CLEANING LCD SCREENS---EASY CLEANING OF LAPTOP MONITORS

This simple guide provides an inexpensive, easy, and very effective homemade solution to cleaning LCD screens and important warnings for cleaning computer LCD monitors. Cleaning computer LCD monitors can greatly enhance your laptop experience, it's amazing what a clean screen can do.

A laptop screen is called an LCD (liquid crystal display) and LCD screens are especially susceptible to scratches so they require some extra care and attention.
Warning: You should NEVER put your bare fingers on the screen while cleaning LCD monitors or at anytime as this can burn out the pixels and damage your screen.

When cleaning your LCD screens you can leave your screen on but if you turn it off you will be able to see the smears and smudges much better.

LCD Monitor Dry Dust Cleaning:
If your monitor is not too dirty you can just use a plain SOFT cotton cloth. Wipe (without pressure) from the top of the monitor to the bottom by going in the same direction.
Warning: Do not use cheap paper towels, towels, rags as they may scratch the surface.

LCD Screen Cleaning Solution:
If your monitor is really dirty then you can use a cleaning solution for a deep cleaning.
Warning: Do not use products any products that contain ethyl alcohol, ammonia, acetone, toluene, ethyl acid, or methyl chloride based cleaners these will yellow your screen.

You can go to the store and buy a cleaner especially made for LCD screens there are plenty of those. If you don't want to spend extra money there is a homemade solution.

Homemade Cleaning Solution for LCD Screens:
Ingredients:
Isopropyl Alcohol
Distilled Water (Do not use tap water because it contains salts that can whiten your screen)

Mix equal parts distilled water to isopropyl alcohol (example: 1/4 cup water to 1/4 cup isopropyl alcohol)
Make sure to use only isopropyl alcohol, which is just regular rubbing alcohol.

Always use a soft cloth, cotton preferably or those special electrostatic cloths used to clean eyeglasses.
Do not use a rag, paper towel or napkins as these can scratch the surface of your monitor.

Apply a very small amount of the solution ONTO THE CLOTH and very gently (without pressure) wipe the laptop screen in one direction from the top of the screen to the bottom.
Warning: Never pour or spray any cleaning solution onto an LCD screen as this can short circuit the monitor.

Now that your LCD screen is clean and shiny you should see a noticeable difference and enjoy a much better viewing experience.

BEST LAPTOP DESKS -- UNDER $30

Also known as notebook tables, trays, stand and pads

What are laptop computer desks you might ask?

Laptop Computer Desks are very cheap accessories that make a big difference by providing ergonomic comfort, cooling and protection for your laptop and your lap.

Desks for a laptop computer are designed to protect your lap and laptop from excessive heat and provide comfort.

With use laptops do heat up and the more the laptop heats up the more unbearable it will become to keep it on your lap.

But I never use my laptop on my lap?
Laptop desks are proven to significantly reduce heat build-up in your notebook and serve as a cooling unit and even though you may not use your lap, using these desks greatly enhances your laptop health.When a laptop does not receive airflow as is the case when it sits on your lap, floor, bed, couch or desk the notebook will start to overheat. Once it reaches the max heat (depends on the model) the laptop heat sensor will cause it to shut down and without warning, without a chance to save your work. This can be at best annoying and at worst a serious ongoing problem, which eventually can lead to your laptop motherboard being burnt out completely, which is very expensive to replace.

Where would you need a laptop desk? Virtually anywhere you use your laptop!
Home
Subway
Car
Beach
Park
Work

For under $30 you can protect your laptop as well as your lap.

The best deals are at LapWorks:
LAPTOP DESK FUTURA, LAPTOP DESK ULTRA LITE, LAPTOP DESK 2.0, LAPTOP DESK 1.0 are all under $30 and you get a free trial!

TOP TEN LAPTOPS REVIEWED - BEST LAPTOP AND USES

TOSHIBA OOSMIO G35..............Most Loaded
Best-in-class multimedia experience that features state of the art components, including the Intel Core Duo chip set. Loaded with every possible feature, including an HD-DVD drive and 0ne of the best 17-inch wide-screen displays, an integrated TV tuner, a full set of ports and connections, a jamming set of stereo speakers and the best set of multimedia controls.

SONY VAIO SZ...............Best Balance Between Portability & Usability
Sony managed to create a laptop that has a perfect balance of portability without sacrificing a readable screen or a very user-friendly keyboard. In addition the VAIO SZ features all the components, which a business requires, from a Web cam for videoconferencing to an integrated microphone to a fingerprint scanner for security. On top of all this you get an Intel Core Duo processor and a NVIDIA graphics card.

