Changing the PCI Wireless Card in an Apple Laptop
With older models of Apple laptops, in this case the Pro Core Duo, have a disadvantage as they have an 802.11g laptop wireless card . To get the best performance in both g and n wireless environments an upgrade to the 802.11n card is almost a necessity. First, as always, disconnect the laptop from the power for safety concerns. There are 8 screws to be removed around the device, remove them and be sure to keep the different lengths in separate piles as they are specific to their locations on the laptop. A misplaced screw may damage the internal components if not put back into its designated spot.
It is recommended that the laptop be worked on while open; this will alleviate undue pressure on the screen. Place a soft cloth on a table and turn the device over, and remove the three screws from the back cover to reveal the hard drive and memory access. Then remove the next three screws located just above the components; they will be close to the plastic outer cover. At the opposite end of the laptop there will be 9 screws; from left to right remove the 2nd, 4th, 7th and 9th screws. Two more remain keeping the battery in place, remove these as well; they will be to the left of the previously removed screws. Next, remove the last three screws from the back cover. Be sure not to mix up the middle and shortest screw as the longer screws will hit the motherboard if used in its place.
Now you can lift up the cover and keyboard, be careful as the keyboard is still attached, then remove the clip on the connector to the keyboard. In the upper left hand corner you will find 2 antennas remove them and the 2 screws. Now the old wireless card can be removed and replaced with the new. All that is left is to replace all of the screws and you are finished. Be sure to take your time as rushing can result in faulty screw placement and damage.
Common Laptop CD/DVD Problems
Virtually every person using a computer will at some point encounter DVD and CD reading issues with their computer, for both desktop and laptop users. All DVD/CD players operate with the same mechanism and are all subject to similar flaws and minor problems. Like all mechanical devices these devices have a life span, and once they have lived through their designated time they typically are defunct. First, check the optical disk for scratches or any other flaws that may hinder the reading process. By exercising a few precautionary methods you can extend the life of your DVD/CD ROM.
Regular cleaning of the lens is imperative to the life and longevity of any optical disk. Dust will distort the lens and make reading the disk difficult or impossible; this is where to start with any reading problem with a DVD/CD drive. After cleaning the drive you should see a drastic improvement, and each week the same cleaning should be performed upon the drive to ensure proper functionality. Doing so will extend the life of the drive and limit the amount of problems that could occur.
Like Hard drives, a DVD/CD drive has a reader head for interpreting data stored on the disk. The best action you can take is to only leave a disk in the drive when you absolutely need to use it. Otherwise the head will continuously read and wear out prematurely. Another issue is that some manufacturer’s drives will not read other manufacturer’s disks. Try switching out the currently used disk for another company’s. For instance, if you are using a Memorex CD or DVD switch it out for a Sony or Maxell. If all else fails, find your hardware device manager and locate the drivers for the DVD/CD ROM drive. Uninstall them and then restart your computer. Upon restarting your system, Windows in this case, will reinstall the correct drivers and your DVD/CD drive will be operational again.
Solid State Hard Drive Technology Review
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.
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