Welcome To Laptop Hacks. Com - Laptop Tips and Tricks
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| 10 Step Guide to Buying a Used Laptop That Works |
Linked by LT Hacker (...Click here to Read more)
| How to stop laptop theft |
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| Figuring Out Why You May (or May Not) Need a Laptop |
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| Taking Your Laptop on the Road Safely and Sanely |
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| Asus Eee PC Tweak Guide |
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| 20 tips to get more juice from your laptop battery |
Linked by LT Hacker (...Click here to Read more)
| Squeeze More Life Out Of Your Batteries |
Power is, as the saying goes, "the new black". Both Intel and AMD are racing to lower the amount of power that your CPU uses; screen manufacturers are looking at more efficient backlights using LEDs rather than LCDs; and fuel cells and more efficient battery chemistries are attracting venture capitalist funding (even if they're not actually for sale yet). There's even an industry wide extended battery life working group.Linked by LT Hacker (...Click here to Read more)
| Locating the Power Button on Your Laptop |
Laptop designers have grown very adept at hiding or masking the power button. The most recent trend is to put the power button under the laptop's lid; you have to open the laptop up to find and press the power button, turning the laptop on. Here are some common facts about a laptop's power button...Linked by LT Hacker (...Click here to Read more)
| Going for the Right Amount of Laptop Power |
You have a lot of choices to make when it comes to getting a laptop. What do you need to consider when deciding how powerful your laptop should be? You want to mull over three basic items when matching your laptop's hardware to the software that you need:* The microprocessor
* Memory or RAM
* Hard drive storage
Linked by LT Hacker (...Click here to Read more)
| 10 Ways to Extend Laptop Battery Life |
We've all been there. You're an hour into the flight and Ross Geller is about to say the wrong name at his wedding, Bruce Willis is about to find that his shirt is blood stained, or the guy in the black cape is about to bypass the need for a Skywalker family DNA test. But you don't know any of these things yet, and, because your laptop just died and became little more than an expensive TV dinner tray, you're going to have to wait until you get to a power socket to see just how Rachel will react to this startling development in her love life.Linked by LT Hacker (...Click here to Read more)
| Identifying Power Adapter Problems in Your Laptop |
Say that you plug your laptop into a wall socket you press the On button, but the lights don't flash, the screen doesn't change colors, and the earth doesn't move. The power doesn't be. To identify the problem, you need to understand the nitty gritty of the electrical system. Nearly every laptop uses DC (direct current) voltage, usually in the range of 5 to 20 volts; almost nowhere in the world, outside of a laboratory, does that type and level of power come out of a wall outlet.Linked by LT Hacker (...Click here to Read more)
| Lose your laptop (but not your mind) |
So you just lost your laptop full of military secrets, a partner's billion dollar idea and other intellectual property, or health care data for the Massachusetts State Home for the Mildly Bewildered. One moment you were happily sipping a latte in the airport, and the next, you were wondering why your rolley bag was so light.Oops.
Linked by LT Hacker (...Click here to Read more)
| Resetting MacBook and MacBook Pro System Management Controller |
Learn about the MacBook and MacBook Pro System Manager and how to reset it. The System Management Controller is an integrated circuit (computer chip) that is on the logic board of the MacBook or MacBook Pro. As the name implies, it is responsible for power management of the computer. It controls backlighting, hard disk spin down, sleep and wake, some charging aspects, trackpad control, and some input/output as it relates to the computer sleeping.Linked by LT Hacker (...Click here to Read more)
| The Easy Way to Replace a Dying Notebook Hard Drive |
Maybe it's talent, maybe it's just luck, but it's a basic fact of the universe that I'm pretty good at breaking electronics especially hard disks. My track record is one or more dead hard drives per year. So, I've been thinking a lot lately about the rise of redundant disk drives in notebook computers, especially those in Alienware notebooks. RAID 0 buys no redundancy, but can drastically increase performance because data are placed on the disks to optimize access.Linked by LT Hacker (...Click here to Read more)
| 25 things you need to know to buy the perfect notebook |
As notebook components keep improving, today's powerful laptops can go keyboard to keyboard with many full size desktops. This may be good news for buyers, but it complicates the selection process.Sure, you want bleeding edge technology, but what about price? How big a screen can you get without giving up on portability? What types of ports do you need, and how many are enough? And what about RAM?
