Laptops are most certainly wonderful tools, and they help the user from having to be confined to a desktop workstation. With a laptop you can choose the place and time to do your computing, and it empowers many people to move their location as they see fit.

But with this ability to move comes a small problem – how do you protect your gear while traveling. The laptop industry has created a side industry, and that is the laptop case. In the beginning there was basically a repurposed case that was used for your computing rig. Now, however, there are many types of protective gear designed to help you safely ride out the bumps in life as you go about your business.

In this article we will take a look at the different types of laptop cases. You just might find a case style that fits your needs, maybe even one that you were not aware of before now.

Neoprene Cases

Neoprene cases are popular with a lot of laptop users because they offer protection with very minimal bulk. In fact, this type of case is often referred to as a “sleeve” due to its small size. As shown by the CaseLogic unit above, the case is designed to fit somewhat snugly around the unit, and the availability of extra pockets will vary by brand. The interior protection also varies, from a type of faux fur to soft cushion lining materials.

If you like traveling light, then this might be a good choice for your needs. Some people like to use this case in conjunction with another case for more rigorous traveling protection, and then use only the sleeve when at their destination. A neoprene case with an interior lining offers a lot of scratch and dent protection (especially for those who have a nice aluminum unibody machine), but it is limited in overall protection. In other words, it might be great for carrying a machine around with you, but you would not want to check it on a flight.

Hard Shell Molded Cases

The hard shell case can be compared to a turtle’s shell in that it becomes part of the computer itself. Usually designed to be a molded fit, the case snaps in place over the computer’s exterior, held in place by its own shape. These cases are available in a wide variety of colors, so there is something sure to please the user.

The thing I like about this case style is that it offers protection for the machine without the need to remove it from a case (and replacing it later when finished). This means if an accident happens in the middle of work (you know it happens), the unit is still going to be protected. The only bad part about this type of case is that it adds bulk to the machine at all times. Sure, the hard shells are usually quite thin, but if you just love the feel of that new thin laptop it could be a bit of a put off to add bulk to its sleekness.

Hard Shell External Case

If you are looking for protection at the expense of both bulk and price, then you should consider a hard shell external case. Units such as the OtterBox Laptop Case pictured above can be found to protect your equipment from extremes in the environment. The construction will vary from aluminum to resilient plastic (think football helmet). Many of these types of cases offer waterproof protection, and can even protect your gear from a dead four foot fall.

While this type of case is probably overkill for the typical business power lunch, it really shines when going on an extended trip. With one of these you could even go on safari and still have great protection for your computer. In fact, this is one case that you could check and (mostly) not worry about damage from over zealous baggage handlers.

The Backpack Laptop Case

The venerable backpack has grown from carrying books and hiking gear to being a specially designed unit for your laptop and other gear. As shown by the Targus Groove Notebook Backpack above, a backpack laptop case can carry your computer, its accessories, other books, and even a refreshing snack. The straps on a backpack case makes it very convenient, and most of the time you will find them slung over one shoulder as they are being carried to the next destination.

The flexibility of the backpack laptop case is great for a lot of uses, but you may find that it tends to get bulky with continued use. No fault of the backpack design, it is easy to accumulate gear that you don’t want to part with when carrying the case. While this might be a problem for some, I find it to be extremely handy.

Messenger Bag

The messenger bag may have become more popular recently thanks to Jack Bauer, but it does work as a great laptop carrying case. Units such as the Targus Urban Messenger Laptop Bag pictured above offer a lot of protection for a laptop while remaining a very conveniently carried design.

Usually coupled with a shoulder strap, the messenger bag puts your gear at your side and within easy reach. And if Jack can save the world a few times with a messenger bag at his side, then the design must be pretty good.

Engineer Field Bag

Okay, so maybe this is not your standard laptop case, but since I am writing this article and it is my overall favorite case to use, I think it should be mentioned. Also, I have to believe that others would find it to be equally handy.

You can find this bag at many military surplus stores on the web, and it is available in black and natural. The black case fits in perfectly fine with both business meetings and personal use, and it is economical to purchase. An inner storage area holds a 13” macbook pro perfectly, with plenty of room for chargers, backup drives, and other necessary gear.

However, as well as I like the design and plenty of storage pockets, I know some people will find the Engineers Bag to be a bad fit for their needs. Also, if you have a 17” machine, then you will find this case will not work for your needs.

Netbook Cases

Netbooks are fairly new to the laptop scene, and they have quickly grown in popularity due to their small size and economical price. A complete line of cases have come along to support these diminutive machines, and while they vary in implementation, there is a common theme – small, padded cases that wrap the netbook without adding a lot of extra bulk.

As shown with the popular Swissgear Netbook Case above, these cases often add extra pockets for your other gear, making them handy for the road warrior. Many of the designs feature an integrated carrying handle and optional strap, which works well given the light weight of the computers themselves. If you have a favorite netbook, you might find this case to be a very handy way of getting from point A to point B while offering protection.

The right case will vary by person, application, and machine type. In fact, some users may find that a single case does not fit all of their needs. The important thing is to find a case that fits your individual needs and budget. Just remember that the worse time to realize that you need a laptop case is after an accident.

