Laptops Arena

For every reason that you can come up with to demonstrate that laptops skins are useless, I can come up with 3 reasons why laptops skins are a great idea and a really nice accessory to “pimp” your laptop. Just like some people prefer to have green or pink laptop, others may want to have the picture of the people they love on the lid of their notebook. Laptop skins are beautiful and useful. They help to protect your laptop against minor scratches and some stickers come off easily and you can replace them whenever you become tired of a certain look.
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Personally, I’m having a hard time choosing between all the models that are available on the internet. I see when that I really like, I think that is the one I am going to order and by the time I get the chance to actually order it, I see another cool one and so on. We have read some reviews on laptop skins from Skinit. On their website you will find out that they make skins for pretty much every popular device: mobile phones, laptops, MP3 players, gaming devices and even iPods. You can choose between all the models available, best sellers and even create your own skin. With a starting price of $7.95, those laptop skins are surely something else! It doesn’t matter if your laptop is a Dell, Apple, Sony or Toshiba because this website seems to have it all. The categories are: Sports, Collegiate, Twilight (you just have to love that movie), Entertainment (especially for those that are into American Idol), Disney, Fashion and Pink Fashion, Urban, Art, Flags of the World, Premium Skinit, Butterfly, military, Stock Designs, music, Rides, Holidays, American Idol, Video Games, Skins for a Cause, Political, Religion, Zodiac and Corporate. Each of these categories may include subcategories. For instance, Disney has the following subcategories: Bambi, Card, Camp Rock, Hannah Montana, High School Musical, High School Musical 3, Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Pirates of the Caribbean, Tinker Bell, the Little Mermaid, the Muppets, The Night Before Christmas, Winnie the Pooh Characters, Finding Nemo and Disney Princess. Every particular skin has a specific code for easier identification.

Users that have bought skins from this supplier said that it’s very easy to apply it. First you should clean the lid of your laptop because dust and finger prints make it more difficult for the sticker to be applied smoothly. Start by applying the skin from one end to the other and make sure you don’t leave any room for air because the sticker will make bubbles under it. To remove such bubbles, you could use a flat object, like a credit card to smoothen the surface. The glossy surface of the sticker makes it really shiny and good looking. It’s a very easy way to make your laptop look good and keep it protected from scratches. It is very cheap and it makes your laptop special and unique so you are bound to attract some looks at school, office or the coffee shop. There are tons of designs to choose from so unless you already have an idea of what kind of laptop skin you want, it’s going to be quite difficult to make up your mind. Personalizing your laptop has never been easier.



Reviews on laptop skins are positive. Users say that when you remove the sticker from your lid, there is no residue that could make your laptop look ugly and sticky. People prefer this sticker alternative to the regular paint job for the laptop which is more expensive and you have to say goodbye to your laptop for a couple of days until the job is done. A laptop sticker can be easily purchased online. You order it and when it arrives at your doorstep, you can stick it to your laptop in a couple of minutes. Users are thrilled and I even read some regretful posts about people having curbed lids on their laptop so it could be quite difficult to attach a laptop sticker.



General reviews are ok but it’s difficult to find opinions on a certain category from a certain website because talking into consideration a group of 500 users means we are dealing with 500 different opinions. If you want to create your very own personalized sticker on www.skinit.com, the first thing you have to do is select the device. In our case, the device is laptop. Then you have to choose a certain laptop brand. I chose Toshiba. Then you have to select a model which is available in that list. If your specific laptop model is not there, you can choose a laptop which is similar to yours. Check the dimensions of your laptop and then see which of the laptop models on that list has the same dimensions and size. After that, you will be directed to a special editor and from there it’s time to let your imagination run wild. The “Images” option allows you to upload a picture from your computer or browse the available designs. You can choose from the models available on skinit.com or you can enter another URL address or browse other photo sharing website. The options are endless.



After you have chosen the image you want, you can adjust the width, the height and the transparency, as well as rotate the image. The “Text” option allows you to write some words, maybe your name or a quote that you like. If you plan on making a laptop sticker to gift it, you could write “Happy Birthday” or “I love you” plus your signature. That would certainly be and unique and special gift. The “Shapes” tab let’s you add some extra bugs, skulls, hearts, arrows, start, smiley faces, games and even nature shapes to your personalized laptop sticker.



