Dec
26

Review MSI CR640 Sandy Bridge All Purpose Laptop

admin on December 26th, 2011

MSI CR640 Sandy Bridge laptop review

MSI CR640 Sandy Bridge laptop doesn’t creak or feel flimsy when you pick it up from the edges, and it’s reasonably comfortable to use on your lap, especially as it doesn’t get warm after prolonged periods of use.

MSI CR640 Sandy Bridge laptop

  • Category: Hardware / Notebooks / All Purpose
  • Price: $799.00
  • Rating (out of 5): 3.75

The MSI CR640 is a desktop replacement notebook with good speed and battery life. It’s a good choice for students, families and budget shoppers who want a laptop that will be quick when processing office, Web, and multimedia tasks. It looks nice and has good features (such as USB 3.0), but we wish it had a screen that wasn’t reflective and that it had a better touchpad.

What’s hot

  • Intel 2nd Generation Core CPU and graphics
  • Good battery life
  • USB 3.0, under $1000

What’s not

  • Glossy screen
  • Touchpad feels irritating
  • keyboard could be better

Introducing the MSI CR640 Sandy Bridge laptop

Intel’s 2nd Generation Core (Sandy Bridge) CPU has found its way into MSI’s latest CR640 notebook, giving it excellent speed and good Dell inspiron 1545 battery life. The CR640 is a 15.6in notebook that costs under $1000 and it sports a nice design as well as a decent range of mod-cons. Some may be annoyed by its glossy screen and textured touchpad (we were), but overall, it’s a notebook that offers good value for money.

Coming in at around 2.5kg, the MSI CR640 isn’t what you would call light, but its weight is evenly distributed and the laptop has a conventional design. This means it can be relatively comfortably carried in a backpack, for example, and its long battery life will allow you to use it while outdoors or commuting. For the most part, though, it’s best suited as a desktop replacement.

Design and features

The chassis design of the CR640 is different from the CR620 that we reviewed last year. It has a ‘start’ button on its side rather than a power button above the keyboard; its ports are located on the sides and there aren’t any at the back; and the touchpad has been redesigned. We like the look and feel of the CR640 better than the CR620: It doesn’t creak or feel flimsy when you pick it up from the edges, and it’s reasonably comfortable to use on your lap, especially as it doesn’t get warm after prolonged periods of use.

The keyboard has isolated keys and it feels comfortable to type on for the most part, but the keys do have a little too much resistance, so you have to hit them firmly. We like the large palmrest area, but we’re not fans of the touchpad. The touchpad has a circular, patterned texture that irritated us. We’d prefer a smooth touchpad.

The screen has a native resolution of 1366×768, which is standard for an inexpensive laptop, and it has a very glossy coating, which is also typical for a budget notebook. Reflections from light sources will be very visible if you use low screen brightness and are viewing dark images, for example. One feature that’s present that other inexpensive laptops don’t have is an ambient light sensor. This worked well in our tests, maximising the brightness when in a bright room and toning it down in a darkened room.

Around the edges of the chassis, you will find a DVD burner, an SD card slot, HDMI, VGA, Gigabit Ethernet, microphone and headphone ports. There are four USB ports, two of which are USB 3.0. You also get a webcam, 802.11n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

Performance and specifications

On the inside, the CR640 features a 2.3GHz Intel Core i5 2410M CPU, which has two cores, Hyper-Threading, and a 2.9GHz Turbo Boost frequency, and it features integrated Intel HD Graphics 3000. Surrounding this CPU are 4GB of DDR3 SDRAM and a 500GB, 5400rpm hard drive. Compared to other 2nd Generation Core laptops we have reviewed, such as the Dell Latitude E5520, Sony VAIO SB Series and Sony VAIO CB Series, the MSI’s speed is great.

The CR640 recorded times of 44sec and 53sec in the Blender 3D rendering and iTunes MP3 encoding tests, respectively, and these results are better than what the comparably configured VAIO SB Series recorded. Furthermore, the MSI was quicker in the video transcoding test, taking only 55min to convert a DVD file into a 1.5GB Xvid file. This is even faster than the VAIO SB Series, which has a slightly faster CPU.

So you can see that when it comes to handling media and CPU-intensive tasks, the MSI is not a letdown. Its hard drive performance was also quite good in our tests, recording a transfer rate of 30.28 megabytes per second (MBps) in our tests, which is a little higher than we expected. The notebook’s graphics performance relies on the integrated Intel HD Graphics 3000 in the Sandy Bridge CPU, and it provides adequate grunt for running mainstream games such as StarCraft II and World of Warcraft at low resolution and detail levels. It recorded a mark of 3927 in 3Dmark06, which is about 2500 marks off what a mainstream notebook with a dedicated graphics card (such as the afore-mentioned Sony VAIO CB, which has an AMD Radeon HD 6630M adapter) can achieve.

