Review: Acer Iconia W3 - Windows 8 on a tiny tablet

 Acer Iconia W3 -  a tiny tablet

Brandished on stage at Microsoft's Build conference last week by Steve Ballmer himself as the next great thing in Windows 8 tablet hardware, Acer's Iconia W3 is the first 8-in tablet with the ability to run the full version of the company's latest OS, rather than falling back on the ARM-based Windows RT.

Further reading

 

This theoretically crams all the advantages of a desktop PC into a compact tablet, and in fairness to the W3, a fair amount of those benefits do shine through.

On the other hand, while £279 seems a bargain for a small, yet fully functional Windows 8 tablet, users will more or less get what they pay for in terms of the realistic usability of such a scaled-down Windows 8 experience.

To get the specs out of the way, the W3 sports an 8-in WXGA multi-touch LCD screen, powered by Intel's Atom Z2769 processor, and runs the 32-bit edition of Windows 8.

It has 2GB of RAM onboard, with 64GB of storage space, and fore and aft cameras for video conferencing and photography.            

As specs go, these are fairly respectable for the money, even if the overall build quality of the tablet's shell suffers from Acer's customary cheap and cheerful approach.

But compared to, say, Google's heavily-subsidised Nexus 7, this is a significantly more powerful offering, especially when you factor in the Windows 8 licence cost.

However, with the stock Windows 8 installation (bear in mind we also installed the Windows 8.1 preview build as well) taking up 49GB of the drive, this leaves only 32.1GB left for your own data. The W3's Micro SD slot supports a further 32GB external storage too, though.

Drive space will probably be of little concern in the long run, anyway, because this tablet feels unlikely to become anybody's workhorse ‘road warrior' device.

 Acer Iconia W3 -  a tiny tablet

Bluntly, the W3 is just too small for any serious Windows 8 use. With a choice of only two screen resolutions - native 1280 x 800 and the OS's minimum supported 1024 x 768 - trying to use the Windows 8 desktop mode quickly becomes a bind on a visual and interactive level.

Such a high resolution on such a small device makes touchscreen use a hit and miss affair, not to mention successfully reading any icon or taskbar labels in desktop mode. While increasing font sizes helps, picking out options on the taskbar or even successfully tapping icons can be taxing, and you'll often find yourself giving up and quitting back to the Modern UI, queuing up your most-used apps as Charms on there. That's probably the way Microsoft wants it anyway, of course.

There's no native stylus support either, so while Surface Pro's big, clear screen also enjoys pinpoint Wacom accuracy, the W3 is all-too reliant on fingertips that are just too big and clumsy.

While using most Modern apps and general web browsing is straightforward, enterprise users will find the pokiness of the desktop mode a real disadvantage.

Sony Vaio Duo 11 review

Sony's first attempt at a laptop-tablet convertible

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Product Sony Vaio Duo 11
Website Sony Europe
Specifications Intel Core I5 or I7 CPU, up to 8GB RAM, 1920x1080 11.6in capacitive touchscreen, integrated Intel HD 4000 graphics, 128GB or 256GB SSD storage, 802.11a/b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0, 1x USB 3.0, 1x USB 3.0 with USB charge, VGA out, HDMI out, Memory Stick Duo and SD memory card combined slot, one front-facing and one rear-facing webcam, Windows 8 Professional, 320x199x18mm, 1.3kg
Price £849

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THE VAIO DUO 11 is Sony's first attempt at luring those in the market for both a laptop and a tablet to save money and buy a device that is both.

Unveiled at the IFA electronics expo in Berlin back in August, the Vaio Duo 11 runs Windows 8 and transforms from a tablet to a laptop via an HD display that slides up in what Sony calls a "Slide Surfer" style to reveal a full size QWERTY keyboard hidden underneath.

Sony Vaio Duo 11

Transformation
The Sony Vaio Duo 11's most obvious selling point is that it is a hybrid device that has two different modes: laptop and tablet. When in tablet mode, this transformation is achieved by supporting the back of the lid with one hand while pushing the front of it backwards so that it pops up via a hinge, exposing a keyboard and mouse track button underneath.

