nternational Laptop Travel

In two columns several weeks ago, I discussed the ins and outs of using laptops for genealogical research on the road. (See “Laptop Travel for the Road Warrior” and “Laptop Accessories for the Road Warrior.”) This week I want to discuss using your laptop when traveling internationally (specifically from the United States to another country).

I travel each year to Ireland for genealogical research and have been quite successful both in using my laptop in the repositories there and in accessing my e-mail from Ireland. I’m leaving again Monday and am updating everything I did last year so I’ll have the same success this year. So here are my suggestions on how to prepare your laptop for an international trip like mine.

The first item to consider is your equipment and its adaptability to the local power supply. Most laptops built today come equipped as dual voltage machines, so the computer will be able to switch currents automatically. If you’re not familiar with this capability on your computer, there’s an informativearticle about dual voltage on the Laptoptravel.com Web site.

The second item to consider when traveling overseas is the adaptor plugs you will need to plug in to the local power. There are a variety of different plug types, so you’ll need to research which one(s) you’ll need for your trip.Magellan’s Travelers’ Catalog lists the adaptor and voltage requirements country by country, along with other useful tips.

The third item to consider is the telephone outlets used in the country. For instance, the Republic of Ireland uses the same type of telephone jacks as the United States, so I don’t need an adaptor for my modem there. However, Northern Ireland (as part of Great Britain) uses a different jack for which I need a modular telephone adaptor. Knowing this ahead of time will save me from a lot of hassles when I need to check my e-mail overseas. Magellan’s site also lists telephone jack requirements.

Once you’ve ensured that you’ll be able to use your equipment at your destination, how do you access your e-mail? There are several methods you can use. The method I used last year, and that worked very well, was AT&T’s Laptop Access Software. The software is free to download at AT&T's Web siteand allows you to access the AT&T international dialing codes for calling the United States. This can save you a lot of money—over using the local operator—when accessing your e-mail. With Laptop Access, you program in the dialing code for the country you are in, enter the number you are calling, and enter your AT&T credit card number. Then you let the software do the rest, linking you to your e-mail and the Internet.

You can also visit Mailstart to check your e-mail from any POP3 account. Beware that this Web site cannot check some e-mail types, such as Juno, but any that are on POP3 servers can be accessed. Using Mailstart, you can simply dial a local number for Internet access in the country you are in and check your mail there without calling back to the United States. The easiest way to do this is to visit a cyber cafe where you are staying and pay an hourly rate to check your e-mail. An alternative would be to check into free Internet accounts that give you access to the Web from the country you are visiting.

If you’re going abroad to relax and enjoy the scenery, don’t worry about your e-mail. But if you’re like me and you have to stay in touch with a business back home, it’s nice to know there are multiple options for accessing your e-mail while you’re gone. Now, sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride!

Elizabeth Kelley Kerstens, CGRS, is the managing editor of Genealogical Computing, editor of the Board for Certification of Genealogists’ newsletterOnBoard, the creator of Clooz—the electronic filing cabinet for genealogical records, and a frequent contributor to Ancestry Magazine

Desktop replacement

Dell XPS M140 Laptop.

Main article: Desktop replacement computer

A desktop replacement computer is a laptop that provides most of the capabilities of a desktop computer, with a similar level of performance. Desktop replacements are usually larger and heavier than standard laptops. They contain more powerful components and have a 15" or larger display.^[11] Because of their bulk, they are not as portable as other laptops and their operation time on batteries is typically shorter; instead, they are meant to be used as a more compact, easier to carry alternative to a desktop computer.^[11]

Some laptops in this class use a limited range of desktop components to provide better performance for the same price at the expense of battery life; in a few of those models, there is no battery at all and the laptop can only be used when plugged in. These are sometimes calleddesknotes, a portmanteau of the words "desktop" and "notebook," though the term can also be applied to desktop replacement computers in general.^[12]

In the early 2000s, desktops were more powerful, easier to upgrade, and much cheaper in comparison with laptops. But in the last few years, the advantages have drastically changed or shrunk since the performance of laptops has markedly increased.^[13] In the second half of 2008, laptops have finally outsold desktops for the first time ever. In the U.S., the PC shipment declined 10 percent in the fourth quarter of 2008. In Asia, the worst PC shipment growth went up 1.8 percent over the same quarter the previous year since PC statistics research started.^[14]

The names "Media Center Laptops" and "Gaming Laptops" are also used to describe specialized members of this class of notebooks.^[10]

Subnotebook

Sony VAIO C1 subnotebook.

