How To Replace The Keyboard In Your Laptop

One of the components of your laptop that is prone to damage is the keyboard. It is very easy to break these delicate parts especially when its innards are the tiniest. Replacing the keyboard is a crucial process. You can go to any computer retail provider to purchase replacement keyboards. Most manufacturers include a manual on how to do this. You may want to get an experienced PC technical support to do the process for you but you can also do it following these steps.

To remove the keyboard:

1. Turn your laptop completely off. Remove the battery and all the other components connected to it.

2. Turn your laptop bottom part up and remove all the screws. Some laptops have indicators as to where the screws are but if not, you just have to find each of them. Be sure to use the proper screw drivers: Philips Screw or in some models, T-8.

3. Turn over your laptop again to proper position, top part up and open it. Check to see if the keyboard is locked under plastic pieces. If so, unscrew each plastic piece and unfasten them as well. If there are no screws, then there might be a clamp which can easily be removed.

4. Remove the plastic pieces or whatever it is on the way one by one with a small pick or plastic pick and make sure you keep them all in one place.

5. If there are screws, unscrew the keyboard one by one from top to bottom. You’ll notice that the keyboard is connected with a thin, but wide, data cable to the system board at the bottom.

6. Use the pick again to remove the plastic connectors that hold this data cable in place.

7. Slowly remove the data cable and the keyboard should be free by now.

To replace the keyboard:

1. Connect the data cable of your new keyboard to the system board of your laptop. Make sure that the data cable is slipped in between the plastic connectors and is connected all the way through.
2. Put the plastic connectors back in place by using the pick again. Make sure that the data cable is secured within.

3. Put the new keyboard in place. This time from bottom to top. Make sure all screw slots and clamps line at the top.

4. Reattach the clamps and/or screws at the top.

5. If there were plastic pieces you had to unclamp or unscrew, make sure you put them all back in order.

6. Turn the laptop over again, bottom part up, and put back all keyboard screws.

7. Put the battery back in and turn your laptop on. If all went well, the keyboard should be working fine.

How To Make Your Laptop Battery Last Longer

All laptop batteries’ lifespan will eventually decrease through the years. Newly purchased batteries lasts up to four hours after charging. After a year or so, this becomes half the time as it used to. In the long run, the hours may only become minutes and then you may have to just continually be on power supply.

To maximize the lifespan of your battery and lengthen the time before you go back to your computer retail provider, here are some tips that you may practice:

• FULLY CHARGE NEW BATTERIES – Charge your new batteries for up to 12 hours prior its first use. This maximizes the charging power of your new battery.

• GET A SPARE BATTERY – An addition to your cost, yes. But alternately using a spare battery will increase the life of your batteries as each will divide the “wear and tear” of only one battery.

• CONSERVE ENERGY – Other components that you connect with your laptop may be run using separate power. Plug them on the wall sockets instead of having them draw power from your laptop’s battery. Reduce the brightness of your screen, this does not only save up on battery power but it is also easier on your eyes.

• ONLY RUN APPLICATIONS THAT YOU WILL WORK ON – Run few applications, only those that you really need at that moment. Leaving them open, even if you don’t work on them, draws power from your battery.

• SWITCH TO LITHIUM – Lithium Ion batteries have longer power and are less prone to damage from charging and recharging.

A rechargeable battery’s lifespan is an average of two years. For efficient batteries, you may want to purchase a new one from your computer retail provider after the said period. Your first battery will still be usable but the second one will be much more efficient.

SIZE UP: STANDARD 15.4” VS. 17”++ COMPUTER MONITORS

When considering purchasing a full computer set up from your computer retail provider, the immediate things we usually fuss over are the CPU speed and hard disk space. Average users tend to take for granted the monitor size that is included in the set up.

Computer monitors are used just as much as any other component of the computer. When pondering on what monitor size should you have, any pc technical support would give the following hints:

The standard size for a computer monitor is the 15.4 inches which is appropriate for the basic uses of the computer like producing documents, browsing the internet for average research, and the like. Basically, this size is pretty much capable of giving you a clear display of what you do with your computer.

