Acer is packing Intel’s Ivy Bridge processor into the latest model of its TravelMate series of laptops.
The TravelMate P243 will run on an Intel Core i5 Ivy Bridge processor with Turbo Boost technology.
It also features a 14-inch 1366×768 resolution screen, USB 3.0 port, HD webcam for video conferencing, 8GB of RAM, and option for a NVIDIA GeForce GT 630M video card with DirectX 11 support.
Business traveller
As part of Acer’s line of business designed notebooks, the TravelMate P243 includes Acer’s suite of professional software.
ProShield Security offers pre-boot authentication, secure drive encryption, and file shredder utility.
Software is also included for backup and recovery management, wake-on-lan remote access, and tools to help monitor and manage IT assets.
The TravelMate P243 is only slated for the UK at the moment, with a price set at £339 (about 6).
Acer is keeping quiet on when the launch will happen though, with no word either on whether its latest business notebook will be traveling to the US.
It’s been a couple weeks since Intel officially unveiled Ivy Bridge, and we continue to see plenty of product announcements from the major OEMs. Yesterday, while we were busy writing about AMD’s Trinity APU, Lenovo fired off a barrage of new mobile devices. Whether you’re looking for laptops, notebooks, tablets, or ultrabooks, chances are Lenovo has a new product for your consideration.
Starting with the ultrabook side of things, the flashiest device in the lineup is the new ThinkPad X1 Carbon. As the name implies, the X1 has a carbon fiber rollcage that allows Lenovo to create a durable ultrabook without sacrificing weight. Lenovo claims this is the “world’s thinnest and lightest 14-inch ultrabook” and we see no reason to doubt the claim. Other interesting features include RapidCharge that allows the laptop to recharge to over 80% battery capacity in 30 minutes, a backlit keyboard, and a full 180 degree hinge. The X1 Carbon is a business class ultrabook, so it comes with Intel vPro technology for manageability, fingerprint scanner, and optional 3G mobile broadband. Lenovo didn’t provide any specifications yet, but we’ve heard elsewhere that the X1 Carbon will feature a 1600×900 LCD. We haven’t had a chance to test the laptop in person, but hopefully Lenovo can also do something about the keyboard experience on ultrabooks, as to date we’ve found that most of them have little if any key travel—a consequence of the thin form factor, unfortunately. Availability is planned for “this summer”, which is a bit nebulous, so if you’re interested in the X1 Carbon you’ll have to wait a bit longer before pulling the trigger.
The remainder of the lineup consists of the usual updates to their product stack. The ThinkPad L, T, W and X Series are all receiving upgrades to allow for Ivy Bridge—3rd Generation Intel Core processors. Common features across the lineup include mobile broadband, docking stations, RapidBoot, Dolby audio, and Lenovo’s ThinkPad Precision Keyboard (with backlit and/or ThinkLight options).
Starting with the L-Series, the L430 and L530 both support the same general set of hardware. Besides Ivy Bridge CPUs (Lenovo didn’t provide a list, but we’d assume it will be the dual-core range of processors), you can choose between several HDD/SSD configurations—including a 32GB mSATA caching SSD if you forego WWAN support—up to 8GB RAM, and either 1366×768 or 1600×900 LCDs. The L430 also has an optional NVIDIA Quadro NVS 5400M 1GB GPU upgrade available, with Optimus Technology; judging by our initial testing of HD 4000, the NVS 5400M should still boost graphics performance by roughly 2X.
