Laptop Review

Just Announced: New Dell Inspiron R, Z and Special Edition Laptops

2012-06-05T18:28:00.000+07:00

The team from Notebook Review spent some hands-on time with the latest members of the Inspiron family and we were impressed. All of the new Inspirons feature exciting new designs with curved edges rimmed by what Dell calls a "Moon Silver band" (we call it aluminum or silver-colored plastic depending on the laptop) for a smooth, contemporary look. The latest Inspiron laptops feature Waves MaxxAudio technology to deliver "studio-quality sound" for watching movies and listening to music without the need for external speakers. The Inspiron 13z and 14z and the Inspiron R Special Edition series also feature Skullcandy-branded speakers integrated into the laptops.

If cool designs and quality audio aren't your thing, you'll be happy to know all of the new Inspirons are equipped with the latest technology such as Intel's new third Generation Core i processors (Ivy Bridge), Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium, and will be eligible for the Microsoft Windows 8 upgrade program.

Inspiron 14z and 13z: Dell makes Ultrabooks more affordable

Dell's first Inspiron Ultrabook, the Inspiron 14z, will likely be a strong seller this year thanks to the combination of stylish looks, solid features, and a modest price tag that starts at just $699.99 on June 19. The Inspiron 14z is Dell's second Ultrabook offering after the impressive XPS 13. The Inspiron 14z combines Intel Rapid Start Technology for fast boot and resume and up to seven hours of battery life. With a premium brushed aluminum finish in two color choices, Moon Silver and, coming later this summer, Fire Red, the Inspiron 14z is a well-built and well-equipped Ultrabook. Starting at 4.12 pounds (1.87kg), and 0.83-inches (21mm) at its thickest point, it's light and easy to carry in a backpack or messenger bag.

Rounding out the Inspiron z series portfolio is the Inspiron 13z. This "ultraportable" isn't technically an "Ultrabook" since it doesn't comply with all of Intel's strict guidelines for Ultrabook design, but the Inspiron 13z is no less impressive and starts at an even lower price of $599.99. With a range of available color SWITCH lids for customizing - Moon Silver (standard), Fire Red and Lotus Pink - up to seven and a half hours of battery life, and starting at a mere 3.81 pounds (1.73kg), and 0.82-inches (20.7mm), students and style-conscious adults will probably gravitate to this laptop.

Both of the Inspiron z series laptops offer mobile broadband as an option with Dell NetReady mobile broadband service. Dell NetReady provides connectivity on a session-based model and is a "pay-as-you-go" service that allows connection in places where Wi-Fi may not be available.

Inspiron 15R and 17R: Family PCs done better

The new Inspiron 15R and Inspiron 17R feature stylish designs similar to the Inspiron 13z and 14z but the R series are full-featured notebooks for everyday use and entertainment. These notebooks offer high-definition displays (available up to 1080p), Waves MaxxAudio 3 technology, and a full selection of ports. Combine that with a variety of processor, memory and hard drive options and you've got a recipe for success that has worked for Dell time and time again. The optional color SWITCH lids make these laptops easily customizable to your favorite color. These budget-friendly laptops also include Intel Wireless Display technology for a wire-free connection to a compatible 1080p / 5.1 surround-compliant home theater.

Inspiron R Special Edition laptops: immersive entertainment and enhanced audio

The new Inspiron Special Edition series provides even better performance and premium features for people who demand the best entertainment and multimedia experience. A new expansion of Dell's Inspiron portfolio, the Inspiron 15R Special Edition and 17R Special Edition feature the Waves MaxxAudio 4 audio suite and Skullcandy speakers, and standard discrete graphics from AMD (Inspiron 15R Special Edition) and NVIDIA (Inspiron 17R Special Edition).

The new Inspiron R Special Edition laptops feature an anodized aluminum exterior in Stealth Black, Full HD display (1920x1080) for stunning video playback and Blu-ray disc options. The Inspiron 17R Special Edition is also available with a super bright 400 nit Full HD display or an optional Full HD 3D display. With backlit keyboards, and optional mSATA SSD devices with Intel Rapid Start Technology for fast boot and sleep resume times, the Inspiron R Special Edition laptops are packed with technology and features to make multimedia fun in any environment.

Pricing and availability

Inspiron 14z: Available today in select countries in Asia, June 19 in the U.S. and Canada, and in select countries in Europe and Latin America later this summer, starting at $699.99.

Inspiron 13z: Available today in select countries in Asia, and June 19 in the U.S. and Canada, starting at $599.99.

Inspiron 15R: Available today in select countries in Europe and Asia, and June 19 in the U.S. and Canada, starting at $549.99.

Inspiron 17R: Available today in select countries in Europe, and June 19 in the U.S. and Canada, starting at $599.99.

Inspiron 15R Special Edition: Available today in select countries in Europe, Asia and Latin America, and June 19 in the U.S. and Canada, starting at $899.99.

Inspiron 17R Special Edition: Available today in select countries in Europe and Asia, and June 19 in the U.S. and Canada, starting at $1,099.99 ($1,299.99 with 3D).

ASUS G75VW Review: The Best Mainstream Gaming Notebook Gets Better

2012-06-04T18:21:00.000+07:00

Build and Design
The basic design of ASUS' G-series notebooks stays the same - it's designed to resemble a stealth military aircraft and pulls it off rather well. This facelifted model includes a more aggressive-looking rear cooling exhaust vents, a new brushed aluminum keyboard inlay and softer rubber surfaces.

The changes are welcome; the notebook looks classier with the addition of another color (previously the G-series was all black). I especially like the gray plastic surrounds on each side of the notebook around the input/output ports. The brushed aluminum keyboard surround looks infinitely better. I'm pleased to see there is no glossy plastic anywhere on this notebook.

The build quality isn't rock solid but strong enough to withstand the rigors of gaming and everyday use. The G75VW is made almost entirely of plastic and rather thick plastic at that. The lid provides ample protection for the actual display panel; I could not get ripples to show up on the screen by pressing in on the back. The palm rest is hard to press in by pushing on it. Overall there are no weak points.

Ports and Features
The G75VW has a healthy array of input/output ports including a total of four SuperSpeed USB 3.0 ports, the most we've seen on a notebook to date. The G75VW has plenty of video output options including HDMI, VGA, and mini-DisplayPort (I find it puzzling ASUS didn't simply use a full-size DisplayPort).

Front: Status lights	Back: Cooling exhaust vents
Left: 2x USB 3.0, tray-load Blu-ray drive, 3-in-1 media card reader, microphone and headphone jacks	Right: 2x USB 3.0, mini-DisplayPort, HDMI, Ethernet, VGA, AC power jack

Screen and Speakers
ASUS switched gears and went with an anti-glare display (versus glossy/reflective), for which I'm grateful. It's easy to clean and there are no more annoying reflections. The display has a full HD resolution ("1080p" or 1920x1080 pixels) - and I'd expect nothing less on a 17.3-inch display, especially considering this notebook has a Blu-ray drive (Blu-ray content is native 1080p). 1920 horizontal pixels means using two windows side-by-side is doable. The display is slightly more colorful than those on rank-and-file notebooks sold in stores, so there is room for improvement.

Contrast levels are slightly better than average; the command prompt window is black but not completely black. Viewing angles are noticeably better than average; there is about a 40 degree vertical viewing range; this means the display doesn't have to be tilted exactly right to get a good picture. Compare this to the 20 degree angle I find on most inexpensive consumer notebooks. It's a good display overall; I wouldn't change much about it. I can't stress how nice the anti-glare finish is for usability.

The sound system is the most underwhelming aspect of the G75VW; it's muffled and has little bass despite the inclusion of a separate subwoofer. ASUS probably should have tried a little harder with the audio considering the target market for the G75VW and the fact that engineers went to the trouble of including a subwoofer in the design.

Keyboard and Touchpad
The keyboard and touchpad are much improved over ASUS' past G-series gaming notebooks like the G73JH, which we reviewed here. The full-size keyboard is a "Chiclet" style model with a separate numeric keypad. It has a beautiful brushed metal surround and truly feels solid.

The white backlighting has three brightness levels or can be turned off completely. The keyboard has communicative tactile feedback and is easy to type on quickly. Keys make an almost metallic clicking sound when pressed; it's pleasant and not too loud. The layout is standard.

The oversized touchpad is centered below the keyboard. It has a practical anti-glare surface. The most notable difference compared to past ASUS G-series notebooks is the buttons; they're nearly silent and have ample depth to provide feedback.
Overall I couldn't be happier with the quality of input devices.

Lenovo ThinkPad X230 Review: Road Warrior Perfection

2012-05-31T18:24:00.000+07:00

Overview

Lenovo probably pre-announced more notebooks at the Consumer Electronics Show in January than any other manufacturer, but the latest update to the X-series of ThinkPad business notebooks rises above the competition. The all-new ThinkPad X230 promises to be the ultimate 12-inch business laptop but in an age when the business market is being flooded with aluminum-clad MacBook look-alikes is there room for a traditional business ultraportable? ThinkPads have long been regarded as some of the best business laptops thanks to a trusted combination of cutting-edge performance, solid build quality, excellent keyboards, precision TrackPoints (that red dot in the middle of the keyboard) and fantastic warranty support. The previous generation ThinkPad X220 was widely regarded as the best 12-inch business notebook on the market.

The big question: Is the new ThinkPad X230 even better than the popular X220?

Build and Design

At first glance, the ThinkPad X230 has only a few minor changes from the X220. The location of several ports has been shuffled around, but you've still got the same tried and true boxy design combined with durable magnesium alloy and plastic construction covered in matte black rubberized paint. Lenovo continues to provide essentially a full-size keyboard on a 12-inch ultraportable notebook, but that larger keyboard comes at the expense of space for the palm rests. Although typing is very comfortable on the X230, your wrists don't have abundant space with your fingers in the traditional typing position.

The X230 continues Lenovo's trend of "business rugged" laptops even with its Lilliputian proportions. This ThinkPad is Milspec tested (physical shock, thermal shock, altitude, dust, vibration, humidity, heat and cold) for proven durability. Bottom line: you can toss the X230 in your car or let the flight attendant jam it into an overhead compartment without worrying something will break. Like most ThinkPads, the X230 will take the beating and keep working.

