You may be wondering why I have separated note books from laptops, and at the same time used the term interchangeably? The reason I do this is because you are able to carry a 12-15″ computer, much like you would a notebook, where as laptops tend to be 16″ up to 18.4″ and weighing in at a hefty 9lbs and would generally be best suited on your lap.
Pros: Laptops are massive machines and offer the best video experience than all the other machines listed. They tend to come with enormous hard drives: up to 1TB (Terabit) which is 1024GB … trust me it’s a lot of space. In addition, they come with a Blu-Ray player, considerably better video cards and great speakers which makes these laptops more of an entertainment machine than a ‘work’ machine.
Cons: Where do I start? Personally, why on earth would anyone want to buy a massive machine when the core behind a laptop is portability? Not only are they heavy and running a massive screen, but with all that heat being generated, that can’t be all that great for it’s battery performance. Then there is the price of having one of these ‘portable entertainment’ machines. They can reach in excess of $2000 CDN. For that kind of money, I would even be inclined to say get a desktop or a Mac. You’d probably be better off.
img_140182_msi-gaming-laptopsI hope I have not further confused you in making the correct choice when it comes to buying a portable PC. Just remember, you need to first identify what you want the machine to do for you, before you go looking. Otherwise, you may very well be swayed by the ‘glitter’ and ‘glamour’ of something that is not going to do what you require. I should also note that I did not cover the ‘gaming’ or desktop replacement machines. These are overly powerful and expensive laptops designed to be used more with an AC adapter connected than not, as they require tremendous amounts of power and generate a considerable amount of heat to run the massive video cards and other peripherals that makes them top of the range.
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Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Notebooks
Typically ranging from 13″ to 15.6″ screens and weighing in at about 6.5lbs, these are probably the most common type of laptops people see around. They are a decent size and comes with a 100% size keyboard, as a result, they are easy to use. These machines are good all-around machines, they allow you to surf the web, do your word documents, watch videos and various other items.
Pros: Massive selection in the market, come with various configurations including ones with DVD Burners and decent video cards for video play back. Notebooks come with an average 3GB of Ram and upwards of 160GB of hard drive space. The price range is not all that bad either, you can get a basic notebook starting at about $400 CDN, up to $1000 for basically one with all the bells and whistles.
Cons: Come to think about it, I can’t think of any particular thing about a notebook that would be a negative. One could argue that the lower priced machines are neither here nor there when it comes to over all functionality, seeing as you would have to get into the $600 range to pick up a machine which ought to last you 2yrs.
netbooks, notebooks and laptops
Now that I have covered the absolute basic terms you need to know, let’s figure out what sort of laptop would be best for you as an individual. Laptops, like most things, are custom fit items. A laptop I may like and need does not mean someone else will like, even if mine is more powerful and feature loaded. So it’s important to figure out what is the absolute primary function you expect from your laptop before you go ahead and start looking. In today’s market, there are three types of laptops (in my opinion) that are available: Netbooks, Notebooks and Laptops.
components
CPU:
The Central Processing Unit is the ‘brain’ of the computer and is often measured in Giga-Hertz (Ghz). One would think that having a higher Ghz number would automatically mean a more powerful machine. Not always the case. The fact is, with advancements in technology, you can have laptops with two or even four cores effectively catapulting the computing power.
*Intel Core 2 Duo is a better processor than an Intel Pentium. AMD processors are typically a hundred dollars cheaper than an Intel Chip.
RAM:
Random Access Memory is like the front desk, it handles all the requests coming into the CPU, and prioritizes them so the CPU does not have to take on more than it can handle. The more RAM you have, the more buffer you are able to put in place without slowing the machine down. RAM comes in either DDR2 or DDR3 variation, and in this case, DDR3 is a more powerful RAM than the latter.
HDD:
Hard Disk Drive is exactly what you would think it to be, the physical storage of your laptop and needless to say, the more you have the better.
The Central Processing Unit is the ‘brain’ of the computer and is often measured in Giga-Hertz (Ghz). One would think that having a higher Ghz number would automatically mean a more powerful machine. Not always the case. The fact is, with advancements in technology, you can have laptops with two or even four cores effectively catapulting the computing power.
*Intel Core 2 Duo is a better processor than an Intel Pentium. AMD processors are typically a hundred dollars cheaper than an Intel Chip.
RAM:
Random Access Memory is like the front desk, it handles all the requests coming into the CPU, and prioritizes them so the CPU does not have to take on more than it can handle. The more RAM you have, the more buffer you are able to put in place without slowing the machine down. RAM comes in either DDR2 or DDR3 variation, and in this case, DDR3 is a more powerful RAM than the latter.
HDD:
Hard Disk Drive is exactly what you would think it to be, the physical storage of your laptop and needless to say, the more you have the better.
Laptop
It seems that wherever you go these days, you find people with a laptop…be it a personal one or one from work. They are everywhere, and you want in on the trend, but where do you start? Like most things technological, one can easily get scared or even down right confused when making a decision. Between the Mega this, Giga that and Tera what, it’s no wonder people end up getting something they did not need or something they did not want in the first place. Now, before we go any further, I want to make this clear: I don’t want anyone to say, “oh well, a Mac can do that”, or, “just get a Mac”. This is an objective guide to allow you to pick something that not only meets your technical requirements, but also your budget. Unfortunately, with a starting price of $1150 CDN, a Mac just does not fit into everyone’s budget.
So how does one go about getting a laptop without getting completely confused? Well let me list some of the common terms and try to explain them in the simplest of ways to help you out.
Best Refurbished Laptops
For those of you who still don’t know what a laptop is, here is the most simple definition for you: a laptop is a portable computer. Even though it doesn’t look like a regular desktop PC, it still has all of its components. On the outside it has a display screen (which is the equivalent of the computer’s monitor), it also has a keyboard, a touchpad device (which plays the role of the mouse), and the lower and thicker part which is the equivalent of the central unit of a computer. Yes, that’s correct…that very small lower part of a laptop has all of the same internal components as the central unit of a PC. And here we are talking about the processor, the RAM memory, the hard drive, the graphics engine, the audio card, the optical drive, all of the ports and so on. So just imagine how much the technology evolved, since it was possible to integrate all of those components into such a small and thin unit.
Sony-Laptops
Sony has rolled out a range of laptops based on Intel's latest 'Santa Rosa' Centrino Duo technology, sheathed in a range of "bold... eye-popping... fashion-forward" colors and equipped with a "pulsating" light that shines through the chassis to tell you what the machine's up to.
Sporting a luxurious, glossy finish and framed with silver, luminous trim, the Vaio CR notebooks reflect style and taste," the PR fluffs gushes, adding later that the CR is a "portable entertainment paradise".
Laptop
A laptop is a personal computer designed for mobile use and small and light enough to sit on a person's lap while in use. A laptop integrates most of the typical components of a desktop computer, including a display, a keyboard, a pointing device (a touchpad, also known as a trackpad, and/or a pointing stick), speakers, and usually including a battery, into a single small and light unit. The rechargeable battery (if present) is charged from an AC adapter and typically stores enough energy to run the laptop for three to five hours in its initial state, depending on the configuration and power management of the computer.
Laptops are usually notebook-shaped with thicknesses between 0.7–1.5 inches (18–38 mm) and dimensions ranging from 10x8 inches (27x22cm, 13" display) to 15x11 inches (39x28cm, 17" display) and up. Modern laptops weigh 3 to 12 pounds (1.4 to 5.4 kg); older laptops were usually heavier. Most laptops are designed in the flip form factor to protect the screen and the keyboard when closed. Modern tablet laptops have a complex joint between the keyboard housing and the display, permitting the display panel to swivel and then lie flat on the keyboard housing.
