yardstick

The Top 10 SEO Mistakes ~ #1: Keyword Research

BOSTON AVIDEA TSU-501 HOME THEATER SYSTEM $100.00

SONY DZV-HDX285 1000W ~8 PIECES~ HOME THEATER SYSTEM! $229.95

NEW KEF KHT1005.2 5.1CH HOME THEATER SPEAKER SYSTEM BLK $699.90

After the huge success of Avatar, with its undeniable eye candy, serious conversations have started about bringing three dimensions to the home theater. And according to recent reports, it looks like Sony is among the first to actually move on this. Sony recently announced that their newest home theater models will be 3D-compatible. At this point, we’re only talking about the receiver and speaker systems, but just that fact that compatibility is built in seems to confirm Sony’s commitment to the new technology.

In separate (but obviously related) news, Sony also announced that a firmware update for the PS3 would soon be released, giving their premier gaming platform (along with its Blu-ray DVD player) 3D compatibility as well.

So how will 3D TV work at home? Well, pretty much the same way it works in the theater. When we look at the world around us, our brain merges the information from both eyes to create one picture. The difference between the visual information from each eye is what allows our brain to computer as depth. So it’s a simple matter for a human to distinguish which items are near and far way.

Three-dimensional entertainment essentially tricks the brain into thinking that it is receiving slightly different images from each eye so that it will create depth in the image we see. That’s why you have to wear 3D glasses at the movie theater, with each lens a different color. The movie is then printed with two differently colored images on top of each other, and we’re fooled into thinking things are flying out at us.

So what does this mean for home systems. Unfortunately the glasses are going to be with us for a while longer. But they’ll be way more comfortable and stylish than the throwaway glasses we get handed at the box office. The two different colors will probably be replaced with a more complicated and more effective way of filtering the images and creating the sense of 3D.

The introduction of 3D televisions is still months away. But these recent moves by Sony signal that 3D is definitely on the way.

BOSTON AVIDEA TSU-501 HOME THEATER SYSTEM $100.00

SONY DZV-HDX285 1000W ~8 PIECES~ HOME THEATER SYSTEM! $229.95

NEW KEF KHT1005.2 5.1CH HOME THEATER SPEAKER SYSTEM BLK $699.90

HDMI Cable for 1080P HT-S5200 Home Theater System $3.50

Yamaha YSP-4100 Home Theater Sound Bar System Speakers $1,209.99

Onkyo HT-S3200 Home Theater System $245.00

Sharp SD-AT1000 600 Watt Home Theater Audio System $134.78

RCA 250W DVD Home Theater System with 1080p Upconvert $90.99

RCA 250W DVD Home Theater System with 1080p Upconvert $89.99

RCA 250W DVD Home Theater System with 1080p Upconvert $89.99

7.2 CH Dual Woofer Surround Sound Home Theater System $144.95

JVC TH-C60 Home Theater System BRAND NEW $400.00

HDMI Cable for 1080P HT-S5200 Home Theater System $3.50

Panasonic SC-PT480P-K CD/DVD Home Theater system – NEW $144.95

SONY DZV-HDX285 1000W ~8 PIECES~ HOME THEATER SYSTEM! $229.95

NEW VGA TO S-VIDEO / RCA COMPOSITE CABLE CORD ADAPTER $3.84

VGA PC TO S-VIDEO RCA TV AV OUT CONVERTER ADAPTER CABLE $3.84

S-Video HD AV Component Cable Lead For Sony PS2 PS3 NEW $1.00

It’s amazing how much streaming content is available online, and more is being added every day. YouTube, Netflix, cable channels, and now even the old traditional broadcast networks are streaming their content over the web. This is even better than TiVo or a DVR because all these programs are just waiting for you to view on-demand.

But you probably already know how difficult it is to have everyone gather around a laptop to watch something. The whole point of a laptop or notebook is to have something small and light. So there is usually not a huge screen for everyone to watch. And if you have a netbook, forget it. You might be able to share that video with one close friend.

