How-To: Blind Computing

Have you recently purchased a high-end, slim form-factor  laptop such as the Dell Adamo or Macboook Air? Or maybe you have a netbook like me? In either case, you do not have a optical drive built into your portable machine. Before you let a salesperson upsell you into adding a pricey external dvd drive to purchase, let me show you how to get things done without one.  There are two simple ways in which you can replace the functionality of an optical drive by other means. Method number one involves are USB flash drive, and method number two involves your home network.

Method number one is really easy. If you want to use it to install a disc-based program on a machine that does not have an optical drive, here’s what you do:

1. Plug you USB flash drive into an available USB port on your desktop PC
2. Put a software disc into your desktop’s CD/DVD drive
3. Open My Computer and right-click on the CD/DVD drive icon and select Open
4. Hit Ctrl-A to select all content on the disc
5. Hit Ctrl-C to copy all content on the disc
6. Go back to My Computer and double click on your USB flash drive to open it
7. Hit Ctrl-V to paste the contents of the disc onto your USB flash drive
8. Wait for the process to complete
9. Disconnect the USB flash drive from your desktop PC
10. Plug your USB flash drive into your portable machine
11. On your portable machine, go to My Computer and double click your USB flash drive to open it
12. Search for a file called “setup.exe” or “install.exe” and double-click it
13. Follow the on-screen wizard

It may involve a few steps, but the process is actually pretty simple to execute.

Method two is just as simple as method one, albeit a bit slower due to your network transmission rates. In order to install a disc-based program onto your portable machine over your network here’s what you do:

1. On your desktop PC, open My Computer
2. Right-click the CD/DVD drive icon and select Share
3. Check mark the box labeled Share This Folder
4. Give the drive a name to identify it on your network
5. Click Apply
6. Click Ok
7. On your portable machine, open My Computer
8. Click the button labeled Map Network Drive
9. Click Browse
10. Navigate to your desktop PC and select your CD/DVD drive
11. Click Ok

You now have access to your desktop PC’s optical drive on your portable machine.  Enjoy!

Netbook Showdown

Since I will be getting a netbook soon, I have decided to do a post that compiles my research. There are certainly plenty of netbooks out there that I can choose from. However, I’ve found that the top three include the HP Mini Note 1000, the Asus Eee PC 1000h, and the Acer Aspire One. Below are the specs of each:

HP Mini Note 1000:

• Operating System: Windows XP Home SP3
• Processor: 1.6Ghz Intel Atom
• Memory: 1GB DDR2
• Hard Drive: 16GB SSD
• Screen Size: 10.1”
• Battery Life: 3 hrs
• # of USB Ports: 2
• Weight: 2.4lbs
• Other Features:
  • Memory Card Slots
  • Built-In Speakers
  • Built-In Ethernet
  • Wireless B/G Compatible

Asus Eee PC 1000h:

• Operating System: Windows XP Home SP3
• Processor: 1.6Ghz Intel Atom
• Memory: 1GB DDR2 (Expandable to 2GB)
• Hard Drive: 160GB SATA
• Screen Size: 10”
• Battery Life: 3 hrs
• # of USB Ports: 3
• Weight: 3.2lbs
• Other Features:
  • Memory Card Slots
  • Built-In Speakers
  • Built-In Webcam
  • Built-In Ethernet
  • Wireless B/G/N Compatible

Acer Aspire One:

• Operating System: Windows XP Home SP3
• Processor: 1.6Ghz Intel Atom
• Memory: 1GB DDR2
• Hard Drive: 160GB SATA
• Screen Size: 8.9”
• Battery Life: 3 hrs
• # of USB Ports: 3
• Weight: 2.4lbs
• Other Features:
  • Memory Card Slots
  • Built-In Speakers
  • Built-In Ethernet
  • Wireless B/G Compatible

As you can see, all three netbooks share plenty of similarities. They all run Windows XP Home SP3, have an Intel Atom processor, and 1GB of RAM. However, they do have some differences. The HP Mini has a 16GB SSD versus the 160GB SATA of the other two. The Acer has a 9 inch screen versus the 10 inch screen of the HP and Asus alternatives. The Asus weighs 3.2lbs versus the 2.4 lbs of the HP and the Aspire.

In a case such as this, where there are so many similarities and the differences are insignificant, it is good to look for the best price. Below are my findings:

HP Mini 1000: $349 (Best Buy)

Asus Eee 1000h:  $329 (Best Buy)

Acer Aspire One: $299 (Best Buy)

Conclusion:

In the tough economy, if you are pinching pennies and want a netbook, your best bet is the Acer Aspire One, whose only real pitfall is its smaller screen. However, if can afford it, I’d say go with the Asus Eee 1000h. It’s the best of both worlds with a great screen and large hard disk capacity. It’s also interesting that Best Buy seems to have the best prices on these things. I guess they are doing everything they can to compete with online stores, especially since Circuit City recently shut down.