Category: Laptop, Notebook and Netbook Computers

Article

Project Fiona Now the Razer Edge: A Full-on Gaming Tablet

My Comments

Previously, “full-on” gaming has been focused at highly-strung “gaming-rig” desktop PCs running the latest version of Windows. Lately there have been a few performance laptops like what Alienware releases that would please the Starcraft fanatic and a few all-in-one computers with performance credentials that would suit gamers like the HP Z1 have come on to the market.

Similarly, NVIDIA have run a special games app store for their Tegra ARM processors where “full-on” games are made available for some of the Tegra-powered Android tablets such as the ASUS Transformer Prime. But now Razer have set up a Windows 8 tablet PC that isn’t any weakling when it comes to games performance.

This is a highly-customisable touchscreen computer that is driven by the current-generation Intel Core processors. As for graphics, this would have the discrete NVIDIA chipsets and its secondary storage is SSD rather than the hard disk. Personally, I would go for the “Pro” version which has up to 256Gb storage and could cater for a few games that have all the extra downloadable content or mods such as extra characters, civilizations or maps.

There are options to control the tablet PC such as a game-controller dock as well as a keyboard dock. One limitation I would suspect that this unit would have is that it chews through the batteries very quickly due to the performance components needed to keep those characters moving.

This is another example of how the new integrated touchscreen computers are being shoehorned to suit diehard “World-Of-Warcraft” gaming enthusiasts or multimedia enthusiasts rather than still being considered “toys”.

Article

Asus prépare un ultrabook en version professionnelle | 59Hardware.Net (France – French language)

My Comments

ASUS have been doing further work on the Ultrabook genre of ultraportable computers ever since this genre was defined. Now they have pitched a 14” Ultrabook for intended launch that has features that are desired for a media professional’s workstation. Here, this computer is pitched as a bridge between something that would provide what the mainstream laptop would offer but be one you can stuff in to your backpack as you ride off to work or that favourite Wi-Fi-equipped café.

Here the Pro BU400V series is equipped with the 14” screen that can yield a 1366×768 or higher-resolution 1600×900 display depending on the model you order. The display will be powered by a dual-GPU graphics subsystem with the discrete chipset being a NVIDIA NVS-5200 with Optimus “automatic overdrive switch” and 1Gb of display memory.

The main engine would be either an Intel Ivy Bridge i5-3317U or i7-3517U processor with the main memory being either 4Gb or 8Gb. As for secondary storage, there is the choice of a 320Gb or 500Gb hard disk or a 256Gb solid-state storage subsystem.

Of course the connectivity would satisfy most needs with USB 3.0, external display connectivity via HDMI or VGA, and an SD card slot. It would connect to the home or small-business network via Gigabit Ethernet or 802.11a/g/n wireless. Of course, as a current well-bred notebook, this unit has the Bluetooth 4.0 Smart Ready wireless connectivity.

But, really. who would this computer really suit?

I would recommend this as being a lightweight “shoulder-bag”/ “backpack” notebook for those of us who want the benefit of improved graphic performance such as serious digital photographers / videographers who do “on-the-road” editing. On the other hand, this would work well with gamers who want to have something to play that favourite PC game on while on the road.

Introduction

I am reviewing the latest revision of the HP Pavilion dm4 Series of 14” “laptop-bridge” notebook computers. This computer is a technically-revised version of the previously-reviewed HP Pavilion dm4 notebook (DM4-3015TX) in the way that it has been equipped with the third-generation Intel Ivy Bridge chipset. This has allowed for more of the newer technologies including improved integrated graphics, more USB 3.0 ports and inherent support for Bluetooth 4.0 “Smart Ready” low-power technology.

The computer itself

Aesthetics and Build Quality

The HP Pavilion dm4 computer is aesthetically similar to the previous dm4 Series laptop that I previously reviewed with the same black shell and rubberised palmrest and keyboard surround.

Similarly it doesn’t overheat even when used on your knee or resting on your bed even when I was watching SBS On Demand video material. There is some venting on the left-hand side of the laptop which will help with keeping it cool.

User Interface

The HP Pavilion dm4’s keyboard was big enough to allow me to fully touch type comfortably and the keys had enough throw to provide the desirable feedback. The only thing that I didn’t like was that the markings were written in that same dull red which can be hard to read. Oh yeah, there was still the B key being a stylised representation of the Beats Audio logo.

As for the trackpad, it didn’t behave in a hair-trigger manner when you were typing away. It was also easy to locate, and had the distinctly-identified buttons for both the primary and secondary buttons. This goes against the grain with most laptops where the buttons are effectively part of the trackpad square. This can allow you to easily feel where you are to press when you are to click an option or pop up the context menu.

