Laptops Life – Laptop and Tech Review Blog

Gateway’s EC Series of UltraPortable notebooks has just added to their family with the emergence of the new EC14D configurations. Now you may think that this is just your typical small notebook but don’t jump the gun on that just yet. The EC14D series is a rare breed as it features an integrated DVD drive, a feature not typically seen on notebooks with an ii.6-inch display. According to a Gateway spokesman “The integrated DVD drive in such a compact device will be a huge benefit for customers who want the flexibility to enjoy and share different movies, music, photos and more stored on a DVD or CD.”

The EC14D is designed with the mobile person in mind. The EC14D has some pretty good specs about it. It has an 8X Super Multi double-layer DVD drive that allows users to read all types of DVD and CD media allowing them to enjoy popular movies and games on the fly. It also gives them access to their music files and photos for downloading and sharing on websites like Photobucket, Facebook or Twitter. To add to its mobility the EC14D has a 6-cell battery to allow you to run your notebook up to 8 hours on a single charge.

Connectivity wise the EC14D comes with an 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi connection. This gives users fast and easy connection to the internet at any Wi-Fi hotspot. Other specs include an Intel Pentium ULV Processor SU 4100, Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit, 11.6″ HD Widescreen Ultrabright LED-backlit TFT LCD screen with a 1366×768 resolution and 16:9 aspect ratio, Mobile Intel GS45 Express Chipset, Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500 MHD, 4096MB DDR2 Dual-channel 667MHz memory which is upgradeable to 8 GB, 320GB(2) 5400RPM SATA hard drive, Integrated 8X Super-Multi DVD player, integrated webcam, Multi-in-1 digital media card reader, Gigabit Ethernet LAN, 3 USB 2.0 ports, 1 HDMI port and a multi-gesture touchpad all packed into a case measuring 11.49″(W) by 1.12″ to 1.18″(H) by 8.33″(D) and weighing only 3.55lbs.

Along with the EC14D, Gateway is also offering new models in the rest of its EC Series notebook lines. Overall the EC14D looks to be a pretty good little notebook and one that is especially good for mobile notebook needs. If by reading this you have suddenly obtained the dire need to get one of these notebooks then you will be happy to know you don’t have to wait long. This device is said to be available by the end of January for a starting price of $629.99.

In an effort to dominate yet another aspect of technology, Apple has revealed that it will be producing a new tablet later this year. The new tablet, said to be competitive with netbooks and e-readers, will likely retail for anywhere from $600 – $1,000. While the hand-held device won’t be revealed until later this month, people are already anticipating it and making all kinds of speculation, all over the internet. Rumor has it, the tablet will be on the market, sometime in March.

As devices that can both surf the web and play movies and music become more popular, the tablet may be coming at a very good time. According to BusinessWeek.com, the tablet would be a competition for both e-readers such as Amazon’s Kindle and netbooks from companies such as Acer and Hewlett Packard.

According to Gene Munster, an analyst at Piper Jaffray & Co, Apple could see 1.4 million of the devices by the end of 2010, increasing company sales by two percent or more, depending on the finalized price of the product. “Apple’s tablet would compete well in the netbook category, even though it would not be a netbook,” said Munster, who expects software to be one of the keys to making the Apple tablet stand out against the competition.

Another bit of speculation is that the new tablet will be app-friendly, meaning it will work with the over 100,000 apps available for iPhone. Kathryn Huberty, an analyst with Morgan Stanley, says she expects the tablet to be ten inches with touchscreen and built-in Wi-fi. She also expects the product to take e-books and magazines a step further by making them an interactive experience that will provide users with links to videos such as author interviews, photos, audio, websites and advertising.

Maynard Um of UBS AG suspects the new tablet could be like an oversized iPod touch…or like a scaled-down notebook computer. It has been said that Apple expects to ship 10 million tablets within the first year of release. Former Google executive Lee Kai-fu says he’s spoken with someone familiar with the product and that it will look like an oversized iPhone with its 10.1 inch multitouch screen with three-dimensional graphics.

