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New Laptop Computer Buying Tips
Buying a new laptop computer can be challenging given the numerous choices and options available. Frequently the new laptop buying process can be a bit overwhelming. A good method for simplifying the buying process is to start with narrowing down some of the key options and choices.
How Will You Use Your New Laptop Computer?
Common factors to consider in buying a new laptop go far beyond performance, the size of the screen and the types of connections the computer has. A good place to start your laptop buying quest is to determine what you will be using the laptop computer for. This step will help clarify your needs in terms of performance, size, weight, storage capacity and battery life. Points to consider are:
- Will you be using this system anywhere other than your home? If so then weight of the system and screen size will be a factor to consider.
- Will you be running several different programs at the same time? Editing photos or videos? If so then having enough computing horsepower will be important or your computer may not deliver sufficient performance and seem to run slow.
- Will you want to watch movies and videos on this system? If so then you may want a dedicated video processor and perhaps a larger screen.
- Will you frequently be using the laptop while running only on battery power? If so then battery life and power consumption will be important considerations.
- If you will be using the laptop in bright rooms or outdoors then consider a non-glare screen.
- Do you have large number of documents, music and video files that you will want to store on your laptop? Then opt for a larger hard disk drive of 320 gigabytes (GB) or more.
Taking a little time to think about these items can help focus the laptop buying process and ensure that you get the most bang-for-the-buck with your new laptop.
Buying a New Laptop Computer – What to look For
After getting a better idea on how you will use your new laptop and which features are most important to you it’s time to dig into the specifics. Some features are standard on most laptops such as a CD/DVD-RW drive. Other components can vary significantly from laptop to laptop.
1. Laptop Weight and Screen Size
A key buying factor is laptop size and weight. The screen size and the weight of a portable computer are closely related. The larger the screen size, the larger (heavier) the computer, and the heavier the battery to power the larger screen.
A key buying factor is laptop size and weight. The screen size and the weight of a portable computer are closely related. The larger the screen size, the larger (heavier) the computer, and the heavier the battery to power the larger screen.
screen sizes available will vary depending on the manufacturer. The weight of laptop computers can range from a hefty 10-pound desktop replacement class laptop to small ultraportable lightweight laptops that may weigh only 3 pounds.
Although weight tends to vary proportionately with the screen size, there are some exceptions including ultra lightweight laptops. This class of laptop computer may have a screen as large as 16” yet still weigh as little as only 4 pounds. Large ultra lightweight laptops do have tradeoffs which include:
- Ultra lightweight laptops tend to have somewhat lower processing power.
- Many ultraportables do not include an internal CD/DVD drive.
- Cost – larger ultraportables generally cost significantly more than a standard laptop.
If you will be transporting your laptop frequently you may want to avoid a laptop with a 16” or 17″ screen size as this size of portable computer won’t feel quite so portable.
2. Computer Performance and CPUs
There was a time when laptops could not match the performance of a desktop computer. That is no longer the case and there is a class of laptops actually known as desktop replacements. A key component in laptop performance is the CPU or central processing unit also known as the “brains” of the computer. The two CPU manufacturers for laptop computers are Intel and AMD.
Intel’s current line of laptop CPUs includes the Core i7 (fastest), i5, i3, and Core 2 Duo. Intel also has several Ultra Low Voltage (ULV) CPU variations that provide extended battery life although with somewhat reduced processing power. The Core i3, i5 and i7 CPUs also feature advanced power management capabilities which can significantly extend battery life.
AMD’s current family of laptop CPUs includes the Phenom II, Athlon II and Turion II. There are earlier, lower performance versions of the Phenom, Athlon and Turion CPUs included in some laptop computers. One benefit of the CPUs from AMD is that they are generally lower cost than Intel’s.
Along with all these different models there are also variations on the actual speed of the CPU itself. CPU speed is measured in GHz or gigahertz.
3. System Memory or RAM
Most new laptops include at least 2GB of system memory (RAM) and many come with 3GB of RAM or more. It is recommended that a new laptop computer have at least 3GB and preferable 4GB or more of RAM. The amount of RAM or system memory is an important factor in performance. The more installed RAM your laptop has, the more applications you can run at once, and the better your computer will perform.
The version of Windows installed on your new laptop will determine how much RAM your computer can effectively use. A 32-bit version of Microsoft Windows 7 can efficiently use a maximum of 4GB of RAM. A 64-bit version of Windows 7 can use up to 8 GB or more. Configuring your laptop with more RAM at the time you buy it is convenient and helps extend the laptop’s useful life.
