The reliability and quality standards set by Lenovo have not come easy. The company has put extensive effort into making a name for themselves with innovative economy products such as the Lenovo laptops under 500 dollars coupled with world class marketing strategies. Lenovo has also been using Mergers and Acquisitions to strengthen their company image and brand value. Lenovo acquired IBM’s personal computer business which put brands such as Idea Pad and Think pad under the Lenovo name. The company also associated with companies such as Medion and NEC (A Japanese Personal Computer manufacturer).

In China, Lenovo holds about one third of the total market share and the company is looking to expand business to both Americana and European markets. Although Lenovo has products such as printers, mobile phones and servers, the company would be looking to expand using their ever popular laptop/netbook products.

Lenovo is the second largest computer hardware manufacturer in the world in terms of volumes. The company is also listed in the Fortune 500 list. It would be very interesting to watch how Lenovo takes on future challenges such as IBM logo going off from Think Pad series products. However, with the company having such a strong presence in world computer market, we can assure that challenges such as these or anything else would be easily dealt with.

]]> http://www.laptopbagsandaccessories.net/2012/01/lenovo-laptops-a-chinese-brand-with-a-difference/feed/ 0 http://www.laptopbagsandaccessories.net/2011/12/my-computer-keeps-freezing-what-can-i-do/ http://www.laptopbagsandaccessories.net/2011/12/my-computer-keeps-freezing-what-can-i-do/#comments Thu, 01 Dec 2011 14:27:04 +0000 Guest Post http://www.laptopbagsandaccessories.net/?p=529 This article details a checklist of PC maintenance tasks I run through whenever my computer keeps freezing. They are listed according to priority with the checks for hardware faults coming first.

Before troubleshooting why the computer freezes, backup all your personal data just in case hardware has a fatal fault, as trying to retrieve data after a hard disk crash is costly.

If there are scratching or clicking noises coming from the hard drive then this may indicate the drive has been damaged, so contact a PC technician to examine and make the repairs straightaway. You can also review the CPU temperatures in the BIOS menu to make sure the computer is not overheating. If the temperatures are high then make sure air inlets are clear of dust, the fans are undamaged and the CPU heat sink and fan filters are in good condition.

You can now proceed to check software and operating system files. If my computer keeps freezing after copying/downloading large files to the disk then this can often indicate the hard drive is running out of space for virtual memory. Microsoft recommend keeping 10% of the disk drive empty for this purpose. You can clear out extra space by removing programs you don’t use or transferring larger files to CD or and external storage system.

Next, try checking hard drive for signs of any viruses, malware applications are hardware. These can corrupt the operating system and lead to computer freezes. Update your anti virus software first before running a scan.

Many computer faults relate directly to the Windows registry file being damaged or corrupted and this includes computer hangs/freezes. Install a good quality registry cleaner and scan this critical system file for signs of any faults or damage.

Finally, you may have simply got too many applications running at once so try shutting down some of your background applications or services to free up some much-needed RAM memory.

Hard Disk Size

Nowadays in latest Laptops Hard disk sizes are coming in the range of 500 plus GB, but in budget Laptops under 400 dollars, the realistic one should be around 350 GB. Some companies are giving less as well( e.g 250 GB), depending upon the model and market, but still that’s what you’ll get.

Wireless Connectivity

This aspect set is an important one for a Laptop. The available options are WLAN and Bluetooth. Since Bluetooth is not that costly, you can expect it in laptops under 500 or 400 dollars, but WLAN its both the ways. It may or may not depend upon company to company.

USB Ports

Due to its easiness of use and speed, USB connectivity is quite common. A Laptop without any USB port shall not be of much use after all. So chances are pretty high that you shall get at least 2 USB ports in the Laptop that you tend or plan to buy.

High-End Graphics

If you want to play high end graphics such as latest video games and stuff like that, then don’t expect too much. These low end Laptops do not have a GPU or high-end graphics support as such. An average performing graphics is what seems to be realistic.

Latest Technological Advances

Latest and advance techs such as Thunderbolt or FireWire are difficult to find in budget Laptops. Some companies are giving FireWire but as said, they may compromise on other aspect. Thunderbolt is surely no no since it also requires high speed CPU that is missing in most budget Laptops.

Rugged or Robust

You can expect medium level of ruggedness in these devices since it again is a costly affair, which needs lots of testing and strength.

I recently had a laptop which had no sound emanating from it’s tiny laptop speakers. Now I knew it use to work, so had to investigate the cause of the problem.

Firstly I had to play a sound to confirm they weren’t working properly. Now I had a few options for this either by entering a cd into the DVD drive, playing a system sound or playing an MP3 file. I quickly opened iTunes and played a lady gaga album I had previously ripped to my hard drive.

I could see from the sound level bouncing up and down with the beats of  “Just Dance” within iTunes, so was confident it was playing some sound it’s just I couldn’t hear it.

The next area I checked was volume control within Windows 7. You can access this from either the control panel or the bottom right notification area by clicking the speaker icon. If there is a red sign on the speaker then this is most likely your problem as the speaker is muted. If you slide the speaker volume to the top then this should unmute the speaker and leave it at maximum volume.

