What's the difference b/w portable & external hard drives?

portable hard drive big w image

Peachez_10

I'm trying 2 figure out what's the difference b/w an external hard drive and a portable hard drive... And if there's no difference, why are each of them listed under 2 categories...?

Answer
Some external hard drives are too big to be portable and they are not advertised as such. "Portable" is kind of an ambiguous term. A lot of things are small enough to be portable, but they are not easily portable. My external hard drive is small enough to be portable, but it requires an A/C adapter, so wherever I go, if I want to take it with me, I need to use it where there is an A/C power source. This is not practical if I am somewhere where my laptop can run off its own batteries and there is no other source of power, like on a bus, car, train, public place or airplane that doesn't have an A/C power outlet. Plus, I would have to pack a bulky A/C adapter and power cord in addition to the USB cord that connects it to the PC. A truly portable hard drive is one that is small enough to carry and is powered by the USB jack on the computer. Unfortunately, the manufacturers of supposedly "portable" external hard drives don't care about how easy it is to transport and use their products, they just want you to buy them and use them. If they can get you to buy them by saying they are portable, even though it is a pain to do so, then they make a sale.

What are some good all around movie's to send to my bro in Iraq?

Nickname

My brother is in Iraq now and he said last time he went on there down time they would just watch movies on their laptops. His birthday is coming up in about a month and I was going to download a bunch of movies (like 100) and put them on a portable hard drive and send them to him. Any ideas on popular movies? Any kind really... (I mean everyone likes those pixar movies too right)

Answer
Supertroopers
Transformers (Megan Fox, duh)
American Psycho
300
S.W.A.T.
The Departed
The Bourne Trilogy
Old School
Die Hard (There's 4 of em)
The Longest Yard
Happy Gilmore
Billy Madison
Shoot 'em Up (biggest Man movie ever made)
Lucky # Slevin
Disturbia
Grandma's Boy
Pineapple Express
Wanted
28 Days later
Cloverfield
I am Legend
Dodgeball
Office Space
Knocked Up
Gladiator
Saving Private Ryan

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What laptop would you recommend or not recommend?

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K

I need to purchase a new laptop. I need it to have a webcam & microsoft programs included. I also would like it if this new laptop lasts a while & does not run slow. & a laptop that isn't too expensive... Any suggestions on a brand/name/where to find it?

Answer
For LADIES LOOKING FOR PORTABLE 14" LAPTOPS, try the Core i-5 Toshiba Satellite M645-S4050 or Satellite E205-S1980 from www.BestBuy.com, both comes with 512MB Class 3 NVIDIA GeForce 310M dedicated graphics card for a little bit of gaming like the SIMS 3.
or this one, click here: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asâ¦
that has a Class 2 NVIDIA GeForce GT 525M, for a much better gaming graphics.

If you're not into gaming or installing Photoshop or AutoCAD designing softwares, then you don't care about the video card w/c fits your budget just fine.
If a laptop has a dedicated video card, THE PRICE GOES UP (this is indicated by A LOGO STICKER for NVIDIA or ATI MOBILITY RADEON on the computer surface, just below the keyboard. But if you can find a good deal with at least 256MB dedicated video card, it will be better for watching DVDs.
Just make sure that the laptop has AT LEAST 2GB DDR2 RAM modules in it so that it will always ran smoothly & not freeze up on you (HIGHER IS BETTER; DDR3 & DDR5 are faster & newer types of memory modules that came out).
But what makes a computer really run fast? It is it's processor! So if you really want your processor to have computing prowess & for you to be able to run different applications simultaneously, make sure it's AS EFFICIENT AS an Intel Core 2 Duo Processor (Centrino 2 is a Core 2 Duo featuring power saving capabilities; Quad Core is for gaming fanatics). A Core 2 Duo is like having 2 motors running the computer each independent of the other w/c means for a Quad Core, it's like 4 motors are running the machine (that means it will run faster & more efficient even if its frequency is lower to that of a Core 2 Duo). Intel: Core 2 Duo, Centrino 2, Quad Core, Core i-3, Core i-5 & Core i-7 are all VERY MUCH FASTER & BETTER THAN an Intel: DUAL CORE, PENTIUM, CELERON, ATOM & their more affordable AMD counterparts.
In your case, get one with a Core 2 Duo or Core i-s & NOT one w/ a Pentium, Celeron or Atom.
Just make sure you have AT LEAST 2GHz of speed on your processor so that will be able to appreciate your laptop's fast response and performance.
The HDD (Hard Disc Drive) should be at least 320GB.
For the battery life to last longer, you need more cells into it. So if you can get a Dell from www.Dell.com with the HIGHER CAPACITY 6 CELL BATTERY, do so. The regular one doesn't last long. There are a lot of options & different combinations if you want to customize your own laptop, just STICK TO THE ESSENTIALS first.
8 cell, 9 cell & 12 cell batteries means they can last longer.
The average laptop LCD screen size is 15.4", and since you want something smaller than that w/ these 3 features I just shed some light on, expect the price to go higher (ex. for 13.3" & 14.1" LCD screens).