While the majority of Lenovo's business clients order their notebooks pre-configured exactly the way they want them it's important to mention that the X230 is still very easy for IT staff to upgrade and service in the field. The hard drive is easily replaced by removing the single screw on the side access panel. As far as RAM is concerned, there are two slots located under the main access plate on the bottom of the notebook. Our review unit came with a single 4GB memory module installed, so it would be quite easy to upgrade to 8GB of memory or drop in two 8GB modules for a total of 16GB of RAM.

Ports and Features
Last year we said "The ThinkPad X220 has what can only be described as the most robust port layout we've seen on any current-gneration 12-inch notebook." Well, Lenovo engineers found a way to pack even more into the X230 this year. You get two "SuperSpeed" USB 3.0 ports for rapid data transfers and one "always on" USB 2.0 port (for charging USB devices when the notebook is powered off). The X230 also comes with a traditional VGA port for those legacy business and school projectors, a mini DisplayPort connection, Gigabit Ethernet and a SDHC card reader. Oh, and Lenovo even managed to squeeze in a full size 54mm ExpressCard slot for accessories and port expansion. If that isn't enough ports, there is a docking station connection on the bottom of the notebook so you can turn this 12-inch laptop into a desktop replacement.

Front: Speaker grills	Back: Battery, AC power jack and heat exhaust
Left: Heat exhaust, USB 3.0, VGA, Mini DisplayPort, USB 3.0, ExpressCard slot and wireless on/off switch	Right: SD/SDHC card slot, "always on" USB 2.0 port, Ethernet, headset jack and security lock slot

Screen and Speakers
The 12.5-inch screen on our review unit of the ThinkPad X230 is an optional IPS panel with LED backlighting. The screen features the same 1366 x 768 resolution as the standard display, but the IPS panel provides greater screen brightness, more contrast and wider viewing angles. Our lab test results show this screen has a 780:1 contrast ratio and a peak brightness of 300 nit. Horizontal and vertical viewing angles are quite simply superb; we barely noticed any color distortion even out to extreme viewing angles.

Speaker quality is average as the maximum volume output is loud enough to fill a large meeting room with relatively clear sound. The audio performance is good enough for a basic video conference or webcast and Lenovo makes the best of a less than ideal situation by using Dolby Home Theater software to digitally enhance the audio output from both the built-in speakers and headphones connected to the headset jack. As with most modern ultraportable notebooks, the speakers are located on the bottom front edge of the X230. This means sound is directed down and away from you rather than up toward your ears. If you use the X230 like a "laptop", then the sound is often muffled against your clothing or your legs.

Keyboard and Touchpad
The keyboard on the ThinkPad X230 is Lenovo's new "Precision Keyboard" with LED backlighting. Although there will certainly be some diehard fans of the traditional Lenovo keyboard, the X230 uses a Chiclet-style key design not unlike what we've seen on most consumer laptops over the last decade. The main key sizes are still 100% of normal but know there is additional space between each key to help prevent typos. The typing surface has excellent support with barely any flex under heavy pressure. The tactile feel from each key is great with soft clicks emitting very little noise when fully pressed. You can type for hours at a time without much discomfort.

The previously mentioned LED backlighting has four settings; off, low, high, and high with the addition of the traditional "ThinkLight" located next to the webcam which casts light down onto the keyboard. This gives ThinkPad users "the best of both worlds" if they aren't sure about the new backlit keyboard.

The classic red TrackPoint and buttonless touchpad are Synaptics models that provide an excellent sensitivity and responsiveness as you move your cursor in various applications. The buttonless touchpad provides the same surface area as the X220 (45 percent larger surface than the old X201).

As with all the recent Synaptics clickpads we've tested, the lack of separate dedicated left and right buttons beneath the touchpad only presents a problem with the default settings because it's very difficult to trigger a right click. You might have to press the bottom right corner of the touchpad several times to register a right click. Thankfully, you can adjust the touchpad settings using the included UltraNav software. Alternatively, you can just use the TrackPoint and the dedicated left and right mouse buttons located above the touchpad.

HP Ultrabooks, Sleekbooks Hands On: Wait, What's a Sleekbook?

2012-05-30T18:31:00.000+07:00

When Apple launched the updated MacBook Airs back in late 2010, the whole industry sat up and took note. That line was impressively thin before, but it came at a cost - the computers were overly expensive and too slow by far, with mediocre build quality and heating and battery life issues. The update changed all of that - a $999 introductory price, solid build quality, a new 11-inch model and, despite the aging processors, reasonable performance (thanks in no small part to the use of modern flash memory).

Apple's 11-inch MacBook Air sitting on top of HP's new Spectre XT Ultrabook

Intel was especially interested. They saw this new notebook form factor as a means to reinvigorate the struggling PC industry, and the Ultrabook category was born. The PC maker shoved $300 million into a special fund available to PC makers in order to help with Ultrabook initiatives, marketing, and so on. Intel retained rights to the Ultrabook name, however, and if someone like HP, Dell, or ASUS wanted access, they had to cede an unprecedented amount of control over their product design to the processor giant.

It's very similar to the way Microsoft has pushed phone makers to adopt a stringent set of standards if they want access to the company's Windows Phone OS - pushed by Apple, too, it's worth noting, but in an entirely different product market. In this case, for an OEM to call their notebook an Ultrabook, they have to abide by specific guidelines:

18mm or thinner for notebooks with 13.3-inch and smaller displays
21mm or thinner for notebooks with 14-inch and larger displays
5 hour minimum battery life
CULV Intel processors
Flash storage - if not completely solid state, then at least in a hybrid format
7 second resumption from hibernation

The figures aren't public, and manufacturers aren't always willing to disclose them to consumers or press - still, some Ultrabooks can actually be much thicker than the above, if they offer specific characteristics, like optical drives or convertible tablet options.

All of this adds up to the fact that the Ultrabook message has quickly become muddled and mixed - they're really just the new premium notebook, with thicker models relegated to either the gaming or budget markets. HP is looking to dilute that ideal even more, for better or for worse - enter the Sleekbook.

A whatbook?

The Sleekbook, unlike the Ultrabook, has no specific characteristics required to receive the Sleekbook name. In HP's words, the new Sleekbook lineup will basically be "Ultrabook-like" models that, for one reason or another, can't qualify as Ultrabooks under the Intel guidelines.

So what sort of things would disqualify a computer from being an Intel-branded Ultrabook? The new laptop might be thin, but slightly too thick. It might use exclusively hard drive storage (Ultrabooks need flash memory / SSDs, remember).

Of course, the real ringer is that Ultrabooks CAN NOT employ AMD processors. Depending on how successful the Ultrabook marketing push is, that could be a real problem for AMD; if consumers go into a store and ask for an Ultrabook, they will by definition not see an AMD computer. HP's Sleekbooks, however, could meet every one of Ultrabook qualifications, and use cheaper AMD CPUs - meaning they get an Ultrabook experience at a reduced price.

What HP really should do is approach AMD about a joint Sleekbook partnership - HP gets exclusive rights to the name for the next 6 months to a year or so, and AMD agrees to funnel some money into R&D and/or marketing. Then, AMD would have a Sleekbook platform ready to compete against Intel for the next notebook war - a war that AMD, which hasn't made any serious efforts to get its chips into tablets or smartphones - absolutely cannot afford to lose.

How To Improve Laptop Battery Life

2012-05-23T18:30:00.000+07:00

Most of this guide will focus on modern notebooks running Windows 7, but much of the advice below holds true even if you're running Windows XP or planning to move to Windows 8.

Don't Overwork Your Laptop

In the simplest terms, anything your laptop does requires power. Therefore, your laptop is wasting power every time it does something that you don't "need" it to do. One simple solution is to close applications you aren't using rather than leaving programs running in the background or minimized in the Windows taskbar. However, you can go one step further.

Every laptop running a modern version of Windows has the ability change power profiles using the Windows Power Management. Click on that battery icon on the bottom of your screen, and make sure your notebook is set to "Balanced" or "Power Saver" if you want a quick and simple way to limit unnecessary power consumption.

The "High Performance" setting is great if you are encoding video or playing games but it makes your processor and hard drive(s) work harder than they have to, using more power and throwing out more heat. Most notebooks also include power regulation software from the laptop manufacturer (HP Power Advisor, Toshiba Power Saver, etc.) which can be used to help reduce overall power consumption.

Being Wireless Will Eventually Leave You Powerless

We usually need our laptops to be connected to a wireless network of some kind; Wi-Fi, 3G broadband, your 4G USB modem, or even your Bluetooth external keyboard and mouse at the office. The problem is that constantly sending and receiving wireless signals drains a significant portion of your notebook's battery. The solution is simple: If you're not actively using a wireless connection then make sure you turn it off. You can disable Wi-Fi or Bluetooth on your laptop either by clicking on the wireless network icon on the bottom right corner of your Windows desktop or by pressing the Wireless on/off switch on laptops that have such switches.

Another Bright Idea: Turn Down The Display

The single component that consumes the most amount of power on your notebook is the screen backlight. This is particularly true for "desktop replacement" notebooks with large screens (15-inch and 17-inch laptops). Yes, displays usually look better when the backlight is nice and bright but when you're away from a power outlet you need to balance your desire for a vivid screen with your desire to keep your laptop running. Start by lowering the screen brightness to the lowest setting and increase it slowly until you reach the dimmest setting you find bearable. Of course, this will vary depending on the room you are in ... you'll have to increase the screen brightness if you're working outdoors under direct sunlight but you might be able to use the absolute lowest brightness setting when you're working on a plane with the cabin lights off.

