Laptop Reviews

Asus G1 Laptop Review

2007-03-06T23:37:00.000-05:00

The Asus G1 is a gaming notebook described on the Asus website as the "notebook series that redefines mobile gaming with advance graphics solutions, exclusive display technologies and unique design details."

The standard straight out of the box specification from ASUS for the G1 are as follows:

* Processor: 2.0GHz Core 2 Duo T7200
* Memory: 2GB DDR II 667MHz
* Hard Drive: Seagate (Momentus) 160GB 5400rpm SATA
* Graphics: NVidia GeForce Go 7700. PCI Express, 512MB true dedicated VRAM
* Screen: WSXGA+ 1680x1050 Resolution, Glossy finish.
* Optical Drive: DVD Super Multi Light Scribe Drive
* Operating System: Windows XP Professional with Vista upgrade option included
* Warranty: 2 years Collect & Return UK Warranty & 2 Years (no carriage) Global Warranty.
* Other built in features and ports: 1.3 mega pixel Web Cam, Bluetooth 2.0, Intel Wireless ABG, 4in1 card reader, PCMCIA slot 1 type II, Infa-red port, mini Firewire port (IEEE 1394), SPDIF Output (&Headphone), Mic input, Audio Input, S-Video output (TV out), RJ45 Gigabit LAN, RJ11 Modem, 4x USB 2.0 ports, DVI output, VGA output, Kensington lock port

My requirements for a notebook were as follows:

* Gaming: I'm used to a 256MB X700 GPU in a desktop, and used to playing most games at medium settings (since my X1800GT, Opteron desktop has been shelved for the past few months, but that's another rather painful story)
* CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo 1.83GHz or faster with 4MB L2 Cache was a must. In real life usage, I do notice my AMD Athlon 64 3500+ processor up to full pelt quite a lot, I've found I want more out of my computer as time goes by and that means more programs running more of the time.
* Memory: The game Warcraft eats the stuff, as does having multiple programs running, so having as much memory as possible was my goal
* Screen Size: Screen size was a big factor in my buying decision. With my previous notebook usage I predicted 50% usage on desk and the remaining 50% on my lap. I've ruled out 17” as an option since even the lightest 17” machine was too cumbersome for me to use for any length of time on my lap. I felt an ideal size would be 14" widescreen, however I'd have to sacrifice pixels, which was a no go for me. I'm spoiled at work and at home with desktop areas of 2880x1050 and 2560x1024. So I was keen for a reasonably high resolution screen. Try finding a screen less than 15.4" or 15" in size at anything more than 1280x800 or 1280x1024 in resolution, they’re hard to come by. Glossy screen was a plus point also.
* Hard Drive: For me size was not important, just speed. I’ve been reading up on the effects of the hard drive on system performance and the results are surprising. I'm looking into getting a solid state HDD or Hybrid HDD as soon as possible and when it’s cost effective – future upgrade is likely.
* Optical Disk Drive: I was not bothered about this until the guy I sit next to at work light scribed a disc a few days ago and although it took 25mins to scribe, the end result meant that Lightscribe disc/drives are seriously cool gadgets to play with!
* Input / Output Ports: I wanted all the regular ones in full force, I also wanted a FireWire 2 port for external HDD backup, however I'm not aware of this being an option on a notebook so I had to compromise on that one.
* Docking Station: Would be nice, but not important, as a USB port replicator would suffice.
* OS: Ideally Windows XP Pro, but not too bothered.
* Battery Life: Not a major factor for me, 2.5hrs would be nice but 1.5hrs would suffice, more than that is a bonus. I use a notebook on plugged in power while gaming as I need a flat surface for an external mouse.

Build and Design

The looks of this machine are aimed firmly at a certain demographic…boys who play games. I won't wax about the looks as you can see from the pictures, in short the looks suit me. I like the way it looks and I will enjoy the attention the green lights will bring.

Review: New MacBook is fast

2006-11-19T17:55:00.000-05:00

The new MacBook competes on performance, price and features, one reviewer claims.

Announced last week, already on store shelves and measuring up well not only to its predecessor but to its big brothers in the MacBook Pro lineup, the new MacBook is even better value than the model it replaces. With a notable speed boost from the new Core 2 Duo processor, more standard RAM and larger hard drives, the MacBook arrived just ahead of the holiday shopping season. It's as if Christmas had arrived early.

A prediction: Apple will sell a ton of these, an expectation not at all lost on Apple bigwigs who rushed to tout their new consumer line as soon as it was released. Yes, they readily acknowledged, they wanted to get the updated model out before the holiday shopping season. That makes sense given the upsurge in sales of Apple's laptops this year.

