decipher the code name by plugging it in as the object of your search engine,
or you may have to call the disk drive or laptop manufacturer. On one of my
laptops, the code is an otherwise opaque IC25N060ATMR04-0; using Google,
I determined with a few keystrokes that this is an IBM Hitachi 9.5mm 60GB
hard drive with a 4,200 RPM spindle speed and a 2-MB buffer. (You read more
about what those specs mean in Chapter 7.)
Depending on the maker of your laptop, the other tabs on the Properties
panel may be filled out with additional information, or they may be blank.
(Customized machines are more likely to have detailed descriptions; if
your machine is one of 100,000 of a particular model, you may not get that
information.)
Display adapters
Built into the motherboard of your laptop or plugged into a tiny daughterboard
that attaches to the main board, the display adapter manages the conversion
of a “picture” made up of 0s and 1s in memory into an image viewable on the
laptop’s LCD (and in most cases on an external standard video display). Like
other elements of the computer shown in the Device Manager, you can check
on the health of the hardware, look for conflicts of resources, and remove,
reinstall, or update the device driver.
Depending on the type of hardware in your laptop, you can choose tabs on
the Display Properties page that do the following:
Use a predesigned Themeor create your own. A theme consists of a
background plus sounds, icons, and artistic elements.
Make a Desktop layout using one of the pictures or designs provided
by Microsoft as a background for your desktop or use one of your own
photos for this purpose. Any image you store in the My Pictures folder
of your desktop is considered available for use as a background image.
You can also browse elsewhere on any attached drive for other images.Choose a Screen Saverand make settings that determine how long the
system must remain idle before it comes on. If a video monitor (not an
LCD) is attached, you can adjust monitor power settings that include the
ability to shut down the monitor (leaving the computer running) or go
into a hibernation state. On a laptop, most computer makers have a spe-
cialized set of power settings for the LCD, including the ability to run the
screen at full brightness when powered by AC wall current and make
less power demands when the battery is in charge. Most laptops can
also display a Power Meter that reports on remaining battery charge,
and sound an alarm, shut down, or put the machine into hibernation at a
particular voltage level.Chapter 5: Surviving Basic Training 71