HP ProBook 5330m Review

The HP Pavilion dm4 Beats Edition is a multimedia notebook with a slim form factor. HP is marketing the dm4 with a Beats Audio theme and with an emphasis on its affordability and ability to offer decent performance.

The first thing you'll notice about the 14-inch HP Pavilion dm4 is its Beats Audio theme, because you can't miss it. The display cover sports the familiar red and black "b" that's designed to look like an earbud, the keys on the keyboard are oddly covered in red, and the rest of the notebook is a deep shade of black. Dell Precision M4600 ,The design is attractive, but the matte surfaces will pick up finger prints and dust very easily - keep a microfiber cloth handy because you'll be cleaning it often.Lenovo X61 ,The form factor is slim and lightweight at 13.30 x 8.85 x 0.96~1.27 inches and 4.33 pounds.

Build quality is questionable in some places and decent in others.Dell Precision M4600 , The display bends easily at the corners; in fact, the alloys it was constructed with bends so easily that it's very worrisome. If you press down on the display cover,Dell Precision M4600 , though, it doesn't budge much. The entire chassis is built thick and solid - it doesn't budge at all even when we press down heavily. The surfaces are also nice and soft to the touch, but despite that, they have a scratch-resistant sealant and won't mark up even after extensive use.

Getting the bottom panels off of this notebook proved to be tricky.Dell Precision M4600 , All of the screws are under another panel (as in, none of

them are on the outside). For example, you must remove the battery to have access to the screws to get to the wireless card and memory, and under that panel you must remove the screws there to get to the hard drive. Dell Precision M4600 ,If you didn't consult a manual you might just figure it's impossible to upgrade the notebook. Anyhow, the wireless card, RAM and hard drive can all be replaced. The notebook fits up to 16GB-1333 DDR3 memory.

The HP Pavilion dm4 has a decent port selection. Included is a 6-in-1 memory card reader (MS, MSP, MMC, SD, SDHC, xD), HDMI and VGA ports for hooking it up to an HDTV or external monitor, Dell Precision M4600 ,and two SuperSpeed USB 3.0 ports. Even though there are two USB 3.0 ports, there are still on three USB ports altogether - whereas at least four is the norm for mainstream notebooks.

Our review unit has a 14.0-inch, HD+ anti-glare display with LED backlighting and a screen resolution of 1600 x 900. The display is available in another resolution as well, 720p (1366 x 768). It currently costs about $100 more to customize the dm4 with the 900p display. Dell Precision M4600 ,The display has its ups and downs. For one, the resolution on our review unit is good and the clarity and LED backlighting is bright and clear. However, the contrast ratio is quite low - we measured it at 164:1 - so colors will appear washed out.Dell Precision M4600 , When you view the display from above or below the viewing angles are very narrow and images begin to invert only a couple of degrees off-center. Colors and images don't invert as easily when you view the notebook from the left or right of it, though - they're actually really decent. Dell Precision M4600 ,Even at about 50 degrees you can still easily see the picture.

HP claims that the dm4 will deliver higher quality audio out of your earbuds/headphones than most other notebooks. Dell Precision M4600 ,That was the main marketing point of the dm4. We tested this claim out by playing the same three songs (using the same music program and the same earbuds) on the dm4 and then on an older Dell Latitude E6410 business notebook.

The HP Pavilion dm4 Beats Edition is a multimedia notebook with a slim form factor. HP is marketing the dm4 with a Beats Audio theme and with an emphasis on its affordability and ability to offer decent performance.

And boy, was there a difference in quality. Using the earbuds on my Latitude E6420 feels subpar compared to the dm4; the little nuances and sound effects that earbuds usually don't pick up on are most definitely heard with the dm4. The HP Pavilion dm4 may very well single-handedly make that $200 pair of headphones you bought null and void. Before hearing how great the dm4's audio was,Dell Precision M4600 , I personally would have cringed at a statement that bold. We also noticed that while using the earbuds with the Dell Latitude there was faint humming noise close to the sound of static, but while using them with the dm4 that same humming isn't present. It looks like HP really was telling the truth about the dm4's audio quality. We're very impressed.

The dm4 has a full-sized Chiclet-style keyboard.Dell Precision M4600 , The keys are flat, square, and spaced apart to help with key throw. The first thing you'll notice about the keyboard, though, won't be that it's Chiclet-style;Dell Precision M4600 , it'll be that the keys are all a deep red color to match the Beats audio theme. Even though it might look nice, that might have been a bad move by the HP design team. Unless you plan on configuring your dm4 with a backlit keyboard, you won't be able to see the keys very well.

For those who can type without looking down that's probably not a huge issue, but most of us still need to look down to see the FN keys, the home/page up/page down keys, and etcetera. Something about the keyboard being this dark red color really doesn't sit right with me.Dell Precision M4600 , We did notice that if you're sitting in the dark and the keyboard backlight is turned off, you can't see the keyboard at all. Dell Latitude E6420 ,If you're seriously considering purchasing the dm4, we highly suggest paying a little extra to configure it with a keyboard backlight. Dell Precision M4600 ,Using it all the time will drain battery life quicker, though. The keyboard backlight can be turned on and off easily by pressing the f5 key. The red backlighting on our review unit was good - it's bright, and actually lights up both the letters and the keys (underneath the keyboard).

