Laptops or note books are mobile computers that weigh around 2 kilos and are quite sturdy. The term laptop came into use in 1983. And, today in the world of technology schools and colleges use laptops so that students can learn using multi-media learning modules where lessons are taught innovatively using all the sensory senses. Using laptops for learning gives students hands on experiences to learn become technology savvy.
The World Wide Web is a knowledge highway and more and more students are using online libraries to complete their assignments and do research. A laptop or note book facilitates learning in many ways:
1. The laptop along with references and notes is with you always and the internet libraries and other website have tools that help students’ format assignments and references in MLA or APA formats.
2. With a laptop a student can take notes in class, type up assignments, share notes, and work with groups on projects.
3. Students can use the internet to speak to and communicate with family and friends without incurring huge phone bills.
4. Laptops enable students to watch films and video clips as well as download music from the net.
5. Students even use laptops for creating software and designing things to earn a little pocket money. Those with writing or research skills can consider freelance writing.
6. There are students to launch websites while students along with friends and these ventures become huge successes creating millionaires.
7. Online libraries and other websites allow students to download whole books online. It save time and money and students can read books published as far back as the 18th century to new ones.
8. Laptops make students self sufficient and they learn to type, manage their schedules, learn to budget by using online planners, and become citizens of the world.
9. A laptop with an internet connection encourages learning and keeps students abreast of news. Online news sites cover not just a state or country but the whole world. Students will know how people live elsewhere and all about war, political strife, natural disasters, as well as new discoveries and cultures distinct from their own.
10. Laptops encourage students to be technological whizzes. They keep abreast of all that’s new in the world.
When choosing a laptop factors to consider are: durability, warranties, size and weight, capabilities as in specifications of ram, speed, and hard disk space. Find out from the school or college authorities what are the needs for the course and what the school or college recommends for laptops in terms of specifications. With this in hand visit computer stores online and offline to find a student laptop that will suit the needs and be affordable. Visit college websites as well as auction sites to check whether there are any laptops being sold as second hand on auction. Often high end laptops can be bought at auctions for the cost of a student laptop. So be internet savvy and find a good deal on a laptop.
Arthur Raise is a writer for Discount Desktop Computers , the premier website to find Computers, computer, computer notebook, cheap computers, laptop computers, fastest computers, computer desktop, evolution of computers, free computers, computer service and many more.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
The Day My Computer Hard Disk Crashed
My computer to me is a very important machine. It is at the centre of my work-life. My very important data resides on it, the type of data which I just cannot do without. This includes my family pictures, photos of my travel to different countries, the accounting files of my small publishing business and, most of all, the only copy of the latest book I am writing.
It had started off as ordinary day and there was nothing unusual about it. I prepared to start my day early morning, with a steaming mug of hot coffee in hand. I was quite excited as I was almost going to finish the last chapter of a travelogue I was writing about my travels to an exotic country. The publisher’s deadline was dangerously close. I had to deliver the entire finished manuscript in a few days.
As I plonked myself in my comfortable chair, I switched the computer on. I expected to see the screen come alive with the reassuring and welcoming Windows boot-up screen. However, nothing of the sort happened and the monitor screen remained dark and dead. I could hear an ominous screeching sound coming from the CPU. What was it? What happened to the computer I loved and trusted so much? I tried switching it on and off many times, but with the same result.
After mulling over my predicament for a few minutes – with the publisher’s deadline looming ahead – I called up a friend who knew a bit about computers. He came over, had a look at the problem and pronounced: “The hard disk has crashed. It is a serious situation.” My entire data was lost. I had no idea what to do. If I couldn’t get the hard disk working again, I was in real trouble. That is when it dawned on me how important it was always to keep important files on one’s hard drive backed up on other storage media such as DVDs, CDs, tape drives or portable hard disks.
So what was the solution? My friend told me that little could be done at home. We had to take professional help and call a data-recovery company. But how to go about finding one? I went to my friend’s home and Googled around for a data recovery outfit in my area. I discovered that there were about a dozen prominent ones. Now the problem arose – which one to choose? My data was very precious, and I just couldn’t give the custody of my damaged hard drive to anyone. What if they were incompetent and the problem became worse?