Sony Vaio Duo 11

Going from one to the other isn't the easiest transition we've experienced on a hybrid device, nor is it the smoothest. Your first try with the Duo 11 certainly won't be the last attempt before the display lifts up. Unless you're completely used to and have developed the knack for opening it correctly, it's going to take a few attempts before getting it right first time. We think Sony should have spent more time developing a less fiddly sliding mechanism that is easier to operate, such as a slide button for instance, so that you don't have to use both hands to open it up. However, this might just take some getting used to.

The mechanism used on the sliding action also doesn't feel as sturdy as we would like when moving from tablet to laptop mode, and this worries us a little.

Design and build
Aside from the weak feeling slide mechanism, the Vaio Duo 11 is nicely finished and projects a premium but minimalist style. Its all-black chassis has a high gloss shine to it, with sharp edges that make it look stylish and worth the £850 it costs.

Sony Vaio Duo 11 laptop tablet

Weighing 1.3kg, it's heavy enough to feel expensive while not feeling too heavy to carry around in a bag. Measuring 320x199x18mm, it does feel a little chunky when in tablet mode, which is a shame, and if it was just a few millimetres thinner it would feel better to use.

KeyboardThe keyboard is perhaps our least favourite aspect of the Vaio Duo 11. This is because there is no track pad. When typing we found our fingers naturally wanted to move to a track pad due to the location of the mouse buttons. The mouse button is irritating to use and doesn't provide an enjoyable experience.

Sony Vaio Duo 11 laptop tablet

Seated and using the Vaio Duo 11 at a desk, it can also feel a little restrictive, as the small keyboard doesn't offer space for your hands to do the usual swift movements on a larger sized keyboard. However, those looking to use it for long periods of time at a desk can always invest in a full size portable USB keyboard and mouse to accompany it.

Sony Vaio Duo 11 laptop tablet

Though it looks and feels well built, it's fair to say the keys are a little too far apart and also quite small, meaning you can miss certain letters occasionally while typing. We can't help but think that Sony could have made the Vaio Duo 11 keys bigger and thus closer together to improve typing accuracy.

Display
One of our favourite features of the Vaio Duo 11 is its touchscreen display. This is due to its Opticontrast panel, which means it has a special resin layer that Sony says helps to absorb any diffused light delivered from the backlight for high contrast and natural colours. The 11in display panel also reduces glare from light sources, with little light reflected when in use.

Sony Vaio Duo 11 laptop tablet

The Vaio Duo 11's screen resolution is set at 1920x1080 and though it provides brilliant viewing for movies, for general use it feels a little too high for its 11in screen. Text appears tiny so if your eyes aren't great, it's probably worth changing it to 1600x900. However, it is worth noting that the screen doesn't seem as crisp overall at this setting. 

The Vaio Duo 11's built-in accelerometer, which ensures that the screen display rotates to whatever viewing angle you are holding the device, is not as responsive as in other tablet/hybrid devices we've seen, such as the Lenovo Ideapad Yoga 13. It takes a while to turn around from one position to the other and you sometimes have to go out of your way and lean it forward for it to come back to a horizontal view.

Sony Vaio Duo 11 laptop tablet

One other downside to the screen is that it attracts smudge prints a little too easily. Though this is expected with all touchscreen devices, in our tests we felt it showed them up a little more than other screens on the market, which made it look rather greasy. This isn't really an issue when the screen brightness is turned up, however.

Performance and OS
Running the Windows 8 operating system, the Vaio Duo 11 is powered by a choice of Intel Core I5 or Core I7 processors and up to 8GB of RAM. It costs £849 for the most basic Core I5, 2GB model, with prices jumping up by £320 for a Core I7 processor, and another £30 for 4GB of RAM, or £100 extra for 8GB. Windows 8 Professional is also available for an extra £40.

