I’m trying out the Nature Theme for Windows XP on my laptop - changed over from Aquarium.

My screensaver is Aquarium though because we have goldfish just like these! When I’m away from home, I can still view them!

My display screen is now Spring from Aquarium…

All of my windows have a light olive green color, my arrow is a green leaf and instead of ocean animal sounds, I now have water trickles and things like that!

Lovin’ it for a change - I’ve had my old settings for a very long time…

The loading bar is a woody brown color. Neat - it’s going to take some getting used to though…

So funny how your brain gets used to something and it’s difficult to change.

I’ll just have to look at it as something new and exciting…

What theme and display image do you have on your computer?

***

I hope you enjoyed this Laptop Application on Your Laptop Today! Until next time…

Change Your Screen!

Kimberly Edwards

P.S. Get your Easy Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition here:

Easy Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition Easy Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition, Second EditionEasy Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition, Second Edition About the Author Shelley O’Hara is the author of more than 100 books, including the best-selling Easy Microsoft Windows 98 and other top-selling titles. She recently published her first novel, The Marriage Trifecta, and has a B.A.in English from the University of South Carolina and a M.A. in English from the University of Maryland. She lives in Indianapolis with her husband (Sean), son (Michael), English Bulldog (Jelly Roll), and Doberman (Xie). ) Copyright Pearson Education. All rights reserved.PIEasy Windows XP, Home Edition 2nd Edition/Icovers more than 150 of the most important tasks, ranging from the simple features such as opening a folder to more advanced topics such as installing new hardware or restoring a system. This book uses visual learning to appeal to the most common users of Windows XP - the home user./PbrbrbIntroduction./bbrbrbrb1. Getting Started./bbrpdiv STYLE=margin-left: 0.2in;Understanding the Desktop. Understanding the Start Menu. Opening and Closing a Window. Minimizing a Window. Maximizing a Window. Moving a Window. Resizing a Window. Arranging Windows on the Desktop. Using Menus. Using Shortcut Menus. Using a Dialog Box. Getting Help. Getting Context-Sensitive Help. Restarting and Shutting Down the Computer./div/pbrbrb2. Working with Programs./bbrpdiv STYLE=margin-left: 0.2in;Starting a Program from the Start Menu. Exiting a Program. Starting a Program from a Shortcut Icon. Switching Between Programs. Saving and Closing a Document. Opening a Document. Switching Between Open Documents. Creating a New Document./div/pbrbrb3. Working with Folders./bbrpdiv STYLE=margin-left: 0.2in;Opening My Computer. Opening the My Documents Folder. Opening the My Pictures Folder. Opening the My Music Folder. Selecting a Folder. Navigating Folders. Changing the W

Technorati Tags: Windows XP, XP display, XP theme, laptop theme, computer, laptop applications, laptop program

We’ve tried a few different kinds of memory sticks, otherwise known as flash drives or flash memory.

Basically, they’re a USB drive memory stick that is tiny - Maybe 2 1/2 inches long and holds 4 GB of information, whether that be files, photos or video…whatever…

You can use it to bring important files with you without having to bring your entire computer.

When transferring files, instead of emailing or using a messenger service to transfer, it’s more seamless and much quicker just to put them on the memory stick from one computer, plugging it into the USB port of another and copying them to the 2nd computer.

The ease of use with the SanDish Cruzer is phenomenal.

A fabulous menu pops up when the flash drive is inserted into the USB port of any computer.

* Tip: Before removing the memory stick, be sure to click the eject tab on the Cruzer menu beforehand! You’ll be chastised the next time you plug the memory stick into a computer that you didn’t properly eject it the previous time. LOL

You can retract the part that sticks into the USB port to keep it safe from being damaged when transporting too.

We use it daily and find that 4 GB is quite enough memory for what we use this flash drive for…

Just wanted to give you a review on what we think about this piece of electronic equipment.

