Chris Pirillo » notebook

Which Notebook Do You Prefer?

Chris Pirillo — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 20:16:51 +0000

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If you aren’t a fan of the questions being answered in these videos, you can pop into the chat room and ask something original of your own! One chatter wanted to know recently why it is I chose to go with the MacBook Pro instead of another brand or model. The answer is simple: it’s all about software for me.

Yes, there *may* be better choices out there for hardware. But I’m happy with what is inside of my MacBook Pro. I just happen to prefer OS X over other choices. However, I can still run Windows or Linux on this machine, so why would I need anything else?

If you aren’t a Mac fan, more power to ya. I simply like it. Yes, I have Windows machines in my home – and I DO use them. This machine carries everything that I need, and it works well.

Isn’t that what it’s all about? At the end of the day, you need to use what works for you and whatever you are most comfortable with. I’m not different.

Which Notebook Do You Prefer?

Which Android Tablet is the Best?

Chris Pirillo — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 00:42:02 +0000

Which Android Tablet is the Best?

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Hopeland Digital Corporation of Shenzhen releases this NB-100 10.1″ Android Laptop, powered by the ARM11 Telechips 8902 processor, 256MB RAM, 8GB nand flash, SD card slot, WiFi, it runs Android 2.1 for now, possibly upgradable.

What does Google need to do to optimize Android for the Laptop? Do you think this platform is ready yet to replace your MacBook Air?

This video was filmed by Charbax of ARMdevices at CES 2011.

Which Android Tablet is the Best?

Are There Things You Shouldn’t DO on a Laptop?

Chris Pirillo — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 18:53:15 +0000

Are There Things You Shouldn’t DO on a Laptop?

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Over on Lockergnome, PhidiasBob asked the community if there are things you can do on a desktop machine that you should NOT do on a laptop. This is a fair question to ask. I think the only thing I wouldn’t do with a notebook or laptop vs a desktop is to do something that is very memory or processor intensive. They to tend to underpowered compared to your desktop system… and some machines will even end up having an overheating problem if you push them too hard.

There are times you need to use a portable machine, such as when you’re on a self-imposed vacation. I prefer my desktop, of course. I have more power, more memory and more OOMPH on my home system. My Macbook Pro is great, but it just doesn’t have the capability to multi-task with processor-intensive applications as my Mac Pro does.

There really isn’t anything else I can think of to answer this question, y’all. What things can you guys think of that you likely shouldn’t do with a laptop that you can do on your desktop?

Keep in mind that you can join Lockergnome yourself for free and ask questions of your own. The community loves to answer things, and are telling me that it’s quite addictive. I hope you’ll join us!

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Are There Things You Shouldn’t DO on a Laptop?

Never Gonna Give You Up

Chris Pirillo — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 15:55:24 +0000

Never Gonna Give You Up

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According to a study just released by Slate, the sale of laptops eclipsed the sale of desktops last year – 44% to 38%. The remainder of sales went to netbooks. These figures would lead one to believe that laptops may be replacing desktops as the primary machines people own. Lamarr is here to tell you that as far as he’s concerned, that isn’t going to happen.

Lamarr says that laptops are useful, but don’t have the same workhorse power as his desktop. He won’t give up the power of his desktop, and says he can upgrade “old reliable” easily. Lamarr even went to Fry’s to check out some new notebooks just to see what the hype is all about.

While many of the notebooks there were “very nice,” they just don’t measure up to a desktop machine. Yes – a desktop keeps you chained to your desk. But for those of us who work at home – from a DESK – it makes sense to have a workhorse.

For Lamarr, a laptop is great for traveling. If he had to choose only one machine, Lamarr tells his desktop that he will “never give you up.”

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Never Gonna Give You Up

Which MacBook Should I Get?

Chris Pirillo — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 05:49:41 +0000

Which MacBook Should I Get?

