Many laptops come with the wiring and circuitry to support a Bluetooth card already built in, even if they don't have the card itself installed. To avoid possible compatibility problems, however, you should obtain the Bluetooth module directly from your laptop vendor.

On our Dell Inspiron 1525 laptop, we found the Bluetooth connector behind an odd little door in the battery bay. We merely popped open the door, pulled out the wires, and attached the Bluetooth module to it (photo 1, upper left). On some machines, the module is located near the wireless card slot; on others, it's situated under the keyboard.Reboot your laptop, and then download and install the appropriate driver from your laptop. Fig: Backhham using Bluetooth

Upgrading a wireless card is usually about as easy as upgrading RAM. In fact, on some machines, both the Wi-Fi card and the RAM are located under the same panel.

The trick is to make sure that you install a compatible part. Most laptops that were made a few years ago use Mini PCI cards, while newer ones use the Mini PCI Express standard. The latter type of cards have two separated sets of connectors along the narrower side; Mini PCI cards have only one set.

Even if the card you get has the right connector, it may not automatically work in your laptop: It's unlikely that you can upgrade your old 802.11b card to an 802.11n one (since few 802.11n Mini PCI cards have been made), but it's very likely that you'll be able to find an 802.11a/b/g card that works. Also, many systems that shipped with 802.11g cards can be upgraded to meet the latest 802.11n standard. To avoid firmware incompatibilities, we advise you to get this part directly from the manufacturer of your laptop; in any case, it should be sold specifically for your computer.

If you need to remove the keyboard, follow these steps:

• Remove the laptop's hinge cover by prying up the plastic.
• Detach the keyboard by taking out the two screws beneath the hinge cover that secure it, lifting it off, and then unplugging the connector.

(Reverse these steps to replace the keyboard when the new card is in place.)

Remove the old card by pulling apart the two holding clamps on the card's sides and then pulling the card straight out (photo 3, below). Insert the new card, and reattach the antennas by pushing the connectors straight down on the plugs.

If your wireless card is located on the underside of the machine, flip the notebook over, remove the appropriate panel, and follow the instructions above.

3.Optical Drive

A replacement drive should be designed for use with your specific notebook, so buy one directly from the system's original manufacturer if possible. The advantages? For one thing, this ensures that you'll have the correct IDE channel settings (which often cannot be changed) for the drive; for another, attaching the faceplate to the drive can be difficult, and it's easy to break the faceplate when removing the original drive. Vendors put the eject button in different places, too, meaning that with the wrong drive you won't be able to use the faceplate at all.

In many instances a new optical drive will work without additional tweaking. If yours doesn't work, however, download the appropriate driver; you may have to search on the full model number of the part if you didn't obtain the drive from your notebook's vendor.

Stap 2 - Laptop Upgrades You Can Do Yourself (2. Hard Drive)

2. Hard Drive:

Replacing a laptop's hard drive is almost always an uncomplicated affair, and the actual swap can be done in just a few minutes. Transferring the data from the old drive to the new one requires a little more planning, and typically takes an hour or so. This simple task is likely not only to give you more storage, but also to improve performance. We upgraded a 5400-rpm, 120GB drive to a 7200-rpm, 200GB model, raising the system's WorldBench 6 score from 57 to 61.


Hard drives are usually accessible via a side panel in your laptop and held in place by screws on the bottom. Remove those screws, and then slide the drive out of the machine (as in photo 1 here).

The drive will most likely be attached to a sled (photo 2, at left). Remove the screws that are holding the drive in the sled, and remove the drive. Put the new drive where the old one was, and replace all of the screws in reverse order.

If you are reinstalling Windows from scratch, boot from your installation disc and go to town. On the other hand, if you want to reproduce your old data and programs exactly the way you had them before, consider using cloning software to make an exact copy of the old disk. Finally, clone your old (now external) drive to your new (now internal) drive, and boot normally. You're done.

Apple to Launch MacBook Touch:

Though some have doubts about Apple launching a new product in the coming months, the blogosphere is aflutter with rumors of a touchscreen Mac tablet, currently dubbed the MacBook touch.

MacDailyNews received the tip from an anonymous source who previously leaked information about Apple’s wireless iTunes Store a week before the company debuted it.

"Think MacBook screen, possibly a bit smaller, in glass with iPhone-like, but fuller-featured Multi-Touch," the anonymous source told MDN. "Gesture library. Full Mac OS X. This is why they bought P.A. Semi. Possibly with Immersion’s haptic tech. Slot-loading SuperDrive. Accelerometer. GPS. Pretty expensive to produce initially, but sold at ‘low’ price that will reduce margins. Apple wants to move these babies. And move they will.
This is some sick shit. App Store-compatible, able to run Mac apps, too. By October at the latest."

Apple Making Touchscreen Netbook:

It's now officially been "confirmed" by "people close to the situation"... two of them in fact. Apple will release a touchscreen netbook by Fall 2009. Doing so would go against everything they've stated publicly to date, but I think I've figured out how they'll get around that.

