RAM | Reseller Advocate Magazine: Issue 59

By Chris Angelini

Depending on your experienceS working with small businesses, you may AS notebooks pick up more standardized bits and pieces, VARs must find ways to give their whitebooks unique value. Some of that differentiation may emerge in complementary upsell opportunities. Or maybe you’re looking to address sensitive issues such as security. Both extend reseller wisdom beyond the basic notebook sale. After having spent some time in the lab with Intel’s latest mobile processor announcement, scalability also looks to be a key whitebook differentiator VARs must find ways to give their whitebooks unique value.

New Processors Spawn Smiles

Perhaps the idea of a more flexible notebook platform, enabled by VBI and the manufacturing partners participating in the program, is so attractive because it opens the door to flexibility previously discouraged by tier-one vendors. When was the last time a customer asked about upgrading his mobile processor? Swapping parts on a mobile machine isn’t usually considered an option, especially since the top vendors don’t advocate upgrades.

But when you get right down to it with a disassembled whitebook, everything inside is similar to what you’d find in a desktop, only smaller. There’s a motherboard, populated by a chipset, memory slots, and processor socket, graphics controller built onto the board or attached discretely, and peripheral interfaces—storage, networking, USB, and so on. While it might not be feasible to ship a truckload of laptops back to Dell, value-added resellers certainly have an advantage in that they can effectively upgrade notebooks whenever possible. Most recently, Intel quietly unleashed its mobile Core 2 Duo processor, code-named Merom, to supersede the Core Duo chip. Similarities between the two architectures are many, but there are also enough improvements to warrant interest even from small businesses with Yonah-based platforms. Merom introduces a 4MB L2 cache, for instance, which compares very favorably to Yonah’s 2MB repository. The cache is dynamically allocated to each of the chip’s two cores, meaning a mobile Core 2 Duo processor will make better use of more high-speed memory.

Intel also widened the core’s execution engine, meaning it can accomplish more in every clock cycle compared to Core Duo. A fast 667 MHz front side bus, slightly longer pipeline, and deeper buffers all contribute to the Core 2 Duo’s incremental advancements. More pertinent to business customers, though, are considerable improvements to power handling that result in longer battery life. Moreover, the inclusion of EM64T technology—Intel’s 64-bit processing extensions—fill a gap left by the original Core Duo. Customers buying with Vista in mind will most definitely want to get in on 64-bit capabilities as software starts heading in that direction.

Best of all, the Core 2 Duo is pin-compatible with Core Duo, meaning both chips fit into the exact same socket. Of course, history teaches that pin-compatibility doesn’t guarantee interoperability, especially when it comes to Intel and their processors. However, most Core Duo notebooks need nothing more than a BIOS update to support the new CPU.

On the ASUS-based whitebooks I’ve built, BIOS updates require an actual upgrade file, a DOS-based utility, and a little reseller know-how. For those models lacking floppy disk drives, I keep a USB floppy handy along with a basic boot disk. After configuring the notebook’s BIOS to boot first from the floppy, I run the updater executable, referencing the new BIOS, and let the software do its work. Post-flash, there’s little left to do other than swap processors.

Everybody Loves More Storage

So long as there is chipset and BIOS compatibility, swapping the processor on a notebook changes absolutely nothing about the information stored on that machine. If anything, a jump in performance is all your customer will see. The same can’t be said for a storage upgrade, though. Most notebooks only have room for one hard drive, so you can’t exactly duplicate data onto another disk. I’ve moved important files to an external USB 2.0 drive on many occasions, but the ensuing reformat and restoration is unnecessarily time consuming.

At the same time, there are plenty of storage technologies permeating the mobile space. Larger caches help improve performance, for instance. Spindle speeds reaching up to 7,200 RPM yield access times that are indistinguishable from desktop drives. And since 2.5” hard drives are significantly smaller than their workstation counterparts, the desire for extra speed and capacity is likely to compel many upgrades.

From an interface standpoint, disk drives either conform to the older parallel ATA interface or today’s SATA connector. You don’t have to worry about chipset compatibility. Even if you’re installing a SATA 3 Gbps disk into a 1.5 Gbps notebook, backward compatibility prevents show-stopping issues. Thus, there’s nothing preventing resellers from bolstering their own builds along with any aging tier-one systems.

The real question is: How? Apricorn has an answer. Its Xtreme Upgrade kits are designed specifically to help move from one drive to another without having to format or lose any information. The flagship kit, Apricorn’s 100GB Xtreme Upgrade, includes an upgrade enclosure, a Hitachi mobile hard drive, software, and the cables needed to connect via USB 2.0. The software clones your customer’s existing hard drive and applies it to the blank 100GB upgrade. Swap the two drives and voila, you’re done. What you return to the customer is a faster storage subsystem (thanks to a 7,200 RPM spindle speed and 8MB cache), top-of-the-line capacity, and an external USB 2.0 enclosure with the old drive, which is perfect for storing incremental backups.

Make Security A Priority

Security necessitates a multi-faceted approach, especially when it comes to mobility, since information can be lost in so many ways. Past columns have covered group policies to prevent corporate network access from insecure Internet access points. Hopefully, you also work with customers to keep data centralized on a server and not traveling around locally where it’s susceptible to sticky fingers.

Physical security is less emphasized. My customers are usually more concerned with the cyber-thugs they don’t understand and can’t see than flesh and blood thieves who’d swoop in at an airport or coffee house. That’s all the more reason to specifically address security, though.

