Brand Laptop Review

Dell Precision M6700 Laptop Review

Dell Precision M6700 is the world' s most powerful 17" mobile workstation, with the performance, battery life and storage for demanding work environments.

The entry quad core 3720QM is roughly the same speed as the 2960XM which was the top of the line in the previous machine. The 3920XM will be 10-15% faster than either of the two processors previously mentioned. The 3920XM may have a larger margin in real world use do to the M6700 allowing it to stay at max turbo frequencies 100% of the time. 

We get tons of laptops at the Hardware.Info test lab, and in recent times most of those are of course the ultra-thin, light and sleek models. The Dell Precision M6700 is a completely different beast that way. It's a 17.3-inch laptop weighing in at 4.1 kg, a true workstation for the heavy-duty jobs. It's portable yet doesn't make any concessions in terms of features and performance.

Quality is reasonable: the matte finish helps under office lights, and we recorded brightness and contrast ratio measurements of 252cd/m2 and 523:1 - fine scores which are second to Apple’s Retina-toting MacBook Pro (333cd/m2 and 1,023:1). The average Delta E of 5.5 is a good score and confirms the good colour accuracy - ideal if you're doing colour-sensitive work such as graphic design. Again it's behind the MacBook, which served up a stunning Delta E of 1.4. Despite being trumped on all fronts by the MacBook Pro, there is no denying the Dell has a decent screen.

The power and network are both on the rear which is a good improvement, though I would have preferred the power to stay in the middle just to keep the cable out of my way when using it from a couch or chair. Running it with an i7 quad core, 16gb ram, and 250GB SSD + 500GB SATA drive and it really soars. As long as it holds up, I will be very pleased.

Port selection is generous, with two USB 3 sockets, FireWire, an SD card reader, ExpressCard slot and Dell Precision M6700 battery status lights on the left-hand side, two more USB 3 ports and a DisplayPort output on the right, and HDMI, D-SUB, Gigabit Ethernet and eSATA on the rear.

For workstation performance, I ran the Viewperf benchmark on the M6700. Focusing on graphics performance, this benchmark utilizes test data which is representative of professional graphics applications. The Viewperf benchmark is created and managed by specbench.org and is designed to provide performance-comparison data for graphics workstations.

Rounding out the trimmings, our review unit has Dell's PremierColor IPS display which is touted to offer the full AdobeRGB gamut; this is essentially to compete with HP's own DreamColor display. Unfortunately we did run into some issues with PremierColor and our calibration/measurement software, ColorEyes Display Pro, which we'll discuss later on. But Dell has a healthy number of choices for displays, including a basic 900p display, 1080p, 120Hz 3D Vision Ready 1080p, and the PremierColor IPS panel.

Like in the Precision M6600, the keyboard pleases with a medium key drop, quiet typing noise and high-contrast lettering. The surface's stability has improved noticeably. The keyboard only yields marginally while typing on the present test model and only dents in the right key area under moderate pressure. We only still really miss a backlit keyboard that our test device does not feature, but which can be ordered optionally. The necessary FN combinations, a few hot keys and the dedicated number pad round off the overall picture and make a very positive impression.

We did not ascertain a reduction of the processor clock rate in battery mode. However, the user will have to reckon with clock throttling after approximately 20 minutes of simultaneous CPU and GPU load. More about that under Emissions.

The Precision M6700 may not quite live up to Dell's claim of being the most powerful portable workstation ever, at least in this specification. But it has a huge amount of performance to offer for both 2D and 3D applications, which can be used for a reasonable time on the road, plus a heap of features. You pay a considerable amount for all these capabilities, but the price is pretty much on par for a portable with this level of capabilities.

Dell Latitude E6330 13.3" Laptop Review

A Tough Companion. "Full power for professional use in a light and compact notebook" is what Dell aims to offer with the Latitude E6330. This is the 13.3-inch model equipped with a current Ivy Bridge processor and (optionally) a fast SSD. The Latitude Laptops from Dell are directed at business customers who value power, durability and scalability. Earlier, we tested the smallest and lightest member of the Dell LATITUDE E6430s AC adapter, the E6230. Now we want to put the 13.3-inch model in the spotlight. Latitude E series models also come in 14-inch (E6430) and 15.6-inch (E6530 - test coming soon) sizes.

Like the other reviewer, my Dell Latitude E6330 was provided by my employer to replace a five-year-old Dell laptop that was pretty sluggish. This new machine zips along, processing Photoshop or Word without hesitation. The start up and shut down are so much faster, I feel like I gain 20 minutes of working time a day. Most days I connect it to a monitor and keyboard via a docking station, so I don't deal with smaller screen size or bit clunky keyboard except on teleworking days. Even then, this Dell Latitude E6400 adapter is passable, though, I agree, the color rendering is not quite true and for real nitty gritty production I prefer my Apple.

The latest Intel™ vPro systems management Intel Active Management Technology 8.x with Dell?€™s unique vPro extensions that support remote BIOS management and remote hard drive wipe enabling IT to remotely manage Latitude E-family laptops and OptiPlex desktops, including easy out-of-band management. Protectability: The Dell Studio XPS 1340 AC adapter offer high-level data protection in the form of Dell Data Protection/Encryption which offers the highest level of FIPS (Federal Information Processing Standards) 140-2 Level 3 certification commercially available with the optional Dell exclusive Hardware Encryption Accelerator.

There's also an optional extra battery pack – adding the nine cell pack can whack the battery life up to a remarkable 32.7 hours according to Dell figures. Fast charging also means the standard three cell battery can be at more than 80 per cent capacity in less than an hour. Dell has also announced refreshed Latitude E6320, E6330, E6430, E6530, E5430 and E5530 laptop too.

Dell Latitude E6330 menggunakan prosesor Ivy Bridge Intel Core i5-3320 dengan clock 3,1 GHz. Perlu diketahui bahwa clock default CPU produk ini adalah 2,6 GHz. Dengan Turbo Boost diaktifkan, prosesor ini bisa diatur antara rentang 2,6 GHz sampai 3,3 GHz. Prosesor tersebut mendukung chip grafis onboard dengan chipset Intel GMA 4000HD yang sudah didukung oleh DirectX 11. Penggunaan memori sebesar 4 GB pun dianggap cukup untuk menjalankan aplikasi berat. Sayangnya, kapasitas harddisknya “hanya” sebesar 320 GB sehingga kurang sesuai dengan spesifikasi komponen lainnya a Dell Latitude E6420 adapter terbilang tinggi.

I got a decked out E6330 from work. It's a light and very fast computer with long battery life and I like to use it. But, I was totally shocked when I saw the price. I also personally own a 9 month old 13" macbook pro and a two year old Lenovo T400. Externally the Dell is no where near the build quality of either of those machines, not even close. The screen colors look pasty in comparison and the keyboard feels rubbery and is not very nice to the touch.

The actual Latitude E6330 includes a good port selection. On the left aspect of the machine, there is a VGA-out interface and a mixture microphone-earphone jack. About the correct aspect, there is one Hardware 3.zero port, a good ExpressCard reader, an eSATA/Hardware 2.zero combination port, and a Wi-Fi switch. The actual SD card audience located on the entrance, and the remaining ports are on the rear: the Kensington lock slot, a small-High-definition multimedia interface-out interface, a good ethernet interface, and another USB three.zero port. The actual Dell LATITUDE E6330 AC adapter also has the docking connector located on the bottom.

