Chapter 19Portable Computing

MELJUN CORTESMELJUN CORTES

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved

OverviewIn this chapter, you will learn to

Describe the many types of portable computing devices available

Enhance and upgrade portable computers

Manage and maintain portable computers

Troubleshoot portable computers

CompTIA A+Essentials

Essentials

Getting the Right Sound Card

Portable Computing Devices

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved

LCD ScreensMajor contributor to cost

Most range from 12 inch to 17 inchAspect ratio changing from 4:3 standardFor comparison, 16:9 is standard for

widescreen16:10 is the standard for 17-inch LCD screen

Mode Name ResolutionXGA eXtended Graphics Array 1024 x 768SXGA Super eXtended Graphics Array 1280 x 1024SXGA+ Super eXtended Graphics Array Plus 1400 x 1050WSXGA+ Widescreen SXGA Plus 1680 x 1050UXGA Ultra eXtended Graphics Array 1600 x 1200WUXGA Widescreen UXGA 1920 x 1200

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved

LCD ScreensTwo types of finishes

MatteTraditional standardReduces glareWashes out a lot in bright lightHopeless in bright daylight

High GlossRelatively newOffers sharper contrast, richer colors and

wider viewing angles

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved

Desktop ReplacementsTypical laptops can function as a fully

standalone PC Can be used as a

desktop replacement

Input devicesTrackballs on early laptops IBM’s TrackPoint—pencil eraser–sized

joystick in the middle of the keyboardTouchpads

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved

Desktop ExtendersDesktop extenders are portable devices

Not intended to take the place of a desktop

Think of them as a smaller, lighter, less-powerful laptop for less intensive use

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved

PDAsPersonal digital assistants (PDAs)

Tiny, handheld portable computing devices

Address book, personal notes, appointments, word processors, image viewers

Often use handwriting recognition with a pen-style stylus for pen-based computing

Use specialized OS such as Windows CE, PocketPC, PalmOS, and Linux

Made by Palm, Sony, Toshiba, Hewlett-Packard, Microsoft, and other companies

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved

PDA FeaturesHotSync

Can synchronize data between PDA and office PC

PalmOS calls it HotSync

BeamingPDAs typically have IR portsCan transfer data (beam) between PDAs

PDA MemoryInternal flash ROM of 1 MB or moreCompactFlash cards that are

removable and upgradeable for removable storage needs

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved

Tablet PCsCombines handwriting benefits of PDAs

with power of traditional laptops

Use a stylus to write

Applications can use digital ink to capture pen strokes

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved

Portable Computer Device Types

Screen Size Weight Uses

Desktopreplacements

14–20 inches 8–12 lbs Mobile anything

Desktop extenders

10–14 inches 4 lbs Presentations, note taking

Ultralights 6–12 inches 2–3 lbs Long-term traveling

Tablet PCs 10–12 inches 4 lbs Niche market

Ultra-mobile PCs

4–7 inches 1–2 lbs Niche market

PDAs 3–4 inches 1 lb Organization

PDA phones 2 niches < 1 lb Eliminates cell phone

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved

IT Technician

CompTIA A+Technician

Enhance and Upgrade the Portable PC

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved

PC Cards PC Cards are commonly known as the

Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA)Hot-swappable devices Easy to use, inexpensive, and convenient

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved

PC CardsParallel PC Cards

16-bit or CardBus (32-bit 3.3V cards)Three sizes: Type I (thinnest), II, and III

(thickest)Cards can have one or many functions

ExpressCardHigh-performance serial versionCan connect to USB 2.0 slot (480 Mbps) or

PCIe (2.5 Gbps)

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved

Card Types

Type Length Width Thickness Typical Use

Type I 85.6 mm 54 mm 3.3 mm Flash memory

Type II 85.6 mm 54 mm 5.0 mm I/O (modem, NIC, etc.)

Type III 85.6 mm 54 mm 10.5 mm Hard drives

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved

PC Cards Two levels of software drivers

Socket servicesDevice drivers that enable the system to detect when a PC

Card is inserted or removedProvide necessary I/O to the deviceStandardized and handled by the system BIOS

Card servicesRecognize the function of a particular PC Card and provide

the specialized drivers required to make the card workHandled by WindowsAccessed via PCMCIA option in Control Panel

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved

Limited-Function PortsAll portable PCs and many PDAs come with

a variety of portsVGA connection for hooking up an external

monitorPS/2 port for an external keyboard or mouseBuilt-in NICs and modems for network support

All of these work the same as in desktop PCs

Video ports External monitor, projector,

or a combination of both

Speaker portsExtra function key

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved

General-Purpose Ports Legacy ports

PS/2, RS-232

USB and FireWireWork same as in PC

Port replicators Plug into a single port Offer common PC ports

such as serial, parallel, network, and PS/2

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved

Docking StationsGives laptops access to PC resources

Large monitors, regular mice, network connections, and full-size keyboards

Provides an easy way to take your laptop in and out of the office

Basically a port replicator with extra features such as a DVD drive or PC Card slots

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved

Replacing RAMNo standard method

You usually have to unscrew or pop open a panel on the underside of the portable

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved

Shared MemoryReduces cost of video cards

Reduces amount of memory on the video card

Shared memory technologiesTurboCache (NVIDIA)HyperMemory (ATI)

