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What is LappyList?
LappyList is a comprehensive and hand selected list of the best available laptops for every purpose.
Selecting the correct laptop is not an easy task. We want you to be able to look at the best available options at the best prices we can find and provide you with all of the essential information to help you make the ideal choice for you. Laptop search engines don't give you any real information and frequently provide you with sub-par, or completely out-of-date options. We thought it would make everyone's life a whole lot easier to sort through all of the new models as they come out and toss out the junky options and list only the best models in every category and in a range of budgets.
Laptops are organized in separate lists for each category of primary use from lowest budget to highest. All of the most important laptop specifications are then described in detail, and a comprehensive guide is available under each list to help you understand exactly what you're looking at and how you can decide what you really need.
We also keep track of the latest deals as they become available, and update prices and links frequently to make sure you're going to get the best price. Make sure to subscribe to keep up to date with new deals, and if you find yourself needing help, please comment on the lists or contact us. We're here to help!
Gaming laptops are generally much more powerful machines with dedicated graphics cards, that are capable of processing graphics at much higher frame rates with limited amounts of lag. Gaming machines at higher tiers much more commonly have additional features to improve the gaming experience. They are not especially efficient, and due to the performance of the machine are often less portable.
Ultraportable laptops are extremely light and smaller form factor laptops 13.3-inch and below. They generally are not extremely powerful, but are focused on ultimate portability and extensive battery life.
Convertible laptops, also called 2 in 1, hybrid, or multi-mode laptops, are relatively slim, portable laptops with touch displays that fold back or flip over on themselves in some way to function as a tablet.
The best laptops for programmers and developers are machines with fantastic keyboards, high durability, efficiency, and options for high resolutions for high display real estate.
Mainstream laptops are very general use laptops intended for the most commonly used applications such as Microsoft Office, E-mails, and web browsing. More expensive models come with more advanced features such as dedicated graphics, more powerful processors, and high resolution displays, and are capable of using more intensive applications, but are unnecessary for the majority of users.
The laptops listed in each section are the best laptops available for each subject and class only in our educated opinion. Others may feel differently about what laptops may be the best for various reasons, but a vast amount of research and data has influenced the decision to choose what is listed, and that is where we stand and we're sticking to it!
Be aware that prices on laptops change almost every day, and the best effort possible is put into keeping prices up to date and listing the best possible options. This does not mean that we manage to keep track of every sale from every retailer, but we do our best. You may see that a laptop we list from one retailer is linked to a different retailer a few days later, and price fluctuation and the pursuit of the best deal is the reason for the changes.
Component Descriptions
The descriptions and definitions listed in the menus below are NOT just for the technologically novice or the computer illiterate. Even those incredibly experienced with desktop components can easily get lost in the laptop market. Mobile components are not the same as the components in a desktop computer and should not be thought of in the same way. Even if you feel confident in the definitions, at least browse through each section.
Not sure what laptop is best for your needs?
If you're not sure you know what you should be looking for specifically, feel free to ask questions by commenting at the bottom of the page and we will be happy to help you out.
What is it?
The CPU (Central Processing Unit), also called a processor, is the glorified calculator that is the very brains of your machine. It runs all calculations and is responsible for carrying out instructions and operations to and from the rest of the machine.
How much do I need?
If you aren't capping out the capabilities of your processor, then you are wasting it.
An Intel Core i7-4700HQ is a quad-core processor that is really quite powerful, and it's a great option for a lot of people who are into high end gaming or need to run simulations or do CAD work. However, if your main interest is general browsing of the internet, watching videos, really light gaming, and just other mainstream purposes, a powerful processor will NOT help you. It will not "future proof" your machine, and ultimately you will get a worse experience than if you would have gone for a weaker, more efficient processor, because your battery life will suffer severely in exchange for the power, in which you are not even utilizing.
Don't get more than you need. Most laptops now have ULV (Ultra Low Voltage) processors that are designed to not be as powerful, but consume considerably less power, and therefore provide the machine with the best battery life. Unless you're doing some CPU intensive work that does require it, stick to the processors with lower power consumption to keep yourself free from the strangle hold of the power outlet. Laptops with ULV processors often get twice the battery life of those without, and as stated before, if you aren't using the additional power from the bigger processors, you're wasting it.
More cores = more speed?
Additional cores are a fantastic thing, but they are not something to be focused on unless you specifically know that you need them.
To be specific, the amount of cores you need is going to entirely depend on how many cores can be utilized by the applications you use. In a very simple manner of speaking, when applications are written, they are written into a specific number of "threads". Most are written in a single thread or two. If the application you're using only uses two threads, then only two cores will be utilized in your processor for that specific application. For example, World of Warcraft primarily uses two threads. So it's more beneficial for people playing that game to have a processor with a high clock rate (speed, or GHz) with 2-4 cores, than a slower processor with 6-8. This is also something worth paying some real attention to. You will find that as the amount of cores increase, the clock rate of the processor goes down. This means that you can run multiple processes, or applications that support a good number of threads faster, but those that don't support it will run slower. It's safe to say that 2 cores is more than enough for 95% of people.
Most Intel processors (but not all) also have something called Hyperthreading. This means that each core virtually performs as two. So even dual core Intel processors perform nearly as well as a conventional quad-core without this technology. This is why if you have a quad-core processor, and you ctrl + alt + del to bring up your task manager, you can look at the performance tab, and it will show 8 processors. 4 cores + 4 logical cores (virtual cores from Hyperthreading) = 8.
All processors were not created equal
First, it's very, very important to note that mobile processors are NOT desktop processors. They do not have the same capabilities, they do not consume the same amount of power, and they should not be compared side by side. A 4th gen, Haswell, Intel Core i7 processor like the i7-4790k cannot be compared next to the mobile i7-4700HQ. Yes, they are both i7's and they are both powerful processors, but the i7-4790k desktop processor will absolutely destroy the i7-4700HQ mobile processor. The desktop processor is almost twice as fast and consumes twice as much power, and therefore generates twice as much heat.
It's also important to know that not all i7's were created equally in the mobile world, either. You need to understand how Intel's naming scheme works in order to understand what you're looking at.
Take the Intel Core i7-4700HQ again. You can break the processor name down like so:
- Intel Core – Brand
- The Brand is pretty self explanatory. Intel Core processors are the top end of Intel processors, not to be confused with Intel Pentium or Intel Celeron lines which are lower end, respectively.
- i7 – Brand Modifier
- The Brand Modifier signifies which division of the brand each processor is. For example, in the Intel Core brand there are the i3 processors at the bottom, then the i5, then the i7 at the top.
- 4 – Generation Indicator
- The Generation Indicator is important to know. It's the first number in an Intel Core processor's name, and it signifies which generation the processor is from. If the number is a 4, then it is from the 4th generation, also called "Haswell". If it started with a 3, it would be from the 3rd gen, or "Ivy Bridge". The lower the number, the older the processor, and therefore the lesser the technology.
- 700 – SKU Numeric Digits
- The SKU Numeric Digits is a complicated way to say the model number. In this case, the higher the number, the more powerful the processor. Minimal jumps in numbers are generally minimal jumps in power.
- H – Processor Line
- The processor line is incredibly important and incredibly easy to confuse! Here is a breakdown of ones you will encounter:
- H – High Performance Graphics – These processors are soldered onto the motherboard and generally more powerful graphics technology than others (although not always).
- M – Mobile Processor – The M series processors are just the standard, removable, Intel mobile processors.
- U – Ultra-low power – Also known as a ULV or Ultra Low Voltage processor, U series processors are designed for efficiency and low power consumption. They are clocked down and reduced to two cores, even in the i7's. It's important to recognize that an i5 M series processor is going to be considerably more powerful than an i7 U series processor.
- Y – Extremely low power – This is the weakest of the Intel Core processors and is also the most efficient, resulting in the best battery life.
- The processor line is incredibly important and incredibly easy to confuse! Here is a breakdown of ones you will encounter:
- Q – Letter Suffix
- The letter suffix just signifies additional information about the processor. Q suggests that the processor is quad-core, so it can be assumed that if there is no Q in the name of the processor, it is not quad-core, with the exception of the X suffix, which means Extreme Edition, and that X also implies quad-core.
