Portability
One of the things that I noticed is that people don’t pick up the laptop when going to purchase one. It was very frustrating from a sales point of view, as people don’t understand that a laptop’s weight will effect your ability to use it.
Some laptops have amazing features, multi-gigahertz processors, a gigabyte of ram, and video cards that can run the latest of games, but those features come at a cost. A machine with the ability to replace your home computer will most likely have a high weight and thus it might just sit on a desk and may as well be a normal personal computer rather than paying the price premium no getting a notebook.
This is becomming more the case now that manufacturers are creating 19″ and 21″ laptops that can weigh as much as twelve to fourteen pounds. No matter how good your laptop bag is, something that weight will eventually feel heavy and awkward.
For the longest time the most common sceen size for laptops was in the 12″ to 14.1″ range, as it was cheaper, lighter, and could easily be taken just about anywhere in any backpack or laptop case, but now the more common range is 15″, and growing. Many laptops being released next year will feature 14.1 inch widescreen and 15.4″ widescreen displays, and no doubt more people will be opting for a 17″ screen than they were this year.
I can understand getting the larger sizes if you are going to use your notebook as a desktop replacement and only bring it somewhere every once and a while, but if it is going to be a highly portable machine, I suggest going for the 14-inch range to make sure the screen is big enough you don’t have to squint, but small enough that it does not drain your battery in less than two hours, and it will most likely be lighter and thus more portable than its bigger screened brothers.
Apple iBook G4
If I was running out to buy a laptop, and saw an Apple iBook, I probably wouldn’t at this point and time pick it up, but Laptop Magazine took a look at it and ended up giving it a four out of a possible five points on their rating system.
The 12-inch Apple iBook represents what many consider to be the best deal in notebook computers: a stylish portable packed with pep, features, and an affordable price tag that starts at $999. This notebook works well at home or on the road.
This 4.9-pound system is at the low end of Apple’s portable lineup, but it is far from barebones. The latest generation gets a bump in processor speed and memory, plus a slew of new features trickled down from its more robust brother, the PowerBook. (Consider Apple’s products like a luxury BMW: the lower-end 3-series eventually gets all of the fun toys from the 7-series.)
Maybe when the Intel processor based iBooks come out, I will give it another look.
Asus U5 Very Green and Very Small
Many notebooks these days include lead and halogen in their construction. I don’t know about you, but I would like to keep poison out of the building materials of the things I am going to keep around me all the time. The U5 does is the first lead and halogen free laptop.
The best part of the U5 is not it’s treehugging construction, but that it actually is a pretty decent laptop, and you would not know that the U5 was ecofriendly unless you were told.
The U5 only weighs only 1.4kg, which is just a little more than Sony’s tiny TX1. Somehow they find room in the tiny machine for a 12.1 widescreen, the fastest Pentium M processor and a decent wireless card. Not only that, but half a gigabyte of ram is also tucked away somewhere in there.
Some other great features include three USB ports, a multi-format card reader and FireWire.
Pricing has not yet been announced.
Source: Stuff Magazine
Battery Life
In my opinion, one of the most important features, if not the most important feature of a laptop is its battery life. You can have the worlds greatest laptop, but if the battery can’t last more than an hour, you may as well have a desktop because an hour of portability is nearly useless.
Laptops are slowly, for the most part, getting better when it comes to battery life, as new notebooks are being announced with five and six hour batteries or longer.
Fuel cell technology continues to push forward and promises longer lasting laptops. The dream of being able to go to a Starbucks and spend a whole business day unplugged is getting closer and closer to reality.
When I worked for a computer store, people would ask me which laptop was best for gaming, and I would cringe. Laptops that are made for gaming are not traditionally great as a portable machine. High end graphics cards and giant amounts of hard drive space and ram quickly gets heavy and hot, which means fans, and fast power draining. Also, putting high end parts is very expensive. You’d think working on commission I would be jumping on selling a gaming laptop, and while I did want to make money, the primary concern of someone hoping to travel with their laptop should be battery life.
So if you are going to get a laptop, ask them how long the battery lasts, or do some research before hand because with some machines, you might only have two hours to play your game, movie, or type a document before your machine needs a cord running to the wall.
Voodoo Envy u:703 Review
At nearly $5,000, the Voodoo Envy makes me envious of anyone that has the money to drop on such an impressive laptop.
Laptop Magazine has a look at the machine and gives up the specifications and a few of their thoughts on the machine.
