Replacing my laptop hard drive with an SSD

It's amazing how the prices on solid-state hard drives (SSD) have dropped. I remember when it used to cost a fortune to get a 64 GB SSD. Now, you can get one for $125.

After experiencing SSD performance on a number of mobile computers including the HP Slate 500, I've decided to switch one of my laptop hard drives with an SSD. I don't need much storage space, so 64 GB is plenty. Plus, I have an SD slot and plenty of USB ports to expand storage if needed. I'm eager to see how this laptop will perform after I upgrade the drive to an SSD.

Great laptop deals for under $400

I recently purchased several great laptops for under $400. I'm not talking about tiny netbooks that lack built-in optical drives. I'm also not referring to refurbished or recertified products.

If you're shopping for a new laptop and you want a regular screen (14 or 15" screen), plus you also want a built-in DVD-RW drive, then you can probably find a nice deal on a brand new laptop for under $400. You'll save more if you purchase a refurbished computer, but why buy refurbished when you can buy something new for a similar price?

There are some great deals out there on products made by Lenovo, HP/Compaq, Acer, and many other brands. Here's a tip: don't shop on the manufacturer's website. Look for these deals from online retailers like Amazon.com, Newegg.com, and others. You won't even need a coupon code to find these great deals.

As the fall approaches, you can also expect to see some great "back to school" savings.

Save on the Lenovo IdeaPad U550

If you're thinking about buying a new laptop this summer, here is a great Lenovo deal on the IdeaPad U550:

$250 off IdeaPad U550! eCoupon: USPU5621

The ThinkPad X100e is ultraportable and less than $500

Although I've switched to an HP EliteBook as my primary notebook, I'm still a big fan of Lenovo ThinkPads.

You can get a new Lenovo ThinkPad X100e for less than $500, so if you're looking for a professional ultraportable laptop, this could be the right one for you. This isn't your typical netbook either. Here's what you get:

ThinkPad X100e key features

• Sub-3 lbs. starting weight
• Small footprint
• Roomy 11.6" HD display
• Available in Midnight Black and Heatwave Red in smooth finishes (Arctic White not available in the US)
• ISO full-sized, spill-resistant keyboard
• TrackPoint® and multitouch touchpad
• Powerful AMD processor
• Low-light-sensitive Web camera
• Multiple connectivity options
• ThinkVantage® Technologies
• Corporate OS support
• Robust warranty options
• 3 USB ports (1 powered), 4-in-1 media card reader and HD audio

View all Lenovo laptops and netbooks under $650!

HP Notebook PC Battery Pack Replacement Program

On May 19, 2010, HP expanded a worldwide voluntary recall and replacement program in cooperation with various government agencies, adding battery packs to the replacement program announced on May 14, 2009 and revised on October 15, 2009. Product model series were also added to the list of products that may have been sold with affected batteries. HP customers affected by this program will be eligible to receive a replacement battery pack for each verified, recalled battery pack at no cost.

Get more details here: http://bpr.hpordercenter.com/hbpr/M14.aspx

Physician executives and netbooks at ACPE 2010

I'm in Washington D.C. attending the 2010 ACPE (American College of Physician Executives) Annual CME Conference. Physicians attending the Physician in Management Seminar all have laptops in the room because they're taking notes, working on assignments, and preparing for online exams. What's interesting is to note how many physician executives are using netbooks instead of standard laptops. What's your guess?

Surprisingly, I saw more netbooks than expected. I think the netbook phenomenon has caught up to these physician executives. Equipped with reading glasses, they were working on small screens instead of using monster laptops that had 17" screens. Several physicians also had Apple notebooks (mainly MacBook Pro models), but I didn't see many MacBook Air laptops in the room. I guess physician executives aren't willing to pay a premium to have the thinnest, coolest laptop on the market. I saw a few physicians with iPads, so that was refreshing. Who said physicians were late technology adopters?