DVDs Will Leave Your Laptop DEAD

Sooner or later most people find themselves stuck on a flight or in a car without Wi-Fi and nothing better to do but watch a movie to pass the time. Pulling out that DVD or Blu-ray collection sounds like fun but it's one of the fastest ways to drain your laptop's battery. The motor that spins the optical drive and the laser used to read the discs create a huge power draw while the disc is spinning. In addition to the drive, your laptop's processor (and the GPU) has to work hard to decode the audio and video. This usually translates into more than a 30% increase in power consumption compared to when your notebook is basically just sitting idle while you type a document in Microsoft Word. If you must watch movies, try to stick with digital content that you previously downloaded such as iTunes or Amazon Instant Video that has been saved to your computer. You can also stream online from Netflix.com or Hulu.com but, as previously mentioned, Wi-Fi power consumption is something to keep in mind.

Lenovo IdeaPad Y480 Review: A Solid Mobile Entertainment PC

2012-05-21T18:26:00.000+07:00

Overview

Build & Design
One of the first things you'll notice about the design of the IdeaPad Y480 is its simple, almost "old fashioned" lines and durable brushed aluminum lid with gunmetal black finish. The display lid and palmrest area sports the same brushed metal construction and black (dark gray) finish but the lower half of the chassis is made of thick, matte black plastic. The Y480 isn't the thinnest or lightest kid on the block with a thickness of 1.3 inches and a weight of almost five pounds. Still, what this notebook lacks in slimness it more than makes up for in terms of overall performance, durable design, and upgradeability.

Build quality is good but not up to the standards of Lenovo's ThinkPad business notebooks. The metal lid will protect the screen from the average bump or drop but the metal isn't very thick and you can create distortions on the screen if you press on the lid while the laptop is turned on. The metal palmrest and plastic lower half of the notebook feels reasonably solid with no squeaks or creaks when you pinch the palmrest or try to twist the notebook in your hands.

Bottom line, this laptop should survive typical student usage as long as the student in question isn't too abusive to electronics.

Lenovo was kind enough to stick to the tried and true solution of including an access panel on the bottom of the notebook so you can easily swap out the hard drive, RAM, or wireless cards if needed. In this day and age when most consumer notebooks are racing to get thinner and lighter it would have been easy for Lenovo to make the Y480 a millimeter to two thinner by using a sealed chassis. By building the notebook this way you don't have to completely disassemble the laptop if something goes wrong.

Ports and FeaturesThe IdeaPad Y480 has a reasonably impressive selection of ports for a 14-inch laptop. Included is a 6-in-1 memory card reader, two USB 3.0 "SuperSpeed" ports, two USB 2.0 ports, Ethernet, HDMI and VGA ports for hooking it up to an HDTV or external monitor, and dedicated microphone and headphone jacks. Lenovo was also kind enough to include an 8X DVD SuperMulti optical drive for those who still insist on living in the previous decade.

To be honest, the only complaint we have about the ports on this notebook is a complaint we have about all current-generation notebooks: Why continue to include USB 2.0 ports? The new USB 3.0 standard is compatible with USB 2.0 (in other words, the faster USB 3.0 ports also work with older, slower USB devices) so there should be four USB 3.0 ports on this notebook instead of two of each kind.

Front: Activity lights and 6-in-1 memory card reader	Back: Hinges and battery
Left: Lock slot, exhaust vent, VGA, Ethernet, HDMI, 2x USB 3.0	Right: Headphone out/mic in, USB 2.0, 8X DVD SuperMulti optical drive, USB 2.0, A/C power

Screen and Speakers
Our review unit features the same 14.0-inch "HD Glare" display with LED backlighting that is used on all configurations of the Y480. The display resolution is a rather unimpressive 1366 x 768 (720p) and the screen is essentially unremarkable in terms of color, contrast and viewing angles. This isn't to say that the screen on the Y480 is bad ... it just lacks any type of "wow" factor. The glossy surface means you'll see reflections and glare on the screen when you use the laptop under bright indoor lights or direct sunlight. The lack of a 1080p display option means you won't get the full Blu-ray experience if you pay extra to get the Blu-ray drive option on the Y480. The fact that this is a TN panel instead of an IPS display means that the colors look washed out or inverted if you tilt the screen slightly forward or back.

All of these complaints could just as easily be leveraged against 90 percent of the 14-inch laptops on the market, but it's reasonable to expect more from a notebook with a sticker price that goes as high as $1,699.00 for a system with a 1TB 5400RPM hard drive and 32GB SSD.

One place where the Y480 exceeds expectations is the built-in speakers. Lenovo uses a pair of JBL-branded stereo speakers enhanced with Dolby Home Theater v4 software to deliver surprisingly impressive sound for a notebook that only has two small speakers. Each JBL speaker is rated at 1.5W but they produce greater than expected audio performance both in terms of maximum volume and clarity. Thankfully, Lenovo engineers placed the speakers above the keyboard so sound is directed up and toward the user unlike many budget laptops that have speakers located on the bottom of the notebook pushing sound into your lap.

Keyboard and Touchpad
The Y480 has a full-sized Chiclet-style keyboard with LED backlighting to help you type in dark environments. Lenovo has earned a reputation for making some of the best laptop keyboards and at first glance the Y480 is pretty good. Unlike most Chiclet-style keyboards from other companies, the keys aren't perfectly flat but have a slightly concave surface that "hugs" your fingertip. The LED backlighting is nice and bright but there is quite a bit of backlight bleed around the keys.

Our only complaint about the keyboard on the Y480 is actually related to the keyboard surround ... the plastic trim piece that sits around and behind the keys. The keyboard surround doesn't snap firmly into place and actually "bounces" as you type with moderate or heavy pressure. This gives the false impression that the keyboard tray is flexing under pressure when in fact the keyboard support frame is very solid; it's just the plastic trim piece behind the keys that moves around and makes a less-than-perfect typing experience.

This would be an easy fix for Lenovo since the keyboard itself is great and all an engineer has to do is figure out a way to keep the plastic trim piece from moving as you type.

The Synaptics touchpad is pretty standard. This is technically a "clickpad" since the entire surface functions as a massive touchpad button and you can click anywhere to trigger a left click. As with all the Synaptics clickpads we've tested, this only presents a problem with the default settings because it's very difficult to trigger a right click. Lenovo placed a white line on the bottom edge of the clickpad to indicate where the traditional left and right clicks can be used but if your fingertip isn't perfectly positioned then you'll just make a left click when you are trying to make a right click. Thankfully, you can adjust the touchpad settings using the included Synaptics software.

HP Pavilion g7t vs. Lenovo Important G770: Household Laptop computer Battle

2012-04-29T15:12:00.000+07:00

These two sub-$700 notebooks offer a spacious 17.3-inch screen and are perfect for families on a budget. Read on to see why we'd pick one over the other.

Family Notebooks – What to Look For
I’m assuming that most families are on a budget so this comparison article does not include any Alienware gaming notebooks. As a matter of fact, the notebooks in this comparison aren’t capable of playing modern 3D games period – I’m making another assumption that many families will have a dedicated game console such as an Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3. The last assumption is that families will likely be looking for a large notebook that will stay in mostly the same place its entire life (which means battery life isn’t super important).
17-inch notebooks have been around for years and while they were rare around their introduction in 2004-05, they are now common as any other size. The two being compared today – the HP g7t and Lenovo G770 – are two of the lowest-priced 17.3” notebooks on the market. At the sub-$600 price point they lack the latest and greatest technologies such as USB 3.0, quad-core processors and backlit keyboards. They’re built around including essential functionality and after using them, I think they do a rather good job of it.
Here are the specifications of the notebooks in our comparison:

	HP g7t	Lenovo G770
Screen	17.3” 1600x900 glossy	17.3” 1600x900 glossy
Processor	Intel Core i3-2350M dual-core	Intel Core i5-2450M dual-core
RAM	6GB	4GB
Storage	640GB 5400RPM	500GB 5400RPM
Graphics Card	Integrated Intel HD	Integrated Intel HD
Battery	6-cell 47WHr	6-cell; 5 hours battery
Optical Drive	DVD burner	DVD burner
Webcam?	Yes	Yes
Weight	6.05 lbs.	6.61 lbs.
Thickness	1.22~1.44 inches	1.42~1.77 inches
Ports	3x USB 2.0; HDMI, VGA, Ethernet, headphone, microphone, media card reader	5x USB 2.0, HDMI, VGA, Ethernet, headphone, microphone, media card reader
Sale price	$579.99	$599.99
Warranty	1-year	1-year

Highlighted items indicate which notebook has the advantage. The notebooks are configured as closely as possible for comparison.
Both notebooks pack plenty of power for everyday tasks such as web surfing, online shopping and school work. The integrated Intel HD graphics card is no good for modern 3D games but works fine for basic online flash games. The G770 is chunkier than the g7t but not by a significant amount, and it doesn’t matter much if the notebooks will remain in the same spot.

Design
While both notebooks look similar from a distance, the G770 is better up close and personal thanks to its stamped aluminum palm rest. It adds a higher-end look and feel not often seen in this price range. Aside from that these notebooks have nearly identical build quality and construction – the chassis are mostly ABS plastic and feel surprisingly solid; the chassis in both notebooks are resistant to bending. The G770 has less flex in the palm rest than the g7t thanks to that aluminum. Something I don’t like about either notebook is the glossy plastic lid, which attracts fingerprints too easily.
Overall the design edge goes to the Lenovo G770.

Keyboard and Touchpad
The G770 claims its second victory in a row thanks to its superb Chiclet-style keyboard. HP makes a good Chiclet keyboard as well but unfortunately doesn’t include it in it budget notebooks. The keys on the G770’s keyboard have plenty of travel and there’s almost no flex. Keys feel pleasant to press and overall typing is not a chore. The g7t on the other hand has a rather cheap-feeling keyboard with barely adequate tactile feedback. Both notebooks have a dedicated number pad.

Screen
The screen is a tie; the same quality screen is included in both notebooks. 1600x900 is a usable resolution and a nice bump over the 1366x768 we’re used to seeing on 15.6” notebooks. The quality of the screens is average; it has a slight bluish hue and isn’t overly bright or colorful - in other words, adequate.

Speakers
Despite the Altec Lansing badging, the g7t’s speakers leave much to be desired. The G770 doesn’t have name-brand speakers but they sound much clearer than the g7t’s. I’d suggest a set of external speakers or headphones with either notebook, especially if the notebooks will be used for entertainment.

