Mobile Computing: Backup Strategies for the Road

NOTEBOOKS & ACCESSORIES

Reader Response: Notebook Insurance

A couple of months ago I wrote about Safeware, an insurance agency specializing in computer protection policies. Since I'm not a Safeware customer and couldn't vouch for the company's track record on handling notebook insurance claims, I asked readers for their feedback on the company. So far I've received two e-mail messages, each giving Safeware a thumbs up.

Bob McBride of New Orleans reports receiving a check from Safeware within two weeks of filing to cover replacement costs for a faulty Sony VAIO notebook. "My one experience [with Safeware] was excellent," McBride says.

And S. Charlson of Beavercreek, Oregon, a Safeware client for 15 years, has filed two separate claims with the company. "The customer service people were fantastic, and the claims were settled in a very professional and timely manner," Charlson says.

News: Small Notebooks, Big Battery Boosts

Smaller notebooks that can last longer on a battery charge are the expected result of Intel's Centrino mobile technology. Centrino-based portable computers include three new Intel components: the 855 chip set, a Pentium M processor, and a Wi-Fi wireless LAN module for portable computers. The notebooks are expected to debut in the first half of this year.

News: Digital Video Editing on the Go

Francis Ford Coppola reportedly wrote his first Godfather screenplay at Caffe Trieste, a San Francisco coffee house (and tourist destination). These days, the master filmmaker could practically edit another Godfather movie in the café, using a notebook computer--the new Gateway 600XL Digital Film Maker ($2999), for instance. Gateway's new notebook includes digital video editing software from Pinnacle Systems and provides two FireWire ports, which let you connect a digital video camcorder. But the standard optical drive offered doesn't allow DVD burning, and a DVD recordable drive isn't offered as a configuration option. For more details, read "Battle for the Living Room."