Toshiba Satellite T215D-S1140RD is a premium Netbook and which has faster processor and hence gives a slightly better performance than a standard Netbook. The audio quality from the speakers of this Netbook is not that good though. If you wish to listen a lot of music, I would recommend you to invest in a separate set of speakers or headphones. The screen is 11.6 inches big and above it, you have the Webcam. The picture quality is awful; it is unusable for anything other than basic Web chatting. I tried making a call through Skype and found that the streaming was very choppy but this might be attributed to the single core processor inside. Toshiba Satellite T215D-S1140RD is small Netbook and yet you get all the ports which are there on the 13.3-incher T235D and this is really impressive. It has a combo USB2.0/eSATA port, which features Tobhiba’s unique sleep and charge technology. You can charge your gadgets through USB even when the Netbook is switched off or asleep. You can also  [...]

Alienware laptops are made for gamers. I have tested a few of them in my labs and the quality that they have to offer is really impressive. I got the 17, 15 and 11 inch version previously in my labs and Dell has sent me another version of the 11 inch screen size. The previous model was based on Core 2 Duo processor whereas this model has a zippy Core i7 processor with Nvidia Optimus technology. In case you don't know, Nvidia Opimus is a graphic card feature which autmatically turns on/off the graphic card according to the requirements. So if you are in a game the card will switch itself on and when you come out of it, the card will be turned off automatically. The graphic card consumes a significant amount of power as it has to provide all the graphics. So if the card is switched off when not required, you save a lot of power. This version of the Alienware M11x too has an 11 inch screen. It also has high end graphics for giving great eye candy for the games. But the most important diffrence,  [...]

When it comes to entertainment notebooks, these three features are really important – HDMI, Intel Wireless Display and Blu-ray. The latter was just limited to step up laptops some time ago but now it is good to see it on the less expensive laptops as well. Amongst the three, my favorite is the Wireless Display technology as it lets you outsource the video to a large HDTV. This technology is quite new and it is not surprising to see it getting really popular in such short time. This is also quite underrated feature in most laptops. Sometimes, the manufacturers don’t mention it at all. As compared to this, laptops with Blu-ray drives are heavily plastered with stickers. I have compiled this list from the various notebooks that I have got in my labs for reviewing. The ones that I haven’t tested are not included simply because I don’t know anything about that laptop. You can still rely on this list because all major manufacturers send me their products in my labs. Here are my five bits  [...]

We have reviewed quite a lot of HP laptops in the past and we have liked the stylish look of its multimedia centric notebooks. This too looks stylish and the feature set is also good. The design might make you think that this is a high end laptop but it is really a down to earth computer. Our review model costs $979; if you are looking for alternatives, there is the Lenovo IdeaPad Y460 which comes at $1,050. It has the same specs but comes with an ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5650 graphic card as well. HP system can be customized for a graphic card but it will take the price up by $200. On the bright side, dm4 has a 7,200 rpm hard drive where as Lenovo’s hard disk has 5,400 rpm speed. If you are looking for best value for money deal, check out the 15-inch Samsung R580 which comes at a price of $829 and has both Blu-ray drive and graphic card. However, if looks matter a lot to you, stick with the dm4 as it is the sexiest amongst the three. HP Pavilion dm4’s keyboard is the same as that  [...]

This is a 14 inch laptop which runs on Intel Core i5 CPU. Along with that, you have a fast and powerfull graphics card. Priced at $899, this laptop is costly. There are other notebooks in the market offering the same specs at a much lower price. Once a notebook goes past the thousand dollar price mark, we compare it with 2 big wigs – 13 inch MacBook Pro and HP’s Envy 14. Presence of a fast graphic card makes the Lenovo IdeaPad Y460 0633 good for gaming. Don’t expect out of the box gaming experience; if you are looking for that, get the Alienware notebooks. Being a gaming notebook, we would call it an entertainment centric laptop. However, unlike other such multimedia entertainers, there is no Blu-ray drive. Another major gripe is that the battery life is pretty small. 14 inch notebooks are made for guys who travel a lot. So how will they survive if the battery dries up quickly? Above the keyboard, there is a touch sensitive button strip which  [...]

