computer life style

Dell XPS M1730

2009-03-08T07:56:00.000-07:00

Name it the next-generation laptop. Name it the high-tech notebook. You can call it anything you like. Usually most people agree that Dell XPS M1730 is one of the best laptops until now.

Just to let you know, Dell XPS M1730 is the most famous laptop for all gamers. We all know young people need more than just a laptop so Dell created XPS M1730 a while ago. Dell chooses black and gray for XPS M1730 color combination. Dell also puts magnesium-alloy to cover the processing parts.

The cool thing about this laptop is the LEDs in speakers and in the touchpad. Similar with XPS M1710, you can add some light effects to the XPS logo in this notebook. There are plenty of choices like red, white, or blue, just choose whatever you want. With all the LEDs plus Logitech LCD, Dell XPS M1730 is a very beautiful laptop.

Here is the specification:

Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo X7900 Xtreme (2.8 GHz)
Screen Size: 17" (diagonal)
Graphics card: nVidia GeForce 8700M GT SLI.
Weight: 10.4 lbs.
Memory: 2-4GB RAM
Hard Disk Capacity: 400 Gigabytes
Ports: 4 USB, 1 eSATA
Networking: Wi-Fi, Ethernet
Useful For: Hardcore gamers.

Lenovo IdeaPad Y510

2009-03-08T07:55:00.001-07:00

IdeaPad Y510 is another nice, promising, and cheap laptop from Lenovo. Most new notebooks are more expensive, usually their price tag is above $1,200. However, Lenovo has another idea. They realize people are searching for cheap laptops, such as the oldie MacBook Pro 15” or Asus Eee PC 4G. Lenovo then made their idea come true with their brand new IdeaPad Y510.

Its casing design is created from plastic layer and its screen design is designed without any frames. Hence, the design looks different from other Lenovo laptops. Actually there is no new thing at all from this laptop except its design. As usual, Lenovo brings the best keyboard in the business. Ideapad Y510 continues the tradition, its keyboard is better than laptops from other manufacturers.

About performance, of course IdeaPad Y510 is not one of the leaders. With only Intel Core 2 Duo T5450 (1.6 GHz), IdeaPad Y510 is still behind its competitors. Let’s talk a little bit about ports and features. This laptop has one FireWire and 3 USB ports, one dual layer DVD drive, and 6-in-1 card reader. Don’t forget that IdeaPad Y510 also has passed the Energy Star 4.0 certification so this laptop is environmentally friendly even though it’s cheap.

Specification:

Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo T5450 (1.67 GHz)
Screen Size: 15.4" (diagonal).
Graphics card: Intel GMA X3100
Weight: 6.2 lbs.
Memory: 2GB RAM
Hard Disk Capacity: 250 Gigabytes
Ports: 3 USB
Networking: Ethernet, WiFi
Useful For: People with tight budget, general users

Sony VAIO VGN-AR590E

2009-03-08T07:51:00.000-07:00

Sony VAIO VGN-AR590E is the first laptop in history which has ability to play Blu-ray discs. I don't know but at least that's what Sony Said about this high-tech laptop. VGN-AR590E is rated as one of the best among all media center laptops. The price ($3,400 from Amazon) describes everything. VAIO VGN-AR590E absolutely is a high-tech laptop for high-class people.

Despite VGN-AR590E uses big monitor (17" diagonal) but its weight is not heavy at all. With weight only 8.2 pounds, you can easily carry this laptop everywhere you want and play games in your free time. The monitor uses XBrite screen with resolution up to 1,920x1,200. Sony VAIO VGN-AR590E is the new challenger for Dell XPS and HP Pavilion products. For better gaming experience, I recommend you to buy one. The beautiful design and strong performance are the main reasons why I suggest you to choose this laptop.

Don't forget its BD-RE drive to play Blu-Ray discs. You can watch and play all Blu-Ray titles, from movies to games in VGN-AR590E. Of course BD-RE also lets you to play DVDs and CDs whenever you want. Other interesting issue about VGN-AR590E is the TV Wonder Digital Cable Tunner feature. Just with one CableCard, you would be able to watch tv cables from your laptop. Nice, isn't it?