Laptops were originally considered to be a small niche market and were thought suitable mostly for specialized field applications such as the military, the Internal Revenue Service, accountants and sales representatives. But today, laptops are becoming more popular for student and general uses.
Tablet PC
A Tablet PC is a laptop PC, equipped with a stylus and or a touchscreen. This form factor is intended to offer a more mobile PC; Tablet PCs may be used where notebooks are impractical or unwieldy, or do not provide the needed functionality.
The term Tablet PC was made popular in a product announced in 2001 by Microsoft, where it was defined as a pen-enabled computer conforming to hardware specifications devised by Microsoft and running a licensed copy of "Windows XP Tablet PC Edition" operating system or a derivative thereof. Tablet PCs are personal computers where the owner is free to install any compatible application or operating system. Other tablet computer devices, such as eBook readers or PDAs, do not provide this option and are generally considered another category. The original Microsoft licensing specification required proximity sensing of the stylus, which Microsoft termed "hover". This requirement was dropped with the later announcement of the UMPC.
Desktop replacement
A desktop replacement computer is a laptop that provides most of the capabilities of a desktop computer, with a similar level of performance. Desktop replacements are usually larger and heavier than standard laptops. They contain more powerful components and have a 15" or larger display. Because of their bulk, they are not as portable as other laptops and their operation time on batteries is typically shorter; instead, they are meant to be used as a more compact, easier to carry alternative to a desktop computer.
Some laptops in this class use a limited range of desktop components to provide better performance for the same price at the expense of battery life; in a few of those models, there is no battery at all and the laptop can only be used when plugged in. These are sometimes called desknotes, a portmanteau of the words "desktop" and "notebook," though the term can also be applied to desktop replacement computers in general.
In the early 2000s, desktops were more powerful, easier to upgrade, and much cheaper in comparison with laptops. But in the last few years, the advantages have drastically changed or shrunk since the performance of laptops has markedly increased. In the second half of 2008, laptops have finally outsold desktops for the first time ever, due to their durability and being portable to travel around with. In the U.S., the PC shipment declined 10 percent in the fourth quarter of 2008. In Asia, the worst PC shipment growth went up 1.8 percent over the same quarter the previous year since PC statistics research started.
The names "Media Center Laptops" and "Gaming Laptops" are also used to describe specialized members of this class of notebooks.
Subnotebook
A subnotebook, also called an ultraportable by some vendors, is a laptop designed and marketed with an emphasis on portability (small size, low weight and longer battery life) that retains the performance of a standard notebook. Subnotebooks are usually smaller and lighter than standard laptops, weighing between 0.8 and 2 kg (2 to 5 pounds); the battery life can exceed 10 hours when a large battery or an additional battery pack is installed.
To achieve the size and weight reductions, ultraportables use high resolution 13" and smaller screens (down to 6.4"), have relatively few ports (but in any case include two or more USB ports), employ expensive components designed for minimal catapillar size and best power efficiency, and utilize advanced materials and construction methods. Some subnotebooks achieve a further portability improvement by omitting an optical/removable media drive; in this case they may be paired with a docking station that contains the drive and optionally more ports or an additional battery.
The term "subnotebook" is usually reserved to laptops that run general-purpose desktop operating systems such as Windows, Linux or Mac OS X, rather than specialized software such as Windows CE, Palm OS or Internet Tablet OS.
Netbooks are laptops that are light-weight, economical, energy-efficient and especially suited for wireless communication and Internet access. Hence the name netbook (as "the device excels in web-based computing performance") rather than notebook which pertains to size.
With primary focus given to web browsing and e-mailing, netbooks "rely heavily on the Internet for remote access to web-based applications" and are targeted increasingly at cloud computing users who rely on servers and require a less powerful client computer. While the devices range in size from below 5 inches to over 12, most are between 7 and 11 inches and weigh between 0.9 - 1.4 kg (2-3 pounds).
Netbooks normally use light-weight operating systems such Linux, Windows XP and Windows 7 Starter edition.
Components
The basic components of laptops are similar in function to their desktop counterparts, but are miniaturized, adapted to mobile use, and designed for low power consumption. Because of the additional requirements, laptop components are usually of inferior performance compared to similarly priced desktop parts. Furthermore, the design bounds on power, size, and cooling of laptops limit the maximum performance of laptop parts compared to that of desktop components.
The following list summarizes the differences and distinguishing features of laptop components in comparison to desktop personal computer parts:
* Motherboard – Laptop motherboards are highly make and model specific, and do not conform to a desktop form factor. Unlike a desktop board that usually has several slots for expansion cards (3 to 7 are common), a board for a small, highly integrated laptop may have no expansion slots at all, with all the functionality implemented on the motherboard itself; the only expansion possible in this case is via an external port such as USB. Other boards may have one or more standard, such as ExpressCard, or proprietary expansion slots. Several other functions (storage controllers, networking, sound card and external ports) are implemented on the motherboard.
* Central processing unit (CPU) – Laptop CPUs have advanced power-saving features and produce less heat than desktop processors, but are not as powerful.[26] There is a wide range of CPUs designed for laptops available from Intel (Pentium M, Celeron M, Intel Core and Core 2 Duo), AMD (Athlon, Turion 64, and Sempron), VIA Technologies, Transmeta and others. On the non-x86 architectures, Motorola and IBM produced the chips for the former PowerPC-based Apple laptops (iBook and PowerBook). Some laptops have removable CPUs, although support by the motherboard may be restricted to the specific models. In other laptops the CPU is soldered on the motherboard and is non-replaceable.
Memory
* Memory (RAM) – SO-DIMM memory modules that are usually found in laptops are about half the size of desktop DIMMs. They may be accessible from the bottom of the laptop for ease of upgrading, or placed in locations not intended for user replacement such as between the keyboard and the motherboard. Currently, most midrange laptops are factory equipped with 3-4 GB of DDR2 RAM, while some higher end notebooks feature up to 8 GB of DDR3 memory. Netbooks however, are commonly equipped with only 1 GB of RAM to keep manufacturing costs low.
* Expansion cards – A PC Card (formerly PCMCIA) or ExpressCard bay for expansion cards is often present on laptops to allow adding and removing functionality, even when the laptop is powered on. Some subsystems (such as Ethernet, Wi-Fi, or a cellular modem) can be implemented as replaceable internal expansion cards, usually accessible under an access cover on the bottom of the laptop. Two popular standards for such cards are MiniPCI and its successor, the PCI Express Mini.
* Power supply – Laptops are typically powered by an internal rechargeable battery that is charged using an external power supply. The power supply can charge the battery and power the laptop simultaneously; when the battery is fully charged, the laptop continues to run on AC power. The charger adds about 400 grams (1 lb) to the overall "transport weight" of the notebook.
* Battery – Current laptops utilize lithium ion batteries, with more recent models using the new lithium polymer technology. These two technologies have largely replaced the older nickel metal-hydride batteries. Typical battery life for standard laptops is two to five hours of light-duty use, but may drop to as little as one hour when doing power-intensive tasks. A battery's performance gradually decreases with time, leading to an eventual replacement in one to three years, depending on the charging and discharging pattern. This large-capacity main battery should not be confused with the much smaller battery nearly all computers use to run the real-time clock and to store the BIOS configuration in the CMOS memory when the computer is off. Lithium-ion batteries do not have a memory effect as older batteries may have. The memory effect happens when one does not use a battery to its fullest extent, then recharges the battery. New innovations in laptops and batteries have seen new possible matchings which can provide up to a full 24 hours of continued operation, assuming average power consumption levels. An example of this is the HP EliteBook 6930p when used with its ultra-capacity battery.