Our review model was an 8GB Core I7 processor model and scored a Windows Performance Index score of 5.6. The score is determined by the lowest sub-score, in this case desktop graphics performance, and not an average result of the performance of components.

sony vaio duo 11

Though the score was pulled down by the Vaio Duo 11's Integrated Intel HD 4000 graphics power, all other results scored much better, with processor calculations per second scoring 7.1 out of 9.9, disk data transfer gaining a 8.1 score and RAM operations per second earning a score of 7.9.

Unless you're using the Vaio Duo 11 for gaming on high graphic settings - which the device hasn't been built for anyway - you're not going to notice much lag, as in our tests both touchscreen and non-touchscreen operations seemed fluid, with the Vaio Duo 11 responding very quickly to commands. As an ultrabook convertible device, we found it will perform all your daily needs effortlessly. However, we tested a more powerful configuration of the Vaio Duo 11, so cheaper options might not perform as well as our test model did.

Overall, the Vaio Duo 11 handled the Windows 8 OS very well, with very little lag when swiping between pages, and programs popping up almost as soon as we selected them. However, after installing a good number of applications and storing a sufficient amount of data, we can imagine it will slow a bit.

Connectivity, storage and battery life
In terms of battery life, we thought the Vaio Duo 11 performed pretty well. When starting on full charge at 11am, it ran out of power at 5:30pm, and that was while in continual use performing general tasks. This included watching movies and web browsing without letting the screen turn off or go into sleep mode.

Sony Vaio Duo 11 laptop tablet

There's also a variety of connectivity options available on the Vaio Duo 11, which is unusual for such a portable device. There's your standard 802.11a/b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0 alongside one USB 3.0 slot and one USB 3.0 slot with USB charge so that devices can be charged even when the device is turned off. There's also a VGA out, HDMI out, and a Memory Stick Duo and SD card combined port. There's even a dedicated Ethernet port for those who rely on a wired internet connection.

The Vaio Duo 11 comes with either a 128GB or 256GB SSD drive to store all your data. Prices reflect these accordingly, with the larger of the two storage options costing an extra £180 on top of the £849 starting price.

In Short
The Vaio Duo 11 looks better on paper than when you test it for yourself and use it in real life situations. In tablet mode it will probably be a little too bulky for most people, and the hinge doesn't feel as strong as it should when sliding it into laptop mode.

As a notebook, however, it does perform really well, and the HD screen is high quality, and very clear and enjoyable to use with Windows 8. The small keyboard is a big factor here though, but if you can live without a trackpad, you will most probably just get used to its more compact design. But for £849 for the least powerful configuration, we think it is a little too expensive for what you get.
 
The Good
Vibrant display, portable, well built.
The Bad
No track pad, a little chunky, not great as a tablet.
The Ugly
Weak feeling sliding mechanism makes it difficult to operate.
Bartender's Score
6/10

Best laptops available today

Potent portables

Portable Laptop

The laptop can be the most used gadget in a person’s tech repertoire. This article for example, is being written on one. There is never a dull moment with a decent laptop. But we aren’t interested in decent, we want the greatest.

This article is all about the Luke Skywalkers of the laptop world. This hardware is the latest and greatest that Cool-Technology has come across. We will be updating this list as soon as something better comes along. The rules are simply that we have to have seen them, either in a review, waiting to be reviewed or as a hands-on.

Best tablet/laptop combo

Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga
Windows 8 ushered in the age of the weird laptop design. Decent touch capabilities mean that laptops like the Lenovo Yoga have come into existence. Don’t confuse its backflipping and shape-shifting with a weird gimmick though, as it is genuinely helpful.

Lenovo IdeaPad

The Yoga can be flipped over so it is just a large 13-inch tablet, or the keyboard can be used to make it stand. It can also be used just as a standard laptop would be, but with the added bonus of a touch screen. Throw in a nice selection of colors to choose from and you have a handy, if unusual, laptop package.

Best laptop when out and about

11-inch MacBook Air
The 11-inch MacBook Air weighs 1.08Kg. For a laptop that weighs about the same as a bag of sugar, this is a fully functioning machine. You get all the bells and whistles Mac OS X offers and thanks to Intel’s increasing portable and powerful processors, enough grunt to get through the working day.

