Dell Precision Workstation M90 Review
Digital Video Editing has a review up of the M90 from Dell. A workstation system that in my opinion, looks really nice.
Dell sent us the most-capable member of the Precision Mobile Workstation M90 line, tricked out with its 2.16 GHz Intel Core Duo T2600 processor. Along for the ride were 2GB of DDR2-667 RAM and a 100GB 7200 RPM SATA drive. Perhaps the most impressive component was the NVIDIA Quadro FX 2500M Open GL graphics card with 512MB of dedicated graphics memory on board. Dell is offering the M90 and its little brother, the M65, for order on its web site immediately, with delivery promised within the next few days. As we will later see, this combination of processor and graphics card enabled the M90 to fly through our benchmarks, rivaling the speed of most of the high-end desktops we’ve tested.
It looks like a nice system, but the high price, and the last years battery life, leave me looking at this to be something to be desired, rather than bought, as the system would probably make a great desktop replacement, I am not saying don’t buy it, but I am saying, take a second look around before purchasing.
Toshiba Pre-announces New Gaming Notebook
A pre-announcement announcement of the GeForce Go 7900 GS movie GPU is out on The Register thanks to Toshiba dropping one into a new gaming notebook which delivers “state-of-the-art graphics” thanks to the new and powerful 256MB graphics card.
The Centrino-branded Satellite P105-S921 is powered by a 1.83GHz Intel Core Duo T2400 backed up with 1GB of dual-channel DDR2 SDRAM. It’s got a 160GB Serial ATA hard drive and a dual-layer DVD±R/RW optical drive. Toshiba has built in a pair of Harman Kardon stereo speakers and a “customisable dual-mode touch pad that can provide one-tap short cuts to launch e-mail, internet browser and other programs”.
Dell Latitude D820 Review
PC Magazine currently has a review up on the new Dell Latitude D820, a half pound lighter replacement to the D810.
One of the features I love best is the new Wi-Fi catcher that allows you to know when your laptop is able to find a wireless access point without turning no the machine all the way.
The D820 includes a hardware switch that enables the Wi-Fi catcher. It detects open wireless access points even when the system is shut down. A green LED indicates that a security-disabled Wi-Fi connection is available, so you don’t waste your time turning on the system.
They give the machine a four out of five, saying that the D820 is a viable choice for those that can’t afford the ThinkPad T60.
Dell Latitude D620 Review
Laptop Magazine reviews the Dell Latitude D620, a machine that was constantly having its specs leaked, has been reviewsd.
Dell packs an excellent mix of features into a lightweight five-pound frame, including the fastest Verizon Wireless EV-DO connectivity. Add in a host of security options and blazing dual-core performance, and the $1,905 D620 is the best choice for businesses both large and small.
To improve durability, Dell has wrapped this package in a magnesium alloy exoskeleton. The hard drive is shock-mounted, but it offers no active hard-drive protection, such as an accelerometer. The keyboard is spill-resistant.
In the end they give the machine a four and a half out of five. The last half point being taken off because of the lack of an active hard drive protection system, low Wi-Fi throughput rate, and some blurring when watching DVD’s, but if you read the review…you will know that they really liked the machine and while they had to list those cons, they still highly recommend the machine, enough so that they gave it an Editor’s Choice rating.
Dell Latitude D620 and D820
Looks like the on again off again Dell Latitude D620 and D820 details have been completely leaked to the Internet before their release.
According to these docs, the 620 will weigh 4.41 pounds, will be available in Core Solo and Duo configs, will have a 14-inch display running at either 1280×800 or 1440×900, and will include WiFi and Bluetooth, with optional internal HSDPA or EV-DO cards available. The 820 has a 15-inch display, weighs in at about 6 pounds, and has similar config options, including a choice of Core Solo or Duo processors. Both models will include an instant-on external WiFi finder, so you can find a working network without having to open and boot up your laptop.
