Have Laptop Will Travel

Solar powered WiFi

Originally posted on August 27, 2007 @ 10:57 pm

One of the raison d’etres of having a laptop is taking advantage of WiFi and the ability to surf the internet wherever you are. For me, mobile surfing is one of the greatest technological leaps that we have made because it has really made information accessible to anyone, anywhere, anytime.

Of course, WiFi still costs money to operate. Yes, there are free WiFi hotzones but that doesn’t mean the operators of the network are not expending money to give you the privilege to look at the latest football scores over your macchiatto. They shoulder not only the WiFi subscription but also the accompanying costs of operating WiFi devices — electricity being a big factor to the overall expense.

Solis Energy claims to have the solution though. The Orlando-based company said that it can employ solar energy to power low wattage devices like WiFi routers, security cameras — even traffic lights and sensors. This is the kind of innovation that is really welcome in our time when global warming really poses a serious threat worldwide. An alternative source of energy that is one hundred per cent green and renewable is the way to go. Al Gore should have reason to smile when he reads about Solis.

The Samsung Q1 Ultra

Originally posted on September 6, 2007 @ 4:54 pm

Samsung recently released a revamped version of its Q1 ultraportable computer. This iteration did not sit well with consumers mainly because of its high selling price and the lack of a keyboard. The failure of this initial stab at the ultraportable market was such a dud that some manufacturers even looked at it as a sign that there is no business to be had in this sector and decided to just walk away from servicing this segment.

But Samsung has been steadfast in their commitment and they have now released the Q1 Ultra — which is a vast improvement over the previous model. It sports an 800 mhz Intel processor, Windows Vista, and connectivity to cellular networks. It also has a webcam. All these features have been squeezed into a form factor that only weighs 1.5 pounds. Of course, Samsung addressed the biggest gripe about the Q1 by adding a keyboard to the Ultra. Oh, and there is also the standard bluetooth and WiFi connectivity as well as a nifty 1.3 megapixel camera at the back.

Overall, the Q1 Ultra is a great device to own if you are the type who loves to surf and type out small emails to friends or even make mobile phone calls. It basically serves as specific set of functions — and it does them well. It will not, however, replace your notebook computer in terms of features and usability.

New Dell Monitor adds versatility to your desk

Originally posted on October 4, 2007 @ 11:09 pm

Whenever I am at home I usually turn my laptop into an instant CPU. I connect a monitor to it as well as a wireless keyboard and mouse combo. My reasons are simple — I don’t need to torture my eyes and give myself carpal tunnel syndrome when I am at home. If I can make things easier for myself then, of course, I’ll take advantage of it.

If you also do the same things like I do then the Dell SP2008WFP will be a good monitor for your needs. It’s a 20 inch flat panel monitor that is meant to be used for gaming, multimedia and and for communications. The nifty thing about this Dell monitor is the integration of a 2 megapixel webcam to the unit. No more awkwarly propped up webcams with this baby. It also makes your desk look less cluttered. It also has a built in microphone for easier video conferencing. The great thing about this webcam is that Dell has made it fully functional. It comes with a Dell Webcam software suite that allows you to do a number of functions with your webcam.

The monitor has a wonderful pixel response time of just 2 ms. This means that it can easily handle the demands of high end gaming. It has an HDCP compliant DVI connector that also allows you to view high definition content that is protected.

I’m going to list down this Dell monitor in my wishlist to Santa.

AMD making its presence felt in the laptop market

Originally posted on July 26, 2007 @ 10:57 pm

Here’s something that not many people know about me — I am an AMD supporter. I’ve had four computers pass through my hands in the last ten years. Only my first computer was an Intel (a “fast” Pentium 800MMX with 32mb of RAM!), all of my succeeding desktops have been AMD since then. What I love about AMD is quite simple, it costs so much less compared to an Intel processor even though speed could be considered as more or less just the same. I see no reason why I should pay more just for a brand.

Now, here’s the deal. My first laptop, which I bought almost two years ago, has an Intel processor. ‘What happened?’ you might say. Well, the reason is quite simple, AMD chipped laptops are hard to come by. For some reason Intel has gained a big market share in the laptop market and AMD is still playing catch up. As an avowed AMD supporter, this is not a good situation because it limits my ability to choose the laptop that I want.

I have to say that the present situation seems to have addressed this problem. More and more laptops are carrying AMD processors and this is driving down the price of laptops in the market. With AMD’s acquisition of ATI, I foresee more exposure for AMD in the portables market.

Dell releases The Beast

Originally posted on October 1, 2007 @ 11:51 pm

There seems to be no lull in the innovations that laptop manufacturers are putting in gaming laptops. With the gaming laptop sector the hottest in the laptop market, it’s a wonder they haven’t yet found out of a way to include an espresso machine attachment to laptops.

Dell is really upping the ante with its new gaming laptop offering. A week ago Dell released the XPS m1730 notebook — or as its design team calls it, The Beast. And it really is one hell of a gaming monster. the notebook contains an Ageia PhysX physics chip, which I think is the first notebook to have one, as well as a Game Panel LCD.

The Beast will retail starting at $2,999, which means you need to have very deep pockets or a very generous girlfriend or parents in order to get one of these babies. The other specifications of the new notebook include a Core 2 Duo T7500, a 256mb Nvidia GeForce Go 8700M GT GPU processor, 200 GB 7200 RPM hard drive, and the aforementioned GameLCD display — which is basically a secondary display located on top of the backlit keyboard. This panel will show different game statistics that the most hardcore of gamers will need. It will also possess so many connectivity options, it would look like a cilia-equipped machine if you decide to use every single one of them.

This is the type of notebook that I can only hope to own in my most feverish dreams. For those who can afford it, I salute and envy you.