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Battery life

Because the CR640 uses the Intel CPU’s integrated graphics exclusively, its battery life is longer than a typical 15.6in laptop using first-generation Intel Core battery technology can achieve. In our rundown test, in which we disable power management, enable Wi-Fi, maximise screen brightness and loop an Xvid-encoded video, the CR640 lasted 3hr 50min. We haven’t seen such endurance from a desktop replacement–style notebook before, and it means you’ll be able to spend quality time away from a power outlet. The standard battery has six cells and a 4400 milliamp per hour (mAh) rating.

Conclusion

With a good combination of performance, battery life and features, the MSI CR640 is a versatile laptop. It can be used as a desktop replacement, yet its long battery life also allows it to be used away from an outlet for almost four hours. We’re not fans of its glossy screen and textured touchpad. We were given a retail rice of $799 for this model, but the only online store (Modtech Computers) listing it at the time of writing had it for over $850, which still isn’t a bad deal considering what you’re getting.

The final word

The MSI CR640 is a desktop replacement notebook with good speed and Toshiba pa3395u-1brs laptop battery life. It’s a good choice for students, families and budget shoppers who want a laptop that will be quick when processing office, Web, and multimedia tasks. It looks nice and has good features (such as USB 3.0), but we wish it had a screen that wasn’t reflective and that it had a better touchpad.

Summary specifications

  • Screen resolution: 1366×768
  • Screen size: 15.6in
  • RAM: 4GB
  • Processor: Intel Core i5-2410M 2.3GHz
  • Hard drive storage: 500 GB
  • Warranty length: 24 months
  • Wired terminals/ports: 3.5mm headphone jack, Gigabit Ethernet, HDMI, Microphone, USB 2.0, USB 3.0, VGA (D-sub)
  • Wireless technology supported: Bluetooth, Wireless 802.11b, Wireless 802.11g, Wireless 802.11n
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Dec
23

Acer Aspire Ethos 8951G Review

admin on December 23rd, 2011
Overview
Vexatious touch pad and limp speakers aside, the 8951G is rather good. As long as you stay away from Acer‘s Clear Fi software, you’ll likely get some enjoyment out of this laptop.

The good

  • Touch pad can be removed and used as media remote
  • Battery life is very good for a laptop of this size
  • Great performance

The bad

Just when we’d thought multimedia laptops had lost traction, in comes the positively giant Acer Aspire Ethos 8951G.

This 18.4-inch, 1920×1080 monster’s major unique selling point is that you can pop the touch pad out to become a remote control, allowing you to watch movies at a comfortable distance, but still have control.

Press a button on the top right of the touch pad and logos light up on the right-hand side, giving you shortcuts to the music and video players in Acer’s included Clear.fi software. At this stage, you still have some space to mouse around, but press it again, and your touch pad becomes a full media remote, lighting up play, fast forward buttons and the like, while taking up the entire space.

It’s a great idea in theory, not so much in practice. The cursor is a little laggy when the touch pad is used as a wireless remote, which is fine and to be expected. What’s not so great is that when you plug it back into the laptop, the lag still exists, which suggests the touch pad is permanently wireless, with the metal contacts that the touch pad connects with in the base is used purely for charging its battery.

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There are also no options for the touch-pad driver, the clearly unfinished software making us suspicious that it might be a Sentelic pad. At the time of writing, Acer had also failed to put touch-pad drivers on its website.

Acer’s Clear.fi software is a decent effort at a media centre, but is ruined by the software forcing the touch pad into media mode every time you play something, neglecting to take into account users who just want to use the touch pad as a mouse.

Despite a battery-style hump at the back, the Acer extensa 5220 battery pack isn’t removable. Even if you open the laptop up, it’s barely accessible, meaning that this will absolutely have to go back to a service centre should your battery fail. This is a serious downside for such a large, high-power laptop — the most likely candidate for purchasing a spare battery.

If you do open up the laptop, you’ll find two spare DIMM slots for expanding memory, along with an empty mini-PCIe slot to do with whatever you please, one of the bonuses of having extra room to play with.

Audio is helped by an included subwoofer, something that’s always welcome. Sadly, the speakers attenuate if volume gets too loud, killing any dramatic effect dynamics may have in music. The included Dolby software goes some way to dialling down this attenuation, but it never really goes away. We found turning off all the options in the Dolby panel improved sound quality markedly, but then we lost a lot of volume. We’d prefer vendors to put in good speakers rather than look to software to fill the hole.