Integrated Graphics
Integrated graphics are graphics that come built-in to the processor that don't require you to have a dedicated card and have come a really, really long way in the last year or two. A couple of years ago, you may get a little lag with integrated graphics just trying to watch a less than HD movie. Now (with the 4th gen Haswell processors) you can support up to 3 displays and full 1080p streaming with integrated graphics, as well as lighter gaming. AMD is actually ahead of Intel in some cases for integrated graphics, but that is a chip to chip comparison, and you can find that information under the graphics column on our lists.
It is important to be aware of memory and the way it impacts integrated graphics, though. Since the memory interface for integrated graphics is actually system memory, dual channel configurations double the throughput of the data to run your graphics, and can give actual performance increases of up to 40%. So make sure that if you're trying to game on integrated graphics, that your RAM is in a dual channel configuration, rather than having a single stick.
What about AMD?
Well… what about AMD then? Everything described so far has referred to Intel and AMD does make mobile processors. This is true. What is also true is that even the most powerful AMD processors are comparable to the slowest Intel Core processors. An AMD A10 can be roughly compared to an Intel Core i3. The newer ULV Kaveri processors like the AMD A10-7300 isn't even as fast as the Intel Core i3-4030U. While the integrated graphics on the AMD chip are far superior, the speed of the processor itself is quite low. This is why you currently won't see any laptops suggested on LappyList.com with AMD processors unless you're in the lowest budgets.
This isn't a jab at AMD as a company. They make fine desktop and server processors. However, Intel completely owns the mobile market right now. Hopefully we can see some worthy competition from AMD in the coming generations.
Here are the key points that you need to know:
- Don't get a more powerful processor than you need.
- Only heavy gaming machines and workstations will utilize a quad-core i7.
- More cores don't necessarily mean more speed, dual-core is just fine (and often runs like 4 with Hyperthreading).
- If the processor name ends with a U or Y, it's a low voltage processor and an i5 M or H series processor is considerably faster than an i7 U series processor.
- Integrated graphics don't suck anymore and they are just getting better.
- The best AMD mobile processors are (currently) comparable to the slowest Intel processors. No AMD hate, they just have no ground in the mobile market at the moment.
What is it?
The GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or "graphics card" is a dedicated stream processor that is specifically designed to quickly process vast amounts of graphical data to show and move on your display.
How much do I need?
This is kind of a complicated question. The descriptions listed by hovering over individual graphics cards on the list will give a run down of the particular capabilities of the card and what level of application it is for. There is also a link to benchmarks by clicking it that should prove quite useful if you're wondering how different games or applications will perform.
Don't concern yourself with how much memory is on each graphics card. For laptop purposes, this virtually does not matter for 99.9% of people. If it's over 2GB, it's enough. There are some cards with a gimmicky and large amount of VRAM, but there is almost no reason anyone would use 6GB (unless you were gaming on multiple high-resolution displays connected to your laptop).
Dedicated vs. Integrated
A dedicated GPU is a unit with its own processor and especially fast memory dedicated to graphics, while an integrated processor is a small, but dedicated section of the CPU that is designated for graphics processing, but has no dedicated memory and uses system memory. Most dedicated graphics are significantly more powerful than even the best integrated graphics, but they are also considerably more expensive. People with lower budgets should consider good integrated options.
All graphics are not created equal
Much like was said in the CPU section, desktop graphics and laptop graphics are NOT the same. Laptop graphics are considerably less powerful than their massive desktop counterparts, which consume an extraordinary amount more in power and generate considerably more heat and require cooling to support it. This should be no surprise, as an Nvidia GTX 980M can fit inside a snug laptop, while an Nvidia GTX 980 is the size of a laptop.
Do be aware of naming schemes, though. Nvidia divides theirs up into 2 significant numbers. For example the GTX 980M can be described as 900 series and 80 would be the model. Nvidia models run from 20-80, where 20 is the lowest end and 80 is the highest and most powerful. The GTX ahead of that suggests that it is their performance models. Anything 850M or higher is GTX, while 840M and lower are just GT.
Mobile graphics of course have the M at the end of the name, like in the GTX 980M, where desktop cards do not.
Nvidia makes the most powerful mobile graphics on the market at the moment, bar none. Although in the lower tiers and mid-range, graphics like the Nvidia GT 840M can be beat out by the AMD R9 M275, and AMD should be considered as a worthy candidate, as they can be more economical.
As far as integrated graphics go, AMD, up through Intel 4th gen processors, has been leading in integrated graphics. While still slower than Nvidia's GT 820M, the integrated graphics on the AMD A10-7300 Kaveri chip is on par with Nvidia GT 720M dedicated graphics, despite being integrated.
What is it?
RAM (Random Access Memory) is fast storage that your computer uses to store files that it needs to access quickly. Basically, when you open up an application, your CPU dishes out requests for the required files from the Hard Drive or SSD (whichever you have), and stores the files necessary to frequently access to run that application in the RAM. It does this because RAM is considerably faster than spinning up a Hard Drive or even an SSD (for now).
How much do I need?
Well that really depends on what you're doing. Ultraportable machines in the really low budgets come with 2GB which works just fine for browsing the internet and streaming TV shows on Netflix. 4GB is better if you're going to be running some Office applications or like to keep a lot of tabs open on Google Chrome (which is a definite memory hog). If you like to do all of these things at once, or want to have a game open while doing something else, it's definitely advisable to get 6-8GB of RAM.
8GB is enough for pretty much everyone… but there are exceptions. If you are a CS major or even a developer that needs to run multiple VM's (Virtual Machines), then it may be a good idea to get 12-16GB. If you work on some serious video projects in which you're editing files the length of a full feature film, it may be a good idea to get 16GB up to 32GB, depending on your work load. Even engineers or engineering majors often need up to 16GB for editing complicated 3D CAD projects. However, 99.9% of the time, if you need that much RAM, you know you do, and you know exactly why.
Don't get 16GB of RAM on a whim. If you don't know how much you'll need, get 8GB. In most cases, you can always add later. With very small form factor laptops like the Lenovo Yoga 13 or Macbook Pro, the RAM is soldered on and you can't upgrade, but 8GB is as much as they offer anyways, so just get that to be safe. But remember, don't get 16GB on a whim. If you aren't using it, it won't make anything faster. RAM quantity isn't there to speed anything up; it's just there to prevent you from slowing down.
Brands of RAM really aren't much of a concern. If you buy additional RAM, just make sure it's compatible with the laptop. You don't want to get DDR3 when your laptop wants DDR4. If you really need to pick between brands, just go with Crucial. They make inexpensive RAM that is great to use. Kingston, G Skill and Corsair are also reputable and worth getting if you can get a good deal on them.
Don't worry about the higher performance stuff, you likely will never notice a difference. Leave that to overclocking on a desktop.
What is it?
The Hard Disk Drive, also referred to as a Hard Drive or HDD, is where all data is stored in a computer.
What about the RPM?
You may have seen that HDD's have different speeds measured in RPM. This refers to the Revolutions Per Minute, or how fast the platters spin inside the drive. The faster that they spin, the faster the data is able to be accessed.
When does HDD Speed Matter?
Speed of a HDD only matters during load times or file transfers. This means that a faster hard drive will improve the speed that you load your Operating System (Windows, OSX, Linux, etc), or how quickly different applications are loaded.
While gaming, a faster HDD means that maps or zones will load faster. In League of Legends, you will move through the "load race" more quickly. In World of Warcraft, loading a new zone will happen more quickly.
Those doing large video projects will find that a fast HDD or SSD may be necessary for large file transfers and editing large single files.
What will a faster HDD not do?
It will not make everything faster.
It will not improve gaming performance.
HDD speed is nice, but it should not be overrated. This applies to the speed of SSD's as well. HDD Speed is more of a luxury in a lot of ways, and while it is really nice to have, it should not be overestimated. HDD's are also one of the few components of a laptop that is easy to upgrade after purchasing, so it's in your best interest to not judge a machine based on the speed of its storage.
What is it?
