the following two commands and press Enter:
slmgr -rearm
or
rundll32 slc.dll,SLReArmWindows
Either command uses Vista's built-in Software Licensing Manager (SLMGR) to push the activation deadline out to 30 days after the command is run. Changing SkipRearm from 0 to 1 allows SLMGR to do this an indefinite number of times. Running either command initializes the value of SkipRearm back to 0.
Step 6. Reboot the PC to make the postponement take effect. (After you log in, if you like, you can open a command prompt and run the command slmgr -xpr to see Vista's new expiration date and time. I explained the slmgr command and its parameters in my Feb. 15 article.)
Step 7. To extend the activation deadline of Vista indefinitely, repeat steps 1 through 6 as necessary.
Any crooked PC seller with even the slightest technical skill could easily install a command file that would carry out steps 1 through 6 automatically. The program could run slmgr -rearm three times, 30 days apart, to postpone Vista's activation deadline to 120 days. It could then run skip -rearm every 30 days, for a period of months if not years, by first resetting the SkipRearm key.
The program could be scheduled to check Vista's activation deadline during every reboot, and to remind the user to reboot once a month if a deadline was nearing. The buyer of such a PC would never even see an activation reminder, much less be required to go through the activation process.
If you happen to buy a Vista PC from a little-known seller, and the price was too good to be true, use Vista's search function to look for the string SkipRearm in files. You may discover that your "bargain" computer will mysteriously start demanding activation in a year or two — but your product key won't be valid.
I asked Microsoft why SkipRearm is included in Vista if it can be used to create machines that appear not to need activation for long periods. A Microsoft spokewoman replied, "I connected with my colleagues and learned, unfortunately, we do not have information to share at this time." (I can't identify the speaker because the policy of Waggener Edstrom, Microsoft's public-relations firm, prohibits the naming of p.r. spokespersons.)
In my testing of Microsoft's back-door loophole, I've found that the technique can be used to postpone the activation deadline one year or longer. It may or may not, however, work forever, as I describe below.
Activation Deadline Extensions
"This is somewhat of a threat to Microsoft," Livingston said. "But the extent to what it can retroactively patch, I don't know. Maybe they will want to change this. But that would only call more attention to activation, and perhaps reveal the mechanism Vista is using to count SkipRearm."
Livingston has not been able to find where Vista stores the SkipRearm count; conceivably, that count is what restricts its use to a maximum of eight. If someone was to find the count location, however, and manage to change that as well as the SkipRearm registry key, users might be able to postpone activation forever, said Livingston.
"The problem I see with this is that unscrupulous system builders will use it [to install counterfeit copies of Vista], but that Vista will start demanding activation a year or more out, when the guy is long gone with your money," said Livingston. "And then the activation key wouldn't work, because he would have used it on hundreds or even thousands of systems and Microsoft would have blocked it."
Background
Microsoft introduced product activation in 2001's Office XP and also used it in that year's Windows XP. Activation was toughened up for Vista, however; After the grace period, nonactivated PCs running Vista drop into what Microsoft calls "reduced functionality" mode. In reduced mode, users can only browse the Web with Internet Explorer, and then only for an hour before being forced to again log on.
Livingston's work-around, however, may do away with activation altogether. "[Activation] has become so convoluted, the way Microsoft has implemented it, that it's more of an irritation to legitimate users than a worthwhile antipiracy measure," Livingston concluded.
Naturally, Microsoft's Lazar sees it differently. "The new anti-piracy technologies in Windows Vista are designed to protect customers and prevent the software from working correctly when it is not genuine and properly licensed," he said. "Systems utilizing these hacks will not provide the benefits of genuine Windows, nor will they work as expected."
Computer Works
Windows Vista can be run for at least a year without being activated, a serious end run around one of Microsoft's key antipiracy measures, Windows expert Brian Livingston said Thursday.
Livingston, who publishes the Windows Secret newsletter, said that a single change to Vista's registry lets users put off the operating system's product activation requirement an additional eight times beyond the three disclosed last month. With more research, said Livingston, it may even be possible to find a way to postpone activation indefinitely.