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Dell Inspiron E1505 Notebook Computer for Home (Core Duo 1.66GHz/40GB/512MB)

2006-06-03T15:24:00.000-04:00

The Dell Inspiron E1505 makes a good basic home or small-business laptop and has a solid set of multimedia capabilities, though comparable competitive models can be found at slightly lower price points.

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Laptop Reviews

CNET review: Apple's 17-inch MacBook Pro is a dream (CNET rating: 7.3 out of 10)

2006-06-03T15:23:00.000-04:00

"Following on the heels of the 15.4-inch MacBook Pro and replacing the 17-inch PowerBook G4, the 17-inch MacBook Pro delivers many of the same beloved features as its little sibling, such as a scrolling track pad, the Sudden Motion Sensor, and an excellent software package, and adds a huge, bright 17-inch display that's great for graphics work... Of course, such performance doesn't come cheap: the 17-inch MacBook Pro's default configuration costs $2,799 (upgrades on our review unit brought the price up to $3,099). But for graphics professionals and other Mac users who have money to spare, the 17-inch MacBook Pro is a dream," Michelle Thatcher reports for CNET Reviews. "With the MacBook Pro, Apple hasn't radically redesigned the PowerBook form factor, it has just made a few refinements to it. Measuring 15.4 inches wide, 10.4 inches deep, and 1 inch thick, the sleek, aluminum MacBook Pro looks very similar to the 17-inch PowerBook G4 it replaces. At 6.8 pounds, the 17-inch MacBook Pro is a hair lighter than its predecessor and the lightest laptop of its size on the market... For the sake of comparison, the Dell Inspiron E1705 weighs 8.2 pounds, while the Toshiba Qosmio G35 weighs 10.2 pounds."

"Though the keys are a bit shallow, they're comfortable to type on, and we love the keyboard's backlighting feature, which adjusts to changes in ambient light levels. We don't like that the keyboard is located 5.4 inches back from the laptop's front edge; we wish it were centered to encourage a more ergonomic typing position. The touch pad lets you scroll through long documents, Web pages, and spreadsheets by dragging two fingers down or across the pad, a terrific feature that's unique to Apple laptops," Thatcher writes. "The 17-inch MacBook Pro offers a decent selection of ports and connections, though it comes up a bit short of what you'll find on a similarly sized PC laptop, including the Inspiron E1705. That said, the MacBook Pro features three USB 2.0 ports; FireWire 400 and FireWire 800 ports; an ExpressCard slot; and a DVI port (VGA with included adapter) for connecting to an external monitor. It's also equipped with Bluetooth 2.0+EDR (enhanced data rate), and you can access the Internet via 802.11g Wi-Fi radio, and Gigabit Ethernet... Unlike most PC laptops, the MacBook Pro lacks a built-in media reader for flash memory cards, and there's no S-Video output or built-in modem--both of which the PowerBook had."

CNET's rating: "Very good" 7.3 out of 10, Average user rating: 9.0 out of 10.

Full review here.

[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader "Cathy" for the heads up.]

MacDailyNews Take: Knocking 2.7 points off because of a made-up port issue is typical CNET. Hence the large discrepancy between the 9.0 user rating and CNET's 7.3 out of 10. Apple 17-inch MacBook Pro users who need a modem will get the $49 Apple USB modem. 17-inch MacBook Pro users who want a media reader will use the ExpressCard slot. 17-inch MacBook Pro users who want to output to S-video or Composite will use Apple's $19 DVI to Video Adapter. The Dell Inspiron E1705 to which CNET compares the MacBook Pro regarding ports comes with USB overkill (6 ports) and no FireWire 800 port. We'd rather have the MacBook Pro's FireWire 800 port, three

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Laptop Review

Ars Technica reviews Apple MacBook

2006-05-22T23:16:00.000-04:00

"On May 16, the MacBook replaced the nearly seven-year-old iBook and brought with it a new era of consumer-grade portables from Apple. For the first time since the clam-shell style iBooks were discontinued at the beginning of 2001 is an Apple portable available in more than one color. Apple has been toying with the idea of offering both black and white devices since the iPod nano and subsequently the video-capable iPod, and now they've begun offering their consumer-grade portable laptop, the predictably named MacBook, in similar glossy black and white models," Clint Ecker writes for Ars Technica. "An oft-bandied-about factoid is that if you were to configure the midlevel model to ship with an 80GB hard disk to match the high-end model, you'd still notice that it's approximately US$150 cheaper. The only difference is the color of the shell, of course. This is undoubtedly done on purpose and is the direct result of Apple's experience selling iPod and iPod nanos in two color options. It didn't take long for Apple, and casual observers of Apple's operations to notice that the black models were selling out faster. A lot faster. Obviously the demand for black Apple products is much higher than the white products, and Apple is simply responding as most companies would when faced by high demand for a product. People who are set on getting that black MacBook are going to have to wrestle with the US$150 artificial mark-up. Apple is banking that most people will willingly hand over even more cash to get a unique item."