Main article: Subnotebook

A subnotebook, also called an ultraportable by some vendors, is a laptop designed and marketed with an emphasis on portability (small size, low weight and longer battery life) that retains the performance of a standard notebook.^[15] Subnotebooks are usually smaller and lighter than standard laptops, weighing between 0.8 and 2 kg (2 to 5 pounds);^[10] the battery life can exceed 10 hours^[16] when a large battery or an additional battery pack is installed.

To achieve the size and weight reductions, ultraportables use high resolution 13" and smaller screens (down to 6.4"), have relatively few ports, employ expensive components designed for minimal size and best power efficiency, and utilize advanced materials and construction methods. Some subnotebooks achieve a further portability improvement by omitting an optical/removable media drive; in this case they may be paired with a docking station that contains the drive and optionally more ports or an additional battery.

The term "subnotebook" is usually reserved to laptops that run general-purpose desktop operating systems such as Windows, Linux or Mac OS X, rather than specialized software such as Windows CE, Palm OS or Internet Tablet OS.

Netbook

An Asus Eee PC netbook.

Main article: Netbook

Netbooks are laptops that are light-weight, economical, energy-efficient and especially suited for wireless communication and Internet access.^[17][18] Hence the namenetbook (as "the device excels in web-based computing performance")^[19] rather than notebook which pertains to size.^[20]

Especially suited for web browsing and e-mailing, netbooks "rely heavily on the Internet for remote access to web-based applications".^[19] and are targeted increasingly at cloud computing users who rely on servers and require a less powerful client computer.^[21] While the devices range in size from below 5 inches^[22] to over 12,^[23] most are between 7 and 11 inches and weigh between 2 and 3 pounds.^[19]

Netbooks normally use light-weight operating systems including Linux and Windows XP^[19] rather than more resource-intensive operating systems like Windows Vista, as they have less processing power than traditional laptops.^[24]

Recently, Google has announced to be developing an own operating system called Chrome for this market.

Rugged laptop

Main article: Rugged computer

A Panasonic Toughbook.

A rugged (or ruggedized) laptop is designed to reliably operate in harsh usage conditions such as strong vibrations, extreme temperatures, and wet or dusty environments. Rugged laptops are usually designed from scratch, rather than adapted from regular consumer laptop models. Rugged notebooks are bulkier, heavier, and much more expensive than regular laptops,^[25] and thus are seldom seen in regular consumer use.

The design features found in rugged laptops include rubber sheeting under the keyboard keys, sealed port and connector covers, passive cooling, superbright displays easily readable in daylight, cases and frames made of magnesium alloys^[26] that are much stronger than plastic found in commercial laptops, and solid-state storage devices or hard disc drives that are shock mounted to withstand constant vibrations. Rugged laptops are commonly used by public safety services (police, fire and medical emergency), military, utilities, field service technicians, construction, mining and oil drilling personnel. Rugged laptops are usually sold to organizations, rather than individuals, and are rarely marketed via retail channels.

Components

Main article: Computer hardware

Miniaturization: a comparison of a desktop computer motherboard (ATX form factor) to a motherboard from a 13" laptop (2008 unibodyMacbook)

Inner view of a Sony Vaio laptop

The basic components of laptops are similar in function to their desktop counterparts, but are miniaturized, adapted to mobile use, and designed for low power consumption. Because of the additional requirements, laptop components are usually of inferior performance compared to similarly priced desktop parts. Furthermore, the design bounds on power, size, and cooling of laptops limit the maximum performance of laptop parts compared to that of desktop components.^[27]

The following list summarizes the differences and distinguishing features of laptop components in comparison to desktop personal computer parts:

• Motherboard – Laptop motherboards are highly make and model specific, and do not conform to a desktop form factor. Unlike a desktop board that usually has several slots forexpansion cards (3 to 7 are common), a board for a small, highly integrated laptop may have no expansion slots at all, with all the functionality implemented on the motherboard itself; the only expansion possible in this case is via an external port such as USB. Other boards may have one or more standard, such as ExpressCard, or proprietary expansion slots. Several other functions (storage controllers, networking, sound card and external ports) are implemented on the motherboard.^[28]

• Central processing unit (CPU) – Laptop CPUs have advanced power-saving features and produce less heat than desktop processors, but are not as powerful.^[29] There is a wide range of CPUs designed for laptops available from Intel (Pentium M, Celeron M, Intel Core and Core 2 Duo),AMD (Athlon, Turion 64, and Sempron), VIA Technologies, Transmeta and others. On the non-x86 architectures, Motorola and IBM produced the chips for the former PowerPC-based Apple laptops (iBook and PowerBook). Some laptops have removable CPUs, although support by the motherboard may be restricted to the specific models.^[30] In other laptops the CPU is soldered on the motherboard and is non-replaceable.

A SODIMM memory module.

• Memory (RAM) – SO-DIMM memory modules that are usually found in laptops are about half the size of desktop DIMMs.^[28] They may be accessible from the bottom of the laptop for ease of upgrading, or placed in locations not intended for user replacement such as between the keyboard and the motherboard. Currently, most midrange laptops are factory equipped with 3-4 GB of DDR2 RAM, while some higher end notebooks feature up to 8 GB of DDR3memory. Netbooks however, are commonly equipped with only 1 GB of RAM to keep manufacturing costs low.

• Expansion cards – A PC Card (formerly PCMCIA) or ExpressCard bay for expansion cards is often present on laptops to allow adding and removing functionality, even when the laptop is powered on. Some subsystems (such as Ethernet, Wi-Fi, or a cellular modem) can be implemented as replaceable internal expansion cards, usually accessible under an access cover on the bottom of the laptop. Two popular standards for such cards are MiniPCI and its successor, the PCI Express Mini.^[31]

• Power supply – Laptops are typically powered by an internal rechargeable battery that is charged using an external power supply. The power supply can charge the battery and power the laptop simultaneously; when the battery is fully charged, the laptop continues to run on AC power. The charger adds about 400 grams (1 lb) to the overall "transport weight" of the notebook.

• Battery – Current laptops utilize lithium ion batteries, with more recent models using the newlithium polymer technology. These two technologies have largely replaced the older nickel metal-hydride batteries. Typical battery life for standard laptops is two to five hours of light-duty use, but may drop to as little as one hour when doing power-intensive tasks. A battery's performance gradually decreases with time, leading to an eventual replacement in one to three years, depending on the charging and discharging pattern. This large-capacity main battery should not be confused with the much smaller battery nearly all computers use to run the real-time clock and to store the BIOS configuration in the CMOS memory when the computer is off. Lithium-ion batteries do not have a memory effect as older batteries may have. The memory effect happens when one does not use a battery to its fullest extent, then recharges the battery. New innovations in laptops and batteries have seen new possible matchings which can provide up to a full 24 hours of continued operation, assuming average power consumption levels. An example of this is the HP EliteBook 6930p when used with its ultra-capacity battery.

• Video display controller – On standard laptops the video controller is usually integrated into thechipset. This tends to limit the use of laptops for gaming and entertainment, two fields which have constantly escalating hardware demands.^[32] Higher-end laptops and desktop replacements in particular often come with dedicated graphics processors on the motherboard or as an internal expansion card. These mobile graphics processors are comparable in performance to mainstream desktop graphic accelerator boards.^[33]

• Display – Most modern laptops feature 12 inches (30 cm) or larger color active matrix displays based on a CCFL lamp with resolutions of 1280x800 (16:10) or 1366 x 768 (16:9) pixels and above. Many current models use screens with higher resolution than typical for desktop PCs (for example, the 1440×900 resolution of a 15". Newer laptops come with LED based screens offering a lesser power consumption and wider viewing angles. Macbook Pro^[34] can be found on 19" widescreen desktop monitors.

A size comparison of 3.5" and 2.5" hard disk drives

• Removable media drives – A DVD/CD reader/writer drive is typically standard. CD drives are becoming rare, while Blu-Ray is becoming more common on notebooks.^[35] Many ultraportables and netbooks either move the removable media drive into the docking station or exclude it altogether.