A Solid State Drive, also known as an SSD, is a storage drive that serves the same purpose as an HDD, but is a large stick of memory, rather than a drive with spinning platters. It's somewhat similar to a large stick of RAM that is used for permanent storage, rather than temporary storage like RAM.
Why is it better than an HDD?
SSD's are considerably faster than conventional hard drives, since the lack of spinning platters don't require it to have any seek time. The only limitation of the SSD is the speed of the memory and the interface in which it is connected into the motherboard. The interface is rather important, as there are limitations to SATA, and PCIe interface cards are significantly faster.
Solid State Drives are also much more durable than HDD's. Having no moving parts means that they don't have any component that are subject to excess wear and tear. They are also much less likely to be damaged if a laptop is dropped to the ground and receives some level of impact.
Furthermore, SSD's are really efficient. While they do consume more power during read/write times than an HDD, they are much faster and are in this state for much less time than an HDD with its seek times, and they consume virtually no power while idling; therefore, they rush to idle, and consume virtually no power (~1w) while there.
What is a Hybrid SSD?
Hybrid SSD's, or HSSD's are a combination of a true SSD and a conventional HDD. They use a larger HDD for primary storage, and use a small SSD (usually 8GB-24GB) to automatically cache the most frequently accessed files for fast access. This usually results in Windows startup files being stored on the small SSD for what is marketed as "Instant-On". This just means that the OS (Operating System) files are loaded at SSD speeds, and with the efficiency of Windows 8 (or higher), startup times are almost instantaneous, or marketed to be so. There, of course, is still a few seconds required during startup times.
Don't confuse an HSSD with a true SSD. You don't get to choose what goes on the small SSD. This is all cached and handled automatically.
Are there any drawbacks to SSD's?
There are a couple things to consider with SSD's.
First, they can be expensive. They are roughly 5-6x as expensive per GB than a conventional HDD. However, they can be worth the investment if the speed is necessary or desired and the budget allows it. Again, this is one of the few components that can be upgraded after the purchase, and although they are a nice luxury, they shouldn't be a requirement in a laptop that doesn't have soldered on storage.
Secondly, there are some security risks with SSD's. They can't be easily wiped completely clean, and it is possible for data to be recovered off of them, while on a conventional HDD, data can be much more easily erased and made unrecoverable.
What about these M.2, mSATA, or PCIe SSD's?
These are different interfaces of SSD's, and by interface, I mean that they are different ways of connecting the SSD's into different slots. A PCIe (PCI Express) slot is much faster than a SATA III or m.2/mSATA interface.
M.2 and mSATA SSD's are very small form factor, usually being the size of a small stick of RAM. They are normally present in laptops that don't have room for more than one SATA III storage drive, and most often are present in machines that have an HDD and use a smaller SSD for the operating system. Not all laptops have slots that will support an m.2 or mSATA drive. It is extraordinarily important to know what size of M.2 chip that your laptop supports before attempting to upgrade.
PCIe SSD's are the fastest options available, and they are often much more expensive, and only present in a limited number of machines. Much like the mSATA SSD's, not all machines (few, in fact) have slots for them.
SATA interface SSD's are the most common, and they share the same interface with conventional HDD's. These are the standard drives, and they are the ones you should most commonly expect.
Which one should I buy to upgrade?
Currently the Samsung 850 Evo would be a well made, powerful, and affordable SSD that I would suggest to almost anyone. If you're on a budget and you want SSD performance, but don't need the top end of it, you can save a good chunk of cash with the Crucial M500.
What is it?
Well, the display is the big glowing box you're looking at right now. Sarcasm aside, it's the only piece of a laptop that you're actually really looking at at any point, making it a really important piece of the laptop puzzle.
What is resolution?
First, it'd be best to explain what pixels are. Pixels are little dots of light, and in mass, they make up every bit that you see on your screen. Resolution is the horizontal x vertical amount of pixels that you see on a display. For example, a 1920 x 1080 display (also referred to as 1080p) has 1920 pixels horizontally by 1080 pixels vertically. So a higher resolution means that there are more pixels on screen, and therefore images on screen are much sharper and more clear. The difference between a 1920 x 1080 and a 1366 x 768 display can be quite significant as well. Especially if you do the math.
1920 x 1080 = 2,073,600 pixels
1366 x 768 = 1, 049,088 pixels
This means that on a 1920 x 1080 display, you get almost twice the pixels on screen as on a 1366 x 768 display, allowing for considerably more screen real estate, and a much sharper image, of course.
What impact does resolution have?
Resolution has a few different impacts on the machine and on you. Programs are written to occupy a certain amount of pixels visually. So if you have a document open on a 1366 x 768 display, it will look a lot more blown up and a little more fuzzy than it would on a 1920 x 1080 display.
Given that a higher resolution means that there are a lot more pixels on screen, a higher resolution also has more of an impact on your graphics card, since it has so many more pixels to draw and manipulate. This is why playing games in a higher resolution takes a more powerful graphics card than playing in a lower resolution.
Do keep in mind, however, that if you have a high resolution display, and your graphics cannot handle it, you can always drop the resolution down. So, if a game is lagging in 1920 x 1080 on a 1080p display, you can always take it down to 1366×768 or 1600×900 to make it run smoother. However, if you have a 1366 x 768 display, you can't make it go higher. This is why investing in a 1080p display is always a good idea.
Is there such thing as too high of resolution?
UHD (Ultra High Definiton), QHD+ (Quad High Definition), 4k, etc. all have some considerable drawbacks.
First, it takes a lot to run that many pixels. Even if you have a really good graphics card, gaming on a super high resolution will be difficult, if not impossible, and you'll be forced to drop the resolution for performance reasons.
Secondly, there are some of what we call "scaling issues" with super high resolution displays. What is meant by that is that some applications (by no fault of Windows, mind you) don't increase how many pixels they occupy in these environments, and the result is some really, really small, sometimes unreadable menus. There have been some issues with Photoshop, where people are unable to really read toolboxes on 4K displays, and so on. This is a temporary problem that will be fixed as developers adapt to the prevalence of ultra high resolution displays, and this will become less and less of a problem as time goes on. However, at the time of writing this (January 2015), it's still an issue.
What is all this IPS and TN business about?
There are two types of panels (displays) to really concern yourself with. The most common being Twisted Nematic (TN) panels. These have some limitations to them, which mostly involve the risk of washed out colors and poor viewing angles. Panels with In-Plane Switching (IPS) technology remedy this (the solution is complicated and you probably don't care, but if you do, feel free to read about it here). What this results in, is IPS panels possessing much better viewing angles and better color reproduction. This makes IPS panels ideal for those who rely on the quality of their display, especially for professional reasons. These people include those involved in media production, graphic design, photography, and in a lesser extent, engineering. It is worth mentioning as well, that IPS displays are heavier and do consume more power than TN panels, although this amount isn't terribly significant.
As far as viewing angles go, the difference is substantial.
As before mentioned, there is also a noticeable difference in color reproduction. This especially makes graphic designers, photographers, and others dealing with media production more inclined to buy a laptop with an IPS display (as well they should).
What does battery life really mean?
Battery life listed by manufacturers is the battery life that a laptop would achieve if left at idle without use.
While there are ways to get as close to possible to the manufacturer's advertised battery life, with actual use you will never fully achieve what they state as the battery life of a machine.
What can I do to improve battery life?
The most power consumption comes from the back-light of the display and the processor. As mentioned in the CPU section, ULV processors are clocked down and low voltage processors that are specially designed to consume less power and therefore allow for better battery life at the cost of performance. If battery life is a large concern to you, you're going to want one of these processors (as long as it doesn't limit what you need to do on the laptop). As far as the back-light goes, within power settings in Windows, you can control what the power settings and brightness settings are when plugged in and unplugged. If you want the best battery life, lower the display brightness as low as you can while still being comfortable seeing what is on the display.
There are other tricks to improving battery life, like disabling wi-fi when not in use, putting the laptop into hibernation whenever you step away from it (by closing it), and keeping volume down.
You can also upgrade a conventional HDD with a Solid State Drive, which is faster and consumes very, very little power when at idle, buying you some extra time. This SSD upgrade will really only get you around 30-45 minutes of extra battery life in the best circumstances, but between that and the other tweaks, you can get a cumulatively large amount of extra time per charge.
