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Lenovo - ThinkPad T61 review
2008-04-25 15:35:00 Lenovo's purchase of IBM's PC and laptop division left us all wondering about the future integrity of the ThinkPad brand so the T61 is highly significant as it is the first Lenovo ThinkPad that we've seen without any IBM branding whatsoever. It's a solid laptop that weighs in at 2.3kg with dimensions of 335.5mm x 237mm x 27.6mm. That's pretty much what you'd expect for a laptop with a 14.1-inch screen and, as you cast your eye over the T61, you'll find that it is reassuringly familiar. You get both a TrackPoint and a touchpad, the keyboard feels superb, just as you'd expect with a ThinkPad, and there are three mouse buttons. You can select a T61 from an enormous list of CPU, memory, processor and graphics with prices that range from £1,000 to £2,000. Generally we reviewers have to be cautious of samples that are stuffed to the gills with top-notch components but this time we've got a rather modest T61 that is priced towards the lower end of the spectrum. The processor is a... More About: Laptops , Review , Lenovo , Thinkpad
Mesh - GX700 review
2008-04-23 13:01:00 Mesh's GX700 is a high performance laptop that sits near the top of the company's current range of gaming notebooks; indeed it's second in performance only to the more expensive flagship GX700 Extreme. The GX700 uses a high-end MSI chassis, attractively finished in a gloss piano black, and comes with a feature set that helps explains the price tag. With a 17-inch screen it's always going to have a fairly hefty footprint (405 x 314 x 38.2mm) but surprisingly it weighs just 2.6kg even with the battery, so it is portable up to a point. But adding the power adapter sends the weight up to 3.95kg, so this is one notebook destined to spend most of its life plugged into the mains. At the heart of the GX700 lies an Intel Core 2 Duo T7250 CPU backed by Intel's i965M chipset and 2GB of 667MHz DDR2 memory (expandable up to 4GB for an additional £99). The T7250 is clocked at 2.0GHz with a 800MHz FSB and 2MB of L2 cache, all of which gives the GX700 some impressive if not Earth-shattering pe... More About: Laptops , Review , Mesh
Acer - AS5633 review
2008-04-23 13:00:00 The AS5633 gives a straightforward glimpse into the current world of the Acer laptop. Discounting the fact that it arrives in a traditional style, rather than the new Gemstone chassis, this is very much a mass-market portable, powered by an Intel Core 2 Duo T5500 processor (running at 1.66GHz). It comes loaded with a useful 2GB of RAM, 120GB of hard disk space, a 15.4-inch screen and a shared graphics solution. There's a DVD writer in there too, as is pretty much de facto in the modern day budget laptop. As with the majority of Acer's portables, it also comes loaded with a selection of software that we spent the first hour trying to uninstall. A trial version of Norton, for instance, we swiftly got rid of, alongside a 60-day trial of Microsoft Office 2007. Some of the supplied software is useful, such as the disc burning tools, but we'd have preferred something other than Acer's own media playback software. That said, for someone looking for a loaded off-the-shelf solution, then... More About: Laptops , Review
Asus - Eee PC 701 review
2008-04-23 12:59:00 The Eee PC has caused quite a stir since it was first announced late last year. Asus has, on paper, come up with something of a Holy Grail. A small format, easy to use, low cost computer that eschews Microsoft Windows is not something you hear about every day. In these days of Ultra Mobile PCs, could it be that the traditional laptop style design will knock the competition for six? Well, on the face of it this is a really compelling little computer, simply because it looks like a laptop but is dinky and light (225 x 165 x 21-35mm and 920g). It has a proper keyboard, unlike the screen-only Ultra Mobile PCs that are pushing at the door, and it is far less expensive than an Ultra Mobile PC too. Moreover, the capabilities are persuasive. A built-in camera and SD card reader, Wi-Fi, three USB ports, Ethernet, external monitor port and a huge amount of built-in software that runs to things like word processing, spreadsheeting, presentations, PDF reading, music, photo and video playback. T... More About: Laptops , Review
Getac - V100 review