Andrew Portess (also known as ‘portessa’ in the chat room, and also a member of Geeks and Lockergnome.net) asks:

Since Mac OS X Leopard came out, I was sold on the idea of getting a MacBook Pro and unfortunately, I still haven’t managed to afford one yet. Considering that the MacBook Pros have just been refreshed, now is most certainly the best time to get one.

Ideally, I would love to get the 15-inch Core i7 model which, here in the UK, retails at £1,799. The base 13-inch model (based on the Core 2 Duos) is just £1,119 if you add the 500GB hard disk to boot. In terms of my budget, the £680 difference is quite a big jump (and could buy a very decent family PC), but that would eventually be mitigated. I just can’t help but wonder if it’s really worth it, though; given the major differences in the models is just the processor, graphics card, and screen.

When you also take into account how quickly Apple rolls out new Macs, as well as how quick technology moves in general, trying to decide what is a better investment becomes that much more difficult. To put it in a more general way, when buying any computer, at what point do you say “enough is enough” – and what’s the best way to make your money go further? I suppose the deciding factor is in how I plan to use the computer. I do play games, but my primary focus is in creating music, which isn’t very graphic-intensive in comparison to gaming.

At the moment, I am doing both these things on what is technically a laptop I bought for my Mum when *cough* Windows Vista was released. It’s true to say that even the base 13-inch model of the new MacBook Pro trumps my Mum’s laptop in every single component – and the performance gains I’m sure to get are likely going to be a vast improvement on what I am used to. I would love to hear both your, and the community’s, opinion on what model I should get. If you are getting one of the i7 MacBook Pros, I would also be very grateful to see some performance tests.

I swear, I get asked this question every day – which is one of the reasons I’m answering in a public capacity.

It’s kinda funny, though; you seemingly question the value of a newer processor, graphics card, and screen. What else is there to be concerned about in a notebook computer? :)

“Making music” may not be graphics-intensive, but it likely will be processor- and RAM-intensive. For that reason, coupled with your love for games, I’d recommend an i7 (or AMD-equivalent) in just about any current-generation notebook computer you care to pick up. I’d also suggest going for as much screen real estate as you can realistically lug around.

You already realize that Microsoft Windows can be run inside a Virtual Machine (VMWare or Parallels) or through Boot Camp – which effectively makes it a PC in every single respect. If your favorite audio editing tool is Windows-only, you’ll still be in luck with a MacBook Pro. I bet you’d have fun with GarageBand, though.

I’m not going to tell you to buy a Mac outright, though – that choice is ultimately up to you (and you’ll have to live with your decision, not me). I will, however, suggest you look at these features when you’re shopping:

Case Structure – It’s extremely tough to beat the MacBook Pro’s unibody design.
Service Plan – It’s extremely tough to beat the track record of AppleCare.
Battery Life – It’s extremely tough to beat a MacBook Pro’s battery life of ~10 hours.

Bottom line? Macs make awesome PCs. Even though…

MacBooks don’t come with Blu-ray drives (instead, you can download HD content from the Internet, which most people do these days, anyway).
Some MacBooks don’t contain removable media card slots (although, you can get an ExpressCard media reader at any point).
MacBooks don’t have removable batteries (but this new series had taken measures to optimize life away from the power cable).

You can certainly save a *tiny* bit of money by going with another vendor, no doubt – but are you giving anything up by taking that route? You’re the one asking me about a MacBook Pro option, and I’m just laying out the facts for you (or anybody who takes the time to read this article).

Am I an “Apple Fanboy” just because I value quality hardware? Sure. Okay. Whatever. I can save you money with any choice via http://coupons.lockergnome.com/ – so I really don’t care what YOU buy – just be happy with the purchase, please? Get the hardware features you need AND love (and don’t break the bank in the process).

…but never fall victim to FUD.

Which MacBook Should I Get?

It’s Raining Laptops

Chris Pirillo — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 02:54:15 +0000

It’s Raining Laptops

You’re probably wondering where this laptop rain is at so that you can head over there and try to catch one as it falls. It’s actually not a good thing when laptops randomly fall from the sky, though. Someone could get hurt – or even killed. By now, you’re likely doubtful that such a thing is even possible. 10-year-old Grayson Peterka knows for a fact it is.