Obviously the best solution is to connect your laptop to a TV. The laptop serves up content from the Internet, and the TV displays it so that everyone can see it. Hooking up your laptop to your TV will depend on what kind of outputs you have on the laptop and what kind of inputs you have on your TV or video receiver.

The kinds of inputs and outputs that will be avilable really depends a lot on the age of your laptop or television. If you have a brand-new fully loaded laptop, there’s a good chance it has an HDMI output. Pair that up with a brand-new flatscreen with HDMI inputs and all you will need is one of those very simple (but remarkably expensive) HDMI cables.

Your next best bet in terms of quality is S-video. Both S-video inputs and outputs are round black sockets with an arrangement of holes for the S-video plug pins. You can find S-video cables in many different stores, including the big discount stores like Wal-Mart or Target. The only problem with S-video is that it doesn’t contain audio information. If you want the audio to play through the television speakers you’ll have to get an additional plug for that. Unless you have stereo audio output on your laptop — which is unlikely — then you need to find a cable that goes from a stereo headphone plug to “RCA” plugs. RCA plugs are usually red for the right stereo channel and white for the left.

Some laptops might have an RCA video out, which will look pretty much like the yellow plug on the back of many old VCRs. That’s another way you can get the video to your TV. You’ll need an audio cable for this solution too.

Those are the basic options for connecting your laptop to a TV. There may be other ways, or sometimes you can mix and match. If you would like to share your solution or you are stuck with a combination you can’t figure out, leave a comment below.

Micro HDMI type D Cable Adapter For Sprint HTC Evo 4G $5.59

5 Premium 1.3 Gold 6 ft HDMI Cable for PS3 1080p HDTV $17.02

New Premium HDMI 1.3 1080p Gold Cable 6 ft for PS3 HDTV $3.89

2x Premium 35FT 24K Gold HDMI Cable 1080p 1.3b for HDTV $22.99

HDMI Angle Adapter & 6ft HDMI Cable For Xbox360 PS3 LCD $7.19

3FT HDMI Cable HDTV 1.3 1080p For XBox 360 Elite 1M $4.65

10 ft FLAT HDMI Cable 1.3 Gold For PS3 DVD Bluray HDTV $4.55

Gold 6 ft HDMI 1.3 Cable for PS3 Blu-Ray Xbox 360 Elite $3.99

2 HDMI Cable 10 ft v 1.3 1080P FOR PS3 DVD TO LCD HDTV $12.99

6 FT Premium Blk 1.4 m/m HDMI Cable for PS3 LCD HDTV $4.80

Optical Audio Adapter For XBOX 360 HDMI AV Cable Gaming $5.99

5x 3M 10FT HDMI Cable 1.3 Cable 24 Gold For 1080p HDTV $18.99

6x 3FT HDMI Cable 1.3 for 1080p HDTV Plasma PS3 Bluray $10.49

4x 6 ft HDMI Cable Premium 1.3b Gold For 1080P PS3 HDTV $13.53

Ultra High Speed 1.4 HDMI 1.3 Cable 12 ft GOLD PS3 24K $7.99

Garmin 76cs Plus Handheld GPS (West Marine Version) $310.00

GARMIN GPS12 HAND HELD PORTABLE GPS 12 CHANNEL RECEIVER $61.00

*NEW* GARMIN COLORADO 400t HANDHELD NAVIGATOR GPS $289.90

Can you imagine living without GPS systems? I can’t. And that’s saying something because I do remember when we had to live without them. Of course, you can’t miss something that you never had, so not having GPS wasn’t something that bothered me. I suppose I could go back to reading maps. But I sure wouldn’t want to.

GPS stands for Global Positioning System. Over the past couple of decades GPS has evolved from a military targeting and navigation system, to experimental gadgets for geeks, to an indispensable technology that has integrated itself into our daily lives.

