Netbooks are often so similar in terms of specification that the only room left for manufacturers to distinguish their offerings is design. And it's design that Samsung has focused on with the N310. This netbook is certainly rather striking when you first take it out of the box. Available in either orange, blue or black, what really makes it stand out from the crowd is its beautifully rounded corners. They not only look great but make the netbook easy to slide into a bag or case. Also, rather than a glossy finish on the lid, the N310 sports a type of rubberised plastic that really feels like it will last.
Inside the N310 looks very classy too. We love the borderless look on the 10.1-inch display, with the glossy cover running all the way to the edges of the lid. The display itself is also first-class. Colours look as good as or better than on any netbook screen we've seen. It's also very bright and, thanks to the 1,024x600-pixel resolution, text is rendered very crisply.
The N310's lid is coated with a sort of rubberised plastic. It's a welcome change from the typical glossy finish
The keyboard is also excellent. Samsung has opted for a design that uses isolated keys -- rather like those of Apple's MacBook Air -- and, despite its small size, the keyboard is surprisingly comfortable to type on. The roomy trackpad is also top-class.The simple fact of notebook life is that systems simply don't run for as long on their batteries as we'd like -- even long-lived notebooks, such as Sony's VAIO VGN-TX27GP, last only 5.5 hours on a single battery.To help you make smart decisions about the notebooks you buy and the way you use them, we demystify today's battery technologies and examine the fuel cell technology that might power your next notebook. We also provide 10 tips for getting the most out of your system's current battery, along with a glossary of key terms.
We can't make a battery last forever, but we can help to make sure that you get the most out of every electron.With four battery technologies onstage and one waiting in the wings, there's sure to be a battery to suit your needs.Although all batteries are not created equal, they all have the ability to turn chemical energy into electric current to power electronic devices -- from tiny digital music players to big notebooks. As with the battery in a car, a chemical reaction inside a notebook's battery frees electrons to flow from the positive terminal to the negative terminal, creating enough current to run the device.The old-timer of mobile battery technologies is the nickel-cadmium cell (NiCd), once the mainstay of notebook design. Unfortunately, NiCd cells can only carry enough power to run a system for about an hour, and they contain toxic cadmium, which makes them hard to dispose of.
And despite their ability to be recharged about 1,000 times, nickel-cadmium cell batteries also suffer from something called 'memory effects'; over time, they lose the ability to hold a complete charge. Luckily, lighter and more powerful battery designs have surpassed the NiCd, and today, NiCds are used mostly in toys and inexpensive cordless phones. About a decade ago, most notebook makers switched to nickel-metal-hydride batteries (NiMH). Not only can these batteries hold about 40 percent more power, they aren't as susceptible to memory problems as NiCds are, and they are more environmentally friendly. On the downside, you can recharge them only about 200 times versus 400 charge cycles for newer designs.
Today, the lithium-ion cell (also known as Li-ion), which holds roughly twice the capacity of a nickel-cadmium battery, rules the notebook battery roost. Used on most notebooks, handhelds, and mobile phones, lithium-ion technology can hold a lot of power, but its exotic materials make it expensive. Part of the credit for its success goes to a tiny controller chip embedded in each battery that adjusts how quickly the battery discharges and prevents it from overcharging.Look for lithium-polymer (Li-poly) technology to make its way into mobile phones, handhelds and notebooks in the near future. Extremely light and malleable, these batteries are capable of providing nearly as much power as lithium-ion cells but can also be shaped to fit into a device's hidden nooks and crannies. For a look at another battery technology, check out the next section on fuel cells.
The traditional battery's days may be numbered. Thanks to recent advances in fuel-cell technology, your next notebook (or maybe the one after that) could run for days on a single charge. These next-generation batteries, which contain chemicals such as methanol stored in small tanks, certainly aren't your average power source. More like tiny chemical plants, different types of fuel cells are currently used in space shuttles, experimental eco-friendly cars and small power plants. NEC is developing a fuel cell for a notebook that could provide a mind-boggling 40 hours of battery life.
NEC is developing a fuel-cell notebook. This is a prototype and we're unsure if or when it will hit the market.
So how does a fuel cell work? "The fuel cell is based on the reverse principle of water electrolysis ... [Fuel cells] work by having hydrogen and oxygen react to generate electricity", said Yoshimi Kubo, senior research manager overseeing NEC's project to create a fuel cell-powered notebook (prototype pictured above).
