Dell Inspiron B130 and B120 Review
NotebookReview.com has a look at the B130 and the B120 from Dell, and the results are less than stellar.
The Dell B130 ends up being a fine notebook for general usage and as an extension of a desktop computer. Obviously this notebook is not for gaming, but if you’re looking for a cheap solution for a portable PC so you can do work or surf the web from the couch, or have a cheap PC in the dorm room then the B130 is fine.
I can’t whole heartedly endorse buying this notebook when there’s better options out there for the same price, but if you like Dell and can use one of the often available Dell coupons to get a good price on this machine then it’s not a bad pick.
I am not really all that surprised, though I expected a bit more from Dell in this leg of the notebook competition that is currently running out there. The article mentions grabbing an HP or Compaq of similar price for more features, and I am going to have to agree there. Most of the HP and Compaqs I have seen atleast come with a 6 cell battery, while this dell only has a 4 cell battery, reducing its battery life.
Windows ‘error’ Could Leave Drives Open to Hackers
I am not a big fan of the “H” word (Hackers), but I do think that security exploits and flaws in the Windows operating systems should be mentioned in as many places as possible, so that the average joe hears about the problems, and either is given steps to fix them, or is taken to a place where they can get a patch.
It looks like a laptop’s wireless connection, plus Windows can equal an open door to your hard drive if you are not careful. Details from Techworld.com.
A bug in the way Windows manages wireless network connections means that people using their laptops in public places are frequently giving anyone in the area the means to invade their systems,
When a laptop has been connected to an ad-hoc network it can later begin advertising that ad-hoc network’s SSID identifier without the user’s knowledge, giving those nearby the opportunity to carry out an attack, according to Loveless.
He called the bug a “configuration error” rather than a security vulnerability, but gave it a severity rating of “High (albeit lame)”.
“In theory all kinds of information could be siphoned off, but that depends on either a secondary vulnerability (such as MS05-039 patch not being applied), a lack of a personal firewall, or open shares.
So before you go on a trip using your laptop, get all your Windows updates.
Laptop-loan Program
When I was in college, there were the fortunate, that had laptops, and the unfortunate, who did not. In the United States, there are schools that are looking to change that, and one of them has instated a laptop-loan program, which allows students and faculty to borrow a notebook for up to four hours.
Students can now borrow laptops free for up to four hours as part of a student government $20,000 laptop-loan program that starts today.
Current UA students and faculty members who find themselves unable to afford a computer or are in need of one on campus in the most dire of situations now have the chance to borrow a laptop.
A $15 late fee will be charged to a student’s Bursar’s Account for every 30 minutes past the four-hour time allotment. Damaged, lost or stolen property may result in criminal charges, though much of the wear and tear will be covered by the Apple and Gateway company warranties, Tubbs said.
How cool is that? I wish my school had such a program back when I was in College. It would have saved me a fair bit of hassle.
Source: Arizona Daily Wildcat
Laptop Users Don’t Connect Wirelessly?
In what goes against what I thought I knew about notebook users, is an article on Web User, which states that most people don’t use their wireless internet capabilities at hotspots due to security concerns, cost, or just plain lack of knowledge.
Laptop users are still reluctant to log into Wi-Fi hotspots, research reveals.
Of 3,330 people questioned, just 11 per cent make use of hotspots in hotels, 7 per cent on trains and 3 per cent in coffee shops.
A quarter of users with wirelessly equipped notebooks said they didn’t use the technology because they don’t want to pay for it with 19 per cent claiming that security concerns prevented them using it.
A further 19 per cent claimed they simply didn’t know how to use the wireless functions of their notebook
Laptops for Kids Urged
An interesting article found on TMCnet about giving seventh grade students laptops.
Illinois Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn wants to put a laptop computer in the hands of every 7th grader in the state’s public schools and on Tuesday urged the Illinois state legislature to help him do so.
To pay for the plan, he proposed tapping a portion of the state sales tax, now 6.25 percent. Of that amount, the state rebates 1.75 percent to retailers–Quinn’s plan would divert a portion of that rebate to pay for the new computers.
First off, let me say that I think laptops could be a great learning tool for students, moving the text books into a digital form, allowing for interactivity, as well as being a great way for students to learn typing, and take documentation, but I think that until notebooks are given freely by companies, or become super cheap then they should stay in the hands of those that can afford them.