Click here for highlights from ACPE 2010 published on NonClinicalJobs.com

This coverage of ACPE is sponsored by Practice Fusion EMR. Practice Fusion’s Electronic Medical Record system includes charting, scheduling, e-prescribing, secure messaging and lab connections – all at no cost. Join the fastest growing EMR community today!

Can you afford a $49,246 laptop?

I received this e-mail from Intel and I thought I'd share it since it really communicates an important message:

Over 12,000 laptops are stolen every week from airports alone. In 2009, the average cost of a missing laptop was $49,246. What if one of those was from your organization? Would your patient data be safe?

Laptop computers are essential to mobile healthcare, but their mobility and convenience put organizations at heightened risk of a data breach. With increasingly stringent HIPAA regulations and stiffer penalties resulting from the HITECH Act, keeping patient data secure is a business necessity. Unauthorized access to patient data or hospital systems resulting from a stolen or lost laptop could cause severe economic and legal consequences — in 2009, the total average cost of a data breach was a sobering $6.75 million. And the rate at which customers "jump ship" after a data breach is significantly higher for healthcare organizations — even higher than for financial organizations.

Attend an upcoming Intel Webinar (co-sponsored by Frost & Sullivan) to learn these key trends and solutions:

* The challenges in protecting healthcare data
* The rules governing the protection of healthcare data and the consequences of noncompliance
* Keeping sensitive healthcare data out of the wrong hands
* Employing new technology that offers rapid lockdown and rapid recovery to keep you in compliance with healthcare data security laws

To sign up for a free webinar discussing healthcare data protection, click here.

Attend the live event and be entered to win an Intel® Anti-Theft enabled mobile device.

Power outage: another reason to use a mobile computer

Several physician offices in our area lost power over the weekend because of heavy winds. A few of them are currently using electronic health records (EHRs). Can you still function if your power goes out? Probably not. However, at least you can still maintain some level of productivity while you wait for the power to come back on.

If you're relying on an Internet connection, you can still access your EHR if you have a 3G wireless card for your mobile computer. Everyone should have some type of backup Internet connection and a 3G wireless card is a very practical option. So, if you're still trying to decide between a desktop/workstation (along with an uninterrupted power supply or UPS) vs. a mobile PC like a tablet or laptop, think about power outages.

The patient encounter: tablet PC screen vs. keyboard

In the outpatient setting, we see clipboards all the time. New patients are often handed a clipboard that contains several pages of forms. When the nurse or medical assistant comes in to the exam room, he/she often holds a clipboard (or your chart) to record your information and data. Then, when the physician, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant comes into the room, he/she is probably also holding your chart or clipboard.

Now, here come the important questions:

• Does the doctor sit or stand while he/she talks to the patient?  Patients seem to prefer it when the doctor is sitting.
• If there's a computer in the room, does the doctor spend most of the time looking at the computer screen or the patient?
• If there's a keyboard attached to the computer, is the doctor typing away or looking at the patient?
• If the doctor is using a tablet (in slate mode), then he/she won't be typing. That doctor will be tapping on the screen with a stylus pen. When interacting directly with a patient, is that better or worse than typing on a keyboard?

The beauty of the convertible tablet PC is that it can be used when you're sitting or standing. You can't really do that with a desktop, but you can if you have a tablet that you can hold in your hand. Once you get comfortable with pen-based computing, you'll quickly realize that it's much more efficient to tap directly on the screen.

Also, if you're using a tablet PC, you can talk to the patient while you're standing. Then, you can also sit on a stool and continue the conversation while you scribble notes or tap on the screen of your tablet PC in slate mode.  Then, if you need to do a fair bit of typing, you could quickly convert your slate tablet into a laptop.

As tablets become more versatile, more health care providers will turn to tablets for the outpatient and inpatient settings. We're going to see more rugged tablets. We're also going to see lighter models that can easily convert from slate to notebook modes.