MacBoom Air

The 11-inch MacBook Air went down an absolute storm at the Cool-Technology offices. This was in part due to just how sturdily put together it is, a big bonus if you are planning on lugging one around in a backpack or briefcase. Really though, Apple has been putting polish on this formula for a while now and as a portable, we find it tough to fault.

Best laptop for gaming

Alienware M17x R4
Nvidia’s mobile graphics cards are now so powerful that the right machine can rival the kind of gaming power a desktop manages. The Alienware is that machine. Specced out with a GTX 680m, you will not find any problems trying to run anything currently available maxed out.

Alienware M17xR4

The M17’s build quality is also top notch, although its size means it does stretch the definition of the term portable somewhat. We especially like the disco dance floor style keyboard, which has been illuminating our faces in many a dark and dingy gaming session for some time now.

Best laptop for photography

Apple 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display
Apple’s 15-inch Macbook Pro with Retina Display is hugely expensive. This is a laptop that only those after something really special should consider. For a photographer though, there really can’t be any other.

15-inch MacBook Pro

The Macbook Pro’s trump card is pretty simple; it has a display with a resolution of 2880 x 1800. This translates to a pixel density of 220 ppi. For a photographer, this kind of resolution means images display much closer to their native resolution. It means you get more detail at a glance and sharper images to work with when zoomed in.

Best laptop for music

HP Envy 14 Spectre
HP’s Envy 14 ships with Beats Audio thrown in. This means you get far more audio grunt than you find on a normal laptop. Bass is also bulked out a lot more, so no tinny sounding tracks.

HP Envy 14 Spectre

The Spectre 14 doesn’t stop at just beefed up speakers though. A hardware button which acts like a shortcut to the Beats control panel will let you tweak audio like a proper EQ. Then there is a hardare volume scroll and even a dedicated mute button, all things you don’t often see on laptops now, but all great for music fans.

Best budget alternative laptop

Samsung Series 5  Chromebook
A budget laptop is a difficult choice. There are a lot of bargains to be had on websites like eBay and Gumtree, hence why we have gone for something alternative here, should you fancy doing it differently.

Samsung Series 5  Chromebook

Samsung’s Chromebook is the best of what has been a fairly difficult bunch. Chrome OS itself is now a far more complex and featured piece of kit and the laptop can now be had for less than £300 if you look hard enough.
 

Best laptop for movies

Asus Zenbook Prime UX31A
Asus’s Zenbook Prime is a bit of a movie watching machine. First on the checklist is that top quality Full HD 1080p IPS screen, which is going to make for the best possible movie watching experience.

Asus Zenbook Prime UX31A

On top of that though, is a set of Bang and Olufsen designed ICE Power speakers, which will mean you get enough audio grunt to go along with your movies. Asus also hasn’t scrimped on the design front, with the ZenBook Prime being one of our favourite looking laptops available right now.

Best luxury laptop

Munk Bogballe Emerald
If money is no object then there are a few laptops which spring to mind. The top of the line Retina Display MacBook Pro is definitely one of them. However for a really pricey alternative there can only be one victor.

Munk Bogballe Emerald Display MacBook Pro

The Munk Bogballe Emerald trashes the MacBook in the price department. With a starting price of €5800, the Emerald is easily one of the most expensive laptops we have come across. Why exactly? Because the whole thing is tailor made exactly to your specifications. Calf leather and oil treated mahogany are among some of the materials used to create this incredibly premium piece of kit.

New MacBook Pro, Air prices get slash treatment at Best Buy

Best Buy didn't waste any time cutting prices on new MacBooks. The least expensive Air now starts at $949.99.

MacBook Pro with Retina display

MacBook Pro with 15.4-inch Retina display.

(Credit: Apple)

 

Best Buy was quick to discount the newest MacBooks, offering savings up to $140 over the weekend.
The biggest discount is on the $2,799.99 Retina Pro with 8GB of memory and a 512MB solid-state drive (Model: MC976LL/A). That is off $140 to $2,659.99.