4. PC Operating System
All new PC laptops ship with Microsoft Windows 7. Most computers have the Home Premium version of Windows 7 while many business class laptops will have Windows 7 Professional pre-installed. Some will have the 32-bit version and some will have the 64-bit version. The 64-bit version will allow the computer to process data in larger chunks. Business laptops generally ship with Windows 7 Professional which provides management and networking benefits in an enterprise environment
This difference of 32-bits vs. 64-bits does not result in a significant performance difference today, however it may make more of a difference in the future as more software packages takes advantage of the newer 64-bit technology.
5. Cost
Laptops costs can range from $400 to $4,000 or more depending on configuration. As mentioned earlier it is not difficult to spend $1,500 on a laptop computer, however there are also many very good laptops that fall in the $600 – $900 range. For a laptop being used in business I would not recommend anything below ~$800 unless you do not plan on using it for more than a couple years. I generally recommend not buying the very top end (unless cost is of no concern) but I also recommend not buying at the very low end as this can result in unsatisfactory performance over time.
6. Battery Life
Laptop battery technology continues to improve. Average battery life with current laptops is roughly 3.5 – 4.5 hours on one battery charge. Some manufacturers also offer extended life batteries that can provides of extra computing on a single charge. Some extended life batteries can last up to twice as long as a standard battery and will typically add $50 – $150 to the cost of a laptop.
One thing to be aware of with extended life batteries is that they can add to both the weight and the size of the laptop computer. These differences can vary by manufacturer and model. Also remember that, in general, lighter laptops tend to have a longer battery life than larger, heavier laptops do.
7. Hard Disk Drive Capacity
Most laptops will come with drives that range from 160GB to 500GB or more. A minimum storage capacity of 250GB or 320GB is recommended as this will provide adequate performance and room for your data to grow without running out of storage space.
7. Hard Disk Drive Capacity
Most laptops will come with drives that range from 160GB to 500GB or more. A minimum storage capacity of 250GB or 320GB is recommended as this will provide adequate performance and room for your data to grow without running out of storage space.
Another relatively recent option with some laptops is the Solid-State-Drive or SSD. These are similar in function to a hard disk drive but are faster and use less power. SSDs are made up a special type of memory chip and contain no moving parts so the disaster of a crashed hard disk drive cannot occur. They are commonly available in capacities up to 256GB.
8. Graphics & Video Display Hardware
Integrated graphics lack their own dedicated memory but are often adequate for most common computing tasks including basic video playback. Dedicated video chipsets are like having a second processor with its own dedicated memory. They are essential for playing most computer games and frequently can speed up the display of web pages and videos and even other nongraphical tasks. Dedicated video can boost the overall performance of a computer; however they can also use a bit more battery power.
9. CD/DVD Optical Drive
Most laptop computers come with rewritable DVD drives, also known as CD/DVD-RW, which allows doe reading and writing CD and DVDs. These drives provide the most flexibility. With the growth in the acceptance of Blu-ray movie disks some manufacturers are including drives the will also play Blu-ray disks in addition to CD & DVD reading and writing. However the Blu-ray drives still add a premium to the cost of the laptop.
Most laptop computers come with rewritable DVD drives, also known as CD/DVD-RW, which allows doe reading and writing CD and DVDs. These drives provide the most flexibility. With the growth in the acceptance of Blu-ray movie disks some manufacturers are including drives the will also play Blu-ray disks in addition to CD & DVD reading and writing. However the Blu-ray drives still add a premium to the cost of the laptop.
10. Ports and Connectors
Most laptops have at least two or three USB 2.0 ports; many offer four, and some offer up to six. These are useful for connecting printers, mouse, backup drive, smartphone, iPod, scanner and other peripherals devices.
Most laptops have at least two or three USB 2.0 ports; many offer four, and some offer up to six. These are useful for connecting printers, mouse, backup drive, smartphone, iPod, scanner and other peripherals devices.
Some laptops now offer an HDMI output. This stands for High Definition Multimedia Interface and can be connected directly to some newer monitors and televisions. Another connector that is included with some laptops is the eSATA port. SATA is a hard disk drive interface (connection type) that is normally used as an internal connection within a computer to a hard disk drive. An eSATA port allows a high speed connection to an external hard disk drive that has an eSATA connector.
Some laptops also include a multiformat flash card reader. This allows the computer to read flash cards such as Secure Digital (SD), MultiMediaCard, Compact Flash, Memory Stick and xD formats.