Targus offers a variety of different cable locks designed to keep notebooks stationary. Most basic, the DEFCON KL Notebook Computer Key Lock attaches to your whitebook’s security slot (the three VBI models in my lab all have them) and ties down through a six-foot steel cable. Targus’ Ultra Max offers a step up by increasing pull strength and adding a combination lock instead of a key. Breaking the lock would certainly cause damage to the notebook as well, outweighing any point to a theft. Finally, the DEFCON 1 Ultra Security System adds motion detection and a 110-decibel alarm to the mix along with a retractable steel cable. Short of a security guard, that’s as safe as you’ll get in an airport terminal.

Adding Value to Your Whitebooks

Efforts to standardize mobile hardware through initiatives such as CBB, a subset of Intel’s VBI program, have been rightfully met with much enthusiasm. By defining certain types of batteries, AC adapter specifications, and optical drive dimensions, resellers more efficiently support their products. No matter the whitebook model, so long as it’s VBI, you can stock immediate replacement parts affordably. But with so many similarities on the inside, you certainly have reason to be concerned about losing valuable differentiators. There’s still plenty of room to make a splash, though.

Start by thinking about the limited peripheral connectivity available on most laptops, especially the thin and light designs popular with true road warriors. There exists no standardized minimum number of USB ports, ExpressCard slots, or drive bays on those whitebooks, leaving resellers the opportunity to upsell unique extras. Several VBI notebooks include FireWire 400, for example. But FireWire 800, perfect for connecting high-performance external hard drives, requires a pricier controller normally excluded from whitebook systems. Pitching SIIG’s FireWire 800 ExpressCard helps enable that functionality while giving VARs a unique data protection solution.

Notebooks also inherently suffer from a lack of storage scalability, most accommodating one 2.5” hard drive. But as dual-core processors such as Intel’s Core Duo give notebooks the same powerful computing features as desktop chips, customers will pursue more intensive tasks that tax every aspect of storage. Overcome the current 160GB capacity ceiling with SIIG’s eSATA II ExpressCard RAID, which supports true 3Gbps signaling speeds, RAID 0 for performance, and RAID 1 for reliability. Imagine a pair of 500GB Seagate eSATA External Hard Drives running in RAID 0 and connected to the SIIG card. That’s a usage model previously only possible on a desktop, but entirely feasible for a reseller complementing the CBB initiative.

The same space constraints limiting most mainstream laptops to a single hard drive prevent vendors from endearing their designs with lots of multimedia connectivity, try as they might. Of the three VBI models I’ve built up in the last month, all three featured exactly one microphone input and a single headphone output—no optical out, no coaxial connection, and no provisions for multi-channel sound. Anyone with an appreciation for audio will quickly point out that a mere lack of space is preventing otherwise feature-filled platforms from really shining in the sound department. Fortunately, you can inexpensively add a rich complement of audio processing and connectivity by tapping a svelte external component, such as Creative Labs’ USB Sound Blaster Audigy 2 NX. Like the HD Audio value-add championed by Intel, Creative’s device processes 24-bit/96kHz signals. But by breaking away from the chassis itself, your customer gets optical input, optical output, coaxial hookups, and enough analog jacks for a 7.1-channel theater. By adding copious connectivity, DVD-Audio playback, remote control, and Creative’s brand awareness to a whitebook for under $100, the Audigy 2 NX really sells itself.

Take multimedia a step further by enabling your whitebooks with full Microsoft Windows XP MCE 2005 compliance, combining certified graphics solutions, remote controls, DVD decoders, and tuner products. You’ll have no trouble tracking down a whitebook with the requisite discrete GPU—both ATI and NVIDIA certify their latest mobile offerings in MCE. The remote controls are simple add-ons, while decoding software should be easy to integrate as well. Mobile tuners are in shorter supply, though. AVerMedia is one of the few reseller-friendly manufacturers selling CardBus adapters approved by Microsoft. Just be sure your VBI whitebooks still accommodate the form factor since many are making the shift to the PCI Express-based ExpressCard slot. Those that don’t (Quanta’s SW1 thin and light whitebook doesn’t expose either type of upgrade slot) might be better served by a USB tuner such as ATI’s TV Wonder USB 2.0. Stashed away in a laptop bag, external audio and video upsells help make compact notebooks just as functional as larger whitebooks.

Tested in the Labs

Last month I sold a customer a powerful notebook centering on an ASUS chassis. The system was really done-up, sporting discrete graphics, maxed out memory, a 7,200 RPM hard drive, and a Core Duo processor.

“I want to game on the road,” my customer said. “This machine needs to be powerful enough to take the place of my desktop but easy enough to tote, as well.”

The machine that materialized indeed turned out to be faster than his home workstation and easily fit into his notebook bag. But because we crammed so much high-performance equipment into the chassis, it didn’t take long to generate heat. The laptop just wasn’t suitable for a lap.

Fortunately, Targus had sent me its Notebook Chill Mat a couple of weeks prior. I’d seen copycat products from other vendors in the past and had truthfully always set them aside as gimmicky plastic insulators. What good could two low-output fans pulling stagnant air from the bottom of a notebook really do, anyway? Nevertheless, I tried the Chill Mat with my own notebook and found it worked surprisingly well without detrimentally affecting battery life. The same customer bought a Chill Mat and similarly thought it an inexpensive yet effective solution.

The point is that there’s no substitute for hands-on time with the value-adds you sell. Most businesses are used to looking at notebooks as though they are configured statically whereas desktops can be upgraded when more performance is needed. Show your customers that the whitebooks you build do have flexibility built in, whether it’s from a brand new processor, hard drive transplant, or security upgrade. There’s something to be said for reading tips on building notebooks and adding value. However, explaining the benefits of an external sound card based on real-world experience makes for a much more compelling sell.