Besides that, typing on the dm4 is very pleasant. Dell Precision M4600 ,The keys are soft and sensitive, which makes for a comfortable typing experience. It has decent key throw too; we didn't make many typos. Typing isn't very noisy, either, which is nice.HP dm4

The Synaptics touchpad is pretty standard. Dell Latitude E6420 ,We like the matte surface of it, which allows for the most important thing - excellent usability. It has great cursor movement and it's a decent size, too. There are two dedicated left and right click buttons.

The HP Pavilion dm4 Beats Edition lasted 6 hours and 46 minutes of continuous web surfing during our standard battery life test. For our battery life test, we set Windows 7 on the "Balanced" power profile, turn the screen brightness down to 70 percent, Dell Latitude E6410 ,turn Wi-Fi on and refresh a text-heavy web page every 60 seconds (we disabled the keyboard backlight for this test). While 6.75 hours isn't exceptional, it's still a very decent result for a 6-cell battery. It's also the norm for the Intel dual-core CPU/Intel HD graphics combo, Dell Latitude E6410 ,which is the hardware you'll see in a lot of the mid-range notebooks with this form factor. You'd most likely be able to surpass the seven hour mark if you turned the screen brightness down even moreDell Latitude E6410 ,. HP also offers an "oversized" 9-cell high-capacity Li-ion battery for even better battery life.

Dell Inspiron 13z Review

The Dell Inspiron 13z is a basic 13-inch laptop with good looks and acceptable performance.The Dell Inspiron 13z-9318sLV won't blow you away with its understated chassis design or middle of the road specs, but don't let this notebook's average appearance fool you. HP Pavilion dm4 ,While the Dell i13z may not lead the pack in any one particular area, it provides a consistent level of performance across the board, HP Folio 13 ,promising a user experience that is sure to meet and excel the needs of average consumers.

The Dell i13z is elegant in its simplicity. The notebook never attempts to do too much, instead opting to provide an all-around serviceable level of performance. HP Pavilion dm4 ,The clean and presentable chassis won't turn heads, and its third generation Intel Core i5 dual-core processor isn't exactly cutting edge. However, the Dell i13z's beauty lies in its entirety. HP Pavilion dm4 ,Combine those elements with its 13-inch HD display with generous viewing angles, and a comfortable keyboard and touchpad and the Dell i13z is a pragmatists' dream.

The 13.3-inch Dell i13z offers a mix of plastic and aluminum in its chassis that provides a classic and simplistic aesthetic. HP Pavilion dm4 ,The faceplate and keyboard frame both adorn a linear texture that slightly reflects light, producing an enjoyable glare. HP Pavilion dm4 ,While both plates are constructed of plastic they are resistant to fingerprint marks, only leaving noticeable impressions when considerable contact is made.

If users find the understated tone of the silver faceplate too bland, they can simply replace it, HP Pavilion dm4 ,as it easily detaches from the chassis allowing users to customize the device's appearance as they see fit.

With the chassis measuring in at 13.7-inch x 9.05-inch x 0.82-inch and weighing in at 3.81-lbs. the Dell i13z may not be the most compact device. However, the rounded design of the chassis provides a comfortable feel that is easy to transport.

Being a mix of plastic and metal I had serious questions as to durability of this device. HP ENVY 17 ,The base of the chassis is exceptionally well built as it hardly budges, even when considerable pressure is applied. HP ENVY 17 ,Unfortunately due to its thin detachable faceplate the display is not as stout. The display case does give when moderate pressure is applied and noticeable rippling does occur all-throughout the screen. HP ENVY 17 ,Given just how sturdy the rest of the notebook is, the give of the display is not too alarming. However, users who expect to travel a great deal may want to take this into consideration.

The Dell Inspiron 13z's lackluster port design is easily the notebooks worst feature. While the notebook does provide all of the essential ports, the awkward port covers and cramped design greatly diminishes the user's ability to access multiple ports simultaneously.HP ENVY 17 , The left side provides a power jack, two USB 3.0 ports, and an HDMI port. While the right side offers an Ethernet port, a SD card slot, a USB 3.0 port, and a headphone/mic jack.

Right: Ethernet, SD card reaer, USB 3.0 port, headphone jack Left: AC power jack, two USB 3.0 Ports, HDMI port

The major issue with the ports are the covers. HP ENVY 17 ,I assume that the covers serve to help protect the ports, but their utility is easily diminished by how intrusive they become. Not only are the covers a difficult to remove -- often sticking and feeling as if they will snap off -- but they also can obstruct user's access to the port. HP ENVY 17 ,Admittedly this can be resolved by holding the device over the edge of the surface the notebook is resting on, but having to do that every time you want to use a port gets old fast. Honestly, if I owned this device I would simply remove the covers all together.