As long as you have some free time and lots of imagination, you can create a really nice sticker for yourself or for someone else. It’s easy because the online application is user friendly, so you’ll have no trouble in clicking the right buttons.

Even laptops are the portable and expensive version of regular desktop computers; the extra price you pay is not a guarantee of durability. Laptops can have problems as well and they are even more fragile than a normal computer. You have to take extra special care of them or you may end up having laptop motherboard cracks or loose hinges that make the display wobble.
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Hardware problems do not necessarily appear on an old laptop. You can have trouble with your notebook even if it’s brand new in which case you can still benefit from the warranty or return them to the seller according to the return policy. For example, some laptop can deal with motherboard failure. You have to be aware that laptop components are twice as expensive as laptop components so a new laptop may sometimes be a better choice rather than replacing the motherboard. How do you know if there is a problem with your motherboard? When you try to turn on the laptop, it only works for a couple of second after which it stops. Sometimes, after you turn on the laptop, the screen will remain black but you can hear a high pitched sound which is coming from the unit. There are some quick fixing methods that you can try. Some laptops have a lid switch which is usually located somewhere near the hinges. If that switch gets stuck in a closing position, the display can be black and it may appear that the laptop does not start. You could also try to connect another power adaptor (a compatible one, of course) to your laptop. Sometimes, power adapters stop working instantly and your laptop only has a bit of battery left to be switched on for a couple of second, after that it turns off instantly. In the end, a specialized technician is a much better choice.

One very good way of wrecking your laptop is dropping in on the floor. Unless you have a $2000 business laptop which has a chassis reinforced with aluminum or magnesium alloy, there is a good chance you will severely damage it by dropping it. This can also cause laptop motherboard cracks and even LCD cracks. A damaged motherboard is equal to a useless laptop because it’s the components that keeps all the other parts together and makes them work as a whole. The motherboard is also known as the system board and you can tell from its name that it is an important factor. You need to be really careful with how you handle your laptop, even if some users think “it’s ok, my notebook is still in the warranty period”. Warranty only covers expenses if there has been a problem during manufacturing that affects the laptop. But if careless handling is what caused that laptop to malfunction, then it’s your problem, not theirs.

Before jumping to any conclusion and taking the laptop to a shop, you may want to make sure that there really is a problem. In some cases, a motherboard with apparent malfunctions can simply be caused by BIOS that is not up-to-date. BIOS and the motherboard work hand-in-hand to make your laptop run properly so make sure you have updated the BIOS. You can do that by checking the website of your BIOS manufacturer and check for any versions which are newer than yours. You can ask someone to help you if you are not good with these things. I’m sure most of us have a friend that is really good with computers.



Another way of damaging the motherboard is overheating. This has been a common problem with some Pavilion laptops made by HP and some people don’t take overheating seriously. Even if this is usually a factory problem, people can take some special measure in order to prevent it from happening. Be careful where you place your laptop. Even if it’s meant to be used on your lap, you body heat plus the heat generated by laptop can result in a combination that rises the temperature of the unit. This is why it is always better to keep the laptop on the flat surface, such as a table or desk. Another thing that causes laptop overheating is the blockage of the ventilation area. This area is located at the back or on the left or right side of laptop. If you put your hands there, you will feel hot air coming out. It’s important not to block this area where the air comes out by placing your laptop to close to the wall or putting any other object like your cup of coffee in the way of that air. Some people use a regular cooling fan which they place towards the laptop when the temperatures in the room are too high, especially in summer time.



If you even notice your laptop instantly freezes or it shuts down with no warning even if it has been turned on for over 20 minutes, it could be a sign that your laptop is getting a bit too hot. This could also be caused by dust that blocks the air vent or heat sink. There are special cans filled with compressed air that can take care of dust problems so you don’t have to take the laptop apart in order to clean it. There can also be problems with the malfunction of the fan. If the fan is stuck, it can no longer cool the parts that produce heat inside the laptop. If your laptop has recently been dropped or suffered any shocks, there is a good chance that the heat sink has been detached from the motherboard. In this case, you have to take the laptop apart and solder the heat sink to the motherboard. All you need is a good screwdriver and a soldering gun but if you are not good at these things, we recommend you take your laptop to a specialized shop that can fix the problem. You also need to be careful when you take the laptop apart because removing certain screws or stickers can void the warranty.