Some laptops also have removable batteries (most small form factors do not allow this), and it is possible for you to sometimes carry two charged batteries with you to get you out of a pinch.
What do you mean by "Quality"?
When referring to quality, especially in the lists, we are referring to the general sturdiness of a machine and the quality of the components within.
This often takes the form of display flex, keyboard flex, hinge durability, cooling, and general durability.
We don't claim to know every specific issue that can arise with any of the listed laptops, but the quality indicator will give you a good idea of what you should be expecting from the laptop. If it says 6/10, expect a run of the mill consumer laptop with a ideally minimal keyboard flex, standard durability, and no glaring issues (although laptops with outstanding issues should not make the list anyways).
Do brands matter?
Kind of…
It depends?
Brands are a touchy subject for people because people tend to become loyal very quickly to brands. This often comes from an anecdotal experience like "I had a Dell that lasted me 8 years, so I know I want Dell, because Dell is obviously the best". This mentality is incorrect.
You get what you pay for
The brand on its own does not dictate the ultimate quality of the machine, and that should never be assumed. That is the ultimate example of judging a book by its cover. It is really, really important to understand that what matters is not the brand itself, but the line of laptop within that brand. For example, HP makes some of the cheapest consumer laptops with decent specs on the market. They are able to do this because the quality of the HP Envy and HP Pavilion laptops are incredibly low and they are generally just… well… not good. However, if you double the price of those laptops and move into their profession HP Zbooks, you will see incredibly high quality, durability, fantastic specifications, and considerably better technical support.
Just because HP makes poor consumer laptops does not mean they make poor professional laptops. This is seen across the board from manufacturers. Lenovo makes cheap consumer laptops that are iffy on quality, but are cheap, and therefore the expectation of quality in that budget is reasonable. However, if you look towards their higher end T series ThinkPads, they are beyond durable and carry the best keyboards on the market. Dell is in the same boat with their low end Inspirons vs their high end Dell Latitude and Dell XPS machines. The brand does not dictate quality.
There are brands like Acer and Toshiba that never really cross the threshold into a really high quality machine, but within their respective budgets, they often have options that allow you to get specifications that you'd never be able to achieve with a higher quality machine in your budget, and are therefore worth the investment (with the understanding that they may not last as long as the more expensive options).
Then there are brands like Asus who, with the exception of their low budget machines, generally make higher quality laptops across the board. However, you do pay for it, as their prices are often a bit higher than any of the others in their respective tiers.
Warranties and Support
This is where brands actually do start to matter, but there are definitely some divisions here within brands as well.
Dell customer support is not fantastic with their general consumer laptops. However, if you get one of their higher end machines with their 3-year in home service warranties, they provide amazing customer support, with technicians that will come to your house and fix your machine there (if possible). Lenovo and HP also offer differential support based on the model of the laptop and the level of warranty purchased.
Mac vs PC
This is an age old debate and there are definitive pros and cons between these two, but in the laptop market, it's a little more definitive and competitive (Apple has virtually no hold on the desktop market).
Laptop PC's are more versatile machines with a lot of options and a giant range of qualities and performance levels.
Apple laptops (like the Macbook Pro and Macbook Air) are high end, incredibly efficient, ultraportable laptops with generally fantastic build quality and performance geared towards the mainstream user, without any options for a lot of power, as that is simply not the market they are intended for. This means that if you need a high performance or gaming laptop, Apple is not the way to go for you. If you need a laptop with great support, especially high battery life, you can pay for premium quality, and you like the OSX environment, then an Apple may be the way to go for you.


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subset: commoncrawl


text:
"Maybe I should blog about this. I bet other people have smoke alarm issues," I said. "You definitely should. By the way, what's that smell," said Jason. I opened the oven door and... Oh no!!! I put the skillet in the oven right with the handle mitt and there goes the smoke alarm.
Ok, so maybe I am not the smoke alarm master I thought I was. But as long as I don't cook my oven mitts at 500F, my smoke alarm prevention system really works. Really.
Here are some tips on how to keep your alarms at bay.
With hood that vents outside
If only we all were this lucky. If your hood vents outside, your job is easy. Turn it on low at least a few minutes before doing something smoky. It will create air flow that will suck that smoke right up. If you turn it on after the smoke is starting to build up, it will not catch up effectively.
No hood that vents outside, but there are windows in the kitchen
Let's get real -- that thing above my stove is useless. I stopped turning it on, and try to create air flow in other ways. Opening the windows in the kitchen and on the opposite side of the house works well for me. Just make sure to do it before you start searing. Opening the windows after the smoke starts to build is not effective. In winter, it might get chilly. You didn't think you'd get something for nothing, did you? If I could find a way to vent the smoke outside without effecting the temperature of your room, I'd be a rich woman.
No hood that vents outside, and no windows in the kitchen
This one is tough. You'll need a fan. Set it up so that it blows the air out of your kitchen and open as many windows as possible in the adjacent room. This is a trick my brilliant husband Jason came up with. Blowing air into your kitchen seems more intuitive to me, but it doesn't get rid of the smoke. Just like with the above two cases, you have to get your fan blowing and windows opened before searing.
Now that we got some air flowing, let's talk about the smoke itself. Believe it or not, some of it can be avoided. Not only will your house be more peaceful because the smoke alarms stay quiet, but your dish will taste better because you won't burn your fond (those lovely brown bits at the bottom of you skillet).
Use Canola Oil
I love olive oil as much as anyone, but it's not for searing. Its smoke temperature is too low. Use canola oil, and you'll create less smoke.
Fill in the gaps
Choosing the right size and shape of skillet for searing and high heat roasting (over 450F) is very important. If it's too small, the food will steam rather than brown. If it's too large, the exposed parts of the skillet will overheat resulting in burnt brown bits and smoke alarms. In an ideal world, you'd have a perfect batterie de cuisine that includes a pan in every size and shape (even those really cute oval roasters that fit a pork roast and chicken perfectly). But this is not an ideal world, so we have to learn to cook with what we have.
Most roasts are oval, but most skillets are round. Don't get hung up on keeping that roast in one piece. If necessary, cut it into smaller roasts that will fit into your skillet better. I always end up cutting a rack of lamb and pork tenderloins in half to better fit them into my 10 inch round skillet. If there are still empty areas on the bottom of the pan, I fill them with chunks of carrot to absorb the heat. If done correctly, this method won't compromise the quality of the sear. Here are some tips on how to do this:
- Use veggies that are low in moisture to avoid creating steam. Large carrots work the best (make sure to dry them very thoroughly before using, and don't use the overly moist baby carrots). If you don't have any carrots on hand, there are always celery and onions, but they tend to create more steam making it more difficult for your protein to brown.
- Cut the carrots into 1/2 inch thick planks or 1/2 inch thick slices on the bias. You want the pieces to be rather large. This will help you to keep them from under the protein you are searing or roasting. Your protein needs to be in direct contact with the skillet, so don't let those carrots sneak under.
- Let the protein sear as long as possible without adding the carrots. I usually sear on the first size, then flip and add the carrots, but you'll have to use your judgement based on how much empty space you have in the skillet and how much smoke is created. Keep in mind that it's good to have some space between your pieces of protein (1/2 - 1 inch) to keep them from steaming. But if you have lots of empty space in your skillet, you'll need to fill it in.
Chose the right type of smoke alarm
Even with the best of intentions, sometimes the smoke alarms go off anyway, so it's good to get ones with a button that you can press to shut them up. Keep a broom handy, so that you don't have to climb up on a chair.
When all else fails
If your smoke alarm goes off no matter what you put on your stove (even a pot of water for pasta), it might be time to get new smoke alarms. With use, alarms accumulate a layer of gunk on their sensor and the slightest whiff can send them over the edge. If you cook a lot, it can happen faster than the manufactures indicate. I had to replace mine after 6 years of use.
Do you have any other strategies for dealing with smoke alarms? I'd love to hear them.