11. Brands and Models
Laptop computer models evolve rapidly so making any distinctions on specific models would make this article outdated in a month or two. HP and Dell are the two largest manufacturers. Toshiba, Lenovo, ASUS, and Acer are also well known large laptop manufacturers.
Laptop computer models evolve rapidly so making any distinctions on specific models would make this article outdated in a month or two. HP and Dell are the two largest manufacturers. Toshiba, Lenovo, ASUS, and Acer are also well known large laptop manufacturers.
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10 Amazing Life Lessons You Can Learn From Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein has long been considered a genius by the masses. He was a theoretical physicist, philosopher, author, and is perhaps the most influential scientists to ever live.
Einstein has made great contributions to the scientific world, including the theory of relativity, the founding of relativistic cosmology, the prediction of the deflection of light by gravity, the quantum theory of atomic motion in solids, the zero-point energy concept, and the quantum theory of a monatomic gas which predicted Bose–Einstein condensation, to name a few of his scientific contributions.
Einstein has made great contributions to the scientific world, including the theory of relativity, the founding of relativistic cosmology, the prediction of the deflection of light by gravity, the quantum theory of atomic motion in solids, the zero-point energy concept, and the quantum theory of a monatomic gas which predicted Bose–Einstein condensation, to name a few of his scientific contributions.
Einstein received the 1921 Nobel Prize in Physics “for his services to Theoretical Physics, and especially for his discovery of the law of the photoelectric effect.”
He’s published more than 300 scientific works and over 150 non-scientific works. Einstein is considered the father of modern physics and is probably the most successful scientist there ever was.
10 Amazing Lessons from Albert Einstein:
- Follow Your Curiosity
“I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious.”
What piques your curiosity? I am curious as to what causes one person to succeed while another person fails; this is why I’ve spent years studying success. What are you most curious about? The pursuit of your curiosity is the secret to your success. - Perseverance is Priceless
“It's not that I'm so smart; it's just that I stay with problems longer.”
Through perseverance the turtle reached the ark. Are you willing to persevere until you get to your intended destination? They say the entire value of the postage stamp consist in its ability to stick to something until it gets there. Be like the postage stamp; finish the race that you’ve started! - Focus on the Present
“Any man who can drive safely while kissing a pretty girl is simply not giving the kiss the attention it deserves.”
My father always says you cannot ride two horses at the same time. I like to say, you can do anything, but not everything. Learn to be present where you are; give your all to whatever you’re currently doing.
Focused energy is power, and it’s the difference between success and failure. - The Imagination is Powerful
“Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life's coming attractions. Imagination is more important than knowledge.”
Are you using your imagination daily? Einstein said the imagination is more important than knowledge! Your imagination pre-plays your future. Einstein went on to say, “The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge, but imagination.” Are you exercising your “imagination muscles” daily, don’t let something as powerful as your imagination lie dormant. - Make Mistakes
“A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.”
Never be afraid of making a mistake. A mistake is not a failure. Mistakes can make you better, smarter and faster, if you utilize them properly. Discover the power of making mistakes. I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again, if you want to succeed, triple the amount of mistakes that you make. - Live in the Moment
“I never think of the future - it comes soon enough.”
The only way to properly address your future is to be as present as possible “in the present.”
You cannot “presently” change yesterday or tomorrow, so it’s of supreme importance that you dedicate all of your efforts to “right now.” It’s the only time that matters, it’s the only time there is. - Create Value
“Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value."
Don’t waste your time trying to be successful, spend your time creating value. If you’re valuable, then you will attract success.
Discover the talents and gifts that you possess, learn how to offer those talents and gifts in a way that most benefits others.
Labor to be valuable and success will chase you down. - Don’t Expect Different Results
“Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”
You can’t keep doing the same thing everyday and expect different results. In other words, you can’t keep doing the same workout routine and expect to look differently. In order for your life to change, you must change, to the degree that you change your actions and your thinking is to the degree that your life will change. - Knowledge Comes From Experience
“Information is not knowledge. The only source of knowledge is experience.”
Knowledge comes from experience. You can discuss a task, but discussion will only give you a philosophical understanding of it; you must experience the task first hand to “know it.” What’s the lesson? Get experience! Don’t spend your time hiding behind speculative information, go out there and do it, and you will have gained priceless knowledge. - Learn the Rules and Then Play Better
“You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else.”
To put it all in simple terms, there are two things that you must do. The first thing you must do is to learn the rules of the game that you’re playing. It doesn’t sound exciting, but it’s vital. Secondly, you must commit to play the game better than anyone else. If you can do these two things, success will be yours!