Lets go over what is in every MacBook Pro that you won't be getting on the MacBook:
• Aluminum shell
• Lighted keyboard
• Ambient light sensor
• Auto-dimming display
• ExpressCard Port
• PCIe graphics system
• Higher-resolution display
• Matte display option
• Larger hard drive

The 17-inch version of the MacBook Pro goes a step further and adds a third USB 2.0 port and a FireWire 800 port. The price difference between a similarly configured MacBook and MacBook Pro (2.0GHz, 512MB, 80GB HD) comes to about US$650. Personally, I feel that the upgraded graphics, display resolution, expansion port, and lighting features are probably worth US$650 to people who need them, but since I do not, I'm very content to stick with my MacBook.

Ecker notes, "The MacBook comes standard with options to use two-finger scrolling (both vertically and horizontally) as well as a new option to use the presence of two fingers on the pad as a modifier for the mouse button. When holding two fingers on the track pad, the click can be interpreted as a right-click instead of a left-click. This feature is strangely absent from the 15" MacBook Pros but is intact on the 17" MacBook Pro and the MacBook."

"Apple's new consumer level laptop is full of new features (iSight, widescreen display, MagSafe power connector, optical audio connections, etc.) and the prices are reasonable. The machine's value is increased exponentially by Apple's foresight to sanction the installation of Windows XP alongside the venerable OS X. Being able to boot into Windows to check out a new Windows app or to play a fun Windows-only game makes me that much happier I made this purchase," Ecker writes. "For me, the MacBook is more than enough computer, but I'll get used to it. Apple has thrust themselves back into a state of competitiveness when it comes to the consumer laptop space, and even offers prospective users features that other computer manufacturers cannot. Someone who buys a Dell or HP laptop cannot legally or easily boot OS X and Windows, and other laptops just

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Laptop Reviews : Core Duo laptops

2006-05-07T14:19:00.000-04:00

Ever since Intel debuted the Core Duo processor at CES earlier this year, a steady stream of dual-core laptops has been flowing into CNET Labs. And while we haven't seen the mind-blowing performance gains initially promised by Intel--at a December 2005 press briefing, a company rep said they expected dual-core processors to be 68 percent faster than the Pentium M--Core Duo has brought about a noticeable boost in performance, particularly for multimedia apps or multitasking. Arguably the dual-core laptop to make the biggest splash has been the Apple MacBook Pro, the first Apple laptop to be built around the Intel architecture. But we think all the dual-core laptops here are worth noting, whether for their remarkably small size (Lenovo ThinkPad X60s) or their remarkable performance (Dell XPS M1710). Stay tuned for more reviews of Core Duo laptops as manufacturers continue to incorporate the processor into new product lines.

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You want reviews, we got Laptop Reviews…

2006-05-07T01:07:00.000-04:00

When is a laptop not a laptop? When it's so big it takes more than one lap to accommodate it.

Although the desktop-replacement model has been around for a long time now, offering the grunt of a conventional PC within a compact frame, sooner or later someone was going to take it one step too far. That someone was the Taiwanese chassis-builder Clevo, which provided AJP with a frame more than 40cm wide to stuff with cutting-edge components, including dual-SLI graphics cards (see page 48 of the June 06 issue).

This column appears in the June 06 issue of PC Advisor, available now.

Laptops aimed at gamers are nothing new, but surely their limited upgradeability makes them less attractive to potential buyers? Especially if you have to fork out more than £2,000. Why not buy a high-spec desktop and upgrade individual components as they age? Let's face it: that takes only a few months.

If you're looking to get your PC out of the study and into the living room, take a look at the Philips Showline MCP9350i (reviewed here) – a superior model to the Sony Vaio Media Center PC we looked at last month. There are several different ways of hooking it up to the rest of your home-entertainment kit, and all the cables you could possibly need are bundled with the unit. Not bad for a grand.

But we wouldn’t want to be accused of looking at the PC market through one eye – so we've had a peek at a couple of products by Apple this month.

