Another delicious how-to
Who needs Live journal breaks when you have Adobe Acrobat? The link below leads to a 700 some-odd Kb PDF with all that you need to know to restore an overheating, auto-shut-downing Sony PCG-6xx series notebook PC. I have fixed a couple of these in the past, but never got around to documenting it until now. I do not know why, but people buy these
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Yeah, if you need portable power, it's going to cost you, but there are some solutions that are out there that are better than most. I.E. If you NEED desktop replacement, there are luggable laptops out there. Note I said luggable. For example, Dell XPS (No longer manufactured, but available used, factory recertified pre-owned or E-bay) is a sure winner. It IS a *full* desktop PC in laptop format. It weighs more than a super long skateboard though and is just as cumbersome to carry around. But the 16:9 high definition display with a REAL nVidia QuadroFX Mobile GPU or a halfway decent ATI FireGL Mobile really goes far. Also sporting modular design, one can easily slip upgrades to most major components and even additional Graphics RAM inside the covers. It even sports a lap quaking subwoofer in the battery plate. However, this comes at a price - it's noisy - there are no less than 3 fans to cool that beast. It's power hungry - I have never had one run longer than 45 minutes away from a wall outlet with full APM support. And if it gets slow and chunky - the CPU is a genuine Intel desktop socket, so upgrading is a breeze with OTS upgrades.
Other than that, look into a used Inspiron 8xxx series (pre Centrino) with a Mobile P-4. Centrino cuts the balls and power off of the chipset and CPU. Mine runs all day away from the power socket with full power savings APM. Mines’ a 2GHz P-4 mobile with 1 gig of RAM and 40 Gig HDD. More than enough to run Wi-Fi adapters, desktop applications and fetch e-mail abroad. It doubles as my truck's navigation and GPS system when bungeed to the center console. She's survived 2 years of bouncing around in a truck, cannot say that for many laptops out there just carried in a bag between classes.
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Though I dislike their flimsy design, HP makes a full series of AMD 32 and 64-bit portables. If you dig around, Sager white-boxes the same designs to much higher specifications at a substantial savings over buying a major brand label.
Want the ultimate and money is no object?
A cool $10,000 gets you a Sun Microsystems laptop with a 16" wide 16:9 display and all of the power and speed of their latest desktop offerings. Being a real SPARC-III Cu+ core inside, it does *everything* exactly the same as their SunFire crossbus systems do, except this one fits in a day bag. Like the XPS, it's a hog on battery power, but it is the ultimate 64-bit computing platform you can yank away from the desk. They have other, less costlier designs, but none can be touched for under $8k./piece. Internally, they are all fired up on high speed disk arrays, super fast and proprietary memory systems (Thus the extreme, desktop/server look-alike performance) and built on a supper tough, ultra light magnesium alloy chassis. Once you close the body shell up, you can hammer nails into a house frame-up all day with it and it will never suffer for it.
And if you really need durability on te go? Toshiba Satellite Pro "Toughbook" is the answer. When closed up and all the port flaps shut - she'll take immersion and salt spray. Open her up, wipe the screen and push the power button... a silicone, sealed membrane keyboard with the same exact tactile feel of a desktop keyboard lights up in the dark, like Macintosh G-series notebooks and Powerbooks. It’s weather hardened with an extended temperature range LCD that will still "do the twist" in sub-zero climates. Expect to pay 4-5K/piece for those depending on configuration. All modern ones are built on Mobile Intel Centrino. It has a handle on top of the display that can be pulled out and allows it to be carried like a very thin valise. The finish is a brushed lightweight alloy, very chic.
And then there is Cybersystems Online. They offer something much like the Toshiba Satellite Pro Toughbook, dubbed "Harsh Environment Portable Computer". When you close it up, she is SEALED. Sporting modular battery, drive and REAL but half length PCI slots, she is the most expandable and combat hardened notebook alive. Much like the Toshiba, they share backlit membrane keyboards, but theirs is pure silicon rubber. It's designed to be typed on when you are wearing ski gloves. So do not expect to be touch-typing here. Each one is tested at the factory in salt water immersion before being shipped. They can survive at depths up to 30 yards for 24 hours. So if you loose it when spear fishing, better find it the next day. :D These monstrosities start like Sun, at the $12K mark, but are fully x86 compatible with a choice of Intel and AMD OTS CPUs and non-proprietary memory systems. They run completely off of the same stuff you buy for your desktop, right down to the AGP 8x port for the LCD. They also offer optional Daylight bright LCD's in extended operating temperature ranges, and three different types of touch screens too - for when your fingers freeze up in your gloves. :D When the body shell is closed, she is lugged by a carry handle and looks like an average sized but slim briefcase. You have probably seen them in movies when the federales or the bad guys open up a case and there is a little pop-up computer inside. You now have an idea of what I am talking about. Imagine showing up to class like with that? It doubles as a cinder block when you have to swap tires on the truck, it too is built on a super tough skeleton and skin that is nearly indestructible when it’s closed.
(so big, I had to reply twice!)
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