System RAM will report less RAM availableNot shared as much as taken from OSOnce taken, OS no longer has access to the

RAM

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved

The Modular Laptop Common components that can be replaced

or upgraded in a portable PC

Hard drives2.5-inch ATA drives most commonCable select often requiredOtherwise the same as regular

3.5-inch drives

Modular CPUs Just replace with a newer module from Intel or AMD

Video cardsLeast standardized

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved

The Modular Laptop Common components that can be replaced

or upgraded in a portable PC

Modular DrivesCD-ROM, DVD-ROM, CD-R/W, hard drives

Mobile NICs and Mini PCIMost laptops have dial-up modems and EthernetMany also come with integrated wireless networking

supportMany devices can be toggled on and off with key

combinations such as FN-F2

Managing and Maintaining Portable Computers

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved

MaintenanceEverything you normally do to maintain a

PC applies to portable PCs

Windows patches and Service PacksUpgrading driversCHKDSKScanDiskDefragmentDisk Cleanup

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved

Batteries Three types of commonly used batteries

Nickel-Cadmium (Ni-Cd)Nickel-Metal Hydride (Ni-MH)Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion)

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved

Nickel-Cadmium BatteriesNickel-Cadmium (Ni-Cd) batteries

First batteries commonly used in mobile PCs

Battery memory is the tendency of a Ni-Cd battery to lose a significant amount of its recharge ability

Conditioning charge could sometimes resolve battery memory problem

At best, can only be recharged about 1000 times

Toxic—dispose of at recycling centers

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved

Nickel Metal Hydride Nickel Metal Hydride (Ni-MH) batteries

Next generation of mobile PC batteries

Less susceptible to memory problems and last longer between recharges

Still susceptible to heat

Popular replacement for Ni-Cd systems

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved

Lithium Ion Lithium Ion batteries

Most common type of battery used todayPowerfulCompletely immune to memory problemsBuilt-in circuitry to prevent accidental

overcharging

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved

Other Portable Power Sources

Smart batteries Tell the computer when they need to be

charged, conditioned, or replaced

Fuel cellsPromising new technology that could power a

laptop for up to 40 hours before refillingHasn’t yet reached the consumer market

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved

Battery Maintenance Batteries should be stored in a cool place

Ni-Cd and Ni-MH batteries should be conditioned by using a special charger

Battery contacts should be kept clean using a little alcohol or dry cloth

Used or old batteries should be recycled

Power Management

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved

Power Management Power management goals

Shut down unused devices selectively

Define a maximum period of inactivity

Shut down the entire system during longer periods of inactivity

Ready to restart if triggered by a wake-up event

Sensitive to potential hazards like shutting down the hard drive in the middle of a write operation

Keep the system cost about the same

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved

System Management ModeSystem Management Mode (SMM)

Set of features that enables the CPU to slow down or stop its clock without deleting information

Stops the CPU and all of the peripherals

Requires a specialized BIOS and OS

To further power management capabilities, Intel introduced Advanced Power Management (APM) in 1992 Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) in 1996

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved

Requirements for APM/ACPI APM and ACPI require the following in order

to function properly

An SMM-capable CPU

APM-compliant BIOS

Devices that will accept being shut off (“Energy Star”)

A system OS that knows how to request the shutdown of a particular device

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved

APM/ACPI Levels Full On

No power management—everything running

APM EnabledCPU and RAM running at full powerUnused devices may or may not be shut down

APM StandbyCPU is stopped (can easily be restarted)RAM still stores all the programsAll peripherals are shut down

APM SuspendEverything is shut down or at its lowest power-consumptionHibernation (stores everything in RAM on the hard drive

before powering down)

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved

APM/ACPI ConfigurationCMOS settings Windows

Overrides CMOS settings

Display applet in Control Panel Settings Advanced

Monitor tab

Power Management applet in Control Panel

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved

Configuration of APM/ACPI— Windows

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved

Cleaning & HeatCleaning

Use a screen cleaner to clean the LCD screen (not a glass cleaner)

Use compressed air to clean out the keyboard and PC Card sockets

HeatUse power managementKeep air space between the bottom of the laptop and the

surface it sits onDon’t use a keyboard protectorListen for fan running a lot or stopping

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved

Protect the MachineProtect your investment with best practices

Tripping Watch the power cord

Storage Protect from damage and dirt

Travel Remember foreign power is 230 V

Shipping Protect from damage and theft

Security Protect from theft

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved

TroubleshootingLaptop won’t power on

Verify the outlet is goodVerify the adapter is goodRemove all peripherals

Screen doesn’t come on properlyMake sure the display is onPress FN key combination to activate the screen

Wireless networking doesn’t workCheck for physical or software switch to turn it onEnsure you’re in range

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved

TroubleshootingHandwriting is not recognized

May need to retrain the digitizer

Keypad doesn’t workProbably unseated keypad connectorCheck manufacturer’s disassembly

procedures

Touchpad doesn’t workClean with compressed airMay need to reconfigure touchpad driver

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved

Beyond A+Intel’s Centrino Technology

Extremely low powerFast CPUsIntegrated wireless networking

Origami—Ultra-Mobile PCs (UMPC)Small form factor tablet PCRuns full-fledged OS such as

Windows XP or Vista

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved