Multi-Touch Coming to OLPC laptops

The One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) nonprofit organization said its upcoming XO-1.75 laptop will include a multitouch screen and modified software to go with it. 

The XO-1.75 will start shipping next year with an 8.9-inch touch screen; other features include an Arm processor as opposed to the current XO-1.5 laptop, which uses a VIA x86 CPU.
OLPC plans to sell XO-1.75 laptops with and without multitouch displays.

OLPC laptops are designed for children in primary schools in developing countries. The company is currently developing an XO3 multitouch tablet with no physical keyboard.

SONY VAIO Y LAPTOP REVIEW

The VAIO Y is a 13.3" ultraportable CULV-powered notebook from Sony, acting as the affordable-brother to the high-end VAIO Z. This model includes Intel GMA HD integrated graphics, an Intel Pentium CULV processor (New models feature Intel Core i3 and i5 ULV processors), 4GB of DDR3 memory and a WXGA resolution display. In this review we see how well this model stacks up against other ultraportable systems and if it should be added to your back-to-school notebook buying list.
At the time of publishing this review, Sony has phased out the older Intel Pentium processors, as seen in this review, and replaced them with the newer Intel ULV Core i3 and i5 processors.
Our Sony VAIO Y Specifications:

• Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
• Intel Pentium U5400 (1.2GHz, 3MB cache)
• 4GB DDR3 1066MHz RAM (8GB max)
• 500GB 5400RPM Toshiba Hard Drive
• 13.3" Widescreen LED Backlit Display (1366 x 768)
• Intel GHA HD Integrated Graphics
• Atheros B/G/N, 1Gb LAN, Bluetooth
• Ports: 3 x USB 2.0, Headphone Output, Microphone Input, VGA, HDMI, RJ-45 Ethernet, FireWire
• 6-cell 54Wh battery
• Dimensions: 12.8"(W) x 0.93 - 1.2"(H) x 8.9"(D)
• Weight: 3.81 pounds (with standard capacity battery)

5 Tips to Ensure SmoothRunning of your Laptop

In this age of information, people want their electronics everywhere. They like to carry all the information available with them, as they feel anything can be required anytime. Laptop gives you an upper edge as you can carry all the useful information with yourself.

Now once you have realized that laptop is an essential thing for you, the next step that follows is that what are the things that can make your laptop the best. Or we can say that there are some steps that help you maintain an overall good health of your notebook computers.

The top five tips that make your laptop the best are:

1.The most important thing in your notebook computer is your battery. You should always try to maintain a good health of your battery. In order to do so, you should charge the battery of your notebook to the fullest of its capacity after running it into empty, once every week.

2.A hard disk clean up should be performed every six months. You should clean up the files that are of no longer in use with security back-ups.

3.When you feel that you no longer need to work on your laptop, do not simply unplug your notebook PC. Your laptop should be shut down in a proper manner. Also never leave your system over night after finishing your work.

4.To maintain a good health of your notebook, you should continuously detect and repair the errors on your hard disk by using a scan disk tool, once a month. You should also use the de-fragmenting tool, which is there in your accessory box, to de-fragment your hard drive.

5.Always use proper cleaning materials to clean up your LCD display.

Benefits of a Laptop Computer

Laptop computers are small personal computers designed for using on the move. They usually have all the functions of a desktop computer but are portable space-savers. Today there are more laptops sold in the general PC market than desktop computers so they must have their advantages over traditional PCs. There are many benefits to using a lap top computer – check out just a few of them below.


A laptop computer is completely portable


Portability is often the main advantage of choosing a laptop over a desktop computer. Portability means that a laptop can be used virtually anywhere, not only at home and the office, but also during commuting, in lecture halls, coffee shops, libraries or in meeting rooms to assist with presentations.


You can use your time more efficiently with a laptop


A laptop can be used in places where a desktop PC can't which means you can use your time more productively. For example, office workers can tackle emails during the commute to the office with a laptop at hand and students can work on coursework at the university coffee shop during a break between lectures. If you work from home then a laptop computer allows you to move your office outside on sunny days.


