Review of Acer Aspire One

The Acer Aspire One features an Intel Atom Processor, 8.9" WSVGA TFT LCD, and a choice of either Genuine Windows XP Home Edition or Linpus Linux Lite version. The Aspire One AOD150 is a 10.1-inch screen netbook.

Netbooks have become very popular, primarily due to their size and inexpensive pricing, but also due to the fact that the average person does not need a desktop replacement style laptop. Most people out there are not using their laptops for heavy work, the majority are using them for checking email, and browsing the internet, something which you don’t need an uber-power laptop for.

Acer Aspire One specifications:

1.6GHz N270 Intel Atom Processor
1GB DDR2 533MHz
Windows XP Home SP3
8.9" 1024 x 600 WSVGA glossy LED backlit display
120GB 2.5" 5400RPM Hitachi Hard Drive (with SDHC storage expansion slot)
802.11b/g Atheros Wireless
3-Cell 23Wh battery
Size: 9.75" x 6.625" x 1.28"
Weight: 2lb 5.0oz

Acer has recently introduced their new lineup of their popular Aspire One series of netbooks, the D250, and that’s what I’ve got for review today. Specifically I have the AOD250-1165 model of netbook for review. This one features a 10.1″ LED backlit LCD display, along with an Intel Atom N270 CPU, a 6-cell Acer Aspire One battery, Windows XP, 160GB hard drive, 1 gig of ram and a built-in webcam, among other features it has. The Aspire One D250 is a very portable and lightweight netbook, coming in at only 2.4lbs with battery installed and only one inch thick.It’s a nice basic little netbook that gets the job done.

Small and smart, the Aspire one takes you wherever you want to be and keeps you connected when you get there. The Aspire one comes with 802.11b/g WiFi built-in as standard for easy access to available wireless networks and can also be specified with a choice of embedded WiMAX or 3G wireless technologies for even greater wireless freedom. The result is always the same: you're online in an instant and can stay there as long as you want. The Aspire one battery is great for getting things done: whether you're checking your mail, managing your online bank account or chatting with friends, the Aspire one offers a simple, intuitive Linux interface that clearly organizes everything you need to surf, work or simply have fun. The pre-installed software is separated by functions and presented in 4 distinct areas on the screen - connect, works, fun and files - that is so simple it's impossible to get confused: the easier it is to get things done, the simpler it is to enjoy life.

The Aspire One from Acer is, I admit, a subnotebook I fell in love with almost as soon as I got my hands on it. The reasons were twofold. Firstly it wasn't white, which makes it a hell of a lot easier to photograph. Also, the keyboard.

The keyboard is where most subnotebooks get it wrong. They shrink it down too much or not enough. They make the keys a little bit smooshy, or they over compensate like the HP Mininote, creating a satisfying and solid feel that unfortunately drives the price up. The Acer though is different. The keyboard is decently sized, firm and easy to use. Our standard keyboard test involves writing articles, playing some games and writing the Jabberwocky poem over and over again – and we had absolutely no problems with any of them when it came to the Acer Aspire One.

The Wind, the S10, and the HP Mini-Note have more storage options and are more conducive for say, dual-booting Windows and Linux. The verdict is still out on whether the Aspire One can handle a dual boot configuration with its SD expansion technology. An ExpressCard slot, like the one on the Mini-Note and the S10, would've been a nice addition. The system lacks an internal cellular modem (rumor has it that one's on the way), but it does have built-in 802.11g Wi-Fi and an Ethernet port. A webcam is also situated above the screen.

The Aspire One runs a customized Linux operating system called Linpus Linux Lite, which is basically a stripped-down version of Fedora. The user experience is divided into four areas, where each one has a preview of icons that represent an application or Web link. All four areas, as well as a portion of their icons, can be seen upon boot-up, as opposed to a single area, separated by tabs, on the ASUS EeePC 900. The "Connect" area consists of Firefox, a custom e-mail client, and several useful Web links like Wikipedia and Hotmail. The "Work" area is made of OpenOffice 2.3, a PDF reader, and a calculator. You have an assortment of games in the "Fun" section, while the "File" section lets you manage all your music, image, and video files. Because everything is intuitively laid out, it's easy to find your way around this interface.

