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<title>Laptop Keyboard</title> 
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://blogs.albawaba.com/sunvalley" /> 
	 
	<modified>2008-07-29T07:31:19+0000</modified> 
<tagline></tagline> 
<generator url="http://blogs.albawaba.com/" version="1.2">Albawaba</generator> 
 
<copyright>Copyright (c) sunvalley</copyright> 
  
 <entry> 
 <id>tag:blogs.albawaba.com,2008-07-29:92331</id>
 <title>How to replace a laptop screen on PowerBook 180？</title> 
 <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://blogs.albawaba.com/sunvalley/67233/2008/07/29/92331-how-to-replace-a-laptop-screen-on-powerbook-180" /> 
  
 <modified>2008-07-29T07:31:19+0000</modified> 
 <issued>2008-07-29T07:31:19+0000</issued> 
 <created>2008-07-29T07:31:19+0000</created> 
 <summary type="text/plain">   Before I start working on any laptop or notebook computer I remove the battery. Don&amp;#39;t assume the LCD is bad just because you can&amp;#39;t see anything on the screen. The battery on our Apple ...</summary> 
 <author> 
  
 <name>sunvalley</name> 
 <url>http://blogs.albawaba.com/sunvalley</url> 
</author> 
<dc:subject>
General 
</dc:subject> 
 <content type="text/html" mode="escaped" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://blogs.albawaba.com/sunvalley"> 
 &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 9.5pt; color: #000000; font-family: &#039;Trebuchet MS&#039;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: x-small&quot;&gt;Before I start working on any laptop or notebook computer I remove the battery. Don&amp;#39;t assume the LCD is bad just because you can&amp;#39;t see anything on the screen. The battery on our Apple PowerBook 180 releases with a slide button on the side, just like and old Toshiba notebook, then pulls right out. Before continuing on to replace the LCD screen, it pays to do a little troubleshooting. If the screen is cracked, has annoying dead pixels or a complete row or column is out (IC driver failure), it&amp;#39;s time to replace the LCD. On the other hand, if the laptop screen is totally dead, it&amp;#39;s more likely the video integrated on the motherboard, so at least test the laptop with an external monitor before proceeding.&lt;br /&gt;Most laptop screens come apart the same way, starting with a couple of screws hidden by rubber cups near the hinges. The rubber cups serve a double purpose, hiding the screw and providing a bumper stop when the notebook screen is closed. This PowerBook 180 is assembled with torx screws, but you don&amp;#39;t really need the special tools to dissemble it. I use a small jewelers screwdriver on baby torx, the standard, not the Philips which can actually damage the screw head.&lt;br /&gt;The actual LCD screen is installed within a wide plastic bezel, which can be lifted right off after removing the two screws. The bezel is hinged at the top on plastic tabs. The screen is wrapped around the sides and back with a metalized foil to reduce RF interference. You can see the opposing springs on the bottom hinge that keep the laptop screen in place when you adjust the tilt.&lt;br /&gt;Laptop screens are manufactured by third part LCD manufacturers, who may also supply all of the control electronics for the screen. This Sharp LCD is held in place by four screws at the corners. The power comes in at the right (white wires) through the right hinge, and the video signals come in on the flat ribbon cable through the left hinge.&lt;br /&gt;There are at least three different connector technologies used with ribbon cables in this PowerBook 180. The video connectors are simple push-ins without latching, but there is a lip on the connector that gives you and easy way to remove it without pulling on the cable. The ribbon cable connector on the back of the LCD screen is easily removed by twisting a flathead screwdriver between the connector and the lip on the ribbon cable.&lt;br /&gt;You want to know how to install a laptop screen? Exactly the same way as you remove it, very few tricks. The LCD power connector is the last connection to make, after the video cables on the back are in place and the LCD is secured with four screws. All that&amp;#39;s left is to replace the plastic bezel, which turns the laptop screen into a monitor:-) The final step below, before the bezel snaps into place, is making sure the wires and in this case, the ferrite slug, won&amp;#39;t get pinched. The finishing touch is restoring the little rubber bumpers over the screws, a little shock absorption for when the laptop screen is folded down over the body for carrying.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 9.5pt; color: #000000; font-family: &#039;Trebuchet MS&#039;&quot;&gt;Shop for &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/LaptopAdapter/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;ac adapter Laptop&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/LaptopKeyboard/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Keyboard Laptop&lt;/a&gt;at sunvalleyus.com. You&amp;#39;ll find low, discount prices on replacement &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/LaptopAdapter/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Laptop ac adapter&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/LaptopKeyboard/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Laptop Keyboard&lt;/a&gt;. Our products are specifically designed for your laptop models.&lt;br /&gt;Click the hot &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/LaptopAdapter/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;laptop ac adapter&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/LaptopKeyboard/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Laptop Keyboard&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;part no. below.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/AcerAdapter/Acer-TravelMate-C310.html&quot; title=&quot;travelmate c310 ac adapter&quot;&gt;travelmate c310 ac adapter&lt;/a&gt;(DC19V 3.42A)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/AcerAdapter/PA-1650-02-WR--.html&quot; title=&quot;pa-1650-02&quot;&gt;pa-1650-02&lt;/a&gt;(Dimension : 5.5mm/1.5mm Tip)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/AcerAdapter/PA-1700-02.html&quot; title=&quot;PA-1700-02&quot;&gt;PA-1700-02&lt;/a&gt;(DC19V 3.42A, 65W)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/DellAdapter/PA-6.html&quot; title=&quot;PA-6&quot;&gt;PA-6&lt;/a&gt;(Dell 20V 3.5A AC Adapter)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/DellAdapter/Dell-Inspiron-2500.html&quot; title=&quot;Dell Inspiron 2500 ac adapter&quot;&gt;Dell Inspiron 2500 ac adapter&lt;/a&gt;(20V 3.5A)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/DellAdapter/--Dell-Inspiron-2650.html&quot; title=&quot;Dell Inspiron 2650 ac adapter&quot;&gt;Dell Inspiron 2650 ac adapter&lt;/a&gt;(DC20V 4.5A)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/DellAdapter/Dell-Inspiron-1100.html&quot; title=&quot;Dell Inspiron 1100 ac adapter&quot;&gt;Dell Inspiron 1100 ac adapter&lt;/a&gt;(DC20V 4.5A)&lt;/p&gt; 
</content> 
</entry> 
 
 <entry> 
 <id>tag:blogs.albawaba.com,2008-07-26:91971</id>
 <title>Battery Usage Tips</title> 
 <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://blogs.albawaba.com/sunvalley/67233/2008/07/26/91971-battery-usage-tips" /> 
  
 <modified>2008-07-26T07:24:16+0000</modified> 
 <issued>2008-07-26T07:24:16+0000</issued> 
 <created>2008-07-26T07:24:16+0000</created> 
 <summary type="text/plain">  1. New battery pack must be fully charged before use. 2. New battery pack needs to be fully charged and discharged (cycled) a few times before it can condition to full capacity. 3. Rechargeable ...</summary> 
 <author> 
  