Following the successful launch of the ultrathin and light Vostro V13, Dell is offering business customers even more choice with the stylish Vostro 3000 series – a range of new thin, lightweight and durable laptop computers. Featuring powerful processors, high-end graphics and built-in security, the Vostro 3000 series is designed for small businesses that require robust mobile computing solutions.

“Small and mid-sized firms are returning to the PC market after a year in the recessionary wilderness, and they are ready for the kinds of capabilities, including Microsoft Windows 7, that will get them to the next level of productivity.”

Today’s SMBs and entrepreneurs want notebooks that are powerful and attractive, and the new Vostro 3000 series was designed to meet and exceed both those needs. For the most demanding tasks, the Vostro 3000 series sports the latest powerful Intel® Core™ processor technology, including, the optional, Core i7 Quad Core processor available on the Vostro 3700. For those that demand portability and productivity, the Vostro 3300 is one of the industry’s thinnest commercial 13-inch laptop with an integrated optical drive. For those that can’t afford to be chained to their desks, the 14-inch Vostro 3400 offers a full day of mobile productivity with up to eight hours¹ of battery life with an optional nine-cell battery.

“To succeed, small businesses need simple, reliable and affordable technology solutions,” said Alex Gruzen, SVP, Consumer, Small and Medium Business, Dell. “These entrepreneurs want technology that makes them more productive and helps them compete, and the Vostro 3000 delivers in a package they will be proud to show off in the airport or the boardroom.”

“Dell continues to sharpen its focus on SMB customers with the new Vostro 3000 series,” said Ray Boggs, VP of SMB Research at IDC. “Small and mid-sized firms are returning to the PC market after a year in the recessionary wilderness, and they are ready for the kinds of capabilities, including Microsoft Windows 7, that will get them to the next level of productivity.”

“As the first PC brand designed exclusively for small businesses, over the last year, Dell has introduced several new Vostro laptops and desktops to serve their distinctive needs. Ranging from our recently announced, super dependable Vostro 230 or future-proof and powerful Vostro 430 desktops, or the ultra-thin Vostro V13 laptop, Vostro products are designed for small businesses helping them stretch their budget and protect their data, and come with dedicated small business services and support to keep a small businesses moving,” added Gruzen.

Worry-Free Business IT

All of the Vostro 3000 laptops have an embedded webcam and microphone for collaboration through videoconferencing, while the Vostro 3500 and 3700 offer the option of high definition WLED screens and the 3700 offers the option of up to 1GB of NVIDIA® GeForce® discrete graphics to help ensure one of the best visual experiences. With the built-in HDMI port, users can even make high definition presentations to clients when required.

These new Vostro notebooks are also backed by a dedicated and specially trained small-business sales and support team of experts, which is a key pain point for small businesses that typically have little or no IT support. Inclusion in Dell’s FastTrack program enables select configurations of the Vostro 3000 series to ship within 48 hours of ordering², further removing worry from buying a new laptop.

Durability is another feature more customers are demanding from their laptops. The Vostro 3000 series laptops sport durable hinges and are encased in aluminum for extra protection while away from the office. Shipped with a 30-day return policy³, the Vostro 3000 notebooks also feature a suite of customizable service and support solutions to keep business data protected and business moving at an affordable price.

Vostro 3000 Series: At a Glance

• Stay in Touch: With the integrated webcam and microphone⁴, users can make Internet calls, conduct video conferences and remotely exchange files to help increase productivity.
• Always Be Connected: Users can go wireless with a full range of connectivity options: 802.11g/n wireless LAN, Bluetooth, and WWAN mobile broadband⁵.
• Memory to Spare: Run Windows® 7 effortlessly while performing everyday tasks quickly with support for up to 6GB⁶ of DDR3 SDRAM memory⁷.
• Protect Your Work: Keep your critical data under lock and key with optional fingerprint reader and full-data-encrypted hard drives.
• “Set & Forget” Online Data Protection: Easy, secure and automated Dell DataSafe online backup protects and helps recover business-critical data.
• Coverage Now and Later: Users can extend their basic Limited Hardware Warranty⁸ from 1-3 years to stay covered into the future.
• Remote On-Call Support: Small businesses can get help when they need it with DellConnect⁹, which allows tech-support agents to troubleshoot and help resolve system issues remotely.
• ProSupport to Simplify IT: Businesses can choose their own level of 24×7 IT support with optional Dell ProSupport™¹⁰services.

Available in the US and parts of Asia starting from today and available in Europe and Latin America and other geographies from March 16. Visit www.dell.com/vostro for additional information.

About Dell

As the visionary outcome of a true entrepreneur, Dell (NASDAQ: DELL) is committed to helping small and medium businesses solve their technology challenges, ease business pain points and draw greater value from IT. Honored for technology deployment by the 2009 IDC SMB Excellence Awards, Dell is here to support entrepreneurs every step of the way with ProManage-Managed Services, Optiplex desktops, Latitude laptops, the designed-for-small business Vostro line, energy-efficient PowerEdge servers and Small and Medium Business Solutions Center.

Dell, Vostro, Datasafe, DellConnect and ProSupport are trademarks of Dell Inc.

Dell disclaims any proprietary interest in the marks and names of others.

Pricing may change without notice.

¹ Based on lab testing. Varies by configuration, operating conditions and other factors. Maximum battery capacity decreases with time and use.

² Limited quantities. Only available for orders placed by 5:59 PM CT Mon-Thu. System ships the day after an order is placed via next business day delivery. Subject to order approval.