Expansion ports consist of a single USB 3.0, three USB 2.0 (one always powered), Express Card 54mm, Gigabit Ethernet, and a flash card reader (SD/SDHC/SDXC/MMC). VGA and mini-DisplayPort outputs are present, along with a single headphone/microphone jack. You can also equip either laptop with the standard 6-cell battery (up to 8 hours battery life) or an extended capacity 9-cell (up to 13.5 hours battery life), and both come with optical drives. The L430 measures 13.94” x 9.57” x 1.17-1.24” (354mm x 243mm x 29.6-31.4mm) and weighs 5.0 lbs. (2.27kg) with the 6-cell battery, while the L530 measures 14.96” x 9.72” x 1.25-1.31” (380mm x 247mm x 31.7-33.4mm) and starts at 5.4 lbs. (2.45kg) with the 6-cell battery. Pricing should starts at around 9, with availability in early June.
The T-Series is the workhorse of Lenovo’s ThinkPad lineup, with higher quality build materials (e.g. magnesium allow rollcages) and higher performance components, along with support for up to 16GB RAM. Most of the options are similar to the L-Series, but the T430 and T530 add support for an optional battery slice (up to 32.5 hours of battery life on the T430, or 30 hours on the T530!) while the T430s supports only 4-cell and 6-cell batteries but adds the option for a bay battery (e.g. in place of the optical drive). Storage options on all three models include Opal FDE (Full Disc Encryption), on either hard drives or SSDs—or you can still go with a normal HDD/SSD. The T530 is also available with a second HDD in place of the optical drive. NVIDIA Optimus switchable graphics is available on all models; only the T430s explicitly mentions the NVS 5400M, though we suspect the others will use the same GPU. The T430/T430s both feature 1366×768 or 1600×900 LCDs, while the T530 includes the two lower resolutions along with a high quality 95% gamut 1920×1200 panel.
In terms of expansion ports, the laptops have two USB 3.0 ports, two USB 2.0 ports (one configurable as always on), VGA, mini-DisplayPort, a flash reader, and an optional Smart Card reader; the T430/T530 also add an Express Card 34mm slot. The T430s is the lightest and slimmest of the trio, starting at 3.94 lbs. (1.79kg) and measuring 13.50” x 9.05” x 0.83”-1.02” (343mm x 230mm x 21.2mm-26mm. The T430 is slightly larger/heavier, starting at 4.77 lbs. (2.17kg) and 13.8” x 9.13” x 1.18” (350.5mm x 232mm x 29.9mm) while the T530 tips the scales at 5.56 lbs. (2.5kg) and measures 9.65” x 14.68” x 1.25”-1.40” (245.1mm x 372.8mm x 31.8-35.6mm). Availability is again early June, with the T430 and T530 starting at around 9, the T430s starting at 99.
The W530 is the mobile workstation upgrade to the T530, with identical dimensions (9.65” x 14.68” x 1.25”-1.40” / 245.1mm x 372.8mm x 31.8-35.6mm) but a slightly higher starting weight of 5.95 lbs. (2.7kg). Nearly all of the options are the same, but the W530 adds support for up to 32GB RAM and the graphics get boosted from Quadro NVS to full-blown Quadro cards. Lenovo lists the Quadro K1000 and K2000 as options, which are presumably the Kepler-based replacements for the Fermi 1000M/2000M; the cards are so new that we can’t even find specs on NVIDIA’s site right now! The W530 has the same display options as the T530, and about the only other difference immediately apparent is the addition of a slightly higher capacity 62Wh 6-cell battery with a 3-year warranty (instead of the 1-year warranty 57Wh battery). Pricing for the W530 starts at approximately 29, with availability again in early June.
Wrapping things up we have the X-Series, with the X230 and X230t. The X230 is a traditional ultraportable while the X230t takes many of the elements but mixes things up to become a convertible tablet. Both models feature 12.5” IPS displays, though there’s a non-IPS panel available on the X230; the X230t comes standard with a multitouch panel but has the option for a pen-only direct-bonded Gorilla Glass display. The storage department again has a variety of HDD and SSD options, including 32GB SSD caching and FDE solutions, and despite the small size there’s still an optical drive present in the UltraBase. Battery options on the X230 cover the gamut, with 4-cell (29Wh), 6-cell (63Wh), 9-cell (94Wh), and an optional 6-cell (57Wh) slice—you can get up to 24.9 hours with the 9-cell and slice. The X230t uses different batteries, with a 6-cell (29Wh) standard or a 9-cell (62Wh) upgrade, along with a slim external battery pack (157Wh) that can provide up to 18 hours of mobility.
