If you want to extend your laptop’s life, there are some specific things you can do. You definitely want to make your laptop last as long as possible, and not have to buy a new machine every year or two. No matter what price your laptop cost you, you’d do well to learn the following tips to extend its life. Read on to find out some great tips on this topic …

1. Keep It Cool The first thing I every time do to extend my laptop’s life? Well, it’s simple. Keep it cool. The more heat your laptop accumulates, the more probable it is to suffer from element failure. Note that whether you like to slump into a couch to type on your laptop, you will most probable block the machine’s air vents and prevent air from circulating. This spells heat for the machine – which is not a fine thing. To cool a laptop, one fine way is to get a cooling pad. These things draw heat away from the system and normally cost about tell $30. You will, at the same time prevent your laptop’s internal fans from spinning overly much, saving your battery life as well.

2. Carry The Laptop Carefully I’ve seen some folks treat and carry their laptops like junk. If you throw your laptop onto the bed and it lands on the floor, or you leave it in the hot sun in the back seat of you car – well, good luck. No laptop is gonna survive long in those circumstances. You need to make sure you carry the laptop with care. In addition, get a good bag that offers maximum protection. Targus makes great laptop bags and they have padded sidewalls with air-protection technology.

3. Choose a SSD A solid-state drive (SSD) is a next generation kind of hard drive. There are no moving parts, no platters or read/write heads (hard drive jargon). Everything is stored in non-volatile flash memory, like in your pen drive. This does wonders for your laptop. You will have longer lifespan because you don’t have a moving hard drive that breaks down. You also generate less heat since there’s no hard drive whirring in the background. Now, the prices of SSDs are still quite high and cost about $15 per GB – these are however coming down. I think the maximum size now is about 128 GB. Remember to look out for them if you’re trying to get a new laptop.

4. Protect The Battery Your laptop’s battery is also very sensitive. Don’t charge and discharge it all the time. Whenever you plug your laptop into an outlet, make it a habit to unplug the battery. If you leave it in, the AC power could cause the battery to overheat and overcharge. Then, when running on battery power, use the laptop until you get a low-battery warning, then plug in the charger and let it recharge fully. That’ll extend the life of that battery.

5. Reformat the Hard Drive If you find your laptop running really slow, one option is to reformat the hard drive. Remember, we all let all sorts of junk software clog up our operating systems. Windows tends to get bogged down by the orphaned files, funny Registry entries and spyware. Reformat the hard drive and install everything clean (get a friend or a shop to do it if you’re not sure how). I guarantee you will get your laptop functioning and running faster. One trick I like to use is to install all my essential software (Microsoft Office, Adobe Acrobat, etc.) then take a backup using imaging software (e.g. Acronis True Image). When you feel the laptop going sluggish, simply backup your data files and do a image restore. Your system will be refreshed with all the original clean, intact programs and it will run faster.

6. Avoid The Standby Mode One last thing is regarding the Standby mode. Standby mode is nice but it consumes battery power. So you risk reducing the life of your battery. Next time, use the Hibernate mode instead of Standby, it preserves your laptop’s current state by writing it to the hard drive as a file. And it does not require no power. It takes a few extra seconds to use Hibernate, but it will extend your laptop battery life.

Conclusion I hope this article has shown you some fine tips for extending your laptop’s life. Note that a laptop is a pricey investment – do your finest to sustain it safe and working for a long, long time. By the way, whether you’re curious in laptops or want to study more about them, feel free to check out my free guide.

Francua Smith is a skilled Computer specialist who has a lot of experience on laptop computers. He will help you to choose your own skilled laptop computer.

Whether we shop for bread and milk at the neighborhood grocery store; or for shirts, ties and shoes at a downtown department store or for cars or for homes – we all want fine deals. It’s no different with laptops – most of us want excellent deals. This article helps you locate fine deals for laptops.

Why Look For Good Laptop Deals? Many of us are willing to take time to chop out coupons, to settle into lines winding around the block at the crack of down to be among the fortunate shoppers who will get to take advantage of a one-day sale, to drive across city to save twenty five cents on a box of cereal while spending a dollar on gas and to fill out countless rebate forms that will finally get us refunds that will barely cover the postage it took to mail them in.

