Franske CNT-2300 Advanced Laptop Lab
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In this lab students, working in partners or small groups, will learn about upgrade and repair options for laptops.
- Visit Craigslist or Ebay and select two used laptops currently for sale which you will use to answer the following questions about upgrade and repair options. Record the two laptop models in your lab notebook. For each model complete the following tasks:
- Visit the manufacturer's website for documentation on the laptop. Review the documentation. If you are unable to find any documentation on the manufacturer's site return to Ebay or Craigslist and pick a different model until you have two models which you can find documentation for.
- Determine the type and speed of the CPU in the laptop, the amount of RAM, hard drive and screen size. Record all of these values in your lab notebook.
- What operating system did the laptop originally come with?
- Does the laptop offer any special keys or quick launch keys? Examples include volume up/down, wireless off/on, Web Browser Launch, Email Launch, etc.
- List the functions of at least four "F-keys" including which one is used to switch between internal and external monitors
- What type of optical drive does the laptop have? CD/CD-RW/DVD/DVD-RW/etc.
- What communication ports does the laptop have? Serial/Parallel/Modem/Ethernet/WiFi/Infrared/Bluetooth/WiMax/etc.
- Is the RAM upgradable? What is the maximum amount of memory which can be installed in the laptop and what is the specific RAM type which could be purchased and added? Find compatible memory for the laptop and give the price for a 1GB module as well as the brand and site where the memory is for sale.
- Is the Hard Drive upgradeable? What kind is it (parallel ATA, SATA, SCSI, etc.) Find a compatible upgrade hard drive and provide the size, model, type, price and site where it is for sale
- Is a docking station or port replicator available for your laptop? If so, give the price and site where one can be purchased
- What kind of expansion options exist in the laptop? (PCMCIA type I/II/III, ExpressCard 34/54, USB, Firewire, etc.)
- After researching both of the laptops you selected which would you choose to purchase and why?