Dell Inspiron 17R 17.3-inch Laptop Review

Dell's Inspiron 17R is a slimmed down desktop replacement that provides a more compact and lightweight design. This high end model comes equipped with a higher resolution display and Blu-ray drive. At $1000, there are less expensive Blu-ray equipped systems or models with better graphics for gaming. It does a decent job of being a good general purpose desktop replacement without costing too much.

The other major design choice Dell made for the new Inspiron line up with the placement of the screen hinge with respect to the back of the laptop. The Texas computer giant introduced this forward-placed hinge design in its high-end Adamo notebook. On the Adamo, the design allows for port placement in the rear of the computer. On the new Inspiron R series, the hinge design is used to improve the range of screen movement - i.e., the display can be pushed back a lot further.

Product Specs

• Processor: 2.4GHz Intel Core i5-450M
• Memory: 4GB RAM
• Storage: 320GB hard drive
• Optical Drive: DVD±RW
• Screen: 17.3 inches (1,600x900 native resolution)
• Graphics: ATI Radeon HD 5470 (1GB)
• Weight: 7.1 pounds
• Dimensions (HWD): 1.4x16.5x10.9 inches
• Operating System: Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)

One of the big failings budget notebooks often face is a bouncy keyboard or an unresponsive trackpad. In order to make the laptop more affordable, companies have to skimp somewhere and after general build quality, it's usually one of these two components. Fortunately, the Inspiron R doesn't seem to suffer from any of these issues.

The glossy screen has a resolution of 1,600x900 pixels which is noticeably more spacious than the 1,366x768 pixel screens which are now the norm for 15.6in laptops. This allows you to, for example, easily work on two documents side by side or use programs with lots of palettes and windows more easily. The screen is bright, but image quality wasn't the best. The backlight was a bit uneven and viewing angles were a little restricted. However, as long as you're in the middle of the screen, colours are accurate.

The broad width of the Inspiron means the keyboard and numeric keypad don't have any oddly placed or undersized keys. The keys don't give a huge amount of feedback, but they're still comfortable to type on. The touchpad is large and accurate, but the buttons are a little spongy – we'd prefer a firmer, more responsive feel.

For a large laptop, the Dell Inspiron 17R has a modest weight at 5.83 pounds. It is fitted with Intel Core i3-350M/ i5-450M processors, has a memory of 4GB 2 DIMM DDR3 1333Mhz which is expandable up to 8GB and a hard drive of 500GB. The 17.3" screen allows for excellent and quality-size views as it has a display resolution of 1600*900 pixels. To further aid in this, the Dell Inspiron 17R battery has a mic and a 1.3MP web camera. For music lovers, the laptop has SRS Premium sound and stereo speakers which produce great quality audio. In addition to 802.11n WiFi, the laptop allows for optional WiMAX and Bluetooth and has an Ethernet port. It has an Esata/USB combo connector and a media card reader (7-in-1). Additional features include a DVD burner and a Blu-ray Combo Drive.

Dell Inspiron 17R's operating system is Genuine Windows 7 home premium 64-bit and the laptop is provided with a one year basic service warranty. The laptop's numeric key allows for easy and comfortable typing.

Dell’s 17.3″ desktop replacement has a 1.3MP web camera and mic, stereo speakers, SRS Premium Sound, 802.11n Wi-Fi, optional WiMAX, Bluetooth option, an Ethernet port, three USB ports, an eSATA/USB combo connector, HDMI and VGA outputs, a 7-in-1 media card reader, and a numeric keypad.

The newly designed 17R has a brushed glossy finish in Mars Black, Peacock Blue, or Tomato Red color.

One downside to this notebook was the included graphics card. It is equipped with an integrated Intel graphics (Intel HD Graphics to be specific), and you probably won't be able to play most modern computer games without a custom video card. That's fine as I'm not an avid gamer.

I initially bought the 17R for school as well as personal reasons, and I was delighted to find out Microsoft Office 2010 Starter was included. I had been using Microsoft Office 2007 for quite some time, so it was a relief to find out that I would be upgrading. The software pack was even included in the initial price of the laptop.

The Inspiron 17R battery sports a choice of Intel Core i3 and i5 processors. The base configuration includes Core i3-350M 2.26GHz, 4GB DDR3 memory, 320GB Hard Drive, 17.3″ HD+ (1600 x 900) WLED display, 8X DVD+/-RW, and Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit OS as standard.

Other features includes 802.11n WiFi, 1.3MP Webcam, 6-cell battery, HD Audio 2.0 with SRS Premium Sound and Intel HD Graphics.

Where the Inspiron R really excels is overall performance and multimedia playback. This model has 4GB of memory combined with an Intel i5-430M processor running at 2.26GHz. Dell has added the 64-bit version of Windows Home Premium and a 500GB hard drive. This is enough power to cope with any scenario and multi-task intensive apps like movie playback with ease. It can even handle a late night gaming session from the 1GB ATI Radeon HD 5470.

The 1600x900 17.3-inch screen is sharp, but we found it too glossy in bright environments. That said, it’s perfect for movies or gaming. Points also go for brilliant audio fidelity. The speakers have a great range and while we still don’t buy the virtual surround sound from the SRS Premium audio, it does provide great music playback.

The 17R-2211OBK is part of Dell's Inspiron 7 series of 17.3-inch desktop replacement and multimedia laptops. It's big brother to the Inspiron 15R series of 15.6-inch mainstream laptops, such as the Dell Inspiron iM501R-13230BK ($599.99 list, ). They share a similar glossy, metallic lid, which is a fingerprint magnet. The 17R-2211OBK's glossy, silver keyboard deck is much more resistant to smudges. When the lid is closed, the 17R-2211OBK's chassis has an appealing profile. The front edge tapers back from top to bottom, and the back-end of the laptop sticks out about a third-of-an-inch past the lid's hinge. This feature allows users to bend back the screen further in constrained seating situations. The 17R-2211OBK uses a traditional-style keyboard, which includes a dedicated number pad. The touchpad is smooth and its soft buttons are easy to use.

The LED-backlit display has a native resolution of 1,600 by 900, surrounded by a glossy black bezel that features a 1.3-megapixel Webcam and integrated microphone. The screen displays crisp colors, but I felt it wasn't quite as bright as with other laptops. Like most laptop screens these days, the 17R-2211OBK's display is glossy, but it wasn't as prone to annoying reflections, such as I experienced with the Dell iM501R-13230BK's screen.

Dell covers the Inspiron 17R with a one-year warranty, the industry norm among home and home-office notebooks. However, the company does offer in-home service (at least, after Dell reps try to diagnose and fix your problem remotely). Other laptop makers, such as HP, typically require that you send the unit in for repair unless you pay extra for an in-home tech-support package. You can also extend the Inspiron's warranty at reasonable prices, opting for a two-year deal for an additional $69, or three years for $119. By way of comparison, HP's two-year plan, with in-home service, costs around $112.

The Inspiron 17R is a good choice if you’re looking for a desktop-replacement notebook with style at an attractive price. You won’t get mind-numbing performance from this model, and its 3D performance is best suited to, at most, low-end gaming, but it's more than capable of handling your everyday productivity and multimedia workload. If you require a bit more 3D muscle, however, the Gateway NV7901u is your best bet in this price range.

HP Mini 210 Laptop PC Review

The HP Mini 210 netbook is one of the most popular netbooks on the market today. It’s not just a slim body and a flashy top that draws consumers to the HP Mini 210, which we are reviewing in hot red, but also the great design, HD screen, keyboard and usability. In essence, the HP Mini 210 is the total package — though like all good things there’s a little room for improvement.

The HP Mini 210, like the Dell Mini 10 (here's an idea: everyone name their netbooks the same thing!) can be configured with a $35 Broadcom's BCM70012 Crystal HD accelerator -- it's a slightly older model than the Dell's BCM70015. Released just yesterday, Flash 10.1 Beta 3 was optimized to support the Broadcom card, and the Mini 210 definitely reaps some of the benefits of it, but that's only after you download it from Adobe's site and then update the Broadcom drivers. When that was all said and done, the HP Mini 210 battery didn't have any issues playing back a 720p Avatar trailer on YouTube, but unlike the Dell Mini 10 it had issues going up to the 1080p setting. The video proof is below, but according to Broadcom the issues have to do with Flash 10.1 Beta 3's compatibility with the older version of the card. Though that's a bummer, we assume most will be content with the 720p playback considering the screen resolution and the Pineview chipset's lack of HDMI support. We should also note that Flash videos played much better in Google Chrome -- we got a few "Not Responding" errors in Firefox.


As we learned with the Dell Mini 10, playing local HD content is highly dependent on software. A downloaded 1080p Iron Man 2 trailer played back without pauses in the preloaded ArcSoft TotalMedia Theatre software, but playback of that same video was choppier in Windows Media Player 11 and VLC Player. There's no doubt in our minds that the HD playback experience on the Mini 210 is miles ahead of that of a Pine Trail netbook without Broadcom inside and that counts for something. However, we have to say that it isn't as seamless as it need to be for the end user and the solution continues to have more restrictions than NVIDIA Ion-based netbooks.

Here is a quick breakdown of our review unit:
Model: HP Mini 210-1003xx
CPU: Intel Atom N450
Chipset: Intel NM10 Express
Graphics: Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 3150
Display: 10.2-inch screen on 1024x600 resolution
Storage: 160GB Seagate Momentus 7200.4 SATA Drive
OS: Windows 7 Starter
Power: 40W AC Adaptor, 6-cell Lithium-ion hp mini 210 laptop battery
Human Input: Pointing device - HP Clickpad supporting Multi-Touch gestures with On/Off button, Keyboard - 93% Full size island-style keyboard
Others: Webcam with integrated microphone, 5-in-1 Card reader, VGA Out
Dimensions & Weight: 26.8 cm (L) x 17.8 cm (W) x 2.29 cm (min H) / 2.83 cm (max H), 1.22 kg

It will be available in a number of color options; Blue, Black, Red, Matte Black with Pattern, and Matte Silver with Pattern.

You will also be able to enjoy full 1080p HD content playback on both the HP Mini 2102 and 210, with the use of the optional Broadcom Crystal HD Enhanced Video Accelerator (add on card).