You can gain immediate access to information

Carrying a laptop means having instant access to information, whether it’s from saved files or from the Internet. Immediacy allows better collaboration between co-workers or students, as a laptop computer can be flipped open to find a solution anytime, anywhere. If you are in a meeting and have forgotten an important document you can simply access it from your laptop computer.


Laptops are a manageable size

Laptop computers are smaller than standard PCs which is great when space is at a minimum. When not in use, a laptop can be closed and put away in a small space unlike standard PCs that tend to dominate a large proportion of a room.


Low power consumption

A laptop computer is more power-efficient than a desktop. This is beneficial for businesses (which run hundreds of personal computers, multiplying the potential savings) and homes where there is a computer running constantly. You could even save money on your electricity bill if you choose a laptop computer over a desktop PC.


Peace and quiet

It can be distracting to work at a computer with a droning fan or one that sounds like it’s taking off every time you open a file. A laptop computer is often quieter than a desktop PC, due to better components and less heat production. This means cooling fans can be run at a slower speed and less often, giving you a quieter working environment.


Battery power

A fully charged laptop computer can run for several hours off its internal battery. This is useful for journeys but is also handy if there’s a power cut and you still need to get work done.


A laptop computer is a great investment whether you require a computer for work or for pleasure.

Cheap Laptops for Students

One option for buying an inexpensive laptop is to purchase it from a power user or gamer. People who use notebook computers for gaming purposes yearn for cutting-edge technology. They tend to change laptops within short spans of time. Buying from such users puts you in a win-win situation as you can get the best. While they crave for latest technology and sell off their laptops within a year or two, you acquire a not-so-old laptop that caters to your needs. An economical option to buying a new laptop, is purchasing a refurbished one. Inexpensive refurbished laptops should not be underestimated just because they are low-priced. In fact, reconditioned laptops offer the same features as those offered by new ones. It is a myth that they are in bad condition. In buying refurbished laptops, you can take advantage of their high depreciation value and get home just a few-years-old laptop for a considerably low price.

Another excellent option for students is to go for a slightly older technology. When you know that computer technology is advancing at an exceptionally fast rate, there is no point in spending big bucks on the latest technology. It's sure to become old within the next few months. A better alternative is to go for a slightly older technology. Perhaps you can adjust with less RAM, a relatively lesser hard disk capacity, or a slightly lower-resolution screen, depending on your requirement or usage.

Many laptop companies offer discounts coupons and rebate schemes for students or educational discounts. Websites that have online bargain stores give attractive sales offers during certain months of the year. Many laptop dealers come up with lucrative offers for laptop buyers with the intent to increase their sales. All you need to do is keep your eyes open and keep track of the sales offer that suits your requirements. Remember to compare different offers in terms of their cost-effectiveness. Make sure you choose an authorized dealer for the laptop deal. It is advisable for students to seek guidance from someone with knowledge of computer buying. Participating in online forums related to laptop purchase and scanning through bulletin boards for laptop deals, can help you buy the best laptop. Weigh your usage requirements against the laptop's features and price and get home that technological wonder, you had been craving for since long - a laptop!

Guide to buying good and yet Cheap Laptop Computers

1) The easiest way to buy good cheap laptops is by tracking down the brand and model of the notebook that you wish to purchase and then shop around from reputable various cheap laptop computer online shops buy the one that you want or need once find the best price.

But be careful though... if you come across a laptop price that is so low therefore that seems too good to be true, it probably is. Ask yourself where the "catch" is and if you can't find one, ask the stores' customer service personnel or simply look around in the help section.

I am sure that you'll agree with me that there's nothing worse than buying an item from somewhere at a very good price to only realize later that you must buy extra parts and accessories that were omitted purposefully to keep the price low that will trick unsuspecting shoppers. It has happened to me, beware that it does not happen to you! For example many retailers promote cheap prices on desktops but there's a small print somewhere that the monitor is not included yet the show the monitor in the picture of the system... how sneaky is that?

