Laptops

Samsung Q320

2009-09-03T01:46:00.000-07:00

The looks of the Samsung Q320 already impresses at first sight. This doesn't only apply to its looks, but also the feel of the plastic case is relatively good. Additionally, the matt surfaces present themselves as almost insusceptible for fingerprints. Apparently, Samsung has taken the critique of users and testers seriously and has refrained from using high gloss surfaces for the base unit.
It looks different for the display lid. This shows a black high-gloss finish, which is very susceptible for smudge and traces of use.

The case also shows a good stability in the test. There is practically no twisting to be noticed when lifting the laptop at a case corner, but it does creak slightly. This applies equally to the display lid so that it can be spoken of a seemingly very robust notebook.

The selection of a slot-loading drive instead of the standardly deployed optical drive usually found is appealing. The case makes an overall encased impression with this. The only weak point of the case under point pressure is found on the front left edge, directly above the audio sockets. The bottom side also proves to be very pressure resistant due to the use of high-quality plastic.

Looking closer at the workmanship, a somewhat unequal gap can be recognized in the metal-like inlays. But, apart from this, the Q320 looks very elegant altogether. In a sense, it resembles the Sony Vaio SR in this regard.

The hinges do an overall good job. A luffing after opening angle adjustments or a quivering at vibrations couldn't be established by us. However, the hinges restrict the maximum opening angle to about 120 degrees, which could prove to be a tad too little depending on the utilization.

The keyboard presents itself well-executed, with a layout very well-designed for the 13 inch format. The CRTL key is found exactly on its innate place and the right shift key has also been placed beside the numerical keyboard bordering the arrow keys. The size of the single keys also appeals to us.

The pressure resistance at typing is low, the pressure point has been ideally chosen. A disadvantage of the low pressure resistance is that it leads to typos faster, due to the lack of feedback, than a stiffer key stroke. Fortunately, typing is generally very quiet, too. Only the key caps have a bit of room and causes a gentle rustle.

The additional Fn key beside the arrow keys also proved to be practical. It's even possible to adapt the display brightness single-handedly with it.

The built-in touchpad has a matt surface, which can be described as smooth. The size is also adequate for a pleasant and precise mouse cursor navigation on a 16:9 display.

Unfortunately, the easy-moving keys belonging to it only have a mediocre quality. A long key travel was shown at pressing. In opposition, we can evaluate its width, operating noises and the pleasant feel as positive.

Samsung has equipped the Q320 with a 13.4 inch display with an LED background light. This screen made by Chi Mei Optoelectronics uses a cinematic-friendly resolution of 1355x768 pixels in a 16:9 format. The screen can be easily cleaned due to its edge-to-edge design with a straight bottom edge above the hinges.

A disadvantage of this variation is an intensely reflective surface. Especially in combination with a dark background and adverse light conditions (i.e. outdoors), you have more of a mirror than of a high quality user interface. We could establish an average brightness of about 200 cd/m2 in mains.

A significant disadvantage of the used display is the weak color representation. The colors look pallid and blurry. Black isn't represented optimally, either. Also, streak formations in form of a brighter stripe with a width of one millimeter along the display's bottom rim could be established.

The next weak point shows itself in the viewing angle stability. Compared with the cheaper MSI VR340, used by our Polish colleagues, much stronger image distortions turn up along the vertical axis.

Penryn CPUs manufactured in a 45nm process and demonstrates a solid performance at moderate energy requirement. It's a good choice for a mobile laptop, which should also be suitable for basic office tasks at the same time.

The nVidia Geforce G 105M belongs to a new generation of graphic cards, which is still produced in the older 65nm process. Compared to the 9300M GS, it only has half as much shaders, but is clocked higher with 640/1400 MHz. The use of a 256 MB GDDR3 memory with a rate of 700 MHz (1400 MHz effectively) improves its performance to a certain degree.

Unfortunately, the graphic performance is limited by the 64 bit memory bus so that it quickly comes to its limits in actual 3-D prone games. In view of the form factor, which implies mobility as the focal point, it is a useable graphic solution, in any case.

Call of Duty 4
Resolution: 1280x720; normal/medium details
min. 10, avg. 13.42, max. 17fps

Company of Heroes
Resolution: 1024x768; high/med details; AA off
min. 10: avg. 17.93; max. 25fps

FIFA 07
Demo version default
min. 58; avg59.58; max. 61fps

Gothic 3
Resolution: 1024x768; high details
min. 6; avg. 9.62; max. 13fps

Medal of Honor Airborne
Resolution: 1280x720; all medium
min. 14; avg. 17.75; max. 22fps

Supreme Commander
Resolution: 1024x768; high details; AA off
min. 9; avg. 12.88; max.16fps

Witcher
Resolution:1280x720; med details; AA off
min. 10; avg. 20.32; max.39fps
Emissions

System noise

The fan regulation attracts negative attention in idle mode, or rather with low load. The soundscape is characterized by an unpleasant periodic rise and fall of the noise.

Interestingly, this mannerism improves under full load. The fan runs permanently and reaches a low noise level of 32.6 dB(A) at first. A maximum of 34.5 dB(A) can already be established after a few minutes. Anyhow, the constant whirring is more endurable than a frequent change. The Q320, therefore, doesn't belong to the quietest devices but the operating noise remained overall within a limit.

The case doesn't heat up too much under low office load so that use on the thighs seems to be unproblematic. However, the situation alters under load. The bottom side reaches up to 40 degrees Celsius and more, here. We could even note a maximum of 45 degrees Celsius for the louver area. The dedicated graphic card has quite a part in the higher heat emissions, as well.

The sound of the built-in loudspeakers is agreeably full and vibrant. The amplification is sufficient to even hear a clear and loud sound on the other side of a larger room. Music or speech output can already be enjoyed at two-thirds of the maximum volume. A further volume increase leads to distortions and vibrations.
Battery life

A 6 cell battery with a capacity of 48 Wh belongs to the Samsung Q320's scope of delivery. This allows for a maximum of 5 hours mains-free working. However, the battery life is shortened to about 3 hours in the practical WLAN mode in the energy savings profile "balanced".

In comparison to competitor notebooks, it can be noted that the Q320 is on about the same level as the Sony Vaio SR with an ATI HD 3470 graphic card in regards to battery life. In this regard, it even surpassed the MSI EX300 with a larger battery and the HP Pavilion dv3600 and down rights outstrips the Dell Studio XPS 13.

We appreciated the defined orientation of mobile use of the Samsung Q320. The good quality of the deployed materials results in an overall robust laptop with a low weight and a practical design. The display lid presents itself, despite a high-gloss finish, less prone to smudge than some of Samsungs forerunners.

Additionally, the Q320 has one of the best keyboards in its category. Except for a light in dark rooms, there is practically nothing left to be desired at typing.

Unfortunately, the display proves to be a stumbling block for mobile use in adverse light conditions. The LED display might be bright but the reflective surface leads to irritating reflections, for instance outdoors. On the other hand, the screen is easy to clean due to its "edge-to-edge" design.

A further disadvantage is found in the fan regulation. The noise characteristic is quite unpleasant, particularly at use under low load.

Surmising it can however be noted: Samsung has done a good job with the Q320. The Samsung Q320 proves to be a useable mobile companion.

Asus Eee PC 1101HA Netbook

2009-09-03T01:42:00.000-07:00

There are already a wide variety of Eee PC models. Starting with the original Eee PC, the Asus Eee PC 701 from 2007 with its 7 inch screen, the Eee PCs have grown to 9 inch and 10 inch versions, now reaching a new level with the 11.6 inch Asus Eee 1101HA.

Nevertheless Asus remains true to its focus on portability and above all promises up to 11 hours battery life (with a 63 Wh battery) and comprehensive networking capabilities. This is confirmed with a glance at the hardware: the integrated Intel Atom Z520 chip, with a thermal design power of only 2 Watts, is currently one of Intel's most energy-efficient processors.

As with the Asus Eee PC 1008HA, the shape of the Asus Eee PC 1101HA is supposedly inspired by seashells. Be that as it may, the netbook is genuinely elegant, with its gleaming surfaces and its profile tapering at the front. It is available internationally in Crystal Black, Pearl White, Royal Blue and Rose Pink.

For all colour choices Asus is relying on so-called IMR (In-mold Roller) technology to make the glossy finish less prone to scratching. Only long-term use will show whether this actually works in practice. In any case, our black test model proved very susceptible to unsightly fingerprints and other dirt marks.

The gentle wedge-shaped curve of the netbook is pleasant, and leaves the base section at a slight incline; along with the matt keyboard surface, this make typing more ergonomical.

The angular, self-closing hinges, affixed to the lid, limit the opening angle to a maximum of about 132 degrees. Unfortunately they fail to prevent it from wobbling noticeably when it is adjusted. The lid also moves of its own accord in some situations when jolted. When the closed notebook is held upside down, the hinges do not prevent it from opening somewhat. Since there is no locking mechanism, when carrying the notebook around it is advisable to use the protective case that comes with it, to prevent any objects from getting into the space between the keyboard and the screen.

Very typically for a netbook, this model has three USB 2.0 ports, a VGA connection, a LAN (RJ-45) port and audio ports. The integrated card reader supports MMC and SD (SDHC) formats. As usual, the netbook user will have to do without any additional ports which might be of use; for instance docking ports, which are mostly reserved for more expensive subnotebooks and business devices.

The way the ports have been arranged is also fine. While there was no room to put any ports on the front or back edges, the distribution of ports is otherwise practical for right- and left-handed people alike.

As you would expect of a netbook, the Asus Eee PC 1101HA offers barely any maintenance or upgrade possibilities. However, there is a single access panel on the underside, which allows a RAM upgrade, even by owners without much technical knowledge.

In terms of networking the Eee PC 1101HA scores well by having an Atheros W-LAN module, the Atheros AR9285 Wireless Network Adapter, which supports Draft-N. Models with an integrated broadband modem are not (as yet) offered. As far as wired communication is concerned, the Atheros AR8132 PCI-E Fast Ethernet Controller (10/100Mbit) is provided for ordinary Ethernet connections via RJ-45.

The already perfectly respectable 160 GB hard drive is expanded through 10 GB of online storage (Eee Storage). The operating system is Windows XP Home, as is usual for a netbook, but GNU/Linux is also offered as an alternative.

pleasant matt finish and smooth feel. Typing comfort is further enhanced by the slight incline caused by the wedge-shaped body and the good mechanical properties of the keys, which depress to a good depth and respond firmly. The size of the keys is generally satisfactory given the overall size constraints. The only negative here is the small right shift key; hitting it will require some practice. Other than that there are no surprises in terms of keyboard layout. Because of lack of space there are hardly any separate hotkeys, but all important functions can be completed with use of the function (Fn) key. The single exception is a button above the keyboard for disabling or enabling the touchpad.

Touchpad

As with the Eee PC 1008HA, the Eee PC 1101HA’s palm rest area and touchpad form a single entity without edges or recesses. The touch-sensitive area is distinguished by its dimpled surface. While this feels a little odd at first, most users will get used to it after a short while without any problems. More problematically, with the default driver settings, the touchpad is sensitive to the ‘tap to click’ and 'Multi-Touch' features, so that they are sometimes activated accidentally.

The touchpad buttons are made to look like a single chrome button. However they only really respond well at the edges, whereas the central area requires more pressure and can be unresponsive to the user’s input. One positive is that the clicking noise is quiet.

In addition the touchpad can be easily disabled when required. The hotkey for this is positioned above the keyboard to the left. Mirroring the on/off button, it is reminiscent of the ‘PowerSmart’ button that you often find on Acer notebooks.

The integrated display from AU Optronics Corp. (AUO), model B116XW02V0, provides a 1366 x 768 pixel resolution in a widescreen 16:9 format. As well as the glossy screen surface, which is often considered inappropriate, especially for mobile notebooks, the netbook also fails to impress with its brightness. The maximum brightness value, measured in the bottom left segment of the screen, is only 135 cd/m². It is fairly even however, with a uniformity of 83%. Overall the netbook is not suitable for extended use in the workplace or outdoors. Once again this clearly shows the orientation of these netbooks towards their target market.

All the same, with a low black value of 0.6 cd/m² and the measured maximum brightness in the middle screen segment, the netbook achieves a good contrast ratio of 198:1. Also subjectively the colours look clear and vibrant.

While the horizontal viewing angle is generous, the viewing angles along the vertical axis are unconvincing. Even small deviations from the ideal 90 degree viewing angle lead to distortions, appearing in the form of a darkening of the picture when viewed from below as well as an over-brightening of the picture when seen from above. At even greater angles you can also see some inversion of colours. Although the usable viewing angles along the horizontal axis are somewhat wider, you have to deal with more disruptive reflections because of the flat angle.

We tried boosting the low screen brightness with the Eeectl tool. However, with the Asus Eee PC 1101HA this does not lead to any improvement and the screen remained dark.

Aside from the fact that the program was unsuccessful in this case, it should also be mentioned that Asus advises against the use of this tool, warning of possible damage to the display and display controller. You should therefore only use the program if you are aware of the risks and understand that it may invalidate your guarantee.

design of the Asus Eee PC 1101HA. With the Intel Atom Z520 processor and the Intel US15W chipset (codename Poulsbo), with integrated GMA 500 graphics, it does live up to this goal, but at the cost of processing power. With a thermal design power (TDP) of only 2 Watts, the Atom Z520 even undercuts the thermal power loss of the Atom N270 or N280 processors, commonly used in netbooks at present, which have a 2.5 Watt TDP.

No great processing feats should be expected, simply because of this combination of the Atom Z520 CPU and the GMA graphics chipset. 1GB of RAM completes the package. As you would expect, the Asus Eee PC 1101HA is similar in terms of performance to the Sony Vaio VGN P21Z and the Acer Aspire One 751, already tested by us, which are comparably equipped. For instance the 1101HA scored 888 points in the PCMark05 test, whereas the Vaio VGN P21Z and the Acer Aspire One 751 scored 916 (+3%) and 692 (-22%) respectively. From the 3DMark tests consider for example the 3DMark03 value – here the 1101HA’s 418 points are roughly level with the Sony VGN P21Z which scored 425 points (+2%) and the Aspire One 751 which scored 413 points (-1%). In the 3DMark05 test we see a similar picture, with 146 points for the 1101HA, 126 points (-14%) for the Sony Vaio VGN P21Z and 136 points (-7%) for the Aspire One 751.

Netbooks with the more common combination of Intel Atom N270 or even N280 processor and GMA 950 provide a markedly better performance according to benchmarks. As a comparison, the Asus Eee PC 1005HA (N270, GMA 950, 1GB RAM) scored 1617 points in the PCMark05 test, a performance 82% better than the 1101HA.

Nonetheless, office tasks, internet browsing, Skype and so on are well within the 1101HA’s grasp and it handles them without difficulty.

As you would expect, the only mass storage device is the hard drive, a Hitachi HTS543216L9SA00 which provides 160GB total capacity. With a rotation speed

The Eee PC 1101HA is very quiet, producing a maximum of 31.2dB(A) when idle or with light use. With a heavier system load it gets somewhat louder, reaching a maximum value of 37.2 dB(A). All in all it is a relatively quiet machine which produces a pleasant low-frequency sound.

The heat build-up is very unobtrusive, both in the keyboard area and on the underside of the machine. Even with heavy use the upper side reaches a maximum temperature of 34.3 degrees Celsius, while the underside even manages to stay somewhat cooler with a maximum 31.1 degrees Celsius. Working with the notebook on your lap is therefore not a problem.

The loudspeakers, placed along the front edge of the machine, project their sound downwards. Asus clearly put some thought into sound quality, as the SRS Premium Sound True-to-life 5.1 Surround Audio provides a good, relatively balanced, range. The sound quality via the 3.5mm head phone jack is also without problems.

Asus promises up to 11 hours battery life on its website. However this is only true for machines with the 63 Wh, 6-cell lithium-ion battery. For those with the 48 Wh lithium-ion battery, like our test model, 9.5 hours of offline use should be possible.

In the Battery Eater Reader’s Test (with minimum brightness and wi-fi disabled) the Asus 1101HA lasted for 584 minutes, which is 9 hours and 44 minutes of battery usage, exceeding the manufacturer’s claims. With wireless surfing and the maximum screen brightness the power drain increased, but the battery still lasted 367 minutes, around 6 hours.

Under a full system load, wireless modules turned on and maximum screen brightness, we reached 326 minutes, about 5.5 hours, on the Battery Eater Classic test (minimum achievable run time).

Asus has delivered a complete package with pleasing portability in the Eee PC 1101HA. Despite its excellent battery life it does not belong to the absolute front-runners of the field in this respect, but to be able to work for at least 6 hours away from a mains power supply is still pretty useful. You should not expect great performance from it, but the combination of the Intel Atom Z520 CPU, the integrated GMA 500 graphics chip and 1GB of RAM on Windows XP is sufficient for simple office tasks and surfing the web.

Regretably the major stumbling block to mobile use turns out, once again, to be the screen. With a highly reflective surface and low brightness levels, it is not recommended for outdoor use – which is a shame. On the positive side, it has a larger usable work area than previous Eee PC models, thanks to the 1366 x 768 pixel, 11.6” screen, though this of course increases its size and weight.

As is to be expected with netbooks, the Asus Eee PC 1101HA is clearly targeted towards a specific market. At a reasonable price it offers sufficient mobile performance and is also attractively designed, if a little hard to keep clean.

Alienware M17x Gaming Laptop

2009-06-30T03:32:00.000-07:00

A few months ago we published our review of Alienware’s m15x gaming notebook. After a few initial stumbles the system ended up being a big hit for Alienware and it earned a reputation for being one of the most capable 15-inch gaming systems currently produced. The m15x currently starts at $1299, but comfortably spec’d it will put you somewhere between $2000 and $3000 dollars.

As much as we liked (and still like) the m15x, it did not take long for Alienware to follow it up with a 17-inch model, the m17x. This gaming notebook is extremely similar to its smaller counterpart, but the move to a larger chassis means a few extras features are made possible. This notebook starts off at $2399 and goes up, rather quickly, from there.

Because the m17x is so similar to the m15x, be sure to check out on our review of that system. This article will be focusing on the features that make the m17x the king, so while you check back on the old review, just keep in mind that many of the features, like they keyboard, lighting, design philosophy, materials and so on, are basically unchanged.

The m17x, as tested, arrived outfitted with an Intel Core 2 Duo T9300 (2.5GHz) processor, 4GB of RAM, Windows Vista Home Premium, a 500GB hard drive (RAID1 and RAID0 options are available), and a Blu-ray optical drive. Graphics are handled by dual NVIDIA 9800M GT video cards with SLI enabled. The 17-inch display runs at 1920×1200 and it has the backlit keyboard (a $50 upgrade). As tested the price of the system is about $4399 thanks mostly to the graphics ($700), RAM ($350), and disk ($500). There is room for upgrades past our system in the processor (including a X9000) and storage (you can added a second hard drive or a 128GB SSD), if you want to break the bank. What this ultimately means is that that while the m17x starts out under $2500 the final price will probably be substantially above that. It doesn’t mean you’ll have to drop $4500, but almost certainly over $3000. This doesn’t make it unique among gaming notebooks, but there are more economical solutions if you are will to make a few sacrifices.
From a performance standpoint, the m17x does not have many rivals. It runs a great processor and 4GB of RAM, but what really sets it apart is its SLI video. Two video cards might not be easy on the wallet, but it means almost unrivaled power in a mobile system, especially when using the 9800M GT setup. The PCMark Vantage score was 3980 and 3DMark Vantage was 6117. The average Far Cry 2 benchmark run (1920×1200, all setting on highest) was 35.83.

What this all adds up to is a very powerful machine and one of the most capable gaming rigs on the market (as the price would have you assume). The game plowed through current titles like Fallout 3, Far Cry 2, and Left 4 Dead at 1920×1200 at the highest settings with hardly a slowdown. It’s going to take some time before software catches up with this hardware, so you can save some money and downgrade some parts if you’d like. For comparison you can look at the m15x, or, on the workstation front, the ThinkPad W700 and HP EliteBook 8730w.

Past the performance, there is a lot to like about the m17x. The overall build quality feels better than the m15x. This seems odd given that the system is larger, but there are less creaks and flex than the previous system we tested. This could be Alienware learning its lessons over time or just a different chassis coming together better, but it was noticeable. The keyboard now gets a full number pad on the side, but past that almost all the features of the m17x are similar to those on the 15-inch model. The lighting, cursor controls, touch-sensitive volume adjustment/power button, and LED status icons are all the same.As far as usability goes, it’s a pretty nice setup. The keyboard is more then acceptable, and the cursor controls, which are seamlessly blended into the case, are serviceable, but you’ll be gaming with a mouse anyway. The LCD hinges still aren’t very tight, so any movement still causes the display to flop around for a second or two.

As far as the exterior of the m17x goes, you get the same slab design as before. This is to say that the system is sleek and nearly featureless, in other words a big improvement over the old design (as well as the newer m17). It’s not a computer that you’ll be wanting to move around very often (it’s not only 16.1 x 11.5 x 2.1 inches, but the AC adapter is tremendous, and then you have to worry about moving around something so expensive), but if you do throw it in your oversized bag it should get to where you are going in one piece. This will give you a chance to check out the custom-engraved nameplate on the bottom. One downside about the design is its thickness–the m17x is over two inch thick, which means your hands are elevated while typing.

External connections include four USB slots, a ExpressCard/54 slot, a card reader, HDMI, 1394A, 1394B, ethernet, S-video, optical out, HDTV tuner, headphones, microphone, and audio out. It’s a nice selection, even though you lose VGA and HDMI (and don’t have DisplayPort) but you do pick up two FireWire connections, which is very cool. When looking at these you can’t miss the system’s venting, which is featured extensively on the front and back sides the m17x’s, as well as above the keyboard.

As far as battery life goes, it’s pretty much a non-factor since this is not the type of system you will generally be using on-the-go. That said, you should be able to pull under 90 minutes out of the battery, depending on the sort of work you are doing. It will probably be more along the lines of an hour if you are doing work that requires anything out of the processor/graphics.

Before wrapping it, it’s worth understanding the difference between the m17x and the newer m17. The m17 uses ATI graphics, including a CrossFire option, and has some more choices concerning the processor. There is a 1440×900 display option and the system uses the old style case, with the spine going down the middle. The m17 can get quite powerful, but the more interesting thing about it is how it can be a cheaper pick for someone looking for a 17-inch Alienware notebook.

Overall, the Alienware m17x didn’t disappoint. Expectations were high given how well the m15x did and this computer’s substantial price tag, but it handled everything we could throw at it. This includes some of today’s most demanding games at their highest settings as well as workstation testing. The notebook has a very nice display, a solid design, cool lighting, and a ton of features so if you have the cash, and you don’t want a desktop, the m17x is hard to beat. There are cheaper routes–and the m17 could be a good way to cut back on costs–but the m17x remains one of our dream notebooks.

Acer Aspire 5935G-9A4G50Bn

2009-06-09T04:21:00.000-07:00

Already at first sight, the Acer Aspire 5935G's designated application field was obvious. This does not only apply to the design, which pleases with typical multimedia control elements. No, also the other components are completely orientated on this field, for instance the glossy display in 16:9 cinematic format, the BluRay drive option and the Dolby surround audio system with subwoofer. Last but not least, this Aspire also strives to score with its communication equipment including a webcam for video chats.

Acer currently offers a whole range of notebooks specialized for home entertainment and multimedia under the name "Aspire". The user can select among various device sizes, starting with a 12 inch (Aspire 2930) up to 18.4 inch (Aspire 8935). The Aspire 5935G belongs to one of the largest of its kind with 15.6 inches.

Note: There is also a row of configuration options available for the Aspire 5935G notebook, which differs in a few details. The tested model is the configuration alternative with the model label: 5935G-9A4G50Bn. Other configurations vary from this for example in regards to the graphic solution, BluRay options and included software.

The 593G presents itself completely in black. Without exception? No, single elements have been executed in a dark Safire Blue, for instance the round volume dial is edged blue and the subwoofer on the back is embellished with blue elements. Once plugged into the socket, the blue power button visualization also catches your eye. Actually, the horizontal stripe, symbolizing the cable, should only light up in this condition, but the circle around the power button glows a bit, too. Did you press it? Negative. After enabling, the circle becomes more obvious and glaringly visible, and the keyboard also shines due to white LEDs under each key. The white/ blue LED lighting, with the exceptions of the wireless LAN key/status lamp, which has been issued in orange and the Acer Power Smart key (green) over the keyboard, is consistent.

High-gloss finished surfaces are found, except for the bottom side, everywhere. As usual, this is susceptible for fingerprints and smudge of every kind. The high-gloss look is continued also on the screen, which has been executed in the "edge to edge" design as it is also observed in the current Macbooks, in Dell's Studio XPS notebooks and recently also in the HP HDX16. Even if it looks fabulous, you have to accustom yourself to the reflective display, anyway. Additionally, the wrist rests have a rhombic texture. This structure improves the grip somewhat and is, in view of material selection (plastic), haptically quite alright.

Despite the exclusive use of plastic, the case makes a very qualitative impression. The case stability can be generally called good. The weak point is found, as noticed often in other devices, above the optical drive. The case gives in somewhat under pressure there. The same applies, interestingly, to the right wrist rest, but a bit more force has to be used here. The bottom side of the base unit also presents itself as form stable, giving away slightly under pressure under the optical drive. By and large, the base unit shows itself as very twisting resistant.
The display lid is less optimal in this respect. Under pressure this gives away a bit, whereas also image distortions can be observed on an activated screen. It obeys to torsion forces better so that merely a slight bending can be observed at lifting at a display corner.

Uneven component joints aren't found anywhere. Therefore it can be conclusively determined that stability and manufacturing of the used plastic is adequately good and shouldn't lead to any problems at normal use.

Principally, the whole case, with a width of 385 millimeters, a depth of 275 millimeters and a maximum height of 43.6 millimeter, is a fairly compact case in a 15.6 inch format. Together with a total weight of about 3 kilograms, this notebook can't exactly be counted to the lightest and smallest notebooks, which keeps the mobility within limits, anyway.

Both display hinges make a relatively small impression. However, they hold the test device's screen adequately in place and it rebounds only slightly at adjustment. Besides that, the hinges are smooth enough to vary the opening angle with one hand. If the opening angle is below approximately ten degrees, the notebook shuts automatically with a fairly loud bang, whereas narrow rubber buffers on the upper display frame and on the sides of the base unit should dampen the collision somewhat. Oppositely, the notebook opens when held a bit on the base unit. Due to the lack of a transport lock, you should take particular care that no (sharp) objects penetrate the gap between keyboard and display in the case of transportation. These could cause quite a bit of damage, especially to the sensitive display.

Apart from that, the opening angle is restricted to a maximum of 121 degrees. The reason for this are the angled hinges mounted on the display. 121 degrees are sometimes too little, depending on the location.

For a notebook of this dimension, the Acer Aspire 5935G may not have particularly generous interface connectivity, but you do find everything you need for office and multimedia applications on the notebook.
A total of four USB 2.0 ports, one executed as a combination with eSATA, a LAN, a VGA and an HDMI port count to this.

The front and back side have to basically be kept free from interfaces due to the beveled front edge and the opening mechanism. Hence, you only find a Consumer-Infrared-Receiver (CIR) on the front. Therefore, all connection options have been distributed, partly densely packed, on the side edges. The quality of their arrangement is, once again, strongly dependent on the planned use of the device.

The right side has an USB 2.0 port in the back area and goes on with the optical drive towards the front. Our test device was equipped with a BluRay drive. Depending on the selected configuration, it could also be a DVD burner, though. A FireWire port (IEEE-1394) and a 6x1 cardreader, which supports the formats: SD, MMC, MMC-plus, MS, MS PRO and xD, follow in the front area. Due to this arrangement with the USB port far in the back area, righties have a distinct advantage because they still generally have the whole work area right of the notebook to use , for example, with an external mouse.

Lefties will have their problems with the Acer Aspire 5935G, in opposition to this. The audio ports, headphones with, according to the manufacturer, S/PDIF support, microphone and line-in are found on the far front on the left side edge. An ExpressCard/54 slot, over which you can expand the system with additional functions, is behind these. Two further standard USB 2.0 ports and a combined eSATA/USB interface follow. Hence, lefties can almost be sure that distracting cables will restrict the work surface beside the notebook. Apart from that, the USB ports on this side are so close to each other that devices with a broad USB plug are better relegated to the right side edge. Conclusively, the right side also has an HDMI connection with HDCP support for a full-digital image and sound transmission, a VGA connection, an RJ-45 LAN port, the power socket and finally the connection for a Kensington lock.

Aside from a Broadcom NetXtreme gigabit adapter integrated ex-factory, which provides for fast wired transmission at according infrastructure, there is also a WiFi 5100 AGN module built-in for a quick wireless communication with draft-n support.
The test device also supports Bluetooth 2.0+EDR for a wireless networking of devices over a short distance. This is optional and not built-in to all models, though.
An integrated fax/data modem or even UMTS is searched for in vain. UMTS can be, other than over an external USB modem, also be refitted via an ExpressCard, if fast wireless broadband communication is required.

There is also an Acer Crystal Eye High Definition WebCam with a resolution of 1280x800 pixels at 30fps built into the upper display frame. Hence, there is nothing in the way of video conferences via Skype or optionally, not preinstalled in the test device, Acer Xpress VoIP Phone software.

In regards to the operating system, Vista Home Premium 32 bit is preinstalled. Additionally, a whole range of Vista versions and also XP is supported. According drivers are available for download on the manufacturer's site. At a configuration of more than 4 gigabytes RAM, the choice of a 64 bit capable operating system should definitely be considered so that the whole memory can be used under Windows. The installed system had four gigabyte of system memory built-in. Merely a total of 3002 Megabyte, hence not even 3 gigabyte, was available for applications. A part of the installed RAM is reserved for the operating system and for installed devices (Memory Mapped IO). A further part, up to 384 megabytes, are branched off for the integrated GMA 4500 MHD graphic chip as the so-called shared memory.

Unfortunately, there is no recovery DVD found in the carton. Therefore, the user is dependent on an intact recovery partition, to reset the system to its delivery state in the worst case. Best, you create a recovery data medium via the preinstalled Acer Recovery Manager as first thing. Otherwise you might have tough luck when the system doesn't boot anymore, or the recovery partition has been destroyed in the run of a hard disk crash...

the Aspire 5536G has been omitted. That the keyboard is placed more to the left anyway, is due to the needed space for the multimedia control elements beside the keyboard on the right. The alphanumerical keys have been slightly reduced to a width of 17 millimeters and a depth of 17 millimeters as in the Aspire 5536G. But this time in favor of the space needed for the multimedia console. The arrow keys have turned out rather narrow and the F-keys had to forfeit a bit of height.

The built-in keyboard unit was very pleasant at typing. Due to the standard layout all keys were hit immediately. Unfortunately, the keys substructure resiliently deflected noticeably. The type feel is alright, anyway. The stroke length demonstrates a subjectively pleasant length and the feedback is palpable but not abrupt. Generally, the keyboard can be pleasantly worked with so that even longer texts, for instance this review, can be inserted smoothly and untiringly. When typing more energetic, the key stroke may become more audible, but only really annoying was the jarring spacebar in the test device.

Besides that, the keyboard also has a direct illumination via white LEDs integrated in the keys. This can be easily turned on and off with the key combination Fn+F9.

Touchpad

The touchpad received a pleasant size, with a dimension of 850 millimeters width and 540 millimeters depth. It confines itself haptically and visibly from the surrounding case through a component joint and is slightly deeper than this. The edges are very palpable, but don't stick out unpleasantly. The built in touchpad from Synaptics supports a few multi-touch features for zooming and scrolling also. Even if there is a bit of getting used to in the beginning, they work perfectly at the end. There is also a vertically visual and haptical marked scroll area, whereby this marking could have used a bit more contrast to the rest of the touchpad in order to be even more visible. The pad's gliding traits are thoroughly okay; its surface feels pleasant, almost velvety. Principally, it is therefore also possible to move the mouse cursor easily and precisely.

The correlating keys couldn't convince quite as much. Their haptic isn't as optimal due to the high-gloss finish. Their response characteristic is also a bit strange. While they are easy-going on the edges, they can only be pressed with a high effort towards the center. The cracking noise, which the keys emit, doesn't make a very elegant impression, either.

Thanks to an own, directly beside the touchpad found button, this can also be quickly deactivated when necessary.

Hot Keys

Left, beside the keyboard, the Acer Aspire has hot keys for control of wireless LAN, Bluetooth and for the start of Acer's Backup Manager. On the right, a multimedia console offers a quick start button for the preinstalled Acer Arcade Deluxe Software for watching films. Beside the usual control elements, you find a HOLD key (disables the control elements) and a mute key. The volume control has been implemented through a large, round, level dial embedded in the case. Whilst the volume control is easy and comfortable to use, the multimedia keys' response characteristic is to be criticized. These often have to be repeatedly till they finally react.