However, when it comes to designing the new “Latitude E6330″ is a perfect business laptop. However, the interior part of the laptop is not so attractive it weighs 2.08 kg with a screen size of 13.3 inches making it easier to move anywhere, thus perfect for business use. The brushed aluminum border covers a thick matte black plastic that covers the screen while the wrist rest area made with a soft rubbery material while the keyboard. Further, on the left side of the keyboard there are indicator lights showing the WI-If connectivity and charging. Apart from this, it also has a good port choice. On the left side there is a Dell Latitude D620 adapter with combination microphone and headphone jack where on the right hand side there are one 3.0 USB port, an Express Card reader, a SATA/USB 2.0 Combo ports along with WI-If Switch. The SD card reader is on the front while the rest of the ports are in the back.

Unleash your productivity with a range of performance options, including solid-state drives, cutting-edge Intel® Core™ processors, HD graphics and optional Intel® Rapid Start Technology™.Work comfortably with easy E-family docking and the help of design features intended to make your time in front of the screen as productive as possible, anywhere you work.

Dell equips the Latitude E6330 model with a low-reflective 13.3-inch HD display with a resolution of 1366x768 pixels with LED backlighting. At the moment Dell does not offer any alternatives. The resolution is fine in regards to form factor. Fujitsu's LifeBook S792 can't offer anything more in this area. The display screen of our test model, which Dell Studio XPS 1340 battery has the designation of SEC5441, is comparatively dark with an average brightness of 168 cd/m². Because of the high black level score of 1.24 cd/m², the test model reaches a below average contrast ration of 139:1. Instead, the screen is well-lit with 91% illumination. Subjectively, no shadowing effects could be found. The competition from Fujitsu performs a lot better with an average brightness of 274 cd/m².

However, the Dell “Latitude E6330″ is not the idyllic choice for you in performing Hi-Tech games nor it is a glossy Ultrabook but it is perfect as business laptop. It is a good performing laptop when it comes to performing business-oriented tasks such as preparing project reports, corporate presentation, office documents, saving, downloading, transferring and sharing files, etc. Further, the storage performance of the laptop is marvelous which makes it ideal for business use. To add more to its compatibility with both 3G and 4G has moved the laptop much ahead of Dell Latitude E4300 adapter competition and thus noted as one of the best business laptops from the house of Dell.

Asus Zenbook UX31A Notebook Review

We were first introduced to the Asus Zenbook UX31 back in late 2011 and last year, Asus introduced a new wave of Zenbooks, one of which was an improved version of the Asus ZenBook UX31A AC adapter, the Asus Zenbook UX31A, which is now equipped with an Intel Ivy Bridge processor, a higher-resolution screen and now comes with Windows 8.

The chiclet-styled keyboard makes for a fairly comfortable typing experience. For such a thin system, it largely succeeds in sidestepping the shallow key travel that often plagues ultrabooks. Moreover, it's brightly backlit and doesn't exhibit any noticeable flexing, so the end result is all-around good Asus ZenBook UX21A adapter. The system's smooth and responsive touchpad provides a good amount of tactile feedback and sports left- and right-click buttons that don't exhibit any unappealing clackiness.

A high-res IPS display is pretty much a given on ASUS' Ultrabooks, and the 1,920 x 1,080 (165 ppi) panel here is as sharp and bright as you'd expect. Even with brightness set to about 70 percent, the screen kicked back bright and accurate colors. Viewing angles are very wide, but the display's glossy finish doesn't eliminate all glare -- you'll want to find a Asus ZenBook UX32A AC adapter, reflection-free position before settling into a Netflix marathon.

The viewing angles delight us. Vertically and horizontally, the viewing angles remain stable up to 85 degrees. This is expected of IPS technology (In Plane Switching). Standard TN panels (Twisted Nematic; for example, Aspire S5-391) cannot offer stable angles above 45 degrees (horizontal) and 15 degrees (vertical). There are a few exceptions to the rule (the MacBook Air 13) which offer broader viewing angles. However, the TN competition has a hard time keeping up with IPS vertically. The UX31A and Samsung 900X3C are more than capable of handling such angles.

As with other Zenbook Prime 13.3" models, the machine has an mSATA SSD, but it's a proprietary gum stick shaped model, so you won't find aftermarket alternatives should you wish to replace or upgrade in the future. And once again, RAM is soldered onto the motherboard and there are no RAM slots, so 4 gigs RAM is max. This is a typical, non-upgradable Ultrabook. If you want an upgradable model, consider the Asus ZenBook UX31A adapter or the Samsung Series 7 Ultra.

The UX31A shares the more tapered design of the original Zenbook. It's slightly thinner and lighter than the UX32A and UX32VD models, although all three have a sharp front lip that can be murder on the heels of your hands, depending on your typing style. Despite the similarities, the small difference in thickness and weight in the UX31A actually feels pretty significant in the hand -- this is the closest to the ultrabook ideal.

Eight months ago, Asus was one of the first to build a credible MacBook Air alternative with a similar look and feel. The 13-inch Asus Zenbook UX31 and 11-inch UX21 delivered extremely rigid all-metal frames, power-sipping Intel Sandy Bridge processors, speedy solid state storage, and unfortunately, an incredibly frustrating trackpad. Ultimately, we couldn't recommend them over their Apple competitors in any particular way, and that trackpad threw a wrench in the formula.

Battery life did fall short of the company’s claims, however. Asus says the ultrabook lasts up to seven hours, but I never got past five and a half hours under regular use. The fan is also a drawback, since Asus ZenBook UX21A AC adapter almost constantly whirring. It’s not too distracting, and it does prevent the bottom of the machine from getting too hot, but it’s irritating when you aren’t doing much more than web browsing and that fan is still spinning away. I was always checking the Windows Task Manager just in case something was running that I wasn’t aware of. Nothing ever was.

The ASUS Zenbook Prime is available in two sizes, the ASUS UX21A (11.6" display) and the ASUS UX31A (13.3" display). Both sizes come standard with a 16:9 HD display that runs at a screen resolution of 1600x900. If you are buying an Ultrabook we highly suggest spending a little extra and getting the by IPS FHD 1920x1080 pixel display. The 1080p display also includes an antiglare technology that looks much better than a high-gloss display. Once you figure out what size Zenbook Prime that you want and what display you want, you then get to pick the processor and how much storage capacity you want! You have your choice of 128GB or 256GB of SSD drives and either an Intel Core i5-3317U or Intel Core i7-3517UM processors.

All the keys are in the same place on the Zenbook Prime, but they feel a lot better. That's because ASUS ripped out the old silver layout and added black keys with much improved travel (12 percent better key cap travel distance). Typing this review felt fluid and fast on the UX31A, compared with the mushier experience on the UX31.

The computer's underside is relatively unadorned, sporting only a few Torx screws, rubber feet, and two small speakers. These were generally loud enough to be audible, but their sound is unsurprisingly tinny and their bass is nonexistent. Thankfully, the computer's fan also doesn't get very loud—the Zenbook is pretty quiet at idle, and even when the fan ramps up it's mostly inaudible unless you're in a quiet room. The laptop also stays cool under pressure—it's perfectly comfortable to have this laptop actually sitting on your Asus ZenBook UX32A adapter, even if you're playing a game or performing other processor-intensive tasks.

Like the original ZenBook, the Prime has an aluminium chassis, but there have been some tweaks. Asus has finally seen sense and removed the tacky italicised ZenBook logo from the screen hinge, giving the whole laptop a more professional feel, and the screen itself feels much sturdier than before. Our only criticism with the wedge-shaped chassis is that it leaves little room for connections – you only get two USB3 ports, Micro HDMI, Mini VGA, a multi-format card reader and a headset audio jack. There's also an Ethernet adaptor in the box, but the selection is still less than you might find on other Ultrabooks.

The touchpad was a huge stumbling block with the original design, and it seems as though Asus has ironed out the worst of the issues. Multitouch gestures work more reliably, and the overall experience is less infuriating than before.

