Need a new laptop. This one is at the top of the list.
Do you all think the CNET tests are at all accurate when it comes to battery life?
They are claiming 5.7 hours of battery life on their video playback test.
I travel overseas quite a bit and need something that gets really good battery life.
Yes indeed, these machines are built with students in mind. They look pretty trendy for starters -- we like the brushed effect on the lid, and while it's not much of a departure from the standard old Inspiron machines they do look pretty tasty.
Dell famously offers about a zillion upgrade and customisation options on every single aspect of its machines, so summing up the specs is mighty tricky. We can tell you the R15 and R17 laptops will feature Intel Core i3 and i5 processor options if you want your CPU to pack a little more punch, and Dell will also be offering HD-resolution screens on both systems.
If you fancy turning your hand to the odd spot of photo editing or light gaming, there's an optional 1GB ATI Graphics processor on the cards, and if you're going over-spec crazy, you can also opt for up to 8GB of RAM.
The 15R will feature a dedicated number pad, which is unusual for a 15-inch machine. Hopefully it won't leave the rest of the keyboard too cramped.
Dell will also pump these babies full of proprietary software that will almost certainly get in the way and instantly become very frustrating if you're a tech-savvy teen worth your salt. Nevertheless, expect Dell DataSafeOnline, a cloud-storage solution, and the Dell Dock, which lumps all your favourite software into a Mac-style dock at the top of the screen.
The pricing, however, makes us very happy bunnies. Prices start at £479 for these machines, including VAT and delivery -- cheap as chips. Bear in mind though, if you pimp out your machine with all the optional upgrades, you'll quickly see that price climbing....
Pros: looks good, i believed dell was good product.
Cons: will not run 30 minutes any day, any time you turn in on without locking up and must be turned of with power button, froze up while writing this review, can't correct.
Summary: Is the only lap top that I have purchased for my personal use or my business that is a total failure. my first and last DELL.
Pros: Good looks, great performance, good price, latest technology incorporated, HDMI out, ESATA, back-lit keyboard, Full HD available, decent sound, display port, sleek design, 512mb video card.
Cons: Only one option for the video card, fingerprint magnet (gratefully it comes in a microfiber sleeve)
Summary: Just received it today and am loving it so far. I opted for the additional space over speed on the hard drive and got the 500 GB 5200 RPM hard drive instead of the 320 GB 7200 RPM drive. As with most Dells though, I would imagine
Pros:
+Size
+Weight
+Craftsmanship
+Style
+Cost
+Trackpad Operation
+Integrated Web Camera
+Win XP
+Availability
+Keypad Size and Design
+3USB, HDMI, external speaker option, card reader
+Ethernet port & internal wireless
+Power cord construction.
Cons: - Speakers are under the machine (muffled sound)
- Intel Atom Processor
- Cant get to the hard drive externally
- Screen size cuts off some dialog box's footer & resizing is a chore if not
impossible..
Summary: Placed this side by side with all its current competitors (and I did) and it will win every time. There are just too many pro's than con's and off of that alone makes this the best buy in every way.
What I found quite interesting in the cnet review is that their performance testing of the Dell 1569 was second place just behind the Toshiba E205-S1904 (the other Best Buy Blue Label). I do not understand why, the specs are basically the exact same specs, EXCEPT our Dell has a 500gb 7,200rpm hard drive while the Toshiba has a 500gb 5,400 rpm hard drive. I would think, if anything our performance would be slightly better than the Toshiba because of our 7,200rpm hard drive. All the other specs are the same.
So, with that being said, why did the Toshiba have slightly better performance numbers than ours, since as I keep stating all the specs are the same except we have a faster hard drive?
Well, after having my macbook for over like 5 months already i would like to share my experiences and thoughts of all this.
This is not a complete review, just those points I feel are most important.
I'm not actually a switcher as i have other comps using Windows, but this is my first experience with mac.
Also i have to say that some of the points in this review will probably have a solution and I'd welcome if you answered it so this works both as a review and as a solution for my problems.
The reviewed macbook was a 13'' one.
Unboxing and first impressions:
Well, I don't think that unboxing and first impressions are actually that important but here we go...
The packaging was good, compact and nice. The case where the macbook was has worked some times as a real case for keeping it safe, althougt i missed some kind of real case, maybe not a briefcase but at least a soft one............
From all the sub-notebooks that I have owned and tested, this macbook 3.1 stands out as a reliable mobile performer. Granted that it is Apple proprietaire piece of work, it lives up to the expectation of a fast, quiet, long-life battery performance.
