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Gateway Announces NV5 Series Notebooks

Gateway has announced its latest line of consumer notebooks, the NV5 series. Key features include a 15.6-inch display and AMD processors. The full specifications are as follows:

• 15.6-inch glossy display (1366×768)
• AMD Athlon 64, Athlon II X2, Turion X2 dual-core processors
• ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4200 graphics
• 4GB RAM (8GB max.)
• Up to 500GB hard drive
• 6-cell 4400mAh battery
• 2:40 battery life 
• 1-year limited warranty
• Dimensions: 1.12-1.46″ (H) x 14.66″ (W) x 9.85″ (D)
• Weight: 5.84 lbs

The Gateway NV5 series is available in four diferent lid colors: Midnight Blue, Coffee Brown, Glossy Red, and Glossy Black.

The notebook is available now at selected retailers starting at $529.99.

Gateway NV5 Series Product Page

Source:notebookreview.com

The Toshiba Satellite M640 and M645 offer a 14-inch laptop with solid performance and an attractive design at a modest price. As parents and students gear up for the back-to-school season, does the Satellite M640 below at the top of your shopping list? Keep reading to see what we think of this Core i5-equipped model with Nvidia discrete graphics.

Our review unit of the Toshiba Satellite M640 (M645-S4055) comes with the following features:

• 14-inch 720p (1366×768) display with LED backlighting
• Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)
• Intel Core i5 450M (2.40GHz)
• Nvidia GeForce 330M graphics card w/ 1GB GDDR3 dedicated memory (Optimus switchable graphics)
• 4GB DDR3 RAM
• 500GB 5400RPM hard drive (Toshiba MK5065GSX)
• 802.11b/g/n wireless
• Slot-Loading DVD SuperMulti (+/- Double Layer) with Labelflash
• Warranty: 1-Yr Parts and Labor, 1-Year Battery
• 6-cell Li-ion battery (48Wh) and 75W power adapter
• Weight: 6.12 lbs
• Dimensions: 13.3 x 9.1 x 1.12-1.45 inches
• Price as configured: $1,049.99 ($719 starting price)

Build and Design
The Satellite M640/M645 is the latest generation of multimedia notebooks from Toshiba and is designed to offer a perfect balance of performance and style. At first glance, the design of the M645 is pretty traditional with sculpted edges, a mixture of smooth and textured glossy plastics, and some attractive LED accent lighting. The exterior is covered in what Toshiba calls the “Fusion X2 Finish in Charcoal.” Personally, I call it black glossy plastic with a textured “chain” pattern imprinted in the surface to help hide fingerprints and dirt. Despite the silly marketing name for the finish, I have to give Toshiba credit here. The textured chain pattern gives you the modern look of the glossy plastics but doesn’t look like a horrible magnet for smudges, dirt, or whatever else a student spills on a laptop.

The build quality of the M645 is very good with a durable main chassis that doesn’t squeak, creak, or flex even under significant pressure. The screen hinges are a little loose, making it easy to open the laptop with one hand but also making it easy to accidentally move the screen if you bump the laptop. While we’re on the topic of the screen, the screen lid doesn’t provide as much protection as we’d like. If you press on the back of the screen while the laptop is running you’ll see obvious distortions on the screen itself. In addition, placing more than one heavy textbook on the screen lid causes the lid to bend inward sharply toward the screen … suggesting that the screen lid doesn’t offer much protection.

The bottom of the notebook includes two access plates for the RAM, wireless card and the hard drive. Despite the fact that most people buying consumer multimedia notebooks don’t perform upgrades, Toshiba engineers made is very easy to get inside this laptop. You only have to remove one screw to access the hard drive and one screw to get to the RAM and wireless card.

Screen and Speakers
The M645 has a 14-inch diagonal display with LED backlighting and a 16:9 aspect ratio. The overall quality of the display is “very good” within the narrow vertical viewing angle sweet spot. The backlight is even and bright, contrast is sharp and colors are good though the colors are a little warm at the default settings. If there is a single obvious issue it has to be the narrow vertical viewing angles. While the horizontal viewing angles (side view) are nearly flawless, the colors become over exposed when viewed from above and significantly inverted and distorted when viewed from below. If you are using this laptop for color-accurate editing you will need to be certain you’re viewing the screen from straight ahead.

The display’s 1366×768 resolution is a standard resolution for mainstream notebooks. The horizontal resolution is adequate, however only 768 pixels of vertical space means a good deal of scrolling while surfing the Internet and only enough space to view about one-half of a page in a Microsoft Word.

The Satellite M645 features harman/kardon branded stereo speakers located just above the keyboard. These speakers provide an excellent range of highs, midtones and lows with surprisingly rich base for a notebook without a dedicated subwoofer. Since these speakers are located above the keyboard they direct sound up and toward the user. Another item worth mentioning is Toshiba’s “Sleep-and-Music” feature which allows you to isten to music from your MP3 player through these fantastic laptop speakers even when your laptop is powered down in sleep mode. The headphone jack also provides a great, static-free connection for external speakers or earphones.

Keyboard and Touchpad
The full-size keyboard with LED backlighting on the M645 features Chiclet-style keys that are responsive and provide a little extra spacing to prevent typos. The keys are large and flat and have a glossy texture that shows smudges from your skin oils over time. There is no noticeable flex unless you apply significant pressure to the keys in the middle of the board. A individual key presses are quiet with virtually no “click-clack” noise while typing; making it an excellent choice for taking notes in a classroom or office meeting room. The keyboard also features dedicated multimedia keys above the keyboard and dedicated home, end, page up and page down keys.

The Synaptics touchpad is a fairly nice with a matte texture that provides smooth cursor movement. The touchpad drivers provide excellent accuracy and minimal lag with a range of options. This is a multi-touch touchpad with customizable gestures and overall this touchpad works exactly like you want a touchpad to work. However, the touchpad buttons have very shallow feedback with moderately loud clicks when you press the buttons.

Ports and Features
The Satellite M645 features a great range of ports–making this laptop one of the more “future proof” 14-inch notebooks we’ve recently reviewed. You get two USB 2.0 ports and a combo eSATA/USB 2.0 port in case you want to use fast external storage drives. The M645 also features dual video out ports: a VGA connection for old-school projectors and HDMI for new monitors and HDTVs. More importantly, the M645 includes an ExpressCard slot so you can upgrade this laptop with USB 3.0 ports if you need them. All picture descriptions are left to right.

Left side: Kensington lock slot, two USB 2.0 ports, Ethernet and optical drive

Right side: ExpressCard slot, audio jacks, HDMI, combo eSATA/USB 2.0 port, VGA, heat vent and power jack

Front: Media card reader (SD/MMC/MS) and activity lights

Back: Nothing

Source:notebookreview.com

By Dustin Sklavos

Adobe Media Encoder arrived as a standalone program in Creative Suite 4 to much gnashing of teeth. Does Media Encoder CS5 redeem the application? We break it down in this review.

People who have been using Adobe’s production software for a while will remember the upheaval that occurred with CS4. While CS5 is more evolution than revolution, the revamped interface of CS4 and added functionality produced a major break with its predecessors. I’ve read that the cult zombie movie Undead was edited on Premiere Pro way back in the day and that the Spierig brothers (who went on to write and direct the equally offbeat and interesting Daybreakers) more or less hated, loathed, whatever you want to call it…the experience. This would’ve been on a substantially older version than what we have now; Premiere has evolved by leaps and bounds, and CS4 in particular really pushed things forward.

One of the major changes there brings us to our review today: in CS4, Adobe split the Media Encoder out of the core Premiere program and introduced it as its own utility. You can only get it with certain Adobe applications — the ones you’d use it with — but it’s powerful enough to merit being approached on its own.

With the initial release of CS4, splitting the Media Encoder into its own app produced some major inconveniences. Premiere has gotten much better about multitasking on a powerful system, but when CS4 first dropped, you were looking at a good five to ten second wait switching in and out of Premiere, assuming it didn’t crash outright. So you had to wait a few seconds, then Media Encoder had to load, then if you wanted to go back to Premiere before rendering, you’d be in for another wait. One of the great features about splintering Media Encoder off was being able to queue renders from Premiere…except that you’d have to go in and out of Premiere to queue each individual render. I wasn’t a fan of Media Encoder at the time.

Now, however, it’s really an invaluable piece of software. Tabbing in and out of Premiere isn’t as onerous as it used to be, but more than that…Encoder’s darn flexible on its own.

IN PRACTICE

The “What’s New” for Media Encoder is small and simple, and it’s the same big feature that most of CS5 brought with it: 64-bit binaries. If Media Encoder wasn’t already well-threaded before, it runs even better now, and it will happily use as much RAM as you choose to allocate to it.

What makes Media Encoder CS5 awesome — other than the ability to queue substantial amounts of renders, click “Start Queue,” and then go have dinner, sleep, or have a social life — is the sheer magnitude of formats it supports.

I’ll break it down for those of you in the cheap seats: Adobe Media Encoder CS5 can convert/encode any type of media file into nearly any kind of media file. The format list you see to the right covers popular image, A/V, video-only, and audio-only file types, and it’s the tip of the iceberg. Let’s pick, say, H.264. H.264 is an extremely popular codec for compressing video.

Any particular preset you had in mind? It’s covered here. Note that the source file is Windows Media (admittedly a personal favorite for a variety of reasons); Media Encoder can handle just about any format you’d want to transcode. In fact, Media Encoder can even break your video file down into a series of still TIFF images. I’ve actually even used it to transcode a series of BMP images into JPEGs to post online, and it’s remarkably simple to use.

If the presets aren’t cutting it for you, you can also go in and tweak individual encoding settings to suit your needs; some codecs are more flexible than others, but you won’t be at a loss for options with the Media Encoder.