Expansion ports include two USB 3.0 ports, one always on USB 2.0 port, flash reader, VGA, mini-DisplayPort, Express Card 54, and optional Smart Card reader. The X230 isn’t quite an ultrabook as it’s a bit too thick, measuring 12.01” x 8.13” x 0.75”-1.05” (305mm x 206.5mm x 19-26.6mm); it weighs 2.96 lbs (1.34kg), presumably with the default 4-cell battery. The X230t is slightly bulkier to accommodate the rotating hinge, and it measures 12” x 9” x 1.06”-1.23” (305.0mm x 228.7mm x 27.0-31.3mm) and weighs 3.67 lbs. (1.66kg). As you would expect, neither ultraportable comes cheap, with the X230 starting at around 79 and the X230t bumping that up 0 to 79, and both are set to arrive in June.
Besides the laptops, Lenovo also offers their updated ThinkPad Series 3/USB 3.0 Dock. As the name implies, the dock now features USB 3.0 support—five SuperSpeed ports to be precise. It also comes with dual “beyond-HD” video outputs, though no mention is made of whether they’re DisplayPort, dual-link DVI, or something else. Also present is Gigabit Ethernet and always-on mobile device charging, thanks to the separate AC power.
How the experts track a stolen laptop
You’ve heard the tales who manage to recover their laptops through identifying those responsible, but have you ever wondered how the professionals do it?
We spoke to the head of the investigation team that spends its time recovering stolen laptops for clients ranging from large corporates with crucial data at stake to individuals trying to get back their family photos.
The clients in question are uses of Absolute Software’s LoJack for Laptops – a subscription service for Mac and PC.
The protection includes software at the firmware level, but also includes the services of a specialist recovery team who investigate a theft on your behalf after you report it.
We spoke to Derek Skinner, Head of Recovery for Absolute in Europe. He leads a squad of ex-Police
Globally, there are over 40 investigators. "We’re all ex law enforcement," says Skinner "so we all speak the language and have a skill for investigation. It’s a unique service."
"We’ve a thousand years of policing experience between us. A lot of the police services use our product and know who we are. We then create our evidence packs and supply them to the investigating officer."
What’s the success rate? "It’s three out of four, 23,000 total recoveries. It’s a huge amount."
How the tracking happens
So how does it work? "What happens is say your laptop is covered by us and gets stolen or lost. You report it stolen Via the internet portal or helpline." Local law enforcement is involved straight away. "We can’t do anything at all until there’s a police investigation in place," explains Skinner.
"We are basically the agent for our customer, we’ll contact the agency involved – we’ve got 6,500 law enforcement contacts globally. A huge database."
In terms of the software involved, the laptop has a tracking agent hich changes its state. "It calls back to us and says ‘am I OK?’ and we say ‘no you’re stolen, call back in 15 minutes’.
"It starts to call back across any internet connection, could be GSM, could be Wi-Fi. It’s all covert, you can’t see this kind of chatter. Then we actually force a couple of other tools onto the device – our forensic tools basically – so we start collecting much more information from the machine than we did in its normal state.
Undetectable software
We were intrigued how the software avoids detection. "The software bodyguard sits in the firmware, so you could take out the hard drive or format it or do what you like – as soon as the laptop is switched on again the firmware agent will check with the software agent, see it’s been compromised and install a new version; the persistence level is very high."
So what happens next? "The case is assigned to an investigator and there’s a personal contact then between the aggrieved individual and the investigator. On the technical side, as soon as the extra software is installed, it starts to send back screen captures, key captures, file retrieval, Wi-Fi triangulation or GPS points."
