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Dell previewed the stylish "Adamo" at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) this January, and consumers worldwide have been eager to find out when this attractive laptop will be available ... and at what price. The wait is over. Starting today people who place a premium on precision craftsmanship and design can pre-order the Adamo for a starting price of $1,999.
Adamo, derived from the Latin word meaning "to fall in love," will serve as a flagship in a line of products under the "Adamo by Dell" brand. Dell claims Adamo was "created to disrupt the personal computing space with the combination of new design aesthetics, personalization choices and sought-after technologies."
Those are some fancy words for saying, "This notebook looks hot."
The Adamo uses a chassis milled from a single piece of aluminum featuring precision detailing and a backlit keyboard. The 13.4" edge-to-edge glass display features a 16:9 ratio ideal for viewing HD movies. Wireless connections include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and optional integrated mobile broadband. Unlike some other thin notebooks on the market (such as the MacBook Air) the Dell Adamo doesn't sacrifice important features like a full complement of connectivity ports. In addition, the Adamo is available with solid state drives and comes in your choice of either Onyx or Pearl colors with a range of matching accessories.
The A350 series notebook is the latest 16" notebook from Toshiba and the successor to the 15.4” A305. This new model offers the same look and feel of its smaller brother as well as the same system configuration. In this review we take a look at the Intel configuration of the A355 and find out if it performs as well as its smaller brother.
Toshiba Satellite A355-S6943 Specifications:
Windows Vista Home Premium (SP1, 64-bit)
Intel Core 2 Duo Processor P7450 (2.13GHz, 3MB L2, 1066MHz FSB)
16.0" diagonal widescreen TruBrite TFT LCD display at 1366x768 (WXGA)
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3650 with 512MB video memory
Intel Wireless WiFi Link 5100AGN (802.11a/g/n)
4GB PC2-6400 DDR2 SDRAM (maximum capacity 4GB)
500GB+250GB Serial ATA hard disk drive (5400RPM)
DVD SuperMulti (+/-R double layer) drive with Labelflash
1.3 megapixel webcam
Harmon/Kardon stereo speakers
Dimensions (WxDxH): 15.1" x 10.5" x 1.6"
Weight: 6 lbs 11.6oz with six-cell battery
90W (19V x 6.3A) 100-240V AC Adapter
6-cell 10.8v 44Wh Lithium Ion battery
1-Year Standard Limited Warranty
Price as configured: $1,149.99
When it comes to making rugged notebooks and tablets, Getac is one of the most respected names in the business. As impressive as the fully rugged Getac V100 tablet might be at first glance, there's one thing that makes this tablet really special ... a screen rated at 1,200 nits brightness! By comparison, a good notebook screen might only be rated as a 250 nit screen. We're talking about a rugged tablet that can not only be used in the middle of the desert, but that has a screen you can still read when the desert sun is beating down from above. Read on to see how well the Getac V100 holds up against our testing.
The high-performance New Latitude laptops are sleeker, smarter and designed for improved portability. Improved wireless connectivity allows you to connect virtually anywhere*. Extended battery life helps your laptop last as long as your workday. Get up to 19 hours* of battery life - our longest ever - with the optional 9-cell battery, battery slice and solid state drive (E6400 only). Enhanced security features offer protection and prevention against unauthorized access. All wrapped in a sleek, durable design with Strike ZoneTM shock absorbers to protect your hard drive.
Platform virtualization (the process of running a second operating system inside a virtual environment on your computer) has been on my mind a lot lately, has it been on yours? If you have made a shift recently from Windows to Mac you may have wondered at one point if you could find a way to use any of your old Windows software.
This article is focuses on the experience of running Windows Vista as a guest operating system on a Mac OS X host. The host system is a Unibody MacBook with the following specifications:
Core 2 Duo P7350 2GHz
2GB DDR3 1066 RAM
256MB Nvidia Geforce 9400m (Shared Memory)
500GB 5400 RPM HDD
When talking about virtualization I'll be referring to the Virtual Machine (VM) a lot. This is the virtual PC that will be running the guest OS. The default setup uses about half of your host computer's CPU and RAM. That is how we will be configuring our VMs for this test.
If you're a corporate road warrior or a student trying to fit as much computer as possible in the smallest space possible, the HP EliteBook 2530p might be the perfect notebook for you. This 12.1" workstation featuring the latest Intel low voltage processors and integrated graphics for extreme battery life, and plenty of ports and storage options inside an impressively durable shell. The EliteBook 2530p looks like a surprising amount of computer in a rugged three-pound chassis. Is it worth a little extra cash to get your hands on this tiny titan? Keep reading and find out.
