Lenovo Greenest Laptop ThinkPad L512

Lenovo releases new environment friendly laptops of ThinkPad L series. These laptops are 40% more energy efficient than previous ThinkPad laptops. One of these series, ThinkPad L512 laptop, is lightweight, ergonomic, loaded with green, productivity and cost-saving features. It is a high performance and durable laptop with integrated graphics. The details are following:

• Processor: Intel Core i3-330M Processor (2.13GHz, 3MB L3, 1066MHz FSB)
  
• Display type: Anti-glare 15.6" LED backlit widescreen with WWAN
  
• System graphics: Mobile Intel HM55 Express Chipset with integrated Intel HD Graphics, Gigabit Ethernet, secure chip, WWAN support
  
• Total memory: 2 GB PC3-10600 DDR3 SDRAM 1333MHz SODIMM Memory (1 DIMM)
  
• Hard drive: 160 GB Hard Disk Drive, 5400rpm
  
• Optical device: DVD Recordable 8x Max Dual Layer
  
• Battery: 6 cell 2.6Ah Li-Ion Battery - Dual Mode
  
• Integrated WiFi wireless LAN adapters: ThinkPad bgn Wireless
  
• Operating system: Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 32
  
• Price: $599.00
  

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What Laptop Users Should Consider When Choosing LCD Screen Size

Screen size is a key factor in the laptop's overall performance, size, and weight. The laptop screen size also is one of the most important factors when it comes to how long your battery is going to last. What is the most optimal laptop screen size?


It is easy to take the quality of laptop for granted. But when you consider that you probably spend more time using your laptop than any other device or tool, you realize that the screen you stare at every day is a vital part of your computer system.

The laptop screen size is one of the first things that is worth to choose before considering other laptop parameters. As a matter of fact, screen size is a key factor in the laptop's overall performance, size, and weight. The laptop screen size also is one of the most important factors when it comes to how long your battery is going to last. The most popular laptop screen diagonal sizes range from 12 to 17 inches. The most popular screen resolutions are 1024 x 768, 1280 x 800, 1280 x 1024, 1680 x 1050, and 1440 x 900.

Some people would never consider any laptop below a 14.1-inch screen. The laptops with 17-inch screen or even bigger are not so convenient for traveling. However, they combine the power of a desktop and the benefits of a laptop (that is why some people call them as desktop replacements). The battery life is short for such big laptops. Another disadvantage is that these laptops may be too heavy and too big.

What screen resolution is optimal? A higher screen resolution reduces the size of items on your screen and increases the relative space on your desktop. But on the other hand, you may feel uncomfortable if fonts are too small to read a text. Another parameter is aspect ratio (the relative numbers of horizontal and vertical pixels). Traditional screens built with 4:3 aspect ratio. For example, a native resolution of 1280x1024 indicates an aspect ratio of 5:4, which is the most used format on 17" and 19" LCD monitors in the recent years. New wide-screen monitors may use almost 2:1 ratio. Wide-screen monitors use a special aspect ratio control to resolve the problem of "unnatural" displaying video with different formats. Normally, a native resolution should allow displaying without any distortion. The best way to find the perfect resolution that is optimal for you and your screen is to try different settings.

Most people like the laptops with 14-inch or larger LCD screens with preferred Windows resolution of 1,024x768. These laptops are not too heavy. They are prone to have a long battery life and charge-cycle capability (run time more than several hours). Also 14-15-inch laptops are the most reasonably priced. The experienced computer users also consider this choice as the best compromise between viewable area and overall portability.

If you prefer to have the laptop screen with size less than 15-inch, it could be reasonable to use an internal display only when you are on the road. When you at your desk, your laptop can be connected to an external monitor (for example, with a spacious 19-21-inch screen) for better view and more professional works. At desk also it could be good to use an external ergonomic keyboard and mouse (that are connected to laptop).

© Alec Smith. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

How to Keep Yourself Healthy at Computer Screen

If you spend more time using your computer than any other device or equipment, it is important to take seriously all possible impacts that it can cause to your eyes and health. Some experts consider that being around computers 8 to 10 hours a day may endanger your future health. Should you worry about any ill-effects from your computer? Learn how to take preventive measures in reducing the risk of using computer.

Probably you enjoy reading this article on your LCD screen that is supposed to be a flicker- and radiation- free alternative to a bulky and power-consuming CRT monitor. But do not think that LCD screen which most people use these days is much better for your eyes and you can stare at longer hours. At present as it was in the past, computer users often suffer eyestrain, headache, fatigue, eyes burn or ache; what is called Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS). This health issue can be caused by the computer screen itself and the conditions surrounding the computer screen (a pre-existing eye problem may be the cause too). The following simple steps can help you to minimize your eye-problems while working on your computer.

Optimize your monitor refresh rate. Higher refresh rates are less likely to cause eyestrain. Check what are the optimal and maximum possible refresh rate for your monitor. 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.

Adjust the contrast control of your monitor so that the characters on the background are easily read. The best contrast ratio setting is the one that allows you to see all the details but does not hide any shadow. This setting can be found by increasing contrast ration until all the details are well-visible and then back down to just before the details disappear. If you work on desktop, switch to digital connection (DVI) if it is possible. It decreases noise and displays images smoother than with VGA.