When they first appeared on the market, laptops were these cool and expensive gadgets. Some of us thought we could never afford one because they were expensive so we believed they were computers only for business people. Today, laptops are a necessity and not a luxury item. In our modern society, where work seems to be the most important aspect, we are tempted to take our work everywhere with us. Even on vacation! This is why laptops were invented, so we could have portable agendas that we can fill with data and that could help us get our work done wherever we are.
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This is why college students also need laptops. Because it’s easier to write essays. Because professors find it easier to correct printed projects rather than hand written ones. Because they need to do internet research for class. Because they have to chat with their friends back home if they are living on campus. With so many laptop models available on the market today, I can see why it is such a difficult choice to buy a laptop. If you are not a bog technology fan that you probably have no clue why there are so many types of processors and video cards. Well, in our opinion, the best laptop for college students needs to have 2 main characteristics. It has to be light so it can be easily transported and it needs a good battery life so it can be taken to class to keep notes.

One of the wisest choices is the netbook. Netbooks are small as they have displays that vary between 8.9 to a maximum 12 inches. They have weak components and as they name suggests, they were made for internet purposes like writing e-mails and doing online research.  They are also used for editing documents and running some other basic tasks and applications. They are excellent because they are light weight and you can carry around in your bag or backpack all day without getting a sore back. Some really good models like the Sony VAIO have batteries that can last even up to 6 hours which means you can definitely rely on them for almost a full day of classes.



As for the specs of a good laptop for students, you should buy a unit with at least 1 GB of RAM. RAM is what allows you to run applications. The more RAM your laptop has, the more applications you can run simultaneously.  You should have about 120 or 160 GB of hard disk capacity because your files and pictures, movies and music are going to start piling up in your laptop and it’s quite annoying to keep making DVDs all the time when you need to store your files safely and then make some extra room on your HDD. The graphics card does not have to be fancy. You can go with an integrated video card unless you are a heavy gamer. If that is your case, you will need a graphics card with at least 256 MB of video memory (512 MB would be nice).



That being said, let’s see what laptop models we can fit into this best laptop for college students category. The Dell Studio 15 is good choice for students (or their parents) that have about $800 to spend. This is not a big price to pay considering there are $2000 laptops are out there. It has a 2.2 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor which gives you laptop good speed to run your applications. Alas, we don’t recommend a 15 inch laptop that does not have an Intel Core 2 Duo CPU.  4 GB of RAM is more than enough for you to choose a 64 bit operating system. Although people have gotten used to Windows Vista, we recommend the new Windows 7 which can really squeeze the juice out of your RAM. You can have up to 320 GB of free disk space which is more than enough storage capacity for whatever files you have to store on your laptop. Above the display you have a 2.0 mega pixel webcam which will provide very clear images in different light conditions. If you use the Skype video chat application, you can get real time movement and you can chat with your friends or family if you are living on campus and they haven’t seen you in a while (in fact, you could tell your parents you need this laptop so they can see you when they really miss you). The ATI Radeon HD 4570 graphics card comes with 256 MB of video memory. Besides, you have a DVD combo drive and a 15.6 inch display.



If the Dell Studio 15 did not convince you, maybe the HP Pavilion dv2 is a better choice. It is powered by an AMD processor (the AMD Athlon Neo to be more exact). The RAM and HDD have the capacity as the Dell Studio 15 but as far as the graphics card goes, you have 512 MB of video memory instead of 256 MB like the Studio 15 has. We recommend this laptop because it’s smaller since it has a 12 inch display. It is as cheap as $700 and I really think the specs are worth the money you pay. You can even take it to class as it occupies the space of a bigger book in your backpack. But it does not matter if you plan on keeping it in your dorm or using it in class or at the coffee shop. This laptop is definitely one very wise choice for college students.



