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.

Introduction

I am reviewing the Fujitsu LifeBook LH772 Series notebook computer which is what I would describe as being a “bridge” notebook computer.

This is where it is a 14” notebook computer that offers what is expected of a 15” mainstream laptop computer with such features as a large hard disk, a DVD burner, plenty of connectivity amingst other things.

Some of you guys may be shocked at my reviewing a pink-coloured laptop but it is available in a white or black colour as well as this pink colour. As I had mentioned with the Toshiba Satellite L730 that I previously reviewed, the white colour may also appeal to those of you who customise a portable computer by applying lots of decals on it.

For those of you who are interested, this notebook is the first one that has passed HomeNetworking01,info to be equipped with the Intel Ivy Bridge processor chipset which has quite a few benefits like improved integrated graphics abilities and integrated USB 3.0 support.

The computer itself

Aesthetics and Build Quality

This pink-coloured iteration of the Fujitsu LifeBook LH772 is finished in something that makes you think of neapolitan ice-cream where there is the pink body and the white keyboard.

It is a well-built computer with felt panelling underneath. This would make it less likely to slip on most furniture and make it more acceptable on that good French-polished dining table.

As well, through the times I have used this Fujitsu laptop, I have noticed no overheating even though there is a vent on the left hand side of this notebook.

User Interface

The transparent trackpad and trackwheel set in the acrylic finish alongside the buttons and fingerprint reader being obvious

The keyboard has that hard feel about it but you can still touch-type easily on it. There is also a full numeric keypad which would come in very handy for accounting and similar applications.

The trackpad and trackwheel are easy to locate by feel although you see a distinct square and circular area in the palmrest. As for the fingerprint reader, it is also easy to locate by feel and is very accurate under varying conditions including different temperature conditions or after I was eating some greasy food.

Audio and Video

Right hand side – DVD burner, 2 x USB 3.0 sockets

The Fujitsu LifeBook LH772 has the dual-mode graphics with Intel HD integrated graphics as well as NVIDIA GeForce discrete graphics. But this uses the NVIDIA Optimus automatic mode-switching facility so you don’t have to wory about whether you are using discrete graphics for performance or integrated graphics while on battery.

Left-hand side – VGA connector, 3.5mm audio-in jack, 3.5mm audio-out jack, 2 x USB 3.0 ports

This has yielded a smooth visual experience with on-demand video as well as regular computer use. One letdown with the display is the use of a glossy screen, which can be limiting if you have to dim the display to conserve battery life or have to deal with difficult lighting.

The Realtek sound subsystem had yielded the same “punch” when I watched a drama via video-on-demand and listened with headphones. The Internal speakers sound very similar to a  typical large portable radio or speaker dock especially when they play music. Of course, gaining a sound that has life in it from a laptop’s integrated speakers will be a difficult exercise due to the way these machines are designed.

Connectivity, Storage and Expansion

Rear view – Gigabit Ethernet port, HDMI port

The Fujitsu Lifebook LH772 has all the expected connections for a “bridge” notebook with VGA and HDMI video output, 3.5m audio input and output jacks, a Gigabit Ethernet jack and, best of all, 4 USB 3.0 ports. This makes me think that this notebook is future-ready as we connect more devices like 4G USB dongles and external hard disks to these computers.

The Wi-Fi wireless ticked the boxes as far as connectivity is concerned and there is a proper slide switch to enable and disable it for when you are flying. The Bluetooth subsystem is compliant to the 4.0 specification which allows it to work with sensor and controller that are required to work on a “watch” battery or 2 AA batteries for a long tine. This would work well for someone like a repairman who is using a Bluetooth 4.0 Smart thermometer to log the temperature of a fridge or air-conditioned space to check for efficiency or the behaviour of the thermostat.

The review sample came with a 750Gb hard disk and a DVD burner which would make it suitable as a main or sole computer for most people, rather than a secondary computer. As well, there is an SDXC card reader for downloading pictures from that digital camera.

