LOL: Don't Yell at your Hard Drives

Startups are figuring out ways to cut down on the "micro-vibrations" that make hard drives less efficient

Hard disks are a lot more sensitive than their name implies: They don’t like to be shouted at. Just ask Sun Microsystems engineer Brendan Gregg, who posted a YouTube video in which he yells at a rack of hard drives and then shows the corresponding increase in latency, the time it takes a drive to read and write information. The devices consist of a small arm hovering nanometers above a fast-spinning disk, and just as a record player will skip when bumped, the drives goof up when subjected to so-called micro-vibrations caused by sound waves or nearby movements.

Read more here:

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/disk-drives-microvibration-problem-12012011.html?campaign_id=rss_topStories

Laptop Specs - Holidays 2011

We keep track of laptops that we like for everyday / business use. Some people may like the most powerful laptops -- or more stylish looks -- but the specs shown in the chart below represent the "sweetspot" in terms of performance, price, and value. Here's a record of what you can get for the given price point over recent years.

It's exciting to have the new Intel "breakthrough" Core i3/i5/i7 series of chips -- and now, the Second Generation (Sandy Bridge) of this Intel series in this price category. Note that the "-2xxx" in the Intel core chips (for instance, "i5-2430") signifies the Second Generation.  We hope and expect the Second Generation i7 chips to come into our "sweet spot" soon!  Other features that we have our eye on include:

• The Second Generation of i7 chips and 6GB (or 8GB) of RAM memory are a little pricier than the laptops in the chart below.  You can step up to this level for about $750 to $800 (about $200 more than our sweet spot below).  
• We sometimes see specials of about $699 for the Second Generation i7 chip, 8GB ram & 750 GB hard-drive.
• Most laptops have around 4 hours of battery life - but a few have up to 8 hours.  Over time, the batteries degrade -- so you will see less than the listed battery life specs...
• Some laptops have increased battery life.  You will have to look for this feature, however, as most do not have the extended battery life.  Extended battery life will cost a bit more.
• LED screens are now the standard.  They use much less power than LCD screen -- meaning improved battery life.
• Those concerned with battery life might want to consider a slightly smaller screen (13 or 14 inches instead of 15 inches means a smaller surface area to light up). (This is a trade-off for smartphones as well: a larger screen means more battery drain.)
• HDMI output is generally available nowadays as well, but check if you really want this feature.

Date	Processor Speed	Memory	Harddrive	Battery	Price
Dec 11	2.4 Ghz (i5 – 2xxx)	4 or 6GB (exp to 8)	600-720GB	4.5 / 6 hrs	$500-$600
Apr 11	2.5 Ghz (i3) Win 7	4GB (exp to 8)	500 GB	4.5 hrs	$550
Jan 11	2.4 Ghz (i3) Win 7	4 GB (exp to 8)	500 GB	4.5 hrs / 8 hrs	$500-$600
Nov 10	2.4 Ghz (i3) Win 7	4 GB (exp to 8)	320 GB	4 hrs	$500
Dec 09	2.2 Ghz (x2) Win 7	4 GB	300 GB	4 hrs	$550
Aug 09	2.1 Ghz (x2) Vista	3 GB	320 GB	3 hrs	$500
Dec 08	2.0 Ghz (x2) Vista	3 GB	300 GB	2.5 hrs	$550
Aug 08	1.9 Ghz (x2) Vista	3 GB	250 GB	2 hrs	$550
Dec 07	1.6 Ghz (x2) Vista	1.5 GB	120 GB	1.5 hrs	$550