If there is still no sound coming from your speakers then check for an external volume control wheel on the side of the laptop or a mute of volume buttons on the keys. Finally check nothing is plugged into the headphone socket as this usually mutes the speakers.

If after all this you still have no sound then you need to check and update the driver software by going in the control panel, System and device manager. Select the sound card controller and right click to update the software.

This is how I fixed my problem for some reason the sound card driver had got corrupted and by simply updating the driver the speaker sprang into life.

A great website I found to walk you through these steps in more detail is at www.techtumble.com

That is why it is very important for businessmen to have dependable luggage that makes every trip comfortable and stress-free. One brand that you can always rely on is Hartmann luggage. Since 1870, it has been providing a way to bring around your things without the headache. In fact, it has its very own patented Baggage Link System that will help in doing just that. Aside from its aesthetically elegant design, it is also equipped with wheels suitable to any type of terrain.

Having the quality and craftsmanship of a Hartmann Luggage is both a bargain and an investment. It’s a bargain since it’s very durable and can last a lifetime. It is an investment since a luggage like this may not come at a price that an average person can readily afford. However, you can be assured that having an elegant luggage set is absolutely worth it.

Aside from luggage, a jetsetting entrepreneur should also have a dependable laptop case. Because he or she needs to communicate with people from his company, he needs to bring around a laptop as well. It will serve as a means to get connected with his staff to check on his business every once in a while.

Bringing a laptop can be a headache, because it can easily get dropped or mishandled. Because the best laptops are expensive, it should be taken cared of properly. If the laptop falls and needs repairing, the lifeline to your business is cut off and you will have to deal with looking for internet cafes. Laptop cases help in taking the worries of damaging the laptop out of the way. Different styles of laptop cases are available. You can get something that looks like a brief case, purse, or even a backpack.

Traveling can be stressful, but make an effort to make it fun. Take care of your belongings by investing in proper luggage and laptop cases. You’ll be glad you did.

First of all, we will have to take into consideration the raw computing power of the netbook to make a general estimate from a component-wise point of view. Thus, many of the powerful mini laptops out there base their CPU on the Intel architecture, mainly on the Atom 1.6GHz model. This makes the computing differences between some laptop models insignificant. The speed of the RAM dictates the power of the netbook and here we have big differences. Ranging from 800 MHz to 1066 MHz, the RAM speed affects both the computing speed of the device and the data transfer rates.

Added to this, there is always the discussion which arises from the gaming capabilities of the device. One knows that this range of small computers is not designed for gaming but for the dynamic people out there wouldn’t hurt to know that this option is always under the keyboard if they need it. Many games and mostly the new ones are too complex for the little Atom CPU, even that of the giants of this little industry.

Moreover, movies have also grown impressively in resolution nowadays and sometimes give headaches for even the best of the laptops but this seems to be no problem for a small but really intelligent netbook: the HP Mini 311. As advertised and reviewed on a multitude of websites the image quality is more than reality and with both 720p and 1080p HD video capabilities powered from behind by the Nvidia ION which if included in the specifications of a netbook is a good sign that it is a good mini laptop.

If you would like to save some money on powerful netbooks, try to save some money for big shopping events such as Black Monday 2011. Here you can get a good netbook for under 80% of its usual price, so don’t underestimate Cyber Monday netbook deals because they are here to help you save some money.

All in all, a balance has to be kept between battery life and performance as well as keeping in mind the fact that the most powerful components don’t always interact in the best way so the buyer is being advised to make a decision based on the domain of use for the netbook. If it is being acquired for everyday tasks such as document writing and reading e-mails the extra $200 or more are not such a good investment, but for gaming they are a must.

The WSJ’s Grid 10 Review

One of the biggest names in technolgy is Walt Mossberg, the Wall Street Journal’s technology guru. In a recent review of the Grid 10, he toyed around with the new device and its radical new software system.

I found the Grid 10 to be a mixed bag, and I can only comfortably recommend it for people who either are looking for a bargain or who enjoy using cutting-edge, but unproven, designs. The Grid software is clever and innovative in many ways, but rough around the edges and hobbled by glitches.

source: Fusion Garage

He seemed to think that its main benefit is its low price (a Wifi Grid 10 with 16 gig of flash memory was marked on sale for $299, compared with the $499 of the equivalent Apple iPad 2. The other innovation is that it uses its own operating system, Grid OS, which runs on top of the Google-designed Android system. This adds a whole bunch of cool new apps and also helps filter out some of the junk that has cluttered the Android App ecosphere.

But Mr Mossberg found that battery life was poor and the system was  bit buggy and needed numerous software fixes. He also thought the browser was slow and that the camera wasn’t great.

In summary he concludes that:

The Grid 10 is packed with interesting design ideas and is priced attractively. But it needs work, and anyone buying it is betting it’ll get better.

Engadget’s Grid 10 Review

Engadget, a tech blog, has a great in depth review that is filled with pictures and detailed descriptionsl. You can find it here, and I highly recommend you take a look. I summarize the main points below, but one of the things they really liked is the Grid OS, which gives each icon its own little box, and a screen that scrolls like the map in a role playing game.