"The [activation] demands that Vista puts on corporate buyers is much more than on XP," said Livingston. "Vista developers have [apparently] programmed in back doors to get around time restrictions for Vista activation."
Microsoft Calls it a Hack
Microsoft promptly labeled the registry change a "hack," a loaded word that is usually synonymous with "illegal."
"Recently it has been reported that an activation hack for Microsoft's Windows Vista operating system has been identified," said David Lazar, the director of the company's Genuine Windows program, in an e-mail. "Although these reports are purely speculative at the moment, we are actively monitoring attempts to steal Microsoft intellectual property."
"This is not a hack," Livingston shot back when Lazar's e-mail was read to him. "This is a documented feature of the operating system." To back up his view, Livingston pointed out links to online support documents where Microsoft spells out the pertinent registry key. Nor is it speculative; Livingston demonstrated the procedure live via a Web conference session Thursday and claimed "we have run this dozens of times."
Postpone Activation
Livingston last month revealed that a one-line command lets users postpone Vista activation up to three times. Combined with Vista's initial 30-day grace period, that meant users could run Vista for as long as 120 days before they had to activate the OS. At the time, Microsoft seemed unconcerned with the disclosure, and flatly stated that using it would not violate the Vista End User License Agreement (EULA).
"The feature that I'm revealing today shows that Microsoft has built into Vista a function that allows anyone to extend the operating system's activation deadline not just three times, but many times," Livingston said.
Microsoft documented the key on its support site in a description of what it calls "SkipRearm". In it, Microsoft explains that "rearming a computer restores the Windows system to the original licensing state. All licensing and registry data related to activation is either removed or reset. Any grace period timers are reset as well."
By changing the SkipRearm key's value from the default "0" to "1," said Livingston, the earlier-revealed "slmgr -rearm" command can be used over and over.
In tests with several editions of Vista purchased at different times, Livingston found that copies of Vista Ultimate and Vista Home Premium obtained at the end of January would accept the SkipRearm change only eight times. Together with the three postponements made possible with slmgr -rearm and the opening 30-day grace period, that would give users nearly a year (360 days) of activation-free use. A copy of Vista Home Basic bought March 14, however, ignored the SkipRearm registry change.
"Microsoft has slipstreamed something into Home Basic and Home Premium," Livingston said. "But from my reading of the support documents, Microsoft needs to keep this feature in its business editions, Vista Business, Enterprise and Ultimate. It seems that Microsoft is sympathetic to enterprises' difficulty in rolling out Vista within the activation deadlines."
Lazar did not answer several questions e-mailed to him Thursday, including one that asked why Microsoft had included the SkipRearm feature in the first place. However, he indicated that the feature could be blocked if Microsoft desired. "It is important to note that these hacks are, at best, temporary. Microsoft has systems in place to detect and block piracy."
The following describes the Registry key that's involved.
Step 1. While running a copy of Windows Vista that hasn't yet been activated, click the Start button, type regedit into the Search box, then press Enter to launch the Registry Editor.
Step 2. Explore down to the following Registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Windows NT \ CurrentVersion \ SL
Step 3. Right-click the Registry key named SkipRearm and click Edit. The default is a Dword (a double word or 4 bytes) with a hex value of 00000000. Change this value to any positive integer, such as 00000001, save the change, and close the Registry Editor.
Step 4. Start a command prompt with administrative rights. The fastest way to do this is to click the Start button, enter cmd in the Search box, then press Ctrl+Shift+Enter. If you're asked for a network username and password, provide the ones that log you into your domain. You may be asked to approve a User Account Control prompt and to provide an administrator password.
Step 5. Type one of the following two commands and press Enter:
slmgr -rearm
or
rundll32 slc.dll,SLReArmWindows
Either command uses Vista's built-in Software Licensing Manager (SLMGR) to push the activation deadline out to 30 days after the command is run. Changing SkipRearm from 0 to 1 allows SLMGR to do this an indefinite number of times. Running either command initializes the value of SkipRearm back to 0.
Step 6. Reboot the PC to make the postponement take effect. (After you log in, if you like, you can open a command prompt and run the command slmgr -xpr to see Vista's new expiration date and time. I explained the slmgr command and its parameters in my Feb. 15 article.)