The Power Smart Key above the keyboard on the right deserves a special mentioning. The user can switch between the energy savings integrated graphic solution and a performance-orientated nVIDIA GeForce GT130 M graphic card, depending on the energy or rather performance requirement. The energy savings mode is visualized by an integrated green LED key.

Fingerprint Reader

A fingerprint reader was integrated in the test device between the left and right touchpad key as an additional input device. When you stroke your finger slowly over the fingerprint reader, the Acer Bio Protection Software is started automatically. This has to be configured with the integrated system wizard at the first time. Afterwards the user validation can be implemented via fingerprints instead of passwords.

Just like the Aspire 5536 and numerous other notebooks, the Aspire 5935G follows the trend to use a 16:9 screen format. The computer display is adapted completely to the current cinematic format and makes a bar-free rendering of these movies possible, in the multimedia enterprises notion. But you shouldn't forget that we are still talking about a mobile PC, which has been conceived for a much broader application field than merely playing movies, which probably even only represents a small part of the application range. An according image height is of advantage in many other common and multimedia applications, though. And with this, we are then by the given resolution. With 1366x768 pixels there is slightly more image width in comparison to the 1280x800 format, but the image height has been slightly decreased for this.

The Acer CineCrystal screen with LED Backlight is a display manufactured by LG with the model label LP156WH2-TLE2. This convinced in the test with a good, measured in the center screen area, maximum brightness of 263 cd/m2. The illumination doesn't turn out formidable with merely 76% because the brightness partly falls towards the edges and is only 201 cd/m2 in the bottom left sector.

whole row of Intel Core 2 processors. In the test device an Intel GM45 chip set, codename Cantiga, collaborates with a in 45 nanometers manufactured Penryn processor, an Intel Core 2 Duo T9550. Specifications for this CPU are a 2.66 GHz clock rate per core, a 1066 MHz front side bus and a 6144 MB level 2 cache. This processor works, with a power dissipation of 35 watts, less energy saving, as its Pxxx counterpart, which is satisfied with 25 Watts.

The Acer Aspire 5935G at hand uses in regards to graphical computing, the option given from the Centrino 2 platform to select between an integrated graphic chip and a dedicated nVIDIA GeForce GT 130 M graphic card, depending on the actual requirements of performance or battery life. The integrated graphic chip set is a GMA 4500 MHD from Intel. Over the Acer Power Smart key (right over the keyboard) it's possible to switch between the various graphic cards easy and fast witout having to reboot Windows Vista. Hence, the dedicated graphic card can be deactivated to save energy, if it's not needed in office mode or at internet surfing but a longer battery life is required.

The built in nVIDIA GeForce GT 130 M was equipped with a DDR2 memory. Therefore it is, compared to systems with a GT130M with a GDDR3 graphic memory and otherwise comparable components, somewhat at a disadvantage in view of performance.

The Aspire 5935G with a Geforce GT130 M graphic card surpasses the simultaneously tested low-price starter notebook from the same manufacturer, an Aspire 5536G, by a whole of 43 % with its reached 6619 PCMarks in the PCMark05 benchmark and proves with this and also in the following benchmarks that the surcharge is justified. With this, it is at the same level as the recently tested mySN MG6 in regards to application performance. After switching to the integrated graphic chip set, an Intel GMA 4500 MHD, the performance sinks by 27% to 5207 PCMarks, but still surpasses the Aspire 5536G by 22%, anyhow.

In the executed 3DMark2006, the system with nVIDIA GT130M graphic achieved 5566 points. The use of the GDDR3 memory instead of the "normal" DDR2 RAM as graphic memory would probably increase the performance a bit. Then again in comparison with the mySN MG6 (6674 points), it cut off poorer by 18%. Here as well as in the Cinebench R10 Shading test (-41% for our test candidate - 3512 points; mySN MG6: 5975 points) it becomes obvious that our test device is orientated on not all too demanding applications, in the contrary to the mySN MG6, which wants to establish itself as a starter gaming notebook.

If you want to save energy by deactivating the nVIDIA GT 130M, the integrated GMA 4500 MHD jumps in, this having a lesser graphic performance by nature. The system also comes up with a mere 958 points in the 3DMark06 benchmark test at the end. For only a bit of saved energy you pay with 481% of graphic performance in this case. If this is profitable in view of the minor increase of battery runtime under load and the short-lived battery life is questionable.
Completely different performance increases are given by the use of the dedicated nVIDIA GT 130M, depending on requirement and application. In the benchmarks 3DMark01, 3DMark03 and 3DMark05, for instance, you practically don't notice any improvements.
For a further comparison the Cinebench R10 has been used. The system with an activated nVIDIA GT 130M can also be certified as having a rather large edge of 65% on the Aspire 5935G with an internal GMA 4500M chip, having achieved 3512 CB-GFX in the OpenGL benchmark. 1223 CB-GFX had been established for the latter. As expected, there weren't any significant deviations shown in the CPU benchmarks.

Of course, the main memory configuration and the mass storage configuration have a part in the performance of the total system. With a total main memory capacity of four gigabyte RAM, the system has synchronously also the maximum of a 32 bit operating system addressable RAM capacity. There are only 3002 megabytes that equals 2.93 gigabytes available for applications under Window Vista Home Premium 32 bit, though. Because of the integrated graphic adapter, which shares up to 384 megabytes with the RAM, the available system memory even falls under the 3 gigabyte mark. The rest is reserved for the operating system and for Memory Mapped IO. If you are considering upgrading the device up to 8 gigabyte RAM, a 64 bit operating system is definitely necessary. The maximum supported capacity from the mainboard is also reached then. Fortunately, upgrading this device is a piece of cake due to an easily accessible maintenance opening, but at least one of the built-in two gigabyte modules will be obsolete.

A Seagate ST9500325AS, a serial ATA II hard disk is employed for the mass memory. There is vast space for user data with 500 gigabytes gross capacity. The data carrier in a 2.5 inch format reaches in the HDTune benchmark test a sufficient access time of 19.4 milliseconds and good transfer rates of up to 81.1 MB/s.

3DMark 2001 29454 points

3DMark 03 15759 points

3DMark 05 10201 points

3DMark 06
1280x768 5566 points

3DMark Vantage 1821 points

PCMark 05 6619 points

PCMark Vantage 3882 points

Rendering Single 2966 points

Rendering Multi 5606 points

OpenGL 3512 points

Due to the fairly good 3D graphic performance observed in the benchmarks, we wanted to take a closer look at the gaming performance of this notebook.

Doom 3

As expected, older titles like Doom 3 aren't a problem for the Acer Aspire 5935G. The game also runs smoothly with a high resolution and ultra details with 112.6 fps, as awaited.

Call of Duty 4

We looked at the popular shooter Call of Duty 4 on the Aspire 5935G in a further practical gaming test. If you choose the minimum resolution of 800x600 pixels and low details, the system achieves a very good performance with an average of 132.6 frames per second. A still playable performance is reached with a resolution of 1024x768 pixels and medium details at an average of 48.9 frames per second. It first gets tight for constantly smooth gaming fun with merely 25.02 fps at a resolution of 1024x768 pixels, high detail settings and a quadruple anti-aliasing in view of performance.

The next one in line was Crysis. The Acer Aspire 5935G with an nVIDIA GeForce 130M GT graphic reached 79.62 fps in the GPU benchmark test (three run throughs, best value) at a resolution of 1024x768 pixels and low details. At the same resolution but medium details the frame rate already decreased to 34.03 fps. Finally at high details, there is merely an average of 19.06 possible.

Further tests show that you can play modern and 3D-biased games fairly pleasantly with the GeForce GT 130M at a resolution of 1024x768 and medium settings. That is with exception of GTA IV (Grand Theft Auto), which sets an especially high demand on the graphic performance and for which you should stay at a resolution of 800x600 pixels and low details. With these settings an average of 38.11 fps is still possible. An increase of demand to 1024x768 and medium details results in a frame rate decrease down to 26.06.
At high resolutions you also come to the performance limits of the following games, where a smooth, studder-free gaming is no longer possible.

World of Warcraft
Resolution 800x600, all off/minimum
min. 0, avg. 260.8 max. 400 fps
Resolution 1024x768, all on, medium/low
min. 0, avg 89.5, max. 121 fps
Resolution 1280x1024, all on, high
min. 18, avg. 21.6, max. 25 fps

Racedriver: Grid
Resolution 800x600, 0xAA, all min/off
min. 59, avg. 74.6, max. 102 fps
Resolution 1024x768, 0xAA, 0xAF, all mittel/on
min. 32, avg. 41.5, max. 54 fps
Resolution 1280x1024, 2xXMSAA, all high/on
min. 18, avg. 23.3, max. 28 fps

F.E.A.R 2
Resolution 800x600, all minimum/off, 0xAA, bilin.
min. 75, avg. 124.2, max. 185 fps
Resolution 1024x768, all medium/on, 2xAA, bilin.
min. 23, avg. 47.4, max. 57 fps
Resolution 1280x1024, alla medium/on, 4xAA, bilin.
min. 8, avg. 27.5, max. 38 fps

For a multimedia notebook with relatively efficient hardware, the Acer Aspire 5935G is in idle mode, or rather low load, hence office mode or internet surfing, a pleasantly quiet device. With a deactivated nVIDIA GT 130M graphic card it reached a maximum volume of 30.9 dB(A). The hard disk is marginally louder at access with 31.2 dB(A).

It can be called loud under load with activated nVIDIA GT130 GT graphic with 40.9 dB(A), though. Depending on the application this is more or less important. For instance, because during a game the attention is attracted to the game you will notice the system noises less.

The DVD drive is fairly loud with 49.6 dB(A) during data transfer. Fortunately, the operating noise is kept within a limit while watching movies with 32.7 dB(A).

Note: The battery life is dependent on the single configuration. Because the Acer Aspire 5535G is also available with other components, for instance without a dedicated graphic card, the measuring results can vary accordingly

The included battery is a 3 cell battery with 48 watt hours with the label BF9E made by Sanyo. All measurements were executed with an activated and deactivated nVIDIA GeForce GT 130M.

207 minutes, that is 3 hours and 27 minutes could be noted with an activated nVIDIA GeForce GT 130M graphic in the BatteryEater Reader's test, representative of the maximum runtime to be expected at minimum display brightness, deactivated WLAN in the Window's energy savings profile. With the internal graphic card the battery life could be extended to 233, hence 2 hours 53 minutes, in percentages this is 13%.
A dramatical runtime crash is noticed under load. In the BatteryEater Classic test (load, max. display brightness, WLAN on, profile high-performance) the runtime sinks to merely 69 minutes, hence short over an hour, with the nVIDIA Geforce GT 130M. In opposition, with the Intel GMA 4500 MHD the battery discharges in 70 minutes, hence there is practically no difference.

A runtime of about 130 minutes, that's a bit more than 2 hours, can be counted with in the practical surf mode at maximum display brightness and active energy savings profile, the nVIDIA Geforce 130M graphic With 170 minutes, correlating to 2 hours and 50 minutes, an improvement of 31% was possible.

141 minutes were established with the nVIDIA 130M graphic card at DVD rendering. At maximum brightness and high-performance profile, though. Therefore the runtime is sufficient for a one and a half hour movie, also with an independent graphic card.

Generally, the Acer Aspire 5935G-9A4G50Bn presents itself as a solid multimedia notebook, which doesn't make a secret of its application field. It already signals itself as being a genuine device conceived for home use with focus on multimedia, with a separate multimedia console and a reflective display in a 16:9 cinematic format.

The built-in components also support this course. With a BluRay reader and a Dolby-optimized sound system with subwoofer, nothing is left to be desired at movie rendering. The tested Aspire 5935G can also offer quite a good graphic performance, which also allows the one or other demanding game in middle settings when the built-in nVIDIA GT 130 M graphic card is activated.

The mobility of this notebook is definitely restricted through its fairly short battery life and reflective display. Outdoor use is also definitely not to be recommended.

The 5935G is therefore generally a good notebook for home movies, multimedia applications and occasional gaming. At interior use, good surrounding light conditions should be regarded. It hasn't been designed, nor is it suitable as a permanent work device for pros, already due to the reflective display.

Asus B80A (4G004E)

2009-04-24T18:20:00.000-07:00

Completely in accordance to the entrepreneurial clientele, the Asus B80A has a very inconspicuous appearance. Dark business gray lacking embellishments can't make more of an understatement. The large-scale applied stickers in the wrist rest areas look misplaced and will probably have to yield as one of the first "beautifying measurements" on the roughened dark gray surface.

The Asus B80A maybe doesn't offer a very big advantage to the lightest and smallest 15.4" notebooks with case measurements of 29.8-37(height) x 341(width) x 245(depth) mm and a weight of 2.40 kg (60 g under manufacturer's claim) but can underbid the measurements of its bigger counterparts and therefore may turn out to be the decisive surplus for many a customer. The power supply shows itself as small and light with a weight of merely 350 g.

The applied case material is superficially insensitive and very easy-care. Fingerprints and smudge remain undiscovered for a long time and spare the owner of time-taking cleaning before the next customer appointment. Nevertheless, the optic makes a very much more robust impression than you find at a closer look at the end.

The display frame noticeably deforms and the display lid lets itself be visibly pressed in. Whilst the twisting-eager frame doesn't allow for any influence on the representation, visible image distortions are noted at average pressure on the display lid. The keyboard showed obvious weaknesses as well, as it let itself be more or less be pushed in and rebounds over the whole breadth and creep groans in the area of the return key at stronger pressure.

The base unit, then again, presents itself from its tough side and suggests solid reliance. Twisting, pressure points or workmanship flaws? Negative. The battery sits tight and the openings under which RAM, hard disk and CPU are found don't educe any deformations. The display hinges also appear sturdy and hold the screen well in place. Opening with only one hand is also possible with much dexterity. The notebook is concisely closed in a shut state. It doesn't quite stay that way in the case of transport due to the lack of a locking mechanism. The consequential opening of about 1 mm can't completely prevent penetration of small foreign objects into the gap.

The rather seemingly compact battery has 6 cells (53 Wh) and closes concisely with the case's back side. Desktop use without a battery is possible without further ado because there is no need of a support role for stability. The alternative 9 cell battery, which is currently not available in this country, is larger and would therefore be retrally prominent.

Asus surprised us positively with an exemplary user's manual, which is well-illustrated and logically devised for even inept users. This presents a real assistance and a surplus, which should actually be a matter of course but is becoming rare to find at current notebooks.

We are also surprised about the almost absolute connectivity. The Asus B80A has, besides the usual USB 2.0 fitting (3x here), analog VGA connection, gigabit LAN, audio-in/out, card reader, modem, ExpressCard/54 slot and webcam, connection options which are scarcely found in other business notebooks. Fast periphery can be connected over eSATA, video fans will be pleased about the Firewire 400 interface and not only movie devotees will treasure the digital connectivity of external monitors via HDMI. The advantage of HDMI is besides the digital and therefore loss-free image transmission the additional transmission of sound data. So, as a side effect, cable development decreases and ease of use increases. The digital sound-out is not only possible via HDMI but alternatively also over the SPDIF socket.

Completely state-of-the-art is also the wireless connectivity. WLAN, which supports the a/b/g/n transmission types and a Bluetooth 2.0 EDR barely leaves anything to be desired. We can attest the WLAN module a good reception performance because even at our outdoor photo appointment a not very typical network connection came about.

For those who are dependent on internet via mobile communications have to live without an integrated UMTS solution in the Asus B80A. The only possibility is to fall back onto a USB or third-party ExpressCard extension. You can find information about mobile internet in this article.

As the sheer selection of connections already tempered us complaisantly, the positioning of them follows it up with a few more arguments and shows how close to perfection you can get.

We like the distribution of the different connection types on the right and left side, which bids a good practical blend. Merely the position of the ExpressCard slot over the optical drive could lead to a blockade of the DVD drive at occupation depending on the extension. The USB, eSATA and HDMI ports (may be bypassed by the connections on the right side) being placed fairly far on the left side front and on the right side set audio sockets, which we would personally have favored being in the front, could lead to obstructions depending on preferences and mission scenario. We found the hardware switch for the radio transmission module and the power socket (DC-IN) on the back side perfectly good.

Typically business. Asus provides with extensive security features for protection against foreign access of sensitive business data. Hence, beside the usual password protection, there are via Asus' Smart Logon face recognition and fingerprint reader as additional possibilities available for the notebook user's validation. The built in TPM security module provides for the integrity of the company's network, which is supposed to disable external penetration and manipulation.

The integrated docking port on the bottom side can be connected to the already known V series docking station power station (ASUS 90-N8BPS1001) and leads to a jacked up rear end. For about an additional 180.00 Euros this extension bids DVI, VGA, gigabit LAN, 5x USB, Audio, COM and PS2. Except for the DVI, this may not be anything new but it reduces the never-ending connecting and disconnecting of used periphery at the work place. You can barely find any information about the power station on Asus' homepage and have to rely on the on-site retailer.

With ExpressGate, a separate user surface, Asus allows a fast access on important functions without having to start the operating system. You have access to the browser, Skype, music, pictures, chat or online games with that. We can confirm the stated ExpressCard boot time of 8s from Asus and therefore it presents a noteable possibility to significant access functions.

Not useful for everyone are the numerous little wizards, which turn up in the task bar at the primary system installation and in form of registration requests. You should allow extra time in order to configure the system to your own taste.

Exemplary is the appendage of software media. In the carton you find a Windows XP Professional and a Vista Business recovery DVD as well as three further CDs with drivers and other software.

The keyboard waits with an 88 key layout in standard size and offers the common additional function keys and hot keys. They make a good basis, with an average stroke length and a pleasant sound, for mobile typing. The substructure, which causes rebounding, appears not so good, giving little support and doesn't suit every claim. Especially, heavy writers could find this disturbing in the long run.
As a particularity, the input has a numerical keyboard function available over a key combination, which has been integrated as a duplicate assignment. If you come clear with that or rather use the regular, horizontally arranged keys, is a matter of taste. The key-caused offset arrangement does influence negatively in any case, which won't really satisfy numerical block addicts.

The daily handling, especially the switches, which are integrated in an unapparent bar, present themselves as very comfortable. You can access often needed functions quickly, sparing the view on the control panel with the ExpressGate key (use of various functions without the operating system), Power4Gear key (switching between various energy saving modes), keyboard light switch, Touchpad deactivation key (in order to prevent errs whilst using the mouse), power switch and the WLAN/Bluetooth lever on the front.

Two LED lamps integrated into the display are supposed to provide for the enlightening of the contrast weak and at adverse light conditions badly readable key lettering. You can only establish an effect when the screen is set at a 90° angle. Then you can see the key lettering but no display content. Changing the angle for an optimal image, though, let the LEDs glow in front of the notebook but doesn't have any effect. A better solution would have been a background lit keyboard as you might find in some Dell or Apple notebooks.

The touchpad as a mouse allows for precise inputs and delights with its slightly roughened surface. It lets itself be deactivated easily over the already mentioned touchpad deactivation key. Between both good responding touchpad keys, which provide for a good hold with a rubber surface, the let in fingerprint reader is found. This provides for an optimal space usage but can't completely prevent input slip-ups despite its deeper accommodation.

Asus includes a small notebook mouse for users who can't or don't want to accommodate themselves with a touchpad, which is very well suitable for sporadic working.
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The 14.1" WXGA display from AU Optronics bids a resolution of 1280x800 pixels (107.1 dpi) in 16:10 format and therefore an eye-friendly representation for many users. The ergonomics profit from the matt display surface, which prevents disturbing reflections and presents a useable base for outdoor use. This basis is complemented with an average brightness of 194.7 cd/m2 and makes it possible to work even under adverse light conditions.

The brightness restriction from the manufacturer to approx. 153 cd/m2 in battery mode (LCD power saving) lets itself be turned off in the BIOS in acceptance of a higher performance absorption and hence offers all necessary attributes that are important for open-air use. The theoretical values were confirmed by means of a well readable image in the practical test, which only had to surrender at direct solar radiation.

Constructed as an office notebook and accordingly equipped, there shouldn't be any wonders awaited from the Asus B80A with an Intel Core 2 Duo T5800 (2MB L2 cache, 2 x 2.0 GHz, 35W TDP) and the Intel GMA 4500MHD. Superiorly equipped versions which differentiate themselves especially through stronger CPUs and faster or larger hard disks currently aren't available, as already mentioned. You are well equipped for the considered task, like they turn up in a business day, anyway. Spread sheets, word processing, presentations, browser and the usual communication paths like mail, Skype & co. don't prove to be a problem for the business Asus. The advantage of a two core CPU also shows itself here, which doesn't allow any evident performance cave-ins at simultaneous usage of multiple basic tasks. The 4286 points achieved in the PCMark'05 also certify a good application performance.

Graphic-prone 3D applications such as CAD, 3D games or animation programs aren't performable in most cases with the integrated Intel GMA 4500 MHD. The solution in the Asus B80A has added on considerably in comparison to the previous series Intel GMA X3100 but is still far behind the competitors ATI (HD3200) and Nvidia (Geforce 9400).

The B80A would be sufficiently fast and suitable for image editing and smaller video projects, but comes to suffer under the display's weaknesses.

The 250GB hard disk from Seagate which works with 5400 rpm and delivers an average of 51.7 MB/s provides for good transfer rates. The generally available models with 250GB at 7200 rpm and 320GB at 5400 rpm might offer an advantage in regards to velocity or capacity, aren't offered in Germany at the moment, though.

The applied optical drive from LG also bids, beside the usual burning and reading features, a Lightscribe function, which makes writing on special blanks via drive laser possible.

System information Asus B80A
PCMark 05 4286 points

PCMark Vantage 1818 points

3DMark 2001 5159 points

3DMark 03 2265 points

3DMark 05 1218 points

3DMark 06 900 points

Cinebench R10
Settings Value
Shading 896 Points
Rendering Multiple CPUs 3716 Points
Rendering Single 1988 Points

The temperature discharges are perceptible but not necessarily unpleasant. Mainly you find measured values in the middle 30°C area, which deviate from the cooler upper to the warmer lower side by about 3- 4°C. It only gets obviously warm in the vent area on the left bottom side with a measured 44.8°C and could, for instance at use on the thighs, lead to detraction.

The Asus Power4Gear energy profiles show how much you can reduce performance consumption. A minimum consumption of 10.8W in the Asus Power4Gear battery savings mode, which is also reflected in the BatteryEater Reader's test (maximum possible runtime) with a stamina of 299 minutes, lets the 53Wh sized battery deliver decent values.

The system ran out of breath quicker at WLAN surfing with 201 minutes and at DVD viewing with 139 minutes. For a few hours working in the garden or most films those are still good enough values with which many competitors could compete with.

The Asus B80A doesn't like full-loaded working at all, though. The energy-appetite grows to a maximum of 58.8W and also presents itself in the BatterEater Classic test (minimum possible runtime) with a pathetic, power supply independent work time of 68 minutes. Among others, the T category Intel CPU possibly plays a role, which is expressed especially under load through the 10 Watt higher TDP (35W) in comparison to the P class (25W TDP).

Verdict

The Asus B80A is an interesting 14.1" business notebook, which will most probably find its fans due to its particularities.

Sophisticated operating elements combined with opulent equipment and a fairly good performance are good premises for reaching a long-lasting customer contentment in the business field. Asus complemented this basis with good mobile traits like an outdoor suitable display, many security features and a competitive battery life. Asus offers the B80A to a most appealing price, which many 14" competitors have to surrender to, as a last and maybe significant buying incentive.

The case lid stability, the inferior grip of the keyboard substructure, the very contrast poor display, the unpleasant fan under load and the lacking of configuration possibilities can't keep up with every alternative product, though.

Generally the Asus B80A is a well-worked out alternative to the established competition, which doesn't quite reach the quality with its weaknesses in the details, but knows how to convince with a few unique features.

Toshiba Qosmio X305-Q706

2009-02-20T02:14:00.000-08:00

There's no doubt about it: the Toshiba Qosmio X305-Q706 is not your average desktop replacement/mobile gaming system. Bedecked in flames and shiny bits and glowing with red lights (what the company calls its "Fusion Finish with Rogue pattern"), the design is no doubt an attempt to express the power that potentially lies within. Also, the behemoth laptop contains some top-notch components, including dual 512MB Nvidia GeForce 9800M GTS graphics adapters and 4GB of RAM.

In spite of that, we weren't blown away by its capabilities--gaming and application performance was simply good. But if you're in love with its looks and don't mind paying a little extra for them, the $1,999 Qosmio X305-Q706 isn't a slouch and makes relatively quick work of demanding tasks.

Price as reviewed / Starting price $1,999
Processor 2.26GHz Intel Core 2 Duo P8400
Memory 4GB, 1,066MHz DDR3
Hard drive 320GB 7,200rpm
Chipset Nvidia GeForce 9400M
Graphics Nvidia GeForce 9800M GTS (x2)
Operating system Windows Vista Home Premium
Dimensions (WD) 16.2x12.0 inches
Height 1.7 - 2.5 inches
Screen size (diagonal) 17.0 inches
System weight / Weight with AC adapter 9.3/12.2 pounds
Category Desktop replacement

If you're looking for understated or elegant, the Qosmio X305-Q706's design is probably not for you. Its red lid is covered with two-tone flames and the center prominently features "Qosmio" in inch-tall silver letters. Inside, the display bezel is a deeper red, while the shiny black keyboard and deck are bordered with metallic red.

The laptop is also quite massive, measuring 2.25 inches thick at the back (a mere 1.7 inches at the front) and 16 inches wide. By contrast, both the HP Pavilion dv7-1025nr and Gateway P-7811FX top out at 1.7 inches thick and will take up a little less space on your desk.

While the Qosmio's 9.3-pound weight falls within our expectations for a desktop replacement, its 2.9-pound power brick does not; though the system is still technically portable, there's little chance you'll want to carry this very far from your desk.

The 17.0-inch wide-screen LCD offers a 1,680x1,050 native resolution, which is a little lower than we like for this price and a rarity for a screen this size--1,920x1,200 is the current 17-inch default. The Toshiba display can't match the crispness delivered by higher-resolution models we've tested, but text and icons are still easy to read.

A row of red touch-sensitive controls stretch across the top of the keyboard and include not only the expected media player launch key, playback controls, and mute button, but also a button to turn off the LED case lights, one to turn on the Web cam, and one to launch the included Dolby Home Theater software. As with the company's Satellite models, the Qosmio X305-Q706's keys are made of very glossy plastic that fits the overall aesthetic, but is so shiny as to be distracting and fingerprint-prone. Fortunately, the keyboard is comfortable; with your eyes closed it feels like any other full-size board. Because of the laptop's broad case, there's also room for a 10-key numeric keypad.

The Qosmio's wide touch pad could use a bit more height, but it is nevertheless functional for those few times you aren't using an external mouse, and we do like its textured surface. A glowing red stripe marks the top of the touch pad (we've seen it in white on recent Satellite models) that can be disabled with one of the light-touch controls if you don't care for it. We wish the laptop also incorporated a hardware touch pad power button like the one found on HP's Pavilion line.

The Qosmio's case features some additional small design elements worth noting. First, the tray-loading DVD drive is located on the laptop's front edge, which is either convenient or annoying, depending on where things pile up on your desk. Likewise, the headphone and microphone jacks, along with a handy volume wheel, are unconventionally located on the laptop's right edge. A hardware switch for the Wi-Fi radio is within easy reach on the front edge. Also, the back two corners of the keyboard deck, next to the speakers, glow red (as with the touch pad stripe, these lights can be turned off).
Toshiba Qosmio 305-Q706 Average for category [desktop replacement]
Video VGA-out, HDMI, DisplayPort, Webcam VGA-out, HDMI
Audio Stereo speakers with subwoofer, headphone and microphone jacks, S/PDIF out, built-in microphone Stereo speakers with subwoofer, headphone/microphone jacks
Data 3 USB 2.0, mini-FireWire, SD card reader, eSATA/USB combo 4 USB 2.0, mini-FireWire, SD card reader
Expansion ExpressCard/54 ExpressCard/54
Networking modem, Ethernet, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Wireless USB ready modem, Ethernet, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
Optical drive DVD burner with Labelflash DVD burner or Blu-ray

With four Harman Kardon speakers and a built-in subwoofer, the Qosmio X305-Q706 is one of the best-sounding laptops around, and could easily function as both computer and media center for the space-challenged. Other high-end features around the Qosmio's case include an HDMI port for high-definition video and an eSATA port that's good for hooking up external hard drives. While the Q706 has just three standalone USB ports, the eSATA port will also accept USB devices. All three USB ports feature Toshiba's Sleep-and-Charge technology, which means you can plug in and charge USB devices (iPods, mobile phones, and so on) even if the laptop is powered off, as long as it's plugged into an outlet.

The Qosmio X305-Q706 comes in a single, fixed configuration sold only in retail outlets. Its $1,999 price buys you a fairly powerful mobile processor--the 2.26GHz Intel Core 2 Duo P8400--backed by a generous 4GB of fast 1,066MHz DDR3 RAM (with 64-bit Windows Vista to take advantage of it) and a 7,200rpm, 320GB hard drive. The combination performed on par with similarly configured systems on CNET Labs' multitasking benchmark. In fact, the Q706 was consistently average on all our system performance tests, doing what was expected of it--no more, no less.

What's more of a head-scratcher, though, is its performance on our Unreal Tournament 3 gaming test. The Q706 uses two 512MB Nvidia GeForce 9800M GTS graphics cards connected via Nvidia's SLI technology and hit a very good 91.8 frames per second (at 1,440x900 resolution). The similarly configured (but much less expensive) Gateway P-7801u was in the same neighborhood with 99 fps with its single 1GB Nvidia GeForce 9800M GTS. It's possible the dual-card array may have proved worthwhile at a higher resolution, but the display tops out at 1,680x1,050 while the competition goes up to 1,920x1,200.

Gateway MD2614u

2009-02-20T02:10:00.001-08:00

Gateway's MD-series of laptops is aimed at consumers of digital media who also enjoy a good Web-surfing session, and possibly some productivity tasks. With the entry-level MD2614u, Gateway keeps the same case design, touch-sensitive media controls, and LCD as the excellent MD7801u, but popped in a less expensive and considerably less powerful 2.1GHz AMD Turion X2 RM-72, cut the hard drive storage in half, and ditched 1GB of memory. However, even with all these reductions, the MD2514u is nevertheless a fine laptop for basic computer needs.

Geek boxPrice as reviewed $549.99
Processor 2.1GHz AMD Turion X2 RM-72
Memory 3GB, 667MHz DDR2
Hard drive 250GB 5,400rpm
Chipset AMD M780G
Graphics 256MB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3200 (integrated)
Operating System Windows Vista Premium SP1 64-bit
Dimensions (WD) 15.2 inches wide by 10.4 inches deep
Height 1.3-1.7 inches high
Screen size (diagonal) 15.6 inches
System weight / Weight with AC adapter 6.5/7.3 pounds
Category Mainstream

The design of the MD2614u is fairly low-key, without looking boring. The lid is a shiny black, with the exception of a vertical, brushed-metal strip topped by a tastefully small "Gateway" logo. Its dimensions are not ideal for even infrequent trips away from the home or office (we like to stay below 14 inches for that).

Underneath the fingerprint magnet of a lid is a 15.6-inch LCD with a 1,366x768 resolution that was bright, with good color and contrast. It's a nice display especially for the laptop's entry-level price. Atop the screen is a run-of-the-mill 1.3-megapixel Webcam.

The notebook has a comfortable, matte-black keyboard with white markings, which makes them visible in low light (but not as much as backlit keys would be). However, we wish the Function keys were marked in another color, especially since there is no hard switch for the Wi-Fi radio. Typing is pleasant enough, though, with agreeable key travel and enjoyable clacking feedback.

The right side of the glossy keyboard tray has a set of touch-sensitive media controls (play/pause, stop, forward, rewind, volume, and mute). Their orange glow looks great against the black background and they work fine, but the whole setup is so glossy that it doesn't take much use before it looks like a mess of fingerprints. On the upside, all the lights can be shut off, so they're not a distraction or if you simply don't like them. It's rare to find controls like this in a laptop under $600.

Ports and connections
Geek box Gateway MD7818u Average for category [mainstream]
Video VGA-out, HDMI VGA-out, HDMI
Audio Stereo speakers, headphone (2) and microphone jacks, built-in mic Stereo speakers, headphone/microphone jacks
Data 4 USB 2.0, multiformat media-card reader, 4 USB 2.0, mini-FireWire, SD card reader
Expansion ExpressCard/54 ExpressCard/54
Networking modem, Ethernet, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi modem, Ethernet, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, optional WWAN
Optical drive DVD burner DVD burner

The front-firing stereo speakers are probably the weakest part of the "multimedia" package; it's not even that they sound bad, just that they're not all that powerful (not that we'd expect much from a budget laptop's speakers). The inclusion of 802.11n Wi-Fi, an HDMI port, and an ExpressCard slot are welcome in this price range.