• Internal storage – Laptop hard disks are physically smaller—2.5 inches (64 mm) or 1.8 inches (46 mm) —compared to desktop 3.5 inches (89 mm) drives. Some newer laptops (usually ultraportables) employ more expensive, but faster, lighter and power-efficient flash memory-based SSDs instead. Currently, 250 to 500 GB sizes are common for laptop hard disks (64 to 256 GB for SSDs).

• Input – A pointing stick, touchpad or both are used to control the position of the cursor on the screen, and an integrated keyboard is used for typing. An external keyboard and/or mouse may be connected using USB or PS/2 (if present).

• Ports – several USB ports, an external monitor port (VGA or DVI), audio in/out, and an Ethernetnetwork port are found on most laptops. Less common are legacy ports such as a PS/2keyboard/mouse port, serial port or a parallel port. S-video or composite video ports are more common on consumer-oriented notebooks. HDMI may be found on some higher-end notebooks.

Docking stations

A docking station is a relatively bulky laptop accessory that contains multiple ports, expansion slots, and bays for fixed or removable drives. A laptop connects and disconnects easily to a docking station, typically through a single large proprietary connector. A port replicator is a simplified docking station that only provides connections from the laptop to input/output ports. Both docking stations and port replicators are intended to be used at a permanent working place (a desk) to offer instant connection to multiple input/output devices and to extend a laptop's capabilities.

Docking stations became a common laptop accessory in the early 1990s. The most common use was in a corporate computing environment where the company had standardized on a common network card and this same card was placed into the docking station. These stations were very large and quite expensive. As the need for additional storage and expansion slots became less critical because of the high integration inside the laptop, port replicators have gained popularity, being a cheaper, often passive device that often simply mates to the connectors on the back of the notebook, or connects via a standardised port such as USB or FireWire.

Standards

Some laptop components (optical drives, hard drives, memory and internal expansion cards) are relatively standardized, and it is possible to upgrade or replace them in many laptops as long as the new part is of the same type.^[31] Depending on the manufacturer and model, a laptop may range from having several standard, easily customizable and upgradeable parts to a proprietary design that cannot be reconfigured at all.

In general, components other than the four categories listed above are not intended to be replaceable, and thus rarely follow a standard. In particular, motherboards, locations of ports, and design and placement of internal components are usually make and model specific. Those parts are neither interchangeable with parts from other manufacturers nor upgradeable. If broken or damaged, they must be substituted with an exact replacement part. Those users uneducated in the relevant fields are those the most affected by incompatibilities, especially if they attempt to connect their laptops with incompatible hardware or power adapters.

Intel, Asus, Compal, Quanta and other laptop manufacturers have created the Common Building Block standard for laptop parts to address some of the inefficiencies caused by the lack of standards.

Advantages

Laptop computers are portable and can be used in many locations. Shown here is former Mexican president Vicente Fox.

Portability is usually the first feature mentioned in any comparison of laptops versus desktop PCs.^[36] Portability means that a laptop can be used in many places—not only at home and at the office, but also during commuting and flights, in coffee shops, in lecture halls and libraries, at clients' location or at a meeting room, etc. The portability feature offers several distinct advantages:

• Getting more done – Using a laptop in places where a desktop PC can't be used, and at times that would otherwise be wasted. For example, an office worker managing his e-mails during an hour-long commute by train, or a student doing his/her homework at the university coffee shop during a break between lectures.^[37]

• Immediacy – Carrying a laptop means having instant access to various information, personal and work files. Immediacy allows better collaboration between coworkers or students, as a laptop can be flipped open to present a problem or a solution anytime, anywhere.

• Up-to-date information – If a person has more than one desktop PC, a problem of synchronization arises: changes made on one computer are not automatically propagated to the others. There are ways to resolve this problem, including physical transfer of updated files (using a USB stick or CDs) or using synchronization software over the Internet. However, using a single laptop at both locations avoids the problem entirely, as the files exist in a single location and are always up-to-date.

