Lenovo ThinkPad W510

The Lenovo ThinkPad W510 is a 15-inch screen workstation style notebook. The W510 provides performance, reliability and mobility. It is Ultra responsive for graphics-intensive tasks so you can accomplish more on the go.

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"Lenovo ThinkPad W510"
- Lenovo ThinkPad W510 Review and Information (view on Google Sidewiki)

Choosing between Matte and Glossy LCD Screens

It is easy to take the quality of your PC display for granted. But when you consider that you spend more time using your monitor than any other component of your PC, you realize that the LCD screen you stare at every day is a vital part of your computer system. What differentiates one LCD panel from another is image quality. The light source, the viewing angle, and the system's graphics card can have a dramatic effect on an LCD's performance. Also such parameters as, text readability, sharpness, grayscale range, color quality, or image uniformity are important. However, the recent researches show that the surface of your LCD panel is very important characteristic. There are two major types of LCD screens distinguished by surface – matte and glossy.

A matte LCD screen has an anti-glare coating that diffuses ambient light. A side effect of the coating is a slight blurring, reduced contrast, and a narrow viewing angle. A matte screen may be the best one for a color-minded professional. Also a matte LCD may be better for your eyes in the long run.

In general, a glossy LCD screen has a better contrast, brighter colors (more saturated), and better viewing angles. A glossy screen may look more vibrant to watch movies or play games. The major disadvantage of a glossy screen is the reflection of a light and other objects. Sometimes it is not easy to adjust the screen to make it less reflective. Glare may interfere with color perception. Also in print, supersaturated colors will not show up. Overusing a glossy screen may cause a vision problem (eye strain). Also the distractions from reflection may cause a headache (brain overloaded thought eye's nervous signals). Many visual designers find that the glossy screens present unrealistic colors and overly contrasted images. Sometimes photographs cannot be accurately matched to the final print.

So matte or glossy? Actually, it is a personal preference. When you choosing between two types of screens, make your decision after careful consideration. It is better to buy after seeing and comparing matte and glossy types first. Often a laptop manufacturer does not offer the option (or at least for now) to choose between glossy and matte screens. However, there is a solution how to get the LCD screen that you like. Just replace it. It is easy to do even if you are not a technical person (use some illustrated guide). Since most laptop manufacturers charge too much, you may try to find third-party companies on the market that are selling laptop screens. Some of them have a lot of brand new genuine LCD screens for laptops.

© Alex Smartson. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

Lenovo IdeaPad U1 Hybrid Notebook-Tablet Combo

It is all-in-one PC. The U1 comes with 11" LED multitouch screen that can be removed and used as an independent slate tablet. The device basically combines a notebook and a slate tablet into one, each with its own processor OS. When the multi-touch screen is detached, it becomes a slate tablet with Qualcomm SnapDragon processor, 16GB SSD and Lenovo's customized Skylight Linux OS. In the traditional configuration, it uses Intel Core 2 Duo CULV processor running Windows 7 Home Premium and a 128GB SSD for speedy storage. The U1 supports 3G connectivity in addition to Bluetooth. It has also integrated webcam and stereo speakers. The Lenovo IdeaPad U1 Hybrid will be available on 1 June 2010 for $999.1.

via http://www.itechnews.net/2010/01/06/lenovo-ideapad-u1-hybrid-notebookslate-tablet-combo

Why LED Backlight Screens Are Better than Traditional Ones

LED-backlight LCD screens are brighter, thinner, less power-consuming, and more reliable than the screens built with fluorescent lamp. But they are more expensive too. Is it worth today to buy a laptop or monitor with LED-backlight LCD screen instead of traditional one?

A backlight (or backlit) is a form of illumination that used in LCD (liquid crystal display) screens. In other words, backlight is an internal source of white light that illuminates the LCD from the back of the display panel. This is how most modern laptop screens and desktop monitors are built. Note, LED-backlight LCD (or TFT) screen is not the same as an OLED (Organic LED) active screen which does not require a backlight to function.

Only a few years ago, display technology started incorporating LED (light emitting diode) backlights. Today LCD screens with LED backlight are still more expensive than traditional screens. Are they really better than old ones? Most computer experts would tell you that these new types of screens are brighter, thinner, less power-consuming (and less heat), and more reliable. They may forget to mention that these screens with LED backlight have longer life (old technology monitors starts dim after several years usage and loses brightness).

Also it is important that backlight-LED type of LCD screen is "greener" than a regular screen because it is mercury-free, less power-consuming, and able to prolong battery life in laptops (therefore, decrease its disposal problem). According to Dell's internal research, switching all of its laptops to LED, which use 43% less power than fluorescent lamp will save consumers $20 million dollars in energy costs and 220 million kilowatt-hours over 2010 and 2011.

There is one more reason to switch to LED backlight. Regular screens use CCFL (Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamp) backlighting that produces inaccurate color. CCFL emits white light that has non-uniform (stripped) spectrum. Actual white light (sunlight or daylight) has a continuous spectrum. And LED is able to produce such full spectrum white light. That is why LED-backlight screens are able to reproduce more natural and richer colors. The first users who gratefully noticed this were photographers, designers, and graphics professionals.