We've always been more partial to the Netbooks put out by HP's business side (such as the Mini 5102), but budget-conscious buyers can get largely similar systems from HP's consumer side with lower starting prices. The consumer lineup, previously anchored by the Mini 110, has gotten a modest makeover in 2010, morphing into the Mini 210 battery.

New to this version are Intel's latest Atom N450 CPU and optional lid colors. Most importantly, the awkward side-anchored mouse buttons have been moved to a more traditional spot below the touch pad, fixing one of the major annoyances of the Mini 110. There's also an option for the Broadcom Crystal HD video accelerator, which allows HD video playback (but is more of a mixed bag for streaming online HD video).

This allows the entire pad to be used for navigation, yet the buttons are still very easy to press. The only problem with this design is that you can't use separate fingers to navigate and click on the buttons at the same time. The pad itself feels very smooth and soft and it's perfectly responsive. It supports three gestures: pinching, scrolling and rotating. It doesn't get in the way when you type, but you can disable it by double tapping its top-left corner.

The touchpad buttons are concealed beneath the pad itself, which gives you more surface area for moving the pointer and makes the pad very comfortable to use.

The 10.1-inch display’s 1366 x 768-pixel resolution meant more screen real estate than the typical netbook resolution of 1024 x 600, but it also left us squinting at some dialogue boxes and articles. On blog.laptopmag.com, for example, we had to zoom in one level to read some posts comfortably.

Viewing angles were adequate when we streamed an episode of Leverage, but during dark scenes we saw some color distortion at more extreme angles. Under fluorescent lights the reflections from the glossy screen were distracting, though in dim lighting the issue went away. Horizontal angles were good enough for two people to watch video side by side. Vertical angles were also acceptable. During non-video use, viewable vertical angles are wider, but users may notice that colors on websites seem a bit washed out unless you push the screen back.

Battery life is a more important point for comparison, however, and aside from the design it is the HP Mini 210's main highlight. In our light use battery test, it scored a highly creditable 8hrs 39mins – two minutes shy of the Toshiba NB305 – good enough to facilitate an entire day away from the mains.

Good battery life, design and ergonomics, plus a reasonable £256 exc VAT price, mean that HP’s latest netbook immediately becomes one of our favourites. The Toshiba retains its A List crown thanks to a better trackpad and wireless, but it’s a close-run thing and the stylish HP is good enough to earn a Recommended award instead.

HP ProBook 4520s Review

HP’s four new ProBook models may not be as eye-catching as the company’s EliteBook 2740p tablet, but the notebooks do span a 13.3-inch to 17.3-inch display range and offer the latest Intel Core i3, i5 and i7 processors. Meanwhile pricing kicks off at $719; check out the full details and some hands-on first impressions after the cut.

The smallest model is the HP ProBook 4320s, with a 13.3-inch 1,366 x 768 display, Core i3/i5/i7 processor and up to 8GB of DDR3 memory. Storage is up to a 500GB 7,200rpm HDD, and there’s a standard optical drive (either DVD or Blu-ray) together with an ExpressCard/34 slot. Graphics range from integrated Intel HD through to ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4350 512MB, while connectivity choices include optional EVDO/HSPA (with GPS), WiFi (b/g through to a/b/g/n) and Bluetooth 2.1. There are also three USB 2.0 ports, an eSATA/USB combo, both VGA and HDMI, audio in/out and gigabit ethernet, together with an optional 2-megapixel webcam and a choice of 6-cell 47Whr or 9-cell 93Whr HP ProBook 4520s battery.

Specifications:

Intel Core i5 430M Processor (2.26GHz, 3MB cache)
Microsoft Windows 7 Professional (32-bit)
15.6-inch LED-backlit anti-glare HD display (1366 x 768)
Intel GMA HD Integrated Graphics
4GB DDR2 800MHz RAM
320GB 7200RPM HDD
LightScribe DVD+/-RW Optical Drive
Atheros AR9285 BGN Wifi, Bluetooth 2.1, 1Gb LAN
6-Cell 47WHr Battery
Limited 1-year standard parts and labor warranty
Dimensions: 14.64 x 9.83 x 1.09-inches
Weight: Starting at 5.27lbs

The ProBook 4520s gave us just over 2 hours (2:01) on our DVD battery-rundown test, in which we loop a movie until the battery dies. That score is around 25 minutes shorter than average for this class of notebook and 49 minutes shy of the time logged by last year’s ProBook. The Acer Aspire was only marginally better. Even the Gateway NV7901u, which sports a large, power-hungry 17-inch screen, lasted a bit longer (2:19).

Our review unit came with a 320GB hard drive loaded with a 32-bit version of Windows 7 Professional, as well as a generous selection of business-centric software and utilities, such as HP’s ProtectTools security software. (This handy suite includes password-management and file-sanitizer applications.) You also get Power Assistant, a utility that lets you select a power profile to suit your specific needs and allows IT personnel to track power consumption over a period of time.

Protect your notebook from the rigors of mobile work environments with the new metal design and dress it up with sophisticated color options (caviar and bourdeaux). With a 15.6-inch diagonal display, the HP ProBook 4520s supports optional discrete graphics with 512 MB DDR3 memory and features an HDMI output as well as preloaded multimedia software with one-touch button support. The keyboard layout enhances the streamlined notebook design, while the full-size keyboard with integrated numeric keypad allows you to type comfortably.

With a choice of discrete graphics, the HP ProBook 4320s comes loaded with the new ArcSoft TotalMedia Suite that allows you to play, edit and create video and audio files. New “multi-media controls” for video control such as play, rewind, fast-forward are now integrated into keyboard, simplifying work with video and audio files. And experience life in high-definition with the HDMI port that allows you to connect directly to high-definition displays.

We’ve covered the smaller end of the ProBook spectrum, but HP also offers two larger editions, the 4520s and the 4720s. At 15.6- and 17-inches, respectively, both machines come with numeric keypads on the right side of the keyboard. The ProBook 4520s battery (starts at 5.26 pounds, 14.64”x9.83”x1.09”) keeps the 1366x768 display, while the 4720s (starts at 6.51 pounds, 16.17”x10.49”x1.11”) gets a bump up to 1600x900.

As for the hardware, the larger ProBooks have the same options as their little brothers. Core i7, i5 and i3 processors coupled with up to 8 GB of DDR3 memory, 500 GB 7200rpm hard drives, and ATI Radeon 4350 graphics with 512 MB of vRAM.

The HP ProBook 4520s has a decent set of core hardware components for a laptop targeted for businesses. It's powered off an Intel Core i3-350M 2.26-GHz processor, 3GB RAM, 500GB hard drive, and onboard Intel GMA HD graphics. It comes with a DVD Writer, four USB, eSATA, HDMI, audio, and VGA-out ports. Not only this, the HP ProBook 4520s also incorporates Gigabit Ethernet, Wi-Fi 802.11n and Bluetooth 2.1 wireless connectivity. A 2MP webcam and mic, ExpressCard slot, multicard reader, and fingerprint reader completes the HP ProBook 4520s' impressive feature set -- unrivalled by any laptop in our Top 5 Mainstream Laptops listing.

The HP ProBook 4520s laptop battery comes with a standard six-cell battery and runs on 32-bit Windows 7 Professional edition. This business laptop from HP also comes with a set of proprietary software that's quite useful -- it isn't bloatware.

To improve personal security, the 4520s offers an impressive suite of proprietary software that takes advantage of the Webcam (for facial recognition) and optional fingerprint sensor (not available on our review copy) to limit profile access based on biometric data. The hardware performed as advertised during testing, though I found that the (optional) 2-megapixel Webcam integrated above the display did a poor job of recognizing facial features under lighting conditions other than direct sunlight; the indirect lighting in our office did an impressive job of fouling up this feature during testing. Being repeatedly blocked from logging in due to poor image quality has the potential to drive a harried business user insane. Thankfully, HP offers the option of switching off the security suite at will, though small-business owners will appreciate features like Drive Encryption and a File Sanitizer. Also noteworthy is the QuickLook 3 software, a shell that displays basic contact and calendar info at the press of a button without requiring you to boot into Windows 7.

Overall the ProBook 4520s is a creditable low-cost "jack-of-all trades" laptop for working professionals, and the various customization options available offers budget-conscious consumers a little leeway in making the best of their budget. Pretentious color schemes aside (I had hoped for the caviar, but got stuck with the bordeaux), the latest ProBook is sleek, sturdy, and equally adept at home, in the office, or anywhere in between.

Fujitsu LifeBook E8420 Review And Specs

Fujitsu's Lifebook E8420 is a business tool with plenty of useful hardware and software features, and, most importantly, it's fast!

Its Intel Core 2 Duo T9400 CPU runs at 2.53GHz, and it's paired with Intel's PM45 chipset. Along with an Intel WiFi Link 5300 wireless networking adapter, it forms the holy trinity of the Intel Centrino 2 platform. The rest of the configuration comprises 4GB of DDR3, 1066MHz memory, a 320GB, 5400rpm hard drive, and a GeForce 9300M GS graphics adapter.

Specifications:

• Intel Core 2 Duo P8400 Dual Core Mobile Processor
• 1GB PC3-8500 DDR3 Memory
• 120GB 5400rpm SATA Hard Drive
• 8x DVD+/-RW Dual Layer Burner
• 15.4" WXGA (1280x800) Display With 1.3 Megapixel Webcam
• Intel GMA X4500HD Integrated Graphics
• v.92 56Kbps Modem, Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11a/g/n Wireless
• Four USB 2.0, FireWire, HDMI, Type II Card Slot, ExpressCard/54, 3-in-1 Card Reader
• 14.1" x 10.1" x 1.4" @ 6 lbs.
• Vista Business, PowerDirector, Google Desktop, Google Picasa, Norton Internet Security

The design of the E8420 is nothing to write home about, but it's functional. The outside is matte black, while the inside is a dull, stormtrooper grey. Once you open the notebook up you will find a keyboard, which is a good size, flanked by speakers. The keyboard bends slightly when you type, making the laptop seem flimsy.