***

I hope you enjoyed this Laptop Accessory on Your Laptop Today! Until next time…

Use a Memory Stick,

Kimberly Edwards

P.S. Get your own SanDisk Memory Stick to try out for your laptop:

SanDisk 4GB Cruzer Micro U3 Smart USB 2.0 Flash Drive www.sandisk.com Cruzer Micro now ships with U3 smart technology. Co-Invented by SanDisk, U3 technology gives you the ability to carry your files and your software on a secure USB drive. You can have your wallpaper, preferences, favorites, profiles and more, everything you need for a familiar computing experience on any PC, wherever you go. Cruzer Micro allows you to easily carry and transfer key documents, pictures, music and video clips from one computer to another. The new retractable USB port eliminates the need for caps and protects your USB connector. Retractable USB connector Brilliant amber LED Hi-Speed USB 2.0 certified (backwards compatible with all USB 1.1 ports) U3 functionality only supported on Windows 2000 (SP4 and later) & XP OS 4GB Cruzer Micro U3 Smart USB 2.0 Flash Drive Cross sell sheet SKYPE voucher card Flash Drive SDCZ6-4096-A11 Black SanDisk Corporation 4GB Cruzer Micro U3 Smart USB 2.0 Flash Drive USB 2.0 - USB Cruzer Micro 4 GB SanDisk 0.31″ Height x 0.81″ Width x 2.25″ Length

Technorati Tags: memory stick, flash memory, flash drive, USB port, laptop memory, storing files, transferring computer files, transporting computer files, SanDisk, SanDisk Cruzer review, SanDish Cruzer memory stick

By Oz Zeldom

It is difficult to predict how long a laptop battery charge will last because each computer user has different habits and needs. The rate at which you use laptop battery power will determine how long you can use the battery of your laptop. You can re-calibrate your laptop battery if the battery’s life has gotten shorter over time. Your laptop battery might need a good calibration if it doesn’t seem to be getting the mileage that it should. How to re-calibrate laptop battery? The following paragraphs will give you the answer.

First put the laptop computer to sleep by turning off the screensaver and other power management settings of the computer. Then fully charge the computer and allow it to run all the way down until the computer shuts off automatically. Once the laptop battery has fully drained, charge it back up again and restore the screensaver and power management settings.

Re-calibrate your battery every month or so by fully charging, fully discharging, and then fully charging again. Basically to have a chance to re-calibrate your laptop battery is to turn off all power-saving features completely and then fully recharge them. If it doesn’t work for the first time then try two more full discharges and recharges.

The above way of re-calibrating the laptop batteries works well with laptops using Ni-MH cells. But not with laptops using Li-Ion batteries because deep discharges will actually decrease the charge capacity and lifespan of Li-Ion cells. Moreover Li-ion batteries irreversibly lose approximately 20% capacity per year from the time of manufacture at a typical 100% charge level at 25deg.C, even when unused. Li-ion batteries irreversibly lose approximately 2%, 4%, 15% at 0deg.C, 25deg.C and 40deg.C respectively, when stored at 40% charge level. That is every deep discharge cycle decreases the capacity of the Li-ion batteries. As the Li-Ion batteries are chemical in nature, charging and recharging is not going to fix the problem once the chemical reactions stop happening. Therefore the best advice for re-calibrating the Li-Ion batteries is to store the battery at 40% charge if it kept unused for any unlimited period of time. Also don’t leave the battery in the laptop if you don’t use the battery or if you plug the laptop into outlet power.

You can also re-calibrate your laptop battery using IBM Thinkpad Battery Maximizer in order to maximize your laptop battery’s life. If your laptop has IBM ThinkPad Battery MaxiMiser and Power Management features installed, you can verify the condition of the laptop battery. You can check the status of your battery using the Battery MaxiMiser Gauge in the taskbar tray. The ThinkPad’s Lithium Ion battery pack that seems to be an intelligent battery uses a microprocessor to monitor its capacity. Then the microprocessor of the battery pack passes the information about the remaining battery capacity to the laptop. The laptop indicates the capacity with high accuracy.