Have you ever wondered why we do that? Why are we willing to go through so much trouble just to save some money, at times a few cents while at other time hundreds of dollars? Is it all about economics? I think that economics has something to do with it, of course, but the bigger and more motivating factor is quite a bit more psychological and much less obvious.

What I am talking about is empowerment. When we get to pay less for something that we know, or we think we know, is worth more we feel that we have legitimately beat the system, whatever we define the system to be. And beating the system, any system, is empowering. Now let’s look at some ways to find good laptop deals.

1. Build Your Own Laptop When it comes to desktop computers, you can save money and gain that euphoric feeling of empowerment by finding sales offered by their manufacturers or retailers, by using discount coupons or rebates. There is yet another way of saving your hard earned money on a desktop computer and that is by actually building one yourself. And remember that there is nothing more empowering than a job well done. The same goes for laptops – you can actuall build one yourself. Hunt for cheap components and you can build a decent machine that meets your needs. Learn more about custom built laptops in this article.

2. Make Use of Manufacturer Sales Unfortunately I have to fill you in on some bad news – building your own laptop is really not an option if you’re not tech savvy. Or perhaps you just want something out-of-the-box and don’t have the time to build one from scratch.

Well, you can still save money on laptops by making the most of existing sales (manufacturer sales, blow-out sales, clearance sales, after holiday sales and so on), you can find discount coupons in newspapers and on the Internet, and you can take advantage of rebate programs offered by manufacturers.

Much like the build-it-yourself option accessible for desktop computers, laptop computers have a distinctive savings option of their own and this option is as follows: take your set of needs, match them up to the list of specifications featured in the laptop you are considering and stick to the results.

3. Buy Only What You Need In other words, buy just what you need and that which you will really utilize or else you will be throwing away fine money. Do not get sucked into the most recent hype and be courageous enough to be out of vogue. There is definitely no sensible reason why you ought to “keep up with the Jones.” Let me give you an example. If your current computer, if a desktop or a laptop, has a 5GB tough drive and you have not managed to fill it up even after the three years of ownership, do not be tempted to buy a fresh laptop with a 20 or 40GB tough drive only because your friend has one. That would be a total and utter waste!

Conclusion A fine deal on a laptop would be the one for which you have taken advantage of a clearance sale; the one which accepts the discount coupon you found in your local newspaper; the one that honors a rebate program and the one that offers what you need, no more and no less. Any one of these would make for a fine deal while a mixture of several would make a excellent deal.

Francua Smith is a wise Computer specialist who has a lot of experience on laptop computers. He will help you to choose your own wise laptop computer.

Ever walked into to a laptop or computer store, hunt for a laptop and be completely stumped by the buzzwords you hear? Sometimes I wish Intel and AMD would stop using bizarre words like Centrino and Core 2 Duo which confuses the heck out of people. In this article, we will take a look at the top 10 terms you might come across when buying a laptop. Learn about these terms so that you won’t be stumped at the store again!

1. Intel Core 2 Duo Now, what exactly does ‘Intel Core 2 Duo’ mean? Almost every single laptop you come across in the market now will say ‘Intel Core 2 Duo’. Don’t let that confuse you. The ‘Core 2 Duo’ is simply the Intel CPU replacing the older Pentium. The ‘two’ in ‘Core 2 Duo’ simply means that the chip contains two CPU cores. So you’ll, like, get two CPUs on one chip.

2. Intel Core Solo Next confusing term is ‘Intel Core Solo’. If you’ve been reading carefully so far, you’ll know that the ‘Core Solo’ is nothing but a stripped down version of the ‘Core 2 Duo’ CPU chip. It replaces the Pentium CPU in laptops, but it has only one CPU core, unlike the Core 2 Duo.

3. Intel Centrino The term ‘Centrino’ does not refer to an Intel CPU. I know you always hear about ‘Intel Centrino’ and I used to think it refered to a CPU, like the Core 2 Duo or Core Solo. Well, it is not. ‘Centrino’ simply refers to the various laptop technologies specifically designed for a mobile computer that you won’t find in a desktop. So we’re talking about specially designed laptop microprocessors, wireless networking and cooling technologies.

