Microsoft purchased, FolderShare, Inc. in November 04, 2005. They have remote access and synchronization software. I tried to use it last year and had some issues, but I suspect over time that they will fix the problems? It is currently being offered free of charge.
FolderShare allows you to create a private peer-to-peer network that will help you to synchronize files across multiple devices and access or share files with colleagues and friends.
You need at least a P2-350 MHz computer, with 128MB RAM and 10MB of available disk space. At least a 56K modem, but they recommend DSL or cable modem.
The Lithium Ion battery is the most common laptop battery and ships with the latest laptops. Batteries wear down due to usage and the natural aging process. The hotter the temperature the faster they lose their charge. So, a laptop battery in Florida will not last as long as one in Northern California.
Capacity also decreases with each charging/discharging cycle. You can expect to get 600 to 800 charge/discharge cycles over a three year period.
Leaving the battery inside the machine when plugged into the wall outlet means it constantly goes through the charge/discharge cycle. This tends to age the battery quicker than if it were removed from the laptop. The ideal would be to keep it out of the laptop at 60 degrees, when it will not be used for a long period of time.
Laptops are not the same as a desktop computer. Desktops have an open architecture where components can be easily swapped.
Laptops are unique to each manufacturer. They are carefully designed to prevent heat issues as they are in a very small form factor and moving air is critical to keep the components from overheating. The motherboards are custom form factors between manufacturers, the graphics cards are usually integrated into the motherboard (even the dedicated solutions are hardwired to the motherboard), the same goes for the sound card.
The only components you can upgrade on a laptop are the processor (in MOST cases), memory and hard drive. Upgrading the processor might not buy you much,as the critical factor might be the type RAM chips. A faster CPU and slow RAM are self defeating, as you do not gain much. In additon, the CPU is often soldered onto the system board. It would be a challenge to remove, except for an experienced tech, who might not even want to try. You also have be careful as there are different kinds of RAM and some kinds might not work in your laptop. If you want a better sound card you can get a PCMCIA version of the Sound Blasters Audigy 2.
Most laptops use a 2.5" hard drive so don't think you can pop a 3.5" drive into it because you can't.
In August of 2005 www.writely.com, a free browser based word processor was launched. It allows you to tag documents, set reader permissions for each document and allows you create and allow others to edit the document, or just read it. March 2006 it was purchased by Google. So, free word processing may shortly come to the web, depending upon how Google relaunches the product.
It is October 18, 2006 and Google's Writely word process just went live. Free. A nice option for consumers that are not tied to Microsoft's Office monopoly I will have some feedback as I have time to try it.
It is a very functional word processor with most of the bells and whistles you’d expect - a range of fonts and styles, embedded images, spell checker, a wysiwyg editor and an option to upload and/or save in Word format.
How long will it be before a full suite of platform enabled office applications becomes available? If all you need is a browser to open and edit these documents, the huge network effect enjoyed by Microsoft Office could simply vanish.
I just discovered another interesting on-line word processing program … www.zohowriter.com. I will also report back once I have a chance to look at it.
The party is on. Free word processing. Maybe Microsoft Word will get less expensive now that there is some competition.
It could be a number of issues.
The CMOS battery has died. The CMOS battery is a battery that maintains the date and the clock and stores the BIOS setup configuration. These batteries last a long time (5+ years), but when they die need to be replaced. It is an easy task. It is simply a matter of locating the battery on the computer's motherboard, removing it and plugging in a new one. On really older laptops it might be a NiCad battery soldered on the system board, which is much trickier to replace.
The system board or CPU might have a problem. An expensive repair if it is an older laptop. The AC adapter might be defective and the battery might be dead or uncharged. The internal power supply might have a problem. The hard drive might have died.
Foner Books: Computer Repair offers diagostic flow charts to help you figure out the problem. Laptops are tough to repair, as they are delicate and unless you know what you are doing you are better or having an experienced laptop tech do the repair. In many case they will your can send it someone for or bring it to a local repair shop and for $50 to $60 they will diagnose the problem and if you choose to do the repair apply the diagnostic fee towards the repair costs.
