Gateway MD7801u

by Cisco Cheng

It's slightly misleading to call the Gateway MD7801u ($800 street) the budget version of the MC7803u, as they're both priced under $1,000—inexpensive for media center laptops. Their frames are beautifully designed, their features are ample, and their performance is more than satisfactory. The differences are subtle: The MC7803u has more bells and whistles, like a bigger glass screen, an illuminated keyboard, and a 3D graphics card. The MD7801u justified leaving those things out with a $200 lower price, so either one is a good choice.

Just like the MC7803u, the MD7801u is designed with a nod to automobile styling. The shiny black lid (or burgundy, if you prefer) is accented with a steel strip that runs down the middle—both classic and classy. The Acer Aspire 6930G-6723 and the Sony VAIO VGN-FW198UH have a basic design with unembellished glossy covers. Minor enhancements like illuminated logo and metallic trimmings go a long way in distinguishing a design. The HP HDX16t, for instance, uses an embedded pattern technique, while the Editors' Choice Dell Studio XPS 16 is one part aluminum, one part leather, and two parts lacquered top.

The MD7801u weighs 6.7 pounds, exactly one pound less than the MC7803u. The reason for the MD7801u's relative lightness is twofold: Its 15.6-inch widescreen is smaller than the MC7803u's 16-inch display, and the latter's edge-to-edge glass screen weighs it down, glass being significantly heavier than plastic. Although the MD7801u's screen lacks the clean look of glass, its brightness and size are perfect for multimedia enthusiasts. Its 1,366-by-768 resolution is the same as the MC7803u's and consistent with the 16:9 aspect ratio common in recent consumer HDTVs. If you're willing to spend a lot more money, the HP Pavilion HDX16t has a 1,920-by-1,080 (1080p) option for its screen, and the Dell Studio XPS16 sports an RGB LED widescreen, ideal for professional photographers.

The MD780lu lacks the illuminated keyboard of the MC7803u. This is by no means a deal breaker, but such a board comes in handy on a red-eye flight or in a poorly lit room. The full-size keyboard is very similar to the Dell 16's, in that the keys are packed close together and the grooves between the keys are less discernible than on the HP HDX16t or Acer 6930G. It doesn't have synthetic leather palm rests like the MC7803u, which is trivial. The mouse buttons, however, were a little too resistant for my taste.

In features, the MD7801u actually forgoes flash for substance. Its 500GB hard drive is a great deal at this price point, bigger than the drives of the MC7803u and the Acer 6930G (both 320GB). With the exception of a FireWire port, all the standard features are present, including four USB ports, a 6-in-1 card reader, the latest Intel Wi-Fi 802.11 draft-n chip, and ExpressCard slot. An HDMI port is hard to find on an $800 laptop these days, but the MD7801u sports one.

The MD7801u and MC7803u's processors are very similar in that they use last year's technologies. They cost less than the ones found on the Dell 16 and HP HDX16t; on the other hand, they don't perform as well. The 2.0-GHz, Intel Core 2 Duo T6400 processor in the MD7801u is significantly faster than the MC7803u's 2-GHz T5800 CPU and is more than adequate for the average user. When paired with 4GB of memory, it can tackle tasks from basic word processing to advanced video editing and image rendering. What it doesn't have is a discrete graphics card for hard-core games and 3D-intensive applications; the MD7801u uses Intel's integrated platform.

The MD7801u's performance scores were more impressive than those of the Acer 6930G and the MC7803u, specifically on the video-encoding, CineBench R10, and Photoshop CS4 tests. Its CineBench score beat the MC7803u's by a whopping 65 percent, and it was ahead on video encoding by 37 percent. The Acer 6930G is basically using the same components as the MC7803u's, but it managed to deliver better results, though it still trailed the MD7801u, by 6 percent video encoding and 3 percent on CineBench. I suspect the software load on the MC7803u might have caused the anomalies, but kudos to the MD7801u for outperforming the other two at this price point; the scores show that it is a good system for video editing.

3D performance is another story, as the MC7803u's ATI graphics card is better equipped to tackle games like Crysis and World in Conflict. The MD7801u's Intel integrated chipset is better suited to games like World of Warcraft and Internet-based games.

The downside of the MC7803u's 3D performance is that its ATI chipset and its higher thermal envelope hurt battery life. Its score on our MobileMark 2007 testing was 2 hours 47 minutes, fully 1.5 hours less than the UD7801u's 4:17.

The Gateway MD7801u removed some of the extras that made the MC7803u so attractive, including the illuminated keyboard, the glass screen, and a discrete graphics card. But in return you get a better processor and a bigger hard drive. The differences between them are minor; they're both excellent buys, and your decision may come down to how much you're willing to pay.

source : www.pcmag.com

BenQ Joybook Lite U101

The Joybook Lite has a compact and unique chassis, but this netbook's battery life and keyboard don't stand up to its peers.

by Joanna Stern on December 30, 2008

Editors' Note: The BenQ Joybook Lite we reviewed was imported from Taiwan. BenQ says that if the system were to be offered in the U.S. it would retail for around $499 (we paid the equivalent of $550). If the BenQ Joybook Lite U101 becomes available in the U.S., we will update this review.

