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The Chemistry Of Laptop Batteries Explained

Writen by Mansi Aggarwal

Laptop batteries come in all shapes and sizes also differ in their chemical composition. The chemistry of a battery refers to the chemical make-up of the cells inside the outer casing. The most common chemistries used in laptop batteries are:

NiCad (Nickel Cadmium) This is the oldest technology and is the least commonly used nowadays. NiCad batteries are prone to the “Memory effect” and are heavier than the newer technologies. NiCad is not environmentally friendly chemistry as it contains heavy metals, which cannot be disposed of in landfill sites. Most manufacturers have stopped producing batteries of this type chemistry. As an end user it will be increasingly difficult to source these batteries. The best alternative is external battery packs.

NiMH (Nickel Metal Hydride) these batteries are less likely to be prone to the memory effect and have a much better power to weight ratio than NiCad. This is a commonly used chemistry. These batteries are also being phased out by most manufacturers. However, many have lithium-ion versions that are compatible. Always consult the manufacturer or a reputable laptop battery supplier.

Li-Ion (Lithium Ion) - This is becoming the dominant technology due to its excellent power to weight ratio. Such considerations are becoming more important as mobile devices become smaller and lighter and battery weight becomes significant. Another plus point for Li-Ion is that it doesn’t suffer the memory effect at all. These batteries do have a tendency to lose charge quickly towards the end of their effective life span. If this starts to happen the battery must be replaced.

These three technologies are quite different in the way they charge and therefore should not be substituted unless the device has been designed to take different chemistries. The owner’s manual will describe which batteries are suitable.

Mansi aggarwal writes about Lithium Ion laptop batteries

How Do Printers Compare

Writen by John Gibb

If you plan to go shopping for a new printer, there are several key features you want to consider before making your purchase.

Inkjet or Laserjet?

The two most popular types of printer technology are inkjet and laser. Whether you buy online or walk into a store, immediately you’ll notice a difference in price. Laser printers are usually more than inkjet printers, sometimes several times as much. In an office environment, you can easily pay $1,000 for a laser printer. In a home office, you can easily pay $100 for an inkjet, even less. However, not all laser printers are that expensive, and not all inkjet printers are that cheap. I’m going to tell you the things to look for that will help you decide what you need.

Speed

If speed is your chief concern, the laser printer will win hands down, every time. There are laser printers that can handle in excess of 34ppm (Pages Per Minute) and 22-24 is pretty much the minimum in today’s world. That’s not to say that inkjet’s aren’t plenty fast, some can approach 30ppm in draft mode. I’ve found most people don’t actually use draft mode though, so you’re going to get more like 5-10ppm in normal operation.

Connectivity

Something often over looked is, how will you plug in? I have seen people that don’t even know what a USB port is, go out and buy a printer that only has USB support. They return home and end up making a call to find out that their computer doesn’t have a USB port. There’s nothing wrong with printers that only support USB, but make sure your computer supports what the printer supports. Also, don’t get a super short cable, pay attention to where you’ll be locating your new printer, and get a cable plenty long enough.

John Gibb manages http://www.computer-and-printer-reviews.com The site dedicated to computers and printers.

Inkjet Printer Ink

Writen by Seth Miller

Inkjet Printers are the most common type of printer, used in millions of homes and small offices across the world. An inkjet printer offers many advantages to its users. It is relatively inexpensive, but it produces high quality and finely detailed print output. Also, compared to earlier printers, ink jets are much quieter in operation, and they are fairly easy to operate.

However, inkjet printers also have its disadvantages. In terms of quality, the output of inkjet printers is not as accurate and fine as that of laser printers. Another common issue with inkjet printers is the ink and the ink cartridges. Ink cartridges clog easily. If your ink cartridge breaks or when you run out of ink, you will need to buy a new cartridge, often at steep prices. An original ink cartridge can cost as much as $20 to $30.