Internal components are, on the whole, in line with what other vendors are offering at the MD2614u's sub-$550 price: an AMD dual-core processor, 3GB of DDR2 memory, and a respectable 250GB hard drive. Nothing stellar, but still decent performance for your buck.

The MD2614u's performance was right in the middle of the pack in our collection of entry-level retail fixed-configuration laptops (with systems costing under $600). The 2.1GHz AMD Turion X2 dual-core RM-72 is good enough for basic multitasking, and overall we were happy with the speed at which it handled our CNET Labs' tests. The integrated ATI graphics processor doesn't support much beyond casual gaming and movie playback, but that's really all that's needed in an entry-level laptop.

HP G60-235DX

2009-02-20T02:05:00.000-08:00

Shopping for a laptop under $600 is a bit like going for the half-priced, late-afternoon sushi special at your local deli--there's a certain risk versus reward calculation that has to occur. While it's not going to win any awards for flair or style, this anonymous-looking 15-inch retail model from Hewlett-Packard offers the best combination of features and performance in its price range.

The $599 HP G60-235DX has a 16:9 display, an Intel Dual-Core CPU (many budget systems use slower AMD chips), and even squeezes in a separate number pad. The system is occasionally offered at a discount by retailers, so keep an eye on the Sunday newspaper sales flyers.

Price as reviewed / Starting price $599
Processor 2.9GHz Intel Dual-Core T4200
Memory 3GB, 667MHz DDR2
Hard drive 320GB 5,400rpm
Chipset Mobile Intel GM45 Express Chipset
Graphics Intel GMA 4500MHD (integrated)
Operating system Windows Vista Premium
Dimensions 14.9 inches wide by 9.9 inches deep
Height 1.4 to 1.7 inches
Screen size (diagonal) 15.6 inches
System weight / Weight with AC adapter 6.3/7.2 pounds
Category Mainstream

The boxy HP G60 carries over some of the design cues from the sleeker, more upscale HP dv line of laptops, with a large hinge running the length of the display and a one-piece wrist rest, where the touch pad is simply an indented area of the keyboard tray, not a physically separate piece of plastic. It's plain, glossy, black lid screams "budget," unlike the intricate, artistic, imprint designs offered by more expensive HP laptops.

The keyboard tray takes advantage of the slightly wider 16:9 form factor to squeeze in a separate numberpad, something not possible on 15-inch laptops with 16:10 displays. The keys on the numberpad are a bit on the narrow side, but usable, and the keyboard itself is comfortable for typing, but flexes a bit too much toward the middle. There are no media-control or quick-launch buttons, so you'll have to control functions such as audio volume through function-key commands.

The 15.6-inch wide-screen LCD display offers a 1,366x768 native resolution, which is standard on this screen size (and comparable with the 1,280x800 found on 16:10 models). It's readable, but most documents and Web pages will require some scrolling. We were also bothered by the overly glossy screen, which was very reflective, even in moderate lighting conditions.

HP G60-235DX Average for category [mainstream]
Video VGA-out, HDMI VGA-out, HDMI
Audio Stereo speakers, headphone/microphone jacks Stereo speakers, headphone/microphone jacks
Data 3 USB 2.0, SD card reader 4 USB 2.0, SD card reader
Expansion None ExpressCard/54
Networking Ethernet, 802.11 b/g Wi-Fi, Ethernet, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, optional WWAN
Optical drive DVD burner DVD burner

Along with the basic set of ports and connections on the HP G60, you also have the option of using HP's LightScribe-branded DVD burners to create grayscale text and images on burned discs, even if it requires special, more expensive, blank media. An ExpressCard slot is forgeable on an inexpensive laptop, but at $599, this at the high end of entry level, and really should include Bluetooth.

Most of the laptops in the Entry Level section of our Winter 2009 Retail Roundup (covering laptops up to $599) have AMD processors. These systems, for the most part, were slower than the two entry-level Intel-powered systems we tested, this HP G60-235DX and the Dell Inspiron I15-156B. Unlike some of our previous low-end Intel versus AMD comparisons, it wasn't a blowout, and the real-world performance difference will be minimal. The G60 was, overall, the best performer in this category, but also the most expensive (along with the Toshiba L355D).

The HP G60 ran for 2 hours and 20 minutes on our video playback battery drain test, the best score of any entry-level retail systems in this roundup. That's still not particularly impressive for a 15-inch laptop, but at least passes the 2-hour mark, and more than 20 minutes better than the closest competitor in this roundup.

HP includes an industry-standard, one-year, parts-and-labor warranty with the system. Support is accessible through a 24-7 toll-free phone line, an online knowledge base, and driver downloads. Retail stores offer a variety of extended warranty plans with your laptop purchase, but they're generally expensive, and we do not recommend them.

Gateway MD7801u

2009-02-18T03:50:00.000-08:00

The goal of the MD-series of laptops, according to Gateway, is to offer consumers capable multimedia notebooks at a reasonable price. It succeeds, to that end, by giving the MD7818u (and the MD7801u, which is the same system in black) a large, 500GB hard drive, a 16:9 15-inch display, touch-sensitive media controls, and 4GB of RAM, all wrapped in an upscale design. Compared with similarly priced retail laptops, Gateway's budget-minded MD-series is one of the more impressive examples, and looks and feels like a more expensive system.

Price as reviewed / Starting price $699
Processor 2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T6400
Memory 4GB, 667MHz DDR2
Hard drive 500GB 5,400rpm
Chipset Intel GM45 Express Chipset
Graphics 128MB Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD (integrated)
Operating system Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit SP1
Dimensions 15.3 inches wide by 10.4 inches deep
Height 1.3-1.7 inches
Screen size (diagonal) 15.6 inches
System weight / Weight with AC adapter 6.8/7.6 pounds
Category Mainstream

The design of the MD7818u is fairly low key, without looking boring. The lid is a shiny burgundy (or shiny jet black if you opt for the MD7801u; the two models are otherwise identical) with the exception of a vertical, brushed-metal strip topped by a tastefully small "Gateway" logo. Its dimensions are not ideal for even infrequent trips away from the home or office (we like to stay below 14 inches for that) and neither is its nearly 8-pound travel weight.

Raising the no-latch lid is a two-handed affair; the MD7818u has a stiff hinge that likely just needs some breaking in. Underneath is a 15.6-inch LCD with a 1,366x768 resolution that was bright, with good color and contrast. Atop the screen is a run-of-the-mill 1.3-megapixel Webcam.

The notebook has a comfortable, matte black keyboard with white markings, which makes them visible in low light (but not as much as backlit keys would be). However, we wish the Function keys were marked in another color, especially since there is no hard switch for the Wi-Fi radio. Typing is pleasant enough, though, with agreeable key travel and enjoyable clacking feedback.

The right side of the glossy keyboard tray has a set of touch-sensitive media controls (play/pause, stop, forward, rewind, volume, and mute). Their orange glow looks great against the black background and they work fine, but the whole setup is so glossy that it doesn't take much use before it looks like a mess of fingerprints (same goes for the notebook's lid, too). On the upside, all the lights can be shut off so they're not a distraction or if you simply don't like them.

Ports and connections

Gateway MD7818u Average for category [mainstream]
Video VGA-out, HDMI VGA-out, HDMI
Audio Stereo speakers, headphone (2) and microphone jacks, built-in mic Stereo speakers, headphone/microphone jacks
Data 4 USB 2.0, multiformat media-card reader, 4 USB 2.0, mini-FireWire, SD card reader
Expansion ExpressCard/54 ExpressCard/54
Networking modem, Ethernet, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi modem, Ethernet, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, optional WWAN
Optical drive DVD burner DVD burner

The front-firing stereo speakers are probably the weakest part of the "multimedia" package; it's not even that they sound bad, just that they're not all that powerful. The inclusion of 802.11n Wi-Fi, an HDMI port, and an ExpressCard slot are welcome in this price range, but the lack of Bluetooth is a surprising omission.

Internal components are, on the whole, in line with what other vendors are offering at the MD7818u/MD7801u's sub-$700 price, with the exception of one thing: the hard drive. While others are dropping in a 320GB or less hard drive, the Gateway is fitted with a 500GB drive, so you'll have abundant space for music, movies, and pictures.

The MD7818u's performance was right where it should be for its price and component set. The 2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T6400 is a good processor for everyday multitasking duties, and when backed with 4GB of memory, it performs even better. The integrated Intel graphics processor doesn't support much beyond casual gaming and movie playback, but that's really all that's needed in a budget, mainstream multimedia laptop.

The notebook ran for 4 hours and 12 minutes on our DVD battery drain test, using the included eight-cell battery. It's not quite the longest we've seen in our recent tests of Core 2 Duo T6400-based laptops, but it's pretty close. Our battery drain test is especially grueling, so you can expect longer life from casual Web surfing and office use.

Sony Vaio VGN-NS240E/W

2009-02-18T03:48:00.000-08:00

The Vaio VGN-NS240E/W is a minor update to Sony's previous 15.4-inch NS model we tested, the NS140E/W. The most notable update to this fixed-configuration retail model is a new processor--the 2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T6400, as well as a $100 price drop.

Everything we liked about the NS140E/W is still here, but so are all the cons, including a lack of dedicated media control keys, and less memory and storage than you can get from the comparably priced competition.
Price as reviewed $699
Processor 2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T6400
Memory 3GB, 800MHz DDR2
Hard drive 250GB 5,400rpm
Chipset Mobile Intel GM45 Express Chipset
Graphics 128MB Intel GMA 4500MHD (integrated)
Operating System Windows Vista Home Premium SP1
Dimensions 14.2x10.6 inches
Height 1.5 inches
Screen size (diagonal) 15.4 inches
System weight / Weight with AC adapter 6.1/6.8 pounds
Category Mainstream

The Vaio NS240 has a textured plastic pattern, both on the lid and inside on the keyboard tray. The texture gives it a strange feel, but the body is sturdy, with little flex that is sometime evident on mainstream laptops with thin, plastic chassis. The two hinges holding the display are wide and strong, resulting in little to no wobble when the laptop is bumped or moved.

More importantly, the keyboard is the same flat Sony keyboard we've come to know and love. The keys are flat--similar in feel to a MacBook's--and feature good travel. The touch pad, too, is comfortable and amply sized with responsive vertical and horizontal scroll areas along the right and bottom, respectively.

Though the Vaio NS240's keyboard tray leaves plenty of room for multimedia control keys, you won't find any here. We're seeing such controls on more and more laptops, even at the low-end of the price spectrum. For example, the Gateway MD-series laptops have touch-sensitive media control keys.

Aside from the power button, you'll find only two buttons above the NS240's keyboard: a mute key and a button labeled AV Mode. The AV Mode button drops down a Vaio media application quick-launch menu that lets you choose among various multimedia programs to access your music or photos or play a DVD. You can add or subtract items from the menu or connect icons to a different application (click Music to launch iTunes instead of the preprogrammed Vaio MusicBox). The AV Mode button does not allow for instant-on access, though, so you cannot play a CD or DVD without first booting to Windows.

Sony includes Microsoft Works 9 and a handful of multimedia applications such as MusicBox that can analyze your music collection and automatically create stations by mood, activity, time of day, or style. It worked better than we expected and is a little more fun than your standard "shuffle."

The 15.4-inch wide-screen LCD screen offers a 1,280x800-pixel native resolution, which is standard for a screen this size. The Vaio NS140 features Sony's Xbrite-Eco screen, which we found to be crisp and vivid--movies and photos showed accurate colors, crisp edges, and smooth movement. In anecdotal testing, we found it to be less bright than other laptops, but at max brightness (which will hurt battery life), the image looked fine under a variety of conditions. It features a glossy screen coating, but it wasn't as prone to glare and reflections as other glossy screens we've seen. Also, it offers a surprisingly wide viewing angle.

A laptop's integrated stereo speakers will never fill a room to a pleasing degree, but we must say that the Vaio NS240s do an admirable job. At maximum volume, the output is louder than usual and suffers from little distortion.
Sony Vaio NS240E/W Average for category [mainstream]
Video VGA-out VGA-out, HDMI
Audio Stereo speakers, headphone/microphone jacks Stereo speakers, headphone/microphone jacks
Data 4 USB 2.0, mini FireWire, SD card and Memory Stick readers 4 USB 2.0, mini FireWire, SD card reader
Expansion ExpressCard/34 ExpressCard/54
Networking Modem, Ethernet, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi Modem, Ethernet, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, optional WWAN
Optical drive DVD burner DVD burner

The ports and connections selection for the NS240E/W is standard for its class. While many mainstream models are serving up HDMI or DisplayPort connections, the Sony has just a VGA-out for connecting to an external monitor or TV. There's also no built-in Bluetooth for connecting to a mouse or headset.

The NS240E/W is a fixed configuration so what you see is what you get. Other variations on the model exist, including a $929.99 model direct from Sony with Blu-ray playback, but with no HDMI jack you'll just be paying for it to watch your Blu-ray discs on the go. At this price, the Sony's 2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T6400 is common, but so is 4GB of memory and a 320GB hard drive, which won't be found in the NS240E/W. Instead you get 3GB of memory and a 250GB hard drive. However, the memory is 800MHz--faster than the 667MHz used by the competition--that is probably why the Sony was able to remain competitive in our performance tests. The component combination held its own on CNET Labs' multitasking and audio-encoding tests, but got trounced on with the image-processing tests.

Dell S17-162B

2009-02-18T03:45:00.000-08:00

Dell's Studio line of laptops sits between the inexpensive Inspiron line and the high-end XPS line, incorporating some of the design cues of the XPS systems, such as their tapered bodies, with a mainstream set of components. (Recently, Dell has further muddied the waters with a hybrid Studio XPS brand, as well.)

For only $100 more than the extremely basic 15-inch Dell Inspiron I15-157B, the $749 Dell Studio S17-162B trades up to a bigger 17-inch screen and adds 802.11n Wi-Fi and touch-sensitive media controls--although the RAM, hard drive and processor are the same as the cheaper, smaller model. Throw in surprisingly good battery life for a 17-inch laptop, and you get an inexpensive choice for anyone looking for a budget desktop replacement.

It's also worth noting that we went on Dell's Web site and configured a Dell Studio 17 as close to this system as possible, and it was $200 more expensive than the retail S17-162B version.

Price as reviewed $749
Processor 2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T6400
Memory 4GB, 667MHz DDR2
Hard drive 250GB 5,400rpm
Chipset Mobile Intel GM45 Express Chipset
Graphics Intel GMA 4500MHD (integrated)
Operating System Windows Vista Premium (64-bit)
Dimensions 15.5 inches wide by 11.4 inches deep
Height 1.2 - 1.7 inches
Screen size (diagonal) 17.0 inches
System weight / Weight with AC adapter 8.0/8.8 pounds
Category Desktop Replacement

The design of this retail-only fixed-configuration laptop is similar to the 15-inch Dell Studio S1535-143B we looked at as part of our Holiday 2008 Retail Laptop Roundup, with its large side hinges curving the screen down at a sharp angle, and a tapered body that's thinner at the front edge by about half an inch.

The keyboard's keys are slightly tapered, but with a flat surface, and we found it comfortable and easy to use, if a bit clacky. The row of touch-sensitive media control buttons above the keyboard is quick and responsive, and there's also a button for launching Dell's largely superfluous MediaDirect software (its version of Windows Media Center), as well as an eject button for the slot-loading optical drive. As in the case of most 17-inch laptops with a separate number pad, the somewhat undersized touch pad is offset to the left, so as to line up with the middle of the keyboard's space bar.

Unlike the customizable, direct-from-Dell version of the Studio 17, this model is only available with a 1,440x900-pixel resolution LCD screen, which is usually restricted to the most inexpensive 17-inch systems. Ordering direct, you can trade up to a 1,920x1,200 LCD or LED screen, which is a better choice for HD-content viewing.

Dell Studio S17-162B Average for category [mainstream]
Video VGA-out, HDMI VGA-out, HDMI
Audio Stereo speakers, headphone (2x)/microphone jacks Stereo speakers, headphone/microphone jacks
Data 5 USB 2.0 (1 USB/eSATA), mini-FireWire, SD card reader 4 USB 2.0, SD card reader
Expansion ExpressCard/54 ExpressCard/54
Networking Ethernet, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi Ethernet, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, optional WWAN
Optical drive DVD burner DVD burner

The S17 has a generous set of ports and connections for a budget laptop, including 802.11n Wi-Fi, an eSATA port, and FireWire (a relative rarity these days among laptops in any price range). That makes the omission of Bluetooth--increasingly common and useful for mice, headphones, and other accessories--even more noticeable.

The majority of the systems in the Budget section of our Winter 2009 Retail Roundup (covering laptops from $600-$900), including this one, use Intel's 2.0GHz Core 2 Duo T6400 CPU. Predictably, performance among the Intel-based systems was virtually identical, and the S17 was evenly matched with the cheaper Dell Inspiron I15.

Any of these T6400-powered systems are perfectly adequate for basic Web surfing, working on Office documents, and media playback--although running too many applications or opening too many windows at once can lead to some slowdown.

Thanks to a huge 9-cell battery that sticks out significantly from the rear end of the system, the S17 ran for an impressive 4 hours and 22 minutes on our video playback battery drain test. Desktop replacement laptops aren't meant to spend much time away from the wall socket, so we were surprised to find it had the longest battery life of any system in the Budget section of our Winter 2009 Retail Roundup, with the exception of HP's Pavilion dv5-1235dx.

Dell includes an industry-standard, one-year, parts-and-labor warranty with the system, and the Dell Web site has a robust collection of support tools, including online chat, a Flash-based question widget, and 24-7 toll-free telephone support. Retail stores offer a variety of extended warranty plans with your laptop purchase, but they're generally expensive and hard to use, so we do not recommend them.

Asus N10J-A1

2009-02-17T11:20:00.000-08:00

Almost every Netbook we've seen to date has featured the same basic setup: the Intel Atom N270 CPU, 1GB of RAM, and Windows XP. We're even seeing less difference in screen size, as most vendors have settled on a 9- or a 10-inch screen. Really, the only differentiation between Netbook configurations is that some use a solid-state drive while others come outfitted with a larger capacity spinning drive--usually a 160GB hard drive. Adding a new wrinkle to the Netbook formula is the Asus N10J, a 10-inch system from the company that pretty much single-handedly kicked off the Netbook craze with its Eee PC.

This new model doesn't share the Eee PC brand common to other Asus Netbooks, but it still features the usual suspects with respect to the CPU, RAM, and OS. What makes the $699 N10J different is the addition of an Nvidia GeForce 9300 graphics card, which marks the first time we've seen discrete graphics offered on a Netbook. Better yet, you can switch between the GeForce graphics and the integrate Intel graphics--similar to the new MacBook Pro--should you want to extend battery life.

Why would you possibly need a Netbook with a graphics card? Honestly, most people probably don't need it. Given their tight dimensions and relatively meager specs, Netbooks are usually reserved for nothing more than basic tasks such as Web surfing and e-mailing. But the ability to do some casual gaming makes the Asus N10J an almost irresistible travel companion if you're a PC game addict and can live with the limitations of a very low screen resolution and the low-power CPU. We managed to get marginally playable frame rates from a few current games by dialing down the in-game resolution and detail levels.

Price as reviewed / Starting price $699
Processor 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270
Memory 1GB, 533MHZ DDR2
Hard drive 160GB 5,400RPM
Chipset Intel 945GSE
Graphics 512MB Nvidia GeForce 9300M GS [switchable with Intel GMA 950 (integrated)]
Operating System Windows XP Home
Dimensions (WD) 10.8 x 7.6 inches
Height 1.3 inches
Screen size (diagonal) 10.2 inches
System weight / Weight with AC adapter 3.6/4.2 pounds
Category Netbook

Unlike Asus' other high-end Netbook, the Eee PC S101, whose price premium is put toward design and a slim case that's less than 1 inch thick, the N10J has a more traditional, slightly chunky Netbook chassis. The main body is plastic, with a few metal accents, but feels sturdy enough to stand up to regular travel.

For a Netbook, the N10J has one of the better keyboards we've seen, with large flat keys that maximize the typing surface area. It's no match for the HP Mini 1000's excellent keyboard, but it's an improvement on the tiny keys found on most Netbooks. It also helps that the slightly bigger 10-inch design gives you more room to work with than 9-inch Netbooks. This keyboard also corrects a major problem we had with the Asus S101's keyboard: the right shift key, which had been awkwardly moved to the right of the up-arrow key, is now back in its proper place, saving us from endless typos.

The system also includes a Linux quick-launch environment from Splashtop, which gives you access to a Web browser and media player without booting into Windows. It took us about 60 seconds to go from a cold start to surfing the Web, but you'll have to dig around a bit to configure the Wi-Fi settings the first time you use it.

The 10.2-inch wide-screen LCD display offers a 1,024x600 native resolution, which is standard for Netbooks. It's readable, but most documents and Web pages will require some scrolling, and it's an awkward resolution for both games and video content.

Asus N10J Average for category [netbook]
Video VGA-out, HDMI VGA-out
Audio Stereo speakers, headphone/microphone jacks headphone/microphone jacks
Data 3 USB 2.0, SD card reader 2 USB 2.0, SD card reader
Expansion ExpressCard/34 None
Networking Ethernet, 802.11 b/g Wi-Fi, Bluetooth Ethernet, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
Optical drive None None

The inclusion of HDMI and an ExpressCard slot are appreciated additions. You're lucky to get VGA-out on a Netbook; the N10J is the first we've seen to offer HDMI. And the Lenovo IdeaPad S10 is the only Netbook we've seen with an ExpressCard slot. The biggest extra in the N10J, however, is its Nvidia GeForce 9300M GS GPU. In normal operation, the GPU is turned on and an included software app lets you switch between different power-saving modes, which largely involve when the display and hard drives will power down. A physical switch on the left side of the system, however, actually turns the GeForce 9300 off; this is useful when you're away from an AC outlet and want to extend battery life. You'll need to reboot in order for the change to take effect, so this is something you can't do on the fly.

Even with the graphics turned on, the N10J performed similarly to other Atom-powered Netbooks in our benchmark tests and in casual use. Attempting to watch hefty HD video content files still taxed the Atom CPU and resulted in choppy playback, but standard-definition video files played fine. The screen resolution was too low to properly run our Photoshop test, but in anecdotal use, we were able to work with images in Photoshop without completely slowing down the system.

Gaming performance is best viewed through the prism of realistic expectations. No one should expect much from an Atom CPU and 1GB of RAM, but we were still able to milk some acceptable frame rates out of Unreal Tournament III. To get 29 frames per second, we had to dial the resolution down to 800x600, which is close to the display's native resolution of 1,024x600, and we kept the detail level at medium. The result was a reasonable experience that jumped a few frames occasionally, but was certainly playable.

Asus' Netbooks are known for their excellent battery life (and big six-cell batteries). Adding a dedicated GPU to the mix would certainly have an impact on that, and we got 3 hours and 17 minutes from the system in our video playback battery test. That's still much better than other Netbooks such as the Lenovo IdeaPad S10 and the HP Mini 1000, which have smaller three-cell batteries. With the GPU turned off, the system impressed, lasting about 90 minutes longer in casual use.

Sony P-series Lifestyle PC

2009-02-17T11:18:00.000-08:00

Sony likes to keep its Vaio products aimed at mid-to-high-end buyers--much like Apple does--and generally eschews the budget end of the market (although there are a handful of less expensive Vaios we've reviewed favorably).

When it comes to Intel-Atom-powered systems, it's no different; Sony's entry into the very hot minilaptop category shares a lot with Netbooks such as the Dell Mini 9 or Asus Eee PC, but clearly goes out of its way to avoid being lumped in with them (Sony doesn't even call the P-series a Netbook).

Even with a wide-screen, 8-inch, 1,600x768-resolution display and reasonably usable full keyboard, the $1,199 P-series Lifestyle PC fits into roughly the same footprint as a standard white business envelope, and is less than 1 inch thick. That makes it both an impressive engineering feat, as well as a system that will work best for a highly specific group of users. While it can be a useful travel PC for those most concerned with size and weight, casual users may be put off by the tiny trackpoint navigation and bloated Windows Vista operating system. That said, next to the new MacBook, we've rarely had a laptop with more gawkers dropping by the CNET Labs to eyeball it.

Price as reviewed / Starting price $1,149 / $899
Processor 1.3GHz Intel Atom Intel Z520
Memory 2GB, 533MHz DDR2
Hard drive 64GB SSD
Chipset Mobile Intel 945GSE
Graphics Intel GMA 500 (integrated)
Operating System Windows Vista Home Premium
Dimensions 9.6 inches wide by 4.8 inches high
Height 0.8 inches
Screen size (diagonal) 8.0 inches
System weight / Weight with AC adapter 1.4/1.7 pounds
Category Netbook

The P-series Lifestyle PC is one of the smallest laptops we've seen; it almost reminds us of a UMPC (such as Sony's own UX series), but with a traditional clamshell laptop design. Sony offers a variety of colors, including garnet red, emerald green, onyx black, crystal white, and classic (matte) black, with matching accessories including a fitted leather case.

To fit a reasonably full-featured PC into a chassis this small, some sacrifices had to be made, and the lack of a standard touch pad (instead there's a ThinkPad-like pointing stick), keeps the P-series from being as useful as it could be. The pointing stick's sensitivity has to be jacked up to get across the wide screen easily, which makes fine control difficult.

The mouse buttons are relegated to tiny slivers at the front edge of the system. One can also optionally tap on the pointing stick for a left-click, although you'll invariably end up with a lot of false left-clicks that way. A middle mouse button for scrolling helps, as does an additional button to the right, which arranges your open windows side-by-side on the desktop. With the extra-wise 1,600-pixel resolution, you can fit a couple of open browser or document windows next to each other.

The Linux-powered, instant-on environment resembles the menu used on Sony's PSP and PlayStation 3 game consoles, and provides for a decent Web-surfing experience while helping save battery life--which is important, as the default battery is small, and using the included 3G mobile-broadband antenna (or the built-in GPS) will run it down even quicker.

We spent most of our time in Windows Vista, currently the only operating-system option available. With Vista, the P-series' 2GB of RAM is practically a minimum requirement, and the OS felt sluggish and hung frequently, even with the graphics options set to Vista Basic. Windows XP is currently the best match for Atom processors, and we've also had some success experimenting with Windows 7. Sony, as is its custom, includes plenty of its proprietary media and networking software, which you can choose to use, ignore, or even uninstall.

The 8-inch, wide-screen, LED-backlit display offers a 1,600x768 native resolution, which is the highest we've seen in an Atom-powered laptop. Because of this, text and icons are small, and some may find them hard to read. A zoom button helps a bit, but if you have trouble with small onscreen text, the P-series will drive you mad.

Sony Vaio P-series Lifestyle PC Average for category [Netbook/ultraportable]
Video VGA-out (via dongle) VGA-out
Audio Stereo speakers, headphone jack headphone/microphone jacks
Data 2 USB 2.0, SD card reader, Memory Stick reader 2 USB 2.0, SD card reader
Expansion None None
Networking Ethernet (via dongle), 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, WWAN, GPS Ethernet, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
Optical drive None None

What makes the Vaio P-series stand out from run-of-the-mill Netbooks is its impressive array of extra features. Mobile broadband is standard (it's Verizon's EV-DO Rev A and requires a monthly fee), as is a GPS antenna and Bluetooth, and even the Wi-Fi is of the faster 802.11n variety.

It would be wise not to expect too much in terms of raw performance from this system. Taken as a Netbook, it falls behind systems with Windows XP, such as HP's new Mini 2140 (that has a slightly faster version of Intel's Atom CPU, and costs around $500), in our benchmark tests. When looked at as an ultraportable laptop, it performs even worse, although it's an unfair fight against more expensive 11-inch systems with Intel's ULV dual-core processors.

With those caveats in mind, we were able to successfully surf the Web and work on documents, much the same as any Atom-powered laptop. Online video streaming and DVD file playback were likewise smooth, and our biggest productivity problems stemmed from waiting for Vista menus to open and struggling with the pointing stick. As much as Sony wants to stay away from the Netbook tag, the guiding principle remains the same: if you manage your expectations appropriately, the P-series works great. Expect it to do the same things as your full-size computer, and you'll be disappointed.
he Sony Vaio P-series Lifestyle PC ran for 3 hours and 8 minutes on our video playback battery drain test, using the included battery. An optional large-capacity battery is available for $130, which sticks out from the bottom of the system, but runs a little more than 5 hours.

HP Mini 2140

2009-02-17T11:15:00.000-08:00

Even though the HP Mini 1000 is only a few months old, Hewlett-Packard was actually an early player in the Netbook field. The company's business system side came up with the Mini-Note 2133 in spring 2008, with a solid, brushed-metal chassis and a nearly full-size keyboard. Unfortunately, this predated Intel's Atom CPU, and rather than using the Celeron processor that came with the very first Netbooks, HP went with an underpowered Via C7-M, which pretty much killed any chance it had of becoming a mainstream product.

Now that the plastic-clad, Atom-powered consumer version has become a hit, HP's business side is taking another crack at the Netbook market with a radically updated version, the $499 HP Mini 2140.

It keeps the aluminum construction and big keyboard, but updates the components to an Intel Atom CPU, and adds an accelerometer for the hard drive, and a full ExpressCard/54 slot--a Netbook first (Lenovo's S10 has a smaller Express Card/34 slot).

Thanks to those added features--and some concerns about the added weight aside--the 2140 is currently our favorite Netbook less than $500.
Price as reviewed / Starting price $499
Processor 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270
Memory 1GB, 800MHz DDR2
Hard drive 160GB 5,400rpm
Chipset Mobile Intel 945GSE
Graphics Intel GMA 950 (integrated)
Operating system Windows XP Home Edition SP2
Dimensions 10.3 inches wide by 6.5 inches deep
Height 1.1 inches
Screen size (diagonal) 10.1 inches
System weight / Weight with AC adapter 3.0/3.8 pounds
Category Netbook

The HP Mini 2140 shares the same basic silhouette as the earlier Mini 1000 and Mini-Note 2133 systems from HP. Because it has an aluminum case, like the 2133, it's a half-pound heavier than the plastic Mini 1000; it's a trade-off that may be worth it, however, as the metallic Mini 2140 feels as if it'll stand up to the rigors of the road better than a plastic Netbook.

The biggest selling point for HP's Netbooks has always been the fantastic keyboard, which HP claims is 92-percent of the size of a full-size laptop keyboard. Other Netbooks have been plagued by tiny Chiclet-like keys, which make typing a pain and typos plentiful. By expanding the keyboard right to the edges of the system, HP is able to fit bigger keys into the tray than other Netbooks (and even ultraportable laptops). The result is a comfortable typing experience that takes a tiny bit of adjustment (as the keys are very close together), but one that is, thus far, our favorite on a sub-12-inch notebook.

The touch pad has an unusual shape, stretched into a letterbox-like wide rectangle and the mouse buttons have been moved to the left and right sides of the touch pad. This permits the system to have a minimal amount of wasted wrist-rest space, but it's a somewhat awkward compromise, especially if you do a lot of vertical scrolling or right-clicking.

The 10.1-inch wide-screen LED display has an unusual 1,024x576 native resolution, which is a few pixels shy of the 1,024x600 we typically see in Netbooks. The end result is largely unnoticeable, but a Windows XP pop-up window expressed concern that we weren't running at a standard resolution.

HP Mini 2140 Average for category [netbook]
Video VGA VGA
Audio headphone/microphone jacks, stereo speakers headphone/microphone jacks, stereo speakers
Data 2 USB 2.0, SD card reader 2 USB 2.0, SD card reader
Expansion ExpressCard/54 None
Networking Ethernet, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth Ethernet, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
Optical drive None None

Besides its big keyboard, the Mini 2140 has one major selling point that no other Netbook currently offers: a full ExpressCard/54 slot. Lenovo's S10 has a half-size ExpressCard/34 slot, but there are fewer options for add-on peripherals in that size. We rarely find that we actually need an ExpressCard slot for anything, but some rely on them for mobile broadband modems, memory-card readers, or even TV tuners.

HP offers a handful of fixed-configuration versions of the 2140, but we're perfectly happy with the basic $499 model, which has an Intel Atom CPU, 1GB of RAM, and a 160GB hard drive. For $50 more, a smart upgrade might be an identical version with 2GB of RAM, but that comes with Windows Vista Basic. Adding an XP "downgrade" to that model adds another $80 onto that (but also includes a faster 7,200rpm hard drive).

Intel's single-core 1.6GHz Atom CPU offers enough computing power for the basic tasks for which Netbooks are designed--namely Web surfing, working on documents, and some basic multimedia playback. A dual-core ultraportable, such as Lenovo's U110 was clearly faster, especially when multitasking, but the Mini 2140 offered better performance than Sony's new Atom-powered Vaio P-series Lifestyle PC, thanks to the latter's Windows Vista operating system.

