1. Portable Computing
Chapter 3 and 13

2. Overview In this chapter, you will learn to
Describe the many types of portable computing devices available
Enhance and upgrade portable computers
Manage and maintain portable computers
Troubleshoot portable computers
Instructor Tip
When gaining attention and establishing common ground, ask questions of the class such as, “How many here have a laptop computer?” or “How many of you have worked on a laptop?”
For a positive statement, tell the class, “In this lesson, we are going to learn about the various types of portables and how to install RAM and hard drives in them.”

3. Getting the Right Sound Card
Essentials
CompTIA A+ Essentials
Getting the Right Sound Card
Portable Computing Devices

4. LCD Screens Major contributor to cost
Most range from 12 inch to 17 inch
Aspect ratio changing from 4:3 standard
For comparison, 16:9 is standard for widescreen
16:10 is the standard for 17-inch LCD screen
Mode
Name
Resolution
XGA
eXtended Graphics Array
1024 x 768
SXGA
Super eXtended Graphics Array
1280 x 1024
SXGA+
Super eXtended Graphics Array Plus
1400 x 1050
WSXGA+
Widescreen SXGA Plus
1680 x 1050
UXGA
Ultra eXtended Graphics Array
1600 x 1200
WUXGA
Widescreen UXGA
1920 x 1200

5. LCD Screens Two types of finishes Matte High Gloss
Traditional standard
Reduces glare
Washes out a lot in bright light
Hopeless in bright daylight
High Gloss
Relatively new
Offers sharper contrast, richer colors and wider viewing angles

6. Desktop Replacements
Typical laptops can function as a fully standalone PC
Can be used as a desktop replacement
Input devices
Trackballs on early laptops
IBM’s TrackPoint—pencil eraser–sized joystick in the middle of the keyboard
Touchpads

7. Desktop Extenders Desktop extenders are portable devices
Not intended to take the place of a desktop
Think of them as a smaller, lighter, less-powerful laptop for less intensive use
Ultralights
Ultralight portables are computers that normally weigh less than three pounds and are less than an inch thick. These machines usually have smaller displays, lower-capacity hard drives, and CPUs that operate at lower speeds than their more full-sized brethren. This class of portable computers is designed for the busy traveler who wants a nearly full-featured laptop in a small, easily transported package. Often, these laptops are much more expensive than larger, faster machines —think of it as paying more to get less! You’ll hear the term subnotebooks used to describe ultralight portables; the terms aren’t quite synonymous, but the marketing waters for all portable computing devices are pretty muddy.

8. PDAs Personal digital assistants (PDAs)
Tiny, handheld portable computing devices
Address book, personal notes, appointments, word processors, image viewers
Often use handwriting recognition with a pen-style stylus for pen-based computing
Use specialized OS such as Windows CE, PocketPC, PalmOS, and Linux
Made by Palm, Sony, Toshiba, Hewlett-Packard, Microsoft, and other companies

9. PDA Features HotSync Beaming PDA Memory
Can synchronize data between PDA and office PC
PalmOS calls it HotSync
Beaming
PDAs typically have IR ports
Can transfer data (beam) between PDAs
PDA Memory
Internal flash ROM of 1 MB or more
CompactFlash cards that are removable and upgradeable for removable storage needs

10. Tablet PCs
Combines handwriting benefits of PDAs with power of traditional laptops
Use a stylus to write
Applications can use digital ink to capture pen strokes
Tablet PCs
Looking and feeling like a cross between a traditional laptop PC and a PDA, Tablet PCs have been marked as the next great thing in portables for a while now. They feature ~1 GHz processors, a good amount of RAM, 20–40 GB hard drives, and integrated wireless networking. They run a version of Windows called Windows XP Tablet Edition and use a pen-based interface for the most part, although some models also include a keyboard. Tablet PCs have currently caught on in certain industries, such as medicine, but have not captured the fancy of the general public. Everything you learn about portable computing devices in this chapter also applies to Tablet PCs.

11. Portable Computer Device Types
Screen Size
Weight
Uses
Desktop replacements
14–20 inches
8–12 lbs
Mobile anything
Desktop extenders
10–14 inches
4 lbs
Presentations, note taking
Ultralights
6–12 inches
2–3 lbs
Long-term traveling
Tablet PCs
10–12 inches
Niche market
Ultra-mobile PCs
4–7 inches
1–2 lbs
PDAs
3–4 inches
1 lb
Organization
PDA phones
2 niches
< 1 lb
Eliminates cell phone

12. Enhance and Upgrade the Portable PC
IT Technician
CompTIA A+ Technician
Enhance and Upgrade the Portable PC

13. PC Cards
PC Cards are commonly known as the Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA)
Hot-swappable devices
Easy to use, inexpensive, and convenient
Tech Tip
Memory Cards
Memory cards of all stripes made the leap in 2003 from the exclusive realm of tiny devices such as PDAs and digital photographic cameras to fully featured portable PCs and even desktop models. Some Panasonic PCs sport SD card slots, for example, and you can expect nearly every Sony PC—portable or otherwise—made in 2003 and later to offer a Memory Stick port.
Hot-Pluggable
Many manufacturers use the term hot-pluggable rather than hot-swappable to describe the ability to plug in and replace PC Cards on the fly. Look for either term on the exams.