The Dell i13z provides a standard 13.3-inch HD LED backlight display, with a 1366 x 768 display. HP ENVY 17 ,While the resolution is nothing special the display still manages to offer a clear crisp image and solid color contrast, which results in an enjoyable viewing experience.

Keeping inline with the rest of the Dell Inspiron 13z, the display's best feature is its general functionality, as it provides generous viewing angles for being a low-cost TN panel. Both vertically and horizontally the display's image integrity holds up, HP ENVY 17 ,though image quality does take a hit when viewed form extreme angles. The only time that users will notice a disturbance in the displays quality is when the display is titled forward or back. The wide viewing angles make the display perfect for multiple viewers despite its petite screen size.

In addition to providing acceptable viewing angles, the Inspiron 13z does a commendable job of reducing glare and feedback. The display hardly shows any feedback in normal lighting settings and even manages to fare well in heavily lit areas, only producing a bit of feedback.HP ENVY 17 , While the display may not be capable of combating direct sunlight, it provides an easy read to screen that can perform in almost any other condition.

Unfortunately the speakers are another weak point for the system.HP ENVY 17 , Located along the back edge of the bottom of the chassis the speakers are not influenced by their placement. Regardless of the surface the sound is able to easily emanate upwards from the bottom of the device.HP ENVY 17 , The problem is however, even unabated the sound quality is not all that stellar.

The sound quality is stable at around 50 percent capacity, however exceeding that the speaker's quality begins to diminish rapidly. HP ENVY 17 ,Once the speakers pass 80 percent,they begin to produce noticeable and irritating distortions.HP ENVY 17 , At 100 percent capacity the speakers produced faint fuzz, that while not that loud, served to dull the nuances of the classical score that I was listening to at the time.

Luckily the sound levels are at least easily audible at 50 percent.HP Folio 13 , However, users who are looking for anything more than the bare minimum would be better served with a set of headphones or an external sound system.

The small, Chiclet style keyboard is an absolute pleasure to use. HP Folio 13 ,Despite its compact design, each key is adequately spaced providing a layout that should be accessible and comfortable for all users despite their reach and hand size.

The plastic keys while sleek and flat still manage to comfortably grip the user's fingers, providing a sturdy experience that allows users to type with an assured sense of accuracy.HP Folio 13 , While they keyboard's depth is rather the shallow, its responsive and tactical kickback easily informs the user when they have struck the corresponding key. HP Folio 13 ,The keyboard's resistance adds a level of weight to each key that more than amends for its shallow depth.

The touchpad (with Alps drivers) is another highpoint for the Dell notebook in that it provides users with a sense of agency allowing them to customize almost every facet of the touchpad. HP Folio 13 ,Fairly standard in its design the touchpad is moderately sized with dedicated right and left click buttons at the bottom.

The touchpad is responsive; easily reading user movements and button clicks with little to no delay. HP Folio 13 ,There are a few instances where the touchpad may fail to read a multi-gesture display, but these failings are few and far between.

What truly makes this touchpad enjoyable is the level of customization that it offers users.HP Folio 13 , Thanks to Dell's user interface, consumers will be able to change everything from pointer speed, to touch pressure,HP Folio 13 , and will even be able to program their own unique multi-gesture displays.

Giving users the ability to change their settings takes away a great deal of the stress that comes with using a touchpad.HP Folio 13 , Normally I find myself in want of a mouse while using a touchpad, but with the i13z I'm more than comfortable.

Lenovo IdeaPad Y580 Review

The IdeaPad Y580 is not only a beautifully styled laptop, it also offers great performance in just about every area.HP ENVY 6z,The trend these days is for smaller and lighter laptops. Many of the analysts that follow PC sales are saying that they expect tablets to outsell laptops in 2013.HP ENVY 4 , Intel has jumped into the fray with the Ultrabook and its focus on thinner, lighter laptops with significantly more performance than a tablet like the iPad.

Lenovo, like most PC manufacturers, makes an Ultrabook, but the IdeaPad Y580 represents the latest update to the "traditional" 15-inch notebook PC. And that's good, because while Ultrabooks are pretty and light, some of us need the extra utility and power --HP ENVY 6z, and lower price tag -- that comes from a standard 15-inch laptop.

Lenovo originally got its foot in the door of the U.S. laptop market by purchasing IBM's personal computer business and continuing to produce the popular ThinkPad line of business laptops. HP ENVY 6z,Lenovo wisely made sure to keep up the ThinkPad's reputation for quality, even when IBM's name (which was included with the purchase under temporary license) was removed.HP ENVY 6z, In fact, the ThinkPad is currently certified by NASA for use in space. There were ThinPads on many of the Shuttle missions, and there are several dozen currently still in use on the International Space Station.

These days, Lenovo has expanded to offer multiple lines of laptops. HP ENVY 6z,The ThinkPad line is still targets business users, while the IdeaPad is meant for more general purpose use such as gaming, multimedia, and student use.

