1. © 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Cisco Public
ITE PC v4.0
Chapter 6 1
Chapter 6: Laptops
and Portable
Devices
IT Essentials: PC Hardware and Software v4.0

2. ITE PC v4.0
Chapter 6 2© 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Cisco Public
Purpose of this Presentation
 List of chapter objectives
 Overview of the chapter contents, including
student worksheets
student activities
some potential student misconceptions
 Reflection/Activities for instructors to complete to
prepare to teach
 Additional resources
To provide to instructors an overview of Chapter 6:

3. ITE PC v4.0
Chapter 6 3© 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Cisco Public
Chapter 6 Objectives
 6.1 Describe laptops and other portable devices
 6.2 Identify and describe the components of a laptop
 6.3 Compare and contrast desktop and laptop
components
 6.4 Explain how to configure laptops
 6.5 Compare the different mobile phone standards
 6.6 Identify common preventive maintenance
techniques used for laptops and portable devices
 6.7 Describe how to troubleshoot laptops and portable
devices

4. ITE PC v4.0
Chapter 6 4© 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Cisco Public
Chapter 6 Worksheets
 6.1.2 Worksheet: Research Laptops, Smart Phones,
and PDAs
 6.2.3 Worksheet: Laptop Docking Stations
 6.3.4 Worksheet: Laptop Expansion
 6.4.1 Worksheet: ACPI Standards
 6.7.2 Worksheet: Research Laptop Problems

5. ITE PC v4.0
Chapter 6 5© 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Cisco Public
Optional Virtual Laptop Activities
 6.2.1 Explore the different views of the virtual laptop
 6.2.2 Explore the virtual laptop keyboard
 6.2.3 Explore the different views of the docking station
 6.4.2 Replace components and devices in the virtual
laptop

6. ITE PC v4.0
Chapter 6 6© 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Cisco Public
Introduction
 Do you know when the first laptops were developed?
 Who do you think used the early laptops?
 One of the original laptops was the GRiD Compass
1101. It was used by astronauts on space missions in the
early 1980s.
 It weighed 11 lb (5 kg) and cost US $8,000 - $10,000!
 This chapter focuses on the differences between laptops
and desktops and describes the features of PDAs and
Smartphones.

7. ITE PC v4.0
Chapter 6 7© 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Cisco Public
Laptops and Portable Devices
 Notebooks, laptops, and tablets are types of portable
computers.
 For clarity and consistency in this course, all portable
computers will be called "laptops".
 Today, laptops are very popular because advances in
technology have resulted in laptops that cost less, weigh
less, and have improved capabilities.
 PDAs offer features such as games, web surfing, e-mail,
instant messaging, and many other features offered by
PCs.
 Smartphones are cell phones with many built-in PDA
capabilities.

8. ITE PC v4.0
Chapter 6 8© 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Cisco Public
Common Uses of Laptops
 Taking notes in school or researching
papers
 Presenting information in business
meetings
 Accessing data away from home or the
office
 Playing games while traveling
 Watching movies while traveling
 Accessing the Internet in a public place
 Sending and receiving email in a public
place
 Can you think of other uses for laptops?

9. ITE PC v4.0
Chapter 6 9© 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Cisco Public
Common Uses of PDAs and Smartphones
 The PDA is an electronic personal
organizer with tools to help organize
information
 The Smartphone is a mobile phone with
PDA capabilities.
 Other uses of PDAs and Smartphones are
to take phone calls, voice memos, taking
notes, text messaging, browsing the
internet, reading eBooks, playing games,
internet chat, music, contacts, calendar
and GPS.

10. ITE PC v4.0
Chapter 6 10© 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Cisco Public
The Components of a Laptop
Common laptop features:
 Small and portable
 Integrated display screen in lid
 Integrated keyboard
 AC power source or rechargeable battery
 Hot-swappable drives and peripherals
 Some type of docking station or port replicator to
connect to peripherals

11. ITE PC v4.0
Chapter 6 11© 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Cisco Public
Components Outside of a Laptop
 Top view of virtual laptop
Bluetooth
status LED
Battery
status LED
Standby
LED

12. ITE PC v4.0
Chapter 6 12© 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Cisco Public
Components Outside of a Laptop
 Rear view of virtual laptop
AC power
connector
Parallel port
Battery bay