Step 7. To extend the activation deadline of Vista indefinitely, repeat steps 1 through 6 as necessary.
Any crooked PC seller with even the slightest technical skill could easily install a command file that would carry out steps 1 through 6 automatically. The program could run slmgr -rearm three times, 30 days apart, to postpone Vista's activation deadline to 120 days. It could then run skip -rearm every 30 days, for a period of months if not years, by first resetting the SkipRearm key.
The program could be scheduled to check Vista's activation deadline during every reboot, and to remind the user to reboot once a month if a deadline was nearing. The buyer of such a PC would never even see an activation reminder, much less be required to go through the activation process.
If you happen to buy a Vista PC from a little-known seller, and the price was too good to be true, use Vista's search function to look for the string SkipRearm in files. You may discover that your "bargain" computer will mysteriously start demanding activation in a year or two — but your product key won't be valid.
I asked Microsoft why SkipRearm is included in Vista if it can be used to create machines that appear not to need activation for long periods. A Microsoft spokewoman replied, "I connected with my colleagues and learned, unfortunately, we do not have information to share at this time." (I can't identify the speaker because the policy of Waggener Edstrom, Microsoft's public-relations firm, prohibits the naming of p.r. spokespersons.)
In my testing of Microsoft's back-door loophole, I've found that the technique can be used to postpone the activation deadline one year or longer. It may or may not, however, work forever, as I describe below.
Activation Deadline Extensions
"This is somewhat of a threat to Microsoft," Livingston said. "But the extent to what it can retroactively patch, I don't know. Maybe they will want to change this. But that would only call more attention to activation, and perhaps reveal the mechanism Vista is using to count SkipRearm."
Livingston has not been able to find where Vista stores the SkipRearm count; conceivably, that count is what restricts its use to a maximum of eight. If someone was to find the count location, however, and manage to change that as well as the SkipRearm registry key, users might be able to postpone activation forever, said Livingston.
"The problem I see with this is that unscrupulous system builders will use it [to install counterfeit copies of Vista], but that Vista will start demanding activation a year or more out, when the guy is long gone with your money," said Livingston. "And then the activation key wouldn't work, because he would have used it on hundreds or even thousands of systems and Microsoft would have blocked it."
Background
Microsoft introduced product activation in 2001's Office XP and also used it in that year's Windows XP. Activation was toughened up for Vista, however; After the grace period, nonactivated PCs running Vista drop into what Microsoft calls "reduced functionality" mode. In reduced mode, users can only browse the Web with Internet Explorer, and then only for an hour before being forced to again log on.
Livingston's work-around, however, may do away with activation altogether. "[Activation] has become so convoluted, the way Microsoft has implemented it, that it's more of an irritation to legitimate users than a worthwhile antipiracy measure," Livingston concluded.
Naturally, Microsoft's Lazar sees it differently. "The new anti-piracy technologies in Windows Vista are designed to protect customers and prevent the software from working correctly when it is not genuine and properly licensed," he said. "Systems utilizing these hacks will not provide the benefits of genuine Windows, nor will they work as expected."
Computer Works
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Want to Buy Desktops ?
What kind of desktop?
Most manufacturers offer several lines at different prices.Think budget for basic needs, including photo editing. For general computing such as word-processing, e-mail, and Web browsing, a budget computer should be more than sufficient. Budget models also have the speed and storage capacity needed for routine photo editing and light video editing.
Think workhorse for games, graphics, and video. If you expect to edit video frequently or run complex games with 3D graphics, your better bet is a costlier workhorse computer. It’s likely to come with a 180-gigabyte or larger hard-drive and 256
Desktops: Buy preconfigured or DIY?
TO CONFIGURE OR NOT After you make that decision, you’ll know where to shop.
You can buy a PC off the shelf in a store or via the Web, configured with features and options the manufacture pitches to average consumers. Or consider purchasing a desktop that you configure to order, either online or in a store. When you configure a computer to order online, onscreen menus typically show you all the options and let you see how a change in one option affects the overall price. Customizing is a strategy we recommend for getting optimal features at the lowest cost.