The 532h's standard six-cell, 5600mAh (63Wh) Acer Aspire One series battery (the $299 version comes with a six-cell, 4400mAh battery) lasted a solid 6 hours and 31 minutes on our video rundown test, which loops the same SD video at 65 percent brightness. That isn't too shabby for a netbook, and you definitely don't have to worry about dragging the small charger with you for the day, but it isn't as long as the Eee PC 1005PE's 8 hours and 10 minutes. During everyday usage the 532h lasted close to eight hours in our routine of surfing the web and listening to streaming music through Pandora. Oh speaking of music, we should mention that the Aspire One 532h's onboard speakers are actually plenty loud for a netbook. As for preloaded software, there are shortcuts to Netflix and Acer's registration web pages on the desktop, and we found them a nice home in the Recycle Bin.

In some respects, the Acer Aspire One laptop battery is better than an EeePC 901. It has an excellent keyboard, solid performance and is highly portable. The EeePC 901 still has the edge in terms of battery life and mouse input, so it's a close call between the two machines.

HP Pavilion DM3 Review

There's so much to like in HP's new Pavilion dm3 that it's hard to know where to start. Perhaps with the looks: The aluminum and magnesium case looks cool, totally modern, and though it's got some plastic components (most notably the underside), it feels quite durable. The Mac-style keyboard is spacious and comfortable, even though the unit's got a 13.3-inch screen to keep things portable and svelte.

One of the highlights is the new keyboard. Though the sample we saw had a US one, we were still impressed with both the layout and the key action of this isolation-style effort. As far as we can recall, this is the first time HP has used this kind of keyboard on one of its laptops and it appears to have nailed it first time.

Key Specs
Processor: 1.3GHz Intel Core 2 Duo SU7300
Memory: 2GB RAM
Storage: 500GB hard drive
Optical Drive: None
Screen: 13.3 inches (1,280x800 native resolution)
Graphics: Integrated Intel GMA 4500MHD
Weight: 4.2 pounds
Dimensions (HWD): 1.2x12.8x9.1 inches
Operating System: Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)

Hardware configurations will vary, with single-core and dual-core versions likely. There'll be both AMD and Intel variants available, too, but with HP claiming a whopping 10 hours from the Intel version (powered by a six-cell, 57 Watt-hour battery) it would appear to be the one to get.

The glossy 13.3in display, meanwhile, has a 1,366 x 768 pixel resolution, and image quality raises it substantially above the average. Vibrant colours and good contrast made the most of our test photographs, and our HD movie clips positively leapt from the screen.

The big problem with going down the AMD route is that it seriously lags behind its CULV counterparts when it comes to battery life. The Pavilion dm3 battery struggled to an unimpressive 4hrs 37mins in our light-use battery life test, and under heavy load that figure dropped further to 1hr 43mins.

The dm3 is a thin and light notebook with a 13′ display. It weighs in at just over four pounds, making it light enough to carry around all day long. It utilizes mild processors that are relatively affordable and that increase battery life.

The DM3 is that next step in this evolutionary path. The machine comes in both AMD and Intel flavors, so let's get the differences between these 64-bit Windows 7 machines out of the way, first. The AMD version packs the 1.6GHz Athlon Neo X2 dual-core CPU, a 320GB hard drive (7200 rpm), and an ATI Radeon HD 3200 series GPU. In short, a spunky little system.

The Intel version, on the other hand, offers the 1.3GHz Pentium SU4100, a 500GB hard drive (7200 rpm), and an integrated GPU--not exactly heart-stopping. It'll probably be enough to get you through the day and watch videos without a hitch, but the lack of a proper, discrete GPU on the Intel model already tips the scales in favor of the AMD (in my humble opinion)--but I haven't had a chance to play with either, yet. Obviously, we can't go into performance specifics at this time, but for a little perspective, the dv2 got a 45 in WorldBench 6. Another thing we can't test right now is battery life. HP spokespeople promise that this machine will last up to 10 hours with the standard-issue 6-cell HP Pavilion DM3 battery.

With the exception of an internal optical drive, the dm3 brings over most of the features found in the HP dv3z, including three USB ports, HDMI-Out, a multi-card reader, VGA-Out, and an ExpressCard slot. HP remains faithful to the Altec Lansing speakers, although they have been relocated from above the keyboard to the bottom of the front bezel. There will be an embedded 3G option as well, either with Verizon or AT&T.

