6.1
A laptop is a computer that can be used anywhere as it is portable, it is different to a desktop computer for this reason. A laptop can have the same uses as a desktop computer and the same operating systems, but they are less powerful and take a while to load. Other portable devices include PDA phones and smartphones. Back in the early days when laptops were first built they were large, heavy and expensive.
A laptop has a screen, keyboard, mouse and other internal components within it’s case that would normally require to be connected to a desktop computer. It also includes a rechargeable battery so it can function for a length of time without mains power. Laptops were first used by large businesses who needed to access their data and applications when away from their office.
Laptops were not extremely popular at the time due to their cost, weight and battery life. Uses for laptops include: taking notes, watching films, listening to music, playing games, presenting information in a job, being able to access data away from home/workplace, accessing internet and sending and gaining e-mails anywhere.
PDAs and smartphones are devices with more capabilities than a normal mobile phone. PDAs have existed since the 70′s, they are made with built-in keyboards or touchscreens. Today they have operating systems similar to desktop computers, people use them for personal organisers, e-mail, calendars etc.
The smartphone is a mobile phone with PDA capabilities, this includes e-mail, a built-in camera, document access, abbreviated note taking and a television. Other uses for PDAs and smartphones include taking phone calls, voice memos, note taking, reading ebooks, text messaging, internet access, playing games, listening to music, having a contacts list, calendar and GPS. They often include both Bluetooth and USB connectivity.
6.2
Bluetooth allows portable devices to communicate over a small distance (a few metres). Battery status shows the condition of the computer battery. The standby LED indicates that the computer is in standby mode, a condition where it is shutdown but is still able to restart quickly by holding it’s status in memory.
The battery bay is used to hold a laptop battery. the AC power connector is used to connect to the AC power adapter and charge the battery. The parallel port is used to connect to devices such as printers or scanners.
The security keyhole is for connecting a security cable and stops it from being stolen. The USB ports are for connecting to peripherals. The s-video is used to output video signals to a compatible device, it also separates the brightness and color portions of a video signal. The RJ-11 modem connects the laptop to a standard telephone line, it can be connected to internet, fax machines and answer phone calls. The Ethernet port is used for connecting a laptop to a cabled local area network (LAN).
The network LEDs are for showing if the network connection is working correctly or not. The headphone jack is for outputting audio signals to speakers/headphones. the microphone jack is for inputting audio signals with a microphone. The ventilation grill is for ventilating the heat built up inside the laptop. The PC card slot is a card slot that supports express cards, expansion slots in the top slot and PC slots in the bottom.
The infrared port is a line of sight wireless transceiver that is used for data transmission typically to another laptop or PDA. Speakers are used to convert audio signals into sound coming out from the laptop. The latch keeps the screen and keyboard closed when not in use. The ventilation grill exhausts hot air generated by the CPU from inside the laptop.
The optical drive can let the user write to or read DVD’s or CD’s. The optical drive indicator lets you know if there is a DVD/CD in it. The drive bay indicator shows when a drive is installed in the laptop bay. The VGA port is a 15-pin socket that can connect to external displays or projectors.
The battery latches are used for inserting a laptop battery. The docking connector is for connecting the laptop to a docking station. The RAM access panel is a cover that can be opened to access the expansion memory. The hard drive access panel is a cover that be opened to access the internal hard drive.
The volume controls allows the user to adjust how loudness of the audio output. The power button turns the laptop on and off. The pointer controller acts as a mouse and can be used instead of a mouse or a touch pad. The keypad is an input device that has multi-functioning keys. The touch pad mouse is an input device that allows you to control the pointer, it also has left and right mouse buttons. The fingerprint reader is for security authentication.
The wireless indicator shows that wireless activity is occurring. The Bluetooth indicator shows if Bluetooth is switched on. The Num lock indicator shows the status of the 10 key number pad. The Caps lock shows if the letters are on capitals. The hard drive indicator shows if the hard drive is in use. The power on indicator shows if the laptop is on or not. The battery indicator shows the charge status of the battery. The standby indicator shows if the computer is on standby or not.