The design is simply "Apple". The cleanliness in form and lines is still carrying Apple Trademark - simple and cool.
For the 1st Intel based Core Duo, Apple surprises many with a solid replacement of the iBook and PowerBook.
The lid is being held close by magnets instead of traditional latches, giving it a surprise and nice touch. The MagSafe power adapter eliminates the worriness of bad connection and ensures long working device.
Start up and shut down are amazingly fast. The macbook 3.1 is quiet and cool in performance, and with 5hrs plus of battery usage, this is truly portable.
The glossy screen offers bright pictures to video watching. Music enjoyment is particular good with the speakers behind the hinges and in the back - crisp and plenty loud for a notebook.
Specifications:
Operating Systems:
Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard - current at 10.5.8
Architecture:
. Intel based
CPU Section:
. Intel Core Duo,
. 2.00GHz, 4MB L2 Cache.........................
Since I've been fairly active here over the past few weeks in discussions about the relative merits of Macs in general and of mine in particular, I figured I would go ahead and give you all my version of a review. I've had my new Mac since Wednesday morning and have now done a little bit of everything on it: school work, gaming, web surfing, benchmarking. I thought I'd go ahead and share my experiences as they might be of interest to the community here. Both in terms of the performance of the machine, and in terms of Mac vs. PC, for anyone in the same place I was -- considering making the switch.
About me:
I'm a PhD student in the sciences who needs a machine I can take to school on a daily basis and do some legitimate work on. This includes running MATLAB simulations and writing code, as well as standard PDF / email / web fare. I like games but rarely have time to play them. One of my hobbies is chess, and thus I'm interested in the raw performance of the CPU for chess analysis, especially in Windows (the only environment in which the strong engines run). I've been a PC guy for as long as I've been choosing my own computers, which dates to the time of 486s. I have a Dell desktop with an i7-920 running Windows 7.
I've recently had a lot of contact with Macs via my girlfriend and coworkers. In need of a laptop, I decided I wanted a MBP but of course wasn't going to get one with a C2D, so I waited for the update. When it arrived, I got one, and so here it is...............
My Apple iPad review:
Hey all hope you are fine
I just bought an iPad 64GB Wi-Fi 3 days ago and wanted to write a review about it.
Before i start,let me say that its the first Apple device that i bought(I have worked with a 27" iMac,iPod touch but I have never owned any Apple devices until now).
So let's get started
General Specifications
Display
Capacitive 9.7" scratch-resistant LED-backlit glossy widescreen LCD with 1024x768 resolution
Capacity
16GB,32GB and 64GB(64GB tested in this review)
Processor
Apple A4 1GHz CPU......................
i'm waiting for this complete review here ...
View 4 Replies View Relatedbackground:
I have always been a "PC guy". I need to say that up front. Back in 2007, when I was looking for a replacement for my aging Acer Ferrari 3200 notebook, I went and looked at a MacBook Pro then, and although I thought they were nice, I couldn't pull the trigger on one, considering I was going to pay about $300 or more then I would pay for a similarly configured Dell with my corporate discount. So, I bought a Dell, which I have been very happy with.
This year, I decided I needed to broaden my horizions and after seeing the Macworld Keynote and how cool the new iLife looked, I thought I would buy a used mac on ebay and explore MacOSX and add that to my resume. That was a mistake, and I ended up sending it back to the seller so I could order a new MacBook.
Apple's site was extremely easy to navigate and order my new notebook. I didn't want a Macbook pro, as I wanted the 13.3 inch screen. I also thought that if I was ordering new, I should get the new aluminum body, since that is highly rated as durable and this machine would become my traveling companion when I went places.
Apon unboxing (Which I understand is almost a religious experience for many Apple fans ) I plugged in the power cord into the wall and the "Magsafe adapter" into the side of the notebook. There are 2 USB2.0 ports, 1 mini DVI video out port, a headphone and mic/audio input ports and a Kensington lock port on the left side.
On the right side is the slot for the DVD superdrive. There is no button on the side to eject the disc..............
I was going to do an unboxing and take lots of funky pictures, but honestly, I decided not to do so because of the myriad of images/unboxings already out there.
So, without further ado, my iPad review, sans pictures, funkiness.
First impressions:
It's somehow a lot bigger and heavier than you'd expect. It's *only* 1.5 lbs, but somehow it feels like a lot more. I'd be lying if I said that reading on this thing for any large amount of time would not be a fun thing. I'm a Kindle 2 fan, so this is a really big change in terms of weight...