Choosing a company involved going through the website of each, reading the customer testimonials, the charges that would be incurred and the facilities offered to customers such as “no recovery, no charges.” What was also very important to me was that a recovery company should give a free diagnosis and estimate as to how much it would cost me to get my important files recovered. The service should also be quick, as my deadline was nearing and I did not want to wait till eternity to get my data back.
After much deliberation, I chose Fields Data Recovery. I couriered the hard drive to them. Their engineers took the drive to a clean room, opened it and diagnosed the problem. The read / write head had come off its hinge and crashed on the platter surface. It had scratched the surface, but fortunately not where my important files were located. The company said this is a routine situation they face with many such cases coming to them every week, and they had developed procedures and specialised software to recover data from such hard drives.
The estimate they gave for recovering my files was reasonable, considering what other companies were charging. My manuscript was worth its weight in gold for me, and I gave the go-ahead. Within three days, I got all my data back neatly copied on a new hard disk. I was thus saved from a terrible disaster. Now I make it a point to never blindly trust my computer or continue working on the assumption that nothing will ever go wrong.
I have also invested some money in buying a portable hard disk. It is a wonderful device that stays attached to my computer and keeps taking data backups at regular intervals. Now, whenever my hard disk crashes on me, I have an option. I will just recopy data from my portable hard disk to a new one and it will be business as usual.
It had started off as ordinary day and there was nothing unusual about it. I prepared to start my day early morning, with a steaming mug of hot coffee in hand. I was quite excited as I was almost going to finish the last chapter of a travelogue I was writing about my travels to an exotic country. The publisher’s deadline was dangerously close. I had to deliver the entire finished manuscript in a few days.
As I plonked myself in my comfortable chair, I switched the computer on. I expected to see the screen come alive with the reassuring and welcoming Windows boot-up screen. However, nothing of the sort happened and the monitor screen remained dark and dead. I could hear an ominous screeching sound coming from the CPU. What was it? What happened to the computer I loved and trusted so much? I tried switching it on and off many times, but with the same result.
After mulling over my predicament for a few minutes – with the publisher’s deadline looming ahead – I called up a friend who knew a bit about computers. He came over, had a look at the problem and pronounced: “The hard disk has crashed. It is a serious situation.” My entire data was lost. I had no idea what to do. If I couldn’t get the hard disk working again, I was in real trouble. That is when it dawned on me how important it was always to keep important files on one’s hard drive backed up on other storage media such as DVDs, CDs, tape drives or portable hard disks.
So what was the solution? My friend told me that little could be done at home. We had to take professional help and call a data-recovery company. But how to go about finding one? I went to my friend’s home and Googled around for a data recovery outfit in my area. I discovered that there were about a dozen prominent ones. Now the problem arose – which one to choose? My data was very precious, and I just couldn’t give the custody of my damaged hard drive to anyone. What if they were incompetent and the problem became worse?
Choosing a company involved going through the website of each, reading the customer testimonials, the charges that would be incurred and the facilities offered to customers such as “no recovery, no charges.” What was also very important to me was that a recovery company should give a free diagnosis and estimate as to how much it would cost me to get my important files recovered. The service should also be quick, as my deadline was nearing and I did not want to wait till eternity to get my data back.
After much deliberation, I chose Fields Data Recovery. I couriered the hard drive to them. Their engineers took the drive to a clean room, opened it and diagnosed the problem. The read / write head had come off its hinge and crashed on the platter surface. It had scratched the surface, but fortunately not where my important files were located. The company said this is a routine situation they face with many such cases coming to them every week, and they had developed procedures and specialised software to recover data from such hard drives.
The estimate they gave for recovering my files was reasonable, considering what other companies were charging. My manuscript was worth its weight in gold for me, and I gave the go-ahead. Within three days, I got all my data back neatly copied on a new hard disk. I was thus saved from a terrible disaster. Now I make it a point to never blindly trust my computer or continue working on the assumption that nothing will ever go wrong.
I have also invested some money in buying a portable hard disk. It is a wonderful device that stays attached to my computer and keeps taking data backups at regular intervals. Now, whenever my hard disk crashes on me, I have an option. I will just recopy data from my portable hard disk to a new one and it will be business as usual.
