Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Notebooks, PDAs, and Printers

You Will Learn…• How to support, upgrade, and add peripheral

devices to notebooks

• About technologies relating to personal digital assistants (PDAs)

• How printers work and how to troubleshoot them

Notebook Computers

Notebook Computers• Use same technology as PCs, but with modifications

Use less power Take up less space Can withstand movement and jars

• Use thin LCD panels for display

• Use small memory modules and CPUs

• Cost more than comparable PCs

Notebook Computers• Power sources

AC adapter DC adapter Battery pack

• Types of batteries Ni-Cad (nickel-cadmium) NiMH (nickel-metal-

hydride) Lithium Ion

• Future battery solution Fuel cell battery

Notebooks versus PCs• Notebooks

Generally purchased as a whole unit; not likely to upgrade hardware and OS

Tend to be proprietary Have some universal support issues, but procedures vary

between brands

• PCs Highly modular Components can be interchanged, upgraded, and enhanced

Types of Memory Used by Notebooks

Upgrading Memory

Upgrading Memory

Upgrading Memory

Other Field Replaceable Units (FRUs) for Notebooks

• Hard drive

• LCD panel

• Motherboard

• CPU

• Keyboard

• PC Card socket assembly

• CD-ROM drive

• Floppy drive

• Sound card

• Pointing device

• AC adapter

• Battery pack

• DC controller

Comparing Hard Drives

Replacing a Hard Drive

Connecting Peripheral Devicesto Notebooks

• Port on notebook itself

• Port replicator

• Docking station

• PC Card Also called PCMCIA (Personal Computer Memory

Card International Association) Card

• USB port

Connecting Peripheral Devices via Notebook Ports

Connecting Peripheral Devices via a Port Replicator

Example of a Docking Station

Connecting Peripheral Devices via PC Cards

PC Cards• Once intended only for memory cards, PC Card slots

are now used by many devices• Four standards

Latest specification: CardBus• Improves I/O speed• Increases bus width to 32 bits• Supports lower-voltage PC Cards while maintaining backward

compatibility Three types (Type I, Type II, and Type III), which vary in

thickness

PC Cards• OS must provide two services

Socket service Card service

• Might contain a data cable to an external drive, or might be self-contained

• Other smaller slots include one for a Secure Digital (SD) Card and one for a Compact Flash Card

• Can be hot-swapped• Can interface with a network

PC Cards

PC Cards

PC Cards

Using a PC Card to Interface with a Network

Adding Devices with a USB Port• Popular way of adding devices to notebooks

• Easy installation

Adding Devices with a USB Port

Supporting Notebooks• Apply same troubleshooting guidelines as for

desktop PCs

• Be aware of warranty issues

• Loaded OS and hardware configuration are specific; see documentation for details

Notebook Manufacturers

PDAs• Small, handheld computers with their own OS and

applications • Battery powered• Use either a grayscale or color active matrix or dual-

scan passive matrix display• Can sometimes benefit from additional memory• Include a stylus• Might use an AC/DC adapter• Might have fold-out keyboard option

PDAs

Optional Accessories for PDAs

Considerations When Purchasing a PDA

• What applications come with it; what can be added later?

• Easy to use? Thorough documentation?

• Is synchronization easy?

• What support is available from manufacturer?

• Type of batteries? Battery life?

continued…

Considerations When Purchasing a PDA

• Can it use e-mail and the Web? Extra hardware or software required?

• Can additional devices be purchased?

• What OS does it use? How easy to use?

• What is the warranty?

• What is the price?

Battery Life on a PDA• Short battery life is the one largest complaint;

risk losing data and applications if battery runs all the way down

• Use cradle and adapter

Applications on a PDA• Some come with all application software preinstalled

• Some require user to download applications at additional cost

• Some support applications that come preinstalled and cannot download others

• Some allow downloading e-mail or Web site content

• Some can access Internet directly by way of a modem or wireless connection

Connecting a PDA to a PC• Synchronization

Process by which PDA and PC “talk” to each other through universal cradle, cable, and USB or serial connection

Capabilities• Backup information from PDA to PC• Work with PDA files on PC and download applications from Web

• Some PDAs synchronize with a desktop or notebook computer through wireless technology

PDA Operating Systems• Principal difference between the two main OSs

for PDAs is in the applications they support Pocket PC

• More versatile

Palm OS• Less complex• Easier to use• Best choice for simple tasks

PDA OS Manufacturers

Printers• Local printers connect directly to computer via

parallel port, serial port, USB port, infrared connection, wireless connection, IEEE 1394 port, SCSI port, or PC Card connection

• Network printers are accessed over the network

Main Types of Printers• Laser

• Ink-jet

• Dot-matrix

• Thermal printers and solid ink printers

Laser Printers• Use electrophotographic

process• Range from small, personal

desktop models to large network printers capable of handling and printing large volumes continuously