The least expensive Retina Pro dropped to $2,089.99 (Model: MC975LL/A), shaving $110 off the regular price (see image below).

New MacBook Airs got cut too. The $999.99 Air (Model: MD223LL/A) fell to $949.99, off $50.
The latest MacBooks feature Intel's new "Ivy Bridge" third-generation i series processors with upgraded HD 4000 graphics silicon and USB 3.0 ports, among other new features.

The newest additions to the MacBook Pro family also get a 2880-by-1800 pixel density Retina display and an Nvidia GeForce GT 650M graphics chip, among other features.

Models with discounts listed as of Sunday evening PT are only available for in-store pickup. And note that Best Buy prices change frequently so these discounts could vanish at any time.

Dell expands XPS range with new laptops and its biggest ever all-in-one desktop

DELL XPS laptops

Dell expands XPS range with new laptops and its biggest ever all-in-one desktop

The latest additions to Dell’s XPS range expand on previous laptop releases and also introduce the XPS One 27, a 27-inch all-in-one desktop computer.The compact XPS 13 Ultrabook is getting two siblings in the form of the new XPS 14 and XPS 15 models, which feature a similar design in two new screen sizes.Both the XPS 14 and XPS 15 come with Corning Gorilla Glass displays and third-generation Intel processors, plus Intel Rapid Start, Smart Response and Smart Connect technologies. 
 


The XPS 14 and XPS 15 laptops

The 14-inch XPS 14 comes in two variants: the XPS 14 laptop with integrated mobile broadband and a black leather back to cut down on signal interference with the built-in antennas, and the XPS 14 Ultrabook, available in a silver or red brushed aluminium finish.

The Ultrabook measures 20.7mm wide and features an edge-to-edge display, backlit keyboard, 500GB hard drive, 32GB mSATA card, and optional performance graphics. It also claims up to 11 hours of battery life.

DELL XPS laptops

The XPS 15 also features an edge-to-edge display, this time measuring 15 inches, and NVIDIA graphics come as standard. Users can avail of 1TB of storage with this model’s hard drive, plus a 32GB or 128GB mSATA card option.

Built with aluminium casing, a silicone base keeps the laptop cool and the display is apparently 75pc brighter than standard panels. Also featured is a backlit keyboard and optional Blu-ray disc drive.

DELL XPS laptops

The XPS One 27 desktop computer

Dell’s largest all-in-one desktop to date, the XPS One 27, features a 27-inch WLED display of 2,560 x 1,440 resolution and full HD capabilities. NVIDIA graphics are also included, as is Waves Maxx Audio 4 and Infinity-branded speakers.

The slim desktop computer keeps space-saving in mind, featuring a one-cord design with wireless keyboard and mouse.

DELL XPS laptops

SSD drive, Blu-ray disc drive and internal TV tuner are optional and the computer comes with four USB 3.0 ports. Everything is powered by third-generation Intel Quad Core processors, plus Intel Turbo Boost technology.

The XPS One 27 starts at €1,249, while the XPS 14 and XPS 15 start at €666 and €504 respectively.

You Can’t Kill This Laptop

Getac X500

Getac X500

Traditionally, rugged laptops have required a military-grade surplus of tradeoffs. Typically this has meant lower-speed, older CPUs, tiny hard drives, a dearth of ports and even prior-generation operating systems installed.

Whether the manufacturers were reluctant to change configurations regularly or buyers simply didn’t care about performance is a mystery. Either way, you got a bulky and durable machine, but one that crawled along at the most basic of tasks.