Sony Introduce New 40GB PlayStation 3
Sony have been losing money on their 60GB PS3 since it was introduced in the UK. Volume of sales has been lower than anticipated - with one significant factor being the high launch price. The pattern has been much the same in other countries worldwide.
The new 40GB PS3, released in the UK on October 10 2007, is the result of some significant cost cutting efforts on the part of Sony. A lot of the changes were made after discussion with PS3 users. Sony advises that it has made the changes after "feedback from thousands of existing PS3 owners as well as research into future potential PS3 owners."
Possibly one of the most controversial decisions was the lack of backward compatibility with both PS1 and PS2 games. However, Sony's research seems to suggest that this is not an important factor for new users. Presumably, anyone who has a lot of PS2 games also has a PS2 console on which to play them. The backwards compatibility with PS1 and PS2 games was one of the more expensive items to implement on the earlier PS3 version.
Here's a nice quotation form Ray Maguire, the MD of Sony Computer Entertainment UK:
"As we approach our first PlayStation Christmas, it is satisfying to be able to offer UK consumers the choice of two PlayStation 3 packages both now representing remarkable value"
And there's no doubt about it - it does look like a better deal for consumers. It seems like a very aggressive marketing strategy by Sony in the run up to Christmas.
It is worth noting that Sony intend that, in future, only the 40GB PS3 will be available in the UK. The price drop on the 60GB model is intended to boost their sales between now and Christmas and use up the existing stock. After the current stocks of 60GB PS3 consoles are depleted only the 40GB version will be available to the public.
Sony also admit that they have been losing money on the 60GB consoles sold to date and, more surprisingly perhaps, admit that this will continue, even on the reduced cost 40GB console. They will lose less money than before, but they will still lose.
Another factor which will help sales between now and Christmas is the increasing number of PS3 games becoming available.
Current game console market leader, Nintendo, advised that there were no plans to cut the price of the Nintendo Wii. According to George Harrison, senior vice president of Marketing for Nintendo America: "We are still selling everything we can make."
Microsoft's XBox 360 had a recent price cut in August of 2007. With the release of the latest offering in the hugely popular Halo series, imaginatively titled "Halo 3", which is currently only available for the XBox 360, a cut in the Xbox price seems unlikely in the near future.
The new 40GB PS3, released in the UK on October 10 2007, is the result of some significant cost cutting efforts on the part of Sony. A lot of the changes were made after discussion with PS3 users. Sony advises that it has made the changes after "feedback from thousands of existing PS3 owners as well as research into future potential PS3 owners."
Possibly one of the most controversial decisions was the lack of backward compatibility with both PS1 and PS2 games. However, Sony's research seems to suggest that this is not an important factor for new users. Presumably, anyone who has a lot of PS2 games also has a PS2 console on which to play them. The backwards compatibility with PS1 and PS2 games was one of the more expensive items to implement on the earlier PS3 version.
Here's a nice quotation form Ray Maguire, the MD of Sony Computer Entertainment UK:
"As we approach our first PlayStation Christmas, it is satisfying to be able to offer UK consumers the choice of two PlayStation 3 packages both now representing remarkable value"
And there's no doubt about it - it does look like a better deal for consumers. It seems like a very aggressive marketing strategy by Sony in the run up to Christmas.
It is worth noting that Sony intend that, in future, only the 40GB PS3 will be available in the UK. The price drop on the 60GB model is intended to boost their sales between now and Christmas and use up the existing stock. After the current stocks of 60GB PS3 consoles are depleted only the 40GB version will be available to the public.
Sony also admit that they have been losing money on the 60GB consoles sold to date and, more surprisingly perhaps, admit that this will continue, even on the reduced cost 40GB console. They will lose less money than before, but they will still lose.
Another factor which will help sales between now and Christmas is the increasing number of PS3 games becoming available.
Current game console market leader, Nintendo, advised that there were no plans to cut the price of the Nintendo Wii. According to George Harrison, senior vice president of Marketing for Nintendo America: "We are still selling everything we can make."
Microsoft's XBox 360 had a recent price cut in August of 2007. With the release of the latest offering in the hugely popular Halo series, imaginatively titled "Halo 3", which is currently only available for the XBox 360, a cut in the Xbox price seems unlikely in the near future.
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