Digitimes got this party started on Monday by reporting that the Commercial Times said "Wintek will supply touch panels for Apple's new netbook, and shipments will start in the third quarter this year". Dow Jones got in on the party soon after, confirming the story with anonymous sources who they assure us are quite friendly with the "situation". The "monitor screens" will be "between 9.7-inches and 10-inches" and Quanta will be making the computers.

Of course, there are a few problems with this. First of all the second "close source" is either contradicting the first one or just being useless, having yielded up the telling quotation "specifications and functions are still under evaluation." Also, although this doesn't necessarily mean the story isn't accurate, Dow Jones is not where I go to get my reliable Apple news. But the biggest reason this doesn't make sense is Steve Job's famous line, "we don't know how to make a $500 computer that's not a piece of junk." Those are pretty strong words and Apple hasn't really backed off them since day one.

So, Netbooks are hot and Apple knows it. Just like Sony caved, so too will Apple in their own fashion. Now Jobs is right about that price point but I think I've guessed their workaround, and I'm putting my $799 off to the side now so I don't spend it before September.

---Latest Report.

Apple netbook in Q3:

Wintek will supply the touch-panels to Quanta computer who'll be tasked with assembling Apple's netbook. Take this one with a grain of salt though -- while these two Taiwan-based magazines tend to be accurate with insider info related to Taiwan-based companies like Acer and ASUS, they can often be wide of the mark with rumors related to foreign companies. Taiwan-based Wintek will supply touch panels for Apple's new netbook, and shipments will start in the third quarter this year, according to a Chinese-language Commercial Times report.

Wintek revealed that it is currently working with Apple to develop some new products, but it said it does not know what applications the new products are for. Wintek added that no shipment schedule has been worked out yet, but shipments are likely to begin in the second half of the year.

Quanta Computer will be the maker of Apple's new netbook, the Commerical Times report said.

Wintek has reported that its consolidated revenues for February totaled NT$1.81 billion (US$52 million), representing a 25.69% increase from NT$1.44 billion in January, but a 21.65% decrease from NT$2.31 billion for the same month in 2008.

The increase was mainly contributed by rush orders from handset clients who were stocking inventories after the Lunar New Year holidays in January, market sources said, adding that sales were also helped by the fact that there were more working days in February than in January.

---news

3-Megapixel Camera:

The new 3-mega pixel camera takes great still photos, too, thanks to built-in auto focus and a handy new feature that lets you tap the display to focus on anything (or anyone) you want.

Voice Control:

Voice Control recognizes the names in your Contacts and knows the music on your iPod. So if you want to place a call or play a song, all you have to do is ask.

Compass:

With a built-in digital compass, iPhone 3G S can point the way. Use the new Compass app, or watch as it automatically reorients maps to match the direction you’re facing.¹

Messages:

Send messages with text, video, photos, audio, locations, and contact information. You can even forward one or more messages to others. MMS support from AT&T coming in late summer.

Search:

Find what you’re looking for across your iPhone, all from one convenient place. Spotlight searches all your contacts, email, calendars, and notes, as well as everything in your iPod.

YouTube:

Watch YouTube videos wherever you are. Log in to your YouTube account to save and sync bookmarks and rate your favorites.

Everything you find within iPhone.....

ATHERTON, Calif. (AP) — Rajeev Motwani, a well-known Stanford University computer science professor who advised one of Google's creators, was found dead in his swimming pool.

Stanford University said the 47-year-old professor apparently drowned on Friday at his home in Atherton, and his friends told the school news service he did not know how to swim.

Motwani's work using algorithms to search vast computer databases, like the Internet, is celebrated in Silicon Valley.

Google co-founder Sergey Brin wrote on his blog that Motwani's counsel played a big role in his research, education, and professional development.

China has defended the use of new screening software that has to be installed on all computers.

A foreign ministry spokesman says the software will filter out pornographic or violent material but critics have complained that it could also be used to stop Chinese internet users searching for politically sensitive information.

All computers sold in China, including those that are imported, will have to be pre-installed with the software.

Microsoft says the plan raises the issues of freedom of expression, privacy and security.

--- BBC says

Installation Procedure...

Connecting Your PC:

•All the Connectors in your PC are in different colors for easy identification.

•Keyboard and Mouse - PS / 2 Port in Violet and Green respectively.

•Video Port - For Monitor in Blue Color

•Serial Port COM1/COM2 - for Serial Devices (e.g. MODEM)

•Parallel Port - in Pink Color (for devices like Printer)

•USB Port - For USB devices like Scanner, Digital Camera

•Game Port - For devices like Joy Stick

•Line Out / Line In / MIC - For speakers with Amplifier and Microphone

System Properties:

For find your configuration just click My computer and go properties. see the picture..

Operation Procedure...

•Switch ON your PC using the Switch on the Front

•It is good to switch ON the PC only after Switching ON all of the Peripherals connected to it.

•For Switching OFF the PC, Click the Shutdown Option in your OS, if it is Windows Based and it will Switch it OFF .

•Before you switch OFF your PC, ensure that nobody is accessing your PC(if it is Shared in a Network)

Testing Procedure...

Points to check

•When PC is not Powering ON or any other Problem, check the connections of Input Power Cable and all the Interface Cables on the Rear Side of your PC.