LENOVO ThinkPad X60s..................Best ultra portable for business
Best features are built in WWAN connectivity and the latest Intel Core Duo processor. Includes the fantastic ThinkPad keyboard, which makes this notebook a better choice if comfortable typing is more important than watching DVD's. This laptop does not have a built -in optical drive and yet it still brings a best-in-class balance of performance, battery life,portability and comfort.

GATEWAY NC100X..............Best Budget Model & Ultra Portable Design
The "poor mans" dream notebook delivers a sleek look with brushed aluminum details and dark blue status lights. With a low bottom line the NX100X costs significantly less than competitors models. The sacrifices for a lower price is of course minimal features including the lack of a built-in optical drive. But if you need a very portable and stylish economic notebook the Gateway NX100X is for you.

HP COMPAQ PRESARIO V500 Z............Most Affordable Laptop
One of the cheapest priced based model laptops available that does not compromise quality. Ideal all-around laptop for a student or home user who needs good performance and a fair set of basic features which includes, a LightScribe double layer optical drive and a multi-format media-card reader.

DELL XPS M1710...................Best Gaming Notebook
For the serious gamer, Dell still remains the leader in laptop gaming units. 17-inch wide screen, Intel Core platform and NVIDIA's new top shelf GEForce Go 7900 GTX GRPU video card are the star features of the XPS M1710. While this is a high price system it is the best of the best for the serious gamers.


PANASONIC TOUGHBOOK 74...............Best Notebook for the Klutzy Klutz
Designed to be abused this laptop can withstand lots and lots of abuse. With drops, bangs and spills it keeps running. The ToughBook 74 used military-grade laptop design principals and incorporated them into a consumer-friendly "rough and tough" model that is built for abuse.

SONY VAIO UX...................Best Micro Tablet
This tiny unit has a 4.5-inch (diagonal) wide-screen display that slides up to reveal a QWERTY keypad. Even though it's small the UX runs on a full-fledged laptop CPU, a full version of Windows XP and a touch-screen interface. Weighing only 1.2 pounds this laptop has a 1024x600 resolution display and comes with modest components and lots of network connections. Considering its tiny size it is amazing that Sony managed to add two cameras, a biometric fingerprint scanner, mic jacks and headphone, USB port and Memory Stick slot.

APPPLE MACBOOK PRO...............Best Laptop Design
Apple hasn't radically redesigned the PowerBook factor with this model and thank goodness for that. This MacBook is sleek in aluminum, wider, thinner and lighter that the 15-inch PowerBook making a successful compromise between portable and usable. Top attributes include unparalleled style and solid set of features and software. Only a few transitional performance issues keep this laptop from rivaling the most powerful of laptops.

DELL XPS M2010....................Best Notebook that's Not One
The perfect combination of the in between of desktop and notebook designs this piece features a foldout 20-inch screen, detachable Bluetooth keyboard, top set of components and most of the features of a modern Media Center PC, including a great sound system, a pop-up slot-loading DVD player, and integrated video camera and microphone for videoconferencing. Impressive in style and performance and definitely not cheap.

LAPTOP BUYING GUIDE---BUYING TIPS FOR LAPTOP COMPUTER

Here is an laptop buying guide written for those who cannot stand techie jargon, because let's face it life is just too short. Also please look for laptop buying tips in assisting you to pick the right laptop the first time.

Processor:
The processor of a laptop determines how fast a computer and the speed is given in GHz.

Best: Intel Core Duo processor.
With the release of the Core 2 Duo E6700 Intel takes the crown from AMD and their dominant dual-core chips by creating a processor which provides superior performance and better power efficiency. for half the cost.

1.73 GHz processor is more than sufficient for everyday work like word processing, spreadsheets, email and internet surfing. The Core Duo provides a strong performance and great battery life.

Other processors...
Pentium M
Pentium Celeron
Pentium 4
Athlon
AMD

Memory (RAM):
RAM refers to the amount of programs you can run on your computer without running into slow downs and causing your laptop to drag. 512MB RAM is the optimal amount of memory and the best option for gaming and if you plan to use 3-D graphics. Anything over 1GB is probably a waste of money since RAM upgrades are very affordable.
Laptop Buying Tip: The RAM the laptop supports tells you the most memory you will be able to upgrade to.

Hard drive:
40-80 GB hard drive is more than sufficient unless you plan to generate multimegabyte music or data files or you want to install more than one office suite. Do not spend extra money on a bigger hard drive as a laptops internal hard drive is inexpensive and easy to replace if you ever needed to and external drives are very inexpensive and can always be added later.

All-in-one design. Unless you really need a lightweight laptop, choose one with an internal bay for the optical drive. This type of design lets you to swap in other devices, such as an extra hard drive or a second battery.

Condition:
NIB- refers to New in Box, brand-new never opened and never used. Factory Sealed New- This usually means refurbished in that it not new, fixed, checked and brought to new condition. This could include store displays, or an open box item that was never used. Used- A laptop that is being sold by an individual and has been previously used.