• Connectivity – A proliferation of Wi-Fi wireless networks and cellular broadband data services (HSDPA, EVDO and others) combined with a near-ubiquitous support by laptops^[38] means that a laptop can have easy Internet and local network connectivity while remaining mobile. Wi-Fi networks and laptop programs are especially widespread at university campuses.^[39]

Other advantages of laptops include:

• Size – Laptops are smaller than standard PCs. This is beneficial when space is at a premium, for example in small apartments and student dorms. When not in use, a laptop can be closed and put away.

• Ease of Access - Most laptops have doors on the underside that allow the user to access the memory, hard drive and other components, by simply flipping the laptop to access the doors. For desktops the user must usually access the backside of the computer, which is harder if it's in an area with little space.

• Low power consumption – Laptops are several times more power-efficient than desktops. A typical laptop uses 20-90 W, compared to 100-800 W for desktops. This could be particularly beneficial for businesses (which run hundreds of personal computers, multiplying the potential savings) and homes where there is a computer running 24/7 (such as a home media server, print server, etc.)

• Quiet – Laptops are often quieter than desktops, due both to the components (quieter, slower 2.5-inch hard drives) and to less heat production leading to use of fewer and slower cooling fans.

• Battery – a charged laptop can run several hours in case of a power outage and is not affected by short power interruptions and brownouts. A desktop PC needs a UPS to handle short interruptions, brownouts and spikes; achieving on-battery time of more than 20–30 minutes for a desktop PC requires a large and expensive UPS.^[40]

• All-in-One - designed to be portable, laptops have everything integrated in to the chassis. For desktops (excluding all-in-ones) this is divided into the desktop, keyboard, mouse, display, and optional peripherals such as speakers, and a webcam. This leads to lots of wiring. It can also lead to massive power consumption.

• Extras - in comparison to low-end desktops, even low-end laptops include features such as a Wi-Fi card, and Express Card slot, and a memory card reader.

Disadvantages

Compared to desktop PCs, laptops have disadvantages in the following fields:

Performance

While the performance of mainstream desktops and laptops is comparable, laptops are significantly more expensive than desktop PCs at the same or even lower performance level.^[41] The upper limits of performance of laptops are a little bit lower, and "bleeding-edge" features usually appear first in desktops and only then, as the underlying technology matures, are adapted to laptops.

However, for Internet browsing and typical office applications, where the computer spends the majority of its time waiting for the next user input, even netbook-class laptops are generally fast enough.^[42] Most higher-end laptops are sufficiently powerful for high-resolution movie playback, 3D gaming and video editing and encoding. However, laptops are disadvantaged when dealing with database, math, engineering, financial software, etc.

Some manufacturers work around this performance problem by using desktop CPUs for laptops^[43].

Upgradeability

Upgradeability of laptops is very limited compared to desktops, which are thoroughly standardized. In general, hard drives and memory can be upgraded easily. Optical drives and internal expansion cards may be upgraded if they follow an industry standard, but all other internal components, including the CPU, motherboard and graphics, are not intended to be upgradeable.

The reasons for limited upgradeability are both technical and economic. There is no industry-wide standard form factor for laptops; each major laptop manufacturer pursues its own proprietary design and construction, with the result that laptops are difficult to upgrade and have high repair costs. With few exceptions, laptop components can rarely be swapped between laptops of competing manufacturers, or even between laptops from the different product-lines of the same manufacturer.

Some upgrades can be performed by adding external devices, either USB or in expansion card format such a PC Card: sound cards, network adapters, hard and optical drives, and numerous other peripherals are available, but these upgrades usually impair the laptop's portability, because they add cables and boxes to the setup and often have to be disconnected and reconnected when the laptop is moved.

Ergonomics and health

Laptop coaster preventing heating of lap and improving laptop airflow.

Because of their small and flat keyboard and trackpad pointing devices, prolonged use of laptops can cause repetitive strain injury.^[44] Usage of separate, external ergonomic keyboardsand pointing devices is recommended to prevent injury when working for long periods of time; they can be connected to a laptop easily by USB or via a docking station. Some health standards require ergonomic keyboards at workplaces.

The integrated screen often causes users to hunch over for a better view, which can cause neck or spinal injuries. A larger and higher-quality external screen can be connected to almost any laptop to alleviate that and to provide additional "screen estate" for more productive work.