When just about every 10-inch mini-notebook features the same processor, RAM, and operating system, competitors have to find some way of differentiating themselves. BenQ, the latest entrant into this crowded market, hopes to do so by adding a little visual flair. While the BenQ Joybook Lite U101 has the run-of-the-mill netbook specs, including an Intel Atom processor, 1.5GB of RAM, and Windows XP Home, spicing up the system is an interesting, artistic lid design and a 10-inch, 16:9 aspect ratio display (the first on a netbook to date). However, its cramped keyboard and short battery life will be a deal breaker for some.

A Unique Design

You can't blame BenQ for feeling that netbooks were starting to look all too similar, and it strives to ensure you won't forget the U101. The lid of this system has an emoticon design: Small light blue symbols (reminiscent of the Wingdings font) are printed on the blue (also available in white, black, and pink) glossy lid.

Upon close inspection, the diagonal pattern repeatedly spells out Joybook Lite. The artistic lid is undoubtedly unique and bound to attract some consumers, but others may be put off by its attention-grabbing pattern and prefer something more along the lines of the HP Mini 1000's subtle Imprint finish. According to BenQ, the cover has also undergone a special molding process to protect it from wear and tear.

The size and weight of the Joybook Lite is standard fare for a 10-inch system. At 10.2 x 7.4 x 1.3 inches and 2.6 pounds, it weighs the same as the Lenovo S10 and MSI Wind. While not as compact as the HP Mini 1000, it is shorter and narrower than both the MSI Wind and Samsung NC10. With a travel weight of 3.2 pounds with its AC adapter, the system felt almost nonexistent when we tossed it (inside the included neoprene sleeve) into a shoulder bag.

Three USB ports, VGA, Ethernet, headphone, and a microphone jack surround the Joybook Lite, and a 4-in-1 card reader is on the right side.

Quick Specs Full Specs :
CPU: 1.6-GHz Intel Atom N270
OS: Windows XP Home
RAM/Expandable: 1.5/2GB
Hard Drive Size/Speed: 160GB/5,400 rpm
Display/Resolution: 10.1 inches/1024 x 576
Price as Reviewed: $499

source : www.laptopmag.com

HP Elitebook 2530P

Dec 25, 2008 by Carla Thornton, PC World

Pricey but worth it, the HP EliteBook 2530P lives up to its name, offering extras not ordinarily found on an ultraportable laptop.

There's so much to like about the HP EliteBook 2530P that it's hard to know where to start genuflecting. This little black and silver beauty meets all the basic expectations--great performance, full set of connections--and then piles on nifty extras such as two sets of pointing devices and a keyboard light. It's by no means cheap at $2499, but if you want your laptop to mean business (in this case Windows Vista Business), HP has a fairly desirable ultraportable for you.

Equipped with a 1.86-GHz Core 2 Duo SL9400 CPU and 3GB of RAM, the EliteBook notched a reasonably speedy WorldBench 6 score of 89. And don't forget the 80GB solid-state drive--it's skimpy capacity-wise and it's the main contributor to the machine's high price, but it also deserves some of the credit for the laptop's speed. (Want to save some bucks? 120GB and 160GB SATA hard drives are also options.)

The standard ultraportable disclaimer also applies here: This system can't play 3D games, because the video memory is integrated and the squeaky speakers sound pretty awful. Also, the EliteBook carries a standard DVD writer, not a Blu-ray high-definition drive. Otherwise, however, this little laptop should be able to handle just about any type of business or entertainment application. How does it compare with other ultraportables currently on the scene? Well, it outperforms and outspecs the HP Voodoo Envy 133 in just about every way except sex appeal. It solidly outperforms the Samsung X360 (an SSD-based notebook that scored a 64 in WorldBench 6) and lags a little behind Sony's pricey VAIO VGN-Z598U (which earned a 96).

The EliteBook comes with a big power pack that extends the back of the unit by about half an inch. The design isn't overly clunky, however, and the battery lasted a good, long time in our tests: 12 minutes shy of 7 hours. Most impressive, it outlasted most other laptops, save for the Samsung X360 and the Lenovo ThinkPad X200.

It even has an external power gauge, especially convenient for checking battery life when the unit is turned off. Just 3.8 pounds, the EliteBook would be perfect for stuffing in a briefcase or backpack and then working offsite all day, without needing to lug along the power adapter. And the 12.1-inch, 1280-by-800-pixel, wide-aspect screen is glossy and bright but not annoyingly reflective--one of the benefits of using a backlit LED panel.

The keyboard is a cut above. The stroke is short and hard, but the layout is elegant and includes two pointing devices, not only a touchpad but an eraserhead embedded among the keys. The eraserhead tip is wide and concave, with tactile nubs that make getting the hang of maneuvering the pointer easy. Each pointing device has its own dedicated set of mouse buttons, both exceptionally comfortable thanks to a soft rubberized finish. Need to get work done in a dark room or on a plane? Pressing a small black button at the top of the screen pops out a nearby keyboard light, an LED mounted in a tiny hood that shines a pale white glow on the keys.

The standard laptop connections are well covered. The EliteBook has Bluetooth and Wi-Fi wireless capabilities, gigabit ethernet, an ExpressCard/54 slot, a separate SD Card slot, and a Firewire port, not to mention both modem and network jacks. Hate remembering a bunch of passwords? A fingerprint reader is provided in the lower-right quadrant of the wrist rest. You can communicate face-to-face with the built-in 2-megapixel Webcam, too. Though the machine has only two USB ports, one is powered. (If you need more, HP's $109 docking station for the EliteBook provides four USB ports.) The unit even has a plastic sheath on the bottom for slipping in a business card to quickly identify you as the owner.