The investigators are key at this stage. "All the bits of information are worth nothing if you can’t compile them correctly to supply them to law enforcement."
People are pinpointed through what they do with the system. "Facebook is a big help," says Skinner. "Obviously people order things online, eBay is a big one. All these [are] pockets of information we can pull together and validate using investigative tools that a police officer would use every day and looking at photos and triangulation maps.
Should you do anything yourself?
We also asked Skinner what he thought of vigilante action to recover stolen devices, such as the recent UK case of a man filming someone on a train when he stole a phone.
"No. There’s some real horror stories our there, certainly in the US there was a fatal shooting in Dallas over a laptop with tracking software and there have been numerous issues with Find My iPhone. Obviously one iPhone is identical to another iPhone – what good is a map?
"Go to Paddington Station and see how many iPhones you can find there. Evidentially it’s so weak and that’s the problem with a lot of the DIY solutions; the evidence is not presented correctly, it’s not interpreted correctly.
"And it’s a folly to believe that people that steal laptops are just laptop thieves. We’ve uncovered drug rings, stolen cars, huge handling organisations where they handle tech to go out to Pakistan and Eastern Europe. You’re hardly going to knock on the door and say ‘can I have my laptop back please?’
"The idea may be good – 70 per cent of people say they would go themselves but it’s a horrific thought. We deal with some pretty top-end criminals. A lot of these other software apps are actually downright illegal and have no certifications.
A global problem
If laptops can’t be recovered, the device can be completely wiped and, in some cases, bricked. "The data can be wiped to FBI standard – seven times overpass – so the data is safe," says Skinner.
"Obviously we always want to recover the device as well, but it also adds the ability to get some closure – it potentially becomes a paperweight, nobody gains from the theft. On the other hand the device is clean and unusable."
So where do laptops end up? Everywhere it seems. "We get devices that travel around the world in days, faster than FedEx."
With people? "Yes. Obviously if it ends up in a warzone we’re limited with what we can do, but we can still lock the device at the firmware level with a notice – we can write what we like. Often we can make it very personal and point out that individual.
"You’d be amazed, we’ve had recoveries from Nigeria, Uganda, Northern Pakistan, unstable parts of the world, just by putting enough pressure on them. We had a device go to Pakistan from the UK and back and he was picked up entering the country illegally. We see a very big picture
Just three months ago we took GeChic's 13" USB 2.0-powered monitor, the On-Lap 1301, for a test run. What we found was a compelling concept for a product that was marred by some usability issues. Apparently we weren't the only ones who felt like the On-Lap needed a revision; the On-Lap 1301 proved successful, but it wasn't on the market for very long before being replaced by the new On-Lap 1302.
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The big question is: just how much can be revised over the course of just a few months? The answer is more than you'd think, but less than you'd hope.
Laptop tips and tweaks
One of the drawbacks of Windows’ most compelling feature – its versatility – is that it’s set up to cater for as wide an audience as possible. You can start using it straight away, but as you become more familiar with how your laptop works, you might start to experience frustration at the way things are done.
Here’s the good news: that compelling, versatile feature also allows you to use Windows in a variety of different ways. Instead of adapting the way you work, you can actually customise and tweak your laptop’s settings to suit you. And in this feature we’ll show you exactly how to do that.
You’ll discover how to set up Windows to work the way you want it to, from configuring the desktop so your favourite programs and frequently accessed files are just a click or two away to creating your own customised shortcuts. You’ll even be able to remap certain keys so they perform the functions you want them to rather than what your laptop manufacturer envisaged.
We’ll also reveal a selection of free programs that are designed to be simpler to use, plus look at what hardware add-ons can help make your laptop both more productive and comfortable to use.
Whether you’re a first-time laptop user or an old hand, you’ll find something in this feature to help you get more from your computer. And you don’t necessarily have to be a laptop owner to benefit either – many of the tweaks and tips offered here will work perfectly with desktop PCs too.