* Video display controller – On standard laptops the video controller is usually integrated into the chipset to conserve power. This tends to limit the use of laptops for gaming and entertainment, two fields which have constantly escalating hardware demands. Higher-end laptops and desktop replacements in particular often come with dedicated graphics processors on the motherboard or as an internal expansion card. These mobile graphics processors are comparable in performance to mainstream desktop graphic accelerator boards. A few notebooks have switchable graphics with both an integrated and discrete card installed. The user can choose between using integrated graphics when battery life is important and dedicated graphics when demanding applications call for it. This allows for greater flexibility and also conserves power when not required.
* Display – Most modern laptops feature 12 inches (30 cm) or larger color active matrix displays based on a CCFL lamp with resolutions of 1280x800 (16:10) or 1366 x 768 (16:9) pixels and above. Many current models use screens with higher resolution than typical for desktop PCs (for example, the 1440×900 resolution of a 15"). Newer laptops come with LED based screens offering a lesser power consumption and wider viewing angles.
A size comparison of 3.5" and 2.5" hard disk drives
* Removable media drives – A DVD/CD reader/writer drive is typically standard. CD drives are becoming rare, while Blu-Ray is becoming more common on notebooks. Many ultraportables and netbooks either move the removable media drive into the docking station or exclude it altogether.
Internal storage
* Internal storage – Laptop hard disks are physically smaller—2.5 inches (64 mm) or 1.8 inches (46 mm) —compared to desktop 3.5 inches (89 mm) drives. Some newer laptops (usually ultraportables) employ more expensive, but faster, lighter and power-efficient flash memory-based SSDs instead. Currently, 250 to 500 GB sizes are common for laptop hard disks (64 to 512 GB for SSDs).
* Input – A pointing stick, touchpad or both are used to control the position of the cursor on the screen, and an integrated keyboard is used for typing. An external keyboard and/or mouse may be connected using USB or PS/2 (if present).
* Ports – several USB ports, an external monitor port (VGA or DVI), audio in/out, and an Ethernet network port are found on most laptops. Less common are legacy ports such as a PS/2 keyboard/mouse port, serial port or a parallel port. S-video or composite video ports are more common on consumer-oriented notebooks. HDMI may be found on some higher-end notebooks.
Standards
Some laptop components (optical drives, hard drives, memory and internal expansion cards) are relatively standardized, and it is possible to upgrade or replace them in many laptops as long as the new part is of the same type, mainly the motherboard. Depending on the manufacturer and model, a laptop may range from having several standard, easily customizable and upgradeable parts to a proprietary design that cannot be reconfigured at all. The replacability/upgradability of the hardware can be announced as positive by the laptop maker.
In general, components other than the four categories listed above are not intended to be replaceable, and thus rarely follow a standard. In particular, some motherboards, locations of ports, and design and placement of internal components are usually make and model specific. Those parts are neither interchangeable with parts from other manufacturers (replaceable) nor upgradeable. If broken or damaged, they must be substituted with an exact replacement part. Those users uneducated in the relevant fields are those the most affected by incompatibilities, especially if they attempt to connect their laptops with incompatible hardware or power adapters.
Intel, Asus, Compal, Quanta and other laptop manufacturers have created the Common Building Block standard for laptop parts to address some of the inefficiencies caused by the lack of standards.
Advantages
Portability is usually the first feature mentioned in any comparison of laptops versus desktop PCs. Portability means that a laptop can be used in many places—not only at home and at the office, but also during commuting and flights, in coffee shops, in lecture halls and libraries, at clients' location or at a meeting room, etc. The portability feature offers several distinct advantages:
* Productivity – Using a laptop in places where a desktop PC can't be used, and at times that would otherwise be wasted. For example, an office worker managing their e-mails during an hour-long commute by train, or a student doing his/her homework at the university coffee shop during a break between lectures.
* Immediacy – Carrying a laptop means having instant access to various information, personal and work files. Immediacy allows better collaboration between coworkers or students, as a laptop can be flipped open to present a problem or a solution anytime, anywhere.
* Up-to-date information – If a person has more than one desktop PC, a problem of synchronization arises: changes made on one computer are not automatically propagated to the others. There are ways to resolve this problem, including physical transfer of updated files (using a USB flash memory stick or CDRs) or using synchronization software over the Internet. However, using a single laptop at both locations avoids the problem entirely, as the files exist in a single location and are always up-to-date.
* Connectivity – A proliferation of Wi-Fi wireless networks and cellular broadband data services (HSDPA, EVDO and others) combined with a near-ubiquitous support by laptops means that a laptop can have easy Internet and local network connectivity while remaining mobile. Wi-Fi networks and laptop programs are especially widespread at university campuses.
Other advantages of laptops include:
* Size – Laptops are smaller than standard PCs. This is beneficial when space is at a premium, for example in small apartments and student dorms. When not in use, a laptop can be closed and put away.
* Ease of Access - Most laptops have doors on the underside that allow the user to access the memory, hard drive and other components, by simply flipping the laptop to access the doors. For desktops the user must usually access the backside of the computer, which is harder if it's in an area with little space.
* Low power consumption – Laptops are several times more power-efficient than desktops. A typical laptop uses 20-90 W, compared to 100-800 W for desktops. This could be particularly beneficial for businesses (which run hundreds of personal computers, multiplying the potential savings) and homes where there is a computer running 24/7 (such as a home media server, print server, etc.)
* Quiet – Laptops are often quieter than desktops, due both to the components (quieter, slower 2.5-inch hard drives) and to less heat production leading to use of fewer and slower cooling fans.
* Battery – a charged laptop can run several hours in case of a power outage and is not affected by short power interruptions and blackouts. A desktop PC needs a UPS to handle short interruptions, blackouts and spikes; achieving on-battery time of more than 20–30 minutes for a desktop PC requires a large and expensive UPS.
* All-in-One - designed to be portable, laptops have everything integrated in to the chassis. For desktops (excluding all-in-ones) this is divided into the desktop, keyboard, mouse, display, and optional peripherals such as speakers, and a webcam. This leads to lots of wiring. It can also lead to massive power consumption.
* Extras - in comparison to low-end desktops, even low-end laptops include features such as integrated Wi-Fi, and Express Card slot, and a memory card reader.
Performance
Whilst the performance of mainstream desktops and laptops is comparable, laptops are significantly more expensive than desktop PCs at the same or even lower performance level. The upper limits of performance of laptops are a little bit lower, and "bleeding-edge" features usually appear first in desktops and only then, as the underlying technology matures, are adapted to laptops.
However, for Internet browsing and typical office applications, where the computer spends the majority of its time waiting for the next user input, even netbook-class laptops are generally fast enough.Most higher-end laptops are sufficiently powerful for high-resolution movie playback, 3D gaming and video editing and encoding. However, laptops are disadvantaged when dealing with database, maths, engineering, financial software, etc.
Some manufacturers work around this performance problem by using desktop CPUs for laptops
Monday, July 19, 2010
Upgradeability
Upgradeability of laptops is very limited compared to desktops, which are thoroughly standardized. In general, hard drives and memory can be upgraded easily. Optical drives and internal expansion cards may be upgraded if they follow an industry standard, but all other internal components, including the motherboard, CPU and graphics, are not always intended to be upgradeable.
The reasons for limited upgradeability are both technical and economic. There is no industry-wide standard form factor for laptops; each major laptop manufacturer pursues its own proprietary design and construction, with the result that laptops are difficult to upgrade and have high repair costs. With few exceptions, laptop components can rarely be swapped between laptops of competing manufacturers, or even between laptops from the different product-lines of the same manufacturer.
Some upgrades can be performed by adding external devices, either USB or in expansion card format such a PC Card: sound cards, network adapters, hard and optical drives, and numerous other peripherals are available, but these upgrades usually impair the laptop's portability, because they add cables and boxes to the setup and often have to be disconnected and reconnected when the laptop is on the move.
