racoma.com.phJ. Angelo Racoma on technology, economics, writing, problogging, and getting things done

Last time, I wrote about how I protected my laptop’s palm rest and touchpad with frisket film. I mentioned in passing how avid laptop users buy (expensive) skins for their palmrest and keyboards, and these include the iSkin for Apple laptops, among other brand silicone or rubber skins.

Unfortunately, however, not all laptop models have skins that fit the keyboards. Also, I’m of the opinion that keyboards can stand the wear and tear of everyday use, and the best thing to do to maintain them is keep them clean regularly (yeah, that and both my laptops don’t have skins available for them). Besides, I like the feel of the keyboard beneath my fingers. Having silicone in between, no matter how thin, just ruins the sensual experience.

My one-year old Compaq Presario V2000 was almost made new again with the LCD assembly, lid and housing replacement. But the keyboard was still filthy and grimy.

The before image. Check out the grime to the left of the Z key.

So armed with some patience, an hour of free time, and some cleaning implements, I set out to clean up my laptop.

Computing.net and lifehacker have a few tips on cleaning your lappie’s keyboard, along with materials you can use, ranging from common household cleaning solutions to auto-detailing sprays/lubricants. Since I labored with cleaning my car’s exterior and interior the day before, I decided to use some auto interior cleaning implements.

For this, I used Armor All protectant and some soft cleaning cloth (the kind that comes in different colors, and which street vendors hawk at intersections).

Basically what I did was spray a liberal amount of cleaner/protectant to the cloth, and wipe each key thoroughly. I made sure to focus not only on the top surface, but also the edges of each key, where the grime usually accumulates. For the edges, cotton swabs come in very handy.

As the protectant’s packaging said to “avoid use on painted surfaces,” I had to make sure I didn’t apply it onto the laptop’s painted surface (which, on the V2000, meant all the silver colored parts).

Of course, these were done while the computer was turned off.

And the finished product:

Here’s the keyboard after cleaning.

Here’s the before cleaning image again. Compare.

As an alternative, you can use alcohol, or even water with mild soap. If you’re the meticulous kind, you can follow the computing.net link above and actually pry off each key for thorough cleaning. Desktop keyboards can easily be cleaned this way, and you can actually clean each key as if you were washing dishes.

Now keyboards tend to accumulate dust, food particles, hair and other such stuff in between the keys. If you have a can of compressed air, or a manually-pumped blower (a nebulizer compressor will do, actually–you know, those noisy things you use when you have asthma attacks!) you can use this to force out any dirt lodged beneath the keys.

You’ll feel great using a laptop that looks and feels new. Happy laptop computing!

This is a lazy post, by the way. Lots of work to do, so here are some highlights.

* I installed Ubuntu Linux Feisty Fawn (version 7.04) yesterday. Finally got to archive some old files (via DVD) to get a big enough space on my hard drive to re-partition. The entire process took about 8 hours (most of which was spent working while waiting for the ISO to download via BitTorrent, Acronis to resize my partitions, and Ubuntu to actually install).
* Ubuntu detected all my hardware, and activation, setup and operation was seamless. Even Windows couldn’t detect my newly installed Intel Pro 2200BG wireless card. And that was an Intel chip supposed to come built-in with laptops of this vintage.
* Just faced some problems with sleep and wake-from-sleep while running on battery mode. The wireless network won’t work after waking up. Solution: I added ipw2200 to the MODULES line under /etc/default/acpi-support (be sure to edit this using superuser). Working fine so far, except for some instances when the laptop won’t sleep when lid is closed.
* Enabled NTFS write access, so I can still work on my files in the Windows NTFS partition.
* Imported my entire Firefox profile (which just involved copying over the profile from the NTFS partition to the Linux one.
* Installing apps was a breeze, wit the application manager. Just check the ones you want, and Ubuntu will download and install these for you.
* Installed Beryl. Wow! This was one of the main reasons why I was dead serious with installing Ubuntu on my V2000. It’s as good as OS X Expose. And it even has the 3D cube (which I believe OS X Leopard will feature as “spaces”.).