Let’s start making your laptop more productive by taking advantage of its touchpad. It’s tempting to see the touchpad as little more than a basic substitute for your mouse, but you’re missing a trick if you do.
Most touchpads are touch sensitive, meaning you can do more than simply move the cursor around your screen and click to select. To see if your laptop has a touchpad that supports gestures, click ‘Start’, type mouse into the Search box and click ‘Mouse’ when prompted to open the Mouse Control Panel.
Look for a ‘Device Settings’ tab – select this and you should see a reference to your touchpad. Click the ‘Settings’ button beneath it and expand the Application Gestures section to see what gestures are available for your laptop model.
If your touchpad doesn’t support gestures – or supported gestures are thin on the ground – you can purchase a standalone touchpad, such as Logitech’s Wireless Touchpad (around £45, www.logitech.com). The box overleaf reveals some of the more common gestures available to you.
Alternatively, why buy new equipment when you can add simple gesture support for free? StrokeIt Home, which is free for personal use, adds support for gestures using your mouse or touchpad in conjunction with the right mouse button.
What’s more, you’ll soon be spending less time pointing and clicking – and more time doing the things you love.
Set up your desktop
The Windows desktop is a user-friendly, approachable way to use your computer, but as always there are tips and tweaks to make it even more useful, efficient and better optimised for your way of working.
First, make better use of the Taskbar. It’s always visible at the bottom of the screen, so you never need to clear away other windows to get to it, and if you’re using Windows 7 you can take advantage of another time-saving feature in the form of Jump Lists as well.
Adding programs to the Taskbar is simple. Windows Vista and Windows XP users can simply drag program shortcuts on to the Taskbar. People with Windows 7 can right-click an existing shortcut on the desktop or Start menu and then choose ‘Pin to Taskbar’.
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When you right-click on certain Taskbar shortcuts in Windows 7 you’ll see a jump list of recently accessed documents in that program appear, allowing you to open them and the program with a single click (click the pin icon next to an entry to place it permanently at the top of the jump list).
Windows 7 users can also customise the Taskbar’s Notification area to choose exactly which icons are always visible. Click the arrow to its left to reveal all Notification area icons – drag one on to the Notification area to permanently pin it in place for easy access (icons can also be dragged the other way to hide them from view).
Windows 7 users can maximise windows by dragging them to the top of the screen, or place two windows side-by-side by dragging each to opposite sides of the screen. You can also select a window and quickly resize it by holding down the [Windows] key as you press an arrow key.
When browsing your computer’s hard drive for files, Windows 7 and Vista users should make use of the Favourites section in the left-hand pane – drag a folder into this list to place a shortcut there for easy access.
Windows 7 users can also use the Library feature to group related folders into one easily accessible location – click ‘Libraries’ to get started.
Use gestures with your mouse
1. Basic orientation
Download and install StrokeIt Home. Once installed, launch the program, which will appear in the Taskbar Notification area as a small white cursor, indicating it’s active and ready to use (right-clicking this disables StrokeIt – the cursor will turn red). Gestures are performed by holding the right mouse button as you perform the gesture, which appears on-screen.
2. Practice existing gestures
Try the following basic gestures by moving the mouse to create the desired gesture or letter: C closes the current window, while O opens the File Open dialog box. Select some text and then gesture the mouse upwards to copy it to the clipboard. To paste it elsewhere in your document, position the cursor where the text is to go and gesture downwards.
3. Learn new gestures
A number of gestures are already set up – to see these, click the StrokeIt Taskbar Notification area icon. Expand the [Global Actions] section to view what gestures are available for all applications and Windows itself. You’ll also see sections relating to specific programs – the gestures contained here will only work in the application in question. Visit the StrokeIt Site for additional help with gestures.