14. PC Cards Parallel PC Cards ExpressCard
16-bit or CardBus (32-bit 3.3V cards)
Three sizes: Type I (thinnest), II, and III (thickest)
Cards can have one or many functions
ExpressCard
High-performance serial version
Can connect to USB 2.0 slot (480 Mbps) or PCIe (2.5 Gbps)

15. Card Types Type Length Width Thickness Typical Use Type I 85.6 mm
Flash memory
Type II
5.0 mm
I/O (modem, NIC, etc.)
Type III
10.5 mm
Hard drives

16. PC Cards Two levels of software drivers Socket services Card services
Device drivers that enable the system to detect when a PC Card is inserted or removed
Provide necessary I/O to the device
Standardized and handled by the system BIOS
Card services
Recognize the function of a particular PC Card and provide the specialized drivers required to make the card work
Handled by Windows
Accessed via PCMCIA option in Control Panel

17. Limited-Function Ports
All portable PCs and many PDAs come with a variety of ports
VGA connection for hooking up an external monitor
PS/2 port for an external keyboard or mouse
Built-in NICs and modems for network support
All of these work the same as in desktop PCs
Video ports
External monitor, projector, or a combination of both
Speaker ports
Extra function key
Although many laptops use the Function key method to cycle the monitor selections, that’s not always the case. You might have to pop into the Display applet in the Control Panel to click a check box. Be assured, however, that if the laptop has a VGA or DVI port, you can cycle through monitor choices!

18. General-Purpose Ports
Legacy ports
PS/2, RS-232
USB and FireWire
Work same as in PC
Port replicators
Plug into a single port
Offer common PC ports such as serial, parallel, network, and PS/2

19. Docking Stations Gives laptops access to PC resources
Large monitors, regular mice, network connections, and full-size keyboards
Provides an easy way to take your laptop in and out of the office
Basically a port replicator with extra features such as a DVD drive or PC Card slots

20. Replacing RAM No standard method
You usually have to unscrew or pop open a panel on the underside of the portable
How Much RAM Is Enough?
The amount of RAM needed to run a PC—portable or otherwise—smoothly and stably depends on both the type of applications that it will run and the needs of the OS. When making a recommendation to a client about upgrading a laptop’s memory, you should ask the basic questions, such as what he or she plans to do on the laptop. If the laptop will be used for , word processing, and web surfing, a medium level of RAM, such as 32–64 MB, should do fine. If the user travels, uses a high-end digital camera, and wants to use Photoshop to edit huge images, you’ll need to augment the RAM accordingly. Then you need to account for the needs of the OS to give an accurate recommendation.

21. Shared Memory Reduces cost of video cards Shared memory technologies
Reduces amount of memory on the video card
Shared memory technologies
TurboCache (NVIDIA)
HyperMemory (ATI)
System RAM will report less RAM available
Not shared as much as taken from OS
Once taken, OS no longer has access to the RAM

22. The Modular Laptop
Common components that can be replaced or upgraded in a portable PC
Hard drives
2.5-inch ATA drives most common
Cable select often required
Otherwise the same as regular 3.5-inch drives
Modular CPUs
Just replace with a newer module from Intel or AMD
Video cards
Least standardized

23. The Modular Laptop Modular Drives Mobile NICs and Mini PCI
Common components that can be replaced or upgraded in a portable PC
Modular Drives
CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, CD-R/W, hard drives
Mobile NICs and Mini PCI
Most laptops have dial-up modems and Ethernet
Many also come with integrated wireless networking support
Many devices can be toggled on and off with key combinations such as FN-F2

24. Managing and Maintaining Portable Computers

25. Maintenance
Everything you normally do to maintain a PC applies to portable PCs
Windows patches and Service Packs
Upgrading drivers
CHKDSK
ScanDisk
Defragment
Disk Cleanup
Tech Tip
Going Inside
To reach most modular components on a laptop, you need to do more than remove an exterior panel. You need to go inside to get access to devices directly connected to the motherboard. Many laptops have an easily removable keyboard that, once removed, gives you access to a metal heat spreader (just a plate that sits over the motherboard) and a half-dozen or more tiny screws. You’ll need a special screwdriver to avoid stripping the screws— check a watch or eyeglass shop if your local hardware store doesn’t carry anything appropriate. You need to take major precautions when you remove the keyboard and heat spreader. The keyboard will be attached to a small cable that can easily disconnect if you pull hard. Don’t forget to check this connection before you reinsert the keyboard at the end of the procedure! Avoid ESD, as you would with any other PC, and definitely unplug the laptop from the wall and remove the battery before you do any inside work!