Another useful feature is being able to choose a specific clip of a larger video and/or audio file to render out. This is a necessity, since Media Encoder renders video from Premiere by importing the actual project file from Premiere and then defining in and out points for the clip, but can be used to slice up any sort of audio or video file.

Finally, Media Encoder can estimate how large your final encoded file will be, and if you click the “Output” tab can also approximate how your encoded video will look with your chosen codec and settings. It’s tremendously useful for seeing how a high definition video clip will look bounced down to standard or encoded in Flash to be trotted off to the internet.

Adobe links many settings between Premiere, After Effects, Encore (DVD mastering software), and Media Encoder, but what I’d really like to see in CS6 is better integration between Media Encoder and After Effects. While you can add After Effects projects to Media Encoder, the program proper still uses its own render queue. Media Encoder is maturing, but it’s not all the way there yet and still feels very much like a feature of Premiere that’s been given its own separate program (the settings window is still the exact same one from Premiere Pro CS3). Hopefully Adobe will make a full integration between it and After Effects at some point in the future, allowing the user to easily render multiple compositions from After Effects and video projects from Premiere just by queuing them up.

If there’s anything you might want to criticize about Media Encoder, it’s that it isn’t GPU-accelerated the way many consumer-grade encoders are these days. Media Encoder does all of its heavy lifting on the processor, the way it’s been done since time immemorial. This isn’t a major loss; CPU-based encoders to this day still produce superior output compared to GPU-accelerated ones, but if you’re more interested in speed than quality it’s going to disappoint you.

That said, if I were a speculating man — and I am — I’d assume Adobe’s partnership with Nvidia for CS5 suggests increased GPU involvement in future versions. It’s really only a matter of time until GPU-acceleration enters the fold proper for professional video work and becomes invaluable, but it’s still teething and most people doing serious work are going to want the best quality they possibly can. When media transcoding already runs the risk of producing inferior output to begin with, any loss you can mitigate is huge.

CONCLUSION

One of the important things to remember about Adobe Media Encoder CS5 is that it’s professional-grade software. It’s not the most user friendly software on the market (though it’s surprisingly easy to use regardless), and it will require at least some working knowledge of media codecs and editing. That said, bifurcating it from Premiere back in CS4 and then refining in CS5 was a very wise move on Adobe’s part.

In the meantime, Media Encoder CS5 is still very useful — and very easy to use — software, and is a must have in any video editor’s toolbox.

PROS

• 64-bit RAM allocation
• Can transcode any format
• Wide array of settings to tweak

CONS

• Not yet mature
• Beginner-unfriendly

Individual Ratings: *
Software & SUpport 
Upgrade Capabilities 
Usability 
Design 
Performance 
Features 
Price/Value Rating 
* Ratings averaged to produce final score

Source:notebookreview.com

AVADirect Intros 3D Gaming Notebooks

AVADirect has introduced two new gaming notebooks with 3D displays: the Clevo W860CU and ASUS G51JX-3D.
The Clevo W860CU has a 15.6-inch display with an Nvidia GTX 285M graphics card. It is available with Intel Core i5/i7 processors and SSDs. It starts around $1,800.

The ASUS G51JX-3D has a 15.6-inch display with an Nvidia GTX 360M graphics card. It features an Intel Core i7-720QM quad-core processor and starts around $1,600.

Both notebooks use Nvidia 3D Vision technology and come with active shutter glasses.

AVA Direct Product Announcement

Source:notebookreview.com

Nvidia Quadro FX 5000M Available in HP EliteBook

Nvidia has announced its latest workstation-class Quadro FX video cards based on its new Fermi microarchitecture. The first notebook available with the mobile Quadro FX 5000M card is the HP EliteBook 8740w.

The Quadro FX 5000M features 2GB of dedicated memory and 320 processor cores, compared to the previous-generation FX 3800M which had 1GB of memory and 128 processor cores.

The EliteBook 8740w is HP’s top-of-the-line workstation, featuring a 17″ display and up to an Intel Core i7 Extreme quad-core processor. The EliteBook 8740ws with the Quadro FX 5000M starts at $2,676; the base 8740w starts at $1,999.

HP EliteBook 8740w Product Page
Via (Electronista.com)

Source:notebookreview.com

Apple has released a number of new products over the last few days, but sadly none of them are specific to MacBook users. The team over at DestopReview.com has all of the details on the new 27-inch Cinema Displays, 12-core Mac Pros and Core i7 iMacs.

Apple even unveiled the all new Magic Trackpad, which brings the MacBooks’ class-leading touchpads to an external, self-contained form factor for desktops. As usual, our sister site did a fantastic job of reviewing the new Apple Magic Trackpad just in case you need one for back-to-school season.

Check out the handy guide to all of Apple’s Summer 2010 updates at DesktopReview.com

Source:notebookreview.com

MSI GT660 Gaming Notebook Now Available

MSI’s latest gaming notebook, the GT660, is now available in North America. Key features of the notebook include an Intel Core i7 quad-core processor, Nvidia GTX 285M graphics, and a surround-sound audio system.
The GT660 has the following specifications:

• 16-inch display (1366×768)
• Intel Core i7-740QM processor (1.73GHz)
• Nvidia GeForce GTX 285M 1GB graphics card
• 6GB (2GB x3) RAM
• Single or dual 500GB 7200RPM hard drives
• Blu-ray drive or DVD burner
• 2x USB 3.0, 2x USB 2.0
• 9-cell battery
• Weight: 7.7 lbs
• Dimensions: 14.97″ x 10.24″ x 1.77″
• 2-yr limited warranty (includes 1-yr global)

The GT660 has a USB 3.0 port, which has a data transfer rate up to 5.0Gbps (10x faster than USB 2.0). The GT660 features a Dynaudio surround sound system.
The GT660 can be overclocked by pressing the Turbo hotkey; it also has a Cooler Boost button for maximum cooling power.
The MSI GT660 gaming notebook is available now from e-tailers starting at $1,649.99.

MSI Product Page

Source:notebookreview.com

By Charles P. Jefferies

For 2010 we reviewed ten paid antivirus solutions — today we break the reviews down and show you which one is the best.

Antivirus Software Solutions

The following antivirus products are participating in this review; all are paid-for applications. For free antivirus products, check out our 2010 Free Antivirus Buyers Guide.

• McAfee AntiVirus Plus 2010
• Webroot Antivirus 2010 With Spy Sweeper
• Bitdefender Antivirus 2010
• Panda Antivirus Pro 2010
• ESET NOD32 Antivirus 4.2
• Trend Micro AntiVirus + AntiSpyware 2010
• Symantec Norton Antivirus 2010
• Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2010
• CA Anti-Virus Plus Anti-Spyware 2010
• PCTools Spyware Doctor with AntiVirus 2010

How We Test

The antivirus solutions will be objectively and subjectively rated over three categories:

• Pro-activeness and Protection
• Ease of Use and Install
• Performance Impact and Scan Time

Antivirus solutions will be given a rating for each category; higher numbers are better.

Pro-activeness and Protection

This section is the most heavily weighted and focuses on two things:

• 1. (20 points) How proactive was the antivirus software at detecting the virus files?
• 2. (7 points) Did the antivirus software successfully protect the system from the virus files?

Pro-activeness: Webroot, Bitdefender, Kaspersky, and ESET are the stand-outs in Pro-activeness; they successfully detected and blocked the virus files before I initiated the download. Panda and Norton also detected all of the files as threats immediately but did allow them to be downloaded. The files were quarantined and thus inaccessible but should have been removed automatically. Trend Micro and PCTools let all of the files through without warnings; they were only detected after a full system scan.

Virus Removal: All of the antivirus solutions received a full score in the Virus Removal section since they were all able to remove the virus files.

Ease of Install and Use

This section has three parts:

• 1. (4 points) How streamlined and foolproof was the install process?
• 2. (6 points) Is the interface user-friendly?

Install Process: Norton is the only product in this roundup that advertises a quick install and it delivers; the install takes one click and less than one minute. All of the other solutions more or less required the same number of clicks to install.

The install process rating also takes into account the size of the installer file. ESET and Panda both received an extra point because their installer files were less than 50MB; all others were 75MB+, with Trend Micro the largest at 108MB. Not everyone has a fast Internet and the size of the installer file can make a difference.

PCTools received an additional point off since it wanted to install a third-party toolbar with the software.

Interface: All of the interfaces were generally pleasing and I would describe none as hard to use.  ESET, Kaspersky, and Norton received an extra point for having the simplest interfaces. However, Bitdefender takes top honors; it has hands-down the best approach to user interfaces I have seen. The interface can be dynamically switched between beginner, intermediate, and advanced types; all fit the user type extremely well. Clearly a lot of development work went into the interface. 

I docked a point from CA Anti-Virus since its interface is a blatant upsell to the more expensive Internet Security suite; only some of the functions are enabled on the basic antivirus suite.

Performance Impact and Scan Time

There are two parts to this section:

• 1. (6 points) System performance impact measured with Futuremark’s PCMark benchmark suite
• 2. (4 points) Time it took to complete a full scan of our test system’s hard drive

Performance Impact: Antivirus suites that had a five percent or less impact on our system’s performance received full credit and one point was taken off for every five percent over that. The majority of suites did well; Trend Micro actually had the smallest performance impact followed by ESET, Kaspersky, and CA Anti-Virus.

Webroot received an additional point off because the test system actually felt a bit slower with it installed, which I did not see from other antivirus suites. Bitdefender and PCTools showed the largest performance decreases to the tune of 12 and 15 percent, respectively.

Scan Time: Most suites received four points for scanning the test system in under an hour; Panda and Trend Micro came in just over an hour at 1:20 and 1:05, respectively. CA Anti-Virus took over five hours to scan so it only receives one point; and yes, I ran the test several times.