Naming schemes follow the same recipe that HP has had since day one: A "z" at the end means there's an AMD inside, while the "t" denotes Intel. So the dm3z, for instance, will sport AMD's latest Neo processor, the dual-core version of the one found in the HP Pavilion dv2-1030us. The dm3t, on the other hand, will use either Intel's consumer ultra-low voltage or standard voltage processors.

You don’t have to splurge for a $1,599 Envy 13 to get a notebook made with premium materials in HP’s lineup. Like its higher priced cousin, the Pavilion dm3t uses a combination of aluminum (on the deck and lid), while the bottom casing is made of aluminum alloy. We especially like the Moderno Argento gray finish and how it contrasts with the glossy black display bezel. This brushed metal looks a bit more modern than the ASUS UL30A, which has a lighter-colored aluminum lid but a plastic deck (albeit with a cool intersecting pattern).

The 4.2-pound dm3t is heavier than both the UL30 (4.0 pounds) and the Envy 13 (3.8 pounds), but because it omits a DVD drive, it measures just 1.0 inch thin; we had no problem slipping this laptop in a backpack.

Not everything is as we'd like, though. Network connectivity is restricted to slower 10/100 'Fast' Ethernet and Wireless-G Wi-Fi, as opposed to the Gigabit and Wireless-N Wi-Fi oft demanded these days, though Bluetooth is at least included. Whether the dm3's lacklustre network speed matters is up for debate. Many ordinary users probably won't see the problem, but those with more demanding tastes might baulk at these restrictions.

General connectivity, on the other hand, is good enough. It might lack niceties like eSATA or standby powered USB ports, but the dm3 has HDMI and VGA for video and a total of four USB ports - a good number for a portable machine like this. These are joined by a memory card reader, audio jacks for headphones and a microphone, and the Ethernet port.

The HP Pavilion dm3 laptop battery is one of the fastest thin and light notebooks we've seen. It posted a WorldBench 6 score of over 100--a feat achieved by very few laptops - and had very good PC Mark 05 and PC Mark Vantage numbers. Its Nvidia GeForce G105M graphics card is not really meant for gaming but at low-settings (and low expectations) you can just about manage to play 2-3 year old games. Both 720p and 1080p high-def videos played smoothly, without any stutter on the Pavilion dm3 - multitasking isn't an issue as well.

Although it's not really an entertainment-tuned laptop, the HP Pavilion dm3-1035tx manages to pull off a rather good audio-visual experience - courtesy of its LED-backlit widescreen and better-than-average onboard speakers. The included six-cell battery lasted 1 hour 43 minutes in our battery tests, at high performance preset and full-screen brightness; expect just over 3 hours of surfing the web over Wi-Fi on a single charge at power-safe mode.

SONY Vaio VGN-FZ290 Review

The Sony Vaio FZ Series VGN FZ290 laptop is a impressive and innovative model. This VGN FZ290 laptop is a thin-and-light entertainment laptop and featuring a 15.4inches LCD widescreen with XBRITE-ECO technology and implanted A/V controls for single-touch accessto music, cinemas and pictures. The FZ Series of this laptop is very cheap at the cost and much useful.

The Sony Vaio VGN-FZ290 battery includes integrated 1.3 mega pixel MOTION EYE camera and microphone for video and built-in Bluetooth technology lets to wirelessly connect to simpatico peripherals. This VGN FZ290's original sound reality delivers high-resolution surround sound to amusement.

Features:

• Built-in 1.3 megapixel MOTION EYE camera and microphone
• i.LINK Connection
• Integrated V.92/V.90 Modem (RJ-11)
• Intel® PRO/Wireless 4965AGN Network Connection (802.11a/b/g/n)
• Integrated A2DP Bluetooth
• Fast Ethernet (RJ-45)
• (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/DVD-RAM)
• 2.5 to 5.5 hrs battery life
• Electro-Static touch pad pointing device
• Action buttons: S1 (programmable), Volume, AV Instant Mode, Play/Pause, FF
• Rewind and Stop
• One Memory Stick Duo media slot with MagicGate functionality
• ExpressCard /34 Slot
• Secure Digital (SD memory card) Slot
• VGA Output
• S-Video Output

The Graphic Splash Eco Edition VAIO FZ notebooks are priced at $1,339 at SonyStyle.com. The Vaio VGN-FZ290 battery comes with 1GB if RAM, 200GB hard drive, dual-layer DVD burner and a 2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Processor. Graphics are powered by a NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GT GPU. Sony is offering rebates to those interested in trading in used computers. Credits can be used towards the puchase of a new VAIO.

