Archive for October, 2008

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Acer Aspire 9810-6829

Monday, October 13th, 2008

Well I was at a conference across from Comp-USA and stopped in and I saw this laptop and I said to myself I have to get this one. I did research and PC-World gave it a good rating. So one day after work i decided I wanted to gp play with it to see it in action. Well there was a sign right underneath it saying 10% off on all laptops. That was it and I got it cheaper than anywhere us had it. I love it so far and do recommend it to anyone as long as they don’t it to be real portable. It’s a beast. I was looking at the Sager but I wanted an Intel over AMD plus this has more multimedia options and the Sager is a gaming machine.

Whatever your work or entertainment aspirations, Acer’s new notebook can probably handle it. This desktop replacement’s enormous (20.1-inch) screen is bright and crisp, and its speakers are outstanding. A powerful workstation and an adequate gaming rig, it includes TV, Webcam, and bundled PC Card-chargeable VoIP phone features.

For a big unit, the 9810 has decent near-2-hour battery life and runs remarkably coolly. But it needs a detachable keyboard, to permit a more comfortable working distance away from the huge screen. And at a gargantuan 18.7 inches long by 15.1 inches deep by 2.7 inches tall, the 9810-6829 takes up 40 percent more space than the average desktop replacement configured with a 17-inch screen–so plan on doing some serious desktop reorganizing to clear sufficient space for it.

The 1.25-inch-thick screen is thicker than the rest of the notebook and has a built-in supportive foot to prevent it from toppling backward. Closing the lid entails manually locking two side latches. It’s no great wonder that the total weight is 17.3 pounds (19.2 pounds including the power adapter). The screen has the same native 1680-by-1050-pixel resolution that most other big panels have; this makes for huge screen elements, which in turn results in very grainy images from the integrated 1.3-megapixel Webcam, but extremely good readability.

Overall, the 9810 would be excellent for any stationary purpose, but especially for working in multiple windows. The keyboard is quite comfortable. The 1.5-watt Acer 3Dsonic stereo speakers plus 4-watt BasSonic subwoofer produce loud, rich sound.

We reviewed the beefier of two preconfigured Aspire 9810 models. Our test unit’s dual 5400-rpm 160GB hard drives are fast and can hold 320GB of content. Ports, connections and slots on the notebook include a card reader, an ExpressCard slot for next-generation peripherals, and serial and parallel ports for older peripherals. You also get a DVI-D port (for connecting an LCD monitor), four USB ports, a dual-layer DVD writer, audio ports (featuring a S/PDIF port) on the front, and Bluetooth and Wi-Fi switches with status LEDs. All of the connections except the power port are logically laid out, but it is squeezed in so close to the TV tuner connection on the back that you’ll have to turn the cord so both can fit.

In addition to having the usual coaxial adapter cable for connecting the notebook to a set-top box or other home cable setup, the 9810 comes with a hybrid digital/analog antenna that hooks onto the top of the screen to help pick up analog or high-def signals from the airwaves. Another nice multimedia feature: Instead of the usual clumsy USB box connected by a long cable, the receiver for the Windows Media Center remote control is a no-muss, no-fuss thumb drive.

The 9810-6829 can run any operation well and juggles multiple open windows like a champ. In gaming, its 256MB Nvidia GeForce Go 7600 dedicated graphics chip helped it achieve frame rates that were plenty fast enough for playing Doom and Far Cry without skips or artifacts. The Acer’s 2-GHz Core 2 Duo T7200 chip, 2GB of RAM, and Windows Vista Ultimate operating system enabled it to turn in a strong WorldBench 6 Beta 2 score of 75, virtually identical to the the HP Pavilion dv9000t’s 74.

If you want the biggest, easiest-to-view notebook screen, the $2999 (as of April 11, 2007) Acer 9810-6829 is the obvious choice. You may also want to peel off a few more bucks to fetch a wireless keyboard and mouse. But if you already have trouble fitting a laptop on your cluttered desk, you may need to start by replacing your desk.

Popularity: 1% [?]

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Acer Aspire 5920G

Monday, October 13th, 2008

The Acer Aspire 5920G sophisticated-looking multimedia unit has oodles of custom keyboard buttons, plus one-touch presets for music.