Last year at Computex, Intel introduced Ultrabook brand which were a set of premium laptop specifications to push for sleeker and more innovative form factors, without compromising on battery life or performance. These Windows based offerings with 17W ULV CPUs and SSDs were designed to compete head on with Apple's uber successful MacBook Air concept, and used a high profile marketing campaign featuring stars like Megan Fox and Will.i.am. to paint the Ultrabook buyer as coffee sipping, hip and smug content creators.

You can't easily access the internal components of the ZenBook Prime, but it's not designed to be end-user serviceable. It has a panel on its base that is held together by a series of tiny torx screws. Unless you have a set of such tiny torx screwdrivers, your hopes and dreams of playing with this laptop's gizzards will go unfulfilled. It's this integrated, non-user-serviceable design that has allowed ASUS to make the Asus ZenBook UX32VD AC adapter so thin. It has also allowed it to implement a configuration that is very impressive for such a thin laptop.

If you can get round these issues, then there is a very impressive piece of kit here which will definitely turn heads with its looks. We can’t help but think that waiting for a sequel might be worth it however, as Asus might finally get the trackpad right.

HP ProBook 4310s 13.3" Laptop computer Review

HP has unveiled its ProBook 4310s, making it available for purchase and targeting business users in particular. What can you find underneath the hood of this puppy.

The HP ProBook 4310s takes the same design we've seen from the ProBook 4510s and 4710s and made it more portable thanks to a 13-inch display. The HP Probook 4310s adapter was designed to provide road warriors with a low-cost machine that still delivers solid performance.

At first sight there's a pleasing array of peripherals, including three USB 2.0 ports, a 5-in-1 memory card reader, HDMI output, VGA, stereo microphone input, ExpressCard/34 slot, modem and Ethernet. Most of this is very welcome apart from the bozo in the design department who decided to squeeze the modem in between the Blu-ray player and the two USB ports on the left side, thus making HP Probook 4710s AC adapter impossible to attach two flash drives into the USB ports at the same time.

Features:

Featuring genuine Windows for a familiar and intuitive environment
Protect your data, applications and network with a broad range of easy-to-use, essential security solutions
Optional HP Mobile Broadband delivers convenient access to the Internet and email
Affordable notebooks with stylish color options and a starting weight of only 1.90 kg
Displays range in size from 13.3-inch to 17-inch diagonal displays
Enjoy entertainment features like HD displays and audio to view your movies and pictures
Environmental – Built to Conserve: the HP Probook 4311s adapter reduces its impact on the environment by eliminating or reducing substances of concern and reducing energy consumption.

It might not do quite enough to win an award, but we can't help liking the little ProBook 4310s. It's as comfortable hooked up to an HDTV as it is churning through an Excel spreadsheet, and as a sensible, compact, all-round laptop, it has plenty to offer.

A full gigabyte of memory supports the AMD graphics card and ensures good graphics performance for the price: not too many business laptops can boast about running our Fear test at 42 frames per second. General Windows performance is helped by 4GB of RAM supporting the Core i5 processor. Battery life isn't bad, but other laptops lasted well over five hours - the HP Probook 4310s AC adapter ground to a halt well before that milestone.

During accustomed use calefaction assembly is minimal. Babble levels are additionally reasonable. But put the apparatus beneath pressure, and you will not accept to try too adamantine to apprehend babble generated by the bankrupt fans.

An impressive combination of mobile office features in a small, stylish package makes the HP ProBook 4310s Notebook PC an affordable choice to keep your business moving forward. This notebook looks great with a sleek, slim design that packs an array of features normally reserved for more expensive HP Probook 4320s adapter. Available with a more spacious keyboard, it delivers refined simplicity.

If you find that the price is right and you are only planning on doing menial tasks, you could do a lot worse than the HP ProBook.

Dell Latitude E6430s Laptop PC

The size of a notebook and its usefulness aren't completely at odds, although a bigger notebook will usually have more features and greater processing power than a smaller one. But, of course, it won't be so easy to carry around. With the Latitude E6430s, Dell is trying to give you the best of both worlds. The chassis uses the 13in form factor, but the screen has a 14in diagonal, with more features to match.

 

The Dell Latitude E6430S has a fairly snazzy exterior for a business class notebook, thanks to Dell’s Tri-Metal chassis. Brushed metal, rounded and sloped edges, and multiple colors (all grays) give the laptop a much sharper look than your ordinary business machine. More importantly, the case is downright sturdy. You’ll get a sense of its strength when you open the lid or lift the laptop. In fact, the Tri-Metal casing has been tested to meet a military standard (MIL-STD 810G) for basic ruggedness. That said, don’t mistake the Dell LATITUDE E6430s battery for a truly ruggedized notebook. It’s tough, but it’s not meant for harsh outdoor conditions. If you’re looking for a heavy-duty, ruggedized version of the E6430S, then the Dell ATG E6430 may be more your speed.

Rubber port covers may be spurious on premium systems that won't ever venture outdoors, but on the E6430s, they are a necessity for keeping out unwanted moisture and grime. One cover protects a USB/eSATA combination port , one USB 2.0 port, and a USB 3.0 port while the other safeguards a USB 2.0 port (with power), VGA output, and a headset jack. On the back of the system, you'll find a covered Ethernet port, covered HDMI port, an open power connector and case lock slot. On the front of the laptop is an integrated SD card reader. An ExpressCard slot, SmartCard reader and Intel vPro are available for use with specialized equipment and security. Multiple 3G and 4G Gobi wireless broadband solutions are also available.

The Latitude E6430 has a pointing stick like the ThinkPad line of notebooks by Lenovo. The pointer is flat and is a little difficult to use for longer periods. Of course, users can get used to it after a while. There is a second set of mouse click buttons for this reason. There are also dedicated volume up, down and mute buttons, so it’s quick to control the speakers on the notebook. There are status indicators present right above the keyboard, so you don’t have to keep peeping down at the notebook. There are indicators on the lid of the Dell Latitude E6230 AC adapter, too.

From deployment to ongoing maintenance and support, Latitude can help you simplify IT management with remote access, remote battery and BIOS management capability and Intel® vPro™ technology for efficient out-of-band management.

The Windows Experience Index (WEI) for the Latitude E6430s is a moderate 5.1 (out of 7.9), the WEI corresponding to the lowest component score. As usual, this is for the integrated graphics — specifically Graphics (Desktop performance for Windows Aero). Memory (RAM) (Memory operations per second) and Primary hard disk (Disk data transfer rate) both scored 5.9, Gaming graphics (3D business and gaming graphics) registered 6.4 and Processor (Calculations per second) led the field with 7.2:. The front of the Dell Latitude E6330 AC adapter has an SD card slot in the middle, flanked by a couple of fan vents. Finally, there's a docking connector on the underside, which gives access to a range of Latitude port replicators and docking stations.

There's a whole lot that Dell gets right with the Latitude E6430s. It feels very solidly built, yet it's light compared to similar business laptops from competitors. And its keyboard is a pleasure to type on, thanks to the raised edges of the keys and a much-appreciated adjustable backlight. Its real-world application performance and Dell LATITUDE E6330 battery life are admirable, and its array of ports is adequate (though we can grumble about the USB port placed at the rear instead of on one of the sides).

The E6430s expresses a wide range of noise levels depending on the workload. When idle or under light loads, the Dell is essentially silent to the user sitting from a normal distance away. On higher loads, the notebook is not afraid to be loud when applications demand the horsepower. For example, running Prime95 and FurMark for a full system stress produces fan noise upwards of 46 dB(A), as loud or louder than some gaming notebooks such as the MSI GE60 or HP Envy 17.