Getac X500

That changes with Getac’s X500: A rugged laptop that, finally, has the tech chops to back up its MIL-SPEC cred. Certified for MIL-STD-810G and IP65 (your standard shock, water and fungus resistance) and “ready” for MIL-STD-461F (which covers electromagnetic interference), the Getac X500 is a handle-equipped, 12.4-pound slab of magnesium alloy and rubber with plenty of power under the hood.
Internally, the X500 is powered by a 2.67GHz Core i7 CPU, 4GB of RAM and a 160GB solid state hard drive. Integrated graphics, you say? No: The X500 springs for an impressive Nvidia GeForce GT 330M. The 15.6-inch LCD only provides 1366×768-pixel resolution, but it’s designed for outdoor viewing, giving it a blinding level of brightness. (In fact, it’s quantitatively the brightest display I’ve ever tested.) The display also features a (resistive) touchscreen: It works with your fingertip, but the included stylus is a better bet for accuracy.

Getac X500

Performance is off-the-charts stellar. The X500 turned in near-record marks on both general productivity apps and, shockingly, gaming framerates. That’s excellent news for our military readers: The X500 is just as good for killing actual insurgents as it is for virtual ones.

I also tested the X500’s rugged chops by dropping it several times, dousing it with water and even parking a Subaru Forester on it. Damage was never worse than surface scuffs and cosmetics: The pavement scraped up the underside of the laptop and shredded the rubber feet, but those appear to be easily replaceable and designed to take some punishment. The photos above were all shot after I rained abuse upon it, and as you can see, it doesn’t look battered or frayed.

Getac X500

Gripes, aside from the beastly size, are moderate. The fan is so loud and powerful that it blew papers off my desk from a distance of 18 inches. There’s no optical drive, and the touchpad is dismally unresponsive, making it one of the few times I actually preferred to use a laptop’s touchscreen to the traditional pointer.
Whether you’re out there in the field or find yourself playing the role of Chairborne Ranger, Getac’s latest has guts enough for the toughest of tasks. Of course, if the weight doesn’t give you a hernia, the price might. But since it’s likely being bought on Uncle Sam’s dime, well, what do you care?

Getac X500

WIRED Amazingly tough. Doesn’t skimp on performance. LCD viewable in everything short of direct sunlight. All ports protected under secure, but easy to use, snap closures.

TIRED Puny battery life — barely two hours — will not outlast forced march to Kandahar. No USB 3.0. Two serial ports but no parallel port? Come on, Getac! Hulk-inspired looks won’t exactly help you out with the ladies at Starbucks.

Convert an Internal Laptop Hard Drive to an External Drive

I am a big fan of electronics and when it comes to tinkering, I get excited. While cleaning up my basement, I came across my old laptop hard drive laying around and collecting dust, after I sold the laptop on Ebay 4 years ago. In fact, while back I have been meaning to make some use of it for maybe backing my current desktop, although it still has my old files. However, I never got around to converting this internal laptop hard drive to an external drive, until now.

Bottom of my laptop of hard drive

Top of the Laptop Hard drive

Laptop hard drive pins

Initially I felt that it would be cheaper to get an adapter for my IDE cable to hook up my laptop hard drive to my desktop computer to use it as it was indicated by many websites. So, I bought an IDE cable adapter for my laptop hard drive from Amazon.

5.9in Laptop to IDE Hard Drive Adapter Cable

5.9in Laptop to IDE Hard Drive Adapter Cable

It was definitely cheap that I paid about $8.00 including shipping. I hooked it up to my laptop hard drive and to my desktop IDE cable. I thought I was ready to backup my desktop files, but it wasn't the case. My windows XP home edition had hard time recognising the laptop hard drive. In fact, at first I didn't see the laptop hard drive mounted for access. I thought, I should wait a little to see if my Windows XP will eventually see it and it did, but it took over 5 minutes. Then, I saw (Local Hard drive F:). At that, point I clicked on the drive expecting it to open with my old laptop files. It popped up with the messagebox requesting me to format the drive first. That wasn't what I expected. Although I wasn't too worried about the old files in the laptop, I still wanted to know if I had anything important I should keep from it. so, I thought I should do more research, because I knew there is got to be much easier solution and I should still be able to retrieve my old files from the drive.

That's when I came across a product called External enclosure with a USB 2.0 adapter. After doing some searching online, I find it very affordable and reliable solution to turning your laptop hard drive into external storage media. I bought it from Newegg and it's actual name is "Link Depot ENWB-25B-SS Aluminum 2.5" USB 2.0 External Enclosure."