One thing that isn't standard: This corporate raider can take a beating. While we can't vouch for dunking it in a fish tank or dropping it in the desert, it does look like it can handle a desk-to-floor drop--and maybe a splash from a small latte.

We do have one design complaint worth mentioning, however. The futuristic touch-sensitive membranes that a lot of laptops now incorporate as quick-launch panels have been a mixed bag, and the EliteBook's is no exception. It was responsive to taps and included an on/off for the touchpad, which is always nice, but the volume gauge needed recalibrating. It didn't always respond, even to repeated swipes.

But, really, the lack of an easy way to control volume is not much of a drawback on an ultraportable. In all other ways the EliteBook lives up to its name. If you have the money, it has all the panache you could want in a light, fast, and easy-to-use portable.

source : www.pcworld.com

HP Mini 2140

Jan 6, 2009 by Darren Gladstone, PC World

The HP Mini 2140 netbook improves on the earlier Mini 2133, but it retains its predecessor's awkwardly positioned mouse buttons.

The HP Mini 2140, the latest entry in Hewlett-Packard's 2100 series of netbooks, is what the company's Mini 1000 aspires to be when it grows up. But it carries a grown-up price as well: $529 for our test unit's midlevel configuration.

Like the Mini 1000, the Mini 2140 has a fairly large keyboard (92% the size of a full-size QWERTY keyboard) with wide, flat buttons. The mouse configuration remains the same, too: The right and left mouse buttons flank the mousing surface instead of sitting below it, which makes navigating and editing documents more difficult. But at least the mouse buttons on the 2140 are rubberized and rise above the surface, improving the mouse's manageability.

The 2140 has a few other things in common with the Mini 1000--and with the rest of the netbook market. The base-level, $499 version of the 2140 comes with Intel's Atom 1.6-GHz processor, 1GB of RAM, a 160GB hard drive (which spins at 5400 rpm), a three-cell battery, and Windows XP. For an extra $30, you can bump up the configuration (as we did) to include a six-cell battery, or you can cough up the maximum $629 asking price for a three-cell unit that has 2GB of memory and a 7200-rpm, 160GB hard drive. Even then, the Mini 2140 is smaller and less expensive than the Asus N10Jc.

We're still waiting for final results of the PC World Test Center's performance and battery life tests; when those numbers are available, we'll update the story and assign the netbook an overall PCW Rating. HP suggests that the Mini 2140 will last 4 hours with the three-cell battery and just over 8 hours with the six-cell unit.

In my informal hands-on testing of the 2140, the 10.1-inch backlit LED display stood out. Colorful and crisp, this screen has a native resolution of 1024 by-576 pixels. (An optional high-definition 1366-by-768-pixel display will be available in February.) Like the display on the Mini 1000, the one on the Mini 2140 carries glossy coating that makes it a little tougher--but not impossible--to view outdoors.

The unit's rugged frame and aluminum lid make it a little on the meaty side. It weighs 2.6 pounds with the three-cell battery in place, compared to the Mini 1000's 2.25 pounds; but the Mini 2140's remain notably svelte, at 1.05 by 10.3 by 6.5 inches. The metal alloy hinges are recessed, for durability. And both the spill-resistant keyboard and the 3D DriveGuard that parks the hard-drive head during a sudden movement (such as a drop on the airport floor) enhance this model's ruggedness for the road.

The 2140 supports 802.11n, and Bluetooth 2.0 is optional. HP claims that the netbook can recharge up to 90 percent of capacity in about 90 minutes. And for the $629 flavor of the 2140, you can get "Genuine Windows Vista with downgrade to Genuine Windows XP Professional custom installed." Don't go looking for more software, though: You're just getting the basics here. If Windows isn't your thing, you can request FreeDOS or SuSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10 with your unit.

Even though it's a business-class machine, the Mini 2140 puts on a reasonable audio show. Its speakers, parked in the hinge between the display and the keyboard, performs on the same scale as the Mini 1000 (it sounds a bit tinny, but good enough to fill an office or hotel room).

The only major downer involves a limited capacity to accommodate external devices. The machine has a few handy ports such as an SDHC flash card reader, VGA-out, an ethernet jack and two USB ports. But the USB ports are located on either side of the device, creating a potential problem if you want to plug in an external hard drive that requires a spare USB port to power the device. This issue isn't unique to the 2140, but it is something to keep in mind if you're a big-time data jockey.

HP has assembled a compelling package that could go toe-to-toe with the Asus N10Jc. But like Asus's heavyweight netbook, the Mini 2140 in its premium configuration bears a price tag that approaches what you'd expect to find on a good all-purpose machine like the Sony VGN-NR485 ($800).

source : www.pcworld.com

Apple Laptops Extend Their Lead in Reliability

Jeff Bertolucci, PC World
Jan 7, 2009 5:20 am

In our annual survey of the most reliable laptops, Apple leads, HP bleeds, and Lenovo significantly recedes.

Apple's ratings for reliability and service, though stellar among laptop manufacturers, fell slightly from last year's results. Survey participants again rated the MacBook maker better than average in six of nine categories--by far the best showing achieved by any notebook vendor--but they also reported a higher-than-average incidence of problems with failed components.

Acer, Dell, and Sony did well overall, too, though not at Apple's level. Acer and Sony laptops earned praise for their reliability, and readers reported that Dell did a better job of resolving customer problems in 2008 than in previous years. Dell's efforts to reduce hold times for phone support seem to be paying off as well: The company's score on this measure rose to average from worse than average. On the other hand, Dell needs to do a better job of replacing failed parts, according to our readers.