I also think that if used incorrectly, laptops could become a tool for distraction, as even if they are locked down with security, children will find a way to put other materials on the machine which are not going to be used for learning.
Gateway M685-E
Mobilewhack has the details on the Gateway M685-E a dual core laptop.
The 17-inch widescreen display and light weight design allows it to easily double as a powerful desktop in the office or as a mobile system for busy entrepreneurs who both travel and take work home. Also offering a full-size keyboard with dedicated 10-key keypad and integrated wireless options with Bluetooth technology make it a professional’s assets thus allowing them to stay productive even at move. Network can be supported through Gigabit Ethernet or Bluetooth as well.
The specifications make it look like a pretty decent notebook, but I would hold off on buying into the new hype of the new Intel chips to wait and see what some real world test say about them, but if you are looking for a cheap and effective notebook, this might be it, though I would want to see some battery life details before buying.
Acer Adds Embedded 3G Wireless Capability
It looks like Acer will be adding integrated 3G wireless networking capabilities to its TravelMate and Aspire notebook lines.
The first to have this feature will be the TravelMate 4260 and the Aspire 5650. The computers will sport the latest Intel Centrino Mobile Technology Duo platform, codenamed ‘NAPA’ featuring Intel Core processor Duo, Intel 945PM Express chipset and the Intel® PRO/Wireless 3945ABG network connection chipset.
The TravelMate 4260 and Aspire 5650 will come with full WWAN connectivity through three-band GPRS/EDGE capability at 900/1800/1900 MHz and at 2100 MHz through integrated 3G Wideband CDMA (Code-Division Multiple Access).
Will this allow for internet browsing wherever you can get a cell phone signal? It should be interesting, and when I buy a laptop, I want it to have as many different Internet connection abilities as possible.
Source: Pocket-Lint
Sony Vaio VGN-BX196SP Review
With Lenovo trying to grow wider than just business customers, Sony is taking a crack at being the go-to company to pick up corporate notebooks. Pocket-Lint has a look at the VGN-BX196SP which earns itself a seven out of ten on their review scale.
The company’s reasoning behind this is one of scale and economy – not only do corporate users buy more than one machine; they also spend more in support and upgrades. On the downside, in order to win big orders you need to show consistency and an eye for the big picture.
So we come to Sony VAIO VGN-BX196SP, which manages to tick a number of boxes right away. It seems in order to be taken seriously as a business machine you need to have a pointing stick as well as touchpad for navigation. This is an old affectation that Sony is willing to go along with.
Lenovo ThinkPad Z60m
Lenovo has been doing great things with IBM’s old lines of notebooks, and the ThinkPad Z60m is one of them. This is a laptop that is trying to break down the old “IBM is high cost” view that most people have had for ages, and for little more than $1,000, this machine totally busts that mold. Laptop Magazine had a look at the Z60m and gives it a 3.5 out of 5.
As you might expect, there are some sacrifices to be made in order to hit that low price. The Z60m we reviewed features a 1.4-GHz Celeron M processor, lacks a Bluetooth radio, eschews a DVD burner in favor of a DVD-ROM/CD-RW drive, and uses integrated graphics.
Lenovo manages to surprise with some nice amenities, like a 15.4-inch widescreen display, 5,400-rpm 60GB hard drive, tri-mode Wi-Fi adapter, and Gigabit Ethernet. Unlike previous ThinkPads, the Z60m also has a full array of interfaces that includes an ExpressCard/54 slot and a multiformat memory card reader.
Will Core Duo Notebooks Trade Battery Life For Quicker Response?
Tom’s Hardware has a twenty-five page overview on the Intel Core Duo notebooks, and what you are getting if you buy one. It is probably much more in depth than is needed for a question that could be answered with yes, or no, but that is half of the fun behind reading some of the articles on Tom’s Hardware.
According to vendor reports, the battery life for the new dual core platforms in notebooks using Intel’s integrated graphics core isn’t supposed to decline at all, when compared with the previous generation (Sonoma). Our first measurements on a prototype device with a dedicated graphics chip (ATI X1600) paint a completely different picture, however, and this detracts from the positive impression that the new technology’s improved performance creates. We can only guess whether the relatively modest battery lifetimes we observed in our test system are due to the graphics subsystem, the chipset itself, or a combination of these elements. That said, as we’ll prove later in this article, this new CPU is definitely no energy hog.
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