These are just some of the questions you'll need to answer before you start shopping.
Linked by LT Hacker (...Click here to Read more)
| Running Vista on a MacBook Pro |
Ever since Apple Computer Inc. released its Boot Camp software in April, thus enabling Intel Mac owners to run Windows on their Apple hardware, I've been working with various permutations of Windows on my 17in. MacBook Pro. There was the Boot Camp enabled Windows XP installation, the Parallels virtualized version of XP (no reboot needed) and now there's Vista RC1.Linked by LT Hacker (...Click here to Read more)
| About Batteries: Tips on Longevity and Reviving the Dead |
Rechargeable batteries are the brawn behind the brains of today's portable electronic devices. But unless a cellphone dies in the middle of a call, or you are trying to determine which of your six charging devices to stuff into a suitcase before a flight, you might not give batteries much thought.Dell's recall of batteries for more than four million laptop computers, though, has brought renewed attention to the temperamental nature of a crucial power source.
Linked by LT Hacker (...Click here to Read more)
| 10 Tips on Maximizing Laptop Battery Performance |
...I've gone and done a lot of experimenting and have a list of my tips to really maximize battery life for my laptop....And now, with no more delay, here's Jeremy's Tips for Maximizing Your Battery, or How to Fly From San Francisco to New York City With an Average Battery and Not Have to Watch an Ernest Goes to Anywhere Movie):
Linked by LT Hacker (...Click here to Read more)
| Surround Enable Your MacBook, Setting up DVD Player for multi channel digital sound |
Most of you out there are probably unaware of this. But aside from being a speed demon when it comes to pro applications, Apple's MacBook and MacBook Pro also happen to be pretty handy hubs for home theater applications. And this includes playback of DVDs with full digital surround sound output, including passthrough of DTS audio.Linked by LT Hacker (...Click here to Read more)
| Conserving Battery Life |
If you're traveling and using your battery extensively, make sure your power saving options on your laptop are set appropriately. The basic idea is for the computer to shut itself down, incrementally, if it detects that you've stopped using it.When running on AC current, these settings don't matter much, but when you're sitting on a five hour flight, trying desperately to maximize battery time, saving power is critical.
Linked by LT Hacker (...Click here to Read more)
| How To Save Your Laptop From A Glass Full Of Water |
I spilled an entire glass of water onto my laptop. This is my "text only" laptop, a Gateway 3018GZ. I've had it for 2 years. It has worked quite well for the purposes that I intended it to serve. I did try installing Pirates! on it once but the Intel graphics chipset couldn't handle it. But that's ok....The bottom third of the screen got some. The entire keyboard got a lot. Spilling liquid on a notebook has been known to result in critical failure (motherboard and other circuitry).Linked by LT Hacker (...Click here to Read more)
| DIY laptop case: a 12 step program |
I've never bought a carrying case for any of my laptops, but the new MacBook Pro is so sleek and lovely that I decided I would spring for a genu wine store bought case this time. A little research has deterred me, however. Word on the street is that the case making sector hasn't really caught up with the new Mac laptops' dimensions yet and various vendors are claiming that old stock designed for iBooks and PowerBooks will accommodate the MacBook and MB Pro, with mixed reviews from users.Linked by LT Hacker (...Click here to Read more)
| Reincarnating a discarded laptop with Linux |
I recently picked up an old discarded laptop... straight out of a corporate garbage bin, as a matter of fact. Could it be useful? What could it do? As an IT professional, I thought I'd find out. You've probably read similar stories elsewhere. Many people acquire old Pentium I, II, or III era laptops and install Linux and other free software to create a useful machine. A few years ago, laptop Linux was immature and this was a challenge. Laptops have always been proprietary and less standardized than desktop PCs. Today, however, Linux features much better hardware detection and installs easily on most laptops.Linked by LT Hacker (...Click here to Read more)