Shopping for an off-the-shelf package deal isn't as easy as it sounds. Deciding between a computer that has, say more memory or a faster hard drive can give you a headache. And retailers aren't always clear about what's really included. Our readers report higher PC-shopping satisfaction with online purchases.
If you buy off the shelf
• Look at our recommended configuration for the type of desktop you want as a starting point. Decide which additional features you want so that you can hunt for packages that approximate your needs.
• Use a shopping bot. Both Shopping.com and Bizrate.com allow you to compare prices at stores and Web sites. We shopped for a preconfigured HP computer with many of our workhorse features. On Shopping.com prices ranged from $785 to $900. The bots also calculate tax and shipping costs, which in our case ranged from zero to $88.
• When prices are close, consider a retailer on other important attributes.
If you customize
• Buy directly from the manufacturer. Retail Web site/mail-order operations in our Ratings (available to subscribers) scored well as a whole, but they don't customize the brand-name computers in our Ratings. Several brick-and-mortar retailers do let you customize some brands, but didn't rate as well overall as manufacturers. We can't say whether customer satisfaction with manufacturers extends to direct-sell kiosks, which makers like Dell and Hewlett-Packard have in some retail locations.
• Unbundle. Even computers that you configure yourself may come with a cheap monitor or a printer selected by default. If you already have one, you may save by not taking the new one. On the day we shopped the Dell site, eliminating the monitor saved about $40. On the other hand, if you need one, a monitor offered as part of a bundle is often less expensive than one separately purchased. Check each screen as you order to make sure you get only what you want.
• Track prices. They bounce around as promotional offers come and go. Recently we compared identically configured models from Dell; the same model that cost $1,736 in July cost just $1,299 two months later. Two days later, however, the price rose to $1,325.
Most manufacturers offer several lines at different prices.Think budget for basic needs, including photo editing. For general computing such as word-processing, e-mail, and Web browsing, a budget computer should be more than sufficient. Budget models also have the speed and storage capacity needed for routine photo editing and light video editing.
Think workhorse for games, graphics, and video. If you expect to edit video frequently or run complex games with 3D graphics, your better bet is a costlier workhorse computer. It’s likely to come with a 180-gigabyte or larger hard-drive and 256
Desktops: Buy preconfigured or DIY?
TO CONFIGURE OR NOT After you make that decision, you’ll know where to shop.
You can buy a PC off the shelf in a store or via the Web, configured with features and options the manufacture pitches to average consumers. Or consider purchasing a desktop that you configure to order, either online or in a store. When you configure a computer to order online, onscreen menus typically show you all the options and let you see how a change in one option affects the overall price. Customizing is a strategy we recommend for getting optimal features at the lowest cost.
Shopping for an off-the-shelf package deal isn't as easy as it sounds. Deciding between a computer that has, say more memory or a faster hard drive can give you a headache. And retailers aren't always clear about what's really included. Our readers report higher PC-shopping satisfaction with online purchases.
If you buy off the shelf
• Look at our recommended configuration for the type of desktop you want as a starting point. Decide which additional features you want so that you can hunt for packages that approximate your needs.
• Use a shopping bot. Both Shopping.com and Bizrate.com allow you to compare prices at stores and Web sites. We shopped for a preconfigured HP computer with many of our workhorse features. On Shopping.com prices ranged from $785 to $900. The bots also calculate tax and shipping costs, which in our case ranged from zero to $88.
• When prices are close, consider a retailer on other important attributes.
If you customize
• Buy directly from the manufacturer. Retail Web site/mail-order operations in our Ratings (available to subscribers) scored well as a whole, but they don't customize the brand-name computers in our Ratings. Several brick-and-mortar retailers do let you customize some brands, but didn't rate as well overall as manufacturers. We can't say whether customer satisfaction with manufacturers extends to direct-sell kiosks, which makers like Dell and Hewlett-Packard have in some retail locations.
• Unbundle. Even computers that you configure yourself may come with a cheap monitor or a printer selected by default. If you already have one, you may save by not taking the new one. On the day we shopped the Dell site, eliminating the monitor saved about $40. On the other hand, if you need one, a monitor offered as part of a bundle is often less expensive than one separately purchased. Check each screen as you order to make sure you get only what you want.