The Mini 2140 ran for 3 hours and 11 minutes on our video-playback battery-drain test, using a six-cell battery. That battery sticks out from the back of the system somewhat, and the basic three-cell battery was only about 35 minutes shy, so you'll have to decide between longer life and easier portability.

Fujitsu-Siemens Amilo Pi 3540

2009-02-17T00:40:00.000-08:00

Laptop Specificaties
Notebook: Fujitsu-Siemens Amilo Pi 3540 (Amilo P Serie)
Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo P8600
Grafische Kaart: NVIDIA GeForce 9300M GS
Beeldscherm: 15.4 inch, 16:10, 1280x800 pixels, glimmend: ja
Gewicht: 3kg
Prijs: 900 euro

The Fujitsu Siemens Amilo Pi 3540 is a fairly average laptop with above-average looks. It doesn't excel in any particular area, but it is pretty affordable, so for that it earns our respect. However, if you're after a faster, lighter, longer-lasting -- albeit uglier -- Centrino 2 laptop, you'll be better off with the Samsung Q210.

NVIDIA GeForce 9300M GS: In tegenstelling tot de 9300M G heeft de GS slechts 8 unified shaders, maar wel een hogere kloksnelheid. Daarom zouden de prestaties volgens Nvidia gelijk moeten zijn. De kaart ondersteunt Hybrid-SLI (GeForceBoost en HybridPower) met de Nvidia 9100M G en PureVideo HD (VP3).

Deze grafische kaarten zouden alle huidige spellen moeten kunnen draaien, maar de meeste spellen zullen alleen met gemiddelde of lage detail instellingen en lage resoluties goed werken. Oudere of minder veeleisende spellen kunnen nog wel met goede grafische instellingen gespeeld worden.
Intel Core 2 Duo: Dit is de Core Duo, de opvolger van de Core Solo met een langere pipeline en 5-20% meer snelheid zonder een hoger stroomverbruik. Als een aanvulling op het Core Duo ontwerp zit er een vierde decoder op, een versterkte SSE-unit en een extra reken-, logische unit (ALU).
De Core 2 Duo voor laptops is identiek aan de desktop Core 2 Duo processors maar de notebook-processors werken met een lagere spanning en een lagere Frontside bus klok. De prestatie van gelijk-geklokte notebooks is 20-25% lager dan Desktop PCs vanwege de lagere Frontside bus klok en de langzamere harde schijf.

15.4": 15 inch scherm varianten zijn de norm en worden voor meer dan de helft van alle notebooks gebruikt. De reden waarom zoveel mensen schermen kiezen van een gemiddeld formaat, is dat deze maat niet vermoeiend voor de ogen is, niet al te veel stroom verbruikt en dat de laptops redelijk compact blijven.

3 kg: Het gewicht van deze laptop is bovengemiddeld vergeleken met de meeste andere notebooks.

Asus N81Vg featuring GeForce GT 120M

2009-02-17T00:38:00.000-08:00

Asus N81Vg is the world’s first notebook to feature the new NVIDIA Geforce GT 120M processor.

Lately we have seen Asus bringing out the Eee Pcs so much that we almost forgot it could do better with its notebook line as well. In between shelling out the netbooks like stray bullets, this Taiwanese company keeps reviving their mainstream notebook product lines. We’ve seen its first 17” entertainment notebooks in the form of F70 and F50, the W90 multimedia laptop with dual HD 4870 / HD 3850, U6V-Banmboo or the N80V and N50V siblings, and other formidable systems. Now there’s another first – World’s first notebook to feature the new NVIDIA GeForce™ GT120M processor – the Asus N81Vg.

The device offers a 14-inch Glare-type LED-backlit display that supports 1080p video playback. One can choose from a variety of Intel Core 2 Duo processors, while available hard drive capacities range from 160GB to 500GB, more precisely 160GB/250GB/320GB/500GB. Two DDR2 SO-DIMM slots allow RAM expansion up to 4GB. The DVD Super Multi drive can also be used to play Blu-ray discs. It has a 1.3 megapixel webcam and a battery good for only three to four hours, and the fact that Windows Vista Ultimate is provided alongwith (although other versions are available as well) doesn’t help.

“We are proud to offer consumers a notebook that is capable of providing spectacular graphics and stunning clarity while maintaining effortless mobility,” said Alvin Chou, senior product manager of ASUS’ Notebook Business Unit. “By combining sublime graphics performance, smart technologies and supreme ease of use, the N81Vg is the ideal notebook for those who would like to enjoy multimedia to the fullest.”

The NVIDIA® GeForce™ GT 120M:

Obviously the USP of the system is the NVIDIA® GeForce™ GT 120M GPU, which features NVIDIA CUDA™ technology with 32 processor cores, DirectX 10 support, and 1080p High Definition video playback through NVIDIA® PureVideo® HD technology. Coupled with the ASUS N81Vg’s 14-inch LED backlit display, the NVIDIA® GeForce™ GT 120M has the potential to deliver unrivalled visual clarity and vibrancy. NVIDIA even claims that "with 32 powerful processing cores, the GeForce 120M GPU makes photo editing, video editing, movie ripping, high definition Blu-ray playback and gaming a reality on 14-inch notebooks."

“The ASUS N81Vg uses the GeForce GT 120M GPU to deliver a visual computing experience far superior to other notebooks in its category today,” said Rene Haas, general manager, Notebook Products, NVIDIA. “With 32 powerful processing cores, the GeForce 120M GPU makes photo editing, video editing, movie ripping, high-definition Blu-ray playback and gaming a reality on 14-inch notebooks.”

The GeForce 120M in th N81Vg should reach about 5400 points in 3DMark06 and therefore perform on par with the older GeForce 9600M GT (with GDDR2 as the benchmark was surely performed with the fastest CPU). Our sources tell us that it should be a lower clocked GeForce 130M

Asus N10E

2009-02-16T14:02:00.001-08:00

The case of the N10E looks like having combined the size of the Eee PC and the finish of some bigger and more expensive Asus notebooks. At the first glance it's hard to even tell whether it's a netbook or a notebook.

Although the N10E looks like a high-quality product, its design is not that attracting as, for example, the HP 2133 with its distinct metal chassis. Only some parts with chrome finish stand out a little bit.

Even though the case of the Asus N10E is made of plastic, its quality is very good and better than the Eee PC by far. High quality materials were chosen and all parts are put together neatly. It does not creak and nothing gives or projects, except of the battery. But, this is due to the size of the 6-cell battery and not due to poor workmanship.

With a weight of 1.57 kg (including battery) the N10E is one of the largest and heaviest netbooks on the market. Nevertheless, it is still not too heavy to be carried around. However, the Asus N10E could be definitely smaller as the display is clearly smaller than the lid, so, giving a big frame around the screen.

All the parts, including the slightly coarse underside, are feel nice to the touch. Accordingly, handling the N10E feels like working with exquisite hardware.

The opening angle of the screen is restricted to 150 degrees, but, this limit the usability of the N10E. The hinges are doing a great job and the screen can be smoothly and effortlessly adjusted, although it tends to slightly fall back if opened to maximum. Besides that, the hinges keep the display safely in position and successfully prevent any see-saw.

The connectivity of the Asus N10E clearly stands out compared to other netbooks. Apart from three USB ports there is also a S/PDIF and an ExpressCard slot, which are rather rare in this class.

All Asus notebooks of the N series share a similar keyboard. Thus, the keyboard layout of the N10E and, e.g., the N50 are nearly identical. However, the keyboard of the former is smaller (narrower) and without an extra numeric keypad.

For the sake of a user-friendly keyboard, Asus made the N10E considerably broader than other netbooks. As a result the important keys are all surprisingly big. That is except of the right Shift key, which is at least in an easily accessible place.

To live up to its reputation as a high-end netbook, the keyboard of the N10E is well protected and hardly gives while typing. The keys have a short travel and bit higher resistance, so, the keyboard is in this aspect similar to keyboards in HP business laptops.

The touchpad is even better. It is one of the best, if not the best that you can find in mini-notebooks at the moment. The pad has very good gliding capabilities and the pointer moves fast and precisely to the desired position. Additionally, the accompanying buttons are great too, because of their ultra short travel and their very quiet operation.

The glossy 10.2” WSVGA (1024x600) screen made by CPT is enclosed in a wide frame. The extra space around the screen was necessary to make the display lid fit neatly on the unusually large base unit. The doesn’t look particularly good, especially because of its glossy finish, but this is a matter of taste. More serious are the artifacts, which appear on the screen if the display frame is pressed with a thumb.

Another problem of the display is the low vertical resolution. The working space is wide enough, but a height of only 600 pixel is insufficient to view the content of, e.g., long documets properly.

The screen of the Asus N10E showed a clear image, which is especially positive since many netbooks have problems with grainy images. The brightness seemed more than acceptable to our eye, with an average of 200cd/m². As the screen has a glossy surface, outdoor work might get cumbersome due to reflections.

Compared to other netbooks the screen of Asus N10E has not the best viewing angles and colors. The deep black on the other hand is encouraging. And so is, the maximum contrast, which amounts to 400:1.

The Intel Atom N270 1.6GHz processor has been used in the majority of recent netbooks, so Asus N10E ranks on par with them in terms of performance. It is significantly better than the VIA C7-M used in the HP Mini-Note 2133 and the Celeron M used in some Eee PC models. Depending on the test, the difference amounts to 10-15 percent.

Since the Asus N10E is based on the Intel Atom platform, it is equipped with the 945GSE Express chipset which includes the integrated GMA 950 graphics chip. With only 166MHz it is quite a bit slower than the version used in bigger notebooks, which has 250MHz.

One thing that sets the Asus N10E apart from most netbooks is a fast hard disk made by Seagate, with a capacity of 160GB and a speed of 5400rpm.

3DMark 2001 2989 points

3DMark 03 732 points

3DMark 05 242 points

3DMark 06 91 points

According to our tests, the Asus N10E is a rather quiet netbook. But, the reality is not as rosy as the measured data would imply. When ever the noise comes only from the hard drive, which is often the case, the noise is especially noticeable in quiet environments. Under load and sometimes even when the computer is dealing with not very demanding applications, the fan becomes audible. Although the noise level is only 32.6dB, it is perceived as rather annoying for some reason. Perhaps this is due to the metallic tone of the noise.

Even under load the surfaces of the Asus N10E never gets too hot. The maximum measured temperature, 37.5° Celsius measured on the bottom side, is still moderate.

Because people kept asking us whether it is possible to exclusively use a netbook and no other computer, we decided to try to use a netbook as the only computer for some time. For a few days one of our reviewers used only the Asus N10E. However, even though 10" is currently the largest screen size in the netbook class, his eyes started to hurt when he used it for a time span of a couple of hours. So a netbook alone is not sufficient, at least if you have to work on it for hours. But if you just need a computer to occasionally check e-mails or to write short texts, you might be able to get by without any other computer, especially considering that the keyboard of the Asus N10E is very user-friendly.

Some describe the Asus N10 series as netbooks which aren't really netbooks. The reason is the Asus N10 clearly differs from the typical netbook in some aspects. However, since the N10E is based on the Atom platform and has only an integrated graphics chip like most other netbooks, the N10E model is at least "normal" in that sense. Other models in this series have hybrid graphics with a dedicated graphics card. But its extensive connectivity, its large and fast hard disk, and brand speakers make it stand out of other netbooks and brings it closer to bigger notebooks.

Since we tend to put emphasis on the value of tested laptops in relation to their price, it might seem at first as if the Asus N10E has only small chances of winning our favour, as this is one of the more expensive netbooks.

But we appreciate the quality of the Asus mini-notebook and its rather small size, at least compared with regular notebooks. The usually small size of netbooks was sacrificed in order to make the keyboard large and thus comfortable to type on. Therefore it isn't as handy as its rivals and it's also one of the heaviest of its class (it weighs over 150g more than the Eee PC 1000H).

However, this trade-off was worth it, because Asus managed to put a keyboard into the N10E, which resembles a standard keyboard that allows fast and accurate typing.

Although Asus tried hard not to create ‘just another netbook’, it surely is one – a computer used to check e-mails and to access the web. The performance level is on par with the majority of newer netbooks. If Asus really wants to create a new class, then it could do so only for the models with dedicated graphics card.

The screen is a bit too small to work in front of it for hours, but the pretty long battery life of up to 5 hours could keep the N10E running during that time.

The final question: Is the N10E worth it or not? Definitely, if you are looking for a small notebook that can handle standard office tasks with ease.

MSI Megabook GX620 Notebook

2009-02-16T13:51:00.000-08:00

Whereas the case of the Megabook GX620 forerunner was still built with a plastic housing in a black high gloss look, the manufacturer MSI reassessed its views and gave this a tough and high-quality magnesium/aluminum case. With this, a shortcoming of the forerunner has been improved and weighs, despite the aluminum case, only 2.7 kilograms, still being light-weighted for a notebook in the 15 inch range. Besides that, the case turned out fairly flat.

Adjacent to the change from plastic to aluminum, the design has been completely modified. The case is still black, but has an accentuating crimson strip on the four sides. The two quite small hinges, responsible for poising the display, are also kept in red. Besides the multimedia keys lit in blue and the silver grid-like covering for the loudspeakers in the area between the keyboard and the display, the rest of the rough notebook surface is kept in a plain but elegant black.

Thanks to the aluminum case the GX620 is very resistant against selective compression and only gives away slightly at a very strong use of force. The notebook even put away the handling of the test device and lifting it on one side. Regarding the workmanship, the notebook barely leaves any place for critique from us. All edges of the GX620 have been evenly rounded so that no sharp edges could be found. The same applies to the corners. The only point of critique here is the area of the multimedia keys which surface isn't made out of aluminum and therefore can't keep up with the rest of the case concerning resistance. The function/multimedia keys give in quite obviously at too strong pressure.
What the closure concerns, the manufacturer MSI does without the standard closure mechanisms and builds on magnetism for the Megabook GX620. Therefore, the display is kept closed magnetically during transportation. Unfortunately, fingerprints are rather easily seen despite the rough surface, making it necessary to clean the areas concerned frequently.

With regards to the offered connections in the GX620 there is not much to belittle. The elaborate offer reaches from standard ports like USB 2.0, Firewire and VGA-out up to modern interfaces such as HDMI or eSATA ports.

The connections of the GX620 are concentrated mainly on the right and left side and on the back of the notebook. Therefore the front side is kept clear of the various connections.
Built in on the left side are the Kensington lock, a LAN socket and the optical drive followed from USB 2.0 port and four audio ports with which a 7.1 system can be accessed to, as well.

The right side has a 4in1 card reader for SD/MMC/MS/MS Pro, an Express Card Slot 54 and a Firewire port. Not far beside these are two additional USB ports, of which one can be used as an eSATA port. Furthermore the fan shaft and the modem port can be found here, too.

The HDMI port finds its place on the back side. One or two centimeters further to the right are the VGA-out socket and the connection for the power converter. Otherwise the backside is occupied from the rather elongated battery.

The pretty smart and compact distribution of the connections could convince us in the test. Since the front side is kept clear, typing and working on the notebook is very pleasant because there isn't a disagreeable cable tangle and the ejecting DVD tray of the optical drive is spared.

The Megabook GX620 has various options to choose from for communicating with other computers or the internet. Among others, a LAN (Realteck RTL8168B/8111B Family PCI-E Gigabit Ethernet NIC) as well as a WLAN connection (Intel(R) Wireless WiFi Link 5100) and a Bluetooth module is on board, too.

As meanwhile almost standard, the GX620 has an integrated webcam placed in the center of the upper area of the display frame. The integrated microphone of the MSI Megabook GX620 is not found in the display frame, but rather on the wrist supports slightly under the keyboard on the right side.

As for the keyboard, the GX620 offers a separate numeric block, too, which goes to expense of the rest of the keyboard. The manufacturer really has used every square millimeter of the keyboard, which one can easily see at first sight. The arrow keys are therefore quite small, just like the return and shift keys on the right side, whose extremely petite key and position are odd and could lead to problems by some users.

Just as strange and still known from the forerunner, is the Fn key which is exactly there where the control key is usually found. This is fact can sometimes be unhandy especially for gamers. In order to lift gaming ambitions the WSAD keys are highlighted in color.
A further flaw of the keyboard is that it gives away quite easily and bends through somewhat.

The touchpad of the Megabook GX620 is set a bit to the left and can be described as precise and exact. The two mouse keys, which seemed bit stiff to us, do their job quite well, too.

The Megabook GX620 has a 15.4 inch WXGA LC display making a maximal resolution of 1280x800 pixels possible. The manufacturer MSI equipped the GX620 with a glossy display, just like it's currently customary in many other notebooks, generally not being a problem as long as the display brightness is high enough and one refrains from outdoor use.

With this, we come to the biggest weakness of our test device. The display brightness with a maximal value of 157.2 cd/m2 measured in the upper right corner turned out rather low, followed from only 151.4 cd/m2 in the upper center area. For indoor use this might be sufficient but one has to watch out that it's not too light because the Glare display can be used as a mirror in radiant surroundings. Therefore the GX620 is not suitable for outdoor use.

The MSI Megabook GX620 has been equipped with an Intel Core 2 processor of the Penryn generation, the P9500 with 2.5 GHz. Furthermore the notebook has a total of 4 GB DDR2 RAM from the manufacturer Transcend and an nVidia 9600M GT graphic card with 512 MB VRAM.

The Megabook GX620 has, thanks to the built in hardware and not least again through the turbo button, quite a bit to offer in consideration of performance. The CPU (2.93GHz) and the RAM pulse rate becomes over clocked which, according to MSI, should lead to an increase of performance of up to 20%. Tests were made with PCMark05, Cinebench R10 and the newest offspring from Futuremark, the PCMark Vantage. The test runs were made once without and once with the turbo feature, whereas we wrote the results with activated turbo in brackets "(xxxx)" in order to differentiate both results better.

The Cinebench R10 made the start. The GX620 reached in the single-core rendering an evaluation of 2836 (3300) points. 5286 (6144) points were given to the test candidates in the multi-core test, which is a performance increase of a bit over 16% in both cases. The shaders were evaluated with 3724 (3723) in the Cinebench. Here it becomes obvious that the turbo function doesn't have any influence on the graphic card.

Next, the GX620 has to show how it copes with Futuremarks PCMark05 and PCMark Vantage. The already somewhat moldy PCMark05 awarded 6297 (7358) points for the performance of our test device. Here, as well, an increase of performance of 16% results thanks to the turbo button.

PCMark Vantage gives the Megabook GX620 a total of 3901 (4132) points, equivalent to an increase of approx. 5.9%.

As a mass storage device with a 320GB hard disk (WD3200BEVT-22ZCT) with 5400 rpm from Western Digital is used. That should offer sufficient place and storage for the beginning. Whom this doesn't suffice has the possibility, thanks to the abundant connections - among others also an eSATA, to extend the storage capacity by means of external hard disks.

What does it look like in gaming appliance? In the application area the GX620 could get a good 16% more performance with help from the turbo feature. If this is possible in gaming, we will find out soon.

First we'll have a look at the 3DMark Benchmarks results. The already dated 3DMark01 run came up with 30009 (34297) points, slightly more than 14% of performance increase. In the 3DMark06 and the 3DMark05 test it reached a score or 17028 (17184) and 10969 (11120) (performance increase in 3DMark03: 0.9%; in 3DMark05: 1.4%). The turbo mode couldn't append to the previous performance thrust even in the 3DMark06 at a resolution of 1280x800. The GX620 reached a total of 5887 (6002) points, whereas the CPU alone received a value of 2334 (2712) with an activated turbo. This means a total increase or 1.9%. If one only looks at the evaluation of the CPU, it is a performance increase of 16%.

The points or respectively the performance increase through the turbo doesn't look very different in the 3D Vantage. The GX620 received a total of 1704 (1719) points (0.8%). The GPU alone was rewarded with 1400 (1392) points in the 3DMark Vantage and the CPU 4898 (5817) points.
Converting this, it equals a performance increase of 18.7% for the CPU.

In the gaming test we used, as usual, the resource hungry Crysis, also Hellgate: London, World in Conflict and the rather old classic Doom 3.

Doom 3 was playable as smooth as silk in all detail settings, which wasn't surprising. There were still 188.4 (206.7) frames per second possible even in the ultra setting.

The already more prevailing game World in Conflict didn't provide all too many problems for the Megabook GX620, if played under DX9. Our test candidate averagely reached a resolution of 41 (42) frames set in the native resolution of 1280x800 in the integrated benchmark test, which is fully adequate for a smooth gaming pleasure. Unfortunately, with DX10 the whole thing looks different. It's only smoothly playable with 29 (31) fps in a resolution of 800x600 pixels.

Hellgate: London delivers a quite similar picture. Under DX9 one achieves with AA and high details with the native resolution 30- 35 fps in the outer areas. The inner levels are presented with an average of 62 fps. That changes abruptly as soon as one sets DX9 to DX10. Outer areas are unplayable with only 10 frames per second, despite deactivated AA.

The hit game Crysis was tested with a resolution of 1024x768. The integrated benchmark gave the GPU 81.2 (84.3) and the CPU 78 (78) fps, in low settings. The GPU was rewarded with only a slight bit more 30.11 (30.17) and the CPU 30.9 (30.35) frames per second at medium details, which allowed for a still playable experience. At high details the Megabook GX620 has to finally surrender. With a mere 16.12 (16.4) fps for the GPU and 15.1 (15.6) fps for the CPU Crysis is no longer playable under these conditions.

Generally, one can say that the turbo function primarily offers an increase of performance in application programs. The performance increase is very well evident, but unfortunately barely noticeable in gaming because the over-clocking correlates only to the CPU and not to the graphic card. The more of performance is therefore only in the 3DMark benchmark apparent. The one or two frames more are in most cases irrelevant for gaming.

3DMark 2001 34297 points

3DMark 03 17184 points

3DMark 05 11120 points

The system noise that the Megabook GX620 developed under load kept itself within limits and stays very well in bounds of the acceptable. With a maximum of 39.2 dB the test device stayed slightly under the 40 dB border. The fan noise is very audible but is not penetrating or disturbing. According to our measuring instrument a maximum of 34 dB was noted down to a minimal level of slightly over 30 dB (30.2) in the idle mode which is also a rather satisfying value, we think.

The built in loudspeakers correlate rather precisely with our expectations from this price class. The sound of the GX620 doesn't really knock off anyone's socks. Especially the deep tones sound very thin and are quite unsatisfying. Our test device has, however 4 audio sockets which allow connecting a reasonable 7.1 system. Even easier, of course, is using good headphones.
The offered volume of the loudspeakers is more than sufficient for everyday use if one can bare sound quality. Manufacturers like Asus or Toshiba with their Altec Lansing or Harman/Kardon systems have shown that this doesn't have to be the case.

What the battery runtime concerns, we tested this again with the BatteryEater software. The Megabook GX620 could convince us with a good 192 minutes in the endurance test with the readers settings (everything out, max. energy saving mechanisms). In the stress-test with the BatteryEater in classic setting the cell survived 81 minutes before longing for the outlet.

It might become somewhat tight when playing a DVD. The supplied battery easily lasted for a movie with a normal playtime of approx. 130 min. but only with clearly reduced display brightness. With the maximum of display brightness the lights went out already after 108 minutes – a very poor result.

The Megabook GX620 reached a result of approx. 146 minutes while surfing mobile via WLAN. Rather an equally underwhelming result.

MSI made an overall good job with the Megabook GX620. Due to the solid workmanship and the stability and also thanks to the aluminum case, the manufacturer can set themselves apart from the mass of 15 inch gaming or multimedia notebooks. Not only that. Also, the turbo feature, the over-clocking by a push of a button, and the magnetic closure are things that one doesn't find very often in this price category on the notebook market.
This, combined with the built in hardware (Intel Core 2 Duo P9500 with 2.5 GHz rate, four GB DDR2 RAM, nVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT with 512 applied VRAM, 320 GB hard disk) and the attractive price of slightly over 1000.00 Euro are definitely going to give the competition a rough time.

But the notebook has its flaws, too. The built in display with its weak display brightness, as well as the slight bending of the keyboard left a bit to be desired. Additionally, the keyboard is jam-packed and important keys, such as the right shift key, literally come to short. Besides that, another quite inconvenient fact is that the Fn key is placed there where the Control key usually is. This was in all probability well-intentioned from the manufacturer MSI, but sometimes less is more on keyboard layouts…

The GX620 can be classified as very powerful thanks to the up-to-date hardware, especially in applications which are confirmed by our benchmarks. Furthermore, the notebook has the possibility to over-clock the built in CPU "on the fly", without having to reboot, with help from the turbo button. This feature brings an extra thrust on computing power in applications – according to our tests partially up to 16%, respectively 18%. However, the more of power barely has any influence on the gaming performance of newer games. The one or two frames per second more don't play a role in most cases, either.

Altogether, one can give the Megabook GX620 a good mark, if one accepts the fact of the somewhat poor display brightness. The offered performance is right, just like the gaming potential, as well as the workmanship and the price. The extensive connectivity barely leaves anything to be desired. Competitors with this arrangement and quality are scarcely found in this price category in which the Megabook GX620 moves.

3DMark 06 6002 points

3DMark Vantage 1719 points

Samsung NC10 Netbook

2009-02-16T08:24:00.000-08:00

Following the Samsung Q1, a 7 inch UMPC, that is a combination of a PDA and a tablet-PC, the NC10 is the first try from Samsung to catch hold in the netbook division. The Korean manufacturer obviously wasn't short of know-how because with the NC10 they present a netbook which is absolutely capable of competing, which above all does justice to a renowned Samsung quality trait – that being the very remarkable design.

Samsung and good design – this already goes extremely well with each other for a long time. That a high price, however, isn't absolutely necessary to finance an acceptable design is proved by the NC10 from Samsung. The gem is already obtainable slightly under 400.00 Euros and is therefore placed well in comparison to other netbooks.

The coloring already provides for an elegant entrée of the little Korean. The entire device is submerged into a velvety shimmering white, which would soonest correlate to a "cream white" on the RAL color palette. Most of all we were overzealous about one fact: Samsung does completely without reflective high-gloss surfaces for the NC10, completely opposite to for instance the HP Compaq 701eg netbook.

Once held in your hands, the netbook makes it completely clear that there's no need for an extremely sensitive lacquered surface in order for the notebook to score in design and presentation. The Samsung NC10 users are saved from dozens of fingerprints and fine scrub marks on the display.
A tiny exception must be made in this regard, though. It's advisable to clean the narrow chrome strip with a cloth every now and then.

Even in the conception of the case in view of stability Samsung hasn't made any mistakes. The base unit as well as the display have been made of a metal alloy, probably magnesium, giving the case a very high quality haptic and an excellent case stability. The netbook can be seized and picked up at all corners and edges without any problems. An excessive twisting remained absent and creaking noises weren't observed, either.

The display has to be especially remarked in terms of stability. This, as well, barely allows any twisting and offers a sufficient protection against compression.
At first sight the display hinges make a solid impression, but when taking a closer look you can see the fake-metal plastic covers. But they hold the screen luffing-free in position; letting themselves be moved rather easily, anyway.

Like most netbook colleagues, the Samsung NC10 does without a closing mechanism for keeping the display in a locked position. This makes a certain amount of care during transportation necessary.
The maximum opening angle of the display is approx. 140°. This was enough in order to usually adjust the display optimally even in the most awkward sitting positions. Therefore, not a problem for working at the desk or on the lap.

The Samsung NC10 offers the classic netbook ports, too. Three USB 2.0 and a VGA-out, audio ports (for a headphone and microphone), as well as a LAN connection belong to this. The compact netbook has a custom SD cardreader on the front side edge.

The positioning of the single ports didn't want to convince. For instance, both USB ports on the left side of the case are placed very much in the front of the device. The remaining third port in the middle of the right side doesn't help much here, either. As being not much of a problem in mobile use, it can come to annoying cables and plugs on the sides during stationary use at a desk.

Connection of an external monitor

Of course, the offered VGA connection in a netbook with an extremely compact display provides an interesting alternative for stationary use. Naturally we put this feature up for a test, too.

Thanks to the clear and well understandable menu navigation, which can be accessed over the key combination FN+F4, it's even possible for a layman to connect an external monitor to the netbook fast and easy. It's possible to choose the functions: display cloning, expanding an internal display with an external display or showing either the internal or external display alone.

The test with a in-house Samsung Synmaster 900NF CRT monitor with a resolution of 1280 x 1024 pixels and a refresh rate of 100 Hz, this offered a very good and sharp image. Even longer working on the external display is very well imaginable. The integrated GMA 950 graphic solution could feed an external display with a maximum resolution of 1248x1536 pixels.

A network interface card from Marvell-Yukon (10/100Mbps) or respectively a wireless LAN module standard 802.11 b/g from Atheros is responsible for communication in the Samsung NC10. We had to go without a built in Bluetooth option in our test model, though. A disadvantage in comparison to other netbook colleagues. The netbook has a Bluetooth 2.0+EDR functionality in higher quality (and higher priced, with that) configuration.

There is a built in 1.3 megapixel webcam found in the display in all configuration variations. This delivers a moderate image, but already had enormous problems with moving pictures at a low resolution of 352x288 pixels.

Samsung solicits the NC10 with an integrated HSDPA modem, too. Our test sample didn't have this feature, though. You get an integrated broadband internet in the configuration lines KAY*DE/SEG at a price of approx. 499.00 Euros. This investment is worth considering, if you don't want to do without a complete connectivity.

In regards to warranty and guarantee, Samsung offers an eventually equally interesting option. For users whom a 24 month warranty time with an "on-site pick-up service" isn't enough, the guarantee period can be extended to 36 or rather even 48 months. Then a surcharge of 109.00, respectively 149.00 (recommended retail price) is due for that.

graphic chip. Does that sound familiar? Probably, almost all current netbooks being blessed with this configuration. If the first models were still often fitted with CPUs from VIA, Intel has in the meantime also conquered this sector completely.

As typical application areas for netbooks, and therefore also for the NC10 from Samsung, are to be named the simple office tasks, like for instance writing texts, managing contacts and mails, and internet. The Samsung NC10 completed these tasks sufficiently fast.

The only possibility to be different from other netbooks is the built in hard disk, whereas our Samsung NC10 was equipped with a common hard disk from Fujitsu (MHZ2160BH) with a velocity of 5400 rpm and a capacity of 160GB. The noted results of the HDTune benchmark test were in a good average area.

In consideration of the main memory, the NC10 offers the typical configuration of one gigabyte DDR2 RAM. Samsung allowed itself a small slip regarding the maximal upgrade possibility of the RAM. On the one hand, a limit of 1024MB is referred to in the specs and on the other a 2 GB memory stick, as optional equipment, is sold. Fact is, of course it's possible to use a 2 gigabyte memory module with the netbook. This can bring a more or less noticeable performance increase, depending on the task.

3DMark 2001 3044 points

3DMark 03 751 points

The Samsung NC10 handles the heat emissions of the built in hardware considerably better than the, from us tested, Eee 1000H. That the integrated fan runs almost continuously even at the simplest tasks could be observed, but this stays, with a volume of 31.6 dB(A), discreet in the background. Merely one particularity was conceived as unpleasant: When the fan turns on, this rotates somewhat faster for a fraction of a second and therefore is conceived as somewhat more emphasized. Usually this stays at its constant unobtrusive level.

When consequently stressing the single hardware components, the fan turned up its rotation rate step by step and reached a maximum of 34.4 dB(A) in the end. At normal use of the netbook it should barely ever come to this operating condition.

That Samsung obviously worked out an excellent temperature management in the NC10 is confirmed with a look on the measured maximum temperatures of the case surface.

The bottom side of the case, as well as the upper side of the base unit warm up relatively low and reach a maximum value of approx. 31°C.

Both mini speakers on the lower side of the front edge of the netbook sound in the sound check very thin and restrained. The possible bandwidth is obviously very narrow. The speakers should suffice for Window sounds and at the very most for quiet background acoustic irradiation. If you put emphasize on full music pleasure, the only possibility is to fall back on the audio-out. This gave a clean and absolutely full sound in the test, leaving nothing to be desired with high quality headphones.

Equipped with a 6-cell Li-Ion battery with a capacity of 5200 mAh (57.7Wh), the Samsung N10 offers already in the basic configuration a performance capable energy source. According to Samsungs supply list, it is possible to equip the netbook with an even bigger 9-cell battery, which then with a capacity of appox. 80Wh provides for a respectively longer battery runtime. Samsung names a price of 209.00 Euros (recommended retail price) for this battery solution.

The Samsung NC10 could convince even in the executed practical battery runtime tests. For instance, the device reached, in consideration of the maximum possible battery runtime (min. display brightness, energy savings mode, WLAN off), in the BatteryEater Readers Test a runtime of a good 512 minutes, so almost 9 hours.
The NC10 still survived a good 239 minutes, this equals almost 4 hours, in the BatteryEater Classic Test under load.