Grayson was attending a family picnic on Saturday evening when a laptop fell from the sky and landed only a few inches from him. Had he taken a single step in the nanosecond before the device hit the ground, it could have landed right on the child’s head. “At first you think its kind of humorous and then you think about it for a little bit and you go ‘Wow, he could have really got hurt,’” said his father Mike Peterka.

The family’s home sits three blocks and across the Mississippi River from St. Cloud Hospital. A Life LInk helicopter had just dropped a patient off and taken to the skies again. Apparently, a crew member failed to bring the notebook aboard. Instead, it was left sitting on the helicopter’s skid.

The hospital has apologized profusely, and the family knows that accidents do happen. They are very grateful that no one was harmed. However, the FAA is looking into the matter. While little Grayson may have something “cool” to tell his friends at school this week, this could have been a real disaster.

Photo credit to WCCO news.

It’s Raining Laptops

iPad vs Netbooks

Chris Pirillo — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 00:52:44 +0000

iPad vs Netbooks

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TechJohnson is a regular member of our live chat room. He recently asked if I thought that the iPad will “overtake” the market for netbooks. Keep in mind that an iPad isn’t technically a netbook before you even decide what your answer is going to be.

I happen to have both an iPad and a netbook… both purchased with my own hard-earned money. While the netbook I have certainly works, I rarely use it or take it with me anywhere. The keyboard is too small, and it’s just slow. All netbooks I’ve played around with seem to be sloooooooow. That’s not a good common denominator in my opinion.

The iPad is fast. It has a wealth of apps. You don’t have to worry about spyware or viruses. You can watch HD videos and browse the web. It’s clean and uncluttered with a great user experience.

I don’t know that the iPad is going to “kill” anything, though. It’s not a killer. It won’t displace notebooks, and it won’t displace netbooks. I do feel, however, that it has raised the bar for touch experience.

Apple doesn’t produce junk when it comes to hardware. The accessories are somewhat in question at times, but that’s better left for a different blog post. When it comes to hardware and devices, Apple definitely has it going on.

Depite all of its pros, the iPad won’t kill off iPhones or netbooks. It is a different type of device entirely.

I will go on record as saying that the iPad could possibly replace portable game consoles. I’ll go as far as to say that the iPad will triumph in mobile gaming in ways that the PSP and Nintendo DS never could. Mark my words… gaming is always the killer app. Am I wrong?

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iPad vs Netbooks

OLPC to Bring a $75 Laptop to the Market

Chris Pirillo — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 18:30:15 +0000

OLPC to Bring a $75 Laptop to the Market

Skeptics are busy bashing the newest idea from the One Laptop Per Child folks. Their last offering was the XO, which was clunky and childish looking. It works well for younger children, I’m sure. However, for anyone older than grade-school age, this simply isn’t an option.

OLPC is spreading images – and words – about their newest innovation – the XO-3. It isn’t targeted for release until 2012, so we should not be too skeptic at this point. We have no idea if they will be able to pull off what it is they’re attempting to do this time around. The plans call for a notebook that is thinner than an iPhone, and uses touch interface. It is purported to have every traditional feature found in a computer, save the 8.5-by-11-inch screen. Instead of a mouse and keyboard, there will be a virtual (touch) keyboard that the child can use.

The idea being OLPC is a very good one. I purchased one of these myself during the original offering. You buy a laptop for a child you know, and another one is sent free via OLPC to a child in a developing country who would otherwise likely never see a computer.

So, what do you think? Is this something that they are going to be able to pull off? Will the $75-dollar laptop become a reality sooner than we think? If so… is it going to be something that everyday computer users would be able to make use of?

OLPC to Bring a $75 Laptop to the Market

How are You Carving Your Pumpkin?

Chris Pirillo — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 15:26:32 +0000

How are You Carving Your Pumpkin?