The 15.4-inch display has a native resolution of 1,280x800. It's also glossy, meaning it's reflective and difficult to see in bright light. For this reason we prefer a matte display. On the right-hand side above the keyboard is an LCD screen that shows information including battery charge, wireless status and hard drive access. Port options on the E8420 are lacklustre. On other Centrino 2 notebooks we have seen eSATA ports and USB ports that allow you to charge accessories even when the notebook is switched off. The E8420 features neither.

Fujitsu LifeBook E8420 battery is very clearly targeted at the corporate market and not the consumers. Even with this focus, the system seems to lack a number of features compared to similar corporate systems from the likes of Dell, HP and Lenovo in this price range. It might be nice that it comes with a limited number of software programs and a modular drive bay, but most consumers won't really notice either of these features.

Supplying more power and better performance with Core 2 Duo processor, the Fujitsu LifeBook E8420 notebook provides a highly flexible platform that can be configured to meet a diverse array of business demands. Coupled with renowned Fujitsu product reliability and durability, this notebook will shorten your return on investment cycle and lighten the load on your IT technical support team.

LifeBook E8420 from Fujitsu is a high-end notebook focused towards demanding business users who require a mobile desktop. Fujitsu offers many processor choices, maxing out with the T9400 Intel Core 2 Duo Processor this model has potential CPU speed of 2.5 GHz. NVIDIA GeForce 9300M GS with total graphics memory of 256 MB is a Fujitsu premium graphics card available on the E8420. An integrated web-cam can be used with the Intel Wireless WiFI network, and for additional communication convenience this model has Bluetooth 2.0. For those concerned about security, a fingerprint sensor, along with a Two-level BIOS hard drive password protector is available. Additionally, this model comes equipped with many ports, from HDMI to a Docking port, all provided to help support a demanding business user.

In order to test the battery we set screen brightness to 50 per cent and then played a DVD. This gave us a battery life of two hours and 20 minutes, a good result. The addition of a battery in the optical drive tray should give this laptop great battery performance.

Speaking of performance, you won't be disappointed by the E8420. Our device achieved a very healthy PCMark05 score of 5365, meaning this device should meet the requirements of most demanding office environments. HDD access was particularly quick, and our laptop included a 250GB SATA drive. There is also a 1.3-megapixel webcam mounted on top of the display.

Right side bottom of case squeaks a little (not tight) but make no mistake that I am very pleased with the unit, it's capabilities & overall Fujitsu Product. I have bought high-end Sony, HP, Compact, etc. and am sick of their constant problems, defects and service problems. Ever since Acer took over Gateway that too is a nightmare.

As to technical issues, let me just say without a bunch of techno-bable that the unit is excellent and I have no need for a bunch of low-end consumer bell & whistles (sleep & charge, backlit keyboards, etc.). I much prefer the numerous interface capabilities with different ports and devices; and getting good use out of the dedicated Turbo Ram flash memory button with ANOTHER 4GB DDR3 RAM. I am hopeful Fujitsu will switchover to the 64-bit operating system with the advent of Windows 7; I surely intend to try.

The LifeBook E8420 is a solid machine, with good LifeBook E8420 battery life and performance, but we're still disappointed. Firstly, the E8420 lacks a lot of the features we have seen in the Centrino 2 releases from competitors, such as eSATA, USB charging when the laptop is switched off and the option of an SSD.

Finally the price, at AU$2299, is a real deal breaker. Equivalent offerings from Dell, Sony and Asus all come in a little cheaper, and in some cases offer more features and better performance.

The most likely culprits for this price hike are the discrete Nvidia graphics card, carry case and mouse. However, we see these as unnecessary extras — while a valuable addition like eSATA are noticeably absent. For this reason, we can't recommend the LifeBook E8420.

HP ProBook 4720s Review

Laptops designed to push desktops off the desk have come a long way from the behemoths of bygone times. A case in point: the HP ProBook 4720s ($1,025 as tested), a slick black beauty that can actually be used comfortably in a lap.

While 6.6 pounds may not sound light to some minds, it's positively airy compared to the old 10- to 14-pound desktop replacements of yore. Granted, you can't shrink the dimensions of a laptop much if you're going to build one with a 17.3-inch display -- the HP is 16.2 inches wide by 10.5 inches long -- but it's only 1.1 inch thick at its front edge, which together with its "expresso" brushed aluminum finish gives the HP ProBook 4720s battery a sleek appearance that belies its dimensions, as well as improving its durability.

Laptops designed to push desktops off the desk have come a long way from the behemoths of bygone times. A case in point: the HP ProBook 4720s ($1,025 as tested), a slick black beauty that can actually be used comfortably in a lap.

While 6.6 pounds may not sound light to some minds, it's positively airy compared to the old 10- to 14-pound desktop replacements of yore. Granted, you can't shrink the dimensions of a laptop much if you're going to build one with a 17.3-inch display -- the HP is 16.2 inches wide by 10.5 inches long -- but it's only 1.1 inch thick at its front edge, which together with its "expresso" brushed aluminum finish gives the 4720s a sleek appearance that belies its dimensions, as well as improving its durability.

Features:
3MB L3 cache
4 GB 1333 MHz DDR3 SDRAM
7200 rpm SATA II internal drive
DVD+/-RW SuperMulti DL LightScribe optical drive
Atheros 802.11 b/g/n wireless
Bluetooth 2.1
8-cell Li-Ion battery (73hr)
Colors: Caviar, Bordeaux
Brushed-aluminum finish
Genuine Windows 7 Professional 32
Weight: 6.55 lbs
Dimensions: 16.17 x 10.49 x 1.11"
Upgradeable to 8 GB memory
ATI Mobility Radeon 4350 graphics
3 USB 2.0 ports
1 external VGA monitor port
1 HDMI port
1 stereo microphone in
1 stereo headphone/line-out
1 AC power port
1 RJ-45 port
Optional RJ-11 port
1 eSATA/USB 2.0 Combo port
Express Card/34 slot
Media card reader slot
Optional 2 megapixel webcam
Spill-resistant keyboard w/ drains
Realtek Ethernet 10/100/1000 NIC network interface
90-watt SMART AC adapter

The ProBook 4720s battery combines solid performance, strong graphics, best-in-class security, and surprisingly good battery life in a neat 17-inch package. An inaccurate touchpad and grainy video playback hold the system back a bit, but at $1,059 for Core i5 power and discrete graphics, this is a value-priced desktop replacement that businesses will appreciate.

The 4720s has a clean and stylish appearance with a brushed metal exterior finish. The brushed metal is found on the screen cover as well as the palmrest inside the notebook. The dark copper or bronze finish complements almost any business attire and looks very professional. Inside the notebook the interior trim is split between the brushed metal finish and a glossy black trim around the keyboard. Both finishes hold up to most types of day-to-day abuse, including light scratches and fingerprints.

Build quality is very good; the metal finish adds strength to the screencover and prevents excessive flex. There were no screen distortions even when heavy pressure was applied to the back of the cover, meaning it did its job in protecting the LCD underneath. Compared to the older design which was entirely made of plastic, the new design not only looks better but also feels much stronger. Overall we were very pleased with the look and feel of the HP ProBook 4710s battery.

At first glance, the ProBook 4720s’s keyboard seems like everything we’d want in a workstation keyboard; it has a numeric keypad, all the keys are properly positioned, and there’s plenty of room to stretch out. As soon as we started typing, our opinion changed. The keys were a little small for our fingers, and not as responsive as we’d like. On the Ten Thumbs typing test, we scored a weak 74 words per minute with a subpar 4-percent error rate, while our typical score is 80 wpm with a 1-percent error rate.

The touchpad is much more difficult to work with than the keyboard, and the cursor jumped around as we navigated the desktop. Because the mouse buttons are built into the touchpad, users who use both hands will have a serious problem with the pointer jumping as they try to click. The pad supports multitouch gestures such as pinch-to-zoom, but we found them to be rather jerky and hard to control.

Finally, the HP ProBook 4720s has a 17.3-inch 1,600 x 900 display that falls short of Full HD resolution. It too has the same Core i3/i5/i7 processor options, up to 8GB of DDR3 memory and up to 500GB 7,200rpm HDD, but has the Radeon HD 4350 graphics as standard. No Gobi option, but the same ports and wireless choices together with a full-sized keyboard with separate numeric keypad. HP have outfitted with a standard 8-cell 73WHr HP 4720s battery.

To be fair, these business-focussed machines lack some of the multimedia appeal home notebooks have, but they’re all well made and discretely good-looking. We’re not sure the keyboards match up to, say, what you’d find on a Lenovo ThinkPad, but they’re very usable, as is the gesture-capable trackpad. HP are yet to announce specific pricing – they’ll only say the new models kick off at $719 – but they should go on sale this month.

Fujitsu LifeBook E8410 Overview & Specs

It's not the most travel- or multimedia-friendly business laptop you can find, but the Fujitsu LifeBook E8410 has classy looks, class-leading application performance, and abundant security features (including Intel's Centrino Pro technology). Together, they make the laptop worth considering for corporate and small-business users.

At 6.1 pounds, the LifeBook E8410 battery is squarely a midsize laptop: too hefty to carry around everyday, but light enough for occasional travel. Its 1.4-inch-thick chassis is a bit trimmer than other midsize notebooks we've seen, such as the HP Pavilion DV6000z. While the LifeBook doesn't feel quite as durable as the Lenovo ThinkPad R61 or Gateway E-265M, it definitely doesn't look or feel cheap. In fact, its classy-looking silver-and-black case, complemented by an all-white keyboard, is a welcome break from the buttoned-down-black design we've seen on many business systems.

Specifications

Our review notebook as equipped:
Intel Core 2 Duo T7500 Processor (Santa Rosa, 2.2GHz, 4MB L2 Cache, 800MHz FSB)
Microsoft Genuine Windows Vista Business
15.4” Crystal View (Glossy) WXGA Display (1280x800)
Integrated 1.3MP Webcam
nVidia GeForce 8400M G DX10 Graphics Card – 128MB Dedicated
1GB DDR2 667MHz RAM (Upgraded to 2GB of DDR2 667MHz for the review)
Fujitsu 100GB 5400RPM SATA 1.5 Hard Drive
Modular Dual-Layer Multi-format DVD Writer
Modem, Intel 4965AGN (802.11a/b/g/n) WiFi, 10/100/1000 GigE LAN, Bluetooth
8-call, 14.4V, 5200 mAh, 74.9 Whr Battery

Weighing in at 6.2 pounds and measuring 14.1 x 10.1 x 1.4 inches, the E8410 is too bulky for toting around town on a daily basis, but it's still small enough to be a sleek desktop alternative that goes with you to in-office meetings. Its attractive black matte body is highlighted by a shiny bezel and silver base and doesn't look as stuffy as some of its all-business brethren.