Before you start booing and hissing, can

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Laptop Reviews

Labtop Reviews

Dell's XPS M1210 leaked?

2006-04-30T23:54:00.000-04:00

Looks like all you Alienware buyout fear mongers officially need not worry -- for now. According to Notebook Review, the cat's out of the bag and Dell's launching (or is about to launch) their second gaming-centric laptop, but this one's a little easier on the shoulder and presumably also the pocketbook. The XPS M1210 rocks a 12.1-inch widescreen display, Core Duo processor, NVIDIA 7300 or ATI X1300 graphics, dual later DVD burner, Bluetooth 2.0, 802.11a/b/g, 5-in-1 media reader, ExpressCard54 slot, up to 4GB RAM, and an optional webcam. Should be out some time in May, but we'll know for sure when we get the official word from the gang at Dell.

Source

Dell's XPS M1710 power laptop review roundup

2006-04-27T23:39:00.000-04:00

Yeah, we'll fess, for the fastest laptop, like, ever, the M1710 got kind of a poor showing on getting itself reviewed. Seriously, with speed like that we kind of expected the writeups to pour out within minutes -- no speed bottlenecks to emcumber slowish tech journos. But those who did get their hands on an M1710 were pretty unanimous about it; the thing's freaking fast. We'll show you what we got if you're thinking about plunking down four

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Laptop Reviews - Want To Know About The Latest Notebook Reviews?

2006-04-19T21:56:00.000-04:00

When laptop’s first became available there where few choices of brands and even fewer choices of options. Now there are new laptop computers coming on the market continuously, all with specialized options. Before choosing a laptop decide what your focus is. There is probably a laptop computer that comes with exactly the standard features you are looking for. Below is a sample of just a few laptop computers and the features that make them unique.

Dell

With an exceptionally fast processor and graphics engine, Dell has developed a laptop especially geared for gaming. The lightweight laptop, weighing only 8.6 pounds is very portable. In addition the Dell XPS M170 has a 2.26 GHz Intel processors, one of the fastest available.

Toshiba

Toshiba has focussed its laptop computers on multimedia features. Their line of laptops have TV, DVR, stereo, DVD players as well as all other traditional multimedia components. For music, video and visual effects this is the best laptop computer.

Hewlett Packard

Hewlett Packard has focussed on developing a laptop that includes all the features of a desktop without the space requirements. It has both entertainment and computing features and great performance ratings. It comes with a CR-RW/DVD-ROM combo that can read and write all types of multimedia.

Apple

Apple Powerbook laptop computers have a unique designed that make them stand out in a crowd. Apple laptop computers use the Apple MacOS X 10.4 and come with speakers, Bluetooth antenna and wireless LAN antenna as standard features.

Acer

Acer laptop computers come with a 40 GB hard dive, 256 MB ram, DVD-RW drive and a 15-inch screen. There is a good selection of bundled software included that has games, Norton AntiVirus and a CD maker program. It is silver in color and stylish in design.

Sony VAIO

Sony has focussed on their original XBRITE LCD technology and Smart Display Sensor to enhance visual presentation on the viewing screen. The screen automatically adjusts to various lighting to maximize the viewer’s ability to see the display. Using Windows XP Pro and a 3-hour standard battery this laptop notebook is designed for presentations and getting information across.

Visit http://www.1-stop-laptops.com for related articles such as best rated laptops and laptop computer accessory.

HP Compaq nx9420

2006-04-19T10:49:00.000-04:00

Though plenty of 17-inch wide-screen laptops are on the market, the HP Compaq nx9420 is the only one of them from a major vendor that's designed specifically for large business and enterprise deployment. Starting at approximately $1,399, the nx9420 is a bit pricier than HP's consumer-focused siblings (the Pavilion dv8000 starts at $999), but it's also considerably more powerful; the base configuration features a 1.66GHz Intel Core Duo T2300 processor. If you're looking for a laptop to replace your desktop PC at work and you prize screen size and security over portability and multimedia capability, the nx9420 is a good choice. If you can do with a slightly smaller, 15.4-inch wide-screen laptop, however, the field of choice is much larger and less expensive (see our top thin-and-lights for business).

With the staid, dark gray and black nx9420, HP isn't breaking any new ground in corporate laptop design. The system feels relatively well built, though not as solid as Lenovo's ThinkPad line, which has no 17-inch model. Measuring approximately 15.5 inches wide, 10.75 inches deep, and just short of 1.5 inches thick, the nx9420 is a big desktop-replacement laptop, and at 7.4 pounds, it's too heavy for regular travel. That said, it's surprisingly lightweight for its size, and it's portable enough to move from room to room. Its modest AC adapter adds nearly another pound.