4. Create your own
If you don’t like the gesture assigned to a particular action, you can change it. Select the offending gesture, then click the drop-down arrow above the Remove Gesture button to choose another to replace it. Alternatively, create your own gesture from scratch – when the Unrecognized Gesture window appears, click ‘New Gesture’, give it a name and click ‘OK’.
Make Windows more accessible
You might be forgiven for thinking the Ease of Access Centre (Accessibility Options in Windows XP) is solely for those with sight, sound or motor-related disabilities, but in actual fact you’ll find lots of useful tweaks here that can make things easier for all users.
Access these options via the ‘Start > All Programs > Accessories’ menu. The simplest thing to do here is work your way through the options on offer – use the wizard to answer a few questions that will help Windows determine what settings to offer you, or manually go through all the available tweaks.
It’s always worth looking at mouse and keyboard-related options to see if any of the tweaks offered sit more comfortably with the way you like to work. You can, for example, change the focus of a window simply by moving the mouse over it instead of pointing and clicking (select ‘Activate a window by hovering over it with the mouse’).
If you don’t like the way that Windows automatically rearranges your program windows when they’re dragged to the sides of the screen, then you’ll find an option to switch that off here too.
If you have a headset or microphone, you might also like to experiment with using speech recognition to control certain aspects of your computer. Both Windows 7 and Vista have speech recognition built in and you can switch it on and set it up following the simple wizard that’s accessible from the section about using your computer without a mouse or keyboard.
Touchpad gestures, keyboard tweaks and more
Common gestures for your touchpad
1. One-finger control
Using your touchpad with just one finger allows you to operate it exactly the same way you would your mouse. Two-finger rotate Some Synaptics devices allow you to both twist and pivot objects by using two fi ngers together in a twisting movement to rotate things left and right.
2. Three-finger swipe
Use this horizontally to move back and forth between pictures in a slideshow or picture viewer, or to move backwards and forwards through your web browsing history. Synaptic touchpads can also use it vertically to enter or exit slideshow mode.
3. Four-finger swipe (horizontal)
This gesture is used by Logitech wireless touchpads to move between open applications. Just swipe your fingers to switch from one program to the next.
Create your own shortcuts
You can create convenient desktop shortcuts to any part of your system. To create a shortcut to a program, file, folder or even web address, right-click on the desktop and choose ‘New > Shortcut’, then follow the prompts to either select the folder or file (click ‘Browse’) or type the web address.
You can also create shortcuts to frequently accessed Control Panels: click ‘Start > Control Panel’ and opt to view by large or small icons. Then simply right-click the Control Panel in question and choose ‘Create Shortcut’ to place a shortcut on the desktop.
You can also assign keyboard shortcuts to new and existing shortcuts. Just right-click the shortcut in question and choose ‘Properties’ (if the shortcut is on the Windows 7 Taskbar, right-click it, then right-click the program name that pops up and choose ‘Properties’ to access it). Place the cursor in the Shortcut key box and press your desired key – note it’ll be assigned [Ctrl] + [Alt], but you can also hold down other keys such as [Windows], [Ctrl] + [Shift] or [Ctrl] + [Alt] + [Shift] too.
It’s also worth exploring keyboard shortcuts within programs – these are displayed next to menu entries, or check the Help file for more details. Some applications, including Microsoft Office, also allow you to specify your own custom keyboard shortcuts – again, consult the Help file for details.
People running Office 2010 should open the Options dialog box, select ‘Customize Ribbon’ and click ‘Customize’ next to Keyboard shortcuts to get started, for example. It’s also possible to remap certain keyboard functions, so pressing [Caps Lock] does something different, for example. The step-by-step guide below reveals how to do this using a free program called SharpKeys.
Change how your keyboard functions
1. Install SharpKeys
Before installing SharpKeys, open the ‘Programs and Features Control Panel’ (‘Add or Remove Programs’ in Windows XP) and check if the Microsoft .NET Framework 4 Client Profile is installed. If not, open Windows Update and look for it under Important Updates (Custom in Windows XP).