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Summer school conjures up many images, few of them positive. Often remedial in nature, it is typically seen as punishment for poor performance, and a less-than-ideal way to spend the summer for both students and their teachers. No wonder dozens of districts across the country, and several states, are taking an ax to their summer school programs this budget season, as they struggle to deal with crippling deficits and pressing mandates. Summer school is too often seen as an easy cut.
But by re-envisioning this maligned institution, those same districts could make summer school an investment in improved student achievement later on—a way to extend learning, provide effective intervention, and offer enrichment opportunities, particularly for those students who have few other good options during those months out of school.
Imagine, for example, a summer school program that would provide accelerated and engaging instruction in the morning, fresh local food for breakfast and lunch, and afternoon enrichment activities in which students could choose to canoe down the Mississippi River, create their own video games, or display self-made projects in local museums.
This vision for summer school represents a sharp departure from the past and is already a reality in several forward-looking school districts nationwide. While it may seem an unlikely source, this kind of summer learning program could be just the type of change—what the Harvard Business School professor Clayton M. Christensen might describe as "disruptive innovation"—needed to fuel successful school-year reform.
The literature is clear and compelling on the fact that summer is a season of huge risks and setbacks for low-income youths."
In many ways, the summer months are the last frontier of school reform. Despite extensive research confirming the existence of a "summer slide" in learning among all students, and a recent study showing that two-thirds of the achievement gap in reading is directly related to unequal summer learning opportunities, the summer months have been largely ignored by policymakers and reformers alike.
Recently, though, there has been a significant shift in thinking among many educators, politicians, and advocates that views summer as a time of great potential for closing achievement gaps through innovative programming. This notion challenges the value of a traditional, remedial model of summer school, and embraces instead a seamless blend of core academic learning and hands-on enrichment activities that shows much greater promise for supporting and engaging students as well as educators.
President Barack Obama and U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, along with many state and local leaders, have expressed support for this new vision, fueling the momentum for change. Secretary Duncan has described summer learning loss as "devastating," and calls summer programs "one of the best investments states and districts can make." At the local level, innovators such as Mark Roosevelt, the superintendent of the Pittsburgh public schools, are using federal stimulus money to create progressive programming that embodies this new vision.
In an age of research-based strategies and data-driven accountability, these programs are remarkably well-positioned for increased investment, even in the current economic climate. Since 1906, there have been at least 39 empirical studies that have found evidence of a pattern of summer learning loss, particularly for low-income youths. One of the most compelling of these, a study led by Karl L. Alexander of Johns Hopkins University, demonstrates the impact of this loss on the achievement gap between disadvantaged students and their more advantaged peers.
Alexander's study, which tracked students in Baltimore, beginning in 1982, found that low-income elementary school students lost ground in reading each summer, compared with their higher-income peers, who made progress. By the time the students reached 9th grade, the accumulated learning loss accounted for two-thirds of the achievement gap between the groups, and played a significant role in whether students graduated from high school and went on to college.
The literature is clear and compelling on the fact that summer is a season of huge risks and setbacks for low-income youths.
To address the disconnect that exists between evidence and policy, the National Summer Learning Association, with support from the Atlantic Philanthropies, is leading a campaign to increase public investment in summer programs and make them an essential component of school reform. Districts such as Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Minneapolis, and Baltimore, as well as those of several communities in California supported by the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, are making new investments in summer programs that are academically rich, yet look and feel different from those in the regular school year.
Pittsburgh, for example, is investing more than $10 million in Title I funds under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to support its Summer Dreamers Academy, a free, comprehensive program open to all middle school students in the district. In addition to literacy instruction, the program includes a variety of enrichment activities provided by 27 community partners.
The Pittsburgh academy, designed to improve academic achievement, student engagement, and graduation rates, is part of a growing trend toward using summer learning opportunities as part of a strategy for comprehensive high school reform. In fact, the association, with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, is working to identify best practices in summer high-school-transition programs that prepare students for the critical 9th grade year.
While these developments are encouraging, much work remains if summer learning is to become a policy priority nationwide. There are currently no federal programs that exclusively target the summer months as part of a strategy to close achievement gaps, and many states and districts are cutting or eliminating their summer programs because of budget shortfalls. Moreover, despite the Obama administration's rhetoric on summer learning, both its fiscal 2011 budget proposal and its blueprint for the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act have been quiet on the role of summer learning programs.
As part of our campaign, we are urging policymakers and other stakeholders to consider the following recommendations:
• Improve data collection. At present, the federal government and many states are unable to determine how much funding is going to summer programs because of poor data-collection requirements. Improved collection would inform future decisions and help planners better determine the impact programs have on student outcomes.
• Encourage and increase the use of existing funding streams. Title I and many state education programs are prime vehicles for funding summer programs, but are underutilized. The U.S. Department of Education and its state counterparts should require or encourage that these funds be used for summer learning programs.• Align and collaborate. Summer programs may be funded through various sources, including education, workforce-development programs, libraries, parks and recreation, and juvenile justice. Policymakers at all levels must work together to ensure collaboration and alignment for greater efficiency during these difficult economic times.
• Integrate with school turnarounds. Given the extensive research on summer and achievement gaps, summer programs should be a critical component of any school turnaround effort. The federal government should require or encourage schools receiving school improvement grants to include summer learning programs.
• Innovate. Districts and schools should use the summer months to test innovative strategies in teaching and learning that better engage both students and teachers. The federal Race to the Top and Investing in Innovation, or i3, programs provide an excellent opportunity to fund and scale up successful summer programs that can be used to inform future policy.
By adopting these recommendations, educators nationwide can begin to ensure that all students have access to high-quality summer learning that will help close achievement gaps and promote student engagement. We are confident that innovative summer learning programs can provide a blueprint for broader reforms. After all, why should learning only be fun in the summer?


text: bio | Diego Marchante "Genderhacker" (Pamplona, 1984) is a transfeminist activist, transmedia artist and lecturer. A doctor of fine arts from the University of Barcelona (UB), since 2008 he has worked as a professor of Audiovisuals and Gender Studies at the Faculty of Fine Arts of the UB. In 2011, he published Archivo T (http://archivo-t.net), an archive of social movements and artistic practices that have addressed gender issues in the Spanish context from a queer and transfeminist perspective. His work has been exhibited at Can Felipa, Caixaforum, Fabra i Coats, Sala d'Art Jove, Centre de Cultura Contemporáni de Barcelona (CCCB), Museu d'Art Contemporani de Barcelona (MACBA), Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofá (MNCARS) and Centro de Arte Contemporáneo (CAC) de Quito in Ecuador. He has published several texts in various books such as Transfeminismos. Epistemes, fricciones y flujos (2013), Barbarismos queer y otras esdrújulas (2017), Smagliature Digitali. Corpi, generi e tecnologie (2018) and Cuerpos conectados. Arte identidad y autorrepresentación en la sociedad transmedia (2021). In 2020 his project Gendernaut. Queering the 90s (http://gendernaut.net) was been selected in the call for research stays at the MNCARS, in the context of the project Our Many Europes – Europe's critical 90s and The Constituent Museum (OME), organised by L'Internationale.


text:
Topeak SideKick Wedge Pack (Small)
Topeak's SideKick Wedge Pack features a unique, positive locking 2-piece mount that makes attaching and removing the pack a snap. Its unique side-opening design makes accessing your gear quick and easy and you'll have plenty of room for carrying tubes, a C02 pump, wallet, keys and whatever else you need. For low-light conditions, a 3M reflective strip adds safety and its semi-rigid construction makes the Wedge Pack durable and tough.


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Colonel Bruce Hampton on Widespread Panic: In The Beginning
This week I interviewed Mr. Colonel Bruce Hampton. We discussed everything from his Atlanta roots, music, football, literature, Billy Bob Thornton, Sling Blade, seminal bluesman, Bruce's music career, his future plans, various projects, hilarious tales, worldly wisdom, Widespread Panic, prophesies and the upcoming documentary on the Colonel titled Basically Frightened: The Musical Madness of Colonel Bruce Hampton.
Since Widespread Panic will play Friday, Saturday and Sunday at The Tabernacle in Atlanta, Georgia, on The Wood Tour before they disappear for a while, I thought this excerpt from my interview with the Colonel regarding Widespread Panic was appropriate. He met them right when the band was being assembled back in the early 80s. Among other things, the Colonel penned the liner notes for Panic's album Ain't Life Grand.