Performance and Benchmarks
Our pre-production EliteBook 2530p came with the Intel SL9400 low voltage processor, clocking in at 1.86GHz, and jammed packed with 6MB of cache. For graphics, HP included Intel GMA 4500MHD integrated graphics. A fast 80GB Intel SSD was also included in our test configuration, which helped applications load without much lag, helps reduce temperatures and extend battery life. As mentioned previously, the SSD option also makes the notebook less prone to accidental failure due to hard drive impact.
Older generation low-voltage processors performed a much lower levels than standard processors ... a trade off for extended battery life. Thankfully, the latest generation of Intel low-voltage processors perform quite well and nearly rival standard processors in most tests. Typical business users who are only concerned with working in Microsoft Office and encoding the occassional video for work will have more power than they know what to do with it.
The high-class ASUS N10 is a netbook above all the rest, starting a new market segment called the "Corporate Netbook." The N10 offers similar features to standard netbooks, including an Intel Atom platform and WSVGA screen, but with the addition of optional switchable dedicated graphics and a fancy design. With a starting price of $649 for models with dedicated graphics; is a higher configuration worth the price jump? In this review we explain the differences between the N10JC and the cheaper Eee PC 1000HA and tell you if you should consider the costly upgrade.
Performance
From the moment I received this notebook I was very interested in seeing the performance of the Intel Atom platform with a dedicated graphics card attached. Almost all configurations use the dated Intel GMA950 graphics, which slow everything down, including movie decoding. With the NVIDIA 9300M graphics, this netbook might have a shot at decoding 720p video in a very compact package that has HDMI out.
For our test we tried a wide range of high definition content including an assortment of HD movies and HD movie trailers. Sadly, even though we tried a wide range of video codecs, including CoreAVC, the Intel Atom processor didn’t have enough grunt to keep a steady decoding framerate. Depending on the bitrate the N10 working with the NVIDIA 9300M graphics only managed 10-15fps, well below 24-25fps goal.
Since HD content was out of the question we moved onto video games as another area to see where the dedicated graphics might help out. Using Steam we pulled in Half-Life 2 and tweaked the visual settings to be easier on the system. With the resolution set to 1024x600 and most settings on medium the system average 20-25fps, which was playable, but still under what you would want for smooth gaming. Heavy action scenes dropped the framerate into the mid-teens, and if you weren’t lucky, got yourself killed in no time.
The Qosmio X305-Q708 is Toshiba's flagship gaming and multimedia notebook. This 17-inch monster has a flashy design, dual Nvidia video cards, and Intel's first mobile quad-core processor. Despite all the bells and whistles, is the X305-Q708 worth $4,200?
Operating System & Software
Windows Vista Ultimate 64-bit is pre-installed on the Q708, with an unfortunately large amount of bloatware. Trial software, useless games, and other unwanted bits of software litter the main drive. Seeing this kind of bloatware on a $4,200 notebook borders on offensive. Toshiba also includes an inordinate amount of utilities.
The IdeaPad Y530 is a multimedia notebook from Lenovo with surround speakers and subwoofer, HDMI out, touch-sensitive media controls, and a "frameless" display panel. With a wide range of multimedia features this notebook is aimed at dorm rooms or even acting as the media hub for a home theater system. Priced at $999, just how well does the Lenovo IdeaPad Y530 stand up against the competition in a pretty packed market segment?
Performance
The performance of the Lenovo IdeaPad Y530 with an Intel Core 2 Duo P7350 processor and NVIDIA 9300M graphics card was slightly under multimedia oriented notebooks like the Gateway MC7803u which offered a better graphics card. For day to day use or enjoying high definition video content the Y530 performed quite well. For the average user, both machines performed at roughly the same speed for web browsing, watching movies, typing documents, and fast startups or shutdowns. Gaming is where the Y530 falls behind the competition, equipped with only a 9300M graphics card while others use a more powerful graphics card such as the ATI 3650. This could mean the difference between running some of the latest games with at moderate resolution or lowering the resolution and heavily tweaking the detail settings.
WPrime is a benchmark similar to Super Pi in that it forces the processor to do intense mathematical calculations, but the difference is this application is multi-threaded and represents dual core processors better. Lower numbers indicate better performance.
Lenovo officially introduced the ThinkPad X200 today, but was kind enough to send me an early review unit last week. The X200 is Lenovo’s new 12-inch business notebook and it’s been a joy to use for the past few days. The X200 has a starting price of just $1,199, making it an excellent value for anyone who needs a fully-capable notebook that can get them through a full work day.
The X200 is now available from $1,434 in its basic configuration.
Lenovo’s revamped the ThinkPad line’s naming convention, with the X200 replacing the X61.The X200 has a widescreen display, which is a departure from the standard (4:3) aspect ratio found on the X61.