To say the Envy we tested is red is like saying that the sun is bright; all ten available shades are blazingly intense. The sharp exterior is designed to make a statement and does, announcing its presence with a stunning color, 15.5-inch length, and 13-pound weight. Voodoo offers 13 factory decals to tattoo the case, a fun way to personalize your rig.
The price of the u:703 is nearly five grand, but it’s one worth paying if you want the ultimate eye candy on the outside and raw graphics power on the inside.
I wonder what the battery life is on a machine that is two times faster than my current desktop.
Acer Aspire 5024WLMi Review
I love Pocket-Lint’s writers. They just put up a review of the Acer Aspire 5024WLMi, and the first paragraph makes me laugh because it is so true.
Acer possibly releases more notebooks than any other company. Some weeks it seems that you can’t turn around for another model falling onto your desk. To give their models a little differentiation, Acer is part of the growing trend of splitting business models away from consumer ones.
One look at the size and styling of the Aspire 5024WLMi and you know you’re dealing with a consumer model. It’s not only the Windows XP Home that gives it away; it’s the weight and size of the machine. No mobile worker would be willing to put up with 3.3kg in this day and age. Well, possibly, considering you get a 15.4-inch TFT panel for your trouble. Being a home unit, you’ll find Acer’s CrystalBrite Super TFT screen coating in place for increased contrast and vibrant colours. So, not only does the notebook look cooler, images also look sharper.
In the end the 5024WLMi earned an above average 7 out of 10.
Toshiba Qosmio G20 Review
Trusted Reviews has a look at the G20 from Toshiba. This machine was built to be in the center of the multimedia experience, and thus is not the most portable machine, but it sure is powerful.
Toshiba’s Qosmio range is set up for entertainment and the G20 stands at its head. With a large widescreen display and running Microsoft’s Windows Media Center 2005, Toshiba has pretty much thrown the kitchen sink at this thing in an effort to ensure that it can act as a full-on digital hub.
However, it’s not going to win any prizes for portability. This is a big heavy machine and weighs in at 4.3Kg and that’s without they external power brick. Certainly you’re not going to want to move it very often.
Toshiba Red Transformer Laptop
BIOS Magazine has a look at the odd looking Toshiba 17″ “red transformer laptop”.
The innovative Toshiba Red Transformer laptop, with its 17-inch flat screen, transforms from the utility of a laptop computer to the fun of a flat screen home entertainment centre.
In creating a portable computer truly adapted to the home user, Toshiba designers have recognised the need to lose the computer-like personality that distracts from a clean entertainment experience.
A unique sliding hinge attached to the back of the screen transforms the computer into entertainment mode by pushing the screen to the forefront. The screen rests on the integrated speaker panel and a removable remote control and keyboard allow the computer to be controlled from afar.
There are very few details in the article, and other than its 17″ screen, and its ability to twist into a flat screen television with “stand”, there are no other specs on the machine. Not even a model number. How disappointing because it looks really interesting.
Samsung M70, a 19 inch Laptop
Well, for those out there that want a bigger screen Samsung heard you, and if they 19″ is not large enough, detach it and plug in something else. You lose the portability, but it is an amazing concept.
Samsung has launched two new laptops which promise to turn the conventional notebook design on its head.
The Samsung M70 is the world’s first 19 inch notebook computer with detachable screen, while the the Samsung X1 is according to Samsung the world’s thinnest and lightest 14 inch Wide Centrino Notebook Computer.
The M70’s detachable display can also be used as a full sized 19” monitor with existing home PCs, and also be used with any future notebook upgrades delivering significant cost savings.
source: pocket-lint
Gateway S-7200N Review
Notebook Review is not a site I have visited before, but I will be visiting lots now since they have posted up a real quality review of the Gateway S-7200N.
The S-7200N is a fairly thin and light midsized notebook weighing in at about 5 pounds. It has a simple and professional looking silver and black color scheme. The plastic case and the screen have a bit of flex, and the screen will ripple when pushed from behind. The hinges are sturdy and well damped though. The 14″ widescreen form factor allows for a comfortably small note book with room for a nice full size keyboard with an extra column for the Home/pg up/pg dn/end keys.
The S-7200N is a fairly conservative notebook, with nothing that stands out as new or remarkable, and at the same time no real faults. This is perfect for a business notebook that is expected to have a long life and minimal problems.
The worst thing about the laptop is a big selling point for me is the low battery life expectancy. Laptops need better batteries.
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