• Track prices. They bounce around as promotional offers come and go. Recently we compared identically configured models from Dell; the same model that cost $1,736 in July cost just $1,299 two months later. Two days later, however, the price rose to $1,325.
Want to Buy Laptop ?
What kind of laptop?
Budget models. These have slower processors and lower screen quality than others, but they are suitable for routine work. For general computing such as word-processing, e-mail, and Web browsing, a budget computer should be more than sufficient. Budget models also have the speed and storage capacity needed for photo editing, a limited music library, and even rudimentary video editing.
Workhorse models. These have faster processors, and all drives are built in so you won't need external attachments. They're not lightweight or battery-efficient enough for frequent travelers. Workhorse laptop computers cost a few hundred dollars more than budget machines, but are faster, more versatile, and upgradeable. Today's workhorse laptops can even handle most games and multimedia applications, and most are equipped with a DVD burner to facilitate creating home video DVDs.
There's another reason to opt for a workhorse computer over a budget model: upgradeability. Programs are fatter than ever. A single game, for instance, can consume 4 gigabytes or more of hard-drive space. And if you download music or video clips on a regular basis and don't transfer the content onto CDs, DVDs, or a portable device, you'll eventually fill a budget model's 40- or 60-GB hard drive.
Slim-and-light models. These are designed for travelers. They can be less than an inch thick and weight as little as two or three pounds. They generally require an external drive to read DVDs or burn CDs. An external docking station or port expander can simplify connecting to devices at home.
Tablet-style. These sit in your hands like a clipboard and have handwriting-recognition software. A few can convert to a "normal" laptop with a keyboard.
Buy preconfigured or DIY?
Dell and Gateway pioneered the notion that every computer can be tailored to an individual buyer's needs, much like choosing the options for a car. This configure-to-order model is now common practice for laptops as well as desktops.
You can also purchase a preconfigured computer off the shelf. (You can do the same online if you opt for the default choices of equipment the manufacturer offers.) That's fine if you don't have very strict requirements for how a laptop is outfitted or if you want to take advantage of an attractive sale.
Configure-to-order menus show you all the options and let you see how a change in one affects the overall price. You may decide to use a less-expensive processor, for example, but spend more for wireless capability or better graphics. Configure-to-order will often give you choices you won't get if you buy off the shelf. And configure-to-order means less chance of overlooking important details.
Shopping for an off-the-shelf package deal isn't as easy as it sounds. Deciding between a computer that has, say more memory or a faster hard drive can give you a headache. And retailers aren't always clear about what's really included. Our readers report higher PC-shopping satisfaction with online purchases.
If you buy off the shelf
• Look at our recommended configuration for the type of laptop you want as a starting point. Decide which additional features you want so that you can hunt for packages that approximate your needs.
• Use a shopping bot. Both Shopping.com and Bizrate.com allow you to compare prices at stores and Web sites. When we shopped for a particular preconfigured computer with many of our workhorse features, Shopping.com prices ranged from $785 to $900. The bots also calculate tax and shipping costs, which in our case ranged from zero to $88.
• When prices are close, consider a retailer on other important attributes.
If you customize
• Buy directly from the manufacturer. Retail Web site/mail-order operations in our Ratings (available to subscribers) scored well as a whole, but they don't customize the brand-name computers in our Ratings. Several brick-and-mortar retailers do let you customize some brands, but didn't rate as well overall as manufacturers. We can't say whether customer satisfaction with manufacturers extends to direct-sell kiosks, which makers like Dell and Hewlett-Packard have in some retail locations.
• Track prices. They bounce around as promotional offers come and go. Recently we compared identically configured models from Dell; the same model that cost $1,736 in July cost just $1,299 two months later. Two days later, however, the price rose to $1,325.
Budget models. These have slower processors and lower screen quality than others, but they are suitable for routine work. For general computing such as word-processing, e-mail, and Web browsing, a budget computer should be more than sufficient. Budget models also have the speed and storage capacity needed for photo editing, a limited music library, and even rudimentary video editing.