Specification:

Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo T7300 (2 GHz)
Screen Size: 16.4"x1.3"
Graphics card: nVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT
Weight: 8.2 lbs.
Memory: 2-4GB RAM
Hard Disk Capacity: 200 Gigabytes
Networking: Ethernet, Wi-Fi
Useful For: Gamers, multimedia professionals

Toshiba Portege R600 128GB SSD

2009-02-16T14:25:00.000-08:00

Leading the field with its thin, ultralight design the Portégé®R600 laptop series shows how Toshiba innovation keeps redefining the concept of perfection.

This ultra-thin laptop features the newest Intel® Centrino® 2 Processor Technology for superior multitasking, massive memory upgrades, enhanced safeguards in the form of a fingerprint reader and TPM security module, along with 4th-Generation Toshiba EasyGuard® Technology with PC Health Monitor for more confident, trouble-free computing.

A 12.1" diagonal trans-reflective screen lets today's professionals work easily indoors or out in direct sunlight, while its tremendous battery life, advanced wireless plus built-in Webcam and optical drive let you venture farther, stay in touch and do more.

With its ultra light design and stunning silhouette, as light as 2 lbs and as thin as 0.77", the Portégé® R600 laptop is guaranteed to turn heads. This powerful notebook features Intel® Centrino® Duo processor technology, enabling you to work virtually anywhere. Rest easy knowing that, with Toshiba EasyGuard® Technology, vital components are better safeguarded for a more reliable and secure mobile experience. As the world's lightest PC weighting only 2 pounds, the Portégé® R600 series gives you the all-in-one mobility platform you deserve.

Toshiba U205 Laptop

2009-02-14T10:45:00.000-08:00

If you are planning to purchase the Toshiba U205 you may want to read this review of the newly popular notebook.

The overall build and quality of the Toshiba U205 is ranked 8 out of 10 by most owners of the laptop. Also, the Toshiba U205 does not appear to have any dark edges or shiny spots on the screen as some other laptop screen do. The display is rather bright, in fact, many have reviewed the Toshiba U205 as having a brighter than average display.

The Toshiba U205 does not radiate a lot of heat nor is there a lot of running noise. This laptop also has integrated readers for SD cards.

Many Toshiba U205 owners commented that the pros of owning a Toshiba U205 were the fact that it was reasonably priced, they especially enjoyed the fingerprint reader, and the size, weight, and screen resolution were also rated as being highly acceptable. Some cons of the Toshiba U205 were reported against the keyboard layout, small touchpad and poor mouse control.

Overall the Toshiba U205 performed well among most Toshiba laptop owners. Many of the problems that some of the laptop owners had could possibly be difference of preferences. However, some of the general consensus was that the touch pad was too small, horrible control over the mouse, and bad speakers. Many Toshiba U205 owners were able to get past these cons by changing some of their computer preferences such as customizing the mouse control through their control panel and tinkering with sound settings.

By George Christodoulou

Sony VAIO P officially announced at CES 2009

2009-02-14T10:42:00.000-08:00

Sony VAIO P officially announced at CES 2009

Today at the CES 2009 Sony introduced the VAIO P-series notebook that has been leaking over the last couple of weeks.
The new ultra portable PC comes with a unique dimension slightly larger than an office letter envelope.
The Sony VAIO P weighs less than 640g and sports 3G connectivity.
The screen measures 8-inches with a power efficient LED backlight and a resolution of 1600 x 768. Such high resolution means you won’t be scrolling the web browser side ways. You can even work comfortably with two windows side by side. A practical ‘resize’ button located below the keyboard automatically and equally distributes multiple windows across the screen. You also have the convenient choice to start up in Windows Vista or to access the Internet and other key functions using the XMB (XrossMediaBar) at the touch of a button.
Tech specifications of the VAIO P include 1.33Ghz Intel CPU, 60GB HDD or 128GB SSD, 4 hour battery, 2GB RAM and Wifi.