13. ITE PC v4.0
Chapter 6 13© 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Cisco Public
Components Outside of a Laptop
 Left side view of virtual laptop
Security
keyhole
USB
port
S-video
port
Headphone
jack
Microphone
jack
PC card
slot
Ventilation grill
RJ-11 modem
Ethernet
port
Network LEDs

14. ITE PC v4.0
Chapter 6 14© 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Cisco Public
Components Outside of a Laptop
 Front view of virtual laptop
Infrared
port
Speakers
Latch
Ventilation grill

15. ITE PC v4.0
Chapter 6 15© 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Cisco Public
Components Outside of a Laptop
 Right side view of virtual laptop
Optical drive
Optical drive
indicator
VGA
port
Drive bay
indicator

16. ITE PC v4.0
Chapter 6 16© 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Cisco Public
Components Outside of a Laptop
 Underside view of virtual laptop
Hard drive
access panel
Battery
latches
Docking
connector
RAM
access
panel

17. ITE PC v4.0
Chapter 6 17© 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Cisco Public
Components Inside of a Laptop
 Open laptop
Keyboard
Volume controls Power button
Touchpad
Pointer controller
Fingerprint
reader

18. ITE PC v4.0
Chapter 6 18© 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Cisco Public
Components Inside of a Laptop
 LEDs inside laptop
Wireless Bluetooth Caps lock
Num lock
Hard
drive Battery
Power
on
Standby

19. ITE PC v4.0
Chapter 6 19© 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Cisco Public
Components on a Docking Station
 Top view of docking station
Docking
connector
Power
button
Eject
button

20. ITE PC v4.0
Chapter 6 20© 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Cisco Public
Components on a Docking Station
 Rear view of docking station
Exhaust
fan
AC power
connector
PC card
slot
Ethernet
port
RJ-11
port
Serial
port
VGA
port
Parallel
port
DVI
port
External-diskette-drive
connector
Headphone
connector
Line In
connector
USB
port
Keyboard
port
Mouse
port

21. ITE PC v4.0
Chapter 6 21© 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Cisco Public
Components on a Docking Station
 Right side view of docking station
Key lock

22. ITE PC v4.0
Chapter 6 22© 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Cisco Public
Compare Laptop Components and
Desktop Components
 Desktop components tend to be standardized. They
usually meet universal form factors.
 Laptop manufacturers focus on refining laptop
components to make them more efficient and compact
as a result, laptop components are proprietary.
 You may not be able to use components made by one
laptop manufacturer to repair a laptop made by another
manufacturer.

23. ITE PC v4.0
Chapter 6 23© 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Cisco Public
Compare Motherboards

24. ITE PC v4.0
Chapter 6 24© 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Cisco Public
Compare CPUs

25. ITE PC v4.0
Chapter 6 25© 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Cisco Public
Compare Power Options
Laptop Power Options Desktop Power Options

26. ITE PC v4.0
Chapter 6 26© 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Cisco Public
Compare Expansion Capabilities

27. ITE PC v4.0
Chapter 6 27© 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Cisco Public
Compare Expansion Capabilities

28. ITE PC v4.0
Chapter 6 28© 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Cisco Public
Configure Laptops
 To allow applications and processes to run smoothly:
Configure and allocate system resources
Install additional components and plug-ins
Change environmental settings to match software requirements.
 A laptop can be customized for specific purposes by
adding external components.
 Adding external components is usually accomplished
through the use of Plug and Play, but occasionally
driver installation and additional configuration may be
required.
 Follow safe removal procedures when disconnecting
hot-swappable and non-hot-swappable devices.

29. ITE PC v4.0
Chapter 6 29© 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Cisco Public
Configure Laptop Power Settings
ACPI Standards
S0 The computer is on and the CPU is running.
S1 The CPU is not running. However, the CPU and RAM
are still receiving power.
S2 The CPU is off, but the RAM is refreshed. The system
is in a lower power mode than S1.
S3
The CPU is off, and the RAM is set to a slow refresh
rate. This mode is often called “Save to RAM”. In
Windows XP, this state is known as the Standby
mode.
S4
The CPU and RAM are off. The contents of RAM
have been saved to a temporary file on the hard disk.
This mode is also called “Saved to Disk”. In Windows
XP, this state is known as the Hibernate mode.
S5 The computer is off and nothing has been saved.