It’s that time of year again… the time when my dogs like to play dress-up. I have to sit around looking like a normal dude, handing out candy and entertaining the masses on the live stream. Meanwhile, Wicket and Pixie get to have all the fun! How is that even right?

I love Halloween. It’s just a fun holiday, and a great way to be creative! I’ve been pondering how I’m going to carve my pumpkins. Should I go with something spooky, or something Geeky? Would I be better off trying to get super creative, or do you think I should stick with something simpler? How do you plan to decorate your pumpkins – and your house – this year?

I’ve noticed a lot of people in our community are already gearing up for ALL of the upcoming holidays. People are already talking about not only Halloween, but Thanksgiving and Christmas, as well! Can you believe it’s that late in the year already? I swear it was only a few weeks ago I was happy that summer was finally here. sighhhhhhhh…..

In any case, the end of the year is coming near! Let us know what kinds of plans you’re working on, and check out what others are doing to get some more inspiration.

As always, you can check out our downloads page to see what programs and apps are hot, fresh and (in some cases) even free! We are working hard to find excellent discounts and deals for you, so you won’t want to miss out.

How are You Carving Your Pumpkin?

Could all of Life’s Conveniences be Killing Us?

Chris Pirillo — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 11:19:42 +0000

Could all of Life’s Conveniences be Killing Us?

Reading this blog post on Geeks earlier stopped me dead in my tracks. I saw myself in what the author wrote, as I’m sure many of you will. He talks of how we have so many gadgets and gizmos to make our lives easier… and then wonders if it’s in fact making things more difficult:

People around the world are moving so fast, trying to do so much, that humanity as a whole is slowly choking itself with its own progress. We’re trying to cram so much into a day, so much into our minds that we don’t know how to do anything else. What we need to learn how to do, more than anything else, is to slow down. If you’re worried about progress, think about this, the best way to gain a clear perspective is to back away and let everything focus. People are supposed to smell the flowers that they plant. Just take some time to enjoy what mankind has done, rather than waste your time coming up with the next best thing that no one will take the time to enjoy.

All the ‘conveniences’ that we use and abuse only serve to get you to the next minute faster. Every inch of the way is packed with time savers that allow you to use more time savers. Just slow down, take a breath, get to know people, go to new places. Enjoy life before it passes you by, just to get to the next generation.

Wow. I’ve been pondering something very similar to this in my own life lately. That is why you’ve seen me out of the office more – trying to take time to relax and have fun. We tend to get so caught up in the daily grind of life that we often forget to live.

When is the last time you took a day completely “off”? I don’t just mean off of work… I mean OFF. OF. EVERYTHING. When did you put away all of your gadgets, your phone, your laptop and even your iPod and just chilled out? Can you even remember when it was, or what you might have done?

If you can’t bear to part with your computer, maybe you can take time out from working yourself into the ground, and enjoy what others are hard at work doing. They are writing excellent articles, like the one mentioned here, every day. They are sharing their thoughts with the world, and I sincerely hope you will consider doing the same. There’s something to be said for being able to write out what’s in your mind and heart, and it takes a very special type of person to be able to do so. The next time you’re stressing over the little things, and everything yet to do on your list, why not just let it all go and write? We’d love to have you join us on Geeks or Lockergnome.

Could all of Life’s Conveniences be Killing Us?

Cool Your Laptop with a Griffin Coupon!

Chris Pirillo — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 06:39:56 +0000

Cool Your Laptop with a Griffin Coupon!

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Just how cool are you? Is it cool in your room? Is your notebook computer cool? It may look cool, but is it running cool? You may need to have something that will keep it nice and chilled, such as the Elevator Fan by Griffin.

The Elevator Fan is really great. It comes in three parts that are simple to snap together. There are two metal legs with rubber on the feet (and on the top!), and a plastic piece that holds them together. That really is all there is. It lifts the notebook up off the desk to an ergonomic height of 5.5″, which matches most computer monitors. At the same time, it allows for 360 degree cooling!