Lenovo ThinkPad Edge and X100e

I'm a big fan of mobile computers. I like my notebooks small and light. I'm also a fan of ThinkPads. I've owned ThinkPad laptops for over 10 years. They're very reliable and I have a high level of respect for these machines. My current mobile computer is a ThinkPad X200 Tablet PC. Lenovo just released two great ThinkPads:

The Lenovo ThinkPad Edge is a brand new system that is thin and light. It has a 13.3" screen and it's priced just right at $579. It's not too small like a netbook and it packs plenty of horsepower for people who wish to be productive while they're on the road.

The Lenovo ThinkPad X100e is an ultra-light ThinkPad that's priced at $449. Wow! The X-series used to be well over $1,000, but the X100e is breaking that trend by starting at a sub-$500 price point. This laptop has a 11.6" screen, so you may wonder if this laptop is more like a netbook. Rest assured, this laptop comes with a full-size keyboard. Here's how Lenovo describes this new X100e series: "Our first business entry ultraportable..."

These machines are priced just right. Hopefully, these low prices will drive the rest of the prices down on the Lenovo website. Although I like ThinkPads, I think they could be priced better. Plus, I think Lenovo should include Bluetooth as a standard feature. If you're looking for a nice ultra-portable laptop, you may want to consider the ThinkPad Edge and X100e.

Mobile computers in the hospital

The last time you were in a hospital, did you notice many mobile computers? You may have seen some LCD monitors mounted on a rolling cart. Maybe you saw some nurses carrying little tablet-shaped mobile clinical assistants (MCAs) like the Motion C5. As hospitals become more digital, they will incorporate more computers into patient rooms, the walls, the waiting rooms, the common areas, and even the operating rooms. We'll have computers everywhere and they'll rely on wireless technology like Wi-Fi to communicate. Doctors will use them to enter orders (CPOE). Others will check labs and other test results on computes. Patient will also get to view some of their own health record information on tablets and other types of mobile devices. Plus, you can expect that doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and social workers will all carry some type of mobile computer. The world of mobile computing will continue to explode in the health care industry as medical professionals recognize their need to stay connected and have access to vital information.

DisplayLink and using multiple monitors

If you want to use multiple monitors simultaneously, then get a DisplayLink device. There are some monitors that incorporate DisplayLink technology so that you can use several monitors simultaneously. Some port replicators and docking stations also leverage DisplayLink technology so that you can easily use several monitors with your laptop, notebook, tablet PC, or netbook.

I'm able to do so much more by using multiple monitors simultaneously. At home, I mainly use my laptop, but I also use an external monitor and use the Extended Desktop feature so that I can work on both screens at the same time. At work, I have 3 monitors where I'm constantly moving windows around.

Belkin F5L001 Laptop Cooling Pad (2 different versions)

I'm currently using the Belkin F5L001-BLK Laptop Cooling Pad (Black). The Belkin laptop cooling pad used to be called the F5L025. Then, Belkin renamed it the F5L001 and it comes in black or white. However, if you go online to order an F5L001, you may get an "older" version or a "newer" version. There's really no way to know which version you'll get. I ordered 2 from Amazon and I got 2 different items.

Overall, the Belkin cooling pad is nice, but since it curves, it doesn't fit very easily in a briefcase. So, this is a great cooling pad if you're using it at home or keeping it in the office. If you're looking for a cooling pad that you'll take with you when you're packing your notebook in your briefcase, then I suggest finding a different model (like a flat one that will pack away easily).

Testing a few laptop cooling pads

Starting tomorrow, I'm on vacation until early January. I'm looking forward to spending some quality time with my family.

One of my little projects will be to test a few different laptop cooling pads, so you can expect blog posts related to that topic. It's interesting to note how these things have evolved over the years. As people recognize how heat can damage their computers, they will be more willing to invest in active cooling devices to protect their hardware. 

Boost battery life 5 times

I remember when you were lucky to barely get 2 hours of battery life on a laptop. Now, some boast 8 or 9 hour battery lives. We've made tremendous progress, but we're still not living in an era where the vast majority of laptops will last a full work day on a single standard battery. When will we see that change?