30. ITE PC v4.0
Chapter 6 30© 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Cisco Public
Checking the ACPI Settings in the BIOS
Here are the steps to check the ACPI settings in the
BIOS:
1. Enter BIOS setup by pressing the appropriate key or
key combination while the computer is booting.
Typically this is the Delete key or the F2 key, but there
are several other options.
2. Locate and enter the “Power Management settings”
menu item.
3. Use the appropriate keys to enable ACPI mode.
4. Save and Exit BIOS setup.

31. ITE PC v4.0
Chapter 6 31© 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Cisco Public
Power Settings in Windows XP
To configure your power settings, click:
Start > Control Panel > Power Options

32. ITE PC v4.0
Chapter 6 32© 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Cisco Public
Replacing Laptop Components
 CAUTION: Always disconnect power and remove the battery
before installing or removing laptop components that are not hot-
swappable.

33. ITE PC v4.0
Chapter 6 33© 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Cisco Public
Mobile Phone Standards
Internet
Standard
• Short Message
Service (SMS)
• Multimedia
Message Service
(MMS)
• Packet Switching
• Used for text
messaging
• Used for sending and
receiving photos and
videos
• Used for accessing
the Internet
Purpose

34. ITE PC v4.0
Chapter 6 34© 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Cisco Public
Proper Cleaning Procedures
 Follow proper cleaning procedures to clean a laptop.
 CAUTION:
Do not spray cleaning solution directly onto the LCD display.
Use products specifically designed for cleaning LCD displays.
Use a soft, lint-free cloth with an approved cleaning solution to
avoid damaging laptop surfaces.
Apply the cleaning solution to the lint-free cloth, not directly to
the laptop.
 Keyboard
 Ventilation
 LCD display
 Touch pad
 Floppy drive
 Optical disk drive
 CD or DVD disc

35. ITE PC v4.0
Chapter 6 35© 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Cisco Public
Optimal Operating Environments
 Pack for transport
 Clean properly
 Ventilate
 Air temperature
 Humidity

36. ITE PC v4.0
Chapter 6 36© 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Cisco Public
Troubleshooting
 Determine if a repair is
cost-effective.
 The cost of the repair
should be compared to
the replacement cost
minus the salvage value.

37. ITE PC v4.0
Chapter 6 37© 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Cisco Public
Step 1 Gather data from the customer
Step 2 Verify the obvious issues
Step 3 Try quick solutions first
Step 4 Gather data from the computer
Step 5 Evaluate the problem and implement the solution
Step 6 Close with the customer
Troubleshooting Process

38. ITE PC v4.0
Chapter 6 38© 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Cisco Public
1. Gather Data from the Customer
 Customer information
Company name, contact name, address, phone number
 Laptop information
Manufacturer, model, OS, network environment, connection
type
 Description of problem
Open-ended questions
What was happening when you first experienced the
problem?
Closed-ended questions
Is the laptop currently using the battery as the power
source?

39. ITE PC v4.0
Chapter 6 39© 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Cisco Public
2. Verify the Obvious Issues
Examine the most obvious causes of a problem.
 Loose or improper connections
Check the Device Manager; remove and reinsert components
 Power issues
Check power LEDs and power source
 Wireless network issues
Check network LEDs, Network Connections and wireless signal
strength
 Sound and audio issues
 Stylus issues

40. ITE PC v4.0
Chapter 6 40© 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Cisco Public
3. Try Quick Solutions First
A quick solution can save time and money.
 Reboot the computer.
 Verify BIOS settings.
 Remove or unplug unnecessary peripherals.
 Use the Last Known Good Configuration option.

41. ITE PC v4.0
Chapter 6 41© 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Cisco Public
4. Gather Data from the Computer
Data gathered from the laptop can be used to confirm
the problem description given by the customer.