Armed with a fast processor and solid speakers, the $1999 (as of July 24, 2007) Acer Aspire 5920G is great for both work and entertainment. It bears Acer’s tritone “gemstone” case design, which looks stylish without being overly ornate. The screen is prone to some glare and battery life is so-so, but the machine can handle most types of applications.

Driven by a 2-GHz Core 2 Duo T7300 processor and configured with 2GB of DDR2-667 SDRAM , the 5920G notched a very good WorldBench 6 Beta 2 score of 77–a few points above the mark achieved by a Dell Inspiron 1720 that carried the same processor and RAM. The Aspire’s average frame rate in our graphics tests was 83 frames per second–not close to the average of 100 fps posted by recent gaming notebooks, but capable of supporting good game play nonetheless.

The 5920G lacks the dedicated number pad found on some other desktop replacements, but it offers two sets of customizable buttons. Application launch buttons and a Wi-Fi toggle switch sit on the left side of the keyboard; media controls occupy the right side.

The media controls include a button for launching Acer’s Arcade interface, which provides direct access to HD DVD movie and music playback without your having to boot up Windows. Both sounded great through this notebook’s subwoofer-assisted stereo speakers. The ‘e’ button–a blue sparkly triangular piece of keyboard trim that looks like a faux gemstone–puts sound equalizer options such as rock, pop, and classical within easy reach. This laptop also includes a 1.3-megapixel Webcam. Unfortunately, the option to get an integrated TV tuner for the 5920G is available only in Europe and Asia.

The 5920G felt comfortable to use. The mouse buttons are slightly stiff, but the four-way scroll button for moving pages in any direction is nice. Overall its keyboard is great, especially for shortcut fans. Though the super-glossy Acer CrystalBrite screen reflects fluorescent office lights unless you tilt it just right, it’s bright and easy to read otherwise.

This Windows Vista Ultimate home notebook lacks bundled applications, but it has power and style to spare. Short-list this one if you’re on the prowl for a trendy home desktop replacement.

Popularity: 1% [?]

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Acer Travelmate 8204WLMI

Monday, October 13th, 2008

The generously equipped Acer TravelMate 8200 packs a 120GB hard drive, a unique built-in Webcam, and both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. Its ExpressCard/34 slot accepts the small form factor, 34mm, though not the larger 54mm next-generation plug-in card. A SmartCard reader provides an extra layer of security. For convenience, the 8200′s five-in-one memory card reader, audio ports, FireWire port, and wireless communications buttons are all located on the front of the notebook. The 8200 also features a DVD-D connection for attaching a digital flat-panel monitor. This port doesn’t come with the extra pins needed to make it compatible with an analog monitor adapter, but that’s okay because the 8200 has a standard VGA-port for such use.

Built into the top-center of the display bezel, the 1.3-megapixel Acer OrbiCam swivels 225 degrees in the screen frame to capture images in front and in back, and it comes with great software. A cool tracking feature automatically zooms and recenters faces when they move out of camera range. Stills are a snap to take. There’s even an avatar feature that lets you replace your face with an animated character if you feel like appearing on camera as someone (or something) else.

The Acer’s ergonomic keyboard, with its 5-degree horizontal arc, is a bit of an acquired taste. The shorter-than-standard (2.5mm) keystroke limits tactile feedback. But the keyboard’s layout is good, which always helps me get used to positioning my hands farther apart on this keyboard, and the user-programmable launch buttons are a nice extra.

Graphics artists and spreadsheet jockeys will appreciate the 15.4-inch wide-aspect screen. The high WSXGA+ resolution of 1680 by 1050 pixels is good for detail work but some users may need to increase the Windows font and icon sizes from their default to avoid eyestrain during everyday use. On the plus side, Acer’s bundled GridVista software makes it easy to arrange applications on the screen using a grid.

Although not billed as a gaming notebook, the 8200 handled games well, thanks to its powerful ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 graphics card with 256MB of dedicated memory. Boosted by 2GB of main memory and a 2-GHz Core Duo T2500 CPU, the 8200 racked up a WorldBench 5 score of 100–one of the best scores we’ve recorded for a notebook. Still, other 2-GHz Core Duo T2500-equpped notebooks such as Gateway’s M685-E have earned scores almost as high while using only half as much memory.

Battery performance could have been better, too. The 8200′s 2.8-hour battery life is a bit short for a midsize 6.6-pound notebook, but you have the option of replacing the DVD burner in the modular bay with a second battery ($179 extra). At 6.7 pounds, the 8200 is definitely quite a portable and powerful notebook.