The X200 is a whole different animal than the 13.3-inch X300, which is optimized to be as thin and light as possible and has a low-voltage processor, built-in DVD burner, and a solid state drive and has an eye-popping sticker price of $3,225. The X200 doesn’t have an optical drive, but it does have full-speed Intel Core 2 Duo processors, an array of drive options and an optional docking solution.
Today I upgraded my Mini 1000’s memory from 1GB to 2GB in less than 20 seconds and I didn’t even need to use a screw driver. Upgrading RAM on a notebook is usually a pretty simple task for experienced computer users, but I don’t see how HP could’ve made this any easier on the Mini 1000. Check out this video to see what I mean.
No tools are necessary as there are no screws holdnig the Mini 1000’s memory door shut. Instead there’s a little latch next to the one of the battery releases. All you need is a pointy object like a pen or a knife to reach a hole in the latch so you can slide it to the side. The battery door pops off and gives you easy access to the single memory slot.
You can get a 2GB memory stick from NewEgg, Amazon.com or most other online retailers for under $25. HP does not sell the Mini 1000 with 2GB of memory if you order the XP version because of a licensing agreement with Microsoft. When the MIE (Ubuntu) Mini 1000 is released in January you will be able to customize it with 2GB of RAM on HP’s Web site.
The Fujitsu LifeBook A1110 notebook is a 15.4” desktop replacement which offers a user-customizable screen cover. With a spill resistant keyboard and durable design it fits in well with the college crowd -- who might not be overly kind to their computers. Prices start as low as $799; our review unit has a suggested retail price of $999 with some upgraded components. Read on to see if this notebook is worth the price and deserves a spot on your desk.
Display
The WXGA glossy panel rates average with comfortable viewing angles and a bright backlight that works in a well lit office setting. Colors are vibrant and contrast is very nice with the glossy screen surface. The vertical viewing range offers a good sized sweet spot with accurate colors with 10 degrees forward and back before colors start to invert. Horizontal viewing angles are better, but at steeper angles the screen starts to dim and you start seeing reflected surfaces instead of the display. The screen brightness overcomes the lights in a bright office setting, but outside viewing would be limited with the reflective glossy screen.
Performance
The Fujitsu A1110 is loaded with an Intel Core 2 Duo P7350 2GHz processor, 4GB of DDR2 memory, and Intel X4500 integrated video. For day-to-day use, including web browsing, word processing, light gaming or watching movies the system performs very well. Dedicated graphics would have been greatly appreciated on the upgraded model, which would have helped gaming performance and HD movie decoding. The 5400RPM hard drive performed quite well, with very little lag present when opening applications or power cycling the notebook.
WPrime is a benchmark similar to Super Pi in that it forces the processor to do intense mathematical calculations, but the difference is this application is multi-threaded and represents dual core processors better. Lower numbers indicate better performance.
Alienware’s latest addition to their gaming laptop line is the M17. This 17? gaming laptop is the first to boast CrossFire X support, and comes with the usual high-end specs: Intel Core 2 Quad/Extreme processor, Maximum 4GB DDR3 RAM, Twin ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3870 GPUs, WXGA+/WUXGA panel, Optional ATSC HDTV tuner, Maximum of 640GB hard drive space, Dual-layer DVD writer/optional Blu-ray reader, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.1 connectivity, Gigabit Ethernet, even a Facial recognition sensor. Prices start from $1,399 upwards, depending on how amped up you want it.
Fujitsu Computer Systems today announced three new notebooks for both consumers and corporations that demand greater mobility and usability. The LifeBook U820 convertible mini notebook is 1.32 pound update to the LifeBook U810 and combines a full-featured Windows PC with integrated Garmin Mobile PC navigation software ... for about the same price as a premium GPS system. The LifeBook N7010 desktop replacement notebook is the industry’s first full-size notebook to include a second touch-sensitive display for keeping more information visible at all times without cluttering the main desktop. Fujitsu also announced the LifeBook P1630 feather-light convertible tablet PC featuring the new Intel Centrino 2 Ultra Low Voltage processor technology, integrated wireless broadband and a webcam.
Dell XPS One 24 All-In-One PC: The system ups the size of the PC to 24 inches and gives it a new, edge-to-edge 1080p (1920x1080) display with a 16:9 ratio that should make it ideal for watching Blu-ray movies at native resolution. The update also brings a major speed update with a 2.33GHz Core 2 Quad as well as the option of a GeForce 9600M GT for video that makes it a better fit as a gaming system or for heavy-duty HD video decoding.
The size increase also brings with it better media features, according to Dell: the speakers have been upgraded to a 2.1-channel, 25W JBL system while the integrated TV tuner is now HD-capable.