Using the HP Laptop Battery Learning Utility, a modified version of a Win98 boot floppy, can also help you. Just place it in the floppy drive, and then turn on the computer. The re-calibration process is automated and takes about six hours to finish. This utility is available in different versions for different models. You can run the utility every two months.

If the laptop battery is still bad then it must have developed a memory that cannot be erased easily. If calibration doesn’t help, then it is the right time to purchase another battery.

Kevin moshayedi is an expert author, who is presently working on the site about Cellular Phone battery. He has written many articles in various topics like Cordless Phone battery and Digital Camera battery, Visit our site needbattery.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Oz_Zeldom

Technorati Tags: how to recalibrate your battery, laptop battery, MP3 Portable Music Player battery, PDA battery, Portable Game Player battery, Power Too

You will have to deal with your router to modify the signal. Every router is different even inter-brand, so you’ll have to root around in the router settings and see what you can find to reduce radio transmission power. It will most likely be under some type of advanced settings.

Problem is, internet signal strength is rather fickle; if you haven’t already learned that, you are very fortunate and likely have an amazing internet connection. But for the rest of us that often struggle with dropped transmission, we understand.

Changing any settings may upset your whole network and cause you to lose signals altogether in different parts of your house. This could will also slow down internet speed, meaning how quickly pages load and files download.

So, you will need to tweak this procedure until you find a fine balance with enough bandwidth to surf and work

Although this is an effective way to better secure your network, you will still need some more safeguards to protect yourself. Use a strong admin password, wireless encryption, a firewall, and spyware scan your computer often!

For more information on this subject, you could check out this article:
Keep your Wi-Fi signal in your own house by lowering its signal strength

***

I hope you enjoyed today’s installment of Your Laptop Minute! Until next time…

Kimberly Edwards ;D

P.S. Check this product out for better wireless encryption:

802.11G 54MBPS WIRELESS LAN PCMCIA WEP 64/128/256BIT ENCRYPTION (ZEW1502)*Product Name: ZEW Mbps Wireless LAN Cardbus Adapter *Marketing Information: The ZEW Mbps Wireless LAN Cardbus Adapter supports Ad-Hoc (peer to peer) Infrastructure Model. The Booster mode to enhance data throughput rate . Wireless Specifications *Frequency Band/Bandwidth Details: . GHz . GHz IEEE .b/g ISM Band USA, Canada & Europe *Transmission Speed: Mbps Auto-fallback IEEE .g *Transmission Speed: Mbps IEEE .g *Transmission Speed: Mbps Auto-fallback IEEE .b *Transmission Speed: Mbps IEEE .b Interfaces/Ports *Host Interface: -bit CardBus Physical Characteristics *Dimensions: .” Thickness x .” Width x .” Depth Warranty *Standard Warranty: Year(s) Limited

Technorati Tags: Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi signal, laptop security, internet security, network security, Wi-Fi range, wireless network

Laptop Basics

A laptop computer (also known as notebook computer) is a small mobile personal computer usually weighing from 1 to 3 kg. Laptops usually run on batteries but also from adapters which also charge the battery using mains power. Laptops are capable of many of the same tasks that desktop computers perform, although they are typically less powerful for the same price. Laptops contain components that are similar to those in their desktop counterparts and perform the same functions but are miniaturised and optimised for mobile use and efficient power consumption.

Laptops For People On A Budget

You may want a budget laptop for tasks such as word processing, internet research and email. A good source for finding budget laptops is ebay as is our site which is dedicated to providing you with information on locating cheap laptops. Look for a good 14.1-15-inch screen, a 30GB hard drive, a cheap processor such as Celeron, 256MB RAM, plus features like an Ethernet network card and a modem for use at home. This is the minimum you should be looking for in a budget laptop.

You may also want to check price comparison sites such as pricerunner.com before parting with your hard earned cash.

Suggested Budget Laptops: IBM Thinkpad T23, Dell Latitude D505, Sony Vaio FR415B, Toshiba Satellite.