Lifting the lid reveals a bright 15.4-inch widescreen display (1280 x 800 pixels) that could have benefited from a higher resolution; the visuals weren't as sharp as they could have been. We enjoyed wide viewing angles while watching Black Snake Moan, but the vertical angles were very tight and will keep you right around the 90-degree mark. A 1.3-megapixel webcam resides above the display for Web conferencing with colleagues. Although you can opt for a higher-res WSXGA+ panel (an extra $45), that option doesn't come with a webcam.

Fujitsu lays out its usual smorgasbord of security options for safeguarding your data. A SmartCard reader and a security button panel that you can program with a number combination are standard; a built-in biometric fingerprint reader costs $50 more.

This notebook lets you use two batteries at once, thanks to a modular optical drive bay with side release: Pop out the DVD burner and hot-swap in a second battery. Or insert the included hollow filler module to trim the notebook's weight to a very comfortable 5.7 pounds.

Although it's not a gaming machine, the NVIDIA 8400M G is one of the new-generation, unified shader architecture, DirectX 10 graphics processing units (GPU) and it was able to punch out a respectable score for a business notebook. In 3DMark 2006 it scored 1125. This is hardly a high-end gamer's magic number, but it's a good score nonetheless. It will handle older games well, as its score of 8987 in 3DMark 2001 SE indicates.

Santa Rosa offers a number of small power saving features. As mentioned previously, Enhanced Dynamic Acceleration allows one core to be turned off when it's not in use, but more importantly, a feature has been added that allows the CPU and the FSB to be clocked down according to the system's needs. Despite these additional power saving features we didn't see any improved performance in our Fujitsu laptop battery life tests.

The LifeBook E8410 is well equipped for communications. Infrared and Wi-Fi are built in, although, oddly, Bluetooth is an optional extra and was not present on our review sample. There is a hardware button on the front of the casing that allows you to turn Wi-Fi on and off easily.

An option that was present on our review sample is a 3G/HSDPA module supporting wide-area wireless connectivity at speeds of up to 7.2Mbps. At the moment, you'll be lucky to find 7.2Mbps coverage in the wild, but at least this notebook offers a level of future-proofing on this front. The SIM card slot is underneath the battery, which fits into a slot on the bottom of the casing.

With performance on par with desktop PC, the Fujitsu Lifebook E8410 battery is designed for mobile professionals who value cutting edge technology such as Intel Centrino Pro processor technology, comprehensive security features, high-end graphics and an incredible display into a thin and light package. Furthermore, its flexible design allows demanding business users to custom-configure the system exactly to fit their needs.

However, as it stands, the keyboard is fitted with large-sized keys that pose no usability problems. We found touch-typing comfortable, although the heavy handed may find the keyboard's flexibility a little disconcerting. A touchpad sits beneath the keyboard, with two mouse buttons beneath it. A block between these two buttons can be occupied by a fingerprint sensor, although that option was not present on our review sample. Above the touchpad sit a second pair of mouse buttons, designed to be used in conjunction with the pointing stick that sits between the G, H and B keys.

Fujitsu has implemented its customary suite of four buttons above the keyboard. These include one that locks the laptop down quickly; one that takes you to the "mobility center" for configuring the harddrive shock protection and other aspects of the device; an E button which turns on "Eco" mode, and an R button that accesses an on-demand backup utility.

Packing durability, a host of security options, and excellent performance, the Fujitsu E8410 battery is a good all-around business notebook. Striking a fine balance between performance and design is the Fujitsu LifeBook E8410, the successor to the E8210. The system packs in all the essentials needed to keep mobile professionals productive in the office and (occasionally) on the go: a fast Intel Core 2 Duo processor, excellent Wi-Fi throughput, security features, a shock-mounted 100GB hard drive, and discrete Nvidia graphics. Toss in a $1,849 price tag and you have an affordable business machine that should satisfy even the most demanding user. Weighing in at 6.2 pounds and measuring 14.1 x 10.1 x 1.4 inches, the E8410 is too bulky for toting around town on a daily basis, but it's still small enough to be a sleek desktop alternative that goes with you to in-office meetings.

By now You would have noticed that most of the devices are not working properly and require you to update their drivers.For your Audio device which will probably not work until you install the correct Fujitsu Lifebook E8410 Audio, here are all the audio drivers related to Fujitsu Lifebook E8410 driver for different operating system.
So simply find your relevant driver and proceed onto the link and download your required file.

On the upper portion of the keyboard area is a small LCD which offers battery status, wireless power state, HDD activity, cap, num and scroll lock, etc. Unfortunately, this area does not illuminate, making it near impossible to read in the dark. I really wish you could illuminate this, or have the option to at least. A simple LED wouldnt hurt, would it Fujitsu? Then again, there are no busy blaring hyper-LEDs scattering your normal vision, which is also welcomed.

To right hand upper portion, there is a set of four hot buttons 1-4 (and enter) that can be programmed as shortcut keys. But they also serve another function one that follows the Lifebook blood hard and true. These buttons can act as a 5 digit pass code before the computer can boot up. Highly effective in thwarting thieves! You can enter this information through a program in Windows Vista to engage when you first boot the laptop up. As default hot buttons, the 1 key launches Notepad, 2 is the calculator, 3 is Internet Explorer (or your default browser) and 5 launches your email application.

The Fujitsu LifeBook E8410 is a notebook as good as any other. Setting aside its build quality and price, this laptop is a good option for business professionals in terms of performance and range of features.

Dell Latitude D820 Notebook PC Review

The Dell Latitude D820 is a portable desktop-replacement notebook capable of strengthening any workforce. It has a roomy widescreen and options for either Verizon EV-DO or Cingular HSDPA, and is an all-around great piece of hardware for both the deskbound and the occasional traveler.

As a high school graduation gift, my parents bought me a Dell Latitude D820 15.4" widescreen notebook. While Dell's Inspiron line is squarely aimed at the consumer market, the Latitude line is geared more towards the academic, small business, and corporate user. This is evidenced by the Latitudes' superior build quality, sober styling, lack of media-centric features, and higher price. Price-wise and size-wise, the Latitude D820 battery sits atop the thin-and-light 14" widescreen D620 and the budget oriented 14" standard-aspect D520 in the Latitude lineup. The D820 is an updated version of the D810 and features the Intel Core Duo processor to replace the D810's Pentium M as well a significant weight reduction from the D810. According to CNET Labs, "While the 3.2kg [7.05lbs] Latitude D810 was more of a desktop replacement, the 2.8kg [6.17lbs] approaches the more portable thin-and-light territory." This newfound svelteness, coupled with the D820's impressive computing power, makes it a formidable contender in the mid-size business notebook category.

The 15.4-inch widescreen LCD means you won't miss a desktop monitor, and some users will appreciate the high 1920 x 1200-pixel resolution, since it lets you have multiple windows open at once. Of course, default icons and fonts wind up rather small, so some users will want to opt for the lower-resolution panel (Dell also offers 1280 x 800-pixel and 1680 x 1050-pixel choices on the D820). The full-sized keyboard is comfortable (though key taps were a bit loud), and the D820 includes both a touchpad and a pointing stick.

Like all Dell Latitude notebooks, the D820 features a durable design, including a magnesium alloy casing, steel hinges, and StrikeZone protection for the hard drive. ExpressCharge technology enables you to recharge the battery to 80 percent capacity in about an hour. Dell backs this business system with a three-year warranty.

The professional look of the Latitude D820, paired with a workstation class video card, is reason enough for Dell to call it a business notebook. While I agree that it would be a great tool for a business, the D820 could also be an excellent notebook for a student looking for performance, ease of use and occasional gaming. I really like my Dell Latitude D820 battery. It performs like I was expecting, the battery life is excellent with the additional 6-cell media bay battery and it's gaming power is close to what I was hoping for. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this model to any professional looking for a solid system for work related task or to students looking for a good machine that can game a bit on the side.

The business section is basically divided into two series, Precision and Latitude. Precisions are more cutting edge technology, sacrificing some stability for the latest features, which might have some instability possibly caused by new drivers. Latitudes are the more conventional choice for businesses offering increased stability due to being built on a proven platform.

Specifications:
Core Duo T2400 CPU @ 1.83 GHz, 667MHz front side bus, 2MB L2 cache
15.4" WSXGA+ (1680x1050) display
1024MB DDR2-667 RAM (2x512MB DIMMS)
NVIDIA Quadro NVS 120 graphics solution with 512MB TurboCache
60GB hard disk @ 7200RPM
8x CD-RW/DVD RW dual layer drive
Dell Wireless 1390 WLAN (802.11b/g 54Mbps) Mini Card (Broadcom)
Bluetooth radio (Toshiba stack)
6-Cell/56 WHr Primary Battery
Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
3-year Economy Plan warranty
Weight: 6.17lbs
Dimensions 1.39 in (H) x 14.21 in (W) 10.34 in (D)

Today we have the pleasure of reviewing the Latitude D820 series which falls into the high-end of the Latitude range and it’s our very first of many new notebook reviews here at TweakTown. While this notebook is listed under Dell's business section it actually boasts some nice features for an entertainment system, including a WUXGA display (that is 1900x1200 pixels to you and me) and HD audio.

Though the NVIDIA Quadro 120M graphics card isn't designed to play newer games, the D820 scored 12,620 in 3DMark 2001 SE, which shows it will handle older or less taxing games reasonably well. The Quadro range has a history in professional workstation graphics such as CAD (computer-aided design), but the 120m is marketed by NVIDIA as a business level graphics solution.

The main chassis is solid, as is the bezel housing the screen, though some distortion was noticeable on the LCD when pressure was applied to the back. Both a touchpad and a track-point are supplied and the keyboard was nicely sized and comfortable to use.