Lenovo, which last year challenged Apple for the top spot, posed less of a challenge this year. Its only high mark came in overall reliability; last year it earned five better-than-average grades, mostly for aspects of its service.

At the other end of the spectrum, HP repeated last year's dismal last-place finish with six subpar marks, plus another one for its Compaq brand. In fact, HP's 2008 grades are even worse than its 2007 marks, which included two ahead-of-the-pack scores for reliable components. The good news this year? Well, HP says that it has been working to shorten phone-support hold times--and our readers noticed the difference. The world's biggest PC vendor rose to average from worse than average in that area.

Another interesting survey finding: One-third of our respondents reported experiencing one or more significant hardware or software problems with their laptops. Desktops caused just as many headaches, but other peripherals--except printers--were much more dependable.

source : www.pcworld.com

Samsung Rumored to Release NC20: 12-Inch Notebook with VIA Nano CPU

December 21st, 2008 by Joanna Stern

Now here is a rumor we can really get behind. According to a few Italian sites, Samsung is planning to build out its NC line and give its popular netbook the NC10 a sibling. Rumored to be called the NC20, we will call it the half brother to the NC10 since its made of some different DNA.

Rumor has it that the NC20 will sport a 12-inch screen and a VIA Nano CPU. Notebook Italia, says the system could arrive by February. This could mean that VIA’s Nano chip will hit the market before its reported March 2009 release.

Details are slim but it is reported to have a 1.3GHz VIA Nano U225, 160 GB hard drive and 1GB of memory. Similar to the current NC10, it will have Bluetooth 2.0, 802.11 b/g/n and a 1.3 megapixel webcam. Again, no official details but the price is expected to be $642.

Perhaps we will hear more about the Samsung NC20 at CES, but we surely expect a number of these type of hybrid netbook and ultraportables to pop-up in the coming months. The Dell Inspiron Mini 12 might have been the first to put netbook guts into a larger chassis but MSI and ASUS have hinted at following this trend. Stay tuned, because we expect this emerging category of affordable 12 to 13-inch laptops to be a real headliner next month in Vegas.

Source : blog.laptopmag.com

LG Laptop Screen Promises Good Image in and Outside

Martyn Williams, IDG News Service

LG Display has developed an LCD (liquid crystal display) module that it says looks as good outdoors in sunlight ads it does indoors and plans to unveil it CES in January in Las Vegas.

The 14.1-inch display is intended for laptop computers and allows users to switch display modes to suit the location.

All LCD panels require a light source to make the type and images on the screen visible to users and the source varies depending on the type of panel and its intended use. Panels like those in most laptops and televisions use illumination from a backlight panel behind the screen that results in an image that looks good indoors but is not bright enough to be seen outside. Reflective panels use a mirror behind the screen to reflect ambient light for a brighter outdoor image but one that looks dark indoors.

Halfway between these two technologies are transreflective panels that have both a mirror and backlight behind the panel and offer a compromise between the two types of display but don't excel outdoors or inside.

The new LG Display panel can be switched between backlight mode, when indoors, to reflective mode, when outdoors, at the touch of a button allowing the best of both technologies without any compromise, the company said in a statement. An added benefit of this is that when the screen is switched to reflective mode the backlight turns off and battery life can be extended.

The contrast ratio when used outdoors is 9:1 on the new display versus around 3:1 on a typical laptop display, LG Display said.

LG Display will offer its first demonstration of the screen at CES. The display is still a prototype and there are no immediate plans to commercialize it.

Source :www.pcworld.com

Lenovo to release ThinkPad laptop with 2 LCD screens

By Eric Lai

The 11-lb. W700ds is 'the nitro-burning drag racer' version of the button-downed business laptop, Lenovo exec says

Lenovo Group Ltd. today announced the release of a ThinkPad laptop that takes the "desktop replacement" category of notebook PCs to a new level.

The ThinkPad W700ds appears to be the first laptop ever to sport two LCD screens -- a 17-in. primary and a 10.6-in. secondary screen.

The souped-up "mobile workstation," as Lenovo calls it, also comes with customers' choice of quad-core Intel Core 2 processors and Nvidia Quadro mobile graphics CPU with as many as 128 cores. It also comes with as much as 8GB of DDR3 memory and a pair of hard drive/solid-state drive bays for up to 960GB of storage.

It's all in an 11-lb. brick -- five times the weight of netbooks, such as the Asus Eee 701, and at least double the weight of typical laptops -- that is encased in the ThinkPad's trademark ebony exterior.

"This is the nitro-burning drag racer of ThinkPads," said Craig Merrigan, vice president of global consumer marketing at Lenovo, in a briefing this week.

The W700ds is expected to be available in January starting at $3,600.

News about the W700ds was originally timed for release the week of the Consumer Electronics Show in early January. But details leaked out on blogs earlier this month after a Web page went live early on IBM's Web site.

"Why two screens? Most people are using two monitors at their desktop. So we wanted to give them all the things they are used to on their desk," said Wes Williams, worldwide product marketing manager for ThinkPads.

The primary WUXGA 17-in. screen is brighter and more colorful than other notebook PC screens, Williams said. The main screen is rated at 400 nits of brightness, which is brighter than any other notebook in the market, he added. It also has a color gamut equivalent to 72% of Adobe RGB that is better than other notebooks and a plus for photographers and graphic designers, Williams said.