2008-04-22 23:45:00 If the market for ruggedised notebooks is niche, that for ruggedised tablet PCs is a niche in the wall of the other niche. Posh couriers spring to mind as one profession where stylus input is useful, but there are much simpler devices available, so it really comes down to the military, emergency services and field agents. Getac is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mitac, and specialises in a range of ruggedized laptops. The V100 is a diminutive laptop, with a 10.4-inch or wide 12.1-inch touch-screen, which can be used in the conventional way with a keyboard - suitably waterproofed - or as a tablet with its tethered, telescopic stylus. The screen swivels through 180 degrees and folds down over the keyboard when you want to use the machine as a Tablet PC. The touch-screen works well with the stylus, but isn't that sensitive to a fingertip. The notebook certainly looks the part, with ruggedly indented edges to the lid and body and rubber corner protectors for its magnesium alloy frame, to ... More About: Laptops , Review
Fujitsu-Siemens - Esprimo Mobile D9500 review
2008-04-19 23:06:00 Fujitsu-Siemens ' announcement of the expansion of its Esprimo range peaks with the high-end D9500, a professional notebook computer targeted at the mid-range market. It's a mid-sized desktop replacement model with a 15.4-inch WXGA screen, weighs in at a fairly svelte 2.5kg and offers the latest in wireless connectivity. It certainly seems to be designed for the professional market. A gunmetal silver finish on the outside and black interior aren't particularly inspiring from an aesthetics point of view, and at first glance the designers seem to have taken a minimalist approach to the control set. You won't find much in the way of shortcuts or extra buttons dotted around the keyboard, which simply provides you with an on/off switch and shortcut to the wireless connectivity activation panel. In the latter you'll find Intel Pro Wireless 4965 a/g/n LAN, Bluetooth 2.0 and the latest UMTS/HSDPA mobile data technologies, so you should have no trouble jumping online or connecting to ext... More About: Mobile , Laptops , Review , Fujitsu
HP - Compaq 6715b review
2008-04-17 00:18:00 You would be forgiven for thinking, after seeing all the TV advertising, that the only notebooks you can buy are powered by Intel processors. But there are AMD alternatives out there and some offer good value for money. One of the latest in HP's Compaq business range is the AMD-powered 6715b, which offers a good set of features for under £650. Even if you didn't know about Compaq being HP's business range, one look at the 6715b tells you all you need to know, as its austere black and grey styling leaves you in no doubt about the market sector at which it's aimed. It's being sold under the ?Balanced Mobility' banner and, while the first part of that is fine, we have to question whether a notebook that weighs in at 2.9kg (including power adapter) and measures 357 x 265 x 35mm is truly mobile. True, it's lighter than most desktop replacement notebooks out there, but you are still going to suffer if you have to lug it around all day, and while the whole thing feels well built, th... More About: Laptops , Review
Toshiba - Satellite U300-134 review
2008-04-15 18:08:00 Having seen the popularity of Apple's very stylish but none-too-light MacBook, other manufacturers have got on the 13.3-inch laptop bandwagon; with, it has to be said, varying degrees of success. Toshiba 's foot-hold in this market sector is the Satellite U300 series. Currently there are six models in the U300 family line-up, with our review model, the U300-134, sitting at the mid-way point. The U300-134 certainly looks the part, with the familiar Satellite glossy blue finish to the lid and the traditional large Toshiba logo in bold, silver lettering. Opening the lid reveals the silver finished keyboard and surround, which is neatly set off by gloss black panels above and below. A blue, LED-backlit Satellite logo sits in the left-hand corner of the bottom panel, matching the backlit system indicators on the other side. Sitting directly above the keyboard are the power button, quick-launch Internet and CD/DVD buttons, and four controls for playing CD/DVDs. Overall the build quality... More About: Review , Toshiba Satellite
Dell - XPS M1330 review
2008-04-14 17:17:00 Dell claims that the XPS M1330 is the world's thinnest 13.3-inch notebook and, while we wouldn't dispute that for the front of the chassis (23mm), it's far off the mark when it comes to the rear of the chassis, which measures some 34mm thick. But the wedge design of the XPS M1330 somehow adds to its appeal, and weighing in at 2kg with the standard 6-cell battery, it's eminently portable too. Recently Dell has discovered colour and the M1330 is another of its laptops available in a range of lid colours, albeit just two for this model; Tuxedo Black and the attractive Crimson Red of our review unit. Either finish is nicely contrasted by a strip of silver each side and both the inset Dell and XPS logos are also finished in silver. Opening the lid reveals a classy metallic silver and charcoal grey finish which complements the lid finish. To protect it Dell provides a good quality black and silver cover slip in the box. As with most Dell systems you have a host of options available t... More About: Laptops , Review , Dell