The included Dolby software allows the user to change the level of attenuation, but it never really goes away, leaving crashing rock to sound distant and limp — it’s best just to turn everything off in the Dolby panel that way the sound isn’t screwed with. Sadly, this also means volume is lost. We’d love for vendors to stop screwing with licensed software solutions, and just put in good speakers already.

Connectivity is plentiful as one would expect for a laptop of this size: four USB 2.0 ports, one USB 2.0 + eSATA port, HDMI, VGA, 5.1 sound out, FireWire 400, gigabit Ethernet, an SD card reader, Blu-ray writer, and the typical Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.

Internally, things are quite powerful, with a Core i7 2630QM, GeForce GT 555M, 120GB Intel X-25M G2 SSD, a secondary 750GB HDD and 8GB RAM. This isn’t a laptop to be trifled with.

Despite having near identical specs, the N55 outdoes the Aspire on a few benchmarks. Technically, Acer should have the advantage here with its SSD, but the laptops trade advantages over our battery of tests. Speaking of HP probook 4510s extended laptop battery…

Considering the size and performance of the 8951G, Acer’s battery does very, very well. This is one monster than can actually survive being away from the wall.

Vexatious touch pad and limp speakers aside, the 8951G is rather good. As long as you stay away from Acer’s Clear.fi software, you’ll likely get some enjoyment out of this one.

See Also

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Dec
22

The Pulse: HP ENVY 15 and ENVY 17

admin on December 22nd, 2011

HP has been through some rough waters lately, with questions surrounding its commitment in the area of smartphones and rumors swirling about related to its PC business. While all of this is great fodder for the industry pundits and competition, one thing can be said about HP with great conviction: The company knows how to wrap innovation around computer systems.

Last month, HP unveiled its ENVY 15 and ENVY 17 notebooks, extending a brand that some say borrows heavily from the design of the Apple MacBook Pro. These latest systems may walk the MacBook walk, but they also include a lot of HP-exclusive design elements, including a gleaming black, silver and red chassis that calls to mind some classic art deco sculpturing.

As noted in a First Look posted on NotebookReview last month, The ENVY 15 and ENVY 17 notebooks lack little when it comes to available features, ranging from a slot-loading optical disc drive and two SuperSpeed USB 3.0 ports to an SD card slot, HDMI port and Gigabit Ethernet.

These features and the new design specs of the ENVY 15 and 17 have not been overlooked by the people who post comments and criticisms on NotebookReview’s Discussion Forums, with remarks ranging from the very positive to the not so flattering. The following is a quick sampling of the chatter traffic, presented as our first entry in The Pulse, a recurring feature that profiles the comments from some of the busiest threads in our Discussion Forums.

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Both systems look pretty good overall, says Forum member MidnightSun, a highly active contributor who has been involved in NBR’s Forums since Nov. 2008. “I feel like they’re sort of in-between the new Elitebooks and Pavilion lineup from an aesthetics point of view. The red trim is quite subtle unlike some other laptops (latest Dell Latitudes, every other MSI gaming laptop, etc.

On the other hand, I wish they could’ve lost the optical drive on the Envy 15 as they did on the last generation and added more ports, a larger battery, second internal HDD bay, or even more cooling. There’s so much potential for all that wasted space, and I think the first Envy 15 really recognized and addressed that quite well.”

Battery capabilities was also on the mind of Mitlov, another prolific NBR Forum member, who says, “HP historically has put good GPUs in the Envy models. Good battery life is more of a question, considering how shockingly short the currently Envy 17′s battery life is. But, then again, the Vaio SE (without the sheet battery) isn’t setting any records either.

“I think the Envy 15 with the upgraded screen is going to really give models like the Vaio SE and the Samsung Series 7 a run for their money. Besides,  the more competition the better in my book.

Newbie member amb980 wasn’t too enthralled by the look and feel of the new Envy notebooks, and came down hard on the design aspects of the systems.  “Suppose I’ll reserve final judgment until I see these in person, but based on the photos, I’m pretty disappointed by the design. The early Envy 13/14/15/17 had a bit of a unique look, whereas these are just out-and-out MacBook Pro photocopies– even the metal colors and touchpad finish have been changed to match, along with a cheap Pavilion-like black screen cover.

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“They’re not the sleekest machines by any means, but at least the earlier models used curves and tapered surfaces to reduce visual impact,” amb9800 continues.  “The flat edges on these, combined with the speaker grille, makes them look like a cross between a MacBook Pro and a Compaq closeout special from a few years ago…I think HP’s dropped The Ball on this by trying to clone MBPs of the past.”

NBR Forum member Baloney, who is also a computer consultant, is more pragmatic in criticisms, questioning each system’s true weight and battery capacity.  “Remember how the Envy 14′s 5-hour battery life wasn’t QUITE 5 hours for most people?  Something around 3-4 hours?  I think this computer is a little too good to be true at that price. I mean, who would buy a MacBook Pro if this is available?