The W700ds' secondary 10.6-in. vertical screen is about the size of a typical netbook display, Lenovo said, or about 40% the size of the W700ds' primary 17-in. display. It can also be tilted up to 30 degrees like a car's rearview mirror.

The W700ds also includes a built-in WACOM digitizer, also called an electronic drawing pad, and color calibration software. Despite its power and weight, Williams claimed that the W700ds runs "incredibly cool" because of the use of dual fans and dual-heat reduction systems.

The trade-offs? Besides price and weight, the W700ds is bulkier than typical laptops, measuring 16 inches by 12 inches, and is 2.1 inches thick. The ultrathin MacBook Air, by comparison, is 13 by 9 inches and only 0.75 inches thick.

Richard Shim, an analyst at research firm IDC, said the W700ds is a "very niche-y, technical showcase type of product" that will nevertheless likely be a "big hit" with photographers, designers and developers who will value the included productivity-enhancing tools over its shoulder-aching weight.

Lenovo unveiled the single-screen version of the ThinkPad W700 in August. That machines starts with a price tag of about $2,500.

To connect to external monitors, the W700 includes both DisplayPort video adapters as well as dual-link DVI.

The W700ds is so wide that it boasts a separate numeric keypad, a rarity on laptop keyboards.

Source : www.computerworld.com

Lenovo ThinkPad W700

By : Cisco Cheng




Mention the word "supercomputer" and the first thing that comes to my mind is the big IBM machine that beat Garry Kasparov in chess. It's ironic that Lenovo, which acquired the IBM ThinkPad brand several years ago, has developed a workstation that isn't far off from the chess-playing Deep Blue, in the sense that it's far from elegant but has some very special capabilities. The ThinkPad W700 is monstrous, and its look may not strike a chord with fashion photographers, but some unheard-of built-in features will instantly make style moot. The Pantone color sensor, for instance, eliminates the need to carry a separate color calibration device; a Wacom digitizer that's traditionally part of the screen is cleverly positioned on the palm rest; and an option for a 10-inch secondary display that slides out from the back of the primary one is an industry first. These features, along with the built-in Intel quad-core technology, earn the W700 an Editors' Choice in the workstation category.

Although the W700's 9-pound footprint and its yawn-inducing black attire may not have the flashiness of a photographer's dream machine, there's a reason why this juggernaut lacks any style. It is a workstation intended for professional use. Its dimensions (12.2 by 16.1 by 1.5 inches), slightly larger than its peers, enable the W700 to house the big screen and all the cool technology built in. There are workstations that place more emphasis on style and are a shade lighter, like the 8.4-pound Sony VAIO VGN-AW190 and the 8.5-pound Dell Precision M6400 (stay tuned for our review), but their feature sets fall well short of the W700's.

Most professional photographers prefer big displays, and the W700's 17-inch widescreen is large enough to keep them from relying on an external monitor. It's not the new 18-inch (16:9 form factor) widescreens that have been popping up in systems like the Sony AW190 and the HP HDX18t. The W700 uses a traditional 16:10 format, which gives content creators room at the top and bottom of the screen but also creates the letterbox effect (black strips above and below) if you use it to view movies. Its 1,920-by-1,200 resolution is the highest that a 17-inch widescreen will go, and it's the one that professionals will want. (There's a 1,440-by-900 option, as well.)

Unlike with traditional laptop displays, the color fidelity and the contrast ratio are enhanced on this screen. Lenovo claims that the screen is capable of showing 72 percent of the Adobe RGB color gamut, whereas typical laptop displays show 45 percent. The AW190 makes no mention of a color-gamut percentage, and the Dell M6400 claims to show 100 percent of this gamut. The screen is devoid of any glare, a characteristic expected of all workstations. Its brightness levels, reported at 400 nits (cd/m2), are slightly lower than the 500-nit screen on the Sony AW190. Indeed, Sony's XBrite screen looks brighter and the colors more vivid. However, the screen differences between the W700 and the AW190 are slight, and either screen is an incredible asset to photographers.

Those familiar with the Pantone color calibrator remember the hassle of using this awkward peripheral as an external attachment. Lenovo did an ingenious thing by integrating its three sensors into the W700. Positioned on the palm rest, the sensors are barely noticeable, but the rewards of building them in are immeasurable. The aim of color calibration is to make sure that colors are accurately portrayed on the screen, so when they're printed out, for instance, there won't be any surprises. The included software that controls the calibrator is X-Rite's huey Pro. Once the software is initiated, a voice prompts you to close the lid, thus flushing out the light (so it's pitch black) for optimal results. With an external calibrator, flushing out lights in a room requires more effort than closing a lid on a laptop. The process takes about a minute, and the same voice will let you know when it's completed. The results show the pre-calibrated screen and the corrected version.

Right below the calibrator is another rare occurrence: A palm-rest Wacom digitizer. Traditionally, you'd find one on the screen itself, as with convertible tablets. But since the W700 doesn't have a rotating screen and the surface area below the keyboard is enormous, putting it on the palm rest made more sense. Writing, annotating, and drawing are similar to the way you'd do them in the Lenovo ThinkPad X200 Tablet. The writing area is substantially smaller (5 by 3.2 inches) but pleasant to work with, nonetheless. It's not touch-enabled, so you needn't worry about brushing your hand against it. The only way to use the digitizer is with the included digitizer pen that you can eject from the right-hand side.. In some ways, having the digitizer away from the screen is actually better, as it makes writing and drawing feel more natural. Our own Michael J. Miller did some hands-on testing himself, and it worked fine for him.