Other models that I recommend you look into for college purposes are the Lenovo IdeaPad Y530 (with a price that varies between $550 and $750 dollars), the Toshiba Satellite Pro U400 S1001X (which can be found at about $840), the Dell Inspiron 1318 laptop or if you are looking for a laptop which you can also use to play games, the Dell XPS M1530 can be bought for $1000 with an 2.2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T6600 processor and some 4 GB or RAM.

Since the other days we wrote about laptop processors and how they work, it’s time to talk about laptop screens. If the processor was the brain of a laptop, the screen is the face, the most expressive part of a notebook.
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The images shown on a display of a laptop are generated by the video card. Data and signal are transmitted from the video card to the screen using the LCD cable. As you may have noticed, in all our articles about laptops, we have spoken about the size of the display in inches. The inches of a screen are determined by measuring the distance between two opposite corners of the display. Displays come in many sizes and they have different resolutions. There is a backlight lamp which is the main source that provides light to the LCD.

One thing it is important for you to know is how to remove an LCD laptop screen. You never know when your display might crash after the warranty period has expired and you may not have the money to pay a technician to take care of the problem. The truth is, replacing the LCD yourself is not rocket science. All you need are a couple of tools and some patience (and no shaking hands). Most of the laptop screens from different models come apart in a similar manner. Look for hidden screws under rubber cups somewhere near the hinges. First of all, you have to remove any source of power on that laptop. Take out the battery and make sure the laptop is unplugged because we don’t want you to suffer any home accidents. You need an adequate screw driver depending on the shape of the screws. When you remove the screws surrounding the display (note that there also may be two screws on the top part of the display as well – at least my Toshiba has 4 screws in total) carefully lift the plastic bezel and you will notice the LCD is installed there. After you have removed the plastic bezel, the LCD will remain uncovered. Next you have to try and tilt the LCD forward but be careful not to force it. If it looks like it won’t move, there might be some screws in the internal bracket. Make sure you remove those as well.



At the back of the LCD screen you have to disconnect the data cable (it is also called a video cable) and the power cable (a.k.a. inverter). Look closely here as there may be some tape securing the video cable. Try to use your finger nails rather than pulling out the video cable just to make sure you don’t damage it. Next you have to carefully pull that power cable out of the inverter. The inverter is what provides the display with power. If you are having problem in sliding the inverter cable you have to make sure there are no screws attaching the two together.  That is it; you have now removed the LCD completely out of your laptop.



If you ordered a new LCD for replacing the old one, make sure you compare the two and that they match because sellers can makes mistakes as well and they may have shipped you an LCD with a different size. To put the new LCD in the old LCD’s place you have to perform the same procedure as above, only backwards this time. If you are having trouble with putting the data cable back in its place, you can always improvise and add tape where it is needed. Then you have to put back the plastic bezel and after you make sure it is in its exact place, you can put the screws back and you can now enjoy your new LCD screen. Like you always do with a new product, make sure you test the new screen. Put the battery back in or simply connect the laptop to a power outlet and turn it on. It may take a bit longer to see any signs of functioning but you should be able to see some images in the end if everything went according to plan.



Choosing the best laptop screen can also be very puzzling for people that don’t have an IT background are not familiar with all the shapes, sizes and characteristics of laptop parts. As far as resolution goes, thing are pretty simple: the bigger the display is, the better resolution it will have.  There is one trick here though. If you buy a cheap screen the resolution will be lower compared to other models that are the same size. Like I said, with laptops, you get what you pay for. High resolution is important because it determines the number of details you can fit onto the screen. In case you are wondering why people would like to have widescreen LCDs on their laptop, know that they probably use the laptop to watch a lot of movies or play games. If you use this laptop for office work, you can easily settle for a 4:3 aspect ratio on your LCD.



The matrix display is something found on more expensive laptops. They are better because they make the image brighter and the colors are better detailed and sharper. We can assure you that this type of display is worth the price because it produces clearer images in different light conditions. The funny thing with LCD is that they can have a problem which is not actually a problem. It’s more like an annoying factor. That is the dead pixel. Defective pixels can function in two different ways.  The dead pixel is continually lit or unlit and the stuck pixel has the same color constantly. They do not damage the functionality of the screen but they can be annoying sometimes. If you carefully check the warranty and the return policy, there may be something written there about how to return a laptop when you have a certain number of dead pixels. As a personal recommendation: go with a screen that has at least 1280 x 960 resolution.