Optimize your screen resolution. Make sure that the text size is optimized for the most comfort. A higher screen resolution reduces the size of items on your screen and increases the relative space on your desktop. But on the other hand, you may feel uncomfortable if fonts are too small to read a text. To change your screen resolution in Windows OS, open Display in Control Panel. On the Settings tab, under Screen resolution, drag the slider, and then click Apply. When prompted to apply the settings, click OK. Your screen will turn black for a moment. Once your screen resolution changes, you have 15 seconds to confirm the change. Click Yes to confirm the change; click No or do nothing to revert to your previous setting. Be aware that using a non-native low resolution on LCD may result in a poorer image (may appear blurred). In most cases using native resolution of LCD screen is better.

Adjust the brightness of the monitor to an intensity that is comfortable to your eyes; not to bright and not to dim. Avoid excessively bright light coming from your monitor. Turn off any color enhancement features (if your monitor has any). Normally the brightness of the screen should be about the same as your work environment.

Take care of surrounding lighting. It should be indirect, soft, and non-interfering. Avoid glare, bright light, or shadows caused by nearby windows. The best position is where windows are to the side of your screen. Use shades, blinds, or curtains to avoid reflections. Make sure that a desk lamp does not shine into your eyes or onto the computer screen.

Blink often. It is very important when working at a computer. It moistens your eyes and helps reduce eyes dryness and irritation. The normal blink rate is around 10-12 times per minute. Avoid the flow of air in front of your eyes.

Optimize the distance and position of your monitor. Place your computer monitor 40-70 cm from your eyes. In vertical dimension, the computer screen should be placed slightly below eye level.

Regularly exercise your eyes by looking away from your computer screen every 20-30 minutes and focusing for 10-20 seconds on a distant object (at least 6 meters from your eyes). Move your eyes and change your position. Take a 10-minute break every hour to rest your eyes and reduce eyestrain problems - stand up, move, exercise arms, legs, back, neck, and shoulders. Make sure you get enough sleep - approximately 8 hours per night.

Try to turn on ClearType if you use Microsoft Windows. It improves readability on color LCD displays with a digital interface, such as those in laptops and high-quality flat panel displays. You may see better and clearer with reduced eyestrain. Visit Microsoft.Com and read step-by-step articles how to enable ClearType tuner.

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

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.

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

LCD Screen Optimal Resolution

The best way to find the perfect screen resolution that is optimal for you and your LCD screen is to try different settings. However, not all settings may be good. There are a few technical limitations that users should be aware of.

A few years ago, 1024x768 was the most common display resolution. Now HD (high definition) resolution of 2560x1600 is used in 30" or bigger LCD monitors. Special medical monitors have been designed for 3280x2048 resolution. The term "display resolution" is used to describe simply the physical number of columns and rows of pixels creating the display, for example, 1280x1024, or in other words, the size of display. However, the meaning of the word "resolution" here is misleading. Such using "display resolution" means pixel dimensions which does not tell about a real resolution of the display. Technically, display resolution is measured in pixels per inch.

In digital imaging, a pixel (pic's-el, or picture element) is a single smallest point or unit of picture which can be controlled. Pixels are normally arranged in a 2-dimensional grid, and are often represented using dots or squares. Dots per inch (DPI) is a measure of spatial printing or video dot density, in particular the number of individual dots that can be placed in a line within the span of one inch (2.54 cm). As it was mentioned above, DPI is often confused with image size, leading to expressions such as 1024x768 resolution.

What screen resolution is optimal? A higher screen resolution reduces the size of items on your screen and increases the relative space on your desktop. But on the other hand, you may feel uncomfortable if fonts are too small to read a text. Another parameter is aspect ratio (the relative numbers of horizontal and vertical pixels). Traditional displays built with 4:3 aspect ratio. For example, a native resolution of 1280x1024 indicates an aspect ratio of 5:4, which is the most used format on current 17" and 19" LCD monitors. New wide-screen monitors may use almost 2:1 ratio. Wide-screen monitors use a special aspect ratio control to resolve the problem of "unnatural" displaying video with different formats. Normally, a native resolution should allow displaying without any distortion. The best way to find the perfect resolution that is optimal for you and your monitor is to try different settings.

To change your screen resolution in Windows OS, open Display in Control Panel. On the Settings tab, under Screen resolution, drag the slider, and then click Apply. When prompted to apply the settings, click OK. Your screen will turn black for a moment. Once your screen resolution changes, you have 15 seconds to confirm the change. Click Yes to confirm the change; click No or do nothing to revert to your previous setting. Your monitor and graphics card (video adapter) determine how much you can change your screen resolution; normally, it is a limited list of standard settings.

In general, a computer display resolution can be set higher or lower than the physical screen resolution. However, if old CRT monitors provided a variability in resolution, LCD displays are not so easy adjustable because they have a fixed physical resolution. You may be unable to increase the resolution of LCD display above a certain level (normally better than native resolution). The "native" resolution is the same as a screen maximum resolution if a correct video driver installed. Be aware that using a non-native low resolution on LCD may result in a poorer image (may appear blurred), due to dropping of pixels to make the image fit (if using DVI) or insufficient sampling of the analog signal (if using VGA).

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