Popularity: 2% [?]

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Acer Aspire AS9504WSMI

Monday, October 13th, 2008

I really like this laptop and use it to do video editing and computer graphics work. Rendering is fast and smooth. The screen is very clear and crisp. I was expecting this to be super heavy, but its actually not bad. I was excited aabout the ability to watch tv on my laptop, but the dvb-t tv tuner that should have come with my laptop, didnt. The manual says that this tuner is optional, so maybe mwave.com chose not to include it. Or they forgot it. I am willing to buy the antenna separately, but ive looked all over the internet, and its not being sold anywhere. I went to the acer site for more info, but their site is terrible. I tried filling out their question form, but their form page isnt even online. (URL does not exist error)I can attach the laptop to my cable from my wall and watch cable tv, but the whole point of having a tv tuner with a laptop is to be able to watch tv wirelessly! I would like to get basic antenna broadcasts, but apparently need to have this ‘optional antenna’ that isnt sold anywhere on this planet. The built-in Acer software is a bit annoying. When I boot up my computer, it assumes i will be connecting to a wired broadband connection so it enables my LAN card and disables my wireless card. I actually have a wireless router in my house so i just need my wireless enabled and my LAN disabled. I switch these settings and try to save them, but it always reverts back to the defaults when you reboot. (so its a pain to turn by wireless card back on every time i turn on my laptop) I ended up uninstalling their software because it annoyed me. I also think its weird that they used the FAT32 file system to format their drives. I reformated the 2nd drive to NTFS which is faster and can handle bigger files sizes.

The Acer Aspire 9504WSMi, with Windows XP Media Center Edition, is a good entertainment notebook that has the power to serve as an office workhorse. The sheer breadth of its features is impressive. However, this Aspire doesn’t quite get everything right; in particular, the speakers and the keyboard don’t do justice to this sturdy black-and-silver unit.

I liked the screen, a dazzling 17-inch display with an easy-to-read WXGA+ resolution of 1440 by 900 pixels. The laptop’s 120GB 5400-rpm hard drive is top of the line, and the multiformat DVD burner is the same sleek, slot-fed type found on Apple notebooks.

The entertainment applications–for TV, DVD movies, music, and photos–and the hardware required to support them, including a built-in TV tuner and a remote control, mesh nicely for the most part. Moreover, the 9504WSMi offers the rare option of instant-on TV, which saves you the hassle of turning on the notebook and launching Media Center Edition just to catch the evening news. Acer’s stand-alone Arcade software, with its dedicated controls on the front of the notebook, also plays movies, music, and photos at the press of a button, so you don’t have to start Windows to enjoy your media. Bonus audiovisual connections include a DVI-D port for taking in a movie on your flat-panel screen and ports for downloading camcorder and VHS video, a plus for home-movie aficionados. Five USB ports, conveniently scattered all over the case, handle other peripherals.

Battery life is good for this big, 8.5-pound notebook, at a little more than 3 hours on one charge. And its speed was red-hot in our tests, earning a WorldBench 5 score of 99–no surprise since the 9504WSMi is loaded with high-performance components, including a 2-GHz Pentium M 760 processor and 2GB of RAM.

Considering all you get, the $2299 price is not bad, but several compromises become noticeable drawbacks. One is the keyboard, which will make number crunchers happy with its dedicated numeric keypad but will disappoint touch typists despite its size. The right Shift key is no bigger than a regular alphanumeric key, and the arrow and question mark keys are half-size. To advance pages you must use the keypad, which is too far away to reach easily and clumsily separates the PgUp and PgDn keys with the right arrow key. The four-way scroll button is a nice bonus, but it feels flimsy.

My other beefs are with the stereo speakers–which lack a subwoofer and distort a bit at high volume (something resonates inside the case)–and with the lack of a docking station. None of these failings are deal breakers alone; put them all together, however, and the 9504WSMi is not the most attractive entertainment-cum-desktop-replacement option.

Upshot: So-so sound and a cramped keyboard limit this otherwise well-equipped desktop replacement and entertainment laptop.

Popularity: unranked [?]