The Sony VGN-FZ290 battery notebook is a thin lightweight entertainment laptop with a 15.4 inch wide-screen LCD. Our community of discerning portable computer users universally appreciates their VAIO VGN-FZ290’s. One reviewer stated “The laptop is dependable and durable. I have dropped it, my brother stepped on it and it works like i just bought it,” while another reviewer exclaimed, “I love the design, the amazing bright screen and its performance.” Sony equips the VAIO VGN-FZ290 notebook with a powerful Intel Core 2 Duo processor at 1.5GHz, up to 2GB DDR2 RAM, wireless LAN, DVD/RW drive, and a 120GB hard drive. Read what our reviews have to say about the Sony VAIO VGN-FZ290 as well as the Dell Inspiron 1525 and Lenovo ThinkPad 3000 series notebook computers.

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The Sony VAIO FZ Series are 15.4" widescreen LCD portable notebooks geared towards the business user Sony VGP-BPS8B battery. Windows Vista Business Edition(other versions available), magnesium casing, hafnium based processor and slim and light design make for a durable, portable workstation. Important standard features include built-in 802.11n wireless LAN technology, built-in video camera and microphone, Bluetooth technology and a host of ports for maximum connectivity. Optional features include Blu-Ray Disc optical drive, HDMI output and NVIDIA GeForce 8400M graphics card with 256MB of dedicated VRAM for higher graphics performance.

The Sony VAIO VGN Series Notebooks are mostly shipped with Windows Vista. Its really hard finding Windows XP drivers. I have compiled all the drivers and posting on a single page. Enjoy downloading the Sony VAIO VGN Series Notebook Windows XP Drivers!

Dell Studio 1747 Notebook PC Review

Building on the strong foundation of its excellent Studio 15 range, Dell's Studio 1747 packs the same stunning quad-core power and usability, while adding a larger screen and improved graphics and sound, making it a fantastic multimedia machine.

Performance is truly stunning. Built around the same Intel Core i7 processor as the Studio 15, the same level of quad-core power is on offer, making light work of even the most demanding tasks.

While this isn't the most graphically advanced laptop on the market, 3D performance vastly exceeds the smaller Studio 15, almost doubling its power. Whether for basic gaming or high-definition (HD) movie and photo editing, this is a laptop you can rely on to satisfy all your entertainment needs.

Dell Studio 1747 Specifications:

• 17.3" HD+ (1600 x 900) TrueLife WLED
  
• Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
• Intel Core i7 720QM processor (1.6GHz, 6MB L3 cache)
• ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4650 1GB
• 4GB DDR3 RAM (2x 2GB)
• 320GB Western Digital Scorpio Black 7200RPM Hard Drive
• Dell Wireless 1397 802.11g
• 8X DVD burner
• Three-year limited warranty
• 9-cell battery (85Wh)
• Weight: Starting weight of 7.87 lbs
• Dimensions: 16.28 x 11.04 x 1.1-1.54"

The Dell Studio 1747 battery doesn’t represent much of a departure from other Studio notebooks that have come before it, even the 14-inch, optical drive-less Dell Studio 14z. It has a satin lid (available in five colors; ours was Ruby Red) that feels soft to the touch and (mostly) masks fingerprints. Inside, the chassis mixes a glossy gray palm rest with a matte black keyboard and a piano black panel above the keyboard, complete with number pad. While it lacks some of the refinements of the high-end Studio XPS line, such as leather accents on the lid and flat keys, it borrows a few design elements, such as the glowing power button. The final product is handsome, but not as sophisticated as the 17-inch Apple MacBook Pro, Dell Studio XPS 1640 battery, or even the HP Envy 15.

