Solid state technology is composed of non moving semiconductor components, as opposed to electromechanical devices such as magnetic hard drives that rely upon moving read/write heads to store and retrieve data. Solid state hard drives (SSDs) have a low access time and run quieter than existing hard drives due to the lack of moving parts; if a cooling fan is added to the drive then noise will be apparent but at lower decibel levels. The fans are typically included in a RAM and Flash combination SSD. As of 2008, SSDs are capable of far lower seek-times and result in faster boot times and far lower temperature outputs.

For lower capacity SSDs the power consumption is markedly lower than traditional hard drives; but it should be noted that higher capacity and higher end SSDs will have a much higher power consumption and heat generation. A downside of the SSD technology is that they have a limited number of write cycles as opposed to mechanical hard drives. The number of writes is a function of the type of SSD technology used but is limited. Solid state drives also can endure higher impacts and a larger range of operating temperatures making them ideal for laptops and use in extreme environments.

Solid state drives are more expensive per unit of storage than their traditional counterparts but are not affected by fragmented files in read times. Although, with solid state technology, a portion of the storage that is to be altered or written over will write over all of the stored information in that area, or sector, of the drive even if only a portion of it is being replaced. SSDs also have slower write speeds during small writes due to the fact that erase blocks on flash based SSDs are larger than traditional drives. This is not the case with DRAM solid state drives which are much faster than traditional hard drives.

Another major point about printer hard drives is their ability to hold and store frequently used documents and images. If your company has a particular form that is needed for new business, for instance, that form can be stored on the hard drive instead of a personal desk top freeing space for more important data. Printer errors may not always be noticeable to the end user and the printer hard drive can be set up to log all errors into a log file much the same way a PC hard drive does. This allows for better maintenance and preventative care for the printer which can lengthen the life of the device.

One of the nicest perks to having a printer hard drive is password enabling or secure printing. An end user can store sensitive documents on the printer hard drive which can only be accessed if the user keys in the pass code on the printer interface screen. This alleviates the possibility of sensitive materials being printed by anyone from anywhere on the network. The user that needs the secure printing has to be at the printer to access them. To save time, specialized fonts, printing styles, logos and client data can be stored on the drive as well allowing access to all users on the network or assigned group increasing performance and proficiency.

Integrated circuits are in almost every appliance known to man at this point in history from wristwatches to televisions and from coffee makers to, the most obvious, computers. An integrated circuit is a collection of diodes, transistors and microprocessors in miniature scale all operating on a single piece of semiconductor, typically silicon. Each performs a specific function that, when combined with the other components, can perform multiple tasks and calculations. First are the diodes; diodes by definition are electronic or electrical devices that regulate the flow or current of electricity within the circuit. Diodes control how much, when and how often electrons or electricity is allowed to flow into other parts of the system.

We have all heard of transistor radios from the early 20th century and the transistors in integrated circuits, or ICs, are them same, at least by definition. Transistors can store voltage to stabilize the circuit or for amplifying a signal. A transistor can be used as a switch, similar to a light switch, for an integrated circuit or for functions held within the circuit. For example, a transistor my only allow a certain voltage through to another part of the circuit. It does this by using a gate that is set to open only at a specific voltage; for binary code it is five volts. Opening the gate is a 1 in binary while closing the gate is 0. This way the transistor sends the information or data through the integrated circuit to its destination within the system.

The most important part of an IC is the microprocessor. Microprocessors simply give the integrated circuit memory, memory to perform calculations and follow logic, or a set of rules. The logic tells the integrated circuit how to process electricity, data and how to function. Think of the microprocessor as the operating system of the IC; the way the transistors and diodes work to enable a television to be turned on when the power button is pressed, or how to interpret a mouse click on an icon on a desktop computer. On some IC chips there are more miniature components than there are humans on Earth, and the applications are literally limitless.

For example: a native resolution of 1024 by 768 will have low quality images if set to 800 by 600 resolution because the pixels cannot be distributed evenly from the 1024 to the 800 and from the 768 to 600. This results in some image pixels being displayed over 2 hardware pixels while other image pixels are displayed over one hardware pixel; the resulting resolution works, but is not very attractive. If you have to display at a lower resolution that can not evenly divide into the native resolution find the display options for your monitor. In this utility you will find parameters to change to improve the image quality.