Gateway - MT6724b review
2008-04-13 16:41:00 Well, in the case of Gateway 's MT6724b, you would be wrong, as this sub-five-hundred-pound notebook comes with a rather nice feature list including a dual core processor, 15.4-inch widescreen, large hard drive, built in multi-format DVD burner and Windows Vista Home Premium. Although it's meant for home use it does look very corporate in its gunmetal and black finish, which is set off by a matt black lid that has a curiously rough finish to it. But while the build quality is very good, it's just a shame it isn't a bit more colourful. Helping to keep down the cost of the MT6724b is the choice of processor and chipset, both of which come from Intel's Value range. The processor is a Pentium Dual Core T2310 which has a clock speed of 1.46GHz with a 533MHz FSB and just 1MB of L2 cache, while the chipset is one we very rarely see, the GL960 Express, which has Intel's GMA X3100 graphics core integrated into it. The MT6724b comes with 2GB of PC2-5300, 667MHz, DDR2 memory which is the... More About: Laptops , Review
Toshiba - Portégé R500-10U review
2008-04-11 22:28:00 Looking for a laptop that you can carry around all day and not notice it? Then you might want to take a look at Toshiba 's Portégé R500-10U. In fact, you could carry this one around all week and still not know it. Why? Because it weighs an almost unbelievably light 760g. However, having a notebook this light isn't without one or two problems. If you are one of those people who hold their notebooks by one corner, beware: if you do it with the Portégé R500-10U you might well hear a nasty cracking sound. As you might have guessed, to make a laptop this light means using a lot of plastic in its construction, and with most of the weight being at the rear of the chassis in the form of the battery, the chassis tends to bend towards the back, hence the potential cracking noise. Another thing you have to worry about is giving the Portégé R500-10U enough protection, especially the screen (which is paper thin) when you carry it around. But that is really nit-picking, as this truly is an ultr... More About: Laptops , Review
Acer - Travelmate 6292-301G16MN review
2008-04-11 22:26:00 Acer's Travelmate 6292-301G16MN - a nice catchy name, that - is one of the smaller members of Acer's well loved business notebook range, and is at the upper edge of what you would call an ultraportable laptop, weighing in at 2.6kg (including AC adapter). Although it is clad in the usual corporate dark grey clothes, the metallic gunmetal finish of Acer's latest ProFile design makes it look a stylish member of the clan. Measuring just 306 x 227 x 27.5mm, it is built with a magnesium alloy casing so it will stand up to the everyday knocks and bumps that notebooks go through. Our review Travelmate 6292 came powered by one of Intel's Core 2 Duo T7300 processors, which are clocked at 2.0GHz and have 4MB of L2 cache and 800MHz FSB speeds. Backing this up is Intel's 965M Express / ICH8-DO chipset combination and 2GB of PC2-5300, 667MHz DDR2 memory. The laptop can support up to a maximum of 4GB of memory through two SO-DIMM slots. Performance-wise the Travelmate 6292 won't set the wor... More About: Laptops , Review , Acer
Sony - Vaio VGN-AR41L review
2008-04-10 12:51:00 Sony's VGN-AR41L is one of the desktop replacement Vaio laptops and, although it's an imposing size (and, for that matter, weight; 4.6kg with the power brick), it seems to lack the style you get with smaller notebooks in the Vaio line-up. Powered by an Intel Core 2 Duo T7100 processor clocked at 1.8GHz, the VGN-AR41L isn't going to win any performance awards but it will do all the usual mundane office jobs without any problems. And with the processor being dual core, at least you can run jobs like virus scans in the background without taking too much of a hit in foreground performance. Supporting the processor is 2GB of PC2-5300 DDR2 memory which is the about the standard fitment these days in a notebook with Vista installed (the VGN-AR41L comes with Vista Home Premium); in any case this is the maximum amount of memory that the motherboard supports. While it's not the most stylish Vaio we have ever seen, even in its black and silver finish, it is quite thin for a desktop replace... More About: Laptops , Review , Sony , Sony Vaio