Performance
This section is a tie since neither notebook has an outright advantage. The G770 includes a faster Core i5 processor but for the tasks these notebooks are designed for, it will make almost no difference over the Core i3 in the g7t. The g7t includes a slightly larger hard drive and more RAM, though again they’re not going to make a practical difference next to what’s included in the G770 for everyday usage.

Input and Output Ports
Both notebooks include a standard assortment of USB ports and HDMI and VGA video output ports. The G770 however includes a whopping FIVE USB 2.0 ports compared to the g7t’s three. I can’t remember the last time I saw a notebook with so many USB ports; definitely a plus for families since everyone will have their own iPod and so on.

The Winner?
The Lenovo Essential G770 earns the top spot in this comparison thanks to being better where it counts; namely in areas of design and user interface. At nearly the same price, no difference is too small to disregard. The G770 has a superior design thanks to its aluminum accents, a better feeling Chiclet keyboard, slightly better speakers, and more USB ports. Overall at this price it makes a great stay-at-home family notebook.

Alienware Up-dates M14x, M17x and M18x Game playing Notebooks

2012-04-21T15:02:00.000+07:00

Alienware Updates M14x, M17x and M18x Gaming Notebooks

Alienware has refreshed its gaming notebook lineup with new video cards, screens, and storage options including SSD and hard drive combos. Expect to see the new Intel "Ivy Bridge" processors available in these notebooks when Intel releases them in the coming weeks.

M14x R2

This is the first time the 14” M14x has been refreshed. This “R2” model features an Nvidia GeForce GT 650M graphics card which replaces the previous GT 555M. Additionally it is available with up to 16GB of memory, a Blu-ray drive, and SSD+HDD storage combination options.

The storage options consist of a large hard drive and small mSATA SSD caching drive (32GB/64GB) or two SSDs in RAID 1 (256GB SSD + 256GB mSATA SSD). An mSATA SSD resembles a piece of memory and attaches in a special slot on the motherboard, compared to a traditional drive that resides in a drive bay. The HDD+SSD options start at $75 for a 500GB HDD + 32GB mSATA SSD. The M14x starts at $1,099.

M18x R2

The M18x R2 is a minor refresh; it receives an Nvidia GeForce GTX 675M video card option (which isn’t actually new as it’s a rebranded 580M) and up to three storage drives courtesy of the mSATA slot like the M14x.

The M18x starts at $1,999.

M17x R4

The M17x R4 isn’t much of an upgrade over the M17x R3 except that it’s available with the new AMD Radeon 7970M 2GB graphics card. It’s available as a $200 upgrade over the base Nvidia GeForce GT 660M. The 7970M has the specifications to be the fastest mobile graphics card available – at least until Nvidia releases its GTX 680M. The M17x is also available with the GTX 675M like the M18x.

That said the M17x can still be equipped with up to 32GB of RAM, multiple storage drives, a full HD screen, and comes standard with a quad-core Intel Core i7 processor. It starts at $1,499.

Movie Modifying Application Allows You Make Family Films Like the Pros

2012-04-17T15:05:00.000+07:00

With the change in seasons comes the chance to pull out your camcorder and capture a few memories at spring and summer special events like graduations and family get togethers. If you have the right PC video editing package, it’s actually possible these days for you to turn your rough home video into slick-looking movies perfect for sharing with others. These same software packages can make really cool gifts to people you care about on Father’s Day, Mother’s Day, or Graduation Day.
Not all that long ago, you needed to be a video professional – or at least a very serious amateur – to convert raw footage into impressive videos containing scene-to-scene transitions, titles, and special effects.
That’s no longer at all the case today, when decent video editing software such as Microsoft’s Windows Live Movie Maker and Apple’s iMovie is practically at your fingertips. If you’re looking for more choices, the range is practically endless. With so many products priced at around $100, or even less, you won’t need to spend a small fortune to get a package geared to ease of use, top-of-the-line features, or some combination of the two.
Meanwhile, video editing takes less time than in the past, and it can be less of a drain on PC resources. Vendors have been introducing new technologies for speeding up video rendering, as well as the task of encoding – or converting – videos into formats suited for sharing movies to DVDs, social networking sites, and iPhones and other mobile devices, for instance.

Easier and Easier!
Most video editing software packages revolve around a timeline. After dragging and dropping video clips to the timeline, you can apply transitions – including wipes, dissolves, and a wide variety of more innovative choices – to act as bridges between the clips.
Other common capabilities include tools for capturing video directly from videocams and still cameras; importing files from hard drives and memory cards; trimming clips; adding multiple video and audio tracks; making technical picture tweaks such as color adjustments and zoom; and adding blur, glow, and more exotic special effects.
Products can vary tremendously, though, in how these basic features are presented through the user interface (UI). However, greater ease of use is an ongoing and practically universal trend.
To give you one example, CyberLink PowerDirector 10 comes with a toolset known as PowerTools for easily cropping and zooming in on selected portions of a clip, playing a clip in reverse, adjusting the video speed, freezing a video frame, or rotating the clip within the video.
Corel’s VideoStudio Pro offers a set of already prepared templates called Instant Projects, which incorporate built-in (but customizable) titles, special effects, and background music.
Muvee Reveal X takes the templates concept a step further by automatically "analyzing" your video for “highlights” before automatically applying “styles” you've selected, which incorporate transitions, special effects, and music. Styles in Reveal X include Cube Twist, Ultra Plain, and Uncle Oscar, to name a few.

More and More Advanced Features
One leader in the sub-$100 category, Adobe Premiere Elements, offers advanced features that include support for up to 100 simultaneous video and audio tracks. Within the more costly (and complex) Sony Vegas family, support for simultaneous tracks is (theoretically, at least) limitless.
Other hot trends to look for in high-end features include stop motion, time-lapse movies, picture-in-picture, and 3D. Avid’s Pinnacle Studio includes a stop motion import feature aimed at making it easy to capture individual frames from a variety of sources for stop-motion video. If you double-click a video on your PC, the software will automatically detect separate scenes as you import the clip.
In the new X5 edition of VideoStudio Pro, Corel adds a stop motion animation capture that lets you capture video in increments of 1 to 30 frames. Onion screen functionality is included, for seeing through to the previous frame.

3D Movies
If you want to surprise friends and family with a 3D movie of a Mother’s Day celebration or a June wedding, you can produce one with Vegas. But there's a catch. You’ll need to have access to a 3D camcorder such as the HDR-TD10 for importing 3D content. You’ll then be able to upload your 3D movie to YouTube or export it to Blu-ray disks. Sony includes a pair of 3D glasses in the Vegas box.
CyberLink, on the other hand, supports import, export, and editing of five different types of 3D video: Red/Cyan; Polarized; Checkerboard; Time-sequential; and HDMI 1.4. Both companies also claim to allow you to convert 2D into 3D (although the results of such experiments are not predicable, of course!).

Faster and Faster!
If you've always thought of video editing as a slow and unwieldy chore, it's time to start rethinking. Vendors ranging from Sony to lesser known LoiLo are folding in GPU acceleration designed to speed encoding of file formats by offloading some of the processing from the CPU to the GPU. Sony Vegas uses GPU acceleration to convert video into Sony’s proprietary .avc format.
LoiLoScope 2, on the other hand, uses nVIDIA’s CUDA GPU acceleration for transcoding video into a wide range of formats, suitable for creating and burning either an HDV or Blu-ray DVD disk, exporting your movie to mobile devices, or uploading it to to either YouTube, Facebook, or Vimeo, for example.
For its part, CyberLink combines its own TrueVelocity 2 approach to GPU acceleration with proprietary technologies known as FastRender and Intelligent SVRT for boosting video rendering times.

Conclusion
Still, no two video editing packages are alike, despite these common trends toward greater ease of use, more advanced feature sets, and faster video processing times. In fact, you'll see some big differences among these products on all of those scores.

Most Well-known Netbooks for April 2012

2012-04-04T15:08:00.000+07:00

On a per month basis we gather information for frequent a particular computer computer is considered on this website's product webpages to get an idea for what popular customers are looking at and planning on buying. Take a nearer look at the netbooks that our guests desired to see the most during the 30 days of April.

In that feeling, think of this record as the "most clickable netbooks of the month" ... the netbooks that most of the people viewing this website are considering learning about. Keep in mind that presses immediately on the "Most Viewed Laptops" record do not depend toward the complete - keeping the record as reasonable as possible each 30 days. The only presses that depend toward the per month somme come from web looks like The search engines or from guests who have visited on a computer after viewing our "Notebook Database" or inside our boards.

The HP Pavilion g6 budget-priced computer computer is still in the #1 place with over 22,000 pageviews for the 30 days. The next maximum rated computer computer on our website is the budget-priced Lenovo G570. The Asus Zenbook UX31 decreased a identify since Feb and is now in place #3.

