The PC Informant » Hardware

Laptops have a high failure rate

Vic Laurie — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:00:59 +0000

A survey says that one-third of laptops fail completely within three years of purchase:

SquareTrade analyzed failure rates for over 30,000 new laptop computers covered by SquareTrade Laptop Warranty plans and found that one-third of all laptops will fail within 3 years. SquareTrade also found that netbooks are 20% more unreliable than other laptops, and that Asus and Toshiba are the most reliable laptop brands.

The report is from a company that sells extended warranties so you might worry about possible bias. However, PC World says that its annual survey of PC owners shows a similar failure rate.

One thing to note is that HP brings up the rear in reliability. A report on reliability last March from Rescuecom also showed HP to be the most unreliable major brand. As in this recent report, Asus was at the top.

My own experience with HP laptops is mixed. I’ve had a high-end 17” model for several years and have had no problems. On the other hand, a family member had a low-end machine that was an absolute lemon. It went back and forth to HP until the company finally gave up and replaced it.

Quick tricks to repair a wireless connection

Vic Laurie — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:42:10 +0000

While we are on the subject of wireless networking (previous post), let me remind you of the trick that often repairs a wireless Internet connection that is slow or inoperative. Sometimes all it takes is to reboot the modem and/or router. Turn the power off for 10 seconds and then turn it back on.

Also, sometimes rebooting your computer will work. And don’t forget that Windows has a repair function for network connections. Often a problem is due to trouble getting an IP assignment from your router. If you have the network icon in your tray (AKA notification area), right-click it and choose “Repair” as shown in the figure below for Windows XP.

The procedure in Vista is very similar except that the menu reads “Diagnose and Repair”.

Scroll a window with your mouse wheel by pointing

Vic Laurie — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:37:12 +0000

In order to activate scrolling in a window with a mouse wheel, you have to first click in the window. Apparently, this extra step annoys some people so Antibody software offers a free little program that lets you just point your mouse at a window and scroll away without the extra click. It’s called “WizMouse” and works on Windows 2000, XP, Vista and Windows 7.

Via PC World

Device manager utility

Vic Laurie — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 10:56:21 +0000

If you want to know the status of the devices you have on your system, you can try using the Windows Device Manager. However, its output is not always the easiest thing to decipher and Nir Sofer has written one of his free little applications to help. It’s called DevManView and this is the description:

DevManView is an alternative to the standard Device Manager of Windows, which displays all devices and their properties in flat table, instead of tree viewer. In addition to displaying the devices of your local computer, DevManView also allows you view the devices list of another computer on your network, as long as you have administrator access rights to this computer.

DevManView can also load the devices list from external instance of Windows and disable unwanted devices. This feature can be useful if you have Windows operating system with booting problems, and you want to disable the problematic device.

A new kind of memory

Vic Laurie — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 11:27:25 +0000

A type of computer technology called phase-change memory has been known about for some time but had not advanced to a possible practical state until recently. Intel has been involved with developing the technology. An advantage of phase-change memory is that it can be miniaturized to smaller dimensions than current flash memory. CNET reports on recent progress:

Researchers are two steps closer to creating a mass-market version of technology called phase-change memory that could change how computers of the future are put together.

Intel and Numonyx, the chipmaker’s joint venture with STMicroelectonics that’s focused on flash memory, announced Wednesday they’ve built a new type of phase-change memory chip they hope will help fulfill the technology’s promise for small size and large capacity.

List of best products of 2009

Vic Laurie — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 11:11:55 +0000

I don’t always agree with the selections but PC World has compiled a list of what the editors consider the best products of 2009. It is described:

PC World looked at many outstanding hardware, software, sites, and services this year, evaluating each one on its design, functionality, performance, and impact. Here is the cream of the crop, the 100 best of 2009. (Note that we chose not to rate products specifically on their price or value, focusing instead on their overall quality.)