The VAIO P is not a netbook. It is a new kind of ultra-small notebook. A special edition VGN-P19VN/Q with 1.6GHz CPU and 128GB SSD is available for pre-order now and shipping of the VAIO P starts in February. The low-end of the VAIO P starts at $900.
The Sony VAIO P comes in four colors, all with a high gloss piano finish; red, dark green, black and white.

ASUS Unveils Upgraded Eee 1000HE

2009-02-14T10:41:00.000-08:00

ASUS has announced a newly updated Eee netbook called the Eee 1000HE that is available for pre-order right now. The netbook claims to be the first machine on the market to use the new Intel N280 Atom CPU. The machine also uses the Super Hybrid Engine to boost CPU speed and get extended battery life from the machine.

Features include 802.11b/g/n network connectivity and Bluetooth. Internal storage is to a 160GB HDD and Asus offers 10GB of encrypted online storage space. Battery life is reported to be 9.5 hours from Asus.

The new Asus keyboard is used on the 1000HE, which looks much like the keyboard on a MacBook and puts the right shift key in the correct space, a complaint many have with the Eee keyboard. The machine will sell for $399 and those who pre-order will get $25 off that price. The machine will come in black or blue colors in America.

Samsung NC20 Review

2009-02-14T10:37:00.000-08:00

Samsung unveiled its NC10 netbook last year and the device received some good reviews. To follow-up the NC10 Samsung will be releasing an NC20 netbook that has a larger 12-inch screen. I still don’t get the 12-inch netbook, that screen is in the ultraportable category and for a little more money you can get much more performance.

A Ukrainian website called Gagadget has got its hands on an NC20 and put the machine through its paces. The screen is reportedly much like the screen on its NC10 brother and it runs on a 1.6GHz Via Nano U2250 CPU.

The operating system is XP and according to the review, the battery life isn’t that great. The six-cell battery lasted the reviewer about 251 minutes, a bit over 4 hours. Some netbooks can almost double that number for battery life.

LG P510 XNote Laptop unveiled

2009-02-14T10:29:00.000-08:00

LG unveiled a new high-end notebook in its XNote series. The LG P510 XNote series include 3 models with the P510-UP98K, P510-UP95K and P510-UP88K.
The 2.3kg light LG P510 features a luxury case design and a 15.4 inch LED backlit screen.

Other features of the LG P510 include Nvidia GeForce GT 130M 512MB graphics, Intel Core 2 Duo CPU, 500GB HDD or 64GB SDD and 4GB RAM. Why the woman in the LG P510 product photo wears a suit remains unanswered.

Dell Inspiron Mini 12 - Intel Atom Processor Netbook Review

2009-02-02T03:04:00.000-08:00

If compared with other netbook such as MSI Wind U100, for example, Dell Inspiron mini 12 really looks thin. The thick is less than 1 inch, precisely 0.9 inches. In fact, the size of screen and all of the body is about 2 inches more wide than Wind U100.

Yes, Dell Inspiron mini 12 showcase is 12-inch display screen, which is still rare compared with others netbook carried by other brands.

Despite similar body-thin like Apple MacBook Air, Dell Inspiron Mini 12 does feel strong. It feels comfortable. Indeed, Dell Inspiron Mini 12 have more wider size in average compared with others netbook and can causing not being easily inserted in the handbag.

From the completeness of the features, in fact mini-12 not far differents from others netbook by other brands. Like a modern netbook, 802.11g wireless functionality is supported, 12 inch display screen. RAM, for example, are still 1GB, but unfortunately you can not upgrading the RAM

12-inch display screen with a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels, of course, is the specialty of Dell Dell Inspiron Mini 12. Wide screen resolution make the use of the netbook more fun when you surf in the virtual world. Two web pages side by side can be opened and read it with quite comfortably. However, the letters look smaller, less suitable for those who have started to crash because of the vision on the old age.

Views on the screen looks very bright (too bright even on the maximum setting), and horizontal perspectives are good enough. Views can still see quite comfortable with the direction of the side. However, there are good idea to push back the screen so that the rebound effect is not felt, too.

The top of the LCD screen, as usual, presented with a 1.3 megapixel Webcam.