Our review configuration of the E6430s (2.8-GHz Intel Core i5-3360M processor, 6GB of RAM, a 128GB Samsung SSD and an Intel HD Graphics 4000 GPU) costs $1,678. The $969 base model packs a second-generation 2.3-GHz Intel Core i3-2350M processor, 2GB of RAM, a 320GB 5,400RPM hard drive, an 8X DVD drive, Intel Graphics 3000 GPU and a 3-cell battery.

The screen is one of the key selling points of the E6430s, and here Dell has provided a quality anti-glare display which is bright, colourful, and easy to view from a wide range of horizontal angles. Vertical viewing angles are better than most notebooks, too. However, the 14in unit still only offers the same 1,366 x 768 resolution found on most 13in screens.

On this basis, you can expect the Latitude E6430s to last for between about 7.5 hours and 2.5 hours, depending on the workloads you're hitting it with. If you need more battery life, you can replace the optical drive with a 30Wh Dell LATITUDE E6230 battery, or go the whole hog and add a 97Wh extended battery slice. Both options will, of course, add extra cost and travel weight.

Opened up, the Latitude's 14in screen does not seem overly large for the laptop's chassis in our opinion, and features a pretty standard resolution of just 1366x768 pixels, leaving us wondering what all the fuss is about. Nevertheless, it did give a perfectly satisfactory image during our tests. One area where Dell has paid close attention is the hinge joining the screen to the chassis, which is of steel construction and feels rugged enough to withstand a lifetime of use. This hinge permits the screen to be pushed right back to any convenient angle you might require while using the Latitude resting on your lap.

When it comes to movie watching and music listening, things are pretty good. The screen has decent colours and it’s a matte finish, so there’re hardly any reflections. Viewing angles aren’t too great and you’ll find colours going dark when you view from the sides or from the top and bottom. The speakers on the notebook are placed facing you, under the keyboard. The speakers although not very loud are very well detailed.

As hot as ultrabooks are these days, business class laptops are still the best way for many of us to get through the workday. And the Dell Latitude E6430S is a well-rounded business laptop. It can handle the rigors of travel and the bumps and scrapes that come with being carried around the office. Of course, performance is crucial, and the laptop has the performance you'd expect at its sub-$1000 price point. We also like that Dell offers so many options for this laptop - it's very easy to tweak the configuration to your needs when ordering one. The E6430S is worth a look.

The overall feel of the Latitude E6430s is one of industrial vigor. The hinge mechanisms are solid-metal and inspire confidence in the design; they feel rugged enough for thousands of open/close cycles. Also screen flex or wobble is virtually absent. When we tried twisting the lid laterally, the whole machine moved with it. That Dell managed this solidity in a machine of this screen size at 4.5 pounds (with its upgraded Dell Latitude E6430s AC adapter) is a testament to its engineering.

Dell XPS L401X Laptop Computer

Originally launched as the Dell Xtreme Performance System way back in 1993, the acquisition of Alienware in 2006 and corporate restructuring eventually led to the XPS brand fading away. The Studio XPS line continued the legacy in part, with a higher emphasis on multimedia capabilities and mainstream gaming, but XPS has a strong legacy that many customers still remember fondly, and thus Dell is going back to the XPS brand and will let the Studio and Dell XPS 14 battery now fade out of the limelight. (Note that current Studio products will continue to ship, but future products will now switch to either the Inspiron or XPS lines.)

Dell had recently launched their new SLIM laptop(XPS 14 – L401X) with name XPS 14z.This laptop is made available in China and soon might be available in other part of World including India,U.S.In India it shows product now available.While on Chinese website it shows that they have temporarily stopped selling this unit.

Simply connect your laptop to your 3D-enabled TV and effortlessly project your favorite Blu-ray 3D movies and 3D photo slideshows for a real-life theater experience. Then, bring your best games to life. Using the power of your laptop and your 3D TV, you can step into an eye-popping 3D gaming experience right in your living room. All you need to harness the 3D power of your XPS L401X is a high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI) cable, optional Blu-ray Disc drive, approved 3D-enabled TV and 3D media.

The XPS L401X is one of many higher-end notebooks on the market right now that boasts Nvidia's Optimus technology, which employs both a Dell XPS L401x battery life-saving integrated graphics card with a more powerful discrete card. While the idea of a laptop having two graphics cards isn't new, Optimus is unique in that it automatically chooses which graphics card to rely on, depending on what you're doing with your notebook. So, if you're just reading e-mails and blog posts in your browser, the laptop will know to use the more energy-efficient, but less powerful, integrated graphics card.

When you have a clear idea of which Laptop best suits your needs, check for its specifications. As the XPS L401X is supported by Dell, check if the Laptop has full support and warranties by its manufacturer, like XPS L401X specs you will have lots of options from the Laptop manufacturer to choose from, like the Laptop processor, Laptop RAM, its graphics capacity, Laptop display options and specs, and other features that the Laptop provides. You should have an idea on what specs you want from your Laptop and what specs you do not want on your Laptop, deciding on Laptop specs may be difficult task to do but like the XPS L401X specs have, it's essential to selecting a Laptop you need at a price tag that it deserves and that you can afford.

Among premium desktop replacement laptops, the Dell XPS L401X is an above-average contender, with top hardware and solid performance. Unfortunately—especially with such a strong physical resemblance to the MacBook Pro—it can't match Apple's Retina display, Thunderbolt connection, and top-tier operating system. As a result, the Editors' Choice Apple MacBook Pro 15-inch (Retina Display) stays on top, but the Dell XPS L401X takes a close second place with strong performance and a much more affordable price. If you're in the market for a premium laptop, the Dell XPS L401x AC adapter is an easy choice among Windows PCs.

We're particularly impressed with the look and feel of the XPS 14, at least when you open it up. While the lid is rather bland, the inside is anything but. While it's not going to replace your desktop, the Dell XPS 14 is a wonderful alternative to the spate of underpowered netbooks. Put simply, the XPS looks stunning and packs a respectable performance punch in a highly portable package.

Specifications:

  • 7 Genuine Windows Home Premium
  • 14 "inch LED backlit display
  • Choice of Intel Core Processor i5/i7
  • Intel Mobile Chipset H57
  • 1GB Nvidia graphics card (GT420M/425M)
  • 4GB DDR3 RAM
  • 500GB hard drive
  • DVD Writer
  • Memory Card Reader
  • Webcam with microphone
  • HDMI, USB, VGA, Audio Out
  • Built-in TV Tuner Card
  • 9 Cell Li-Ion Battery
  • Weight: 2.45 kg

Is the keyboard comfortable? Does it come with a keypad? Does it get hot? Are the function keys useful? What are the function keys? (list them starting with F1). If not a full size it must be really close. I had no issues typing for the short time I was using. Arrow keys are large! Yay! The lighting for the KB is even and has three settings available.

Dell notebook is always designed in simple style. According to some details, we can find that Dell XPS L401X‘s edge is treated to be smooth while Alienware notebooks seem angular, which is the difference between audio-visual notebook and gaming notebook.

Dell XPS L401X is equipped with 56Wh lithium ion Dell XPS 14 battery. Through the evaluation of Windows 7, it lasts for 2 hours and 21 minutes in energy-saving mode. If in the condition of high-definition video playback, the battery can last about an hour.

This full-featured mainstream Laptop enhances the previous generation Dell models with the chipsets and new levels of customization. Get the best experience on your Dell XPS L401X Laptop with improved performance, make it easy to create a home network and share all of your favorite items.

Dell's XPS 14 tries to offer a potentially more feature rich ultrabook but comes up short due to its overall size and pricing. It certainly is heavier and taller than most other 14-inch ultrabooks. It makes up for this by having better than average Dell XPS 17 battery life and a screen with a higher resolution than most its competition.