In our benchmarks, the Latitude D820's new parts catapulted the system's SysMark 2004 performance 30 percent beyond that of the prior-generation D810. The Dell D820 battery can easily handle any business task you throw at it and will likely succeed with most entertainment applications as well. We suspect the D820's high display resolution took a slight toll on the system's battery life, though: the system still lasted a very respectable 4 hours 51 minutes, but the similar-size battery on the ThinkPad T60, which features a lower screen resolution, held out for almost 6 hours. Still, the newly portable Latitude D820 now has enough battery life for decent excursions away from the socket.

The Latitude D820's three-year warranty is the industry standard for a business system, but Dell includes onsite repairs by the next business day -- something that costs extra from other vendors. Dell's comprehensive support Web site is also among the best in the business, offering troubleshooting info, downloads, a customer forum, real-time chatting with a tech-support rep and more.

Review of HP Compaq Business Notebook 6830s

HP Compaq Business Notebook 6830s is a notebook computer and it is a midpriced product. It costs around $1000, and it has a 17 inch widescreen with a 1680x1050 resolution. This is an outstanding characteristic, compared to other computers. The computer runs on Intel Core 2 Duo Chip and it has 320 GB hard disk and 3 GB RAM. The graphics are well represented by ATi Radeon HD 3000, with 256 RAM.

The 320 GB hard drive is larger than the average hard disk capacity on the market these days, but it is somehow proportional with the price. You can use the Bluetooth support to connect your headphones to your computer, and also to sync your mobile phone with the notebook.

Features
Processor Options: Intel Core 2 Duo Processor T9400 (2.53 GHz, 6 MB L2 cache, 1066 MHz FSB), Intel Core 2 Duo Processor P8600 (2.40 GHz, 3 MB L2 cache, 1066 MHz FSB), Intel Core 2 Duo Processor P8400 (2.26 GHz, 3 MB L2 cache, 1066 MHz FSB), Intel Core 2 Duo Processor T5870 (2.00 GHz, 2 MB L2 cache, 800 MHz FSB), Intel Core 2 Duo Processor T5670 (1.80 GHz, 2 MB L2 cache, 800 MHz FSB).
Display: 17" Widescreen LCD (1280x800 dpi or 1680x1050 dpi)
RAM: 1-2 GB DDR2 (maximum 8 GB)
Graphics Adapter: ATI Mobility Radeon 3430
Webcam optional
Networking: 802.11a/b/g/n with Bluetooth support optional
Optical Drive: DVD-ROM, DVD/CD-RW, LightScribe DVD+/-RW SuperMulti with Double Layer support, Blu-ray ROM DVD+/-RW SuperMulti DL Drive
Connectivity: 4 USB ports, 1 RJ-11, 1 LAN, 1 VGA output
OS: Windows Vista Home Basic , Vista Business (32-bit), Vista Enterprise (32-bit), Windows XP
Battery: 6 or 8-cell Li-ion
Weight: 6.5 lbs

The key selling point at this price is the Blu-ray optical drive for watching the latest high-definition (HD) movie discs.

Unfortunately, there is no HDMI port for connecting to an HDTV, so you won't be able to get the full benefit of HD movies. The drive does let you record data to all current DVD and CD formats, however.

The dual-core Intel processor and 3072MB of memory are strong on paper, but in practice delivered a weak performance. There's ample power for most home and office use, but if you require optimum power, there are better choices.

The HP Compaq Business Notebook 6830s battery features a 17-inch diagonal widescreen display, discrete graphics, optional webcam, the latest Intel Core 2 Duo processors, and the functionality you need to run a business at a price you will appreciate. HP Wireless Assistant ensures you can easily identify and quickly enable or disable your wireless devices to enhance your notebook's battery life. Experience web conferencing with no additional hardware to buy with optional webcam. The HP Compaq Business Notebook 6830s features 2 GB of RAM and a 250 GB hard drive.

Although this system LOOKS absolutely amazing, and the specs LOOK really good, do NOT be taken in by that! This was a replacement of a HP tx1250ea, which had gone badly wrong.

The system is very slow, and warms up very quickly, getting louder and louder. I believe that this is down to the AMD processor, but I really don't know. This also had an 'ATI HD' graphics card, but hardly runs Vista's Aero graphics without a blue screen!

This Hewlett Packard laptop has a great Intel Dual-Core processor backed up with a 3GB Ram which combined, have the capability to multi task many programs at once without reducing its’ speed or quality.

So you can be downloading music while uploading photos and be using all the work applications at the same time, and the efficiency of the laptop should be not be affected.

This notebook is also built to protect. HP ProtectTools Security Manager allows you to manage your security features from a single console. Security software modules give you the flexibility to design a security solution that meets your needs. The HP Compaq 6830s battery is also built to simplify. HP Wireless Assistant ensures you can easily identify and quickly enable or disable your wireless devices to enhance your notebook's battery life.

HP 3D DriveGuard, using a three-axis accelerometer that detects sudden movement and initiates protective action, helps protect your notebook's hard drive against bumps or drops so your critical data is protected while on the move.

Ideal for demanding executives, it simplifies life by allowing the user to complete more tasks in less time. Efficient and user-friendly, it has 4 USB 2.0, VGA out, RJ-11 (modem) and RJ-45 (NIC) as its expansion ports. Equipped with Bluetooth, integrated 10/100/1000 network card and integrated Wireless LAN, the laptop runs on battery with a maximum run time of 3 hours. Available with 1 year warranty, the Hewlett-Packard HP ProBook 4510s/CT battery (NA837ET#ABU) is office ready. Weighing 2.95kg, it is not very portable but it is possible to carry it from one office to another. A versatile and dependable gadget, it offers full flexibility to the user and makes for a useful and wise investment.

Dell Latitude D531 Laptop PC Review

The Dell Latitude D531 isn't the fastest or sexiest laptop on the market, but it does deliver what business buyers crave most: configurability, long battery life, and good value. This six-pound mainstream portable is worth a look for corporations and growing businesses that appreciate a stable platform and common parts (battery, AC adapter, bay devices, and docking solutions for DELL Latitude D531 battery are the same as for all the other D-series models) but are tired of paying north of $2,000 per machine for a decently equipped model.

Dell didn't cut corners when it came to the screen: The 15.4-inch TrueLife display is extra bright and delivers excellent viewing-angle range, even when viewed from above. The 1440 x 900-pixel resolution makes for crisp, legible text, though default font and icon sizes in documents and Web pages looked a touch small. During DVD playback the panel did exhibit some motion blur, and while scenes looked rich, they were a tad dark overall, losing some details in shadow areas.

As has become traditional of late, AMD systems of any flavour tend to be targeted at the lower end of the market. This is a reflection on AMD's notebook platform, which is inherently inferior to Intel's in almost every way; be it in raw performance or less tangible but vital areas such as battery life.

Before I get on that however, let's take a close look at the D531's chassis. It's built around a 15.4in display and though there's an option for a 1,440 x 900 panel, our sample came with the cheaper 1,280 x 800 variety. This shouldn't come as much of a surprise since, as I noted in the Student's Guide to Technology, 15.4in displays are cheap to make and as such are used in the vast majority of budget notebooks.

Specifications
Below are the specifications of the Dell Latitude D531 as reviewed:

Processor: AMD Turion 64 X2 TL-60 (2.00 Ghz)
Hard Drive: Hitachi 120GB SATA HD 5400 RPM
Memory: 2.0GB DDR2-667MHZ, 2 DIMMS (4GB Max)
Graphics: Integrated ATI x1270
Display: 15.4” WXGA+ “TrueLife” (250 nits) (14.1" screen is also an option)
Battery: 9-Cell (85 WHr)
Adapter: 65W power supply
Wireless Card: Dell wireless 1505 draft-N card
Optical Drive: Optiarc 8x DVDRW AD-5540A
Ports: Four USB 2.0, one Firewire, headphone out, microphone in, s-video, modem, ethernet, VGA, serial port, PCMCIA slot
OS: Windows XP Pro SP2
Dimensions:
Height: 35.3mm/1.39"
Width: 361mm/14.2"
Depth: 262.6mm/10.34

Connectivity options abound with a choice of both Gigabit wired and 802.11g wireless Ethernet interfaces. Bluetooth is, similarly, built in along with a FireWire (IEEE 1394) port plus four USB 2.0 connectors to attach external disks, scanners and other devices. And there's a PC-Card slot to, for example, add a 3G card for totally wireless connectivity.

Windows Vista Business comes pre-installed on this model complete with Aero 3D visual effects. We then installed Office 2007, a SQL Server database and an accounts package, all of which the D531 coped with very well indeed.

The Latitude D531 battery is designed to help businesses stay up-to-date with technology without sacrificing the bottom line. This mainstream value notebook updates the D520 with new processor options, improved security and enterprise-class features. At the same time, it offers the longer lifecycles, image stability and peripheral commonality that growing businesses have come to expect from the Latitude D family.

To help keep costs down, Dell has fitted this machine with an AMD dual-core processor, but you can opt for an Intel chip if you'd prefer. In this particular specification, you'll find the ATi Radeon X1270 handles the graphics, which is an integrated solution that is on a par with Intel's latest X1300 GPU. This means you can run standard tasks with ease, but it won't handle the latest 3D programs.

Weighing in at 2.8kg, the Latitude looks larger and heavier than it actually is and, while it's not designed to be carried around all day, every day, it is fairly portable. Less impressive was its battery life of 187 minutes, under test, which trails behind many of its competitors.

Dell's AMD-powered Latitude D531 is unlikely to win any awards for its looks. However, it does have a fast dual-core processor, 2GB of memory and a nice display plus Wi-Fi connectivity as standard, making for a versatile business notebook at an affordable price. The first thing you notice is the 15.4-inch display. On the downside this makes the DELL D531 battery a little large to carry about, but with an ATI Radeon video controller and a resolution of 1,280 x 800, it's man enough for most day to day tasks. Moreover, specify a Dell TrueLife display (at a remarkably affordable £13 + VAT) and the resolution rises to an impressive 1,440 x 990 pixels. Either way the end result is a large, bright display plenty big enough for presentations, with a wide viewing angle and sufficient adjustment to deal with a range of lighting conditions.

The new AMD-powered Dell notebook has CD-ROM, Combo or DVD burner drive, four USB ports, a Firewire, VGA and S-Video outputs, a COM port and a PCMICA card slot.

