Jun 18, 2010 Posted by admin in Articles

Seven Ways To Upgrade Your Netbook/laptop/pc

Many people admire netbooks for their portability, but no two models are exactly alike, and each reflects different trade-offs. A system with a great laptop battery may have a horrible keyboard arrangement; a model with a solid-state drive might be out of your price range; or a unit with killer specs might be missing 802.11n connectivity. All of these are common problems, but they don’t have common solutions.

Due to their diversity, netbooks don’t share a standard upgrade path as typical desktop PCs do. Each model is unique in what you can do to it, and the procedures are as varied as the netbooks themselves. If you plan to upgrade your machine, you’ll need to hunt down the instruction manual or – in the case of trickier upgrades – a community of users to walk you through the process. That said, possible netbook hacks range from five-minute routines to soldering-gun-based surgeries. Following are seven hacks for a dell e1505– one of the more tweakable netbooks we’ve come across. The first three hacks are easy, and the other four are intermediate. While your mileage (and procedures) will depend on your own netbook model, this guide should give you a good idea of the kinds of upgrades that are available (and suitable) for your machine and your skill level.

1. Insert a better battery

In PC World testing the Dell Inspiron E1505 Battery survived for about 3 hours, 34 minutes. That’s not too shabby for a four-cell battery, but you can do better. Though you may find a few guides online that describe how to create a laptop battery by using a number of aftermarket batteries wired together, that method is a recipe for disaster

Instead, we found an Nine-cell, 6600mAh battery on udtek.com that’s entirely compatible with the existing connections (and size) of your Dell e1505. At $191 it’s by no means cheap, and if you’re prepared to order offshore you can do a lot better with a US $69.99 battery from udtek.com, who ship worldwide. With an nine-cell battery you’ll double the longevity of your netbook – provided that you aren’t bothered by the inelegant mass sticking out from underneath it. To replace the battery, just flip your netbook upside-down, move the two switches from the locked icon to the unlocked icon, and then push up on the battery tray.

2. Upgrade the OS

If you want to install a new operating system onto your netbook, you certainly can: you simply pop the CD into any external USB optical drive and install away.

Want to dual-boot your netbook? Grab the GParted utility, by downloading the .iso file for its LiveCD at udtek.com and then burning the file onto a disc. Insert that disc into the external optical drive, restart the netbook, and enter the BIOS to change the boot settings for your machine. Boot off of the optical CD  first, and GParted will load. Right-click on the primary partition and select Resize/Move. Microsoft recommends that you have at least 16GB of space for Windows 7; if you were hoping to use that OS but your netbook has too little room, your experiment ends here. For any OS, if your netbook does have space for it, enter a new partition size of your choosing. Click Resize, and you’ll see the newly unallocated space sitting to the right of your primary partition in GParted’s graphic. Right-click on this area and select New. Enter zeros for ‘Free Space Proceeding’ and ‘Following’, select Primary Partition under ‘Create as’, and click the add button.

If you prefer not to use an external optical drive, you can follow the same steps for using GParted and installing the new OS with a simple USB thumb drive.

3. Rearrange the keyboard

Does your laptop keyboard’s default layout conflict with the muscle memory you’ve built for desktop keyboard layouts? You can pop an offending key off of your netbook by wedging a tiny screwdriver under the key and gently applying upward pressure. As long as the keys you are swapping are the same size, you can interchange them as you please.

Dell Inspiron E1505 Keyboard

Once you’ve made the physical transformations, use the Sharp Keys utility (udtek.com) to reassign your OS’s interpretations of the keystrokes to the appropriate keys. Alternatively, if you don’t mind a bit of visual confusion, you can leave the physical keys exactly where they are and use this helpful application to redefine their purpose.

4. Replace the hard drive

What’s worse: the underwhelming capacity of a typical solid-state drive inside a brand-new netbook, or the price difference you’d have to pay to get a larger drive in your preconfigured netbook build? Here’s a way around both of those nightmares. First, when you’re building your netbook on the maker’s website, select the lowest-capacity drive available (or if you have no configuration options, buy the netbook as is). Next, consult user forums (see “More resources” on page 85) to get a clearer sense of which aftermarket solid-state or magnetic hard drives are compatible with your unit. Finally, grab a screwdriver.

For the Dell e1505, flip the netbook over and remove the two screws that secure the large back panel into place (since it’s in the centre, it’s hard to miss). Pry off the panel with your finger or with the tip of a screwdriver. With the dell e1505 battery facing north, you’ll notice a set of four electronic pieces inside the machine; those are the hard drive, the memory, the network card, and a space for a 3G card (if you bought your e1505 from Vodafone it will have the 3G card installed). You should see a pair of screws securing the tiny flash-memory circuit board into place in the upper-left quadrant. Unscrew them, and the SSD should lift up. Pull it out, insert its replacement, and tighten the screws.