But the truth of the matter is, no one knows for sure. A spokesperson for Apple says the company will not comment on speculation and rumors. Luckily we won’t have to wait too much longer to find out just what Apple has in store for the world of handheld devices. Steve Jobs is set to reveal the tablet later this month.

When the polycarbonate, unibody MacBook was first released by Apple, many people were quickly turned off. It wasn’t that the laptop itself was horrible, despite a few shortcomings. The main issue with many people wan’t he actual device itself, but rather the large $999 price tag. Well good news, for some of you out there, has just been seen on Apple’s website. The unibody MacBook has just seen a price drop to $728. But there is a catch. The $728 price currently only available to students and those in education and for a limited period of time.
The MacBook is a good laptop all around. It comes with a 2.26GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Processor, 2GB of DDR3 memory and a 250GB hard drive. Along with that you get 8x double-layer SuperDrive, NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics card and a built-in battery with an expected 7hr life.
Students and educators should take advantage of this deal as soon as possible because there is no word on when the sale will end and if you are looking at getting a MacBook you have no time to waste. Looking at Apple’s website it appears you also get free shipping as well, another great deal to take advantage of as long as it lasts.
When the polycarbonate, unibody MacBook was first released by Apple, many people were quickly turned off. It wasn’t that the laptop itself was horrible, despite a few shortcomings. The main issue with many people wan’t he actual device itself, but rather the large $999 price tag. Well good news, for some of you out there, has just been seen on Apple’s website. The unibody MacBook has just seen a price drop to $728. But there is a catch. The $728 price currently only available to students and those in education and for a limited period of time.
The MacBook is a good laptop all around. It comes with a 2.26GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Processor, 2GB of DDR3 memory and a 250GB hard drive. Along with that you get 8x double-layer SuperDrive, NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics card and a built-in battery with an expected 7hr life.
Students and educators should take advantage of this deal as soon as possible because there is no word on when the sale will end and if you are looking at getting a MacBook you have no time to waste. Looking at Apple’s website it appears you also get free shipping as well, another great deal to take advantage of as long as it lasts.

Google’s Gmail has had, for a number of years, keyboard shortcuts to help you navigate around your e-mail. But, for many Gmail users these shortcuts were often non intuitive and diffucult to learn. Recently, Google e-mail service has introduced the Gboard that will aleviate this problems for it’s thousands of members. The Gboard is now on the market and can be purchased for the reasonable price of $19.99.
The Gboard is the size of a standard numberpad keyboard and features 19 brightly colored keys. These keys all allow you to utilize shortcuts dealing with your Gmail. Gmail-specific features include starring messages, starting a search, and jumping between message threads. When the Gboard is not used with Gmail, the buttons will simply act like normal keyboard buttons and type whatever letter or number that corresponds with the shortcut.
Conveniently, the Gboard is powered through a USB port. This means that you will not need any special software or driver. You will have to enable keyboard shortcuts under Gmail’s settings before fully utilising your Gboard, but that isn’t any difficult task.
The Gboard has been described a bit like Marmite, people are either going to love or hate the Gboard. If people have already mastered all the shortcuts that are utilised with Gmail, then I would recommend they save themselves the $20 and continue as they currently are. For the many that have found the Gmail shortcuts difficult to master however, it could be very useful tool.
With a total of 69 shortcuts and many more to come if Google releases some of their experimental features that are currently being tested in the labs, the Gboard could be the first step to developing a full-sized version with more than 100 keys. For now though, the Gboard should satisfy Gmail users who have had issues with figuring out the shortcuts, and the low price tag just can’t be beat.
Google’s Gmail has had, for a number of years, keyboard shortcuts to help you navigate around your e-mail. But, for many Gmail users these shortcuts were often non intuitive and diffucult to learn. Recently, Google e-mail service has introduced the Gboard that will aleviate this problems for it’s thousands of members. The Gboard is now on the market and can be purchased for the reasonable price of $19.99.
The Gboard is the size of a standard numberpad keyboard and features 19 brightly colored keys. These keys all allow you to utilize shortcuts dealing with your Gmail. Gmail-specific features include starring messages, starting a search, and jumping between message threads. When the Gboard is not used with Gmail, the buttons will simply act like normal keyboard buttons and type whatever letter or number that corresponds with the shortcut.
Conveniently, the Gboard is powered through a USB port. This means that you will not need any special software or driver. You will have to enable keyboard shortcuts under Gmail’s settings before fully utilising your Gboard, but that isn’t any difficult task.
The Gboard has been described a bit like Marmite, people are either going to love or hate the Gboard. If people have already mastered all the shortcuts that are utilised with Gmail, then I would recommend they save themselves the $20 and continue as they currently are. For the many that have found the Gmail shortcuts difficult to master however, it could be very useful tool.
With a total of 69 shortcuts and many more to come if Google releases some of their experimental features that are currently being tested in the labs, the Gboard could be the first step to developing a full-sized version with more than 100 keys. For now though, the Gboard should satisfy Gmail users who have had issues with figuring out the shortcuts, and the low price tag just can’t be beat.