Link Depot ENWB-25B-SS Aluminum 2.5" USB 2.0 External Enclosure

Inside the External Enclosure box

When you order from Newegg, you will get a small box just the above picture. It will have the following items as shown on the picture below.

Items in the External Enclosure Box

Items included in the box

1. Mini CD with driver for the adapter (in case you need a driver, but you if you have Windows XP or higher you shouldn't need it as in my case).
2. An light weight aluminium enclosure. 
3. USB adapter
4. Mini, cute and green screw driver (but I didn't get any screws to screw with)
5. USB Cable.

As I figured before purchasing this USB 2.0 external enclosure for my laptop hard drive, it was very very easy and simple to setup. Many people on the Internet warned their readers to make sure the size of the enclosure is just the right size for their laptop hard drive. Generally, laptop hard drives are the same size, but sometimes you can have one that is slightly too large or small such that it won't fit into this enclosure. Your hard drive should slide into the enclosure without much effort. If it requires that you put in all your energy to put it into the enclosure, then you are going to damage it. So, just be aware of things that can go wrong.






Here are the steps for setting up your External Enclosure.

Laptop Hard drive adapter

1.) First, since this is a laptop hard drive you are working with, most likely it has an adapter of its own when it resided within the laptop. When removed, it exposes the hard drive pins. You must take it off before you start working with it. It looks like the picture to the right.

Laptop Hard drive adapter

External Enclosure

2.) Then, you take the USB 2.0 adapter that connects to the laptop hard drive pins. Usually, it will still be part of aluminium enclosure out of the box without being screwed to the enclosure.

External Enclosure without USB 2.0 Adapter in it

USB 2.0 Adapter for laptop hard drive

USB 2.0 Adapter for laptop hard drive

USB 2.0 Adapter for laptop hard drive

Laptop Hard drive and USB 2.0 Adapter

3.) After that, very carefully align the holes of the USB 2.0 adapter with the laptop hard drive pins and slowly push it in all the way like the pictures to the right.

Laptop Hard drive and USB 2.0 Adapter

Laptop Hard drive and USB 2.0 Adapter

Back of Laptop Hard drive and USB 2.0 Adapter

Back of Laptop Hard drive and USB 2.0 Adapter

Empty External Enclosure

4.) Once the laptop hard drive and the USB 2.0 Adapter are married or connected each other safely and securely, you should get ready to place the hard drive and the USB 2.0 Adapter into the external enclosure.

Empty Enclosure and Laptop Hard drive Adapter

Empty Enclosure and Laptop Hard drive Adapter

External Enclosure and Laptop Hard drive

All in one without screws

USB cable and

USB connection into Desktop Computer

 5.) At this point, you probably noticed that I don't have a screw in place in those holes to hold the laptop hard drive in place with the external enclosure. Well, unfortunately I didn't get any screws when I am supposed. That's a minor issue. So, I didn't bother the seller. Once you have the external enclosure and the laptop hard drive with the adapter in place, you are ready to connect your USB cable to your new external hard drive. You probably noticed that you have a USB cable with 3 connectors. One end connects into the laptop hard drive itself and one of the two USB connector

Laptop Hard drive and USB 2.0 LED ON

connects into your desktop or another laptop. Since this external enclosure adapter is plug and play, you can connect and disconnect your new external hard drive while your windows XP operating is running. So, you should see the red LED on the USB adapter light up if there is a power to your hard drive through your USB 2.0 connection. If your Windows XP recognise your new USB external hard drive, you should immediately see a message box running through the files in your laptop hard drive if not Windows XP message requesting for action. At which point, you can open your "my computer" to see if the USB external hard drive is listed in storage media lists.

Screenshot of Windows Drive List

 And that's how you convert your internal Laptop hard drive to an External Drive. I hope, I have provided you with enough information for you to turn your old laptop hard drive into external storage media.

Thank you for visiting my blog.