Although the secondary screen didn't come with my configuration, having one that slides out from the primary one (available in early 2009) is an amazing feat. This is basically a 10.2-inch widescreen that slides out into portrait mode and can be used to check e-mails, surf the Web, or multitask without interrupting the operations on the primary screen. Lenovo thought of everything in the feature set. A CompactFlash slot is available for D-SLR cameras that use the format, in addition to a separate SD slot on the bezel. There are three options for video-out, two of which are digital: a DisplayPort connection, which streams both video and audio, and a DVI-D port, which does video only. The Apple MacBook Pro 15-inch (Dual Graphics) uses a similar DisplayPort technology, whereas the Sony AW190 integrates an HDMI-out port.

Other essential features include five USB ports, a FireWire port, a webcam, and a fingerprint reader. The fabulous keyboard and the dual pointing devices—a pointing stick and a touchpad—are exactly the same as those found on the Lenovo ThinkPad T400. Since it's a large system, the W700 is able to accommodate a numeric keypad as well. Although the dual-layer DVD burner sounds ordinary at this juncture, you can upgrade to a Blu-ray burner. The dual 160GB, 7,200-rpm (320GB total) hard drives not only spin fast but are arranged in RAID 0, which comes in handy for performance testing.

Anything less than a quad-core processor would be a disappointment on a machine this grand. The W700 runs a 2.53-GHz Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9300 processor. Although the Sony AW190 and the ThinkPad T400 are amazing performers, they top out with dual-core processors. Add to the quad-core the 4GB of DDR3 memory and we have performance scores that are beyond anything I've seen on a laptop. The W700's SYSmark 2007 Overall score didn't paint an accurate picture, though, as it trailed the ThinkPad T400's by 3 percent. The W700's video-encoding and CineBench 10 scores, on the other hand, completely dominated the competition's. Its 44-second score on Windows Media Encoder 9 is 15 seconds less (roughly 35 percent faster) than the T400's. And its CineBench score was nearly double that of the competition.

The Nvidia Quadro FX 3700M is what the industry calls a workstation graphics card, meaning that its biggest selling point is ISV (Independent Software Vendor) certification. This assures customers that the programs a workstation has been certified for (such as the major CAD, DCC, and GIS applications) will run effectively on the W700. In addition to being so certified, the 3700M is also a powerful 3D graphics engine, so you can run hard-core 3D applications and games. Driven by the quad-core processor, its 3DMark 2006 scores at native and low resolutions in some cases doubled those of the MacBook Pro 15-inch (Dual Graphics) and the AW190. Even hard-core games like Crysis and World in Conflict favored the W700 at native resolutions. Battery life, however, is what you would expect from a 9-pound workstation: Its 2-hour, 31-minute score is not terrible, but nothing to write home about either.

Finally, a mobile workstation made for professional photographers! The Lenovo ThinkPad W700 is unlike any other workstation—or laptop, for that matter—breaking ground in areas that once seemed out of reach. It's the first and only laptop with an internal color calibrator. Placing a digitizer on the palm rest is also ingenious, and a secondary display is something that all laptops could use but only Lenovo has accomplished so far. Obviously, at this price, the W700 isn't for everyone. But if time is money in your field, the W700 will save you tons of it.

Source : www.pcmag.com

Acer Aspire 6930G-6723

By : Cisco Cheng

The transition from a 16:10 to 16:9 aspect ratio in widescreen notebook displays is well under way, in part because these panels are becoming cheaper to make and their aspect ratio is more consistent with that of consumer HDTVs. When LCD manufacturers proposed this new screen format to laptop makers, Acer quickly jumped at the opportunity. It launched the Acer Aspire 6920G-6071, a 16-inch media center laptop that instantly won our Editors' Choice award and then was stripped of it because the model ran out of stock as soon as hit the Web. The next iteration, the Aspire 6930G-6723, is out to make amends to those who couldn't get their hands on the last one. Like the previous version, the 6930G brings with it a Blu-ray reader at an unprecedented price and improved 3D game play with an updated Nvidia graphics card. A rich feature set makes it suitable for home theater enthusiasts. Because of these features—and the fact that you can actually buy one today (at TigerDirect.com, for $1,020), the 6930G receives the Editor's Choice for value notebooks.

The 6930G uses the existing Acer chassis, so it looks exactly like the 6920G-6071. Its polished blue exterior (the brand series is dubbed "Gemstone Blue") is attractive and complements the barrel hinge, but doesn't hide its bulk. Its 7.2-pound frame isn't the heaviest in the 16-inch space (the Gateway MC7803u, at 7.7 pounds, earns that distinction), but it could use a slimming lesson from the 6.8-pound HP HDX16t. The solid blue color can use some enhancements, like patterns on the HDX16t or an automotive-inspired design like the MC7803u. But it's easy to forgive the bulk once you add up all the features that Acer packs into the 6930G's chassis.
The 16-inch widescreen is nothing new in the laptop industry. We can expect a huge influx of laptops with a 16:9 aspect ratio by 2009. You're not exactly getting more screen real estate—just a wider screen to mimic the ones founds in consumer HDTVs. Already, you can find the new 16:9 widescreen laptops at prices lower than those of 16:10 widescreens. The 6930G's 1,366-by-768 resolution is considered WXGA, the minimum resolution on this size of screen, and it doesn't showcase a full 1080p HD experience, as the 6930G's bigger sibling, the Aspire 8920G, does. Still, the 720p-resolution screen is perfectly fine for high-definition movies, photos, and any other multimedia task you can toss at it. The keyboard is an absolute pleasure to type on, and it's as comfortable as that of the HDX16t. The 6930G's has slightly the upper hand, though, with its bigger numeric keypad.

