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NOTEBOOK PC PC : DISCUSSION

Child-Proofing Your PC
Posted in Notebook PC | September 27, 2009 7pm

In my last post here on the WePC site, I discussed some security-related notebook features and wrote of nefarious characters and physically protecting a PC and its data. But there is a whole other aspect to PC security that requires a totally different mindset and entirely different solutions to the problems at hand--child-proofing a PC.
I recently had a beautiful baby girl, and plan to foster any and every tech-centric idea that enters her head. My parents did that for me and my passion for computers turned into a fantastic career. But things are very different today. Back when I was a youngster banging away on a keyboard, cutting notches into 5.25" floppies to make them double-sided was about as scandalous as computing could be. Today though, a misspelled word in a URL could result in a barrage or pornography pop-up, or worse. Setting a kid free on a PC and the Internet today is just plain scary.

Whoa! That's Not The WePC Site!
At the very least, parents should monitor a child's activities when using a PC. Creating a restricted account for the child is also a good idea, as is blocking known bad URLs and keywords via a broadband router's security configuration menus (most modern routers have this ability built-right in). Only allowing a child to use the PC at certain times is also smart move. And installing a child-safe browser is a no-brainer.
These are just some thoughts that have entered my head as a new parent with virtually no experience, however. I'd be very interested to hear what you tech-savvy parents out there have done to protect your children when using a PC or otherwise browsing the web, and I'm sure there are others out there like me that would like to hear from you as well.
What have you done to protect your children and do you have any tips and tricks for the rest of us? Inquiring minds want to know...

NOTEBOOK PC PC : DISCUSSION

Notebook Security Explored
Posted in Notebook PC | September 13, 2009 8pm

An unfortunate reality that all road warriors have to contend with is the relative ease at which a nefarious character could steal data or even an entire notebook. Their small form factors, coupled with the fact that they're often used while in transit, means notebooks are a prime target for theft.
To date, most notebook manufacturers try help users combat theft incorporating only basic deterrents into their machines, like BIOS level passwords, Kensington-compatible lock ports, and fingerprint scanners. And while these devices do offer some level of protection, there are many things that can, and perhaps should, be done to better protect mobile users.
If you've already got a notebook, at the very least, you should be setting strong passwords, using software firewalls and anti-malware software, and using whatever built-in mechanisms are already incorporated into your notebook to protect the machine itself and its data. For new and upcoming notebooks, however, there are a number of useful items I'd love to see offered as standard equipment.

For example, custom fit, removable screen guards, that only allow viewing the screen from a certain angle would be quite useful for some users and could prevent data theft due to shoulder-surfing. Also, hardware-level hard drive encryption would be a huge plus--who knows how many trade / government secrets, SSNs and Credit Card numbers could have already been kept out of the hands of shady characters, had the drives on the notebooks that had been stolen to obtain them had been encrypted. As an aside, I'd love to see newer notebooks ship with easily removable, encrypted hard drive enclosures--when not in use, the drives could be easily separated from the notebook and stored in another location for another layer of security.
Another feature that would be incredibly useful is some sort of hardware-level homing signal, that transmits the notebook's location anytime its connected to a network--regardless of whether the OS has booted. Some machines have similar features built in and there are applications available that work similarly, but something that works even if the notebook's hard drive has been removed and wiped clean would be immensely useful.
There are dozens of other things I could list as well, but I'm interested in what you all have to say. What steps do you take to keep your notebook safe? Are there any tips or tricks you could share that may come in handy for other users?  And what type of features would you like to see available in a future notebook? Now's the time to tell...

NOTEBOOK PC PC : DISCUSSION

Your Thoughts On Dual-Screen Notebooks
Posted in Notebook PC | August 31, 2009 8am

Over the course of my tenure contributing here on the WePC site, I've spend most of my time blathering on about what I'd like to see in a notebook. I've written about various docking station possibilities, storage options, input device features, form factors, gaming notebooks, and most recently dual-screens. For this post, however, I'd like to do something just a little bit different.
The WePC website is all about getting input and feedback from you, the reader, on what you'd like to see in the notebook. But I'd like to engage you all more directly and ask some specific questions about dual-screen notebooks, about how you'd use a dual-screen notebook, or if you'd even use one at all...

The gScreen Spacebook sports a pair of 15.6" LCDs
I guess, first and foremost I should ask how important having a dual screen is to you? Would you say it's very important, somewhat important, not important, or are you indifferent to the subject? Personally, I'd really dig a dual-screen laptop implemented properly--the upcoming gScreen Spacebook, which features a pair of sliding 15.6" screens could be a candidate.
If you would be interested in a dual-screen notebook, how would you use it? And in what ways do you think in could enhance your computing needs? I know the increased desktop real-estate would certainly help me when working in applications like Photoshop or Excel.
Finally, What is your ideal size, weight and thickness for a dual-screen notebook?  What screen size do you think would work best?  Obviously, incorporating an addition LCD is going to as some weight and thickness to the notebook.  At what point would you consider the notebook to be too thick? Or too heavy? For me, the thickness of the machine is less important than its weight.  I suspect many of you are like me, in that you absolutely love the look and sleekness of ultra-thin notebooks, but short of the aesthetic appeal, thinness isn't really a necessity.  A comfortable to carry weight, however, is extremely important--lugging around 13lbs+ of dead weight doesn't appeal to me in the least. Under 8lbs though, that I could live with.  How about you?
Once you've formulated your thoughts in regard to dual or even multi-screen notebooks, I'd also suggest checking out the WePC Contest page. Answer a few questions there as well and you could win some very cool prizes.

NOTEBOOK PC PC : DISCUSSION

Double-Vision: Is There Room For Dual-Screen Notebooks?
Posted in Notebook PC | August 17, 2009 1pm

On the desktop front, users of dual monitors typically rave about the increased screen real-estate afforded by a second screen. It is not  uncommon to hear dual-monitor users to say that they would never go back to using a single screen. But in the mobile space, dual screens have been more of a novelty than anything else, at least for the most part.
The problem is, most dual-screen notebooks haven't been outfitted with the type of secondary screen that would increase desktop real estate. Instead, the second screen has been nothing more than a Windows Sideshow display, that's used for little more than e-mail and media player notifications. It seems having dual screens meant something very different in the mobile and desktop arenas.
Somewhat recently though, Lenovo finally got it right. Instead of slapping a tiny secondary Sideshow screen on a notebook, Lenovo actually integrated a second, retractable 10.6" LCD into their W700ds, that worked in concert with the notebook's main display. When the secondary screen is engaged, the Windows desktop area is automatically expanded, and the additional pixels afforded by the display can be used for virtually anything--docking tools in Photoshop, keeping IM and e-mail clients open, you name it.

The Lenovo W700ds Dual-Screen DTR Notebook
While the Lenovo W700ds' secondary screen wasn't perfect, I think Lenovo got the implementation right. Instead of adding a gimmicky, additional element to a notebook, that just so happens to display pixels, Lenovo integrated a secondary screen that could actually be used to increase productivity. If other notebook manufacturers use Lenovo as the model, I believe there could be some exciting possibilities. With a larger, brighter secondary screen on a more mobile-oriented machine (think sub 15.6"), a dual screen notebook could offer enough resolution to make editing high-res photos more palatable on the go. And in a gaming oriented notebook, integrating three screens ala the W700ds--one on each side of the main LCD--could open up some very interesting possibilities for gamers. Surround-View on the go, here we come!
What are your thoughts? Would you use a notebook with dual-screens? Or even seek out a machine with dual-screen over a standard single-screen notebook? Inquiring minds want to know...