Ergonomics and health
Because of their small and flat keyboard and trackpad pointing devices, prolonged use of laptops can cause repetitive strain injury. Usage of separate, external ergonomic keyboards and pointing devices is recommended to prevent injury when working for long periods of time; they can be connected to a laptop easily by USB or via a docking station. Some health standards require ergonomic keyboards at workplaces.
The integrated screen often causes users to hunch over for a better view, which can cause neck or spinal injuries. A larger and higher-quality external screen can be connected to almost any laptop to alleviate that and to provide additional "screen estate" for more productive work.
A study by State University of New York researchers found that heat generated from laptops can raise the temperature of the scrotum when balancing the computer on one's lap, potentially putting sperm count at risk. The study, which included roughly two dozen men aged 21 to 35, found that the sitting position required to balance a laptop can raise scrotum temperature by as much as 2.1 °C (3.78 °F). However, further research is needed to determine whether this directly affects sterility in men.
A common practical solution to this problem is to place the laptop on a table or desk. Another solution is to obtain a cooling unit for the laptop - these units are usually USB powered and consist of a hard thin plastic case housing 1, 2 or 3 cooling fans (with the entire assembly designed to sit under the laptop in question) which results in the laptop remaining cool to the touch, and greatly reduces laptop heat buildup.
Heat from using a laptop on the lap can also cause skin discoloration on the thighs
Durability
Due to their portability, laptops are subject to more wear and physical damage than desktops. Components such as screen hinges, latches, power jacks and power cords deteriorate gradually due to ordinary use. A liquid spill onto the keyboard, a rather minor mishap with a desktop system, can damage the internals of a laptop and result in a costly repair. One study found that a laptop is 3 times more likely to break during the first year of use than a desktop.
Original external components are expensive, and usually proprietary and non-interchangeble; other parts are inexpensive—a power jack can cost a few dollars—but their replacement may require extensive disassembly and reassembly of the laptop by a technician. Other inexpensive but fragile parts often cannot be purchased separate from larger more expensive components. The repair costs of a failed motherboard or LCD panel may exceed the value of a used laptop.
Laptops rely on extremely compact cooling systems involving a fan and heat sink that can fail due to eventual clogging by accumulated airborne dust and debris. Most laptops do not have any sort of removable dust collection filter over the air intake for these cooling systems, resulting in a system that gradually runs hotter and louder as the years pass. Eventually the laptop starts to overheat even at idle load levels. This dust is usually stuck inside where casual cleaning and vacuuming cannot remove it. Instead, a complete disassembly is needed to clean the laptop.
Battery life of laptops is limited; the capacity drops with time, necessitating an eventual replacement after a few years. The battery is often easily replaceable, and one may replace it on purpose with a higher end model to achieve better battery life.
Major brands and manufacturers
There is a multitude of laptop brands and manufacturers; several major brands, offering notebooks in various classes, are listed in the box to the right.
The major brands usually offer good service and support, including well-executed documentation and driver downloads that will remain available for many years after a particular laptop model is no longer produced. Capitalizing on service, support and brand image, laptops from major brands are more expensive than laptops by smaller brands and ODMs.
Some brands are specializing in a particular class of laptops, such as gaming laptops (Alienware), high-performance laptops (Macbook Pro), netbooks (EeePC) and laptops for children (OLPC).
Many brands, including the major ones, do not design and do not manufacture their laptops. Instead, a small number of Original Design Manufacturers (ODMs) design new models of laptops, and the brands choose the models to be included in their lineup. In 2006, 7 major ODMs manufactured 7 of every 10 laptops in the world, with the largest one (Quanta Computer) having 30% world market share. Therefore, there often are identical models available both from a major label and from a low-profile ODM in-house brand.
The major brands usually offer good service and support, including well-executed documentation and driver downloads that will remain available for many years after a particular laptop model is no longer produced. Capitalizing on service, support and brand image, laptops from major brands are more expensive than laptops by smaller brands and ODMs.
Some brands are specializing in a particular class of laptops, such as gaming laptops (Alienware), high-performance laptops (Macbook Pro), netbooks (EeePC) and laptops for children (OLPC).
Many brands, including the major ones, do not design and do not manufacture their laptops. Instead, a small number of Original Design Manufacturers (ODMs) design new models of laptops, and the brands choose the models to be included in their lineup. In 2006, 7 major ODMs manufactured 7 of every 10 laptops in the world, with the largest one (Quanta Computer) having 30% world market share. Therefore, there often are identical models available both from a major label and from a low-profile ODM in-house brand.
Toshiba Satellite
The Toshiba Satellite A305D is the sometimes overlooked AMD younger brother to the Intel A305 notebook. This model shares practically the same design, just fewer features that help to bring the cost down. At first glance it would be impossible to tell these two notebooks apart, but if you take a close enough look you can probably spot the differences. Read on to see if this lower cost AMD-equipped Toshiba A305D deserves a spot on your desk.
Build and Design
First thing you will notice is every part of this notebook is glossy, from the screen cover, to the palm rest, and even the keyboard keys. Toshiba is really showing off their new durable Fusion finish on every part of the notebook that they can, and in some ways it is a very good thing. Durability is a big thing with notebook finishes, as many glossy finishes will dull and scratch over time. The new Toshiba Fusion finish on this is incredibly durable, and has yet to actually scratch throughout my testing. With multiple trips in my backpack, I can't find any visible scuffs on the cover, where other notebooks would show fine scratches almost out of the wrapper.
Performance
The Toshiba A305D comes loaded with the AMD Turion TL-64 2.2GHz processor, and the ATI 1250 integrated graphics. For most activities this combination handles itself quite well, including office productivity applications or watching movies. Gaming is one area that this close brother to the Intel A305 can't follow, bringing in 3D benchmarking scores almost 93% lower.
The Intel-based A305 delivered an impressive benchmark score in terms of overall performance thanks to a second hard drive and dedicated graphics. Unfortunately, our configuration of the AMD-based A305D produced "average" benchmark numbers from a single hard drive and integrated graphics.
wPrime is a program that forces the processor to do recursive mathematical calculations, the advantage of this program is that it is multi-threaded and can use both processor cores at once, thereby giving more accurate benchmarking measurements than Super Pi. (Lower numbers mean better performance.)
Audio
The Harmon/Kardon speakers included on the A305D were excellent for gaming and watching movies. Unlike many normal notebook speakers, you would actually hear a hint of bass, which was welcome for speakers of this size. Volume levels that would easily annoy those around you could be reached without distortion.
Headphone performance was also very nice, providing clear, static free audio.
Ports and Features
The AMD-based Toshiba A305D has an almost identical port lineup as the Intel A305, minus the HDMI port that came with the dedicated graphics. Even with that port gone, the lineup is still more than adequate for many users.
* ExpressCard slot (ExpressCard/34 and Express Card/54)
* 10/100 Ethernet
* Modem jack
* 5-in-1 media card reader
* VGA out, S-Video
* Microphone input port
* Headphone output port
* IEEE-1394 (FireWire)
* Four USB 2.0 ports (with "Sleep and Charge")
Toshiba
 |  Heat and NoiseThermal performance of the AMD-based Toshiba A305D was better than the Intel A305, almost entirely because of the missing second hard drive and use of integrated graphics. The palmrest temperatures are slightly down after prolonged use, and the bottom of the notebook is also somewhat cooler. Fan noise was minimal and it rarely sped up even under the stress of benchmarks. |
Battery Life
Our A305D review model came with the standard 6-cell, 4000mAh battery. With the notebook set to the balanced profile, screen brightness set to 50 percent, and wireless connected, we managed 3 hours even.