A battery runtime of a good 366 minutes, correlating to approx. 6 hours was determined in the practical WLAN surf mode with maximal display brightness – Very good.

The Samsung NC10 has rightly displaced the prior leader, the Asus Eee PC 1000H, from the top lists of various price comparisons. With a very agreeable design and a case which barely leaves any room for critique, the compact mini PC obviously finds keen interest, even if only the typical netbook configuration is offered in many places.

This applies, for instance, to the offered connections, whereas all USB ports are placed rather disadvantageously being relatively far front on the side edges. In the lowest priced starter alternative, starting at 370.00 Euros, you have to do without Bluetooth. Even in the "Deluxe-Edition" with built in UMTS, approx. 500.00 Euros, WLAN Draft-n remains denied to the user.

We found the offered keyboard a bit more pleasant than that of the Eee 1000H in the test. Here, the individual preferences play a role, too.
The display could score, as well, even if the single measuring results mostly turned out minimally worse in direct comparison to the Asus Eee 1000H. Especially important: Outdoor suitability due to the matt display and good display brightness.

One case for the Samsung NC10 is the extremely low emissions of the notebook. The sound setting of the fan as well as the measured surface temperature could convince.
The NC10 has a further ace up its sleeve with the high performance 6-cell battery. With runtimes of approx. 6 hours, it barely leaves anything to be desired. If there is, you can equip the netbook with an even bigger 9-cell battery, though.

All things considered, Samsung delivers a very successful performance with the NC10. The executed tests show: The NC10 may, without a doubt, be counted to the current top products in the netbook division and is a serious alternative to the Eee PC 1000H from Asus.

LG X110 Netbook

2009-02-16T08:18:00.000-08:00

The X110 is currently the only netbook offered from LG. The manufacturer offers a total of four variations: The X110-L A7SAG or the X110-L A7SBG which define the start variants and only differ in their coloring (black-white, solely white). Both designs are also available with an integrated, wireless broadband under the product number: X110-L A7HAG or X110-L A7HBG.

In regards to the measurements of all 10" netbooks, you might think that all cases come from one and the same factory (who knows…?), because the LG X110 also corresponds with a case breadth of 261 millimeters to its netbook colleagues, Eee PC 1000H from Asus or even the Samsung NC10 being almost cut of the same cloth.

LG sets on design of the above mentioned variations. On the one hand, a model with a black and white color combination is offered, reminding somewhat of a sandwich and on the other, there's the design variation clad completely in white, for the innocent of the netbook customers.

We were allowed to take a closer look at the sandwich alternative in the test. The display lid is covered with a black high gloss finish on its outside. But that's not enough. LG tops that, because as one of the first net/notebooks in our hands the manufacturer actually dared to make the bottom side of the device in a high gloss optic, too.

Like for all other in piano lacquered netbooks - for the LG X110 applies: Optic, grade A; practice – well then…

Already after taking of the protecting cover for the test, countless fingerprints were collected fast on the outer sides of the device. That's the first point of critique for the X110 in this regard: Where, please, is the obligatory microfiber cloth in the range of delivery, with which you can at least try to strife this problem?

In any case, the stability of the base unit is o.k. LG most likely falls back onto a magnesium alloy, too. The case puts away applied pressure very sufficiently with exception of the bottom side in the area of the louver. This applies to the display, as well, which offers an even as good protection for the sensitive display.

We weren't particularly happy with the display hinges. These didn't only appear especially delicate; they couldn't prevent an observable luffing of the display when in motion, either. Besides that, the maximum opening angle is limited to 133°, which constricted us considerably in the one or other situation during the test.
The LG X110 also does without a safety catch. But apparently a magnet provides for a better hold in a closed condition.

There's no surprise in the offered connections of the X110. On the device are found: three USB 2.0 ports, 3.5mm sockets for a headphone and a microphone, a VGA connection as well as a RJ45 port for wired network. A 4in1 cardreader is also offered.

Under certain circumstances, the placement of the single ports may lead to problems at mass occupancy. Both USB ports are positioned fairly far on the front side edge and even the right USB is found in the first third of the side edge.

A Realtek RtL8102E network interface card (10/100Mbps) provides for a respective data transfer over cable. Alternatively, this can also take place over the built in 802.11 b/g wireless LAN module. This also applies for Bluetooth.

Only the higher value variant equipped with a wireless broadband internet includes Bluetooth 2.0+EDR in its bundle. With a street price of about 430.00 euros, you have to put about 100.00 euros on top of the starter variation.
Video conferences are made possible with an UMTS module and a webcam (1.3 megapixels) built in to every variation. The integrated cam had big problems with moving pictures, even at a minimal resolution of 160x120 pixels.

Regarding the guarantee, LG also offers a 24 month warranty with a "pick up and return service" on the 1200 grams heavy, or rather light, mini-notebook.

All current 10 inch netbooks offer a very similar keyboard with only small differences. This is already primarily defined through the size of the device. With a case width of 261 millimeters, the X110 from LG offers quite the same space as the netbooks giants Asus Eee 1000H or the Samsung NC10.

The single figure-keys measure 1.7 x 1.6 centimeters and correspond with that to the class standards, too. Therewith, the input fields were treated to a sufficient and very useable size, with exception of the ^, + and # keys and the cursor keys.

The offered keyboard could also convince in the practical test. Not just the measurements of the single keys, but the layout and especially the typing feeling turned out to our satisfaction. It was possible to use the netbook even for touch typing without any further problems.

The touchpad surprisingly showed an almost squarish layout, very untypical for a netbook of this size. With an area of 5 x 4 centimeters the pad offers enough room to navigate quite nicely. Both touchpad keys turned out to be not quite as convincing, though. For one thing, the end to end key bar had a very large dead zone in its center and for another the keys could only be pressed with a large amount of pressure. Therefore, it is advisable to use both hands to work the pad.

LG sets on a 10" WSVGA LED screen, which corresponds to the current standards of this device category, with a resolution of 1024x600 pixels for a display. As for all other comparable netbooks, we have to refer to the need of an increased scrolling during surfing, as well as during the use of various other programs for the X110.

In our test the screen delivered a very good result of 255cd/m2 in the lower middle area as for the maximal display brightness. Unfortunately, the display brightness fell considerably in the upper corners (down to 198 cd/m2), resulting in an only under average illumination of 74% of the display.

You could almost think that an Intel Atom CPU with an Intel GMA 950 graphic chip is the inevitable basis for a netbook. Even if this is not so and other technologies would be applicable, Intel evidently offers at present the most attractive value for money ratio with this package.

The performance of the netbook is therefore construed for standard office applications, i.e. writing texts, simple spreadsheets, picture galleries, e-mail traffic and internet. These tasks are completed from the Intel package absolutely satisfactorily. The system only runs out of air fast at performance intense computing tasks and graphic applications. Netbooks aren't designed for that, anyway.

Regarding the hard drive, a common hard disk from Fujitsu (MHZ2160BH) came to use in our test model of the LG X110. This is the same memory module as used in our test of the netbook competitor from Samsung, the NC10. The disk with a rotation velocity of 5400 rpm and a gross capacity of 160 gigabytes showed very good results in the HDTune benchmark test, regarding the transfer rates and access times.

3DMark 2001 2788 points

3DMark 03 675 points

When using the netbook in its energy savings profile (minimum energy use), the system fan stays mostly deactivated even in applications with a low load, i.e. surfing in the internet or text writing. The netbook remains practically silent except for quiet running noises from the hard disk. Every now and then we could observe a short start up of the fan, though. The fan turned on in the adapted profile of portable/laptop or even at a slight higher load and runs practically constant at a very well audible level of 34.4 dB(A).

We could elicit a maximum of 40.3 dB(A) out of the LG X110 under load, whereas the mini-notebook may very well be described as loud. This should be barely ever achieved in the classic application areas of the netbook, though.

Interesting was that we were able to measure the "maximum" heating on the upper side of the device. This was 32.2°C in the middle area of the keyboard. The bottom side of the device stayed with a maximum of 31.7°C slightly beneath this value. Generally, mobile use on the lap is possible, with that.

LG offers, according to its spec sheet, two different battery versions for the X110. A 3-cell battery with a capacity of 24.4 Wh or a bigger 6-cell battery with a respective larger storage capacity. Our test sample was fitted with a 3-cell battery, which bode ill in comparison to the high performance batteries of the competitors.

In the BatteryEater test, representative for the maximum possible battery runtime of the netbook, with maximum energy savings options (min. display brightness, energy savings mode, WLAN off) our test sample reached a runtime of merely 148 minutes.
Under load (max. display brightness, high performance profile, WLAN on) it was even less. It already came to an end after 78 minutes.

It didn't really get better in the practical WLAN test. With maximum brightness in the profile portable/laptop the X110 reached a runtime of 125 minutes, equal to somewhat more than 2 hours. Not much, if you consider that a netbook is primarily thought for mobile use. Various netbook competitors offer at least double as much durability in this exercise, admittedly with a respective larger battery capacity.

With the X110, LG tries to score primarily with a very attractive design. Unfortunately, we think they went too far with this, seeing that both the display lid as well as the case shell has been provided with a very sensitive high gloss finish.
The X110 is interesting because of its low starting price of a bit over 300.00 Euros. In this condition you have to do without a Bluetooth and an integrated UMTS/HSDPA module.

The keyboard turned out very positive in the test. The key size, as well as the layout and typing feeling speak for an even more intensive use of the keyboard. The only deficiency of the input devices, as we see it, is the end to end touchpad key with a bit high of resistance and the dead zone in its middle area.

On the one hand the display collects points, in regards to the maximal brightness and the extremely good contrast, but remains with its only under average illumination and an average viewing angle stability not completely without critique.

There were no surprises hidden in the built in hardware. This offers the expected netbook performance for uncomplicated office applications. An extremely quiet use of the netbook is possible with an aligned energy management and the surface temperatures always stay within a limit.

The offered speakers have to almost be called indisputable. Music pleasure is practically impossible with them. The 3-cell battery, which gives the X110 merely a moderate battery runtime, cuts off only slightly better.

The LG X110 can be described as an interesting device, depending on what you expect from your netbook. Its strengths lie primarily in its design, its input devices and the outdoor suitable display. For an extended mobility, an upgrade of the battery should be considered at any rate. At its expense, the starting price could be pushed down to of only just over 300.00 Euros, making the LG X110 to a serious competitor for established netbooks.

Asus M50V Notebook

2009-02-16T08:07:00.000-08:00

There hasn't been much change optically since our tests of the M50S and the M70S. Therefore, our Asus M50V test model has the same design as the already tested M50S model. Asus names it the "Infusion" design. The notebooks are also presented, like both of S-models, in a grey and black high gloss surface finish.

As far as the inner workings are concerned, Asus has equipped the M50V with a Core 2 Duo T9400 with a 2.5 GHz clock rate, a mainstream GeForce 9650M GT graphic card from nVidia with 1024 MB VRAM, four GB RAM and a 320 GB hard disk. More precise information to the single tests will, as usual, follow in the proceeding of the test report.
Asus also additionally puts, besides the notebook itself, a small and space saving notebook mouse, as well as a high quality notebook case in the delivery box. With that, you can get started mobile with the newly attained M50V right away.
Case

Those who have read the reviews of the M50S and M70S will notice that the M50V doesn't differ much in looks from these. Asus treated the M50V to the same high quality surface finish as already the M50S and the M70S. The various chrome strips, the reflective plastic components as well as the lined pattern, which Asus refers to as "Infusion", were also used on the M50V multimedia notebook.
Those who have read the reviews of the M50S and M70S will notice that the M50V doesn't differ much in looks from these. Asus treated the M50V to the same high quality surface finish as already the M50S and the M70S. The various chrome strips, the reflective plastic components as well as the lined pattern, which Asus refers to as "Infusion", were also used on the M50V multimedia notebook.

Generally, the Asus M50V appears to be of very high-quality, which is even more supported by the design and coloration of the notebook. The case can not only score in regards to optic, but also with its haptic. The base unit leaves no doubt about the generous use of plastic in the wrist support area, but looks very grand.
Positive is, that despite the high-gloss surfaces, smudge by means of fingerprints stay very much within a limit.

The Asus M50V could also score, despite the plastic case, in consideration of the case stability. The plastic case barely showed any weaknesses under pressure. The observed deformations could be reduced to such a low amount that they can be neglected. Barely any, up to no creaking or cranking noises could be conceived when handling the test sample. Merely the backside of the display lid couldn't keep up with the rest of the case stability. The surface gives away considerably at point pressure in the center area of the display lid. This is the case of most plastic-made notebook cases, though. When opening or closing the display, no creaking noises were noticed, either, which might have dimmed the so far good impression of the Asus M50V.

Two hinges on the right and left side of the notebook are responsible for the stability of the 15 inch display in an opened condition. These bid enough hold to keep the display tight in position and prevent almost every luffing of the LCD. While the M70S and M70V have to resort on a double latch closing system in order to keep the display safely closed, the smaller M50V can abstain from any kind of closing system due to the smaller display size. The display closes very well anyway and lets itself also be unfastened with a simple opening of the display again.

Connectivity

The Asus M50V offers all of the currently needed connections that a modern 15" multimedia notebook should have and even a bit more. Besides the four USB 2.0, a Firewire and an analog VGA-out to connect external monitors, the M50V additionally has a HDMI and an eSATA connection. The offered connections are very well distributed along the left and right side, as well as the back of the notebook. That's not being enough, though. The multimedia notebook provided for testing reasons, was also rounded off with an integrated Blu-Ray drive to play high definition videos.
As in the meantime most notebooks, the M50V also has a 1.3 Megapixel webcam with an integrated array microphone only a few centimeters right of the camera. The built in camera is additionally pivotable by 180 degrees, at least in the vertical plane. Video conferences are therefore no big problem for our test device.

For communication with other computers and the World Wide Web, the M50V has a LAN adapter of type Realtek RTL8168C(P)/8111C(P) Family PCI-E Gigabit Ethernet NIC and a WLAN module from Intel (Intel(R) WiFi Link 5100 AGN).
Despite the form factor, the 15 inch notebook has a separate numerical block. The manufacturer made sure that the keys were kept in the original size and weren't cut back for space reasons. Therefore, no time-consuming accommodation period is needed, to adjust yourself to the keyboard. The optic suffers from this though, because it does make a somewhat jam-packed and overloaded impression.

The slightly clattering keyboard of the Asus M50V, similar to that of the M50S model, is rather jerky and bids a palpable pressure point in regards to the typing feeling. The soundscape is, besides the usual clicking noise, also defined by a more dampened sound when extruding the keys. At normal use, the noise stays within a limit when typing, but this can change quickly when typing more forcefully due to the clattering keys.

The touchpad is centered under the keyboard, but somewhat decentralized on the case. Especially conspicuous is that the pad is let in fairly deep into the case and you always nudge onto the edges when using your finger to control the mouse. The surface of the pad turned out quite pleasingly as it bids optimal gliding traits. Besides the marked scroll area, the touchpad additionally offers a dual mode function. With a finger tip on the lettering "Mode", single symbols on the pad light up and are therefore highlighted. In this operating condition it is then possible to control multimedia functions or to manage the sound playing volume with the touchpad.

As already usual in most multimedia laptops, the Asus M50V, as well as the M50S and the M70S, offers a few additional keys for instance for choosing the performance profile or also for a quick deactivation of the touchpad.
The multimedia notebook has fairly highly reflective 15.4 inch WSXGA+ LC display with a pixel grid in a ratio 16:10 and a maximum resolution of 1680 x 1050 pixels. The M50V bids a considerably better overview in comparison to other WXGA displays with that, making especially working with multiple windows at once or even the use of software with various tool boxes easier.

Thanks to the reflective display, the from us tested sample subjectively bid vibrant and saturated colors. This became particularly evident in gaming, in a positive way. Furthermore, the test sample delivered clear and sharp images throughout the tests. Streaks on the screen weren't noticed by us, even in fast games like Crysis or World in Conflict.

As the already from us tested M70S and the M50S models, our ASUS M50V test sample had an integrated brightness sensor which adapted the brightness of the display automatically to the surrounding light. This feature can be simply and quickly activated/deactivated on demand with the key combination Fn + A.

In the M50V we distinguished a display brightness of a meager 155.5 cd/m2 in the left lower corner up to a maximal brightness of 214.8 cd/m2 in the central area of the screen. The built in screen is barely suitable for outdoor use, especially due to the glare surface. Therefore, strong reflections in interiors with adverse lighting conditions have to be counted with.
As to the offered viewing angle stability in both the horizontal as well as the vertical viewing area, the display of the Asus M50V has a sufficiently large working area. However, at too much of a deviation from the ideal angle, slight contrast losses set in, followed by reflections.

Like the M50S and M70S colleagues, the Asus M50V model tested by us belongs to the league of the high performance multimedia notebooks.
A Core 2 Duo CPU, the T9400 with 2.5 GHz from Intel, a GeForce 9650M GT equipped with 1024 MB VRAM, four gigabyte DDR2 RAM and a 320 hard disk from Hitachi, is responsible for the performance.

Office applications, music playing or watching a DVD is no challenge for the M50V. Even surfing in the internet is no problem for any modern notebook. In order to demonstrate and compare the performance differences of various notebooks anyway, we ran programs like PcMark05, Cinebench R10 and also the new PcMark Vantage on the Asus M50V. In the PcMark05 run through we received a good 6410 points and with the current PcMark Vantage a overall evaluation of 3623 points.

The Cinebench R10 was, as usual, conducted in the single and multi rendering as well as testing the Shading performance. The M50V received an evaluation of 2816 points in the single-rendering, while the notebook cut off with 5231 points in multi-rendering. Cinebench awarded the M50V with a whole 4118 points for the shader.

We also wanted to find out what the preinstalled operating system Windows Vista Home Premium from Microsoft says to the test device. The performance indicator was at an overall total of 5.0. For the single components, Vista awarded 5.4 for the CPU; 5.9 for the RAM; 5.0 for the GPU in applications; 5.3 for the GPU in gaming and 5.2 points for the mass memory from Hitachi (Hitachi HTS543232L9A (320 GB)).
This operates with 5400 rotations per minute and has a memory capacity of 320 GB which should prove sufficient for storing pictures, music, films or even games. With the eSATA connection you can additionally enlarge the storage capacity with an external hard disk, if necessary.

Cinebench R10
Settings Value
Shading 4118 Points
Rendering Multiple CPUs 5231 Points
Rendering Single 2816 Points

Windows Vista Leistungsindex
Settings Value
Processor 4.7 Points
Memory 4.3 Points
Graphics 3.1 Points
Gaming graphics 3.3 Points
Primary hard disk 4.9 Points

Even if the Asus M50V was constructed with the main view on being a multimedia notebook, the integrated hardware is very much capable of offering the user quite a bit of performance in the gaming sector. Equipped with a Core 2 Duo T9400 with a 2.5 GHz clocking, a mainstream graphic card of type GeForce 9650M from nVIDIA with 1024 MB VRAM, four GB RAM and a 320 GB hard disk, the notebook offers everything you need to play the one or other game on the M50V – and this will be shown in the run through of the 3DMark and the following benchmark tests.

In the quite outdated 3DMark01 and 3DMark03 benchmark tests from Futuremark, the M50V passed with a score of 25005 and 13117 and didn't prove to be a problem for our test candidate.
3DMark05 and 3DMark06 rewarded the Asus M50V with 8370 and 4194 points. The new 3DMark Vantage would have actually been planned here, as well, but for reasons we can't explain this benchmark test could not be executed and the test ended already at the start with an error message.
3DMark 2001 25005 points

3DMark 03 13117 points

3DMark 05 8370 points

3DMark 06 4194 points
Let's get to the practical gaming qualities of the M50V now. "Doom 3" ran as smooth as silk and stable with an average of 56.4 frames per second in the highest setting "Ultra", which is fully sufficient for a smooth gaming experience.

The benchmark tool which is enclosed and integrated in "Crysis" was executed in the resolution of 1024 x 768 in the detail settings low, medium and high. One thing is certain after these run throughs and analysis of the values: The hardware hungry top game "Crysis" is only really playable without studdering in low settings with 51.73 fps for the GPU and 49.68 for the CPU. In medium detail settings the images played decreased to a mere 22.49 (value for the GPU) and 21. 72 (value for the CPU) - which is very well still playable but can't be called smooth anymore. The GeForce 9650M GT finally gave in with frame rates between 11 and 12 fps in high settings.

Last but not least, the Asus M50V still has to prove itself in the real time strategy top game "World in Conflict". With medium settings (DX9) at a resolution of 800x600 an average of 48 frames per second are possible. In raising the resolution from 800x600 to 1024x768, the fps fall from 48 to 39 frames per second, which makes a smooth playing experience, as before, possible. Even with 1680 x1050 it achieves a satisfactory 26 fps with DireckX9.
At high details, which is only possible with DirectX10, the GeForce 9650M GT doesn't even manage to come up with 20 frames per second in the lowest resolution of 800x768. In raising the resolution to 1024x786 or 1680x1050 pixels the frames per second decrease to 15 or rather to an unplayable 9 frames per second.

System Noise

Unfortunately, the M50V can't score in consideration of the system noise emissions. It may just still be possible to call it quiet with an average volume of 33.3 dB(A) in idle use (measured minimum volume 33 dB and maximum volume 34.1 dB) but this changes very fast when the M50V breaks out in a sweat.
The built in cooling raises the fan rotation speed in three levels so that the fan works at the highest level with an average noise of a measured 42.3 dB(A) (this also being the maximal volume). The fan noise stays constant and isn't conceived as being a nuisance or nervy, if you aren't too sensitive for this

It looks quite a bit better with the working temperature, though. It stays within a limit in every single zone on the upper side. Four of the nine zones are under the 30 degrees Celsius mark and the other five just slightly cross the 30 degrees Celsius mark. We measured merely 32.6 degrees as the maximal temperature under load in the left center area.
The measured temperatures on the bottom side are impressive, too. Only three areas cross the 30 degree mark. The maximum temperature measured by us here was 35.4 degrees Celsius. This still allows for a halfway pleasant working on the lap.

The audio for the M50V is taken care of by a very promising sound system from Altec Lansing, as we already know it from the M50S and M70S from the manufacturer Asus. This helps the test notebook to a quite satisfactory sound. Regrettably, the 15 inch model has to do without a subwoofer due to space reasons. Therefore, in regards to sound and especially the deeper tones, the Asus M50V can't keep up with its big brother, the M70V or rather the M70S, which has an integrated subwoofer on the bottom side.
We can certify a good mark for the sound of the M50V, anyway. The tones are clear, the volume is adequate and the built in loudspeakers don't start to thud at high volume or bass-prone music. All in all, you can be content with the built in sound system. Whomever the bass is too thin must help themselves with the suitable headphones, unfortunately.

The enclosed lithium-ion battery with 11.1volts and a capacity of 4800 mAh helps the Asus M50V to a quite satisfactory mobile battery run time.

This brings the maximum runtime in the BatteryEater Readers test, with the maximum of energy savings mechanisms as well as minimal display brightness and a deactivated WLAN module, to an operating time of a good 216 minutes – which equals an runtime of 3 h and 36 minutes. The minimal runtime according to the BatteyEater Classic test (full load, everything activated, maximum brightness) reached a mediocre 76 minutes.

The M50V only reached an average of 96 minutes while playing a normal DVD. Watching a film on a blue HD disk probably will decrease the maximum possible playing time even more.
It looks better when surfing mobile over WLAN, though. It reached 140 minutes with an activated energy savings mode and good display brightness.

The M50V from Asus offers with its stylishly designed case with chrome and a high-gloss surface an adequate frame for the extensive equipment of the notebook.

Therefore, the high performance multimedia notebook M50V from ASUS can't only score with its good workmanship and the offered performance. It also offers, besides the chic and elegant look in the "Infusion" design, technical features and gadgetry that are striking. For instance the built in touchpad which serves as a classic mouse substitute in the standard mode but can be switched by the push of the button to the second mode, turning the touchpad into a mini multimedia center from which you can control the most important functions like play, pause, volume, etc. The touchpad looks impressive - especially in darkened rooms because it is illuminated in the multimedia mode.

We would want to point out positively the extensive and well thought-out placement of the connection possibilities, which offers beside the standard USB 2.0, Firewire, LAN and modem connections, ports for HDMI and eSATA, as well. Further highlights, which round off the ASUS M50V, are the fingerprint reader, the Blu-Ray drive, the built in 1.3 megapixel webcam with integrated array microphone and the infra-red interface.

In regards to performance, Asus treated the M50V to a Core 2 Duo T9400 with 2.5 GHz a clock rate, a high performance graphic card of type GeForce 9650M GT from nVIDIA with 1024 MB VRAM, 4 GB RAM and a 320 GB hard disk from the manufacturer Hitachi, which provides the notebook with more than enough reserves for everyday tasks. The one or other contemporary game is achievable with this hardware configuration, even if with a partly reduced resolution or detail setting.

The Asus M50V is primarily to be recommended for multimedia users who set value on a compact case which has a clearly arranged display and also plan to often carry their notebook from A to B. Due to the carrying case included in the range of delivery, you can also do this right away.

Samsung P560-54G

2009-02-16T00:59:00.000-08:00

Notebook Specifications
Notebook: Samsung P560-54G
Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo T5800
Graphics Adapter: NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GS
Display: 15.4 inch, 16:10, 1280x800 pixels, glossy: yes
Weight: 2.6kg
Price: 1000 euro
If 3D abilities are important to you, the $1,299 Samsung P560-54G may be worth a look. Of course, you can configure other makers’ business portables with discrete graphics and get similar performance for a similar price, along with a little more style. Small-business users could get a better deal with the Dell Vostro 1510, or the XPS M1530 if they need a little more muscle. As the new kid on the block, Samsung had to give buyers a reason to jump ship; we can’t say this first effort does so.

NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GS: Slower clocked 9600M GT and therefore a bit slower and cooler. In conjunction with an 9100M the 9600M GS is able to use HybridPower to save current.

These cards should be able to display all current games with fluent framerates but not all with high detail settings. Especially demanding games like Crysis, Age of Conan, or Mass Effect are only playable with lower settings. Less demanding (and older) games, like Fifa 08, Command & Conquer 3, or Battlefield 2142 can be played with higher detail levels.
Intel Core 2 Duo: This is the Core Duo and Core Solo successor with a longer pipeline and 5-20% more speed without more power consumption. As an addition to the Core Duo design there exists a fourth decoder, an amplified SSE-unit and an additional arithmetical logical unit (ALU).

The Core 2 Duo for laptops is identical to the desktop Core 2 Duo processors but the notebook-processors work with lower voltages (0.95 to 1188 Volt) and a lower Frontside bus clock (1066 vs 667 MHz). The performance of equally clocked notebooks is 20-25% lower than Desktop PCs because of the lower Frontside bus clock and the slower hard disks.
15.4": 15 inch display-variants are the standard and are used for more than the half of all notebooks. 15.4 inch display with 16:10 are the standard for notebook displays.
The reason why so many people like displays with medium size is, that this size is not exhausting for the eyes, does not need too much current and the laptops can be kept quite compact.
2.6 kg: This notebook is lighter than the average of all notebooks. It is too heavy for sub-notebooks. 14 inch displays are normal for this class of weight.

Gateway M-152XL

2009-02-16T00:54:00.000-08:00

Notebook Specifications
Notebook: Gateway M-152XL
Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo T8300
Graphics Adapter: ATI Mobility Radeon HD 2600
Display: 15.4 inch, 16:10, 1280x800 pixels, glossy: yes
Weight: 2.9kg
Price: 1200 euro
Gateway has developed a reputation for bundling state-of-the-art processing parts in relatively inexpensive laptops. The Gateway M-152XL, for instance, is a desktop replacement laptop that runs on Intel's latest "Penryn" technology and includes an ATI graphics card for casual gamers—not bad when you combine this kind of raw horsepower with a $1,299 (direct) price tag. The Gateway M-152XL is a bargain mainstream laptop that pushes performance limits.

ATI Mobility Radeon HD 2600: This is a DirectX 10 graphic card from ATI and direct competitor to the NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GS graphic card for laptops and performs in games much better than the Nvidia card.

These cards should be able to display all current games with fluent framerates but not all with high detail settings. Especially demanding games like Crysis, Age of Conan, or Mass Effect are only playable with lower settings. Less demanding (and older) games, like Fifa 08, Command & Conquer 3, or Battlefield 2142 can be played with higher detail levels.

Intel Core 2 Duo: This is the Core Duo and Core Solo successor with a longer pipeline and 5-20% more speed without more power consumption. As an addition to the Core Duo design there exists a fourth decoder, an amplified SSE-unit and an additional arithmetical logical unit (ALU).

The Core 2 Duo for laptops is identical to the desktop Core 2 Duo processors but the notebook-processors work with lower voltages (0.95 to 1188 Volt) and a lower Frontside bus clock (1066 vs 667 MHz). The performance of equally clocked notebooks is 20-25% lower than Desktop PCs because of the lower Frontside bus clock and the slower hard disks.
15.4": 15 inch display-variants are the standard and are used for more than the half of all notebooks. 15.4 inch display with 16:10 are the standard for notebook displays.
The reason why so many people like displays with medium size is, that this size is not exhausting for the eyes, does not need too much current and the laptops can be kept quite compact.
2.9 kg: This weight is average for notebooks. Therefore the numerous mass of laptops with 15 inch display fits in this class of weight.

Lenovo Thinkpad T61p

2009-02-15T13:18:00.000-08:00

Notebook Specifications
Notebook: Lenovo Thinkpad T61p (Thinkpad T Series)
Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo T7500
Graphics Adapter: NVIDIA Quadro FX 570M 256 MB
Display: 15.4 inch, 16:10, 1920x1200 pixels, glossy: no
Weight: 2.8kg
Price: 2500 euro

The T61p is the first widescreen ThinkPad mobile workstation, and the latest high-end offering from Lenovo. It comes with almost every feature a demanding business user could want, and is starting at a very reasonable price point below 1400 for the 14.1” model. This model has also gone under a number of changes from the previous generation, and in this ThinkPad T61p review you will find out how it stacks up.
The ThinkPad T61p comes in two sizes, one being 14.1” and the model being reviewed at 15.4”. The key difference between both these lines, besides screen size, is the memory size of the NVIDIA Quadro FX 570M video card included with the system. You receive a 128MB card in the smaller 14.1” model, and double the memory at 256MB in the 15.4” model. The processor selection is the same, spanning from the Intel T7100 to T7700, memory from 1GB to 4GB, and hard drives from 60GB to 160GB in 5400 or 7200rpm flavors.
If the Lenovo ThinkPad T61p were a car, it would be known in street-racer circles as a sleeper: no glossy paint, no chrome trim--just a plain-Jane exterior with enough horsepower to blow the doors off all comers. Add in the ThinkPad line's excellent manageability, top-notch security, and standard three-year warranty, and you have a high-powered workstation for business users who value substance over in-your-face style. And at $2,288 for our tested configuration, it's also reasonably priced. The T61p comes wrapped in the classic (a nicer word for dull) matte-black cloak we've come to expect; while it's not contemporary, at least it's smudge-proof. The 15.4-inch widescreen and extended nine-cell battery hanging off the back (the standard six-cell sits flush) give the machine a large footprint and makes the 6.2-pound unit feel a little tippy in the hand.

NVIDIA Quadro FX 570M: Performance workstation grafik chip with DirectX 10 support, probably bases upon 8600M GT.

These cards should be able to display all current games with fluent framerates but not all with high detail settings. Especially demanding games like Crysis, Age of Conan, or Mass Effect are only playable with lower settings. Less demanding (and older) games, like Fifa 08, Command & Conquer 3, or Battlefield 2142 can be played with higher detail levels.
Intel Core 2 Duo: This is the Core Duo and Core Solo successor with a longer pipeline and 5-20% more speed without more power consumption. As an addition to the Core Duo design there exists a fourth decoder, an amplified SSE-unit and an additional arithmetical logical unit (ALU).

The Core 2 Duo for laptops is identical to the desktop Core 2 Duo processors but the notebook-processors work with lower voltages (0.95 to 1188 Volt) and a lower Frontside bus clock (1066 vs 667 MHz). The performance of equally clocked notebooks is 20-25% lower than Desktop PCs because of the lower Frontside bus clock and the slower hard disks.
15.4": 15 inch display-variants are the standard and are used for more than the half of all notebooks. 15.4 inch display with 16:10 are the standard for notebook displays.
The reason why so many people like displays with medium size is, that this size is not exhausting for the eyes, does not need too much current and the laptops can be kept quite compact.
2.8 kg: This weight is average for notebooks. Therefore the numerous mass of laptops with 15 inch display fits in this class of weight.