³ Available in US only. If you cancel your Vostro purchase for any reason within 30 days, we will refund your purchase price. You are responsible for the costs of shipping your product back to us.

⁴ Not available in all regions. Dell Video Chat may not work in certain countries due to country specific regulatory restriction and/or certain service providers’ network architectural constraints.

⁵ Subject to wireless provider’s broadband subscription and coverage area; additional charges apply. Accessibility to company networks may be affected by firewalls or other privacy measures.

⁶ A 64-bit operating system is required to support 4GB or more of system memory.

⁷ Significant system memory may be used to support graphics, depending on system memory size and other factors.

⁸ Limited Hardware Warranty: For a copy of limited warranty, write Dell USA LP, Attention Warranties, One Dell Way, Round Rock, TX 78682 or visit www.dell.com/warranty.

⁹ DellConnect is not used for all incidents. Internet connection required. Go online for details at www.dell.com/dellconnect.

¹⁰ Availability and terms of Dell Services vary by region. For more information, visit www.dell.com/servicedescriptions.

MAINGEAR Computers, award-winning builders of custom computers for PC gamers and enthusiasts, unveils the new mX-L 15 multimedia notebook, a sophisticated mobile computing solution that gives consumers affordably powerful performance in  a sleek design starting at $999.

Processing Power – mX-L 15 features the all new  Intel® Core™ i5 / i7 mobile processors that boast a combination of fast cache, Turbo Boost Technology, and Hyper-Threading for faster multi-tasking and multimedia.  Coupled with an integrated memory controller and dual channel DDR3 memory, the mX-L 15 delvers a silky smooth computing experience.

Vivid Graphics – mX-L 15 features ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4570 graphics to give you a visual feast of high definition media and gaming on the vibrant, LED-backlit 15.6? widescreen display at resolutions up to 1600×900.  You’ll get a clean, crisp image whether you’re working in Excel, surfing the web, or watching high definition movies.

Connectivity, Security, and Expandability– With wireless 802.11b/g/n technology, you get the fastest, most secure wireless experience. Coupled with an integrated fingerprint reader and you can be assured that your system is locked down from unwanted guests. A 2.0MP camera provides for easy tele-conference and is compatible with popular software like Skype. And don’t worry about running out of space on the mX-L. An e-SATA connection will enable you to connect external hard drives at speeds that match your internal storage.

Solid-State Hard Drives– Configurable with solid-state hard drives, the mX-L 15 eliminates moving parts, noise, slow boot times, and heat while drastically improving reliability so your data is kept safe and secure.

Sleek Design – The mX-L packs all these features and power into a package that is thin, aesthetically pleasing, and devoid of any unnecessary design aspects. The mX-L even features a full numeric keypad usually only found in larger, 17? notebooks and a multi-touch and gesture touchpad that allows users to zoom in and out and scroll through web pages quickly.

Consumers can purchase the mX-L 15 at MAINGEAR’s Web site http://www.maingear.com/custom/laptops/mxl-15/ or order by phone at (888-MAINGEAR).  The base price for the mX-L 15 is $999 and comes with MAINGEAR’s premium Lifetime Labor and Phone Support with a 1 year hardware warranty and is backed by the best in-house support team in the country.

About MAINGEAR

MAINGEAR is the premier high performance systems integrator in North America. MAINGEAR

custom builds gaming, home office, mobile, multimedia, small business and 3D workstation

solutions of the highest quality, which have won them many editors’ choice awards in every major computer publication such as C-Net, [H]ard|OCP, Maximum PC, CPU Magazine, etc. For more information on MAINGEAR, please visit www.maingear.com or call, toll-free,

So, you are still feeling the love for your fine laptop or netbook, yet it is not reciprocating when it comes to run time. Where before you could use it for five hours at a stretch, now it shuts down after barely two and a half . You diligently charge it up as you always have, and its says 100% when you pull it off charge. Yet it is just not going the distance. What is up with that?

Well, what could be up is a little battery wear. First, a little background about the power system. The information about your battery comes from the Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI), and it gives you (and your OS) the information about the battery from – the battery itself and some calculations. You can see the numbers on your battery monitor, and the OS uses it to feed the Advanced Power Management (APM), which controls the power alarms and subsequent behavior.

Playing The Numbers

In the case of a battery that is not holding its own anymore, the lifetime is adversely affected and taken into the calculations. Once the OS has a number for run time, it is hard to convince it otherwise. A typical battery lifetime calculation is as follows:

Computer Typer: Asus 901 Netbook
Battery Capacity (B) = 52 whr (Watt Hours)
Average Discharge (D) = 10 whr
Battery Wear (W) = 0%

A handy formula to calculate it all:
BatteryLife = ((BxW) – B) / D

Plugging it into a formula:
Battery Life = ((52 x 0) – 52) / 10 = 5.2 hours.

Now assuming that a battery has 30% wear (W), the calculation becomes:
Battery Life = ((52 X .30) – 52) / 10 = 3.64 hours

So, in the last case, even though the battery shows 100% when we take it off charge, the battery is only going to last 3.64 hours on a good day. If you are a power user, probably somewhat less.

The Good And The Bad

The bad news is that most battery monitors, including that on Windows XP, will not tell you about the battery wear. With Windows 7, it will go so far as to tell you that it is time to change your battery. This advance in handling of laptop battery wear is a very good thing.