 <name>sunvalley</name> 
 <url>http://blogs.albawaba.com/sunvalley</url> 
</author> 
<dc:subject>
General 
</dc:subject> 
 <content type="text/html" mode="escaped" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://blogs.albawaba.com/sunvalley"> 
 &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 9.5pt; color: #000000; font-family: &#039;Trebuchet MS&#039;&quot;&gt;1. New battery pack must be fully charged before use.&lt;br /&gt;2. New battery pack needs to be fully charged and discharged (cycled) a few times before it can condition to full capacity.&lt;br /&gt;3. Rechargeable batteries undergo self-discharging when left unused. Always store a battery pack in a fully charged stage for storage.&lt;br /&gt;4. Fully drain and fully recharge your battery pack every few month.&lt;br /&gt;5. Turn down the LCD brightness of your portable device.&lt;br /&gt;6. Use built-in power management on your portable device.&lt;br /&gt;7. Turn off LCD or other unnecessary accessories when not in use.&lt;br /&gt;8. Set screen saver blank to 1 to 2 minutes of your notebook&lt;br /&gt;9. Add more RAM if you have extra RAM expansion slot, it will reduce the usage of hard drive and it is power exhaustive.&lt;br /&gt;10. Close unused software in your notebook.&lt;br /&gt;11. Remove unused PC Cards or USB devices from your notebook.&lt;br /&gt;12. Don&amp;#39;t watch DVD or play graphics intensive video games.&lt;br /&gt;13. Don&amp;#39;t short circuit terminal or store your battery pack with metal parts.&lt;br /&gt;14. Don&amp;#39;t drop or mutilate the battery pack.&lt;br /&gt;15. Don&amp;#39;t expose to moisture or water.&lt;br /&gt;16. It is normal to get warm when charging or normal use. If it is getting too hot, there may be a problem with the device and qualified personnel should check it. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 9.5pt; color: #000000; font-family: &#039;Trebuchet MS&#039;&quot;&gt;Shop for &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/LaptopAdapter/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;ac adapter Laptop&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/LaptopKeyboard/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Keyboard Laptop&lt;/a&gt;at sunvalleyus.com. You&amp;#39;ll find low, discount prices on replacement &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/LaptopAdapter/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Laptop ac adapter&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/LaptopKeyboard/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Laptop Keyboard&lt;/a&gt;. Our products are specifically designed for your laptop models.&lt;br /&gt;Click the hot &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/LaptopAdapter/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;laptop ac adapter&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/LaptopKeyboard/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Laptop Keyboard&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;part no. below.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/AcerAdapter/Acer-TravelMate-C310.html&quot; title=&quot;travelmate c310 ac adapter&quot;&gt;travelmate c310 ac adapter&lt;/a&gt;(DC19V 3.42A)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/AcerAdapter/PA-1650-02-WR--.html&quot; title=&quot;pa-1650-02&quot;&gt;pa-1650-02&lt;/a&gt;(Dimension : 5.5mm/1.5mm Tip)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/AcerAdapter/PA-1700-02.html&quot; title=&quot;PA-1700-02&quot;&gt;PA-1700-02&lt;/a&gt;(DC19V 3.42A, 65W)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/DellAdapter/PA-6.html&quot; title=&quot;PA-6&quot;&gt;PA-6&lt;/a&gt;(Dell 20V 3.5A AC Adapter)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/DellAdapter/Dell-Inspiron-2500.html&quot; title=&quot;Dell Inspiron 2500 ac adapter&quot;&gt;Dell Inspiron 2500 ac adapter&lt;/a&gt;(20V 3.5A)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/DellAdapter/--Dell-Inspiron-2650.html&quot; title=&quot;Dell Inspiron 2650 ac adapter&quot;&gt;Dell Inspiron 2650 ac adapter&lt;/a&gt;(DC20V 4.5A)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/DellAdapter/Dell-Inspiron-1100.html&quot; title=&quot;Dell Inspiron 1100 ac adapter&quot;&gt;Dell Inspiron 1100 ac adapter&lt;/a&gt;(DC20V 4.5A)&lt;/p&gt; 
</content> 
</entry> 
 
 <entry> 
 <id>tag:blogs.albawaba.com,2008-07-24:91699</id>
 <title>How to pick the right laptop AC adapters</title> 
 <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://blogs.albawaba.com/sunvalley/67233/2008/07/24/91699-how-to-pick-the-right-laptop-ac-adapters" /> 
  
 <modified>2008-07-24T10:02:57+0000</modified> 
 <issued>2008-07-24T10:02:57+0000</issued> 
 <created>2008-07-24T10:02:57+0000</created> 
 <summary type="text/plain">  All new laptops come with AC adapters. Adapters are used for charging laptop batteries and also used to supply power directly. There are occasions which we require to buy an AC adapter. Most ...</summary> 
 <author> 
  
 <name>sunvalley</name> 
 <url>http://blogs.albawaba.com/sunvalley</url> 
</author> 
<dc:subject>
General 
</dc:subject> 
 <content type="text/html" mode="escaped" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://blogs.albawaba.com/sunvalley"> 
 &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 9.5pt; color: #000000; font-family: &#039;Trebuchet MS&#039;&quot;&gt;All new laptops come with AC adapters. Adapters are used for charging laptop batteries and also used to supply power directly. There are occasions which we require to buy an AC adapter. Most laptop users travel, for tdose travel to Europe or US they require AC adapters that take 100-240 voltage input and output 16 voltage or 19 voltage.&lt;br /&gt;Let us present 3 easy steps to pick the right laptop AC adapters.&lt;br /&gt;1. Finding the right &amp;quot;tips&amp;quot; - Different laptops have different connectors. You need the right tip for your laptop. This is very simply to find. Basically, laptop AC adapters comprise of 2 ends. One end is male power outlet. You use this end to plug into wall power outlet. The other end is called &amp;quot;TIP&amp;quot; which you will plug this tip into the &amp;quot;DC IN&amp;quot; in your laptop.&lt;br /&gt;Your laptop won&amp;#39;t work on the wrong tip. You can only use the &amp;quot; matching Tips&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;Warning : DO NOT try to force it in.&lt;br /&gt;2. Finding the right &amp;quot;output voltage&amp;quot; - Different laptops were designed to consume power varied by equipments such as CD-Rom, LCD size, CPU maker and CPU speed. You require to use the &amp;quot;matching voltage&amp;quot; . Only use the laptop AC adapters output the matching voltage of your laptops. You can easily locate your laptop voltage. Mostly, voltage is printed on your laptops. You also can check your laptop manual.&lt;br /&gt;3. Find the right &amp;quot;input voltage&amp;quot; - for tdose users who will travel abroad especially to Europe and Asia. You would need laptop AC adapters that compatible with 220-240 voltage also. So it would be wise...and yes...you are!!.... Always look for AC adapters accept 100~240 voltages. 100~240 voltages AC adapters will go with you worldwide. You do not need to carry 2 adapters anymore!!!.&lt;br /&gt;that&amp;#39;s easy!!! You now know the basic knowledge to find your laptop AC adapters.&lt;br /&gt;Better yet!!! AC adapter manufacturers are now promoting &amp;quot;universal AC adapters&amp;quot; .&lt;br /&gt;this emerging adapters can be used with multiple devices. They can accept 100~240 input voltages and also adjust the output voltage to match device automatically.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 9.5pt; color: #000000; font-family: &#039;Trebuchet MS&#039;&quot;&gt;Shop for &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/LaptopAdapter/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;ac adapter Laptop&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/LaptopKeyboard/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Keyboard Laptop&lt;/a&gt;at sunvalleyus.com. You&amp;#39;ll find low, discount prices on replacement &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/LaptopAdapter/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Laptop ac adapter&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/LaptopKeyboard/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Laptop Keyboard&lt;/a&gt;. Our products are specifically designed for your laptop models.&lt;br /&gt;Click the hot &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/LaptopAdapter/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;laptop ac adapter&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/LaptopKeyboard/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Laptop Keyboard&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;part no. below.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/AcerAdapter/Acer-TravelMate-C310.html&quot; title=&quot;travelmate c310 ac adapter&quot;&gt;travelmate c310 ac adapter&lt;/a&gt;(DC19V 3.42A)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/AcerAdapter/PA-1650-02-WR--.html&quot; title=&quot;pa-1650-02&quot;&gt;pa-1650-02&lt;/a&gt;(Dimension : 5.5mm/1.5mm Tip)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/AcerAdapter/PA-1700-02.html&quot; title=&quot;PA-1700-02&quot;&gt;PA-1700-02&lt;/a&gt;(DC19V 3.42A, 65W)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/DellAdapter/PA-6.html&quot; title=&quot;PA-6&quot;&gt;PA-6&lt;/a&gt;(Dell 20V 3.5A AC Adapter)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/DellAdapter/Dell-Inspiron-2500.html&quot; title=&quot;Dell Inspiron 2500 ac adapter&quot;&gt;Dell Inspiron 2500 ac adapter&lt;/a&gt;(20V 3.5A)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/DellAdapter/--Dell-Inspiron-2650.html&quot; title=&quot;Dell Inspiron 2650 ac adapter&quot;&gt;Dell Inspiron 2650 ac adapter&lt;/a&gt;(DC20V 4.5A)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/DellAdapter/Dell-Inspiron-1100.html&quot; title=&quot;Dell Inspiron 1100 ac adapter&quot;&gt;Dell Inspiron 1100 ac adapter&lt;/a&gt;(DC20V 4.5A)&lt;/p&gt; 
</content> 
</entry> 
 