With a more physical width compared with another netbook, not strange when the keyboard on mini 12 is also more relieved (92 percent of normal keyboard). The distance the button are wide so that makes you comfortable when typing.

Dell includes six function keys which is F11, F12, Home, Del, Insert, End which are placed on the top right side. In addition, there are 10 other function keys (F1 - F10), which also have their own features, such as Bluetooth and contrast. The Fn button is placed on the left side of the bottom.

Under the keyboard panel there are square touchpad which is also quite wide field, complete with left and right click. Touchpad is quite responsive. However, perhaps because of the wide size and the location that fit under the keyboard plus the wide of palmrest, sometimes we do not get the desired response from the touchpad which have quite fibrous surface because the cursor can move suddenly if you have small wrist.

The other different from the other vendors, Dell chose to put a speaker on the top of keyboard panel. Unfortunately, the quality of the sound is less strong despite already set up to maximum volume. However, for a netbook that is used personally and private, may have sufficient volume.

Another panel at a different location is the on / off. key When most vendors of netbook putting it on the right top side, not so with Dell. Dell prefer to put this very small on / off button on the left top side, abreast with speakers panel.
The Body

On the right side appears 3-in-1 card reader, a headphone jack, microphone jack, one USB port, and one LAN port.

The placement of the USB port are on the way back, this make less fun when you use the netbook on the knees (although this is usually not recommended because the netbook radiate enough heat) than if it is on the way forward as in most of other netbook.

On the left side there are two USB ports, VGA-out port, and for security lock (Kensington lock). Two USB ports are located in the middle of the unit, with the initial keyboard.

When you use the netbook the back of the bottom display which is close to the battery felt a bit hot. However, the keyboard and the touchpad are not affected and still comfortable to use. The bottom of the netbook was only slightly warm. Maybe because of the wide surface from this netbook plus the combination of low power processors successfully influence the spread of heat.

Mini 12 is not using the processor Intel Atom N270 1.6 GHz like the others.

This netbook packaged with the Intel Atom 1.6 GHz clock speed, but in different type, that is, the Z530 (Silverthorne). This processor is designed for the smaller size devices depend with N270, the size of Silverthorne CPU nearly half (13 x 14 mm) and charged a lower consumption (2 watts vs. 2.5 watt owned N270).

Processor is a bit saggy used with Microsoft Vista as the bundle from Dell. Booting takes 1.5 - 2 seconds. The Intel GMA 500 chipset seems less suitable for gaming, including lightweight games. From the benchmark result of 3DMark 2003, the score is only 382 and failed to run 3DMark06.

The Battery

Mini 12 comes with a standard battery pack of Li-Ion 3-cell. Not included in the battery the capacity rating. However, according to Dell, the battery is able to stand up to 3 hours of use.

claims may be true, but there are conditions that must be fulfilled. Netbook must be set first to lower the performance. This can be done easily arranged through the property of the Windows Power Options (Current Power Plan). If you want to survive your battery, you need to lower the performance by choosing Power Saver mode. However, if you need the performance you can choose High Performance that will drain the battery power more quickly or you can choose Balanced mode to balance the power of the battery and the performance.

Weight

Despite come with 12 inches wide-screen, this Mini 12 was not heavy. By default (plus 3-cell battery), the weight is only 1.268 kg. When the battery removed, the weight will be 1.1 kg.

Dell appears mature enough to prepare this netbook so comfortable and convenient to carry anywhere. For other than mild, the adapter that integrates with the cable was also light and pretty. This adapter looks similar to the phone adapter although quite large. Unfortunately only two legs, so you have to bring converter if you don't have 2 legs.

The weight of the adapter are 178 grams. If you take all, (netbook + 3-cell battery + adapter + converter), Dell Inspiron Mini 12 was still light enough with a total weight of 1.862 kg.

The advantages Dell Inspire Mini 12 is Wide screen and keyboard; thin physical; SIMcard slot; light.

The disadvantages Dell Inspire Mini 12 is Mono speaker; price; SIMcard slot on the back of the battery; minimal LED indicators; RAM can not be upgraded.