It provides Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 1.2 for enhanced security, a reinforced magnesium-alloy chassis and LCD back, and weighs starting at 5.1 lbs.

However, Dell includes the Dell System Customisation Wizard that explains to users how to connect to the Internet, learn about gadgets and sidebars, find product support and documentation and transfer data.

Dell keeps the D531 to a minimalist design. Besides the power button, there’s only one other button, which is the switch for the wireless network and Bluetooth connection.

General information about driver Dell Latitude D531 file (its size, type, interface language, the name of the operating system under your Laptop works, and the date of creating driver) containing driver for Latitude D531 laptop is represented on this page. Here you are also able to see a quantity of D531 driver download and estimate its utility by a simple voting.

Some driver files for DELL Latitude D531 laptop battery may be in the archived state for comfortable download, so you will need to have WinZip or WinRar archiver to use them.
Driver Dell Laptop Latitude D531 download occurs after clicking on the proper link.

Dell Inspiron 1564 Reviews

I like a lot of Dell's newer laptops, and I had hoped to like the company's newly Core i5-enhanced Inspiron 15 (1564 variant). This model has a lush widescreen and isn't too big, and the glossy shell looks nearly as good as the Apple aesthetic it apes. At about $934 (as of March 9, 2010) when it isn't on sale, the DELL Inspiron 1564 battery is a reasonably priced all-purpose laptop with a substantially more than adequate chunk of silicon at its heart. But it doesn't give you a lot of ways to get all that power out and onto the screen of your choice, and the keyboard is an uncomfortable mess. Typing this review means that I'm finally, blissfully close to not having to use this keyboard ever again. (Yes!)



The review model I received had the "Ice Blue" finish with the familiar Dell icon in the center. The glossy sections of this machine are fingerprint magnets (no way around that), but they look good. The whole thing measures 15 by 9.8 by 0.8 inches and weighs just under 5.5 pounds. The 15.6-inch widescreen display stretches it out--this is not a laptop you can casually toss into a small bag, but it isn't a monster either. The left side has USB, VGA, and HDMI ports, plus the ethernet plug. The right edge has the DVD drive, two more USB ports, microphone and headphone ports, and a memory card reader.

A fast processor is all very well, but what about the rest of the laptop? The Inspiron design remains basically the same, with a fairly minimalist case and sturdy lid hinges that allow you to push the lid back almost to a horizontal position. There aren't any flashy LED controls or indicators, which is no bad thing. Once again, Dell has swapped the Function keys default behaviour - for example the F2 key is now the "Toggle Wireless" key, and you have to press the Fn key to get F2. If this is a little confusing, you can reverse this behaviour back to 'normal' in the BIOS.

The rest of the keyboard is fairly standard. The keys have flat tops but enough spacing between them, and their action is light with fairly crisp feedback. The touchpad is large enough and very responsive, with two large buttons that have an extremely light action - so light that there is hardly any feedback when you press them.

First let me say I ended up purchasing this model because I had to. Really wanted a 1464 but they were out of stock and needed a new laptop asap so got the 1564 instead. Let me say that his computer works great! On the positive side I really enjoy the number pad. The track pad needs a little getting use to but since I use a bluetrack wireless mouse it doesn't bother me much. The Cyberlink DVD software really takes advantage of the integrated HD features from the integrated graphics and iCore chip, had no slowdowns. Setting up the wi-fi was a breeze. Didn't have to remove much bloatware if anything at all. Everything works great, can't complain.

Specifications:

• Intel Core i3-330M Dual Core Processor
• 3GB PC3-8500 DDR3 Memory
• 250GB 5400rpm SATA Hard Drive
• 8x DVD+/-RW Dual Layer Burner
• 15.6-inch WXGA (1366x768) WLED Backlit Display With 1.3 Megapixel Webcam
• Intel GMA 4500MHD Integrated Graphics
• Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11b/g Wireless
• Three USB 2.0, HDMI, VGA, 7-in-1 Card Reader
• 15" x 9.8" x 1.3" @ 5.5 lbs.
• Windows 7 Home Premium, Works, McAfee Security Center

Like the Dell Studio 15 Artist Edition, the Inspiron 15 sports a dropped central hinge design, and a refreshingly cleaner palmrest. The new Dell Inspiron 15-1564 is better built than the previous one, and definitely better looking than some other laptops in its price range. The Inspiron 15's one of the lighter 15-inch laptops, weighing just 2.4kg.

The Dell Inspiron 15's 15.6-inch LED backlit display has a 16:9 aspect ratio, which is nice for watching high-def content. The screen is glossy in nature, has good horizontal viewing angles, and it does a pretty good job of displaying both text and movie content.

As mentioned above, the Inspiron 1564 battery is the first machine with Core i3 branding we’ve reviewed. Core i3 represents the lower end of Intel’s next generation processing technology and – after initial testing – we were extremely impressed by the power on offer for the money. It blows away competition from Intel's older Core 2 Duo processor technology, making it an entry level machine you’ll be able to run surprisingly powerful applications on.

Elsewhere there’s an integrated Intel GPU providing limited graphical performance, 802.11g Wi-Fi and also VGA and HDMI out ports giving you versatile connectivity to external monitors.

While the low clocks will reduce heat output and improve battery life for the Inspiron 1564, it bears mentioning that there's no way to switch to using the integrated graphics built into the Core i5 CPU and thus improve battery life further. This is similar to what we saw with NVIDIA's switchable graphics, which have only been in a few products over the years. As we covered in our Optimus Technology Overview, switchable graphics requires more validation and testing, more motherboard layers, and several multiplexer chips (typically two per video output). Given all of the added work, it's perhaps not too surprising—though it is disappointing—that Dell chose to keep costs down on the Inspiron 15. Less expensive models are available with Intel HD Graphics, for those that don't need a faster GPU.

Rounding out the package is 4GB of DDR3-1066 memory (expandable to 8GB if you're willing to lose the 2GB SO-DIMMs that the system comes with), a 320GB hard drive running at 5400 RPM (a Western Digital Scorpio Blue in our test unit, though we suspect actual hard drives will vary based on Dell's current inventory), and a DVD+/-RW drive. Networking comes courtesy of Dell's Wireless 1397 802.11g network adapter, 10/100 Ethernet, Bluetooth, and an integrated 1.3-megapixel webcam. While the memory is bog standard for this market segment, the rest of the components are curiously underpowered for such a monstrous processor. The lack of gigabit Ethernet is disappointing, and the modified configuration utility is a mess.

Despite using an integrated GPU – a graphics technology traditionally associated with limited power – Intel's latest onboard chip provides surprisingly powerful 3D performance, allowing high-definition (HD) video and even less demanding games to run with little effort.

The stunning 15.6-inch screen adds to the multimedia usability on offer. It is a very bright panel, and delivers fantastic colour reproduction and sharp images, ensuring movies, photos and games are shown with impressive clarity and vibrancy.

If there's an area in which the Dell 1564 battery comes up a bit short, it's in the port, I/O, and networking configuration. Competing laptop models have similar connection assortments to this Dell, but some have an ExpressCard slot, dual headphone jacks, and a USB/eSATA combo port. Probably the biggest error, though, is the use of an 802.11g wireless adapter instead of an 802.11n adapter. Also, Dell didn't include Bluetooth with this Inspiron, which seems to have disappeared from most of the recent mainstream laptop models we've tested.

The i1564-6980CRD is a retail system and is not configurable at time of purchase. However, on Dell's Web site you can configure the Inspiron 15 with a faster Core i5 processor, more storage, software, and select from three other color options: black, blue, and pink. The Inspiron's memory is expandable to 8GB and can be easily added via a removable panel on the bottom of the system.

Dell's Inspiron 1564 budget systems offers a solid laptop for those on a tight budget. Incentives and discounts often drive the price below $600. With the Core i3 processor it provide a very quick computing experience. The downside is that users will have to sacrifice some RAM, hard drive space and wireless features for this lower price. For some this may not matter much but be warned that Dell does not offer the same level of customization on this particular model.

Graphics are handled by the integrated Intel chipset, so you’ll be able to play basic games but you won’t find this machine optimised for serious gaming and even video editing will be something of a strain.

Below the screen is a full-sized keyboard with a separate keypad. The keys are a good size but we found they tend to rattle as we typed. Also, less appealing, is the keyboard has been shunted to the left-hand side to accommodate the numeric keypad, so pushing it left of centre, which can take a little time to grow accustomed to.

For storage you can use the 500GB Serial ATA (SATA) hard drive rotating at 5400RPM. Not the speediest drive, but plenty of space to store your digital pictures from your camera or all your music for your iPod. The optical drive is a 8x multi-format DVD drive which supports reading/writing of CD-R/RW, DVD±R, DVD±RW, DVD±R DL, and DVD-RAM. The 7-in-1 memory card reader is compatible with Secure Digital (SD), Hi-Capacity Secure Digital (SDHC), Hi-Density Secure Digital (SDHD), Multi Media Card (MMC), Memory Stick (MS), Memory Stick PRO (MS Pro), and xD Picture Card (xD) media cards.

For networking you can use the 54g Wi-Fi networking (802.11b/g) wireless networking adapter, or the 10/100 RJ-45 Ethernet port. Other ports include 3 high-speed USB 2.0 ports, HDMI output port for connecting to your HDTV, VGA port for an external monitor, headphone out and microphone in jacks.

With a base price tag of roughly $640, Dell offers a number of discount incentives on their systems that results in a price tag that can easily be found for under $600. This makes it extremely affordable but they did sacrifice a few other features to reach this price. With 802.11n now an official standard, most laptops include this as a standard feature. This version of the DELL Inspiron 1564 laptop battery only comes with 802.11b/g support which may disappoint those wanting high speed wireless networking.

Dell has also been known for their wide range of customization options when ordering laptops. In the case of their budget Inspiron 1564, it is considered a fast track item. This means that the internal components can not be upgraded at the time of the order. Only external peripherals can be added to the bundle.

Dell Inspiron 1764 Laptop Review

Dell's 17.3in 1764 is the first laptop we've seen to use Intel's new mobile Core i5 processor. The 2.26GHz Core-5-430M might only seem a little bit quicker than the 2.13GHz Core i3-330M processors commonly used in laptops at this price, but it's got a trick up its sleeve: Turbo Boost.