I’m not exactly a newbie to Linux, as I’ve been using Mandriva as my main work machine back in 2005. But I’m not exactly much of a Linux power user either. But still, I’m not alien to the command line (having started using computers when DOS was still in fashion), and there’s always Google for easy reference. So I’m not totally lost.

One stark observation: It’s easier to start using Linux coming from the OS X camp. Both being Unix-derived, a Mac user won’t get lost navigating through Linux, especially if one is used to tweaking Darwin using the OS X Terminal. If you’re primarily a Windows user, though, you might need some time to adjust.

And of course, the Beryl desktop manager makes all this even better.

Best thing is that even if my machine wasn’t too spiffy (it’s a Dothan class Celeron-M running at 1.5 GHz, with 512M of DDR1 RAM), it can still support all this eye candy without breaking a sweat. I don’t think Windows Vista or even XP can do that. I tried installing some 3D cube type desktop managers on XP and I wasn’t so impressed.

Ubuntu passes the J. Angelo Racoma test. It’s easy enough to install, and it works well enough without the usual headaches you would usually imagine having when doing a fresh OS install on your machine. But more importantly, it gets my seal of approval because I got through with installing Ubuntu even with my very short attention span. My previous attempts at installing Linux distros by myself (Red Hat, Slackware, Mandrake/Mandriva) were all in vain. I gave up too easily.

I think Ubuntu Linux will do well as a free OS for home-based computing, and as an alternative to Windows

More testament to Ubuntu Linux’s coolness over at Max Limpag’s site.

When I first got my Compaq Presario V2000 I thought it would be invulnerable, like my old Thinkpad. However, a few weeks into use, I realized that laptops with painted finishes like this one were vulnerable to fading, especially in those places with frequent contact with skin. Also, touchpads/trackpads (instead of trackpoints, those rubber nub joysticks that Thinkpads come with) were prone to get oily and sticky at some point, and lose their matte surfaces.

By the time I had sent in the V2000 for repairs under warranty, the paint on the palm rest had darkened in those places I would usually place the heel of my palm on, the touchpad had smooth surfaces in those areas my forefinger frequently moved along, and there was some rusting on the speaker grille in the front.

Good thing the HP approved of the replacement of the entire front bezel, so when I got my unit back, the V2000 looked almost good as new.

However, I knew that the paint would inevitably fade off, so I thought it was time to put in some protection. I scoured the computer shops at the mall for laptop skins, but I could only find the _very expensive_ kind, and the ones available were meant for MacBooks and MacBook Pros (such as the iSkin, et al). Keyboard-only skins for the MacBook retailed for PhP 1,200 (about $20), while palmrest protection for the MacBook and MBP cost PhP 1,500 (about $30). Protection for MacBook and MBP trackpads cost PhP 1,500 too.

I didn’t think these would fit my V2000, and the prices are a bit steep. So I didn’t bother to try them out. The only accessory I thought would fit were the cloth/felt-like pads I can stick onto the palmrest, but they were still priced a bit steep for cloth pads, at PhP 1,500 plus. I know I shouldn’t be scrimping on protection for an expensive gadget, but for those prices I could already buy additional memory.

And I knew of an alternative.

I remember a few years back when I was a mobile phone junkie, I would use Frisket Film to cover my phones’ screens to prevent scratching. Remember when you first took your mobile phone out of the box? Yes, the LCD screen had clear plastic film for scratch protection!

So I thought of buying frisket sheets instead. I headed to National bookstore, got myself a few sheets, and went on to do my project.

Frisket film is meant for use with airbrushing and you can usually find these at the art/engineering sections of supply stores. I believe these retail for PhP50 (about one dollar) per letter-size sheet. The National Bookstore branch I went to didn’t carry frisket, though, so I had to settle for clear acetate. It’s cheaper, but it’s not as good as frisket, since frisket doesn’t leave much sticky residue.