Conclusion

And the best antivirus software we review in 2010 was: ESET NOD32 Antivirus

ESET took our top spot for several reasons. Highlights include a polished and simple interface, a high level of pro-activeness, and a very small impact on system performance. It also had the fastest scan time and the smallest installer file.

Bitdefender and Kaspersky tie for second. Bitdefender had the best-designed interface and was proactive but lost points for a higher-than-average performance impact. Kaspersky is a fantastic all-around suite and just missed beating ESET because of its slightly longer scan time and larger installer file.

Finally, Webroot and Norton were just one point off of second place and tied for third.

While some of the products rated higher than others, remember that all ten individually received my recommendation and passed the testing process.

Source:notebookreview.com

The ASUS K42J is the latest in the K series of affordable laptops. This 14-inch notebook features a high-performance Intel Core i5 processor, discrete graphics with Nvidia Optimus technology, and a starting price below $900. Is this the ideal back-to-school laptop? Read on to find out.

Our review unit of the ASUS K42J (K42JC-A1) features the following specifications:

• 14-inch 720p (1366×768) display with LED backlighting
• Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)
• Intel Core i5 430M (2.27GHz)
• Nvidia GeForce 310M graphics card w/ 1GB dedicated memory (Optimus switchable graphics)
• 4GB DDR3 1066MHz RAM
• 500GB 7200RPM hard drive
• 802.11n wireless
• DVD Super Multi drive
• Two-year warranty w/ one year accidental coverage
• 6-cell Li-ion battery (10.8v, 4400mAh, 47Wh)
• Weight: 5.01 lbs
• Dimensions: 13.7 x 9.4 x 1.5 inches
• MSRP: $899.99 ($880 street price)

Build and Design
The K42J has a traditional notebook design and shape similar to the previous generation ASUS K40IN. In other words, it looks like a fairly boring coffee brown notebook without much flare. The notebook features a mixture of matte black, semi-gloss brown and black and glossy brown and black plastics. All of the corners and edges are rounded to give the laptop a smoother look, and the textured touchpad and palm rests give the K42J a nice feel. The glossy screen lid features a subtle imprinted design that replicates the pattern used on the palm rests, but overall we’re talking about a very clean, simple laptop design.

The build quality of the K42JC-A1 is typical of most of the ASUS consumer-grade notebooks we’ve reviewed. The overall chassis strength is good with no specific areas of plastic flex or creaking sounds. The internal chassis frame resists pressure quite well and the screen hinges provide a good balance of resistance (not too firm and not too loose). The back of the screen lid does flex under heavy pressure, but even when significant pressure is applied to the back of the screen there are no obvious ripples or distortions on the screen.

The bottom of the notebook includes two access plates for the RAM and the hard drive. ASUS engineers obviously understand that most consumers buying a mainstream notebook like this won’t upgrade much (if anything) beyond the RAM and hard drive. Yes, we usually like to have more access to the notebook’s internals, but the majority of the people who buy this laptop probably won’t care.

Screen and Speakers
The K42JC-A1 has a 14-inch diagonal display with LED backlighting and a 16:9 aspect ratio. The overall quality of the display is “very good” within the narrow viewing angle sweet spot. Brightness, contrast and color are all quite good. If there is a single obvious issue it has to be the narrow vertical viewing angles. While the horizontal viewing angles (side view) are nearly flawless, the colors become over exposed when viewed from above and significantly inverted and distorted when viewed from below. If you are using this laptop for color-accurate editing you will need to be certain you’re viewing the screen from straight ahead. The backlighting also appears slightly uneven with brighter light coming from the bottom of the screen in our review unit.

The display’s 1366×768 resolution is a standard resolution for mainstream notebooks. The horizontal resolution is adequate, however only 768 pixels of vertical space means a good deal of scrolling while surfing the Internet and only enough space to view about one-half of a page in a Microsoft Word.

The K42J has Altec Lansing speakers located underneath the palm rests facing forward on the front edge of the notebook. Despite the Altec Lansing brand name, these speakers didn’t deliver exceptional sound quality. Vocals sound muddy and distorted, and the speaker output is weighted heavy toward the highs with no real midtones or bass to talk about. If you want quality audio out of this notebook you’ll really have to consider external speakers or headphones. The headphone jack provides a great, static-free connection for alternate speakers.

Keyboard and Touchpad
The full-size keyboard on the K42J full-size keyboard features Chiclet-style keys that are responsive and provide a little extra spacing to prevent typos. The keys are large and flat and have a matte texture, which may wear over time. There is no noticeable flex unless you apply significant pressure to the keys in the middle of the board. A individual key presses are quiet with the softest possible “click-clack” noise while typing; making it nice for taking notes in a classroom or office meeting room. The keyboard lacks dedicated multimedia keys, but the arrow keys double as media keys when used with the function key.

The ELAN touchpad is a mixture of good and bad. The textured surface provides excellent traction for your fingertips but the touchpad suffers from obvious lag. This is a multi-touch touchpad with customizable gestures, but the mediocre responsiveness makes using the touchpad less than ideal. The lack of a dedicated scroll zone is also annoying. The touchpad buttons have very shallow feedback with loud clicks when you press the buttons.

Ports and Features
The K42J is a step up from previous K-series notebooks in terms of the port selection. The K42JC-A1 adds the much needed HDMI port, though we’d still like to see the addition of an ExpressCard slot to make this laptop a little more future proof. A simple ExpressCard slot would have made it possible to upgrade the K42J with USB 3.0 … a potentially important feature since USB 3.0 is starting to show up in more and more notebooks. All picture descriptions are left to right.

Left side: Kensington lock slot, heat vent, VGA out, HDMI, two USB 2.0 ports, and headphone jack

Right side: DVD drive, USB 2.0 port, Ethernet, and power jack

Front: Speakers, media card reader (SD/MMC/MS)

Back: Nothing

Source:notebookreview.com

Dell Inspiron M101z 11.6″ AMD Notebook

Dell has launched its new Inspiron M101z notebook in the UK. Key features include an 11.6-inch display, AMD processor, and a claimed 6.5-hour battery life. The full specifications are as follows:

• 11.6-inch display (1366×768)
• Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
• AMD Athlon II Neo K125 (single-core)/K325 (dual-core) processors
• Integrated AMD RS880M graphics
• Up to 4GB DDR3-1333 RAM (2GB standard)
• Up to 320GB 5400RPM hard drive (250GB standard)
• 6-cell battery (56WHr)

Expect to see the Inspiron M101z available in the U.S. soon starting at $400 – $500. It is a direct competitor to the HP Pavilion dm1z.

Dell UK Product Page
Via (Engadget.com)

Source:notebookreview.com

HP Slate 500 Leakes on HP Website

HP’s website leaked information about their upcoming Slate 500 tablet device. It features an 8.9-inch touchscreen display, Windows 7 Premium, a 1.6GHz processor, and two cameras: one video and one still.

Other specifications have not been revealed however it is likely the Slate 500 will have flash storage and an Intel Atom processor.

Several Slate 500 models are listed in Google’s cache (the page has been removed from HP’s website).

Via (PCWorld.com)
Via (Laptoping.com)

Source:notebookreview.com

Several years ago, Microsoft Corp. surveyed more than 38,000 office workers in 200 countries in an effort to find out just how productive these people were and to identify roadblocks to personal and team productivity.

The results of the study painted a sobering portrait of office productivity, or the lack of it in most office situations.  In the U.S., for example, most people worked 45 hours per week, but considered 16 of those hours to be unproductive.  Office workers spent an average of 5.5 hours in meetings each week, and 71 percent of the people polled considered these meetings to be unproductive and time wasting, according to Microsoft’s 2005 Office Personal Productivity Challenge. 

More than 60 percent of office workers in the U.S.  relied on software to achieve productivity goals, and 66 percent of those polled felt they did not have a balance between work and their personal lives.

Five years later and in the midst of the greatest economic challenge since the Great Depression, workers in general have increased their productivity, with output rising 4% and hours increasing 1.1%, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.  In fact, the first quarter of this year may have seen the greatest jump in productivity – about 6.1%.

However, the formula for this may e based more on job security and anxieties, rather than true productivity, say the experts.  People work harder when there is a risk they may be singled out and eliminated from the job roster.

Bringing mobility inside
One solution might be to apply some of the traits and tactics of remote computing to office-bound employees who spend less time at their desk and more time being locally remote.

A second study conducted by Microsoft earlier this year – this time looking at remote workers in the U.S. – found that 45% took advantage of their company’s remote working policy because they found it more productive to work outside a structured office environment.  Roughly 38% opted for a remote work environment because they found it less stressful, and 60% believed it provided a more balanced work-life experience.

In fact, advancements in notebook technology, wireless connectivity alternatives and software make it increasingly possible to take many of the best aspects of mobile working and apply them to a typical office setting.  These aspects include:

• Connecting and Collaborating.  This ranges from simple email and messaging to more interactive social networking platforms.   Microsoft’s Office 2010, for example, includes the Outlook Social Connector, nicknamed the “People Pane,” that can import social network data into your contact list, and keep tabs on social media content and events. 

• Pervasive Connectivity Options.  Most companies have an 802.11 Wi-Fi system in place, but many also use high-speed wireless broadband and short-range communications alternatives (like Bluetooth) to maintain connections inside and outside the office and link with printers, LCD projectors and other office equipment.  The Lenovo ThinkPad T410 and similar business notebooks continue to be strong contenders as a capable desktop replacement, but some people even use consumer-oriented laptops for business such as the Dell Alienware M11x, which is an Editors’ Choice for sheer performance, capabilities and price.

• Web-Based Applications. Mobile executives have known for  a long time the value of remotely-accessible applications and data, especially when using small and portable systems like netbooks or emerging tablet PCs, which usually do not have the resources to support a lot of software stored locally.  Microsoft’s Office 2010 takes a big step forward in this direction with the introduction of Office Web Apps, which are the online versions of Word, Powerpoint, Excel and OneNote.  Not only are these applications available to office-bound mobile workers, but they can be easily extended to other PCs, tablet PCs, smartphones and any other device that supports a browser technology.

