Acer Aspire One D250 Laptop - Review

Acer’s new Aspire One D250 laptop, launched few months back, is a low cost, ultra portable laptop which has quickly become a popular travel companion for folks on the go.

The new Acer Aspire One D250 laptop is thinner and lighter than its predecessor Acer Aspire One D150. It weighs 2.24 pounds and is only 0.8-inches thick. The standard 10.1-inch LCD display screen has a resolution of 1024x600 pixels with sharp colors. A webcam is also integrated on top of the screen. This Acer laptop has a battery life of only 3 hours with included 3-cell battery, but more than 7.5 hours with the optional 6-cell battery. Other features include Wi-Fi connectivity, a 160GB internal hard drive and the Acer Signal Up technology for easy access to available networks.

This Acer laptop is light, slim, attractive and comes at a low price. However, keyboard is small and it lacks Bluetooth connectivity.

Other specifications are:
Processor: Intel Atom N270 (1.6 GHz)
RAM installed: 1 GB DDR2 SDRAM
Operating System: Windows XP Home SP3
Battery: 3-cell Lithium ion

Acer Aspire One D250 laptop is priced at $303.99 only and is available to order.

Steps to Avoid Hard Drive Crash

Though hard drive crash is a phenomenon that can occur any time; leading to loss of your confidential documents, precious pictures and other files; initiating few steps can prevent you from being a victim.

1) Install an Internet Security Suit that has firewall protection, antivirus protection and real time scanning capabilities. Scan your computer often and remove any infected files.

2) Avoid overheating your hard drive. Place your computer in a cool place. Take extra care with laptops since their fans are at the bottom and may cause trouble.

3) A shock or a bump to hard drive can also cause it to crash. So, avoid shocking or bumping it. Always carry your laptops in a padded case.

4) Back up all your data regularly. In the event of a crash, you’ll have your data backed up and won’t lose anything. The backup program included in Microsoft Windows XP works well.

5) Run a registry cleaner to organize your operating system’s registry.

6) Download updates and service packs recommended by your operating system.

7) Defrag hard drive once in a while. This gathers all your scattered data into convenient locations.

8) Clean your cookies and temporary internet files regularly. They are the main source for virus in your computer.

In the event, your hard drive crashes, first step would be to buy a secondary hard drive and try to recover your data from the crashed hard rive.

Toshiba’s NEW and the BEST Mini Notebook: NB205-N312

Toshiba's reasonably priced NB205 is packed with a collection of fantastic features and more than 9 hours of battery life. With 1.6GHz Intel Atom N280 CPU, 1GB of RAM, and a 160GB 5400-rpm hard drive, NB205 has become the best recommended 10.1 inch notebook. The 3.1 x 1.6 – inch touchpad is the largest in 10-inch class.
Toshiba NB205 comes with Genuine Windows® XP Home Edition (SP3) operating system. Also, In addition to Toshiba’s HDD Protection and Zoom Utility software, Bluetooth Stack (for easy Bluetooth setup), ConfigFree (for connecting to a network), and PC Health Monitor (for keeping the notebook running smoothly) are included.
Above the display screen is a 0.3-megapixel webcam, which provides extremely clear images in a video chat. Hidden below the front edge of the system are the dual stereo speakers.

With pass-through USB port, that enables users to charge USB-powered devices while the computer is off, and weight starting at 2.93 lbs, it is also the best solution for folks on the go. This notebook also provides an internal accelerometer to protect the hard drive in case of falls and offers wireless WAN support.

Mini NB205-N312 specs are:
Intel Atom Processor N280
Genuine Windows® XP Home Edition (SP3)
1 GB of RAM
10.1 - inch widescreen
160GB 5400-rpm hard drive
Atheros® Wireless LAN (802.11b/g)
Bluetooth® V2.1 + EDR
Webcam and microphone built into LCD bezel
Headphone jack (stereo), Built-in monaural speaker, Microphone jack (mono)
Li-Ion (5800mAh, 6-Cell) Battery with 9 hours of battery life
2-USB (2.0), 1-USB (2.0) with Sleep and Charge

With great oversized touchpad, comfortable keyboard, amazing battery life and sleep-and-charge USB ports, Toshiba’s NB205-N312 is the perfect solution for everyone.

Toshiba NB205-N312 is available in stores with 1 year of warranty on battery, parts and labor.

Dell Adds to its Vostro Notebook Lineup

On Tuesday July 2, Dell revealed the latest addition to its growing line of Vostro laptops, the 12-inch Vostro 1220. Sporting a shiny red or black casing, Dell’s newest notebook is built for the budget-conscious consumer who doesn’t need all the high-end features, such as the Centrino vPro platform.

This compact, stylish laptop weighs in at just 3.35 lbs. and delivers up to 9 hours of battery juice, making it the perfect solution for on-the-go business travelers. As for the price tag, consumers have a choice between three different packages.

Here are the specs for the Vostro 1220 Base Package ($799):

• Intel Celeron 900 processor
• 160 GB SATA hard drive
• 2GB of RAM
• Windows Vista Home Basic

Here are the specs for the Vostro 1220 Business Package ($899):

• Intel Core 2 Duo T6670 processor
• 250 GB SATA hard drive
• 3GB of RAM
• Windows Vista Home Basic

Here are the specs for the Vostro 1220 Ultimate Performance Package ($1029):

• Intel Core 2 Duo T6670 processor
• 320 GB SATA hard drive
• 4GB of RAM
• Windows Vista Ultimate 64 bit

In addition to these features, all three versions of the Vostro 1220 come with an ExpressCard, SD card slot, and Integrated Ethernet Network. According to recent research, worldwide shipments of 12-inch notebooks are expected in increase approximately 35 percent from the year 2008 to 2009. In response to this trend, Dell has designed their latest laptop for superior performance, enhanced security, and increased battery life.