4. GHz Important term Number Three is ‘GHz’. This stands for gigahertz – which basically is a velocity measurement used to gauge microprocessors. You’ll hear the laptop salesperson boast about this or that laptop running at 2.4 GHz, while another is just 2.0 GHz. The truth is, these days, whether you have a 2.0 GHz microprocessor, you’re all set to do anything you want on the laptop. I don’t truly think in super high GHz speeds though – numerous manufacturers only utilize it to sell their chips.

5. DDR Memory This term pertains to your laptop’s memory capacity or RAM. DDR is also known as DDR-SDRAM. The ‘DDR’ stands for double data rate – which is a cut above the standard SDRAM. Usually, the latest laptops will contain DDR-SDRAM. And you’ll want at least 1 GB of DDR memory for decent Windows Vista performance. Incidentally, you can get some really great laptop deals at Crucial.com – do check it out.

6. SDRAM Memory Well, naturally, SDRAM is the older version of DDR memory. The ‘SDRAM’ acronym stands for ‘Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory’. This is the most popular type of memory used in computers today.

7. nVidia Now, the term ‘nVidia’ refers to a 3D graphics card company. So whether your laptop spec has ‘nVidia graphics card’ in it, you will know it has a dedicated graphics card built into it to render graphics for games and multimedia.

8. Wireless 802.11 The term ‘Wireless 802.11′ used to stump the heck out of me. Well, now I know better. Just remember that wireless technology in laptops and desktops come in 3 flavors – Wireless 802.11a, Wireless 802.11g and Wireless 802.11n. Wireless 802.11n is the latest and greatest in terms of speed.

9. UMPC ‘UMPC’ is a relatively new term in the laptop market. It refers to ‘Ultra Mobile Personal Computer’. We’re talking about the likes of the ASUS EeePC 900, MSI Wind and the HP 2133 Mini-Note PC. These computers are smaller than conventional laptops but are bigger than say, your PDA. And this category of computing device is literally taking the world by storm.

10. Operating System The term ‘Operating System’ is critically important for all your computer related purchases. You need to decide if you want Windows XP, Linux, Windows Vista, etc. installed in your laptop. These days, most laptops come with Windows Vista pre-installed – check if it is the Windows Vista Home Premium or Windows Vista Ultimate version. If you use the laptop mostly for home computing, Windows Vista Home Premium will do just fine.

Conclusion I hope this article has taught you some clue terms you need to know about laptops. This will surely aid you out when you’re purchasing or upgrading your laptop. The more you study about laptops, the less probable you’ll be stumped or cheated by laptop salesmen. So it’s absolutely fine to brush up knowledge there. I’ve consolidated a lot of essential laptop data into a tiny guide book. If you’d like to discover more about laptop basics, be confident to to download it.

Francua Smith is a good Computer specialist who has a lot of experience on laptop computers. He will help you to choose your own good laptop computer.

Are you paralyzed by indecision when it comes to buying laptops? The truth is, deciding on the best laptop to buy is a difficult decision. It stumps the best of us – even my more technically inclined friends can’t decide on a model that will best suit their needs. To help you out, I’ve decided to list down 5 ways to help you choose the best laptop to buy. Make sure you run through this list the next time you’re out purchasing a laptop.

1. What Speed Do You Need? One of the most important decisions you need to make before buying a laptop is to decide the speed required. If you’re using the laptop mainly for word processing or emailing, you don’t need as much computing horsepower. In that case, you might want to settle for an AMD Turion or a standard Intel Centrino CPU. If you need to use the laptop for graphics or heavy gaming, then you will certainly want a powerful CPU chip one like the Intel Core 2 Duo.

2. The Display Screen The next thing you should do when deciding on the finest laptop to buy is to assume about the show screen. These days, big 17-inch, glossy show screens are becoming more and more common. But request yourself, do you truly need all that glossy eye candy? If you only want a functional, business-based laptop, then assume about getting a smaller screen with a matte display.