Gaming laptops were once a luxury in notebook market but things are changed now and they do give tough competition gaming consoles. There are big players out in the market like Alienware and Voodoo and the price of their products are going up as the manufacturers assume that laptop gamers can afford to spend big. Contrary to this Origin are offering more of a boutique angle to the gamers and are giving it a personalized touch, variety of components and better customer service. Origin took off in late 2008 and majority of the staff consists of ex-Alienware employees. Till now, there are laptops EON 18 and EON 15. Both of them come with lots of options for graphics card and processor and. We liked the EON 18 because it gives tons of options with regards to hardware and it still remains good for portability. But, this isn’t the only manufacturer to give customizable options for the hardware. Our test model had a black exterior but you get options for metallic or solid finish on the  [...]

Tech enthusiasts around the world always have an eye on what Apple is trying to do with its MacBook line ups. Apple's experiments for its notebook computers fall mainly in two categories: a change in the outer body (like the transition to the aluminum unibody in 2008) or minor upgrades in specifications like moving to a faster processor or increase in hard disk size. This latest iteration of the Apple's MacBook Pro falls in to the latter category. The great unibody is retained for this version and we thank Apple for that. The gorgeous glass multitouch trackpad too is still there. But the internal components have been upgraded heavily and hence we won't call this just another 'minor' spec upgrade. MacBook Pros come in three versions, 13 inch, 15 inch and 17 inch. The latter two have got Intel's new Core-i series of processors but the 13 incher is still stuck with Core 2 Duo processor. For the other two screen sizes, there are options of both Core i5 and faster Core i7 processors. Apart  [...]

The Lenovo ThinkPad x200 series offers high-end performance in a compact fram. In contrast, the Lenovo ThinkPad X100e has low-voltage single-core processor – AMD Athlon Neo and low-level ATI graphics. It features matte screen, sturdy build, and phenomenal keyboard. The starting price of the Netbook is $449, but our test model costs $579. Its battery life is low as compared to other Netbooks its class. The X100e is underpowered as per its price tag. 11.6 inches matte screen has 1366×768 resolution that is better than for a 12-inch screen. The Web pages, the pictures and the office applications does not look crowded with their upper toolbars. It provides good clarity and readability for icons and text all around the screen. The videos and pictures may not look crispy, but remember the X100e is a business machine. We are disappointed that the viewing angle performance for the screen is mediocre. The six-cell battery pops out from the back instead of bulging at the bottom. We like  [...]

Are you still using the cables to stream the videos and music tracks on your HDTV from a computer? Then this is going to be history, because new Sony Vaio VPCS111FM/S, Dell Studio s15z-2249CPN and Toshiba E205-S1904 – laptops supports wireless streaming of audio/video to the TV. All three laptops have exclusive Best Buy Blue labels and have similar advanced highlights like: one year antivirus protection, Intel Wireless Display technology, excellent battery life, two-year warranty, and 30 days Geek Squad support. What’s more – they ships with free NetGear Push2TV box to receive the wireless video on your HDTV or TV. However, the Vaio VPCS111FM/S is an expensive laptop and costs $1049. It features 13.3 inches display, speedy Core i5 processor, 500GB hard drive, and 4GB DDR3 RAM. In contrast, the Dell s15z and Toshiba E205 has 15.6 and 14 inches screen respectively. We like the black chiclet type keyboard and textured palm rest. The keyboard has well-spaced and shallow keys, which  [...]

Samsung NP-R580-JSB1US laptop has a great combination of price tag and configuration. In $829, it offers 2.26GHz Intel Core i5 processor, 4GB RAM, 500GB Hard drive, Nvidia Geforce graphic card, 15.6 inches screen, and Blu-ray drive. It has flick finish on outside and looks reminiscent of a high-end Toshiba laptop. However, its battery life is short as compared to others in its class. If you need an affordable laptop with excellent specification, good performance and nice style then we will recommend the Samsung R580 laptop. The dual hinge set opens the Samsung NP-R580-JSB1US laptop smoothly and align the front screen securely. Bother lower and upper halves flush relatively with each other, while lower lip juts out slightly. Samsung R580 laptop has chic-let type full keyboard with separate numeric keyboard like that of Asus one. The keyboard has sturdy keys, but you may have to press them with little pressure to register your command. There are  [...]