Sep 022008

Giveaways Countdown Started!

Posted by: Sierra in Accesories, Peripherals & Components, Contests, Toshiba





During this month the TechPin and LaptopsArena teams are inviting you to participate in this month’s giveaways. As we have a limited number of gadgets to give away, we’ve decided to start a fun contest based on comments.

The contest terms are the simplest. All you have to do is post a concise comment here, in which to highlight the most important criteria you use to follow when buying a laptop computer. To give you a suggestion, let’s say I take into consideration aspects such as price, brand, weight, display size, the processor speed, the hard drive storage capacity, and I prefer colored laptop computers, not necessarily in this order.
What about you? Do you know some key elements that we all should base our final decision on? Speak and win!

As you’ve probably already heard, there’s a new website in town that will help you take the best decision before buying, but for that, you first have to know exactly what you plan to use the laptop for. After that, the same people on the website will be there to assist you in keeping your new acquisition in best shape.

Powered by no other than Toshiba, one of the top leading manufacturers of notebook computers, the laptop experts is a place where you can ask any question you need regarding your computer issues, and receive a helpful answer from people who really know what they are talking about.
If you are too lazy to enter the website and check for the answer, you can simply use the desktop widget and watch all the action as it happens.
Don’t forget to use the Tips & Tricks section before taking your final decision of what to buy.
And now let’s see what you will win!



The first of you who will come up on the list will get the Trio MP3 Player with the maximum capacity available, of 1GB. This MP3 player model measures 1.25 x 2.75 x 0.67 inches and uses 1 AAA Alkaline battery to operate for up to 10 hours. You can use it for playing music on the go, record voice, and organize the media in up to 9 folders containing 99 music files each.
Specifications include Backlit LCD for a clear display in dark conditions, USB 2.0 for high-speed PC connectivity, 85Db, 9mW 2@32Ohm headphone output, 20Hz-20KHz frequency range, 8KHz sample recording frequency, MP3/WMA supported file formats, and AG8/35 hrs (128MB) voice recording length.



The second subscriber who gets on the list will receive Belkin’s USB 2.0 4-Port Ultra Mini Hub that connects 3 devices to a single USB slot from your computer, for transfer speeds of up to 480Mbps. It powers via the USB connectivity and is plug-and-play, meaning you won’t have to install special driver to make it work.
Coming with a lifetime warranty, the mini hub was designed for travel and fits any pocket of a laptop bag.



If you don’t get neither the MP3 player nor the Belkin mini hub, you could have the luck to receive a $10 iTunes Gift Card. With it you could purchase songs at $0.99, audio books at $0.95, video clips, movies at $3 and $4, and other media from the iTunes.
For the winners’ list generation we chose RANDOM.ORG because it is a true list randomizer that works based on the atmospheric noise.

Winners will be announced on both websites, TechPin.com and LaptopsArena.com by the end of September, and they’ll also receive an alert via email, based on the personal information entered in the newsletter subscription. Only our readers have the right to participate at the giveaways, excluding members of the two websites' teams.
We are anxious to read your comments and we wish you good luck!

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Comments

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14 Comment(s) on “Giveaways Countdown Started!”

  • Daniel P. Murphy said on Sep 04 08 at 5:49 pm:

    I purchased a Dell Latitude D810 in April of 2006, taking into consideration the following criteria: A laptop must be a lightweight, durable, integral part of my existing network. My laptop is built for long travel and living room browsing. It connects effortlessly into my home network and finds a wireless access point at any remote location with ease. The $1500 I paid for it affords me freedom, security, and connectivity where ever I may go. I have listed the specifications below. If you want a good laptop, think about what kind of machine helps you think. If you want a great laptop, purchase one that you don't have to think (worry)about at all. My laptop is like a tailored suit: it fits me perfectly, costs far less than what it is worth, and always makes me look comfortable and sharp. Those are my criteria. Yours may vary, but they should be a good starting point. Thanks! Dell Latitude D810 Specs:
    Dell Latitude D810
    Manufacturer:Dell, Inc.
    Built-in Devices Stereo speakers
    Width 14.2 in
    Depth 10.2 in
    Height 1.7 in
    Weight 8.2 lbs
    Notebook type Desktop replacement (7.5 + lbs.)
    Screen type Wide-screen
    Processor Intel Pentium M 755 / 1.73 GHz
    Data bus speed 400 MHz
    Processor features Enhanced SpeedStep technology
    Chipset type Mobile Intel 915PM Express
    Cache Memory
    Type L2 cache
    Cache size 2 MB
    RAM
    Installed Size 512 MB / 2 GB (max)
    Technology DDR2 SDRAM
    Storage Controller
    Storage controller type IDE
    Storage
    Hard Drive 40 GB - 5400 rpm
    Hard drive type Portable
    Optical Storage
    Type CD-ROM
    Display
    Display Type 15.4 in TFT active matrix
    Max Resolution 1680 x 1050 ( WSXGA+ )
    Widescreen Display Yes
    Video
    Graphics Processor / Vendor ATI Mobility Radeon x600
    Video Memory 128 MB
    Audio
    Audio output type Sound card
    Audio output compliant standards AC '97
    Audio Input Microphone
    Input Device(s)
    Input device type Keyboard, Track stick, Touchpad
    Telecom
    Modem Fax / modem
    Max transfer rate 56 Kbps
    Protocols & Specifications ITU V.92
    Networking
    Networking Network adapter
    Data link protocol Gigabit Ethernet, Ethernet, Fast Ethernet
    Expansion / Connectivity
    Expansion Bays 1 x Front accessible
    Expansion Slots Total (Free) 1 Smart Card, 1 ( 1 ) x PC Card - Type I/II, 2 Memory
    Interfaces 1 x Microphone - Input - Mini-phone 3.5 mm, 1 x Infrared - IrDA, 1 x Display / video - S-video output, 4 x Hi-Speed USB - 4 pin USB Type A, 1 x Serial - RS-232 - 9 pin D-Sub (DB-9), 1 x Network - Ethernet 10Base-T/100Base-TX/1000Base-T - RJ-45, 1 x Display / video - VGA - 15 pin HD D-Sub (HD-15), 1 x Headphones - Output - Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm, 1 x Docking / port replicator, 1 x Modem - Phone line - RJ-11
    Miscellaneous
    Power device form factor External
    Voltage Required AC 120/230 V
    Power provided 90 Watt
    Battery
    Technology Lithium ion
    Battery capacity 7200 mAh
    Operating System / Software
    OS Provided Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
    Software Drivers & Utilities
    Manufacturer Warranty
    Service & Support 3 years warranty
    Service & Support Details Limited warranty - 3 years - On-site