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Acer Aspire 5920-6954

Monday, October 13th, 2008

I needed a gaming and college computer for daughter. Bought this for $835. Set it up with various games and set the graphics on high to test 8600 and found excellent results. The video card was fast enough with the dedicated memory to handle all the games she couldn’t play before with her desktop. The movie playback was NG, I first thought the HD dvd drive was defective because of stalling but instead installed Nero Showtime and found that everything was all working great. The soundcard and speakers (including the subwoofer) sounded great. The software onboard was typical crap. Vista in the video games gave no problem at all, worked well. The ram for the price is good enough but every body knows you can never have enough. The case is sturdy which is great, stops the motherboard flex problems that allot of other laptops have. Battery lasted 3 hrs. installing and setting it up till I realized it wasn’t plugged in, it let me know in plenty of time.

The Acer Aspire 5920-6954 just slips under the $1000 mark, at $999 (as of 2/7/08); it’s worth every penny. Except for business applications, which it lacks, this Vista Home Premium laptop has just about everything home-office buyers could ask for in a solid budget notebook.

The notebook looks different without being too flashy. It has a black-and-cream-colored case set off by blue accents, including a big, easy-to-press triangle-shaped shortcut key set in the corner of the keyboard like a high-tech sapphire (hence Acer’s so-called “gemstone” designation).

At 7.3 pounds, the Aspire 5920-6954 is the heaviest budget laptop we looked at, but it has a 250GB hard drive and a fairly nice 15.4-inch screen (it’s a bit too reflective). Though it lacks a few things like Bluetooth, the 5920-6954 is the most high-definition-ready unit here, including both an HDMI port and an HD DVD reader. It has a subwoofer for better-than-average sound and a handy volume wheel. The terrific keyboard boasts loads of shortcut buttons that do everything but take out the trash. One set, on the left side of the keyboard, launches applications. A second, right-hand row controls multimedia, including an instant-on button that lets you play music and movies without launching Windows. A button placed between the mouse buttons scrolls documents in all four directions.

Finally, this is the only sub-$1000 laptop we reviewed that had a dedicated graphics chip–an nVidia GeForce 8600M GS with 256MB of memory. Thus it was the only one powerful enough to properly play the 3D games in our tests such as Doom 3 and Far Cry. Its frames-per-second rates weren’t the highest we’ve recorded for a laptop, but are more than enough for smooth, glitch-free play.

Equipped with a 1.66-GHz Core 2 Duo T5450 and 2GB of memory, the Aspire 5920-6954 earned a solid WorldBench 6 Beta 2 score of 70, the second best on the budget laptops chart. The score is five points higher than the group average of 65, and it’s one point better than the average of 70 earned by the 16 recently tested all-purpose notebooks in any price range. Battery life was average, lasting 3.8 hours.

Popularity: 1% [?]

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Acer Aspire ONE

Monday, October 13th, 2008

This 2lb 8.9″ laptop is fabulous. the screen is good sized and the LCD brightness quality is adjustable from dim to bright. There’s a plentiful 3 USB ports, VGA out, mic in and audio out. This netbook comes with a webcam and mic so you really won’t need a mic in. There’s a SD card slot for transferring photos to your netbook and a kensington security slot for locking down your netbook to something unmovable. Overall, the keyboard quality is fairly good for something this small. Response is good but the the touch pad mouse is something that is not well liked. It’s small and the left and right clickers are difficult to tap, almost requiring a sturdy press. But that’s not a huge problem because you can plug in a USB mouse to it. The netbook is stylish and the LCD hinges are STURDY. The wireless network card is quick and responsive, locking into my wireless network at home without problems. I read that many users have problems with the noisy fan but I really do not hear fan. In fact, I think the newer models might be fanless!

Popularity: unranked [?]

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Acer Travelmate 8100

Monday, October 13th, 2008

The well-equipped TravelMate 8100 makes it easy and fun to do almost anything–except watch DVDs.

Wider screen. Sleeker case. Easier upgrades. The Acer TravelMate 8100 offers several advantages over its predecessor, last year’s impressive TravelMate 8000, which the company is still selling. The 8100 weighs about the same–6.4 pounds including an integrated DVD burner–yet boasts an impressively large 15.4-inch wide-aspect screen for working on documents side by side more easily. (The native 1680-by-1050-pixel resolution renders screen elements slightly small but crisp and perfectly readable.)