Methanol, or methyl alcohol, is NEC's fuel of choice, and Kubo has created a prototype notebook that can run for five hours on about a pint of 10 percent fuel. When the tank is dry, forget about a power cable, because the fuel cell wants more methanol. Just pour in a small bottle of fuel, and it's ready to go. Rather than carrying a bagful of batteries on a long flight, all you'd need is a bottle of methanol -- but be careful: methanol is a poison.For now, packaging is the biggest obstacle that fuel cells face. "Currently, the fuel cell cannot fit into a standard battery location", Kubo said. "It will need further development in order to fit into a notebook, and miniaturisation is a challenge we're facing". According to Kubo, NEC is attacking this problem from three directions: upping the concentration of methanol; using a low-power processor; and increasing the tank size.
By contrast, Hitachi is thinking smaller. Along with Tokai, a Japanese maker of cigarette lighters, Hitachi is working on a fuel cell-powered handheld. About the size of a AA battery, the fuel cell contains 57g of 20 percent methanol fuel, and it powers a handheld computer for 6 to 8 hours. Before its planned launch (which was originally slated for 2005 but has since been pushed back), the companies will try to boost runtime by using 30 percent methanol fuel, making a 12-hour handheld a distinct possibility.All this adds up to big business over the next decade, according to Daniel Benjamin, a marketing analyst at Allied Business Intelligence, based in Oyster Bay, New York. "Fuel cells will provide a clean source of energy, but cost and technical issues will pose significant barriers". Despite this, he says that by 2011 there could be 200 million fuel cells of all sizes and capacities sold, powering everything from MP3 players to notebooks.By then, we may be able to kiss our batteries goodbye, along with the eternal search for a power outlet to charge them -- although finding fuel may create another problem.
The notebook you buy may help determine the amount of uptime you can expect on an air flight. How come? Even though the CPU consumes about half the notebook's total power, recent advances in processor technology have eased the burden placed on a system's battery. Now, thanks to Intel's Core Duo and Centrino technology, for instance, notebooks can run faster and longer on the same batteries they used to use. Here's the low-down on which processors let notebooks last the longest.Intel Core Duo (part of the Centrino Duo package)
Without a doubt, the Core Duo is the battery-life champ. With two processor cores, two megabytes of Level 2 cache, and the ability to streamline operations, it balances raw power with extensive battery life. Toss in an Intel-made Wi-Fi radio and an Intel chipset, and the Core Duo is part of the Centrino Duo triad.
Intel's Centrino Duo mobile platform (previously codenamed Napa) comprises the Core Duo (Yonah) processor, the PRO/Wireless 3945ABG wireless networking module and the 945 Express chipset.Running at up to 2.16GHz, Core Duo notebooks run rings around the competition, and many offer over four hours of battery life.Intel's Core Solo processor is very similar to the Core Duo, however, it uses single as opposed to dual processor cores. This results in decreased raw performance, but it also means that the chip consumes less power -- 5.5-27W compared to the Core Duo's 15-31W. The Core Solo runs at speeds of up to 1.83GHzThe Turion 64 X2 is the Core Duo's main competitor. Like Intel's version, it offers two processor cores for increased performance whilst multi-tasking. It also boasts AMD's PowerNow! power management technology, which AMD says can extend system battery life by up to 65%. Built-in anti-virus protection is included, and the processor comes in speeds up to 2GHz. Its power consumption is slightly higher than that seen on Core Duo processors, and ranges between 31 and 35 watts.
The Turion 64 is a cut-down version of the Turion 64 X2. It offers all of the same features as the X2, but like Intel's Core Solo, only includes a single processor core. Its power consumption ranges between 25 and 35 watts, with speeds up to 2.4GHz.With a little power conservation and some smart moves, you can greatly improve your notebook's battery life. Here are our top 10 tips for getting the most out of your batteries.1. Think small
If extra-long battery life matters to you, forget about that huge, 17-inch screen notebook with the top-speed processor -- it probably won't run for more than two hours. When you're buying your next notebook, think small and consider an ultra-portable or a thin-and-light system. An Intel Core Duo processor uses about half as much power as a Pentium 4, a 12.1in. screen uses 50 percent less juice than a 17-inch model, and getting a 4,200rpm hard drive instead of a 5,400rpm model can mean an extra 15 to 20 minutes of battery life.
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