With the release of the Apple iPad, lots of questions are swirling around the future of the company and the product. So let's get to some reader mail the iPad and other new things.
Q: I see that the Apple store sells refurbished iPads. What is your opinion of these, and would you consider them a good value?
A: The value proposition is a close call. New iPads retail for $499 to $829, depending on the model; the refurbs, when offered, tend to range from 7 percent to 16 percent off. This is significant for a product that never goes on sale.
I have personally bought a couple of refurbished iPads and have had no problems. The company replaces all the plastic and glass; because it's in totally new packaging, you don't feel as if the iPad has ever been used. It's also under warranty for a full year, the same as with the new iPad. However, with the release of the new iPad, prices will be all over the place and used ones will be all over eBay. So make sure you price every option.
Q: I saw on the Web that Service Pack 1 for Microsoft Windows 7 has been released. How soon should I install that on my HP laptop?
A: As soon as you can get it. If you can use Windows Update (Hit START, then WINDOWS UPDATE), then you can download the smallest version of the file. If you try to get it from the Microsoft website, you will have to download the largest potential version because the site has no way to know which updates you already have installed.
The update will run a restore point, which should protect your operating system but won't protect your data — so it's a good idea to back up your important documents to DVD, a flash drive or an external drive before an upgrade. But install it whenever you can get it.
Q: My laptop's screen is very, very dim. I did not drop it or anything. It was just dark one day when it came back on.
A: It sounds like the backlight from your screen has gone out. You can connect an external monitor to your laptop and I would imagine it would work just fine. Backlights are not very expensive — about $20 for parts. The trick is the installation. You need to find the correct unit or units for your laptop and then get a technician to replace them without damaging the LCD screen. If you are handy, you can try it yourself with the service manual downloaded from the Web.
Q. When I add a flash drive to my Windows 7 computer, it asks if I want to use the drive as Boost Memory. When I say "yes," I don't notice any increased speed in my computer. How can I tell if it is working?
A. If you Google "ReadyBoost," you will see the technical details. If you have lots of memory already, you probably won't notice anything from the extra drive because it may not be used by Windows. If you have a Windows machine with 512 MB, you may see a boost.
James Derk owns CyberDads, a computer service firm in Evansville, Ind. Contact him at jim@cyberdads.com