So my friend Dave over at Griffin asked me if I wanted to pass on some excellent savings to all of you. DUH! If you use my Griffin link and enter the coupon code: PIRILLO88 – you will save yourself 10% off ANYTHING on the site!! How’s that for an amazing coupon?

Also, we’re going to be giving away a couple of Griffin products! If we get a lot of people to participate in this giveaway, we just might be able to get Dave to give away even more! Here’s what you need to do to win yourself an Elevator Fan:

Log in to your Twitter account, and tweet this out: I’m saving 25% off any Griffin Product with the PIRILLOGO coupon through http://go.tagjag.com/griffin – Yes, I’m a #griffingeek

I will pick one person to win an Elevator Fan of your very own! Let people know they can save money on any Griffin product, and keep your eyes open for more giveaways courtesy of the folks at Griffin.

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Cool Your Laptop with a Griffin Coupon!

How to Cool Your Laptop Notebook Computer

Chris Pirillo — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 05:37:57 +0000

How to Cool Your Laptop Notebook Computer

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It’s important to keep your notebook computer cool. It adds wear and tear to your machine when it gets too hot. I’ve gone through a few different notebook coolers, and done reviews on each of them. I’m seriously considering a switch to the Laptop Liftsthough!

Laptop Lifts are designed especially for the punishment that mobile laptop computer use can dish out. The unique shape and large size resist side to side force and will not pop off. Use your laptop on the tiniest coffee shop table or airline tray: it will not slip thanks to the large soft rubber feet.

Regular fans can work well, but passive cooling like Laptop Lifts is generally than external fan-based cooling. If you are running a fan from the computer’s USB port, you are using extra power. You will raise the operating temprature of the machine and run down your battery faster.

There are rubber grips that you stick on to the bottom of your notebook. There are a couple of longer pieces, and four shorter ones. You’re elevating the notebook in order to add both extra padding and airflow. If you set it on a desk, you’ll also help prevent scratching and scuffing!

The idea is rock-solid. I’m thinking about adding them to my primary notebook. I could likely still use an external cooler if I need to, but I’m definitely going to try to go without it. That will help clear up the clutter on my desk a bit!

Laptop Lifts are simply a practical and affordable answer to many of the issues that you will face when using a notebook – including keeping it cool!

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How to Cool Your Laptop Notebook Computer

HP Mini 1000 Unboxing and Review

Chris Pirillo — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 10:12:08 +0000

HP Mini 1000 Unboxing and Review

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A Netbook is like a subset of a Notebook. They’re ultra-portable, relatively affordable, and they have decent processing power. A Notebook has more than enough power, but do you really need one? The HP Mini 1000 is good for doing word processing and any other tasks you may need to do on the road. It has 1GB DDR2 RAM, a 60GB Hard Drive, and a 3 Cell Lithium battery. It has a webcam and microphone built in, so that you can easily make use of VoIP clients when you need to.

Ponzi has a slightly different HP Mini, designed by the very uber awesome Vivienne Tam. Hers is red, with Peonies all over it. It’s cool looking, I suppose. I just prefer black. Mine has swirls all over the case, but they aren’t like overwhelming. They just add a touch of pizazz to it.

So anyway, back on track! The screen resolution is netbook-sized… 1024×600. The keyboard is great, with regular-sized keys. I’m quite happy with that. The HP Mini certainly does make a viable contender. HP is trying to think more along lifestyle lines when it comes to their hardware designs.

Some of the notes I’ve made just in the few hours I spent with it include that they’ve made a few engineering mistakes. The keys in the lower-left corner of the keyboard are out of order. A lot of desktop keyboards may not have the Function key.. and having it where it is on this machine will cause you to mis-type often. When you move between computers, you want it to be seamless, and the keyboard is a large part of that. We don’t have time to adapt to different keyboards all the time!

Another thing that I picked up on is on the trackpad in the middle – they put the buttons on either side (mouse buttons). It’s a little weird to use it in that way. Who knows… once I get used to it, I may like it. For now though, it is just odd.