This allows the processor to up its clock speed to 2.53GHz when under load to power through tough computing jobs. This processor, combined with the 4GB of RAM, managed an impressive overall score of 83 in our benchmarks: we've rarely seen faster laptops and certainly not at this price. With so much power, the Dell Inspiron 1764 battery should be able to handle any job. Multimedia applications, such as video encoding, will be quick on this laptop

Turbo Boost also means that the processor requires less power in standard mode, so battery life can be helped. That said, this monster only managed to last for two hours 41 minutes in our battery tests. It's enough for occasional use around the home, but we've seen similarly-sized laptops last for longer.

Now with the Dell Inspiron 1764 laptop you don't have many options when it comes to the kind of design. Basically you only have one color at this point which is the blue color. You have other design options when you order the Dell Inspiron 1764 laptop from the Dell website itself. You have the option of picking from approximately 200 designs. Now this might be a great thing for many people who like to have their laptop looking in a unique way. For example similar laptop in the same category such as the HP Pavilion dm3 series battery and the Acer Aspire AS8940 only have one design no matter where you decide to purchase the product from.

The way its built it great. I bought the top line, the only thing I didnt get was the blue-ray drive. The i5 processor is fast making things easy and quick. the graphics at 1 Gb is perfect. I bought the 9cell battery making the computer about 1-2 inch higher at the back which means the laptop can breath and keep it from getting to hot. The mouse I have had no problem with. The fact about were Dell placed the mouse pad is no different then were all the companies put then they are all in the same place. The key board does not make any more sound then any other key board. Sound is fine the fact that the speakers are yes at the bottom and I guess if you have the 6cell battery it may mute the sound a bit. Over all I feel that you get what you pay for. If you want something great pay the extra.

The system began to malfunction shortly after I installed basic security and office software. It would not connect to my HP printer. There were local network and driver errors, along with frequent hangs, bluescreen crashes and other problems. Dell tech support blamed me for "corrupting" their operating system and said I would have to pay extra for software service, since their "limited" warranty covers only hardware. I restored the machine to factory settings, only to see the problems reappear. Despite my extensive experience as a computer professional, I was unable to fix the software problems. Internet research showed I was not alone.

Product Spec:

• Type: General Purpose, Media, Value
• Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium
• Processor Name: Intel Core i5 M430
• Processor Speed: 2.27 GHz
• RAM: 4 GB
• Weight: 6.2 lb
• Screen Size: 17.3 inches
• Screen Size Type: widescreen
• Graphics Card: Intel GMA HD
• Storage Capacity: 320 GB
• Networking Options: 802.11n
• Primary Optical Drive: External

We won't go through all the potential permutations here, but it's worth pointing out that you can get discrete graphics (from a choice of two ATI cards) and up to a 500GB hard drive. These options, however, are only available as broadly defined upgrade packages - you can't tailor the machine to your exacting requirements like the company's more expensive models.

Most models, including the version sold by PC World and other e-tailers, feature Wireless-G Wi-Fi. N Wi-Fi is only available on the most expensive base-spec, as is Bluetooth and a Blu-ray drive. Not that you'd really want the latter given the only display option is the standard 1,600 x 900 resolution, LED backlit effort. It's a good resolution for normal users after a large, readable display, but it's not ideal for Full HD video content.

There's life in colossal media centers after all, as consumers aren't ready to give up precious screen real estate, even as they are ready to toss away their clunky desktops. The Inspiron 1764 battery has all the components that'll ease your transition from a desktop to a laptop, except if you're a gamer. With its Core i5 processor and ample screen real estate, the Dell Inspiron 1764-5595IBU offers an easy transition from desktop to laptop, but gamers will need a better graphics card.

Of greater concern, although not related to performance per se, is that the Inspiron is a comparatively noisy machine - particularly for a big laptop. It's not necessarily that its fan spins up more than other laptops, though it wouldn't surprise us were that the case. It's more that it spins very fast and conspicuously, particularly when the system is called upon to do taxing tasks. We wonder whether this is a result of the slim chassis making cooling less efficient, but whatever the cause it's quite annoying.
This is no reflection on the overall build quality, however, our impression of which is generally positive. Keyboard aside, which we've already covered, this is a very well screwed together system with a strong, smooth hinge action on the screen. There are also quick access hardware panels, making this an easy system to upgrade should you need.

The Dell Inspiron 1764 laptop features the Intel® Core® i3-330M processor and comes preloaded with Microsoft's Windows® 7 Home Premium. The 500GB hard drive has plenty of space for your favourite multimedia files, and the Inspiron 1764 uses 4GB of RAM to keep all your applications running smoothly, even when you're multi-tasking! This Dell Inspiron 1764 notebook has a 17.3" high-gloss, high contrast, anti-reflective widescreen TrueLife TFT display.

Equipped with a powerful 2.26GHz Intel Core i5 processor and a whopping 4GB memory, Dell Inspiron 1764 laptop is much quicker than the processors we see in ordinary machines. Best for running memory-intensive applications and multimedia programs like video/audio coding, graphics work, the Dell 1764 battery is a fast, reliable and powerful laptop. A unique feature of the processor is the Turbo Boost technology which can automatically enhance the speed of the processor from 2.26GHz up to 2.53GHz whenever the system needs extra power. The Turbo Boost also helps the system to save power whilst in standard mode and ultimately increases the battery hours.

Acer Travelmate 6593 Review

The Acer Travelmate 6593 is one of the many models of the Travelmate series produced by fifth leading computer manufacturer Acer. From the beginning, Acer has branded the Travelmate series as the perfect business companion. From such a description, you can safely assume that the Travelmate 6593 is geared towards the entrepreneur.

TravelMate 6593 specifications

• Intel® Centrino® 2 Processor with vPro™ Technology
• Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor T9500
• (6MB L2 Cache 2.53 GHz 1066MHz FSB)
• 15.4" WXGA Acer CrystalBrite™ TFT LCD (1280 x 800)
• 4GB DDR3 1066 MHz Dual Channel Memory
• Integrated Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 4500 MHD
• 250GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive
• DVD-Super Multi Double-Layer Drive
• 5-in-1 Digital Media Card Reader
• 802.11a/b/g/Draft-N Wi-Fi CERTIFIED®
• Acer Crystal Eye Webcam
• Windows Vista® Business

There are certain features that a business-oriented laptop should have. One of these is the flexibility and the power needed to multi-task. Second, does it have enough battery power so that you can use it conveniently on the road? This and other questions can be answered through this in-depth look at the pros and the cons of the Travelmate 6593.

The Acer TravelMate 6593 battery is a 6.6-pound, general-purpose notebook computer.Compared to other general-purpose notebooks on the market, it is relatively inexpensive at around $830.The 15.4 inch widescreen has a native resolution of 1280 x 800, which is fairly standard among laptops.Runs on the Intel Core 2 Duo processor.This configuration has a 250GB hard disk drive and 2 GB of memory.

As its reviews, the TravelMate notebook platform could prove to be perfect for the users who have to integrate connectivity, productivity and portability tools into one device. The 15.4-inch TravelMate 6593 the 14.1-inch TravelMate 6493 notebook PC claims to come up with excellent security alternatives and unique specs like videoconferencing that professionals are on the look out for in a notebook.

The TravelMate 6593 comes packed with an Intel Centrino 2 Processor along with Pro technology. Looking at its glaring specs, I think this is really the only notebook you need to have, as it comes built-in with 15.4-inch WXGA Acer CrystalBrite TFT LCD (1280 x 800), 4GB DDR3 1066 MHz Dual Channel Memory, and 250GB 7200RPM SATA hard drive. As the features, it also has a 5-in-1 digital media card reader, DVD-Super double-layer drive as well as Acer Crystal Eye webcam. Yes, the TravelMate 6593 battery is compatible with Windows Vista Business to meet your requirements. The TravelMate 6593 is prized up to $1499.

Dedicate to highly mobile users, the TravelMate 6593 hosts a full range of advanced connectivity solution: from WiFi/WiMAX capabilities, supporting Acer SignalUp with Invilink Nplify wireless technology, to Gigabit Ethernet LAN and modem connection. In addition,on selected configurations, full WWAN connectivity is guaranteed through quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE capability at 850/900/1800/1900 MHz and UMTS/HSDPA capability at 2100 MHz.

The TravelMate 6593 comes with Acer Video Conference solution, that includes the Acer Crystal Eye webcam, and Acer Video Conference Manager software (featuring Video Quality Enhancement) that enables you to set up videoconferences wherever you are. The TravelMate 6593 can also be specified with a VoIP Bluetooth phone.

TravelMate 6593 integrates also an Intel Centrino 2 vPro, with 3GB of DDR3 1066MHz dual channel memory and SATA HDD 250GB 7200rpm. The system is characterized by the integrated graphics chip Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500 that manages MHD a 14.1-inch LCD screen with Acer CrystalBrite WXGA resolution of 1280 x 800. Again, the budget is supplemented by a DVD recorder, 5in1 card reader, 1.3 megapixel Crystal Eye webcam, Windows Vista operating system. Acer TravelMate 6593 laptop battery will cost compresto between 1099 and 1299 U.S. dollars. For more details on these notebooks and to know the Italian models, we recommend you read our previous news .

To summarize and conclude, the Travelmate 6593 has the necessary processing power to ensure smooth processing of programs with minimal lags in the system. Plus it has enough space for the storage of important files and data. It is a little bit weak on the graphics side, however. The acer laptop battery life is highly impressive.

The 6593 is undeniably ideal for the businessman. It is not a gaming platform. Older games would do fine in the 6593, but it won’t do for the latest games that require heavy processing in both graphics and memory.