The Vostro 1220 model comes with a 30-day no-obligation return policy, and it’s available on store shelves now.

Possible Family Pack for Windows 7

According to recent reports, Microsoft will offer consumers a “Family Pack” edition of Windows 7, which will include a shared license for three computers in one household. The following clause will allegedly appear in the license details of the Family Pack for Windows 7:

“If you are a ‘Qualified Family Pack User,’ you may install one copy of the software marked as ‘Family Pack’ on three computers in your household for use by people who reside there. Those computers are the licensed computers and are subject to these licensing terms.”

On the other hand, retail copies of Windows 7 Home Premium include this agreement:

“One Copy per Customer. Except as allowed in Section (2), you may install one copy of the software on one computer. That computer is the ‘licensed computer.’”

So what are the system requirements for Windows 7? Generally speaking, laptops and desktop computers will need the following features in order to run Microsoft’s latest product:

• 1 GB RAM (32-bit) or 2 GB RAM (64-bit)
• 1GHz or faster processor (32-bit or 64-bit)
• DirectX graphics device with WDDM 1.0 or higher drive
• 16 GB available hard disk space (32-bit) or 20 GB hard disk space (64-bit)

In 2007, Microsoft offered a two-license Family Pack for Windows Vista Home Premium, which was retailed at $159. However, the company has refused to confirm or deny rumors about an upcoming Family Pack for Windows 7.

Experts predict a $189 price tag, since it would undercut Apple’s multi-license bundle by ten dollars. Of course, there’s no real way for Microsoft to prevent widespread abuse, such as business users three single students splitting the cost three ways.

The official release of Windows 7 is set for October 22 of this year, but you can still pre-order the software for a discount price through July 11.

Firefox 3.5 Finally Launches

After a lengthy waiting period, Mozilla is finally ready to release Firefox 3.5 to the public today on Tuesday, June 30. The latest edition of Firefox actually began its life as a straight-forward update to Firefox 3.1. However, the suggested changes became so extensive that Mozilla decided to modify the version number to Firefox 3.5.

Featuring a multitude of advancements, the open-source browser has already received positive feedback in terms of performance and speed. In fact, many sources agree that the improvements in speed alone make it well worth the upgrade. According to Mozilla, Firefox 3.5 is twice as fast as its predecessor, thanks to the brand new TraceMonkey JavaScript Engine.

The innovative browser now supports HTML5 audio and video, which is something that’s been discussed quite a bit lately. Plus, it will come with a private browsing mode, allowing users to keep it locked at their own discretion.

Some of the other new features include:


• Electrolysis, a new project that’s designed to improve isolation between plug-ins and tabs
• A project called Weave that synchronizes passwords, bookmarks, preferences, and several other settings across multiple browsers
• Snowl, a system that attempts to unify messaging applications from various sources such as email, RSS feeds, Web forums, social networks, etc.
• Jetpack, a new framework for add-ons that uses basic Web page design standards

In addition to those features mentioned above, Firefox 3.5 also comes with enhanced search tools, as well as new capabilities for playing audio and video files. Experts are now recommending that consumers download the latest version of Firefox right away. These days, websites are becoming extremely complex, meaning they require more efficient, more powerful browsers.

Within the last year, Firefox has gained roughly 3 percentage points of the market share, taking it to about 22.5 percent. Despite these significant advances, Mozilla’s newest release still faces numerous challengers, including Internet Explorer 8, Google Chrome, and Apple’s Safari—just to name a few. The upgraded Firefox browser is currently available for download for Mac, Linux, and Windows systems.

Ricoh Introduces New Line of Color Printers

On Thursday June 25, Ricoh Americas Corp. announced the release of its new color inkjet printer series, the Aficio GX e3300N/GX e3350N GelSprinter. These affordable printers are specifically designed to provide a high-quality, duplexing alternative to standard inkjet and laser technology. Unlike traditional toner cartridges, the new line of printers incorporate a quick-drying, water-resistant gel that eliminates blurring, smearing or smudging for more professional-looking results.

Ricoh is just one of many companies that are trying to enhance productivity without increasing costs. In an effort to help consumers deal with the challenging economic climate, the network-ready GelSprinters come with an economical color mode, which produces color graphics and crisp text for about the same cost-per-page as black-and-white printing.

As a leading provider of office equipment, Ricoh’s products help businesses share information by allowing users to control the input, output, and management of documents. Ideal for small offices and busy workgroups, the next-generation Aficio printers deliver 35-second warm-up times and print speeds up to 29 pages-per-minute. Plus, the 250-sheet paper tray ensures minimal interruption, so users can stay productive for longer periods of time.

The latest Ricoh printers also offer a variety of environmental benefits to help consumers “green” their home or workplace. For instance, the Aficio e3300N/GX requires only 36 watts of electricity when in-use, making it ENERGY STAR Version 1.1 compliant. In addition, the GelSprinter series reduces landfill waste by using permanent print heads and consumables that qualify for Ricoh’s recycling programs.

These environmentally-friendly printers are competitively priced and available for purchase now.