HP Compaq 6730b

2009-02-15T13:14:00.001-08:00

Notebook Specifications
Notebook: HP Compaq 6730b
Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo P8400
Graphics Adapter: Intel Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) 4500MHD
Display: 15.4 inch, 16:10, 1280x800 pixels, glossy: no
Weight: 2.5kg
Price: 900 euro

There's no mistaking this is a laptop designed for business use. Sensible grey-black styling with just a hint of corporate chic; a screen with a matte anti-glare finish rather than a glossy video-orientated affair; and a fingerprint reader to complement to the TPM 1.2 module all serve to lay the 6730b's corporate cards on the table. You get a 3G mobile broadband modem too. Beyond that, the machine makes a fine first impression. On the face of it the price isn't competitive, but the 6730b is a tempting business machine even so.

Intel Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) 4500MHD: Onboard (shared Memory) GPU built in the GM45 chipset (Montevina). Because of two more shaders and a higher core clock, much faster than the old GMA X3100. Still not advisable for gamers (DirectX 10 games not playable or only with very low settings). The integrated video processor is able to help decode HD videos (AVC/VC-2/MPEG2) , e.g., for a fluent Blu-Ray playback with slow CPUs.

Lower end of Graphics Cards for users who want to play games. New games should run on these cards, but only with decreased details and mediocre resolution.
Intel Core 2 Duo: This is the Core Duo and Core Solo successor with a longer pipeline and 5-20% more speed without more power consumption. As an addition to the Core Duo design there exists a fourth decoder, an amplified SSE-unit and an additional arithmetical logical unit (ALU).

The Core 2 Duo for laptops is identical to the desktop Core 2 Duo processors but the notebook-processors work with lower voltages (0.95 to 1188 Volt) and a lower Frontside bus clock (1066 vs 667 MHz). The performance of equally clocked notebooks is 20-25% lower than Desktop PCs because of the lower Frontside bus clock and the slower hard disks.
15.4": 15 inch display-variants are the standard and are used for more than the half of all notebooks. 15.4 inch display with 16:10 are the standard for notebook displays.
The reason why so many people like displays with medium size is, that this size is not exhausting for the eyes, does not need too much current and the laptops can be kept quite compact.
2.5 kg: This notebook is lighter than the average of all notebooks. It is too heavy for sub-notebooks. 14 inch displays are normal for this class of weight.

Fujitsu-Siemens Amilo Pa3553

2009-02-15T13:10:00.000-08:00

Notebook: Fujitsu-Siemens Amilo Pa3553 (Amilo P Series)
Processor: AMD Turion X2 Ultra ZM-80
Graphics Adapter: ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3470
Display: 15.4 inch, 16:10, 1280x800 pixels, glossy: yes
Weight: 3kg
Price: 800 euro
The FSC Amilo Pa 3553 is a stylish consumer laptop, and there's enough power and features to satisfy most users. The poor battery life and warm-running chassis deﬁnitely let it down, but it remains good value for money.

ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3470: Faster clocked HD 3450 and successor of the HD 2400 XT but with DirectX 10.1 and due to the new 55nm process, higher clockspeeds. Avivo HD video functions allow the decoding of HD videos.

Lower end of Graphics Cards for users who want to play games. New games should run on these cards, but only with decreased details and mediocre resolution.
AMD Turion X2 Ultra: The AMD Turion X2 Ultra is part of the Puma platform and a mixture of the old K9 core (form the Turion 64 X2) and some parts of the K10 architecture (memorycontroller, hypertransport, crossbar switch from the Phenom). Because of the increased L2 cache ("Ultra" CPUs) and the improved memory controller, the performance increased a bit. Still a similar clocked Core 2 Duo is noticably faster.

15.4": 15 inch display-variants are the standard and are used for more than the half of all notebooks. 15.4 inch display with 16:10 are the standard for notebook displays.
The reason why so many people like displays with medium size is, that this size is not exhausting for the eyes, does not need too much current and the laptops can be kept quite compact.
3 kg: This weight is average for notebooks. Therefore the numerous mass of laptops with 15 inch display fits in this class of weight.

MSI Wind U100

2009-02-15T07:23:00.000-08:00

Notebook: MSI Wind U100 (Wind Series)
Processor: Intel Atom Z530 1600
Graphics Adapter: Intel Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) 950
Display: 10.1 inch, 16:9, 1024x600 pixels
Weight: 1kg
Price: 500 euro
The MSI Wind U100, despite the new model designation, is still the same netbook that launched last summer in response to the Eee PC. While the chassis and basic design hasn't changed much, the Wind has picked up a few handy updates over the last couple months that help keep it competitive with the onslaught of new netbook offerings. The Wind offers a sturdy chassis that will take your constant handling in stride. The system is well built and covered in high quality paint that is very fingerprint resistant. Although the design comes off a bit bland, it's still a pretty good looking machine that will look the part in any situation, boardroom or coffee shop. While the original specs that called for an 80GB hard drive with 3-cell battery can still be found, most Winds on sale today pack 160GB and a beefier 6-cell unit.

We believe that a lot of people who never had a notebook will consider buying Wind PC U100. It is small and light, it has all you need from a notebook and it is as mobile as it gets. The battery life is not great, but it is still within acceptable levels. The 80GB Western Digital drive really helps a lot and 1GB of memory is enough for just about anything a normal notebook user might need. Realtek W-LAN uses Windows W-LAN manager; that is a bit primitive, as it forces you to type the password twice but it works quite well. We do believe that W-LAN can and will get a bit faster, but at least it works stable in four W-LAN environments we tested. Plastic is the biggest minus, as it leaves greasy fingerprint trails all over the small and cute case, but it’s nothing that a nice wipeoff cannot solve. From a design point, MSI deserves 9.5 of 10. We showed the machine to a dozen computer enthusiasts and non-geeks, including a few girls, and they all agree that this notebook looks great.

Lenovo Thinkpad X61s

2009-02-15T07:21:00.001-08:00

Notebook Specifications
Notebook: Lenovo Thinkpad X61s (Thinkpad X Series)
Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo L7500
Graphics Adapter: Intel Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) X3100 128 MB
Display: 12.1 inch, 4:3, 1024x768 pixels
Weight: 1.7kg
The X61 is Lenovo's Santa Rosa update to their renowned ThinkPad X series of ultraportable laptops. The X series is synonymous with usability and toughness while on the go. There are two versions of the ThinkPad X61: the X61 and the X61s. The notebooks are almost the same, save for the CPUs. The X61 uses the full power Core 2 Duos while the X61s variant uses the low power versions of the Core 2 Duo. In general, the X61 will offer a bit better performance while the X61s will have better battery life. This review will focus on the low power X61s. The X61s has been a nice contrast to my R60. I like my R60 a lot, but at times it seems heavy to me. When I get my next notebook, I might go with something smaller like this X61. After having spent some time with the X61s, I can see why people have such enthusiasm for the X series and why it is often so well reviewed. If you are a person who needs a lot of mobility or just want a small notebook, the X61s makes a compelling argument.

Intel Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) X3100: Intel Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) X3100 is an integrated (onboard) graphic chip on a Mobile Intel 965GM chipset. It is the successor of GMA 950 and features a fully programmable pipeline (supports Aero Glass fully and DirectX 10 with newest drivers). The peformance of the X3100 is clearly better than the GMA 950, still demanding modern games won't run fluently.

Only older games can be played fluently with these graphics chips (if they were not too demanding). Shared memory graphic cores in this category got the advantage of less heat production and longer battery runtimes. For office, internet, image processing, and video editing tasks these graphics chips are still useable without any restrictions.
Intel Core 2 Duo: This is the Core Duo and Core Solo successor with a longer pipeline and 5-20% more speed without more power consumption. As an addition to the Core Duo design there exists a fourth decoder, an amplified SSE-unit and an additional arithmetical logical unit (ALU).

The Core 2 Duo for laptops is identical to the desktop Core 2 Duo processors but the notebook-processors work with lower voltages (0.95 to 1188 Volt) and a lower Frontside bus clock (1066 vs 667 MHz). The performance of equally clocked notebooks is 20-25% lower than Desktop PCs because of the lower Frontside bus clock and the slower hard disks.
12.1": This is the most common display format for subnotebooks and an average size for subnotebooks.
The advantage is, that the subnotebook can be small dimensioned and can be carried easily. Further the tiny display has the advantage, that it needs less power, which improves the battery runtime and in consequence the mobility. The disadvantage is that reading of texts is very exhausting vor the eyes. High resolutions can hardly be used.
1.7 kg: This sub-notebook weighs less than the average of all notebooks and represents a medium class of weight among the sub-notebooks. 11 inch displays are normal for this class of weight.

Packard Bell Easynote TN65

2009-02-15T07:15:00.000-08:00

Notebook Specifications
Notebook: Packard Bell Easynote TN65
Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo T5800
Graphics Adapter: ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3430
Display: 15.6 inch, 16:9, 1366x768 pixels, glossy: yes
Weight: 2.7kg
Price: 800 euro

ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3430:

Lower end of Graphics Cards for users who want to play games. New games should run on these cards, but only with decreased details and mediocre resolution.
Intel Core 2 Duo: This is the Core Duo and Core Solo successor with a longer pipeline and 5-20% more speed without more power consumption. As an addition to the Core Duo design there exists a fourth decoder, an amplified SSE-unit and an additional arithmetical logical unit (ALU).

The Core 2 Duo for laptops is identical to the desktop Core 2 Duo processors but the notebook-processors work with lower voltages (0.95 to 1188 Volt) and a lower Frontside bus clock (1066 vs 667 MHz). The performance of equally clocked notebooks is 20-25% lower than Desktop PCs because of the lower Frontside bus clock and the slower hard disks.
2.7 kg: This notebook is lighter than the average of all notebooks. It is too heavy for sub-notebooks. 14 inch displays are normal for this class of weight.

Lenovo Ideapad S10

2009-02-15T03:22:00.000-08:00

Notebook Specifications
Notebook: Lenovo Ideapad S10 (Ideapad S Series)
Processor: Intel Atom N270 1600
Graphics Adapter: Intel Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) 950
Display: 10.2 inch, 16:9, 1024x600 pixels, glossy: yes
Weight: 2.2kg
Price: 300 euro

Intel Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) 950: Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950 is an integrated (onboard) graphic chip on Mobile Intel 945GM chipset. It is a faster clocked version of the GMA 900 and supports no hardware T&L (Transform & Lightning) accelleration (which is required for some games).

Only older games can be played fluently with these graphics chips (if they were not too demanding). Shared memory graphic cores in this category got the advantage of less heat production and longer battery runtimes. For office, internet, image processing, and video editing tasks these graphics chips are still useable without any restrictions.
Most netbooks have very little to say for themselves aside from "I'm a netbook" and "so am I". Yet, despite sharing most of the elements that comprise all netbooks - an Intel Atom processor, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, a 10.1in screen and a 160GB hard drive - Lenovo's IdeaPad S10e does at least have one unique feature; as well as Windows XP, it has an "instant-on" Linux operating system. Unfortunately for Lenovo, the IdeaPad S10e's most interesting feature, the instant-on operating system, isn't as compelling as it could be. Beyond this, it's a fairly run-of-the-mill netbook that offers mediocre battery life and poor keyboard ergonomics.

HP Pavilion tx2500z

2009-02-15T03:19:00.001-08:00

Notebook Specifications
Notebook: HP Pavilion tx2500z (Pavilion tx2500 Series)
Processor: AMD Turion X2 Ultra ZM-80
Graphics Adapter: ATI Radeon HD 3200
Display: 12.1 inch, 16:10, 1280x800 pixels, glossy: yes
Weight: 2kg
Price: 900 euro
Tablet functionality will benefit you much in your school studies. Taking notes electronically in class is definitely a powerful and handy thing to have. You do have to be a bit geeky or willing to learn the ins and outs of the Tablet features of Windows Vista, but once you’re used to using the pen input functionality and put in the time necessary to learn how to use Microsoft OneNote properly (or whichever note taking software you go with) then you’re definitely empowered. Many textbooks come in electronic versions these days, so if you can consolidate taking notes and carrying books to a Tablet PC then you’re golden (just make sure to back everything up at the end of each day to an external drive so you don’t lose a lot of precious information). Are there better Tablet PC and notebook convertibles than the tx2500z? Definitely there are, this is not the most solid feeling Tablet I’ve used and it runs darn hot, but once you look at the price you pay for a better convertible notebook (about twice the price) then you’ll probably be willing to accept some of the drawbacks of the tx2500z.

ATI Radeon HD 3200: Onboard (shared Memory) graphics chip (on RS780M chipset) based on the HD 2400 graphics core. It also features the UVD video engine to decode HD videos.Furthermore, it supports Hybrid CrossfireX (for accelleration) and PowerXpress(to save current) with a dedicated graphics adapter (of the HD 3000 line).

Lower end of Graphics Cards for users who want to play games. New games should run on these cards, but only with decreased details and mediocre resolution.
AMD Turion X2 Ultra: The AMD Turion X2 Ultra is part of the Puma platform and a mixture of the old K9 core (form the Turion 64 X2) and some parts of the K10 architecture (memorycontroller, hypertransport, crossbar switch from the Phenom). Because of the increased L2 cache ("Ultra" CPUs) and the improved memory controller, the performance increased a bit. Still a similar clocked Core 2 Duo is noticably faster.

12.1": This is the most common display format for subnotebooks and an average size for subnotebooks.
The advantage is, that the subnotebook can be small dimensioned and can be carried easily. Further the tiny display has the advantage, that it needs less power, which improves the battery runtime and in consequence the mobility. The disadvantage is that reading of texts is very exhausting vor the eyes. High resolutions can hardly be used.
2 kg: These sub-notebooks weight less than the average of all notebooks, but represent a heavier class of weight among the sub-notebooks. 12 inch displays are normal for this class of weight.

HP: HP is one of the biggest international manufacturers according market shares and reviewed models at the German- and English-speaking market. HP notebooks are often in top positions according price/value ratings.

MSI Megabook PR211

2009-02-15T03:16:00.000-08:00

Notebook: MSI Megabook PR211
Processor: AMD Turion X2 Ultra ZM-80
Graphics Adapter: ATI Radeon HD 3200
Display: 12.1 inch, 16:10, 1280x800 pixels, glossy: yes
Weight: 2.1kg
Price: 700 euro

12.1": This is the most common display format for subnotebooks and an average size for subnotebooks.
The advantage is, that the subnotebook can be small dimensioned and can be carried easily. Further the tiny display has the advantage, that it needs less power, which improves the battery runtime and in consequence the mobility. The disadvantage is that reading of texts is very exhausting vor the eyes. High resolutions can hardly be used.
2.1 kg: These sub-notebooks weight less than the average of all notebooks, but represent a heavier class of weight among the sub-notebooks. 13 inch displays are normal for this class of weight.

MSI: MSI is known as a notebook manufacturer MSI since 2005 and sells its mobile computers worldwide, but with modest market shares. Nevertheless considerable amounts of reviews are available for MSI-notebooks. Up to now, the price-value ratings resulted well and led to top ratings in this category.

Asus F9S

2009-02-15T03:13:00.001-08:00

Notebook Specifications
Notebook: Asus F9S (F9 Series)
Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo T7500
Graphics Adapter: NVIDIA GeForce 8400M G
Display: 12.1 inch, 16:10, 1280x800 pixels, glossy: yes
Weight: 1.9kg
Price: 1300 euro

When searching for a notebook I was looking for something that would last me for at least my four years of undergraduate studies, something that would be light and easy to carry without compromising performance, and something that can handle a few advanced and demanding programs from time to time. My intensive search ended with the ultraportable Asus F9S-B1, which had all of the things I was looking for with only a few compromises. I bought the Asus F9S notebook from btoTech.com. I have to say, I couldn’t be happier with the vendor I chose. The company stuck with me since July, giving me the right advice and the right recommendations, e-mailing me about their available products that suited my requirements, all the way until October, when the F9S-B1 became available. After ordering I received the notebook 6 days after ordering from them, the shipping was free. This was excellent speed and service!

NVIDIA GeForce 8400M G: The 8400M G is a pared-down 8400M GS with only half as much Stream Processors and a smaller memory bus. Therefore, the performance is much lower and only as fast as the old 7400 card. Only MPEG-2 acceleration.

Lower end of Graphics Cards for users who want to play games. New games should run on these cards, but only with decreased details and mediocre resolution.
Intel Core 2 Duo: This is the Core Duo and Core Solo successor with a longer pipeline and 5-20% more speed without more power consumption. As an addition to the Core Duo design there exists a fourth decoder, an amplified SSE-unit and an additional arithmetical logical unit (ALU).

The Core 2 Duo for laptops is identical to the desktop Core 2 Duo processors but the notebook-processors work with lower voltages (0.95 to 1188 Volt) and a lower Frontside bus clock (1066 vs 667 MHz). The performance of equally clocked notebooks is 20-25% lower than Desktop PCs because of the lower Frontside bus clock and the slower hard disks.
12.1": This is the most common display format for subnotebooks and an average size for subnotebooks.
The advantage is, that the subnotebook can be small dimensioned and can be carried easily. Further the tiny display has the advantage, that it needs less power, which improves the battery runtime and in consequence the mobility. The disadvantage is that reading of texts is very exhausting vor the eyes. High resolutions can hardly be used.
1.9 kg: These sub-notebooks weight less than the average of all notebooks, but represent a heavier class of weight among the sub-notebooks. 12 inch displays are normal for this class of weight.

Asus Eee PC 904

2009-02-15T03:07:00.000-08:00

Intel Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) 950: Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950 is an integrated (onboard) graphic chip on Mobile Intel 945GM chipset. It is a faster clocked version of the GMA 900 and supports no hardware T&L (Transform & Lightning) accelleration (which is required for some games).

Only older games can be played fluently with these graphics chips (if they were not too demanding). Shared memory graphic cores in this category got the advantage of less heat production and longer battery runtimes. For office, internet, image processing, and video editing tasks these graphics chips are still useable without any restrictions.
Intel Celeron M: It is a Pentium M with halved level 2 Cache and limited on FSB 400. The characteristic of this processor is the speed, which is hardly slower than an equivalent Pentium M. However it can change the speed not dynamically like the Pentium M and therefore needs without load more current.
It is also available as Low Voltage Version with very small current consumption.
8.9": The notebook has a very small and rare Display format for Subnotebooks. There hardly exist any smaller displays and this format is rare.
The advantage is, that the subnotebook can be small dimensioned and can be carried easily. Further the tiny display has the advantage, that it needs few current, which improves the battery runtime and in consequence the mobility. The disadvantage is that the reading of texts is very exhausting vor the eyes. High resolutions can hardly be used.
1.4 kg: This subnotebook is one of the most lightweight of all notebooks and can be carried very easily. There exist only few sub-notebooks, which weight less. 10 inch displays are normal for this class of weight.

Asus: Asus is an international manufacturer of medium size. In German and English speaking countries nowadays many notebooks of Asustec are reviewed. Nevertheless rather few laptop models achieve top-positions according total ranking and prize/value-rating.

Toshiba Portégé R500-12P Subnotebook

2009-02-15T02:48:00.000-08:00

Case

As already mentioned, Toshiba did not make any major changes to the design or the material used for the case. The top of the laptop is, as before, a metallic silver in color, which has a great feel to it, both of which are due to the very sturdy magnesium case used for the laptop. The light weight of the Portégé R500-12P, a mere 0.979 kilogramm, with the integrated Slim DVD-Super-Multi drive is also due to, in part, the magnesium case.
However, while handling the Portégé R500-12P, one gets the feeling that the laptop is not very sturdy, due to the fact that the light weight gives the user the sensation that he is not holding "much in his hand".

The slim 12,1 Zoll display of the Portégé R500-12P is held in place by two, very generously dimensioned hinges. Like most subnotebooks, the Portégé R500-12P does not have a locking mechanism for the display, yet the laptop can still be closed easily. Thus, the display can also be easily opened, without the laptop emitting any creaking noises from the hinges or the case. However, one should be careful, during transport, not to let any loose object slip between the display and the keyboard as this could cause serious damage to the screen. It would be advisable to use a separate protective cover for this, which is unfortunately not included in the delivery of the laptop.
Connectivity

The biggest changes, made to the Portégé R500-12P, during Toshiba's "mini refresh", were made to the connections offered by the laptop. By using the Slim DVD-Super-Multi drive, the manufacturers could preserve the small dimensions of their business laptop, and so they did not have to remove, or otherwise change, any of the other connections on the case. Thus, the Portégé R500-12P still has three USB Ports, Firewire, a VGA connecter, which allows the use of an external screen or beamer, and audio ports for the microphone and headphones. A LAN port (Intel(R) PRO/1000 PL Network Connection) and a Kensington Lock near the hinges are also present on the case. Of course, the Portégé R500-12P also has a WLAN module of the Intel(R) Wireless WiFi Link 4965AGN type, which can be used for wireless surfing.

The Portégé R500-12P has become a bit heavier due to the circa 7 millimeter big optical drive. However, due to this integration, the user does not have to carry around an expensive external DVD drive to fulfill his needs.

The communication interfaces have not been changed much either. The Portégé R500-12P still has the Gigabit LAN port and Wireless LAN Draft-N, and, now, it also has a Bluetooh port and a UMTS module.
Like in the previous model, a fingerprint reader is used here to secure the data on the laptop. The small device can be found between the two mouse keys. The user can activate additional security measures via the Toshiba Security Assistant which are designed to protect personal data from hackers and other unauthorised users.

For storage, a 128 GB Solid-State-Disc (SSD) is used for the new model. With this new storage disc Toshiba has doubled the storage capacity of the laptop from the modest 64 GB, that was available on the previous model, to a more practical 128 GB.
As to the keyboard and the touchpad, we have found nothing new. The positioning of the keys is good, and there were barely any mistakes in our practical typing test. Important keys like Enter- or Space key are generously dimensioned, just like the Shift- and the Backspace key.

The space of the touchpad is relatively big in dimension, and reacts very sensitively to the movements of our finger. The two touchpad keys match the design of the rest of the laptop very well. However, in practical use, the user can notice a relatively big "dead zone" (region where pushing the button does not seem to have an effect) on the left and right sides of the keys. The only way to get clear feedback is to push the keys right in the middle. However, this fault should not be present to begin with in a notebook in such a price range.
The display is definitely one of the specialities of the Toshiba Portégé R500-12P. Equipped with a matted transflective 12.1 inch WXGA LED display, with a maximum resolution of 1280x800 pixels. By pressing one button the LED backlight of the display can be switched off, and the display will use the brightness of it's environment to display the material on the screen. This is especially useful out in the open, or when the sun is shining directly on the laptop.

The disadvantage of the transflective display is that the screen displays a picture of modest quality which has under average contrast, and the colors, depending on the user, are less defined. Overall, we could confirm these characteristics in our test of the Portégé R500-12P.
We can't report anything new about the performance of the Portégé R500-12P as the hardware components are identical to the ones from last year. The Portégé R500, which we tested in march of 2008, achieved 443, 2515, and 1342 points for shading, multi- and single rendering respectively, in the Cinebench R10 benchmark. The Portégé lying in front of us achieved 444, 2515, and 1342 points in the above mentioned sections, basically identical.

3DMark 2001 3241 points

3DMark 03 839 points

3DMark 05 401 points

PCMark 05 2460 points

3DMark 06 151 points

A few changes were made to the battery life. The model which we tested in march of 2008 was equipped with a lithium ion battery with a modest capacity of only 2900 mAh, whereas our test model now has a much more powerful battery with a capacity of 5900 mAh.

This helps the Portégé R500-12P with the configuration that we have to really high performance in terms of battery life. Our test model managed in the Battery Eater Classic test (with 100% CPU usage, everything on, and max. brightness) a good 145 minutes. In the Battery Eater Readers test, which provides the maximum battery life to be expected from the laptop, the laptop managed an amazing 6 hours and 30 minutes (390 minutes) with a full battery inside.

Even the average performance while surfing with the WLAN, with good or maximum brightness, was not disappointing, as the laptop lasted 246 minutes (4 hours and 6 minutes). Likewise the playing of a DVD with the now integrated optical drive with maximum brightness was completely satisfactory. Here the laptop ran for about 158 minutes, which allows most films to be played from beginning to end without any problems.

The Portégé R500-12P impressed us with its above mentioned strengths. Toshiba has even managed to improve on some of the weaknesses that we had pointed out, such as: the weak battery life. Even the now integrated optical drive with a height of 7 millimeters scores plus points for the R500.

However, the user still has to fight with certain faults in the laptop, like, for example, the touchpad, which needs getting used to, the clearly audible cooler, and the poor quality of the display.
The display shows it strengths, however, in outdoor use, especially, when it is really bright. The transflective LED display in the 12.1 inch configuration uses the brightness of its environment to display onscreen material and, thus, strengthens the rather modest brightness level of the display, on average about 150 cd/m², during indoor use.

The Tosiba R500-12P offers a very compact, but still a very well thought out, distribution of the ports. Three USB ports, a connection for a docking port, so as to increase the number of connection available on the laptop during office use, and an extensive communications module, which includes Gigabit LAN, Wireless LAN Draft-N, Bluetooth and UMTS/HSDPA, all together make up the diverse and many resources offered by the Toshiba R500-12P.

Even the battery life is impressive. The laptop can last between 2 hours and 25 minutes, under heavy CPU usage, and a maximum of 6.5 hours in energy conservation mode with optimal settings. Even in the practical test, using the WLAN, the laptop lasted for a great four hours and six minutes.

Only, the proud price tag attached to the laptop, of about 3199,- Euro (the recommended retail price from the Toshiba homepage (in German)), mars the otherwise very sturdy and mobile impression exuded by the subnotebook. The R500 will find it hard to compete in today's market, given the current netbook-hype, even if the clientele of the R500 is, admittedly, a different one.

Samsung Aura Q210

2009-02-15T02:35:00.000-08:00

Once again Samsung designed a black notebook. This models can be distinguised by a contrasting red stripe in the front part of the top case. Unfortunately most parts of the top case, luckily except of the keyboard, have a glossy finish, which is sensitive to fingerprints.

If you pick the notebook up and handle it with only one hand, you can sometimes hear a creaking. Nevertheless, the case is rather rigid and does not give, if you do. But, the plastic of the top case gives if you take it between thumb and index finger and press.

It is easy to move the lid. Maybe it even opens a little too easy - at least this was our first impression. Nevertheless, the hinges hold the screen luffing-free. Still, they can be easily moved by the user even with only one hand.

The maximum opening angle is 140 degrees, which is sufficient. A magnet prevents the lid from opening by itself, even if the notebook is turned upside down. So, the Samsung Q210 does it without a transport hook.
Input devices

The keyboard of the Samsung Q210 does not utilize the whole width of the already small laptop. So, the keys are not really big. But unless the user has to type several hours a day, the keyboard is acceptable, especially considering that typing is really comfortable, because the key travel is short and the key feedback is hard, but not too hard. Furthermore, the keyboard is well mounted and does not give.

What annoys most is that the keys clatters quite sonorously if you type fast. Thereby, dot, slash and semicolon, and the rather small space bar are the loudest keys.

Although the touchpad is also rather small, it is excellent. Its surface is smooth and moving the finger on it feels nice to the touch. Furthermore, the pointer moves very precisely. Also the mouse buttons gave a positive impression, because they are easy to press and have a short travel. In contrary to the right one, the left button is pleasingly quiet.
Display

The 12” screen can be considered as one of the weakest points of the Samsung Q210. But, not because the results of the measurement are bad, but rather because other subnotebooks are often equipped with screens with LED backlight nowadays.

On the other hand the native resolution of 1280x800 pixels (WXGA), which equiponderates readability and desktop size, is a clear pro.
The Brightness of the screen is with an average of more than 180cd/m² acceptable. A weak point is the poor contrast, which amounts to 134:1.

The colour appear cold, because a faint blue gradient shows up here and there. The colors are well saturated, but in our opinion less true than for example the colours of the HP Pavilion tx2550's matte screen.
Performance

The reviewed model is based on Intel's Montevina (second generation Penryn) platform. Since the Core 2 Duo P7350 hasn’t been announced beforehand, it was a surprise to see it in this notebook. After experiencing the latest Penryn CPUs it seems that it was a wise choice by Samsung. The Core 2 Duo P7350 has low heat emissions (TDP of 25W), and offers sufficient performance to deal with demanding applications. Its clock frequency is 2.0GHz, its FSB is 1066MHz, and the level 2 cache is 3MB large.

According to our tests the P7350 is slightly faster and consumes less power than its predecessor, the T7300 with 2GHz, 800MHz FSB, and 4MB level 2 cache. Overall the Samsung Q210 showed a similar performance level as a different system with a T8300 and 3GB of DDR2-667 RAM.

A nVidia GeForce 9200M GS is responsible for all graphics related tasks. Usually GS stands for mediocre performance, similar to the GeForce 8400M GS or the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 2400. However, the 9200M GS is available in two versions, a slower one with GDDR2 VRAM and a faster one with GDDR3 VRAM, which is built into the Samsung Q210. Although it is even with GDDR2 VRAM still not a high-end card, it is at least on par with cards like the ATI Mobility HD 2400XT or X1600. Considering that about two years ago cheaper mainstream gaming notebooks were using these cards, the GeForce 9200M GS is more than fast enough for a subnotebook.
System Noise

The Samsung Q210 is very quiet with only 32dB in idle mode, caused by a faint hum of the mechanical hard drive. It probably could have joined Samsung's range of virtually silent notebooks with a solid state disc, but even 32dB is almost inaudible.

The noise level rises under light load to 32.5dB and to 33dB under stress, because the (quiet) fan starts to spin up. In reality these results mean the notebook keeps very quiet, no matter how hard it has to work.

Regarding noise the Samsung Q210 is probably quieter than any other notebook with discreet graphics card.
The warming up of the chassis is not a big issue even not in summer. But the Samsung Q210 does warm up a bit even during light use, so the user cannot feel fully comfortable when keeping the notebook on the lap. However, this is only a slight inconvenience.

Temperatures do not change much when working with demanding applications too: On the top and bottom parts of the base unit the temperatures only slightly exceed 40°Celsius.
Loudspeakers

Although the Samsung Q210 has two speakers they are feeble and have a very poor maximum volume. They cannot even a little bit compete with the quality of the HP Pavilion tx2550 speakers (made by Altec Lansing).
Battery life

Samsung used a 6-cell battery with a capacity of 5200mAh (57.7Wh), which is quite a lot considering the fact that the same battery is being used in the larger and more powerful Samsung R560 notebook.

The recorded times ranged from almost two to about six hours. With normal usage and activated WLAN connection, it will last for about three and a half hours.

So although the battery life is not outstanding, it is sufficient long for proper mobile usage.
Verdict

What stands out is that the Samsung Q210 can operate in a really quiet manner. This valuable characteristic outshines other attributes of this subnotebook with 12-screen and dedicated GeForce 9200M GS graphics card. If you need a small laptop that is hardly audible, we can highly recommend this one.

The main disadvantages of this notebook, which might discourage some from buying it, is the glossy coating of the lid and the top case, which are very sensitive to fingerprints. The case of the Samsung Q210 is not the most solid of all: It is satisfactorily rigid, but creaks in many areas.

The screen is inferior to the one in some other small notebooks, but the difference is not at all that significant. In contrast the loudspeakers are really poor and will not be able to impress anyone.

The Samsung Q210 has a pretty good battery life and manages three to four hours on battery. It is also one of the very few small notebooks that offer a dedicated graphics card, which proved to be better than our modest expectations by far, because it uses GDDR3 memory.

Acer Aspire 6930G Notebook

2009-02-15T02:32:00.000-08:00

With the refreshing Gemstone Blue design the Acer Aspire 6930G does not only look good, it also stands out of the masses. However the dark blue lid is sensitive to fingerprints. The top side of the case is dark and does not really attract attention.

In contrast to the Aspire 6920G, the direct predecessor, and the similar Aspire 6935G, the 6930G comes without CineDash multimedia console. However, its functionality was in the opinion of many users anyway debatable. For it, this notebook has an extra number pad right of the standard keyboard.

The workmanship of the Aspire 6930G is good. Despite of being with 3.2 kg quite heavy, it is no problem to pick this notebook up on its front edge. Thereby the plastic parts only slightly creak.

However, there are also some weaknesses here. In the tested notebook the top edge of the screen and the front of the base unit did not close flush. While the notebook closed almost perfectly and without gap on the right the lid projected the base unit by about 0.5 mm on the left. Furthermore, there was a tiny bump in the already mentioned part of the lid. It actually turned out that this part is not really well designed: If you open the lid as usual, that is in its middle, a little right of the web cam, the plastic considerably creaks.

The surface of the palm rests is quite coarse, and not that nice to the touch as for example the one in the Aspire 8930G.

The maximum opening angle is limited to almost 120 degrees and therewith also the freedom of handling.
those in the current range of Toshiba Satellite notebooks. We prefer the slightly coarse key surfaces, because, the fingers might slip on this slippery surface. Furthermore, such glossy surfaces are also sensitive to dust and dirt.