Battery life

The battery can last the day with regular use including hotspot-surfing .

The long-lasting battery can allow the Fujitsu to work well for a long day of hotspot surfing at inner-city cafes and bars

It was able to play a DVD continuously for 4 hours, 15 minutes with the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wireless subsystems running. It would be considered average for laptops that implement the dual-mode graphics technology and fall back to the newer Sandy Bridge or Ivy Bridge integrated-graphics technology while on battery power.

Limitations and Points Of Improvement

One key limitation that may come about here is the price and availability of this series. I would like to see  some lower-price and mid-price configurations with the i5 processors and lesser hard disk, but available with all the different colours. Similarly, Fujitsu could also run with a fourth colour like a blue or bronze colour if someone wanted that “manly-looking” colour.

Conclusion

This Fujitsu LifeBook LH772 series has become, in my honest opinion, a viable 14” bridge notebook option that could be targeted at people who work from home and like the idea of a portable computer that can connect to an external display or many other applications where this class would appeal.

The third-generation Intel chipset and the NVIDIA discrete graphics with Optimus mode shift can allow this computer toe work well with most games, video playback and most image-manipulation tasks. It is also a representation of a laptop that is brought to the latest hardware standards like USB 3.0 and Bluetooth 4.0 Smart Ready and can take advantage of these when the time comes.

Introduction

I am reviewing the HP Elitebook 2560p business notebook which is a laptop computer that is pitched for high-security high-availability environments. Here, there is an abundance of security features like a smart-card reader and a fingerprint reader; as well as a chassis that is much more hardy than most business and consumer laptops.

The computer itself

Aesthetics and Build Quality

The Elitebook when closed shows a thick durable machine

Compared to most notebooks of this screen size that i have reviewed, the HP Elitebook 2560p comes in as a thicker unit which also can feel slightly heavier/ This is although it has a strong aluminium chassis and is built for durability.

The lind uses a push-button latch to stay shut and has a large hinge that runs the length of the computer in a similar manner to a piano hinge. This is another factor that underscores the durability aspect of this computer. They may not score well when it comes to looks but the Elitebook is positioned at a totally different market.

I have noticed that the Elitebook isn’t likely to feel hot to use after a long session of use. This is even though there is a vent on the right-hand side of the unit which does a good of keeping it cool.

User Interface

The Elitebook 2560 has a keyboard that has a textured surface which is conducive to touch-typing. But I have noticed a hard but light touch with the spill-resistant keyboard.

Like the Toshiba Tecra R850 that I previously reviewed, this laptop is equipped with a trackpad and a thumbsitck for those of you who are used to either pointing device. Both these devices can be located easily by sight and by feel, which can please those of you who do a lot of touch-typing. I have also noticed that the trackpad is not likely to cause the cursor to jump around as easily under a lot of touch-typing as I have seen before with other laptops. This is even throe when I was using in on the train in to the city, and is able to fit in well with public transport use.

The highly-accurate fingerprint reader that is a key security feature in this notebook

The highly-accurate fingerprint reader is located in a distinct part of the palm-rest, compared to between the trackpad buttons as I have seen on other business laptops. It works properly and consistently even under different temperature conditions. The supplied ProtecTools works as it should as a password vauilt but could identify pre-enrolled Websites so you can immediately log in with your fingerprint rather than you having to select “Fill in form data” or double-click the icon on the browser screen.

There is an integrated GPS sensor for use with mapping and other similar applications; and this option could save you the need to buy a GPS Bluetooth “puck” for these applications. There are also one-touch buttons for turning the Wi-Fi on or off, muting the sound and gaining access to the Web.

Audio and Video

The visual ecperience is typical for the Intel Sandy Bridge integrated graphics, including being able to respond well with video content. This is something I have noticed when I watched Spiral (Engrenages) through the SBS video-on-demand service as well as through regular day-to-day activities.