Pet peeves when working with remote mobile workers Source:  Microsoft 2010 U.S. Remote Working Research

Best of both worlds mobility
By taking the best of remote working tactics and applying them to in-office activities, workers can also avoid a lot of the negative aspects of telecommuting.  Chief among these is the lack of personal interaction with people who work from a home office or spend a great deal of time on the road. 

Approximately 44% of the executives who took part in the 2010 Microsoft remote computing study pointed to the lack of face-to-face communications as a serious problem.  Nearly 30% cited difficulties in communicating and connecting with remote individuals, and 26% noted the lack of accountability of those who work outside the office on a regular basis.

By making use of remote tools and technologies within an office, workers can get the best of both worlds and dramatically improve productivity.  Wireless-enabled and networked printers installed in conference areas, for example can save time since employees don’t have to run to a print station to quickly generate hardcopy. 

Bluetooth- and WiFi-equipped handheld PCs and smartphones can also channel content to these printers, or instantly distribute information and access the Internet by using a smartphone’s 3G/4G hotpot capabilities (as with the HTC EVO 4G).

Cloud-based applications are also increasingly being adapted to take advantage of wireless output devices to eliminate wired solutions and create a more productive and cost-effective workplace environment.

Read more on Office Productivity Trends and Tactics in a special series that starts next week in NotebookReview.com.

Source:notebookreview.com

The Mini 210 HD is the latest netbook from HP, offering a full 720P-compatible 1366×768 resolution on a compact 10.1-inch display. This model includes the 1.66GHz Intel Atom N455 processor standard-with the faster 1.83GHz N475 for $25 more-as well as Intel GMA 3150 integrated graphics. In this review we see how well this netbook holds up against the competition and if you should consider this over a slightly more powerful CULV notebook.

Our HP Mini 210 HD Specifications:

• Windows 7 Starter (32-bit)
• Intel Atom N450 Processor 1.66GHz (667MHz FSB)
• 1GB 800MHz DDR3 SDRAM
• 160GB 5400rpm SATA Fujitsu HDD
• 10.1-inch diagonal (1366×768)
• Intel GMA 3150 integrated graphics
• Broadcom 802.11a/b/g/n and Bluetooth 2.1 +EDR
• 4-in-1 media card slot
• Dimensions: 10.55 in (L) x 6.9 in (W) x 0.9-1.11 in (H)
• Weight: 2.69 lb with 3-cell battery (not including weight of AC adapter).
• Power: 3-cell 28Wh battery
• Warranty: One-year standard warranty
• Price: $409.99 (current price with standard, 7200RPM hard drive)

Build and Design
The new design of the HP Mini really helps to enhance its looks and raise the expectation that this netbook isn’t a toy but rather a full-fledged designer notebook. The new Mini uses painted panels for the screen cover and bottom cover, adding a touch of color to each model. Compared to normal designs that leave the bottom with bland, unfinished black plastic, this really helps in the looks department. The interior was also given a facelift, featuring a flush-mount Synaptics touchpad with integrated buttons. It also makes use of a redesigned Chiclet keyboard with integrated function-key lights to show when certain features are activated. The new look is nothing short of astonishing.

Build quality is very good even with the bottom panel that snaps into place. When completely closed the HP Mini 210 has a sturdy feel and doesn’t show much flex under pressure. The screen cover does a good job of protecting the LCD and the bottom cover doesn’t creak or feel loose when properly reinstalled. On the inside the keyboard feels solid in its tray with very little flex or movement. The palmrest also holds up well, although if you have adult-sized hands your palms are hanging over the notebook and almost resting on the desk surface. In short, it is a pretty solid netbook with all things considered.

The HP Mini 210 has one of the most DIY-upgrade friendly designs we have ever seen in the NotebookReview offices. You can access all internal components without ever using a screwdriver … and the same can’t be said about other notebooks. HP designed the Mini 210 with a bottom panel that comes off using old-fashion finger power. With the bottom panel off users have access to the Wi-Fi card, open mini-PCIe slot for a Broadcom HD or WWAN card, system memory and hard drive. Any upgrade can be performed in seconds, and is much less intimidating for even the most basic of users.

Screen and Speakers
The display on the HP Mini 210 HD is unlike most other netbooks. It has a higher WXGA (1366×768) resolution instead of the usual 1024×600 panel found on other models. This is useful in a number of ways, including properly displaying menu windows and reducing excessive horizontal or vertical scrolling. Another added benefit is being able to watch 720P video, although it also relies on you having a Broadcom CrystalHD decoder card configured with the system. Without that card the system would be unable to play the content, let alone display it on the higher resolution panel at reasonable framerates.

The panel itself is easy to read–at least with my eyes–and text doesn’t appear to be that small compared to other mobile devices. If you can read small text on a mobile phone, you should be able to view the screen without any problems. Color and contrast are very nice, although at times I felt reflections off the all-glass surface seemed to obscure part of the panel. Backlight levels were great for viewing the screen in bright office conditions, but outdoor viewing was out of the question. Viewing angles were average compared to other notebooks, with colors starting to invert or distort when the screen was tilted about 15 degrees forward or back. Horizontal viewing angles were better, but the reflections seemed to obscure the panel past 45 to 50 degrees.

The small speakers on the HP Mini 210 HD are located on the front edge of the palmrest, angled downward towards your lap. On a flat desktop they easily filled up a small room with music but once you placed the netbook in your lap they became muffled and easily blocked by clothing. Sound quality was average compared to other similarly sized netbooks, with weak bass and midrange.

Keyboard and Touchpad
The HP Mini 210 HD features a 93% fullsize Chiclet keyboard. For short term use the keyboard is comfortable to type on and feels as strong as typing on a regular notebook. The size though can feel slightly cramped depending on if you are used to typing on a larger notebook. For short term travel or light usage in the home for web browsing you probably won’t have any problem. If you intended to use this as your primary system, you might want to consider moving up to the 11.6″ ultraportable form-factor which is closer to standard full-size while still being very portable.

Function keys on the keyboard are direct access, meaning you don’t need to press the “Fn” button to adjust the screen brightness or enable Wi-Fi. Another feature is built-in indicator lights for the mute and wireless on/off buttons. While there is no performance different between this and side mounted lights, it helps in the aesthetics department.

The touchpad on the Mini 210 HD is a button-less Synaptics ClickPad with multitouch support. Compared to the twitchy variant found on the HP ProBook recently reviewed, we found no such problems on this particular version. Unlike the earlier version, if your finger was resting on a pre-defined left/right button box, any movement on the main touchpad section would activate pinch-zoom. Now those areas are dead zones, preventing a lot of frustration we previously had. The touchpad surface was very smooth and almost glossy in texture. Sensitivity was excellent without any adjustment needed and acceleration on both axes was equal. It’s hard to say if the touchpad has reached the same ease of use level of the one found on the MacBooks’, but it is getting very close.

Ports and Features
The HP Mini 210 HD features three USB 2.0 ports, VGA-out, one audio headset jack, and Ethernet. The system also includes a SDHC card slot. Optional features include GPS, WWAN, and a Broadcom CrystalHD card for HD video decoding.

Front: Nothing

Rear: Nothing

Left: DC-input, VGA-out, HDD activity light, one USB 2.0, headset jack

Right: SDHC-card slot, Power switch, 2 USB 2.0, LAN, Kensington lock slot

Source:notebookreview.com

Dell Precision M6500 Now Available with 32GB RAM

The Dell Precision M6500 Mobile Workstation is now available with 32GB of RAM. The M6500 features a 17″ screen, anodized aluminum chassis, up to an Intel Core i7 Extreme Edition processor, dual hard drives, and the Nvidia Quadro FX 3800M graphics card.

The Precision M6500 starts at $3,199; the 32GB RAM option is a staggering $9,324.

Dell Precision M6500 Product Page
Dell Precision Website

Source:notebookreview.com

By Dustin Sklavos

Adobe After Effects is the industry-standard for desktop video post-production applications, but does After Effects CS5 bring enough new to the table to justify an upgrade? We break it down in this review.

For those uninitiated, Adobe’s After Effects is an immensely powerful piece of software that any budding video enthusiast should acquaint themselves with in a hurry. While Premiere acquired many features from After Effects when it went Pro (including superior keying and matte functions among many other video effects), and you can get a healthy amount of grunt work done in Premiere Pro or Final Cut Pro, After Effects is industry standard for a reason.

It’s honestly impossible to articulate everything After Effects CS5 can do. It’s useful for animation (a small word for a vast array of functions), for cleaning up compositing and matte work, in-depth color-correction, and more. Chances are when you’re watching television and you see crazy, glowing animation in commercials, at least some of it was wrung through After Effects.

I’ve also found After Effects CS5 invaluable for my own work. I simply can’t afford to finance my filmmaking on some grand scale. So when I need a bunch of people for an image, or a scene to take place somewhere that doesn’t exist, (see left) I can shoot a few people on a blue screen, matte out the blue, put a time-lapsed video of clouds moving in the background, put everyone together, and presto. Does it look perfect? No. But does it get the job done?

Moreover, my skill with After Effects is pretty insignificant compared to what I’ve seen some people do; render explosions, flames, lightning, and even have it look halfway decent. A friend of mine put together an entire lightsaber battle in After Effects and honestly, the lightsabers look pretty damn good. So suffice to say, After Effects is awesome, incredibly useful, and at the same time in dire need of an update.

