Laptops, Tablets, Smartphones or any mobile device...

Afternoon,

So I've had my Samsung Q330 for a couple of months now, and to say the least I'm more than happy with it! Its light-weight, Its has more than enough power for what I need. It looks great, it feels great, it sounds great.

I have one issue with it. Just one. The Battery.

If you do anything that requires constant, above average processing power, drawing upon a lot of system resources, you will find that the life of the battery will not last you too long.

I did my research on this laptop. I read that it could have a decent battery life, or rather read that it should have a decent battery life, but my experiences show that not matter how hard I tried to get 5+ hours... I couldn't. I just couldn't get it!

I was adamant to get the 5+ hours the Q330 could give me! I got down to business. 

Ctrl + Alt + Del > Task Manager - Lets see whats eating my resources!

Applications/Programs like MS Office are fine, and at a push you could squeeze 5+ hours, but the killer is Skype! That bad boy just goes through battery like no other! As soon as I quit that, straight up there, knocking on 6 hours!

So... To simply put it > If you're not using it... TURN IT OFF! This will save you loads of battery life! Really it will. Anything you have running in the background, that your not using, just Alt + F4 that bad boy (but make sure it hasn't just minimised to your Taskbar!?)

If you're always loading up programs and needing to get to places all the time, one word - RocketDock - This is so helpful! It can also come fully customisable. Get it sorted!

Also... Get your bookmarks sorted as well. They do make life so much easier online.

You're welcome.

Cavtec Systems Limited

Cavtec Systems Limited, established 1991. Providing the finest quality computer support and additional services to Small Medium Enterprises and Home users. Newcastle upon Tyne, London and East Grinstead.

http://www.cavtec.co.uk

admin@cavtec.co.uk

18-26 Gadget Survival Guide

Picture this...


You're getting ready to go to college or university. You know you're budget is going to be tight over the coming years, but you know you need the right equipment to get you through!


What do you do?!


First things first... don't panic! Theres absolutely nothing to panic about! Sit yourself down in the quiet for an hour or so, grab a pen and paper (yup... to solve your tech needs you'll need a pen and paper) and analyse and evaluate your potential circumstances.


Good questions to bear in mind:
1) Location - Where are you going to be the most? Classes, Bedroom, Library?
2) Activity(s) - What are you going to be doing the most? Internet, Word processing, programming, media?
3) Frequency - How often will you be doing said activities? Hourly, daily, weekly?


Going from what we considered earlier this week when selecting a Computer/Laptop, remember the criteria! Know the terminology and understand the specifications. Have a budget and stick to it. Be prepared to compromise.


Laptop or Desktop?... both?
Power and performance or battery life?
Price or quality?


If you can afford it, and if you're smart about it, you could get away with both a Desktop to do the bulk of your work, and a simple standard laptop to give you that mobility factor.


Obviously If you can't... you cant. But one thing I will suggest is if you go for the Laptop, get the following:
- Keyboard
- Mouse
- Monitor
- External Hard Drive


These additions will prolong the life of your laptop and heavily reduce the wear and tear!


Think Smart. You're Welcome.

Cavtec Systems Limited

Cavtec Systems Limited, established 1991. Providing the finest quality computer support and additional services to Small Medium Enterprises and Home users. Newcastle upon Tyne, London and East Grinstead.

http://www.cavtec.co.uk

admin@cavtec.co.uk

The new Shuttle XPC SG41J4 is packed full of fantastic "state of the art" features! The sleek black design of the SG41J4 definitely complements the features in a harmonious way.

I cant wait to get my hands on one and see what its like.

Seriously, have a look below for a list of what its got...

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6-channel audio

With the inbuilt sound card you can connect up to six speakers. Get your own personal surround-sound experience at home.


Stylish exterior and high-speed interior

This attractive Mini-PC offers multi-core CPU power, enabled by Intel's best-ever processors. Core 2 Duo and Core 2 Quad work with two or four CPU cores and are often able to work at double or quadruple the speed of conventional processors.


Communication in the fast lane

The integrated gigabit LAN chipset opens up completely new possibilities for communication with no restriction on the speed of data transfer. Say goodbye to information bottlenecks, whether in the company network or for home Internet access.

Ideal for expansion cards

Although it's been around for quite some time now, the 32-bit PCI slot still remains a useful feature for connecting TV tuners, video capture cards and many other add-ons.


PCI Express technology

A fast X16-PCI-E slot enables the use of modern 3D graphics cards and other expansion cards that have to transfer huge amounts of data at ultra-rapid speeds.


Almost limitless memory

In this age of terabyte hard disks, three internal ports with SATA2 offer almost unlimited hard disk space. A major benefit here is that the Serial-ATA cables interfere far less with the air flow than PATA-Standard cables.


Generous supply of USB ports

You can never have enough of those versatile USB ports. This Shuttle Mini-PC offers 6 ports, with further ports for internal expansions located on the mainboard.


High-quality steel, perfectly finished

Modern production methods enable the creation of perfectly finished steel. This model is in no way inferior to its aluminium brothers and sisters in terms of size and looks. Steel is a cost-effective alternative material for the construction of Mini-PCs, which means you benefit from a more attractive price.


Digital monitor output

Large TFT monitors work with extremely high resolutions. Digital technology is essential for displaying video signals in excellent quality and with no loss of performance. This Mini-PC offers a high-quality DVI monitor output.


Supports dual monitoring

For increased screen area the two monitor outputs (DVI+VGA) can be connected to one display each. Depending on the settings, the output image can be duplicated or expanded on the second screen.


Dual-slot graphic cards? No problem!

The creative engineers at Shuttle have worked out how to fit large and incredibly powerful dual-slot graphics cards into this compact PC. The special dimensions of the cards and the unusual fan size cause no problems at all in this Mini-PC.


Anti-theft protection

The Kensington Lock forms part of the anti-theft system. As with many other Notebooks, this Mini-PC can also be safely locked, ensuring long-term enjoyment from your Shuttle product.


Intelligent fan control

The Smart Fan system promises low operating noise with its large, slowly rotating fans, which generate a very large airflow and have automatic variable speed control.


Now with improved airflow

The latest Mini-PCs feature more air intake points to improve the inflow of cool air. The size and position of these intake points on the chassis cover and underside have been chosen to allow optimal cooling of all critical components, resulting in increased stability and longer lifespan.


Pre-assembled cabling saves time

The most important power and data cables are already routed and just have to inserted into the relevant components. This saves valuable time when setting up the system.


Full support for Windows 7

Shuttle provides all the necessary drivers to ensure the smooth installation of Windows 7, and the enhanced 3D “Aero” interface runs without problem thanks to the integrated state-of-the-art graphics processor.

Cavtec

Cavtec Systems Limited, established 1991. Providing the finest quality computer support and additional services to Small Medium Enterprises and Home users. Newcastle upon Tyne and East Grinstead.

http://www.cavtec.co.uk