Fujitsu-Siemens - Amilo Xi2528 review
2008-04-09 18:33:00 At first glance, Fujitsu -Siemen's Amilo Xi2528 looks like any other desktop replacement; in fact it looks more suited to the corporate environment than the home, with its sober dark grey and silver finish. But under the skin there are some surprises - no, make that real surprises - that make it an ideal system for the home. First of all, the Xi2528 comes with two hard drives, in this case two Western Digital WD160BEVS, 160GB, 5,400rpm hard drives. They aren't the fastest drives in the world, but they are stable and reliable. Not only that but this is the first laptop we have seen that has an e-SATA (External SATA) port, which allows for fast data transfers and backups from the hard drives to an external e-SATA hard drive (which are becoming more readily available). Next up, Fujitsu has added an HDMI (with HDCP) port to enable the Xi2528 to output onto an HD TV or projector. Performance-wise it's a little disappointing, especially as at the heart of the system is one of Intel's ... More About: Laptops , Review , Siemens , Fujitsu Siemens
Lenovo - ThinkPad X61 Tablet review
2008-04-09 18:31:00 IBM built up the ThinkPad brand by offering businesses a huge range of choice so they could have the exact list of features that they wanted and Lenovo , the new owner of ThinkPad, has very sensibly followed this business model. The result is that you can choose from the R, T, X and Z families of Core 2 Duo laptop as well as this variant, which is a convertible Tablet based on the X61. Convertible, as you probably know, means that the screen of the laptop rotates on a pivot so the X series is a fine starting point as the screen is pretty much square, so it's easy to switch between portrait and landscape modes, and the chassis is the lightest that Lenovo makes. The extra weight of the Tablet hardware adds a few hundred grams to a basic X series so the X61 Tablet measures 274mm wide by 267mm deep and is 33mm thick, while the weight is 2.02kg according to our kitchen scales. This is achieved by using magnesium alloy in the chassis that allows it to be light and also very stiff, which ... More About: Laptops , Review , Thinkpad
Sony - VGN-TZ11WN/B review
2008-04-08 18:50:00 It's generally reckoned that there are four categories of laptop. Desktop replacements weigh in at 4kg, mainstream models are closer to 3kg, thin and light models weigh 2kg to 3kg and then you get the really desirable models called ultraportables that weigh less than 2kg. So where, we have to ask ourselves, does the Sony VGN-TZ11 WN/B fit into that list, as it weighs an anorexic 1.19kg complete with battery and DVD-RAM optical drive? Add 400g for the small power adapter when you go travelling, but you can probably do without it on your daily commute. Sony claims the charge will last for seven hours with typical use and we found we got more than four hours of constant use out of the battery, which is very impressive. The fact is that Sony has torn up the rule book with the VGN-TZ11 and the result is a tiny, light, horribly expensive laptop that picks and chooses from the best of current technology to keep the weight to an absolute minimum. The X-black screen is quite small at 11.1 i... More About: Laptops , Review
Toshiba - Satellite P200-12D review
2008-04-07 22:24:00 Toshiba's Satellite family of notebooks keeps growing and features models that cover most aspects of laptop design. The Satellite P200 range sits towards the higher end of the family line-up and, of the P200 series, our review model, the 12D, is the current flagship of the range, offering a good feature-set together with a reasonable price tag. It's a big boy, measuring 399 x 288 x 36mm and weighing in at just over 4kg (with the power brick), so it's definitely aimed at replacing your desktop PC; a job it does admirably well with its specification. As with all recent Satellites, it looks very stylish in its gloss piano black and metallic silver finish, the gloss black finish being set off neatly by a series of bright blue, back-lit information symbols; and just for good measure the Satellite badge is also back-lit. At the heart of the P200-12D sits an Intel Core 2 Duo T7100 dual core processor clocked at 1.8GHz with an 800MHz FSB speed and 2MB of L2 cache. Backing up the CPU is a... More About: Laptops , Review , Toshiba , Toshiba Satellite
Fujitsu-Siemens - Amilo Pro V3515 review