42. ITE PC v4.0
Chapter 6 42© 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Cisco Public
5. Evaluate Problem & Implement Solution
1. Evaluate the information gathered from the customer
and from the laptop
2. Determine possible solutions
3. Implement the best solution
 Previous experience of
solving problems with
computers
 Other technicians
 Internet search engines
 News groups
 Manufacturer FAQs
 Computer manuals
 Device manuals
 Online forums and chat
 Technical websites

43. ITE PC v4.0
Chapter 6 43© 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Cisco Public
6. Close with the Customer
 Discuss with customer the solution implemented.
 Have customer verify problem is solved.
 Provide all paperwork to customer.
 Document steps of solution.
 Document components used in repair.
 Document time spent to resolve the problem.

44. ITE PC v4.0
Chapter 6 44© 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Cisco Public
Common Problems and Solutions
Problem Symptom Possible Solution
LCD laptop screen is not
displaying anything
Disconnect any external
monitors and use Fn key
sequence to activate the LCD
Image on the LCD screen is
too dim
Swap laptop to AC power and
adjust brightness controls for
the LCD
Image on the LCD screen
contains a black border
Adjust display resolution
setting

45. ITE PC v4.0
Chapter 6 45© 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Cisco Public
Chapter 6 Summary
Laptops and Portable Devices
 Description of portable devices
 Laptop components
 Configuration procedures
 Preventive maintenance techniques

46. ITE PC v4.0
Chapter 6 46© 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Cisco Public
Instructor Training
Activities

47. ITE PC v4.0
Chapter 6 47© 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Cisco Public
Activities for Instructor Training
1. Take the Quiz provided in Chapter 6 course content.
2. Conduct Internet research to pre-screen online
resources for students to use in completing the
student worksheet, 6.7.2 Research Laptop Problems.
3. Complete the virtual laptop instructor activities and
participate in discussion or journal your answers to
discussion questions.

48. ITE PC v4.0
Chapter 6 48© 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Cisco Public
Virtual Laptop
 Virtual laptop is a stand-alone tool designed to:
supplement classroom learning
provide a virtual “hands-on” experience where real equipment is
limited

49. ITE PC v4.0
Chapter 6 49© 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Cisco Public
Objectives for Virtual Laptop Activity
 Describe the three modes of the virtual laptop.
 Remove and install laptop components in the virtual
laptop.
 Participate in discussion of various teaching strategies
to use with the virtual laptop.

50. ITE PC v4.0
Chapter 6 50© 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Cisco Public
Virtual Laptop Activity
 Launch virtual laptop
 Complete all four layers of the Learn Mode
 Work through the Test Mode
 While using the virtual laptop, begin thinking of ways to
use this in teaching (both students and instructors).
 Participate in discussion or journal your answers to
discussion questions.

51. ITE PC v4.0
Chapter 6 51© 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Cisco Public
Discuss Virtual Laptop
 Do you have any questions now that you have used
virtual laptop?
 How do you think your students will react to this tool?
 What ways do you think you will use virtual laptop in
ITE PC v4.0?
 Other comments or thoughts about virtual laptop?

52. ITE PC v4.0
Chapter 6 52© 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Cisco Public
Instructor Training Discussion
 Share with the other instructors the online resources you found
that students might use in completing the research activity
worksheet, 6.7.2 Research Laptop Problems
 Discuss the troubleshooting process.
What are some benefits of open-ended and closed-ended questions?
What are other open-ended and closed-ended questions that might be
used to gather data from the customer?
What are other obvious issues that could be added to the list to check?
What are other quick solutions for troubleshooting a laptop or a
portable device?
Are there specific online resources that you would recommend to use
in researching possible solutions to laptop problems?
What methods will you use in the classroom to illustrate and reinforce
the effective communication that should be part of the step of closing
with the customer?

53. ITE PC v4.0
Chapter 6 53© 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Cisco Public
Additional Resources
 Whatis?com: IT Encyclopedia and Learning Center
http://whatis.com
 TechTarget: The Most Targeted IT Media http://techtarget.com
 ZDNet: Tech News, Blogs and White Papers for IT Professionals
http://www.zdnet.com
 HowStuffWorks: It's Good to Know
http://computer.howstuffworks.com
 CNET.com http://www.cnet.com
 PC World http://www.pcworld.com
 ComputerWorld http://www.computerworld.com
 WIRED NEWS http://www.wired.com
 eWEEK.com http://www.eweek.com

54. ITE PC v4.0
Chapter 6 54© 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Cisco Public
Q and A

55. ITE PC v4.0
Chapter 6 55© 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Cisco Public