WHAT’S NEW

When Adobe dropped CS4 and brought with it a 64-bit version of Photoshop, my big question was…where’s their 64-bit video editing software? It’s true the megapixel race keeps raising the sheer size of raw image files, but the jump from standard definition to high definition video has been nothing short of devastating. It’s true that most of the video being edited on a computer is compressed in some fashion, but here’s the thing: it has to be uncompressed at some point, too. You also need to fit that video in memory along with all the tweaks you’re doing with it.

In Premiere Pro you could probably get away with just letting the program use the 2GB of RAM and call it a day. Most of the work you’re going to do there will be minor animation or color correction. But in something like After Effects? Premiere Pro lets you play back your footage in real time, only gradually starting to chop when your processor just can’t handle the load. After Effects doesn’t work that way.

I harp constantly about the jump to 64-bit and how “omigosh amazing” it is, but After Effects CS5 is the first place you’re going to really feel it. When you’re doing work in AE, you utilize what’s called a “RAM preview.” The program renders out a part of your composition (however much you’ve selected) to RAM so that you can see it how it will finally look. This was great for standard definition video, since a good fifteen or thirty seconds of that will fit in the 2GB of RAM a 32-bit program is going to limit you to.

High definition video brings the program to its knees. I’ve done composites in 1080p that have gotten maybe ten seconds of footage to fit into RAM tops. If any program in Adobe’s Creative Suite needed to go 64-bit, After Effects did with a vengeance, and that’s going to be the big draw for CS5.

Adobe added a couple of extra features, mostly involving tweaks in how it handles rudimentary 3D animation along with streamlining the overall process of using the software. They’ve added additional support for tapeless editing for more formats, continuing the Adobe tradition of being able to edit virtually anything.

IN PRACTICE

I’ll cut to the chase: After Effects CS5 is worth buying for the 64-bit executable alone. If you’ve ever used After Effects, and you honestly don’t care about anything else that’s been added (and indeed, CS5 is mostly refinements outside of that), going 64-bit is going to be a major boon for you. Hope you upgraded to 8GB of RAM in your workstation when it was cheaper (although if you’re working off a notebook with just two slots for RAM you were probably screwed on price to begin with), because After Effects will soak it up like a sponge. I remember seeing the 4GB I had when I was using CS4 redline the instant I clicked “render.” Now at least I don’t have to test render anywhere near as frequently.

I’ve also found After Effects CS5 to be snappier overall, and while I went from an Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 at 3 GHz to an Intel Core 2 Quad Q9650 at 3.6 GHz in the intervening period between major compositions, testing CS5 has nonetheless shown a far more substantial improvement in render times than could be attributed to the faster processor.

I did try the one big feature Adobe touts with CS5, the Roto Brush, which allows you to basically color out a part of your image and the program mattes around it. It’s very particular, will take more experimentation, and isn’t the kind of freakish witchcraft the Content-Aware Fill in Photoshop CS5 is, but it looks like it has the potential to be an extremely useful tool for handling troublesome matte work.

CONCLUSION

I’ve gone on ceaselessly about 64-bit for this review, but there’s a good reason why. After Effects CS5 remains mostly unchanged from CS4 apart from offering improved performance and a slightly more streamlined workflow. Being able to address more than 2GB of RAM makes a massive difference in the program’s overall functionality and usability, though. I suspect that by making that jump, it helped Adobe improve the program’s threading tremendously, allowing it to better take advantage of additional processing cores. CS4 brought excellent parallelization to the entire suite, offering near-linear improvements in performance with the addition of each core in Premiere and After Effects, but the extra RAM afforded in CS5 really helps solidify those improvements.

If you don’t use After Effects but are a budding video enthusiast, it’s worth trying out. For After Effects CS4 users, After Effects CS5 is a must-buy. It’s pricy, but if you’re spending that much you may want to max out the RAM in your primary workstation while you’re at it. You’re going to need it.

PROS

• Huge 64-bit performance gains
• Roto Brush tool is cool

CONS

• Not much new except 64-bit
• Pricey

Individual Ratings: *
Software & SUpport 
Upgrade Capabilities 
Usability 
Design 
Performance 
Features 
Price/Value Rating 
* Ratings averaged to produce final score

Source:notebookreview.com

Alienware Software Update Gives M11x R2 45 Min More Life

Alienware has released a software update for its notebook computers that includes improved power management features. Laptop Mag says they installed the update on their M11x R2 notebook and measured an extra 45 minutes more battery life.

Alienware Command Center V 2.5.54.0, A7 was released on 6 July and is a 51MB download from Dell.

Via (LaptopMag.com)

Source:notebookreview.com

ASUS UL-Series Notebooks Get Core  i3 ULV Processors

ASUS’ thin-and-light UL-series notebooks have been showing up for sale online with Intel Core i3 ULV processors.
The ASUS UL-series lineup includes the UL30 and UL80 series. The first revision of the notebooks included the Intel Core 2 Duo SU7300 processor, which ran at 1.3GHz. ASUS is replacing the SU7300 in newer UL-series notebooks with the Core i3-330UM processor, which runs at 1.2GHz but is faster than the SU7300 because it is more efficient clock-for-clock.

The UL80JT-A1 notebook at Amazon.com has the following specifications:

• 14-inch (1366×768) glossy display
• Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
• Intel Core i3-330UM processor (1.2GHz)
• Intel GeForce 310M 1GB graphics (switchable to Intel integrated)
• 4GB RAM
• 500GB 5400RPM hard drive
• DVD Burner
• Weight: 4.62 lbs
• Dimensions: 13.5″ x 9.6″ x 1.1″
• Price: $916.77

Expect to see more notebooks based on Intel Core 2 Duo and Celeron ULV processors replaced or updated with models featuring new i3, i5, and i7 ULV processors.

Via (Engadget.com)

Source:notebookreview.com

Samsung recently launched its newest external DVD drive for notebook and netbook users. The “super slim” Samsung SE-S084D promises to be the perfect travel companion for ultraportable laptops without optical drives. Available in multiple colors with chrome accents, is this latest accessory worth $69.99? Keep reading to find out.

The Samsung external SE-S084D DVD Writer is one of the lightest and thinnest optical drives on the market today. Available in seven colors, Samsung raves that this drive was the 2010 winner of a iF Product Design Award. That said, the design of the SE-S084D is clean and simple. This accessory is basically just a plain colored plastic shell that surrounds the laptop-sized DVD drive. The only superfluous design elements are the giant “SAMSUNG” logo printed on the top of the drive and the thin strip of chrome that embellishes the front.

When we previously reviewed the previous generation of this DVD writer, the Samsung SE-S084, we said the boxy shape wasn’t particularly attractive and that we would have been more impressed with the design if Samsung moved to a more rounded look. Well, Samsung designers must have read our comments (or user reviews published on various retail websites) because the new SE-S084D certainly isn’t boxy looking.

With a compact size (20 percent smaller and 25 percent lighter than conventional mobile DVD writers), this drive gives netbook users the option to watch movies or record data onto CDs and DVDs while traveling. The weight of the external drive can make a difference, as some of the ultraportable notebooks on the market are only light weight because of the lack of an optical drive. The new Samsung drive is smaller from front to back than the HP LightScribe SuperMulti 8X DVD +/- R/RW drive (model 580684-001) and weighs almost 40 percent less than that external drive.

In Use
The SE-S084D DVD writer is compatible with Windows 7 and Mac OS and features “Buffer Under Run” technology to prevent errors that result from writing speeds that exceed data transfer speeds, while also enabling PC multi-tasking.

The SE-S084D writes DVD +/-R at 8x speed, DVD +R Double Layer at 8x, DVD +RW at 8x, DVD-RW at 6x and DVD-RAM at 5x.  It can also burn CD-R/RW. In real world use, this means the new Samsung provides roughly equivalent performance to the previous model.

We tested the drive with the native Windows 7 file burner to test various operating conditions. In our testing, we used an Alienware M11x (R1) with Intel SU4100 processor as primary test notebook and the 10″ Sony VAIO W as our netbook candidate. Each test consisted of burning files to the drive, with a single USB connection while the computer operated on battery power. In each test case the files burned in approximately the same time, and we never ran into problems using just a single USB connection. Each DVD image was 2.32GB, and it took just over three minutes from start to finish to burn each disc.

The only other potential issue you may face when using this external optical drive is the need for a second USB port. Samsung provides a “Y” cable with two USB connectors (one for data and one for power) if your netbook doesn’t provide enough power over a single USB port. We tested the drive with thee Intel Atom-based netbooks and four notebooks in our lab and all of them were able to power the drive with a single USB port. Still, it’s nice to have the option if your older laptop needs it.

Conclusion
The Samsung SE-S084D is an attractive portable USB DVD-burner that works well with notebooks and netbooks alike. The new design makes this burner look as fresh as other USB optical drives on the market, and it does its job as intended. While Samsung does warn that some computers may not supply enough power to operate the drive using a single USB connector, we found the drive to work just fine on notebooks and netbooks around the office. The $70 price tag is a little high considering the price of other options on the market, but street prices will likely come down in the months ahead.

If you have an ultraportable laptop and don’t already have an external optical drive then the new Samsung SE-S084D is a smart accessory to add to your bag.

Pros:

• No drivers needed on most notebooks and netbooks
• Small and lightweight design
• Available in multiple colors

Cons:

• Feels a little fragile

Source:notebookreview.com

By Charles P. Jefferies

ESET NOD32 4 was one of our favorite antivirus suites last year — does version 4.2 retain its first-class spot this year? Read our review to find out.

Product Overview

The ESET NOD32 4.2 antivirus suite is aimed at home consumers seeking basic protection from malicious Internet threats. It protects against viruses, spyware, Trojans, password stealers, and other malware. It actively scans Internet traffic, including email.

Additional features include a built-in recovery tool and automatic scanning of external storage devices.

ESET claims NOD32 4.2 is light on system resources and should run without noticeably slowing the computer down.