The real time you should trust an offer about cheap laptop computers if:

• The store is holding a sale
• If the store is big enough and can afford to stock a huge inventory of notebooks. This will justify the low prices as the mass purchase from their side will have resulted in a few savings that will be passed onto the shopper. We recommend such cheap laptop retailers

Also, beware of cheap laptops online merchants that will not offer you the after-sales service that you deserve. This is how way they keep their prices low. They cut corners ( these merchants don't -- thank goodness)! It might save you a few hundreds dollars upfront but you will inherit endless nightmares should anything wrong. Trust me, with *all* laptop computers at some stage something will go haywire!

2) The best second way to shopping for cheap laptops is an effective one too. There's nothing magical about it. As matter of fact, it's so straight-forward yet many laptop computer buyers ignore it totally.

This secret of buying good cheap laptop computers involve selecting only those features that you need. Believe me, this no-brainer will save you hundreds of dollars. Hmmm... you're in doubt? OK... you're allowed to... as a matter of fact it's good that you don't take my word for gospel. But, I am going to prove it to you right here right now.

When I was shopping for a notebook, my budget was tight (as a musician, money is always...). One fellow musician had recommended that I get myself a Pentium 4 - 1,8 GHz powered machine that had at least 512 MB of RAM, 40 Gb and 16.1' display. After all, these were these were the specs of his laptop and if he was happy with his I'd be happy with the same kind of computer. I decided to bite the bullet and shell out US $ 2,700 to buy the laptop.

After months of saving up, I was ready. For some weird and rather coincidental reasons, one of my other musician friend performed the night before the big purchase day at a bar in the city next to where I lived. I went to see him play live and asked what specs of his laptop were... I nearly fainted when he told me that it had a Celeron processor, ran at 1 GHz, had 256 MB of RAM and 20 Gb. He told me that those specs were actually double of the music software and if I wanted I could even aim lower and get a cheap laptop computer! This story is getting to long so I'll cut it short: I saved myself as much as US $ 1300!

Do you see how easy it is to get cheap laptops? I am sure that, you don't need as much notebook specifications that you think you need.

3) Another obvious way to getting cheap laptops is to wait for technological advances. Yes, patience can be a secret to getting great cheap laptop computers deals. What do I mean by that?

When Pentium 4 powered laptops hit the market, the P III prices dropped at a favorable rate for the shopper. When processor speeds went past the 2.0 GHz mark, anything below that was instantly considered slow and prices of such laptop computers dropped to. And you know what, such changes do not make the latest notebooks any better of faster than the current or now old ones!

Watch out for such tech changes. Needless to say, you need to be clued up and be ready to move fast as many shoppers are on the lookout for such price changes. If just want a cheap laptop and do not care about having to become a tech nerd, simple befriend one, blackmail or bribe him/ her to watch such deals for you :o)!

4) The fourth way I can think of to get cheap laptops is to identify dealers that sell refurbished laptops. Just in case you don't know what that means, let me explain as simply as I can.

Refurbished laptop computers consists of notebooks that were sent back to the manufacturer to be "renewed". This means that they will be given new parts if the previous were defective, in other words that the machine will be as good as a new notebook expect that it isn't.

Obviously, retailers will sell such systems at a very good price for the simple reason that they're not brand new even if their condition is the same as the brand new ones. I am a big fan of such cheap Laptops shopping as it's a way to get an normally expensive machine for way much less than the selling price.

More info about refurbished laptops coming soon.

5) The fifth way to buying cheap laptops is also deceptively straight forward.

It consists of getting cheap laptop computers by purchasing previously owned and used laptops. There are a few reasons why anyone would want to sell his/ her laptop: upgrade to a faster model, inability to pay for it fully, the need of using it might disappear (for example: a freelancer who finds a permanent job and gets a desktop), companies selling their inventory, people needing something different for a change (yes, it happens especially among people in love with technology -- technophiles) and so on...

Shopping for this kind of cheap laptops can get tricky though. Before I buy anything that is used, I always ask myself or the current owner or seller why he or she wants to get rid of it. If the answer satisfies me, I will then proceed. If it doesn't, I'll run as fast as I can.

I'll never forget one man who put his laptop at ebay for auction and said that the machine was in mint condition and yet the picture revealed that the poor laptop was held together by masking tape that's how messed up it was.

Such a method to acquire cheap laptops will have detailed article someday. Please, keep checking back for the link.

Now, Go Buy a Cheap laptop!