  • Tabihs said on Sep 07 08 at 9:55 am:

    Portability and battery life are two of my biggest concerns abou a laptop, and then the ability to have a high enough capacity to run basic office tasks and web browsing without any noticeable computer hardware based lag. Also, the build quality of the outer shell is rather important due to the stresses of bein a constantly toted device. Right now I use a business class HP/Compaq NC4010, and evne though its hinges ocasionally have issues, its been a solid laptop

  • startbas said on Sep 07 08 at 10:05 am:

    Quite big screen, long time battery, enough free space on the hard disk, good sound card and good web card are the most important this for me, which one good laptop must have. :)

  • niv said on Sep 07 08 at 6:32 pm:

    I don't have a laptop but if I was going to buy one, the two most important issues in choosing a laptop would be weight and battery life. I mostly use my computer for little things (surfing the web and using excel and word) so I don't need a very powerful laptop.

  • Ace Frye said on Sep 13 08 at 9:52 pm:

    So, all I have to do is comment about the criteria I use when buying a laptop & I can win something from above? Sweet.

    Well, when buying a laptop (or helping someone else purchase one) - the first thing I determine is it's primary usage. This is of course key because if someone wants it for music & video they will obviously want to a quality screen & speakers. Likewise, if someone wanted a powerhouse machine to do a lot of database work on or something, I would recommend an upped CPU & RAM.

    Once I've determined the usage & what they (or I) need most, I begin to look at prices. This also includes checking out all the deals I can find, be it online, clearance, or etc. Now, price is not always the determining factor, because I like to look into the brand name's history a bit too. If it is a company not well known for laptops then I would probably go for a laptop that is a bit higher priced but from a more reliable brand.

    And, from there, I usually will have picked a good machine.

    I hope that my answer/comment fits your criteria for your contest. :-D

    Thanks,
    --JPF--

  • Tanglust said on Sep 13 08 at 10:10 pm:

    I am disabled and when the weather is very bad I need a laptop to stay in bed, read email, follow friends on twitter, and Yahoo Instant Messenger and most of all listen to my podcasts the many many podcasts I follow. So fast, music centric, ports for camera and mp3 players. Screen big enough to see keys not so small I can't type and a port for a mouse. Hows that for a comment?

  • Hank Osborne said on Sep 13 08 at 11:00 pm:

    I am with Ace. The first question is, "what will the laptop be used for and what are your accessory needs?" I will give a couple of examples of decisions I have faced.

    1 - For a stay home mom who will be surfing, checking email, and saving a ton of digital photos (doesn't like touchpads mouse):

    Look for cheap, wireless, DVD Player, and pointing stick option. You may need to look for a huge hard drive, but maybe not. I'll come back to that. You can find a good fit for this solution on auction sites or when employers cycle out and replace old machines. The last one is how I scored a $100 laptop (2 Ghz, 1 GB Ram, 40G HD). I had to add a PCMICA wireless card. As for storage, you may be able to make use of a networked server/workstation shared drive to Backup and store excess photos. This box can be a Mac, Linux or Windows machine.

    2 - Road warrior network security engineer running virtual machines on the laptop and doing extensive data gathering (packet captures and vulnerability assessments) in addition to email, browsing, and document creation/editing (including detailed network diagrams and data manipulation using spreadsheets and databases).