The docking connector connects the docking station to a laptop. The power button turns the laptop on and off. The eject button ejects the laptop from the docking station.
The exhaust fan exhausts hot air from the docking station. The AC power connector is used to connect it to the mains. The PC card slot is an expansion card that supports express cards, expansion cards in the top and PC cards in the bottom. The Ethernet port is an RJ-45 and connects the laptop to a cabled area network (LAN). The RJ-11 port connects to a standard telephone line, this can be used to connect to the internet, fax documents and incoming calls. Serial ports can be used to connect to devices such as modems and some printers.
VGA ports connect to external displays and projectors. Parallel ports connect to printers and scanners. The DVI port connects to a digital video monitor. The line in connector connects to an audio source such as a microphone. The headphone connector connects to an audio output device such as an amplifier and speakers. The external-diskette-drive connector connects to an external disk drive. The USB ports connect to peripherals. The keyboard PS/2 port connects to a keyboard. The mouse PS/2 port connects to a mouse.
The key lock locks and unlocks the laptop into the docking station with the correct key.
6.3
Desktop components are more standard form factor than laptop components. Laptop components are generally proprietary and therefore more expensive. Desktop motherboards are square shaped and conform to set standards with regards to their size, shape, fixings and connectors. Laptop motherboards are different depending on the manufacturer and the model. When repairing a laptop it is best to obtain the motherboard from the same manufacturer as the laptop. Components in a laptop can’t be used in a desktop.
The CPU is the brain of the computer and is used in both desktops and laptops. Laptop CPUs use less power and consequently have smaller ventilation grills because they produce less heat. Laptops also use CPU throttling to change the clock speed in order to reduce power usage and heat. This decreases the performance slightly, but enables the components to last longer.
Power management controls electricity flowing through the computer. Desktops are always plugged into a power source whereas laptops may be removed when they have sufficient battery power. Desktop power management distributes electricity from the source to the components of the desktop. There is a small battery in the desktop that maintains the internal clock and BIOS settings when the device is powered off.
Laptops are portable, the power management controls the switching from mains power to battery power as the device is plugged / unplugged from the mains and ensures the battery is charged whenever possible. APM is an older power management system where control is via the BIOS, ACPI has replaced APM and enables the computer to provide its own power management.
Expansion capabilities are ports that allow you to add additional hardware based functionality to the base computer allowing the user to have freedom of adding what suites them. These devices include scanners, printers, mouse, keyboard, network cards, wireless adapters, external disk drives and USB memory sticks etc.
The desktop ports include serial, parallel, USB, and FireWire ports. A laptop has PC slots that enable additional devices/functionality via PCIMCA and PC Express cards and these make up for the lack of expansion slots normally found on a desktop motherboard. USB and Firewire have enabled almost any device to be added to both desktops and laptops.
6.4
To let applications and processes be run better the user needs to configure and allocate system resources by installing additional components and plug-ins and change environmental settings to suite the software requirements. Laptops can be customized externally for the user, adding the external components is done by plug and play. When disconnecting hot-swappable and non-hot-swappable devices the user should be following safe removal procedures.
A popular feature of the laptop is it’s ability to last for few hours without the AC power connector, power management and battery technology try to increase the time the laptop will not need the AC connector. The battery power can last between 2-10 hours without charging. The power settings need to be configured to let the battery run effectively. The Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) standards links the hardware and operating system to create power management to get the computer to run more effectively. to configure the power settings technicians need to change the settings found in BIOS.
This affects System states, Battery and AC modes, Thermal management, and CPU PCI bus power management. To get into BIOS setup typically press the delete key or F2 depending on what OS you have. Then go to the power management, use the correct keys and then you are in ACPI mode. Then finally save and exit BIOS setup. Power options allows you to reduce the amount of power you are using, this features Hard Drive, Display, Shut Down, Hibernate, and Standby modes, and Low-battery warnings.
