laptop

Infopackets Reader Alan G. from Australia writes: " Dear Dennis, I would like to use some of my programs which are on my PC by linking them to my laptop. Is this possible? If so, how do I go about it? I am an aged pensioner at almost 80 years of ... age. I have used computers since they were input and output with punched cards, so I am not exactly a newbie to computing -- but there are things that I don't know, and this is one of them. Thank you in advance for your help. " My Response: There are ways to get around to do what you're asking (sort of), but generally speaking, it's not possible to ... (view more)

In a recent study Microsoft surpassed Apple in value perception scores, meaning those participating felt they got more value when purchasing a Windows PC. The study, launched by advertising trackers BrandIndex, included some 5,000 people and lasted ... several months. Research began right around the same time Microsoft revved up its popular and controversial ad campaign dubbed "Laptop Hunters," which follows real consumers challenged by the Redmond firm to find the cheapest laptop with a specific set of features. Most of the time they settle on PCs for about $500 to $1,000, making premium Apple ... (view more)

Radio Shack is selling an Internet-ready laptop computer for just $99. However, the deal is only available to customers who subscribe to a $60/month 'data plan'. The device is an Acer Aspire One netbook: a slimmed down laptop designed mainly for ... Internet browsing. It's a relatively low-spec computer with a 120GB hard drive, a 1.6GHz processor and 1GB of memory. This helps keep the cost down; the machine is available elsewhere for around the $300-350 range. The computer comes with Windows XP pre-installed (Vista simply wouldn't run effectively on such a low-spec machine). That makes the $99 ... (view more)

Tired of your laptop battery dying out, or worried that it might actually pose a fire threat? Notebook batteries are notoriously fickle pieces of machinery, and their unpredictable nature can threaten one's work and even his or her health. ... Boston-Power Inc, makers of "green battery power" plan to redefine how laptop owners feel about the batteries powering their computers. Dedicated to producing safe and long-lasting lithium ion batteries, Boston-Power has announced that it intends to release a new battery boasting ultra-endurance -- performance that appears brand-spanking-new even three ... (view more)

Think you can't afford a laptop this Christmas for that overachieving son or daughter headed to university next year? Think again. The mini-notebook market continues to expand, after news that Hewlett-Packard will release their own version soon. ... Mini-notebooks, or Netbooks, are slightly smaller than the average 15.4" or 14" laptops. They're also much cheaper, sometimes half as expensive as the average big-box store fare. HP's new netbook, the Mini 1000, actually sells for a whole lot less than its name might lead you to believe -- interested consumers can pick one up for just $400, about the ... (view more)

Some of the top laptop manufacturers in the world have created a system that allows certain models to run frequently-used software in a matter of seconds. The specialized feature, called "Splashtop," does away with lengthy start-up times by avoiding ... Microsoft Windows in favor of a Linux-based "mini-operating system". For example: when a friend challenged me to a game of FIFA Soccer 2008 for the PlayStation 3, I was amazed to find that a new feature had been added that allowed users to practice perfecting their penalty shots while the game was busy loading the next page. Using this ... (view more)

The US government has changed its rules on carrying laptops through airport security checkpoints. Whereas passengers previously had to keep their laptops in clear display, they can now keep them packed away in approved bags. While there's no ... official register of which bags are suitable, most existing laptop bags will not make the grade. That's because the guiding principle now is that security agents should be able to lay the bag flat on the X-ray belt and get a clear view of the contents when they scan it. The guidelines follow tests of 40 manufacturer prototype bags for Transport Security ... (view more)

Were you amazed when tech blog Gizmodo broke the news about Dell's anticipated Mini-Inspiron laptop last recently? Turns out the "breaking news" may not have been all it was cracked up to be. On The Wall Street Journal's Business Technology blog, ... Ben Worthen revealed last week that the whole thing was a calculated ploy by the folks at Dell. In late May, the blogosphere was ablaze with excitement after Gizmodo's Brian Lam posted first-look photographs of an ultra-portable, and possibly ultra-cheap, laptop by Dell. "I bumped into Michael Dell at All Things D after his interview, and he was nice ... (view more)

It looks as if the low cost laptops designed for the developing world may run on Microsoft Windows. However, the news follows turmoil among the project's management with a third major figure departing. The One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) scheme aims to ... produce cheap machines to sell in bulk to governments of developing nations. It involves a laptop (named XO) that's designed to be particularly easy to use, and durable enough to survive in a wide range of climates. Originally, the laptop was only designed to run a package of software named Sugar which includes music creation and photo features. ... (view more)

The next time you're in an airport, train station, bus station, coffee house, or other public place and decide to "jack in" to the Internet, you might well be exposing yourself to identity thieves -- or worse. Here's how it works: the girl across ... from you in the airport coffee shop has a laptop in her briefcase that's set as an 'access point', or a 'WiFi hotspot'. She's even given the access point a legitimate-sounding ID, say, something like "Free Airport WiFi". You power up your own laptop, quickly browse for available networks, see "Free Airport WiFi", note that it's unsecured but ignoring ... (view more)