The 6930G's feature set shines brighter than its competitors, especially when you consider the system's price. Like the previous version, this configuration has the potential to bring Blu-ray into the mainstream. In addition to playing movies, the integrated Blu-ray drive can burn CDs and DVDs as well. If the laptop's 16-inch screen is too small for you, you can take the movie experience to a larger display via the included HDMI port. There are four USB ports, one of which doubles as an eSATA port, for storage expansion. Though the unit doesn't have a FireWire port, an ExpressCard 34 slot lets you add a FireWire expansion card (or WWAN, extra USB ports, a TV tuner, and the like). The 320GB hard drive is larger (and actually cheaper) than the 250GB one found in the more-expensive HDX16t, and the same capacity as those in the Sony VAIO VGN-FW198UH and the Gateway MC7803u. A good sound system—two speakers and a subwoofer (in base)—is icing on the cake.

You're not going to get a top-tier processor at this price, but the 2.0-GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T5800 does the job for many tasks, including video and photo editing, ripping MP3s, and watching HD movies. It helps to have 4GB of memory, which goes well with a 64-bit operating system like Windows Vista Home Premium. For casual gaming, it even comes with an Nvidia GeForce 9600M GS graphics card, which is a smidge faster than the one in the previous version. Its SYSmark 2007 Preview Overall score looked deficient against those of the HDX16t and the Sony FW198U, as it was outscored by a margin of 43 percent and 39 percent, respectively. On video encoding and CineBench R10 tests, it didn't fare much better, trailing both the HP and the Sony by a considerable amount. But the T5800 is a budget processor, so this was expected.

Overall performance testing, though, did show a significant improvement over the 6920G-6071, with battery life the only exception. The performance boost (with its corresponding energy drain), lowered the new model's score to 3 hours 20 minutes, according to MobileMark 2007 tests. The 6920G achieved 3 hours 42 minutes on the battery test.

The only thing that can keep the Acer Aspire 6930G-6723 from outselling its competitors is availability, as it is sold through online stores only. For now, this particular configuration is in stock at TigerDirect.com. Availability is one of the reasons why this media center regained the Editors' Choice in the value category that its predecessor had lost. Because the HDX16t is a far more expensive system and holds the Editors' Choice in the media category, the 6930G doesn't trump it. It's a great deal for anyone who is looking for a multipurpose, Blu-ray–equipped media center.

Source : www.pcmag.com

Webinar: Boosting IT efficiency and business benefits at chip level

By : Joe O'Halloran

As the credit crunch bites, companies are looking ever more closely to their IT departments in order to make them more flexible, efficient and profitable and hence more capable of withstanding whatever the inclement economic times throws at them.

In addition to needing to be able to react to downward financial pressures, IT managers have to do a lot more with less and to make savings across IT estates. Yet these estates are at the same time becoming more widespread as companies support home and mobile workers to expand their reach.

Effective and cost –efficient management of the desktop and laptop devices used by such workers and those back in the office is vital to future business prospects.

Luckily for IT mangers there now exists technologies at chip level that can be applied to desktops and laptops that allow them to manage devices across their estate more efficiently and also get more out of them. That is to say technology that reduces power consumption, reduces maintenance calls, and makes more effective and easier patch management; in short producing tangible business benefits.

This webinar examine such technologies that can bring about such benefits. It will:
-Outline the current landscape for the desktop and laptop environment, identifying the trends and dynamics
-Identify the key technological issues firms face regarding their desktop estates
-Offer strategies that firms can take in order to improve the effectiveness of their desktop and laptop estates’
-Outline the likely challenges that businesses need to overcome in order to make the necessary improvements
-Draw on a case study of an end user that has used advanced strategies – for example virtualisation - in order to bring out measurable efficiencies and to address the challenges of having to increase efficiency and productivity in the datacentre