 <entry> 
 <id>tag:blogs.albawaba.com,2008-07-23:91538</id>
 <title>Dell Inspiron 9400 review</title> 
 <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://blogs.albawaba.com/sunvalley/67233/2008/07/23/91538-dell-inspiron-9400-review" /> 
  
 <modified>2008-07-23T08:11:07+0000</modified> 
 <issued>2008-07-23T08:11:07+0000</issued> 
 <created>2008-07-23T08:11:07+0000</created> 
 <summary type="text/plain">  One of the first laptops with Intel&amp;#39;s new Core Duo processor to hit the street, the Dell Inspiron 9400 inaugurates the company&amp;#39;s new entertainment line of laptops with a bang. In ...</summary> 
 <author> 
  
 <name>sunvalley</name> 
 <url>http://blogs.albawaba.com/sunvalley</url> 
</author> 
<dc:subject>
General 
</dc:subject> 
 <content type="text/html" mode="escaped" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://blogs.albawaba.com/sunvalley"> 
 &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 9.5pt; color: #000000; font-family: &#039;Trebuchet MS&#039;&quot;&gt;One of the first laptops with Intel&amp;#39;s new Core Duo processor to hit the street, the Dell Inspiron 9400 inaugurates the company&amp;#39;s new entertainment line of laptops with a bang. In addition to its top-shelf processor and graphics card; its bright, 17-inch widescreen display; and other leading edge technologies, the Inspiron 9400 adds a few welcome multimedia features not found on the model that it will eventually replace, the Inspiron 9300. These include a five-in-one media card reader and Dell&amp;#39;s MediaDirect software, though there is no integrated TV tuner. We think the slightly less expensive HP Pavilion dv8200 is a better deal for basic users who want more features than performance, but the Inspiron 9400 owns the other end of the spectrum as an incredibly powerful laptop that can speed through virtually any multimedia task from video editing to gaming.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 9.5pt; color: #000000; font-family: &#039;Trebuchet MS&#039;&quot;&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Design&lt;br /&gt;The Inspiron 9400&amp;#39;s design is nearly identical to the Inspiron 9300&amp;#39;s. Crafted out of sturdy and stylish magnesium alloy and measuring 394 x 288 x 41.5mm. Our test unit weighed 3.6kg (4.2kg with its AC adapter) -- 100g lighter than the HP Pavilion dv8200. Still, the Inspiron 9400 is too heavy for regular travel.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;The Inspiron 9400 includes a full-size keyboard, though it lacks a separate number pad, as found on the HP Pavilion dv8200. The Inspiron 9400&amp;#39;s mouse buttons are very big, however, and the touch pad is adequately sized. The latter features arrows running along its right and bottom edges, outlining where to place your finger when using the software-enhanced pad to scroll through documents or Web pages.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;Features&lt;br /&gt;A minor but appreciated upgrade from the Inspiron 9300 model is the Inspiron 9400&amp;#39;s inclusion of Dell&amp;#39;s MediaDirect software, which plays CDs and DVDs and lets you access photos and other media files stored on your hard drive without booting up Windows first. The two speakers and the internal subwoofer -- a rare feature among laptops -- deliver crisp and rich sound. Better yet, because the speakers sit in the corners of the laptop&amp;#39;s front edge, your hands won&amp;#39;t muffle them while you&amp;#39;re typing and you can play music with the lid closed. Sandwiched between the speakers, a row of seven buttons lets you control disc playback and adjust or mute the volume. However, the Inspiron 9400 lacks an integrated TV tuner found on more expensive systems, such as the Toshiba Qosmio G20 and the Fujitsu LifeBook N6210.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;Our Inspiron 9400 test unit had a bright, vast, 17-inch widescreen display with a superfine WUXGA 1,900 x 1,200-pixel native resolution. Though we experienced no problems with our unit&amp;#39;s display, we&amp;#39;ve observed many user complaints about other recent Dell models&amp;#39; screens.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;There&amp;#39;s no dearth of ports, jacks, or slots here: The Inspiron 9400 offers FireWire, S-Video out, VGA, a whopping six USB 2.0 ports, 56Kbps modem, 10/100 Ethernet, headphone and microphone jacks. Also available are Type II PC Card and Secure Digital slots and a swank DVI port should you want to connect the laptop to an even bigger digital LCD. There&amp;#39;s also a five-in-one media card reader, a key feature that the Inspiron 9300 lacked. Last, but definitely not least, the Inspiron 9400 includes a multiformat double-layer DVD drive.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;Performance&lt;br /&gt;Like all of Dell&amp;#39;s laptops, the Inspiron 9400 is extremely configurable. Our loaded, test configuration was equipped with a new Intel Core Duo T2500 (2.0GHz) processor; 1GB of DDR2 667MHz SDRAM; an 80GB, 5,400rpm hard drive; Nvidia&amp;#39;s high-end GeForce Go 7800 GPU with 256MB of dedicated video memory; and a nine-cell battery.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;One of the first Core Duo systems we&amp;#39;ve tested, the Dell Inspiron 9400 did not disappoint. Using a collection of multithreaded and single-threaded multimedia applications, we tested the Inspiron 9400 to determine how well it handled multimedia workloads, such as ripping MP3 and encoding video. Generally speaking, the Inspiron 9400 delivered roughly a 25 per cent performance boost compared with a Pentium 4-fueled test system, the Acer Aspire 1700, and its performance was approximately 50 percent faster than that of a ThinkPad Z60t equipped with Intel&amp;#39;s previous generation 2.0GHz Pentium M processor. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;The Inspiron 9400 also delivered very competent gaming performance, turning in 57 frames per second in our Doom 3 test. That said, the Acer TravelMate 8204, outfitted with the same processor but twice the RAM, bested the Inspiron 9400 in a few of our multimedia tests and posted the highest SysMark score we&amp;#39;ve ever recorded, though its gaming performance was lacking. Though we did not test an Inspiron 9400 configured with the less expensive Core Solo processor, Dell said that its performance would be comparable with that of an Inspiron 9300 loaded with a Pentium M, a configuration that we tested last year.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;Dell offers a one-year next business day onsite warranty which covers parts and labour. The company&amp;#39;s support website contains a knowledge database for basic troubleshooting and downloading of updated drivers. Optional warranty options include extended three-year warranty, HelpDesk, onsite service during nights and weekends, and Plus Phone support can be purchased together with the system. Plus Phone support extends the technical phone support to include Saturdays. HelpDesk coverage provides 24-hour phone support from an expert who can help with any problems related to Dell hardware and peripherals and even some third-party software from major vendors, such as Microsoft Office.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 9.5pt; color: #000000; font-family: &#039;Trebuchet MS&#039;&quot;&gt;Shop for &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/LaptopAdapter/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;ac adapter Laptop&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/LaptopKeyboard/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Keyboard Laptop&lt;/a&gt;at sunvalleyus.com. You&amp;#39;ll find low, discount prices on replacement &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/LaptopAdapter/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Laptop ac adapter&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/LaptopKeyboard/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Laptop Keyboard&lt;/a&gt;. Our products are specifically designed for your laptop models.&lt;br /&gt;Click the hot &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/LaptopAdapter/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;laptop ac adapter&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/LaptopKeyboard/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Laptop Keyboard&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;part no. below.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/AcerAdapter/Acer-TravelMate-C310.html&quot; title=&quot;travelmate c310 ac adapter&quot;&gt;travelmate c310 ac adapter&lt;/a&gt;(DC19V 3.42A)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/AcerAdapter/PA-1650-02-WR--.html&quot; title=&quot;pa-1650-02&quot;&gt;pa-1650-02&lt;/a&gt;(Dimension : 5.5mm/1.5mm Tip)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/AcerAdapter/PA-1700-02.html&quot; title=&quot;PA-1700-02&quot;&gt;PA-1700-02&lt;/a&gt;(DC19V 3.42A, 65W)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/DellAdapter/PA-6.html&quot; title=&quot;PA-6&quot;&gt;PA-6&lt;/a&gt;(Dell 20V 3.5A AC Adapter)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/DellAdapter/Dell-Inspiron-2500.html&quot; title=&quot;Dell Inspiron 2500 ac adapter&quot;&gt;Dell Inspiron 2500 ac adapter&lt;/a&gt;(20V 3.5A)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/DellAdapter/--Dell-Inspiron-2650.html&quot; title=&quot;Dell Inspiron 2650 ac adapter&quot;&gt;Dell Inspiron 2650 ac adapter&lt;/a&gt;(DC20V 4.5A)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/DellAdapter/Dell-Inspiron-1100.html&quot; title=&quot;Dell Inspiron 1100 ac adapter&quot;&gt;Dell Inspiron 1100 ac adapter&lt;/a&gt;(DC20V 4.5A)&lt;/p&gt; 
</content> 
</entry> 
 