Bigger monitor sizes, 17 inches and more, are apt for computer tasks that have to deal with images and videos. Gamers, video editors, digital photographers would surely prefer the bigger sized monitors than the average one since they need a higher image definition. They also need the bigger interface that these monitors have. Image editing for example, would sometimes need to zoom in on the pictures and the bigger interface allows the editor to work on a larger area without having the need to scroll horizontally or vertically. These types of monitors would also do well when the user needs to work with several windows in one sitting.

In choosing a 17 inch monitor or higher, you also need to have a bigger video card in order to have excellent resolution display. The size or capacity of a video card should be matched with the monitor size. A big video card would not work well with a 15.4 inches monitor and vice versa.

Do not forget to include the other components of you computer set up. It will be a much worthwhile experience if you have studied and considered the capacity of the different you are working with.

Why Opt for Mac

The computing world has been forever changed by Apple Macintosh, or simply Mac. Mac has revolutionized the computer industry by providing highly advanced computers and making these available for the average man, not just the experts.

There has been an undeniable debate as to why opt for a Mac over the PC. Here are a few reasons why:

Mac computers are brains and beauty rolled into one. Mac designs are elegantly sleek and gorgeous, ergonomic at the same time. Mac’s operating systems are the most advanced in computer technology, apart from being stable and secure. Mac OS is undisputedly powerful and virus-free. This has been their pride from the very beginning.

Its reliability locks on the fact that Apple makes both the computer and the software – both are literally made for each other. This assures lesser chances of system crash! Every Mac is designed with the principle that computers should be easy to use. You can spend more time doing what you like and less time figuring out how your computer works. If you’ve never owned a Mac, you may need a little time to get used to it. But it should take only a short period to orient you with the system

Mac boasts of smart detection. A Mac includes hundreds of drivers for peripherals that are preinstalled. Just connect your device and, in most cases, you’re good to go. For example, a Mac is smart enough to know what to do when you plug in your digital camera: It opens iPhoto and asks if you want to import your recent photos.

One slight problem with owning a Mac is that there are a lot of applications we are oriented with using Windows that are not yet compatible with Macs. One may however, opt to get Boot Camp that lets you run Windows in your Mac. It has not been completely tested though whether all Windows applications may run on it.

Overall, Mac gives great value for your money. It is a fact that Macs are more expensive than other brands. It is a fact too, though, that Mac’s quality is undeniable durable and excellent that is why it remains as a leader as a computer retail provider.

Dell Computers' Pros and Cons

One of the most in demand computer brands is Dell. The company began in 1984 with Michael Dell’s concept to build computers and sell them directly to consumers. “Dell could best understand customers' needs and efficiently provide the most effective computing solutions”. It has been 25 years now and Dell has remained as one of the top computer retail solutions providers. Dell is one of the world’s leading technology vendors with a wealth of experience of providing cost-effective, fully-managed solutions.

Why get a Dell?

Dell has banked on its reputation as the only customizable computer solutions provider. They offer an ordering system that lets you tell them what kind of computer you want. You may track the production process of you computer thus assuring you that the computer you’re getting is brand new. Every Dell system is custom built giving you technology that functions the way you need it to. For walk in buying, they provide hardware, systems integration and a range of third party software, preinstalled on equipment you purchased directly from them.

Quality-wise, Dell computers undergo a “road ready analysis” to ensure product durability. Their computers are compatible with different operating systems such as Windows, Linux, and Unix variations.

Dell systems deliver enormous processing power and excellent value for money. Not only do they give cost efficient solutions but they tailor fit their services to the needs of their clients. They offer accessible technical support through almost any medium.

Why to not get a Dell?

Major setbacks of Dell have nothing to do with the hardware they sell, most often, complaints about their customer service and payment / warranty systems come up. Being the “customizable” computer retail provider that they are, Dell’s customer services are loaded, and a lot of their clients complain of accessibility.