Dell Inspiron Mini 12
Specification
Processor: Intel Atom Z5301, 6GHz (Level 2 cache 512KB, 533MHz FSB and support Hyperthreading)
RAM: DDR2 1GB SODIMM (maximum)
Chipset: Intel Poulsbo
Graphics card: Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 500
Sound: Poulsbo Intel High Definition Audio Controller
Harddisk: Samsung 1.8 "HS092HB jubilee ATA-100 3600rpm 80GB
Optical drive: No
Facilities: LAN, Wi-Fi 802.11 g, Bluetooth, 3-in1 card reader, 3 USB Port, 1.3 MP Web Camera, VGA port, 10/100 Ethernet port, michropone jack, headphone jack
Display: 12.1 "WXGA 1280x800 pixels
Operating System: Windows Vista Basic SP1
Battery: Li-Ion 3-cell 26WHr
Dimensions: 29.9 x 22.9 x (2,2-2,4) cm
Weight : (including 3-cell battery): 1, 268 kg

By: Nicolas

Archos 10 Netbook Review

2009-01-16T13:23:00.001-08:00

Archos is not known as a notebook company, rather the firm is known for its line of media players. That didn't keep Archos from officially announcing its first netbook today called the Archos 10. As the name alludes to, the machine has a 10-inch screen. Archos says that it plans to announce more netbooks in the coming months as well.

The rig weighs 2.8 pounds and sells for $399, a common price for the genre. Storage is to a 160GB HDD, 1GB of RAM, it uses an Atom N270 CPU and runs Windows XP. Archos includes preloaded software and Laptop says that software includes about $100 worth of multimedia and productivity applications.

Laptop says it is pretty sure the Archos machine is nothing more than a branded version of the ECS G10L or Hasee MJ125 netbooks. The keyboard is said to be sized well, but the right shift key is placed to the right of the up arrow key in an Asus Eee style layout (which I don’t like). Included software features XnView Photo Editor, Vtuner Web Radio & TV Player, BitDefener AV 2009, and a Parental filter.

Acer Unveils New Business Notebooks

2009-01-16T13:22:00.001-08:00

Acer has introduced new TravelMate notebook computers that are aimed at the corporate and small business user. The two machines include the TravelMate 6593 and the TravelMate 6493. The 6593 has a standard 15.4-inch screen and the 6493 has a 14.1-inch screen.

Other features of the 6593 include an Intel Centrino 2 CPU with vPro (Core 2 Duo T9500), 15.4-inch 1280 x 800 resolution screen, 4GB DDR3, Intel Graphics, 250GB HDD, DVD burner, Wi-Fi, Vista Business, and a built-in webcam. The notebook retails for $1499.

The Acer TravelMate 6493 uses an Intel Core 2 Duo Processor T8400, 14.1-inch 1280 x 800 resolution display, 3GB of DDR3, Intel GMA 4500MHD graphics, DVD burner, Wi-Fi, Vista Business and more.

MSI Wind NetTop D130 with Dual-Core Atom 330 CPU unveiled

2009-01-16T13:21:00.001-08:00

MSI unveiled the first "Dual-Core" mini system with the Wind NetTop D130 today.
The MSI Wind NetTop D130 is equipped with the latest Intel Atom 330 dual-core CPU and 2GB DDR2 memory.
Based on the origin of the Wind series, the Wind NetTop D130 using the same energy-saving power design can save up to 90% on electricity.
The full speed operation of Wind NetTop D130 only uses 35W of power. Compared to the traditional ATX chassis of 250W~300W, MSI Wind NetTop D130 can save up to 90% on electricity.

Other features of the MSI NetTop D130 include a built-in Super-Multi DVD burner and 7.1-channel surround sound output.
The MSI NetTop D130 looks like an ideal system to be used as a HTPC.
No pricing and shipping date for the NetTop D130 have been revealed yet.
Via this MSI announcement. See also the MSI Booth Tour from CES 2009.

Dell Inspiron Mini 10 at CES 2009

2009-01-16T13:20:00.002-08:00

Last week I walked all over hell and back (otherwise known as the Las Vegas Convention Center) and somehow managed to completely miss Dell's booth at CES (which is presumably because they had no booth and were in a hotel somewhere like CES 2008). Laptop found the booth though and offers up some tidbits on the new 10-inch Dell Inspiron Mini 10.