A study by State University of New York researchers found that heat generated from laptops can raise the temperature of the scrotum when balancing the computer on one's lap, potentially puttingsperm count at risk. The study, which included roughly two dozen men aged 21 to 35, found that the sitting position required to balance a laptop can raise scrotum temperature by as much as 2.1 °C (3.78 °F). Heat from the laptop itself can raise the temperature by another 0.7 °C (1.26 °F), bringing the potential total increase to 2.8 °C (5.04 °F). However, further research is needed to determine whether this directly affects sterility in men.^[45]

A common practical solution to this problem is to place the laptop on a table or desk. Another solution is to obtain a cooling unit for the laptop, these units are usually USB powered consist of a hard thin plastic case housing 1, 2 or 3 cooling fans (the whole thing is designed to sit under a laptop) which results in the laptop remaining cool to the touch, and greatly reduces laptop heat buildup. There are several companies which make these coolers.

Heat from using a laptop on the lap can also cause skin discoloration on the thighs.^[46]

Durability

A clogged heatsink on a 2.5 year old laptop.

Due to their portability, laptops are subject to more wear and physical damage than desktops. Components such as screen hinges, latches, power jacks and power cords deteriorate gradually due to ordinary use. A liquid spill onto the keyboard, a rather minor mishap with a desktop system, can damage the internals of a laptop and result in a costly repair. One study found that a laptop is 3 times more likely to break during the first year of use than a desktop.^[47]

Original external components are expensive (a replacement AC adapter, for example, could cost $75); other parts are inexpensive—a power jack can cost a few dollars—but their replacement may require extensive disassembly and reassembly of the laptop by a technician. Other inexpensive but fragile parts often cannot be purchased separate from larger more expensive components.^[48] The repair costs of a failed motherboard or LCD panel may exceed the value of a used laptop.

Laptops rely on extremely compact cooling systems involving a fan and heat sink that can fail due to eventual clogging by accumulated airborne dust and debris. Most laptops do not have any sort of removable dust collection filter over the air intake for these cooling systems, resulting in a system that gradually runs hotter and louder as the years pass. Eventually the laptop starts to overheat even at idle load levels. This dust is usually stuck inside where casual cleaning and vacuuming cannot remove it. Instead, a complete disassembly is needed to clean the laptop.

Battery life of laptops is limited; the capacity drops with time, necessitating an eventual replacement after a few years. The battery is often easily replaceable, and one may replace it on purpose with a higher end model to achieve better battery life.

Security

Being valuable, common and portable, laptops are prized targets for theft. The cost of the stolen business or personal data and of the resulting problems (identity theft, credit card fraud, breach ofprivacy laws) can be many times the value of the stolen laptop itself. Therefore, both physical protection of laptops and the safeguarding of data contained on them are of the highest importance.

Most laptops have a Kensington security slot which is used to tether the computer to a desk or other immovable object with a security cable and lock. In addition to this, modern operating systems and third-party software offer disk encryption functionality that renders the data on the laptop's hard drive unreadable without a key or a passphrase.

Some laptops also now have additional security elements added by the consumer, including eye recognition software and fingerprint scanning components.

Major brands and manufacturers

Main article: List of laptop brands and manufacturers

There is a multitude of laptop brands and manufacturers; several major brands, offering notebooks in various classes, are listed in the box to the right. The major brands usually offer good service and support, including well-executed documentation and driver downloads that will remain available for many years after a particular laptop model is no longer produced. Capitalizing on service, support and brand image, laptops from major brands are more expensive than laptops by smaller brands and ODMs. Some brands are specializing in a particular class of laptops, such as gaming laptops (Alienware), netbooks (EeePC) and laptops for children (OLPC). Many brands, including the major ones, do not design and do not manufacture their laptops. Instead, a small number of Original Design Manufacturers (ODMs) design new models of laptops, and the brands choose the models to be included in their lineup. In 2006, 7 major ODMs manufactured 7 of every 10 laptops in the world, with the largest one (Quanta Computer) having 30% world market share.[49] Therefore, there often are identical models available both from a major label and from a low-profile ODM in-house brand.