JC: All these years later, what is one of your earliest memories of Widespread Panic?
BH: They were the nicest band I ever met at the time. They were so young when they started. They used to work and play at The Uptown Lounge in Athens. Dave worked the door. Todd tended bar. I think JB was around playing the pinball machines. I remember thinking after having this long conversation with Dave Schools at the time, 'Wow, this young guy really knows a lot about music. More than anyone I'd heard.' He was talking about Miles, Trane and Monk. As a band, they just blew me away.
In the 80s everyone had bad hair and stupid shoes. They were good cats. They were at the right place at the right time and it worked. You just didn't find people like them. There weren't people like them back then. It was really uplifting to see people with such good intentions...
Look for the full 2012 Swampland Colonel Bruce Hampton interview in the next week or so.
Brato Ganibe,
James Calemine
Colonel Bruce Hampton: Arkansas
Colonel Bruce Hampton: One Ruined Life of a Bronze Tourist
billypanic says...
Money, money, MONEY !! You hit that elusive grand slam here James !!!
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text:
Fender's Rumble Series of bass combos has been around (on and off) for some time, but never has the range been as appealing as now.
Robust, well proportioned and very stylish with black livery and an expanded metal grille, it features nickel-plated metal corners, heavy duty spring-loaded handles and removable castors: road worthy and easy to move around.
The front baffle is ported for maximum sound dispersal and it's designed as a workaday gigging unit or for practice sessions. The mains socket is at the rear, but all of the controls and connections are on the front panel.
The single input socket is provided with a -6dB switch making it suitable for either passive or active basses, while the EQ section features high and low mid controls, plus the usual bass and treble bands, and a lone volume control.
Extras include the shape feature, with two switches labelled punch and scoop, and an overdrive section with controls for gain and blend. Along with the on/off switch are extra sockets allowing input for CD/mp3, tape player or drum machine, a footswitch socket and a very handy headphone jack.
Manufactured in the Far East to keep costs down, the most important question is can it produce the classic Fender bass amp sound that we love? Well, yes, it can. This is partly due to the relative simplicity of the tonal circuit and its no-frills approach.
Using the four tone controls gives great variation, but the simple addition of the shape filter offers further enhancement and quality sounds. Scoop (as the name suggests) takes out the mid-range frequencies while boosting the high and low-end to give a tightly-focused funky sound.
Punch produces a rockier sound with high impact and delivery. With both activated you get a boost in note definition, but for more classic Fender sounds leave them both out and stick to those basic controls - it's particularly good in a studio environment as it allows your bass to retain its individual sonic characteristics.
The dedicated overdrive section gives you far more control over your distorted sounds. Whether you want the subtleties associated with a valve preamp for added warmth and colour or the angular blast of an overdriven hornet's nest of metal mayhem, the Rumble obliges.
It's not reliant on high volume levels, either, and can also be activated by a footswitch. Rated at 150 watts you'd expect this combo to be limited in performance ability but the clearly efficient design produces significant headroom.
With an active bass guitar, and the low-end of the Rumble wound to maximum, it certainly shifts air and the speaker handles the whole thing with confidence and clarity. It's hardly a sound that you would want to use often, but it demonstrates just how capable this unit actually is.
The switchable horn also performs exceptionally well and, although there's no level adjustment, it adds good projection to the top-end.
Well proportioned, easy to transport and with plenty of muscle, this could be your ideal gigging partner, even if the front panel with all its controls and connections does suggest that it's more of a dedicated practice combo.
But while we'd like to see some of those moved to the rear panel, it doesn't affect the performance in the least, this workaday combo is hard to fault. User friendly and with plenty of sound options it performs well on looks, practicality and power.


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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Life \Life\ (l[imac]f), n.; pl. Lives (l[imac]vz). [AS. l[imac]f; akin to D. lijf body, G. leib body, MHG. l[imac]p life, body, OHG. l[imac]b life, Icel. l[imac]f, life, body, Sw. lif, Dan. liv, and E. live, v. [root]119. See Live, and cf. Alive.] 1. The state of being which begins with generation, birth, or germination, and ends with death; also, the time during which this state continues; that state of an animal or plant in which all or any of its organs are capable of performing all or any of their functions; -- used of all animal and vegetable organisms. [1913 Webster] 2. Of human beings: The union of the soul and body; also, the duration of their union; sometimes, the deathless quality or existence of the soul; as, man is a creature having an immortal life. [1913 Webster] She shows a body rather than a life. --Shak. [1913 Webster] 3. (Philos.) The potential principle, or force, by which the organs of animals and plants are started and continued in the performance of their several and cooperative functions; the vital force, whether regarded as physical or spiritual. [1913 Webster] 4. Figuratively: The potential or animating principle, also, the period of duration, of anything that is conceived of as resembling a natural organism in structure or functions; as, the life of a state, a machine, or a book; authority is the life of government. [1913 Webster] 5. A certain way or manner of living with respect to conditions, circumstances, character, conduct, occupation, etc.; hence, human affairs; also, lives, considered collectively, as a distinct class or type; as, low life; a good or evil life; the life of Indians, or of miners. [1913 Webster] That which before us lies in daily life. --Milton. [1913 Webster] By experience of life abroad in the world. --Ascham. [1913 Webster] Lives of great men all remind us We can make our lives sublime. --Longfellow. [1913 Webster] 'T is from high life high characters are drawn. --Pope [1913 Webster] 6. Animation; spirit; vivacity; vigor; energy. [1913 Webster] No notion of life and fire in fancy and in words. --Felton. [1913 Webster] That gives thy gestures grace and life. --Wordsworth. [1913 Webster] 7. That which imparts or excites spirit or vigor; that upon which enjoyment or success depends; as, he was the life of the company, or of the enterprise. [1913 Webster] 8. The living or actual form, person, thing, or state; as, a picture or a description from, the life. [1913 Webster] 9. A person; a living being, usually a human being; as, many lives were sacrificed. [1913 Webster] 10. The system of animal nature; animals in general, or considered collectively. [1913 Webster] Full nature swarms with life. --Thomson. [1913 Webster] 11. An essential constituent of life, esp: the blood. [1913 Webster] The words that I speak unto you . . . they are life. --John vi. 63. [1913 Webster] The warm life came issuing through the wound. --Pope [1913 Webster] 12. A history of the acts and events of a life; a biography; as, Johnson wrote the life of Milton. [1913 Webster] 13. Enjoyment in the right use of the powers; especially, a spiritual existence; happiness in the favor of God; heavenly felicity. [1913 Webster] 14. Something dear to one as one's existence; a darling; -- used as a term of endearment. [1913 Webster] Note: Life forms the first part of many compounds, for the most part of obvious meaning; as, life-giving, life-sustaining, etc. [1913 Webster] Life annuity, an annuity payable during one's life. Life arrow, Life rocket, Life shot, an arrow, rocket, or shot, for carrying an attached line to a vessel in distress in order to save life. Life assurance. See Life insurance, below. Life buoy. See Buoy. Life car, a water-tight boat or box, traveling on a line from a wrecked vessel to the shore. In it person are hauled through the waves and surf. Life drop, a drop of vital blood. --Byron. Life estate (Law), an estate which is held during the term of some certain person's life, but does not pass by inheritance. Life everlasting (Bot.), a plant with white or yellow persistent scales about the heads of the flowers, as Antennaria, and Gnaphalium; cudweed. Life of an execution (Law), the period when an execution is in force, or before it expires. Life guard. (Mil.) See under Guard. Life insurance, the act or system of insuring against death; a contract by which the insurer undertakes, in consideration of the payment of a premium (usually at stated periods), to pay a stipulated sum in the event of the death of the insured or of a third person in whose life the insured has an interest. Life interest, an estate or interest which lasts during one's life, or the life of another person, but does not pass by inheritance. Life land (Law), land held by lease for the term of a life or lives. Life line. (a) (Naut.) A line along any part of a vessel for the security of sailors. (b) A line attached to a life boat, or to any life saving apparatus, to be grasped by a person in the water. Life rate, rate of premium for insuring a life. Life rent, the rent of a life estate; rent or property to which one is entitled during one's life. Life school, a school for artists in which they model, paint, or draw from living models. Lifetable, a table showing the probability of life at different ages. To lose one's life, to die. To seek the life of, to seek to kill. To the life, so as closely to resemble the living person or the subject; as, the portrait was drawn to the life. [1913 Webster]


text:
Al Schuele
Al, a general partner, joined Sevin Rosen Funds in 2000. A high-tech industry veteran of more than 30 years, Al has extensive semiconductor experience, including work in Asia. He now leads the firm's activities in Austin YES and focuses on opportunities in the semiconductor, telecommunications, energy-technology and nanotechnology sectors.