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Burn a CD on Windows XP without using software
Windows XP comes with a builtin CD-copy feature that not many people are aware of. Although almost everyone has his/her favorite CD-copy software to stick with, it is still good to know about this CDR feature from Windows XP. You will find it very useful when you come to another PC that doesn't have a CD-copy software, and you can't just install your favorite software to it. With this feature, you can write some data or MP3 files to a CD/DVD, or erase a re-writable CD/DVD.
- Insert a Formated-ReWritable CD or a Recordable (CD-R) disc into the CD drive.
- From Desktop, double-click on "My Computer".
- Navigate to the files/folders you want to copy to CD. Select them and press "Ctrl-c" to copy.
- Browse back to the CD-ROM, and press "Ctrl-V" to paste. The files/folders will show up as temporary files/folders at this time.
- On the left panel, select "Write these files to CD".
- The window "CD Writing Wizard" appears with the default CD name. Change the CD name if you wish, then click "Next".
- The "CD Writing Wizard" starts to write files/folders to the CD:
- Once the writing process is complete, the wizard will disappear and the CD-Rom will be ejected.
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Microsoft Windows Shortcut Keys
Some shortcut keys below are not supported in all versions of Windows.
The shortcut keys on this page are only applicable for Windows in general, if you are looking for shortcut keys for a specific application (i.e. Excel, Word, etc..)
Shortcut Key | Supported Window Versions | Short Key Description |
| Alt + (double-click) | 95, 98, ME, NT, 2000, XP, Vista | Open Properties dialog of selected item. |
| Alt + Enter | 95, 98, ME, NT, 2000, XP, Vista | Opens properties window of selected item. |
| Alt + Esc | 95, 98, ME, NT, 2000, XP, Vista | Switch Between open tasks available on the taskbar. |
| Alt + F4 | 95, 98, ME, NT, 2000, XP, Vista | Close the top (focused) window. |
| Alt + Tab | 95, 98, ME, NT, 2000, XP, Vista | Switch between open windows. |
| Alt + Tab + Shift | 95, 98, ME, NT, 2000, XP, Vista | Switch between open windows, backward. |
| Ctrl + Alt + Delete (or Del) | 95, 98, ME, NT, 2000, XP, Vista | Bring up the Windows Task Manager, or reboot computer. |
| Ctrl + Esc | 95, 98, ME, NT, 2000, XP, Vista | Bring up the Windows Start menu. |
| Ctrl + '+' ('+' key on the keypad) | 98, ME, NT, 2000, XP, Vista | Autofit the widths of all columns (if available) in current window. |
| Ctrl + F4 | 95, 98, ME, NT, 2000, XP, Vista | Close sub window/tab. |
| Ctrl + Tab | 95, 98, ME, NT, 2000, XP, Vista | Switch between existing tabs (within a window). |
| Ctrl + Tab + Shift | 95, 98, ME, NT, 2000, XP, Vista | Switch between existing tabs (within a window), backward |
| F1 | 95, 98, ME, NT, 2000, XP, Vista | Open Help for Windows or focused application. |
| F2 | 95, 98, ME, NT, 2000, XP, Vista | Rename. |
| F3 | 95, 98, ME, NT, 2000, XP, Vista | Find/Search. |
| F4 | 95, 98, ME, NT, 2000, XP, Vista | Select drives or display the list of drives |
| F5 | 95, 98, ME, NT, 2000, XP, Vista | Refresh. |
| F6 | 95, 98, ME, NT, 2000, XP, Vista | Switch focus to the address bar (if exists). |
| F10 | 95, 98, ME, NT, 2000, XP, Vista | Switch focus to the top menu bar. |
| Shift + F10 | 95, 98, ME, NT, 2000, XP, Vista | Same as mouse right-click on the select item. |
| Print Screen | 95, 98, ME, NT, 2000, XP, Vista | Capture a screenshot of the entire desktop to clipboard. |
| Print Screen + Alt | 95, 98, ME, NT, 2000, XP, Vista | Capture a screenshot of just the top(focused) window to clipboard. |
| Shift + Delete (or Del) | 95, 98, ME, NT, 2000, XP, Vista | Permanently delete selected file(s)/folder(s) (bypass recycle bin) |
| Shift (hold while inserting an audio CD to drive) | 95, 98, ME, NT, 2000, XP, Vista | Prevent autoplay. |
| * (keypad) on Windows Explorer. | 95, 98, ME, NT, 2000, XP, Vista | Expand all sub-directories from the selected item. |
| + (keypad) on Windows Explorer. | 95, 98, ME, NT, 2000, XP, Vista | Expand only the first level of selected item. |
| - (keypad) on Windows Explorer. | 95, 98, ME, NT, 2000, XP, Vista | Collapse |
Most keyboards have a Windows Key (key with a Windows icon). This key provides additional shortcuts for Microsoft Windows. Below is a list of the shortcut keys by combining the Windows key and other keys.