FOR the best PRICE COMPARISON, go to Fry's Electronics, MicroCenter, CostCo & BestBuy's web sites.
The MSI GT680R 15.6" Gaming Notebook I got w/ the Intel® Core⢠i-7 for using my DesignCAD software and playing Diablo III, retails for $1,499.99 (+ tax & other sur-charges).
I chose to pay more to have the newest technology so that I DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT IT GETTING OUTDATED WITHIN THE NEXT 11 YRS.
click here: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834152239

Additional info, read on:
I used to work for a big name computer company & usually received a lot of call regarding battery issues.
A brand new computer's battery comes w/ a Standard 1yr Limited Warranty w/c means the expected life time of battery is only 1 year. Same thing goes for the charger.
So, if you don't know how to take care of it, it will die out on you sooner than than expected.

FYI: I always tell my customers, a laptop's battery is similar to a cell phone's. You charge it when it's depleted & you unplug the adapter when it is already fully charge (this will prevent the battery from getting overcharged & extend the life of the battery). So for less hassle, I always advice my customers to just remove the battery if they plan to use the computer for long hours straight (more than 1 hour) and just run it on AC power alone so as not to overcharge it & shorten the battery life.
ONLY USE THE BATTERY FOR PORTABILITY, if you're on a trip, at McDonalds or Starbucks.
If your not after its portability, you can use it just plugged into the wall socket all the time.

For chargers, make sure you don't stretch out the cable too much that the one by the power jack that you plug into the side of the computer gets bent. Make sure this part is always straight or else the copper wires inside will break & soon you'll have the problem of the charger not working anymore like what happened to some of my callers.

One white pixel in the middle of my laptop screen?

University

I have a Samsung laptop I bought brand new in November, about 6 months ago.

I am just noticing a white pixel in the middle of the screen. It's really annoying. Are there any techniques to get rid of it? I'd rather not return it if I can avoid it, and I don't know if they'd even accept the return for one pixel. I bought it from Future Shop.

Thanks for all advice!

Answer
I used to work for a big name computer company & usually received a lot of call regarding your issue.
That's what you call a dead pixel & no amount of rubbing would be able to get it out.
Your computer is still in warranty, but it takes a certain number of dead pixels before you can ship the computer in for Depot Repair.

I would suggest you call Samsung's Consumer Electronics support hotline number: 1800-SAMSUNG, & ask about how you go on about sending your laptop for repair.
Make sure to write down the name of the person who'll take your call.

FYI, which ever country your call will be routed to, please be patient & polite to the person who will take your call. After all, you are the one calling them for assistance with whatever issue you are having with your portable computer. Make sure to speak your name clearly (spell it, if need be) & provide all the info needed & asked for. They are trained professionals for handling simple matters, so I believe they should be able to assist you w/ any issue as long as IT IS WITHIN THEIR SCOPE OF SUPPORT. It depends on the company but be cooperative because these phone technicians have a specific handle time to be able to resolve the issue of a caller, so please do not be a jerk. Listen carefully to their instructions & follow it, because IF YOU THINK YOU K

One white pixel in the middle of my laptop screen?

portable hard drive big w image

University

I have a Samsung laptop I bought brand new in November, about 6 months ago.

I am just noticing a white pixel in the middle of the screen. It's really annoying. Are there any techniques to get rid of it? I'd rather not return it if I can avoid it, and I don't know if they'd even accept the return for one pixel. I bought it from Future Shop.