As a desktop replacement, though, the Studio 1747 adds a few multimedia flourishes that its smaller siblings lack, including touch-sensitive multimedia controls and twin JBL speakers, each of which sit in a corner of the palm rest. The speaker grilles’ chrome styling is a nice touch. The multimedia controls blink when you touch them, and they responded well to all of our taps.

There are scroll bars on its right and lower edge that aren't limited optically or haptically but are indicated by a symbol on the mouse cursor. The multi-touch gestures that can be triggered by placing a second finger on the touchpad are also shown. You can, for instance, magnify symbols on the desktop by expanding the fingers or rotate pictures in image editing programs with circular movements. The gestures are understood and executed reliably by the touchpad in most cases.

Dell has treated the Studio 1747 battery to two smooth, silver shining touchpad keys. They have quite a soft pressure point, which makes them quiet but they also have an indistinct feel and lack a clear feedback. However, they respond reliably when the key is pressed.

The stunning 17.3-inch screen adds to its graphical ability. Its sharp resolution and well-balanced colour and contrast deliver a fantastic picture for gaming, viewing photos and watching movies. While the screen is also extremely bright, images never appear washed out.

HDMI, VGA and DisplayPort connections are provided, allowing you to connect to external HDTVs, projectors and monitors. DisplayPort is still quite rare on laptops, but is seen by some as superior to HDMI when connecting PCs to external screens, so it is nice to see both here.

Battery life was more than decent, though frankly you're likely to have this machine plugged in most of the time, just as you did the desktop PC it's replacing. The battery pokes out from the machine downwards, which angles the keyboard slightly. Personally, we think that's fine, but some people prefer their laptops to sit flat on the table.

The 1600 x 900 pixel high-resolution screen is impressive-looking, and the sprightly 1GB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 560v graphics card means video playback is highly enjoyable, though as with any glossy screen, angling the display to avoid reflections takes careful management. An HDMI is present for playback on a larger display. And of course the problem with touchscreens is they can easily smear with fingerprints which you might notice. We found finger prints took more than a quick wipe to remove.

The battery for Dell Studio 1747 has the Intel Core i7 720QM processor working on the inside at a clock speed of 1.6GHz. Being a quad core processor, you can really expect this device to stand up strong, when all those demanding apps run on it. Plus the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4650 processor has been employed to handle graphics. Though not the most mighty GPU in the market, this guy can do a good job at gaming and is comparable to the NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT. A 4GB DDR3 RAM and a 500GB hard drive are housed in this workstation. The Windows 7 OS forms the software base in this device.

This laptop sports a 17.3″ widescreen glossy display, with a resolution of 1600 x 900 pixels. This specification seems a little dull as there are plenty of full HD screen laptops already available in the market. Nonetheless, this laptop can play HD content. High definition audio is also integrated in it. A DVD +- RW drive has been built into this laptop as well.

The Studio 1747 is a 17-inch multimedia and gaming desktop-replacement notebook from Dell. This system can be configured with Intel Core i7 processors as well as high-end ATI Mobility Radeon graphics cards to compete against powerhouse systems like the Acer Aspire 8940G or Asus G51J.

Dell has one trick up its sleeve with the Studio 1747: it's the first large consumer notebook to offer an optional multitouch display.

Review Dell Studio 1558 Laptop

The Dell Studio 1558 is a great looking laptop. It has a squat and low profile that echoes the Apple MacBook Pro to a great extent. The silver body is highlighted with a black keyboard and trim. The build quality is good, with the Studio 1558 having a reassuring feel to it.

In terms of performance, this is a powerful and highly usable laptop. Powered by the latest Intel Core i5-430M and backed by 4GB of memory, we found the Dell Studio 1558 battery loaded up smoothly and ran multiple tasks with ease. What’s more, with 500GB of hard drive space, you’ll be able to store the whole family’s music and movies with ease.


When it comes to connectivity you’ll find the Studio 1558 is a fairly typical laptop, packing in a DVD rewriter, three USB ports, 802.11n Wi-Fi and Gigabit Ethernet port.

The 1558 has three USB ports and a Firewire port, but no eSATA connection. We were pleasantly surprised to find that it has a dual-band wireless adaptor built into it, with support for both 2.4GHz and 5GHz 802.11n networking, making it one of the first laptops we've seen that can connect to the latest dual-band routers. It also has a built-in Bluetooth adaptor.

