Toshiba Satellite P100-ST9742
Friday, February 16, 2007
At this time of year most folks looking for a new laptop are probably going to sit tight until the new year. That's when some retailers, their minds perhaps clouded by sherry and bellies bloated with turkey, slash prices and bargains abound. But for those eager for a notebook to play games on during the holiday season, the New Toshiba Satellite P100-ST9742 should appease all but the most hardened of gamers.Sporting an attractive golden lid which Toshiba describes as "Sunlight Copper", this Toshiba Satelite notebook boasts an Nvidia GeForce Go 7900 GTX graphics processing unit. However though cutting edge. this isn't Nvidia's best GPU on the market. The latest GeForce Go 7950 GTX takes that accolade, offering a memory bandwidth of 44.9 GB per second as opposed to the 7900 which only offers 38.4. You can find the 7950 in the latest, more expensive XPS M1710 laptop from Dell.
Moving swiftly on, the solid but slimline 7.1 pound chassis of the Toshiba P100 is packed with a 2 GHz core 2 duo processor (T7200), 100GB SATA hard drive, 2GB of RAM and 512MB GDDR3 of dedicated graphics memory. The display is a nice size for gaming, a 17-inch TFT wide-screen offering a 1680x1050 resolution. The screens on these Toshiba Satellite notebooks are often praised because of the TRUBRITE tech which seems to make images more precise. If you want to head over to a coffee shop and email between gaming and sipping expressos, wireless connectivity is included in the form of an Intel PRO/Wireless (802.11a/b/g) connection.
This Toshiba Satellite is also bundled with Harman Kardon stereo speakers, extra laptop security in the form of a fingerprint reader, and Bluetooth tech allows you to connect wirelessly with gaming controls. Ports and slots include a 5-in-1 Bridge Media Adapter, 4 USB ports, Memory Stick slot and a PCMCIA-Type II slot.
My opinion? This isn't the most expensive gaming laptop on the market, nor is it a gold medal winner tech wise. But it does offer silver medal specs, stylish design, a competitive price, and if you're ecologically minded, the Satellite P100-ST9742 is RoHS compliant, meaning it has less nasties inside like lead, cadmium and mercury. Time will tell if this model will prove as popular as Toshiba's best selling budget sibling, the Satellite A105. This notebook is available at Toshibadirect.com.
posted by Abu Yusuff @ 7:05 PM,
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Get online with laptop cellular card
So, if you need Internet access on the go, try cellular service. All major cellular providers offer Internet cards for your laptop. They slide into a PC Card slot, much like a Wi-Fi card.
The cards give you Internet access anywhere you have cellular coverage. The concept is simple, but deciphering the pricing and technical details can be confusing.
These days, cellular providers tout broadband-like speeds. Certainly, the cards are far faster than dial-up. They fall short, however, when compared with cable and DSL speeds.
Some networks are faster than others. So it helps to understand the differences.
TIPS: Ask Kim
First, there is EDGE (Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution). EDGE is a high-speed Internet service that is considered to be 2.5G, that is, between second- (2G) and third-generation (3G) cellular broadband services. It is provided by wireless phone companies that use GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) technology. Users typically experience speeds of around 200 kilobits per second for both downloads and uploads, although its theoretical limits are higher. This average speed falls shy of the 256Kbps promised by a low-end DSL plan.
EV-DO (Evolution-Data Optimized) is more advanced. EV-DO is a third-generation (3G) high-speed Internet service provided by wireless phone companies that use CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) technology. The average download speed is between 400Kbps and 700Kbps. Upload speeds average 300Kbps to 400Kbps.
Still, it doesn't compare to cable broadband's average download speed of 7 megabits per second (Mbps).
You may also encounter HSDPA (High-Speed Downlink Packet Access). HSDPA is a 3G high-speed Internet service. It isn't widespread yet, but its download speed can get up to 3.6Mbps or higher, which truly compares to broadband. HSDPA's uploads average 384 Kbps.
Laptop cards generally cost about $200. But you can get steep discounts when you sign up for a one- or two-year agreement.