Shortcut Keys | Description |
| WINDOWS-KEY | Bring up the Windows Start menu. |
| WINDOWS-KEY + F1 | Bring up the Windows Help. |
| WINDOWS-KEY + e | Open Microsoft Explorer. |
| WINDOWS-KEY + f | Windows Search. |
| WINDOWS-KEY + Ctrl + f | Search for computers |
| WINDOWS-KEY + d | Minimizes all and bring up desktop, or restore all |
| WINDOWS-KEY + l | Lock the computer (Windows XP & newer). |
| WINDOWS-KEY + m | Minimizes all windows. |
| WINDOWS-KEY + Shift + M | Restore all. Opposite with WINDOWS-KEY + M and WINDOWS-KEY + D. |
| WINDOWS-KEY + r | Open the run window. |
| WINDOWS-KEY + u | Utility Manager. |
| WINDOWS-KEY + Tab | Cycle through the programs on task bar. |
| WINDOWS-KEY +Pause/Break | Open the System Properties window. |
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How to Send Colorful Text in Facebook Chat
Facebook has restricted its user to chat in black text due concerns of server overloading and speed. But now you are no longer bound to chat in black text. There are some special codes for you that empower you to send colourful text in chat.
You can also send messages in colourful text but these codes will not work in Status update. This will also not work if the other person is using chat from his mobile.
How to Send Colourful Text in Facebook Chat:
Here is the list of codes with their alphabets.
[[107015582669715]] = A
[[116067591741123]] = B
[[115602405121532]] = C
[[112542438763744]] = D
[[115430438474268]] = E
[[109225112442557]] = F
[[111532845537326]] = G
[[111356865552629]] = H
[[109294689102123]] = I
[[126362660720793]] = J
[[116651741681944]] = K
[[115807951764667]] = L
[[106596672714242]] = M
[[108634132504932]] = N
[[116564658357124]] = O
[[111669128857397]] = P
[[107061805996548]] = Q
[[106699962703083]] = R
[[115927268419031]] = S
[[112669162092780]] = T
[[108983579135532]] = U
[[107023745999320]] = V
[[106678406038354]] = W
[[116740548336581]] = X
[[112416755444217]] = Y
[[165724910215]] = Z
How to Use it:
To create a word of colourful text copy the codes of alphabets and make sure to insert single space between the each alphabetic code. Here is the code for COMPUTER TRICKS.
COMPUTER: [[115602405121532]] [[116564658357124]] [[106596672714242]] [[111669128857397]] [[108983579135532]] [[112669162092780]] [[115430438474268]] [[106699962703083]]
TRICKS: [[112669162092780]] [[106699962703083]] [[109294689102123]] [[115602405121532]] [[116651741681944]] [[115927268419031]]
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How To Send Free SMS From GMAIL
There are lots of websites available on the internet like way2sms, Now Google has also launched a new service toSend SMS from Gmail account. This service is currently not available in India as well as some other countries.
SMS will be sent from your Gmail Chat itself. You just have to enter the mobile number of your friend to send free SMS. If your friend replies back to your message then he has to pay normal SMS charges and the message will be received in your chat . This service limits your SMS length to maximum of 50 characters and you can send only 50 SMS from your account in a day. But the amazing thing of this service is, if your friend reply back to your message then you will get 5 extra SMS but this cannot exceed
How To Enable Free SMS in Gmail
- In your Gmail account, click on the Settings button and go to Labs tab.
- Scroll down until you find Text Messaging (SMS) in chat and click on Enable.
- Also Enable the SMS in Chat Gadget and click on Save Changes button.
- Now you will see Send SMS box in the left sidebar.
How To Send Free SMS From GMAIL
- In the Send SMS box enter the mobile number at which you want to send SMS.
- Now a dialog box will be open, in this box give the Name and Country of the SMS recipient and click on Save button.
- Type your Message in the chat window and hit Enter. Your message will be delivered in few seconds.
All your sent and received messages will be stored in chat history just like normal chats. You can delete all your conversations anytime.