Of course, it was only natural that GPS systems would become a part of navigating our way on the roads. Not that long ago, a road atlas could be found in every car. Remember those AAA Trip-Tiks (a custom-made strip map for your road trip)? Those items are a thing of the past as even the most basic four-wheelers have built-in navigation systems. Today’s high end auto GPS systems even route you around traffic jams and warn you of construction. Tomorrow’s systems will be talking to each other, with the GPS units in cars ahead of you signaling back to your car that they are slowing down ahead.

Of GPS isn’t always perfect. More than once I have sat idling next to an empty field while my GPS resolutely repeats “You have reached your destination.” Maybe the GPS units of the next generation could come with a camera so they could see what I see and maybe reconsider.

One of my favorite features on a GPS is probably one of the simplest. I like the arrival time display. Whenever someone at my destination begins to wonder when I will arrive and calls me on my cell phone, I can announce with a reasonable degree of certainty, “I will be there at 8:13!” I’ll admit I couldn’t do that without a map.

So I suppose these new-fangled gadgets are here to stay. In fact, they are well on their way to becoming standard equipment for trips of any length. Even if you believe you’d rather pass on this tech marvel, you should probably try it out. You may find that you enjoy having a little more direction in your life.

TOMTOM ONE 130-S CAR GPS NAVIGATION 130s – US/CANADA $79.95

Garmin nuvi 1350 4.3″ Car GPS Navigation w/ Case $119.90

5.0 SLIM GPS CAR NAVIGATION TOUCH MP3 MP4 2GB NEW MAP $23.99

CHRYSLER DODGE JEEP GPS REC NAVIGATION DVD AD $44.99

New 4.3″ TouchScreen GPS Navigation MP3/4+2GB Card+Map $24.99

4.3″ BLUETOOTH CAR GPS NAVIGATION MP3 FM 2GB TF NEW MAP $23.99

4.3″car GPS Navigation FM map 2G SD card Video mp3 mp4 $51.01

Insignia NS-NAV01 Portable GPS Navigation 4.3in $36.00

5.0″ BLUETOOTH AV-IN CAR GPS NAVIGATION MP3 2GB NEW MAP $24.99

GARMIN NUVI 855 AUTO GPS NAVIGATION 4.3 MP3 LATEST MAPS $132.99

GARMIN NUVI 255 PORTABLE CAR GPS NAVIGATION SYSTEM $89.99

MAGELLAN ROADMATE 1440 AUTOMOTIVE GPS NAVIGATION SYSTEM $51.00

RD04 Radar Detector and GPS Navigation ALL-IN-ONE NICE $200.00

5.0″ Slim GPS NAVIGATION FM 2GB Map MP4 TOUCH SCREEN $24.99

GARMIN NUVI 855 4.3″ GPS NAVIGATION + HARD SHELL CASE $135.90

Linksys® Cisco WRT160N Wireless Network FAST N Router $44.97

Linksys® Wireless N Router | ULTRA RANGE WiFi Network $47.97

Linksys wireless router modem WAG54G ver. 2 v2 $20.00

I am still amazed every time I view the available wireless networks in my neighborhood. There must be at least 15 home networks in range of my feeble little laptop. Some of them are secure, but too many of them are not. And what’s worse, I can even identify some of my neighbors by the name of their wireless router!

Come on, people. You can’t count on honesty and discretion of strangers today. Securing your wireless router is not difficult. Basically you can do three different things. Encrypt the communications to and from your router. Hide the ID of your router. And to be super safe, you can restrict access to specific computers or other devices. Let’s review just how simple this is.

For all of these adjustments to your router, you will need to log into the administration panel. If you’ve never logged in before, then there will be a default login and password. Each manufacturer and each router model tends to follow a different convention, so you may need to check the manual or look online.

Once you’ve signed into your router, the first thing you can do is add an encryption key. This option should be available under “wireless security” settings. You can choose a type of encryption (there are several, depending on the age of your router). Double-check to make sure your computer can use the same type. And make the password something difficult to guess. In fact, it doesn’t even need to be easy to remember. Think up something difficult and write it down somewhere.

