Devari’s Corner

Saturday, September 8th, 2007

Let’s Date Our Laptop

A date with a laptop? Are you crazy? Not at all. There is an Indonesian proverb saying “tak kenal maka tak sayang” which is literally means if you dont know it then you won’t love it. So let’s have a date with our laptop. Let’s have a little bit closure about our laptop, what are the major component of it? Hopefully, this first date will make you fall in love with your laptop but please dont m*ke love with it, OK?This posting is intended for beginner only and will focus on the main component of a laptop.

1. Screen/display
Can you read this article? Yep! Thats the screen. Today, most laptop using LCD screen. Just fyi,LCD stands for liquid crystal display. It comes with different resolutions such as 800 x 600 pixels, 1200 x 1050 pixels etc. A variant of LCD screen is called TFT-LCD stands for thin film transistor liquid crystal display.

2. Processor
Technically, processor is called CPU, central processing unit. This is the brain of your laptop. The CPU perform all the instruction, logic and mathematical processing in a computer (Wiki). There are two major companies that manufacture processor they are Intel and AMD (Advanced Micro Devices). Intel Processor such as Celeron M, Core Duo, and Core 2 Duo. AMD processor such as Sempron, Turion Dual Core and Athlon Dual Core. The measurement unit of processor is MHz or GHz.

3. RAM (Random Access Memory)
So what is it anyway? It is a device where your computer stores the programs you are currently running and data you’re currently working on. It is basically a storage device, but ONLY when your computer is ON. There are many types of RAM such as SRAM,DRAM, SD-RAM, EDO-RAM,DDR-SDRAM etc. Most laptop nowadays using DDR-SDRAM.
The measurement unit of RAM is Megabyte or Gigabyte

4. Hard Disk
Yes, its the storage of all your programs and data. In term of speed, there 3 types of hard disk; 4200 rpm, 5400 rpm and 7200 rpm. Faster rpm is always better especially for video capturing (from camcorder to laptop)

5. Graphic Card
It is also called video chipset or video card or VGA card. Just like its name, it controls the video operation of the screen (resolution, image refresh etc). You will need bigger size of VGA card if you are a gamer. Some samples of VGA card such as Graphic Media Accelerator, ATI Radeon, NVIDIA Geforce.

6. Drives
Combo Drive usually means that it can read CD, VCD and DVD, it can burn CD and VCD but it can not burn DVD. SUper Drive usually means it can read and burn CD,VCD and DVD.

7. Ports/Connectors
RJ-45 port, this is where you plug LAN cable for internet
RJ-11 port, this is where you plug your phone cable for dial up internet
VGA port, this is to connect your laptop to external display such as projector
USB port, connect your USB devices here such as jump drive, mouse, iPod etc
Firewire port, connect your firewire devices here such as camcorder
S-video, to connect your laptop to TV

8. The Operating System
This the mind of your laptop, a software which control how the laptop works. 3 major operating system are;
- Windows (such as 95, 98, 98SE, 2000, NT Server,ME, XP, and Vista)
- Macintosh (such as Phanter, Tiger, Leopard)
-Linux (such as Fedora, Ubuntu)

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Friday, September 7th, 2007

Is Your Computer SLowing Down?

So you think that your laptop/computer is slowing down? Well, if it takes forever to start up/load the operating system (I assume Windows), I am afraid the answer is YES. If it freezes constantly when doing multiple tasks, if it takes couple minutes to open an application or website, then yes is the answer.

 

Despite of the spec of your computer/laptop, whether it is an Intel Core 2 Duo or Pentium III, CEleron, or AMD based processor, you would need to do these steps when your laptop is slowing down.

 

1. Disable the startup programs

Startup program is the applications which automatically started when Windows start up/load at first time you turn your computer on. Look at the icons on the right corner of your task bar, if you have tons of icon, then you need to disable it. Most of the time, those applications are not necessary upon the start up. On the other hand, it eats your RAM so computer will take longer time to start up such as instant messaging, quicktime, iTunes etc. I think only the AntiVirus need to put at the start up program.

Click Start - Run, then type ‘msconfig’
Click the Start Up Tab and then uncheck any application that you won’t need. Then restart.But be careful, there are some application which absolutely needed by the system. Always check using google, if you uncheck wrong, your laptop wont start.

I personally have only these icons in my task bar; the battery/power icon, the antivirus icon, the graphic/VGA card icon and the LAN/wireless icon. Thats it.

2. Use Windows Classic Theme
Having fancy desktop themes maybe make your laptop look nicer but it will reduce its performance. Believe it or not, windows classic is the most effective and friendly theme for the computer.
Right click on your desktop, click properties. On the Display properties, click Themes and choose Windows Classic. Then you can also disable the screen saver, and disable the background picture.

3. Clean up your disk from junk
You can use a third party software program to do this job. But you can also use System Tools from WIndows. Start-Program-Accessories-System Tools - Disk Clean Up

4. DEfragment your hard disk
Same steps as no.3

5. Remove the adware/spyware program from your computer. A good program to do this is Search and Destroy which you can download freely.

6. Clean up your Registry Files. I usually use a program called TuneUp Utilities 2007. Its a very good program, shareware though. If you need the serial number, just drop me email.

7. Uninstall the unnecessary add-on such yahoo toolbar, google toolbar or msn toolbar, also remove programs you dont need.

Happy Computing Days!!!

 

 

 

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