The unit slopes to a slim 1.3 inches in front, and the lower case is slightly deeper than the closed screen to protect it from bumps and to leave exposed the front ports. Those connections include microphone and headphone jacks in addition to a five-in-one card reader and handy Bluetooth and Wi-Fi buttons that both control wireless communications and serve as glowing status indicators. Three of the four USB 2.0 ports now sit on the right side of the case instead of the left, a welcome change for right-handed folks like me.

The 8100 is fully user upgradable: You can access both RAM slots, and although the hard drive does not slide out of the side (as it does on the 8000), it’s still easy to reach in a compartment on the bottom. Also, the 8100′s battery pops off the rear, not out of a bottom bay–another small improvement.

The 8100 isn’t superior to the 8000 in every way: For example, its battery life was actually slightly lower than that of its older sibling: The 8100 lasted a little over 4 hours on one charge in our tests, about a half hour shorter than the TravelMate 8000 we tested last year. Still, that’s well above average.

On our test bench, the 8100 performed well, doing better than its sibling. It pulled down a WorldBench 5 score of 94 (compared with the 8000′s score of 89), about what I would expect from a 2-GHz Pentium M 760-equipped laptop loaded with 1GB of RAM. Although Acer advertises the 8100 as its mainstream laptop, it’s loaded, with a capital L. It has a removable right-side double-layer DVD burner that swaps out for a second hard drive or a second battery, it has a FireWire port, and it offers three ways to connect an external monitor (via VGA, S-Video, and DVI-D). Those who prefer key cards to fingerprint readers for thwarting break-ins at the BIOS, password, and file levels will appreciate the 8100′s smart card slot, stacked atop a standard PC Card slot on the left side of the case. You get two cards with your purchase, including one that can be set up as a one-time-use emergency card. (After that, you have to return the laptop to a dealer for resetting, which is one reason I slightly favor a biometric security solution.)

The TravelMate’s ergonomic keyboard curves 5 degrees upward on the ends so you end up positioning your elbows in a way that experts say helps prevent carpal tunnel syndrome. It’s an acquired taste. Besides that, I like everything else about the keyboard, including its short, hard 2.7-millimeter key depression (rather than the standard 3mm) and handy set of four user-programmable shortcut buttons.

Acer includes some nice software extras. For instance, the proprietary power management utility makes it extremely easy to specify customized power schemes, including whether the FireWire port and wireless scanning are enabled. Acer’s GridVista, based on Dritek System’s utility for dragging and dropping applications into preset windows on the extrawide screen, looked worthwhile, but I couldn’t get it to work on our unit.

The only area in which the 8100 stumbles is entertainment. Letterboxed DVD movies looked fine on the wide-aspect screen, but sound from the front-mounted stereo speakers was too faint. Hardware volume control is limited to annoying combination keystrokes. Looking up information in the user manuals could be simpler, too. The Acrobat manual preinstalled on the hard drive is more detailed than the basic printed manual, but it has no index. At first, I thought that it also lacked a contents page, but that page simply turned out not to be bookmarked.

Upshot: Except for slightly shorter battery life, the TravelMate 8100 is a better machine than the 8000, which translates into sleek, powerful, well-equipped portable computing for a commensurate $2299.

Popularity: 2% [?]

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HP Pavilion DV6326US Notebook

Monday, October 13th, 2008

The dv6326us is a great customizable notebook for all kinds of people. Whether you need just a basic laptop to surf the web and write documents, a medium range gaming machine, or something to just crunch lots of data this notebook can do it all when configured appropriately. It?s hard to find things wrong with such a beautiful and well built laptop, I can?t stop admiring its zen-type design even while I type this. Overall I think this is very balanced and priced very well comonentwise. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who needs a powerful machine, while still retaining stylish and futuristic looks.

Not Much RAM for Multitasking

The more RAM your laptop has, the faster programs will run and the greater number of windows you can work in at one time. If your needs are simple and you rarely do more than two things at once on your PC, the relatively modest amount of memory that comes installed in inexpensive laptops will be enough. Today the standard amount of RAM shipped in most PCs is 2GB. If you like to multitask–say, you want to launch a search for a file and start backing up data to a disc while you watch a news video–you need more memory.