Prior to Sevin Rosen, Al held executive and sales positions in several semiconductor companies including Benchmarq, Crystal, Cypress and Mostek. Al was most recently CEO of Benchmarq Microelectronics, managing the company through the turbulent Asian financial crisis before negotiating a merger with Unitrode Corp., where he then served as president and COO. He was previously general manager for Crystal's $100 million industrial-products division and, before that, was Crystal's vice-president of worldwide sales. At Mostek, Al was the director of international marketing and served as president of Mostek Asia for two years, living in Hong Kong.
Before beginning his high-tech career, Al was a U.S. Marine Corps attack pilot and logged 100 landings on the USS Independence.
He previously served on the board of solar company Innovalight, which was sold in 2011 to DuPont. Al holds a BA in physics from Western Maryland College.


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Show sample as:
72-frame QuickTime VR
360-frame QuickTime movie loop
periodic table poster
is now available!
Homeopathic plutonium.
Nuts at every level. There is no plutonium in this bottle because, as with all homeopathic medicines, whatever ingredients you see listed on the label are by definition not in the bottle. That it is legal to sell homeopathic crap of any kind is a testimony to pathological ignorance, but this one really takes the cake.
Given that plutonium is among the most lethal of all substances, you pretty much have to trust in the utterly fraudulent nature of homeopathy to even consider taking these pills. But what I really want to know is where they got the original plutonium to start the homeopathic dilution procedure from.
You see, the way you make homeopathic "remedies" is by starting with some actual substance, bee pollen, dog hair, whatever, dissolving it in water and/or alcohol, and then diluting that 10-to-1. Then you dilute that solution 10-to-1 again, and again, and again. You do this somewhere between 30 and 50 times. By this point it's easy to calculate that there's basically no chance that there is even a single molecule of the original substance left. Which is a good thing when that substance is plutonium.
But still, there remains the question of whether this preparation started from a solution containing
plutonium, and if so, where did they get it? Maybe they just drove some water by an air force base housing nuclear bombs and called it close enough. It's not like you could tell the difference in the final product.
Max Whitby of RGB
Max Whitby of RGB
29 April, 2009
Text Updated:
28 June, 2009


text:
Basic searches and search results
In this section, you create searches that retrieve events from the index.
The data for this tutorial is for the Buttercup Games online store. The store sells games and other related items, such as t-shirts. In this tutorial, you will primarily search the Apache web access logs, and correlate the access logs with the vendor sales logs.
Complete the steps, Upload the tutorial data, in Part 2.
Using the Search Assistant
The Search Assistant is a feature in the Search app that appears as you type your search criteria. The Search Assistant is like autocomplete, but so much more.
- Click Search in the App bar to start a new search.
- Type
in the Search bar.
When you type a few letters into the Search bar, the Search Assistant shows you terms in your data that match the letters that you type in. - Click Search in the App bar to start a new search.
- Type
in the Search bar. The terms that you see are in the tutorial data. - Select "categoryid=sports" from the Search Assistant list.
- Press Enter, or click the Search icon on the right side of the Search bar, to run the search.
Matching Searches
The Search Assistant also returns matching searches, which are based on the searches that you have recently run. The Matching Searches list is useful when you want to run the same search from yesterday, or a week ago. Your search history is retained when you log out.
The Search Assistant is more useful after you start learning the search language. When you type search commands, the Search Assistant displays command information.
Retrieve events from the index
Let's try to find out how many errors have occurred on the Buttercup Games website.
To retrieve events that mention errors or failures, you type the keywords in your search criteria. If you use multiple keywords, you must specify Boolean operators such as AND, OR, and NOT.
The AND operator is implied when you type in multiple keywords.
For example, typing buttercupgames error
is the same as typing buttercupgames AND error
- Start a new search.
- Change the time range to All time.
- To search for the terms error, fail, failure, failed, or severe, in the events that also mention buttercupgames, run the following search.
buttercupgames (error OR fail* OR severe)
Tip: Instead of typing the search string, you can copy and paste the search from this tutorial directly into the Search bar.
- Click the Search icon to the right of the time range picker to run the search.
Notice that you must capitalize Boolean operators. The asterisk ( * ) character is used as a wildcard character to match fail
, failure
, failed
, failing
, and so forth.
When evaluating Boolean expressions, precedence is given to terms inside parentheses. NOT clauses are evaluated before OR clauses. AND clauses have the lowest precedence.
This search retrieves 427 matching events.
Understanding search results
Below the Search bar are four tabs: Events, Patterns, Statistics, and Visualization.
The type of search commands that you use determines which tab the search results appear on. In the early parts of this tutorial, you will work with the Events tab. Later in this tutorial, you will learn about the other tabs.
The Events tab displays the Timeline of events, the Display options, the Fields sidebar, and the Events viewer.
By default, the events appear as a list that is ordered starting with the most recent event. In each event, the matching search terms are highlighted. The List display option shows the event information in three columns.
Column | Description |
i | Use the event information column to expand or collapse the display of the event information. By default the display is collapsed. Click the greater than ( > ) symbol to expand the display. |
Time | The timestamp for the event. When events are indexed, the timestamp in the event is extracted. If the event does not contain a timestamp, the indexing process adds a timestamp that is the date and time the event was indexed. |
Event | The raw event data. The Selected fields from the Fields sidebar appear at the bottom of each event. |
Change the display of the Events viewer
- Select the List option and click Table.
The display changes to show the event information column, the timestamp column, and columns for each of the Selected fields. You will learn more about the Selected fields later in the tutorial. - Change the display back to List.
Timeline of events
The Timeline of events is a visual representation of the number of events that occur at each point in time. As the timeline updates with your search results, there are clusters or patterns of bars. The height of each bar indicates the count of events. Peaks or valleys in the timeline can indicate spikes in activity or server downtime. The timeline highlights patterns of events, or peaks and lows in event activity. The timeline options are located above the timeline. You can zoom in, zoom out, and change the scale of the timeline chart.
Fields sidebar
When you add data to the Splunk platform the data is indexed. As part of the index process, information is extracted from your data and formatted as name and value pairs, called fields. When you run a search, the fields are identified and listed in the Fields sidebar next to your search results. The fields are divided into two categories.
- Selected fields are visible in your search results. By default, host, source, and sourcetype appear. You can select other fields to show in your events.
- Interesting fields are other fields that have been extracted from the events in your search results.
You can hide the fields sidebar to maximize the results area.
Patterns, Statistics, and Visualizations
The Patterns tab displays a list of the most common patterns among the set of events returned by your search. Each of these patterns represents events that share a similar structure.
The Statistics tab populates when you run a search with transforming commands such as stats
, top
, chart
, and so on. The keyword search for "buttercupgames" does not show results in this tab because the search does not include any transforming commands.
Searches with transforming commands also populate the Visualization tab. The results area of the Visualizations tab includes a chart and the statistics table that is used to generate the chart.
You will learn about transforming commands, and use the Statistics and Visualizations tabs, later in the tutorial.
Next step
Learn to use fields to search your data.