Note book
Since 2005's GPU review, notebook graphics hardware has done us the kindness of simplifying. The options on the market are somewhat fewer and it's to our benefit, but it's still somewhat confusing. I've seen questions on the forums that to some of us may seem comical: "Is an X1300 graphics card better than an X700?" To the graphics geek, it's a stupid question. But to a neophyte, it can be very confusing. After all, 1300 is greater than 700, isn't it?
You see how it is.
This year is a good year for notebook graphics because a number of factors in the equation have simplified, and because gaming is becoming increasingly accessible in the notebook field, and conditions are constantly improving.
I encourage you to go back and read my 2005 GPU review, as it goes over certain subjects in depth, where most of them will only be touched on here. With the changes in the market, this 2006 GPU review sees some refinements from the prior year.
You see how it is.
This year is a good year for notebook graphics because a number of factors in the equation have simplified, and because gaming is becoming increasingly accessible in the notebook field, and conditions are constantly improving.
I encourage you to go back and read my 2005 GPU review, as it goes over certain subjects in depth, where most of them will only be touched on here. With the changes in the market, this 2006 GPU review sees some refinements from the prior year.
INTEGRATED VS. DEDICATED
There are essentially two different types of graphics processors that can be found in computers in general: integrated and dedicated.
Integrated graphics parts are a part of the motherboard, of the system itself. Motherboards have at least one core chip called a Northbridge, which controls functions like RAM, the PCI Express bus, and how the rest of the computer interfaces with the processor (I'm sure the diehards will probably correct me somewhere, but remember I'm just trying to make this extremely esoteric information palatable.) Integrated graphics have the graphics core built into the northbridge, and they share their video memory off of your RAM. As a result, they eat a little bit of the bandwidth your system is using to interface with the RAM, and reduce the amount of system RAM available. Most integrated parts tend to share that memory dynamically, though, meaning they only take what they need. Only the Radeon Xpress integrated parts have their own memory, and only in AMD systems. I'll talk more about them later.
Despite the shared memory, there are many benefits to integrated parts. They improve battery life, reduce the cost of the notebook, and allow the notebook to run cooler as it doesn't need to cool an extra dedicated chip.
The flipside is that they generally offer very poor performance for gaming, with the fastest integrated parts still being beaten handily by the slowest dedicated parts.
And speaking of dedicated parts: a dedicated graphics core is separate from the northbridge, and has its own video memory. This means it doesn't siphon off the system RAM, although some parts (typically lower end) do dynamically share from system RAM as needed, though only when it would improve performance (and you'll never see them do so in regular Windows operation, only during gaming).
Dedicated graphics parts will always outperform integrated parts, albeit in varying degrees. If you're going to game on your system, you'll need one of these.
The problem with dedicated parts is that they drive up the cost of the notebook, can increase the temperature (as they need to be cooled by themselves), and reduce the battery life. Additionally, due to the power draw and cooling issues, dedicated parts seldom find themselves in ultraportable notebooks.
Integrated graphics parts are a part of the motherboard, of the system itself. Motherboards have at least one core chip called a Northbridge, which controls functions like RAM, the PCI Express bus, and how the rest of the computer interfaces with the processor (I'm sure the diehards will probably correct me somewhere, but remember I'm just trying to make this extremely esoteric information palatable.) Integrated graphics have the graphics core built into the northbridge, and they share their video memory off of your RAM. As a result, they eat a little bit of the bandwidth your system is using to interface with the RAM, and reduce the amount of system RAM available. Most integrated parts tend to share that memory dynamically, though, meaning they only take what they need. Only the Radeon Xpress integrated parts have their own memory, and only in AMD systems. I'll talk more about them later.
Despite the shared memory, there are many benefits to integrated parts. They improve battery life, reduce the cost of the notebook, and allow the notebook to run cooler as it doesn't need to cool an extra dedicated chip.
The flipside is that they generally offer very poor performance for gaming, with the fastest integrated parts still being beaten handily by the slowest dedicated parts.
And speaking of dedicated parts: a dedicated graphics core is separate from the northbridge, and has its own video memory. This means it doesn't siphon off the system RAM, although some parts (typically lower end) do dynamically share from system RAM as needed, though only when it would improve performance (and you'll never see them do so in regular Windows operation, only during gaming).
Dedicated graphics parts will always outperform integrated parts, albeit in varying degrees. If you're going to game on your system, you'll need one of these.
The problem with dedicated parts is that they drive up the cost of the notebook, can increase the temperature (as they need to be cooled by themselves), and reduce the battery life. Additionally, due to the power draw and cooling issues, dedicated parts seldom find themselves in ultraportable notebooks.
HYPERMEMORY AND TURBOCACHE
HyperMemory and TurboCache - boy they sure do sound fast, don't they? Leave it to ATI and nVidia to use marketing speak to turn something that's really actually bad for the consumer into something positive.
Since graphics hardware has made the transition from AGP to PCI Express, it can now access system memory at much faster speeds, and as a result, graphics parts can dynamically share system memory. ATI's implementation is called HyperMemory; nVidia's is called TurboCache. By implementing these technologies, they can create cheaper parts that require less dedicated video memory. There are differences in the two implementations, however.
nVidia's TurboCache has features dedicated to its operation built into the graphics chips themselves. As a result, their interface with system memory is usually quite fast. Unfortunately, this also results in a greater number of parts outright relying on this technology.
ATI's HyperMemory, on the other hand, is done entirely in software, and is enabled on virtually all of their hardware. While conceivably this is a bonus and should at least marginally improve performance on any system with ATI hardware, the flipside is that most often the latency is too poor for it to be of any real benefit to any but the lowest grade of parts.
The major problem with these technologies - and nVidia is particularly guilty of this - is that they basically allow manufacturers and resellers to "lie" about the amount of dedicated video memory the part has. nVidia parts in the Low End and Mainstream categories are going to be guilty of this, and it may or may not matter to you as these parts are still fairly solid if unexceptional performers. The only way you can really know how much video memory these parts have, though, is if they say something like "x Dedicated / x TurboCache or Shared."
ATI's parts, apart from the X300 and X1300 are much less guilty of this, and I've found that ATI usually ships more than an adequate amount of video memory with their X1000 series parts. The flipside is that their HyperMemory technology is, as I stated before, pretty unremarkable.
Since graphics hardware has made the transition from AGP to PCI Express, it can now access system memory at much faster speeds, and as a result, graphics parts can dynamically share system memory. ATI's implementation is called HyperMemory; nVidia's is called TurboCache. By implementing these technologies, they can create cheaper parts that require less dedicated video memory. There are differences in the two implementations, however.
nVidia's TurboCache has features dedicated to its operation built into the graphics chips themselves. As a result, their interface with system memory is usually quite fast. Unfortunately, this also results in a greater number of parts outright relying on this technology.
ATI's HyperMemory, on the other hand, is done entirely in software, and is enabled on virtually all of their hardware. While conceivably this is a bonus and should at least marginally improve performance on any system with ATI hardware, the flipside is that most often the latency is too poor for it to be of any real benefit to any but the lowest grade of parts.
The major problem with these technologies - and nVidia is particularly guilty of this - is that they basically allow manufacturers and resellers to "lie" about the amount of dedicated video memory the part has. nVidia parts in the Low End and Mainstream categories are going to be guilty of this, and it may or may not matter to you as these parts are still fairly solid if unexceptional performers. The only way you can really know how much video memory these parts have, though, is if they say something like "x Dedicated / x TurboCache or Shared."
ATI's parts, apart from the X300 and X1300 are much less guilty of this, and I've found that ATI usually ships more than an adequate amount of video memory with their X1000 series parts. The flipside is that their HyperMemory technology is, as I stated before, pretty unremarkable.