Suited for Commuting and Other Short Trips

Because of its midsize screen and other middle-of-the-road characteristics, this notebook qualifies as an all-purpose portable. Though it might not have the biggest hard drive or all the latest card slots, its features–and accordingly, its price–are a good fit for most people who need to get work done in mainstream applications. On this laptop, you’ll be able to compute comfortably in word processing, spreadsheet, e-mail, and browser applications, and enjoy music or a DVD movie with headphones. This laptop, lighter and easier to carry than a desktop replacement, is also a better choice for commuting and other short trips.

Underpowered Video Hardware Not Suited for Serious Gamers

A video chip set (also called integrated video or Intel video) built into this laptop’s motherboard handles the graphics. Relatively speaking, this video hardware is underpowered. Since the laptop lacks a dedicated graphics card, the integrated chip set has to borrow video memory (an arrangement known as dynamic memory or shared memory) from the main system memory to make images look good. If you play only online trailers or 2D games, integrated video is fine. As long as the laptop has a fairly fast processor, such as a dual-core Intel CPU, even movies should look good and play smoothly. But laptops with integrated video can’t render 3D well and handle sophisticated effects properly. Games will skip, lose details, or stop altogether if the video hardware can’t manage at least 30 frames per second. If gaming is important to you, ante up for a laptop with a dedicated card.

Supports DVD Burning

This laptop is equipped with a DVD burner, a slightly older type of optical drive. If you don’t need the ultrahigh recording capacity of a new Blu-ray optical drive, and you don’t care about watching high-definition movies on your laptop, a DVD burner should suit you fine. It can read and burn data, music, or video discs up to 8.5GB in capacity. A DVD burner is, of course, backward-compatible with CDs, but it cannot play the newer Blu-ray media because the two types of optical-disc technology use different lasers. In a couple of years, Blu-ray will completely replace the DVD disc format.

Expand Memory and Multimedia Through the ExpressCard Slot

The built-in ExpressCard slot on this laptop lets you easily expand the memory, wireless communications, multimedia, or security of the system. There are two types of ExpressCards: the ExpressCard/34, which measures 34mm by 75mm and is shaped like a stick of chewing gum, and the wider ExpressCard/54, which is 54mm by 75mm. The ExpressCard/54 slot, which accepts either type of card, opens up a wider world of expandability, including SmartCard readers, CompactFlash readers, and 1.8-inch disk drives. Few new laptops come equipped with the old PC Card slot that preceded ExpressCard, but if yours does, you can buy an adapter that lets you use ExpressCards in the PC Card slot.

Supports Memory Stick Cards

Usually, a multiformat card reader, such as the one in this laptop, can accept several different types of flash memory cards, including Memory Sticks. A compact proprietary flash memory card, Memory Stick is a Sony and SanDisk product intended chiefly for Sony devices, including its laptops, digital cameras, camcorders, PDAs, and cell phones, as well as the PlayStation Portable. Five variations have been released since its introduction in 1998–each faster, smaller, and more capacious than the last. Check this laptop’s specs to see how many variations of Memory Stick it can read without an adapter. Not much bigger than a thumbnail, the Memory Stick Micro (aka M2) is the one of the smallest flash memory cards in existence; only the competing microSD, a type of SD Card, is tinier. The 16GB Memory Stick Pro Duo stores the most data.

Supports xD-Picture Cards

If you own a Fujifilm or Olympus digital camera, or an Olympus digital voice recorder, this laptop might be appropriate for you since it can read the xD-Picture Card format. xD is a niche product, not as popular or ubiquitous as other types of flash memory cards. Small and thin, and about the size of a quarter, it’s comparable in size to Memory Sticks and SD Cards–but it doesn’t hold as much, topping out at a mere 2GB. If you own (or are thinking of buying) a Fujifilm or Olympus digital device and need xD compatibility, that won’t matter. This laptop will make sharing xD data a breeze.

Supports SD Cards

Like most new laptops, this one has either a multiformat card reader or a dedicated slot that accepts an SD (Secure Digital) Card. More popular than Memory Stick, CompactFlash, and xD-Picture Card, SD is found in a large number of digital cameras, PDAs, printers, and other devices. SD Cards have built-in security functions to protect data, including music copyright protection. (The cards have a small write-protection switch on the side similar to that of a floppy disk.) The latest SD card, the microSDHC, is the tiniest flash memory card to date, measuring only 11mm across. It’s also the fastest and roomiest, capable of holding up to 16GB of data.