A starter XPS One 24 is priced higher than the 20-inch original at $1,699 but also carries more features. Besides the quad-core processor, it also doubles the memory to 4GB, gains a larger 320GB hard drive and upgrades the stock Intel video to a GMA 4500 chipset. Sound is also improved through a Sound Blaster Audigy HD chipset. A second stock model at $1,999 adds the GeForce 9600M GT as well as a much larger 750GB hard drive.
Toshiba Qosmio X305-Q708 New Gaming Laptop: The desktop replacement has 17 inch widescreen TruBrite display with an Intel Core 2 Extreme quad-core processor, Dual NVIDIA GeForce 9800M GTS 1GB GPUs, 320GB hard drive, 128GB NAND flash memory, 4GB DDR3 RAM, Full-size keyboard, Four Harman Kardon stereo speakers with subwoofer, 1.3MP webcam, HDMI and DisplayPort connectors. The Toshiba Qosmio X305-Q708 retails for $4,199.99 upwards, depending on the specs.
Dell Vostro 2510: The 15.4-inch system marks a few key changes from the outgoing 1510 and comes in a two-tone black and red body instead of the more conservative exterior of the old system. It also switches to a slot-load drive like that of the Studio 15 and uses a new cooling system that vents heat away from the bottom of the notebook to make it more comfortable on its owner's lap.
In spite of the outside changes, the system is similar in most respects to the 1510 and uses current-generation Core 2 Duo processors up to 2.6GHz rather than Centrino 2-era components; new among the expansion options is a slot-load Blu-ray burner for both making large backups as well as playing HD movies.
Dell doesn't yet allow purchasing the system but says a minimum configuration will have a 1440x900 resolution display with a built-in webcam, a GeForce 8400M GS for video and a 160GB hard disk. Custom orders can boost the system to a 1920x1200 display and 320GB of disk space. A sample $899 model revealed as part of the last-minute leak also suggests a minimum 2GB of memory when the system ships sometime in August.
Samsung NC10 Netbook: The 10-inch system has the same 1024x600 LED-lit display and 1.6GHz Intel Atom processor of many rivals but includes a pair of features specific to the electronics giant's in-house development. A silver ion powder coat on the keys allegedly keeps them free of bacteria that could make the user sick; the outer shell is also said to be toughened against mild damage, including those from temperature changes.
The portable sits at the high end of the notebook spectrum and carries a six-cell battery that Samsung estimates can produce up to eight hours of runtime despite leaving the system fairly light at just over 2.9 pounds. Storage is also focused almost exclusively on rotating hard drives with the choice of either 80GB or 160GB disks, while a three-format card reader handles outside media. Expansion is common for the type with three USB ports and VGA out, although Samsung makes Bluetooth an option.
Unlike other netbooks, Samsung is dropping Linux and instead makes Windows XP Home the only operating system choice; Microsoft's netbook limits dictate that the stock system will carry no more than 1GB of RAM.
The DV6846 is the latest addition to HP DV Series. The DV6846 is no different. As always, the construction is excellent, with sturdy hinges and a tough body that can take a lot of beating. Its profile too remains unchanged. Rather surprisingly, the DV6846 is a bit heavier than previous models in the series and heats up a lot more as well. This could cause some issues if you use it literally as a 'laptop'!
Another thing that remains unchanged is the keyboard. As with its predecessors, the keyboard offers a very comfortable working experience. The keys themselves are well-spaced out and offer good tactile feedback, and their smooth textured finish make short work of long hours of typing.
The touchpad is also well-designed. Unlike other manufacturers that tend to deploy a textured finish for the touchpad, HP offers a smooth finish. This allows for quick manipulation of the mouse cursor, and when you combine it with its larger-than-average size and the satisfying 'deep-click' feel of the mouse buttons, it certainly scores.
MacBook Air owners can now spend even more cash on style thanks to ColorWare. The computer personalization company will paint your MacBook Air for $500 to $700 depending on how many surfaces you colorize.
ColorWare has 35 colors to choose from and will paint your MacBook Air solid. If you’re really tasteless creative you can paint your notebook’s lid, hinges, palm rest, mouse button, case bottom and Apple logo all different colors.
You can either send in your own MacBook Air to be painted or you can buy one new from ColorWare for $2,589 and up. There’s a 3-4 week turnaround on the custom paint jobs.
ColorWare will paint all of your non-MacBook Air notebooks and electronics as well. The company does an excellent job in colorizing components, but you’ve really got to LOVE the color you’re choosing because it’s not a cheap process and it’s nearly impossible to sell your notebook once it’s been so heavily customized.
Dell previewed the stylish "Adamo" at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) this January, and consumers worldwide have been eager to find out when this attractive laptop will be available ... and at what price. The wait is over. Starting today people who place a premium on precision craftsmanship and design can pre-order the Adamo for a starting price of $1,999.