Well in response to the innovative new technology, the designers over at Onkyo have developed their own dual screened laptop and while Kohjinsha did come out with one first, Onkyo, it seems, has significantly raised the bar.

As promised at CEATEC, Onkyo’s laptop offers dual 10.1-inch 1,366×768 pixel LCD displays as opposed to the 10.1-inch 1,024×600 pixel LCD displays seen on Kohjinsha’s laptop. But what is impressive about Onkyo’s screens is that they make them better than Kohjinsha’s without increasing the overall size of the device.

Onkyo’s laptop contains a 1.6 GHz Athlon Neo MV-40 CPU similar to the AMD Athlon MV-40 in Kohjinsha’s laptop. Onkyo’s has an ATI Radeon HD 3200 graphics, 802.11n WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR and 3 USB jacks. Starting off you will get 2GB of memory which is expandable to 4GB. Onkyo’s device also comes with a 320GB 5,400rpm disk, Gigabit Ethernet and the 32-bit Windows 7 Home Premium.

What makes Onkyo’s dual-screen laptop even more desirable than Kohjinsha’s is the price. Onkyo’s laptop comes under a price tag of 84,000 Yen which translates to roughly $966 US. Kohjinsha’s device comes in at 79,000 Yen which transfers to about $909 US. while this price is less than Onkyo’s, you will only get it if you but it directly from Kohjinsha’s retail site. If you don’t, then you will be hit with a price of 100,800 Yen or about $1,148 US. Overall the DX from Onkyo looks to be a much better deal than Kohjinsha’s device. Look for this one to hit the market by late February 2010.

I understand how sometimes money is tight and you don’t have the extra cash to spend on nonessential things. Things like protection for your computer don’t really make the top of the list, but it is still very important. The Internet is full of brilliant ideas, research material, news, incredible software, and about everything you could imagine, but there is also a huge amount of content that can be incredibly harmful for your computer. It is absolutely 100% necessary to use antivirus and antispyware protection if your computer is connected to the internet. Even if you have your computer locked in a WiFi-proof Faraday cage with no connection to the outside world, you still run the risk of being intruded by threats like the Conficker worm that can slip onto your computer via a removable drive. You simply must have security software on your computer. So you say that you don’t have the cash to put out for virus protection? No problem! You can get reasonably good protection for your computer without paying a cent.

If you do decide to put out some money towards virus protection software, Spyware Doctor with AntiVirus 2010 and Prevx 3.0 are both great option. If you’re okay with putting out a little more money to purchase a full suite, you will get even better protection. Norton Internet Security 2010 is considered the best by many reviewers. BitDefender Internet Security 2010 and ZoneAlarm Extreme Security 2010 are both also considered great options. If you really can’t afford to put out some cash for computer security software though, there are still plenty of options out there for you.