1. HP Pavilion g6 (Still #1) - The Pavilion g6 is a budget-priced laptop that tries to balance great design, solid performance, and affordability. The Pavilion g6t series with 15.6-inch LED display features a range of available Intel Pentium and Core i series processors, Windows 7, multiple graphics options, and a 6-cell battery with more than four hours of battery life while browsing the web. (22,898 unique views)
2. Lenovo G570 (Previously #3) - The G570 is part of the budget-priced/general use G-Series line by Lenovo. Running on Windows 7 Home Premium on a 15.6-inch display (1366x768), the G570 has an Intel Core i5-2410M dual-core processor and up to 8GB of RAM. Choose from a 500GB capacity hard drive at 5400rpm or a 750GB capacity hard drive at 5400rpm. The graphics card included with the system is an Intel HD 3000 (integrated). (20,306 unique views)
3. ASUS Zenbook UX31 (Previously #2) - The Asus Zenbook UX31 is a 13.3-inch notebook with a 900p screen. It also comes with the option of a 11.6-inch screen. It was designed to compete with Apple's MacBook Air because of its higher-end specifications in a slim form factor. You can customize this notebook with up to 4GB-1333 DDR3 RAM. It has a 50Whr polymer (non-removable) battery. (18,730 unique views)
4. Lenovo ThinkPad X220 (Previously #5) - The 12.5-inch Lenovo ThinkPad X220 is an ultraportable business notebook that will soon replace the popular X201. The X220 comes built with the latest of the Intel Sandy Bridge processors (Core i3, i5 or i7), has a high-quality IPS display, and can deliver more than eight and a half hours of battery life. With the optional battery slice this system can deliver 18 and a half hours of mobile life. Choose up to 8GB of DDR3 RAM and a hard drive with up to 320GB of hard drive storage. (13,984 unique views)
5. Toshiba Portege Z835 (Previously #4) - The Toshiba Portege Z835 is a consumer notebook with a 13.3-inch 720p display and a dual-core Intel Core i3-2367M processor. Known as an "Ultrabook," it comes equipped with 4GB DDR3-1333MHz memory (max. 6GB), a 128GB solid state drive, USB 3.0 and a backlit keyboard. The battery provided six hours of life during our tests. (11,355 unique views)
6. Dell Latitude E6420 (Still #6) - The Dell Latitude E6420 is a business-rugged laptop with a 14-inch display and tons of options. It features a Tri-Metal design, backlit spill-resistant keyboard, and up to a quad-core processor. It can also be customized with a 900p HD+ display. Solid state drive options and up to 8GB, DDR3 memory at 1333MHz are available (2 DIMMS). (8,538 unique views)
7. Lenovo IdeaPad Y570 (Previously #10) - The Lenovo IdeaPad Y570 is a 15.6-inch consumer multimedia notebook. Users can equip the Y570 with a second-gen Intel Core i3, i5, or i7 dual- or quad-core processor, up to 8GB DDR3 RAM at 1333MHz, and up to 500GB of hard drive space at 7200rpm. The notebook also comes with discrete NVIDIA graphics; the NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M, with 1GB of dedicated video memory. (7,656 unique views)
8. Lenovo ThinkPad W520 (Back in the top 10) - The Lenovo ThinkPad W520 is Lenovo's upgrade to the W510 mobile workstation notebook. This 15.6-inch notebook is powered by up to an Intel Core i7-2920XM processor and equipped with up to a discrete NVIDIA Quadro 2000M GPU, switchable to Intel HD integrated graphics. (7,621 unique views)
9. HP Folio 13 (Previously #7) - The HP Folio 13 is a 13-inch ultrabook encased in aluminum. It has a thickness of 0.7 inches and is equipped with a second-gen Intel Core i5 processor and 128GB solid state drive. It weighs in at 3.3 pounds. (7,443 unique views)
10. Dell XPS 15z (Back in the top 10) - The Dell XPS 15z is a 15-inch multimedia notebook with an ultra-thin metal chassis, an optional 1080p display and a backlit keyboard. The XPS 15z can be configured with a second-generation Intel Core i7 processor and Nvidia GeForce GT 525M dedicated graphics for serious multimedia performance. With a starting weight of just 5.5 pounds and an attractive metal exterior this is an interesting alternative to Apple's MacBook Pro. (7,241 unique views)

ASUS B23E Complete Review: Almost Everything a Laptop Should Be

2012-03-23T14:59:00.000+07:00

Review Summary:

The ASUS B23E is a well-equipped business notebook disguised as a netbook; a good option for road warriors.

Pros

Decent performance
Great array of ports
Comfortable, easy-to-use keyboard
Extremely thin and portable

Cons

Price is a bit high
Speakers could be better
Small touchpad

ASUS promises the 12.5-inch B23E to be a reliable business netbook with good performance and user-friendly features. Our review unit is packed with the kind of hardware you'd find in a mainstream business desktop...except in a tiny, 3.4 pound form factor. It has an Intel Core i7-2620M processor at 2.7GHz, Intel HD graphics, and a 500GB Seagate Momentus hard drive at 7200rpm. Read our full review below for more information!
Overview
Build & Design

The first thing you'll notice about the ASUS B23E is that it doesn't have a particularly stylish design. It looks like any other standard business notebook - there's nothing outlandish about it - it's soft black and has smooth matte surfaces. The important thing to cover here is the build quality, though, as this is supposed to be a durable business notebook that is essentially the size and shape of a cheap netbook.
And at 3.4 pounds and a small form factor, it is very portable. It also has pretty decent durability without being heavier - ASUS states that it's been drop tested to withstand "more than double the drop height of consumer notebook standards." ASUS also states that the hinge as well as lid panel have been tested to surpass consumer notebook standards. We'd like to point out that this isn't a consumer notebook, though - it's a business notebook. That being said, the only problem we had with the durability was with the lid.
When we pressed down in various spots around the chassis, we found that the B23E was solid - it barely budged. The cover and chassis are both made with a sturdy magnesimum alloy construction. ASUS claims that the keyboard is also spill-proof and that the hard drive has anti-shock cushions.
When we bent the lid at its corners, however, the lid twisted very easily and ripples appeared across the display. It might be made of magnesium alloy, but perhaps it isn't quite thick enough. Although, as another editor pointed out, when you press on the lid cover from its center, it doesn't show any noticeable flex. This is a good thing, as you probably won't have to worry about the B23E's lid cracking under pressure from someone shoving their carry-on baggage into your netbook on the airplane, for example.
Like most netbooks, the B23E isn't easily upgradeable. Users can replace the wireless network adapter and upgrade the memory by removing two simple covers off the bottom panel. It can hold a maximum of 8GB-1333 RAM.

Ports and Features

The ASUS B23E actually has a great port selection. Despite the fact that there are only three USB ports in total, it has one SuperSpeed USB 3.0 port for fast flash storage transfers. The selection also includes a physical Wi-Fi power switch, a USB/eSATA combo port, ExpressCard and SmartCard readers, and a 5-in-1 memory card reader (SD/MS/MS Pro/xD/MMC). It also has HDMI, VGA, a fingerprint reader next to the touchpad, and a switch on the screen bezel to turn your webcam on or off.

Screen and Speakers
The B23E has a 12.5-inch matte display with LED backlighting and a 16:9 aspect ratio. The only available resolution is the low 1366x768, which is pretty much the standard for netbooks and notebooks of this size. We measured a contrast ratio of 167:1. This isn't surprising either, given the small screen; coupling that with the fact that this is a business notebook. You can tell the contrast isn't that great in the photos below. We're glad ASUS decided to go with the matte surface for it though; glossy, reflective screens are harder to work on in bright office settings. The viewing angles are very narrow all around.

The B23E has VIA HD speakers and drivers. The audio is what you'd probably expect: it doesn't reach very high levels and although the definition is fine, that doesn't matter much when you can't hear it that well. The volume levels could have been improved by placing the speakers on the top of the chassis rather than on the bottom of the netbook. We'd recommend a good pair of headphones and/or external speakers if the muffled sound is a nuisance. The drivers allow users to enable loudness equalization, sound equalizer, environment modeling and room correction.

Keyboard and Touchpad
If you've purchased a netbook before and didn't really think too much about the ease of use of the keyboard and touchpad and were disappointed with it, you know how important it is to buy one that doesn't feel "cramped" and uncomfortable. If you're still considering the B23E up to this point, you're in luck: this Chiclet-style keyboard is great. We made very few typos while using it over the course of the week that we had it. It didn't feel cramped at all, probably because the spacing between the keys is well-proportioned. There are dedicated home, end and page keys. The keyboard is also spill resistant and features a fingerprint reader to the right of the touchpad. To top it all off, the keyboard is extremely silent; so you won't be bugging others in your office or classroom while typing away.
The ELAN touchpad isn't bad, we just wish it were bigger. There is a lot of horizontal space, which is nice, but only a couple of inches of vertical space. It doesn't even make sense to make it small - there is a lot of space above the keyboard that could have been utilized to make more room for the touchpad. We will say, however, that the usability is good - the surface is smooth matte, and our fingers slid over it effortlessly.

Acer Aim Schedule Extra M3 Complete Review: A True 15-inch Ultrabook

2012-03-03T14:54:00.000+07:00

Review Summary:

If you are in the market for an ultrabook with a large screen, excellent video editing and gaming performance, and a premium fit and finish then the Acer Aspire Timeline Ultra M3 deserves serious consideration.

Pros

Unbelievable graphics performance
Thin and light yet well built
Good keyboard and large touchpad

Cons

Bad location for power button
All ports are in back
Nasty hot spot on the bottom

One simple problem has been unpleasant us since the appearance of the ultrabook type of slim, Intel-based top quality netbooks last year: Ultrabooks don't really produce top quality efficiency. Acer wishes to change that with the new Aim Schedule Extra M3; the first 15-inch ultrabook with high-performance NVIDIA GeForce 640M design within. Can a thin-and-light ultrabook really offer you "ultra" performance?

Build & Design

At first look the Acer Aim Schedule Extra M3 looks like a basic wide screen laptop computer with a slim information, but take a nearer look and you'll see the all-metal external covering a very well-equipped ultrabook with many slots and a nice key pad. While the 15-inch impact and 20mm width of the case makes this the biggest "ultrabook" we've analyzed to date, that dimension provides just enough room for a tray-loading visual drive and some highly effective inner elements. It's reasonable to indicate that the unique idea for "ultrabooks" was top quality slim netbooks depending on the 11-inch and 13-inch Apple MacBook Air, but it's also reasonable to indicate that many people like larger displays and full-sized controls ... and 15-inch netbooks remain the most popular laptop computer computer dimension in terms of sales here in the United Declares.

The mineral magnesium metal lid and case provide Extra M3 the advantage of lightweight and the longevity of steel development. The matte-black complete looks professional and clean while the chiclet-style key pad and large touch pad give this ultrabook more customer charm. As opposed to some slim and lighting netbooks with steel covers, the display lid on the Extra M3 is amazingly powerful and should records protection for the display when you're visiting. As for the case itself, Acer loaded as many elements within as possible so the M3 seems powerful when you pick it up; there are no poor areas or empty appears to be when you tap your fingers and hands on laptops computer computer.
A serious, rather terrible drawback in the style of the Extra M3 is the place of the energy option. For some reason that destinations me, someone at Acer determined to place the energy option on the top side side of laptops computer. Not only that, but the top side side is set at an angle down a little bit and the energy option is a delicate pressure-activated change ... significance that if you use the M3 as a "laptop" you can accidentally media the energy option with your lap just by pushing down strongly on the palmrest.

