notebooks

Tutorials

• How to get more from a quad-core PC

  QUESTION: My Windows 7 Home Premium computer has a quad-core processor and 4GB of RAM. I've not found any advantage to using four cores. How can I use the processor more effectively and allocate different processes to the individual cores?

• Caring for your laptop

  You're more likely to damage a laptop than a desktop PC (no one has ever driven off, forgetting the desktop on top of their car), and once damaged, laptops are harder and more expensive to repair.

• How to: Install a touchscreen in your netbook

  Is your netbook envious of touch-driven devices? You can't turn your netbook into an iPad, but you can retrofit it with a touchscreen and avoid the tiny touchpad.

• Your old computer, born again

  They're collecting dust in storage rooms and taking up extra space in your garage or office. They can't handle today's applications, peripherals or operating systems. Yes, older computers are a nuisance, like the brother-in-law who sleeps on your sofa for a few months.

• How to fix anything

  Your PC will crash, your camera will break, your network will fail, and your printer will chew up paper.

• How to mod your laptop

  How do you change the look of a laptop? I mean really change its look--just shifting around the wallpaper, screensaver, or Windows color theme doesn't count.

• Make your new PC hassle-free

  There are steps you should take to make a new PC as hassle-free as possible.

• Windows IQ: learn your laptop's power settings

  My aunt recently told me about a problem with her new laptop: Whenever she'd step away from it for more than a few minutes, she'd close the lid. Upon returning, she'd open the lid, only to be faced with a blank screen and no response from the mouse or keyboard.

• How to upgrade your netbook

  Small, light and extremely portable, netbooks are ideal for computing on the move. But deciding which mini laptop is best for you isn't an easy task - particularly when every choice demands a trade-off.

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  Replace a laptop's crashed hard drive

  Don Homan's hard drive crashed the day after his laptop's warranty expired. What should he do?

• Choosing the perfect notebook for Windows 7

  Picking a laptop can be a complicated ordeal that amounts to balancing features against portability against price -- and with Windows 7 on the way, the choice gets tricker. Here are some tips for purchasing a notebook computer that will work well with Windows 7.

• Simple upgrades for your laptop

  The low price of storage means it's feasible for most laptop owners to expand the capacity of their machines. But if you're going to the bother of installing a new hard drive, why not go one better and opt for a solid-state disk (SSD) instead?