Most of the good, free products out there offer a full range of protection from malware (this includes virus, spyware, rootkits, etc). These programs will remove any malware that is already present on your computer and will prevent any new malware from installing itself on your computer. A program called HouseCall 7.1 takes a very different approach. HouseCall 7.1 will only scan your computer. It offers no real-time protection. The free edition of Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware 1.36 is also a scan-only program. You have to pay if you want real-time protection. The way that programs such as these can be used is as a second opinion. It can help identify anything that your protection program might overlook.

IObit Security 360, AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 9.0, and avast! Free Antivirus 5.0 beta all offer free editions of their programs. AVG’s paid edition offers a more comprehensive type of protection, but the other two program’s free editions are fully functional.

The nice thing about using free protection services is that you can keep trying different ones until you find one that you really like. You can even install a combination of programs that will cover real-time protection and “second opinion” scanning. The only thing that I can say is don’t leave your computer unprotected. Even if you don’t have the funds to purchase a program, there is plenty of free protection out there that can keep your computer clean. Check out some of these programs below and find out which one works best for you.

avast! Free Antivirus 5.0 beta
avast! offers a very good protection program. It specializes in malware removal and rootkit removal tests. It has easy to use control settings and detailed reporting.

AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 9.0
AVG honestly believes that everyone should have a free basic protection against the threats of the Internet. The company therefore offers a great free protection program that is much better than Microsoft’s free program.

Trend Micro HouseCall 7.1
This program utilizes a cloud-based malware database to quickly detect viruses and threats. It serves as a second opinion program that should be used in addition to a real-time protection program. It should not be your only anti-malware solution.

IObit Security 360
This program is easy to install and quickly scans and identifies problems, but the issue is that Iobit doesn’t remove or prevent any malware installation.

Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware 1.36
With this protection program, it does a very good job of cleaning up any malware, especially those terribly annoying rogue security programs, but it is not effective against commercial keyloggers or rootkits.

Microsoft Security Essentials 1.0
With Microsoft Security, you will receive some protection from malware, but honestly a lot of the other protection programs will satisfy your computer’s need much more efficiently.

The new Disney Netpal by ASUS is any kids dream come true. It truly is a netbook that is designed specifically for children. Everything that is included with the netbook is incredibly kid-oriented and the price is definitely parent-friendly.

The laptop itself is absolutely adorable. The Princess design is exactly what any girl that loves the Disney Princesses is looking for. Like I said, this is a little girls ideal netbook. The design of netbook is definitely not gender-neutral like the Dell Mini Nickelodeon Edition, but Disney has released a plain blue version that may appeal more to boys. The floral pattern of the Princess design swirls together the shapes of princesses, tiaras, and hearts that are found on the lid and the palm rest area.

The Netpal is based off of the ASUS EeePC1008HA (Seashell). The most obvious differences between the netbooks would be keyboard that was shrunk from 92% to 89% and the screen that was downsized from 10-inches to 8.9-inches. It also weighs a mere 2.4 pounds. ASUS does all this to make the netbook as child-friendly as they possibly can. Every single key on the keyboard is positioned according to the traditional keyboard standards. The chrome mouse button may be slightly difficult for your child to press, but they will quickly adjust.

Parents will appreciate the bundled software that comes standard with the Netpal. The Mini Nickelodeon offers a 15-month trial subscription of McAfee’s Family Security Center, but the Netpal comes with Disney’s own parental controls that don’t expire. The software goes above and beyond what most parental control programs provide though. Your child basically gets their own Windows user account which logs into the Disney environment and allows them to access a custom Web browser, their calendar app, an email account, and a variety of games. You, as the parent, have a separate account, locked by a password, that allows you to control everything that your child is allowed to do or see on their netbook.

The parental controls for the Netpal are quite extensive. Parents have the ability to choose which e-mail addresses their children can receive e-mail from, block any Website, and add or remove any type of application on an approved list. You are also given the power to decide when your child may access the Web or certain games or applications.

