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Nokia Enters Netbook Market

Nokia Enters Netbook Market

Linked by Thom Holwerda on Mon 24th Aug 2009 18:44 UTC

In what can surely be called a surprise move, Nokia has announced that it will enter the netbook market with an Atom-based netbook which will ship with Windows 7. While many of the components appear relatively normal compared to other netbooks, it does come with a few features that will set the device apart from the rest. Instant update: Ars believes this is the first Intel Pine Trail netbook.

RAM

RAM: Random Access Memory

SDRAM (Synchronous DRAM)

Almost all systems used to ship with 3.3 volt, 168-pin SDRAM DIMMs. SDRAM is not an extension of older EDO DRAM but a new type of DRAM altogether. SDRAM started out running at 66 MHz, while older fast page mode DRAM and EDO max out at 50 MHz. SDRAM is able to scale to 133 MHz (PC133) officially, and unofficially up to 180MHz or higher. As processors get faster, new generations of memory such as DDR and RDRAM are required to get proper performance.

DDR (Double Data Rate SDRAM)
DDR basically doubles the rate of data transfer of standard SDRAM by transferring data on the up and down tick of a clock cycle. DDR memory operating at 333MHz actually operates at 166MHz * 2 (aka PC333 / PC2700) or 133MHz*2 (PC266 / PC2100). DDR is a 2.5 volt technology that uses 184 pins in its DIMMs. It is incompatible with SDRAM physically, but uses a similar parallel bus, making it easier to implement than RDRAM, which is a different technology.

Rambus DRAM (RDRAM)
Despite it's higher price, Intel has given RDRAM it's blessing for the consumer market, and it will be the sole choice of memory for Intel's Pentium 4. RDRAM is a serial memory technology that arrived in three flavors, PC600, PC700, and PC800. PC800 RDRAM has double the maximum throughput of old PC100 SDRAM, but a higher latency. RDRAM designs with multiple channels, such as those in Pentium 4 motherboards, are currently at the top of the heap in memory throughput, especially when paired with PC1066 RDRAM memory.

DIMMs vs. RIMMs
DRAM comes in two major form factors: DIMMs and RIMMS.

DIMMs are 64-bit components, but if used in a motherboard with a dual-channel configuration (like with an Nvidia nForce chipset) you must pair them to get maximum performance. So far there aren't many DDR chipset that use dual-channels. Typically, if you want to add 512 MB of DIMM memory to your machine, you just pop in a 512 MB DIMM if you've got an available slot. DIMMs for SDRAM and DDR are different, and not physically compatible. SDRAM DIMMs have 168-pins and run at 3.3 volts, while DDR DIMMs have 184-pins and run at 2.5 volts.

RIMMs use only a 16-bit interface but run at higher speeds than DDR. To get maximum performance, Intel RDRAM chipsets require the use of RIMMs in pairs over a dual-channel 32-bit interface. You have to plan more when upgrading and purchasing RDRAM.

From the top: SIMM, DIMM and SODIMM memory modules

Memory Speed
SDRAM initially shipped at a speed of 66MHz. As memory buses got faster, it was pumped up to 100MHz, and then 133MHz. The speed grades are referred to as PC66 (unofficially), PC100 and PC133 SDRAM respectively. Some manufacturers are shipping a PC150 speed grade. However, this is an unofficial speed rating, and of little use unless you plan to overclock your system.

DDR comes in PC1600, PC2100, PC2700 and PC3200 DIMMs. A PC1600 DIMM is made up of PC200 DDR chips, while a PC2100 DIMM is made up of PC266 chips. PC2700 uses PC333 DDR chips and PC3200 uses PC400 chips that haven't gained widespread support. Go for PC2700 DDR. It is about the cost of PC2100 memory and will give you better performance.

RDRAM comes in PC600, PC700, PC800 and PC1066 speeds. Go for PC1066 RDRAM if you can find it. If you can't, PC800 RDRAM is widely available.

Older memory types
Fast Page Mode DRAM
Fast Page Mode DRAM is plain old DRAM as we once knew it. The problem with standard DRAM was that it maxes out at about 50 MHz.

EDO DRAM
EDO DRAM gave people up to 5% system performance increase over DRAM. EDO DRAM is like FPM DRAM with some cache built into the chip. Like FPM DRAM, EDO DRAM maxes out at about 50 MHz. Early on, some system makers claimed that if you used EDO DRAM you didn't need L2 cache in your computer to get decent performance. They were wrong. It turns out that EDO DRAM works along with L2 cache to make things even faster, but if you lose the L2 cache, you lose a lot of speed.

How Much Computer Memory Do You Need?

The easiest ways to boost performance for any PC is to add memory (RAM) to the system. Before purchasing that memory upgrade, however, remember to verify what type of memory your computer uses, the memory module sizes and what already exists in the system. If you are buying a new system, look for the maximum RAM available.