HP Pavilion DV9000Z Review

The 7.8-pound HP Pavilion dv9000z is a desktop replacement that's serious about multimedia. Its matte- or glossy-finished, 17-inch wide-screen display comes with a native resolution of either WXGA+ (1,440x900) or WSXGA+ (1,680x1,050), and the system features LED-backlit, touch-sensitive multimedia controls; two headphone jacks (one of which supports S/PDIF out); and HP's QuickPlay 2.1 software for accessing media without booting into Windows. You can configure the notebook with an AMD Turion 64 X2 processor at speeds from 1.6GHz to 1.8GHz; up to 2GB of 533MHz or 667MHz RAM; an Nvidia GeForce Go 7600 graphics card with 256MB of dedicated VRAM; and a 5,400rpm hard drive with up to 120GB of capacity. The HP Pavilion dv9000z battery also supports two hard drives on a RAID controller for up to 240GB of space. Other features include HP's Mobile Remote Control, S-Video out and FireWire ports, an ExpressCard slot, 802.11a/b/g wireless, Bluetooth, a dual-layer DVD burner, and a 5-in-1 memory card reader. A Webcam, dual microphones, and Windows XP Media Center Edition are all optional.


The piano-lacquer exterior and glossy gray interior treatment make the Pavilion line stand out, as do HP's extra features. The improved-for-Vista QuickPlay 3.0 utility lets you access music, video, DVD content, and more without going through the OS, and the tactile multimedia control buttons above the keyboard should be copied by other makers. A 1.3-megapixel webcam is built into the bezel for video chats and Web conferencing. Another feature other notebook-makers should rip off: the dual headphone jacks on the front edge, which let you share a movie in the back of the car without having to buy a splitter.

The centerpiece of the dv9000z is the 17-inch, 1440 x 900-pixel screen. It's a new-generation LCD panel ("Ultra BrightView Widescreen" is HP's name for it) that enhances the brightness and color gamut. Despite the relatively low resolution, the screen looked noticeably brighter than the glossy screens we've come to love. It provided very wide viewing angles, too, which makes the Pavilion dv9000z battery suitable to share around a coffee or conference table. Sound from the desk-mounted Altec Lansing speakers was excellent.

HP Pavilion DV9000Z specs as follows:

Operating System - Genuine Windows XP Media Center
Processor - Intel(R) Core(TM) 2 Duo processor T5500 (1.66 GHz)
Display - 17.0" WSXGA+ BrightView Widescreen (1680x1050)
Graphics Card - 256MB NVIDIA(R) GeForce(R) Go 7600
Personalization - HP Imprint Finish + Microphone + Webcam
Memory - 1024MB DDR2 System Memory (2 Dimm)
Hard Drive - 160GB 5400RPM SATA Dual Hard Drive (80GB x 2)
Primary CD/DVD Drive - LightScribe DVD+/-RW w/Double Layer
Networking - Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 3945ABG Network w/Bluetooth
Primary Battery - 8 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
OS and Recovery Media - System Recovery DVD w/Windows XP Media Center
Accessories - HP Mobile Remote Control

Connectivity-wise, the DV9000z comes well-equipped with four USB ports, a FireWire jack, VGA and S-Video outs, a five-format flash-memory-card reader, and an ExpressCard slot, as well as headphone, mic, and S/PDIF digital-audio jacks. You also get a High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) port onboard, which lets you connect the notebook to a compatible television for use as an HD DVD player. For networking, our review unit came with modem and Ethernet jacks, built-in Bluetooth, and 802.11a/b/g Wi-Fi. (Draft N wireless is also an available configuration option).

While our $2,606 review unit packed a bevy of high-end components, it still costs less than many high-end desktop-replacement notebooks, thanks mainly to its cheaper AMD processor. In fact, the model we evaluated, which included AMD's dual-core 2.2GHz Turion X2 TL-64, cost over $1,000 less than the similarly configured Dell XPS M1530 battery based on Intel's top-end 2.33GHz Core 2 Duo processor. In addition, our Pavilion featured 2GB of DDR2 RAM, twin 160GB hard drives, and the aforementioned HD DVD drive, which also functions as a multiformat DVD burner. HP skimped a bit on graphics power, however, outfitting the DV9000z with a discrete nVidia GeForce Go 7600 card with 256MB of DDR3 memory. We would like to see a 512MB card as an option, like with competing machines such as Dell's XPS M1710 and HP's own Core 2 Duo-based Pavilion DV9000t.

At 7.7 pounds, the dv9000z's carrying weight is middle-of-the-road: not ideal for frequent travel, but easier to move from room to room than some desktop replacements. Wireless communications (integrated 802.11b/g is standard; Bluetooth costs a little extra) are easy to monitor and control via an LED on/off switch mounted on the front.

his desktop replacement’s Core 2 Duo processor scored a good-but-not-spectacular 227 on our MobileMark 2005 test. Thanks to Nvidia’s GeForce Go 7600 graphics, complete with 256MB of dedicated video memory, the dv9000t notched a solid 8,657 on our 3DMark03 test. It scored a good 49 fps using F.E.A.R.’s AutoDetect settings and a respectable 26 fps with the settings maxed out.

Battery life was decent. In our tests, the dv9000t lasted an above-average 2 hours and 44 minutes with Wi-Fi on. As for wireless networking, the system comes with 802.11a/b/g Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. It scored a respectable 13.4 Mbps of throughput at 15 feet and 11.5 Mbps at 50 feet.

If gaming is your thing, the HP dv9220us gets you 80% of Alienware performance at 1/3 or less the price. The dedicated NVIDIA GeForce Go 7600 with 256 megs of dedicated video RAM handled the latest demanding titles such as Company of Heroes along with F.E.A.R. and Doom III easily with the games running at or near actual maximum display resolution. The built-in speakers sound really great for gaming and they're loud and clear enough at half volume that we could hear someone gaming several rooms away in a large house. If you want a bit more umph or future-proofing, HP offers the Go 7600 with 512 megs of dedicated RAM as an upgrade option. Our 256 meg NVIDIA system can use 271 megs of shared video memory for a total of 527 megs memory if needed.

The standard BrightView widescreen display runs at a resolution of 1440 x 900. This is a glossy display with good saturation and strong contrast but it's not the brightest. We keep the brightness turned up to 75% or better and then it looks lovely. The viewing angle is wide and by glossy display standards, glare isn't too bad. HP offers an upgrade option to their dual lamp Ultra BrightView display which they claim improves color gamut by 72% (no idea how this impacts battery life). Yet another option is a higher resolution 1680 x 1050 BrightView (sorry no Ultra option for this resolution) for $50 additional on a build-to-order dv9000z.

The HP Pavilion dv9000z Entertainment Notebook PC combines first-class digital entertainment with fast and powerful performance in HP's next-generation design. Featuring a large 17.0" high-definition widescreen BrightView display, the dv9000 boasts a superior viewing experience. With powerful processor, users can multitask with ease. Equipped with the NVIDIA GeForce Go graphics processor with PureVideo technology, users can enjoy smooth playback of the latest games and high definition video with vivid detail.

The 256MB Nvidia GeForce Go 7600 GPU is good enough for casual gaming, with a score of 7,124 on 3DMark03, though serious gamers will wish for a higher-end GPU, which HP does not yet offer for this series.

The HP dv9000z battery delivers a great mix of style, multimedia prowess, and performance. The excellent screen and welcome HD-DVD drive make it an ideal multimedia center.

HP Pavilion DV9930US 17-inch Laptop Review

We haven't had our hands on this product, but we know which features matter. Here's how the HP Pavilion Dv9930us Notebook (2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Mobile T5750, 4GB DDR2, 320GB, DVD±RW DL, Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit , 17" LCD) measures up:

The more memory a PC has, the faster your programs run and the more windows you can work in simultaneously. Equipped with memory between 2GB and 4GB, this laptop should be able to handle just about any task you can throw at it without bogging down too much. For instance, if you're a multitasker and you'd like to burn a music CD in one window while watching your favorite DVD movie (for the umpteenth time) in another--while flipping between your inbox and your browser to work on your blog during the movie's boring parts--this laptop can manage it all without a hiccup.

Product Details:

• Installed Memory: 4000
• Screen Size: 17
• Product Type: Notebook
• Processor Type: Intel Core 2 Duo
• Operating System: Windows Vista Home Premium x64 with SP1
• Networking: Fast EthernetWi-FiIEEE 802.3uIEEE 802.11n
• Display Type: BrightView
• Interface Type: 4 x 4-pin Type A USB 2.0 - USB1 x 15-pin HD-15 VGA1 x HDMI1 x RJ-11 Modem1 x RJ-45 Network1 x mini-DIN S-Video Out2 x Mini-phone Headphone1 x Mini-phone Microphone1 x Expansion Connector1 x 4-pin IEEE 1394 - FireWire1 x DC Power Input
• Included Drives: DVD-RAM/±R/±RW
• Video Chipset: nVIDIA GeForce 8600M GS
• Processor Speed: 2000
• Hard Drive Size: 320000
• Weight: 123.2

The HP Pavilion dv9930us battery is a 7.7-pound, general-purpose notebook computer.Compared to other mainstream notebooks on the market, it is relatively inexpensive at around $1,015.The 17 inch widescreen has a native resolution of 1440 x 900, which is better than most laptops.Built around the Intel Core 2 Duo CPU.This notebook has a 320GB hard disk drive and 4 GB of RAM.Features nVidia GeForce 8 series graphics with 512MB of video RAM.

The 17-inch Envy Notebooks from HP comes with some good features which make a refreshing touch to the spec list. The 17-inch Envy Notebook come with Mobility Radeon HD 5000 series chip, 2TB of storage space, Intel Core i7 processor and USB 3.0 ports. This 17-inch Envy Notebooks has been tagged at a price tag of $1,400.

The 14-inch & 17-inch Envy Notebooks from HP are expected to hit the market from June 27th and May 19th respectively. Stay tuned for more updates.

The Pavilion DV9930US battery has Intel Core 2 Duo technology with 4GB of RAM enables you to use multiple demanding applications, such as photo editing, DVD burning and playing a game, at the same time. And control content from up to 10 feet away with the HP Mobile Remote Control that can be stored in the ExpressCard slot for convenience.

This laptop also comes with a lot of preinstalled software. After I booted it up the first time before Vista loaded I got a software installation screen which I could not bypass. After 1 hour of installing HP's software it took me 3 hours uninstalling it. Of course, on any Dell, Toshiba, etc you would get this problem too.

I bought the combo package for the cooling device. I would say for such a large laptop with a possible but unlikely video card problem it is a solid investment. Touching the base of the HP Pavilion DV9930US laptop battery while it is with the cooling device is warm but not hot - which is good.