We may see a boost in battery life by 5 times if more devices incorporate Pixel Qi (pronounced "chee") screen technology in mobile computers. Technology Review describes Pixel Qi as:

Developing a technology for low-power, low-cost displays that are readable in direct sunlight. The company is moving into mass production, with netbooks targeted as the first application of its 3qi screen. E-readers could be next.

I'm excited to see how computer screen technology continues to evolve. Someday, we really may have power-efficient mobile computers that are capable of incredible run times. Won't that be great? You won't be running around looking for a place to plug in! All-day computing on your tablet PC while you're rounding in the hospital or seeing patients in a busy office. No need to recharge that tablet PC!

$500 is a nice price point for a laptop

I'm shopping for a laptop for a medical office that currently has a series of desktops, laptops, and tablet PCs. I've been asked to look for a business laptop that's in a reasonable price range. I did a quick search and found one for roughly $500. Now, you can get a really decent laptop for less (and I'm not talking about a netbook). $400 is a reasonable low-end starting point for a new system. You'll easily find a refurbished or "outlet" system in the $400-500 range as well.

So, are you planning on shopping for a new computer this holiday season? Keep in mind that you may find a really decent business laptop for less than $500, so if you already missed Black Friday, then simply get online to find a good deal.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Enjoy lots of turkey! Happy Thanksgiving? Get ready for those incredible Black Friday sales on laptops/notebooks, tablet PCs, iPods, and much more! I'm very thankful for my family and for the support they provide.

Black Friday specials on notebooks

I may buy a notebook this Friday as a gift for someone in the family. This individual is not a "power user," so I don't need to buy the latest and greatest PC that's out there. Which notebook is the right choice? I found one budget notebook that was roughly $200, but this one seems a bit too slow. It's hard to justify purchasing a machine that has a single core processor (unless you're getting a netbook). I'm not planning on buying a netbook for this individual.

I'll continue to scan the deals. Sometimes the best deals occur after Christmas as people return unopened (and even opened) merchandise. I'm willing to purchase an "open box" special if it means I'll save. Some of the best deals I've ever found were open box specials from online retailers like MacMall/PCMall, NewEgg, etc. As a general rule, I won't purchase an open box refurbished item. I don't have problems with refurbished computers, but if it was a returned refurbished item, then I stay away from those.

Hope you find some good deals this week!

Cooling your warm laptop

Some people call them notebooks. Others call them laptops. If you use your computer on your lap, then you're probably going to call it a laptop. My colleagues often complain that their laptop computers feel like they are burning their legs.

Older laptops that had Intel Pentium (P4) processors used to get really hot! Thanks to low-voltage (such as the Intel Centrino) and even ultra-low voltage processors, we're seeing laptops staying cooler. Additionally, the use of solid state drives (SSDs) have further reduced computing temperatures. Heat is the ultimate enemy to computer components. I've seen many hard drives fail due to heat damage. I've also seen motherboards get damaged due to excessive heat.

If you use a laptop on your lap, make sure you're using an active cooling pad that has a built-in fan. These comes in all types of sizes and styles. Some cooling pads are meant to be used only on a desk. Others are designed to work on a desk or a person's lap. You may spend anywhere from $15 up to over $50, but it's well worth the investment if you don't want to lose your data.

Universal Notebook Docking Stations

There are several Universal Docking Stations that you can now get from several major manufacturers. The Toshiba Dynadock was one of the first to feature a single USB connecting docking station that also had a built-in graphics card. Through this docking station, you could effectively use 3 monitors simultaneously. Here's how:

1. The LCD panel on your laptop is monitor #1
   
2. A second monitor plugged into your laptop's VGA port
3. A third monitor plugged into the docking station's VGA/DVI port
   

Now, Kensington has released  the Universal Notebook Docking Station with VGA/DVI (and I believe that Targus and several others may have similar docking stations out there).

If you like to use multiple monitors via the "extended desktop" configuration, then adding a 3rd may not be a bad idea. One of the most cost effective ways of doing this is through one of these docking stations that has VGA/DVI built-in.