The key points that they liked in it are:

• a high resolution display for a 10 inch tablet
• the Grid OS file mangement

What they didn’t like

• battery performance
• poor viewing angles
• slow processing speed

In short, they don’t go out of their way to recommend it either:

If you’re going to go out of your way to bypass an established option like Honeycomb and do your own thing, your own thing had better be damned good. The Grid10 isn’t even pretty good. It’s borderline pretty bad. Software performance is sluggish, battery life is atrocious and we’re left with a device that simply fails to beat the best of the Android tablets — never mind the rest.

The PC Advisor review

Britain’s PC advisor has also written up a Grid 10 review and theirs was a bit more positive, especially on the price, which will be £259 in the UK when it launches on October 24th.

Fusion Garage is clearly expecting big things of the Grid-10. This is its second tablet. The first, the JooJoo Internet Tablet, had some clever touchscreen navigation ideas, but they weren’t sufficiently well implemented, especially by comparison with the Apple iPad, which launched soon after.

He not only radically transformed computing, mobile phones and other gadgets, he also changed our expectations of what could be achieved and why we should not settle for anything less than perfect.

He was an inspiration to many, me included, and it was with real sadness that I read about his passing this morning. The world will be a poorer and less interesting place without him. I also wish his family and colleagues well in this difficult time.

Steve Jobs: Who changed the world for the better Photo:Apple.com

Available in 1T and 2T storage capabilities, the 3.0 version is not significantly more expensive than its previous version. Its design is simple and yet very efficient, as it include a small light on the front side that serves as an indicator for its activity and power on switcher. On the back side, it includes a mini USB 3.0 port where users can easily attach the specific cable. Installing the device is pretty much straightforward, as all you need to do is connect the cables to the port and turn it on. The tricky part during the installation is the PCIe card, but you will not have any problems if you know how to handle a screwdriver and follow the instructions. After the installation you can start using it right away since the hard drive is preformatted for the NTFS format.

It is important to note that you will only need to install this card if your desktop does not support 3.0 USB. Similar to Dell Inspiron 537s, My Book incorporates a low and high profile bracket for the PCIe card and hence, besides regular size desktops, users can install the hard drive on slim tower desktops as well. The good news is the Western Digital promised to release a new standalone My Book version that will not include the PCIe card installation. Overall, My Book 3.0 is an excellent choice for desktop users.

Some background

We recently moved house in north London got a new broadband connection installed (we used Zen – because it gets great reviews) but I was really frustrated by two things. The first was, as I mentioned, every time the phone rang or I made an outgoing call, the broadband dropped out. I spent some time on the web looking for a fix but most of the solutions didn’t really help much. I changed all the filters, unplugged the phones on the extensions and tried changing phones. None of these helped.

What’s the answer?

Okay, I won’t keep you hanging. The answer is really, really simple. I found a new I-plate in a store and installed it (I’ll tell you more how later) and the problem was instantly solved. Even better my broadband speed has almost doubled over the week since I made the change from 3.6 meg/second to, at the latest check, 6.8meg. BT (of British Telecom for those of you older than about 30) reckons that on average people get a 1.5m increase in speed from the new faceplate, so I’m pretty happy with my result. It also puts me pretty close to the theoretical limit of what I should expect from my connection. Even though it is an “up to 20meg” connection, the distance of my house to the nearest exchange (or whatever) means that I should get a maximum of about 7 meg.

What is the BT I-Plate?

BT phone connections come into a master socket in the house. This is usually close to the front door and is the point at which BT’s network terminates. Any faults on their side of the master socket are their problem. Any faults that occur on your side of the master socket are your problem.

Now the thing about the master socket is that the connection you have on the front of it, is not actually the real master socket but is an extension socket. Weird? I know.

You undo two screws on the faceplace and will find another socket inside. From the faceplate you then have the wiring for all the extensions in your house.

What the faceplate does is it puts a connection directly into the master socket and has a Broadband (ADSL) line filter right there. In effect, what it is doing is filtering your signal for audio (telephone) and digital (broadband) right at the source. It has two sockets on its faceplate, one for a telephone and one for a broadband connection.

How do you install the BT Faceplate?

There are two ways you can install it. The simple way takes about 2 minutes and could be done by a preschooler with a screwdriver. The more advanced way will take about 5 minutes more but needs a bit more effort and knowledge.

Start with the simple. You just unscrew the old faceplate, pull it off and disconnect any extension socket wired that are connected to it and then insert and screw in the new one with the new (longer) screws provided.

This gives you a single phone and data connection. This is what I did since we have cordless phones in the house in any case so don’t need any additional hardwired sockets.

The slightly more advanced version involves wiring the extension sockets into the new faceplate. It comes with a simple circuit guide showing you which terminals to wire it into and you use a simple tool to insert them.

Where do you I get a BT I-Plate

I bought my in store at Maplin (see Maplin.co.uk) for £18. What I didn’t realise is that I could have gotten one for about half the price on Amazon. BT broadband customers can get them for free or you can buy them directly from BT for about £8.

They call it a broadband accelerator and you can find it here.

Hope this helps.