Another easy security enhancement is to stop broadcasting the SSID of your router. The SSID is the name that identifies your wireless router. Again, it probably came with some default value from the factory. The thing you should do is change the SSID to something unique. Try to be creative: if your name is Bob, don’t name it “Bob’s Router.” Once you’ve changed the SSID, look for a check box to check or uncheck so that you no longer broadcast the SSID. That will keep casual hackers and nosy neighbors from even realizing the network exists.

Finally, if you want to go really hard-core, you can restrict access to specific devices. You do this my entering the “MAC” ID of each device that is allowed to connect. MAC stands for “media access control” and it is a unique code for each piece of hardware that has wireless capabilities. All you do is write down the MAC addresses of your laptops, smart phones and anything else that might connect to your wireless and enter them into the appropriate place in your router control panel. Then anyone else that wants to connect comes face to face with a virtual “bouncer.” If they ain’t on the list, they don’t get into the party.

There you go. Your wireless network is now nice and secure. The great thing is that after you get it set up, you shouldn’t have to mess with it much in the future. Don’t you wish everything could be like that?

Verizon VersaLink 7501 Wireless 802.11b/g Router $0.01

Wireless Network Antenna 6dbi 4 LINKSYS Router/PCI CARD $6.97

Verizon VersaLink 7501 Wireless 802.11b/g Router $0.01

FOR PCI CARD ROUTER WIRELESS 5dB SMA NETWORK ANTENNA $3.79

Buffalo WHR-G54S Wireless Router DD-WRT installed $14.01

AS IS NETGEAR WGR614V10 54MBPS 4-PORT WIRELESS ROUTER $0.98

Cisco Linksys WRT310N Wireless-N Gigabit Router $34.99

Wireless Internet Antenna 4 BELKIN or Netgear? Router $6.97

Linksys Model WRT300N V1 Wireless-N Broadband Router $20.50

D-link DIR-615 Wireless Router very good $19.99

NETGEAR WGR614 Cable/DSL Wireless Router $10.00

NetGear WPN824 Wireless Router $20.00

AT&T 2wire 2701HG-B Wireless DSL Modem /Router 2701 $34.00

Buffalo AirStation WHR-HP-G54 Wireless Cable/DSL Router $19.00

SUPER Wireless Net SPeeD Boost Antenna 4 Any Router NEW $6.97

LINKSYS WireLess Network USB Desktop PC G Adapter Card $19.97

1 HP DC7100 P4 3.0 GHZ DESKTOP COMPUTER PC XPP 17″ LCD $169.99

1 HP DC7100 P4 3.0 GHZ DESKTOP COMPUTER PC XPP 17″ LCD $169.99

My parents have a problem. They don’t understand the breakneck pace of tech innovation. Years and years ago, they bought an Apple IIe computer. They had decided it was time to buy a computer, so they bought one. Sometime after that, when I suggested they needed to upgrade to something newer, I got this reaction from them like “we already bought a computer and it still works.” Anyway, they finally upgraded to a desktop PC (Apple fans, I’m not saying anything by using the word “upgrade”).

So now their second computer is seriously in the dust when it comes to computing. Old everything, not enough memory, not enough disk space (who thought we’d need more than 500 megabytes?). We start talking upgrade, and again I get this “What!?! Are we going to have to buy one of these every few years?”

Well….yes. Never think of your computer as an asset. A computer in today’s world is designed to be used for a while, then trashed and replaced with the next level up. It just doesn’t sound right to people grounded in tradition, but there’s no real tradition for technological change that happens as fast as it does today.

So how do you decide which computer to buy next? Start by figuring out if you want a desktop, laptop or netbook. Desktops give you the most “bang for the buck” performance-wise. You can get faster processing, more storage and more memory for less money than any other configuration. But it has to stay at home. And plugged in.