2008-04-06 20:42:00 Fujitsu Siemens claims that its Amilo Pro V3515 is ?designed to deliver breath-taking performance.? Sad to report that our review model fell well short of that claim, due to the choice of processor. Although it costs just £333 (including VAT), shopping around you will find other laptops in the same price bracket but with faster processors and better specifications. It's a big old beast weighing in at 3.15kg (including AC adapter) so it's not one you'll want to carry around all day. Overall the build quality of the chassis is good, though the screen has quite a lot of flex to it, and it looks quite stylish in its silver and black finish. For some reason Fujitsu Siemens declined to go down the Dual Core or even the Core Solo route with our review Pro V3515, although both processor types are available as options. Instead the company plumped for a Celeron M 520 to provide the processing power. Although the Celeron M 520 is clocked at 1.6GHz, it's only a single core CPU with 1MB of ... More About: Laptops , Review , Fujitsu
HP - Pavilion TX1150ea review
2008-04-05 12:15:00 When you first look at the HP Pavilion TX1150ea you imagine there can't be that much to it. It only weighs 1.92kg, it's a comparatively slimline 22.4 cm x 30.6 cm x 3.13cm and it only has a 12.1-inch screen. A media centre laptop, after all, should be packed full of features, probably a good 3kg in weight and boasting at least a 15-inch screen. But the surprises begin the moment you open the sleek black lid. The screen turns out to be a WXGA, BrightView, widescreen display with integrated touch-screen. In other words you've got a Tablet PC with a pen discreetly concealed at the front of the base, which you can then use in place of a touch-pad or mouse to interact with the data on the screen. In practice, you do have to press quite firmly to get the best results but it could be a handy addition for people on the move who don't want the inconvenience of a mouse.The built-in touch-pad is thoughtfully constructed in a centrally positioned ?ditch', so you won't accidentally stray a... More About: Laptops , Review
Toshiba - Satellite A210-12U review
2008-04-05 12:13:00 Toshiba's Satellite range of notebooks has undergone a refresh recently, with several new series of models added to the range. One of these is the A210 series, a stylish range of laptops aimed at the home user. Our review sample, the 12U, sits in the middle of a four-model family. Despite the sub-£500 price tag, the A210-12U is a well built, stylish looking notebook in its gloss, metallic, onyx blue and silver finish, set off nicely by blue, back-lit system indicators and a back-lit Satellite logo. At the heart of the A210-12U sits a dual core AMD Turion X2 TL-52 processor which is clocked at 1.60GHz with an 800MHz FSB and 1MB L2 cache. Backing this up is an ATI RS690M/SB600 chipset combination and 2GB of PC2-5300 DDR2 memory, which is an impressive amount given the price tag. All of which gives the A210-12U no more than average performance, but it's sufficient for most office applications, although you may find it struggling a bit when it comes to something like picture or video ... More About: Laptops , Review , Toshiba , Toshiba Satellite
Acer - TravelMate 5520C review
2008-04-04 22:32:00 The latest addition to Acer 's TravelMate range of business notebooks is the 5520C and it's aimed at smaller businesses with tight budgets, as it comes with a sub-£400 price tag. As you might expect for that price, some compromises have been made; it's not the lightest notebook around (it weighs 3.4kg with the power brick), it doesn't have the host of security features that the more expensive TravelMates have and, perhaps more significantly, it comes with an AMD processor instead of the usual Intel CPU. Having said all that, what you do get is a no-nonsense business laptop with most of what you need built in, combined with a reasonable battery life; just under two hours while watching a DVD. This machine is powered by an AMD Athlon 64 X2 TK; a dual core processor with both cores running at 1.7GHz, each with 256KB of L2 cache. Backing this up is 1GB of PC2-667MHz DDR2 memory in the form of two 512MB modules. Replacing these memory units with a couple of 1GB modules would help to ... More About: Laptops , Review
Dell - Latitude D531 review