Download & Installation

NOD32 4.2 is a 42MB download from the company’s website, which is small compared to several recent antivirus suites I tested. Installation is quick and painless; the whole process takes less than three minutes to complete. No restart is required to complete the install.

Program Interface

NOD32 4.2 has a simplistic interface with two modes: beginner (shown above left) and advanced (above right).

Both interface modes look the same for the most part; the advanced version adds a category on the left and some drop-down configuration menus on the upper right.

Navigation is straightforward; there are categories on the left. The default category is Protection Status — it shows overall status. A green icon means everything is OK, a yellow icon indicates a warning, and a red icon indicates more serious issues. Instructions are provided in the case of a yellow or red icon.

The support section is notable; it provides easy access to knowledge base articles and other support resources, including the ability to open a case with customer support.

Overall the interface is very simplistic and easy on the eyes; the color scheme is visually appealing and the font size is just right. Power users can change the way the program runs by toggling the advanced mode.

In Use & Effectiveness

I did not notice any performance decrease after installing NOD32 4.2. Starting up, opening programs, and multitasking did not show any additional lag.

NOD32′s automatic updates did not require any user intervention.

One feature of NOD32 4.2 I liked was how it alerted me when my computer’s copy of Windows 7 required updates — it actually figured out I needed them before Windows told me.

To test the effectiveness of NOD32 I used several virus files from Eicar.org, an IT security website. Please see the test description for extensive information on the tests.

NOD32 is extremely proactive — before I even initiated the malicious file downloads it terminated the connections. This is most impressive and exactly what I am looking for.

Performance Impact

We evaluate the performance impact and system resource usage of using anti-virus software in three ways:

1. Overall system performance measured before and after installation using PCMark
2. Memory footprint
3. Time it took to perform a full system scan

Our test system is an HP Pavilion dv5t.

Overall System Performance Impact Measured with PCMark05

The PCMark benchmarks as measured before (left) and after (right) the NOD32 install are shown below:

This system performance benchmark shows less than a three percent performance decrease after installing NOD32; this is an impressive result. Most antivirus suites we test show a ten percent or less performance decrease.

Memory Footprint

NOD32 consumes 50MB of memory according to the Windows Task Manager. Some competitors show slightly less usage but 50MB and less is quite acceptable.

Time it took to perform a full system scan

NOD32 completed a full scan of our test system’s hard drive in 45 minutes — this is faster than most competitors, which take between an hour and an hour and a half to complete.

Conclusion

NOD32 is an excellent choice for home users in search of an antivirus protection suite. It is the most proactive suite I have tested to date, is very light on system resources, and has a user-friendly interface. In conclusion I have no problems giving this product my full recommendation.

PROS

• Extremely proactive
• Light on system resources
• Fast scans

CONS

• Ummm…it’s not free?

Individual Ratings: *
Software & SUpport 
Upgrade Capabilities 
Usability 
Design 
Performance 
Features 
Price/Value Rating 
* Ratings averaged to produce final score

Source:notebookreview.com

By Dustin Sklavos

Adobe Dreamweaver is the Microsoft Word of web design applications: universally acknowledged as the market standard, but so expensive almost no one want to upgrade to the latest version. Does Dreamweaver CS5 have a feature set worthy of its price tag? We break it down in this review.

WHAT’S NEW?

And the answer to that question is…not a lot. Barely anything actually. While other applications in Adobe’s Creative Suite 5 have seen some substantial improvements (Photoshop, I’m looking at you), or even modest ones (Premiere, After Effects), Dreamweaver is curiously stagnant. The 64-bit upgrades the other applications have seen don’t apply to Dreamweaver, which is still 32-bit (or at least reads as a 32-bit executable in Task Manager). That’s not a huge problem; while working with massive images and high-definition video will task a memory subsystem to the hilt, 64-bit computing just doesn’t offer quite as much for HTML coders.

So what’s left? Mostly just some refinements and integrations. Adobe’s own site is curiously spare about new features in Dreamweaver CS5, and in regular use I honestly haven’t noticed the difference moving from CS4 to CS5. Dreamweaver CS5 is supposed to make CSS and PHP coding easier and it integrates with many popular Content Management Systems (WordPress, for example). None of that was wildly apparent.

IN PRACTICE

The practice of using Dreamweaver CS5 is as underwhelming as its page on Adobe’s site. I haven’t professionally developed websites in nearly a decade and they’ve become vastly more complex beasts since then. What I use Dreamweaver for is the production and maintenance of my own personal and business sites, and for those it has been immeasurably helpful. Since the changes to CS5 from CS4 are minimal, I can instead at least present a convincing case for why you should consider using it if you aren’t already.

Dreamweaver CS5 splits its workspace up into three principal modes (although it does offer additional workspace configurations the same way other Adobe applications do); these modes are “Code,” “Split,” and “Design.” If you’ve ever coded before, what you’re looking at here should be fairly familiar. This is the front page of my personal site, consisting almost entirely of an image map. Truthfully, for this simple a design, I’ve never actually had to spend any amount of time with the code. Why?

Because in the “Design” mode I was able to do the entirety of the grunt work very easily to produce this simple page. Dreamweaver’s automation handled the difficult parts; I simply had to define which zones on the image were going to be links and then specify where those links went.

If you’re a more seasoned coder you probably already have some grasp on Dreamweaver, but presented for the sake of completeness here is the “Split” mode which shows you both the code and the site as you edit and design it, reflecting changes made between the two in real time.

Of course, Dreamweaver CS5 is far more robust in actual use, able to handle complex code and maintain a website through just the application instead of using a separate FTP application. This is something I wish I could’ve shown you, but my own web host is oddly flaky; while Adobe automation has never had a problem uploading to my friends’ and coworkers’ servers, it has never worked with my personal site’s server. Strange, but there you go.

Naturally since Dreamweaver is an Adobe product it handles integration with the other Adobe applications very easily, and even offers basic automated FLV (Flash Video) integration if you’re completely paranoid like I am and hate the idea of having a license agreement with YouTube for your own material.

CONCLUSION

If this review seems shorter than the reviews of the other Adobe CS5 applications, there’s a good reason: Dreamweaver CS5 doesn’t bring a whole lot to the table over its predecessors. It’s a fantastic program and I can’t evangelize it enough to even basic users who just want to put up a small site for their own business or for family and friends, but Adobe’s $199 asking price for the CS5 upgrade is mighty difficult to justify. If you’re running a version older than CS4, the new one might be worth upgrading to just to stay current and enjoy some of the improvements that CS4 brought along with it, but if you’re already on CS4, Dreamweaver CS5 is going to be a very tough sell.

Adobe already had a pretty robust program in Dreamweaver to begin with. Heck, it was a pretty robust program back when it was Macromedia Dreamweaver, before Adobe bought out Macromedia. Given how solid it’s been and how relatively unchanged it’s been in the intervening period, it’s tough to tell where Adobe really could have re-architected it; certainly it hasn’t seen the kinds of overhauls that Adobe’s bread-and-butter Photoshop has, or even Premiere (which threatens Final Cut Pro just a little more with each new version.) If the version you have works for you, I have a hard time recommending making the jump. But if you’ve never used Dreamweaver, it may be worth downloading the trial from Adobe’s site and giving it a shot. The $400 price tag is onerous, but you get a heck of a useful and surprisingly user-friendly program for it.

PROS

• Great workflow interface
• Improved CSS support
• WordPress integration

CONS

• Expensive
• Few improvements over CS4
• No 64-bit option

Individual Ratings: *
Software & SUpport 
Upgrade Capabilities 
Usability 
Design 
Performance 
Features 
Price/Value Rating 
* Ratings averaged to produce final score

Source:notebookreview.com

The VAIO Y is a 13.3″ ultraportable CULV-powered notebook from Sony, acting as the affordable-brother to the high-end VAIO Z. This model includes Intel GMA HD integrated graphics, an Intel Pentium CULV processor (New models feature Intel Core i3 and i5 ULV processors), 4GB of DDR3 memory and a WXGA resolution display. In this review we see how well this model stacks up against other ultraportable systems and if it should be added to your back-to-school notebook buying list.

At the time of publishing this review, Sony has phased out the older Intel Pentium processors, as seen in this review, and replaced them with the newer Intel ULV Core i3 and i5 processors.

Our Sony VAIO Y Specifications:

• Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
• Intel Pentium U5400 (1.2GHz, 3MB cache)
• 4GB DDR3 1066MHz RAM (8GB max)
• 500GB 5400RPM Toshiba Hard Drive
• 13.3″ Widescreen LED Backlit Display (1366 x 768)
• Intel GHA HD Integrated Graphics
• Atheros B/G/N, 1Gb LAN, Bluetooth
• Ports: 3 x USB 2.0, Headphone Output, Microphone Input, VGA, HDMI, RJ-45 Ethernet, FireWire
• 6-cell 54Wh battery
• Dimensions: 12.8″(W) x 0.93 – 1.2″(H) x 8.9″(D)
• Weight: 3.81 pounds (with standard capacity battery)
• Price: $769 starting (For latest generation models)

Build and Design
The Sony VAIO Y has a laid back design compared to the more expensive VAIO Z, with slightly thicker panels, smoother lines, and a more tried-and-true color scheme. Whereas the Z might include a custom machined faceplate, the Y offers a standard painted body panel. Another change is the color selection between the two models, with the Z offering more professional finishes and the Y including fun and sporty color options. As a whole the Y-series seems to be the thin and light system designed for a younger crowd. The design still includes many cool elements, including the hinge-integrated power button, slice power indicator light embedded in the top edge of the notebook, and island-style keyboard.

Build quality is top notch for a sub-$800 notebook with sturdy body panels and a very strong chassis. The screen cover provides more than adequate protection for the display, preventing any distortions from showing on the LCD with a firm grip to the opposite side. The keyboard and main body don’t seem to have much flex and without the optical drive cavity inside the notebook, it almost seems to have less flex on the right side. Without going to the extremes with a fully machine top-plate Sony still managed to create a very sturdy notebook.