| Save Battery Life, Install Windows XP Patch |
At least as far back as July of last year Microsoft knew that there was a bug in Windows XP SP2 that could drain life from a portable computer's battery if a USB 2.0 device like an external hard disk drive or an internal TV tuner/video capture card was connected and turned on. The device didn't actually have to be doing anything, it just had to be there and powered on.Linked by LT Hacker (...Click here to Read more)
| Ubuntu: Put your laptop to sleep |
Part of proper power management is the ability to put your laptop to sleep. ACPI sleep is defined as a state where the system is still technically powered on, but the screen and hard disk are powered down and the computer is using just enough power to keep the contents of RAM alive. The Ubuntu development team has devoted an immense amount of effort toward getting ACPI power management working properly.Linked by LT Hacker (...Click here to Read more)
| How to buy a laptop: The technical data explained |
Before shopping for a notebook, consider how you'll be using it. If your primary goal is to get some word processing or spreadsheet work done while staying on top of email, a $1000 Pentium M model with a 14.1 inch screen and 40GB hard drive will be plenty fast and save you hundreds of dollars. Sexy lightweight notebooks and models with top notch processing power and big screens cost much more.Linked by LT Hacker (...Click here to Read more)
| Notebook Warranty Guide |
It's hard to find exactly the right notebook, but satisfying once you finally settle on the right one for you. But the purchase decision isn't over yet, should you buy an extended laptop warranty and extra care coverage to protect your investment? How about laptop insurance? This article serves to provide some guidance on what warranty might be best for your needs, and what types of extra protection make sense.Linked by LT Hacker (...Click here to Read more)
| How to Buy the Right Tablet PC |
...The Tablet PC is a very exciting and powerful platform, however Tablet PCs vary greatly in designs, features, capabilities and price. Making the right choice can be a daunting and confusing task. To help make the process easy, we have outlined some steps to guide you through the confusion and hype. Read on to assure that you make the right choice in your Tablet PC purchase! We are here to help you with our special tips on "How to Buy the Right Tablet PC".Linked by LT Hacker (...Click here to Read more)
| Buying Guide: Back To School Laptops |
Another school year is fast approaching. And whether you're a parent or a student, the time is right to start shopping for a back to school laptop. It's always a challenge to find an attractive, feature-packed, yet luggable laptop and stay within a tight budget. Thanks to new technology and some aggressive pricing, this year, you can get a lot more laptop for a lot less money.Linked by LT Hacker (...Click here to Read more)
| Buying a Laptop Minus the Headache |
Finally, you’ve got some money to spare to buy your very own laptop or notebook computer. Perhaps, your employer have come to their senses and finally deemed you worthy of having a mobile computer. Or, maybe your ultra rich godfather whom you’ve never seen since you were baptized by your old parish priest suddenly had a bout of guilt attack and decided to send you some moolah.Linked by LT Hacker (...Click here to Read more)
| Resetting PowerBook and iBook Power Management Unit (PMU) |
Learn about the PowerBook and iBook Power Manager and how to reset it. Resetting the power manager also resets date and time settings. After the reset, on some iBooks and PowerBooks, the system clock is set to 00:00 (GMT), 01 Jan 1970 for computers with Mac OS X or 00:00, 01 Jan 1904 for computers with Mac OS 9. The Power Manager is an integrated circuit (computer chip) that is usually on the logic board of the PowerBook and iBook.
Linked by LT Hacker (...Click here to Read more)
| Guide to Cooling Down Your Notebook Computer |
Does your notebook run hot or overheat? If it does, you are not alone. This guide is designed to help you reduce the temperature of your notebook considerably, all for little or no money and a few tweaks.Maintaining your notebook is important. The occasional wipe down is good, but that doesn't take care of the inside. Dust accumulates inside the notebook's cooling system after a while. It prevents air from flowing freely and traps heat.