A laptop is the middle ground in this scenario. Medium price, medium performance. You can take it with you, but it still might be heavy. The battery will last for a couple of hours, but you’ll need to plug in eventually.

Netbooks are the new thing, smaller than laptops. So-so performance in most cases. No drives for CDs or DVDs. But their tiny size makes them ultra-portable. Their ability to access the web means you can download most of the content you need. Of course, they’re great for updating Facebook and Twitter. And netbook batteries last from six to eight hours.

To be sure, there are other decisions involved in buying a new computer, but this is the most basic. Once you decide on size and portability, many of the following decisions will get easier. But don’t get too attached to whatever you buy, because…that’s right, in a few years you’ll be doing it again.

LINKSYS WireLess Network USB Desktop PC G Adapter Card $19.97

1 HP DC7100 P4 3.0 GHZ DESKTOP COMPUTER PC XPP 17″ LCD $169.99

1 HP DC7100 P4 3.0 GHZ DESKTOP COMPUTER PC XPP 17″ LCD $169.99

1 HP DC7100 P4 3.0 GHZ DESKTOP COMPUTER PC XPP 17″ LCD $169.99

1 HP DC7100 P4 3.0 GHZ DESKTOP COMPUTER PC XPP 17″ LCD $169.99

1 HP DC7100 P4 3.0 GHZ DESKTOP COMPUTER PC XPP 17″ LCD $169.99

1 HP DC7700 CORE 2 DUO DESKTOP COMPUTER PC XP 17″ LCD $249.99

1 HP DC7700 CORE 2 DUO DESKTOP COMPUTER PC XP 17″ LCD $249.99

1 HP DC7700 CORE 2 DUO DESKTOP COMPUTER PC XP 17″ LCD $249.99

Netgear Desktop PC Wireless Internet WiFi Adapter PCI G $14.97

1 HP DC7700 CORE 2 DUO DESKTOP COMPUTER PC XP 17″ LCD $249.99

1 HP DC7700 CORE 2 DUO DESKTOP COMPUTER PC XP 17″ LCD $249.99

1 HP DC7100 P4 3.0 GHZ DESKTOP COMPUTER PC XP PRO DVD $119.00

1 HP DC7100 P4 3.0 GHZ DESKTOP COMPUTER PC XP PRO DVD $119.00

1 HP DC7100 P4 3.0 GHZ DESKTOP COMPUTER PC XP PRO DVD $119.00

New USB 2.0 Laptop 2.5 Inch Hard Drive Case Enclosure $6.99

USB 2.0 2.5″ IDE/PATA Laptop Hard Drive Enclosure Case+ $8.49

USB 2.0 Slim Enclosure Case For Laptop DVD CD RW Burner $17.80

When a desktop computer starts to struggle, they’re usually a few options for upgrading the core components and give new life to its performance. Unfortunately, upgrading the laptop is impossible, or at best very, very difficult.

If your laptop is no longer working, or is much too old to keep pace with the demands of today’s software, the temptation is to throw the whole thing away. But don’t give up on your baby just yet. With a little transformation, your “laptop-formerly-known-as-useless” could turn out to be quite useful. Recently, TechRadar.com published an interesting piece about cool things to do with your laptop. Let’s take a look at some of their suggestions.

Believe it or not, you can salvage some of the components inside. This is an option you should reserve for laptops that are truly and finally dead. Start with the hard drive. Is it still working? Then you can have a “new” external hard drive (and also recover any files you may have lost in the death throes of your laptop). Purchase an external case for a 3.5 inch drive and your old laptop’s hard drive will plug right (usually). There may be a chance that it won’t fit-I’ve run into a few old IBM drives that are two thick for the enclosure. But guess what, it works without the enclosure too, although it does look a little Borg-ish. It’s a quick, easy and inexpensive route to an additional external drive.

Pull the memory cards out. They may be of no more use to you, but lots of people are always on the search for replacements for their broken laptops (broken less than yours, of course). Actually, there may be a few people farther behind the curve than your laptop and would love to upgrade their memory with your cards.

