Simple methods to test your new computer

Previously, we did discuss about the possibility of rich web applications being the catalyst to boost the sales of computer (laptops, desktops and etc) because new computers would come with better hardware specifications.

CNET attempts to find out the better between AMD Athlon 64 x 2 and Intel Duo Core and it concludes the winner as AMD. To know why, find out more.

Fujitsu ...

But the bigger problem is how to test if your processor and RAM(s) are really not malfunction ? It is not easy, compared to testing the battery duration of your laptop as claimed by the sales person. For instance, Fujitsu claimed that Lifebook A6010E with a basic 4-cell battery can last 2.8 hours. However, make sure that it is on standby mode or safe-mode of Windows XP.

Very funny.



In actually fact, a 4-cell battery on Fujitsu Lifebook A6010E can last around 1 hour and 15 minutes with normal usage (non-server, no gaming and etc); just a few web browsers windows, office application and perhaps outlook express.

Dell ...

I know a 9-cell battery on Dell Inspirion 6400 can last up to 3 hours or even more on normal usage. This is fantastic.... Despite the fact that Dell has suffered some reputation bruises after the announcement of recalling of faulty batteries for selected models of its laptops.

Simple Methods...

Now to test whether your RAM slots are faulty and how well your new processor living up to its expectation. If you like technical terms, means that you want to find out if the hardware are not yielding too much leakage of performances.

1. Using digg labs swarm real-time simulation.

This web application is a real CPU resource sucker. Try it out to see if it gives you the hang feeling.


2. Using 3D Album

3D Album is a specialized multimedia software for creating 3D multimedia presentations based on photos or pictures. It has many built-in 3D templates and effects which can be used easily. Presentations can be built and deployed into various format which includes common video format like mpg, avi and etc. Besides that, you can also format it into VCD and DVD format.

To push your hardware to the limit, make use of photos which have the highest resolution and run it through complex animation templates.

I have tested with Dell Inspiron 6400 with Duo Core processor and 512 MB RAM, one template fails me.

3. Search for ambigious files.

Ambigious files means files which are very very very common and also uncommon. (hard to explain). Try searching for file with search term "host", you will be landed to a few files. See how fast it present the search results.

4. Open a folder with more than a hundred files...

From your office application such as word processor, launch the "open file" dialog box and try to open a folder which has more than a hundred files...

If you are using Pentium III with 260 RAM, Windows 2000 will hang!

Tips of choosing laptops...

Choosing laptop is not about looking through the specifications. Specifications are related to pricing. If you can afford a higher price, the specification will be higher and better, such as larger hard disk, more RAM, branded video card and etc.

So, how do we choose between all these branded brand ? where the only difference is probably a few hundreds more or less.

My answer is choose the design, concept and battery duration.

All laptops of different brands would have different design. And also each comes with own concepts...

For instance, coming back to Fujitsu Lifebook A6010E, which is actually a very great product. It is desktop in a laptop. It has great LCD, great plug and play features (Which includes networks detection) and also security. Fujitsu is all very crazy about security. And it has nice keyboard.

Dell Inspiron 6400 is the ugliest laptop I have ever seen, and the older version has stupid mouse pad which is so insensitive that users have to settle with USB mouse. However, I would think that it has the longest battery duration for normal usage.

Some say IBM Thinkpad is the toughest... it just wouldn't crack even with Jesus Christ as the nutcracker.

And others, they each having different designs, concepts and battery durations. If you are a poor student who needs to use laptop for your varsity life.. you want to bring laptop into lecture hall and also hope to surf the Internet under a tree in the garden, I would recommend Dell Inspiron 640m. Well, unless you have any other comments and idea, please comment.