But to the poor soul who just upgraded from XP who is now being told that their battery is shot, well they may tend to believe that Windows 7 is not doing them a favor. In reality, it is now reporting on a condition that was previously hidden.

The good news is that finding out your battery wear level is a very simple thing to do. There are a lot of freeware products that will give you this information, and one of my favorites is BatteryBar.

Finding Your Battery Wear

Once BatteryBar (or similar) is downloaded, a popup will show you the current battery state. As shown in the figure, my battery wear on the 901 was up to 45%, which means that I only had 55% of the battery to work with. My capacity was down to 30.761 whr from 55.272, which basically meant that my runtime was cut in half.

For fun, we can plug the figures in and get the total run time that my tired battery would give:

Battery Life = ((55 x .44) – 55) / 10 = 3.3 hours

Down from

Battery Life = ((55 x 0) – 55) / 10 = 5.5 hours

One thing to note on the image is that the full lifetime is being reported differently than we calculate. This is because BatteryBar tries to calculate a true remaining lifetime over usage patterns, and apparently I tend to be a heavy resource user on the machine.

Hopefully by now you realize that battery charge percentage is at best a poor indicator of your remaining run time. Instead, if you take note of your battery’s wear level, then you will have a good ideal of how far the current charge will get you. And, unfortunately, that same knowledge may let you know when it is time to replace your battery. It just goes to show – knowledge can be a costly thing.

iBUYPOWER, a leading innovator in gaming PCs, is excited to announce the world’s first multi-touch gaming notebook – Battalion Touch CZ-10, which will be launching at CES 2010.  The 15-inch multi-touch gaming notebook will be the first in a line of multi-touch gaming notebooks, which will be available exclusively from iBUYPOWER in the coming months. 

The new line of notebooks will be the first to take full advantage of the Windows multi-touch features and apply them to the gaming world.  The Battalion touch screen gaming notebooks is be perfect for Real-Time strategy gaming titles like the upcoming strategy title R.U.S.E from Ubisoft.           

Customers with more specific gaming needs can configure a fully customizable gaming PC at www.iBUYPOWER.com. All iBUYPOWER systems come standard with 1 year limited warranty and lifetime technical support.
For additional information about iBUYPOWER please visit www.iBUYPOWER.com

About iBUYPOWER
iBUYPOWER Computer is an enterprise in association with American Future Technology Corporation, AFT.  Both are located in Los Angeles County, the heart of Southern California. iBUYPOWER’s mission is to provide a complete computing solution to meet the needs of the surrounding community and customers nationwide. Currently, the company’s product lines include gaming desktops, gaming notebooks, workstations, media center PCs, peripherals and multimedia products. www.iBUYPOWER.com

Lenovo today announced four new ThinkPad PCs – the T410s, T410 and T510 laptops and W510 mobile workstation – to bring higher levels of performance and productivity to business users. The new laptops are based on upcoming Intel® Core™ dual-core processors and equip users with faster multi-tasking performance, more energy efficient performance and greater manageability for IT departments. Beyond powerful processing performance improvements, the new laptops extend individual productivity with never before seen ThinkPad 22 hour battery life on select models, more multitouch screen options and a single wireless broadband solution with the Qualcomm Gobi 2000 module.

 

“These latest enhancements in processing speed, battery life and wireless technologies help users work faster, longer and smarter.”

“ThinkPad laptops are built for business with the performance, portability and wireless capabilities users need and the manageability, reliability and durability IT departments require,” said Peter Hortensius, senior vice president, ThinkPad Business Unit, Lenovo. “These latest enhancements in processing speed, battery life and wireless technologies help users work faster, longer and smarter.”

The T410s provides a thin and light design with full performance for extremely mobile users, while the T410 and T510 are designed for full performance for mainstream business users. The high performance W510 mobile workstation fits the needs of professionals in data and graphics-demanding fields like oil and gas, computer aided design and photography.

Productivity through Performance

The new PCs offer maximum processing performance with a selection of new upcoming Intel® Core™ processors. Combined with upcoming Intel® Core™ vPro technology and Lenovo’s ThinkVantage Technologies’ manageability features, IT departments can remotely manage their PC fleet and deploy power settings, Internet connection profiles and more. Additionally, Intel® Turbo Boost Technology¹ on the W510 and T Series laptops automatically and intelligently accelerates performance, dynamically adjusting to the workload to give business users an immediate performance boost when needed.

The new W510 brings mobile workstation performance to a higher level. More powerful than before, the W510 can now support up to 16 GB of memory and quad core processors. The W510 has four memory slots for up to 16GB of high performance 1333 MHz DDR3 memory. It also offers Nvidia’s 1GB GPU and the latest Intel® Core™ i7 processors. As the first ThinkPad to offer USB 3.0, users can transfer data quickly reaching speeds up to 10x the performance over USB 2.0.

The T410s now comes with Nvidia switchable graphics with 512 MB of VRAM so users can balance a visually-intense graphics experience with energy efficiency and battery life. The laptops are also certified under Lenovo’s Enhanced Experience program for Windows 7. This means they start up significantly faster than identical configuration, non-optimized PCs. For example, on select Think PCs, Windows 7 starts up to 56 percent faster compared to running Windows XP or Vista and shuts down in as little as five seconds².