In some respects, you might be better off opting for the larger and cheaper XPS 15, which has the same CPU and GPU and a more powerful 20-watt audio system. And if you want something more portable, we prefer the HP Envy 14, which is faster and sleeker than this Dell. Nevertheless, if you're looking for a 14-inch notebook with great sound, performance, and ergonomics that fits in your Dell XPS 15 battery, the XPS 14 will not disappoint.

Dell XPS 13 Ultrabook (2012 Version) Review

Dell's XPS 13 (L321X) Ultrabook is a slim, 13in unit that received unanimous praise for its design from all who saw it while I was reviewing it. That does not happen often. Most of time I will hear it from people when they think something is too ugly or too big for their needs; some might even go into detail about missing ports and other features. With the Dell, it seems, looks count more than features and only the IT manager really expressed reservations about the lack of ports on the side.

Now, the Texas tech titan is making a renewed push for the affections of consumers and the XPS 13 is an important weapon in that push. Like other ultrabooks, it's an attempt to emulate Apple's popular MacBook Air by offering a thin, light laptop with good power that has a full-size screen and keyboard, starts up and resumes quickly, uses a solid-state drive and claims decent Dell XPS 13 Ultrabook battery life.

File this under things we could've sworn happened already: Dell is updating its nine-month-old XPS 13 Ultrabook with third-generation Core (read: Ivy Bridge) processors. While the rest of the company's Win 8 lineup isn't shipping until October 26th now, the refreshed XPS 13 should already be live on Dell's site, with the same starting price of $1,000.

Although we had a pre-production model in our review, the build quality left nothing to be desired. Metal edges in the user's workspace were smoothed by a clean 45-degree chamfer, transitions between materials and clearances are made to the highest precision. Visually as well as haptically, the device leaves behind an excellent impression and additionally exhibits elaborate details, like a slight rubber surface on the base unit.

Thanks to its SSD, the XPS 13 also boots up and resumes from sleep in a flash—well, a few flashes, since we couldn't equal Dell's claims of 8 and 1 seconds, respectively; booting from cold till the last taskbar icon appeared took about 20 seconds, but waking from sleep took a snappy 2 seconds.

A higher quality display (such as an IPS panel) with better viewing angles an a higher resolution would have been ideal considering the fact that the XPS 13 is a "premium" product. On the bright side, the screen on the XPS 13 is covered in Corning Gorilla Glass for additional protection ... meaning you can toss the XP3 13 in your car, toss your car keys at it, and even if the keys hit the screen, they won't leave a mark. That extra durability is worth plenty to a mobile workforce, but there is still the issue of the mediocre viewing angles and ho-hum resolution. We should probably also mention that although the Gorilla Glass provides great protection, it is also a very glossy surface and creates some nasty glare/reflections under strong lights.

Dell does a nice job of striking a balance here, between features, performance and cost. The team obviously invested quite a bit in the display, however, as Dell's 13-inch edge-to-edge Gorilla Glass strapped LCD is arguably one of the nicer panels out there in this class of machine. Other tangible tradeoffs between build quality and cost are the XPS 13's machined aluminum, carbon fiber and magnesium alloy construction that definitely gives the little fella a Dell XPS L321X AC adapter, well-built and polished feel.

A Trusted Platform Module, or TPM, serves a variety of functions. It stores keys, passwords and digital certificates in a secure way that makes them resistant to external software attack and physical theft. Although the implementation varies, it can be used to make certain processes involving digital certificate exchanges or similar more secure, prevent booting if the boot sequence isn't as expected and it works with some software to allow for thorough data encryption. Our source for information about TPMs and a FAQ about TPMs maintained by the developers of the TPM standard, the Trusted Computer Group, can be found here.

Dell doesn't assault the machine with bloatware. You get the usual MS Office 2010 Starter Edition, various Dell utilities, better than average facial recognition software that works for Windows logon and websites, a month McAfee Anti-virus trial, Adobe Photoshop Elements 9 and Adobe Premiere Elements 9. Skype (Premium 1 year subscription) is pre-installed, along with the Zinio magazine reader and the sad Blio ebook reader and store. Dell's Stage UI (a useful desktop launcher widget plus a custom Dell Stage video player and more) and a nifty Accuweather widget round up pre-installed software.

The Dell XPS L322X battery has a 47 Watt-hour rating. It lasted 3hr and 27min in our battery test, in which power management is disabled, Wi-Fi is enabled, screen brightness is maximised and an Xvid-encoded video is looped. This isn't as long as Ultrabooks as such as the Toshiba Satellite Z830 (4hr 5min) or the HP Folio 13 (5hr 18min), and it just falls short of the time recorded by the Zenbook UX31 in the same test (3hr 38min). Nevertheless, you can get more life out of it if you reduce the brightness level and implement a sensible power management plan while you use the notebook for document creation and basic Web browsing. It takes about 3hr to fully charge.
Let's be clear what the XPS 13 is and isn't, though. Gaming is not a focus here; the laptop relies upon the integrated Intel graphics built into its Core i5 chip, and Dell's online configuration tool has no graphics-upgrade option. (Upgrading from a 128GB SSD to a 256GB SSD is the only hardware upgrade available.) Also missing are an optical drive (understandable in a 3-pound laptop), an HDMI port (you get DisplayPort instead), and a flash-card slot. It's this last little feature we think most users will miss the most, particularly if they frequently use a digital camera that's not also a smartphone.

Like many Ultrabooks, the XPS 13 certainly turns heads. From the outside, it looks like a smaller version of the Dell XPS 15z and Dell XPS 14z – which is no bad thing. A curvaceous silver aluminium shell clocks in at feather-weight 1.4Kg.

The XPS is one of the most attractive Ultrabooks I've seen so far. However, that's probably because Dell borrowed liberally from Apple's MacBook Air design. When the XPS is closed and viewed from the top, its footprint looks almost identical to the MacBook Air's. It has the same rounded corners, the same wedge shape, and even the same type of hinge attaching the screen to the rest of the body.

Images from the 1.3-MP webcam on the XPS 13 were warm, and highlighted our skintones well, but lacked detail. Wholesale laptop battery was slightly fuzzy, and our hair was an amorphous brown blob. The Dell Webcam Central utility let us add effects such as fun backgrounds and avatars, as well as adjust brightness and contrast. The FastAccess Facial Recognition utility recognized our face and logged us into the system in about 5 seconds, which is nice, but no faster than entering a password.

The problem is that the Cypress drivers are all over the place. I tried three different versions of the software and manually tweaked every setting I could, and couldn't find a single combination that both allowed for smooth two-finger scrolling and decent palm rejection. The pad is sensitive enough and close enough to the keyboard that it's almost impossible not to hit it as you type, and the software's not always smart enough to keep you from jumping a line when you do. There's no way to easily and quickly turn off the touchpad while you're typing, and scrolling can be exceptionally jerky, too. Also, no matter which version of the software I used, the Cypress pad was sluggish to respond to gestures like scrolling, pinch-to-zoom, and tap-to-click, which meant that the Dell Alienware M11X battery only did what I told it to do after a noticible delay. Eventually, I gave up and switched to a mouse. I suspect you'd do the same.

Only the Intel HD 3000 graphics hold it back in terms of performance, as you won't be able to play much beyond casual and social games; but neither will you be able to on any other current ultrabook.