Article by Ray Wilkes of http://www.cheap-laptop-info-com (For essential information on buying a cheap laptop)

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?A-Guide-To-Buying-A-Budget-Laptop&id=159946

***

I hope you enjoyed today’s installment of Your Laptop Today! Until next time…

Happy Surfing,

Kimberly Edwards

Technorati Tags: laptop, notebook, budget laptop, laptop information, computer

Pick Your Laptop Wisely.

Kenney of Edwards
Director

Technorati Tags: exploding laptop, dell laptop explodes, laptops, notebook, laptop recall

You should not have to pay those overly expensive prices for a new laptop, especially when there are discount laptops that you can buy.

Few people know about the fact that anyone can buy discount laptops, and this is something most laptop companies will not talk about. Companies and stores selling laptops want people to pay the most expensive prices for laptops available, even though there is no need for you to do so.

I will tell you in this article how to find discount laptops and I also provide a link at the end of this article to a trustworthy site where you can buy discount laptops.

Find discount laptops by looking for overstock

When companies have more of a product than they can sell, it is overstock. Overstocking often occurs when not enough customers are buying a product for the store to make a profit. The overstocking of a product also occurs when a store buys a product, and then a new model for the product is put on the market.

So in order for the store to keep up with their competitors, the store then also buys the new models. This all leads to the store overstocking the products, and so in order to break-even the store sells the overstocked products at a significantly lower price than originally.

Refurbished laptops are also discount laptops

When a product is refurbished it is restored back into a “brand new” condition. Majority of the time refurbished products are actual up-to-date products on the market that needed a little fixing, cleaning, or rid of any defects.

The “brand new” refurbished product is repackaged by the manufacturer or a professional company and given a new warranty. Stores will sell refurbished products significantly lower than the original price. If you are wondering why stores sell refurbished products at a lower price, the answer simply is because it would be illegal to sell it at the original price.

Checking out less-known brands is also a way to find discount laptops

I know some people may be a little hesitant about buying less-known brands, but many also sell quality discount laptops. A lot of the time when you buy laptops from famous brands, you are paying more money really for the famous name.

Famous and less-known laptops brands often do not actually create what is inside the laptop, but instead buy pieces from the same manufactures and simply put together the laptop parts.

Recommendation where to buy discount laptops online

The following link: Discount Laptops will lead you to where you can buy Discount Laptops

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Terrell_D._James

Technorati Tags: laptops, laptop, refurbished laptop, discount laptop, buy discount laptop online

Laptops are now essential for college students as the books. Today many professors will assign online work and homework. Some colleges even now have online classes you can take.

A common question from college students is “What is the best laptop computer for college students?” I want to say there is not exactly one laptop that is the best for all college students.

There are a huge variety of laptops available to choose from. I am going to tell you what you should look for in a laptop and I provide a link to a recommendation where you can in my opinion buy the best laptop computer for college student.

Buy a laptop you can afford

There are a lot of fancy laptops out there, but you do not need to buy the most expensive laptop. As a college student you already have tuition, books, school materials, and possible loans to pay for. Most laptops now today can do pretty much the same thing, and provide what is needed for school, such internet access, word processing, basic tasks, music, and even games that you may be interested in.

A light and thin laptop is best

A common reason people love laptops is because of their portability. As a college student you most likely will have to carry multiple books with you throughout the campus for your class.

You do not need a heavy fat machine adding extra weight to drag you down. Many up-to-date lightweight laptops are now on the market, and will make your walk through the campus a lot easier.

Buying a laptop with wireless internet is important

Today most colleges provide wireless internet on their campus, and offer the service to their students. So it is important for you to buy a laptop with wireless internet access. A laptop with wireless internet access can connect to the school’s wireless internet connection anywhere within the campus, regardless if you is outside or in one of the school’s facilities.

If your school do not have wireless internet, it most likely will soon, so it is still important to buy a laptop with wireless internet access.