First start with the contrast ratio as this can be the simplest to change and you may not need to change anything else. If the image seems blurred then increase the ratio in small increments to see the effects; this may take several tries. Next try the color settings of the monitor and pay close attention to the hues of colors seen on the monitor, i.e greens, blues and yellows. This is best done in a low light area to gain the full effect first. After adjusting the color settings in the “dark” turn on the lights and adjust until you have the desired result. This will improve the picture as best as you can; however, the best action to take would be to leave the LCD monitor at its native resolution.

An example of an LED printer array

The LED printer technology developed by Casio has invaded the color printer world for businesses and home users alike. LED printers are as fast if not faster than their competitive laser cousins. First and foremost LED printers use an array of light emitting diodes to repeatedly flash light directed toward an imaging drum. There are no moving parts in the LED’s, aside from the image drum, so it has fewer maintenance issues than other printing technologies and fewer parts to replace. These printers also place all of the color to a page in a single pass, line by line reducing the time needed to produce a full color document.

Depending upon the internal design of the array of LED’s the printers can be faster than laser printers and still deliver high quality prints and documents. One drawback to the LED technology is the fact that only a limited number of light emitting diodes can be placed in a line, or array. This limits the resolution to most of these devices to around 600 by 1200 dpi, at the moment. As the light of the LED hits the imaging drum the electrostatic charge is changed on the drum and the toner, which is the same as in laser printers, will adhere to different parts of the drum and hence different parts of the paper.

LED printers are less expensive to manufacture than laser printers, as they have fewer moving parts, although LED printers are comparable in price to the consumer. This also means there are fewer pieces that need to be disposed of properly. The cost per printed page is in line with in class printers, but for an average user and for typical office applications the LED printers will be slightly less expensive. LED printer technology provides fast print speeds, great color graphics and faster first page out times, yet is currently limited by the physical size of the LED’s thus limiting its resolution.

Most individuals will not know their part number; however, most end users do know the model name of their laptop. Type it in the place provided and a list of parts for that model name will appear. Scroll through the list of model numbers to find your model; don’t worry, a short description accompanies the model numbers so there can be little confusion. After finding the model number click on it and an option to search by category or keyword will appear. Categories will be options like “drivers and cables,” or “electronic parts,” or keywords like “PC board,” “memory,” or “recovery kit.”

Choose the most appropriate option and proceed. By selecting the keyword “drive” a list of available parts will be generated in a table or a list. Indicators will allow you to see if the parts are in stock, back ordered or not available for ordering. If your required part is listed proceed to check out and have the part shipped to your home or place of business. An additional option to search by model number of the HP laptop is available as well for those who know this information.

The current standard in laptop battery technology is the lithium ion battery; this battery uses lithium ions (Li-ion) to charge and hold chemical energy between the cathode and anode. These batteries are characterized by no memory effect or voltage depression. This means that the life of the battery is not affected by the full discharging of the battery. This alleviates the user from having to remember to fully discharge the battery prior to recharging. Li-ion batteries also exhibit extremely low self discharge rates, about 5% a month as compared to NiMH at 30% total capacity per month at room temperature which is a marked increase in the storage life of a battery. It should be noted that low self discharge NiMH batteries have a 1.25% monthly self discharge rate.

There are a few drawbacks to Li-ion batteries that are not widely known. Lithium ion batteries over time will lose their total capacity simply due to age which is not apparent in other batteries. This happens regardless of use or storage, and is inevitable in lithium ion batteries. High heat levels can drastically reduce the charging and recharging capabilities permanently and this usually happens during an overcharging or when stored in a high temperature area. Even with these few drawbacks Li-ion batteries have one of the highest energy to weight ratios on the market today.

However the nickel cadmium batteries are more durable and can sustain longer storage times as they do not discharge quickly. NiCd batteries can also be charged and recharged more often than their competing alternatives extending battery life. The nickel cadmium batteries are more sensitive to temperature; they lose internal resistance and thus deliver less power in high temperature environments. Nickel metal hydroxide (NiMH) batteries are similar to NiCd in that they are widely used for rechargeable battery applications. The main difference is that the NiMH battery has two to three times the internal capacity of a NiCd battery. Nickel metal hydroxide batteries are well suited to high current drain applications like powering LCD screens.

This is due to their low internal resistance, lower than the NiCd batteries providing more reliable constant high currents. NiMH batteries are also considered to be more environmentally friendly than NiCd batteries due to the lack of toxic cadmium. The use of a hydrogen absorbing alloy allows the batteries to be charged and recharged hundreds of times decreasing the cost of ownership. As opposed to NiCd batteries the NiMH batteries can be charged without the use of a special charger. Manual charging is possible but only if monitored closely and charged at a moderately high rate.