What about the optical drive? Do you fancy a new home theater computer? To fit with the living room décor, cases for media computers are usually thinner and require a slimline optical drive. Your salvaged laptop drive may be just the thing.

There you have it, at least three components that you can extract from your dead laptop and use to make something else, save some money, or even make money by selling them on eBay. Just don’t start throwing your laptop around to hasten its demise!

New USB 2.0 Laptop 2.5 Inch Hard Drive Case Enclosure $6.99

USB 2.0 2.5″ IDE/PATA Laptop Hard Drive Enclosure Case+ $8.49

USB 2.0 Slim Enclosure Case For Laptop DVD CD RW Burner $17.80

2.5″ USB SATA Laptop Hard Disk Drive HDD Enclosure Case $6.99

USB External Enclosure Caddy Case For Laptop DVD Burner $17.80

USB Laptop IDE CD DVD RW Rom Drive Enclosure Caddy Case $9.99

Laptop Netbook USB 2.0 Slim CD DVD RW Enclosure Case WT $4.99

Notebook/laptop External Hard Drive Enclosure 2.5IN $28.05

USB 2.0 2.5″ IDE Laptop Hard Disk Drive HDD Enclosure $4.99

USB 2.0 Enclosure for Laptop Slim Optical Drive – IDE $19.99

NEW 2.5” Laptop Hard Drive USB External Enclosure/Case $7.65

2.5 SATA Laptop Hard Disk Drive HDD Enclosure Case USB $7.65

USB Laptop Cooling Fan Pad + Hub+2.5 SATA HDD Enclosure $17.99

USB 2.0 Enclosure Case for Laptop 2.5″ SATA Hard Disk $7.65

USB 2.0 Laptop 2.5 Inch Hard Drive Case Enclosure NEW $6.99

Laptop Battery Charger for Dell Inspiron 1000 2200 B130 $12.09

HP DV1000 DV4000 DV5000 Laptop Computer Battery charger $8.45

LAPTOP AC Battery Charger for HP Pavilion DV2000 DV9000 $8.25

As much as laptops, notebooks and netbooks have progressed in terms of raw computing power and vivid graphic displays, there is one component that just isn’t pulling its weight in term as technological advancement-the battery. If you’re a mobile computer user, you already know this.

Let’s take a look at some tips that are easy to implement and may add up to an hour onto your average battery life.

Close programs you aren’t using. Better yet, never open them in the first place. The more programs you have running simultaneously, the harder your laptop’s components have to work. When they work hard, they use more power. Plus they eat up your system resources, slowing down your computing in general. Keep open just the applications you need and save the big power drainers until you’re plugged in again.

You would probably be surprised to know how many processes are running on your computer at any given time. Many of these processes are related to handy little items on your computer desktop that might be nice, but not worth the power drain when you want to maximize your battery. Start by removing some of the programs from the automatic start-up list.

If you are confident that you won’t stop a needed process, you can also remove some of the power hungry processes using task manager. Are you using wi-fi? If not, turn off the wireless radio on your computer. There’s no point in wasting watts just to look for a connection that’s not there or not needed. And if you’re not online or using a suspect USB stick, you can probably kill your virus protection as well. Just remember to turn it back on when you reconnect with the world.

Use a little common sense. If you are starting a business and will need to hit the ground running with your computer, then by all means, don’t sit in the airport lounge watching a movie or playing a graphics intensive game. Save that battery power for when you’ll really need it-your big presentation that lands you the next big client!