Step by step: how to protect your laptop with frisket film

I only installed the film on areas that had very frequent contact with skin, so these are the palm rest, touchpad and clickers. I would have protected my keyboard, too, but sticking on adhesive film on each key would be very tedious (and stupid, I think). The keyboard is where silicone skins should be used (and keyboard plastic is easier to clean since it’s not painted surface anyway).

What you need. frisket film, of course. If you can’t find this, clear acetate will do, but remember these might leave a sticky residue when removed. You’ll also need scissors, box cutter, or an X-acto knife (this would be best, I think). You’ll also need a pencil and ruler.

Measuring. First thing to do is measure the film against the part you want to cover. You can either hold the film against your laptop, or take measurements using a ruler.

I already covered the palm rest last night, but failed to take pictures. This afternoon, I decided to cover the touchpad, too. And here, I’m comparing the sheet of frisket with the touchpad’s area.

Cutting. Once you’ve measured the film against the actual area you want covered, it’s time to cut. In airbrushing, the artist would usually cut the film with X-acto knife while it’s already adhered to the surface to be covered. I’m not so adept at handling a cutter or X-acto knife, and I wouldn’t want my laptop’s surface to be scratched or cut. So I just cut the film while still on the paper backing.

Then I laid the film onto the touchpad surface to see if it fits.

My touchpad has rounded corners, so I have to trim the corners of the film, a la Web 2.0 style (rounded corners, that is).

Clean the surface. You wouldn’t want any dirt or dust to get stuck between that adhesive and your laptop. So the next step would be to clean the surface with any mild cleaning solution and soft cloth. Be sure to get rid of any oil residue (if your laptop is not new). You might also want to wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water, and dry them off completely before further handling of frisket.

Taking off the paper backing. Next step would be to take off the paper backing from the film. Be sure to handle the film only on the edges, as the adhesive side easily smudges with fingerprints.

Applying frisket on the surface. Now when you’ve taken the frisket film off its paper backing, you can now apply it onto the surface to be protected (previously cleaned and thoroughly dried). Start with the edges, making sure the film is aligned correctly. Be sure to stick it on from one edge to another. If you feel confident enough with your alignment, you can start with the center. Otherwise, air bubbles might form inside the covered surface.

If you’re covering your touchpad, be sure there are no air bubbles. Touchpads work on the capacitance of your finger (meaning electricity from your body), so it needs to “sense” the electricity from your finger in order to move the cursor. If the frisket is not properly applied, you might get inaccurate readings.

In fact, if you’re covering your touchpad, be sure to test first if it can still sense movements when something comes between the surface and your skin. You can try using any thin surface such as a piece of paper, or even the plastic packaging of your frisket film.

If you’re applying it on a larger area, you can get rid of air bubbles by gently rubbing the edge of a plastic card (such as a credit card) from one edge to another, or from the center to the edges.

Here’s a pic of my year-old V2000 before the front bezel was replaced (again, for free, by HP!).

Here below is the V2000 with a new bezel, and covered with clear acetate. The left part of my palm rest still with a few air bubbles. I don’t mind right now, though. I’ll just change the film when it gets too grimy already.

If you found this tip helpful, be sure to leave a comment below. You can also pitch in with other tips for keeping your gadgets like new.

During a what-was-i-thinking moment a couple of weeks ago, I was considering selling my trusty Compaq Presario V2617, possibly to finance an upgrade. I posted on TPC I had a lot of offers for the price (I got dozens of inquiries per day), but I ended up deciding not to sell instead.

And it was a good thing. Just the week after, I noticed my laptop was overheating. First, I got a creaking sound when the fan turned, and then I noticed the fan had not been turning at all. The CPU’s thermal protection then shut off the power whenever the processor got too hot.

And then I realized that the warranty was expiring July 3rd. So the day before, I rushed to MSI-ECS (official distributor and service center of HP) in nearby Libis to have the laptop services. My main complaint was the defective fan, but I told the technicians that they can feel free to replace whatever part needed replacing. I told them I noticed the LCD was a bit loose and was already dim. I also asked if they could replace the palm rest because the paint was faded, and the right speaker grill had some rust.