The features on the Netpal are pretty standard for a netbook. It includes a 160GB hard drive, three USB ports, a built-in Webcam, 4-in-1 card reader, VGA-out, and an Ethernet port. Honestly, I don’t think your child will need anything else.

Although it is a kid-focused netbook, ASUS made sure not to skimp on the processing aspects. The use of a 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 Processor and 1GB of memory can be found in most netbook. The Netpal’s battery is made out of Lithium Polymer, and according to MobileMark 2007, it scored 5 hours and 30 minutes of battery life. The battery is not removable, which should be appreciated as it can be a fire hazard.
This netbook is definitely not designed for an adult, but it is perfect for your little princess. It has numerous features that will keep your child happy and parental controls that will keep you happy knowing what your child is up to. This netbook can be found as low as $339.00. I would not be surprised if the Disney Netpal is at the top of many little princess’s Christmas lists.

Most people want to get the most from their laptops, but many do not know how. More importantly, most people don’t know how to do it for free! Yes, there are free downloads out there that can help you with everything from battery life to Wi-Fi. They’ll definitely make your life a lot easier! Let’s take a look a some of them:

Battery Managers – It seems as though every laptop owner has a gripe about their battery, whether you don’t think your battery has enough power or you lose power too quickly, the following downloads will help you keep track of battery life and maybe even get more power out of your charge.

• BattCursor – This program shows your remaining battery life on your mouse cursor so you don’t have to to continued checking how much is left, over and over again. You have your cursor’s color and transparency change based on the power level. It also offers lots of little extras including tips on how to improve battery life.
• BatteryBar – If you don’t like the idea of your cursor or pointer displaying battery info, this alternative hows up on your taskbar. It shows exactly how much power you’ve already used and how much you have left. You can decide if you want it to show your battery life in percentage or minutes and when you hover the mouse over the bar, it’ll show you even more info, including capacity, discharge rate, battery wear, and how much total capacity your battery has per charge.

Wirless-Networking Utilities – Most laptop users connect wirelessly. Here are a couple of downloads that can help you find a wireless connection and keep you safe when connected.

• Hotspot Shield - Anytime you connect to a public Wi-Fi hotspot, whether you’re in a restaurant or an airport, you put yourself at risk for hackers. Criminals can find your data packets, invade your computer, and steal your log in information for a number of websites. This programs keeps you safe by encrypting your connection so no one else can read your information. It’s easy to install but it will change your homepage and add toolbars to your computer if you’re not careful.
• WeFi - This program not only helps you find Wi-Fi hotspots to connect to, it also helps you find people to connect to, as well. Upon installation, the program lists nearby hotspots along with their information (signal strength, encryption info, etc.). To connect, all you have to do is click it. It also allows you to connect to people who are connected to the hotspots near you and get in touch with them via the program. It can also help aid in secure browsing.

USB Flash Drives – You may rely on USB flash drives to make your information portable but do you ever worry that your files aren’t compromised or lost if your computer goes nuts? These programs can do just that…and then some.

• PortableApps – If your software leaves you with very little hard-disks space, this program will provide you with smaller alternatives. It comes with antivirus utility, a small version of Firefox, OpenOffice (an alternative to Microsoft Office), and other programs that can clear up some of your space. It takes 150 MB once it’s installed (or you can opt for the 355 MB full-featured version) and it can be installed on any laptop or netbook, not matter how much space you have available.
• TrueCrypt – USB drives are great for traveling but what happens if you lose them? All of your sensitive personal files could end up in the wrong hands. This program keeps your files safe from prying eyes by allowing you to encrypt the files and folders and hide them so no one but you knows that they’re there.
• USBDriveFresher – With each use, your USB drive becomes more and more cluttered and even when you delete certain files, you can end up with leftovers you don’t need. This program is simple but it cleans the mess for you and sweets up unnecessary files that are plaguing your computer.

Synchronization – If you’re constantly interchanging files between your desktop and laptop, it’s easy to make mistakes. Pulling up old versions or overwriting new ones can be a problem. These programs help you avoid those mistakes.