Three 3.5mm stereo ports which can be configured for 5.1 analogue surround sound speakers. The built-in speaker produces reasonably well balanced but somewhat fuzzy sound. The integrated memory card reader supports SDHC, MMC and Memory Stick PRO formats and a 320GB hard disk provides a reasonable amount of storage. We were pleased with the Studio's three hour, 33 minute battery life, too.

Florian Glaser at NotebookCheck posted a review on the Dell Studio 1558 HD4570 15.6 inch Intel Core i5 Notebook . He thinks the Dell Studio 1558 is a very good good notebook due to some very good features. Its batteryt life is very decent with an optional 9 cell Studio 1558 battery and the full HD screen produces great picture with good contrast and brightness. On top of that the build quality is excellent, it offers various color options and lit keyboard (optional) and it also delivers all the right connection ports, decent sound from integrated speakers and the 2.4 GHz Intel Core i5-520M makes sure the whole system runs smoothly.

Specifications

2.4 GHz Intel Core i5 520M Processor
Intel GMA HD 4500M HD graphics
320 GB HDD at 7200 RPM
4GB DDR3 RAM
15.6-inch TrueLife LED Display
In built 2MP webcam

This is a great laptop for the price. Only Dell was considered for this purchase as I only trust them to build such a high quality machine, and they did. Wish i would have ordered the backlit keyboard, would have been a little fancier on the eyes and nicer for night time useage. With that being said, the platform for Windows 7 is highly reliable over XP & Vista. The wireless card we bought is pretty much rock solid, it rarely drops off connection. Upgrading to a solid state drive will help someday and be nice too for less power consumption & less heat. Added bluetooth controller was a key feature for extra peripherals. Facial recognition software needs a lot of developmental help on the software side of the configuration, it slows us down a lot! But what a sharp laptop!

One of the other things that makes the Studio 15 a pleasure to use is that rather than cluttering up the chassis with touch-sensitive controls, it built the multimedia controls into the row of function keys, just as Apple does with its Macs. Our only gripe: the hinge, which contains the speakers, is wide, and pushes the display farther back than we’d like.

The 9-cell battery on our configuration creates a bulge on the bottom of the laptop, making the notebook (a reasonable six pounds) slightly awkward to carry and a relatively heavy 6 pounds. Those who care more about looks and portability than endurance should stick with the 6-cell battery.

The following test is a pre-sample of the new battery for Dell Studio 1558 with reason, with a combination of brand-new Intel Core i5 520M CPU and the same all-new CPU Intel GMA integrated HD video solution. So that “poaching” the notebook in the entry area of the series and should be comparable in price not much more equipment than the level of his predecessor are. As already observed at the Core i7 architecture but it is also at the core i5 Dual-core CPUs with a huge performance boost to be expected, but there is a whole range of new features incorporated, which only recently, the i7 chips from zero to the peak of have catapulted CPU charts.

The Dell Studio 1558 uses the same 15.6-inch LED backlit panel that it has been using for some time. Color representation and brightness are quite good but viewing angles can be problematic on the vertical plane. The 1366x768 resolution is fairly typical of what is seen in this price range. Users can elect to get an optional high-brightness or WLED panel as well as a higher resolution panel. Those working in graphics will probably want the WLED panel for its higher color gamut. All versions still carry a glossy coating that makes it difficult to use in outdoor lighting.

It’s hard to make out the hardware, but the 1558 Touch appears to have a Core i5-520M CPU, Windows 7 Home Premium, 3GB of RAM, and 320GB HDD. The 1749 Touch has the same processor, 3GB of RAM, and 320GB HDD. Presumably, the 1558 is a 15-inch machine and the 1749 is a 17-inch notebook.

Connections at the rear of the Notebook would help keep one’s desk clean and free of cables, however the deep overhang of the display when open prevents anything from being able to be connected. For a GPU, Dell Studio 1749 battery and has outfitted the Studio with an ATI Radeon HD 5650 with 1,024 MB of GDDR3 memory. The keyboard Dell Studio comes fully-featured with a full numeric pad, which makes number input or playing games easier. When pressing on the keys firmly one is able to feel the give that the keyboard has, the bending is most visible above the optical drive. Only users with a very light touch will not notice anything to this effect.