I wish someone at Acer is examining this. Whoever is accountable for the keeping this energy option needs to be relocated to a different office at Acer. Anyone who believes it is an excellent option to put a pressure-activated energy option on the top side side of a computer should not be developing netbooks.

On a more content observe, the Extra M3 is amazingly easy to update in comparison to other ultrabooks. Most current ultrabooks have enclosed case styles that avoid you from improving components like RAM or the disk generate. The M3 features a practical access section on the end where you can substitute out important components like the RAM, Wi-Fi card, disk generate or the optionally available mSATA SSD. This gives the M3 a unique advantage over the competitors since it means you can update elements over time.
Screen and Speakers

The 15.6-inch bright display is one Acer's "CineCrystal" shows with LED backlighting. There is just one screen excellent at a lot of length of this writing; a rather ineffective 1366x768. However, the bright external on this screen isn't as a sign as some of the bright shows we've seen on other ultrabooks ... importance you won't have to fight with serious glare and glare as much. Still, a lcd option would have been a recognized operate to help with visibility outside under sunlight. The colors don't appear far too over packed at conventional adjustments and evaluation is very frequent.

Screen and Speakers
The 15.6-inch glossy display is one Acer's "CineCrystal" screens with LED backlighting. There is just one screen resolution at the time of this writing; a rather unimpressive 1366x768. However, the glossy surface on this screen isn't as reflective as some of the glossy screens we've seen on other ultrabooks ... meaning you won't have to struggle with harsh glare and reflections as much. Still, a matte screen option would have been a welcomed feature to help with visibility outdoors under direct sunlight. The colors don't appear overly saturated at default settings and contrast is pretty average.

As with all TN panels, the viewing angles on the M3's screen are pretty average: The screen looks great when viewed from straight on or from a modest horizontal angle, but the colors appear washed out when viewed from above and colors look inverted when viewed from below. We would love it if every ultrabook featured an IPS display with near perfect colors at all viewing angles, but the higher cost probably isn't something the average consumer wants to pay. As long as you tilt the screen so your eyes are parallel to the screen you'll probably think the screen looks great.

When it comes to audio, The Ultra M3 features stereo speakers with Dolby Home Theater branding located on the bottom front edge of the chassis. The speakers are large enough to produce high volume with good clarity but the location means you can muffle the sound if you use the M3 on your lap and you're wearing thick clothing. On the other hand, the metal chassis is so thin that sound passes up through the palmrests even if you block the speakers on the bottom.

Keyboard and Touchpad
The full-size chiclet-style keyboard is a simple layout with a dedicated number pad and no LED backlighting. The individual keys are matte black with silver trim around the keyboard tray. The matte black keys are surrounded by the aluminum frame of the notebook. There are also dedicated home, page up, page down and end keys located above the number pad. The keyboard tray is quite firm with more than adequate support structure. There is no flex or keyboard bounce when typing with firm pressure. The individual keys have a short throw (the distance between pressed and unpressed) and the key action itself is very quiet; you won't disturb others while typing in a quiet office or classroom.
The ELAN touchpad is actually a massive "clickpad" (a touchpad surface which lets you press down anywhere to produce a click). There are no dedicated left and right mouse buttons but the clickpad has shallow feedback when pressed. The only complaint we have about this touchpad is that it sometimes has trouble understanding the difference between a left click and a right click unless you press down on the extreme left or extreme right bottom corner of the clickpad.

Lenovo IdeaPad Y570 Complete Review: A Lenovo Bestseller

2012-02-21T14:42:00.000+07:00

Review Summary:

The 15.6-inch Lenovo IdeaPad Y570 is a great multimedia/entertainment laptop. If you're in the market for a notebook that can play HD movies and run most of the latest games for a fair price, consider the Y570.

Pros

Great balance of system performance and price
Decent build quality
Attractive design
Very good audio

Cons

Subpar display with too much gloss
Stiff touchpad button
Battery life could be better

The Lenovo IdeaPad Y570 is a mid-range multi-media computer with excellent efficiency. Customers will be able to enjoy full 1080p video, play most video games on low to mid configurations, and multi-task with several programs at once. The Y570, overall, is a excellent customer computer computer without too many disadvantages. Designs start at a reasonable price too - so be sure to check out our full evaluation.

Build and Design
The 15.6-inch Lenovo IdeaPad Y570 is protected in a durable applied metal spend and sports a awesome "dot matrix" distinctive exterior on the lid. Laptops computer computer has a sleek style throughout the rest of the computer computer, and the display frame is shiny to add a sign of style. The external colour is a mix between metal greyish and a plum colour ... but in the right light it almost looks like it's a colour of green. Laptops computer computer is in at almost six weight and its measurements are 15.1 x 10.0 x 1.40 inches wide.

Overall, the Y570 is slightly designed and the complete will help avoid common marks. While pushing down on the case you'll find that it maintains powerful, but if you media difficult enough it will give in a few areas. Twisting the sides of the display does not make ripples, but the display bows under stress. The relies are protected in nasty and appear to be run of the work.

Loosen six fasteners to arrive at the storage, disk drive, and wifi greeting cards position. Laptops computer computer can hold up to 8GB of DDR3 SDRAM (two SO DIMM slots). The platform cover is extremely easy to eliminate and you can easily arrive at all of the significant elements if you want to update your computer.

Ports and Features
The slot choice on the Y570 is very extensive. Two USB 3.0 slot machine video games are available on choose models and were provided with our evaluation unit; also provided is a six-in-one storage position (SD, SD PRO, MMC, MS, MS PRO, xD), HDMI, VGA, eSATA, and two more USB 2.0 slot machine video games. A practical style change to personally change back and forth between the NVIDIA style and Apple HD style is also provided.

Hewlett packard ENVY 17 Full Review: An Excellent Entertainment PC

2012-02-13T21:10:00.000+07:00

Hewlett packard spent the final many years developing its ENVY type of notebook Computers right into a lust-worthy number of premium laptops with sleek lines and cutting-edge performance. The 17-inch ENVY 17 may be the biggest within the ENVY line and therefore has room for the best processors and graphics offered at a beginning cost close to $1,200. We required a closer inspection only at that notebook to ascertain if it's worth the weight in aluminum.

Build and Design

Like the majority of the "premium" notebook computers currently available the ENVY 17 features blown aluminum construction coupled with black-colored metal trim to own laptop a clean yet durable appearance. Even though this is not a "thin and lightweightInch laptop, the ENVY 17 is really as thin as 1.28 inches and tips the scales just over 7.3 pounds. Why is this even more impressive is the fact that Hewlett packard still includes a number of ports (more about that later) in addition to a slot-loading optical drive.

The metal lid safeguarding the 17-inch screen is both a blessing along with a curse. The blessing would be that the matte-black finish looks nice the metal provides reasonable sturdiness and keep the lid thin. Regrettably, the metal is really thin that you could easily apply pressure towards the back the screen (creating visible screen distortions or "ripples") and risk harmful the particular display panel. This most likely isn't an problem for individuals while using ENVY 17 like a desktop alternative, but you should know of the opportunity of screen damage if you are planning for traveling this notebook.

One minor complaint about the appearance of the ENVY 17 is it looks a bit an excessive amount of like the many other Mac laptop-inspired premium notebook computers available on the market. Actually, after i required the ENVY 17 right into a Local cafe a stranger contacted me and requested, "Is that certain from the new MacBooks?" Sure, you are able to tell it is really an Hewlett packard should you consider the screen lid or get close enough to determine the Hewlett packard logo design over the keyboard, however i don't believe the appearance of the ENVY 17 does almost anything to assist the unique brand identity of Hewlett packard.

Unlike nearly all premium notebook computers with aluminum construction, the ENVY 17 is really super easy to upgrade. Simply slide battery release change to one for reds and also the bottom front 1 / 2 of the notebook 35mm slides away revealing the 2 SATA storage bays, wireless card and 6-cell battery. Remove a couple of more screws and you will take away the entire bottom from the ENVY 17 and access the RAM slots and optional mSATA storage.

Ports featuring

As pointed out formerly, Hewlett packard didn't sacrifice ports to be able to get this to 17-inch notebook relatively thin and lightweight. You receive three USB 3. ports (thanks!) in addition to a standard USB 2. port, however, you will also get dual DisplayPort jacks, High-definition multimedia interface, a media card readers, slot-loading optical drive, Gigabit Ethernet, microphone jack and dual earphone jacks along with a physical volume dial! You typically won't find all individuals ports on this type of thin 17-inch notebook.

Dell Latitude E6420 Review: Great Notebook With a Multitouch Option

2012-02-06T20:53:00.000+07:00

The Dell Latitude E6420 is a good-performing 14-inch business notebook with stellar build quality and a lot of neat options. Users can configure the notebook to have a multitouch display, a fast Intel quad-core processor, discrete-class (higher-end) graphics, up to 4GB of memory, and a 256GB capacity solid state drive.

Build and Design

The Dell Latitude E6420 is encased in Dell's business-rugged, MIL-STD 810G-tested Tri-Metal casing just like the E6420's little sister, the Latitude E6320. The "tri-metal" comes from a anodized aluminum display lid, reinforced steel in the hinges, and magnesium alloy in the chassis and frame. The notebook also has a zinc alloy latch, a spill resistant keyboard, and an LCD seal to help prevent scratches and bumps.
All of that extra metal and thought the designers put into its construction indeed makes it very durable. When we pressed down on the chassis and around the palm rest, it didn't budge. When we bent the lid of the display around the thick screen bezel, it did budge just a bit - but it was barely noticeable, and wasn't noticeable enough to create any ripples across the display. The reinforced steel hinges are also very sturdy; we don't suppose they'll give users any problems whatsoever. The Dell Latitude E6420 is very durable for its class.
The notebook is a looker, too - it appears very professional and stylish. It has smooth matte surfaces brushed with what Dell calls a "360 bumper" for extra protection against scratches. When we tried to scratch the surface, it chipped away a little bit, but no scratch marks showed up. The lid looks pretty neat, too; with Dell's signature logo across the middle.
The E6420 can be upgraded slightly. After removing seven screws, you can remove the base cover and gain access to the hard drive, memory, Bluetooth card, and network cards. It can be upgraded with up to 8GB of memory. We mentioned in our Latitude E6320 review that the screws were particularly hard to remove; they weren't as difficult to remove in the E6420.