Update: The D620 base configuration will drop for $1,149 whereas the D820 will go for $1,289 — both are spec’d with a Core Duo T2300, 512MB RAM, 40GB disk and 802.11 b/g Wi-Fi capability
If it has some decent battery life, and the specs and price listed, I don’t see too many reasons why not to grab one.
Source: Engadget
Intel’s Edu-Wise versus the OLPC
It looks like Intel is working on their own cheap laptop program, not to directly compete with the OLPC project, but still it is seen as a big deal by the media.
Intel is going to release a product with specifications that make the OLPC machine look like a “windup toy” and at $400, it is not rediculously expensive, but it will put it outside the ability for most developing countries.
Intel CEO Paul Otellini recently announced the Edu-Wise in Brazil. The Edu-Wise will be a full-fledged, Windows-powered mini-PC.
While the prototype Edu-Wise box Otellini showed off in São Paulo looked pretty good, we suspect that a $400 price tag will put it out of the price range of most developing world customers, unless it’s heavily subsidized. We also think there’s a good chance that the $400 price won’t even stick; after all, we seem to recall a recent Microsoft/Intel project for a small, full-Windows computer that was initially meant to hit the market at about $500. Last time we checked, those boxes were going for closer to a grand. Apply the same math to this, and we don’t see it coming in for any less than $750 — not exactly pocket change for most developing world students.
Source: Engadget
Levitating ThinkPad
You won’t have qualms about dropping your laptop with this one: the floating ThinkPad.
I guess these are experimental designs, but I’d love to have one of these!
The perfect laptop: a beginner’s guide to buying a notebook computer
So, you’ve finally decided to get your own laptop. Buying a laptop is not simple, with the multitude of choices of brand, model, size, features, and even colors. A laptop is as personal as a computer can get. It’s not just a piece of hardware sitting on your home or office desk. A laptop tends to be part of your daily life. It’s like your wallet, watch or mobile phone. Your laptop should be characteristic of who you are–an extension of your personality.
Some laptops are meant to be carried around everywhere. If you’re like one of us, whose lives and livelihoods revolve around the Internet, you’d most likely carry aroud your computer anywhere you go. But some laptops are meant to be left at home or the office most of the time, serving as portable desktop replacements. Some people prefer the power of desktops but without the bulk.
So here are some factors I suggest you consider before taking the plunge and spend your hard-earned funds on a spanking new notebook computer.
Fujitsu 200GB S-ATA Notebook Drive
Fujitso is looking to start shipping a 200GB 2.5 inch serial-ATA hard drive in the fall of this year. They claim that the drive will have desktop equivalent performance, as the drive will include a hardware accelerator to improve native command queuing performance. Native command queuing allows the hard drive controller to queue up and re-order up to thirty two instructions, greatly improving performance. The drive takes 1.6W consumption, has a track to track seek time of 1.5ms, and a host transfer rate of a maximum 150MB/s.
The drive will be named the MHV2200BT, and if you have to write that down when you go buy one, you won’t be the only one. No details of pricing are yet available.
Toshiba Launch New Satellite M105
A new Intel Core Duo and Intel Core Solo powered line from Toshiba is coming out called the Satellite M105. The new M105 will offer a 14.1 inch TruBrite LCD, a DVD burner, and a 5,400 rpm serial-ATA (SATA) hard drive, as well as supporting the latest in memory technology.
It also includes a media adapter for reading five different types of memory. For more multimedia power it includes the Express Media Player, that allows you to instantly access DVDs or CDs with the push of a button, thus saving battery life and not having to turn on the whole laptop.
With prices starting at $1149.99 in the US, the Satellite M105-S3021 features an Intel Core Solo Processor T1300 (1.66GHz, 2MB L2, 667MHz FSB), 100GB hard drive for generous storage of files, 512MB of memory and Microsoft Windows XP Home operating system.
For $1349.99 you can get a few more upgrades including more memory, built-in harman/kardon stereo speakers, a fingerprint reader and Windows XP Media Center edition.
Both models will also include four USB2.0, TV-Out (S-Video), iLINK IEEE 1394, RGB, RJ-11 modem (v.92), RJ-45 LAN, headphone and microphone ports.
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