upgrading a laptop hd

[starbuck]

I have an advent laptop with a 40gb drive. I would like to upgrade the drive to ideally an 80gb but have never done this before.

HD just slides out so easy to replace but need advice on which hd to go for, how easy it is to transfer contents of current drive to new one, price etc.

Is there a limit to the size of drive you can install and how much impact on battery life does a bigger drive have?

[Jonny M]

There shouldn't be an issue with the size of HDD you can install. They all use standard connectors. Find the model number of your current drive, and then we can see about getting a replacement. I'd be inclined to get something from the Hitachi TravelStar range.

As to your battery life question, 5200RPM drives consume a fraction of a watt more than 4800RPM, so it's a bit of a non-issue. If in doubt, compare the wattage of each drive and try and match it closely to what you have, you may even find one that consumes less power, though it is unlikely.