Audio and Video

For the visual experience, this HP Pavilion laptop came up very smoothly with the video even though it uses a dual-GPU setup. This allows it to work very capably with most video content, but I would recommend having the ability to switch between the discrete and integrated video subsystems manually as well as automatically. As with most laptop and similar computers targeted at consumers, you still have the glossy screen which can be annoying in some viewing environments.

The Beats Audio sound tuning still comes through on music and movies. This didn’t matter whether you were using the integrated speakers or different headphones. For example, the sound effects still come through strongly even on cheaper cans as well as the Turtle Beach cans even though I turned the Beats Audio processing on and off. The speakers still have the same limitations that are put on them by the small cabinet size that is required of laptop design thus less likely to achieve a full-bodied sound.

Connectivity, Storage and Expansion

Right-hand-side connections – DVD burner, 3.5mm audio input-output jack and USB 2.0 port

The HP Pavilion dm4 Beats Edition’s connectivity options were very similar to the previous version although one of the USB sockets was a USB 2.0 rather than a USB 3.0. As well, it was equipped with the latest Bluetooth 4.0 Smart Ready technology so it can work with the low-power devices that this technology can offer.

Left-hand side connections – VGA, Gigabit Ethernet, HDMI and 2 x USB 3.0 ports

The secondary-storage options are similar to what you would expect for an average-priced 15” consumer laptop. This is where it has decent hard-disk capacity as well as a DVD burner and SD card reader.

Battery life

The HP Pavilion dm4 was economical on the battery life for day-to-day work thanks to the new chipset and, again, the implementation of dual-mode graphics which uses the right chipset for the task.

The battery lasted for around four hours running a DVD movie on continuous play.which was very close to the previous version of this model. This was although I had Windows Live Writer going so I can make notes and I had the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth running. This runtime would be relatively close to today’s expectations for the new Intel Ivy Bridge platform as it would for its Sandy Bridge predecessor.

Limitations and Points Of Improvement

Personally, I would like to see HP offer two different configurations for the Pavilion dm4 Series while keeping this screen size. Here, it could benefit from a variant that has more RAM similar to the previous version. This could also mean that HP could equip it with the Intel i7 processor for a faster machine.

Similarly, the HP dm4 Series could also benefit from 802.11a/g/n dual-band Wi-Fi wireless networking. As well, an illuminated keyboard withe the letters shown in red would make up for the dark-red keyboard lettering. As Windows 8 is coming on to the market, the HP dm4 Series could benefit from a touchscreen or a Window-8-optimised touchpad.

Conclusion

This current version of the HP Pavilion dm4 Beats Edition laptop may be like some other manufactured products that were technically revised and had some features that their forbear had missing from the current version. But like the previous model, this model continues what the series is all about – that is a good “all-rounder” portable computer that can be carried in your bag or satisfies environments where you may be tight on space but have the features and expectations of a mainstream regular laptop.

Article

Sony Vaio Tap 20 Review – Watch CNET’s Video Review

My Comments

We have seen the desktop-replacement laptops with the 17” displays as the pinnacle of the laptop computer class but Sony has introduced a new computer device class that bridges two other computer classes. This is part of an increased run of touch-enabled computers that take advantage of the Windows 8 touch shell.

This computer, known as the VAIO Tap 20 is a bridge between the tablet computer and the all-in-one desktop computer of the ilk of the VAIO J Series that I reviewed. Here, it is a Windows 8 tablet with the multi-touch user interface, but it can rest on a stand which links to a keyboard and mouse for regular all-in-one use.

It has 4Gb RAM and 750Gb on the hard disk but doesn’t have an integrated optical drive or HDMI video input. The screen comes in at 20” with a 1600×900 resolution while it is powered by an Intel i5 third-generation processor.

The CNET article still found this computer to have what they considered as dubious performance abilities of the all-in-one class and they found that, although it runs the Windows 8 operating system and has the NFC abilities, it is not worth the money. This is although the HP Z1 Workstation and the Malmgear Alpha 24 Super are showing up as highly-capable all-in-one computers that can handle advanced graphics for work and play.

But what I see of this is that it could be a proving ground for this computer class as more of the all-in-one computers come on the market in response to Windows 8. This is in the form a a large tablet computer which can work as a desk-based computer. Once Sony or someone else issue a “follow-up” model that has the better specifications and features, this could be a chance to legitimise the “all-in-one” tablet hybrid computer as a credible computing device.

Article

Toshiba Satellite U925T is First NFC-Enabled Ultrabook#xtor=RSS-181#xtor=RSS-181#xtor=RSS-181

My Comments

From this article, I reckon that Toshiba has used the Satellite U925T Ultrabook to push themselves ahead of the game by integrating the “touch-and-go” near-field-communications technology in to a portable computer.