“Unless you NEED OS X, I don’t see any advantage the MBP (MacBook Pro) has over this except the unibody and trackpad – that is, as long as it has better graphics than the old 14 did. The 6630M was pathetic. If the new Envy 15 has, say, a 6850M there would be very little reason for buying a MacBook Pro.“

Aspernatio, another relative newcomer to the NBR Forums, seems to sit squarely on the fence when it comes to the debate between the new Envy systems and the Apple MacBookPro.  “Frankly, in terms of looks I think (Envy is) absolutely fantastic. My only real worries are the possibility of the top being made of plastic, the touch pad being terrible, the GPU being under powered for my needs, and the Dell latitude d630 laptop battery life not being too great.

“In terms of comparison to the MBP, I would probably go for the MBP were it not for the cost. But, I’ll probably be ordering the Envy on December 7th regardless, as it should hopefully not fall short in too many of those categories.

For more comments, quips and questions, please go to the HP’s New ENVY 15 and ENVY 17 First Look: Good Design and 3D discussion thread on the NotebookReview Forum, where you’ll find expert observation on a range of topics related to both consumer and business computing. Also, watch for future postings of The Pulse where we have our finger on the talk and tempo from the Forum communities across the TechnologyGuide sites.

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Dec
21

Full Review HP EliteBook 8460p Business Laptop

admin on December 21st, 2011

Pros
The sturdy HP EliteBook can be configured with a battery life of up to 32 hours.

Cons
This model does not include the 10-button numeric keypad.

The Verdict
ExcellentExcellentExcellentExcellent

This professional HP laptop delivers quality performance with a sleek design and rugged durability.

The Hewlett Packard company consistently produces high quality, top-of-the-line computers, and the HP EliteBook 8460p is definitely no exception. This generation of the EliteBook, encased in HP’s enhanced DuraCase framework, is a business laptop created to withstand any wear and tear and provide the best option for business professionals. The EliteBook, the winner of our TopTenREVIEWS Gold Award, boasts a sleek but durable design that is suited for any enterprise computer need, and there is no doubt in our minds that this rugged, high-end laptop is tough.

The EliteBook is robust and well built, yet tasteful and attractive. With a new metal design and a platinum color tone finish, along with military grade protection, this solid business laptop is smooth and pleasing to the eye. The strong, aluminum-alloy hinges add to the EliteBook’s standards to endure drop, dust, vibration, altitude, humidity and high temperature. This laptop is not the thinnest or lightest available by any means, but it can hold out against tough working conditions.

 Features Product Feature Score Product Feature Score Product Feature Score Product Feature Score

This laptop comes equipped with an operating system that can handle your entire workload – Windows 7 Professional 64 bit can keep up with your projects and increase your productivity. EliteBook can run all of your business software on its pleasing interface. This model of the EliteBook also excels with a 14-inch screen displaying a 1366 x 768 resolution. The screen has enough space for you to work on multiple projects comfortably, and it produces clear, high-definition visibility. Manage several applications simultaneously and get more done in less time.

The EliteBook is outfitted to last the entire time you’re away from the office, and it can run on a primary or secondary HP pavilion dv5 extended life battery. This laptop can use 3-cell up to 9-cell batteries, but it is capable of an outstanding 32 hour battery life with the HP Ultra Extended Life Notebook Battery. This impressive feature allows you to focus on your projects and run business software instead of worrying about the location of your charge cord. Make use of the long battery life, and you’ll have enough time to complete any task with your laptop. Without the powerful 9-cell Ultra Extended HP Presario CQ60 Laptop Battery, the EliteBook still maintains a standard battery life of just over 6 hours, depending on what applications you are using.

We are impressed with this notebook’s intuitive system, smooth keyboard and striking display. This laptop’s efficient touchpad consists of two-way scroll and two pick buttons, with a pointstick for added convenience. The HP Quick Web function displayed just above the keyboard provides quick web access when the EliteBook is turned off—allowing you to access your browser and browse the web, check email and access other utilities without having to boot-up Windows. A dependable webcam and a fingerprint sensor add to this HP laptop’s list of remarkable features. In fact, the only thing missing from the EliteBook is the 10-key number pad. The 14-inch model is just not large enough to include this valuable feature.

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This professional HP laptop includes additional features involving security measures. You can set the fingerprint sensor below the keyboard to be required for login, offering another layer of protection. Using the webcam and a mobile device, unique facial recognition battery technology and Bluetooth authentication can identify and confirm users for account login. HP enables you to maintain the safety and privacy of the EliteBook.

