Hardware Upgrade Tip of the Day #48


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Hardware Upgrade Tip of the Day

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*1. ULTRATHIN NOTEBOOKS--PART 1 OF 7

by Dean Andrews

The latest wave of notebooks brings many new ultrathin models 
to the shelves. Major manufacturers--like Gateway, with its 
Solo 3350, and IBM, with the ThinkPad X series--have already 
begun selling these 1-inch-thick portables. These lightweight 
but high-powered models differ in significant ways from their 
heavier cousins. 

First, most ultrathin notebooks help maintain their small 
portable form factor by reducing the size of the LCD panel. 
While a heavier, full-featured notebook now offers a 
15-plus-inch screen, most ultrathins sport 12.1-inch screens. 
Keep this in mind if you display presentations for groups over 
your notebook screen (not projected up onto a wall). A 3-inch 
diagonal loss in screen size can make a big difference when 
people are crowding around to see your presentation. 

Gateway 
http://www.gateway.com 

IBM 
http://www.ibm.com


*2. ULTRATHIN NOTEBOOKS--PART 2 OF 7

by Dean Andrews

How often do you intend to use your notebook's CD-ROM and 
floppy drives? If you're considering an ultrathin model, your 
answer should be "Not often." Ultrathins come with either 
external or snap-on modules that contain the CD-ROM and floppy 
drives. The idea is that you'll often travel without these 
drives, thereby taking advantage of the notebook's low weight 
and small form factor.  

If you will be using drives on a regular basis, consider a 
standard notebook that comes with integrated drives. That way, 
you won't need to hassle with extra cables (for external drives)
or snap-in modules.


*3. ULTRATHIN NOTEBOOKS--PART 3 OF 7

by Dean Andrews

Already own an expensive notebook carrying case? Too bad--at 
least if you're thinking about buying a new ultrathin notebook.
You see, standard notebook carrying cases are actually too big
and bulky for the new ultrathins. If your notebook only weighs
a little over three pounds and can fit snugly under your arm,
you don't want a heavy, oversize case to carry it around in.  

If you plan to buy an ultrathin notebook, make sure you check
into a slim-line case to go with it. Unfortunately, some PC 
makers charge extra for ultrathin carrying cases (even when they
include the case free with standard notebook purchases).


*4. ULTRATHIN NOTEBOOKS--PART 4 OF 7

by Dean Andrews

Do consider buying a spare battery when you purchase one of the 
new ultrathin notebooks. All the parts in these thin and 
lightweight notebooks have been pared down to reduce size and 
weight, thus the standard battery for an ultrathin is only about
half the size of the batteries you'll find in larger, heavier 
notebooks. A spare battery for your ultra thin will allow you to
work longer without hunting for an electrical outlet.


*5. ULTRATHIN NOTEBOOKS--PART 5 OF 7

by Dean Andrews

Before you buy an ultrathin notebook, consider carefully how 
you will transfer data back and forth between your ultrathin and
your other computers (perhaps your home PC or your office 
desktop computer). Remember that you'll want to operate the 
ultrathin most of the time without having to attach the external
(or snap-in) modules for the floppy and CD-ROM drives. 

Fortunately, you can order even the slim base units of 
ultrathins with integrated analog modems, Ethernet adapters, or
USB ports. Find out whether these come stock on the computer or
whether you can customize the ultrathin to carry these 
integrated components. Thus, if you plan ahead, you can get your
ultrathin preconfigured to allow transfer of data over the 
Internet, via a LAN, or directly from one PC to another through 
a USB PC-to-PC data-transfer cable.


*6. ULTRATHIN NOTEBOOKS--PART 6 OF 7

by Dean Andrews

One of the ways PC manufacturers shave crucial centimeters off 
of a notebook design is to reduce the size of the keyboard keys
slightly and pack them more tightly together. This becomes a 
factor in the ergonomics of the new ultrathin notebooks.

If you plan to spend hours typing on an ultrathin, you might 
want to get your hands on a demo model at your local computer 
style and check your typing comfort on the machine you plan to 
buy. You may find ultrathin models don't offer the same level of
comfort as standard-size notebooks.


*7. ULTRATHIN NOTEBOOKS--PART 7 OF 7

by Dean Andrews

The controversy over IR (infrared) ports continues. At this 
point, most standard notebooks come with IR ports, but is 
anyone really using them to transfer data between notebooks and
other devices? This topic is often debated in user group 
meetings and within the ranks of PC manufacturers.

Whether IR ports are useful or not, most new ultrathin notebook
models simply have no room for them. So if you use IR ports for
data transfer, keep this in mind. If you have a critical need 
for IR communications, you might consider buying a standard-size
notebook that features IR.


*8. RAM PRICES MAY RISE

by Dean Andrews

Some analysts predict that RAM prices may rise by as much as 30 
percent next yeark, so it might be wise to bulk up the RAM for 
any new computer purchase. Consider going to the next 
level--from 64MB to 128MB or from 128MB to 256MB--if you might 
be using memory-intensive software--image editors, databases, 
video editors, and such--in the coming year. You may end up 
saving a significant amount of money in the long run.


*9. PENTIUM 4 IS COMING

by Dean Andrews

Desktop PCs based on Intel's new Pentium 4 processor are 
imminent. The first of these chips will run at 1.4GHz. As with 
other cutting-edge technology, you will pay a premium for being 
the first in your office park to own a Pentium 4 PC. Expect to 
pay as much as $1000 more for a Pentium 4 system as opposed to a
high-end Pentium III or AMD Athlon PC.

Intel 
http://www.intel.com


*10. PENTIUM 4 HAS RAM MEMORY LIMITATIONS

by Dean Andrews

If you plan to buy one of the first Pentium 4 PCs, be aware of 
the memory issues regarding the new processor. The initial 
Pentium 4 PCs will include Intel's 850 chip set, meaning these 
PCs will only support RDRAM for memory, not SDRAM or DDR SDRAM. 
Keep this in mind if you plan to expand the memory of your P4 
system down the road. Next year, newly released chip sets will 
support other types of RAM for P4 systems.