CAPSULE INFORMATION
On each graphics part, I'll list the following information; this section is a summary of what each of those pieces of information means.
Shader Model:
There are three different shader models that we'll see in modern notebook graphics parts: Shader Model 2, 2b, and 3. The higher the shader model, the increased number of graphic features that part supports. This is sort of esoteric, but it means the difference between "High Detail" and "Very High Detail" in games like Far Cry and Age of Empires III. A Shader Model 3 part may allow you to add additional details to parts of a game that supports it, provided the part itself has enough horsepower to keep the game running playably. (To wit: nVidia's GeForce FX series all supported Shader Model 2, but the FX Go 5200's performance was too poor to actually run games using it.) Note that Model 2b is a strictly ATI standard, and is very minimally supported.
Pipelines:
The number of pixel pipelines (shaders) a given GPU has. What these do is generally esoterica; they essentially refer to the number of pixels that can be shaded per cycle in the chip. More is generally better, but the bare minimum is typically 4, though 8 pipeline parts and greater are becoming a lot more common. Again, this line is being blurred and this section may very well be obsolete by next year's article.
Memory Bus Width:
This is a specification that can have an incredibly profound effect on performance. A bigger bus width allows more data from the RAM to be transferred at once. Bus width comes in 64-bit, 128-bit, and 256-bit, and generally 128-bit is the minimum you want. What's different now as opposed to last year is that nVidia's low end TurboCache parts have 64-bit bus width, but still offer very acceptable performance.
Specification Clock Speeds:
When a graphics part is released, it typically has a specification for how fast the part and its memory run. On integrated parts, the memory clock won't be listed as these parts (again, excluding certain Radeon Xpress parts) share system memory. While I didn't list these last year, I've noticed companies have tightened up and standardized these clocks a bit more, so I'm a little more comfortable producing these. These are REFERENCE, however. The MacBook Pro's Mobility Radeon X1600 is notoriously underclocked, while the Mobility Radeon X600 in my own notebook runs 10MHz over specification on the memory. There is still some variance.
Shader Model:
There are three different shader models that we'll see in modern notebook graphics parts: Shader Model 2, 2b, and 3. The higher the shader model, the increased number of graphic features that part supports. This is sort of esoteric, but it means the difference between "High Detail" and "Very High Detail" in games like Far Cry and Age of Empires III. A Shader Model 3 part may allow you to add additional details to parts of a game that supports it, provided the part itself has enough horsepower to keep the game running playably. (To wit: nVidia's GeForce FX series all supported Shader Model 2, but the FX Go 5200's performance was too poor to actually run games using it.) Note that Model 2b is a strictly ATI standard, and is very minimally supported.
Pipelines:
The number of pixel pipelines (shaders) a given GPU has. What these do is generally esoterica; they essentially refer to the number of pixels that can be shaded per cycle in the chip. More is generally better, but the bare minimum is typically 4, though 8 pipeline parts and greater are becoming a lot more common. Again, this line is being blurred and this section may very well be obsolete by next year's article.
Memory Bus Width:
This is a specification that can have an incredibly profound effect on performance. A bigger bus width allows more data from the RAM to be transferred at once. Bus width comes in 64-bit, 128-bit, and 256-bit, and generally 128-bit is the minimum you want. What's different now as opposed to last year is that nVidia's low end TurboCache parts have 64-bit bus width, but still offer very acceptable performance.
Specification Clock Speeds:
When a graphics part is released, it typically has a specification for how fast the part and its memory run. On integrated parts, the memory clock won't be listed as these parts (again, excluding certain Radeon Xpress parts) share system memory. While I didn't list these last year, I've noticed companies have tightened up and standardized these clocks a bit more, so I'm a little more comfortable producing these. These are REFERENCE, however. The MacBook Pro's Mobility Radeon X1600 is notoriously underclocked, while the Mobility Radeon X600 in my own notebook runs 10MHz over specification on the memory. There is still some variance.
RETIRED GRAPHICS CARD PARTS
The following parts are being retired from the article, as they are no longer modern and rarely if ever appear in modern notebooks. For information on these, please refer to my 2005 article.
Integrated: Intel Extreme Graphics, Intel Extreme Graphics 2, ATI 320M/340M IGP, ATI Mobility Radeon 9000/9100 IGP
Dedicated: ATI Mobility Radeon, ATI Mobility Radeon 7500, ATI Mobility Radeon 9000, ATI Mobility Radeon 9200, nVidia GeForce 4 Go series, ATI Mobility Radeon 9600 (9550), ATI Mobility Radeon 9700, ATI Mobility Radeon 9800, nVidia GeForce FX Go series, ATI Mobility Radeon X800 (XT), nVidia GeForce Go 6800 (Ultra)
Note that a couple of these may seem to be retired prematurely while others listed below may seem to you as they should've been retired. I've chosen these largely at my own discretion, but also based on their market penetration. For example, the instant the Go 7800 was released, nVidia pretty much stopped shipping the Go 6800. X700s and 6600s, on the other hand, while gradually disappearing from the market, are still present.
And for some odd reason, OEMs are still madly in love with the X600.
Integrated: Intel Extreme Graphics, Intel Extreme Graphics 2, ATI 320M/340M IGP, ATI Mobility Radeon 9000/9100 IGP
Dedicated: ATI Mobility Radeon, ATI Mobility Radeon 7500, ATI Mobility Radeon 9000, ATI Mobility Radeon 9200, nVidia GeForce 4 Go series, ATI Mobility Radeon 9600 (9550), ATI Mobility Radeon 9700, ATI Mobility Radeon 9800, nVidia GeForce FX Go series, ATI Mobility Radeon X800 (XT), nVidia GeForce Go 6800 (Ultra)
Note that a couple of these may seem to be retired prematurely while others listed below may seem to you as they should've been retired. I've chosen these largely at my own discretion, but also based on their market penetration. For example, the instant the Go 7800 was released, nVidia pretty much stopped shipping the Go 6800. X700s and 6600s, on the other hand, while gradually disappearing from the market, are still present.
And for some odd reason, OEMs are still madly in love with the X600.
MODERN AVAILABLE GRAPHICS CARD PARTS
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) 900/950
* Shader Model 2
* 4 Pipelines
The Intel GMA 900 and 950 are some of the worst integrated parts on the market; this you've probably heard. What you don't really expect is just how bad they are. While they can certainly benchmark fairly close to the Radeon Xpress series, in actual practice their performance is much less fluid, and they have much less compatibility. While these are fine for the average computer user, if you plan on playing any games released after Unreal Tournament 2004 (which itself doesn't run that well on either part), these are not for you.
ATI Radeon Xpress 200M / 1100 / 1150
* Shader Model 2
* 2 Pipelines
The 1100 and 1150 are refreshes of the 200M; the 1150 has a slightly higher clock while the 1100 is basically the 200M. Outside of the Go 6100 and 6150, these are the fastest integrated parts available. These sometimes appear with dedicated memory attached to them (usually on HP/Compaq notebooks); those versions tend to run about 33% faster. Still, if you plan on doing any more than the most casual gaming, these aren't a good fit for you, as they won't run Doom 3 very comfortably - even the parts with dedicated memory. Thus, don't expect to be playing even more complex games, like Prey or Oblivion, on these. Still, for older games, they'll be fine. Note that these are usually found in AMD systems and on lower end Intel systems.
* Shader Model 2
* 4 Pipelines
The Intel GMA 900 and 950 are some of the worst integrated parts on the market; this you've probably heard. What you don't really expect is just how bad they are. While they can certainly benchmark fairly close to the Radeon Xpress series, in actual practice their performance is much less fluid, and they have much less compatibility. While these are fine for the average computer user, if you plan on playing any games released after Unreal Tournament 2004 (which itself doesn't run that well on either part), these are not for you.