To find the best processor for your laptop, there are some things you should know first. There are some differences between the computer CPU and the laptop CPU.
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Processors work together with the operating system in order to control the computer. If we have to compare with a human body part, it’s safe to say the CPU is the brain. Processor produce a lot of heat and this is why every computer needs a fan in order to keep it cool and draw heat outside of the unit. The cooling system is not very complicated but since a laptop is smaller than a desktop computer, laptop processors have a few different characteristics. The laptop CPU will run at a lower voltage and a lower clock speed. This means that the heat output is reduced as well as the power consumption but the laptop will run a bit slower than usual. There are a lot of laptop models that run at high voltage when they are plugged in and when they run on battery, the settings automatically are lower.

Laptop processors are connected to the motherboard without sockets and pins which normally occupy a lot of space inside the unit of a regular PC. This process is completed with the help of a Micro-FCBGA (which is short for Flip Chip Ball Grid Array) which basically uses a ball as a replacement for the pins. Even if this layout helps save some space, in some cases the CPU cannot be upgraded or replace because it is directly connected to the motherboard.  There are some laptops that use desktop CPUs. Those are set to operate at lower clock speeds. This can help improve the performance of the laptop but the unit will be much hotter than usual and the battery life will suffer significant reduction.



If you wish to replace the laptop CPU, there are some measures you have to take first. We recommend you don’t mess around with the interior components of your laptop if the unit is still in the warranty period. The first thing you must do is update the BIOS in order for it to support new processors. Be very careful because replacing a chip that is newer than the BIOS, there is a risk of your laptop not booting at all. After you have taken care of this, remove the cover plates. This varies from one laptop model to another. You must be careful with applying too much force or else you might break some plastic parts.



After you have detached the keyboard, removed the display assembly, removed the shell, the graphics card and the heat sink, it is now time to replace the CPU. In order to do that, you have to turn the screw that locks the socket counterclockwise until it will stop. After that, lift the processor straight up and there you go: you have removed the old CPU. Next, you can simply drop down the new processor but be careful: you must not push it. If it needs pushing, then it has not been properly aligned. Turn the screw in the opposite direction (clockwise) to lock it. The next step is very important. You must not forget to apply thermal paste. You must get rid of the old thermal compound. To do this, you need to wipe the heat sink using 99% isopropyl alcohol and a proper rag (lint-free is recommended). If the CPU you bought is not new, than you have to clean it as well. After everything has dried out, you must apply a thin layer of thermal paste on the top of the processor. Make you the layer is as thin as paper and have something in handy to spread it out evenly. You have to clean up the excess paste and the next step will be to replace the heat sink. Afterwards, you have to put all the parts back together and boot up your laptop. Make sure the first thing you do is check the BIOS to make sure the laptop sees the processor properly.



Finding the best processor for your laptop depends on various factors, like how old your notebook is, what is the size of the notebook (mini laptop have Intel Atom processors for a very good reason – they are weak and don’t produce a lot of heat which could be critical for such a small laptop), how much RAM you have and even how much money you are willing to spend.

The best we can do for you is to tell you which are the most powerful processors on the market right now. The Intel Core i7 processor is new kid on the block. It is a Quad Core processor that has an integrated memory controller (DDR3). Next we have the famous Intel Core 2 Duo processor which is found on most of the laptops that are available on the market right now. As you must have figured out from its name, this processor has 2 cores which mean double the brains for your laptop. The Intel Core 2 Extreme processor is the fastest variant of the Intel Core 2 Duo. They have two main differences that separate them from the Core 2 Duo. The first is the multiplicator which is is not fixed and this means that overclocking is easier. The second is the higher TDP. We could give you more details but let’s keep things simple shall we?



Core 2 Duo processor are the most common CPU’s on the market right now but that does not mean they are the best. The thing about the Intel i7 Quad Core processor is that they are currently used for high power gaming laptop like the Toshiba Qosmio or Alienware. To tell the truth, the CPU’s power doesn’t matter very much if a laptop is your second computer. When you already have a main desktop PC that is the unit which you should try to upgrade and fill it with the best components around. Laptops are mainly for portability and work purposes as far as I see things.