The IdeaPad Y580 has a somewhat less macho image and approach compared to the ThinkPad. HP ENVY 6z,The overall choice of materials is softer looking and attractive and there is a lack of business-oriented features such as a docking station or wedge battery.

The Y580 is a "reasonably priced" laptop, not a budget model, and this is reflected in the price, feature set, and materials used. HP ENVY 6z,The case is a beautiful dark brushed aluminum with the Lenovo on the top of the case --HP ENVY 4 , raised and in silver, which provides a nice contrast to the dark case.

At first glance, the Y580 looks disproportionately wide, with the footprint measuring about 15 inches wide and just under 10 inches deep. The proportions become more obvious when you start to watch a movie on the 15.6 inch display in full HD 16:9 1920 x 1080 mode. HP ENVY 6z,Getting this resolution is not common on standard movies, but the Y580's optical drive is a Blu-Ray model (which can also play standard DVDs and CDs).

As with a number of IdeaPad models, there is no latch that has to be moved to raise the top panel -- it just lifts up from the front edge.IdeaPad Y580 ,The first time that you open the laptop, you may fumble a bit. HP ENVY 6z,The location and orientation of the Lenovo logo is such that some people will assume that the top lifts up from what is actually the rear of the device. When you notice that the hinges are on the side that you're trying to open, a quick 180 degree rotation gets you going. There is a slight gap in the middle of the Y580 just below the touchpad HP ENVY 6z,(system displays such as power are located there, rather than at the top near the screen), so you have something to give you leverage to raise the screen.

One advantage that the traditional design of the Y580 offers is the ability to access the hard drive, RAM,IdeaPad Y580 , and other key components simply by removing the access panel on the bottom of the notebook.HP ENVY 6z, You won't find Ultrabooks that are this easy to upgrade.

Considering that the Y580 is a mid-priced laptop, you would expect a fair number of ports and decent upgradability. The Y580 provides both. The bottom of the laptop contains a single cover for the hard disk (or an SSD) and memory. IdeaPad Y580 ,The battery clips in and is easily swapped. HP ENVY 6z,A trio of grills on the back and one on the left side panel provide good ventilation.

The left panel side panel also contains VGA and HDMI ports as well as two of the three USB 3.0 ports. The third USB 3.0 port is located on the right side panel as is the Blu-Ray drive, a USB 2.0 port, and microphone and headphone ports.HP ENVY 6z, The front panel (not pictured) contains an unobtrusive Multicard slot beneath the right palm rest so you can transfer photos from SD and other flash memory cards.

The Y580's 1080p screen is one of the better ones I've seen lately despite the fact that it is a standard TN panel that suffers from color shift at extreme viewing angles.HP ENVY 6z, Colors are bright and nicely saturated and viewing angles are good until about 30-40 degrees forward and back and about 45 degrees on either side. The one thing that the Y580's screen suffers from is reflectivity. The glossy screen is very highly polished, and even in moderate light I could see my reflection in the glass.

This is quickly fixed with an aftermarket product like 3M's Anti-glare film,IdeaPad Y580 , though at the cost of cutting screen brightness by a noticeable degree. HP ENVY 6z,A better solution would be for Lenovo to simply offer a matte screen option.

At the top of the screen is a 720P HD webcam, which can also be used with included software to provide facial recognition for logins rather than typed passwords.HP ENVY 6z, I haven't had much luck with this feature on other laptops in the past,IdeaPad Y580 , and have had to resort to a standard password, which kind of defeats the whole purpose of facial recognition. HP ENVY 6z,But I've had problems in the past with voice and fingerprint recognition as well, so maybe there's some degree of unreliability in these biometric features.

When the screen lid is open, the inside of the laptop continues the dark brushed finish except for two attractive metallic speaker grills at the very top of the keyboard half. HP ENVY 6z,These cover the JBL speakers, 1.5 watt units which put out excellent sounding audio compliments of the Y580s Dolby Home Theater capability. There is even a hint of bass to be heard despite the relatively small size of the speakers.

The layout of the laptop is fairly generic, though there are a few differences that may not be evident at a quick glance. The keyboard is one of these. It contains full-size keys with rounded edges and a good feel with a positive keypress. HP ENVY 6z,The keyboard also features a numeric keypad for rapid data entry. These keys are slightly smaller than the typing keys, but I had no trouble using the keypad in Excel.HP ENVY 6z, The keyboard is backlit, and this can be turned on and off using the Fn key and spacebar. It's a handy feature to have when you're taking a red-eye flight or working late in a dorm room.

The touchpad is shifted slightly left of center and has, HP ENVY 4 ,what Lenovo claims is a smart sensor that prevents the cursor from moving around the screen as the user puts pressure on the palm rest while typing.HP ENVY 6z, I've experienced this fairly frequently in the past on a number of laptops, but did not encounter it on the Y580 during my testing.