    Get a fast machine, with a good amount of memory and storage space. It must be fairly light weight and it MUST run Windows XP or Server 03 (MAC is a bad choice). You must run a dual boot feature with Linux or at least have a copy of Linux running in a virtual machine that executed from your hard drive. Other virtual machines are often useful, but they can be stored on removable media.

    That leads me to my final point. Don't get to wrapped around the axle on hard drive space on this machine but rather go with the largest drive that is available at the fastest speed category available on the market. For instance, I would go with a 200GB - 7200rpm/16MB Cache over a 320GB - 5400rpm/8MB cache. Hard drive performance (i.e., spindle and read/write speed, cache, etc) is one of the most overlooked performance features on PCs and laptops. As for additional space, you will likely need some removable media anyway. Removable storage is dirt cheap at less than $150 per TB. As for solid state drives, they still have some maturing to do before a serious road warrior whould trust them.

  • Ace Frye said on Sep 13 08 at 11:06 pm:

    Hank pointed out something I missed, which is the hard drive performance.

    To continue on his choice of 200GB - 7200rpm/16MB cache over a 320GB - 5400rpm/8MB cache. Someone looking to use the machine for massive data gathering would want the 200GB hard drive & for a stay at home mom with lots of pictures of kids, a 320GB hard drive is good. Speed is a definite matter, if you had a 5400rpm drive & were doing data gathering, you would run into a problem. But, the mom who can plug in the camera & go, is fine with the 5400rpm drive.

  • Ginger said on Sep 14 08 at 12:59 am:

    I am on laptop #5 or is it #6. Here are the things I look for since I practically have one growing to my lap....

    - Speed, speed, and more speed so it must have a great
    processor and a ton of RAM to support all the programs that I need to run at the same time.

    - Lightweight

    - Battery that is worth a flip (haven't found one yet)

    - Enough USB ports to satisfy my needs (usually 4+) and wide enough apart that the plugs won't interfere with one another space-wise -- on the back

    - card slots for every type of card possible or some sort of exchangable slide-in gizmo that will accomdate each size.

    - Decent mouse pad and NO stupid little nub in the middle

    - large screen

    - keyboard that can take a horrible beating

    - off/on button for Internet connection

    - built in camera

    - something that is HARD to crash.... I think my next one will be a MAC. Stop the crashes, stop the vulnerablities, stop the gaping holes that Microsoft can't shut off.

    - wireless "N" card built -in

    - More durable electrical supply cords that don't fray so quickly-- tired of black electrical tape! I would like a more secure plug in that doesn't stick out an inch too.

    - How about a false bottom for the hot air to escape so your lap isn't fried????? Even as an accessory would be good. There are all sorts of cool mats but nothing seems to be user friendly. I'd go for thicker if there was some space to allow for air flow.

    I have thought about all these things and no one seems to have them all. It is all the little things that drive me nuts so I'd love to find the brand that can satisfy ALL of my surfing needs.

    Ginger

  • Stephen said on Sep 14 08 at 4:01 am:

    Leaving a comment...cool prizes!

  • Rockstar sid said on Sep 14 08 at 5:11 am:

    awersome giveaway contest :D

  • Pangeran said on Sep 14 08 at 6:01 am:

    I own Compaq Presario V3000 series.

    Now I keep an eye on HP Tablet PC TX2500 series.

    The criteria that I'll look before buying a laptop computer is;

    1. CPU - This is the most important thing.

    2. Graphic card - Laptop is not capable to change graphic card, so better choose the best but still bound to the 1st criteria.

    3. Screen - Yeah screen.

    4. Size - The smaller, the better. But must have all feature come together as DVD-rom drive.

    5. RAM - This is upgradable, just to see what's that store offer.

    6. Hard Drive Capacities - Upgradeable, but still want a better offer from that particular store.

    7. OS - Some store just selling a Free DOS laptop where we buy our own OS. I will prefer for the one who's capable to run Windows Vista. Keep up to date man. Those store that says XP is better is just want to clear off their stock...

    There... I've finished.

  • Dana said on Sep 17 08 at 7:53 pm:

    After reading more and more about laptops (on your blog), I think I would prefer a Toshiba or a Sony Vaio. I can't decide which of these brands should I buy. I've had before a HP Pavillion and a Dell. HP was such a big mistake for me! No more Hp for me!
    I know that the life of a laptop si somewhere aroun 3 years, but I think a Toshiba makes it longer!
    Hard decision!

  • Chad said on Oct 03 08 at 5:54 am:

    I think the two things that are utterly uncompromisable are processing speed and graphics acceleration. Because If a laptop can process everything at a decent speed and display high resolution graphics, hard drive space is a distant feature as far as importance. Weight, color, and battery life are only moderately important because the color and weight of a laptop doesn't affect how it works, and most of the places I use my laptop, I have an outlet, so battery life isn't extremely important. The last but certainly not least is staying power of the laptop. Why buy a laptop that's utterly outdated in a few months?

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