The nx9420 has a large, sprawling keyboard and is one of the few laptops on the market to feature a separate number pad. Its keyboard is comfortable to type on, though not quite as responsive as a ThinkPad keyboard. The nx9420's touch pad, which has a vertical scrolling strip and nice rubbery buttons, is a tad small for our taste and lacks an external on/off switch--a feature we like to see on larger, more sedentary laptops that are often connected to an external mouse. Above the keyboard are a set of external volume controls, as well as a Wi-Fi on/off button; a button that toggles on and off audio, video, and system settings for presentations; and a button that summons HP's Info Center system management utility, which lets you adjust security settings, manage wireless devices, and search a preinstalled support database.

As mentioned above, the nx9420's hallmark feature is its 17-inch wide-screen display. Though it's not as bright as the screens on other more entertainment-driven systems, such as the Toshiba Qosmio G35, the Sony AX series, or HP's new dual-lamp Pavilion dv8000, the nx9420's display is bright enough for most business tasks. An ambient-light sensor below the screen automatically adjusts the display's brightness level.

Like many of HP's laptops, the nx9420's display can be configured for one of a variety of native resolutions. Our test unit had a fine 1,680x1,050 (WSXGA) resolution, though not the BrightView variety, which has a hard, glossy finish. HP says the finish makes for a brighter image; we're not sure about that, but we do prefer the glossy finish because it better protects the LCD. While it's not designed as an entertainment system, the nx9420's speakers deliver audio that is very clear and reasonably loud, though lacking bass.

When it comes to ports and connections, the nx9420 has everything a business user should need and then some. You get VGA, S-Video-out, four-pin FireWire, and four USB 2.0 ports (two on each side), as well as headphone and microphone jacks and a docking port for connecting to one of HP's several docking stations. There's a PC Card slot that supports both Type I and Type II cards, though not ExpressCards. Networking connections include Gigabit Ethernet, 56Kbps V.92 modem, integrated 802.11a/b/g, and Bluetooth (which is optional, but was featured on our test unit); given the laptop's large size, it lacks the built-in EV-DO capabilities found on the more travel-friendly HP Compaq nc6140. Our test unit included a double-layer DVD burner with HP's LightScribe technology, which might be overkill for a business laptop.

The nx9420 offers a full array of security features. In addition to an integrated smart card reader, the laptop is equipped with a fingerprint reader and a TPM module, as well as Absolute Software's Computrace LoJack software. As with most business laptops, the nx9420's included software is pretty basic: Windows XP Pro, a few disc burning apps, and a handful of HP's homegrown system utilities.

Our $2,399 nx9420 test unit was configured with some very high-end components: a top-of-the-line 2.16GHz Intel Core Duo T2600 processor; 1GB of DDR2 RAM (1x1024); an ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 GPU with 256MB of VRAM; and an 80GB, 5,400rpm hard drive. With such a strong lineup of components, it's no surprise that the nx9420 blazed through CNET Labs' benchmarks, scoring right in line with a similarly configured Dell Latitude D820. In our battery-drain test, the nx9420 lasted a very respectable 4 hours, 8 minutes, which is considerably longer than most other comparably sized laptops.

HP backs the nx9420 with an industry-standard three-year warranty; adding a fourth year costs about $100, while three years of onsite service costs approximately $150. The company has a reasonably good reputation for tech support and provides an easy-to-navigate Web site chock-full of downloads, troubleshooting tips, and a very helpful user forum to swap horror stories and help. If you need to communicate with a technician, the best bet is to use HP's chat room, but the company also has a toll-free, 24-hour support line and promises next-day answers to e-mail queries.

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DELL XPS M1710 Gaming Notebook Reviews

2006-04-19T00:14:00.000-04:00

Dell Laptop Review

Dell just released a new gaming notebook and several sites already have published review of the XPS M1710.

There is a black model, available worldwide which starts at $2,600 and features a 1.83GHz Intel Core Duo T2400 processor, 256MB Nvidia GeForce Go 7900 GS graphics card, 1GB RAM and a 60GB HDD.

The United States exclusive Special Edition Red Formula model is priced at $3,400 and features a 2GHz Intel Core Duo T2500 processor, 512MB Nvidia GeForce Go 7900 GTX graphics card, 1GB RAM and an 80GB HDD.

PC Magazine is taken by the red color and how fast the system is. They say the M1710 performance is blazing, but demands plenty of juice, and its short (2.5 hours) battery life reflects that reality.

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