Space and Speed

I would like to also mention that if you plan on storing music and games on your laptop, you should consider the speed and hard drive capacity when buying a laptop. You should buy a laptop with at least 60-70 GB (Gigabites) of hard drive capacity (hard drive stores information) and processor speed of at least 1.46GHz (determines speed of laptop)

You can check out my recommendation of where to buy the best laptop computer for college student from a great site I have bought my laptop from.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Terrell_D._James

Technorati Tags: laptop, laptops, laptop for college, best laptop, what should I look for in a laptop

Laptop or notebook computer technology is advancing at
a blistering speed. Ferrari fast. So fast that by the time
you purchase your new laptop, it’s probably already
obsolete or out of date. A sobering thought considering
the hefty prices you have to pay for a high-end laptop.

But laptop technology is changing so fast new innovations
are coming on stream as you read this article. There is a
whole new generation of notebook technology every two years
or less. Therefore, unless you buy or upgrade your laptop
each year you’re falling behind what these sleek little
powerhouses can now deliver.

And unless you’re already in Geek Heaven, keeping track
of all these new technologies and innovations can be
quite a chore. Figuring out the right Graphics chipset
that works best with the right CPU and the best Data buses
is a major feat. And now that everything is being
Doubled — dual core, dual graphics — it’s entering
the realm where Einstein would be amused, even on a
bad hair day!

What’s the ordinary laptop buyer to do?

What you really have to keep in mind are the outcomes
of all this new technology. Basically, these new
technologies have made laptops smaller, faster and more
powerful. With every new improvement the laptop is closing
the gap between its main rival — the desktop computer.

Notebook computers are now out-selling desktops for
the first time in history. Laptops are replacing the
old desktop computer, whose days may just be numbered.
It won’t be long before laptops are also out-performing
them as well.

Some major computer makers are taking note of this
trend towards more powerful, smaller computers.
Even the desktop computer is morphing! Just look at
the sleek design of the new Apple iMac G5, gone is the
bulky tower, in its place is a well designed desktop
computer that’s almost a laptop!

For the ordinary computer user keeping abreast of
all these new technologies and inventions can be a
major chore if you’re considering buying a laptop
in the next little while. As you approach the smiling
salesperson in your favorite tech store, here’s a
few bits of new notebook technology you might want
to have in your possession so you won’t look like a
complete neophyte. Hey, where technology is concerned,
we have all been there, done that.

In order for you to tech-proof your next laptop
purchase, here’s a quick run down of some recent
Notebook Developments:

Sonoma Chipset

The new Sonoma Platform, Intel’s next-generation Centrino
Chipset is already on the market. Members of the Sonoma
club are growing daily - Sony, IBM/Lenovo, BenQ, Dell,
Samsung, Acer, and Toshiba… another 80 or 90
‘Sonoma-endowed’ products will be released very shortly.

No doubt, it will become the Platform standard for many
high-end notebooks. Actually, it won’t make or mean that
much difference to the ordinary Joe/Jane who just want a
notebook or laptop for web surfing, word processing and
e-mail. Notebooks with the Sonoma Platform will be just
a little bit faster and have a little better battery life.

But for Mobile Professionals and Notebook Fanatics (they
do exist)… there’s a lot of good things delivered or
capable of being delivered with this new Centrino Chipset.
First, wireless connections will be easier with the integrated
tri-mode 802.11a/b/g, already dubbed by some as the
‘wireless trinity’! This will make it easier to stay
connected no matter where you are.

Improved performance will be experienced because the
new Pentium M’s have a 533MHz frontside bus, supported
with up to 2GB of DDR2 DRAM, Serial ATA Hard Drive, and
PCI Express, plus improved integrated graphics, including
Intel’s Hi-Def Audio. All are possible with the Sonoma
Platform.

PCI Express

PCI(Peripheral Component Interconnect) Express is a new
standard for expansion cards that comes in different
versions. Presently, we have the x16 and x1 lanes, which
will be followed by x4 and x8 versions. It offers increased
bandwidth for example, x1 lane offers 500MB/sec instead of
just 133MB/sec for PCI.

All computers, including laptops have different buses,
(collection of wires) that transmit data from one component
to another.