ATI Radeon Xpress 200M / 1100 / 1150
* Shader Model 2
* 2 Pipelines
The 1100 and 1150 are refreshes of the 200M; the 1150 has a slightly higher clock while the 1100 is basically the 200M. Outside of the Go 6100 and 6150, these are the fastest integrated parts available. These sometimes appear with dedicated memory attached to them (usually on HP/Compaq notebooks); those versions tend to run about 33% faster. Still, if you plan on doing any more than the most casual gaming, these aren't a good fit for you, as they won't run Doom 3 very comfortably - even the parts with dedicated memory. Thus, don't expect to be playing even more complex games, like Prey or Oblivion, on these. Still, for older games, they'll be fine. Note that these are usually found in AMD systems and on lower end Intel systems.
PERFORMANCE GRAPHICS CARDS
ATI Mobility Radeon X1600
* Shader Model 3
* 12 Pipelines
* 128-bit Memory Bus
* Clocks: 470MHz Core, 470MHz Memory (940MHz DDR Effective)
The Mobility Radeon X1600 is one of the most desirable notebook parts on the market. It offers performance approaching last generation's top end, running many games at native, and frequently appears with a large amount of dedicated video memory. Most impressive about the X1600 is its appearance in mainstream and even 14" thin-and-light notebooks. If you're at least a semi-serious gamer, this part is easily recommended, and will play most if not all games at native with most details maxed out.
nVidia GeForce Go 7600
* Shader Model 3
* 8 Pipelines
* 128-bit Memory Bus
* Clocks: 450MHz Core, 500MHz Memory (1GHz DDR Effective)
Comparable in performance to a desktop 7600GS, the Go 7600 is a little crippled next to its desktop cousin, which has a full 12 pipelines. Performance wise, it's slightly slower than the X1600 and thus not as desirable, but as I've stated before with nVidia parts, if your favorite games run off of the Doom 3 engine, this is going to be the better choice. This part is still a very strong performer, blowing away competitors in the lower classes, and can be found in the same notebook segments as the X1600. Thus, it remains easy to recommend.
HIGH END PERFORMANCE GRAPHICS CARDS
ATI Mobility Radeon X1800
* Shader Model 3
* 12 Pipelines (16 in XT Version)
* 256-bit Memory Bus
* X1800 Clocks: 450MHz Core, 500MHz Memory (1GHz DDR Effective)
X1800XT Clocks: 550MHz Core, 650MHz Memory (1.3GHz DDR Effective)
Unlike the old Mobility Radeon X800 line, these can actually be found, albeit again in small numbers. These basically trade off with the high end GeForce Go 7 series parts as being the fastest notebook graphics processors available. However, the Go 7 series remains more common and easier to find, with these almost exclusively appearing in boutique notebooks from manufacturers like Alienware.
nVidia GeForce Go 7800
* Shader Model 3
* 16 Pipelines (24 in GTX Version)
* 256-bit Memory Bus
* 7800 Clocks: 350MHz Core, 550MHz Memory (1.1GHz DDR Effective)
7800 GTX Clocks: 400MHz Core, 550MHz Memory (1.1GHz DDR Effective)
These are gradually being phased out for the faster Go 7900 line, but are still incredibly powerful chips, running even modern games at WXGA or better resolution, with detail settings maxed out. They're also fairly easy to come by in desktop replacement notebooks, but they demand a premium.
nVidia GeForce Go 7900 GS
* Shader Model 3
* 20 Pipelines (24 in GTX Version)
* 256-bit Memory Bus
* 7900 GS Clocks: 375MHz Core, 500MHz Memory (1GHz DDR Effective)
7900 GTX Clocks: 500MHz Core, 600MHz Memory (1.2GHz DDR Effective)
Basically just faster versions of the Go 7800 line.
* Shader Model 3
* 12 Pipelines
* 128-bit Memory Bus
* Clocks: 470MHz Core, 470MHz Memory (940MHz DDR Effective)
The Mobility Radeon X1600 is one of the most desirable notebook parts on the market. It offers performance approaching last generation's top end, running many games at native, and frequently appears with a large amount of dedicated video memory. Most impressive about the X1600 is its appearance in mainstream and even 14" thin-and-light notebooks. If you're at least a semi-serious gamer, this part is easily recommended, and will play most if not all games at native with most details maxed out.
nVidia GeForce Go 7600
* Shader Model 3
* 8 Pipelines
* 128-bit Memory Bus
* Clocks: 450MHz Core, 500MHz Memory (1GHz DDR Effective)
Comparable in performance to a desktop 7600GS, the Go 7600 is a little crippled next to its desktop cousin, which has a full 12 pipelines. Performance wise, it's slightly slower than the X1600 and thus not as desirable, but as I've stated before with nVidia parts, if your favorite games run off of the Doom 3 engine, this is going to be the better choice. This part is still a very strong performer, blowing away competitors in the lower classes, and can be found in the same notebook segments as the X1600. Thus, it remains easy to recommend.
HIGH END PERFORMANCE GRAPHICS CARDS
ATI Mobility Radeon X1800
* Shader Model 3
* 12 Pipelines (16 in XT Version)
* 256-bit Memory Bus
* X1800 Clocks: 450MHz Core, 500MHz Memory (1GHz DDR Effective)
X1800XT Clocks: 550MHz Core, 650MHz Memory (1.3GHz DDR Effective)
Unlike the old Mobility Radeon X800 line, these can actually be found, albeit again in small numbers. These basically trade off with the high end GeForce Go 7 series parts as being the fastest notebook graphics processors available. However, the Go 7 series remains more common and easier to find, with these almost exclusively appearing in boutique notebooks from manufacturers like Alienware.
nVidia GeForce Go 7800
* Shader Model 3
* 16 Pipelines (24 in GTX Version)
* 256-bit Memory Bus
* 7800 Clocks: 350MHz Core, 550MHz Memory (1.1GHz DDR Effective)
7800 GTX Clocks: 400MHz Core, 550MHz Memory (1.1GHz DDR Effective)
These are gradually being phased out for the faster Go 7900 line, but are still incredibly powerful chips, running even modern games at WXGA or better resolution, with detail settings maxed out. They're also fairly easy to come by in desktop replacement notebooks, but they demand a premium.
nVidia GeForce Go 7900 GS
* Shader Model 3
* 20 Pipelines (24 in GTX Version)
* 256-bit Memory Bus
* 7900 GS Clocks: 375MHz Core, 500MHz Memory (1GHz DDR Effective)
7900 GTX Clocks: 500MHz Core, 600MHz Memory (1.2GHz DDR Effective)
Basically just faster versions of the Go 7800 line.
NOTEBOOK SLI DUAL GRAPHICS CARDS
I'm sure some of you have heard by now about SLI (Scalable Link Interface) technology, which allows a system to run two graphics processors in tandem, resulting in a substantial improvement in performance. Naturally, some of you have also heard that it's been making its way into the notebook sector.
This is rumor control. Here are the facts.
SLI is available in some notebooks, but appearing only in the largest, heaviest of desktop replacements. These machines will be loud, heavy, oversized, and have comically low battery life. They barely qualify as notebooks and are better described as "portable computers."
Additionally, these notebooks demand a high premium. If you simply must have the fastest gaming performance available in a portable package, and you're willing to spend for it, then you may want to seek one of these beasts out.
SLI appears only using nVidia Go 7800 and 7900 series parts, as it is an nVidia technology. ATI has a similar technology in the desktop market called CrossFire, but it has yet to make the transition, and I haven't heard of any plans to do so. This is an extremely niche market.