Even worse, the keyboard gives, especially the right hand area of the alphanumerical part. According to the measurements and the key layout it seems that this keyboard is identical to the one in the bigger 8930G.

The touchpad has a similar surface than the one of the Aspire 8930G. Contrary to the touchpad of the bigger notebook it feels slightly coarse. While the touchpad of the 8930G is a little greasy, as if rubbed with silicon oil. Mostly the touchpad works as expected. However, the vertical scroll area does always react immediately.
The Acer Aspire 6930G comes with a slightly unusual screen, a 16-inch panel with a native resolution of 1366x768 pixel (WXGA). The non-standard 16:9 aspect ratio is not supported by some of the games. So, there will be either black bars on the sides or the picture will be stretched.

This LCD panel is made by Samsung and has a quite good picture. However, on maximum brightness, the picture appeared to be too bright and the colors washed out. Warm colors proved to predominate in the color gamut, because of the evident excess of red. However, on areas supposed to be white, we only noted a slight violet overtone. Compared to the very good Dell M4400 WXGA+ (WLED) screen, black and gray areas also appeared to have a slight blue tint.
The screen of Aspire 6930G is very bright. On maximum, the average brightness amounts to almost 210cd/m². A good score, considering the single fluorescent lamp used to illuminate it. The black level is rather moderate, but thanks to the high brightness the maximum contrast of 233:1 is not so bad (but also not really good).

The reviewed Acer Aspire 6930G was equipped with a Core 2 Duo T5800 CPU. This processor has a 800MHz frontside bus and 2MB L2 Cache. The only difference between this CPU and the equally cloced Core T7250 is, that the later utilizes the Intel Dynamic Accerleration (IDA) technology. This brings extra performance for single-thread programs, because it allows to increase the clock-speed of a single core. The performance of the two processors mentioned above and also of the numeruous comparably clocked Intel CPUs is relatively similar. So, the user will hardly recognize a difference in standard applications.

An important pro of the Aspire 6930G is its video card, an nVidia GeForce 9600M GT with GDDR3 VRAM. As already mentioned this is one of the few Acer notebooks equipped with this graphics card. If you are looking for a multimedia notebook with a price tag below 1000.- Euro, the GeForce 9600M GT is a very reasonable choice. Furthermore, graphics cards with GDDR3 VRAM are faster than those with DDR2 VRAM. E.g., this video card is faster than a GeForce 9650M with DDR2, which is used in some Asus laptops. However, the performance in demanding games will likely only differ by some or few frames-per-second. But, especially here, even a small increase can be valuable.

If you want to buy a Aspire 6930G, you should carefully check the specifications of the model. There are some with an inferior dedicated video card (GF 9300M GS).

Attention: The 3DMark06 score is maybe higher, because the test was run in 1024x768 resolution instead of the usual 1280x800.

3DMark 2001 26788 points

3DMark 03 16354 points

3DMark 05 10197 points

3DMark 06 6296 points

Cinebench R10
Settings Value
Shading 4470 Points
Rendering Multiple CPUs 3835 Points
Rendering Single 2013 Points

Quake 3 Arena - Timedemo
Resolution Settings Value
1024x768 highest, 0xAA, 0xAF 409.5 fps

F.E.A.R.
Resolution Settings Value
1024x768 GPU: max, CPU: max, 0xAA, 0xAF 56 fps
800x600 GPU medium, CPU medium, 0xAA, 0xAF 106 fps
640x480 GPU min, CPU min, 0xAA, 0xAF 196 fps

Crysis - CPU Benchmark
Resolution Settings Value
1366x768 Low 51.57 fps
1366x768 Medium 25.81 fps
1366x768 High 13.87 fps
1024x768 High, 0xAA, 0xAF 17.28 fps
1024x768 Medium, 0xAA, 0xAF 27.05 fps
1024x768 Low, 0xAA, 0xAF 72.23 fps
800x600 High, 0xAA, 0xAF 23.75 fps
800x600 Med, 0xAA, 0xAF 37.29 fps

Crysis - GPU Benchmark
Resolution Settings Value
1024x768 High, 0xAA, 0xAF 19.28 fps
1366x768 Low 55.84 fps
1366x768 Medium 27.37 fps
1366x768 High 14.93 fps
1024x768 Medium, 0xAA, 0xAF 34.96 fps
1024x768 Low, 0xAA, 0xAF 60.45 fps
800x600 High 26.38 fps
800x600 Med, 0xAA, 0xAF 44.53 fps

Gaming Performance (Fraps 60s):

Call of Duty 4
resolution 1366x768, "normal/medium" details
min 22, med 29.37, max 40 frames/second

Company of Heroes
resolution 1024x768, "high/med" details, AA enabled
min 31, med 46.13, max 75 frames/second

Gothic 3
resolution 1024x768, "high" details
min 13, med 23.53, max 33 frames/second

Medal of Honor Airborne
resolution 1366x768, "medium" details
min 42, med 48.13, max 64 frames/second

Supreme Commander
resolution 1024x768, "high" details, AA enabled
min 27, med 29.63, max 31 frames/second

The cooling system of Aspire 6930G works properly. Although the heat emitted by the hardware is considerable, the computer stays even under load relatively calm. Under light load the fan is inaudible, and only a faint whir of the hard drive can be heard.

The maximum noise level we measured, was just 34.4dB. Not only is the noise level moderate, but also the noise characteristics is absolutely harmless

The Aspire 6930G is not only rather quiet, it also stays rather cool. Even after applying heavy load for a longer time, the temperature stayed low. That is everywhere except of close to the fans. On the bottom side it reached a temperature of 46.5 degrees Celsius there (above 53 degrees inside).

Loudspeakers

The Tuba CineBass Booster, a subwoofer placed on the back of the laptop, makes the difference. This loudspeaker system helps create an effect not available in laptops lacking such. If the Aspire 6930G was used by someone not too fastidious, there is no need to plug-in external speakers while watching movies or listening to the music.
Battery Life

The Aspire 6930G has a battery with the same capacity as the already reviewed Aspire 5930G (4400mAh, 48Whr). But, this model has a considerably shorter battery life. Why? Because of a CPU with higher thermal dissipation power (TDP). The Core 2 Duo T5800 (TDP: 35W) used in AS6930G test sample is far less energy-efficient than the P8600 (TDP: 25W).

The test sample has a battery life even shorter than HP Pavilion dv5 series laptops with GeForce 9600M GT. And the later is one of the worst in its category. Under two hours for browsing the web with the WLAN module activated (but without switching to energy saving mode) is really low.
Verdict

Due to our tests this powerful notebook rates rather good. The Acer Aspire 6930G does not only look good. Compared to the similar Aspire 5930G it is equipped with a more energy-efficient CPU with comparable performance. So, the battery life is longer.

The well designed and solid case of the bigger of the above mentioned notebooks, does not really get warm and, what's more, the cooling system is nevertheless even under load rather quiet.

The Aspire 6930G is equipped with a 16:9 aspect ratio screen. This is brilliant for watching films. For usual applications the Aspire 5930G appears to be better, because it can display more pixels in the vertical axes. Also in regards of games it has to be mentioned, that some do not support a the 16:9 aspect ratio and do, therefore, not look that good.

Toshiba Satellite A300

2009-02-15T02:27:00.000-08:00

Notebook Specifications
Notebook: Toshiba Satellite A300
Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo T8100
Graphics Adapter: ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3650
Display: 15.4 inch, 16:10, 1280x800 pixels, glossy: yes
Weight: 2.7kg
Price: 1100 euro
Links: Toshiba homepage
Toshiba notebook section
Satellite A300 (Model)

ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3650: The Hd 3650 is a middle class graphics card (in 2008) and compareable to an 8600M GT GPU from Nvidia. It is fabricated in 55nm process and due to Avivo video engine the graphic card can support the processor with several video operations (HD video too).

These cards should be able to display all current games with fluent framerates but not all with high detail settings. Especially demanding games like Crysis, Age of Conan, or Mass Effect are only playable with lower settings. Less demanding (and older) games, like Fifa 08, Command & Conquer 3, or Battlefield 2142 can be played with higher detail levels.

>> Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Graphics Cards and the corresponding Benchmark List.

Intel Core 2 Duo: This is the Core Duo and Core Solo successor with a longer pipeline and 5-20% more speed without more power consumption. As an addition to the Core Duo design there exists a fourth decoder, an amplified SSE-unit and an additional arithmetical logical unit (ALU).

The Core 2 Duo for laptops is identical to the desktop Core 2 Duo processors but the notebook-processors work with lower voltages (0.95 to 1188 Volt) and a lower Frontside bus clock (1066 vs 667 MHz). The performance of equally clocked notebooks is 20-25% lower than Desktop PCs because of the lower Frontside bus clock and the slower hard disks.

T8100:
>> Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Processsors.

15.4": 15 inch display-variants are the standard and are used for more than the half of all notebooks. 15.4 inch display with 16:10 are the standard for notebook displays.
The reason why so many people like displays with medium size is, that this size is not exhausting for the eyes, does not need too much current and the laptops can be kept quite compact.
>> To find out how fine a display is, see our DPI List.

2.7 kg: This notebook is lighter than the average of all notebooks. It is too heavy for sub-notebooks. 14 inch displays are normal for this class of weight.

Toshiba: Toshiba is one of the biggest international notebook-manufacturer. There exist many reviews for Toshiba models. The ratings of German magazines are very positive, but the relation of price and value is evaluated rather average. The ratings according the features and display are also quite well for Toshiba notebooks.

Dell Studio XPS 13

2009-02-15T02:22:00.000-08:00

For the time being two models constitute the new Studio XPS series. On the one hand a mobile 13 inch notebook, which can not only be seen as a persistent office notebook, but also as rather powerful multimedia-laptop, because it is equipped with an nVidia Hybrid SLI graphics. On the other hand a classical 16 inch multimedia notebook with a big field of application is offered. At first we will look at the Studio XPS 13, which is especially interesting because it combines performance and durability.

Just one week ago Dell presented the new Studio XPS series in front of a number of journalists. While we could just look at pre-samples in the course of this, we now got hold of an official 13 inch model for sale, which we tested carefully. A report of our first impression of the Studio XPS 13 and 16 notebooks is available here.
Case

Already in the former XPS model design was considered important. In the new Studio XPS series this aspect gained even more importance. First of all, leather was used at the lid. However, the numerous deliberate details, which do not leave anything to chance, are even more interesting.

Let's start with the dominant design features. The lid is covered by a total of three different components. In the top part there is a high-gloss finished plastic part. A silver aluminium diecast part, which optically separates the black high-gloss finish from the black leather element, follows. So, the lid provides several haptic experiences, whereas the leather part feels best to the touch.

But, in mobile use you can experience at once that the leather element does not only look good. It allows to securely grasp the notebook there and move it from the table. Although lids are usually sensitive to fingerprints, this one escapes them.

Except of the leather element, the same material change from aluminium parts to high-gloss finished plastic parts, is continued for the base unit. While other manufacturers resort to hides or their artificial copies for the palm rest areas, Dell prefers high-gloss surfaces here too.

The test did not prove our initial concerns that the palm rest areas could be sensitive to dust and dirt, which is completely contrary to our experience with some glossy parts. The same is also true for the moulding with touch-sensitive hot keys above the keyboard.
While the hot keys are hardly visible if the notebook is turned off, they are illuminated by white LEDs after power on and thereafter readily identifiable.
Also the right display hinge provides decent optical charms. Their white LED visualises the operating state, and, e.g., pulses "Apple-like" in stand-by mode.
As already mentioned for the pre-samples, the case is very stable and resistant against force. It is possible to pick the notebook up everywhere including the display and carry it around.
Only the big maintenance opening made of a single aluminium part gives minimally at the vent holes. At the vent holes you'll find the next sophisticated detail. The cover is perforated in x-shapes for the necessary openings. To make it even clearer the letters X-PS were added to this pattern in a single place.

Once again the four feet are worth mentioning. They allow to use the laptop on a number of surfaces in a very secure way without getting out of place. Admittedly, this is not the most important aspect for a mobile 13-incher, but it's also not negative.

Another word to the hinges: They proved to be clearly stabler in the production model and also the gaps are preciser. But, this does not mean that they cannot be improved any more. Also the fit of the battery can still be criticised.
Besides some optical shortcomings, the hinges hold the display securely and they keep the notebook closed with sufficient force - an important improvement compared to the pre-sample.
Although the opening angle is limited to about 145°, we did not face any problems because of this throughout the test.
In mobile notebooks it is often saved on connectivity, on the one hand because of the available space and on the other hand because of cuts. This is not true for the Studio XPS 13. Providing only one standard USB 2.0 port, the number of ports is not really a strong point of this notebook, but the quality is.

The left side of the case already provides important interfaces like HDMI out, digital display port, a USB 2.0 interface, Gigabit LAN, an analogue VGA out, and a Kensington lock.
What about eSATA? No problem, just look at the right near the back, just before the power jack, combined with a USB 2.0 port. And FireWire is also available and that in the front part of the right side.

In between there is a good-looking slot-in drive, a DVD-RW drive at the time being. So far Blu-Ray is not available. A further pro is the stability of the case in this part, which is a clear weak point of other notebooks - very good.
An nVidia nForce module (Gigabit 10/100/1000 Mbps) allows fast wired networking. Also standard of the new Studio XPS series is wireless LAN standard-n (Dell Wireless 1515). Bluetooth (2.0) is available for a surcharge of 35.- euro.
An HSDPA module for wireless Internet access via broadband is also available for a surcharge of 60.- euro. According to Dell it is also possible to upgrade the notebook with such later, because all models are completely wired and equipped with the necessary antennas ex factory.

As usual, Dell also offers a number of accessories for the Studio XPS 13. These include external input devices, bags, routers, and various software - of course for a surcharge.
As a small free goodie Dell delivers the XPS 13 in a big coth bag, which is useful for cleaning the notebook, but also marginally protects the notebook during transportation.
Dell offers four years XPS-Premium-Service for this system. However, most of the offered models only include one year warranty. If you do not want to do it without a longer protection, it can get really expensive. Dell offer a warranty of 2 years for 179.- euro, of 3 years for 199.- euro and a four years warranty costs even 299.- surcharge. However, the later also includes on-site service.

Fast Access Face Recognition

Dell's Studio XPS models do not have a fingerprint reader for access control. Instead, the integrated web cam and a proprietary software is used for this, but only if the user likes. Of course the first step in utilizing this feature is to configure the according software and store ones face and optionally also add a password.

Afterwards the web cam is activated upon login. This is indicated by a white LED beside the web cam. The software looks for a face near the lens and hopefully recognizes the master of the computer. If so, the login process continues without delay.

On fail, you can still login by typing the correct password. Hopefully, the software learns and is more tolerant in the future. This way the software learns to accept changes like a new hairstyle or wearing glasses.

In the test, unfavourable lightening conditions (too dark) often caused problems for the identification. Sometimes it works notedly fast, while other times you have to manually type the password after trying for minutes...
Input Devices

Dell designed a special keyboard for the Studio XPS notebook series. This can be easily distinguished from those of other series by its striking surface design and a special font. The keyboard is really flat, and the actual typing area is moved about 2 mm from the key edge.

The layout appears to be rather clear, and also the key size turned out to be user-friendly in the test. This compensates for the rather dense layout without all-too big gaps between the keys. Maybe the a little bit uncentred keyboard and the touchpad needs getting used to. The reason is the key row right of the keyboard.

The illumination of the keys is very good. A decent light, not at all uncomfortable, can be seen through the letters. So, using this notebook in dimmed environments gets pretty easy. A further advantages is that light shines with hardly any exception only through the labels and not for instance much through the gaps between the keys. This guarantees a first class contrast for typing. Furthermore, it is even possible to adapt the brightness of the illumination in three levels. In addition also the illumination of the active Caps-Lock key is very useful.
The touchpad has a slightly roughened surface with rather good gliding properties. Also the two buttons score points by a feeling typical for Dell, that is soft feedback and good key travel.

Apropos feel of typing, we liked the keyboard with its short key travel and think that it is also ready for typing long texts. The decent tapping also contributes to this.
In the test we recognized that the pad has multi-touch features. You can e.g. zoom documents with two fingers. However, the standard scroll option, for which two fingers move across the pad, was not available.
Display

Dell offers two display models for the Studio XPS, an entry-level solution, i.e., a WXGA CCFL panel with a resolution of 1280x800, or a LED panel with the same aspect ratio. However, the later costs 70.- euro more. Both models have a TrueLife surface, that is a completely glossy "edge to edge" design. According to Dell the LED model should be brighter and thinner than the CCFL screen.

We had the joy to test the white-LED model and measured a maximum brightness of 254 cd/m² in the middle of the screen. Towards the bottom edges the brightness falls down to 202 cd/m². So, the illumination of this panel is just 79.5%.
We had a rather good subjective impression of the screen's picture. The colours appear strong and also the contrast is alright. Surely, the reflecting TrueLife surface considerably contributes to this. According to our measurements the maximum contrast is 438:1 (black value: 0.58 cd/m²).

In any case the reflecting surface contradicts outdoor operation. Nevertheless the display should be sufficiently bright for even providing sufficient contrast in bright environments.

In horizontal direction this display has as usual bigger viewing angles if you prescind from reflections at acute angles. We were a little bit surprised by the vertical viewing angles, which turned out to be bigger than usual too.
Performance

In regards of processors Dell only offers P-series models of the Intel product range for the Dell Studio XPS 13. The reason is that these have a clearly lower TDP25 of only Watt compared to the T-series chips, which have a TDP of 35 W. So, you can choose between a P8400 CPU with 2.2 Ghz, a P8600 CPU with 2.4 GHz, and P9500 CPU with a clockrate as high as 2.52 GHZ, 6MB L2 cache, and 1066 MHz frontside bus. Considering the price/performance ratio the P8600 should be top. This is available for nearly 50.- Euro extra cost compared to the entry-level version with P8400 CPU. Detailed tests of the current Core 2 Duo Penryn CPUs are available in this special article.

Regarding the graphics card not that much choices are available. You can either select the integrated chipset graphics from nVidia, the Geforce 9400M G, or a combination with dedicated Geforce 9200M GS graphics card via nVidia Hybrid SLI (Geforce 9500M G). The later costs about 80.- Euro more.

Thanks to the nVidia Hybrid Power & Boost technology this combination of integrated graphics chip and additional dedicated graphics card can reach the performance of the middle-class of comparable multimedia notebooks. In the test the XPS 13 achieved, e.g., 3442 points in the 3D Mark 2006 benchmark test, which is very good. Therewith it is about equally powerful than various multimedia notebooks, e.g., the MSI GX620 with Geforce 8600M GT graphics or the Asus M50S with ATI HD3650 graphics. The huge difference between integrated graphics chip and active hybrid SLI graphics card gets also clearly apparent.
We can also give a positive summary conerning the results of the PC Mark 2005 benchmark test. With 6690 points the Studio XPS 13 clearly tops various other comparable multimedia specialists. Another important aspect are the premium RAM equipment and the brilliant SSD of this system. We will describe this a little later.

A striking detail in the PC Mark 2005 benchmark test is that the system is marginally better with chipset graphics (9400M) than with dedicated graphics card.
Dell equips the XPS 13 without exception with fast DDR3 RAM. Most of the advertised models have 3GB RAM ex factory, which are even supported by a 32-bit operating system. However, if you upgrade to the maximum RAM capacity of 4 GB, you should use a 64-Bit OS. Except of a 25% bigger RAM, you will also profit from a small performance gain, because the two memory modules work in dual-channel mode.

Our test sample was equipped with 2GB modules from Hyundai, in detail DDR3 PC3-8500Fes with 1066 MHz. So, this system was upgraded to the maximum denoted by Dell in this aspect.

Regarding mass storage devices you can either choose from standard hard drives with revolution speeds of 5400 rpm or 7200 rpm and a gross capacity of 500 or 320 GB or a Solid State drive with 128 GB capacity.

So, you have to consider three aspects for your buying decision: capacity, performance, and price. The cheapest version is, e.g., a 250GB 7200 rpm hard drive. The biggest capacity is offered by the 500GB rpm hdd. But, in terms of performance and indirectly also in terms of price, the offered SSD is top. It costs as much as 360.- euro more.

The SSD, which was also inside our test sample, accomplished brilliant results in the benchmarks. It achieves transfer rates of up to 156 MB/s, so, you can forget about standard hard drives. Not to mention the hardly existent access times of just 0.2 milliseconds.
Gaming Performance

Because of the good result in the 3D Mark 2006 benchmark, one question arises: Can the gaming performance of the Studio XPS 13 be compared with system with 8600M GT, or is the 3D Mark score only nice to look at?

In the meanwhile somewhat old games, Doom 3 and FEAR, the Geforce 9500 graphics solution turned out to be rather gaming-friendly. E.g., in Doom3 it achieved a rather playable frame rate of 44.1 fps. Even solely with the chipset graphics (9400M) 44.0 fps were possible. Thereby the nVidia Hybrid SLI does not seem to be better. Furthermore, system with similar 3D Mark score, e.g., the MSI GX600 with Geforce 8600M GT clearly exceed these results(87.9 Fps bei ultra).

The lead of the 8600M GT is not that big in, e.g., the driver-sensitive shooter FEAR, a DX9 based game. But, here you can especially with high details detect differences between 9400M and 9500M graphics.
We chose Crysis with a resolution of 1024x768 as representative of demanding games. From the very beginning it was clear that it does not make any sense to try detail level high. Even gaming notebooks like the M17 from Alienware are not capable of this. However, at least for the sake of comparison the detail levels medium and low are of interest.

This gives a clear advantage for the Geforce 9500M graphics card over the integrated 9400M graphics card of about 20%. This can, e.g., on low details be essential for playability or not.
Furthermore, it gets once again obvious in comparison that a Geforce 8600M GT is indeed clearly more powerful and able to get the lead over the Geforce 9500.
Current multimedia hardware like, e.g., a Geforce 9600M GT, are definitely outside the scope of this graphics solution.
We gave it another try and tested the popular multi-player shooter Call of Duty 4 in practice. The key question was, whether this game can be played to some degree with Geforce 9500 graphics solution?

The recorded frame rate when playing part of the first single player mission led to the following conclusion: The difference between or more precisely the advantage of the Geforce 9500 graphics card increases with the demands on graphics (resolution, anti-aliasing, ...).
The frame rate won't get to some extent reasonable, before activating the 9500 graphics cards, reducing the resolution to 800x600 pixels and deactivating anti-aliasing. Once we did, we recorded frame rates, which mostly exceeded 30 Fps. Deactivating further graphical options, could lead to further improvements, and so might result in Call of Duty being playable to some extent with this hardware.
Emissions

System Noise

The hybrid SLI technology from nVidia does not only allow interesting fields of application. This notebook also scores points in regards of noise emissions. With energy profile balanced, which means that the Geforce 9200M GS graphics card is activated by default, the fan runs even without load in idle mode virtually without interruption. Although the noise level of 32.5 dB(A) was not inconvenient, the notebook was clearly audible.

If you choose the energy saving profile from the energy options, the dedicated graphics card will be deactivated and the fan falls silent within seconds. We could do simple work like typing text or browsing the Internet and the fan stayed silent. Because of the noiseless SSD in our test sample, the whole system was silent in this state.
After about 80 minutes in this state and with room temperature of 23 Celsius the fan was activated, ran, and got silent again a while after. At that time we could measure a noticeable heating of the case. The maximum temperature was 41.9 °C on the top side and 42.8 °C on the bottom side.
Thereby we used the notebook on a standard hard desk.

With constant load the fan caused a noise level of about 41.0 dB(A). Sometimes the recorded noise level was even 46.4 dB(A), with which the Studio XPS 13 can already be disagreeably loud.
Temperature

As already mentioned, the recorded surface temperatures were without load and with deactivated dedicated graphics card comparably high. The case has to release heat to the environment in this state, because the fan stays most of the time deactivated. Of course this works only, if a large area gets warm. If you work with this notebook on your laps, the temperatures of about 40 degrees Celsius can get inconvenient.

However, under loud the measured surface temperatures are even clearly higher. The top side of the base unit reaches up to 48.1 degrees Celsius on some points and large areas of the bottom side heat up to up to 48.8 degrees Celsius. This is acceptable if you use this notebook stationary on a desk. But, you should definitely avoid operating this laptop on your laps or on soft textile surfaces.
Battery Life

Dell equips the Studio XPS 13 with a lithium-ions battery with a capacity of 53.7 Wh. At the time of writing alternatives are not available. So, the compact multimedia notebook does not really have a long battery life, but an acceptable mobility is guaranteed.

On maximum energy saving (WLAN off, min. brightness, energy saving profile) the runtime was about 200 minutes. The worst case scenario, that is load, maximum display brightness, and activated WLAN, the battery was empty after about 70 minutes. The detailed BatteryEater protocols will follow shortly.

In WLAN mode, i.e., browsing the Internet with maximum display brightness, however, with energy saving profile (Geforce 9400M), we recorded a rather good runtime of 175 minutes. But, the battery life when watching a DVD was clearly worse: 120 minutes could be slender for some films.
The new concept of the Studio XPS model seems successful. The XPS stll claims a high performance. And Dell rightly places emphasis on the hybrid solution from nVidia. So, it was not only possible to provide proper reserve capacities, but also fulfill properties typical for 13-incher, e.g., a slim case, a decent noise level, and also sufficient mobility.

The case could also convince in many aspects. E.g., regarding used materials and stability. We also liked the numerous sophisticated details, e.g., the new locking mechanism for the battery, the LED illuminations, or the especially designed vent holes on the bottom side.

The connectivity should thanks to display port, HDMI interface, and eSATA port include everything needed for a mobile multimedia notebook. Gigabit LAN and draft-n WLAN are available by default, HSDPA is an option and retrofittable. Considering a total price of 1000.- euro, a surcharge of 35.- euro for bluetooth should not be really asked for.

The Dell Studio XPS 13 has a beautifully illuminated keyboard and this by default for no extra costs. However, the keyboard is not only nice to look at, it is also fit for intensive typing.

The performance is appropriate for a 13-inch model. Especially, the hybrid SLI technology from nVidia inside the black and silver case attracts attention.
Dell succeeds in creating a notebook which at least partly runs nearly inaudible. So, not only ambitious multimedia user might be happy with it.

Of course also the XPS has some weak points, e.g., some smaller weaknesses regarding gaps, a reflecting display with average resolution, partly high surface temperatures, and a maybe too short battery runtime. To summarize, the Studio XPS 13 is a rather successful notebook, which may worthily carry the XPS logo into the future.

HP Compaq Mini 701eg Netbook

2009-02-15T02:15:00.000-08:00

HP's first step into the netbook market took the form of the Mini-Note 2133, which was still equipped with a Via C7 CPU. The 8.9 inch display was also typical for netbooks at that stage of development.

The current Compaq Mini 701eg Model, following the general trend, employs a larger 10 inch display. Interestingly, HP already recognized the necessity of an easily operable keyboard in its 8.9 inch model, and endowed the notebook with an appropriately large case, even despite the smaller display. The Mini 701eg, therefore, has extremely familiar case display components.
Case

Even though the case itself is fundamentally different from that of the Mini-Note 2133, there are still highly visible parallels to its predecessor in the design of the netbook. One of these is recognizable in the breadth of the case, which at 262 millimeters is practically the same as its predecessor. This allowed the keyboard that was already included in the 9-inch model, which in terms of netbook ratios is very generous, to be integrated in the device.

The general design is, with the exception of the wedge-shaped base unit, which is now built extremely flat and level, the same as the Mini-Note 2133. The rounded corners of the case, which has an otherwise absolutely planar surface, are also significant.

Two additional peculiarities in the design make the HP Mini 701 a head-turner: on the one hand, the display was furnished with a mirrored cover that was drawn over the viewable area up to the outer edges of the screen (meet the new Macbooks from Apple), and on the other hand, the central display hinge incorporates the netbook's speakers behind an eye-catching perforated metal cover. Visually, the HP Mini 701eg is hardly like any other current netbook.

As attractive as the central hinge is, the disadvantage of the preprogrammed limit to the opening angle should not be understated. In the case of the Mini 701 from HP, this is even of vital importance, in our opinion. The viewing position can be adapted up to the largest available angle of 123°. In the test, we were almost constantly afflicted by too bright of a picture when working on the desk because of the sub-optimal viewing angle.

The base unit is composed of a plastic case tray with cover made from metal material, probably aluminum. This combination makes a very good tactile impression, but slight deformations, especially on the underside of the device, can occur under pressure.
The display is dominated by mirrored high-gloss surfaces. As mentioned earlier, the front side of the screen was equipped with a totally flat and transparent high-gloss surface up to the outermost edge. The display cover is also adorned with a black high-gloss finish and has a discreet and thoroughly chic structure.

What is good for the eye, however, is often not necessarily practical in everyday use. The display hinges do allow the netbook to be lifted by the display without problems, but in most cases this leaves behind unattractive fingerprints on both the surface of the display as well as the display cover. HP is obviously conscious of this problem, and provides a cleaning cloth along with the netbook.
Well then, have fun polishing...

Another peculiarity must be mentioned along with the display: it lies noticeably against the keys of the netbook in the shut position. Because of this, one may want to save some sort of rubber stopper. The fact that the keys are often dirty and can therefore affect the display surface. HP also finds a way to help here by providing the netbook with a felt inlay. If one wants to avoid possible contamination of the display, one should also always use this during later transportation, or perhaps resort once more to a good old cleaning rag.
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Connectivity

Netbook basics and then some — this is how you could describe the ports HP has offered on the Mini 701. The typical netbook connections include, without a doubt, both of the USB ports as well as the multimedia card reader. The audio ports offered seem unusually limited, if you will. There is only a single 3.5mm stereo jack on the left side of the case. What makes this especially confusing is that, next to it, there are both a microphone and a headphone logo.

This combined microphone input and audio output was installed purely for the reason of saving space. Connecting a standard headset with headphones and a microphone with it, however, is impossible, so you have to, with telephony for example, rely either on the integrated speakers for playback or else on the integrated microphone for sound pickup.

The expansion port offered is also interesting. According to the user handbook, despite the name, for the time being, apparently, it can only be used exclusively for the connection of an external VGA device, meaning a display or a projector. According to HP, an assortment of connections for this port are currently being worked on. In the future, even more functions might be supported.
The so-called “HP mobile drive” port on the right side of the case was locked by a plastic cover in our test sample. Here, as far as is available (model 702eg ?!), a USB 2.0 based fixed disk memory expansion can be implemented.

The state of the ports is not necessarily optimal, and expansion port and the LAN connection, which lies far to the front of the device, can cause some inconvenience because of the cables next to the notebook, especially during stationary use.

Front side: no connections

Left side: Network connection, US 2.0, expansion port, audio, LAN (behind the rubber stopper)

Back: no connections

Right side: multimedia card reader, USB 2.0, HP Mobile Drive (optional)

In terms of communication, the Mini 701eg offers an integrated Ethernet module from Marvell Yukon (10/100) and wireless LAN standard 802.11 b/g from Broadcom. A feature that is almost standard equipment for netbooks is an integrated bluetooth module, which enables communication with various small electronic devices (cell phone, Pocket PC,...).

Although a UMTS option for the HP Compaq Mini 701eg is to date not available (with the exception, of course, of an external UMTS expansion via USB), our test sample possessed an extremely suspicious opening on the inside of the battery chamber that “coincidentally” had exactly enough space for a sim-card. One could surmise from this that, at least at a later point in time and perhaps under another label (702eg ?!), a version with an integrated UMTS module will also be available.

With the warranty provided, the largest notebook manufacturer in the world, HP, does not drop the ball. For a total of 24 months, a manufacturer's warranty with pickup and delivery service is offered for the Mini 701.
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Input Devices

As was already indicated above, the keyboard unit installed is apparently the same as was already employed in the 9 inch Mini-Note 2133. The characteristics of the keyboard, correspondingly, are identical. With a key size of 1.7 by 1.6 centimeters, it offers a size sufficient for hammering out longer texts without all too much trouble. You could easily employ the 10-finger system on it, which caused surprisingly few mistakes during the course of our test.

Some mistakes are possible, though, in the area of the left shift key and the cursor keys, all of which are small in comparison to the others. One thing we found very pleasant was the two-row enter key, which has already become a standard with the introduction of the 10 inch form factors.

The feeling while typing stands out due to a rather short and resilient keystroke length, however this was perceived as thoroughly pleasant during the test. The nearly planar surface of the keys takes some getting used to, in our opinion. The sounds produced by typing are totally normal, and the level of noise they produce during normal text input is always justifiable.

The touchpad on the front of the base unit was well designed. Because of the extremely small amount of space available, the touchpad buttons were put on the side of the pad. This certainly complicates any attempt to operate the touchpad with only one hand, but it is easy to manage using two hands.
You should be careful, however, that you don't touch the pad while pressing the keys and confuse the cursor. In the test, this unfortunately happened relatively often.

