Datasheet

• You need an Internet browser, which can be the nearly ubiquitous
Microsoft Internet Explorer or one of several competitors such as
Firefox (from Mozilla) or Safari (from Apple).
• Finally, you want an e-mail client and here the choices begin with
Microsoft’s Outlook Express or Windows Live Mail, or third-party prod-
ucts such as Thunderbird.
 The utilities: Problems happen. Your hard disk can become fragmented or
corrupted. Your machine can catch a virus from a nasty e-mail or an
infected piece of software. An unfriendly web site can send a spy to your
machine. Windows can become clouded by broken pieces. There’s nothing
like having the right tool for a repair job, and nothing nearly as annoying as
its lack.
Diving into Laptop Types and Models
All laptops are essentially the same:
 On the outside, a screen, a keyboard, and a pointing device
 On the inside, a processor, a set of memory chips, and storage (hard drive,
CD, DVD, and the like)
 In between, a set of ways to get information in and out of the box
The design and the particular combination of very-nice-but-not-always-essential
bells and whistles distinguish one laptop from another. If you’re looking for an
analogy — and who isn’t in these troubled days — consider cars. All automo-
biles have the same basic components: a set of wheels, brakes, steering mecha-
nism, a couple of seats, and an engine to pull (or push, depending on how you
want to look at it) the box along the road.
I just checked product listings and reviews on a web site. If I were looking for
the least expensive gasoline-powered putt-putt for runs to the grocery store
I might consider the oh-so-cute Smart Car
fortwo model with a list price of about
$11,590; it includes in its tiny front end a 70-horsepower three-cylinder engine
with seats for a driver and a passenger. In back is just enough space for three or
four bags of kettle-cooked salt and vinegar potato chips and a 12-pack of India
Pale Ale.
On the other hand, I could dip into petty cash and pick up a pulsating yellow
Lamborghini
Murcielago Roadster, which is anything but cute. Its suggested
price is a mere $345,000 but the engine is a bit more robust: a 632-horsepower
12-cylinder gas guzzler. It also has just enough room for a driver and a passen-
ger, plus those chips and ale.
10 Part 1: The Laptop Computer
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