A bonus that is common with most of the business laptops is that the screen doesn’t appear to be glossy in any way. This can be of benefit if you are working under most lighting conditions.

The audio experience is of a grade typical for most consumer laptops where it can function smoothly on most content. But I wouldn’t expect much from the internal speakers that are part of this and other laptops.

Connectivity, Storage and Expansion

Left-hand side – power, Ethernet, modem, DVD burner, smart-card reader

Like a good business laptop, the HP Elitebook 2560p doesn’t skimp on connectivity and expansion options.

There are 3 USB 2.0 ports with one being an eSATA/USB combo port and another being able to charge gadgets when the unit is asleep. External displays can be connected to the DisplayPort socket or a VGA socket, the latter catering for those economy data projectors that I have seen in use. The former socket could be augmented with a supplied DisplayPort-HDMI adaptor to work with the flatscreen TVs.

Right-hand-side connections – ExpressCard 34, SD memory card, audio input/output jack, DisplayPort, eSATA / USB, docking station connector, Kensington lock slot

The review unit’s 500Gb hard disk is ample space for a computer that is intended to be taken around many areas. This is augmented with a DVD burner and an SD card reader for your digital camera’s memory card.

The Elitebook can handle most data-networking situations that are thrown at it. This ranges from Wi-Fi wireless networks on both the 3.4GHz and the 5GHz bands, wired Gigabit Ethernet as well as 3G wireless-broadband services.For that matter, the Wi-Fi performed as expected for a current-issue laptop’s Wi-Fi segment. Those of you who are stuck out in the bush with dial-up can use this computer due to an integrated 56k modem. As for Bluetooth, it is only limited to 2.1 with EDR.

There is an integrated ExpressCard slot for use with 4G broadband modems, external sound cards and other devices that can raise the mark for this computer.

Rear view – VGA display connector and 2 USB connectors

The abovementioned fingerprint reader is part of the Elitebook’s business security abilities which include a smartcard reader and a Trusted Platform Module. This may appeal to government and big business but I would like to see these features work well for “owner-operator” small businesses and freelance workers. For example, the smartcard reader could work with software that authenticates to existing smartcards such as payment cards or SIM cards.

Battery life

The smart-card reader as part of the Elitebook’s security arsenal

During regular use, the HP Elitebook 2560p isn’t very demanding on the battery even though it is using a larger-capacity battery. Even when I was watching the video-on-demand content, the battery was half-empty at the end of the content.

I ran this laptop through the DVD run-down test and it was able to run this test for 4 hours, 4 minutes. This is something that I see as being on a par with most of the recent Sandy-Bridge-driven laptops where there integrated graphics set is being used to handle the video.

Limitations and Points Of Improvement

The HP Elitebook 2560p could be supplied with a DisplayPort – HDMI adaptor so they can be connected to flatscreen TVs and LCD monitors that use the common HDMI or DVI video connections. It could also be equipped with Bluetooth that is to version 3.0 or 4.0 to make it useful for more applications that need higher throughput.

This computer would certainly look the part in a business hotel

The smart-card reader could work as part of an enhanced ecommerce / Internet-banking platform that allows customers to log in to their online shopping and Internet banking sites by inserting their credit cards in to the computer’s smart-card reader.

HP could provide a “student-edition” variant of this model and others in the Elitebook lineup without the manageability and extra security features like a smart-card reader. but focus on the durability and provide it at an affordable price. Also they could provide a business-class security arrangement for all of their business laptops with a low cost and knowledge entry point for SOHO and small business.

Conclusion

I would describe the HP Elitebook 2560p as a 13” notebook that is focused on durability, connectivity and security. It would be of importance for anyone who handles “high-stakes” data like lawyers, accountants or valuers; or journalists reporting on police-state nations and similar topics. Similarly, it would work well with people who are likely to take a laptop computer in to environments which would break most 13″ notebooks and laptops such as rough-terrain areas.

