Summary

Chapter 13: Advanced Laptops and Portable Devices 15■DVD/CD burner: A DVD/CD RW drive is an optical drive that reads and writes data toand from a CD and reads data from a DVD. This is a convenient method of creatingbackups and archiving data. The two most common types of writable CDs and DVDsare writable (R) and rewritable (RW).The form factor of an internal hard drive storage device is smaller for a laptop than for adesktop computer. However, the smaller drive may have a greater storage capacity.Before purchasing a new internal or external hard drive, check the laptop documentation orthe manufacturer’s website for compatibility requirements. Documentation often containsFrequently Asked Questions (FAQ) that may be helpful. It is also important to researchknown laptop component issues on the Internet.Worksheet 13.3.3: Research DVD DrivesIn this activity, you use the Internet, a newspaper, or a local store to gather informationabout a DVD rewritable (DVD/RW) drive for a specified laptop. Refer to the worksheet inIT Essentials: PC Hardware and Software Labs and Study Guide, Third Edition. You maycomplete this worksheet now or wait to do so until the end of the chapter.Select Additional RAMAdding RAM can optimize laptop performance. Additional RAM speeds up the process bydecreasing the number of times the operating system reads and writes data to the hard driveswap file. Reading and writing data directly from RAM is faster than using swap files. Also,RAM helps the operating system run multiple applications more efficiently.Graphic processing in laptops usually is performed by the CPU and often requires extraRAM to store the video while the CPU decodes it for viewing. New applications, such asvideo sharing and video editing, demand increased performance from laptops. Installingexpansion RAM can help increase laptop performance.The laptop’s make and model determine the type of RAM chip needed. It is important toselect the correct memory type that is physically compatible with the laptop. Most desktopcomputers use memory that fits into a Dual Inline Memory Module (DIMM) slot. Most laptopsuse a smaller profile memory chip that is called Small-Outline DIMM (SODIMM)(see Figure 13-7). SODIMMs are smaller than DIMMs, so they are ideal for use in laptops,printers, and other devices where conserving space is desirable. When replacing or addingmemory, determine whether the laptop has available slots to add memory and whether thelaptop supports the quantity and type of memory to be added.