For added convenience, a powered USB port comes on all the new PCs and can be used to charge MP3 players, phones and other devices when the PC is on, on standby or off (if plugged in).

Productivity by Design

The W510 gives users a new kind of power – the power of touch – for a new way to work with an optional multi-finger touch screen. Lenovo includes the SimpleTap application to help make navigating the touchscreen simple. The W510 also has added an optional color calibrator, first debuted in the ThinkPad W700 mobile workstation, to help ensure the most accurate colors on its high gamut full high definition screen.

The new laptops also improve the typing experience with larger Escape and Delete keys. Since Lenovo found users hit the Delete and Escape keys up to 700 times a week on average, the sizes of these keys have been increased starting with the T400s laptop.

Productivity by Mobility

To extend the workday even longer without plugging in, Lenovo offers a new nine cell slice battery on the T410, T510 and W510 laptops for up to 22 hours of battery life³. The laptops also offer optional 3G connectivity leveraging EV-DO and HSPA wireless networks with Qualcomm Gobi 2000™ technology. This module allows businesses to standardize on a single hardware platform that can be deployed globally and accommodate multiple carriers to simplify international deployments.

Pricing and Availability⁴

The ThinkPad T410s, T410, T510 and W510 laptops are available beginning January 7 through business partners and www.lenovo.com. Pricing for models starts approximately at $1,399 for the T410s, $999 for the T410 and T510 and $1,599 for the W510.

For the latest Lenovo news, subscribe to Lenovo RSS feeds or follow Lenovo on Twitter and Facebook. Follow Lenovo’s activities at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas online.

About Lenovo

Lenovo (HKSE: 992) (ADR: LNVGY) is dedicated to building exceptionally engineered personal computers. Lenovo’s business model is built on innovation, operational efficiency and customer satisfaction as well as a focus on investment in emerging markets. Formed by Lenovo Group’s acquisition of the former IBM Personal Computing Division, the company develops, manufactures and markets reliable, high-quality, secure and easy-to-use technology products and services worldwide. Lenovo has major research centers in Yamato, Japan; Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, China; and Raleigh, North Carolina. For more information see www.lenovo.com.

¹ Intel® Turbo Boost Technology requires a PC with a processor with Intel® Turbo Boost Technology capability. Intel® Turbo Boost Technology performance varies depending on hardware, software and overall system configuration. Check with your PC manufacturer on whether your system delivers Intel® Turbo Boost Technology. For more information, see www.intel.com/technology/turboboost

²Without Enhanced Experience -Think systems integrated with Window-7 Professional beta, hardware device drivers, utilities, Lenovo and 3rd-party software as of January 2009 with no optimization performed by Lenovo With Enhanced Experience – Think systems integrated with Window-7 Professional RTM, hardware device driver, utilities, Lenovo and 3rd-party software as of September 2009 after optimization by Lenovo engineers to integrated software components.

³With 9 cell slice and 9 cell battery on ThinkPad T410.

⁴Prices do not include tax or shipping and are subject to change without notice and is tied to specific terms and conditions. Reseller prices may vary. Price does not include all advertised features. All offers subject to availability. Lenovo reserves the right to alter product offerings and specifications at any time without notice.

I have a laptop that has stuck with me through thick and thin for almost two years now. It has survived numerous trips, a few short drops, and even survived being sat on. If anything, this has been a great laptop.

Even though it is showing its age, I have had such great luck that I am going to resolve this year to treat it a bit better and even give it a few upgrades to keep it strong. It almost seems like a pet, so I really don’t mind being out a little in order to maintain a handy tool.

Resolution 1: Upgrade the drive and install a New Operating System (OS)

This is something that is more than overdue. The laptop came with a 80 gig hard drive, and I have had less than two gigs free since the first two months I have owned it. I have turned off hibernation and use only standby or off in order to save the drive space. Since installing a new hard drive means re-installing the OS, I figure it is time to upgrade to the latest and greatest.

I plan on pulling the old drive and setting it to the side for a while. If things don’t work out with the new OS, then I will put the old drive back in place and limp on. But at least I will have tried to give “Old Faithful” a boost.

Resolution 2: Carry it in a nice padded bag

This resolution may seem silly, but I need to make note of this. Many times I carry the laptop out in the open when I go from office to car, and from car to meeting place (i.e restaurant usually). This tends to be the case when I know it is not going to be out of my sight. After all, what could happen?

Did I mention above about the short drops? This is where they happened.

I can remember one time in particular – the laptop did a half gainer over the top of my arm and was headed for the floor. I stuck out my leg to break the fall, and it seemed to cartwheel in slow motion across my leg to the ground. It still works after that, but if it had been in a protective bag with a handle (which I already own, sad to say), none of the falls would have happened. I was just too lazy to put it in and zip it up.

Resolution 3: Encrypt the drive, or at least a portion of it

My laptop travels with me, and if I lost it, there is a lot of data that I would really not like to share. Currently I keep everything on a folder off of the user root, and I do mean everything. From this main folder I have folders for projects, notes, images, emails, and more.

It would be so simple to use a product like TrueCrypt and create an encrypted drive to mount. Since I already have it somewhat organized, I could easily move it over to that new logical drive. I would only have to change a handful of settings (email storage, shortcuts, etc), and I would be back in business.