Compared to the VAIO Z which included a proprietary SSD array, the Sony VAIO Y uses a much more basic, and easier to upgrade 2.5″ hard drive. This, as well as the system memory, is accessible through the bottom of the notebook. For users looking to upgrade to an SSD down the road this means you wont have to fully dismantle the notebook just to swap out one component.

Screen and Speakers
The Sony VAIO Y comes standard with a 13.3-inch WXGA panel with no upgrade options for higher resolutions. Compared to other CULV-based notebooks the screen rates above average with good color and contrast. I have to admit that this screen was a step down from the one seen on the VAIO Z, which had a higher color saturation and deeper black levels (at nearly triple the cost!). For users looking to enjoy a movie on the road, enjoy a YouTube clip during class or type a term paper during a study session the screen is perfect. Backlight levels were good for bright indoor viewing conditions, with the surface measuring 196nit at full brightness. Viewing angles were good, although colors did seem to have a narrow sweet spot of roughly 10-15 degrees before colors started to shift or invert vertically. Horizontal viewing angles were much better, spanning over 60 degrees from the side.

Speaker performance was good for a thin and light system, with strong volume levels to fill a small room. Bass and midrange were lacking, but that was not unusual for a system in this class. Sony does include a headphone jack which puts out clean audio for private listening, as well as an HDMI-out jack for connecting the notebook to a HDTV and stereo.

Keyboard and Touchpad
The VAIO Y has a comfortable Chiclet-style keyboard that is easy to type on for long periods of time. Compared to the VAIO Z the spacing is a bit different, putting dedicated Page Up/Down and Home/End keys on the right side of the keyboard, instead of including them as secondary functions over the direction keys. This caused some shrinking of the right shift button and left control button as well as slightly tighter spacing. The keyboard also lacks one of the luxurious backlit keys seen on the VAIO Z, but that was expected given the much lower starting price. Keyboard support is excellent with no noticeable keyboard flex under strong typing pressure. Key responsiveness is great as well as very quiet key actions that don’t emit much noise when fully pressed.

The touchpad on the VAIO Y is a Synaptics model that is very responsive and has no discernible lag. The touchpad includes some multitouch features, including two-finger scroll which the Z actually skipped in favor of the chiral-scrolling motion. Refresh rates were excellent, preventing any “trails” from the cursor drawing fast circles on the screen. The touchpad settings out of the box were near perfect, with no tweaks needed during the review. I also found the touchpad buttons to be easy to trigger with the edge of your thumb and had shallow feedback when fully pressed. Overall the touchpad was very good and one of the nicer models seen on a thin and light notebook.

Ports and Features
Port selection on the VAIO Y was very good for a thin and light system, including three USB 2.0 ports, FireWire 400, VGA and HDMI-out, audio jacks, and LAN. Expansion slots included a SDHC and MemoryStick card reader, as well as an ExpressCard/34 slot.

Front: MemoryStick reader, SDHC reader, wireless on/off, activity lights

Rear: Power indicator

Left: DC-input, Kensington lock slot, VGA and HDMI-out, one USB 2.0 port, FireWire 400, headphone and microphone jacks

Right: ExpressCard/34, two USB 2.0 ports, LAN, power button

Source:notebookreview.com

Intel Sandy Bridge Coming Sooner Than Expected

Intel CEO Paul Otellini said the company is planning to quickly transition to its next-generation “Sandy Bridge” processor design.

“Due to the very strong reception of Sandy Bridge, we have accelerated our 32-nanometer factory ramp and have raised our capex (capital expenditure) guidance to enable us to meet the anticipated demand,” he said. Sandy Bridge will be an evolutionary step from processors based on the Nehalem architecture like the Core i5 and i7. The first processors will be based on 32nm technology; Intel will eventually transition to a 22nm process.

Via (PCWorld.com)

Source:notebookreview.com

By Charles P. Jefferies

This home protection suite from Trend Micro features protection against the latest Internet threats and comes with a money-back guarantee. Is Trend Micro AntiVirus + AntiSpyware 2010 worth its asking price? Read our review to find out.

Product Overview

Aimed at home users, Trend Micro AntiSpyware + AntiVirus 2010 provides basic protection against malicious software including viruses, worms, Trojan horses, and spyware. Free phone, email, and online chat support is included — most providers charge for phone support.

The product comes with a 30-day money-back satisfaction guarantee.

Download & Installation

Trend Micro AntiVirus + AntiSpyware 2010′s installation starts with downloading an install manager from the company’s website, which downloads the appropriate files when launched. In total Trend Micro was just over 90MB to download, which is larger than we are used to seeing. After the straightforward install, the program had to update, prompting another 90MB download. A more compact installer would have been appreciated.

There are no options during the install to select the type of user (beginner/advanced); Trend Micro takes a one-size-fits-all approach. A restart was not required to complete the install.

Program Interface

Trend Micro has a simplistic interface with an aesthetically pleasing red color scheme. Only essential information is displayed — a good thing in my book.

An icon at the top of the screen indicates overall protection status; I find that icon-driven interfaces are the way to go — the green check mark is a clear indicator everything is in order. If everything is not OK, a button appears to “fix it”.

Navigation is handled on the left and has just three sections: Overview (the main screen), Virus & Spyware Controls, and Other Settings & Subscription.

The Virus & Spyware controls section allows users to control protection and create custom settings related to protection. For example, users can set up program exception lists and schedule scans. Most people will not need to dig around in here.

The Other Settings & Subscription section has additional settings not directly related to virus and spyware controls; again, most people will not have to go in here. Power users on the other hand can tune this program to their heart’s content — just about everything about its behavior can be modified.

On the whole the interface is easy to navigate; even basic users should be able to understand it.

In Use & Effectiveness

I did not notice any slow-downs or extra lag after installing Trend Micro AntiVirus + AntiSpyware 2010. Unlike some other antivirus programs, my computer’s hard disk activity light was not on or blinking all the time; processor usage was also normal.

Updates were automatic and completed without any intervention.

To test the effectiveness of Trend Micro I used several virus files from Eicar.org, an IT security website. Please see the test description for extensive information on the tests.

I was able to download the infected files without warnings. Once on my hard drive, Trend Micro found the infected files and promptly removed them. This program is not as proactive as I had hoped since it allowed me to download the files; other antivirus programs we tested blocked them before I clicked download.

Performance Impact

We evaluate the performance impact and system resource usage of using anti-virus software in three ways:

• 1. Overall system performance measured before and after installation using PCMark
• 2. Memory footprint
• 3. Time it took to perform a full system scan

Our test system is an HP Pavilion dv5t.

Overall System Performance Impact Measured with PCMark05

The PCMark benchmarks as measured before (left) and after (right) the Trend Micro install are shown below:

Somehow the performance actually increased after I installed Trend Micro — just about every other antivirus application we tested has shown a system performance decrease. I suppose there is a first for everything, right?

Memory Footprint

Trend Micro AntiVirus + AntiSpyware 2010 had a 5.7MB memory footprint, which is lower than most competitors.

Time it took to perform a full system scan

Trend Micro AntiVirus + AntiSpyware 2010 scanned our test system’s hard drive in one hour and five minutes, which is on par with competitors.

Conclusion

Trend Micro AntiVirus + AntiSpyware 2010 is an adequate protection suite for home users, providing protection against malicious Internet threats. In our tests it was not as proactive as competing security solutions such as Norton and Webroot.

The one area Trend Micro excelled in was system performance — it barely slowed our system down at all, which is not something I can say about several antivirus applications I tested recently.

Trend Micro AntiVirus + AntiSpyware is recommendable overall however does not have any standout features next to competitors.

PROS

• Pleasing interface
• Minimal system performance impact
• Money-back guarantee

CONS

• Not as proactive as competitors

Individual Ratings: *
Software & SUpport 
Upgrade Capabilities 
Usability 
Design 
Performance 
Features 
Price/Value Rating 
* Ratings averaged to produce final score

Source:notebookreview.com

Dell enjoyed overnight success with the Alienware M11x earlier this year. This 11-inch notebook outperforms many larger laptops and is priced below $1000. Unfortunately for Dell, consumers quickly started asking for an Alienware M11x with Intel Core i7 processors. Now, less than 6 months after the release of the M11x comes the M11x R2 with Intel Core i7 and Nvidia Optimus technology for automatic graphics switching. Is this the perfect M11x? The answer might surprise you.

Our review unit of the Alienware M11x R2 features the following specifications:

• 1.20GHz Intel Core i7 640UM (4MB Cache, max turbo frequency 2.266GHz)
• 4GB PC3-8500 DDR3 (2 x 2GB)
• Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit
• 11.6″ WXGA WideHD LED Backlit display (1366×768)
• 500GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive
• Nvidia GeForce GT 335M Discrete Graphics (1GB GDDR3) with switchable Intel GMA 4500MHD integrated graphics
• 802.11b/g/n, 10/100 LAN
• 3-in-1 card reader
• 8-Cell Li-ion 64WH battery, 90W Power Supply
• Dimensions: (W x L x H) 11.25″ x 9.19″ x 1.29″
• Weight: 4.4lbs
• Starting price: $799.99
• Price as configured: $1,299.99

Build and Design
We reviewed the Alienware M11x a short while ago and the new “Revision 2″ (R2) version of the M11x is virtually identical. Anyone familiar with the other gaming notebooks in the Alienware family should instantly recognize the design of the new M11x. In many ways the designers at Alienware tried to make this 11-inch notebook look like a tiny twin of the 15-inch M15x or the 17-inch M17x. A large part of that design heritage is the unique style of Alienware machines. Many laptops look all but identical when the lids are closed, but an Alienware laptop stands out thanks to the stylized lid with futuristic lines and a silver alien head logo.  The biggest design change with the M11x R2 is the new “Soft Touch Stealth Black” finish. Compared to the old glossy black finish on the original M11x, the new exterior feels like it’s coated in a rubberized protective layer similar to a business-class ThinkPad.

