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When less is more
As happy as I am to use a notebook, the Realtek HD audio chipset is quite a headache. I was getting error messages in programs that have been well behaved on other computers.
One such was Magix MP3 Maker. I like this software for the decent list of web radio stations and the Mufin functionality. (Nothing to do with children's television, this is a clever playlist generator that works with the audio data rather than tags that may or may not be correctly filled in.)
Sadly every time I tried to start MP3 Maker I got a DirectSound error and no audio, disappointing for an audio player.
Now the Realtek chipset in my notebook has two outputs. An ordinary line out and an optical digital output. I don't have any digital devices so I disabled that output last night. It's very simple. Right-click on the loudspeaker icon in the Notification Area and then left-click on Playback Devices. Right-click on the Digital output and left-click on Disable.
I started MP3 Maker again, and all worked perfectly. I sometimes wonder if there are other devices that can be safely disabled to fix problems or improve performance. I tend to disable wireless when I'm connected. This is mostly to reduce the time to recharge the battery, though I'm sure it won't hurt not to have the radio transmitting all the time.
Of course, disabling devices is one thing but there are times when you want to re-enable them again. Wireless on a notebook is simple because there is normally a keyboard shortcut or switch. The sound device dialogue is also quite straightforward. Right-click on an empty part of the Playback devices window and then left-click on Show disabled devices. The device can then be re-enabled by right-clicking on the faded icon and selecting Enable.
Acer Aspire One now £219 inc VAT
Acer has confirmed to Computeractive that the price of its tiny Aspire One notebook will start from £219 inc VAT, not £199 as previously announced.
Five versions of the notebook will be available, at the following prices (inc VAT):
- Linux, 8GB SSD, 512MB RAM, £219.99
- Linux, 120GB HDD, 512MB RAM, £229.99
- Linux, 120GB HDD, 1GB RAM, £249.99
- XP Home, 120GB HDD, 512MB RAM, £279.99
- XP Home, 120GB HDD, 1GB RAM, £299.99
Acer Aspire One: first impressions
You wait ten years for an affordable but tiny notebook, and then three show up at once: hot on the heels of MSI's Wind and the Asus Eee 901, Acer's Aspire One has arrived in the lab. Like the Wind and 901, it's an Atom-powered mini notebook, but at £199 for the entry-level Linux model it's significantly cheaper.
First impressions are good: the 1,024x600 display is fine for web surfing, and the keyboard is larger and more usable than that of the the Eee 901. One clever feature is the second memory card slot: put a card in there, and its capacity is automatically added to that of the main SSD storage. The 2200mAh battery is rather small, but Acer's representative tells us that a six-cell version, that should run for seven hours, will cost £79.99.
As with the Eee 901, look out for the full Computeractive review and verdict soon.
Eee 901: XP and Linux versions £319
Asus dropped into the office to confirm the details of the forthcoming Eee 901 mini-notebook PC. Launching on the 1st of July, both the XP and Linux versions will cost £319 (less than the current Eee 900), with the significant difference being a 20GB SSD on the Linux model and 12GB on the XP version. Both use a 1.6GHz Intel Atom processor, 1GB of memory and will include a 6600mAh battery and Bluetooth.
First impressions of the 901 are good: it's similarly sized to the original Eee 701, with a curvier body holding the (larger, higher resolution) display and (similarly small) keyboard. Interestingly, Asus's Helen Ling predicted that plenty of 901s would be available at launch, telling us that "we don't have a problem with Atom supply". MSI was far more cautious when discussing its forthcoming Atom-powered Wind notebook, due for £329.
We'll bring you a full review in Computeractive very soon.
Second-hand computers
It's not always neccessary, in computers, to get the latest and greatest. That might sound strange in an industry that's so geared towards the novel and the cutting edge, and it's true that if you're a gamer or you're into video editing, for instance, you do need a very powerful computer.
But for many people who just want to do word processing and check their emails, it's possible to get away with spending less than you think. Obviously prices of new PCs are dropping sharply in any case, but even then the second-hand market is worth checking out.
There's eBay, of course. There are plenty of second-hand computers on sale, but of course, the usual caveats apply about checking the provenance of what you're being sold, and making sure the seller is legitimate. The seller's feedback rating can provide some of that, but even then you may be without a warranty.