The only thing that stopped me in the past was the lack of drive space to pull it off. Yeah, I could copy that folder off, create the encrypted share, and copy it back. But it would be so much easier to do after I get that new drive in place, and stuff like this is what drives New Year’s resolutions.

Resolution 4: Set up a backup system

Okay, I have my stuff fairly neatly organized on my laptop drive. However, I am not exactly diligent about making backups. What I resolve to do here is to set up a backup system that works in spite of me.

If I go through with Resolution number 3 above, the backups are simplified – I will only have a single physical file that makes up the encrypted disk image to back up. That is both good and bad. It is good in that I only have one file to back up and verify.

The bad news is that the entire file must be backed up every time. If I write a minimal amount of information to that volume, the backup software only sees it as a large file that has changed. There are no incremental backups, unless I do something fancy with partial file deltas. No thanks, that has bitten me in the past, and I must keep this simple.

Instead, I think I will just use USB jump drives. My stuff will fit into a 16 gig volume, so a couple 16 gig units would be perfect. This is how I imagine it working – I keep one drive with me in the now accompanying padded laptop bag, and another in a safe location physically removed from my usual locations. Every few days I will switch these jump drives out, making the remote backup fairly current.

In the meanwhile I will try to make a daily-ish backup on the currently possessed unit. It will take a little while for that information to copy onto the drive, but given my usual usage habits I don’t think it is going to be a problem.

Resolution 5: Stop eating while computing

As you may have read above, I do tend to use this laptop at working lunches and meetings. As you would expect when you have food in your hands and use a computer, the keyboard gets messy. Wait, that is an understatement – I have so many loose crumbs in my keyboard that I often hold it upside down and shake it just to remove the big pieces. I don’t even remember eating that much bread!

So, as a New Year laptop resolution, I resolve to eat less while computing. Well, at least I plan on being neater when I do so. Not only is a messy keyboard a less than attractive thing to drag with you places, it just might be a smoke hazard if I didn’t take the time to occasionally vacuum it out.

Resolution 6: Clean out the air vents

As you might expect by now, my laptop is a workhorse that gets dirty. The fan does run, and naturally it picks up small particles through the air vents. While I have not had any trouble with the fans, a quick inspection shows that the air ports, although not completely clogged, are close to it. I have tried to clean it using a vacuum cleaner and a tool (okay, a large bent paper clip), but I only got a small amount of debris out of the vents.

What I need to do is disassemble old faithful and clean out the vents properly from the inside. I have taken apart laptops in the past and don’t expect it to be a problem, but I just need to, ahem, resolve to do it.

Resolution 7: Quit running the battery down to zero

I have a bad habit of running the machine to where the battery reads zero just to get some extra computing time. The system will actually go into standby at 4%, but I can turn it back on and keep going in a pinch. I have gotten a respectable amount of time this way, but the battery does get hot in doing so.

Amazingly enough, my battery still holds a decent charge. But from everything I read I am hurting it by running it beyond capacity, so I need to stop. If the new drive and OS works out okay I may spring for another battery and keep it charged for those times away from power – the unit supports a warm battery swap. Until then, I do resolve to watch the power meter and not run it down past 4%.

These seven resolutions will hopefully keep “Old Faithful” running for another year or so. If it does, my laptop resolutions for 2011 or 2012 may just be to purchase a new laptop. But don’t mention this to my current machine – I am not ready to put it out to pasture any time soon.

Today I’ve got a rather brief review for you of what I think would be considered a case for your laptop. It’s from Belkin and it’s called a SleeveTop, it’s an odd name yes, but it’s really a combination of a sleeve and a carrying case so I guess that’s where the name came from. The Belkin SleeveTop is nicely made, it’s very simple to use but it’s got a major design flaw in that it has no pockets at all. A laptop case with no pockets makes no sense to me…

Specifications:

Belkin Laptop SleeveTop – Green

Belkin SleeveTop lets you easily open and use your laptop without removing your laptop from the case. Protects your lap from your computer’s heat when you are using it; safely stows your laptop when you’re not. Belkin SleeveTop makes it easy to take your laptop with convenient handles.

Key Features
- Uniquely designed for comfortable laptop use on a couch, bed or table
- Closes to protect your laptop when not in use
- Opens for use quickly; you never need to remove your laptop from the case
- Protects your lap from a hot computer
- Premium finish is both stylish and also complements your home decor
- Built-in cooling pads prevents heat retention under the laptop
- Features durable, hand-washable material
- Works with laptops with 15.4" widescreens or smaller
- Comes with a Lifetime Warranty

Price: $16.00 (US Dollars)

Unboxing:
There’s no fancy packaging for the Belkin SleeveTop,  just a plastic bag.  Attached to the case is a product identification tag with the specs and features listed.

The case is actually very well made, the material is thick and it seems durable, but it really isn’t padded as you might expect, it’s more hard than padded. You basically just slide your laptop into it and you’re done. There are zippers on both side of the sleeve to open it up.

When you open the sleeve up you’ll only find two rubberized strips and that’s it, no pockets of anything like that. The strips are rubber as I mentioned, this helps keep your laptop from sliding around, but they’re raised as well to allow some airflow under your laptop.

Usage:
The only large sized laptop I have is my older Dell Latitude C640, it’s a 14.1 inch Intel P4 based laptop. It’s older but it still works fine.