source : www.computerweekly.com

Netbook Market Explodes

By : Eric Lai, Computerworld
The market for netbooks, small notebook PCs with even tinier prices, exploded in the third quarter of this year, according to market researcher DisplaySearch, as vendors aimed their wares at students during the back-to-school season.
The global market for netbooks, also known as mini-notebooks, was 5.61 million in the third quarter, up 160% from the second quarter, according to a statement Tueday from DisplaySearch, the Austin, Texas-based research firm.
Acer Inc. displaced ASUSTeK Computer Inc (Asus) from the top Netbook spot for the first time during the quarter, taking 38.3% of the market versus Asus' 30.3% share.
DisplaySearch expects sales of notebooks , which are lighter-weight, lower-powered and generally cheaper than regular notebook PCs, to hit 14 million by the end of the year. That's a sharp rise from 2007, when just 1 million were sold.
"Worldwide demand for these products is forecast to grow rapidly over the next few years, with demand from a variety of sources, including early adopters, consumer and enterprise PC customers seeking a smaller or secondary notebook PC, as well as new PC customers in emerging markets," John F. Jacobs wrote in the report. "We expect the mini-note PC market to settle at approximately 16% share of the notebook PC market by 2011."
Like Gartner Inc, DisplaySearch sees Netbooks as the one bright spot in the overall laptop PC market, which has shown signs of slipping.
DisplaySearch is revising down its growth forecasts for this year and 2009 due to "the challenging economic climate. Even enterprises that are maintaining or growing are likely to stretch their PC replacement cycles out as long as possible," Jacobs wrote.
In the overall laptop market, HP Inc. leads with 19.7% share, followed by Acer with 17.1%. Acer also sells notebook PCs under the Gateway and Packard Bell brands. Its sales were up 65% year-over-year.
Dell Inc. was third with 13% of the overall notebook market, followed by Toshiba and Asus, each with 8.6% of the market. Apple , which does not sell netbooks but has seen strong laptop sales growth in Nort America , ranked 7th worldwide in notebooks, with a 4.1% share. Sales were up 24% year-over-year, and some analysts have speculated that Apple will release its own netbook in 2009.
Asus, which was a marginal laptop player before introducing its US$400 Eee Netbook PC last October, saiw its notebook sales, including Netbooks, grow 189% year-over-year.
Asus had led the Netbook market by releasing variations on its original Eee in different sizes, prices and operating systems (both Windows and Linux). But driven by strong sales of its popular Aspire One , Acer overtook Asus, shipping 2.15 million Netbooks in Q3.
HP held third place, with 5.8% of the market. Its main model is the Mini-Note 2133 . MSI followed with 5.7% of the market for its Wind Netbook .
In fifth place was Dell, with 2.8% of the market, followed by the One Laptop Per Child, which shipped 130,000 PCs in Q3 for 2.3% of the market. Lenovo was in 9th place , shipping just 40,000 units, followed by Toshiba.
Taiwanese makers such as Acer, Asus and MSI hold three-quarters of the Netbook market today. DisplaySearch expects "the dominant PC brands will continue to gain share in the mini-note PC market due to brand power and recognition, and lower cost structure."

www.pcworl.com

Latest Mac Rumors: Netbooks and New Mac Minis

By : Scott Nichols

There are a number of rumors circulating about what news Apple might make at next month's Macworld expo. Last year's Macworld brought the announcement of the Macbook Air, and two years ago, it was the iPhone. So what will be the big announcement this year? Depending on who you ask, we may see an Apple netbook, an iPhone Nano, or maybe just an updated Mac Mini.
An update to the Mac Mini line is long overdue, and a Wired report is giving some credence to this rumor. It cites an anonymous Apple corporate employee who said that the Mac Mini would see an update, though gave no specific details as to what those updates may be. The Mac Mini hasn't had an update since mid-2007, despite strong sales (it is currently the number 2 bestselling desktop computer on Amazon.com), so an update with faster specs and an aluminum case seems almost like a no-brainer.
But Wired also notes that the updated Mac Mini is not meant to be the big announcement at the Macworld expo. Technology Business Research analyst Ezra Gottheil might have the answer. In a report today TBR stated that it expects Apple to announce a new line of netbooks to capitalize on the popularity of these smaller, less expensive laptops.
Given Steve Job's statement that Apple doesn't "know how to make a $500 machine that's not a piece of junk," the Apple netbook is predicted to be priced around $599. That would put it on the more expensive side of netbooks, but with the popularity of the Apple brand it would surely still be competitive.
Most interesting about the TBR prediction is that the proposed Apple netbook would make use of the iTunes App store for most of its software. This isn't especially surprising given the tremendous success that the App store has been, but it leads me to wonder about something that the TBR report didn't predict. If the hypothetical Apple netbook makes use of the iTunes App store, it is quite possible that it would implement a multi-touch display. Could an Apple netbook be the first Apple tablet?
It's all still rumors and speculation at this point, but it makes the anticipation of next month's Macworld expo all the more excit
www.pcworl.com

Apple Not Immune from Bad Economy as Mac Sales Drop

By : Jeff Bertolucci
t's no surprise that the recession is hurting sales of tech gear, as retailers report lackluster sales this holiday season. But now it appears that even Apple, which in the recent past has managed to grow sales while its lesser competitors have faltered, is feeling the pain too.

A report in the Wall Street Journal, citing data from research firm NPD Group, states that Mac sales in the U.S. in November fell 1 percent from the same period a year earlier. By comparison, all PC sales were up by 2 percent. NPD analyst Steve Baker lays the blame mostly on the precipitous decline in the sale of Mac desktops, which fell by 35 percent, the Journal reports. Despite the slowdown, sales of Apple laptops are still growing faster than those of competing PC makers, according to NPD.
So if you remove desktop sales from the equation, Apple's November numbers would likely look pretty good. And given the desktop's soon-to-be-extinct status in the consumer PC market, a drop in Mac desktop sales probably isn't Cupertino's biggest concern right now. Then again, it's quite possible that Black Friday fire sales, including deeply discounted full-size notebooks and sub-$500 netbooks, steered customers away from Apple's pricier offerings. And given that the netbook market is expected to explode this year, Apple is wise to play there.
Indeed, a sluggish economy may force Apple to forego its robust product margins and compete more aggressively at the down-and-dirty $500 price point. And if recent rumblings are true, that's exactly what it plans to do. Rumors also have Apple introducing not one, but two, netbook computers at MacWorld in January, as well as an updated Mac mini desktop. Of course, Apple's supposedly launching an iPhone Nano at the show too, so believe what you want.

www.pcworl.com