The screen is gorgeous and large, and wonderfully bright, though it's definitely a missed opportunity not being able to change the brightness at a moment's notice. We shouldn't have to exit the application we're running to go into Settings, and then another menu... to have to do this. It's about time Apple implemented what Jailbreakers all over the world have been using on their iPhones/iPod touch devices: SBSettings. A quick swipe in the menu bar brings up shortcuts to wifi on/of, BT on/off, brightness bar etc......
3 defective MBPs and a MB that seemed to be fine but came with a loose latch that isn't sturdy at all, a physical dot on my screen, not a dead pixel and is now also making that weird clicking noise I had on 1-2 or two of my MBPs, I don't feel in the mood of getting it exchanged too, wasted too much time waiting by going through that procedure before without result anyways, I got a warantee and if it breaks down I'll just get it exchanged then.
The build quality of the unibody macbook/pros are really great, the first time I laid my hands on the MBP was a moment of joy, in comparison to the several other notebooks we have and had in my family, this kind of build quality is just unparalleled. The Macbook does not lack anything in build quality in comparison to the MBP, I even feel it may be more sturdy due to its size.
Both of the unibody models feel really portable, I never had any trouble taking them out with me to a friends house or anywhere generally. Though the 0,5kg and the size difference between the two makes the Macbook feel a tad bit more portable. Personally I'd go for the MBP if I needed the performance, and because the screen on the Macbook is just a joke in my point of view.
Performance wise both models perform pretty good, the MBP which is based on the 15" high end configuration obviously feels a lot snappier in graphics intensive applications, processor intensive applications such as fusion and multitasking when you got a great deal of applications running. Though during normal usage, where you use a word processor, listen to music, surf the web, I couldn't really notice much of a difference if at all. You don't really feel much boundaries when using the unibody models........
[url]
View 5 Replies View RelatedI got the computer back in October '08, but I'm on vacation now, and I thought I'd write up a 2.53 Unibody Macbook Pro review of my own
So after the whole debacle with my old '07 Macbook Pro (Santa Rosa) and the nVidia chip dying -- which Apple eventually repaired for free -- I decided to buy the new Unibody.
I got it from an Apple Store in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, configured as follows:
2.53GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 6MB shared L2 cache
1066MHz frontside bus
4GB (two 2GB SO-DIMMs) of 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM
320GB 5400-rpm Serial ATA hard drive
NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT graphics processor 512MB of GDDR3 memory
NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics processor with 256MB of DDR3 SDRAM shared with main memory..........
To start I should remind everyone that i'm not a mac user. I have never owned a mac or used OSX properly before today. As such, my opinions should be taken as coming from someone who has much knowledge and experience as far as PC's are concerned, but who is a total mac n00b.
First Impressions
When I first walked over to the Macbooks I was quite taken aback. The build quality is out of this world. In fact, I immediately walked over to the latest PC laptops to compare and immediately thought "manufacturing FAIL". Really, the Macbooks are italian sports cars, and PC's are 30 year old farm tractors to use the typical "car analogy".
The Macbook
I really only had any interest in the Macbook when I first went to the Apple stand, but came away with the intention of buying a MacBook Pro. Let me explain:
The MacBook's build quality is awesome. It's solid, no creaking plastic or flexable build, completely and utterly solid. Awesome.............
I designed this Skin for my 13 MBP, and I also had designed one for my moto droid. so shipping was free, the MBP was 30 and the Droid was 20. It took a little bit of patience to install but overall not that bad.
Quality was decent, it looked like there was a little crease in the skin, but it went away after installing it. The skit itself seems pretty tough it seems to fit well. Took these pics with my Droid, so they arent top notch
The picture came out a litle darker than I thought it would... the palm rest I bought from ebay from the seller citizen327 MacBook Pro 13 Unibody Palmrest Skin Cover Carbon Fiber - eBay (item 310214789059 end time Apr-26-10 13:23:36 PDT)......
i just bought a laptop [url] and i was wonderhing what you think? just lookin for some reviews on it!
View 6 Replies View RelatedRead the DM4 review here...
HP Pavilion dm4 Review - A Review of the HP Pavilion dm4
Basically, it runs cool AND has great battery life, which is fantastic to here. I think HP finally turned their ship around. I had their previous 14in machines and they all suffered from crap battery life and very high temperatures. To hear that the machines run very cool and get 5 hours of battery life on the standard 6-cell battery is really great.
This bodes well for their other systems, as all HP designs seem to mimic one another. If one model has heat/battery issues, they all do, as I've read of similar horror stories in the DV6000 and what not.