 <entry> 
 <id>tag:blogs.albawaba.com,2008-07-18:90863</id>
 <title>Parking a PC Card on Your Laptop</title> 
 <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://blogs.albawaba.com/sunvalley/67233/2008/07/18/90863-parking-a-pc-card-on-your-laptop" /> 
  
 <modified>2008-07-18T08:08:45+0000</modified> 
 <issued>2008-07-18T08:08:45+0000</issued> 
 <created>2008-07-18T08:08:45+0000</created> 
 <summary type="text/plain"> You have your laptop, and you have a PC Card that you want to use in your laptop. So how do the two connect?  Locate on your laptop the spot where you can insert PC Cards. This spot may be an ...</summary> 
 <author> 
  
 <name>sunvalley</name> 
 <url>http://blogs.albawaba.com/sunvalley</url> 
</author> 
<dc:subject>
General 
</dc:subject> 
 <content type="text/html" mode="escaped" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://blogs.albawaba.com/sunvalley"> 
 &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;You have your laptop, and you have a PC Card that you want to use in your laptop. So how do the two connect?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;Locate on your laptop the spot where you can insert PC Cards. This spot may be an open hole on the side of the laptop, you may have a tiny &amp;quot;garage door&amp;quot; covering the hole, or you may find the hole hidden behind a removable panel.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;Some laptops sport a garage for two PC Cards, stacked one atop the other. Other laptops have room for only one PC Card.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;You insert PC Cards into the slot, &amp;quot;holy&amp;quot; end first. In fact, they fit in only one way. Push the card in all the way until it fully docks with the connectors deep down inside the laptop.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;To remove the card, locate the eject button along side the slot, right next to the door. Press the eject button all the way in, and the card pops out a little bit. You can then pinch the card between your thumb and forefinger, pulling it out the rest of the way.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;Each PC Card slot comes with its own eject button. These eject buttons appear alongside the spots where the Cards slide in.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;Be sure to read the instructions for your PC Card before inserting it into the slot for the first time. Some cards may require that you turn off the laptop before inserting the card.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;Note that some of the eject buttons pop out a ways from the laptop&amp;#39;s case. Remember to push them back into the case when you&amp;#39;re done with the PC Card. That way, the knob doesn&amp;#39;t snag on anything and possibly break off.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 9.5pt; color: #000000; font-family: &#039;Trebuchet MS&#039;&quot;&gt;Shop for&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/LaptopAdapter/&quot;&gt;Notebook Adapter&lt;/a&gt;,&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/LaptopKeyboard/&quot;&gt;Notebook Keyboard&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;at sunvalleyus.com. You&amp;#39;ll find low, discount prices on replacement Laptop Batteries, Laptop Keyboard. Our products are specifically designed for your laptop models.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/CompaqAdapter/120765-001.html&quot; title=&quot;120765-001&quot;&gt;120765-001&lt;/a&gt;(DC18.5V 3.8A)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/DellBattery/Dell-Inspiron-6000-Series.html&quot; title=&quot;Dell Inspiron 6000&quot;&gt;Dell Inspiron 6000&lt;/a&gt;(Dell Inspiron 6000 Series 6600mAh)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/PCMCIACDROM/PCMCIA-CDROM.html&quot; title=&quot;PCMCIA CDROM&quot;&gt;PCMCIA CDROM&lt;/a&gt;(PCMCIA CDROM drive)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/AppleAdapter/Apple-M8943LL-A.html&quot; title=&quot;Apple M8943LL/A&quot;&gt;Apple M8943LL/A&lt;/a&gt;(NEC 24V 2.65A AC Adapter)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/IBMBattery/02K7055.html&quot; title=&quot;02k7055&quot;&gt;02k7055&lt;/a&gt;(IBM R40 battery)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/ToshibaBattery/PA3285U-1BAS.html&quot; title=&quot;pa3285u-1bas&quot;&gt;pa3285u-1bas&lt;/a&gt;(4400mAh)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/HpBattery/F4812A.html&quot; title=&quot;F4812A&quot;&gt;F4812A&lt;/a&gt;(HP F4812A Battery)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/AcerAdapter/Acer-19V-3.42A-(Ultra-slim).html&quot; title=&quot;pa-1650-02&quot;&gt;pa-1650-02&lt;/a&gt;(out of stock pa-1650-02)&lt;/p&gt; 
</content> 
</entry> 
 
 <entry> 
 <id>tag:blogs.albawaba.com,2008-07-14:90321</id>
 <title>Considering Laptop Expansion Options</title> 
 <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://blogs.albawaba.com/sunvalley/67233/2008/07/14/90321-considering-laptop-expansion-options" /> 
  