The new i5 CPU generation from Intel has convinced us without reservations, or rather the Core i5-520M chip used in our test configuration, whose performance data is geared towards the most high-performance Core 2 Duo CPUs, and which is to be found on the level of the Core i7-720QM in applications without quad-core optimisation.

Also there's the newly integrated graphics solution, the Intel GMA HD, that now sits directly on the CPU unit, which in places provided astonishing performance. The true potential will indeed be seen in hybrid solutions, that is to say the combination of integrated GPU with an independent graphics card, whereby the switch, depending on performance needs, can quickly and easily take place. In this way, multimedia notebooks can combine high performance with high dell laptop battery performance and so their reputation as all-rounders can finally be without limits.

Dell Inspiron E1505 Review

The Dell Inspiron E1505 laptop computer is a machine perfectly capable of acting as a full-time business computer, as well as serving as a portable media center. The options available help a create a custom designed laptop at a reasonable price. Dell has excellent customer service, and their website is an easy way to get a great computer at a great price.

The first step to take when purchasing a laptop computer, or any computer, is to do your job as a consumer and shop for the best deal. It should take around a month to shop for a computer. It is vital to first determine what type of computer is best for you. Do you need a laptop or a desktop? How much memory and how fast should the computer be? Do you need a DVD player/burner ? What type of programs do you need to buy, as well as what other accessories are necessary?

The Dell Inspiron E1505 battery is really quite good– my laptop lasts a bit over 6 hours per charge even while using wireless networking, and I have two batteries so I cant really even envision a situation where I’d be using it for more than 12 hours without a power outlet. Granted I did buy the extra life batteries, so I’d expect them to be decent. Windows XP Media Center 2005 seems to be pretty slick and I can’t say I have any qualms about it versus having Windows XP Pro. Though honestly I have yet to try out any of the extra media hooha (more on that below).

The build quality and fit & feel of the laptop is about average I guess, but I also bought a midrange laptop, so I think it’s perfectly acceptable for the price I paid. I wasn’t really sure how much I’d use a laptop so I didn’t want to go all crazy, but perhaps next time I’ll be willing to spend a bit more.

The E1505 Specifications:

Intel Core Duo Processor T2500 at 2.0 GHz per core.
15.4" Ultrasharp SXGA+ display with TrueLife
512MB DDR2 533MHz RAM in dual channel mode
Integrated Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950
100GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive
8X DVD +/- dual layer recorder
53 watt-hour 6-cell battery

Weighing in at a relatively hefty 6.8 pounds and measuring 1.4 inches thick, the Inspiron E1505 battery sports a roomy full-sized keyboard that makes prolonged typing comfortable. Air vents flank the left and right sides of the chassis for keeping the machine cool during extended use. The large touchpad with built-in horizontal and vertical scroll areas make navigating Web pages a breeze. Beneath the touchpad, embedded in the bezel, are DVD/CD controls that illuminate when pressed.

The 15.4-inch UltraSharp widescreen display delivered strong colors when watching DVDs, even from a variety of angles. The speakers, which are located on either side of the playback controls, produced surprisingly good sound, even though the bass was a bit weak. This configuration has an 80GB hard drive for storing your digital music collection, along with gobs of photos and videos.

Storage for the higher end Inspiron E1505 is quite good with a very large 160GB hard drive that provides plenty of storage space for both applications and use data. In case users need to save off data, they provide a 8x DVD+/-RW dual layer compatible burner for reading and recording DVD and CD media.

Graphics wise, Dell offers a dedicated graphics processor in the non-budget oriented battery for Dell Inspiron E1505. While the ATI Radeon Mobility X1300 graphics does provide better 3D performance than the integrated solutions it still falls short of the performance required for things such as higher resolution PC gaming. This does put it behind many other thin and light notebooks with dedicated graphics processors.