Ink cartridges from original equipment manufacturers are certainly expensive. To save on ink costs, there are some practical tips you can follow. For instance, set your printer options to draft print before printing the final document. Another way to save on ink is to turn to some less expensive alternatives whenever you need ink for your printer.

You can now buy generic ink cartridges that are compatible with your inkjet printer. A number of trustworthy manufacturers now offer high-quality ink cartridges that meet the same standards as those of the original manufacturers but cost much less. You can also buy ink refilling kits and remanufactured ink cartridges; you can even refill an ink cartridge ten times.

Non-branded ink cartridges are readily available from various printing supply stores. Buying these cheaper cartridges will help you save money. However, you should pick only high-quality cartridges from reputable manufacturers. For convenient shopping, you can look for high-quality replacement ink cartridges online.

Buying A Harddrive How Much Space Do You Need

Writen by Teve Torbes

For novice buyers of computers or of a separate hard drive, it’s often hard to tell exactly how big you should go. Many people don’t even have a good idea of what a “gigabyte” is or how much space there files will take up. How exactly do you figure out how much storage space you’ll need?

If you already have a computer, this is actually an extremely easy thing to figure out. Right-click on your C: drive under the My Computer option, and select “Properties.” This will bring up a little pie chart that tells you how much space you have and how much you are using. It will tell you in “gigabytes” or “GB”, a unit of storage space. Once you’ve found out how much you’re currently using, you should make sure that you get a hard drive that has at least a little more – you’ll want at least 20-25% more than what you’re currently using, just to allow yourself room to grow. If you’re on the low end (under 20 gigabytes), you should get even more, mainly because newer programs will take up more and more space. What if you don’t already have computer space to measure? It depends on what you’re doing with it. If you’re just using your computer for basic business functions (e-mail, typing, etc.) then you only need 20-40 gigabytes. If you’re using it for games, you’ll want as much as you can get. If you have more advanced business functions (such as graphics design), then go for at least 100 gigabytes or so. The most important thing is that you don’t want to run out – if you do, you’ll have to delete something or buy a whole new drive.

Teve Torbes has interesting opinions on the subject of air purifier things, and he has produced a forklifts web site. He has also managed a wonderful air bed thing.

In Search Of The Fabled Cheap Computer Systems

Writen by Nick P Bentley

What kind of cyberspace machine do you prefer? Oh, you mean that’s not what they’re called? But they do take you on a trip through cyberspace. Therefore it just makes sense to call them cyber machines. Kind of like the way a time machine allows you to travel through time. Nobody ever called them a computer or a PC. However, for clarity reasons I will use the term personal computer.

Which company do you usually turn to when searching for cheap computer systems? There is always Tandy. And there’s always Mac. Now, I’m not referring to the cosmetic line here, ladies. Mac was a kind of computer first. You’ve heard of Apples, right? When it comes to Macs, there are a few different options at hand. Anything from desktop computers, to ibooks, to PowerBooks can be attained. All are amazing products and do virtually everything.

What do you use your PC primarily for? I can honestly say that I use mine for two major things. One of them being writing and the other being time travel. Oops, I meant cyber travel. I like to surf the web and search around for new stuff. It’s hard not to when there is just so much cool stuff to out there to find. Even great deals on computers themselves can be found online. What cheap computer systems have you managed to find lately?

You can get a number of cheap computer systems when browsing through the Dell market. If you are on the lookout for a fine PC, this is a prudent way to go. Hop online and check out Dell’s website. Talk about cheap computer systems, I don’t think any quality competitor can vie with some of the Dell desktop deals. I’m talking as low as a few hundred bucks for the whole motherload. Computer, monitor, keyboard, and even a free printer are often included in Dell’s cheap computer systems.

And then there are the specials. There are so many competitors these days that even Sony is getting in on the game. So get plugged into the World-Wide-Web today and rummage through the numerous cheap computer systems from the privacy of your own home. Upgrade as high as you want to. With today’s technology, the sky’s the limit.