 <modified>2008-07-14T08:03:57+0000</modified> 
 <issued>2008-07-14T08:03:57+0000</issued> 
 <created>2008-07-14T08:03:57+0000</created> 
 <summary type="text/plain"> Laptops use a special expansion card system no longer called PCMCIA (or Personal Computer Memory Card International Association). You may still hear PCMCIA bandied about. But because no one can ...</summary> 
 <author> 
  
 <name>sunvalley</name> 
 <url>http://blogs.albawaba.com/sunvalley</url> 
</author> 
<dc:subject>
General 
</dc:subject> 
 <content type="text/html" mode="escaped" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://blogs.albawaba.com/sunvalley"> 
 &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;Laptops use a special expansion card system no longer called PCMCIA (or Personal Computer Memory Card International Association). You may still hear PCMCIA bandied about. But because no one can remember PCMCIA, let alone what it stands for, PCMCIA was changed back in the 1990s, renamed to PC Card.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;The PCMCIA, er, PC Card system uses special expansion slots and cards for adding options to your laptop. These cards are about the size of a credit card, though thicker (and without revolving debt). They slide into a special slot on the laptop&amp;#39;s side, which you can use to add special options to your laptop. The options include a memory card reader, networking abilities, more storage, and so on.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;Laptops may also use an exchangeable disk system. For example, you may be able to remove the CD-ROM or DVD drive and replace it with a second hard drive or a floppy drive. This type of drive-swapping is usually specific to certain laptop models; you generally can&amp;#39;t swap drives between two laptops from different manufacturers, unless you&amp;#39;re just incredibly lucky.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;Rather than getting the swappable drive option, you simply need to know exactly what you need in a laptop in the first place. You can buy a laptop with non-swappable disk drives for less cash.&lt;br /&gt;Why you may need expansion slots&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;Expansion slots let you add new options or features to those that come with a standard computer. They simply increase the flexibility of your computer system.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;Some low-end laptops are designed for people who need only the basics and, therefore, probably don&amp;#39;t need expansion slots. If you need expansion slots, however, steer clear of those systems.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;For example, if you want to add a network card, a satellite modem, a FireWire adapter, a port, an improved sound card, or any of a number of options, your computer needs expansion slots.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;Expansion cards usually ensure that you can upgrade and improve your laptop in the years to come.&lt;br /&gt;Types of expansion slots&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;As with everything else, a computer can&amp;#39;t have just one typical expansion slot. For historical and evolutionary reasons, most computers have several different types of expansion slots. Sure, some slots are better than others. Still, you may want a mixture of several types to keep your options open. Here are the popular types of expansion slots:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; * PCI: The PCI expansion slot connects directly to the computer&amp;#39;s microprocessor, which makes it very fast. PCI stands for Peripheral Component Interconnect, just in case that question comes up on Jeopardy!&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; * AGP: This special slot is designed specifically for video adapters - the Accelerated Graphics Port, or AGP, slot. Although you can find PCI video adapters, if your laptop has an AGP port, you&amp;#39;re better off buying and using an AGP video adapter.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; * ISA: The original slot found on the first IBM PC is still around, mostly because you still come across an ISA expansion card from time to time. In fact, ISA isn&amp;#39;t really an acronym for anything; it stands for Industry Standard Architecture, which is just a TLA (three-letter acronym) for &amp;quot;what everyone uses.&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;Which type of expansion slots should you have? Well, supposing that you want a laptop with plenty of expansion slots, you may want to go for three to five (or more) PCI slots. You may also want one or two ISA slots for backward compatibility. And you may find having an AGP slot nice if you want to use the latest, greatest video adapters.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;Computer scientist types refer to the expansion slots as the bus, so they use the term PCI bus rather than PCI slot. Same difference.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Shop for Laptop AC Adapter, Laptop Keyboard at sunvalleyus.com. You&amp;#39;ll find low, discount prices on replacement &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/&quot;&gt;Laptop battery&lt;/a&gt;,&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/&quot;&gt;laptop keyboard&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/&quot;&gt;Laptop AC Adapter&lt;/a&gt;. Our products are specifically designed for your laptop models.&lt;br /&gt;Click the hot laptop AC adapter, Laptop Keyboard part no. below.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/ToshibaBattery/PA2487U.html&quot; title=&quot;PA2487U&quot;&gt;PA2487U&lt;/a&gt;(Toshiba PA2487U battery)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/DellAdapter/Dell-Inspiron-9100-Series.html&quot; title=&quot;Dell 9100&quot;&gt;Dell 9100&lt;/a&gt;(Dell Inspiron 9100 adapter)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/DellKeyboard/Dell-Inspiron-630M-Series.html&quot; title=&quot;Dell 630M&quot;&gt;Dell 630M&lt;/a&gt;(Dell 630M keyboard)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/HpBattery/PP2182D.html&quot; title=&quot;pp2182d&quot;&gt;pp2182d&lt;/a&gt;(Laptop Shopping Guide)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/DellKeyboard/Dell-Latitude-D800.html&quot; title=&quot;dell latitude d800&quot;&gt;dell latitude d800&lt;/a&gt;(Keyboard)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/SonyBattery/PCGA-BP1N.html&quot; title=&quot;PCGA-BP1N&quot;&gt;PCGA-BP1N&lt;/a&gt;(Capacity: 4400mAh )&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/SonyBattery/PCGA-BP71.html&quot; title=&quot;PCGA-BP71&quot;&gt;PCGA-BP71&lt;/a&gt;(Sony Battery)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/SonyBattery/PCGA-BP2NX.html&quot; title=&quot;PCGA-BP2NX&quot;&gt;PCGA-BP2NX&lt;/a&gt;(4400mAh )&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/SonyBattery/PCGA-BP4V.html&quot; title=&quot;PCGA-BP4V&quot;&gt;PCGA-BP4V&lt;/a&gt;(Sony battery 8800mAh )&lt;/p&gt; 
</content> 
</entry> 
 
 <entry> 
 <id>tag:blogs.albawaba.com,2008-07-12:90133</id>
 <title>Welcoming Windows on Your PC Laptop</title> 
 <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://blogs.albawaba.com/sunvalley/67233/2008/07/12/90133-welcoming-windows-on-your-pc-laptop" /> 
  
 <modified>2008-07-12T08:35:18+0000</modified> 
 <issued>2008-07-12T08:35:18+0000</issued> 
 <created>2008-07-12T08:35:18+0000</created> 
 <summary type="text/plain"> When your laptop starts, you see some initial messages, maybe a logo or graphic, then the computer&amp;#39;s operating system - its main program - comes to life. For PC laptops, this program is ...</summary> 
 <author> 
  