Another thing to note… I don’t think HP is being very competitive on price. I bought the MSI Wind, and this one was sent to me as a review unit. The Wind has a few more features, yet the price is lower. Heck, the MSI Wind even has a 6 cell battery, so it lasts much longer than this HP Mini will.

HP is leading the charge when it comes to design. I know Ponzi’s review is likely going to be much different than mine. She’s been complaining for a long time about all computers looking the same. At least now, she doesn’t have that to worry about. Her Mini sure stands out from the crowd.

Email me if you know of another netbook that I should review and compare against both this HP Mini, and the MSI Wind.

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HP Mini 1000 Unboxing and Review

MSI Wind Mini Laptop Netbook Notebook Computer

Chris Pirillo — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 09:30:07 +0000

MSI Wind Mini Laptop Netbook Notebook Computer

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The MSI Wind Notebook that I have here in my hot little hand is very lightweight. It has the Intel Atom 1.6GHz CPU, 1GB of Ram, and a 160GB hard drive. Oh – did I mention I have the black one?

The MSI Wind offers many features that make this notebook a portable laptop PC. The 10-inch screen has a 1024 x 600 resolution, which allows you to view entire web pages while online. The Wind is also equipped with a webcam and microphone, allowing you to interact with friends, family or co-workers while on the go.

Of course, I put my Chris logo sticker on the back of it. You can grab one for yourself if you choose to have a cool-looking sticker on your netbook!

It comes with a 6-cell battery. This allows it to run for about six hours. There’s also a 9-cell available, if you need to have it run longer.

I’m pretty happy with this little Netbook. I wasn’t really in the market for one, until I read an article about a variety of Netbooks. This thing is very neat, actually. The keyboard is not full-sized, however it’s only about 20% smaller than a normal one. I don’t like the fact that keys like the period, comma and slash keys are smaller than the other keys… which makes me typo frequently. I don’t like that, as it makes me less productive.

There are many Netbooks in this price range, which all do the basics. I can get online with this one, I can do some processing with this one. It will do anything I actually need it to do. Generally speaking, I can do quite a bit for hours on end without having to charge it.

I really like the MSI Wind. It works well, and does more than I need it to do. It even sleeps well! Just shut the lid, and it’s out like a light.

So there you have it, the skinny on the new MSI Wind Netbook. Why not pick one up for yourself today?

MSI Wind Deals:

Newegg - Great Deals on MSI Wind Netbooks starting at $309.99 (Posted on 12/28/08 and Expires on 12/31/15)

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MSI Wind Mini Laptop Netbook Notebook Computer

Do You Put Stickers and Skins on Your Hardware?

Chris Pirillo — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 08:52:04 +0000

Do You Put Stickers and Skins on Your Hardware?

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Yes, this is me you’re watching in this video. But that’s also me in the sticker on the back of my notebook. How awesome looking is that sticker? Customizing your notebook or hardware with skins or stickers not only makes them more fun – it also allows you to help identify them as yours. The sticker on the back of my Macbook came with a full skin. I uploaded a square image, instead of a circular one. So, it didn’t look right. I simply cut it out and made it look much better. Skinit allows you to customize your own skin.

Set yourself apart from the crowd with a Skinit Skin that reflects your tastes and passions. Choose from thousands of designs for thousands of devices, including professional sports leagues, entertainment, colleges, fashion, exclusive art and more.

Skinit is the leader in on demand personalization manufacturing, powering programs for computer manufacturers, wireless carriers, retailers, OEMs and other companies. Your skin will perfectly fit over 1,500 different wireless handsets, PDAs, iPods, notebook computers, gaming consoles and other devices.

Skinit offers the highest quality and most durable product in the market place. The Scotchprint Graphics 3M logo assures photo quality imaging, residue free removal and air bubble free application. The Skinit R and D team is dedicated to developing the best products possible with feedback from our customers, manufacturers, OEMs and service providers.

Even if you don’t need to deck out your hardware, maybe you’re buying something for a holiday gift. Why not personalize it to make it that much more special.

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Do You Put Stickers and Skins on Your Hardware?