Also like a ThinkPad, the M11x R2 maintains the boxy design of the original M11x without a tapered edge like most notebooks. Laptops like the Dell Inspiron 11z or the HP Envy series get thinner as you move to the outside edges and thicker toward the center of the notebook. The chassis of the M11x doesn’t do that because Alienware engineers needed all that space for the discrete graphics card, extra cooling, and the integrated battery. The integrated battery is also something to keep in mind when talking about the thickness of this notebook. The M11x might seem thick with its height of 1.29 inches, but if you buy the Dell Inspiron 11z or Lenovo IdeaPad U150 with 6-cell extended life batteries then they are actually thicker than this Alienware machine.

Build quality is second to none thanks to the previously mentioned magnesium alloy construction combined with matte black plastics. The exterior of the notebook feels rock solid with just a little bit of flex on the back of the screen lid when you apply pressure. The keyboard and palmrest don’t suffer from any noticeable flex even under heavy typing pressure. Again, the M11x is still the most durable 11-inch notebook we’ve reviewed in our lab. The M11x easily rivals the build quality of some business notebooks that label themselves as being “business-rugged.” The build quality hasn’t changed with the new revision of this notebook … it just received a nicer finish.

Another essential element of the Alienware design is the use of customizable LED lighting in key areas around the notebook. The first thing that most people notice is the gorgeous backlit keyboard and two front panels, but my personal favorite is the backlit alien head located above the keyboard. Using the AlienFX software included on the M11x you can set this logo to light up in a number of different ways to alert you of your battery status. I set the alien head on my original M11x to light up blue on AC power and red when it’s running on battery power. This is a fantastic way to alert the user if the power cord is accidentally unplugged during a game. Two additional areas that light up on the M11x are the alien head on the back of the screen and the intake vent on the bottom of the notebook. These two areas, however, aren’t configurable with the AlienFX software — the vent uses the same lighting as the keyboard and the alien head on the screen lid is illuminated by the LCD when the laptop is running. US customers also still have the option of getting a personalized, laser-etched name plate on the bottom of the M11x R2.

Speaking of the bottom of the notebook, the M11x is likewise stunning even from underneath. The bottom panel is largely flat and smooth with speaker grill holes for the downward-firing stereo speakers, the cooling fan intake, and battery meter. If you’re interested in upgrading the internal components on your M11x you’ll be happy to learn that all user-serviceable parts are located under a single access panel on the bottom of the notebook. Accessing the CPU, graphics or the cooling fan is much more complicated, but most consumers honestly don’t need to get to those inner workings.

The single massive cover panel for the battery, hard drive, wireless cards and memory slots uses standard Phillips screws for easy disassembly. It’s also worth mentioning that Dell/Alienware were kind enough to use retention clips on all the screws … so when you unscrew the bottom panel the tiny screws won’t fall out and get lost on the floor. No warranty void if removed stickers were found anywhere, although there was some yellow tape over the edge of the hard drive and battery. In any case, Alienware considers the internal battery, hard drive, RAM and wireless cards to all be user-serviceable parts. Also, the one-year, on-site service warranty should handle any issues that pop up during the first year and you can always buy extended service warranties if you desire. Long story short, if you want to replace the battery or upgrade the usual suspects then it’s pretty easy to do so.

Screen and Speakers
The 11.6″ LED-backlit screen on the M11x R2 is identical to the screen on the original M11x, which appears identical to the screen on the Dell Inspiron 11z. With a resolution of 1366×768 you have as much screen space as full-size notebooks, meaning that menus and other items that need more vertical space are no longer a problem. The panel looks great, with good color reproduction and very even lighting thanks to the LED-backlighting. Contrast is average, and varies depending on the vertical viewing angle. The viewing sweet spot is very narrow, so if you move your head just a little bit you won’t see an entirely black screen during dark scenes in a game. Instead, you either see some shift at the top or some at the bottom. Brighter colors don’t have this problem and look fantastic in everything from viewing images to just browsing the web.

Once again, our only significant complaint about the screen on the M11x is the lack of a matte screen option. Glossy screens look cool when you see them in a store or when you first take your laptop out of the box, but glossy screens also cause obvious reflections on the screen and make it much more difficult to see what’s on the screen when you’re under strong indoor lighting or direct sunlight. Dell really needs to offer a matte screen option on this notebook since it’s designed to be taken everywhere … and you can’t always control your lighting environment when traveling.

Speaker quality is far above average for an 11-inch notebook and the maximum volume output is both loud enough to fill a large meeting room and clear enough to be heard without obvious distortion. Although the stereo speakers on the M11x are downward-firing drivers located on the bottom front edge of the notebook, Alienware engineers also designed two small sound channels into the chassis to direct sound forward through the two decorative LED panels on the front on the notebook. So despite the fact that most of the sound is directed down there is also some sound being thrown forward at the user. Although the M11x has two excellent headphone jacks you might be perfectly happy with the built-in speakers on this laptop.

Keyboard and Touchpad
For many years Alienware notebooks have used a distinctive keyboard design with adjustable LED backlighting so you can view the keyboard in the dark. The M11x continues this tradition with one of the best, if not THE best, keyboard we’ve used on an 11-inch notebook. In general, the keyboard uses individual keys with a traditional shape that is slightly curved in the middle of each key. Key spacing is quite good and each key has the perfect amount of feedback with minimal side travel. The big difference between this keyboard and the keyboards on other 11-inch notebooks is that the keys have excellent LED backlighting with a transparent key frame and key labels using a futuristic font that looks like something out of Star Trek. More importantly, the support frame beneath the keyboard is rock solid. We couldn’t get the keyboard on this M11x to flex even under severe typing pressure. Likewise, the matte plastic palmrests will handle hours of game play without bending or squeaking plastics. Typing noise is minimal, with no loud “click clack” noises while typing. The only minor issue we have with the keyboard is that the matte paint on the keys doesn’t like natural skin oils. You’ll have to wipe down the keyboard from time to time or some of the keys will start to look oily … particularly the W, A, S, and D keys if you’re a heavy gamer.

The Synaptics touchpad is both pleasing and depressing at the same time on the M11x. If I was using this touchpad on any other Dell notebook I would be absolutely thrilled. The honeycomb textured surface makes for an ideal touchpad texture (allowing for smooth, controlled finger movement) and the drivers seem perfectly calibrated straight out of the box for minimal lag and precision tracking. The touchpad buttons have soft, springy movement with quiet clicks, though the full touchpad button press might be a little too deep for my taste. Indeed, this is a great touchpad … but it’s a touchpad.

Any gaming enthusiast will tell you that you MUST use an external mouse when gaming. Sure, the M11x is an ultraportable laptop and people generally use touchpads for typical activities, but the main reason people are buying this machine rather than a Dell Inspiron 11z or an HP Mini 311 is that you can play games on the M11x. Dell really should have included a quality wireless mouse or even a small wired gaming mouse as “standard” equipment with the M11x.

Ports and Features
The selection of ports on the M11x R2 is mostly unchanged from the port layout on the original M11x. However, the switch to Core i5 and Core i7 processors did require one design change from Dell’s Alienware team: the removal of the VGA port. The larger heat sink required for the higher performance CPUs means that one of the three video out ports on the M11x had to be sacrificed. Since most gamers user HDMI or DisplayPort with external monitors, Alienware engineers decided to lose the old VGA port. Students or business professionals who connect their laptops to old projectors might have a problem with this, but it’s a minor sacrifice.

The Alienware M11x R2 still includes three USB 2.0 ports, FireWire, a 3-in-1 media card slot, Ethernet, all of the standard audio jacks, and the previously mentioned HDMI and DisplayPort connections. Yes, you don’t get a built-in optical drive with the M11x … and we’re glad. Not only would a DVD or Blu-ray drive have taken up space and made the notebook heavier and more power hungry, but most consumers are downloading content rather than using disks. You can even choose to let Alienware pre-install STEAM on your M11x when you place your order on the Dell website. For those of you who aren’t familiar with Steam, it’s essentially like iTunes for PC gaming — using the Steam software you can browse the online Steam Store and purchase almost any PC game which you then download and install on your PC.

Alienware still includes a DVD restore disk with the M11x rather than including a bootable USB flash drive, but I guess DVDs are cheaper. Hopefully anyone who needs to use the restore disk already owns an external optical drive.

We would still like to see either a combo USB/eSATA port or USB 3.0 on the Alienware M11x R2 so that owners can connect high-speed external storage to this notebook. Now that more USB 3.0 devices are showing up it’s time that Alienware add USB 3.0 to its notebooks.

With that said, let’s take a quick tour around the M11x R2:

Front: AlienFX lights and speaker grills

Rear: Display hinge, AC power jack, and heat vent

Left: Kensington lock slot, DisplayPort, HDMI, USB, Ethernet, Media card reader, and FireWire

Right: Dual headphone jacks, one microphone jack, and two USB

Source:notebookreview.com

Multi-Touch Coming to OLPC Laptops

The One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) nonprofit organization said its upcoming XO-1.75 laptop will include a multitouch screen and modified software to go with it. The XO-1.75 will start shipping next year with an 8.9-inch touch screen; other features include an Arm processor as opposed to the current XO-1.5 laptop, which uses a VIA x86 CPU.
OLPC plans to sell XO-1.75 laptops with and without multitouch displays.

OLPC laptops are designed for children in primary schools in developing countries. The company is currently developing an XO3 multitouch tablet with no physical keyboard.

Via (PCWorld.com)

Source:notebookreview.com