Wrapping this up
Pros
-Great Price for a great computer
-Top notch screen with great resolution 1680×1050 px
-Hugely customizable
-Looks sharp
-MediaDirect feature

Cons
-Dell support left something to be desired. I called to order the computer and the sales rep was a somewhat rude American and when I called to figure out what was up with shipping I got an incredibly polite but terribly hard to understand foreign girl.
-I was supposed to have overnight shipping but took 3 business days after FedEx received the package because Dell had requested them to hold it.
-There have been reports of issues with the screens where the backlight bleeds a lot. I have very slight bleed at the edges but nothing worth sending it to be replaced
-Excessive amount of programs pre-installed
-Is the dell support program worth having?
-The screen blinks when power is removed/plugged in

Recommend?
It seems to me that we are getting to a point where people looking for a consumer level computer might as well spend a bit more and grab a laptop. You’ve got decent power and you are ready to go whenever/wherever you need/want to. That said, if you are looking to get the most computer for the least amount of money I think Dell is the way to go. Product support is inconsistent so if you know nothing about computers you may want to consider other options. For designers/web developers, in terms of PCs you can really put together a solid machine. Do I recommend? Yes, but know what you need, and what you need out of your hardware and be sure to shop around a bit.

LOADING AND LIFE CYCLE OF BATTERIES

Proper loading of a battery is key to prolonging its life. Unfortunately most people do not understand what constitutes proper loading. To compound the problem most boats are not equipped with the necessary instruments so that the owner can measure and monitor how the Sony VGP-BPS14 battery is used and loaded.

Smart loads have built in protection circuits that shut down if the battery voltage drops below a certain threshold.

Unfortunately, many loads such as lamps, blowers and bilge pumps simply keep
draining the battery right down until the terminal voltage reads zero. Such excessive discharges creates permanent damage inside the battery. Flooded wet cells are especially prone but even gel and AGM batteries can be damaged.

Sometimes, it is more important to keep the load running than to disconnect the
battery. If the boat is flooding, it is more important to keep the pumps going that worrying about the long-term damage to the battery.

However, more often it is a case of a forgotten light somewhere that is left on and totally drains the battery while the boat is unattended. Having a charger connected while docked prevents this, but at the risk of over charging the battery if the charger is not a “smart” charger.

What is really needed is some sort of battery monitoring system that tracks all usage and stores that historical data for later analysis. You can buy such a device. Marketed under a variety of names; e-meter, battery gauge, Link and such, these are really small micro processors that accurately measure how much energy is drawn from or fed into the VGP-BPS14 battery bank, how deeply the battery was discharged and how often the battery was cycled.

Unfortunately, there still isn’t anything on the market that will notice a forgotten light and turn it off in your absence. Human intervention is still required.

The length of service life a battery has is directly related to how deeply it is discharged. If you only deplete a battery by 30% before completely recharging it you will see much more than a tripling of expected service life.

The rate of discharge will also affect how well the battery stands up. If you have very large peak loads that are used frequently, you need a larger capacity battery than if the loading is light and steady at a much lower rate.

This is still valid even if the total amount of energy (amp -hours) consumed is the same. With the proliferation of inverters on board this effect is becoming more noticed than in the past.

Bow thrusters, and anchor winches also represent large peak current loads that alter the service life of a battery bank.

Inverters are perhaps the most common device being brought aboard boats. These devices allow you to use household appliances on board even when you do not have a genset or connected to shore power. Unfortunately, they place huge strains on a battery. The ratio of 12 volts to 120 volts is mirrored in the current. If you use 10 amps at 120 volts then you will need 100 amps at 12 volts. That means a micro wave oven, toaster oven or hair dryer places a load of anywhere from 80 to 150 AMPS load on the battery for Sony VGP-BPS14 as long as it is turned on. Only large deep cycle batteries can stand up to that sort of service. Ordinary starting batteries will turn to mush after a short period of time.

From the above it should now be obvious that to prolong the life of your battery, you need to keep track of how much energy you draw from the HP EliteBook 6930p battery, how fast you draw that energy and finally how and when you replenish that energy by recharging. If you only have a simple system on board with perhaps a single Group 29 or Group 31 battery then all you really need is a voltmeter and amp meter in the electrical panel. You need to keep manual track in your mind or how much power you use and for how long. If you have flooded cells then you need to check the fluid level monthly and measure the specific gravity to guard against sulfation building up. If you opt for the “maintenance free” sealed types, and then you need more sophisticated means for measuring what is going on. The various models of e-meters, Links or whatever is the best way to do this. These devices will provide you with the necessary information needed to plan your charging strategy.