This is the netbook Dell should have offered between its first netbook and the Mini 12. A 10-inch netbook is definitely the sweet spot for most consumers with enough screen space and keyboards capable of real work.

Laptop says that the Mini 10 offers a screen resolution of 1024 x 600, HDMI Out, three USB ports and more. The keyboard has correctly placed and nicely sized shift keys along with a row of function keys as well. The processor is the 1.6GHz Atom Z530 and the device runs Windows XP with 1GB of RAM. Some interesting features available on the machine include GPS, mobile broadband and a TV tuner.

Office Depot Selling Gateway LT1004U Netbook

2009-01-16T13:20:00.001-08:00

Laptop Magazine reports that it has found the Gateway LT1004U netbook on the shelves at its local Office Depot. If you are wondering why you have never heard of the Gateway LT1004U, you have. The machine is nothing more than a Gateway branded Acer Aspire One, which is no surprise given that Gateway and Acer are owned by the same folks.

The machine will apparently be exclusive to Office Depot and the Home Shopping Network according to Laptop. Specs are just like those of the class leading Aspire One with the requisite Atom N270 CPU, 1GB of RAM, 160GB of storage and an 8.9-inch screen.

I ran into a Gateway rep I have worked with before at CES last week and asked her about a 10-inch netbook. She looked around nervously for anyone else within earshot, smiled a little knowing smile and hinted that just such an animal may be closer than we think.

Lenovo Unveils Three New Desktop PCs

2009-01-16T13:19:00.001-08:00

Lenovo announced three new desktop PCs yesterday mere days after the end of CES 2009. The new desktop computers slot into its IdeaCenter K series line and the systems offer Core 2 Quad CPUs, up to 4GB of RAM, HD capability and DX10. Blu-ray is optional on the line as well.

Features in the line of computers include VeriFace facial recognition technology, which requires a webcam and a monitor to be purchased separately. The top-end model in the K series is the K230, which can be optioned with up to 8GB of RAM, Windows Vista, Core 2 Quad CPU and more.

Pricing for K series systems starts at $449 for the K220 and the K2309 starts at $499 with availability set for January 20th. The H200 desktop will be bundled with the ThinkVision L195 LCD with prices starting at $399.99 starting on January 10th. The H200 is aimed at users looking for a cheap PC that can browse the Internet and check email.

Asus 1004DN with Atom N280 CPU expected to ship Q2 or Q3 of 2009

2009-01-16T13:18:00.002-08:00

Digitimes reports that they expect netbook makers like Asus and Gigabyte to release new 10 inch netbooks with more powerful Intel Atom N280 earliest in Q2 of 2009.
Asus has the Asus Eee PC 1004DN with the Atom N280 in the works and already exhibited it at the CES 2009. You can see a hi-res photo in our Asus Booth Tour. Besides the new N280 the Asus Eee PC 1004DN also features a DVD Super-multi drive. You can see a close-up of the drive sloth in this photo.
Other features of the Asus Eee PC 1004DN include 10 inch LED LCD Screen, SSD, 1GB RAM, 1.3MP camera, and Windows XP.

New Dell XPS 625 runs on AMD Dragon

2009-01-16T13:18:00.001-08:00

AMD today unleashed the Dragon platform. One of the first Desktop computers to leverage the new high performance and lower cost AMD platform is the Dell XPS 625.
The Dell XPS 625 gaming desktop is powered by AMD Multi-core Black Edition processors (unlocked) and high-performance ATI Radeon HD graphics, all overclockable through AMD performance tuning software.
For power users who want to turn the dial up to 11, the XPS 625 can be configured with:
AMD Dragon platform technology, including the 3.0GHz AMD Phenom II X4 940 Black Edition processor combined with dual ATI CrossFireX technology-enabled ATI Radeon HD 4850 graphics cards, 8GB of memory with a 64-bit edition of Windows Vista plus 10,000 RPM hard drive options for faster startups, faster data retrieval and shorter wait times.