5. Upgrade the RAM

Memory is one of the main areas of a netbook where system manufacturers can increase their profit margin. Don’t let a netbook maker empty your wallet by selling you RAM that you can find elsewhere for a lot less. In the case of the e1505, we bought the bare minimum of RAM that we needed to complete the configuration: 512MB. To upgrade RAM, first open the netbook’s back and look for the existing memory. On the e1505, it’s in the upper-right (with the battery facing north).

On the RAM module you should see its specifications. You can either purchase the same type of RAM in a larger size (in our case, a 2GB stick of DDR2 SODIMM running at 533MHz) or check the manufacturer specs for your netbook to discover its maximum supported speed. The difference between DDR2-4200 and DDR2-5300 memory is almost unnoticeable, but there’s no sense in maxing out with DDR2-6400 memory if your netbook can’t support its full speed.

To replace the memory, push outward on the two clips holding the RAM in place near the notched groove on each side. The RAM will pop up toward you for removal. Insert the new memory and push it into place. When you start up the machine, quickly press the appropriate key to access the system BIOS (for the Dell Mini 9, it’s the 2 key). Head to the main tab and confirm that the system recognises the new memory.

6. Upgrade the Wi-Fi

Upgrading the internal Wi-Fi capabilities of a netbook from 802.11g to 802.11n sounds as though it should be easy. In theory, you’d simply buy a miniature wireless card, pop off the back of the netbook, shuffle its components, and start enjoying the increased functionality and speed of the new card.

Alas, in reality it isn’t that simple. Just because a Wi-Fi card looks as if it will fit in your netbook, that doesn’t mean the card is compatible with the netbook’s OS/motherboard combination. But even before that, you have to deal with the issue of size. When purchasing a new Wi-Fi card, you need to know whether your netbook can support a full-height or half-height card. Remove the back of the netbook and look for the existing Wi-Fi card. A full-height card is long and rectangular, similar in shape to an SD Card for a camera. A half-height card is stubbier and resembles the shape of a CompactFlash card.

As for the particular brand of card, there is no hard-and-fast rule for determining what will be compatible with your netbook model. A card that looks perfect on paper may not work with your unit’s configuration. Instead of using trial and error, search the internet for stories of other people’s successful Wi-Fi upgrades of the same netbook model. It’s the best way of improving the odds that the card you pick will actually work.

Once you’ve cleared that hurdle, installing the card is easy. On the Dell e1505, for example, remove the netbook’s rear cover. The Wi-Fi card is in the centre-right of the system; it’s the card with white and black wires (the antenna) running into it. Gently disconnect those wires, undo the screws, and remove the card from the slot. Insert the new card, reinsert the screws to tighten the card into position, and reconnect the two antenna wires – note, however, that the specific card you buy will dictate whether you should reverse the wires as compared with their positions on the original card. Depending on the size of the card and the configuration of the motherboard, you might have to remove a motherboard standoff to permit a solid fit.

If the operating system can’t find the new card on the next boot, install the drivers for the particular Wi-Fi card you bought. You should be able to find the drivers on the company’s website; if not, you might have to install drivers from a third-party netbook manufacturer whose product uses the same network card.

7. Overclock the CPU

Overclocking represents the pinnacle of system upgrades that an average user can perform without physically deconstructing the netbook. It’s also among the more dangerous upgrades for netbooks, given that these miniature systems don’t come with the best cooling systems. In the case of the Dell e1505, the passive cooler protecting the processor from thermal overload is no match for frequency tweaking, and it’s probably for the best that we couldn’t find a way to overclock this tiny PC.

Other netbooks are a bit more flexible in this regard. Owners of Dell e1505 netbooks can rev up their CPU through the SetFSB utility. Users of earlier Asus Eee PC models can pick up the Eeectl utility, which permits them to alter the frontside bus within Windows and, consequently, up the speed of the processor. If you have an MSI Wind and you want to update its BIOS, you’ll discover that MSI officially supports your overclocking habit. Still, these waters demand careful navigation (or strict avoidance) lest you wreck your netbook and condemn it to an inglorious end.

Jun 8, 2010 Posted by admin in Articles

Are Subsidized Netbooks Bad News for Open Networks?

AT&T’s plan to offer subsidized netbooks for $50 (and more, depending on which model the subscriber opts for) raises interesting questions. The most basic is what means to the open access debate. 