• SugarSync Free – This program not only synchronizes but also serves as a backup program. It’s easy to use and offers 2GB of free backup space. It uses very little RAM and a few system resources and can work with your PC or your Mac. Install the software, indicate what folders you’d like to synchronize and it works in the background, backing up your files at the same time. It offers lots of other options such as sharing files and folders with other people and also keeps older files online in case you need them. It only works with two computers, though you can pay a fee to have it work with more.
• Windows Live Sync – If you don’t want to pay the fee to synchronize more than two computers, this program is for you. Sync folders on as many computers as you like, but this one doesn’t inlude the free backup. It’s easy and straightforward, and you can manage it all from a website. It also works with Macs and PCs.
• Xmarks – This program synchronizes your favorites and bookmarked sites between your desktop and laptop and on multiple PCs. It even works between browsers and multiple operating systems.

ASUS is now ready to release their newest ION netbook, the ASUS EeePC 1201. Hewlett-Packard, Lenevo, and Samsung have all featured new ION netbooks, so you knew that ASUS would be quick to follow.

The ASUS 1201 has many similarities to its predecessors. It still features the Nvidia GeForce 9400M graphics chipset, but now it is bundled with a dual- core N330 Atom processor. The newest ASUS netbook really has been improved in the best possible ways.

I personally really like the look of this netbook. It is very long and slim and is enveloped in a shiny plastic that is available in black or silver. It weighs a mere 3.1 pound, making it the lightest 12-inch screen netbook on the market. The fact that it has a 12-inch screen is impressive, as most netbooks only have 10-inch screens. It also features incredible 1,366 x 768 resolution which is not found in many other netbooks. An element that is new to ASUS netbooks is the full size keyboard, which definitely comes in handy.

The specs on the ASUS 1201 are pretty standard for netbooks. It includes a 250GB hard drive, three USB ports, a media card reader, an Ethernet port, and a webcam. The dual-core Atom processor found in the ASUS 1201 is the first to be used in a netbook. This improves performance considerably. The 1201 also ships standard with 2GB of RAM and features a 6-cell battery that allows up to 5 hours of battery life.

There are two main benefits with the ION platform. You will be able to play all kinds of computer games with absolutely no restrictions and also be able to have smooth 1080p HD playback.

At $499, I feel that the ASUS EeePC 1201 is quite a good deal. With all the standard features plus the dual-core Atom processor, 12-inch screen, and 2GB of RAM, this little netbook stands out among the other similarly priced netbooks. This is definitely one to keep in mind.

Additionally, if your looking to find reviews or need some help finding hosting, try Web Hosting Service

According to a new study by Squaretrade, about one third (31%) of all laptops will fail within three years of being purchased. This includes both malfunctions and accidents, but malfunctions alone make up 20% of laptop failures. While the survey should be taken with a grain of salt – Squaretrade sells extended warranties – according to PC World, their last annual survey returned similar results. In addition to the number of unreliable laptops, Squaretrade also found that Asus, Toshiba, and Sony laptops were more reliable brands than MacBooks.

The study had many other findings that related to laptop durability. For example, the amount of time you spend on your laptop correlates to how likely it is to have problems, with Netbooks giving people the most trouble. The Netbook finding was surprising, considering the computers really just have one good year’s worth of data to rely on, but Netbook users experienced 20% more malfunctions than those with more expensive laptops. According to Squartrade, Netbook malfunctions are likely to hit 25% in the next three years, compared to 21% for entry-level laptops, and 18% for more expensive notebooks.

When the study was broken down by brand, Asus had the best malfunction rate at 15.6% with Hewlett Packard the worst with a 25.6% malfunction rate within three years. Toshiba came in second, followed by Sony, and Apple. According to Squaretrade, failure rates are so high because of the sophisticated and delicate parts that make up a laptop, as well the amount of abuse portable computers receive. With numbers like this, it’s no wonder more and more people are relying on inexpensive Laptop Rentals for their computer needs.