3. The Laptop Weight Another approach I use to eliminate laptops in my purchase is to consider the weight. Most people I know want to buy lightweight laptops. Which is perfectly understandable – who wants to lug a 6 pound machine all over town or all over campus? So it is important for you to consider if weight is an issue for you. If it is, then eliminate those desktop replacement or heavy laptops from your list and concentrate on ultraportables.

4. The Keyboard Surprising, a lot of folks place a lot of emphasis on laptop keyboards. You may assume that a laptop keyboard is beautiful standard fare, i.e. there is not much distinction between one laptop and the next. Well, I can say you that the keyboard is the one laptop element that your hands will be touching 90% of the time. So comfort in typing is extraordinarily important. When choosing the finest laptop to buy, pay concentration to the comfort of the keyboard when you type. Some folks prefer a ‘click’ sound on the keys (I do), while others prefer a more quiet typing experience.

5. The Battery Life And the final way to check if a laptop is for you? Simple – its the laptop’s battery life. Remember, a laptop is useless if it is flat out of juice. Some laptops I know run out of power after 10 minutes of unplugging them from the wall socket. Be very careful and do your research on battery life – choose a laptop that will last at least 3 to 4 hours is possible.

Conclusion Hopefully, the above 5 ways of choosing the best laptop will help you out. Remember, the most important thing in buying a laptop is that it must suit your needs. So always bear that in mind – don’t bother too much about what models others are using, just decide on one model that suits your requirements best. If you’re interested in learning more about laptops, you may want to check out my free PDF guide to laptops – download it here.

Francua Smith is a wise Computer specialist who has a lot of experience on laptop computers. He will help you to choose your own good laptop computer.

What is it about PC Magazine? I can tell you that PC Magazine is one of my favorite websites for laptop reviews. The writers there constantly churn out very good reviews of the latest laptops and they just blow me away! If you want to find authoritative laptop reviews, the best place is to go to PC Magazine. I’m not kidding pay a visit and you will know what I mean.

Laptop Review Sites Just to place things into context, there are tons of laptop review sites out in the Internet. I’ve seen places like CNET.com, Tom’s Hardware and several others, but no one of them come rather close to the quality of PC Magazine’s laptop reviews. Now I’m not trying to plug PC Magazine (really) nor am I receiving any kind of commission from them – I only find their laptop reviews up to the minute and chockfull of data – thus I thought I’d share that with you.

PC Magazine Historically, PC Magazine has always been one of my favorite magazines. Even before the advent of the Internet, I was reading PC Magazine for their quality reviews of desktops, laptops and all things to do with computers. Did you know PC Magazine now covers everything from desktops, laptops, digital cameras, projectors and computer software? It’s simply great.

Why PC Magazine Is Good What’s the reason why PC Magazine is good? Well, I can think of three reasons. Firstly, they are very, very timely with their reviews. I find that PC Magazine reviews of laptops come out faster than many of the competing sites.

Secondly, the PC Magazine website is very clean and well-designed (I prefer it to CNET’s). You can see the material organized very well, with reviews and how-to guides within easy reach of the navigation bar.

Lastly, PC Magazine has a very strong hardcopy magazine following. Many of the websites which review laptops have no equivalent hardcopy magazine, so sometimes you can’t be sure of their editorial robustness. PC Magazine is a full fledged magazine and has the full capacity of a professional editorial team.

Conclusion I know the above sounds like a shameless plug for PC Magazine, but their website gives such good reviews of laptops, I simply had to mention it. Go check out PC Magazine and see the laptops being discussed there. Bookmark it and soon you will be returning again and again to catch up on laptop and other computer technology.

Francua Smith is a skilled Computer specialist who has a lot of experience on laptop computers. He will help you to choose your own good laptop computer.

1. Price You should still expect to pay more for a laptop than for a comparable desktop computer. You really are paying a premium for the added flexibility a laptop offers. Something else to bear in mind is that laptops are much harder to upgrade than desktops, so you should look for a laptop that meets all of your needs from the start, as the ability to upgrade components later on is much more expensive.