To give you some idea of RAM requirements, according to a 2009 www.pcstats.com article, Windows Vista Basic requires a minimum of 512MB, though they advise that realistically, that number should be doubled.

No need to spend money on extra RAM that your system cannot utilize. You can easily check the specifications of the system you are considering by asking how much memory is already installed, and what the maximum memory capacity is for the system.

When buying a computer or laptop, the available memory on that system should be a primary consideration, because the more you do, the more memory you need! The applications you use dictate how much memory you need for the best possible performance, the smoothest graphics and the speediest downloads.

RAM is used every time you open an application, download, play a game or video – even turning on your computer requires RAM. Peripherals such as webcams, digital cameras, DVD players and USB harddrives require more RAM. These requirements, coupled with complicated web pages and PC-based video games may surprise you in that you have significantly less RAM than you thought. Therefore, buy the most RAM you can afford; more RAM makes for a speedier computer. Today, available PC systems range from 512MB (which is the bare minimum) to 4GB of memory.

If you already have a computer and are considering a memory upgrade, review the manuals that came with your computer or motherboard. Included in the documentation are the specifications for the memory supported. This is important because it will list exactly the type, size and number of memory modules that are supported.

The Different Computer Problems And The Ways To Avoid Them

Slowing down of processing speed - lack of maintenance
Computers need to be regularly checked and maintained for corrupted registry, spyware, and loading of unnecessary programs that eat much of your pc's memory.

Increasing the running time of your computer may involve cleaning up its registry and managing the programs.

Frozen screens are another annoyance. Imagine doing something important and then the computer suddenly stops responding. While this problem may not be easy to diagnose, spyware or virus may be responsible for this. Updating your anti-spyware software is one way to prevent this problem.

Computer virus protection is another extremely useful feature of most computers. This software detects and eliminates computer viruses that may attack your system. Thus, it prevents possible computer virus induced damage.

If no virus or spyware is found, or if they are checked and fixed, and still your pc unit freezes, then check if you have updated your hardware drives. Another cause may be insufficient memory. Thus, upgrading the RAM is another solution to increase computer power.

On some instances, your pc keeps rebooting repeatedly. This is mainly a hard drive problem. Check the power supply in this case. If the cooling fan of your pc does not work properly, your computer may reboot unexpectedly. Dust accumulation in your unit may cause build up of heat that leads to computer failure.

Other components may be subject to occasional failures. For instance, printers may not print. In this case, check power supply and connections. If it is loosely connected to the unit then that may be the problem. Jammed paper inside the printer may also be a culprit. Check printer settings. In some instances, you may need to install the printer software again.

The bottom line of this is basically maintenance of your computer because this is the way to keep it working properly for long. However, you may quite benefit well with computer disaster recovery to back up files and data so everything is secure during emergency cases.

5 Netbooks To Look Out For

Choosing the top 5 netbooks of your choice is pretty tough. The market is now flourished with an excellent range of new netbooks which are portable and easy to use. Time is an important factor in today`s world. Every minute of your life is valuable.

The new designs of the top five netbooks are very lucrative and the price is surely going to impress the buyers. A quick look at the 5 netbooks will give you a clear idea about the features and functionalities of this unique gadget:

To begin with let`s take a closer view at the Acer Aspire

One which has an Intel Atom 270 processor with a 1 GB RAM. The best factor of this notebook is its secondary SD which increases its storage. The slim body is painted with lively colours. The Acer aspire one is one of the most commonly used notebooks. Acer aspire does not have Bluetooth

and its battery life is quite low.

Second is the Asus Eee PC 901. Multitouch touchpad is its unique feature. Battery life of this notebook is exceptionally good. The notebook has in built Bluetooth and wireless radio. The notebook has a glossy finish and a gorgeous look. Spiffy in performance and easy to use, Asus Eee PC 901 is one of the most recommendable notebooks.

The third in line among is acquired by the Asus Eee PC 1000H. The 10.2 inch screen and the extremely comfortable keyboards are the two best features of this notebook. The notebook is ideal for those who have to work even while touring. Excellent battery life paired with Intel atom CPU

makes it a wonderful package.


The HP Compaq 2133 with a VIA processor is another wonderful netbook. Inexpensive, portable, and a broad keyboard are its main feature. It is considered to be among the best of mini netbooks. The battery life is not much impressive but still it attracts buyers for its excellent functionality and portable size. The notebook is claimed to have the best keyboard.


The MSI wind netbook is teh next. The notebook posses a large screen and battery life is pretty good if not excellent. There is no integrated BG but the keyboard is amazing. The device is one of the most recommended notebooks across the globe. Dealers and buyers both claim that MSI wind is the best notebook available in the market.