Workhorse models. These have faster processors, and all drives are built in so you won't need external attachments. They're not lightweight or battery-efficient enough for frequent travelers. Workhorse laptop computers cost a few hundred dollars more than budget machines, but are faster, more versatile, and upgradeable. Today's workhorse laptops can even handle most games and multimedia applications, and most are equipped with a DVD burner to facilitate creating home video DVDs.
There's another reason to opt for a workhorse computer over a budget model: upgradeability. Programs are fatter than ever. A single game, for instance, can consume 4 gigabytes or more of hard-drive space. And if you download music or video clips on a regular basis and don't transfer the content onto CDs, DVDs, or a portable device, you'll eventually fill a budget model's 40- or 60-GB hard drive.
Slim-and-light models. These are designed for travelers. They can be less than an inch thick and weight as little as two or three pounds. They generally require an external drive to read DVDs or burn CDs. An external docking station or port expander can simplify connecting to devices at home.
Tablet-style. These sit in your hands like a clipboard and have handwriting-recognition software. A few can convert to a "normal" laptop with a keyboard.
Buy preconfigured or DIY?
Dell and Gateway pioneered the notion that every computer can be tailored to an individual buyer's needs, much like choosing the options for a car. This configure-to-order model is now common practice for laptops as well as desktops.
You can also purchase a preconfigured computer off the shelf. (You can do the same online if you opt for the default choices of equipment the manufacturer offers.) That's fine if you don't have very strict requirements for how a laptop is outfitted or if you want to take advantage of an attractive sale.
Configure-to-order menus show you all the options and let you see how a change in one affects the overall price. You may decide to use a less-expensive processor, for example, but spend more for wireless capability or better graphics. Configure-to-order will often give you choices you won't get if you buy off the shelf. And configure-to-order means less chance of overlooking important details.
Shopping for an off-the-shelf package deal isn't as easy as it sounds. Deciding between a computer that has, say more memory or a faster hard drive can give you a headache. And retailers aren't always clear about what's really included. Our readers report higher PC-shopping satisfaction with online purchases.
If you buy off the shelf
• Look at our recommended configuration for the type of laptop you want as a starting point. Decide which additional features you want so that you can hunt for packages that approximate your needs.
• Use a shopping bot. Both Shopping.com and Bizrate.com allow you to compare prices at stores and Web sites. When we shopped for a particular preconfigured computer with many of our workhorse features, Shopping.com prices ranged from $785 to $900. The bots also calculate tax and shipping costs, which in our case ranged from zero to $88.
• When prices are close, consider a retailer on other important attributes.
If you customize
• Buy directly from the manufacturer. Retail Web site/mail-order operations in our Ratings (available to subscribers) scored well as a whole, but they don't customize the brand-name computers in our Ratings. Several brick-and-mortar retailers do let you customize some brands, but didn't rate as well overall as manufacturers. We can't say whether customer satisfaction with manufacturers extends to direct-sell kiosks, which makers like Dell and Hewlett-Packard have in some retail locations.
• Track prices. They bounce around as promotional offers come and go. Recently we compared identically configured models from Dell; the same model that cost $1,736 in July cost just $1,299 two months later. Two days later, however, the price rose to $1,325.
Buying a Computer ?
Upgrade your current computer or buy new?
You can extend the life of an older PC by upgrading parts of it.
Before committing to a new purchase, decide whether upgrading your old computer will do. It may suffice if your additional needs are modest--say, a second hard drive because you’re out of room for photos or downloaded music. Adding memory or a DVD writer is also usually more cost-effective than buying a new machine.
But if your PC is now unreliable, or your wish list has grown, or there’s software you must run that your system isn’t up to (especially newer versions of Windows), a new computer is the answer.
Laptop or desktop?
WIRELESS FREEDOM A laptop allows you to use the Internet from Wi-Fi hotspots in some public locations like cafes.
Unlike past models, today’s workhorse laptops perform much like desktops. But there are still reasons to choose one over the other that go beyond portability.
If you’ll use a laptop mostly at home, built-in wireless networking lets you use it throughout the house and easily store it when it’s not in use. And while all the Windows desktops tested are tower models you can place below a desk, the keyboard, mouse, and display take up more space on a desk than a laptop does.