Power Schemes are settings that manage the amount of power used by the computer. They can be configured on the Power Schemes tab. When you open Power Options Windows XP has preset power schemes. You can use the default Power Schemes or create customized schemes that are based on specific work requirements. If you do not want to shut down the computer you can either use standby or hibernate. Standby lets all the documents and applications be saved to the RAM so the computer powers on quicker when it’s turned back on.
Hibernate saves the documents and applications to a temporary file on the hard drive but takes longer to power on. There are two battery warnings low battery, which tells you the computer is starting to be on a low battery, and there is critical battery which warns you that it will go on standby mode before the computer powers off by itself without saving your work.
Quite a few components on a laptop need to be replaced when the time comes, this needs to be done safely by using the correct tools and putting in the suitable correct components. Some of the components that may need to be replaced include in the future include battery, optical drive, hard drive, memory and PC cards but keeping in mind that when taking these out the computer must be turned off and unplugged. hot-swappable devices are components that can be taken out while the computer is on.
When replacing the battery you should follow these steps: switch the battery lock to unlocked then hold the release lever in to unlock position and take out the battery, when putting it back just insert the battery into the laptop and secure the locks. When removing the optical drive first press the button to open it and remove anything in the drive afterwards Close the tray. Then slide the latch which releases the lever that locks the drive, pull on that lever to remove the drive finally remove the drive.
When installing the optical drive just insert the drive and pull on the lever inwards. When taking out the hard drive first take out the screw that holds the hard drive at the bottom of the laptop then slide all the assembly outwards then remove the hard drive assembly finally remove the hard drive face plate to take out the hard drive. When putting the hard drive in first attach the faceplate to the hard drive then slide it into it’s bay.
Then screw the screw back in. To remove the expansion memory (SODIMM) remove the screw first then release the clips that hold the SODIMM in place and lift it out. To put it back in align the SODIMM at a 45-degree angle and slide it in and press it down till the clips lock finally secure the screw back in. To remove the PC expansion card simply press the top button so it will come out (the bottom button removes the type 2 PC card).
To put it back in press the button inwards and insert the PC expansion card. to remove hot-swappable devices first click on the Safely Remove Hardware symbol in the system tray to find out if the device is in use or not. Click on the device that you want to remove. A message will pop up to tell when it’s safe to remove the device. Finally remove the device from the laptop.
6.5
when cell phones were first around there were not many industries applying to the technology. Without standards it was hard and expensive to make calls to people that were had another network. Cell phones now provides industry standards, which make it muck easier to call people on another network. When those industries were created they made analog standards cell phones, now the standards are digital. There are 4 generations of the cell phone, the first generation began service in the 1980′s and used analog standards.
The standards include Advanced Mobile Phone System and Nordic mobile telephone. Analog systems work by the voice information being sent by varying the radio signals used by the phone and the person’s voice but this made a lot of interference in the background. Digital signals put the person’s voice into a series of ones and zeros. This degrades the signal , slightly because ones and zeros are not a good way to represent your voice. But the digital signal is robust. It can be fixed by using the error correction routines if there is any interference.
Digital signals can also be compressed, making the systems alot more efficient than analog. Then the second generation came to be serviced in the 90′s and it switched to digital. The standards included global system for mobile and integrated digital enhanced network and code division multiple access. Third generation had a few more applications developed. Fourth generation has been the best because of it’s increased data rates, which allows users to download files like video and music much faster than the previous versions.
6.6
Laptops need to be cleaned often and cleaning it correctly is the easiest way, this makes it protected from dust and makes it last longer. But you need to be careful by using the right tools and read warning labels. To clean the whole laptop first importantly turn off the laptop secondly disconnect any attached devices thirdly disconnect the laptop from the electrical outlet, next remove any installed batteries. To clean the keyboard, clean it with a soft, lint-free cloth that is moisturized with water or a computer-screen cleaner.