Used Laptop Computers Cheap:
The advantage of buying a used laptop computers is that you could save a lot of money. Checking the feedback rating of a seller is an important determining factor in creating confidence in buying a used item.

Laptop Buying TIP: Shop safe at Laptop Best Buys where we pride ourselves on providing buyers with extensive feedback comments and ratings from previous customers. Whether you are looking for used, new or refurbished laptops we have a large selection of all brands and models.

Warranty:
A laptop with a warranty can save money down the road.
Laptop Buying TIP: If the laptop you wish to purchase comes with a warranty check to see if they cover shipping charges in the event you need to send it in for repair. There are also warranties that cover an in-home repair.

Screen size:
A screen larger than 14 is best to avoid strain on the eyes. The screen size dimension is measured diagonally across the screen. Larger screens or wide screens result in heavier laptops and are more bulky but do provide a more comfortable experience whether you’re surfing the net or watching movies. A smaller screen can be more beneficial for word-processing type of activity.

Screen Viewing:
An anti-glare feature is very beneficial when you don’t want to have part of your screen invisible due to a light source. Outside-readable screens are made to use in very bright light (outside) and are very costly. Wide Screen viewing angle is important if you don’t like decreased visibility when you move your head to the side.

Weight:
A 5 or 6 pound laptop is best. Ultra light laptops, below 4 pounds have cramped keyboards, less speed and memory, and usually no CD or DVD drive and smaller screens. If you buy an ultra-light laptop, its performance may be so compromised that after all of the accessories you carry with it are added up (a CD drive, a larger battery, a better keyboard, etc...) it may weigh as much as a regular 5 or 6 lb laptop. The better features and benefits of a 5 or 6 pound laptop outweigh the weight issue. Higher capacity hard drives and batteries add to laptop weight.

Battery:
Watt-hours determine the life of a battery. Lithium laptop batteries use cells to determine life, more cells equals more life. Usually a laptop needs a new battery every 1 to 5 years.
The way you determine battery consumption depends on how you use the laptop, most battery ratings are given for a computer running minimal processes which does not include Internet usage, graphics, power-save mode etc.
Latpop Buying TIP: If you want more more freedom from the outlet buy a notebook that has a modular bay capable of holding a supplementary power pack.

Wireless:
Wireless Internet Capability or Wi-Fi is necessary if you'd like to surf the net without being tied to a wire. Wireless cards are easily installed into most laptops. LAN Internet comes in three types: A, B and G. B being the slowest and A and G are the same speed. Wireless cards are written as 802.11 followed by a, b or g or a combination of such. Optimal is 802.11g and 802.11a/b/g is even better.

Keyboard:
The keyboard should be full size or it will take some time to adjust.
Laptop Buying TIP: Look for the % of full size when looking at the keyboard features of a laptop.

Mouse Options:
Option 1 is a touch screen, which is controlled with finger movements on a pad. Option 2 is a knob feature that lets you control the mouse by moving the finger in only one spot. This feature is harder to adjust and unless you have a preference get the touch panel, or both if possible. Option 3 is get both a touch screen and knob on your laptop.
Laptop Buying TIP: you can always hook up a standard mouse to your laptop.

Ports:
The more ports the more variety you will have. At least one USB (multipurpose, very useful port) and at least one VGA (video connection to external monitor/ projector) are very important. An Ethernet port for wired Internet. Headphone and microphone ports.

Other ports include:
FireWire port (generally used with Apple products such as iPods) S-video port for video output. Printer port for most printers. PC card slots (card bus), which provide a large variety of functions. You can usually buy a PC card to replace any type of port.

Audio:
Media Centers have higher quality speakers built-in. Computers that save weight and space will have small speakers which gives just an OK sound quality and quiet music.

Video/ graphics:
This is important for playing and editing movies and is crucial for 3D gaming. Dedicated memory usually comes with a graphics card (ATI Radeon, GeForce, etc...) and has its own memory in MB which includes 32MB, 64MB, and 128MB.If video is important to you pick the highest one you can afford.
Laptop Buying TIP: To get an idea of what you might need you can refer to the back of your games or media software CD-case or manual to see the “system requirements” for the video memory requirements.

Skins:
Personalize and dress up your laptop with decorative skins!

Laptop Case, Bag and Backpack:
A variety of bags are available for carrying your laptop, including "with wheels." Whether you like business leather, or bright pink suede there's a laptop case for you.

Tablet PC:
These are laptops that allow you to write on the screen. They also have detachable keyboards and a screen you can move to lay upside-down on your keyboard. These types of laptops are more expensive and usually these characteristics are not necessary for the average retailer.

Hopefully this Laptop Buying Guide was helpful and now you are an expert in how to buy a laptop computer!