2008-04-04 22:30:00 Dell's AMD-powered Latitude D531 is unlikely to win any awards for its looks. However, it does have a fast dual-core processor, 2GB of memory and a nice display plus Wi-Fi connectivity as standard, making for a versatile business notebook at an affordable price. The first thing you notice is the 15.4-inch display. On the downside this makes the D531 a little large to carry about, but with an ATI Radeon video controller and a resolution of 1,280 x 800, it's man enough for most day to day tasks. Moreover, specify a Dell TrueLife display (at a remarkably affordable £13 + VAT) and the resolution rises to an impressive 1,440 x 990 pixels. Either way the end result is a large, bright display plenty big enough for presentations, with a wide viewing angle and sufficient adjustment to deal with a range of lighting conditions. The keyboard is nice too, with full-size keys, a comfortable action and the usual touchpad pointer. A DVD+/-RW drive is a standard option and despite its relative bul... More About: Laptops , Review , Dell
Alienware - Area-51 m9750 review
2008-04-04 22:28:00 You don't have to be a sci-fi fan to be an admirer of Alienware 's computers but there's no denying their otherworldly designs make the hairs rise on the back of your neck when you take the machines out the box. The Area -51 m9750 is the Alien Queen of notebooks: black, striking, immensely powerful and bristling with unexpected weapons, er, features. For a start the colour is described as Stealth Black, a matt finish that cleverly resists leaving the mark of your fingerprints after you've touched it. The lid follows tradition with raised ?ribs' pointing towards the trademark ET head that glows blue when switched on and the entire case features magnesium alloy which is 75 percent lighter than steel and more rigid than plastic. Unfortunately every Alien Queen has an acid side and m9750's is the layout. The base is broad enough to contain a full-size keyboard but for some unaccountable reason it has been shunted up the top half with most of the foreground given over to the touchpad... More About: Laptops , Review , Area 51
Dell - Latitude D630 review
2008-04-03 18:44:00 Dell's popular Latitude D620 deservedly won many plaudits and awards with its excellent blend of features, price and performance. The question for Dell was, when the time came for a refresh would it be able to make its successor just as popular with the corporate buyer? The answer seems to a resounding yes, and the D630 seems destined to carry on what the D620 started. Intel's latest mobile technology, code-named Santa Rosa and now known as Centrino Duo, was the catalyst for the refresh and in the time-honoured fashion of "if it ain't broke don't fix it", Dell just jacked up the D620, removed the old chipset and CPU and replaced it with the Centrino Duo parts. Our review sample (E-value Code UKBSDONL-L07632) is the flagship of the 630 range coming with an Intel Core 2 Duo T7300 processor running at 2.0GHz with 4MB of L2 cache and an 800MHz FSB. As with all things Dell the whole machine can be built to your own needs: there are two faster CPUs available should you want more oomph... More About: Laptops , Review , Dell
Samsung - R70 review
2008-04-03 18:42:00 Samsung's marketing blurb for the R-series says that it is inspired by technology (well, we'd certainly hope so), is user-friendly and ideal for the whole family. The latest member of the clan, the R70, holds up those values - as long as none of the family members are hard-core gamers, that is - and is a bit of a bargain to boot. The technology that 'inspires' the R70 is Intel's latest version of its Centrino Duo platform, better known by its codename, Santa Rosa. Because of its price point, Samsung has chosen the T7100 Core 2 Duo processor, clocked at 1.8GHz. Some may feel this is a little slow, but it's a nice balance between performance and battery life. We managed a fairly decent 190 minute battery life under test conditions. Backing this up is 1GB of 667MHz DDR2 memory, which may sound generous but with the power-hungry Vista Home Premium installed it's about the minimum you really need. It's installed as a single module and, as the motherboard incorporates two DIMM slo... More About: Laptops , Samsung , Review
Philips - Freevents X200 Longneck review
2008-03-30 16:31:00 Notebooks tend to fall into two camps: big, desktop-replacement systems with all the bells and whistles, but only portable if you own a tower crane; and light, easily carried laptops, which sometimes struggle to keep up. Philips 's X200 falls into the latter category. The processor is a Core 2 Duo ULV U2500, but running at 1.2GHz in its ultra low-power configuration. Even so, the six-element, Li-ion battery is lucky to reach two hours of continuous use. We really did expect more from a lightweight machine like this, but part of the reason is the copy of Windows Vista Premium that comes pre-installed, and part is the 100GB SATA hard drive. There are some nice features, like the 12.1-inch widescreen LCD display, which is bright and sharp at its default resolution of 1280 x 800, though very reflective. The X200, unusually, has a DVI monitor connector for direct connection to a digital monitor. This, combined with a multi-format DVD rewriter, makes the machine very suitable for DVD play... More About: Laptops , Review