• Require interaction of mechanical, electrical, and optical technologies

How a Laser Printer Works• Places toner on electrically charged rotating

drum

• Deposits toner on paper as paper moves through the system at same speed the drum is turning

Six Steps of Laser Printing1. Cleaning

2. Conditioning

3. Writing

4. Developing

5. Transferring

6. Fusing

• Take place inside toner cartridge

• Use components that undergo the most wear

Six Steps of Laser Printing

Step 1: Cleaning

Step 2: Conditioning• Conditions drum to contain a high electrical

charge

Step 3: Writing• Laser beam discharges a lower charge to only

those places where toner is to go

Step 3: Writing• Data from PC is received by formatter (1) and passed

to DC controller (2) which controls laser unit (3)

• Scanning mirror (4) is turned clockwise by scanning motor

• Laser beam is reflected off scanning mirror, focused by focusing lens (5) and sent to the mirror (6)

• Mirror deflects laser beam to a slit in the removable cartridge and on to the drum (7)

Step 3: Writing

Step 4: Developing• Toner is placed onto the drum where the

charge has been reduced

Step 4: Developing

Step 5: Transferring• Strong electrical charge draws toner off drum

onto paper; takes place outside the cartridge

Step 6: Fusing• Heat and pressure fuse toner to paper

Ink-Jet Printers• Small

• Print color inexpensively

• Tend to smudge on inexpensive paper

• Slower than lasers

How an Ink-Jet Printer Works• Print head moves across paper, creating one

line of text with each pass

• Shoots ionized ink at a sheet of paper in a matrix of small dots

• Several technologies are used to form ink droplets (eg, bubble-jet)

• Uses ink cartridges

Ink-Jet Cartridges

Photo-Quality Ink-Jet Printers• New generation of ink-jet printers that give

photo-quality results

• Mix different colors of ink to produce a new color that then makes a single dot

Dot-Matrix Printers• Less expensive; lesser quality

• Impact printer; can print multicopy documents

• Print head moves across width of the paper, using pins to print a matrix of dots on the page

• Uses a ribbon

• If print head fails, buy a new printer

Dot-Matrix Printers

Thermal Printers andSolid Ink Printers

• Relatively new printer technologies

• Non-impact printers that use heat to produce printed output

Thermal Printers• Use wax-based ink that is heated by heat pins that

melt ink onto paper

• Internal logic of the printer determines which pins get heated in order to produce the printed image

• Popular in retail applications for printing bar codes and price tags

• Can burn dots onto special paper or use a ribbon that contains wax-based ink

Solid Ink Printers• Store ink in solid blocks that are easy to

handle; several can be inserted in printer to be used as needed

• Solid ink is melted into the print head which spans the width of the paper

• Head jets the liquid ink onto the paper as it passes by on a drum

Solid Ink Printers• Advantages

Simple design Excellent print quality Easy to set up and maintain

• Disadvantage Time it takes (~15 minutes) for the print head to

heat up

Printer Manufacturers

Installing a Local Printer• Physically attach printer to computer (via parallel,

serial, USB, SCSI, IEEE 1394 port; PC Card or Infrared connection; or wireless access point)

• Install printer drivers Have Windows do it Use printer manufacturer’s installation program (best way)

• Alternately, use Windows Printer window to install

• Test the printer

Installing a Network Printer• Network printer contains a NIC and connects

directly to the network or is shared on the network by another PC

• Can use Network Neighborhood or My Network Places to install a network printer on a remote PC

Troubleshooting Guidelinesfor Printers

• Printer maintenance

• General printer troubleshooting

• Problems with laser printers

• Problems with ink-jet printers

• Problems with dot-matrix printers

Printer Maintenance• Procedures vary widely from manufacturer to

manufacturer and printer to printer

• Make sure consumables for the printer are on hand

• Research printer documentation or manufacturer’s Web site for specific maintenance tips

• Clean inside and outside of the printer

General Printer Troubleshooting• Isolate the problem

Application attempting to use the printer

OS and printer drivers Connectivity between PC

and printer Printer itself

Addressing Printer Problems Caused by Hardware

• Verify a printer self-page can print

• Problem with printer cable

Problems with Laser Printers• Poor print quality due to low toner

• Printer stays in warm-up mode

• Paper Jam or Paper Out message is displayed

• Printer images are distorted

• Printing is slow

• A portion of the page does not print

Problems with Ink-Jet Printers• Print quality is poor

• Printing is intermittent or absent

• Lines or dots are missing from the printed page

• Ink streaks appear on the printed page

To Clean Ink-Jet Nozzles

Problems with Dot-Matrix Printers• Print quality is poor

• Print head moves back and forth, but nothing prints

Chapter Summary• Devices that provide for greater portability and

how to support them Notebook computers Personal digital assistants

(PDAs)

• Printers and how to support them