There is also a list where the selections are ranked and another listing by category.

Intel getting anti-trust heat

Vic Laurie — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 00:18:24 +0000

It looks like the US government may join the EU in citing Intel for anti-competitive practices. InternetNews reports:

U.S. antitrust regulators are moving toward filing a complaint against Intel Corp after the European Union fined the world’s biggest chipmaker $1.45 billion for engaging in anticompetitive practices, sources said.

Three of the four commissioners on the Federal Trade Commission, which opened a formal inquiry in June 2008, are in favor of filing a complaint against Intel, said the sources, who asked not to be named.

“They’re close,” one source said. “They said it could be a matter of weeks or a matter of months when the vote happens.”

A selection of nettop computers

Vic Laurie — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 10:36:56 +0000

It’s not a netbook, it’s not a notebook, so what is a nettop? I’ve posted about this class of PC before and I wrote:

Following the success of the netbook, another category of miniaturized PC called the “nettop” is attracting attention. Actually, the nettop is a version of what has been known as an all-in-one, a form of PC that is not new. What is new is the special low-power CPUs from Intel and the continuing fall in prices of components that is helping to make the nettop an inexpensive, compact alternative to the conventional desktop. Combining LCD display and computer in one unit, the nettop is small but has some advantages like a full-sized keyboard.

Over at gHacks, they have reviews of some of the models now available:

Nettops are all the rage right now, and with good reason too! For around $330-$400 you can get desktops that will do all the basic things you want to do and they will playback HD videos for you. Here’s news of the latest in nettops plus a roundup of the best nettops that you can get right now.

Intel slows up USB 3.0

Vic Laurie — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 18:10:18 +0000

USB 3.0 was looking like it would soon appear but now Intel has put the kibosh on any early expectations. Daily Tech reports:

Those looking forward to the wide rollout of USB 3.0 will be saddened to hear that the specification has been dealt a setback. This summer, expectations were that USB 3.0 devices and computers supporting USB 3.0 would be available before 2010.

A source at a top-tier computer maker has confirmed to EETimes that USB 3.0 support in key Intel chipsets has been postponed until 2011. Support for USB 3.0 was expected to show up in early 2010 for Intel chipsets. The same top-tier PC maker source also told EETimes that wireless USB was effectively dead. Rather than moving to wireless USB, which has had many supporting startups and interest groups close up shop, the industry buzz is now focusing on 60 GHz technology.

Without Intel support, USB 3.0 will not be seen on consumer PCs any time soon.

The effect of netbooks and the cloud on computing

Vic Laurie — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 11:13:49 +0000

In his column at PCMag, industry analyst Tim Bajarin writes that netbooks and the cloud are impacting computing in a serious way:

The lower cost and increased performance in these smaller notebooks, or netbooks, could eventually drive growth in the PC industry and if tied to the cloud- and Web-based apps, they, potentially, deliver a computing model that makes it tough for any PC maker to be profitable just selling PCs. In fact, it is dawning on many of these manufacturers that having a complete hardware, software, cloud computing, and service approach may the only way they can wring profits out of PCs in the future.

There is something that could be good news for PC vendors: We’re seeing many households use a powerful desktop or large laptop in their kitchen or den as their overall home information system and family server. They’re using the system for general tasks, such as checking news, weather, and e-mail when near it. They may also be using a second PC, or laptop, for their more personalized computing experiences. In fact, we are seeing a lot of netbooks being used in this exact scenario. This is an area where PC makers can excel.

The impact of netbooks and the cloud on the PC industry will eventually be dramatic. At the very least, it will force PC vendors to deliver PCs that are tied closely to the cloud and cloud-based apps and provide special services if they are going to make any money, since it will not be coming from the hardware. Those vendors that are, for the most part, just box movers will be challenged to even stay around. In fact, I see a serious shakeout in PC players and would not be surprised if three or four of the top 10 don’t even exist 3 years from now.