Thanks for all advice!

Answer
I used to work for a big name computer company & usually received a lot of call regarding your issue.
That's what you call a dead pixel & no amount of rubbing would be able to get it out.
Your computer is still in warranty, but it takes a certain number of dead pixels before you can ship the computer in for Depot Repair.

I would suggest you call Samsung's Consumer Electronics support hotline number: 1800-SAMSUNG, & ask about how you go on about sending your laptop for repair.
Make sure to write down the name of the person who'll take your call.

FYI, which ever country your call will be routed to, please be patient & polite to the person who will take your call. After all, you are the one calling them for assistance with whatever issue you are having with your portable computer. Make sure to speak your name clearly (spell it, if need be) & provide all the info needed & asked for. They are trained professionals for handling simple matters, so I believe they should be able to assist you w/ any issue as long as IT IS WITHIN THEIR SCOPE OF SUPPORT. It depends on the company but be cooperative because these phone technicians have a specific handle time to be able to resolve the issue of a caller, so please do not be a jerk. Listen carefully to their instructions & follow it, because IF YOU THINK YOU KNOW MORE, then WHY CALL FOR ASSISTANCE IN THE FIRST PLACE.
Best time to call, after midnight Pacific Time.

Make sure to back-up all your pictures, files & important documents on your computer on an external Hard Drive or USB Flash Drive, b'coz if you send your computer in for repair, they will erase all the data in it & restore it back to factory settings just like when you first got it out of the box.

Additional info, read on:
A brand new computer's battery comes w/ a Standard 1yr Limited Warranty w/c means the expected life time of battery is only 1 year. Same thing goes for the charger.
So, if you don't know how to take care of it, it will die out on you sooner than than expected.

FYI: I always tell my customers, a laptop's battery is similar to a cell phone's. You charge it when it's depleted & you unplug the adapter when it is already fully charge (this will prevent the battery from getting overcharged & extend the life of the battery). So for less hassle, I always advice my customers to JUST REMOVE THE BATTERY IF THEY PLAN TO USE THE COMPUTER FOR LONG HOURS STRAIGHT (more than 1 hour) and just run it on AC power alone so as not to overcharge it & shorten the battery life.
ONLY USE THE BATTERY FOR PORTABILITY, if you need to go on a trip or you're at McDonalds or Starbucks.

For chargers, make sure you don't stretch out the cable too much that the one by the power jack that you plug into the side of the computer gets bent. Make sure this part is always straight or else the copper wires inside will break & soon you'll have the problem of the charger not working anymore like what happened to some of my callers.

is there a HD that can download directly w/o computer?

carnaby_fu

is there such a thing as a portable hard drive that you can download directly to without the need for a computer? i'm going on a trip where i will be taking a hefty number of photos and i'd like to be able to dump the memory cards without also having to bring a computer with me.
i know i could just bring a bunch of memory cards but that's a lot to buy and i'd prefer to back them up anyway. does such a product exist? or am i stuck with the laptop?

Answer
Portable drive to load camera photos were common in the 10,20,40, and 60GB sizes until they were priced out of the market by the high capacity SD flash drives. You can buy those now for less than $1 a GB in the 16, 32GB size. Be sure you test each one before going on your trip.
If you still want a very large (500GB or bigger) hard disk, contact a photo store or B&H Photo or Adorama about those that interface with cameras or camera cards. Tell them about your equipment to get a match. http://www.adorama.com/catalog.tpl?op=recommend&sku=DFPS2250G has a 500 and a 320, battery pack, card reader included. Get an extra battery pack.
http://dpnow.com/7973.html shows the tiny Seagate drive.
If no match, you can try an adapter cord to a battery powered hard disk:
http://www.cooldrives.com/usb-otg-adapter.html
http://www.memoryforless.co.uk/store/erol.html#1X0
http://www.everythingusb.com/macally_syncbox_ii.html
http://www.compusb.com/usbotgbru2br.html
One thing to consider is in a stack of cards, if one goes bad, the others are OK. But if a 320HD is damaged, the whole thing and all its pix are gone.
What size and style flash cards your camera(s) take and the total shot volume planned may govern how you go on storage of the photos. I hope all of them survive.

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