Performance Product Feature Score Product Feature Score Product Feature Score Product Feature Score

The business laptop HP provided for us to review was preloaded with an Intel Core i5 processor running at 2.5GHz. Representing a step up from the ProBook line of HP laptops, the EliteBook model provides top-quality performance and endurance and uses Sandy Bridge second-generation Intel processor technology. The video card is standard Intel HD graphics, but you also have the option of discrete AMD Radeon HD graphics.

The EliteBook also notably employs SRS premium sound to provide you with superior audio. The laptop’s integrated speakers produce top-quality audio at surprisingly loud volumes.

HP places great stock in creating professional equipment that ensures the productivity of any enterprise or small business. However, they also take great care to infuse a product with usability – this company knows that computers are a regular part of everyone’s everyday lives. The EliteBook is not just a tool for business performance. HP wants consumers to enjoy their products and love to use them, whether it be for business or pleasure. The EliteBook can be personalized for any user and can perform as a rock-solid entertainment center with movies, music and games.

Memory/Storage Product Feature Score Product Feature Score Product Feature Score Product Feature Score

The EliteBook we received from HP was equipped with 4GB of RAM and a 320GB hard drive. The ample memory and storage capacity provide you with security when running business software and managing all of your business documents. The EliteBook can keep up with any business or enterprise and provides exceptional, and essential, data storage.

You can configure the EliteBook 8460p upgrade bay with a secondary hard drive, an optical drive or a weight saver. The bottom panel of this notebook is designed for the easy upgrade of internal components.

Connectivity Product Feature Score Product Feature Score Product Feature Score Product Feature Score

HP does a superb job of providing connectivity options. The HP EliteBook is full of functional ports, including connections for USB 3.0, USB 2.0, eSATA and USB combo, VGA, DisplayPort, FireWire, modem, headphone and mic. You’ll also find an AC power port, a docking connector and a secondary battery connector. This business laptop has Wi-Fi and Bluetooth capabilities, as well as a port for a physical Ethernet cable. The EliteBook gives you advanced connection options, but excludes a specific HDMI port to connect to a high-definition television. We would like to see this port included.

The EliteBook we reviewed also came with an SD card reader and a customary DVD optical drive, which can be upgraded to a Blu-ray reader/burner.

Support Product Feature Score Product Feature Score Product Feature Score Product Feature Score

HP products, including this EliteBook, are surrounded by helpful support options. Malfunctions can happen with any piece of hardware from almost any company, but HP provides great services to back you up. Online HP resources include live chat, which is extremely helpful, and HP phone representatives who are available 24/7 to provide hardware technical support. HP services also include a one- or three-year parts and labor warranty to ensure your product functions as it should.

Summary

HP manufactures stunning laptops, but this particular business laptop exceeds them all. The EliteBook 8460p is a professional piece primarily designed for corporate or enterprise use, but its rugged form can withstand any work or travel condition for business or entertainment purposes. Preloaded with power and complete with usability, this laptop performs and connects well with an outstanding array of features, including quick web access, a fingerprint sensor and a generous hard drive. The most outstanding feature – a HP Pavilion DV9000 Battery life of up to 32 hours – ensures this product’s place in our lineup. The HP EliteBook 8460p delivers the highest quality for business laptops in a tasteful yet durable package.

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Dec
18

Troubleshooting laptop battery issues guide

admin on December 18th, 2011

Dell latitude d531 batteryIf you are having trouble with your laptop battery because it will not charge, it is not necessarily time to buy a new laptop battery yet. There are several reasons behind why this could be happening, and here you will learn useful laptop battery troubleshooting when you battery refuses to charge. Before you begin troubleshooting your notebook computer, make sure the outlet is not the problem. Try a few outlets to see if the problem still exists. If so, continue on to these laptop battery troubleshooting tips.
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Is the AC adapter bad? Detach the battery from the laptop and turn on the computer with only the power plug connected. If the laptop does not respond, secure another AC adapter and try again. If the problem persists, your motherboard may have a fried circuit. A computer technician can help you further.

Is the battery defective? If the computer turns on with the second laptop AC adaptor, you know this is not the cause of the problem. Replace the battery and see if the problem is resolved.

Is it a software-related issue? If a replaced battery does not solve your problem, the next laptop battery troubleshooting tip is to explore the possibility that the software is malfunctioning. If the battery status is not being displayed correctly, the software could be causing the problem rather than the battery.

Is there a “hiccup” in the system? To power reset the system, or ensure that the motherboard is denied all power, unplug the machine and remove the laptop battery pack. Hold down the power button for a full minute. Next, reattach the battery and AC adapter and attempt to restart the computer again.

Does the laptop need to be recalibrated? When a new battery is installed, it may fail to charge to a full 100% anymore. If your battery stops charging itself at about 97%, you need this laptop battery troubleshooting tip. Begin the recalibration process by preventing the computer from going to sleep when the notebook battery is low. If your operating system is XP, go to the Control Panel > Performance and Maintenance > Power Options and set the power scheme to “Always On.”