Lenovo ThinkPad T500

The build quality I think has suffer a little compared to the T500. The keyboard while better than most other lmanufactur's laptops out there seems to have dropped in quality. I am a touch typist and notice that there is a slight bit more flex when typing as well as the losing some of that tactile feel.  If you come from another notebook manufacturer, you will appreciate the keyboard but if you are using a older Thinkpad, be warn.   It appears that Lenovo Thinkpad T500 battery quality is slowly going down which is not a good sign.  To me the keyboard and trackpointer is what differentiates this machine from other manufacturer's laptops.

Thermal performance for the Lenovo ThinkPad T500 584D748 is a little under regular whenever under tension. The machine fan, whilst active under a number of occasions, seemed to flow a lesser amount of air than required to keep the laptop cool under quite heavy needs

Current screen options offer either CCFL or LED. We chose LED when we configured our ThinkPad T500. LED backlights have better viewing angles, can display a larger color gamut, and are much more power efficient. CCFL panels are as bright as LED contrary to popular opinion, but it takes them 10-15minutes to reach the same brightness as an LED screen. Also, CCFL brightness decrease after 1-2 years, depending on usage.

That’s to not mention the all-round brilliance from the ThinkVantage app suite. managing almost everything from app and driver updates, to ensuring which you backup your method on the normal basis, ThinkVantage has it covered. Even once the working method may fail to boot, you can invariably dab the ThinkVantage key and rescue useful information to an outside disk.

Audio system utilized on T500 584D748 laptop are a bit cheap, nonetheless they are simply very good for one laptop. The graphics processor chip utilized on this laptop permits you to work more like lighter games -I mean it might not handle the latest video games- without having difficulties. The processor used on Lenovo ThinkPad T500 584D748 laptop is among the finest between cutting edge cpus. Considering the new new technology used on this particular processor you're able to perform multi-tasks quite simply, naturally because of the massive assist of RAM that supplies torque for this beast laptop.

Even though the hinges seem to be small, particularly the left one, the use of metal stands the test. Therefore they are very robust and hold the display absolutely tight in postition and allow an easy adjusting of the display opening angle, anyway. With help from the proven double hook latch and the display's Clamshell design, this Lenovo Thinkpad SL500 battery closes cleanly and securely with the base unit in a shut state. An infiltration of foreign materials can be practically excluded. The locked display is opened by a lever on the right front edge of the display. This is fairly stiff and clacks at use.

There's certainly no insufficient energy for this kind of tasks. The major two Duo P8400 is ordinarily a capable performer also it managed a good 1.15 within our benchmarks. the identical cannot be stated of 3D performance, though: the Intel integrated artwork are only up with one of the most basic of rendering tasks.

Now it would be pretty easy for Lenovo to solve this. They could keep the perforated backplate and use an adequate number of screws going through the chassis into mounting posts on the keyboard itself (like many previous keyboard designs, including the hallowed 600-series keyboard). They could use a solid backplate, ensuring that the keyboard is resistant to flex even in areas where it's not braced by the chassis (like the T6x series). They could add additional bracing or introduce the lip/flange design to the area near the UltraBay, so as to ensure that the (fairly thin) metal of the rollcage is not the only thing holding up the keyboard.

My T500 has a 2.4 GHz processor with dual cores and a 3 megabyte L2 cache, so the laptop is never very slow. The causes of slowness when I observe it are mainly the Internet, occassionally the integrated graphics, the hard drive or the DVD. The 32-bit operating systems are also visibly slower than 64-bit.

The bundled software will give you a precise fix in latitude and longitude. However, its integration with Google Maps is limited to showing you a map of the area, with no precise indication of where you are.

The Lenovo T500 as a whole is a great step up from the Lenovo ThinkPad T500 AC adapter, with a faster processor lineup, much better graphics card, better cooling, larger touchpad, and even a digital video output from the notebook itself. System performance was phenomenal, coming close to workstation or gaming notebook levels. What is not so great is the famed ThinkPad keyboard going floppy on us where they used to be rock solid. No matter if this change was to cut weight or cut costs, Lenovo should have known better not to mess with the most important part of ANY ThinkPad notebook. Don't get me wrong, the keyboard is still much nicer than a budget notebook keyboard, it just isn't as good as what it used to be. Overall the Lenovo ThinkPad T500 is a fine notebook worthy of a spot on many office or dormroom tables, but it could have come closer to perfection if Lenovo didn't mess with the keyboard.

A very interesting result is brought about by the Viewperf 10.0 benchmark from SPEC. The figure shows a huge difference between T500 and W500, or between Mobility Radeon HD3650 graphics and CAD optimized FireGL V5700 graphics card. The professional graphics card is in all fields better than the consumer version and can outperform it by much. The biggest difference is thereby in the 3D graphics program Maya.

That black chassis is strong, with thick, sturdy plastic all-round and a screen that feels tough enough to resist being trodden on by an elephant. We couldn’t make an impression – twisting it every which way failed to produce any ripples or show-through on the screen. And while the T500 is far from skinny at 2.6kg, you do get plenty of goodies to justify the extra heft. There’s an HSDPA modem complete with Vodafone SIM, a DVD writer, a DisplayPort external monitor output (in addition to a standard D-SUB socket), Bluetooth, a TPM module and a fingerprint reader.

The optical bay connections have changed from the previous generation, moving more towards a SATA style connector, rendering older drive incompatible. One change that might anger individuals in an IT position is the removal of the native Serial/Parallel hookup inside the ultrabay for use with the Lenovo Thinkpad T500 adapter. With many older devices needing native serial connections, these individuals might be wary of upgrading their current notebook.

The Lenovo Thinkpad T500 achieved 4556 points in the OpenGL shading test, which was a very good result. It manages to beat both the nVIDIA Quadro NVS 140M, and the successor, the NVS 160M, which were built into the Thinkpad T61. The comparison of the T500 with integrated and dedicated graphics card also showed the extreme performance difference, and the usefulness of the graphics switching function for occasional performance demands.

The T500 cements its credentials with a range of business-friendly features. A fingerprint reader comes paired with a TPM 1.2 chip, and there’s no shortage of connectivity either. ExpressCard/54 rubs shoulders with the older PC card standard – something that’s bound to please many IT departments loath to throw away old hardware. There's a 4-in-1 card reader, three USB ports, mini-Firewire, plus D-SUB and DisplayPort outputs.

The typing feeling of the keyboard can be described as ‘typical-Thinkpad’. The keys have a clear pressure point and a generous length of stroke. The size of the keys is unchanged.

In the T500, Lenovo has produced yet another sound laptop. Ok, so it can't boast the good looks or the all-round panache of the laptop with its incredible Lenovo ThinkPad T500 battery life, good performance and light weight, but, to be fair, it is an altogether different proposition.

With 3 bars of screen brightness and integrated graphics while word processing and web browsing (WiFi on) almost continuously, the laptop achieved around 7:30 hours before it hibernated at 8% battery. When at minimum brightness (screen was very dim) and integrated graphics, with WiFi off and doing on-and-off word processing (some idling time) indoors, I got a bit more than 8 hours of battery life before it hibernated as well. Do note that I conducted these benchmarks with the 9-cell Lenovo ThinkPad SL500 battery charged to a threshold of 95% full and with BatteryStretch off, so it is possible to squeeze out a little bit more battery time with a 100% full battery and BatteryStretch enabled (which, by Lenovo’s Power Manager estimates, should add another half an hour to my second trial.

The touchpad has grown compared to the T61, expanding to the width of the lower touchpad buttons. With the ThinkPad touchpads always being the runts compared to other notebook designs, this change was very welcomed (even if they did paint scroll arrows on it). The texture is identical to the older touchpad, and sensitivity is just as good.

The 15.4in display has a matt finish, which is ideal for working under the strip lights found in offices. Colours are a bit faded as a result, though, and the colour temperature is on the cold side, with whites looking decidedly dull. Contrast was good, however, with text appearing crisp.