Laptop Battery for DELL XPS M1530 1530 RU006 RN894 $26.95

Laptop Battery for DELL XPS M1530 RU033 TK330 312-0664 $26.95

Laptop Battery for DELL XPS M1530 RU006 RU033 RN894 $26.95

NEW Laptop Li-ION Battery for Toshiba Satellite a60 a65 $39.99

Fujitsu Laptop Battery CA54200-0231 No Reserve! $0.99

Laptop Battery Charger for Dell Inspiron 1000 2200 B130 $12.09

Laptop Battery for HP ZE4000 ZE4200 ZE4500 F4812A F4809 $31.50

Laptop Battery For HP COMPAQ DV1000 DV4000 DV5000 V2000 $26.95

HP Compaq Laptop Battery 372772-001 Series HSTNN-IB05 $4.99

NEW Laptop Battery for Dell Latitude C400 4E368 4E369 $32.25

New Laptop Battery for DELL Latitude D-520 D-600 D-610 $39.93

Laptop Recharge Battery for Sony PCGA-BP51 PCGA-BP51A $42.33

Laptop Battery for DELL INSPIRON 6000 E1705 XPS M1710 $26.95

Laptop BATTERY FOR DELL 6000 9200 9300 9400 E1705 U4873 $26.95

Laptop BATTERY FOR DELL INSPIRON 6400 1501 E1505 GD761 $26.95

ZIPPERED CASE for ACER ASPIRE ONE D250 NETBOOK LAPTOP $11.75

ZIPPERED CASE for DELL MINI 12 NETBOOK LAPTOP COMPUTER $12.75

ZIPPERED CASE for HP MINI 311 NETBOOK LAPTOP COMPUTER $12.75

In the world of mobile computing, it seems like new models are released every day. The pace may not be that fast in reality, but it’s hard to assimilate the last greatest thing before the next greatest thing comes along. Recently, the marketplace has witnessed the invasion of netbooks, very small versions of the venerable laptop primarily designed to access the web. Their advantages include their small size, light weight and multiple connection options. But don’t expect the netbook to replace your desktop. In fact, if your computing needs give your laptop a workout, don’t give it away when you get your netbook.

For the longest time, you could only compute at home. The desktop computer was everyone’s only option. A few portable (or transportable) computers came and went, but they were like carrying luggage. Reasonably well-performing laptops that you could actually carry began to proliferate in the mid to late 1990s. The IBM Thinkpad was a definite leader in this era. Over time, laptops actually grew in size and power to become true desktop replacements.

A funny thing happened at this point. People began complaining that their laptops were too heavy, too hot and ran short on battery power too quickly. Manufacturers responded by introducing the notebook computer. These new machines were lighter, lasted longer without being plugged in, and accomplished this with only a small sacrifice in performance (but a sacrifice nevertheless).

Not long ago, the mobile computing customer changed again. With the advent of socially interactive sites like Facebook and Twitter, people began wishing they could stay connected to the web pretty much all the time. Smartphones filled the gap for a while, but people wanted more. Enter the netbook.

The netbook is perfect for whipping out to update your Facebook page or post your Twitter updates. Widespread wi-fi and 4G networks make it possible to stay connected in most urban and suburban areas. However, if you think the netbook is something you want, you should not expect it to replace your laptop, notebook or desktop. The netbook is designed primarily for the ‘net (hence the name). So you’ll be getting a machine with a less powerful processor, no optical drives (CD or DVD), a much smaller screen and a really tiny keyboard.

As long as you know what you’re getting into, you may be perfectly happy with a netbook. Just remember it’s probably better to think of it as an oversized phone.