One way around that is a refurbished computer - when people send in theirs for repairs under the warranty, if it can't fix them the company will send out a new one, then refurbish the old one and sell it on at a discount. A number of manufacturers sell their own refurbished kit on in this way (Dell refurbished store, Apple refurbished store).
Some of them sell their refurbished stock on to other companies who sell it for them, such as Euro PC, MCS and Morgan Computers (Morgan has offices in London, Manchester and Derby, while Euro PC has a shop in Glasgow). It's possible to pick up excellent bargains at these shops if you know what you're looking for, and not just for computers - they sell monitors, projectors, music players and cameras, among other things.
Finally, some of the bigger shops run their own clearance sales - both Comet and Currys run auctions of 'clearance' products. Those tend to be the same deal - refurbished products that have come in for warranty repairs, or that have been used by customers and then returned. Of course, both of those retailers sell lots of products other than computers, so there are plenty of electrical and electronics bargains to be had.
Windows XP boot CDs
A Windows XP disc is a very useful thing to have on hand when things go wrong with a computer. Unfortunately, most computers are not supplied with Windows CDs in an effort to reduce piracy. Who says this is a victimless crime?
All is not lost thankfully as it is apparently possible to create a bootable disc using the files stored on the computer.
This looks very useful for me as I have a computer in desperate need of a fresh install. After six years, it's starting to get rather cluttered, not least after a work experience lad was let loose on it for a week.
A novel way of cooling a notebook
Though I've never burnt myself with a notebook, the heat can still be uncomfortable. There are plenty of stands around such as the amps Lapguard or the Laprest but a gentleman named Ron Brinkmann has come up with a novel solution, a hot water bottle.
There's a certain amount of logic to the idea. Water is a great way of moving heat around (if it's good enough for nuclear power stations, I think it's safe to assume it will work for a notebook). Perhaps it shouldn't need saying but I would imagine that this works best with plain hot water bottles. Cute sheep or cat faux hair may impair the cooling abilities somewhat.
The only disadvantage I can think of right away is trying to explain to my wife why I am trying to crush ice cubes to fit into a hot water bottle. Maybe just putting it into the freezer to start with would be a better idea.
Software for Windows Mobile
The rise of SmartPhones means that more and more of us have amazingly capable devices that do nothing more making calls.
Finding software for mobile devices can be a little tricky - it's back to my old problem of trust. I've got all my contacts on my phone, am I really happy installing other software. The Windows Mobile Owners Circle is a very good place to start.
There is plenty of software to be found from Photo Contacts* to a mobile widgets program called Zumobi. I'm also intrigued by Viigo, a mobile RSS reader.
* I have a terrible memory for faces so this would be very useful. I'm just not sure if I'd be willing to take people's photos when we first meet.
Hot notebooks
Notebooks are just about as popular as desktops now. Even if you don't want to use the computer on the move (and popular opinion seems to suggest about 80% of notebooks never leave the desk), they save space and can be hidden away when not in use.
There is one big drawback, heat. With all the components crammed in together so tightly it is harder to keep any kind of air flow around the processor and graphics cards. With a dual Geforce2Go notebook, such as I'm using now, that presents a bit of problem.
As the day progresses the keyboard starts to get hotter and hotter. Eventually I have had to connect a separate keyboard to the notebook. There are various notebook coolers around that have fans to help with cooling.
I've often worried that this may reduce the life of the notebook compared to a desktop but thankfully this does not seem to have been the case. In fact, now I get more worried about the temperature of the power supply. Sometimes this gets too hot to touch comfortably, but I'm not sure of any way to cool these down.
No password safer than weak password?!
I couldn't quite believe the headline Set a Blank Password in Windows XP To Protect the Computer from Internet Attacks but it seems that there might actually be something in this.
If there is no password on an account it cannot be accessed over the network or internet. There is still the question of physical security but this is less of a problem at home. Unless you want to run parental controls software. Or your house is broken into, as we heard in an email into the office a couple of days ago.
Given that most people end up using simple passwords for an easy life, this advice is fairly good. But I would still recommend people to create a strong password (upper and lower case, numbers and even extra characters like !"£$% if allowed).
And never, ever, ever leave a notebook without a password when out and about.
