912 pages | 8MB | English | CHM | 0789728001 | December 22, 2003
Laptops--call them notebooks, portable computers, or whatever else you like--are tightly
engineered items. It's hard to get all the required components to obey stringent performance
and power-management requirements, and still fit into a small case. The job usually requires a
custom motherboard and other specialized components, and so the laptop owner who wants to
upgrade his or her machine faces a much more difficult task than the owner of a desktop machine
with a similar wish.
One can swap out the hard drive, add more RAM, and make tweaks in software, but almost
everything else requires the addition of external components, which kind of defeat the purpose
of a laptop. That's the message the reader takes away from Scott Mueller's Upgrading and
Repairing Laptops. It's not Mueller's fault that such computers are hard to do much with, and
that your best upgrade procedure is often a visit to an auction site.
That said, Mueller does a great job of explaining how laptops work--how the engineers went
about cramming all those heat-generating components into those miniature chassis in the first
place. He also explains a lot of interesting component theory, such as how magnetic hard drives
store data and how various DVD standards differ. The information makes for good reading, and
comes in handy when you're shopping. He also demonstrates his skill--long well-reputed among
builders and repairers of desktop machines--in teaching diagnostics. He explains, for example,
how to test a laptop power supply, and why you should consider it a prime suspect in a
malfunctioning computer even if the LEDs come on and the cooling fan spins. A CD-ROM features
videos that show disassembly procedures--a strategy that works better than photographs and
numbered steps. --David Wall
Topics covered: How portable computers work (and sometimes fail to work), and how to diagnose
their woes. Sections address general troubleshooting concepts, system disassembly, and various
subsystems such as memory, CPU, storage, and video. Coverage of PCMCIA (PC Card) is
particularly good. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Product Description
Scott Mueller has gone where no computer book author has gone before — right past all the
warranty stickers, the hidden screws, and the fear factor to produce a real owner's manual that
every laptop owner should have on his desk. Upgrading and Repairing Laptops, Second Edition
shows the upgrades users can perform, the ones that are better left to the manufacturer, and
how to use add-on peripherals to make the most of a laptop. This second edition has been
updated to include:
* The latest processors and motherboards
* Complete assembly and disassembly information
* Updated memory standards
* Upgrading your hard drive to increase performance
* Changes in networking and firewalls
The included DVD contains one-of-a-kind video showing just what's inside a portable PC. If you
have ever wondered what goes on inside your portable PC, how to upgrade/repair it, or how to
live on the road with it, this is the one must-have book of the year!
http://rapidshare.com/files/222245603/Upgrading_And_Repairing_Laptops.rar