The touchpad itself is actually a "clickpad" ... meaning the entire surface clicks down when you press it. HP ENVY 4 ,Moving the cursor to a place on the screen and clicking the touchpad performs the same action as using the left mouse button. HP ENVY 6z,It takes a while to remember that the feature is there, but once you get used to having it, you'll probably get frustrated using a laptop where you need to double-tap to perform the same operation.

Dell XPS 12 laptop Review

The XPS 12 is not inexpensive (starting at $1,200) but you're getting a quality machine with the best of the tablet and notebook worlds.

This premium convertible Ultrabook features a carbon fiber and aluminum construction, Acer Aspire V3-571G-9435 ,full 1080p IPS touch enabled display and of course Windows 8. Is this computer worth the premium price? Read our full review.

This is one of the first Windows 8 specific notebooks that converts to a tablet in seconds. It has a beautiful display, clean design and excellent build quality. Other highlights include an excellent backlit keyboard and touchpad, Acer Aspire V3-571G-9435 ,decent battery life and fast performance; it even has solid speakers. If you're looking for a Windows 8 computer and want the full experience, this is your $1,199 ticket.

The XPS 12 Convertible Touch Ultrabook takes a design element from the older Dell Inspiron Duo netbook and features a display that flips inside the frame to turn into a tablet. This mechanism is rock solid and works well. Acer Aspire V3-571G-9435 ,The display is held in place by a series of magnets once rotated into the desired position and there's no chance of dislodging it unintentionally. Dell XPS 15 ,The major drawback to this design is that it's screen-heavy; this makes it impractical to use the touch screen while in notebook mode because it will tip backward if touched. It's a little awkward.

In tablet mode the XPS 12 can be held in any position.Acer Aspire V3-571G-9435 , The cooling fan is hidden inside the chassis so it can't be blocked. It's comfortable to hold; I like the rubberized exterior surfaces. The display surface is glass and is easy to track fingers over. The overall tablet experience is seamless.

The build quality of the XPS 12 is outstanding. It's made from a combination of carbon fiber, Acer Aspire V3-571G-9435 ,aluminum and magnesium. The result is a strong-yet-lightweight (3.35 pounds) design that doesn't bend or flex. It's difficult to find anything wrong with the build quality or spotless attention to detail.

Aside from the quality and unique screen flipping mechanism the XPS 12's design is rather nondescript, a good thing in my book; this computer doesn't look any flasher than it has to.Acer Aspire V3-571G-9435 , I like how the palm rest and keyboard keys have a rubberized surface which is durable and hides fingerprints and dust. There's no glossy surfaces on this entire notebook save for the Gorilla glass display surface; Dell XPS 15 ,it gets smudged up easily but that's unavoidable given its touch screen nature.

As with most modern Ultrabooks and convertible notebooks, the bottom of the XPS 12 lacks any of the traditional access panels for upgrading RAM or the storage drive. Acer Aspire V3-571G-9435 ,Granted, most people buying this PC won't ever consider upgrading it themselves. If you want to do affordable upgrades on your own then be prepared to remove the 10 Torx screws in order to disassemble the chassis.

If the XPS 12 is lacking in any area it's in port variety and quantity; it has just two USB 3.0 ports and a mini-DisplayPort connector. It lacks Ethernet, VGA, HDMI, ExpressCard, and a media card reader; the latter is borderline unforgivable. Acer Aspire V3-571G-9435 ,Something else I miss from the XPS 12 is the lack of a storage drive activity light.

Left: Display rotation button, power switch, volume up/down button, left speaker Right: Right speaker, Acer Aspire V3-571G-9435 ,battery indicator button, 2x USB 3.0, mini-DisplayPort, AC power jack

The XPS 12 includes a full-size keyboard with a Chiclet-style layout (extra spacing between the keys). It is backlit with white LEDs and automatically varies the level of brightness. Acer Aspire V3-571G-9435 ,This keyboard has the most pleasant tactile feedback of any Ultrabook keyboard I've used - finally a keyboard with a normal amount of key travel.

The keys have a slightly grippy rubberized surface like the rest of the palm rest area. It's reasonably quiet to type on.Acer Aspire V3-571G-9435 , The only thing to note is that the home, end, page up and page down keys are integrated as secondary functions into the arrow keys; this is more or less expected on a notebook this small but a con nonetheless.

The Cypress touchpad is a clickpad; press down anywhere to produce a click. It's quite usable and I didn't have accuracy issues.XPS 12 ,Clicks take just the right amount of effort. The rubberized surface helps accuracy.Acer Aspire V3-571G-9435 , My only real complaint is the clicks are too loud for my taste; they should be as close to silent as possible.

The screen is the biggest highlight of this notebook - it's beautiful to look at and the touch screen accuracy is perfect. The Gorilla Glass surface is supposedly more resistant to scratching than normal glass; its slick surface means it's easy to slide fingers across. Dell XPS 15 ,The downsides of the glass surface are that it does get smudged up with fingerprints Dell XPS 15 ,(I suppose that's unavoidable with a touch screen) and overhead and ambient lighting creates distracting reflections.

