laptop

Infopackets Reader Robert G. writes: " Dear Dennis, I've been a fan of your newsletter for quite some time. Thanks for that! Question: at the end of the day, is it best to log off and keep the computer running and ready for the next time it is used, ... or should I shut it down completely and power off? I've heard different variations on the answer to this age-old question. If I leave it running, the fans are always spinning, which causes wear and tear. What do you think? " My response: Good question! I personally always leave my laptop running 24 hours a day because I'm always using it (I'm ... (view more)

Nicholas Negroponte, head of the One Laptop Per Child Project (OLPC), is expected to start shipping his "$100 laptop" internationally by mid-2007. Initially, the laptops are expected to cost around $135 when they become available. However, ... Negroponte expects the price will drop to $100 in 2008, and even as low as $50 by 2010. OLPC hopes to ship around 100 million laptops world-wide. (Source: pcworld.com ) One reason for the low price comes from the elimination of a sales and marketing team, which makes up half the cost of a typical laptop computer, according to Negroponte. The other ... (view more)

An External Hard drive can come in handy for backing up files or freeing up some disk space on your PC. The only problem is they can be pretty expensive. An easy alternative is to buy a drive enclosure for about $20 and build your own using an ... internal hard drive. Building your own external hard drive enclosure can be done in as little as 5 to 10 minutes time, and without opening up your PC's case. Not only does assembling your own external hard drive save money, it provides flexibility in choosing the connections, capacity and style that fit your needs. It is also an excellent way to make ... (view more)

Every once in a while, things pop up in the news -- you know, techie things -- that makes the old crystal ball start glowing. Recently, I came across an article in which Samsung announced the development of 16 GB (GigaByte) Flash Chips. Flash chips ... are persistent memory devices that can take the place of hard drive components. The only limitation, up to now, is that the capacity has been 2 GB or less per chip. The Apple Nano iPod uses 16 of the 2 GB chips to store the songs and such instead of a mini hard drive like the older and bulkier iPods of the past. You can read the article here . So, ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Jules E. writes: " Dear Dennis, I have a low-speed USB (Universal Serial Bus) connection on my computer. Can you tell me if there is a way to convert this to a high-speed USB adapter, and is it possible to do so without replacing ... the existing unit? I have an external USB DVD drive and would like to burn at 8x and 16x speed, but my current hardware configuration prevents me from doing this. Any help you can offer is greatly appreciated. " My response: It is not possible to "convert" a low-speed USB hub to a high-speed USB hub, per se. Also, most USB ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Judy R. writes: " Dear Dennis, I am looking for a laptop that would support an online business. I have a decent computer at home, but would like to have a separate computer for the business. I was thinking of a laptop; are there ... any you would recommend? I would need some ability to back-up. We have DSL High Speed Internet at home and would like to go wireless. We're a little lost on how to do that, though we have the parts. PS: I enjoy your newsletter -- some of it is way over my head, but I am getting some good basic information. Keep up the good work. Thank you. ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Robert H. writes: " I am running Windows 98 Second Edition on a HP Omnibook XE2 laptop, which has 64.0 MB of RAM. I was wondering if I can add 256 of RAM in order to install Windows XP? PS: Thanks for a great newsletter and your ... eBooks, I have bought several and they have been a real help." My response: Memory configurations for laptops vary from machine to machine. Most laptops have 2 memory banks and have a limit as to how much memory they can recognize. In my experience, I've found Kingston's web site to be a great resource when researching memory ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Vicky F. writes: " Hello, and good day to you! I just want to know how can I connect to the Internet using a laptop with a built-in modem? Do I still need an Internet Service Provider (ISP) or can I just hook up my laptop to the ... cable outlet? I am a newbie on this stuff, and I will really appreciate it if you could give me some insight. " My response: The built-in modem you are referring to is for dial-up (I.E.: phone line) Internet access, which is very slow compared to a cable modem or DSL connection. Should you decide to use dial-up Internet, all that is ... (view more)

Last week's question was about using a hardware and software firewall in tandem, and whether or not a [Laptop] PC would be protected through a firewall if it was daisy-chained to another [Desktop] PC which used a software firewal l. Yes -- this is a ... very technical question, but certainly very worth-while to know the answer to. Here is what the connection might look like if it was daisy chained: Internet connection -> Router, 1 port [hardware firewall] -> Desktop PC [software firewall] -> Laptop [no firewall: is it protected from the Desktop PC's software firewall?] This type of daisy ... (view more)

I'm stumpe d. A while back I received a question which dealt with anti-hacker protection ... with a bit of a twist. Infopackets Reader John S. asks: " I just had my Laptop networked to my Desktop PC. I'm using a DSL connection to the Internet. I use ... a Linksys Cable/DSL Router, and already have Black Ice (software firewall) installed on my Desktop PC. Should I also add Black Ice to my Laptop? " Something similar to this question was discussed in a previous Gazette issue, way back in November of 2002. RE: Using a Software Firewall and Hardware Firewall in Tandem In brief, this article ... (view more)