They got 5 hours of battery life with the 6-cell, i5-520, and Intel graphics. That's really phenomenal as far as I'm concerned. They offer switchable ATI graphics, so you can opt for discrete graphics and still get the 5 hours...
What do you think about my configuration?
Inspiron 1520 Intel® Core™ 2 Duo T7500 (2.2GHz/800Mhz FSB/4MB cache)
Genuine Windows ® Vista Home Basic Edition
System Color Spring Green
Memory FREE! 2GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 at 667MHz
LCD Panel High Resolution, glossy widescreen 15.4 inch display (1440x900)
Video Card 256MB NVIDIA® GeForce® Go 8600M GT
Hard Drive 160G 7200RPM SATA HDD
Network Card and Modem Integrated 10/100 Network Card and Modem
Combo or DVD+RW Drive CD / DVD writer (DVD+/-RW Drive)
Sound Card Integrated Sound Blaster® Audigy™HD Software Edition
Wireless Networking Cards Intel® 3945 802.11a/g Mini-card
Camera Integrated 2.0M Pixel Webcam
Anti-Virus/Security Suite (Pre-installed) I chose Security with Value, Plus,or Premium Warranty Bundle
Battery Options 85Whr Lithium Ion Battery (9 cell)
Limited Warranty, Services and Support Options DellCare Plus
Doms Camera Module Spring Green color w/ 2.0M pixel Camera
Processor Branding Intel Centrino Core Duo Processor
Labels Windows Vista™ Basic
This isn't a full review but I wanted to post my thoughts after a few days with the Studio XPS 16. Maybe this will help others considering this notebook among others to make a decision.
I ordered it from the Outlet, $1149 for SXPS 16 with P8600, 1GB ATI 4670, RGBLED screen, 500gb drive, Intel 5300 wifi, DVD/RW. I got the 9 cell for additional $80.
This seemed like too good a deal to pass up, particularly since it was "previously ordered new" rather than refurbished or scratch/dent .....
Finally i got new XPS M1530 as a replacement today, with the following configuration:
Intel C2D T8100 2GHZ @ 800MHZ FSB, 3MB L2
3GB Samsung @667 MHZ Ram
1280x800 Samsung WXGA screen
250gb WD@5400 rpm
Nvidia 8600GT @DDR3
intel(R) 4965AGN Wireless-N Mini-Card
Integrated Sound Blaster Audigy ADVANCED HD Audio Software
Tuxedo Black LCD display with Integrated 2.0 mega pixel web cam
6cell Battery
Vista HP SP1
McAfee(R) Security Center(TM) – 30 days trial
CompleteCover/ CompleteCover Guard Technical Guide include
1-year XPS Premier Service with 1-year CompleteCover
#1 Year Complete Cover Accidental Damage Protection
1 Year Priority PC User 24x7 Support (Round-The-Clock Technical Assistance)
# Year 1 Standard POW
i received this afternoon, i inspected thoroughly later in i did format and installed vista Ultimate with SP1, then installed all the necessary drivers also installed DELL MD 4.
PROS
i ran 3dmark 06 soon after installation of all drivers, i got score of 4671
next thing i noticed the temperature its idles between 57-60c
when i ran 3dmark 06 the max temp reached was 82c.
the HD is 250gb WD@5400rpm, the drive is so quieter
Everything is perfect except 2 issues, one is DVD drive makes lot of noise while reading dvds, and little bit bulge near the XPS |M1530 logo not visible tho, also the cover over the speakers on the lest part of hinge has come up, also not visible much
This time what i noticed is my dvd writer makes noise continously while reading the dvd, i did noticed the noise while installing vista, also during installation of drivers and other software DVD. and the noise is pretty loud and annoying.
Except those im overall satisfied with my new system, im feeling good, i guess the noise from my dvd writer may soon disappear, if not, need to be replace the DVD writer.
i havent ran much benchmarking tools except 3dmark06, yet to test few games later in.
The XPS M1330 is the second Dell laptop I've owned. The Inspiron 9400 put me off buying another Dell - for the wrong reasons really. I didn't want another high end laptop with poor battery life, and at just over �1000, the XPS M1330 seemed like a good choice. At 13.3" it's portable and packed with features....
View 9 Replies View RelatedDell Inspiron New Mini 10.
