Have Laptop Will Travel

Laptop mods are for the brave and the bold

Originally posted on August 9, 2007 @ 8:24 pm

I’ve always been fascinated with modifications made on desktops and laptops. I’ve seen features on how to modify desktops and the inherent benefits of making these changes. I got so intrigued that I actually modded the case of my first PC. I think I was one of the first people to do it where I live because when I brought my PC for repairs all of the technicians and customers milled around my PC, asking questions about the simple intake vent that I painstakingly cut from the side panel of the case.

Now, PC mods are quite common. Vents would never even get a second glance from people because PC case manufacturers now incorporate these on cases. What is making people take notice though are modifications made on laptops.

People who modify laptops are a different breed altogether. These are people with nerves of carbon fiber and balls of steel. Why? It takes a man of courage to actually open a very expensive piece of electronics and then tinker and change something that was not even specified by the manufacturer.

Take this guy, for example. He modified his Apple laptop so that the Apple logo would glow. The modification was a success and the result was quite impressive.

I’m now looking at my trusty Acer notebook in a whole new perspective.

Laptops in a meeting

Originally posted on September 7, 2007 @ 6:31 pm

Yesterday I went to a story meeting with a couple of my colleagues. The meeting’s purpose was simple AND complicated — to develop topics for a new online IT resource for managers that will cater to the more technical and IT related aspects of managing a company. The goal is simple but arriving at that goal was really hard because we had to simplify very complicated IT terms and concepts for the regular manager.

Knowing that we’ve got our work cut out for us, each one of us tried to bring as many helpful tools as we can to the meeting — and funnily enough, that meant bringing our laptops with us for the meeting. When the discussion shifted to the  nitty-gritty of the topic selection, we all whipped out our laptops almost simultaneously. This made us all laugh. One of my colleagues blurted out that about a few years ago being in a meeting where all of the participants have a laptop would have been unheard of because of its high cost. And it’s true, the constant evolution of parts, the new methods of making these parts at a cheaper cost, and the increased demand has really driven prices down, so much that practically anyone can afford a laptop now. Heck, I’m even shopping around for a second laptop just to make it easier for me and my wife to handle our projects! Talk about unthinkable.

A workaround solution to the Acer 4520 keyboard lag problem

Originally posted on August 23, 2007 @ 7:33 am

I’ve been blogging about the Acer 4520 problem regarding keyboard lag and have posted some of the theories and “solutions” that owners have performed as a way of addressing the lag problem. All of the methods used have proven to be ineffective so the search for a solution continues.

Recently, an avid Have Laptop Will Travel reader from Singapore gave an ingenious workaround to the problem. His suggestion is quite simple and he said it will immediately address the keyboard lag.

The workaround? Just press F7 to deactivate the Touchpad of the Acer 4520. Of course you will now have to attach a mouse for navigation. Our reader said that it is the touchpad’s drivers that are creating a conflict in the system and producing the lag. As I mentioned earlier, this is more of a workaround than a total fix. He said that you will have to do this everytime you open your laptop, or else look for a way to deactivate the touchpad automatically everytime the laptop is opened. He said that until the conflicts are addressed by Acer through a Bios update or a patch then the “workaround” is the only option.

To Acer 4520 owners, why don’t you try the workaround that our Singapore reader has suggested? Do email me about your experiences with this fix.

Hot laptops on your lap, anyone?

Originally posted on August 18, 2007 @ 12:34 am

Heat is one of the things that annoy me the most in laptops.

Okay, it’s great that you can bring your computer anywhere with you and basically do anything you want, anywhere you want. Portability is really a great come-on for anyone, but heat issues with certain laptops can really dampen your enthusiasm for them.

Take for example, my trusty Acer laptop. We’ve been through so much together. It has been a very able and tough road warrior but what I hate about it is that I really can’t consider it a “laptop”. Any attempts to use my lap to prop up my laptop will only last for thirty minutes or less. The bottom gets uncomfortably hot for any extended usage time. It actually gets hot enough for me to worry about my fertility. I can imagine my little sperm cells boiling down there, all because of a little computer.

I hope computer companies make laptops with more effective heat dissipation designs. I’ve already heard of units that employ heatpipe technology to wick away ambient heat from CPUs. I look forward to future products that will employ more exotic heat dissipation solutions so I can finally get a laptop that I can put on my lap without fearing for my balls.

AMD to aggressively enter notebook sector

Originally posted on October 12, 2007 @ 10:02 pm

AMD has gained a firm foothold in the server market because of its high performance, low cost CPUs but the company is not content with its achievements. They are now poised to increase its presence in the notebook sector by releasing low power CPUs and GPUs that are specifically designed to achieve the best performance on notebooks.

According to AMD CEO Hector Cruz, the company’s acquisition of GPU manufacturer ATI has enabled them to finally give consumers a more complete solution as well as the ability to present a more robust and varied lineup of products — mainly, CPUs, chipsets and graphics — that allows consumers the freedom to choose the platforms that would fit their needs and budgets.

Ruiz also announced that it will be coming out with its Puma and Griffin processors by next year along with its Hardcastle cooperation with industry participants.

Ruiz’s comments are something that I knew will happen with AMD’s acquisition of ATI. Instead of the prevailing fear then of a monopoly, I knew that the merger will actually result in a better market overall for consumers. I’m glad that this is the direction that AMD and the market is taking because in this scenario, it is us the consumers who will be the winners.