As the name implies, open access is the ability of customers to link any device that passes technical muster to a carrier’s network. Verizon Wireless and AT&T have paid homage to the concept and, indeed, some devices – mostly in the machine-to-machine sector – employ it. 

This week, as reported by PC Magazine and others, AT&T said that customers opting for two-year Wi-Fi and a 3G plans will be able to buy an Acer Aspire One, a Dell Inspiron, LG Xenia or Mini 9 or Mini 12 for between $49.99 and $249.99, though the precise price of each was not revealed.

Of course, the fact that carriers are moving the subsidization concept from phones to netbooks doesn’t mean that open access is dead. However, it shows that the carriers still like the proprietary concept, and probably are willing to spend a lot of money in order to marginalize approaches that make it easier for customers to come and go. PC Magazine puts it like this:

Subsidizing phones has been the norm for a number of years, with mobile vendors eating the cost of the phone hardware in exchange for the ability to charge users for voice and data plans, and to upsell them on services. But subsidizing netbooks is relatively new, and it remains to be seen whether consumers will look upon a netbook as another device that they’re willing to lock themselves into a contract to own.

Verizon Wireless also is onboard with selling subsidized netbooks, though details are sketchy. InformationWeek reports that the carrier confirmed a previous Reuters report that it was going to offer the devices. The piece says that no other information was offered. It is fleshed out with speculation that the carrier is considering the Dell and HP products, including the latter’s HM Mini 1000. 

Smartphones and netbooks may be drawing closer, as well. Datamation’s Mike Elgan indulges in well grounded speculation. He says that netbooks are great sellers, but that they wear out their welcomes rather quickly. He describes why, and says that the challenges would be met by eschewing PC operating systems in favor of the OSes used to power smartphones. He describes the rationale for this, and it seems convincing. Again, using a smartphone OS in a netbook isn’t a smoking gun pointing to the death of the open network concept. It certainly seems like a step in the other direction, however. Says Elgan:

The cell phone model – giving away or heavily subsidizing cell phones in exchange for a two-year commitment on a wireless contract – will work great for netbooks. AT&T and other carriers have announced special divisions to look at such deals.

The bottom line is that open networks are not in carriers’ best interests because they loosen the reins they hold on subscribers. Carrier’s game plan will be to cajole the FCC — something that got a lot harder for the industry due to the election — and use their significant public relations machines. They also will offer customers a terrific deal on the hot device de jure in exchange for fealty to their networks.

May 9, 2010 Posted by admin in Articles

Dell Inspiron Mini 12 – Intel Atom Processor Netbook Review

If compared with other netbook such as MSI Wind U100, for example, Dell Inspiron mini 12 really looks thin. The thick is less than 1 inch, precisely 0.9 inches. In fact, the size of screen and all of the body is about 2 inches more wide than Wind U100.

Yes, Dell Inspiron mini 12 showcase is 12-inch display screen, which is still rare compared with others netbook carried by other brands.

Despite similar body-thin like Apple MacBook Air, Dell Inspiron Mini 12 does feel strong. It feels comfortable. Indeed, Dell Inspiron Mini 12 have more wider size in average compared with others netbook and can causing not being easily inserted in the handbag.

From the completeness of the features, in fact mini-12 not far differents from others netbook by other brands. Like a modern netbook, 802.11g wireless functionality is supported, 12 inch display screen. RAM, for example, are still 1GB, but unfortunately you can not upgrading the RAM.

Display Screen

12-inch display screen with a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels, of course, is the specialty of Dell Dell Inspiron Mini 12. Wide screen resolution make the use of the netbook more fun when you surf in the virtual world. Two web pages side by side can be opened and read it with quite comfortably. However, the letters look smaller, less suitable for those who have started to crash because of the vision on the old age.

Views on the screen looks very bright (too bright even on the maximum setting), and horizontal perspectives are good enough. Views can still see quite comfortable with the direction of the side. However, there are good idea to push back the screen so that the rebound effect is not felt, too.

At the top of the LCD screen, as usual, presented with a 1.3 megapixel Webcam.

Keyboard

With a more physical width compared with another netbook, not strange when the keyboard on mini 12 is also more relieved (92 percent of normal keyboard). The distance the button are wide so that makes you comfortable when typing.

Dell includes six function keys which is F11, F12, Home, Del, Insert, End which are placed on the top right side. In addition, there are 10 other function keys (F1 – F10), which also have their own features, such as Bluetooth and contrast. The Fn button is placed on the left side of the bottom..