Where it says “Alarms,” uncheck the boxes by “Critical battery alarm” and “Low battery alarm.”
Where it says “Hibernate,” uncheck the box by “Enable hibernation.”
When finished, click “Apply.”

Now the computer can fully drain the replacement laptop battery and when you charge it again, it should reach 100%. It may take two or three times to completely reach 100%.

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Dec
3

When You haven’t Played and Charged Your IPod Time

admin on December 3rd, 2011

Tagclouds:battery, iPod,acer aspire one zg5 battery, dell inspiron 1525 battery,dell latitude d820 battery 

I read the recent Mac 911 about battery charging and had to share some of my problems. My iPod mini is about a year old, and, admit, I’m a frequent song switcher. Problem is that after a year of doing this, my battery is not happy doing that. If I’m not plugged into a power source I might be able to switch a half-dozen songs, tops, before the battery dies out. This is with a full charge and a acer aspire one zg5 battery indicator at full. Sometimes, changing the volume on a song is enough to kick it off.

First, a correction. The iPod mini was discontinued in September 2005, so yours is at least a year and a half old. If you play and charge the thing constantly, it’s possible that you’ve exhausted the life of its battery. The Li-Ion battery plunked into iPods is good for, theoretically, 500 full charge cycles. Your mileage will vary—somewhere between 400 and 450 full charges is about right.

If you haven’t played and charged your iPod time and again, it’s possible that the battery is damaged. This can happen if you’ve exposed your iPod to excess heat for long periods of time—stored it in your car’s glove compartment during the summer heat, for example. Excessive cold can temporarily shorten a Li-Ion battery’s life but it performs as it should when you bring the battery to room temperature. The same can’t be said for heat. An overheated battery can become damaged so it’s worth your while to remove your iPod from a hot environment.

You can also shorten the battery’s life by draining it fully and leaving it uncharged for months at a time. These batteries like to have their electrons banged around at least once a month. If you plan to retire an iPod, create some kind of reminder to charge it once a month just to keep its battery in shape.

Okay, so now you understand why your battery may be failing. The next step is getting your iPod back into shape.

Because it rarely hurts to first try the easy and free thing, plug the iPod into your Mac and restore it—select it in iTunes’ 7’s Source list and in the Summary tab click the Restore button. This wipes all the data off the iPod and restores the hard drive to “factory-fresh” condition. With luck, it’s some kind of corruption that’s causing the dell inspiron 1525 battery problem and restoring the iPod will fix it. (But, probably not.)

If the iPod continues to run out of juice almost immediately, it’s time to think about either replacing the iPod or its battery. Apple will replace an iPod’s battery for $59 plus $7 shipping. The advantage of doing it through Apple is that you’re guaranteed to have a working iPod back in your hot little hands. But other companies can do it as well. There are loads of them so rather than recommend a specific one, I’ll send you off to your search engine of choice and suggest you enter “iPod Battery Replacement” in the search field. Be sure that the company has a guarantee on its work and can return your iPod to you in short order.

If you’re handy, you can also replace the dell latitude d820 battery yourself. Again, lots of companies offer iPod battery replacement kits. As someone who’s replaced his fair share of iPod batteries I’ll tell you that replacing the iPod mini’s battery is more than a little challenging. I’ve destroyed a perfectly good blue iPod mini in the attempt. Frankly, were this my iPod, I’d have an expert do the job.

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Battery is Topped Off Via Inductive Charging

 

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Dec
2

Care and Feeding of a Healthy Battery

admin on December 2nd, 2011

Tagclouds :batteries,Healthy Battery .dell inspiron 6400 battery, dell inspiron 1520 battery,dell inspiron 1720 battery

No rechargeable dell inspiron 6400 battery last forever. In fact, the lithium-ion batteries in today’s iBooks and PowerBooks begin to degrade as soon as they’re shipped from the factory.

Calibrate the Battery New Apple batteries, those included with a machine and those bought separately, arrive partially charged and need to be calibrated. This procedure provides a baseline for the processor built into the battery, so the processor can effectively regulate power consumption. To calibrate your battery, first plug in the laptop and charge the battery to 100 percent capacity; the light at the end of the Apple-supplied power cable will go from orange to green when the battery is fully charged. Next, unplug the power adapter and let the battery run down. The machine will put itself to sleep and refuse to wake up. Plug the adapter in again and fully recharge the battery. (You can use the laptop as you normally would during the calibration process.) You need to calibrate the battery only once.