Here’s a couple close up shots of the laptop sitting on the strips, there’s a very small bit of clearance beneath the laptop to allow airflow. It seems to work, my laptop was only a couple degrees hotter than if it was sitting on a table, and the case also will insulate your lap if you use it to work on your lap. The case is hard so it works like a platform to help keep the laptop stable on your lap, but the top really doesn’t lock into place so it can just fall down forward onto your laptop.

..and here’s my laptop inside of it. There’s really no room for anything else at all inside of this case so don’t expect to take a power supply with you or any accessories. You could toss some papers or folders in there, but I wouldn’t put anything hard as it might damage your laptop.

To carry it you just grab the handles and go.

Personally I don’t care for this product at all, I have to take stuff with me, especially a power supply, I never leave home without one really.

Not having any pockets at all is a major design flaw in my opinion, everyone is going to be taking something with them I think.

I also don’t case for that fact that you’re laptop really isn’t secure at all inside, no straps or anything hold it in place. So if you just toss this on your car seat or wherever it can just slide right out of the case.

Yes it’s inexpensive coming in at about $16, but for a few dollars more you can get something with pockets I’m sure.

That’s me though, I need to take stuff with me, but if you’re not like me then you might appreciate this product.

Conclusion:
Well I’m not sure about this product really. I mean I guess if you don’t need to take anything with you other than your laptop then you’ll be fine, but I think most of us always take stuff with us. Personally I don’t like this product at all, but that’s just my opinion.

It’s inexpensive, but i don;t think that makes up for the flaws of not having pockets or not having any way to actually secure your laptop inside of it.

If you’re looking for an inexpensive, well made and very minimalistic case then you might want this one.

Pros:
+Nicely made 
+Seems durable 
+Inexpensive
+Can use laptop without removing from case

Cons:
-Doesn’t really secure laptop inside 
-No pockets or anywhere for accessories 

I would like to thank GearZap for the opportunity to review the Belkin Laptop SleeveTop and for their support of Laptop Reviews Central.

Disclosure: This product was given to Laptop Reviews Central for review by the company for review purposes only, and is not considered by us as payment for the review, we do not, and never will, accept payment from companies to review their products.

Netbooks are wonderful little devices.  They are small enough to take with you, many have 3G wireless options to stay connected,and the price is just about right. However, as with almost all things in life that are good, there are some tradeoffs in using a netbook.  One of the most apparent, particularly when compared with their larger laptop counterparts, is screen real estate.

With many models sporting a 1024 x 600 display, screen real estate is at a premium.  For this reason, logical use of the available screen makes sense.  One thing I definitely recommend is to set the windows taskbar to autohide.  This will free up a considerable amount of space for your applications.  While we’re at it, let’s tweak that taskbar to make it easier to use.

Asus 901 Screen with a few tweaks and enlarged hiding taskbar

Since the taskbar is set to autohide, we can use the quick launch toolbar to provide a nice large target for that mini trackpad.   One thing that may escape some users is that you have to unlock the taskbar to be able to modify the quick launch icon sizes.  Step one, unlock the task bar.

Unlock the taskbar to allow for customization

Step two, now that you have the taskbar unlocked (and hopefully have the quick launch toolbar active), you can right click on the quicklaunch area and simply select large icons.

Right Click on the Quick Launch Area to set the Icon Size

Once that is done, be sure to lock the taskbar back to avoid any accidents and to get rid of the separator “bumps” at the end of the toolbar.  After that, you can easily drag desired programs and files onto the quick launch area to make a handy dock for your most used items.  Once again, when not needed, these conveniently hide with the taskbar.  Please note, if you need to resize the quick launch area, just unlock the taskbar and drag as big as needed – although I would caution about going over halfway, since you need to leave a little room for active programs to show.

(Some of you may wonder what theme gives the pictured screen its dark taskbar look.  This is the “Zune” theme, available for free from Microsoft here.  The background image is obviously not from that theme.)

The next best way, in my opinion, to maximize the screen real estate is to have a virtual desktop manager. One of my favorites for XP and later is YODM 3D.  YODM gives you 4 screens to choose from, and once it is mapped to a hot key of your choice a quick keystroke presents you with a spinning 3d cube that rotates over to your selected screen.  I have used YODM 3D on my 901 for an extended time, and I have had no problems with it working through many sleep sessions and coming back intact. (Something I cannot say for other desktop managers.)

With YODM, I will usually keep mail and calendar running on one screen, any dev environments (such as Netbeans or C#) on another, and a book reader program on a third.  This leaves a fourth screen open for whatever (such as the browser of the moment), and the apps are always only a keystroke and a spin away.

Another great ideal to maximize your screen real estate on a netbook is to get used to the F11 key when browsing.  F11 will open most Windows browsers to a full screen view, with the top toolbars conveniently sliding out of the way when not in use.  Go ahead and turn off your status bar (right click in toolbar area), and you are left with the whole screen for your viewing pleasure.

Clean full screen (F11) web browser image on a netbook without browser status bar

While this works great for most web browser images, there is simply some material that will not fit into a landscape display.  The two items that come to mind immediately are graphic novels (comic books, by any other name) and scanned page images. For full page views of PDFs, it is an easy solution – just install Adobe Reader and rotate the display clockwise through the program. Given the small size and tight construction of most netbooks, it is actually quite convenient to hold the machine sideways and look at it as you would a paperback novel.