2. Pick key to change
Launch ‘SharpKeys’ from the Start menu or desktop, clicking ‘Yes’ or ‘Continue’ if prompted, then read the warning message and click ‘OK’. When the main screen appears, click the ‘Add’ button. You’ll be prompted to select the key you wish to change from the left-hand menu – click the ‘Type Key’ button and press the key you wish to change.
3. Choose new function
Verify the key is the correct one and click ‘OK’. Now click the right-hand ‘Type Key’ button. Press the key you wish to remap your old key to. Click ‘OK’ when done.
4. Apply changes
Now click ‘Add’ to remap another key or key combination. When done, click ‘Write to Registry’ and restart your computer to remap your keys.
Six free tools to make your PC faster and easier to use
1. LastPass
Once installed, all you need to remember is a single username and master password, and this tool will automatically fill in details and forms securely for you in your web browser. Now you can have separate passwords for all your accounts without having to remember or type anything!
2. Soluto
Speed up your laptop by slashing the startup times for both Windows and your web browser. The program reveals which items are starting with your laptop or browser, and lets you safely disable non-essential items to free up resources.
3. BatteryCare
Windows 7 does a perfectly adequate job of providing you with information about how much juice is left in your battery, but if you want to go one step further and monitor its health, plus tweak settings, install this.
4. Virtual CloneDrive
www.slysoft.com/en/virtual-clonedrive.html
Use ISO Recorder to convert your physical CDs and DVDs into virtual ISO files, and you can access them directly from your hard drive using Virtual CloneDrive, which basically emulates a DVD drive. It saves on battery life and makes the perfect travelling companion.
5. Finestra Virtual Desktops
Too many windows open at the same time for comfort? Windows 7 does an excellent job of managing multiple windows via the Taskbar and Aero Peek, but if your desktop’s still too crowded, run this and you can have four virtual desktops working side-by-side.
6. Pop Peeper
Keep an eye on your email direct from the Notification area of the Taskbar. POP Peeper imports your email accounts, then gives you early warning as to what’s waiting. It’s a good way to filter out spam and other unwanted email without downloading it too.
More Windows tweaks
Press [Windows] + [R] and the Run dialog box will appear. This powerful tool lets you quickly access programs, system tools and more. Click ‘Browse’ to select a file on your hard drive, or type the name of the program (such as services.msc to open the Services console).
For a comprehensive list of shortcuts you can type into the Run dialog box, visit this page.
Finally, you may find that double-clicking a file opens it in the wrong program. To change which program automatically opens a file when it’s double-clicked, right-click the offending file and choose ‘Open with > Choose Default Program’. Pick your desired program from the list, or click ‘Browse’ if it’s not present, make sure ‘Always use the selected program to open this type of file’ is ticked and click ‘OK’. Job done.
Hardware improvements
You can also make your laptop easier and more comfortable to use with the help of some hardware add-ons.
If you find your laptop’s trackpad too awkward to use, just plug in any USB mouse and use that instead. Similarly, if you like listening to music, but your laptop’s speakers aren’t up to the task, plug in another set via the headphones socket.
If you frequently work with your laptop on your lap, you’ll know how hot it can get. Purchase a laptop cooling stand to act as a barrier between you and your notebook – a beneficial side-effect of the cooler is that it’ll extend the life of your laptop’s components by cooling them down.
If you frequently use your laptop away from home, you may rely heavily on its battery. If this fails to give you enough juice between charges, consider purchasing an add-on battery such as the PowerGorilla (£150, www.powertraveller.com), which can double or even triple the amount of time you stay away from the mains socket.
Finally, if your notebook has an ExpressCard slot, you can expand its functionality by adding extra ports such as Firewire or eSATA, which aren’t commonly included on laptops. Perfect if you want to transfer footage from a non-USB camcorder to your laptop…
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