See also
Help building searches using the Search Assistant in the Search Manual
Identify event patterns with the Patterns tab in the Search Manual
Introduction to Pivot in the Pivot Manual
Specifying time ranges | Use fields to search |
This documentation applies to the following versions of Splunk® Enterprise: 7.0.0, 7.0.1, 7.0.2, 7.0.3, 7.0.4, 7.0.5, 7.0.6, 7.0.7, 7.0.8, 7.0.9, 7.0.10, 7.0.11, 7.0.13, 7.1.0, 7.1.1, 7.1.2, 7.1.3, 7.1.4, 7.1.5, 7.1.6, 7.1.7, 7.1.8, 7.1.9, 7.1.10, 7.2.0, 7.2.1, 7.2.2, 7.2.3, 7.2.4, 7.2.5, 7.2.6, 7.2.7, 7.2.8, 7.2.9, 7.2.10


text:
Martin King 2
July 23, 2021
The Difference Between Trademark and Copyright
By: Jennifer P. Shannon
When it comes to intellectual property, two concepts often get confused: trademark and copyright For instance, if I have a YouTube channel called "Read 'Em And Weep" where I uploadRead More
Department of Labor Increases Salary Thresholds for Overtime Exempt Employees
By: Noah P. Hill
Department of Labor's Final Rule Increases Salary Thresholds for Employees Exempt from Overtime Pay The Department of Labor announced it would be making revisions to the overtimeRead More
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By: Amy M. Scott Smith
What is the Difference between acting as a Power of Attorney and acting as a Personal Representative in the Estate Planning Process When it comes to legal matters involving estateRead More
Contact Worden Thane P.C.
While this website provides general information, it does not constitute legal advice. The best way to get guidance on your specific legal issue is to contact a lawyer. To schedule a meeting with an attorney, please call or complete the intake form below.


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AP-NORC poll: Most Americans see nation on the wrong track
PAWTUCKET, R.I. (AP) — The state of the union is dark.
A large majority of Americans say they are pessimistic about the state of the country and few expect things will get better in the year ahead, according to a poll released Tuesday by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research .
A week before President Donald Trump delivers his assessment of the nation in a State of the Union speech to Congress delayed by a record-setting government shutdown, the survey found just 28 percent of Americans think the country is headed in the right direction.
Meanwhile, 70 percent say America is headed the wrong way. That's up from 59 percent in December, with the percentage of those saying the country is on the wrong track now at its highest point in about a year.
A majority of Americans, 52 percent, also believe things are going to get worse over the next year.
While Democrats are far more likely than Republicans to feel negative about the direction of the country, even Republican pessimism is on the rise. The poll found 55 percent of Republicans and just 9 percent of Democrats think the country is headed in the right direction. A month ago, 69 percent of Republicans and 16 percent of Democrats said the same.
Jim Wadkowski, an 80-year-old self-described conservative from Fountain, Colorado, said he approves of the job Trump is doing but sees the nation going the wrong way.
"All they do is fight. If one party thinks it's good, the other thinks it's bad. If the president thinks it's good, the party opposed to him thinks it's bad," he said of the nation's leaders. "They don't do anything for the people."
The remarkable level of national gloom is even beginning to extend to how Americans view the economy, once a relative bright spot in America's mood. Since December's swoon in the stock market, a slim majority of Americans still has positive feelings about the national economy, but many expect it to decline in the next year.
The AP-NORC survey was conducted during the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, the result of Trump's desire to deliver on his campaign vow to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border running headlong into the commitment of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Democrats to stop him.
When Trump delivers the State of the Union address delayed by that political fight next month, he'll speak to a nation both in need of a pep talk and deeply skeptical of him as a messenger. The survey found that 34 percent of Americans approve of the way Trump is handling his job as president, compared with 65 percent who disapprove.
Carrie Montgomery, a 40-year-old learning specialist from Pawtucket, said she blames Trump for what she sees as an increase in "people's boldness in speaking hatefully to other people."
"I'm concerned about the oppression and hatred that the president drives in this country — the safety of citizens and their ability to access their basic human rights," she said.
Trump's approval rating is near his all-time low as president, as measured by AP-NORC polling since he took office two years ago. But the survey finds the nation's pessimism reaches beyond the recent budget standoff and its opinion of the president, as doubts about the economy appear to be growing.
For the first time since February 2018, Americans are significantly more likely to disapprove of Trump's handling of the economy than approve. In October, and for much of the last year, about half of Americans approved of Trump's handling of the economy.
Democrats are staunchly negative in their ratings of the president overall and on most issues, but about 2 in 10 had approved of the president on the economy last year. Now, only 14 percent of Democrats do so.
Americans in general feel better about the state of the economy than about the country in general, but also find increasing anxiety about what will happen in the next year.
About half of Americans, 53 percent, describe the economy as generally good. But looking ahead, they're more likely to expect the economy to get worse than better, 44 percent to 27 percent. Another 27 percent expect no change. A month ago, Americans were evenly divided on whether the economy would improve or worsen.
The poll shows 8 in 10 Republicans call the current economy good, while just 37 percent of Democrats say the same. And 56 percent of Republicans expect the economy to get better in the next year, while 67 percent of Democrats expect it to get worse.
Early in 2018, 68 percent of Republicans expected the economy to improve and 50 percent of Democrats expected it to worsen.
At the Modern Diner in Pawtucket, 40-year-old waitress Kelcie Tipping is among the more than half of Americans who believe the economy is still in good shape. She's worked at the restaurant for 10 years, and business is booming, although she's nervous about a future in which robots or other technology could push people out of work.
"As long as people are making money," she said. "As long as there's jobs."
The AP-NORC poll of 1,062 adults was conducted Jan. 16 to 20 using a sample drawn from NORC's probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for all respondents is plus or minus 4.1 percentage points.
Respondents were first selected randomly using address-based sampling methods and later were interviewed online or by phone.
AP-NORC Center: http://www.apnorc.org/
The Western Journal has not reviewed this Associated Press story prior to publication. Therefore, it may contain editorial bias or may in some other way not meet our normal editorial standards. It is provided to our readers as a service from The Western Journal.
Truth and Accuracy
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.


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As the Philippines adjusts to the new normal brought on by the community quarantine (GCQ), Globe is meeting the increasing demand for reliable internet with the expansion of its 5G coverage.
"The pandemic transformed how we do everything, from how we manage businesses to how we learn, how we take care of our health, how we socialize, how we entertain ourselves. A powerful internet connection is important at this time, and Globe is ready to enable our subscribers to succeed during these trying times with the rollout of this highly-anticipated technology," says Albert De Larrazabal, Globe's Chief Commercial Officer
Globe Platinum and Postpaid subscribers will get to experience the cutting-edge technology of 5G in select locations in Makati and Bonifacio Global City in July 2020. It will be made progressively accessible to more areas in Metro Manila and to Prepaid customers.
5G is the next generation of wireless internet connectivity and has the potential to revolutionize the way Filipinos live. With 5G connectivity, customers can enjoy less lags when going online. They can load a webpage in a second, stream the latest movies and TV shows in ultra HD quality, play augmented reality online games with lower latency, and stay connected with loved ones through crystal clear calls and video chats.
This technology can also pave the way for a highly digitized future with smart cities, intelligent homes, self-driving vehicles, and energy grids. This web of interlaced systems can empower Filipinos to do more with greater convenience, which can be fully achieved with an increased number of infrastructures to support 5G technology – given its narrower coverage that assures its optimum performance.
Customers will not be charged for connecting to the 5G network. Usage will be deducted from the customer's Postpaid or Platinum plans data wallet allocation. Connecting to 5G is easy, subscribers just need a 5G-capable smartphone compatible with Globe and must be within the 5G covered area. They can use their current Globe LTE sims, which are already 5G-enabled—making the shift to this new technology quick and hassle-free. To date, Globe offers a range of 5G capable devices such as Samsung S20, Huawei Mate 30 Pro 5G, Huawei P40 and Huawei P40 Pro. Globe is also expected to introduce more affordable 5G capable mobile phones soon.
Globe is the first mobile operator to offer a commercial 5G network in Southeast Asia after it introduced AirFiber for its broadband customers last year. The connection allowed AirFiber subscribers to enjoy reliable and fiber-fast speeds of up to 100 Mbps. Earlier this year, Globe Platinum introduced the very first 5G-capable mobile phone.
Globe is set to change the way Filipinos go online with first-world connectivity.
For more information, visit globe.com.ph/5G
See more:PAGEONE Spotlight