Ports and Features

The Latitude E6420 has a good port selection, and is really only notably lacking a USB 3.0 port on our unit. There is a USB 3.0 module option, but you'd have to pay a little extra to include it. Other than that, the notebook comes equipped with HDMI and VGA connectors, 5-in-1 card reader, a total of four USB 2.0 ports, ExpressCard, and a SmartCard Reader (optional). The notebook is equipped with an 8X DVD optical drive at no extra cost, but the 8X DVD+/-RW costs $50 more. There's also a dock connector at the bottom so users can have access to even more ports and features if they purchase a dock.

HP Folio 13 Review: A Lean, Mean 13-Inch Ultrabook

2012-01-30T21:04:00.000+07:00

Every notebook PC maker is coming to a store near you with the best and brightest technologies inside "ultrabooks" (thin and light premium notebooks using the latest Intel technologies). HP's current contribution to the ultrabook market is the Folio 13, a 13-inch aluminum-wrapped notebook packed with an Intel Core i5 processor and 128GB solid state drive for a price of just $899. Can this HP ultrabook compete against higher-priced ultrabooks with higher specs? Read on to find out.

Build and Design

The Folio 13 might look at first glance like an average addition to the ultrabook category with its aluminum construction and 13-inch screen size. It's not the thinnest ultrabook with a maximum thickness of 0.7 inches and it's not the lightest ultrabook with a weight of 3.3 pounds (4+ lbs. with AC adapter), but HP engineers didn't sacrifice important features (like a media card reader) just to make the Folio 13 an extra 0.1 inch thinner.
The lid and top half of the chassis (palm rest area) are all made of aluminum. The remainder of the notebook uses tough plastics wrapped in a soft touch rubber paint similar to a Lenovo ThinkPad. The entire frame is extremely solid and there is no flex whatsoever in the chassis (very impressive considering the thin dimensions of this 13-inch laptop).
The screen hinges are very strong with enough tension to give the ultrabook a more rugged feeling (you'll need two hands to open this laptop). The aluminum lid offers good protection for the screen and there is little in the way of screen distortion even when significant pressure is applied to the back of the screen. It's clear that HP worked hard to find the perfect balance between a thin and light design without sacrificing durability.
As with most ultrabooks, the bottom half of the chassis is pretty well sealed. You'll find a fan intake vent and plenty of screws if you're the type of IT professional or tech enthusiast who wants to completely disassemble the notebook. Unfortunately, there's no way to easily upgrade components like RAM, wireless cards or the mSATA SSD. Likewise, you're stuck with the built-in 6-cell battery ... so if you have an issue with battery this ultrabook will have to go back to HP.

Ports and Features

People buy ultrabooks because they want a thin and light laptop with good performance and superior construction ... but the down side to the thin and light design is that you usually don't get much in the way of ports (and certainly no optical drive). That said, the HP Folio 13 manages to deliver one USB 3.0 port, one USB 2.0 port, HDMI, Ethernet, and the extremely important media card reader (which many ultrabooks sacrifice in order to make the laptop even thinner). The Folio 13 also includes a single headphone/microphone combination jack (headset jack) but that's all you get in terms of audio ports.

Lenovo IdeaPad U300s Review: Beauty and the Beast

2012-01-03T21:08:00.000+07:00

Lenovo's new Ultrabook features a 13.3-inch display, Core i7 processor and 256GB SSD. Those are nice specs for a premium thin and light laptop, but are the build quality problems a deal breaker?

BUILD AND DESIGN

The U300s is thin as expected from an Ultrabook; it measures just 0.6 inches high and a tick less than three pounds.

The chassis relies not on an internal frame but on its external magnesium alloy shell for strength. While the metal feels solid, it doesn’t lend enough support; the chassis is easy to flex as is the lid. This isn’t a desirable characteristic in a well-traveled computer as it allows the internal circuit boards to flex; it can lead to premature failure down the line.
I like how the overall design of the notebook is somewhat understated. The gray metal has a matte finish and a quality look. When closed the U300s resembles a book, however those edges (around the lid and bottom of the chassis) are quite sharp. Is such a tradeoff worth the look? Not really.
Overall the design is pleasing though the chassis strength leaves something to be desired. As with most Ultrabooks, the U300s isn't easy to upgrade on your own; there are no access panels on the bottom to swap out RAM or the storage drive.

Ports and Features
Ultrabooks don't come with the a lot of ports but the U300s manages to do worse. Its lack of a media card reader is surprising and seems like an oversight on Lenovo's part. The U300s has just two USB ports (one of which is USB 3.0), HDMI, and a headphone/microphone combination jack; that’s it. It does not have a VGA port either.

Toshiba Satellite P755-3DV20 Review: Affordable 3D Fun

2011-12-28T21:09:00.000+07:00

The Toshiba Satellite P755 is part of the P750 series and is designed to strike a balance between a budget 15-inch laptop and a powerful multimedia PC. Is it possible to deliver a great 3D entertainment PC for an affordable price? Keep reading to find out.

Build and Design
There is little to separate the design of the Satellite P755-3DV20 from other Toshiba Satellite notebooks ... for better or worse. The entire machine is constructed of relatively thick plastics with rounded edges and corners. The screen lid and top half of the chassis use glossy plastics covered in the Toshiba "Fusion X2 Platinum" finish; essentially a faux metal paint job. Like most Satellite notebooks, the glossy surfaces act like a magnet for fingerprints and dust so your new laptop won't look clean for very long. Even the keyboard keys are glossy ... probably to help CSI figure out which keys you press most frequently.
The notebook also comes with a set of Nvidia 3D Vision glasses so you can watch 3D movies and still photos directly on the screen or a 3D Vision compatible HDTV when connected via HDMI. More on that later.
Build quality of the P755 is reasonably good for a budget 15-inch laptop but this particular model comes with well-equipped hardware and a more expensive price tag. While the supporting chassis structure resists twisting, most of exterior plastics show visible flex when you press down on them. Again, that is normal for a budget laptop but notebooks in the $800+ price range should feel more durable.
The display has a strong backing which prevents any distortion from showing on the screen when pressure is applied to the lid, but the lid plastics do flex inward when you press down. The screen hinges provide adequate resistance although we did notice that the hinges and screen assembly move slightly from side-to-side if you jostle the screen.
Like the Satellite L755 that we previously reviewed, the P755 is simple to upgrade thanks to two access panels on the bottom of the chassis. You can replace the RAM or the hard drive with little effort.

Ports and Features
The P755 includes a reasonable number of ports for a modern multimedia machine. This notebook includes a single USB 3.0 SuperSpeed port, three additional USB 2.0 ports, HDMI and a memory card reader. Although an ExpressCard expansion slot would have been a welcome addition, fewer 15-inch notebooks include them today. The optical drive in this configuration of the P755 is a Blu-ray player and DVD burner that is, of course, also compatible with 3D Blu-ray movies. All picture descriptions are left to right.

Lenovo IdeaPad V470 Review: The Home and Office Hybrid Notebook

2011-12-26T21:11:00.000+07:00

The Lenovo IdeaPad V470 is an ideal choice for users who want a budget-conscious notebook with both home and office features. It's equipped with a second-generation Intel dual-core processor, 4GB of RAM, Intel HD graphics, and an HDMI port. Keep reading to find out more about this notebook, including full specifications, an overview of its build quality, and more.

BUILD AND DESIGNThe first thing you'll probably notice about the V470 is that it's an extremely attractive-looking notebook. It has a clean, dual-color scheme of metallic gray and black, as well as a glossy screen bezel. The look appears business-casual and classy. And, at 4.8 pounds with a 14.0-inch screen and just over an inch thick, it's portable, too.
The display cover and palm rest consist of brushed aluminum while the base is made of hardened plastic. Hardly any flex was seen when we pressed down on the palm rests with considerable pressure; it's constructed very well. The display cover isn't constructed as well, though -- it's just too thin to be considered sturdy. I could break it easily if I tried. Ripples appear on the screen when both top corners are bent inward. The chassis is much more durable; it doesn't flex much at all. Overall, we would consider the V470 to have good build quality if the display cover was thicker and less worrisome.
The hard drive and memory can be swapped out from the bottom panel. To replace the hard drive, simply remove a few screws as well as the drive compartment. The memory can also be increased up to 8GB (dual-channel) as there are two SO-DIMM sockets. If desired, the mini PCI Express card and optical drive can also be removed.

PORTS AND FEATURES
The V470 has a great port selection; above average for its price range. Even though it doesn't have USB 3.0, it has a total of four USB 2.0 ports, along with a 6-in-1 memory card reader, VGA, HDMI, eSATA, separate headphone and mic jacks, and an optical drive with CD-RW/DVD-RW/DVD-Multi capabilities. The memory card reader is compatible with SD, SDHC, MMC, MS, MS Pro, and xD-Picture memory cards. The V470 also has a fingerprint reader to the right of the palm rest.

Compaq Mini Netbook with Verizon 4G LTE Review: A Good Deal?

2011-12-09T21:14:00.000+07:00

This 10-inch netbook features built-in Verizon 4G LTE wireless and is available exclusively from Verizon for $149.99 with a two-year contract. Our review looks at the netbook itself and the Verizon wireless network to help you find out if this is a good deal for your budget.

Build and Design
The Compaq Mini has an unassuming black plastic exterior. The anti-glare chassis is nice however the glossy screen lid gets fingerprinted up immediately and looks unclean. There's little to say about the design overall; it's utilitarian with no extras and similiar to the design of HP Mini line of netbooks.