The button that deactivates the pad proved itself to be a thoroughly useful gadget. This can prevent undesired inputs from being sent through the pad during text input. However, the white LED light that marks the pad being active shines extremely brightly, and some users might find this very disturbing since it lies in the middle of the field of vision on the device.

HP equipped its netbook with a 10.2 inch WSVGA display with LED lighting. With a Resolution of 1024x600 pixels, the viewing area and working surface are consistent with most netbook panels available on the market. Simple office applications manage thoroughly well on it, and you could definitely get by with web surfing. However, you have to adapt to the frequent vertical scrolling that is necessary for nearly all uses: a problem that the majority of current netbooks have to struggle with.

In our display brightness test, the installed display did very well. The maximum value of 223 cd/m² can be seen in the center of the display, but is put into perspective by the fact that the illumination level of the display was only 74%. The reason for this is a reduction in the brightness at the corners of down to 167.1 cd/m².

Another point of critique for the LED panel is the surprisingly low contrast relationship. With a higher than average black value of 19 cd/m², the panel reaches a disappointing result of as little as 117:1 in this category.

HP Compaq Mini 701eg Outdoors

But that is not enough. Another immensely important point, in our opinion, especially for netbooks, was not implemented by HP, contrary to the general trend in netbooks. The mirrored display surface, which is visually very appealing, but rather annoying during practical use makes operating the notebook out of doors possible only with major limitations. Additionally, the netbook lacked enough leniency in the opening angle of the display to minimize the reflections that appeared.

The display's ability to produce colorful images is, thanks to the brilliant surface, definitely above average. Problems arise, however, as soon as you can no longer maintain the optimal viewing angle perpendicular to the display.
Then, even at slight departures from the ideal vertical viewing angle, noticeable image distortions begin to appear. Horizontally, the greater struggle is with the reflections produced.

Viewing angle HP Compaq Mini 701eg
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Performance

Current netbooks are extremely difficult, in fact nearly impossible, to compare in terms of the power available to them. Most of the devices possess an Intel Atom N270 PU with 1.6 GHz and an integrated Intel GMA 950 graphics chip based on the Intel 945GM chipset. Also in terms of RAM they are equipped with, the netbooks equal each other to a tee with a maximum one gigabyte of RAM.

Differences, therefore, can only be accounted for in the end by the fixed disk installed. The HP Compaq Mini 701eg employs a traditional 1.8 inch fixed disk with a rate of 4200 rpm and a total capacity of 60GB.
The results of the hard disk in the HDTune benchmark test show rather low transfer rates with a somewhat below average retrieval time of 19.5 milliseconds.

Like other comparable netbooks with identical hardware in terms of the CPU, graphics cards, and RAM, the Mini 701eg is also thoroughly suitable for everyday office applications. The main functions are probably limited predominantly to composing texts, displaying images, managing contacts and mail traffic, and using the internet. With the exception of somewhat longer waiting times now and then, no obvious limitations should arise.

Notebook specifications

HP Compaq Mini 701eg
:: Processor
Intel Atom N270 1600 1.6 GHz
:: Mainboard
Intel 945GM
:: Memory
1024 MB, DDR2 PC6400
:: Graphics adapter
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) 950 - MB, Core: 400 MHz
:: Display
10.2 Zoll , 1024x600 pixel, WSVGA LED BrightView Display, glossy: yes
:: Harddisk
60 GB - 4200 rpm, 60GB 4200rpm TOSHIBA MK6028GAL
:: Soundcard
Intel Intel 82801GBM ICH7-M - High Definition Audio Controller
:: Connections
2 USB, Audio Connections: kombinierter Kopfhörer/Mikrofon Anschluss, Card Reader: Multimedia Cardreader, Expansion Port, HP Mobile Drive
:: Networking
Marvell Yukon 88E8040 PCI-E , Broadcom 802.11a/b/g , Bluetooth Bluetooth
:: Optical drive
:: Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 25 x 167 x 262
:: Weight
1.14 kg Power Supply: 0.32 kg
:: Battery
26 Wh Lithium-Ion, 11.1V
:: Price
400 Euro
:: Operating System
Microsoft Windows Vista Home Basic 32 Bit
:: Additional features
24 Months Warranty

Lenovo ThinkPad X300

2008-12-18T13:00:00.000-08:00

The good:
Extremely thin and light; sleekest ThinkPad yet; built-in DVD burner, plus WWAN, GPS, and wireless USB.

The bad:
Solid-state drive comes at a high premium; touch pad's location makes it easy to accidentally graze while typing.

The bottom line:
The ThinkPad X300 breaks new ground by packing a broad display, full-size keyboard, and nearly every feature a mobile user needs into a sleek, lightweight case.

Specifications:
Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo (1.2 GHz) ; RAM installed: 1 GB DDR2 SDRAM ; Weight: 3.2 lbs ; See full specs

Price range: $1,889.00

See all products in the Lenovo ThinkPad X300 series
CNET editors' review
Reviewed by: Michelle Thatcher
Reviewed on: 02/22/2008
Released on: 02/26/2008

We're not even two months into the new year, and we've already seen Apple's remarkably slim MacBook Air and Toshiba's update to its featherweight Portege R500. Both were very strong contenders for the top spot on our list of favorite ultraportable laptops--until this week, when we got our hands on the Lenovo ThinkPad X300. The newest addition to the ThinkPad X series incorporates the best of the MacBook Air (13.3-inch display, full-size keyboard, thickness less than one inch) with the best of the Portege R500 (solid-state hard drive, thorough selection of ports) while also adding its own great features, such as a built-in DVD burner, WWAN connectivity, and GPS. The X300's ThinkPad DNA is evident in its instantly recognizable black, square-edged case, but at 0.73 inch thick and weighing anywhere from 2.9 pounds to 3.5 pounds (depending on your battery and optical drive choices), it's simply the sleekest ThinkPad yet. The biggest criticism of the ThinkPad X300 is its price: the base configuration costs $2,476 and goes up from there. But innovative design, thorough features, and cutting-edge components don't come cheap, and the ThinkPad X300 is truly unique in its balance of portability and usability.

Price as reviewed / starting price $2,936 / $2,476
Processor 1.2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo SL7100
Memory 2GB of 667MHz
Hard drive 64GB solid-state drive
Graphics Intel GMA X3100 (integrated)
Operating System Windows XP Professional
Dimensions (WDH) 12.5 x 9.1 x 0.73 inches
Screen size (diagonal) 13.3 inches
System weight / Weight with AC adapter 3.4 / 4.0 pounds
Category ultraportable

.

Aside from the laptop's dimensions, the design changes with the ThinkPad X300 have been incremental. The ultraportable still features a rectangular black case built around a magnesium chassis. There's still a blue ThinkVantage button above the keyboard, a fingerprint reader below it, and a keyboard light on the top edge of the display. However, ThinkPad fans will notice small changes that make the X300 a bit more attractive. The lid and wrist rest feature an appealing soft matte finish; the ThinkVantage, power, and mute buttons glow when pressed; and the front edge is devoid of any ports or switches.

In addition to the keyboard light, the ThinkPad X300's display bezel includes a 1.3-megapixel Webcam and a noise-canceling digital microphone for Web conferencing. The matte-finish display itself features a 1,440x900 native resolution that's sharper than that of the MacBook Air and other similarly sized screens, resulting in text and icons that are a bit smaller than you'd expect. The sharper resolution doesn't cause tremendous problems, though we did find ourselves pumping up the font size on a newspaper's Web site so we could read a lengthy article. We also zoomed in a bit when working on documents and spreadsheets. The trade-off: more screen real estate for multitasking and, when it's time for a break, beautiful video.

Given the amount of typing the typical executive does through the course of the work day, a keyboard can make or break an ultraportable. The ThinkPad X300 actually uses the same keyboard found on Lenovo's 14- and 15-inch models--which is to say, not the condensed keyboard found on previous X series models and many ultraportable laptops from other manufacturers. After conducting an entire morning's work--and writing this review--on the ThinkPad X300, we still don't feel like we've been typing on a laptop. We love it.

Lenovo decided to include both the red eraser-head TrackPoint pointing stick and a touch pad on the ThinkPad X300. The decision is understandable: many ThinkPad users are viscerally attached to their TrackPoints, while other users can't stand it, so why not include both methods? However, the double sets of mouse buttons seem to run counter to the overall theme of simplification that the ThinkPad X300 embodies. In order to make room for the TrackPoint's buttons, the touch pad is placed rather low on the wrist rest, with its buttons near the laptop's front edge. Fortunately, the ThinkPad X300 is thin enough that we could use the touch pad with our wrist resting on a desk surface--or on our leg, when the laptop was in our lap. Of greater concern is the fact that, during our lazier typing moments when our wrists dropped to the wrist rest, we were likely to graze the touch pad and accidentally misplace the cursor.

Lenovo ThinkPad X300 Average for ultraportable category
Video VGA-out VGA-out
Audio Stereo speakers, headphone/microphone jacks Headphone/microphone jacks
Data Three USB 2.0 Two USB 2.0, mini-FireWire, mulitformat memory card reader
Expansion None PC Card or ExpressCard slot
Networking Ethernet, 802.11 a/g/n, Bluetooth, WWAN, GPS Modem, Ethernet, 802.11 a/b/g Wi-Fi, optional Bluetooth, optional WWAN
Optical drive DVD burner None, or DVD burner

The ThinkPad X300 is an interesting exercise in minimalism. The laptop lacks some features that would be considered standard on an ultraportable, such as an expansion card slot or multiformat memory card reader, both of which are found on the Toshiba Portege R500. But it adds features that will likely be of higher value to mobile workers, such as WWAN, wireless USB, and even GPS. More notably, it incorporates many features that the MacBook Air does not, including two more USB ports, an Ethernet connection, and a built-in DVD burner. These additions make the ThinkPad X300 a realistic choice for use as a primary computer, which is a major advantage over its Apple competitor, especially given the price.

The base model of the ThinkPad X300 costs a hefty $2,476. Much of that price can be attributed to the laptop's 64GB solid-state drive, which promises faster application launch and boot times as well as a longer lifetime than a traditional hard drive with moving parts. (Unlike the MacBook Air, which comes in a low-cost configuration with a traditional spinning hard drive, the ThinkPad X300 is available only with a solid-state drive.) Our review unit included a few upgrades--twice as much RAM as the base configuration, plus WWAN, GPS, and an extended-life six-cell battery--that brought the price to $2,936. That's a bit high, even for an ultraportable, but still below the cost of a MacBook Air equipped with a solid-state drive.

Like the MacBook Air, the ThinkPad X300 incorporates Intel's new small-form-factor Core 2 Duo CPU, though with a slightly slower clock speed. That slower speed is at least partly to blame for the ThinkPad X300 trailing behind the MacBook Air on the multimedia multitasking portion of CNET Labs' performance benchmarks. Fortunately the ThinkPad's 2GB of RAM helped it keep up with the MacBook Air on our Photoshop test, where it also scored well ahead of the Toshiba Portege R500. As with any Core 2 Duo system, the ThinkPad X300 proved more than adequate for typical business productivity tasks, including Web surfing, media playback, and running office applications. We were able to conduct a full morning's work while streaming music over the wireless connection without any stuttering or noticeable performance issues.

In anecdotal testing of the ThinkPad X300 with the six-cell battery, we were able to get between 3 and 4 hours of battery life, depending on our usage and screen brightness settings. On CNET Labs' DVD battery drain test, the ThinkPad X300 died out after 3 hours, 43 minutes, just 20 minutes before the MacBook Air. That's obviously not enough juice for a full day of work away from the desk, but it is nearly an hour longer than the Portege R500's battery life. Here's another place where the ThinkPad X300's built-in DVD is an advantage: you can purchase an additional three-cell battery that fits inside the drive bay to extend your mobile computing time. Also an advantage: the ThinkPad X300's removable battery, which is remarkable only because users cannot replace the battery in the MacBook Air.

Dell XPS M1330

2008-12-18T12:56:00.000-08:00

While a worthwhile vendor of mass-market mainstream laptops and desktops, Dell has never been known as an innovator in consumer product design. In fact, the company's stodgy, boxy products have been blamed for a loss of market share to the bolder design strokes of competitors such as HP and Gateway. That's what makes the new 13-inch XPS M1330 such a pleasant surprise. From our first behind-closed-doors peek at it last month, we've been impressed with the emphasis on the user experience in this superthin, high-end laptop, from the slot-loading DVD drive to the touch-sensitive media buttons and HDMI-output jack. At $2,000 and up, it's definitely a premium product, but worth it if head-turning design is as important to you as specs and performance.

Price as reviewed / starting price $2,188 / $1,299
Processor 2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7300
Memory 2GB, 667MHz DDR2
Hard drive 160GB at 5,400rpm
Chipset Intel 965
Graphics 128MB Nvidia GeForce Go 8400
Operating System Windows Vista Premium
Dimensions (WDH) 12.5x9.4x0.87-1.3 inches
Screen size (diagonal) 13.3 inches
System weight / Weight with AC adapter [pounds] 4.3 / 5.1 pounds
Category Thin and light

Unlike the bulky, unattractive 12-inch Dell XPS m1210, the M1330 has clearly been built with an emphasis on good looks and clean lines, ditching the earlier model's cumbersome, rotating Web cam and thick chassis. The system is slightly wedge shaped, going from 0.87 inch in the front to 1.3 inches in the rear. At less than four pounds, it's one of the lightest 13-inch laptops we've seen--nearly a full pound lighter than the popular yet hefty 13-inch Apple MacBook, and a touch lighter than the 12-inch XPS M1210.

The keyboard tray is brushed silver with black accents, while the lid is available in black, white, or red. Our review unit had the matte-red finish (Dell calls it Crimson Red), which looks great, but more color options (as with the newly revamped Inspiron line of laptops) would have been welcome.

Dell manages to squeeze a good number of extras onto the keyboard tray, including touch-sensitive controls for volume and media playback, an eject button for the slot-loading DVD drive, and a quick-launch button for Dell's proprietary Media Direct software. The biggest drawback we found with the M1330's design was the tiny, 2.75-inch touchpad, which we found to be particularly frustrating given the fact that there's plenty of room on the wrist rest for a bigger pad.

Rounding out the laptop's external features are a Webcam on top of the display and a small, credit-card-size remote control that pops into PC card slot on the side.

The LED-backlit display, also seen in the new 15-inch MacBook Pro, helps to make the system's lid thinner (less than a quarter-inch thick) while also extending battery life, although users should not expect the display to look any different than a traditional LCD laptop screen. With a native resolution of 1,280x800--the same as on the 13-inch MacBook--you get the best mix of screen real estate and readability.
Dell XPS M1330 Average for category [thin-and-light]
Video VGA, HDMI VGA, S-Video
Audio Stereo speakers, headphone (2x)/microphone jacks Stereo speakers, headphone/microphone jacks
Data Two USB 2.0 ports, a mini-FireWire, and a multiformat memory card reader Three USB 2.0 ports, a mini-FireWire, and a mulitformat memory card reader
Expansion Two Type IIIA Mini-Card Slots Type I/II PC Card or ExpressCard
Networking Modem, Ethernet, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, optional WWAN Modem, Ethernet, 802.11a/b/g Wi-Fi, optional Bluetooth, optional WWAN
Optical drive DVD burner DVD burner

With only two USB ports, some accessory-heavy users may feel shortchanged, but we suspect they'll be few and far between. The HDMI output is a welcome bonus, but we're not sure how useful will be until Dell adds a Blu-ray drive to the configuration options. Wireless 802.11n networking is rapidly becoming the new default for laptops, and we would have been disappointed not to see it here. We were also pleased to see Dell offer an optional mobile broadband antenna, with service from Verizon, AT&T, or Sprint.

Our prerelease review unit had a decent set of specs, but we'll have to wait until Dell's online configuration utility is live to see exactly what your options are. We do know the high-end 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7700 processor is available--our review unit featured a 2.0GHz T7300--as well as your choice of Intel's integrated 3100 graphics or Nvidia's GeForce Go 8400. A non-LED backlit display is also an option, but as it adds weight and thickness; we'd avoid it. Solid-state hard drives and Blu-ray optical drives are promised in the near future, but exact dates for those features making their way to the M1330's configurator aren't known.

Compared with other recent 13-inch laptops, the Dell XPS M1330 performed as expected, closely matching the performance of the similarly configured Apple MacBook, and easily beating the Fujitsu's 13-inch AMD-based LifeBook S2210, thanks to the strength of Intel's Core 2 Duo processors and Centrino Duo platform. Hardware has evolved to the point where laptop performance comes only into play if a system is somehow working slower than it should be and as we'd expect for any recent Core 2 Duo laptop, the XPS M1330 is a speedy performer, even when running multiple apps such as iTunes, Word, and IE at the same time.

The Nvidia GeForce Go 8400 isn't the fastest laptop GPU out there, but it's at the upper end of what you can find outside of 17-inch desktop replacement systems. We got a very playable 33.3 frames per second in Quake 4 at 1,024x768, even with high-end options such as antialiasing turned on, meaning the XPS M1330 has decent gaming chops, as long as your expectations are reasonable.

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Dell Inspiron Mini 9

2008-12-17T10:01:00.000-08:00

The good:
More configurable than other Netbooks; good battery life; XP and Linux OS options.

The bad:
Some awkward keyboard compromises; no SSD options larger than 16GB.

The bottom line:
Dell's entry into the Netbook market means it's time to take these low-cost, low-power PCs seriously. The Inspiron Mini 9 is an excellent example of the form, if not radically different from the competition.

Specifications:
Processor: Intel ATOM (1.6 GHz) ; RAM installed: 512 MB DDR2 SDRAM ; Display: 8.9 ; See full specs

Price range: $349.00
CNET editors' review
Reviewed by: Dan Ackerman
Reviewed on: 09/05/2008
Updated on: 10/27/2008
Released on: 09/04/2008

Editors' note: We have revised the rating of this product to reflect the changing competitive Netbook landscape.

We've known for some time that Dell was working on a Netbook-style laptop--the same kind of small, low-power, inexpensive system made popular by Asus and the Eee PC line. And even though there are not many surprises in the new Inspiron Mini 9, it's still an excellent example of the form, without any of the deal-breakers (older CPU, not enough storage space, hard-to-use touch pad) that have kept other Netbooks from being more universally useful.

While component-wise, the Mini 9 is similar to other recent Netbooks, such as the Eee PC 901 and the Acer Aspire One (which all use Intel's Atom CPU), in typical Dell fashion, there are more customization options than we've seen other Netbooks.

Our test unit arrived with 1GB of RAM, a 16GB solid-state hard drive, and Windows XP. That configuration costs $514 and comes very close to hitting the benchmarks we set out in our "Building the Perfect Netbook" feature, which asked for similar components, but maybe a slightly bigger SSD hard drive and an impulse-purchase $499 price tag.

You can get the Inspiron Mini 9 down to as low as $349 by opting for a smaller hard drive (4GB or 8GB), 512MB of RAM, an Ubuntu Linux OS, or knocking down the Webcam to a lower-resolution option. Or, add few bucks for the option internal Bluetooth antenna, which wasn't in our build (but is useful for tethering a cell phone for mobile broadband access). As an interesting note, the Mini 9 apparently includes an inactive internal mobile broadband antenna. According to Dell, it will be announcing the carrier and coverage details in the coming weeks.
Price as reviewed / Starting price $514/349
Processor Intel Atom 1.6GHz
Memory 1024MB DDR2 SDRAM 533MHz
Hard drive 16GB SSD
Chipset Intel GMA950
Graphics Mobile Intel 945 Express Chipset (integrated)
Operating system Windows XP Home Edition SP2
Dimensions (width by depth) 9.1x6.8 inches
Thickness 1.25-1.1 inches
Screen size (diagonal) 8.9 inches
System weight / Weight with AC adapter 6.2/6.9 pounds
Category Netbook

In person, the Mini 9 is similar in design to Asus' 9-inch Eee PC. It's slightly thinner, at about 1.25 inches at the back, tapering slightly toward the front. Our system had a glossy black finish (which is very fingerprint prone), and white is also available. Interestingly, most of the leaked product shots we've seen up to now show a red model.

The challenge for any Netbook is to squeeze as much keyboard as possible into a very tiny space, and the Mini 9 does a good job with it. The Dell letter keys are larger than on the 9-inch Eee PC, but certain keys--Tab, Caps Lock, and so on--are reduced to small slivers. In addition, the entire function key row has been removed. F1 through F10 are now alternate keys of the A to L row. It's an interesting compromise to get the most surface area for everyday typing, but makes some tasks, such as jumping between Web page fields with the Tab key, somewhat awkward.

Opening the lid, the 8.9-inch 1,024x600-pixel screen shares space with a Webcam above and two small speaker grilles below. The display offers just enough space for displaying Web pages and Word documents, and we think the 9-inch size is the perfect fit for Netbooks, rather than the smaller 7-inch or larger 10-inch screens on other systems.
Dell Inspiron Mini 9 Average for category [Netbook]
Video VGA-out VGA-out
Audio Stereo speakers, headphone/microphone jacks headphone/microphone jacks
Data 3 USB 2.0, SD card reader 2 USB 2.0, SD card reader
Expansion None None
Networking Ethernet, 802.11 b/g Wi-Fi, optional Bluetooth modem, Ethernet, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
Optical drive None None

The Inspiron Mini 9 has three USB ports, headphone and mic jacks, a VGA out, SD card slot, and an Ethernet jack--a fairly standard set of connections in the Netbook world. Integrated Bluetooth is a $20 option, and Dell is expected to announce a mobile broadband plan soon. We'd love to see mobile broadband in more Netbooks, but it's typically prohibitively expensive as an option on a sub-$500 system.

With Intel's new 1.6GHz Atom N270 CPU, specifically designed for low-power Netbooks, you're not going to find the same level of performance you'd get from even an inexpensive Core 2 Duo laptop. Still, the Intel Atom processor performed about as expected, closely matching the Asus Eee PC 901 and MSI Wind in our iTunes performance test.

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Alienware Area-51 m17x

2008-12-17T09:58:00.000-08:00

The good:
Highest-end components; imposing design; fantastic performance.

The bad:
Starting configurations are overpriced; touch controls are a bit wonky.

The bottom line:
If you're looking to drop some major change on a show-off gaming laptop, it's hard to do better than the Alienware Area-51 m17x, a mean-looking, high-performance black slab.

Specifications:
Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo (2.1 GHz) ; RAM installed: 1 GB DDR II SDRAM ; Weight: 10.5 lbs ; See full specs
CNET editors' review
Reviewed by: Dan Ackerman
Reviewed on: 09/15/2008
Released on: 08/01/2008

We'll just come right out and say the Alienware m17x is about as powerful as a laptop gets, at least if it's as tricked-out as our $6,000-plus review unit was. More modest builds are available for as little as $1,999, but at that level, you get a fairly yawn-inducing set of midrange components, dressed up in a very attractive shell.

The Alienware really shines when packed out with dual Nvidia GeForce 9800 GPUs and an Intel Core 2 Extreme X9000 processor. Of course, few people, even serious gamers, need that much horsepower, but as a display of conspicuous consumption, it's hard to beat, with an illuminated keyboard, imposing new black-slab aesthetic, and a Blu-ray drive.

Alienware almost has a better case to make with this system's smaller cousin, the 15-inch m15x, which at least has the distinction of being one of the only mainstream-size gaming laptops out there. Gamers with more realistic budgets are encouraged to check out the Gateway P-7811FX, easily the best bang for your gaming buck. Still, excess has its fans, and if your gaming laptop is just as much about making a statement as playing games, few do it as well.

Price as reviewed / Starting price $6,118 / $1,999
Processor 2.8GHz Intel Core 2 Extreme X9000
Memory 4GB, 667MHz DDR2
Hard drive 1TB 5,400rpm (500GB x2)
Chipset Intel PM965
Graphics Nvidia GeForce 9800M GT (x2)
Operating System Windows Vista Home Premium
Dimensions (WDH) 16.1 x 11.5 x 2.1 inches
Screen size (diagonal) 17.1 inches
System weight / Weight with AC adapter 10.9/13.8 pounds
Category Desktop Replacement

The m17x's 15-inch cousin, the aptly named m15x, suffered from some awkward design cues--it was thicker than many desktop replacements and had a fingerprint-prone silver finish. The 17-inch version, however, does much better aesthetically, with a matte black all-over finish that makes the entire thing look like an imposing slab of high-frame-rate granite.

Like the m15x, instead of having a separate mousing surface, the touch pad sits flush with the remainder of the wrist rest and is made of the same material, delineated only by a backlit outline. It looks cool, but can be hard to use--you can't tell when your finger goes off the edge without looking. In a similar vein, there are a row of touch-sensitive system controls above the keyboard etched right into the chassis, for turning on the Bluetooth and Wi-Fi antennas, and for launching Alienware's lighting control app. We liked the look, but the buttons lacked tactile feedback, and you have to hold your finger on them for a few seconds to get a response.

There's nothing we like more these days than a backlit keyboard (see the Dell Latitude E6400), and the m17x goes several steps further, with a backlit keyboard, touch-pad border, Alienware logo, alien head, and strip of touch-control buttons. The Alienware Command Center is a software app used to control the lighting, and you can assign different colors to every section or use one color across all the lights. The same software package also provides a fairly comprehensive power control suite, which offers more detailed options than the basic Windows Vista power settings. You can get a nonbacklit keyboard $50 less, but that seems like a poor way to save a couple of bucks.

The 17-inch wide-screen LCD display offers a 1,920x1,200 native resolution, which is what we expect in a high-end desktop replacement. Interestingly, the 15-inch m15x had the same high resolution. A 1,440x900 resolution display is also available for $250 less, but again, if you need to pinch pennies, this may not be the laptop for you.

Alienware Area-51 m17x Average for category [desktop replacement]
Video S-video, HDMI VGA-out, S-Video, HDMI
Audio Stereo speakers with subwoofer, headphone/microphone jacks, optical audio Stereo speakers with subwoofer, headphone/microphone jacks.
Data 4 USB 2.0, 2 FireWire (1 mini, 1 full-size), SD card reader 4 USB 2.0, mini-FireWire, SD card reader
Expansion ExpressCard/54 ExpressCard/54
Networking modem, Ethernet, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth modem, Ethernet, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, optional Bluetooth
Optical drive Blu-ray DVD burner DVD burner [high-end: HD DVD or Blu-Ray]

Our Alienware m17x is tricked out with plenty of high-end components, including two 500GB 5,400rpm hard drives, for a whopping 1TB of total storage. We also got twin Nvidia GeForce 9800 graphics cards (which, unfortunately, do not appear to be currently available on the Alienware Web site) in an SLI configuration, a 2.8GHz Intel Core 2 Extreme X9000 CPU, and 4GB of RAM. By way of comparison, our current favorite gaming laptop, the $1,449 Gateway P-7811FX, has a Core 2 Duo P8400, only 200GB of hard drive space (but it's a 7,200rpm drive), a single GeForce 9800 card, and the same 4GB of RAM. The Alienware is clearly more powerful, but also costs around four times as much.

The combination of the Core 2 Extreme X9000 CPU and Nvidia GeForce 9800 makes the m17x nearly unstoppable in our benchmark tests, easily besting other high-end multimedia desktop replacements such as the HP Pavilion dv7-1025nr (and, of course, the Gateway P-7811FX). In all honesty, the difference will be hard to notice in casual Web surfing or office apps, but gaming performance is impressive. The twin GeForce 9800 graphics cards got us an amazing119.5 frames per second in Unreal Tournament 3 at the extremely high resolution of 1,920x1,200. The Gateway got about half that score (also, that's still nothing to sneer at).

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Apple MacBook - black (Core 2 Duo 2.2 GHz, Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard)

2008-12-17T09:54:00.000-08:00

The good:
Upgraded CPU for the same price; same great design; Leopard operating system.

The bad:
Still no Express card or SD card slots; only more expensive models are available in black.

The bottom line:
Apple has been content to issue minor periodic hardware updates to the 13-inch MacBook, but the modest performance gains and new Leopard OS keep it in our top tier of laptop recommendations.

Specifications:
Environmental & energy standards compliance: EPA Energy Star ; Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo (2.2 GHz) ; RAM installed: 1 GB DDR2 SDRAM ; See full specs

Price range: $1,185.73 - $1,776.60

See all products in the Apple MacBook Leopard series
CNET editors' review
Reviewed by: Dan Ackerman
Reviewed on: 12/17/2007
Released on: 11/14/2007

Introduced in the fall of 2006, the current version of Apple's 13-inch MacBook laptop was a revolutionary product, combining Intel's Core 2 Duo CPUs with Apple's much-lauded operating system. Add in Apple extras such as the iSight camera, Front Row remote, iLife software, and MagSafe power adapter, and you have what is arguably one of the best-loved laptops on the planet.

Since then, Apple has been content to issue minor periodic hardware upgrades, which, while not all that exciting, continue to add CPU horsepower while keeping prices steady. The latest update, from November 2007, bumped up the top available CPU to a 2.2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, and added Intel's Santa Rosa platform and slightly better integrated graphics, resulting in a modest boost in performance. But you'll probably be much more interested in Apple's new Leopard version of its OS X operating system, which comes preinstalled on new MacBooks. It adds a handful of useful new features, keeping the MacBook in our top tier of laptop recommendations, even if we're secretly itching for something new.

Price as reviewed / Starting price $1,649 / $1,099
Processor 2.2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7500
Memory 2GB, 667MHz DDR2
Hard drive 160GB 5,400rpm
Chipset Intel GM965
Graphics Intel GMA X3100 (integrated)
Operating System Apple Mac OS X Leopard
Dimensions (WDH) 12.8 x 8.9 x 1.1 inches
Screen size (diagonal) 13.3 inches
System weight / Weight with AC adapter 5.0/5.5 pounds
Category Thin and light

While the $1,099 entry-level MacBook is available only in white, we're much more used to seeing the black version (starting at $1,499) in the wild. The matte black look still isn't quite as sharp as the metallic MacBook Pro, but we still like it better than the plastic-looking white finish.

Inside, you'll find Apple's typically minimalist setup, including a power button, a full-size keyboard, a sizable touch pad with a single mouse button, and a built-in iSight camera that sits above the display. If you miss the scroll bar found on almost every Windows laptops, the two-finger scroll option works well (run two fingers down the touch pad, and it scrolls like a mouse wheel). We remain fans of Apple's flat-key keyboard, although Windows users will have to get used to a Delete key that functions like a PC Backspace key, and no standalone equivalent key for what PCs call Delete. Compared with previous MacBooks, the main visual difference is that a few of the alternate functions on the F keys have been juggled around.

The biggest new feature is the inclusion of Apple's latest version of OS X, commonly known as Leopard. The look and feel are largely unchanged, but several useful new features have been added, including Time Machine, an easy-to-use backup utility; Spaces, which allows you to set up multiple desktops (one with all your media apps open or one for Web pages) and swap between them on the fly; and Quick Look, which lets you open a fast preview version of any document or file without waiting for their associated applications to open.

The MacBook still includes the Front Row remote control (sadly, only available in white), and the extremely handy MagSafe power adapter, which handily (and safely) detaches itself from a magnetic plug on the laptop's side when you invariably trip over the power cord.

The 13.3-inch wide-screen LCD display offers a clear and easy to read 1,280x800 native resolution, which is standard for a screen this size, as well as most 14- and 15-inch laptops (although Apple's 15-inch MacBook Pro offers a higher 1,440x900 resolution).

Apple MacBook Average for category [thin-and-light]
Video Mini-DVI video out VGA-out, S-Video
Audio Stereo speakers, headphone/microphone jacks Stereo speakers, headphone/microphone jacks
Data 2 USB 2.0, FireWire 400 3 USB 2.0, mini-FireWire, mulitformat memory card reader
Expansion None Type I/II PC Card or ExpressCard
Networking Ethernet, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth modem, Ethernet, 802.11 a/b/g Wi-Fi, optional Bluetooth, optional WWAN
Optical drive Slot-loading DVD burner DVD burner

Apple's previous revision added support for 802.11n Wi-Fi technology, but the lack of an SD card reader remains one of the MacBook's few weak spots. Adding mobile broadband--not offered by Apple--will also be difficult without an Express card slot.

Not surprisingly, we saw a decent uptick in performance from the new 2.2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo CPU, with the new system beating the earlier 2.16GHz MacBook in each of our benchmark tests. If you have a previous generation MacBook, the difference isn't enough to make you want to go out and get a new one, but credit goes to both the fast CPU and Intel's Santa Rosa platform for the improvement. Note that our review unit came with 2GB of RAM, a $150 upgrade over the default 1GB offered in even the $1,499 MacBook.

The MacBook ran for 4 hours and 30 minutes on our DVD battery drain test, which is even longer than the 3 hours and 36 minutes we got on the older 2.16GHz MacBook. We again give credit to the efficient Santa Rosa platform, and because our DVD battery drain test is especially grueling, you can expect even longer life from casual Web surfing and office use.

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