Supports MultiMediaCards

Any laptop that can work with SD Cards can also take MultiMediaCards in its multiformat card reader. These small, thin cards look like their SD counterparts (and are often lumped into the same category), but the technology inside is different, as these cards lack SD’s encryption and have only half the storage capacity. They’re also slower. If security and speed are not critical issues for you, MultiMediaCard can be a cheaper alternative to the more popular SD; many devices that accept SD will also take the slightly thinner MultiMediaCard. Regardless, this laptop gives you the choice of using either format.

Connect to the Net Via Ethernet Port

Even though Wi-Fi is all the rage, an ethernet connection for wired networking is still a nice thing to have. Ethernet jacks allow for instant connections to the Internet, e-mail, and applications over a fast, secure wired network. Ethernet comes in three speeds: the all-but-obsolete traditional ethernet, limited to 10 megabits per second; fast ethernet, which works at up to 100 megabits per second; and gigabit ethernet, which operates at up to a gigabit per second. If your laptop is equipped with the still-common fast ethernet, it won’t be able to take full advantage of the performance that a gigabit-ethernet network has to offer. But more and more laptops now come with gigabit ethernet, in which case you’re covered for access to the fastest type of wired network.

Windows Vista Installed

Microsoft’s Windows Vista introduces more graphical and functional changes–big and small–than the OS has undergone in quite some time. Among the graphical changes, the splashiest is the glasslike transparency of overlapping windows. Flip 3D, which lets you view open windows in a cascading 3D stack on the desktop, is eye-catching too. And the Windows Sidebar displays small applets on the desktop designed for specialized purposes, such as weather reports or sports scores. On the practical side, the new systemwide integrated Instant Search lets you look for a needed file from practically anywhere and at any time. Keep in mind, however, that because Vista offers so much, it requires a speedy CPU, ample RAM, and a good graphics card. Check out the other components of this laptop to be sure that Vista can run smoothly on it.

Popularity: 1% [?]

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HP Pavilion DV6000T

Monday, October 13th, 2008

Overall, I would recommend this computer, as long as you’re not a frequent traveler. The battery life isn’t great. The set up/layout just takes a while to get used to. I have an Intel Core Duo processor, so web surfing is quick & easy. The sound for me is great, despite what I’ve heard other users say. Computer also comes with head phones and built-in microphone/webcam. Plenty of usb ports. Location of the adapter insertion is a bit odd – on the far right side of the unit.

The Pavilion dv6000t is a stylish, reasonably priced laptop for both work and play. Highlights include a bright 15.4-inch wide-screen display, a keyboard with a touchpad lock, strong sound, one-touch entertainment, and a superb optional docking station.

The dv6000t offers a wide choice of AMD and Intel processors (a t in the model name indicates Intel, while a z designates AMD). Our $1499 (as of 9/8/06) review unit came equipped with a 1.83-GHz Core 2 Duo T5600 processor and 1GB DDR2-667 SDRAM. It earned a WorldBench 5 score of 101, placing its performance among the top 20 percent of notebooks we’ve tested.

The standard 6-cell battery disappointed, lasting a brief 2.1 hours in our tests. If battery life is one of your priorities, you’ll do well to upgrade to the 12-cell version for $39 more; with this battery a 2.16-GHz Core Duo T2600-equipped HP Pavilion dv2000t, basically the same notebook with a 14.1-inch screen, worked unplugged for over 7 hours. (The taller battery also makes a nice typing foot.)

However, the rest of our Windows XP Home review unit was top-notch. For starters, the dv6000 is one of several Pavilion models that have gone high fashion: For $29 more, the dv6000 can have the same high-gloss metallic touches, piano-black finish, and subtle wave imprint as its dv2000 and dv9000 siblings. It’s a gorgeous look for a notebook.

Our review machine was well stocked for the price, coming with Wi-Fi and optional Bluetooth wireless communications, a top-of-the-line 120GB 5400-rpm hard drive, an integrated 1.3-megapixel Webcam, and a SuperMulti DVD±RW/R drive with LightScribe for laser-etching your own monochromatic disc labels. Also included were a 256MB nVidia GeForce Go 7400 graphics card and Microsoft Works 8. The port selection–three USB ports, a FireWire port, and a three-in-one media slot–is modest but should satisfy most home users.

Optionally available with the Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 operating system, the dv6000t is one of the best entertainment notebooks out there. Its Altec Lansing stereo speakers are strong enough for you to enjoy soaring music and exciting action movies without headphones. For listening in private, the notebook comes with dual stereo headphone jacks for you and a friend.