You can have access to articles about notebooks in portuguese language from page Notebook

Roberto Sedycias works as IT consultant for Polomercantil

Notebook

Aside from having a higher cost, notebooks have a screen size of 12 to 17 inches and were capable of running multiple applications and can handle heavy applications. Able to perform heavy work load and has longer battery life than netbook.

Optical drives (CD/DVD Rom) are standard features of a notebook. Most notebooks do not have problem with any other version of Windows while most netbooks can easily run Windows XP and Linux but will need more power to run Vista and Windows 7.

A notebook is basically a compressed PC, having the same power with that of a desktop PC in a smaller package. It can do almost everything that a desktop PC can do. Notebooks are also powered by the same processors that PC have nowadays. For now, the most obvious and true advantage of notebooks over netbooks lies in performance.

Netbook

[Introduction]
A Netbook is a new type of laptop computer, defined by size, price, horsepower, and operating system. They are small, cheap, under-powered, and run either an old or unfamiliar operating system.

Netbook is a fully functional laptop with a display ranging from 8-to-10-inch, so they are all easy to carry around. Weigh from 2 to 3 pounds which mobile users will find very handy, and sport keyboards sized from 80 percent to 95 percent of normal.

Almost most models have several USB ports, a webcam, card reader, built-in Wi-Fi and integrated speakers running on 1GB of system memory depending on the operating system they were pre-installed with.

Vast majority of netbooks run on the Intel Atom platform. Typically, netbooks does not come with optical drives or CD/DVD-Roms .

[Price]
Price-wise, Netbooks start at about (all prices are rounded off and approximate) $299 for a Linux-based model and $329 for an XP-based machine.

Several netbooks comes with Express Card slot, which can expand port and wireless capabilities. The storage capacity of hard drives should be a minimum of 80GB but there are others that comes with as high as 160GB. Expanding your storage capacity is not a big problem nowadays since you can easily buy an external hard drive if you need extra disk space. For frequent travelers, the battery that comes with netbooks should also be considered. Consider buying an extra battery with 6-cell unit for a longer standby time.

[Operating Systems]
Netbooks run either Windows XP Home edition or Linux (not only is Linux unfamiliar to many, but the versions of Linux on Netbooks are not the mainstream popular distributions).

They do not run XP Professional, Vista, or OS X. Microsoft arbitrarily restricts Netbooks from running the Professional Edition of Windows XP.

Likewise, Apple arbitrarily restricts OS X to Apple hardware and it has never played in the low-end realm that Netbooks occupy.

Vista requires too much horsepower to run well on a Netbook.

HP has been the only company to offer Vista on a Netbook.

The price, however, was so high that it's debatable whether such a machine qualifies as a Netbook.

Despite a huge proliferation of Netbook models, these specs seem to be standard:

• Screen resolution 1024x600
• Intel Atom CPU running at 1.6-GHz
• Wi-Fi B and G
• Ethernet at 100Mbps
• A slot for a flash RAM memory card
• External VGA output jack
• Integrated graphics
• Two or three USB ports
• Built-in camera
• Headphone and microphone jacks

Overall, netbooks are great for small to medium workloads. There are other factors to consider beside the clear fact that netbooks are much cheaper than notebooks such as processing speed, video acceleration and the screen resolution which comes at 1024 x 600 dpi. Check the viewing angles and crispness of image. Every network, due to its size has undersized keyboard but there are some that have bigger ones. Make sure that you are comfortable using the keyboard especially when you do a lot of typing.

SanDisk ImageMate® All-in-One USB 2.0 Reader

[Style]
Sleekly style

[Easy]
Press the transfer button on top of the reader to automatically launch your favourite application or website when transferring or editing your files.

[Hastle]
Transfer your files to your PC quickly, easily and safely with this USB reader. No Hastle.

[Adapter]
The All-in-One Reader works with all popular types of memory cards, without the need for an adapter.

[Speed]
With read/write speeds of up to 34MB/s, this is one of the fastest USB 2.0 readers you can find.

[Look]
The included metal stand lets you easily detach the reader and slip it into your notebook bag. All-in-One reader, sleekly styled to look great on your desk.

Laptops Skin Basics

In this materialistic world, nowadays everything is very complex and competitive and unfortunately most people don’t have enough time for entertainment and enjoyment activities in their spare time. Therefore, the only form of entertainment they know is watching movies, listening to music, playing computer games and other such activities that offer them moments of happiness and enjoyment. People want their devices unique. They want to see everything outstanding from others.

The good news for laptop users is that they can easily add laptop skins to their technological devices to provide unique and outstanding looks for their laptops. There is a variety of skins available on the market and one of the most popular is the wii skin.

Various laptop users want to design their laptop skins with stylish looks and, as a consequence, many laptop skins are introduced in the market by different companies so that users can fulfill their desires.