 <name>sunvalley</name> 
 <url>http://blogs.albawaba.com/sunvalley</url> 
</author> 
<dc:subject>
General 
</dc:subject> 
 <content type="text/html" mode="escaped" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://blogs.albawaba.com/sunvalley"> 
 &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;When your laptop starts, you see some initial messages, maybe a logo or graphic, then the computer&amp;#39;s operating system - its main program - comes to life. For PC laptops, this program is Windows.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;The version of Windows that laptops use is identical to the one that desktop computers use. Laptops get some extra options, specifically for power management and battery monitoring, plus you may get some other utilities and fun junk that the laptop manufacturer installed. Otherwise, it&amp;#39;s the same Windows that you know and despise.&lt;br /&gt;Windows for the first time&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;When you first turn a brand-new laptop on, Windows goes through some gyrations and prompts designed to help you set up your computer. Windows asks you certain questions, such as which time zone you live in and your name and company name. These questions are designed to finish the installation of Windows, which began back at the factory before your laptop shipped out to you.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;Heed the instructions on the screen! It&amp;#39;s painless and over with quickly.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;When the computer asks you to create user accounts, create just one for yourself. Don&amp;#39;t bother creating one for each member of the whole fam-damily as well as your pets just yet. You can do that later if you really need to.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;Keep these Windows tips in mind as you start it up on your computer:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; * Windows uses the name that you enter as the administrator in various places.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;Don&amp;#39;t forget the administrator&amp;#39;s password!&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; * You don&amp;#39;t have to use your own name for your account in Windows XP. It really doesn&amp;#39;t make any difference.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; * You have the option to enter an Organization name, though you don&amp;#39;t need to.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;Special deal software&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;After setting up Windows for the first time, you may encounter some dealer- or manufacturer-specific program or registration routine. If you don&amp;#39;t want to deal with this additional routine, just cancel out of the program.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;You can always save registration for later. Generally, you find the registration program&amp;#39;s icon either on the desktop or in the Start menu.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;No, you don&amp;#39;t have to sign up for AOL or EarthLink or MSN or NetZero or whatever other advertisements you find included with the laptop. Feel free to skip over those programs or just delete the icons if you don&amp;#39;t care to find out what they&amp;#39;re offering.&lt;br /&gt;Windows every time&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;After the initial setup, and every time you start your laptop after that, the graphical fun and folly of the Windows operating system greets you. It may start right up, or you may have to log in first.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;If you set up your account with a password, then the computer prompts you to enter the password before you enter Windows.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;On laptops with multiple accounts, you have to choose your account name and then enter the password before you can behold the glory that is Windows.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;Whatever, eventually the Windows desktop appears on your laptop&amp;#39;s screen.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;Here&amp;#39;s a roundup of the important Windows features you can expect to see:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; * The desktop: This is your home plate, the starting point for all your adventures in Windows.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; * Wallpaper or background: You see this image on the desktop. You can change it through the Display icon in the Control Panel.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; * Icons: These tiny pictures represent files, folders, or programs inside Windows.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; * The mighty Start button: This button pops up a menu that contains options for controlling the computer or starting programs.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; * The taskbar: This doohickey displays a host of buttons that you can use to switch between windows and programs that you have open on the desktop.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; * The System Tray or Notification Area: This annoying little area contains teensy icons that can help you do things on the computer. It also alerts you to certain happenings and shows the time and day.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;Take a moment to find each of these items on your laptop screen. Don&amp;#39;t touch the display to point them out (unless you like gross finger marks on your screen)! Just find them and point. (Maybe even say, &amp;quot;Oh, there it is!&amp;quot;)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Shop for Laptop AC Adapter, Laptop Keyboard at sunvalleyus.com. You&amp;#39;ll find low, discount prices on replacement &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/&quot;&gt;Laptop battery&lt;/a&gt;,&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/&quot;&gt;laptop keyboard&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/&quot;&gt;Laptop AC Adapter&lt;/a&gt;. Our products are specifically designed for your laptop models.&lt;br /&gt;Click the hot laptop AC adapter, Laptop Keyboard part no. below.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/HpBattery/PP2182D.html&quot; title=&quot;pp2182d&quot;&gt;pp2182d&lt;/a&gt;(Laptop Shopping Guide)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/DellKeyboard/Dell-Latitude-D800.html&quot; title=&quot;dell lattitude d800&quot;&gt;dell lattitude d800&lt;/a&gt;(Laptop Theft - Analysis)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/AppleBattery/A1078.html&quot; title=&quot;Apple A1078 battery&quot;&gt;Apple A1078 battery&lt;/a&gt;(Apple battery)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/SonyBattery/PCGA-BP1N.html&quot; title=&quot;PCGA-BP1N&quot;&gt;PCGA-BP1N&lt;/a&gt;(Capacity: 4400mAh )&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/SonyBattery/PCGA-BP71.html&quot; title=&quot;PCGA-BP71&quot;&gt;PCGA-BP71&lt;/a&gt;(Sony Battery)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/SonyBattery/PCGA-BP2NX.html&quot; title=&quot;PCGA-BP2NX&quot;&gt;PCGA-BP2NX&lt;/a&gt;(4400mAh )&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/SonyBattery/PCGA-BP4V.html&quot; title=&quot;PCGA-BP4V&quot;&gt;PCGA-BP4V&lt;/a&gt;(Sony battery 8800mAh )&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/ToshibaBattery/PA2487UR.html&quot; title=&quot;PA2487UR&quot;&gt;PA2487UR&lt;/a&gt;(Toshiba battery)&lt;/p&gt; 
</content> 
</entry> 
 
 <entry> 
 <id>tag:blogs.albawaba.com,2008-07-11:90108</id>
 <title>Setting Up Your Laptop</title> 
 <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://blogs.albawaba.com/sunvalley/67233/2008/07/11/90108-setting-up-your-laptop" /> 
  
 <modified>2008-07-11T08:35:07+0000</modified> 
 <issued>2008-07-11T08:35:07+0000</issued> 
 <created>2008-07-11T08:35:07+0000</created> 
 <summary type="text/plain"> Features vary from laptop to laptop: Not every laptop has the same keyboard layout; the CD-ROM or DVD drive may eject forward, to the left, to the right, or may not even exist; connectors and ...</summary> 
 <author> 
  