This netbook was received as a contest award (Canada Dell Mini Contest)
System specs:
CPU: Atom N450 (1.6GHz, 512K L2 Cache)
Display: 10.1" Widescreen Display (1024x600) Integrated 1.3M Pixel Webcam
OS: Windows7 Starter for Small Notebook PCs,32Bit .....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSw_d...e=channel_page
Just wanted to let everyone know that Digital Home Thoughts just uploaded their 23 minute review of the 14z.
Excellent performance, but poor portability from this Inspiron
Mobility be dammed. Weighing over 3Kg, the Dell Inspiron 17R is a back breaker. Double that with the low battery life and it’s clear this laptop is not for seekers of portability. Fortunately for Dell - and us - its desktop replacement credentials are brilliant.
The Inspiron 17R we had comes with a “peacock” blue case but you can choose tomato red or mars black. The peacock blue isn’t as garish as it sounds and actually has a nice chrome finish that looks good against the gun-metal insides – it just doesn’t look like it’s trying to imitate anything else.
Pros
* Blu-ray Drive
* Good Performance
* Software Installation Free Of Much Bloatware
Cons
* Exterior Shows Lots Of Fingerprints And Smudges
* Display Can't Handle 1080p HD Video
* 3D Graphics Best Suited For Casual Gaming
Description
* Intel Core i5-450M Dual Core Mobile Processor
* 4GB PC3-8500 DDR3
* 500GB 5400rpm SATA Hard Drive
* Blu-ray Reader And Dual Layer DVD Burner Combo Drive
* 17.3" WSXGA+ (1600x900) LED Backlit Display With 1.3 Megapixel Webcam
* ATI Radeon Mobility HD 5470 Graphics With 1GB
Dell's Inspiron 17R is a slimmed down desktop replacement that provides a more compact and lightweight design. This high end model comes equipped with a higher resolution display and Blu-ray drive. At $1000, there are less expensive Blu-ray equipped systems or models with better graphics for gaming. It does a decent job of being a good general purpose desktop replacement without costing too much ...
Pros
* Excellent Storage Options
* Hybrid Graphics Provides Good 3D Graphics
* Wide Range of Peripheral Ports
Cons
* Very Heavy for 13.3-inch Laptop
* System Runs Quite Hot
Description
* Intel Core 2 Duo P8700 Dual Core Mobile Processor
* 4GB PC3-8500 DDR2 Memory
* 320GB 7200rpm SATA Hard Drive
* 8x DVD+/-RW Dual Layer Burner
* 13.3-inch WXGA (1280x800) Wide LCD With 2.0 Megapixel Webcam
* NVIDIA GeForce 9500M Graphics With 256MB Memory and GeForce 9400M Integrated Graphics
* Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11b/g/n Wireless
* Two USB 2.0, eSATA, FireWire, HDMI, Display Port, ExpressCard/54, 8-in-1 Card Reader
* 12.6" x 9.3" x 1.4" @ 4.9 lbs.
* Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit, Works 9, McAfee Internet Security
Guide Review - Dell Studio XPS 13 13.3-inch Ultraportable Laptop PC
Mar 13 2009 - Dell's Studio XPS 13 is much more of a replacement for the XPS M1330 because of its improved features. Most notable of these is the hybrid graphics that combines a GeForce 9400M integrated graphics for light desktop work and a dedicated GeForce 9500M with 256MB when accelerated 3D graphics are needed. This gives it some good 3D performance that was lacking from other Dell 13.3-inch laptops.
Another surprise in the Studio XPS 13 is the storage options. The standard 320GB hard drive is spacious, but the 7200rpm spin rate provides it with a high level of performance. Those needing more space can always upgrade to the 500GB drive option. Solid state drives are also offered but are quite expensive. It would have been nice to see Dell offer a Blu-ray option as well.
Performance is very high thanks to the use of the Intel Core 2 Duo P8700 mobile processor and the 4GB of PC3-8500 DDR3 memory. This combined with the graphics actually gives it some performance levels that are equal to or at times higher than the XPS M1330. The problem is that all of these parts generate a lot of heat.
In what can only be considered a major design accident, Dell put one of the primary cooling ducts on the back side of the laptop. This duct can be blocked when the LCD panel is folded beyond a straight perpendicular position, something that many users do with laptops. Combine this with the aluminum bottom panel and this system can get very hot on the bottom where it should not be used on one's actual lap without some sort of cooling device.
The other downside is that the Studio XPS 13 is quite large and heavy for a 13.3-inch laptop. At nearly five pounds in weight, this is a system that is much more comparable to a 14.1-inch for portability.
I am planning to buy VGN-CS24 ; so I would like to know pros/cons of the model.Please provide comments.
View 4 Replies View Related