Of course, in an ideal world, all the data in your computer
should move thru just one BUS - however, most experts agree
it’s not likely to happen unless we start over and build a
computer system from scratch. For now we have to rely on
different internal buses to move the data around, the
PCI Express is a great improvement and will make your
laptop faster.

Graphics Card

These are always improving. A Graphics Card handles the
graphics or visuals on your notebook. If 3D graphics and
games is a pastime, you will want to buy the highest
quality system. Some of the higher end products are:
ATi Mobility Radeon 9800, X800, and FireGL V3200 or
Intel’s Graphics Media Accelerator 900.

If you can, go with a NVIDIA GeForce Go 6800 graphics
card or for the real game diehards - wait for the debut
of NVIDIA GeForce Go 7300 that features NVIDIA’s TurboCache
technology.

Gamers will be aware of NVIDIA SLI technology, ATI’s
CrossFire and Hyperthreading. All new stuff that’s
bringing the gaming experience up to a higher level of
perfection that would even be worthy of a Spielberg or
a Lucas Production. Not really, but it’s getting there.

64 Bit Laptops

Most systems today run on the 32 Bit System. Keep in mind,
the major difference between a 32-bit and a 64-bit system
is the amount of memory that they support. Around 4 GB for
32-bit and 8 GB and up for the 64-bit. Right now — Intel,
Apple, and AMD all offer 64-bit systems.

Do you need all this memory? No, for the average laptop
user it amounts to overkill. However, if you’re interested
in gaming, desktop publishing, or the graphic arts you will
benefit from 64-bit technology.

Dual Core Notebooks

Two is better than one!

Dual core laptops are now on the market. The gaming industry
is the starting point for many of these advanced systems.
For example, the British Laptop maker Rockdirect now produces
Xtreme 64, a gaming laptop with AMD’s new dual core Athlon 64
X2 processor. This same laptop also sports the ATI Mobility
Radeon X800 XT graphics card that features 16 pixel pipelines,
an industry first for notebooks.

The major producers of dual-core chips are Intel and AMD.
The Intel dual-core processor has hyperthreading (HT), the
two cores are divided into four virtual CPU units. Is all this
needed? Again, if you’re into heavy graphics or gaming, it’s
something you should consider and explore further.

Built-in Cellular Modem

Most high-end laptops now come with an integrated
tri-mode 802.11a/b/g for wireless WI-FI connections.

Some recent models, like the Sony’s New Ultra-Portable
VAIO VGN-T350P, are raising the bar; it has the world’s
first ‘Built-in Cellular Modem’. You can use your cell phone
to connect to the Internet. This may be a great advantage
since finding a ‘Hot Spot’ in some parts of the world can
still be difficult.

The Avant-Garde: LumiLED Display

Be on the look-out for LED monitors in the near future.
The brightness, colors and backlighting technology in LED
monitors will be quite different from LCD displays.

The Forerunner in this field is NEC’s SpectraView LumiLED,
and will offer a much better image and color.
Keep your eyes peeled.

On the Horizon:

19 or 20 Inch Laptop Screens

There is a rumor, only a rumor, that Dell is coming out
with a 19-inch laptop in early 2006. There is also buzz
that LG-Philips has a 20-inch LCD panel which could easily
be used by laptop makers if they want to explore this
market area. Andre the giant will be pleased!

Conclusion

Of course, there are many more laptop innovations in
the pipeline but they’re beyond the scope of this article.
Just keep all these new technological notebook changes in
mind when you’re checking out your next laptop. Maybe,
just maybe, most of these won’t already have been replaced
by something new by the time you buy your next laptop.
But don’t bet your Google Stocks on it!

The author has a modest website on Bizware Products for eMarketers.
As part of that site he runs an Online Notebook Guide for Laptop
Enthusiasts. Notebook Buyer’s Guide
Copyright © 2005 Titus Hoskins. This article may be freely distributed if this resource
box stays attached.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Titus_Hoskins

Kenney Jr.
Blog-n-Butter
Director

Technorati Tags: laptops, notebooks, tips for picking the right laptop, new laptop, new notebook technology,