The netbook feels relatively solid and is easy to carry around thanks to its weight of 3.1 lbs and small footprint. It should stand up to the rigors of everyday travel assuming it isn't tossed around; I highly recommend a protective sleeve or bag even though it's tempting to toss such a small laptop in a backpack or purse.

The Compaq Mini wasn't designed to be upgraded; there are no user-accessible panels on the bottom of the chassis. The battery is the only component that can be removed and replaced easily.

Ports and Features
This netbook includes a respectable number of ports including three USB 2.0 ports and a media card reader. It has a VGA port for connecting to projectors but lacks HDMI and DisplayPort. All picture descriptions are left to right.

HP Pavilion dm1-4010us Review: Better Than A Netbook

2011-12-01T21:15:00.000+07:00

If you're trying to find a travel laptop with decent multimedia performance and good battery life that won't take up much room in a carry-on bag then the latest HP Pavilion dm1 (dm1z) might be just what you need.

Build and Design
The new HP Pavilion dm1-4010us ($480) is a simple and straightforward update to the dm1 series laptops from early 2011. You get an 11-inch netbook with a traditional rounded clamshell design. The biggest design change here is that the new generation of dm1z laptops feature mostly black plastics with silver accents rather than mostly silver with black accents.
Build quality is on par with other HP Pavilion notebooks and HP mini netbooks ... meaning slightly above average for a budget laptop. The plastics used in the chassis are durable and thick enough to prevent flex or cracking under pressure. The plastic screen lid provides adequate protection for the screen, but the middle of the lid does bend inward under firm pressure (be careful jamming this into overhead compartments on your next flight).
The lid features a plain matte black paint job which keeps the outward appearance clean and professional. Opening up the screen, the silver-painted hinges have enough tension to hold the screen in place, but the plastics surrounding the hinges "float" around the actual metal hinges themselves. This was probably done so that the hinges won't sustain a sharp impact if the laptop is dropped with the screen in the open position. However, the flexing plastics around the hinges don't inspire the same confidence in build quality as the rest of the laptop.
The bottom of the notebook has a clean look with no screws in sight. If you want to upgrade the RAM, replace the hard drive or the wireless card, all you have to do is remove the battery and push the battery release switch all the way to the left as you pull forward on the bottom of the notebook. The entire bottom half of the laptop comes off and you have access to two RAM slots, the hard drive, the wireless card and even the fan and heatsink.

Ports and Features
Port selection on the new dm1-4010us is virtually identical to the older dm1z we reviewed in early 2011. HP gives you three USB 2.0 ports, HDMI-out, VGA, Gigabit LAN, a headphone jack and a microphone jack. It also features a SDHC-card slot for loading images off your camera while traveling or expanding your available storage. The only difference between this model and previous versions of the dm1 series is that the old dm1 models have a single headset jack that works for a headset, headphones or microphone and the Ethernet jack on earlier versions was covered by a rubber door. The dm1-4010us still lacks a Super Speed USB 3.0 port for fast data transfers. Most consumer notebooks now have at least one USB 3.0 port so there's no excuse for the lack of one here.

ASUS N55S Review: Great Multimedia Laptop With Some Issues

2011-11-23T21:15:00.000+07:00

This multimedia powerhouse has a full HD display, Blu-ray writer, Bang & Olufsen speakers, plus a 2GB Nvidia graphics card for playing the latest games.

Build and Design
ASUS got more right than wrong with the N55S' design. The exterior is an aesthetically pleasing mix of black and silver. The lid is a glossy black which looks great at first glance but quickly becomes an eyesore thanks to fingerprints. I like the silver trim piece going around the lid and the brushed aluminum piece right below the screen - they give the notebook that extra high-end look.
The N55S is constructed of plastic and reasonably strong plastic at that; the palm rest barely flexes when pressed down upon. I'm greatly appreciative that ASUS used anti-glare plastic instead of glossy plastic, which is all too common on consumer notebooks. Chassis flex is average for a consumer notebook; nothing alarming, however. Fit and finish is good; there are no uneven gaps between parts or sharp edges.
Those looking to upgrade the N55S will find it straightforward to do so; two removable panels on the bottom of the chassis provide access to the hard drive and memory slots (RAM).

Ports and Features
The N55S has an average selection of ports for a multimedia notebook although it is good to see two USB 3.0 SuperSpeed ports. It lacks eSATA, an ExpressCard expansion slot, and DisplayPort. The absence of those ports might bother some shoppers.

Lenovo IdeaPad U400 Review: The Latest MacBook Pro Challenger

2011-11-21T21:12:00.000+07:00

The 14-inch all-metal IdeaPad U400 is an impressive MacBook Pro competitor that offers good performance and six hours of battery life for $879. Keep reading to find out if Lenovo can deliver a killer premium notebook at a fair price.

Build and Design
The IdeaPad U400 is a departure from the standard Lenovo IdeaPad notebooks of the past; it has a metal exoskeleton instead of the plastic (albeit sturdy) shells that have dominated this line for a long time. As few pieces of metal as possible were used in the construction, lending the U400 a clean look. At less than an inch thick and 4.3 pounds the U400 is easy to carry around.
The actual design of the U400s is reminiscent of the Apple MacBook; it's a little too similar for my taste. It's clean but not sophisticated. The build quality is excellent overall; there is no chassis flex. The metal lid provides good protection; pressing in on the back doesn't yield any ripples on the screen. The lid can be opened with one hand and that is very convenient. Something I don't like about the design is the rather sharp edge around the display and bottom of the chassis; a more rounded-off design is preferred.
Those planning to upgrade the U400 should think again; this notebook has no user-accessible panels for changing out the memory or hard drive. Additionally the battery is not removable. If you're looking at this notebook as a Apple competitor then it makes sense: Most MacBook owners don't upgrade components.

Ports and Features
The U400 has a scant selection of ports; it has three USB ports (one of which is USB 3.0), HDMI, and a slot-load DVD burner. It lacks VGA (remember this if you need to hook up to projectors), DisplayPort, and shockingly enough, there's no media card reader; I can't remember the last time I reviewed a notebook (or even a netbook) without one. Those of you with digital cameras – be prepared to carry around a USB adapter for your SD cards.
Lenovo is taking a gamble that most of its customer base will not need extra ports – it's a rather risky gamble in this reviewer’s opinion. Something else I'm not sold on is the lack of status lights; there is no hard drive or wireless indicator lights. There is a very faint power light on the front of the chassis; the power button itself is not illuminated. All picture descriptions shown below are listed from left to right.

Toshiba Portege Z835 Review: The Best Ultrabook

2011-11-15T21:16:00.000+07:00

This $899 Best Buy exclusive features a 13.3-inch display, 128GB solid state drive, backlit keyboard and six hours of battery life. Read our take to find out what makes this Ultrabook really impressive.

Build and Design
The Portege Z835 (also called the Z830) is an Ultrabook, a new class of notebook computers characterized by their thinness, light weight, and use of Intel Ultra Low Voltage (ULV) processors. These are essentially the Windows alternatives to the Apple MacBook Air.
The Z835 has a professional-looking design with normal straight lines and squared-off edges; Toshiba’s Portege line of notebooks has typically been business oriented so this makes sense. The Z835 will most certainly draw wandering eyes despite its utilitarian appearance due to the sheer thinness – it really is that thin at only 0.63 inches high. The chassis is constructed entirely of magnesium alloy, a lightweight yet strong material. As a result the Z835 feels like almost nothing at 2.4 pounds.
The chassis is remarkably stiff and hardly flexes; it is almost a necessity for Ultrabooks to be built as such since they are designed for constant travel. If the chassis allowed flex, the internal circuit boards could bend and increase the likeliness of failure due to stress cracks over time. The fit and finish is good; all areas of the notebook seem to have received about the same attention to detail. The corners of the chassis are a bit sharp as is the cut-out for the Ethernet port on the back of the notebook.
Upgradeability is not something Ultrabooks are designed for; there are no user-accessible panels on the bottom of the chassis. The entire bottom of the chassis needs to be removed to get at any of the internals. An additional impediment to upgradeability is the non-standard SSD; you can’t simply put a normal SSD or hard drive in this notebook as the chassis is not thick enough to accommodate them.

Ports and Features
The thinness of Ultrabooks prevents them from packing much beyond the bare essentials. Fortunately the Z835 makes what space is available count; it has full-size HDMI and VGA-out ports as well as a single USB 3.0 port. The Z835 lacks ExpressCard and DisplayPort. All picture descriptions are left to right.

Toshiba Satellite L755 Review: Basic Home Essentials

2011-11-10T21:17:00.000+07:00

The Satellite L755 (also sold as the L750) is a 15.6-inch budget notebook with a good keyboard and satisfactory overall performance. With the holidays fast approaching, is it worth recommending this laptop at nearly $700?

Build and Design
The Toshiba Satellite L755 manages to look respectable despite its budget notebook classification. That is, until you start using it. Every visible inch of the notebook has a glossy surface which attracts fingerprints and dust like no other; it quickly turns into a mess. Notebook makers use glossy plastic solely as a means of making the notebook look more attractive on a display shelf. Glossy plastic fails the practicality test and is the worst characteristic of this notebook. Even the keyboard keys are glossy.
The build quality of the notebook is satisfactory; it feels sturdy enough and the chassis resists twisting rather well. Most of the plastic surfaces visibly flex when pressed down upon, however. The plastics used have adequate quality but aren't robust as would be expected on a business notebook, for example.
The display has a surprisingly strong backing which prevents any distortion from showing on the screen when pressure is applied from behind. The screen hinges seem a bit weak as the anchor points are quite small and the display can actually move side-to-side a bit.
Upgrading the L755 is a relatively simple task; two access panels on the bottom of the chassis provide access to the memory and hard drive.

Ports and Features
The L755 includes the bare essentials and nothing more as is the case with most budget notebooks. This notebook lacks the new USB 3.0 SuperSpeed port, eSATA, and DisplayPort; they can't be added either since the L755 also lacks an ExpressCard expansion slot. All picture descriptions are left to right.