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HowTo: Replace Your Laptop LCD

One of the most horrific accidents that can befall your laptop is a busted screen. Opening up to a cracked, smashed, or otherwise dead LCD will not only ruin your day, it usually results in the spending of much money to correct the situation. However, if you’re feeling a bit brave and have the stomach for some open case surgery check out the following tutorial and dive right in. It is important to note, though, that the tutorial is not an official guide and the writers of this article would like it if you don’t sue them in the event that you somehow screw your laptop up even more than it already is. If you’re still game feel free to enter at your own risk.

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Best Laptops

Tags: best laptops, laptop lcd

Make Your Own Laptop

Torquil Harkness managed to create his very own hombrew laptop PC. He custom milled the casing and based the design on Mini-ITX components. Plus, the laptop is able to be upgraded should any component break or become outdated. If he packaged this in a kit form, I’d be dieing to try it. However at the current moment I believe that I am lacking the machine shop necessary for such an operation. Very impressive though Torquil. Be sure to check out the extensive ‘howto’.

link (via BoingBoing)

Dell ATG Reviewed

The ATG (All Terrain Grade) D620 is the first rendition of a rugged laptop computer from Dell. While I haven’t heard of a “rugged” laptop that actually provides up-to-date specs, this $3,000+ incarnation comes mighty close. Not only does the system sport a 2GHz Core 2 Duo processor, but it also features a built-in EV-DO modem and is 802.11n ready – yes that’s an “n”! Also, since this is a “rugged” computer, it includes shock-mounted hard drives, spill-resistant keyboard and a tough LCD screen that can withstand 30% more force than a traditional LCD. Plus, it just looks tough. I mean, do you think anyone wants a roundhouse kick to the face from this bad boy? I didn’t think so.

via – Gizmodo

Four Power User Add-Ons

On the heels of some great CES laptop releases, Gizmodo points us to some top notch laptop accessories that will update your system without having to shell out thousands of your hard earned dollars.

Asus XG Station
Think of the XG Station as roids for your notebook’s video card. Plug it in and watch as those framerates jump through the roof. Future models will let you install/upgrade the video card inside the XG Station.

via Gizmodo

OLPC Preview

from TechEBlog, “Engadget gives us a hands-on preview of the OLPC, direct from CES 2007. Just to recap, the OLPC boasts a 500mhz Processor, Linux OS, 1GB Memory, and a Two-Mode Display (Color and B&W). It’s powered by AC or handcrank — users get approximatley 10 minutes of use with 1 minute of cranking.”

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RumorMill: Apple Tablet Debunked

Well, today’s keynote came and went with no mention of a new Apple latop coming anytime soon. However, Steve Jobs did drop quite a bombshell. The latest Apple product looks to make good on some long time rumors that have been circulating for over a year now – a touchscreen iPod and Apple cell phone. For the latest in these new gadgets check out our sister site’s continuing coverage: Apple iPhone (MP3Buzz.net)

RumorMill: Apple Tablet Tomorrow?

According to some sources Apple is planning to release their first tablet Mac. The ModBook is supposedly going to be “the first and only Mac tablet computer solution”. So far, I’m pretty slim on features but the rumors do include the mention of a built-in Global Positioning System.  With the release of a new tablet computer, Apple would continue their attempt to spread Apple products beyond just the family office. I guess we’ll have to just wait and see what happens tomorrow.

link – laptopblog.org

Asus W5Fe SideShow Laptop

With the upcoming release of Windows Vista, many laptop makers are getting ready to take full advantage of the operating system’s new features. One of the most flashy of these features is the new SideShow, which allows Vista compatible laptops the ooption of having a second auxillary screen on the outside of the laptop. The video featured below is from Engadget’s hands-on time with the new Asus W5Fe, one of the first such products to take full advantage of the new ability. Personally, I think this looks super sweet. I can’t wait till the next generation of mobile computing emerges with two or more screens. My general rule of thumb is, the more screens you can possibly fit on anything, the better.

link – engadget (via)

Alienware Area-51 m5550 with Core 2 Duo

The new mid level gaming laptop from Alienware is a supreme machine. The guys at NotebookReview recently had a chance to review the beast and the results look pretty good. However, when you are Alienware you have to deliver. The system configurations starta at a base price of $999 but can go much higher. The price of the reviewed unit totalled $2,613, but I’m sure you get what you pay for. Their conclusion? A must buy:

The m5550 is the overall most powerful 15.4″ notebook that has been evaluated here at NotebookReview. Equipped with a top-of-the-line Core 2 Duo CPU, performance is unstoppable, and it will give most desktops a run for the finish line. Coupled with Nvidia’s Go7600 graphics card, handling the latest games is a breeze. The external appearance is one-of-a-kind, and it will be a stand-out wherever it goes. In a few words, the Alienware Area-51 m5550 is like the high-end sports car of the notebook world: sleek, sculpted, and fast. Game over.

link – NotebookReview

Dell Latitude D820

LaptopMag has recently posted a review of the new addition to the Dell Latitude line, the D820. This business class model seems to have all the kick that even a home power user would need. The Core 2 Duo T7400 processor, 15.4-inch widscreen LCD and durable design make this laptop suitable on the road or at home for virtually any computing need. Here’s the reviewers summary:

The Core 2 Duo processor showed its stripes on our MobileMark 2005 test with the highest score to date of 308. Battery life was also impressive for this class of machine at 4 hours and 10 minutes, about 40 minutes above average for mainstream systems. The 512MB Nvidia Quadro NVS 120M TurboCache graphics pushed the D820 to a score of 3,927 on 3DMark03, making this rig appropriate for occasional gaming (when work is done, of course).

Sure, the D820 isn’t cheap when fully loaded, but given its performance and features, power users will be more than satisfied with this system.

link – LaptopMag.com [via]