 <name>sunvalley</name> 
 <url>http://blogs.albawaba.com/sunvalley</url> 
</author> 
<dc:subject>
General 
</dc:subject> 
 <content type="text/html" mode="escaped" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://blogs.albawaba.com/sunvalley"> 
 &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;Features vary from laptop to laptop: Not every laptop has the same keyboard layout; the CD-ROM or DVD drive may eject forward, to the left, to the right, or may not even exist; connectors and holes may be on the sides, back, or both; and the power button? Well, it could be anywhere!&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;Beyond the differences, if you squint your eyes tight enough, all laptop computers look basically the same. Each laptop has a similar setup, so this article addresses issues that all laptop owners have to deal with.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;If you find any specific instructions regarding setup inside the laptop box or - should you be so lucky - if you find a manual, heed its instructions first.&lt;br /&gt;Do you need to charge the battery?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;When setting up your laptop, the holiest piece of hardware is the battery. Om! It either came preinstalled (and perhaps even non-removable) inside the laptop, or it came separately and you have to install it.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;Install or set up the battery. Fortunately, this is one of those things where you can find the instructions included with the laptop. The instructions may tell you how to install the battery, which doodad to remove to make the battery work, or other important battery preparations.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;Keep these battery-related points in mind when dealing with your laptop:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; * You can use your laptop without the battery, but you probably want to properly set up the battery just to make sure that it works.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; * Some batteries come DOA - you have to charge them before you can use them. You normally charge a battery by installing it inside the laptop, then plugging the laptop&amp;#39;s power brick both into the wall and into the laptop. Battery charging takes place automatically.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; * Charging a laptop&amp;#39;s battery usually takes a few hours. The exact time that you need depends on the type of battery, power management hardware, and whether or not you&amp;#39;re using the laptop at the time.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; * If the battery comes already charged, then simply install it, and you&amp;#39;re ready to go! Literally!&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; * The manufacturer may claim that the battery is fully charged, but don&amp;#39;t be surprised if it isn&amp;#39;t. No big deal; just install the battery and plug in the laptop. It will charge.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; * You can let your laptop&amp;#39;s batteries charge overnight.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; * Be sure to put any extra or spare batteries in storage when you&amp;#39;re not using them.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;Is some assembly required?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;Beyond that battery, you may have to add some features to your laptop. Pray that such a thing doesn&amp;#39;t happen to you! But some laptops have arrived without memory, disk drives, and other options installed. If your laptop isn&amp;#39;t ready to go when you get it, you have to properly install the missing items. Best of luck!&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;Most laptops come fully assembled. In fact, many laptops don&amp;#39;t let you install extra features.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;Fortunately, if you do have to install some options, you install options such as memory or a network adapter only once. Follow the directions closely. Read them over first before attempting the installation. In most cases, you can get the options installed smoothly. It also helps that you can insert most components in only one direction, so you can&amp;#39;t goof things up too badly.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;Beware of Electrostatic Discharge (ESD). That tiny little spark that you generate on a dry day can permanently damage your laptop. When installing options, always keep one hand touching the laptop&amp;#39;s case. This precaution helps lessen the potential of the dreaded ESD.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;If your laptop came with a docking station or port replicator, don&amp;#39;t worry about setting up this add-on or using it just yet. The laptop works fine without that optional feature, so you may want to use the laptop for a while before you mount the docking station or port replicator.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Shop for Laptop AC Adapter, Laptop Keyboard at sunvalleyus.com. You&amp;#39;ll find low, discount prices on replacement &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/&quot;&gt;Laptop battery&lt;/a&gt;,&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/&quot;&gt;laptop keyboard&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/&quot;&gt;Laptop AC Adapter&lt;/a&gt;. Our products are specifically designed for your laptop models.&lt;br /&gt;Click the hot laptop AC adapter, Laptop Keyboard part no. below.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/DellAdapter/PA-9.html&quot; title=&quot;PA-9&quot;&gt;PA-9&lt;/a&gt;(Dell 20V 4.5A AC Adapter)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/PCMCIACDROM/PCMCIA-CDROM.html&quot; title=&quot;PCMCIA CDROM&quot;&gt;PCMCIA CDROM&lt;/a&gt;(PCMCIA CDROM drive)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/DellBattery/Dell-Inspiron-6000-Series.html&quot; title=&quot;Dell Inspiron 6000&quot;&gt;Dell Inspiron 6000&lt;/a&gt;(Dell Inspiron 6000 Series 6600mAh)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/DellAdapter/PA-12.html&quot; title=&quot;PA-12&quot;&gt;PA-12&lt;/a&gt;(Dell 19.5V 3.34A AC Adapter)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/ToshibaBattery/PA3191U-4BRS.html&quot; title=&quot;pa3191u-4brs&quot;&gt;pa3191u-4brs&lt;/a&gt;(4400mAh)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/IBMBattery/02K7055.html&quot; title=&quot;02k7055&quot;&gt;02k7055&lt;/a&gt;(IBM R40 battery)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/ToshibaBattery/PA3285U-1BAS.html&quot; title=&quot;pa3285u-1bas&quot;&gt;pa3285u-1bas&lt;/a&gt;(4400mAh)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/HpBattery/F4812A.html&quot; title=&quot;F4812A&quot;&gt;F4812A&lt;/a&gt;(HP F4812A Battery)&lt;/p&gt; 
</content> 
</entry> 
 
 <entry> 
 <id>tag:blogs.albawaba.com,2008-07-10:90005</id>
 <title>Thinking Ahead to Prevent Laptop Theft</title> 
 <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://blogs.albawaba.com/sunvalley/67233/2008/07/10/90005-thinking-ahead-to-prevent-laptop-theft" /> 
  
 <modified>2008-07-10T08:40:06+0000</modified> 
 <issued>2008-07-10T08:40:06+0000</issued> 
 <created>2008-07-10T08:40:06+0000</created> 
 <summary type="text/plain"> Any law enforcement official can tell you that a few extra steps of caution can avoid a disastrous theft. Thieves enjoy convenience just as any shopper does; if your laptop is more difficult to ...</summary> 
 <author> 
  
 <name>sunvalley</name> 
 <url>http://blogs.albawaba.com/sunvalley</url> 
</author> 
<dc:subject>
General 
</dc:subject> 
 <content type="text/html" mode="escaped" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://blogs.albawaba.com/sunvalley"> 
 &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;Any law enforcement official can tell you that a few extra steps of caution can avoid a disastrous theft. Thieves enjoy convenience just as any shopper does; if your laptop is more difficult to pinch than the next guy&amp;#39;s, it&amp;#39;s the next guy who loses.&lt;br /&gt;Mark your laptop&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;Marking your laptop helps with the recovery of a stolen (or lost) laptop. Either engrave your information onto your laptop or use a tamper-resistant asset tag. After all, the best proof that something is yours is your name right there on the stolen item.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;You can use an engraving tool to literally carve your name and contact information on your laptop.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;Some clever folks merely write their names inside the laptop, either on the back of some removable door, inside the battery compartment, or other places a thief probably wouldn&amp;#39;t think to check. Use a Sharpie or other indelible marker.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;You can get asset tags from most print shops. The tags peel and stick like any sticker, but you can&amp;#39;t easily remove or damage them.&lt;br /&gt;Don&amp;#39;t use an obvious laptop carrying case&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;That carrying case with the emblazoned Dell logo (or IBM logo, or what have you) isn&amp;#39;t just a proud buyer appreciation/marketing gimmick. The custom laptop case tells the casual thief that something valuable lurks inside.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;In contrast to a loud-and-proud custom laptop case, a non-descript, soft laptop case doesn&amp;#39;t draw undo attention to your computer. Backpacks also make good places to store laptops.&lt;br /&gt;Register the laptop and its software&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;Be sure to send in your laptop&amp;#39;s registration card, as well as the registration for any software that you use. If someone steals the laptop, alert the manufacturer and software vendors. Hopefully, they care enough so that if someone using your stolen laptop ever tries to get the system fixed or upgraded, your registration information helps you locate the purloined laptop.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;This trick assumes that the person fencing the laptop doesn&amp;#39;t fully erase the hard drive.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;Be sure to keep a copy of the laptop&amp;#39;s serial number and other vital statistics with you, specifically in a place other than the laptop&amp;#39;s carrying case. That way, you know which number to report to the police, as well as the manufacturer.&lt;br /&gt;Be mindful of your environment&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;When you&amp;#39;re out and about with your laptop, stay aware of where your computer is and who may have access to it. Watch your laptop!&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;For example, when dining out, put the laptop in its case beneath the table. If you need to leave the table, either take the laptop with you or ask your friends to keep an eye on it for you.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;Be especially mindful of distractions! A commotion in front of you means that the thief about to take your laptop is behind you. A commotion behind you means the thief is in front of you. Thieves work in pairs or groups that way, using the commotion to distract you while they steal your stuff.&lt;br /&gt;The old ball and chain&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;Your laptop probably comes with a hole or slot into which you can connect a security cable. That hole has an official name - the Universal Security Slot (or USS).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;The USS is designed to be part of the laptop&amp;#39;s case. A thief can&amp;#39;t remove from the laptop any cable or security device that you thread through the USS; he or she can only cut (or unlock) the cable itself to free the laptop.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;Obviously, the USS works best when you have the laptop in a stationery place. Like a bicycle lock, you have to park the laptop by something big and stable, then thread the cable through that big thing and the USS for the lock to work.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;The best place to find a security cable for your laptop is in a computer or office supply store.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;Some cables come with alarms. You can find alarms that sound when someone cuts the cable, plus alarms that sound when anyone moves the laptop.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Shop for Laptop AC Adapter, Laptop Keyboard at sunvalleyus.com. You&amp;#39;ll find low, discount prices on replacement &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/&quot;&gt;Laptop battery&lt;/a&gt;,&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/&quot;&gt;laptop keyboard&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/&quot;&gt;Laptop AC Adapter&lt;/a&gt;. Our products are specifically designed for your laptop models.&lt;br /&gt;Click the hot laptop AC adapter, Laptop Keyboard part no. below.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/DellAdapter/PA-12.html&quot; title=&quot;PA-12&quot;&gt;PA-12&lt;/a&gt;(Non-Correctable Battery Problems)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/PCMCIACDROM/PCMCIA-CDROM.html&quot; title=&quot;PCMCIA CDROM&quot;&gt;PCMCIA CDROM&lt;/a&gt;(PCMCIA CDROM drive)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/DellAdapter/Dell-19V-3.16A-(PA-16).html&quot; title=&quot;PA-16&quot;&gt;PA-16&lt;/a&gt;(Dell 19V 3.16A AC Adapter )&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/DellBattery/Dell-Inspiron-6000-Series.html&quot; title=&quot;Dell Inspiron 6000&quot;&gt;Dell Inspiron 6000&lt;/a&gt;(Dell Inspiron 6000 Series 6600mAh)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/DellAdapter/PA-9.html&quot; title=&quot;PA-9&quot;&gt;PA-9&lt;/a&gt;(Dell 20V 4.5A AC Adapter)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/AcerAdapter/MX6436.html&quot; title=&quot;MX6436&quot;&gt;MX6436&lt;/a&gt;(DC19V 3.42A)&lt;/p&gt; 
</content> 
</entry> 
 