2. Battery Life While the large attraction of laptops is that they bid the liberty to utilize your computer anywhere, remember that this is not strictly the case. Take especial care to note the normal battery life of your laptop. Some machines can just administer around 2 hours previously you need to find a wall socket to plug them in to. If you will be running your laptop from the batteries a lot seek a long battery life, and be prepared to carry around 2 or perhaps even 3 spare batteries.

3. Display Type and Size The screen of your laptop is the main interface that you will utilize to interact with, thus it is necessary that you get the correct type of screen for you. Make confident that your laptop features a TFT screen; these screens give a brighter show which can be viewed from an angle. Non-TFT displays appear dim and ought to be viewed from straight on. The downside to being thus portable is that most laptops have smaller screens than desktop systems. If you are used to a big show then you will be capable to get this in a laptop, but it will add to the overall cost and weight of the laptop.

4. Connectivity More or less all laptops offer the same connectivity options today, but if you have any special requirements you should be sure to make sure your laptop can meet these needs. For example, it would be very embarrassing to turn up to an important business presentation and discover that your laptop doesn’t actually have the correct type of port to allow it to connect to your company network.

5. Power As with desktop computers, you will have to pay more for a faster processor, or for a large amount of memory. Be sure that your new laptop can meet the system requirements of all of the software you want to run on it. It really is worth buying the best you can afford when it comes to power, as you will want your laptop to last for years to come. Remember it is harder to upgrade a laptop, so make sure you have enough power for the foreseeable future.

Conclusion Buying a laptop can be a great investment, and give you much more freedom over where and when you actually work. Hopefully this guide will show you how to buy a laptop, and help you in making your next purchase.

Francua Smith is a wise Computer specialist who has a lot of experience on laptop computers. He will help you to choose your own nice laptop computer.

Are you about to purchase a fresh laptop? If so, you should ensure that you check some essential components previously you buy. This article runs through some of the clue components that you need to check whenever you buy a fresh laptop. Check these the next time you buy a laptop – only to be safe.

1. Check Package Contents The first thing to do is to check the laptop package to ensure it guides, CDs and components that should be there. In particular, check to see that essential cables are all in the box.

2. Inspect Your Laptop’s Exterior The next thing to do is to check your laptop’s exterior. Check the front, back, top, bottom and sides to ensure that there are no dents, scratches, etc. If you detect any, then you should return it back to the manufacturer and request for a replacement.

3. Boot Up The Machine Boot up the laptop and check for any “out of the ordinary” messages during the boot-up sequence. Hopefully, there is no weird message – if there is, you need to contact the manufacturer immediately.

4. Ensure That The Hardware Is Correct The next thing to check in a new laptop is to ensure that the hardware is in line with what you ordered. If you’re a Windows user, right click My Computer and select Properties. Check that your CPU information is correct. You should then select the Hardware tab at the top of the dialog box and click Device Manager. Check the list of hardware listed by Windows against the items you ordered in your receipt.

5. Test The Keyboard The keyboard is something users usually fail to test. You should open up notepad and test out every key on your keyboard. Don’t skip any keys – I’ve sometimes owned laptops for months only to realize that an infrequently used key is faulty.

6. Test Out The Ports And Connections The ports and connections on your laptop are important components. Make sure you check that the DVD tray, fingerprint reader, USB ports, Firewire port, Bluetooth, video output ports and printer connection all work normally.

7. Check Your Laptop Screen An important check that you need to do is to scan the laptop screen for dead pixels. You can do this with some help from a program called DeadPixelBuddy. If you spot any dead pixels and they are above the limit specified by the purchase policy, you have the right to return the unit to the manufacturer and get it replaced.

Conclusion I hope this article has shown you some fine tips for inspecting a fresh laptop you’ve purchased. Keep these points in mind the next time you get a fresh machine – whether you detect any serious problems, contact the manufacturer quickly. Hopefully, they will give you a replacement unit.

Francua Smith is a good Computer specialist who has a lot of experience on laptop computers. He will help you to choose your own nice laptop computer.