Another truly appreciated aspect of this display is the full HD resolution (1920x1080 pixels). This translates into a ton of working space and the ability to use two windows side by side. It's especially an asset when using the XPS 12 in tablet mode especially in portrait orientation because so many lines of text are visible at once. And because this is an IPS (In-Plane Switching) display,Dell XPS 15 , the picture looks the same no matter which angle you're viewing from (unlimited viewing angles).

On top of all this the display is extra bright and has excellent contrast; whites and blacks truly stand out. Dell XPS 15 ,Saturation is good too - images look like they have the appropriate amount of color without going overboard.

The XPS 12 has two speakers which face out the sides of the chassis. This is an unusual layout; it makes sense to have them externally facing since this notebook can turn into a tablet though. Dell XPS 15 ,The speakers have a good range of mids and highs with a hint of bass; they're overall surprisingly full sounding given their size and location. It's hard to complain.

Sony VAIO S notebook Review

The Sony VAIO S , is an attractive combination of basic multimedia features and stylish design in a relatively thin and light chassis at a fair price.

Page 1. OverviewPage 2. Performance Page 3. Lenovo ,Conclusion Page 4. Image GalleryThis 15.5-inch version of Sony's multimedia notebook features a top-of-the line 1080p IPS display and is less than an inch thin. Keep reading for our full review.

The Sony VAIO line of notebook PCs has historically been easy to identify by two features; a sharp, angular-edged chassis with Chiclet-style keyboard (a Sony design innovation that many people incorrectly attribute to Apple) and a high price tag. Sony VAIO S ,The 15-inch VAIO S is one of the more affordable notebooks in Sony's lineup but it retains the design features and performance that people expect from a Sony product.

The VAIO S's all-black exterior is rather plain; it doesn't have distinguishing features other than the fact that it's not. Sony VAIO S ,The exterior is actually made of magnesium alloy, not plastic which feels cool to the touch. The use of this material helps keep the notebook light;Sony VAIO S , the VAIO S is practically a featherweight for a 15.5" notebook at 4.4 lbs. It's also extra thin at just 0.95 inches.

The chassis isn't as sturdy as one might think given the magnesium alloy construction; it flexes a bit like we are used to seeing from consumer notebooks.Samsung R540 ,The lid is too flimsy for my comfort but no ripples appear on the display when pressing in on the back. Sony VAIO S ,Fit and finish is good with no sharp edges of areas that look like better quality than others. Overall the VAIO S earns a "B" grade in the design and build quality department.

Those looking to upgrade the VAIO S will find easy access to a single RAM slot and the hard drive in the user accessible panel on the bottom of the notebook;Sony VAIO S , it takes just two screws to remove.

The Sony VAIO S , includes an adequate if not impressive variety of ports. USB 3.0 and HDMI are included. Like most modern notebooks the VAIO S lacks ExpressCard, eSATA and DisplayPort, but the 15-inch size provides adequate room for a slot-loading optical drive. Sony VAIO S ,All picture descriptions are left to right.

Left: slot-load optical drive, Kensington lock slot, headphone and microphone jacksRight: Memory Stick Pro DUO slot,Sony VAIO S , SD card reader, Ethernet, VGA out, HDMI out, 2x USB 3.0, 1x USB 2.0, AC power jack

The VAIO S has a full-size keyboard with separate numeric keypad and white LED backlighting. The not so subtle backlighting is a nice touch and is visible in the daytime. The keys take too little effort to press down which results in a lack of tactile feedback. It's not a bad feeling keyboard by any means; it simply needs more definition. The full-size numeric keypad is appreciated; Sony VAIO S ,I've noticed a lot of notebooks that included a separate numeric keypad use smaller than usual keys. Other pluses of this keyboard include its extra quiet operation and smooth key surfaces.

The Synaptics clickpad doesn't have physical buttons; press down anywhere to produce a click. Dell 3360 ,Unfortunately this is not one of the better implementations of a clickpad. The clicks are inaccurate; clicking and dragging just doesn't work. Sony VAIO S ,In addition it's not clear where the left clicks end and the right clicks start; you're better off clicking at the bottom left or right like a normal touchpad with physical buttons. At least the clickpad has a good surface and the clicks are quiet.

The screen is one of the biggest reasons to consider this notebook; the VAIO S is one of the only notebooks on the market with an IPS display. This display has unlimited viewing angles unlike the TN panels on most notebooks;Sony VAIO S , it can be viewed from any angle vertically or horizontally without color distortion. The panel itself is of high quality -- contrast is excellent and saturation is just right.

My sole complaint about the screen is that reds tend to look more orange.Sony VAIO S , A screen calibration device could probably fix this if you're picky and want to use this notebook for photo editing. Other pluses of this display include the anti-glare surface -- there's no annoying reflections like on a glossy display - and the excellent 1920x1080 resolution, Acer notebook perfect for using two windows side-by-side and doing as little scrolling as possible.

The speakers won't win any awards; they're not much different than "typical" notebook speakers. Sony VAIO S ,The static-free headphone jack and HDMI port are two good ways to get audio out.