Work Smart It’s nice to have desktop power on your lap, but do you need to use all that power all the time? When your laptop is running on battery power, use the Energy Saver preference pane to minimize performance and maximize battery life. From the Optimize Energy Settings pop-up menu, choose Longest Battery Life, which puts the hard disk to sleep when possible and reduces the processor’s performance.

Also, use the laptop’s brightness-control keys (usually F1 and F2, depending on the model) to dim the screen’s backlight. And if you don’t need AirPort and Bluetooth, turn them off; even if no other devices are nearby, the wireless radios in the laptop continually scan for networks.

Store the Battery Properly When it’s asleep, a laptop steals power from its battery to maintain the contents of its memory. If you won’t be using the computer for several days, putting it to sleep could drain the battery. Instead, charge the battery to about 40 or 50 percent capacity and shut the computer down. If you need to store a battery for six months or more, remove it from the machine and keep it in a place that won’t get too hot or too cold (between 50 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit).

Stay in Charge
How you charge the battery is just as important as how you discharge it. Current iBooks and PowerBooks ship with a 65-watt AC adapter that powers the machine and recharges the dell inspiron 1520 battery. If you’ve moved up from an iBook (dual USB) or a Titanium PowerBook G4, you can use the older machine’s 45-watt adapter as an extra charger for the new Macs, but Apple doesn’t recommend it: that wattage is enough to keep you working but not enough to charge the battery at the same time.

Of course, you don’t have to use Apple’s chargers. The iAdapter2, sold by Lind Electronics ($70), is lighter and more compact than Apple’s little white bricks. Madsonline sells the diminutive, 45-watt MicroAdapter ($78) for previous-generation iBooks and PowerBooks. Kensington’s Universal Laptop Power Supply ($120) can deliver 90 watts of power and is smart enough to judge how much wattage your laptop can safely handle. It includes a car adapter for charging on the road, and it features several plug tips that allow the power supply to work with other laptop models.

Don’t Use Just the AC Adapter If you always plug your laptop into the wall while you work, the battery doesn’t discharge; its electrons stagnate, and the battery’s life span is reduced. Even if you usually use an AC adapter, make a point of working from the battery once a month and then recharging.

Recharge Smart Nickel-cadmium batteries suffered from the “memory effect”—if you didn’t fully discharge a nickel-cadmium battery occasionally, some of its capacity would become unusable until you ran the battery to zero and charged it up again. Although lithium-ion dell inspiron 1720 battery don’t suffer from the memory effect, they do need to have their electrons jostled occasionally to prevent premature decay. Try to complete a full charge-and-discharge cycle at least once per month. According to Apple, a lithium-ion battery should retain 80 percent of its original capacity after 300 full charge-and-discharge cycles.

Welcome to Choose the Battery You Want ：http://www.batteryfast.com.au/  
Batteries Information You Should Get :

Battery is Topped Off Via Inductive Charging

When It Designed for a Removable Battery

 

 

 

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Nov
26

Having the Battery Pack Stuck Directly ?

admin on November 26th, 2011

Tagclouds :battery,battery pack ,dell xps m1730 battery, dell studio 1537 battery

Do you use a bottom-connector dell xps m1730 battery extender? Have you been bothered by the awkward phone geometry that involves? For me, I’ve found it really hard to deal with the added length, especially with the (tiny!) storage compartment on the top handle of my Jeep stroller. For me, the longer phone-plus-battery length simply doesn’t work, which means I can’t fit the phone in.


That’s awkward because I like to use TrailGuru as I walk to go pick up my youngest from school in the afternoon. After a bit of hunting, I’ve located a way to detach the battery from the phone to create a bending solution that does fit.

I recently picked up a Male-to-Female dock extender from DealExtreme for under four bucks (with shipping included). The cable lets me “fold” the dell studio 1537 battery into place for afternoon walks or stick it into my pocket while using the iPhone on a tether.

As far as stroller and backpack use goes, it seems to be working quite well. As for tethering, it’s a fairly thick cable, and brings with it all the standard tethered irritations. Frankly, I’m not a big fan of tethered use but when you need that extra battery charge, it’s a slight improvement over having the battery pack stuck directly into the bottom of the unit.

DealExtreme ships from HongKong, so it generally takes a week or so for packages to arrive. I’ve bought lots of things from them and they’ve been reliable shippers. When purchasing from Chinese suppliers, do keep in mind that the individual item fail rate is going to be higher than you might expect: not a constant issue, but something you should factor into your purchases, and something I’ve certainly experienced.
Welcome to Choose the Battery You Want:http://www.batteryfast.com.au/

Batteries Information You Should Get :

When It Designed for a Removable Battery

When You Have a Perfectly Good Battery

 

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Nov
25

Top Tips for Increasing Your Battery Life

admin on November 25th, 2011

Tagclouds:battery,battery life ,iPhone ,dell d820 battery,dell insprion 6400 d620  adapter, dell xps m1530 battery 

Since you can’t just swap out the battery on your iPhone or iPod, it’s important to know how to get the most life out of your device’s battery, particularly if you won’t be able to charge it for a while. Apple has two pages on its site that detail how to prolong dell d820 battery life on both iPhones and iPods. The pages are far more detailed than the general lithium-battery tips floating around, and they tell you very specific steps you can take to increase your device’s battery life.