To clean the ventilation grill use a compressed air or a non-electrostatic vacuum to clean the dust from the ventilation grill and use tweezers to clear any debris. To clean an LCD screen clean the screen with a soft lint-free cloth that is moisturized with a mild cleaning solution. To clean the touch pad wipe it with a soft lint-free cloth that is moisturized with an approved cleaner. to clean PDA and smartphones clean them with a small amount of non-abrasive cleaning solution on a soft cloth.
To clean floppy drives, have a commercially available cleaning kit to clean the floppy drive, remove any media from the floppy drive and insert the cleaning disc and let it spin for the suggested amount of time. to clean the optical drive have a cleaning CD or DVD, remove any media in the the optical drive and insert the cleaning disc.
When cleaning a CD or DVD disc first hold the disc by it’s outer edge or inner hole, then gently wipe the disc with a soft lint-free cotton cloth, wipe from the center outwards next add a commercial DVD or CD cleaning solution to the lint-free cloth and wipe the disc again finally let the disc drive before putting it back in.
An optimal operating environment for a laptop should clean, free of any contaminants and is at the correct temperature it should be at specified by the manufacturer. Most desktop computers have the operating environment is controlled. But due to the portable way of laptops it is not always possible to control the conditions of the area. Technicians should always be careful and protect the equipment from damage and losing data of data.
It is important to be careful when moving laptops from place, so you should use a case for the laptop to protect it and use an appropriate computer bag. Dust particles, temperature and humidity can affect the performance of a laptop, here’s how to prevent it. clean the laptop frequently, don’t get in the way of the vents, keep the temperature between 7 degrees to 32 degrees Celsius, keep humidity between 10% and 80%. Although these often vary by the manufacturer so always find out how to protect your laptop.
6.7
problems with a computer are usually resulted by hard drive problems, software problems and network problems. computer technicians try and solve these problems, this is trouble shooting. First you must gather data from the customer by asking open-ended questions like what software have you installed recently or what type of brand of laptop do you have, and asking close-ended questions like is the laptop under warranty or can the laptop go without the AC adapter. Then find the obvious issues, these could be batteries, LEDs, function keys or cable connections. Then try some quick solutions like rebooting the laptop, check BIOS settings, disconnect peripherals or use the last known good configuration option.
If none of those work try gathering data from the computer like system properties, device manager, network settings, power options, event viewer, operating systems information, error messages or beep sequences. Then evaluate the problem and implement the solutions here are some solutions, problem solving experience, other technicians, internet search, news groups, manufacturer FAQs, computer manuals, device manuals, online forums and technical websites. Finally close with the customer, these are the tasks, discuss the solution implemented with the customer, have the customer verify the problem is solved, provide the customer with all the paperwork, document the steps taken to solve the problem, document any components used in the repair and document the time spent to resolve the problem.
computer problems are usually by hardware, software, network or sometimes three. Some problems are easier than others to solve. These are some problems and their solutions. The LCD screen is not displaying anything, the solution is to disconnect any monitors and use the Fn key sequence to activate the LCD screen. The image on the LCD screen is too dim, the solution is to swap the laptop to AC power and adjust brightness controls for LCD. The image on the LCD screen has a black border, the solution is to display resolution settings.
Power management
Power management is a way you can configure the laptop settings on the computer to make the battery life last longer. It sorts out how much eletricty can be flowing through the components. Only laptops have this feature because they are portable where desktop computers are not so they do not have this feature. When the laptop is plugged into the AC power source the laptop power management sends the elctricity from the AC power source to the laptop components. It also recharges the battery. Once the battery is done charging or unplugged from the AC power source, power management sends the electricity to the laptop.
The two methods of power management are Advanced Power Management (AMP) and Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI). APM is an earlier version of power mana
by Liam Winter