HP’s QuickPlay 2.1 wide-screen menu launches movies, CDs, personal videos, and photo slide shows without booting Windows. You start QuickPlay, and control the volume, by pressing a stylish touch-sensitive membrane located at the top of the keyboard. Prefer to sit back and relax? There’s always HP’s palm-size ExpressCard remote ($15 extra) for controlling your media from up to 10 feet away.

The dv6000t is user upgradable, with memory chips and a hard drive that are easy to access. In each case, you simply remove a protective bottom panel held in by a couple of captive screws. For turning the notebook into a world-class desktop replacement, however, you’ll want the $450 HP xb3000 Notebook Expansion Base; the price includes a screen stand with rear port replication, a secondary 300GB hard drive, built-in premium speakers, and a wireless keyboard and mouse.

Even if you don’t opt for the Expansion Base, the dv6000t shouldn’t disappoint as an entertainment notebook–its wealth of multimedia extras makes it very appealing.

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HP Pavilion TX1000

Monday, October 13th, 2008

This little puppy has all of the functions and power of its big brothers and then adds light-weight, a fully functional tablet and direct play ability. I have travelled for years trying to find that perfect balance of having the horse power I need, and not dread lugging the unit throughout my travels along with all my other devices (mp3 player, DVD player etc.). I have finally found the answer in The HP tx1120us. I have had my unit for about two weeks and the sheen has not worn off, I am still finding new ways of incorporating all of the functions for differing situations. This sub-notebook is fully outfitted for serious work (web and graphics design, presentations, programming and the usual office functions) but it is also versatile in the various ways it accepts input, The swivel screen not only acts as a tablet with character recognition, but can also be used in conjunction with the full sized key board as a touch sensitive (using your finger) pointing device. This comes in very handy when the person in front of you reclines their airline seat, and speaking of input the metal touch pad feels so much better than the typical ones due to the lack of “stickiness” I was used to. I have loaded the unit up with Office 2007 Professional, Photoshop, GoLive, Visual Studio, Authorware, SQL and a hand full of games including Myst and have not been disappointed in the systems’ ability to handle what I throw at it. The only additions I have added for hardware are extra battery and USB link to take advantage of the G3 tethered connection to my mobile phone. I can’t say enough about having found my ideal travel companion. And one that fits in a messenger bag along with all of my cables, thumb drives, DVDs, papers, portable drives, phone, sunglasses…… at a price that was well below what other similar but less versatile machines are selling for. Oh and did I mention the design looks pretty cool to !

An artfully designed convertible Windows Tablet PC priced at $1894 (as of April 11, 2007), the 4.2-pound HP Pavilion tx1000 is geared for multimedia. This machine has some interesting and distinctive design touches, including a unique touchpad, but its abysmal battery life and excessively reflective screen make it a less-than-desirable traveling companion.

Among the tx1000′s many features are a built-in Webcam located at the top of the screen and a fingerprint reader set into the left side of the lid. It also comes with a three-in-one memory card reader, three USB 2.0 ports, and a dual-layer DVD writer. Indentations in the unique touchpad enable sensors to gauge your finger’s movements. A scrollbar with similar perforations sits to the right of the touchpad.

All of the ports are conveniently laid out along the sides; and helpful, readily visible gray icons identify the connections so you don’t have to hunt. Buttons for running HP’s QuickPlay software (which lets you play DVDs or music without having to boot Windows) and for rotating the screen occupy the area just below the screen.

Converting from notebook to slate mode is easy, and the 12.1-inch screen rotates into place firmly. One quibble: The screen jiggles a bit when the tablet is in notebook mode and that can be distracting if you are moving–say, if you’re on a train. The tablet comes with a responsive touch screen; but unfortunately the screen lacks an antireflective coating. In fact, strangely, it seems to have another kind of coating with a smoky hue that makes seeing anything on the screen at an indirect angle unduly difficult.

On WorldBench 6 Beta 2, the tx1000, equipped with a 2-GHz AMD Turion 64 X2 TL-60 processor and Windows Vista Premium Home Edition, managed a middling score of 64. In our battery tests, it ran down after just 1 hour, 45 minutes. Still, it’s nicely designed and comfortable to use, despite the screen glare. Just be sure to pack the AC adapter.

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