Samsung - Ultra UMPC review
2008-03-30 16:29:00 The Ultra Mobile PC, or UMPC for short, is a breed of computer that is like a small laptop without a hinged screen. Or, if you prefer, like a large handheld computer. Either way, it is an unusual format for a computer. Too large for the pocket, too small for serious use as your main computer. Some UMPCs have (small) keyboards, some don't. Samsung 's Q1 Ultra is in the former group, and its keyboard is absolutely tiny. It is BlackBerry-sized in fact, and split in two halves ranged either side of the screen. You aren't going to be using it to write long documents - more likely for entering Web addresses and maybe composing the odd e-mail. As alternatives you can use handwriting recognition, a tappable keyboard on the touch-sensitive screen and 'DialKeys' which puts finger-tappable keys in two semi-circles in the bottom right and left corners of the screen. The Q1 Ultra runs on Intel's A110 processor, which has been especially designed for this kind of mobile device. It is a shame... More About: Laptops , Review
Lenovo - V200 3000 review
2008-03-30 16:28:00 Lenovo's activity in the laptop market tends to be oriented more towards practicality than power. Its latest range expands on the business and home user sectors, the latter of which includes the new 3000 model from its V-series of machines. This is the top end of that particular range, attempting to combine a selection of powerful components and features in a slim and light ultraportable laptop, sporting a 12.1-inch 'VibrantView' display at resolutions up to 1280 x 800 pixels. This particular feature makes for a pretty good start, although in a similar way to Rock's X-black design and other high-gloss displays, there is a reflection issue in direct sunlight. We're prepared to pay the price though, as the screen offers an excellent degree of clarity and vibrancy that's emphasised by the pre-installed Microsoft Vista Business Edition's impressive aesthetics. Sporting a Core Duo T7300 CPU running at 2GHz and with 1GB of RAM, you should have no issues with the operating system, a... More About: Laptops , Review , Lenovo
Samsung - Q45 review
2008-03-30 16:26:00 Samsung's popular Q series of notebooks has had a recent addition to the family line-up - the Q45 - which continues the family trait of highly portable, well-featured business laptops and adds in the latest Intel Santa Rosa technology and a really strong price tag. In the spirit of "if it ain't broke don't fix it", the Q45 looks like it uses the same chassis as its predecessor, the Q35, with the only apparent change being the front of the chassis, which is now rounded off. The Q45's style and finish will cause divisions with its shiny, piano-black exterior offset by the matt black finish of the interior. You can hear the shouts of "It looks like a Thinkpad!" even now, but it makes a pleasant change from all the silver-and-grey systems around at the moment. Measuring just 299 x 217 x 36.3mm, the well-built Q45 weighs in at 2.35kg including the power brick, meaning you can carry this baby all day and not really notice it. At the heart of the Q45 sits one of Intel's latest T7100 ... More About: Laptops , Samsung , Review
Toshiba - Tecra M9L-12T review
More articles from this author:2008-03-30 16:25:00 Toshiba's Tecra range of business notebooks may not be as well known as its Satellite range, but the Tecra product line is similarly being refreshed with the latest technologies on a constant basis. The latest additions to the Tecra line-up are the A9 and M9 series. The M9L-12T sits bang in the middle of the six-model M9 family and uses the latest Intel Santa Rosa mobile technology. The latest Centrino platform, code-named Santa Rosa, features a new Core 2 Duo processor with an 800MHz FSB instead of the previous core's 667MHz, and a host of onboard power-saving features including dynamically switchable FSB speeds (so when the notebook is in a low power state, such as in DVD playback, the FSB throttles back), EDS (Enhanced Deeper Sleep) and Dynamic Acceleration Technology, an advanced version of Intel's Smart Cache technology. Also new is the second part of the trilogy, the 965GM/PM Express chipset that includes a new graphics engine - the GMA X3100 - which is fully Vista complian... More About: Laptops , Review , Toshiba 1, 2, 3 |
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