Who doesn't want better graphics quality from their notebook PC? You can get there by doing it yourself. But be warned: If the upgrade is possible at all for your laptop, it can be a time-consuming operation that involves disassembling virtually your entire notebook, so don't enter into this process unless you are willing to accept the risk of doing serious harm to your machine.
Upgrading your laptop's graphics card is no walk in the park; in fact it's something more akin to open heart surgery. But it can be done, and the rewards can be well worth the trouble and risk. If you are interested in an upgrade, but are unsure whether or not you have the necessary skill set, why not give us a call and see what we can do to help you?
5835 4th St. NW Albuquerque, NM. 87107
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Motherboard Repair
Consider this: Do you have the tools and knowledge to do low level component repair? Do you know what I mean by low level component repair?
If no is the answer, then there is no repairing the motherboard for you. There is however things that can be done to a main board that is malfunctioning that don't require repair of the board itself. So this section will deal with trouble shooting and things that can be repaired/replaced.
Before opening your computer case check the safety precautions !!
If you have a proprietary computer there is not a lot you can do besides diagnose your problem then call the manufacture support and get it replaced.
Trouble shooting mother board problems.
Most manufactures buy their bios from programming houses like Phoenix. Some manufactures have their own in house bios programs, like Compaq (now HP). These bios programs have a section for diagnostics, some of them are accessible by the user others are not. Most have a way to tell you there is a problem with the computer, these are "post" codes (Power On System Test). Some also have "beep" codes, the computer speaker beeps a certain code for different failures. The main thing is when you turn on the computer you either get a number on the screen, the computer starts beeping, or it dumps into the BIOS setup screen.
I can not list all post and beep codes here but they can be found by noting the BIOS program name when the computer starts up, then searching the web for the codes by the programming house name.
From the post or beep code you get a general idea of what the problem is. Memory? Video? Keyboard? Mouse? and so on.
Most problems with components can be resolved fairly easily and quickly. Sometimes reseating the component will take care of the problem. Sometimes removing the component and putting it back in will clear the problem. If the problems persist after reseating it then it is dead, needs to be replaced.
The main thing is troubleshoot the problem before replacing it, this will save you some money.
If no is the answer, then there is no repairing the motherboard for you. There is however things that can be done to a main board that is malfunctioning that don't require repair of the board itself. So this section will deal with trouble shooting and things that can be repaired/replaced.
Before opening your computer case check the safety precautions !!
If you have a proprietary computer there is not a lot you can do besides diagnose your problem then call the manufacture support and get it replaced.
Trouble shooting mother board problems.
Most manufactures buy their bios from programming houses like Phoenix. Some manufactures have their own in house bios programs, like Compaq (now HP). These bios programs have a section for diagnostics, some of them are accessible by the user others are not. Most have a way to tell you there is a problem with the computer, these are "post" codes (Power On System Test). Some also have "beep" codes, the computer speaker beeps a certain code for different failures. The main thing is when you turn on the computer you either get a number on the screen, the computer starts beeping, or it dumps into the BIOS setup screen.
I can not list all post and beep codes here but they can be found by noting the BIOS program name when the computer starts up, then searching the web for the codes by the programming house name.
From the post or beep code you get a general idea of what the problem is. Memory? Video? Keyboard? Mouse? and so on.
Most problems with components can be resolved fairly easily and quickly. Sometimes reseating the component will take care of the problem. Sometimes removing the component and putting it back in will clear the problem. If the problems persist after reseating it then it is dead, needs to be replaced.
The main thing is troubleshoot the problem before replacing it, this will save you some money.
Friday, April 1, 2011
Google Docs for notes
Whitson Gordon — 
College students are probably already familiar with Google Docs' collaborative tools for projects, but weblog HackCollege shows us how great it can be for simple note taking during class, too.
It's so simple, yet so genius, that I'm shocked I didn't see any of this when I was in college. Lots of people will get together and compare notes to create massive study guides, but since Google Docs lets you collaborate in real time, why not just take the notes together in the first place? With a few different people working on the same set of notes, you can get a lot more written down than you could by yourself (especially if you have a fast-talking professor). The key, they say, is giving everyone a job:
College students are probably already familiar with Google Docs' collaborative tools for projects, but weblog HackCollege shows us how great it can be for simple note taking during class, too.It's so simple, yet so genius, that I'm shocked I didn't see any of this when I was in college. Lots of people will get together and compare notes to create massive study guides, but since Google Docs lets you collaborate in real time, why not just take the notes together in the first place? With a few different people working on the same set of notes, you can get a lot more written down than you could by yourself (especially if you have a fast-talking professor). The key, they say, is giving everyone a job:
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