Dell Inspiron mini 10 10.1″ Laptop Netbook 250G Webcam $328.88

LAPTOP NETBOOK SLEEVE COVER CASE FOR 10″ 10.1″ ASUS EEE $8.99

NETBOOK LAPTOP SKIN STICKER COVER 10.1″ $5.99

Black 3.5mm Audio Microphone Mic For Laptop Netbook PC $3.99

NEW 7″ Mini Netbook Laptop Notebook WIFI Windows 2GB HD $79.99

Sexy Lady Body USB Optical Mouse Laptop PC Netbook Mice $6.79

7″ Google Android Netbook Tablet PC UMPC MID HD Laptop $76.00

Mini Mic Microphone for Computer Laptop Netbook PC NEW $0.98

Laptop/Netbook Case For 10.1″ Acer Aspire One D150-1165 $14.99

Laptop/Netbook Case For 10.1″ Acer Aspire One D150-1577 $14.99

mini USB WIRELESS OPTICAL MOUSE LAPTOP PC Netbook Mice $0.99

Laptop/Netbook Case For 10.1″ Acer Aspire One D150-1669 $14.99

Laptop/Netbook Case For 10.1″ Acer Aspire One D150-1920 $14.99

NEW NYLON CASE COVER FOR MINI PC LAPTOP NETBOOK 10.1 $19.74

NEW 7″ Mini Netbook Laptop Notebook WIFI Windows 2GB-HD $27.99

New Screen Protector film for 17″ W Laptop LCD Monitor $7.09

DELL INSPIRON 1300 14.1″ LAPTOP LCD SCREEN NEW $129.99

ACER EXTENSA MS2204 14.1″ LAPTOP LCD SCREEN NEW $129.99

Laptops are notorious for having issues with their displays. Let’s take a look at some of the common display problems and possible solutions.

The backlight on my LCD lights up, but the screen looks blank. Sometimes when I press on the corner, I see some images.

This problem isn’t related to the inverter. If your display lights up-even without images-this means that the backlight lamp and inverter board are still working. Probably this is a failure in some of the connections on your screen controller board. A less likely cause could be a loose video connector on the back of your display.

My screen is a flickering rainbow all the time. I need to see my work, not a light show. (Everything looks fine on an external monitor.)

If the external video output works fine, then you have eliminated software, your video card and your motherboard as the cause. Otherwise, your external monitor would be garbled too. Possible causes for this colorful symptom include a faulty video cable, a loose video cable, a defective LCD panel, or a loose video card.

My screen randomly goes blank, usually when I use certain programs. The backlight is still on and an external monitor works fine.

Here’s what to try. Start with making sure you have the latest BIOS version for your laptop motherboard. You can find out by checking your manufacturer’s website. If that doesn’t fix your intermittent video problem, check the video cable connection both at the motherboard and the back of your LCD. If reconnecting or reseating this cable doesn’t work, the cable or your LCD is probably failing.

My display is a blank white screen. I replaced it and it is still blank white. External monitor is working OK.

When you replaced your LCD panel, did you replace the video cable too? If so, then you probably have some issue with your graphics card. Since this is probably integrated with the motherboard, it may be time to think about a new laptop.

Panasonic Toughbook CF-72 Laptop LCD Display Assembly $47.99

Samsung Notebook/Laptop LCD Display/Screen LT150X3-124 $39.95

Quanta Display QD141X1LH06 (LK01) Laptop LCD w Inverter $31.99

New 17″ LCD Display Hinge for HP Pavilion DV9000 Laptop $0.99

New 17″ LCD Display Hinge for HP Pavilion DV9000 Laptop $2.69

H6482L-FF MONO LAPTOP LCD DISPLAY 144785-001 $29.95

14″ HP NC6220 Laptop LCD Screen Display *COMPLETE* $19.99

HP/Compaq Presario V6000 15.4″ LCD/Display Laptop PARTS $64.99

HP Compaq nx6125 laptop Parts LCD screen Display $95.75

Nuovo Hp Pavilion Dv6000 15.4″ Wxga Laptop Lcd Display $94.97

15.4″ WXGA LCD SCREEN DISPLAY FOR GATEWAY ML6732 LAPTOP $76.00

15.6″ GLOSSY LCD SCREEN DISPLAY FOR ASUS K50AB LAPTOP $69.99

17″ Matte LCD SCREEN DISPLAY FOR LP171WX2 (B4) LAPTOP $99.99

LCD Display Inverter Board For DELL VOSTRO 1000 Laptop $4.99

16.4″ GLOSSY LCD SCREEN DISPLAY FOR LQ164D1LD4A LAPTOP $102.99