Set among notebook computer design icons which consists of Dell's Adamo or Apple's Macbook professional 13, the Lenovo T500 appears strikingly away from place. Indeed, like a time-traveller away from your 1980s shot unceremoniously into 2009, the T500's dowdy, textured dark physique could practically be considered a museum exhibit of how laptops when utilized to look.

Specifications:

  • Intel Core 2 Duo P8400 Dual Core Mobile Processor
  • 2GB PC3-8500 DDR3 Memory
  • 160GB 7200rpm SATA Hard Drive
  • 8x DVD+/-RW Dual Layer Burner
  • 15.4-inch WSXGA+ (1680x1050) Display
  • ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3650 Graphics with 256MB Memory
  • v.92 56Kbps Modem, Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11a/g/n Wireless, Bluetooth v2.0
  • Three USB 2.0, FireWire, DisplayPort, Type II Card Slot, ExpressCard/54, Fingerprint Scanner, 7-in-1 Card Reader
  • 14.1" x 10" x 1.3" @ 5.9 lbs.
  • Vista Business (Windows XP Downgrade)

Dell XPS 13 Laptop PC Review

With the introduction of the Dell XPS 13, Dell manages to come up with an impressive, extremely compact 13” laptop that is just slightly bigger than the Macbook Air 11. Sold at around the same price than the latter, it clearly outperforms its Apple counterpart in terms of specification and would-be “switchers” may want to look twice at the value proposition of this laptop.

The contrast of the display doesn't exactly impress either. Get perfectly on-center and it's adequate, but stray more than a few degrees to either side and it quickly begins to fade. This is a particular problem when you're looking down from above, as you're likely to be when sitting upright with this guy on your lap. The hinge doesn't let you lay the screen flat enough and you're often be stuck with a decidedly pasty image.

When you first put your hands on Dell's XPS 13, there is a surprisingly nice feeling to the overall ultrabook. Company hasn't gone for any lightweight or thinnest milestones thus giving it ample amount of space to build decent good looking and fairly sturdy device. Unlike Toshiba's Portege Z830, which we reviewed last week, Dell XPS L322X AC adapter feels comfortable in hand thanks to the rubberised deck and the carbon fibre weave on the base of the laptop.

As great as its keyboard is, the Dell XPS 13 ultrabook’s trackpad leaves a lot to be desired. The XPS 13 has a roomy palmrest but its trackpad, like every other ultrabook out there, is a work in progress -- it’s good to use but we aren’t great fans of the combined mouse buttons. They’re difficult to press and deserve to be re-looked. This is a common complaint with most ultrabooks launched and available in India right now.

The design was cutting edge [and] ended up being great looking but an expensive system with less power. It was run off ULV [ultra-low-voltage] processors that at that time were a lot slower," he said. The XPS 13 -- designed in Austin by Dell -- uses much faster Sandy Bridge processors today.

Dell's XPS 13 manages to stand out from the crowd. Its performance is spot on, and usability is excellent thanks to the gorgeous screen and fantastic keyboard. However, it could do with a couple of extra ports, and the model we reviewed – while well specified – is rather expensive.

The 13.3in display sports a standard resolution of 1,366 x 768 and uses our least favourite screen panel type: TN. Unfortunately it’s not even one of the better examples of its kind, and as a result the XPS 13 suffers from terrible viewing angles. Whether vertically or horizontally, moving away from centre causes significant contrast shift.

The temptation for to include trialware and other pack-ins is strong for any manufacturer, and unfortunately Dell has yielded at least somewhat. The standard Office trials and Bing bar make their presence known from Microsoft, as do the usual suspects from Adobe, Skype and McAffee. It must be said that Dell’s collection of custom software is more intrusive than most, with backup prompts and other minutia cluttering the experience at times.

Dell's power management software for the XPS 13 isn't a slick utility where you can dial things in with a lot of granularity but it does offer some very aggressive power management features.  Out of the box, the machine is setup to sip power, dropping display power consumption dramatically.  We ended up dialing things up from Dell's presets, but with their settings that 8+ hours Dell XPS L322X battery life claim could very well be reality for lighter-duty functions, like web browsing, word processing, etc.

If you want to hear Dell's Ultrabook when idle, you've really got to listen carefully: 29.6 db(A) is barely noticeable even in particularly quiet surroundings - this is no wonder, as the fan is off and no mechanical hard disk can disturb the peace. Unfortunately this changes abruptly at low load: up to 33.9 dB(A) in simple activities like surfing the web is too much in our eyes. There's no special silent-mode like on other models, which leaves us hoping that Dell will do a bit of fine-tuning to the fan-management before the device hits the market.

Ports are rarely in abundance in Ultrabooks, and the XPS has a particularly small motherboard and chassis since Dell was trying to make a 13" machine with an 11.6" footprint (in reality they managed something in between). That means there's no room for an SD card slot or wired Ethernet, but you do get two USB ports (1 is USB 3.0) and a Mini DisplayPort that can drive huge monitors. The machine has Intel Advanced N dual band WiFi with Bluetooth and it has Intel WiDi to wirelessly use your TV as a second monitor if you have something like the $99 NetGear Push2TV.

Stream a bit of 1080p video with the screen turned up, and we're confident you'll see somewhere around the two hour mark. Keep the power saving mode turned on, and while you might see lower performance - perhaps say goodbye to 1080p playback - you'll almost certainly see a much improved Dell Studio 1440 battery.

On the other hand, the keyboard is extremely comfortable. The rounded keys are backlit, which allowed me to type this review right from my dimly lit seat on the back of the plane. It would have been nice, however, if the shortcuts for volume, screen brightness, etc. along the top keyboard row didn't require you to hold down the Function button.

As you'll see in the chart above, the XPS 13's a good bit shorter than its competitors, and the slimmer bezel is swell, but it's actually comparatively thick and on the heavier side as well. It's easier to stuff into a bag than most 13-inchers, but don't be fooled: when Dell tells you that it fit a 13-inch screen in an 11-inch chassis, that's mostly marketing fluff.

From a design perspective, the XPS 13 is a fantastic addition to Dell's lineup, establishing a new bar that Dell should aim to clear with its future products. The laptop is attractive, solid, and fast. Battery life is good if you don't go crazy with the Dell XPS L322X adapter. Audio is better than you'd expect, and the keyboard and trackpad (after the driver update) don't disappoint. With better display quality, it would be a slam-dunk. Unfortunately, the middling resolution, iffy color reproduction, and poor off-axis viewing leave a considerable stain on what would otherwise be a five-star product. Let's hope that Dell releases a revised version this summer that carries Intel's Ivy Bridge chips and a better display.

The keyboard is shallow but very pleasant to use, with a soft, clack-free touch. The backlight is bright, but not overpowering against the all-black keys and keyboard tray. Something must be said for the all-over use of matte black as well. The less glossy my laptop interior is, the happier I am. The glass touch pad is large, with a drag-free matte surface, but the tap sensitivity needed to be cranked up a bit for it to be usable, and even then it still acted a bit wonky, though arguably not worse than most other Windows laptop touch pads.

It's getting harder and harder to find an ultrabook with an easy-access panel on the bottom for upgrades or service. The XPS 13 is no exception. The bottom half of the XPS 13 is pretty well sealed. You'll find fan vents and plenty of screws if you're the type of IT professional or tech enthusiast who wants to completely disassemble the notebook. Unfortunately, even if you do disassemble the XPS 13 there isn't much you can do to upgrade it. The RAM is soldered to the system board (4GB is all you get) so the only reason to open the chassis is if you want to replace the SSD, the wireless card or the Dell XPS L322X battery.