One key advantage that I see of this is exploiting the mobile-wallet systems like MasterCard PayPASS and, perhaps, Google Wallet to allow NFC-compliant payment cards to facilitate an online transaction that doesn’t have the fraud risks associated with “card not present” transactions. This would be facilitated by the use of appropriate software that interlinks with the NFC reader and merchant-side software that runs the transaction as if you are paying for the goods at a store using your card and their card terminal.

Similarly, the Android and Windows Phone ecosystem would benefit from this feature through access to the mobile wallets that can be hosted in the NFC-capable smartphones. This can extend to device-to-device file-transfer functions like Android Beam where users could upload pictures and sync contacts and QR-discovered Websites to the notebook from the smartphone.

In addition, the setup routines associated with commissioning Bluetooth or Wi-Fi wireless devices with this notebook can be simplified to a “touch-and-go” procedure if these devices support this functionality. This can then lead to the ability to transfer “extended-functionality” files to the host computer so as to open up advanced feature sets like sound-optimisation functions for headsets and microphones.

What I see about this more is that this Toshiba Windows 8 hybrid Ultrabook is an example of using NFC to demonstrate a synergy between open-platform computing devices. This then simply leads to a breeding ground for innovation.

Article – from the horse’s mouth

Bluetooth Smart Ready product announcements piling up

My Comments

I have given some coverage about the new Bluetooth 4.0 “Smart” and “Smart Ready” technologies. These are improvements to the Bluetooth specification to allow the use of Bluetooth sensor and control devices that can work on low battery requirements – think 2-3 AA or AAA Duracells or a “watch” battery – for in an order of six months or more.

This has opened up paths for health and wellness devices like blood-pressure monitors, glucose monitors and pedometers. Even the old 80s-style digital watch is coming back with a vengeance as a smartphone accessory due to this technology.

Most of the Bluetooth-equipped tablets and smartphones issued over the past model year or so are equipped with this technology fully with software support. But an increasing number of newer laptops are equipped with Bluetooth 4.0 Smart Ready functionality at least on a hardware level and underpinned with OEM software. An example of this is the recently-reviewed Fujitsu LifeBook LH772 which has this interface.

These units would have full inherent implementation when they run Windows 8 and it could open up questions about how the Bluetooth 4.0 Smart technology could be relevant to the laptop or desktop “regular-computer” device class.

One way I would see it being relevant to this class is the availability of Bluetooth wireless keyboards, mice and game controllers that don’t need special rechargeable batteries to operate. Here, they could run for a long time of use on just the two or three AA batteries.

Sensor devices like temperature or humidity sensors that are important to particular profession or hobby groups like refrigeration / HVAC engineers or gardeners could benefit from this technology especially when used with a laptop or tablet. Here, these computers could work with data-logging software to record trends or monitor for abnormal conditions.

At least what is being proven with the current crop of Bluetooth-Smart-Ready capable regular and mobile computer devices is that the world of innovation with this low-power wireless netowrk is being opened up.

Article

HP Communities – Your Office in Your Briefcase – HP Communities

My Comments

I have reviewed a significant number of the ultraportable computers and had assessed them in their capacity for “working on the go”. The regular 15” computers would work well if you do most of the travel by car, but I have found the 13”-14” computers as being able to come up to the job when you do a lot of travel, by offering a lightweight form while being able to type easily and benefit from an easily-viewable screen.

Input devices

I have written an article about the kind of pointing device to use with your laptop, including the situations when the integrated trackpad would come in handy. For the wireless mice that the article was suggesting that we use, I had found that most wireless input devices would require a proprietary dongle transceiver that plugged in to the USB port on the computer. Here, I would prefer that we go for a Bluetooth or Wi-Fi Direct mouse especially as nearly all laptops have integrated Wi-Fi and Bluetooth and you wouldn’t need to carry or worry about losing those dongles.

Power Needs

As for power supply, it may be wise to check through the manufacturer’s direct-sale Website store incase they offer one of those AC/Auto/Air adaptors. These adaptors have a DC input and a cord which connects to the EmPower airline DC connector or the cigar-lighter socket in a car; alongside an AC socket for the regular power cord.

If you do visit one or two particular countries or regions regularly, you could use AC cords that have plugs that are local to those particular areas for your laptop and other gadgets that use standard AC input sockets. This can be seen as a way to “free up” travel adaptors for other gadgets like mobile-phone chargers or bathroom necessities.

If the laptop uses a user-replaceable battery, you could find that you can run longer with a spare battery. It is also worth paying attention to the optional “long-run” battery packs like what Sony offers as an option for their VAIO S and Z Series notebooks. These high-capacity battery packs clip on to or install in the computer and run as secondary batteries that provide a lot of extra run time.

Of course, there had been mention about the use of headphones or a headset for your laptop as well as use of Microsoft’s Office 365 and Office Web Apps as part of your business computing needs.

Conclusion

One might say that, because the article was written at an HP Website, it may favour the HP products but I would still give the competing products like the Acer and Sony products a go.