I had a pleasant surprise when I picked up the laptop yesterday. I was told the LCD and front bezel were replaced. I didn’t realize I would have a significant improvement over my laptop’s original state.

HP Compaq really made me happy this time.

My laptop looked almost new because of the new front bezel. Well, that’s except for the keyboard (which is in need of some good cleaning) and the the area near the hinges. So now the palm rest is pristine, and the touchpad and the clickers are also very smooth (no oil marks nor faded parts). Basically it’s like first using the laptop straight off the box.

But an even more pleasant surprise is the LCD. Not only was it twice as bright as my old one (at least to my perception), the entire lid had been replaced (probably easier than having to disassemble everything). And with this new lid came–guess what–WiFi antennae! I discovered this when I opened up the memory and mini PCI slots to check if maybe–just maybe–they upgraded the lid to the one with antennae. And they did!

The original V2617TS did not come with wireless antennas at the back, so that severely limited one’s wireless connectivity options to external/plug-in devices like Cardbus and USB.

Now that I had antennae, all I needed was a mini PCI card. I tried the one I stuck into my dad’s Neo (generic) laptop, just to see whether the BIOS now accepted it (apparently, the technicians upgraded or at least reinstalled the BIOS since the startup screen looked different). Nope. I was still getting the 104 “Unsupported wireless device” errors, so the computer wouldn’t boot. I could theoretically hack either the BIOS or the card’s firmware so that the BIOS would think the device was in its whitelist, but I was afraid of bricking my laptop.

So I scoured the online forums for mini PCI cards, and I came across a fellow TPCer I had dealt with several times over the past couple of years already. He does carry a wide array of spare mini PCI cards pulled out from old/defective laptops, and I thought there might be a chance he had a compatible one. HP/Compaq laptops have very strict whitelists (due to FCC restritions). I read this being an Intel, it would only accept Intel wireless chips made for HP particularly (AMD based ones use Broadcom chips made for HP specifically).

Over at Hottoyzph, After trying on a couple of mini PCI cards (all with 104 errors), we chanced upon one Intel Pro 2200BG that worked. The moment the computer went past the POST screen and booted up, I felt excited. Now I had internal WiFi. The added cost was minimal for an internal WiFi card.

So a year and a week after buying my Compaq Presario V2617TS, I got myself a mostly-new V2617 with several upgrades (I actually purchased a DVD-RW drive before, for backing up files and photos). It’s better than _good as new_ .

I chanced upon this at a window display in SM Megamall Cyberzone last weekend. It’s the upgrade to my own low-end V2000 (which I bought for about PhP31,000 a year ago). the V3120TU runs on a Celeron-M 420 (1.6 GHz), 256MB DDR-2 533, 60GB hard drive and has a 14-inch brightview widescreen.

It’s not astoundingly fast, but what interests me is how a Compaq V3000 form factor can get this cheap. At PhP 29,900, that’s about US$ 660, which makes it priced on par with low-end branded units in the US.

I would recommend a RAM upgrade immediately, which would cost about PhP 1,500 (for a 512MB DDR2 stick). Reasonable enough. Oh, and models priced this low don’t have an OS pre-installed, so you would either have to: (a) shell out PhP 5,000 for an official copy of Windows XP or Vista Home edition; (b) install a flavor of Linux (I recommend Ubuntu); (c) go the Jack Sparrow way (meaning piracy–either bootlegged copies of XP, Vista or even OSX86!).

One big drawback though, as with the low-end V2000, this doesn’t have internal WiFi card. And don’t count on being able to install an internal mini PCI wireless card either! Compaq’s low-end Presarios don’t have internal WiFi antennae and it is most likely that the BIOS won’t accept the card by default (without hacks, that means).

This model doesn’t have Cardbus support, so your only option is to use a USB WiFi stick (or go wired!).

This could be great for offices/companies on the cheap that want to supply desktop replacements/substitutes for their staff.