These laptop skins will make your laptop stand out in the crowd and at the same time you will save your device from dust particles and scratches which usually occur when the laptop is used on a daily basis. These unique and customized skins will convey your computer a unique style, being made from thin, elastic materials that are easy to install and remove.

Moreover, laptop skins are available in all sizes and shapes and if the laptop is big, you can trim the skin according to your needs. Usually, a laptop skin lasts for about six months but if you use your laptop only at home it will definitely last you longer.

To conclude, although laptop skins do not get too much attention from all laptop users, there are still people who appreciate the design and the beauty of a quality skin.

What are opendns servers and how can they improve your surfing experience ?

We all are always searching for ways to improve the speed of the internet connection. We might be using a dial-up connection, a DSL connection or any other connection we want it to be even faster. The basic thing about DNS servers is “THEY RESOLVE THE HOST NAME TO A SPECIFIC IP ADDRESS”.

When we enter a web address in our browser (kannani.blogspot.com), our browser doesn’t know where the site kannani is located.

To find the specific address of the site in terms of IP address, the DNS server is contacted first which converts the hostname (kannani.blogspot.com) to ip address (209.85.225.191) which is the exact address of the server which is hosting the site.

In order to be able to retrieve the IP adress fast, the DNS servers i.e the computers which do the conversion must be fast enough but the DNS servers that our ISP's' provide are not fast enough.

This is where OpenDNS comes into action. OpenDNS provides a reliable and faster DNS service and the best thing is it is totally free. They are having their DNS servers located all over the world from which the server which is located near you will be used to resolve your DNS queries.

OpenDNS

The steps to use the DNS servers of OpenDNS are very easy.

In windows XP,

from the Start Menu > Control Panel > Network and Internet Connections.
It would list out the options for Internet and Network connections options.
Then select Network Connections option.
It would open up a window, listing out ur existing connections.
Right click any of ur connections and select the properties of the connection you are using,
then scroll down to the bottom of the General Tab,
where you will find the Internet Protocol (TCP/IP).
Click the properties button.
This would open Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) properties,
under General Tab, Select the radio button
"Use the following DNS Server Addresses",
following which change the values of the DNS servers to manual
(if its initially automatic) and set the values to-

208.67.222.222
208.67.220.220

OpenDNS not only provides a faster DNS service but also protects us from pishing sites, sites containing malware etc. You can even set shortcuts to your favourite sites and block unwanted sites if your family has children.

7 Points to Ponder Before U Purchase a Computer

The decision to by a new desktop computer or a laptop

is not a hugely expensive proposition. You need to have adequate knowledge about the ins and outs of buying a computer because it can save you both time and money, as well as spare you with the hassles and loss of productivity when you make the wrong choice. Consider some of these points when purchasing a new desktop or laptop computer.

Budget

How much can you afford to spend? Given today’s economic crisis, this is the single most important question when buying. Just because there are many financing methods in purchasing a computer, it doesn’t mean you can buy the really expensive ones. Unless you are confident you can pay for it, do not bother choosing credit over cash again. Determine the right budget for your computer, and have the willpower to stay within that budget.

Function

What is the computer for? Think about your personal intended function. A businessman/ woman may have different ideals about his/ her computer from that of a college student. A teenager may want a computer built for hours and hours of fun with computer games, while a filmmaker may want to have an enormous storage space for his movie files. Some models have functions that you do not need and will add to the cost. A laptop with all the features and hi-tech accessories may seem cool, but you may just be wasting your hard-earned dollars.

Ergonomics

How does it feel when you use it? Are you comfortable with its size and weight? Do your fingers fit perfectly unto the keyboard? Make sure the laptop makes it easy for you to use. Just as you need to test drive a car, you need to test type your computer.

Finance

There are many sad stories about people being trapped in high interest finance arrangements, as well horror stories about fraudulent acts done by unscrupulous financiers. Avoid this by entering into completely legitimate dealerships. Even if the interest rate would be higher than the usual, make sure you will be dealing with safe financiers. After all, u cant put a price tag on security.

Warranty

How long is the warranty period? Obviously, you would want a longer period. Many people do not realize how important the warranty is until the day the computer needs to be repaired, and often it’s already too late as the warranty has expired. Read the fine print and don’t hesitate to ask questions with your dealer. Make sure you get a good deal from the warranty. Take advantage of it; you might regret it when it expires.

Accessories

What comes with the computer? Some dealerships offer additional accessories like a printer, speakers, or head phones. You better get a hold of these sweet deals because they will provide the best value for your money.

User reviews

Finally, how did other people find your computer of choice? Visit the web and read your computer’s reviews. This way you would have an idea of what people think of the brand you intend to purchase, and hopefully the reviews would aid you further in your decision.