Under the keyboard panel there are square touchpad which is also quite wide field, complete with left and right click. Touchpad is quite responsive. However, perhaps because of the wide size and the location that fit under the keyboard plus the wide of palmrest, sometimes we do not get the desired response from the touchpad which have quite fibrous surface because the cursor can move suddenly if you have small wrist.

The other different from the other vendors, Dell chose to put a speaker on the top of keyboard panel. Unfortunately, the quality of the sound is less strong despite already set up to maximum volume. However, for a netbook that is used personally and private, may have sufficient volume.

Another panel at a different location is the on / off. key When most vendors of netbook putting it on the right top side, not so with Dell. Dell prefer to put this very small on / off button on the left top side, abreast with speakers panel.

The Body

On the right side appears 3-in-1 card reader, a headphone jack, microphone jack, one USB port, and one LAN port.

The placement of the USB port are on the way back, this make less fun when you use the netbook on the knees (although this is usually not recommended because the netbook radiate enough heat) than if it is on the way forward as in most of other netbook.

On the left side there are two USB ports, VGA-out port, and for security lock (Kensington lock). Two USB ports are located in the middle of the unit, with the initial keyboard.

When you use the netbook the back of the bottom display which is close to the battery felt a bit hot. However, the keyboard and the touchpad are not affected and still comfortable to use. The bottom of the netbook was only slightly warm. Maybe because of the wide surface from this netbook plus the combination of low power processors successfully influence the spread of heat.

Processor

Mini 12 is not using the processor Intel Atom N270 1.6 GHz like the others.

This netbook packaged with the Intel Atom 1.6 GHz clock speed, but in different type, that is, the Z530 (Silverthorne). This processor is designed for the smaller size devices depend with N270, the size of Silverthorne CPU nearly half (13 x 14 mm) and charged a lower consumption (2 watts vs. 2.5 watt owned N270).

Processor is a bit saggy used with Microsoft Vista as the bundle from Dell. Booting takes 1.5 – 2 seconds. The Intel GMA 500 chipset seems less suitable for gaming, including lightweight games. From the benchmark result of 3DMark 2003, the score is only 382 and failed to run 3DMark06.

The Battery

Mini 12 comes with a standard battery pack of Li-Ion 3-cell. Not included in the battery the capacity rating. However, according to Dell, the battery is able to stand up to 3 hours of use.

The claims may be true, but there are conditions that must be fulfilled. Netbook must be set first to lower the performance. This can be done easily arranged through the property of the Windows Power Options (Current Power Plan). If you want to survive your battery, you need to lower the performance by choosing Power Saver mode. However, if you need the performance you can choose High Performance that will drain the battery power more quickly or you can choose Balanced mode to balance the power of the battery and the performance.

Weight
Despite come with 12 inches wide-screen, this Mini 12 was not heavy. By default (plus 3-cell battery), the weight is only 1.268 kg. When the battery removed, the weight will be 1.1 kg.

Dell appears mature enough to prepare this netbook so comfortable and convenient to carry anywhere. For other than mild, the adapter that integrates with the cable was also light and pretty. This adapter looks similar to the phone adapter although quite large. Unfortunately only two legs, so you have to bring converter if you don’t have 2 legs.

The weight of the adapter are 178 grams. If you take all, (netbook + 3-cell battery + adapter + converter), Dell Inspiron Mini 12 was still light enough with a total weight of 1.862 kg.

The advantages Dell Inspire Mini 12 is Wide screen and keyboard; thin physical; SIMcard slot; light

The disadvantages Dell Inspire Mini 12 is Mono speaker; price; SIMcard slot on the back of the battery; minimal LED indicators; RAM can not be upgraded.

Dell Inspiron Mini 12 Specification

Processor: Intel Atom Z5301, 6GHz (Level 2 cache 512KB, 533MHz FSB and support Hyperthreading)
RAM: DDR2 1GB SODIMM (maximum)
Chipset: Intel Poulsbo
Graphics card: Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 500
Sound: Poulsbo Intel High Definition Audio Controller
Harddisk: Samsung 1.8 “HS092HB jubilee ATA-100 3600rpm 80GB
Optical drive: No
Facilities: LAN, Wi-Fi 802.11 g, Bluetooth, 3-in1 card reader, 3 USB Port, 1.3 MP Web Camera, VGA port, 10/100 Ethernet port, michropone jack, headphone jack
Display: 12.1 “WXGA 1280×800 pixels
Operating System: Windows Vista Basic SP1
Battery: Li-Ion 3-cell 26WHr
Dimensions: 29.9 x 22.9 x (2,2-2,4) cm
Weight : (including 3-cell battery): 1, 268 kg
Warranty: 1 year (batteries, spare parts, freight)

This Dell Inspiron Price Range is USD$ 699

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