Review Samsung Series 3 Chromebook

The Chromebook once again delivers a basic laptop experience but that might not be enough for many users.Samsung Series 3,Google introduced its Chrome browser and OS several years ago. And while Chrome has had somewhat modest success, it hasn't taken the browser world by storm. The browser-based Chrome OS has had even more limited success,Samsung Series 3,as it's more-or-less just the Chrome browser running over a hidden OS. All interaction with the underlying operating system (essentially Linux) is performed through the Browser.

About a year ago, Samsung introduced the first Chromebook Samsung Series 3,-- a laptop built around the Chrome operating system. Samsung also introduced the Chromebox. Built around a low power processor, these two devices were reasonably priced and meant as an entry level laptop and Samsung Series 3, desktop targeted toward the business user. The philosophy behind these was to provide a basic system with moderate RAM and almost no onboard storage.

Since the Chrome OS is accessed through the Chrome browser, most applications and data storage is performed online in the cloud, rather than on the device itself. From a technical viewpoint, this approach is pretty much a thin client/server setup,Samsung Series 3, with the Chrome device acting as a thin client and the server portion existing in the cloud.

The original Samsung Series 5 Chromebook was priced in the $500 range, Samsung Series 3,and offered with just Wi-Fi or with Wi-Fi and 3G. At that price, the Chromebook was seen as a netbook replacement, and achieved only modest sales.

The new Chromebooks (Acer also offers a Chromebook) are more modestly priced. Samsung Series 3,Samsung's Chromebook C303, the one we looked at, is priced at $249, while Acer's $199 model is even less expensive.

At first glance, the new Samsung Series 3 Chromebook is indistinguishable from a small Ultrabook. The exterior measurements are similar, as is the screen size, at 11.6 inches. The case, which looks like brushed aluminum, is actually plastic, Samsung Series 3,and it definitely doesn't have the rigidity of a more expensive laptop. But that's one of the compromises that you have to make when you spend $250 on a laptop.

Unfortunately, it's not the only one. While the Chromebook is good for a lot of common tasks, it's not great for others. The CPU in the Samsung Chromebook is a 1.7 GHz Samsung Exynos 5200. This is a dual core low-end ARM-based processor with about the same computing power as one of Intel's dual core Atom CPUs. Samsung Series 3,Considering that many of today's tablets sport an Nvidia Tegra 3 quad core CPU, the Exynos 5200 isn't particularly impressive. On the plus side, the ARM processor generates very little heat, so the unit doesn't require a fan, and is completely silent in use.

This isn't a lot or memory by any means, Samsung Series 3,but for basic tasks it will be sufficient considering that most of the entry-level tablets, including the iPad, have this amount of memory, or even less.

The Chromebook, for the most part, doesn't store files locally on the unit (though you can if you need to work on a file off-line),Samsung Series 7, but instead stores your data and files out in the cloud. The Chromebook comes with 100GB of Google Drive cloud storage, which is free for the first two years. After two years, you are charged a minimal amount for this storage, and storage in excess of the first 100GB will also need to be paid for the first two years as well. Samsung Series 7, This is not unlike the structure of most cloud-based storage such as Microsoft's SkyDrive, Apple's iCloud or Dropbox. For the most part, these services are free for the first 2 or 5 GBs of storage, and are then you pay for additional storage.

Given that Internet connectivity is a must for you to get any real use out of the Chromebook, Samsung Series 7, you're going to have to give some thought to how and where you will connect when you are not at home. Hot spots are plentiful these days, but if you aren't near a free one, or one that's included as part of your cable or other service, your use of the Chromebook is going to be seriously constrained.

This isn't necessarily the brick wall it might seem to be at first. 3G broadband from Verizon is available as an option for the Chromebook, Samsung Series 7, but at $200 is almost doubles the price of the Chromebook itself. A more practical approach is tethering your Chromebook to your cell phone or Mi-Fi when necessary. Many smartphones today can also serve as a Wi-Fi hot spot.

One nice plus about all of the memory on the Chromebook being solid state is that the laptop boots incredibly fast -- Samsung Series 7, within just a few seconds. For those consumers who are still used to waiting 30 seconds or more for a laptop to get to operational status after power on, this is a pleasant surprise.

In terms of form factor, the Samsung Chromebook looks very much like a modern ultrathin laptop or Ultrabook.Samsung Series 7, Many Ultrabooks have the same size 11.6-inch screen, though the screen on the Chromebook has a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels, so it doesn't provide the same HD resolution that most of today's high-resolution laptops and tablets offer. Samsung Series 7, In my testing, however, the screen was nice and bright, and the videos I played displayed were more than acceptable. The laptop itself measures 11.4 x 8.09 x 0.69 inches and weighs 2.4 pounds.

As far as ports and connectors go, most of them are on the rear or the unit, Samsung Series 7, which I found somewhat inconvenient when I had to access one of the USB ports. The right side of the Chromebook is free of any ports or connectors, while the left side has an earphone jack and an SD card slot.