 <entry> 
 <id>tag:blogs.albawaba.com,2008-07-09:89929</id>
 <title>Selecting a Laptop Case</title> 
 <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://blogs.albawaba.com/sunvalley/67233/2008/07/09/89929-selecting-a-laptop-case" /> 
  
 <modified>2008-07-09T08:47:48+0000</modified> 
 <issued>2008-07-09T08:47:48+0000</issued> 
 <created>2008-07-09T08:47:48+0000</created> 
 <summary type="text/plain"> You need a proper laptop case, not because carrying a laptop computer by itself makes you look like a nerd, but because the laptop is only one part of a larger collection of stuff that you need ...</summary> 
 <author> 
  
 <name>sunvalley</name> 
 <url>http://blogs.albawaba.com/sunvalley</url> 
</author> 
<dc:subject>
General 
</dc:subject> 
 <content type="text/html" mode="escaped" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://blogs.albawaba.com/sunvalley"> 
 &lt;p&gt;You need a proper laptop case, not because carrying a laptop computer by itself makes you look like a nerd, but because the laptop is only one part of a larger collection of stuff that you need to take on the road with you. Further, the laptop needs a comfy storage place to protect it from damage and disguise it from thieves. Getting the proper laptop case is just a darn good idea.&lt;br /&gt;Avoid the manufacturer&amp;#39;s case&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Many laptop manufacturers provide a case for their laptop systems as a bonus or extra. Generally speaking, such a case is probably the worst choice you can make.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Manufacturers generally give you a case in either of two extremes. They may provide you with something that they call a &amp;quot;case&amp;quot; but is really little more than a zippered pouch. That&amp;#39;s just cheap and shameful. If they don&amp;#39;t give you too little, manufacturers give you too much case. They go overboard on size and give you something hulking and huge.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The bottom line with manufacturer&amp;#39;s laptop cases is that they just don&amp;#39;t give you any choice. Unless you research laptop cases and the manufacturer happens to offer one of the brand-name cases that agrees with you, just set aside any notion of getting a name-brand computer manufacturer&amp;#39;s case.&lt;br /&gt;Features to look for in a case&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;So, what features do you want to look for when buying a laptop case? Here&amp;#39;s a list:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; * Does your laptop fit into the case? The case doesn&amp;#39;t need a compartment designed to fit your specific laptop. Instead, you want to make sure that your laptop does fit comfortably inside the case and that the case can close easily with the laptop inside.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Actually, you don&amp;#39;t want a case with a compartment designed to fit your specific laptop. You may not be using the same laptop years from now, but it&amp;#39;s nice to keep using the same case.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; * Get a soft case. Not something hard like the traditional briefcase. The soft cases tend to hold the laptop more securely, whereas a laptop can get jostled around inside a hard case.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; * Does the case have plenty of pouches? You need pouches for storing accessories, office supplies, discs, manuals, Altoids, year-old receipts, and other things that you plan on carrying around with you.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; * Consider a case that opens to display two large and separate areas. You can slide your laptop into one and put paper, notepads, or computer accessories into the other area.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; * Look for extras. Extra pouches, clips, and such work well for holding various office supplies. You can also use them for smuggling.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; * Zippers! Zippers work better than snaps, buckles, or latches.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; * Look into an easy-access pouch. Having this pouch on the case&amp;#39;s outside helps with storing important documents and other information that you may need to grab quickly.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; * A carrying handle is a must. Also consider a shoulder strap.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;If you know that you have to carry a lot of stuff, say extra material for your job or perhaps something heavy like a printer or video projector, consider getting a laptop case with wheels and a retractable handle.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; * A backpack can also make a great laptop carrying case. And shouldering the backpack keeps both your arms and hands free. That way, you can hold your boarding pass in one hand and slap-up the airport counter help with the other.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The idea behind your laptop bag is to safely carry and protect the laptop while you&amp;#39;re traveling, plus it needs to carry all your laptop toys and other related goodies. Go nuts on the extra features if you must. But, honestly, if you can find a solidly made case, bag, or backpack that does what you need, you&amp;#39;re set.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Shop for Laptop AC Adapter, Laptop Keyboard at sunvalleyus.com. You&amp;#39;ll find low, discount prices on replacement &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/&quot;&gt;Laptop battery&lt;/a&gt;,&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/&quot;&gt;laptop keyboard&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/&quot;&gt;Laptop AC Adapter&lt;/a&gt;. Our products are specifically designed for your laptop models.&lt;br /&gt;Click the hot laptop AC adapter, Laptop Keyboard part no. below.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/DellAdapter/PA-9.html&quot; title=&quot;PA-9&quot;&gt;PA-9&lt;/a&gt;(Dell 20V 4.5A AC Adapter)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/HpBattery/HSTNN-105C.html&quot; title=&quot;hstnn-105c&quot;&gt;hstnn-105c&lt;/a&gt;(HP NC6100 battery 4400mAh )&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/DellBattery/Dell-Inspiron-6000-Series.html&quot; title=&quot;Dell Inspiron 6000&quot;&gt;Dell Inspiron 6000&lt;/a&gt;(Dell Inspiron 6000 Series 6600mAh)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/DellAdapter/Dell-19V-3.16A-(PA-16).html&quot; title=&quot;PA-16&quot;&gt;PA-16&lt;/a&gt;(Dell 19V 3.16A AC Adapter )&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/PCMCIACDROM/PCMCIA-CDROM.html&quot; title=&quot;PCMCIA CDROM&quot;&gt;PCMCIA CDROM&lt;/a&gt;(PCMCIA CDROM drive)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sunvalleyus.com/DellAdapter/PA-12.html&quot; title=&quot;PA-12&quot;&gt;PA-12&lt;/a&gt;(Dell 19.5V 3.34A AC Adapter)&lt;/p&gt; 
</content> 
</entry> 
 
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