For other media, your software may not support rotation. This is where the Intel Graphics Media driver is so handy (and other drivers do similar feats).  You can easily map a hotkey to rotate the screen as needed, and all of your programs will follow suit.  This works great with your favorite viewing program, just be sure to use a program that allows a full screen view in order to maximize your page viewing.

Many graphics drivers allow you to map a hotkey to screen rotation

With a few tweaks, even a netbook screen can provide a very satisfactory user experience.  By taking advantage of hiding taskbars, multiple screens, and full screen views optimized for the content orientation, a user may not even notice the smaller screen size for most uses.  Given the great portability afforded by its design, you may find that you even prefer the handy netbook for comfortable reading and browsing.

Dell today unveiled the industry’s smallest 12.1-inch rugged convertible tablet PC that is the first with a multi-touch display, the Latitude XT2 XFR. The system is designed to meet the unique and demanding needs of customers in the military, police, border patrol, field service organizations, factory fulfillment and first responders.

The Latitude XT2 XFR adds to Dell’s Rugged Mobility Solution offering that includes the fully rugged Latitude E6400 XFR and the semi-rugged Latitude E6400 ATG laptops. It also joins purpose-engineered products like the Latitude Z, Latitude 2100 netbook for education and Dell Precision™ M6400 mobile workstation as another step in Dell’s strategy to develop differentiated form factors and solutions that meet specific customer usage needs.

The News:

• Inspired by discussions with the defense, law enforcement, homeland security communities, field service departments and utility companies, Dell developed a convertible tablet that can adapt to changing mission requirements and withstand harsh environments. Features of the Latitude XT2 XFR include:
  • At 1.5 inches (38.1 millimeters) it is the thinnest 12.1-inch rugged convertible tablet and starts at 5.4 pounds (2.45 kilograms) with four-cell battery and solid state drive¹, it is engineered and independently tested to meet MIL-810G standards for operation in harsh environments. Dell expects MIL-810G certification in the coming weeks.
  • Compression-sealed and rugged I/O doors, LCD, and keyboard, provide an IP54 level of Ingress Protection, or resistance to moisture and dust.
• The Latitude XT2 XFR can be installed in police or first-responder vehicles where critical information can be accessed with one hand. The Latitude XT2 XFR is also ideal for field-service and industrial manufacturing workforces who need an easy to carry, rugged system that can stand up to drops, spills and temperature extremes.
• The Latitude XT2 XFR is available with Dell’s optional remote management capabilities and next business day service and support.²
• The rugged tablet shares common images and components with the Dell Latitude XT2 tablet for easy integration into existing environments. The Latitude XT2 XFR also includes:
  • Intel Core 2 Duo processors with up to 5GB³ of DDR3 1066 MHz memory.⁴
  • QuadCool Thermal Management System enables excellent performance, even in extreme temperatures from minus 10 degrees to 140 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Four-, six- and nine-cell battery options.
  • Standard data security features that include Dell ControlVault and Dell ControlPoint, as well as optional solid state and spinning disk drives with full disk encryption.
  • Impact resistant, sunlight viewable, 12.1-inch wide LED display with capacitive multi-touch gestures-enabled or optional resistive touch screen.
  • Optional hot-swappable modules including GPS (in the coming weeks) and webcam.
  • Optional expansion sliver provides camera/light, serial, and RJ11 inputs.
  • An extensive range of optional accessories and services that include mobile rugged docking and mounting solutions in the coming weeks.
  • A full complement of wireless connectivity options including wireless LAN 802.11 a/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1 and mobile broadband.
• The XT2 XFR is available in the U.S., Canada, France, Spain, United Kingdom, Germany and Italy via all of Dell’s sales channels, including PartnerDirect. It starts at $3,599 and more information is available here.

Quotes:

“The Latitude XT2 XFR is more than a laptop, it’s a key part of our mobile command and data-center solutions for field service, defense and first-responder customers,” said Paul Bell, president, Dell Global Public-Sector Business. “These unique solutions, coupled with our service model, make those communities more effective, enabling them to focus on their core missions instead of managing technology.”

“We are listening and delivering purpose-engineered products based on unique usage models within customers’ environment,” said Steve Lalla, vice president and general manager, Business Client Product Group, Dell, Inc. “The Latitude XT2 XFR is a perfect example where feedback told us that customers needed the innovative functionality of the Latitude XT2 with the ability to perform in rugged environments.”

LINKS

www.flickr.com/dellphotos

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAOlue68In0

http://en.community.dell.com/blogs/direct2dell/archive/2009/10/27/the-world-s-thinnest-rugged-convertible-tablet-pc-is-unveiled.aspx

www.dell.com/xfr

www.dell.com/latitude

www.dell.com/public

About Dell

Dell (NASDAQ: DELL) listens to customers and delivers innovative technology and services they need and value. For more information, visit www.dell.com.

Dell and Latitude are trademarks of Dell Inc. Dell disclaims any proprietary interest in the marks and names of others.

¹ Weights vary depending on configuration and manufacturing variability.

² Availability and terms of Dell Services vary by region. For more information, visit www.dell.com/servicedescriptions.

³ A 64-bit operating system is required to support 4GB or more of system memory

⁴ Significant system memory may be used to support graphics, depending on system memory size and other factors.