The iPhone page is the lengthier of the two, and most of its tips apply to the iPod line as well. Apple notes that the most important thing to do is keep iPhones and iPods away from heat sources like direct sunlight or the inside of a car on a hot day. I can vouch for that one; my wife absentmindedly left her first-gen iPod nano in our car for several days a couple of years ago with its battery almost fully discharged. When she finally pulled it out of the car, the nano’s battery was fried and couldn’t be recharged.

Another very basic tip: if you’re not using the display, turn it off. Rather than waiting for the display to deactivate by itself, or worse, leaving it on all the time, once you’ve finished browsing for the song or whatever else you’re looking for, push the iPhone’s hold switch to lock the screen.

Other tips for prolonging iPhone battery life generally involve turning off features in your device’s Settings: Location Services, Push Notifications, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, iPod equalizer, and 3G are all things you can deactivate in order to get more life out of your iPhone’s battery. In a pinch, you can also put the iPhone into Airplane Mode, which essentially shuts most of those services off at once — of course, that transforms your iPhone into a more expensive version of an iPod touch, so it’s probably something you’ll only want to do if you have no wireless reception anyway or your device’s dell insprion 6400 d620  adapter is nearly drained.

The iPod tips are mostly the same as for the iPhone, and Apple’s iPod page even has a link to a monthly iCal subscription that will remind you to completely discharge and charge your device’s battery once a month. This reminder probably isn’t necessary for iPhones, since people tend to use those daily, but it comes in handy if you have an iPod that you’re not using very often. This reminder is important if you’re not using your device on a regular basis, because Apple recommends putting iPods through at least one full charge-discharge cycle per month in order to keep the battery healthy. The iPod page also has tips specific to hard-drive-based iPods, such as limiting fast-forwarding or skipping through songs and keeping song file sizes below 9 MB. Both tips ensure the iPod’s hard drive doesn’t have to spin up as often, thereby increasing battery life.

I usually keep all the services on my iPhone 3G turned on, and between gaming, browsing, and app use, I generally go through a complete charge cycle every other day. When I’m travelling and certain to be away from a power outlet for a long time, Location Services is generally the first thing I turn off — the iPhone’s GPS antenna seems to be responsible for a big portion of the device’s battery drain.

 

Apple says the dell xps m1530 battery on iPods and iPhones should retain 80% capacity after 400 full charge-discharge cycles, so to make sure you get the best use out of them both in the short and long term, make sure to follow the battery guidelines on Apple’s tips pages for both iPhones and iPods.

Welcome to Choose the Battery You Want ：http://www.batteryfast.com.au/ 
Batteries Information You Should Get :

When You Have a Perfectly Good Battery

Top 5 Ways to Take Care of Your Battery

 

 

 

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Nov
24

IPhone Users Live or Die by Their Choice of Battery

admin on November 24th, 2011

Tagclouds:IPhone,Battery,hp pavilion dv6 battery, sony vgp-bps2c battery 

Heavy iPhone users live or die by their choice of battery case, and Aigo has a new offering that adds a twist to the standard cases now on the market. On top of its advertised 300 hours of standby time, the Aigo aiPower i616 also includes an integrated charging/sync cable that folds into the case when not in use. The Aigo i616 offers a respectable 1500mAh external hp pavilion dv6 battery that promises up to 7 hours of talk time, 10 hours of internet usage, 10 hours of video playback or 40 hours of audio playback.

Included with the battery is a microUSB port for charging, a switch to manage battery usage and a battery check button to display the charge level. When you don’t need that extra juice, the sony vgp-bps2c battery case is easily removable so that you can use your iPhone 4 in its sleek, smooth and naked form. Reasonably priced, the Aigo i616 will set you back US$79.99.

The Aigo is creative with its integrated cable, but it faces some stiff competition from Mophie. Early last week, Mophie introduced its new juice pack plus for iPhone 4, which offers an impressive 2,000 mAh battery that delivers 8 extra hours of talk time, 7 hours of cellular internet usage or 11 hours of Wi-Fi internet usage. A virtual speaker box is also included to help with speakerphone performance by redirecting the sound from the bottom of the handset to the front. The Mophie is available now in black for $99. A splash of color will be added starting in January 2011.

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