The rear of the Chromebook contains, in order from left to right, a power jack, a standard size HDMI port, a USB 2.0 port, a USB 3.0 port, and a slot for a SIM card that's used if you opt for the Verizon broadband option. Samsung Series 7, As with most laptops today, the Chromebook has a small video cam built in at the top of the screen so you can video chat. The Chromebook does not have an Ethernet port built in, and an iLuv USB to Ethernet adapter failed to work.

HP EliteBook 8560p laptop Review

The HP EliteBook 8560p is the latest generation of 15-inch premium business notebooks from Hewlett-Packard. This aluminum-clad workhorse is designed to serve as a mobile desktop replacement for business professionals who need cutting-edge technology wrapped inside a durable shell. Keep reading to find out if the new EliteBook is as "elite" as it looks.

In recent years the HP EliteBooks have distinguished themselves in the business world thanks to an exterior design featuring brushed-metal cladding and an interior chassis made of durable magnesium alloy. In short, the EliteBooks look cool and are built tough. The latest generation of HP EliteBooks takes that heritage a few steps further with what HP calls its "FORGE" design philosophy. FORGE is actually an acronym for the words, "Form, Optimization, Richness, Green and Enduring." If you want to overlook that marketing fluff for a moment, what HP is trying to say is that these notebooks are stylish, offer excellent performance, deliver a premium feel, HP EliteBook 8560p ,provide efficient power management for long battery life, and are very well built to survive the rigors of business use.

Those might sound like bold claims but, based on what we've seen from the previous generation of EliteBooks, those marketing claims have a very real basis in fact.The 15-inch HP EliteBook 8560p is a solid update to the EliteBook line of business laptops.HP EliteBook 8560p Specifications:

Windows 7 Professional 64-bit ,Intel Core i7-2620M (2.70GHz, 4MB L3 cache) ,4GB 1333MHz DDR3 SDRAM,500GB 7200 rpm SATA II Hard Drive,DVD+/-RW SuperMulti drive with LightScribe,15.6-inch diagonal LED-backlit HD+ WVA anti-glare (1600 x 900),AMD Radeon HD 6470M with 1 GB dedicated DDR3 video memory,720p HD webcam,10/100/1000 Ethernet,Intel Centrino 802.11a/b/g/n wireless,Bluetooth 2.1+EDR,90W Smart AC adapter with HP Fast Charge,6-cell (62 WHr) Li-Ion battery,Weight: 6.05 lb,Dimensions (w x d x h): 14.72 x 9.86 x 1.34 inches,
MSRP: $1,499.00 (starting price: $1,099.00)

One of the first things you'll notice when you pick up the new 15-inch EliteBook 8560p is that the notebook feels like it's made of very thick chunks of aluminum. You won't feel the "flex" that you normally see in cheaper plastic laptops. The 8560p notebook features a completely redesigned HP DuraCase that meets the MIL-STD 8710G military-standard testing specifications, HP EliteBook 8560p ,meaning these notebooks withstand greater wear and tear than a typical laptop. Despite the rugged build quality this notebook should be easy to carry thanks to a starting weight of just over six pounds.

Six pounds might sound heavy for a 15-inch notebook when there are many 17-inch consumer laptops that tip the scales at about the same weight. That said, I challenge anyone to build a metal-encased business notebook with high-end CPU, HP EliteBook 8560p ,a discrete graphics card, and a built-in optical drive that weighs less than five pounds. The extra pound or so of weight comes from all that metal armor covering the notebook.

The EliteBook p-series is available with second-generation (Sandy Bridge) Intel Core i7 quad-core processors and Core i7, i5 and i3 dual-core processors, with your choice of integrated graphics or AMD Radeon HD 6470M discrete graphics.HP EliteBook 8560p , The notebook also feature USB 3.0 ports and a USB 2.0 charging port, in addition to a variety of wireless options and either hard disk drive or solid-state disk drives for storage.

The bottom of the 8560p is quite strong (no flex or creaks under pressure) and features a single massive access panel for making upgrades or replacing components. It should be extremely easy for an IT manager or even a lone small business owner to upgrade the RAM or replace a hard drive. HP EliteBook 8560p ,You'll also notice the docking station connector on the bottom of the notebook in case you need to plug the 8560p into multiple external displays or you need additional ports.



While we're on the topic of ports, the team at HP packed the EliteBook 8560p with two "Super Speed" USB 3.0 ports, one standard USB 2.0 port, and a "charging" USB 2.0 port (which lets you change a device like a smartphone or an iPod even when the notebook is just on battery power). If that's not enough, you also get a standard VGA port, DisplayPort connector, HP EliteBook 8560p ,FireWire, separate microphone in and headphone out audio jacks, Ethernet, modem, serial port (yes, I said "serial port") as well as an ExpressCard/54 slot, a Smart Card reader and a SDHC/SD/MMC card reader.

The bottom line is that the 8560p has an amazing number of built-in ports ... HP EliteBook 8560p ,and if that isn't enough you can alway use the optional docking station to add additional DisplayPort, DVI or USB ports.