A crucial point to make about SLI on either platform is that the performance increase is NOT linear. Two graphics processors will NOT double performance. Typical gains are between 30% and 50%. This is due to latency with the two graphics processors communicating with one another, and driver support. Some games run better with SLI than others; in some isolated cases, SLI may even slightly reduce performance on a game that the driver hasn't been coded to run it on. However, most mainstream games will see a substantial performance increase.
This is rumor control. Here are the facts.
SLI is available in some notebooks, but appearing only in the largest, heaviest of desktop replacements. These machines will be loud, heavy, oversized, and have comically low battery life. They barely qualify as notebooks and are better described as "portable computers."
Additionally, these notebooks demand a high premium. If you simply must have the fastest gaming performance available in a portable package, and you're willing to spend for it, then you may want to seek one of these beasts out.
SLI appears only using nVidia Go 7800 and 7900 series parts, as it is an nVidia technology. ATI has a similar technology in the desktop market called CrossFire, but it has yet to make the transition, and I haven't heard of any plans to do so. This is an extremely niche market.
A crucial point to make about SLI on either platform is that the performance increase is NOT linear. Two graphics processors will NOT double performance. Typical gains are between 30% and 50%. This is due to latency with the two graphics processors communicating with one another, and driver support. Some games run better with SLI than others; in some isolated cases, SLI may even slightly reduce performance on a game that the driver hasn't been coded to run it on. However, most mainstream games will see a substantial performance increase.
Game Hardware
Although processors and video cards are getting faster than any of us might have dreamt a decade ago, computer games continue to push hardware to its limits. This is where you will find the latest in online gaming equipment.
Graphics Card Reviews
Buy a PC Graphics Card for Gaming
Whether you are considering an upgrade to your current system, or you want your new system to be able the latest games, here are some things you should know before buying a video card for gaming.
PC vs. Console
In recent years consoles have become a viable alternative for online gamers, with services like Xbox Live growing at a brisk pace. The latest generation of consoles are more attractive than ever, but the PC remains a dominant force in online gaming. Although I'm sure many households now have both PCs and consoles, here is a quick comparison for anyone trying to decide between the two.
Will Consoles Kill PC Gaming?
If you've visited your local electronics store recently, it's not hard to get the impression that consoles are taking over the video game industry.Despite occasional successes like World of Warcraft, retail PC game sales clearly aren't keeping pace with their console counterparts. Is PC gaming doomed to become the domain of casual Bejeweled players and the handful of hard-core nerds willing to tinker with their processor clock speeds, as some analysts have suggested?
Before You Buy a PC Video Card for Gaming
Whether you are considering an upgrade to your current system, or you want your new system to be able the latest games, here are some things you should know before buying a video card for gaming.
Top PC Video Cards for Gaming
Every experienced gamer is familiar with constantly escalating hardware demands of the latest games. These graphics cards are sure to get your frame rate back up to tolerable levels.
PC Game Accessories
Peripherals can be a big part of the game experience, and a favorite mouse or gamepad is sometimes the difference between winning and losing. These accessories can dramatically improve the way we interact with games and, in some cases, make us more competitive.
Advanced Micro Devices - AMD
Manufacturer of the Duron and Athlon family of processors.
ATI Technologies
One of the world's largest video card manufacturers. They are now offering 256-bit architecture in their high-end products.
Intel Corporation
The world's leading microchip manufacturer, makers of the Pentium line of processors.
Matrox Graphics
The lastest Matrox video card carries 256MB of RAM and supports multiple diplays. "Surround gaming" anyone?
nVidia
nVidia manufacters the GeForce 3D accelerator, which currently leads the way in the graphics card industry.
Tom's Hardware Guide
Comparative tests and reviews of a wide range of the latest computer hardware, with gamers in mind.
Graphics Card Reviews
Buy a PC Graphics Card for Gaming
Whether you are considering an upgrade to your current system, or you want your new system to be able the latest games, here are some things you should know before buying a video card for gaming.
PC vs. Console
In recent years consoles have become a viable alternative for online gamers, with services like Xbox Live growing at a brisk pace. The latest generation of consoles are more attractive than ever, but the PC remains a dominant force in online gaming. Although I'm sure many households now have both PCs and consoles, here is a quick comparison for anyone trying to decide between the two.
Will Consoles Kill PC Gaming?
If you've visited your local electronics store recently, it's not hard to get the impression that consoles are taking over the video game industry.Despite occasional successes like World of Warcraft, retail PC game sales clearly aren't keeping pace with their console counterparts. Is PC gaming doomed to become the domain of casual Bejeweled players and the handful of hard-core nerds willing to tinker with their processor clock speeds, as some analysts have suggested?
Before You Buy a PC Video Card for Gaming
Whether you are considering an upgrade to your current system, or you want your new system to be able the latest games, here are some things you should know before buying a video card for gaming.
Top PC Video Cards for Gaming
Every experienced gamer is familiar with constantly escalating hardware demands of the latest games. These graphics cards are sure to get your frame rate back up to tolerable levels.
PC Game Accessories
Peripherals can be a big part of the game experience, and a favorite mouse or gamepad is sometimes the difference between winning and losing. These accessories can dramatically improve the way we interact with games and, in some cases, make us more competitive.
Advanced Micro Devices - AMD
Manufacturer of the Duron and Athlon family of processors.
ATI Technologies
One of the world's largest video card manufacturers. They are now offering 256-bit architecture in their high-end products.
Intel Corporation
The world's leading microchip manufacturer, makers of the Pentium line of processors.
Matrox Graphics
The lastest Matrox video card carries 256MB of RAM and supports multiple diplays. "Surround gaming" anyone?
nVidia
nVidia manufacters the GeForce 3D accelerator, which currently leads the way in the graphics card industry.
Tom's Hardware Guide
Comparative tests and reviews of a wide range of the latest computer hardware, with gamers in mind.
Biometric devices
Whether logging onto a laptop computer, a network or a web site you need to recall a password and possibly a dozen or more in the course of a day. Are your passwords strong and unique?
Few people know how to come up with memorable passwords that are also strong and unique. It's a skill that is rarely taught. Typical responses to the challenge include:
Using one or just a few "old faithful" passwords for every situation.
Post-it Note stuck to the laptop lid - "Yes!" - works every time
The situation has become absurd. Every on-line banking, shopping, travel, membership ... site requires a password. Password hackers love it, they are hardly ever challenged by a unique - strong password. Biometric technology is the solution. Always unique and impossible to forget. Furthermore, they are now affordable.
Biometrics can also be used in conjunction with other technologies, for example PINS, keys or tokens to achieve a further layer of security.
What are biometric devices? They are devices that use the human body as a key to providing secure access to rooms, buildings, laptops ... , in fact just about anything. Identity is established by an examination of: fingerprints, voice, iris, hands, face, keystrokes, heart beat, vascular patterns, gait, smell ... basically any intrinsic physical or behavioral characteristic.
The debate continues as to which is the best and in which circumstances.
Sales of biometric systems took off after 9/11. Both government and business committed to heavy investment in security and in particular biometric security. According to a recent article in Forbes, annual sales of biometric security systems grew from $300 million in 2001 to $2.2 billion in 2006, with projections of $6 billion by 2010.
In the laptop computer space the most common biometric devices and applications include:
Biometric password manager.
Biometric systems security.
Biometric network logon.
Biometric flash drive.
Biometric keyboards.
Biometric hand scan.
Biometric fingerprint password.
Biometric login.
Biometric external hard disk drive, and increasingly the biometric laptop.
Lenovo has sold in excess of a million laptops incorporating integrated biometric fingerprint readers.
We are now seeing the integration of biometrics into laptops as a standard feature.
The technology is stable and reliable under a wide range of environments. Look forward to increased laptop security as the use of passwords is finally relegated to history.
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