Important to note, now we see only the first generation of LED backlight monitors. They are not developed and worked out properly yet. In principle, manufacturing LED is cheaper than CCFL and, eventually, the monitors with LED backlit will be cheaper. Evidently, LED-backlight screen will replace soon older CCFL type as LCD replaced CRT in the past. However, it seems, the true revolution will come with OLEDs.

© Alex Smartson. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

How to Get the Best Quality of LCD Screen

It is easy to take the quality of LCD screen for granted. But when you consider that you spend more time using your LCD monitor than any other component of your PC, you realize that the screen you stare at every day is a vital part of your computer system. What differentiates one LCD panel from another is image quality. The light source, the viewing angle, and the system's graphics card can have a dramatic effect on an LCD's performance. Also such parameters as, text readability, sharpness, grayscale range, color quality, or image uniformity are important.

Make sure that a display is adjusted to perform optimally, based on the manufacturer-recommended or default settings when possible. Ensure that your video card is set to the LCD Monitor's optimal resolution. Evidently, the most important tool (diagnostic equipment) to evaluate the quality of LCD screen is the human eye. Adjust the display settings on your computer so the brightness of the screen is about the same as your work environment. Also, adjust the screen settings to make sure the contrast between the screen background and the on-screen characters is high. And make sure that the text size is optimized for the most comfort. Use Control Panel > Display Settings > Advanced > Monitor and set up "Screen refresh rate" (frequency) to a maximum possible. According to the eye experts refresh rate should be 70 Hz or higher.

LCD screens often have trouble reproducing all of the levels of the grayscale (the range of grays between true black and true white). When producing a bright white image, many LCD screens oversaturate the grayscale: the lightest grays of the scale are lost in the white background. Oversaturation can also lead to loss of color range - a poor color reproduction of a LCD screen at the brightest end of the scale, closest to white. A color-tracking error occurs when the intensity of red, green, and blue (RGB) do not adjust identically with signal-level changes for LCD screen. This lack of balance between the RGB channels affects color as well as grayscale, but it is most easily identified as a shift in color within shades of gray.

Perfectly uniform backlighting across an LCD's entire display surface is difficult to achieve. It is not uncommon for an LCD to have bright or dim patches or subtler variations in color intensity, which give the appearance of shading across the screen, or variable color intensity on the LCD display. Additionally, using a dark screen is the easiest way to spot glare and reflection problems, both of which can have distracting effects when you are viewing an LCD screen.

LCD screens are vulnerable. Dead pixels can occur when the screen is damaged or pressure is put upon the screen. Unfortunately, few manufacturers replace screens with dead pixels under warranty. A cracked or broken LCD display is not repairable and requires a new LCD screen to be replaced. Luckily, it is easy to replace even if you are not a technical person. Since most computer's manufacturers charge too much, you may try to find third-party companies on the market that are selling LCD screens. Some places carry a large inventory of brand new LCD screens. If you are unable to find a particular model listed on the websites, you can call or email them.

© Alex Smartson. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

Things You Will Need to Know Today to Shop Online

Shopping online may look fascinating due to almost unlimited supply of products and different sellers on your computer screen. However, online shopping differs from a regular brick-and-mortar one where you can see the product in person and have less doubts if you can trust the seller. Luckily, following simple procedures may make your shopping experience better and safer.

Before you do your online shopping, and especially, before entering your credit card number, make sure that your computer operating system and security software are updated (including firewall, anti-virus software, and anti-spyware). Make sure that you are using the most recent version of Web browser.

The first step is to find an exact product (that you need) with good quality and the best price. You can find reviews on almost any product on the Internet. There are many different product reviews websites - well-known general websites, like, ConsumerSearch (it compiles cross-references reviews from many sources) or special ones, like, NotebookReview. Many websites allow you to compare prices on different sites at the click of a mouse.

When comparing prices, there are some useful tips to keep in mind. (1) Check the price of shipping; a low price with paid shipping may be a better deal than a higher price with a free shipping. (2) For an expensive item, you would feel comfortable using a more trusted retailer even with high price. (3) Check the return policy and possible insurance. In case of returning, some stores deduct a "restocking fee" from refund. However, this fee should be voided if the item was damaged or defective.

The next step is to determine if a selected retailer is trustworthy. Be aware: there are many untrustworthy retailers on the Internet. There is a certain probability that you may get a bad product, have a bad experience, or lose your money. When you visit a new website, use your intuition and common sense. The first impression of web design is important for fraud prevention. It should be clear and easy to navigate website. A trustworthy retailer has a telephone number to call their customer service.

Look for a web-page that includes information on the company's policies. Check if the return policy is existent and it is clear. It is good if a retailer is “VeriSign Secure“, “Hacker Safe“, or “BBB“ certified (although it does not guarantee a complete security). The letters "https" should appear at the beginning of the URL if you are on a page where you submit your personal and credit card information. It is better to deal with well-known and reputable payment systems.

