Just as is the case with anything else, a laptop needs to be maintained in order to function optimally. It’s much easier to take a few preventative measures to keep your laptop in good condition than to have to take it into the shop later on. The following are some tips on caring for your laptop so that it stays and good shape and is ready for use.

Keep Food and Drinks Away from the Laptop

OK, people often eat and drink while using their laptops, so its really not practical to advise anyone to stop this practice. A simple example is the Wifi equipped coffee shop, which is a very common place for people to drink coffee as well as work on their laptops. Obviously these people are probably going to continue drinking coffee and eating pastries or sandwiches while they work. So the advice here is simply to keep food and drinks to a safe distance if it’s possible and convenient. Try not to, for instance, put your cup of coffee right on the laptop by the fingerpad or just next to it. Move it a few more inches off to guard against the possibility of spills. Eat your sandwich over a plate, again, if possible, rather than over the keypad so that crumbs don’t fall on it. These are common sense items, and sometimes it seems like too much can be made of them, but do your best along these lines. Read more…

When it comes to high end gadgets, laptops and mobile phones are the first in line. Manufacturers from all over the world are competing neck to neck against each other using unimaginable features that have captured the heart of many technology enthusiasts. If you are the type of person who loves to travel, a laptop is your easiest means of communicating with the world. But most of all they are compact so you can take it almost anywhere you go. In case you are planning to buy one, here are laptop reviews of the top three most wanted laptops of 2011:

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gScreen SpaceBook Dual Screen Laptop

How many screens do you need to get a job done? For people who spend most of their time in front of the computer (I am talking about work), desktop real estate is an important factor. For some, there is even the need for dual screens.

Personally, I am totally content with a 13-inch screen. I’d even work on a 10-inch one every now and then. Anything much bigger than 13 inches, though, I get dizzy. I can’t even imagine having two screens. I’d be totally distracted. But that’s just me.

For those of you who absolutely needs two screens, gScreen might have the laptop of your dreams. Dubbed the SpaceBook, this new laptop is supposed to be the solution for laptop users who need two screens even when on the go. The main marketing point for the SpaceBook is the fact that you can go wherever you need to and not have to lug around another screen (which is virtually impossible, I think).

And how do you get dual screens on a laptop? The solution gScreen opted for: one screen slides behind the other.

There are two options for dual screen junkies. First, there is the SpaceBook 17 i54G. With this configuration, you get two 17-inch 1920 x 1080 HD LED-backlit displays; an Intel i5-560m 2.66 GHz processor; 4GB of DDR3 RAM; Nvidia GeForce GTS 250M 1GB Discrete CPU; a 500 GB 7200 RPM hard drive; and a DVD player/burner. This configuration will set you back a whopping $2395, half of which you have to pay up front as a down payment.

The second SpaceBook is the SpaceBook 17 i7 8G. The difference between the two configurations lies in the processor and the memory. This one has the Intel i7 Quad-740qm 1.73 GHZ processor and has 8GB DDR3 RAM. All the other specs remain the same, but of course the price goes up to $2795.

The dual screen factor may be impressive, but you might want to bear in mind that it comes at a cost. Aside from the price, think about 10 pounds of hardware that you have to carry with you. Then again, it may be worth it for some, and if that is you, go pre-order now for free shipping in the USA and Canada.

Samsung Series 9 Laptop

The other day, I was walking around the mall when a huge display caught my eye in what usually is an open space. Samsung was holding a special exhibit, and special it was! The Series 9 laptops have been the talk of the town for a while now, although I don’t know too many people getting their hands on one. It seems, though, that Samsung has struck gold with this series, making their thin laptops a feasible alternative to Apple’s MacBook Airs. And if expanding the line is anything to go by, then Samsung has really done a good job with the initial offerings.

The news is that there are new 13.3-inch versions which are part of the Series 9 laptops. First comes the NP900X3A-B01US, which comes with an Core i5-2467M CPU, 4GB of RAM, and a 128GB solid-state drive. This configuration will cost you a nice $1,349.

If the 128GB storage is not enough for you (understandably, if the laptop is going to be your main computer, that storage space needs to be bumped up), then the next model might be more to your liking – the NP900X3A-B02US. It has similar specs to the previous laptop, except that the SSD is 256GB. The price tag for this configuration is $1,649.

Now for the big boy – the NP900X3A-A05US. This laptop has a Core i7-2617M, 6GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD – all for $2,049.

Of course, it is to be expected that the additions to the line up includes smaller sized laptops. The Samsung Series 9 is also welcoming two new laptops in the 11-inch models. The NP900X1B-A02US has a Core i3-2357M processor, 2GB of RAM, and a 64GB SSD. The price is $1,049.

The other option is the NP900X3A-A01US, with the same processor as above, but more RAM at 4GB and more storage space at 128GB (SSD as well). This is priced at $1,249.

My first thoughts – beautifully sleek, but disappointingly pricey. Why would I want to go for these laptops if they are not way cheaper than the MacBook Airs? Then again, for people who want the look without leaving Windows, these laptops are perfect. Another thing going for these laptops is the material used to make the case – duralumin, which is supposed to be twice as strong as aluminum.

Watch out for their release next month, although I hear some stores are already offering them on a pre-order basis.

Via

HP ProBook 6560b

These days, we have to admit that many people purchase laptops (and other gadgets for that matter) with the word “bling” in mind. While that may be a sweeping statement, we cannot deny the fact that looks do play a large part in making the decision to purchase a new laptop. I would go as far as to say that this is one reason that Apple continues to attract many new – and returning – customers.

If you are looking for a laptop without looks or flashiness in mind, however, there is one feasible alternative: the HP ProBook 6560b. This laptop was seemingly created with no nonsense business purposes in mind. One look at the HP ProBook 6560b, and I think that you will agree with me. There really isn’t much to remark about the laptop’s look – it isn’t fugly, but it is not beautiful as well.

What does make it interesting is the fact that it delivers all the functionalities that a businessperson will need, plus the reliability that HP normally gives its customers. The HP ProBook 6560b is also not a fragile device – it has a magnesium-reinforced chassis, which will ensure that the occasional bang against the wall or table will not wreck it.

What I like is the keyboard, which is waterproof. If you accidentally spill coffee – or whatever your energy boosting beverage may be – on the keyboard, the water will drain off via the built-in grates. God knows how often this happens when tired humans stay up till the wee hours of the morning crunching some numbers!

And speaking of numbers, the HP ProBook 6560b has a number pad at the rightmost part of the keyboard. I don’t deal much with numbers, but when I do, I sometimes find myself wishing for the number pad in the “normal” keyboard. Then there is the choice between a large touchpad (with multi-touch support) and a pointer nub (I never got into this, to be honest).

As for performance, the HP ProBook 6560b is nothing to sniff at. You can choose from the second-gen Sandy Bridge processors – Core i3, i5, and i7. It has 4GB of RAM, which is upgradable to 16GB. As for the screen, it is 15.6 inches – a bane for eyes sore from overworking.

So if a workhorse is what you need, the HP ProBook 6560b just might be what you need.

Via The Globe and Mail