26. Batteries Three types of commonly used batteries
Nickel-Cadmium (Ni-Cd)
Nickel-Metal Hydride (Ni-MH)
Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion)

27. Nickel-Cadmium Batteries
Nickel-Cadmium (Ni-Cd) batteries
First batteries commonly used in mobile PCs
Battery memory is the tendency of a Ni-Cd battery to lose a significant amount of its recharge ability
Conditioning charge could sometimes resolve battery memory problem
At best, can only be recharged about 1000 times
Toxic—dispose of at recycling centers
Nickel-Cadmium batteries are not used in portable PCs today but may be found in cell phones and cordless phones.
Good for, at most, about 1000 charges
You must use disposal companies or battery recycling services to dispose of the highly toxic Ni-Cd batteries.

28. Nickel Metal Hydride Nickel Metal Hydride (Ni-MH) batteries
Next generation of mobile PC batteries
Less susceptible to memory problems and last longer between recharges
Still susceptible to heat
Popular replacement for Ni-Cd systems

29. Lithium Ion Lithium Ion batteries
Most common type of battery used today
Powerful
Completely immune to memory problems
Built-in circuitry to prevent accidental overcharging

30. Other Portable Power Sources
Smart batteries
Tell the computer when they need to be charged, conditioned, or replaced
Fuel cells
Promising new technology that could power a laptop for up to 40 hours before refilling
Hasn’t yet reached the consumer market

31. Battery Maintenance Batteries should be stored in a cool place
Ni-Cd and Ni-MH batteries should be conditioned by using a special charger
Battery contacts should be kept clean using a little alcohol or dry cloth
Used or old batteries should be recycled

32. Power Management

33. Power Management Power management goals
Shut down unused devices selectively
Define a maximum period of inactivity
Shut down the entire system during longer periods of inactivity
Ready to restart if triggered by a wake-up event
Sensitive to potential hazards like shutting down the hard drive in the middle of a write operation
Keep the system cost about the same

34. System Management Mode
System Management Mode (SMM)
Set of features that enables the CPU to slow down or stop its clock without deleting information
Stops the CPU and all of the peripherals
Requires a specialized BIOS and OS
To further power management capabilities, Intel introduced
Advanced Power Management (APM) in 1992
Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) in 1996

35. Requirements for APM/ACPI
APM and ACPI require the following in order to function properly
An SMM-capable CPU
APM-compliant BIOS
Devices that will accept being shut off (“Energy Star”)
A system OS that knows how to request the shutdown of a particular device
Don’t limit your perception of APM, ACPI, and Energy Star simply to laptops! Virtually all desktop systems also use the power management functions.

36. APM/ACPI Levels Full On APM Enabled APM Standby APM Suspend
No power management—everything running
APM Enabled
CPU and RAM running at full power
Unused devices may or may not be shut down
APM Standby
CPU is stopped (can easily be restarted)
RAM still stores all the programs
All peripherals are shut down
APM Suspend
Everything is shut down or at its lowest power-consumption
Hibernation (stores everything in RAM on the hard drive before powering down)

37. APM/ACPI Configuration
CMOS settings
Windows
Overrides CMOS settings
Display applet in Control Panel
Settings  Advanced  Monitor tab
Power Management applet in Control Panel

38. Configuration of APM/ACPI— Windows

39. Cleaning & Heat Cleaning Heat
Use a screen cleaner to clean the LCD screen (not a glass cleaner)
Use compressed air to clean out the keyboard and PC Card sockets
Heat
Use power management
Keep air space between the bottom of the laptop and the surface it sits on
Don’t use a keyboard protector
Listen for fan running a lot or stopping

40. Protect the Machine Protect your investment with best practices
Tripping Watch the power cord
Storage Protect from damage and dirt
Travel Remember foreign power is 230 V
Shipping Protect from damage and theft
Security Protect from theft

41. Troubleshooting Laptop won’t power on Screen doesn’t come on properly
Verify the outlet is good
Verify the adapter is good
Remove all peripherals
Screen doesn’t come on properly
Make sure the display is on
Press FN key combination to activate the screen
Wireless networking doesn’t work
Check for physical or software switch to turn it on
Ensure you’re in range

42. Troubleshooting Handwriting is not recognized Keypad doesn’t work
May need to retrain the digitizer
Keypad doesn’t work
Probably unseated keypad connector
Check manufacturer’s disassembly procedures
Touchpad doesn’t work
Clean with compressed air
May need to reconfigure touchpad driver

43. Beyond A+ Intel’s Centrino Technology Origami—Ultra-Mobile PCs (UMPC)
Extremely low power
Fast CPUs
Integrated wireless networking
Origami—Ultra-Mobile PCs (UMPC)
Small form factor tablet PC
Runs full-fledged OS such as Windows XP or Vista