The long-awaited Dell ultrabook is here. Having skipped the first round of new superslim laptops, the new XPS 13 is largely worth the wait, and hits a lot of what you'd want in an ultrabook.

When you're done admiring the outside of the XPS 13, you'll find the interior components are just as pleasing. Our model came sporting a quad-core 1.7GHz Intel Core i7-2637M CPU, which isn't to be sniffed at.

Ultrabooks are supposed to have pretty good battery life. However, I was fairly disappointed with the XPS 13′s battery life. Dell claims that the battery lasts for 8 hours, however a closer look at the fine print indicates that the 8-hour life is on a MobileMark benchmark on the i5 version. My real-world benchmark – using it as I would - extensive web browsing, media playing in the background resulted in the XPS 13 running out of juice in about 4 hours time. Curious to know how it’d perform under heavy loads, I ran Battery Eater after charging it to a 100%.

In the final analysis, at $1,000, the XPS 13 is a good value in a market that is rapidly becoming as commoditized as the rest of the laptop space, but where fairly hefty prices still rule. Performance tests drew no complaints or surprises: Scores were within the Air’s numbers within a couple of percentage points across the board, plenty fast with general apps but simply unfit for graphics or gaming duty. The only real weak spot in testing: Slightly sub-par battery life that didn’t reach four hours (when 4.5 to 5 hours is common for the industry).

It differentiates itself from the competition with a head-turning design and keeps up an impressive Dell Studio 1440 battery life. The Gorilla Glass display is given room to shine thanks to a minimal bezel and we felt we could use it as much for work as for kicking back with a high-definition movie. We feel this is easily one of the strongest Ultrabooks in the current line-up and a spectacular piece of engineering from Dell. We'll bring you more info as soon as we've had the final retail model on our test bench, as well as a confirmed retail price.

Review of HP 510

The HP 510 has to be one of the most visually striking laptops we've seen at this price point. Designed specifically for the consumer market, the black and grey finish is understated and slim.

This HP 510 is a 15.4" widescreen budget notebook targeted at small business users, it isn't even offered with the new Windows Vista operating system (for which some don't care anyway). The processor options include the old Intel Pentium M or a Celeron M processor.

This thing screams plastic. The lid is quite sturdy, though, stiffer than the one on my Macbook. The hinges are quite firm – to open the lid, I have to hold the bottom part of the HP 625 battery. The ports seem OK. The keyboard is about average to type on (I’m using it now) – except for a tendency to squeak on a few of the buttons in the middle, I have no objections. The CTRL button is to the left of the Fn key – a plus in my opinion. The squeakiness might be an annoyance for some users (of course, it could be that I was unlucky with this specific machine).

Composition of components in a HP 510 was impressed by “ordinary” with the CPU Intel Core 2 Duo T5870, 1 GB of DDR2 memory and 250 GB hard drive. Was only onboard graphics card Intel X3100 type fee that is conventional in terms of 3D graphics performance. Another deficiency lies in the lack of features Bluetooth, FireWire slots, as well as supporting applications. This absence seems to aim to produce an affordable product for those who only run the day-to-day office activities.

Get the essentials that add to your productivity, not your budget! The HP 510 Notebook PC offers low-cost computing without compromising mobility. It features a 15.4-inch high-definition BrightView LCD with widescreen aspect ratio, ample hard drive capacity, and integrated Wi-Fi, which lets you connect to the Internet, e-mail, news, and more. The 510 features 802.11b/g wireless connectivity, an Ethernet LAN and a 56k modem, as well as two USB ports, a PC Card slot and an external monitor port. Ideal for students and small business users alike! This HP 625 AC adapter helps keep you connected and productive around the office and on the road, all at a price tag you'll love

As the laptop comes with a rather large screen, you'll find the keyboard is neatly positioned in the centre of the large chassis. The keys have a neat design we haven't seen before, which proved more than comfortable for typing. Well-spaced and firmly-mounted, the HP had the pleasingly robust keyboard.

I haven’t tried anything apart from Ubuntu on this machine. Desktop effects in Ubuntu work and look nice, but slow down performance a bit. Remote desktop over VNC doesn’t work with them on – I can connect, but the image on the remote machine does not update. If I didn’t need VNC functionality I would probably have enabled desktop effects. Overall, the machine feels quite snappy in Ubuntu, though I have not done anything more heavy on it than 10-20 firefox windows, Flash videos, Gaim and Writer.

Design improvements (face lift), the notebook weighs about 2 pounds was indeed make it a more glossy as mainstream class products for the consumer. The size of the keys of his bigger and better compressed, with rounded corners on the keyboard, touch pad, and also some other buttons. Manufacturers seem to want to emphasize practical HP 625 adapter as a still comfortable to use.

The 510 is a bold new direction for HP and we readily commend it. It may not be the most powerful machine available but, for the asking price, we were more than impressed, making this possibly the best super-budget laptop available today.

Well, the HP Compaq wants to repeat this success over the 510 model, which comes with a physical makeup a little more interesting. The goal is to be competitive in the entry-level market that started the trend by beautiful design (of various brands).

The Dell Inspiron 1464D battery lasts about 1 – 1.5 hours with desktop applications and wifi usage. HP sells one with twice the capacity, I believe. This is bright and with a decent viewing angle. It is reflective, in principle like the Macbook screen, but this manages to be glossy without reflecting the surroundings as much as the MB screen. I’m quite happy with it. (1280×800 resolution.)

Weighing in at 2.6kg, it's a semi-portable machine that was slightly let down by the Dell Studio 1747 battery life of 167 minutes. As long as you don't need to use the laptop for long periods away from mains power, this shouldn't be a problem.

Facility availability and input-output connections spelled conventionally. However, here are only available three USB fruit only, it was entirely placed at the left so that the user right-hand man who wants to wear a little USB mouse would bother with this position. One thing that is unique, the notebook was still tucked port for dial-up modem in the present may have been very rarely used.

The one tell-tale sign that this machine isn't more expensive is the use of an Intel Pentium M processor. This is an older technology that has been superseded by the Core Duo. It's a single-core solution, but as long as your needs are simple, there is no need to worry about HP 625 battery performance. That said, we suggest opting for more memory if possible, as the 512MB installed here is adequate, but the system will handle tasks better with 1024MB

Overall, this is great value for 3995,- NOK (which tends to be about 400$). It is certainly the cheapest full-featured laptop I have seen, and it is actually usable too. I would have liked a keyboard without any squeaking (maybe it will improve with use?)…. and, well, that’s about it really. Of course bluetooth would be nice, but once you go down that road, you want to have firewire, digital sound in/out, DVI and so on, and that’s not what this laptop is about.

Specifications:

Processor Intel Core 2 Duo T5870 (2.0 GHz, 2 MB cache, 800 MHz FSB), 1GB Memory, DDR2 800 MHz, Chipset Intel GM965, the Intel 965 Graphics Card / X3100 (256 MB), Toshiba 250 GB SATA Hard Drive, DVD ± RW optical drive, WiFi facility b / g, LAN, modem, card reader (4-in-1), USB (3), Express Card 34, VGA-out. 14-inch screen, 1366×768 pixel resolution, sound card IDT 92HD75B1 / 2, Free DOS Operating System, Battery 4400 mAh, Dimensions 33.6 x23, 5x (3.4 to 4.2) cm, weight 2.1 kg

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Blog posts : "dell latitude e6330"

Dell Latitude E6330 13.3" Laptop Review

A Tough Companion. "Full power for professional use in a light and compact notebook" is what Dell aims to offer with the Latitude E6330. This is the 13.3-inch model equipped with a current Ivy Bridge processor and (optionally) a fast SSD. The Latitude Laptops from Dell are directed at business custo…

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