I recommend that you stick with your current provider because billing will be simplified and you may qualify for additional incentives.
Now, let's look at which providers offer which services and how much they charge.
Sprint offers EV-DO laptop cards. For $60 per month, you'll get unlimited access to the Internet from your laptop. If you live in or travel to an area without full digital coverage, the card may revert to a slower network.
Verizon also uses EV-DO technology with its BroadbandAccess service. Unlimited data usage runs $80 per month. When the service isn't available, the card uses Verizon's NationalAccess service. This provides download speeds of 60Kbps to 80Kbps with bursts up to 144Kbps.
T-Mobile's laptop cards use EDGE. For $50 per month, you'll get unlimited data access. You'll also get unlimited access at thousands of T-Mobile HotSpots.
Cingular cards can use an EDGE network. They can also access Cingular's HSDPA network, where it is available.
Cingular's plans are more complicated than those other providers offer. You can purchase plans that offer limited data access. You can also purchase plans that include access to wireless hot spots across the country. For example, a plan including unlimited data and access to hot spots runs $100 monthly. An unlimited plan without Wi-Fi access runs $80. If you already have a $40 or higher voice plan, you pay $60.
A wireless laptop card will provide you with greater mobility. You can work from the road or the local coffee shop. But it isn't a magic bullet. Just as you experience dropped calls, you could run into problems with cellular Internet access. You may also be able to access the Internet by connecting your Internet-enabled cellphone to your laptop.
Labels: 2G, 3G, CDMA, DSL, Edge, GSM, Online card, WiFi
posted by Abu Yusuff @ 5:58 PM,
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Mainstream Notebooks?
Monday, February 12, 2007
What are they ?
The mainstream notebook category encompasses systems with 15.4-inch displays that generally weigh six to seven pounds.
Who are they for?
These systems are designed for home use primarily, but they’re portable enough that you can take them on the road.
What to Expect:
Glossy Displays
Most mainstream notebooks have glossy 15.4-inch displays that sport widescreen aspect ratios with excellent contrast and color accuracy. They’re ideal for watching DVDs, playing games, or for viewing two open windows simultaneously. Just keep in mind that glossy screens reflect ambient light more than traditional LCDs, which can be distracting.
Wide Range of Processors
If all you’re looking to do is surf the Web and check e-mail, opt for a low-power processor like the Intel Celeron M (or newer Core Solo) or AMD Sempron. If you envision doing heavy-duty multitasking (involving photos or video, for instance) or running multimedia applications often, set your sights on an Intel Core Duo processor or the AMD Turion 64.
Integrated or Discrete Graphics?
On value-priced models, mainstream notebooks ship with integrated graphics solutions from ATI or Intel that share system memory. If you want to play games, go with a graphics processor like the ATI Mobility Radeon X700 or Nvidia GeForce Go6600 with 64MB or more of dedicated video memory.
Instant Gratification
An increasing number of mainstream notebooks feature an instant-on mode, which enables users to start playing music and DVDs (and in some cases view photos) without having to boot into Windows. The system will typically have a dedicated launch key for this application.
posted by Abu Yusuff @ 8:17 AM,
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Best Security Suites for your Notebook
Phishing and spoofing and spying, oh my! The monsters are out in the always-on forest of connected computing, and only a fool ventures in without proper protection. The latest security suites are overflowing with features, and most now address dreaded rootkit invaders and identity-theft schemes. Most of the major brands' offerings continue to be very reliable, more user-friendly than they have been, and-to varying degrees-unobtrusive.
Look for the feature set that best matches your needs and the degree to which you want to be in control of your system shields. Generally, the security software firms have not yet declared their intentions for upgrading to Windows Vista compatibility, but careful shoppers will look for these announcements and policies before buying products that come with one-year subscriptions.
posted by Abu Yusuff @ 7:20 AM,
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Dell Forever
Friday, February 9, 2007
Dicover Dell Laptop here!
posted by Abu Yusuff @ 7:17 PM,
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