If you have doubts, search Google, Yahoo, or Bing using the company name with the word "fraud", "scam", or “complaint”. Watch out for fake web-sites. Be aware that some websites may look like well-known companies' sites. Check your browser's address bar to make sure that you use the correct website address. Also it would be good to check the domain information using www.whois.org or www.dnsstuff.com. Pay attention to the registration date, registrar name, and contact info.

Make sure to keep the receipt (printing normally available at the end of your transaction). Keep copies of any emails you exchange with the seller. Do not share your passwords with anyone. Never provide your social insurance number, birth date, or any personal information that is irrelevant for shopping. Notify your credit card company immediately if anything wrong happens. Check your bank and credit card accounts regularly for any activity you did not initiate. Do not allow crooks avoid punishment – it will prevent you and others from becoming a victim of online fraud in the future.

© Alex Smartson. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

Acer Aspire One 532g Netbook

The new Aspire One 532g is the first netbook to run the NVIDIA ION 2 chipset graphics platform. It has a 10in LED backlit screen. It uses an Intel Atom N450 CPU 1.66GHz which is complimented by the NVIDIA GT218 GPU that has 512MB of dedicated memory attached. Battery life is about 10 hours. The netbook's GPU is only called upon when it is specifically used, ie, when graphic intensive changes need to happen on screen. When the NVIDIA GPU is not used the netbook switches back to a standard GMA 315 chip that requires less power consumption to run. The Aspire One 532g is set to launch in the US at the end of March... read more

Acer Is Designing an Exotic Ultra-thin Notebook

According to Digitimes, Acer is working on a laptop that could have a touchscreen keyboard and a frame-less display. A possible availability of the Acer frameless laptop expected in the third quarter of 2010. The display of this unnamed laptop would be thinner and entirely frameless... read more

Recession Creates a Green Habit among PC Users - Do-It-Yourself

A small Canadian company, Vancouver Laptop, becomes one of the pioneers to promote a new green habit of living by creating a new option for laptop users - fix-it-yourself.

The millions of laptops are broken worldwide every year; and statistically, the most breakable part is an LCD screen. Before recession it was easier for most people to buy a new laptop in case of broken screen. Now more and more consumers look for a cost-effective solution. Surprisingly it has a positive side effect for environmental protection.

It is known that a very tiny battery can make one cubic meter of soil seriously contaminated and cause a water pollution. A much bigger laptop battery creates much more disposal troubles, not to mention other parts of laptop. Besides, replacing broken LCD screens, PC users can reduce the demand for new laptops those production pollute the Earth. Evidently replacing screens by laptop's manufacturer is good for our green planet. But there is even a "greener" option.

"What to do if your laptop screen is broken and you do not have warranty? Of course, you may find some place to repair or to send to the laptop manufacturer to fix. But these options would be not the best for your budget and the environment," says Andrei Kisel, the co-owner of Vancouver Laptop Inc. "If you replace the screen on your own, you save resources and minimize your expenses on the cost of the laptop screen and labor. It is easy to do using our on-line illustrated guide even if you are not a technical person - with a couple of tools you will be able to replace the screen on your own."

The PC users who decide to replace a broken screen themselves can be sure that the company distributes only new genuine laptop screens. These screens are the same as the ones that laptop manufacturers use in their current laptop models. All models are made by reputable manufacturers that are globally recognized suppliers of electronic components. The LCD screens are compatible with Dell, Acer, HP, IBM-Lenovo, Compaq, Gateway, Toshiba, Sony, Apple, Samsung, Fujitsu, Packard Bell, NEC, Asus, Cicero, Eurocom, MDG, Averatec and many other laptop brands.


Related story: Do Your Part: Travel Green

HP Compaq L2105tm Multi-Touch LCD Monitor

Now multitouch LCD screen is available with HP's monitor L2105tm. It is Windows 7 Certified multitouch monitor. Dell and HP Compaq compete closely creating new models of touchscreens. Dell recently released SX2210T and HP Compaq - its L2105tm. The touch screen is very sensitive and picks up the slightest movement with your finger. It is so sensitive so that you do not even have to touch the screen, it picks up your finger movement before you touch the screen.

Specifications
Display size: (diagonal) 21.5 in
Display type: Wide-aspect active matrix TFT
Resolution: 1920 x 1080 @ 60 Hz (Full HD), 1.76 Million pixels
Brightness: 250 cd/m2
Contrast ratio (typical): 1000:1
Viewing angle: 170°, vertical 160°
Response rate (typical): 5 ms (on and off)
Frequency Range: Horizontal 24 to 83 kHz, Vertical 50 to 76 Hz
Surface features: Anti-glare, Anti-static
Weight: 14.1 lb (6.4 kg)
Dimensions (w x d x h): 20.2 x 9.1 x 16.5 in (51.3 x 23.05 x 41.86 cm)
Price (typical): USD 300

source: HP Compaq
view demo: video