Linked by LT Hacker (...Click here to Read more)
| Choosing Boot Camp or Parallels to Run Windows on an Apple MacBook |
Turn the clock back to January 22nd 2006 and to a competition started by enthusiasts to have Windows XP and OS X coexisting on a Mac. Donations were taken and steadily the prize fund grew to a whopping $13,854. 2 months went by with no success then in March 2006 it was announced the competition was over. No sooner had the prize money been handed over had Apple announced their own solution to Windows XP on a Mac, a far more elegant solution and one that consumers could feel a lot more comfortable with.Linked by LT Hacker (...Click here to Read more)
| Quick and Easy Laptop and Notebook Diagnostics |
Whether your PC refuses to boot at all or only crashes sporadically, determining the cause of the error is generally a time consuming affair and it can turn out to be an expensive one, too, if users have to pay someone to do it for them. In the enterprise world, not every PC service department has a professional hardware diagnostic kit like the one marketed by UltraX. Thus, many service technicians end up having to hunt for the culprit practically "by hand," when in fact hardware defects can be detected and/or pinpointed faster with the help of diagnostic cards. That not only spares the technician a whole lot of headache, but it also eases the burden on the customer's wallet as well. Needless to say, using such a device to diagnose laptop hardware glitches would save both time and money.
Linked by LT Hacker (...Click here to Read more)
| How to suspend and hibernate a laptop under Linux |
Many people prefer working with laptops instead of desktops for the flexibility they offer. Some of them would also like to switch to a free and open source operating system like GNU/Linux and have their laptop do all the things that proprietary OSes offer, such as suspending their laptops. Several distributions try to make this work out of the box, but knowing what's under the hood always comes in handy, particularly when something goes wrong and needs fixing. Let's take a look at how to suspend and hibernate your laptop under Linux.Linked by LT Hacker (...Click here to Read more)
| Consider your needs, work before buying a new laptop |
There seem to be an infinite number of laptop makes and models. Making a purchase can be harrowing. But if you identify your needs, you can skip the aspirin. Laptops are geared toward multimedia, gaming, business and home users. You can spend $500, or more than $5,000.Consider how will you use your laptop. Do you travel? If so, you'll need something light with a long battery life. Are you looking for a desktop replacement? Then you'll want heavy processing power.
Linked by LT Hacker (...Click here to Read more)
| Ubuntu Dapper on the Apple Macbook |
This page is about getting Ubuntu Dapper (6.06 LTS) working on my new Macbook (aka Intel iBook). The Macbook arrived on May 25 2006 and I installed Dapper that night. The Macbook was paid for by my supervisors at McMaster Unversity.Linked by LT Hacker (...Click here to Read more)
| Buyers' Guide: The right laptop |
The market has been influxed with a wide range of laptops all promising to fulfill your needs, consumer or corporate. However getting the right machine can be a very tricky affair. A laptop is usually designed for someone who likes to take his/her business/information with them.The first step then is to identify what precisely is your need. Laptops are ideal for those into heavy multimedia, gaming and on the go business.
Linked by LT Hacker (...Click here to Read more)
| Quick and Easy Laptop and Notebook Diagnostics |
Whether your PC refuses to boot at all or only crashes sporadically, determining the cause of the error is generally a time consuming affair and it can turn out to be an expensive one, too, if users have to pay someone to do it for them. In the enterprise world, not every PC service department has a professional hardware diagnostic kit like the one marketed by Ultra X. Thus, many service technicians end up having to hunt for the culprit practically "by hand," when in fact hardware defects can be detected and/or pinpointed faster with the help of diagnostic cards. That not only spares the technician a whole lot of headache, but it also eases the burden on the customer's wallet as well. Needless to say, using such a device to diagnose laptop hardware glitches would save both time and money.
Linked by LT Hacker (...Click here to Read more)
| Modifying a Laptop BIOS for Fun and Profit |
In today's hack, we will analyze and modify a laptop BIOS image for fun and profit. Note that this is stupidly dangerous: a bad flash and we'll end up with a doorstop, or we'll have to remove the chip and reflash it manually. But in either case, the outcome can be fun.Linked by LT Hacker (...Click here to Read more)