What you get in return are greater storage capacity, memory, multimedia features, and expansion flexibility. Also, desktops cost less overall (prices start at roughly $400, plus another $75 or so for a CRT monitor, compared with $700 for laptops), and their more standardized designs translate into lower repair costs.
You can extend the life of an older PC by upgrading parts of it.
Before committing to a new purchase, decide whether upgrading your old computer will do. It may suffice if your additional needs are modest--say, a second hard drive because you’re out of room for photos or downloaded music. Adding memory or a DVD writer is also usually more cost-effective than buying a new machine.
But if your PC is now unreliable, or your wish list has grown, or there’s software you must run that your system isn’t up to (especially newer versions of Windows), a new computer is the answer.
Laptop or desktop?
WIRELESS FREEDOM A laptop allows you to use the Internet from Wi-Fi hotspots in some public locations like cafes.
Unlike past models, today’s workhorse laptops perform much like desktops. But there are still reasons to choose one over the other that go beyond portability.
If you’ll use a laptop mostly at home, built-in wireless networking lets you use it throughout the house and easily store it when it’s not in use. And while all the Windows desktops tested are tower models you can place below a desk, the keyboard, mouse, and display take up more space on a desk than a laptop does.
What you get in return are greater storage capacity, memory, multimedia features, and expansion flexibility. Also, desktops cost less overall (prices start at roughly $400, plus another $75 or so for a CRT monitor, compared with $700 for laptops), and their more standardized designs translate into lower repair costs.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Things That You Should Consider Before Buy Video Card ( Part I )
1. GPU / Chipset
GPU / Chipset is a unit that process the graphic in a computer. So, your computer will not burden by task that related with graphic. What type used give impact to some important things such as Core Clock Speed, Memory Clock Speed, and Ramdac Clock Speed. But don’t judge the quality of Video Card only from what chipset they has. Maybe you can see about review about their performance and compare it.
2. Core Clock
Core Clock is speed that video card has ( how many times processor graphic adapter can rotate in one second ). That’s why it represent in Mhz. So, higher Core Clock will provide the faster work that graphic card done.
3. Memory Clock
Memory Clock is speed that RAM on graphic card can transfer data from or to video card processor. Faster Memory Clock will provide the faster graphic process.
4. RAMDAC ( Random Access Memory Digital to Analog Converter )
RAMDAC is speed that video card has to convert data from digital to analog and than will show on monitor. RAMDAC will give effect on refresh rate that video card has.
5. RAM
Video card also need RAM to make temporary save when data processing. More complex graphic process will need bigger RAM. When you hear “VGA Onbard” that mean your graphic process will take RAM from your computer. In other words, the video card doesn’t has their own RAM. You also need to pay attention on bits value that RAM has. Bits is how many data that RAM can send in one Memory Clock ( rotation ).
GPU / Chipset is a unit that process the graphic in a computer. So, your computer will not burden by task that related with graphic. What type used give impact to some important things such as Core Clock Speed, Memory Clock Speed, and Ramdac Clock Speed. But don’t judge the quality of Video Card only from what chipset they has. Maybe you can see about review about their performance and compare it.
2. Core Clock
Core Clock is speed that video card has ( how many times processor graphic adapter can rotate in one second ). That’s why it represent in Mhz. So, higher Core Clock will provide the faster work that graphic card done.
3. Memory Clock
Memory Clock is speed that RAM on graphic card can transfer data from or to video card processor. Faster Memory Clock will provide the faster graphic process.
4. RAMDAC ( Random Access Memory Digital to Analog Converter )
RAMDAC is speed that video card has to convert data from digital to analog and than will show on monitor. RAMDAC will give effect on refresh rate that video card has.
5. RAM
Video card also need RAM to make temporary save when data processing. More complex graphic process will need bigger RAM. When you hear “VGA Onbard” that mean your graphic process will take RAM from your computer. In other words, the video card doesn’t has their own RAM. You also need to pay attention on bits value that RAM has. Bits is how many data that RAM can send in one Memory Clock ( rotation ).
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