•Schedule for Anti-virus checks, periodically.

Maintenance Procedure...

•Weekly or monthly once, run Scandisk and Defragment for better performance of your PC

just right click of any drive and select properties than tools and click scandisk or Defragment.

•Make it a habit, cleaning Your PC daily before you start, with a clean, dampened cloth.

•Backup all your data regularly

Hard Disk Care...

•Don’t move your PC when it is powered ON

•Wait for atleast 3 minutes even after you switch the PC OFF.

•This precaution is to be followed for Preventing Hard Disk Failures which shall result in Data Loss.

Help! I've accidentally dropped my laptop!

Unfortunately dropping a laptop can cause numerous problems, from scraping the case to smashing the screen. Many older laptops did have modular parts that can be replaced, but now newer and smaller laptops have almost everything integrated itself on the motherboard, so that they are very expensive to repair. In some cases, depending on the damage done and age of laptop, it can be cheaper to replace the whole laptop than have it repaired. But first of all you have to check all parts of your laptop.

My laptop won't boot up properly. What's going on?

There are many factors that can go wrong with the operating system and other software on laptops. These days many laptops have customised software installed according to a persons needs. Try to go into Safemode by pressing the F8 key on your keyboard when your laptop just run. After running with safemode try to do clean up your laptop using antivirus. And try to remove unnecessary software.
If the need arises to reformat the laptop, reinstall the operating system from the CDs or DVDs that were supplied with the laptop. Also make sure that the drivers CD's are available at the time of installation.

One of my drives has disappeared and I cannot see it in My Computer window. What should I do?

Suppose you turn on your computer and cannot see the CD-ROM or any other removable drives like DVD-ROM drive in the Computer window. This problem is common for laptop and notebook computers and this might be caused by a failed drive or by corrupted software.
Try the following :

You can check on Microsoft's website for the drivers available
Else try to install the drivers from the Drivers CD provided by the manufacturer.

Get info from the three sources:

Editor's reviews, user opinions and manufacturers information — each has a different perspective. Editors are going to have approached the product methodically and without bias if they are from an independent source like CNET.com. Users will have lived with the product for the longest time and in the most diverse ways, which can reveal flaws or benefits that don't become apparent in short-term lab reviews.

And Manufacturers will have a unique concept of how they intended the product to be used and what makes it stand out. Armed with these three perspectives you can feel pretty well-armed to figure out if the computer — or any consumer electronics product — is the right one for you.

Make more RAM (random access memory) your main priority with any PC:

RAM is very important parts of a computer. CPU speed and hard drive space are usually OK, memory is what's often skimpy on a new machine. All too often what is perceived by users as their computer being too slow is actually not the CPU speed but the amount of memory. When a computer has too little memory, it doesn't tell you, it just starts using part of the its hard drive space as a poor form of additional memory known as swap space or virtual memory. It's a clunky, slow way for a computer to run but it at least keeps things going. Much better is to give a computer the RAM it needs, 2GB at least if you want to run any of the latest operating systems with all their features.Consider 3GB if you can afford it because there's almost no such thing as too much RAM and the sweet spot for RAM for most users is somewhere between 2GB and 4GB if they are running Windows Vista with all the bells & whistles enabled.

Take advantage of weekly store specials:

Computers are largely commodities, so chase a low price point aggressively. There are new models of computers coming on the market every few weeks and frankly they often differ very little in any meaningful way. So take advantage of the fact that the retailer wants to move the "old stock" by cutting prices of the remaining units in inventory. They also have other incentives for offering special price cuts, like special promotions from the PC manufacturer. The bottom line: There is usually nothing "wrong" with a machine that is being blown out cheaply since computers are very mature and not subject to dramatic technology improvements month to month. Shop for price somewhere in the range of $500 - $750 and you could almost go to the store blindfolded and still make a good choice.

Shop for a laptop online and in store:

You need to test drive the keyboard, mouse and monitor since they are integrated. You can always change the monitor, keyboard and mouse on a desktop PC but not on a laptop unless you have it tethered to a desk. Check the keyboard for good key action — the amount of travel from top to bottom of a key press; more usually feels better. Laptops use many different kinds of mouse pointing devices so make sure you like the one your new laptop uses. Or at least find out if you hate it and should buy a travel mouse right away.
And of course check the brightness of the monitor. Laptops are often used in brightly lit areas where ambient lighting it not idea, so make sure you have a bright display and one that seems large enough to your eyes.

Don't get hung up on parts:

Computers are largely made from the same components. Rather, shop for a brand that will have good customer support. Computers are often considered commodity products since they all use pretty much the same guts, with just a different case and brand name on the outside. Businesses have known this for years and buy whatever brand gives them the best price when they deploy thousands of machines across an enterprise.

So buy like the pros and don't get hung up on some concept that a certain brand of PC is necessarily faster or better built than another. Instead you might want to ask friends and other users online what kind of product support experience they have had with a given brand of computer. That's where PC brands can differ rather substantially. Check the warranty, support section of web site, and even call their toll free support number with a test question to see what the people are like on the other end.

So be careful............