The main sticking point with this is the price of the computer and you may have to try your best in hunting down a good deal for this unit.

Introduction

I am reviewing the Fujitsu Lifebook SH771 business ultraportable computer which is Fujitsu’s answer to the Toshiba Portege R830 that I previously reviewed. Like the Toshiba, this one comes in as a full-function ultraportable notebook rather than a reduced-function Ultrabook.

The computer itself

Aesthetics and Build quality

The Fujitsu SH771 is finished in a rubber-feel housing which provides for a tough easy-to-grip easy-to-handle finish. The main limitation with this finish is that it looks dirty too quickly especially if it is taken out and about and it attracts oily fingerprints too easily, something that is very common if you are “hotspot surfing” and have had some food.

Of course, the dull charcoal-grey colour won’t win awards for “coolness” or aesthetics but this is a computer pitched at the business market.

The Fujitsu business ultraportable doesn’t feel hot underneath when it is in intense operation. This is due to a vent positioned on the left had side that is used for cooling.

User interface

The Fujitsu SH771’s keyboard is easy to touch-type on because it offers the proper feel for locating and operating the keys. They can feel hard at times, but allow for that accurate typing. There hasn’t been much of that spasmodic cursor relocation that I have noticed with other laptops of this size.

Trackpad detail showing the trackpad, fingerprint reader and trackwheel on right of trackpad

The trackpad is located in a recessed area, and is easy to find and operate by feel. As I have said before, it is less likely to be affected by typing on the keyboard. There is also a recessed circular touch-wheel that can become the equivalent of a mouse’s thumb-wheel or the volume control if you touch that area quickly.

Like a lot of business laptops that I have reviewed, the Fujitsu comes with a fingerprint reader located between the trackpad buttons. But I have been able to put this to the test by operating the supplied OmniPass software as a simple fingerprint-driven password vault for my Web services such as Facebook, Google services and the admin interface for this site. Here, the fingerprint reader worked properly and accurately even in cold weather or or when subjected to sudden changes in temperature.

Audio and Video

The Fujitsu SH771 laptop is equipped with an Intel HD graphics subsystem which is based on the Sandy Bridge chipset. This yields a graphics and video performance which is power-efficient yet not anemic. This was demonstrated well when I watched some online video of an SBS TV show that I like where the action was rendered smoothly.

But for some of you, the glossy screen can be a letdown especially if you have to run the display at a low level.

The Fujitsu uses a regular Intel HD Audio chipset but has some improvements as far as sound is concerned. This is courtesy of the Realtek audio manager and DTS Boost digital-sound-processing software.This brings the  sound forward, and equips the computer with a tone control. The sound-manager software also has a “loudness switch” like on most amplifiers and receivers where the bass and treble are brought forward to compensate for loss of these frequencies at low sound levels. The sound processing does yield some improvement for the internal speakers but I would reckon that the bass response would benefit through the use of good external speakers or a nice sound system.

Connectivity, Storage and Expansion

The Fujitsu SH771 excels in the connectivity and expansion stakes, something that would be desired for most business applications..

Left-hand-side connections – Ethernet, VGA, HDMI, USB 2.0, USB 3.0, microphone and headphones

It is equipped with 2 USB 2.0 ports with one having the Sleep & Charge function, as well as 1 USB 3.0 port. This is in addition to VGA and HDMI video outputs and 3.5mm audio input and output jacks.

For network connectivity, this laptop can work with a Gigabit Ethernet wired-network segment or an 802.11a/g/n Wi-Fi wireless segment. This is in addition to having Bluetooth 3.0 wireless connectivity for headphones, mice and other peripherals.

This is in addition to an ExpressCard 34 slot for use with swireless-broadband modems, external sound modules and other similar functionality-addon peripherals.

Right-hand side – ExpressCard slot, SDXC card slot, DVD burner, USB 2.0 port, and Kensington lock slot

There is a DVD burner available as standard equipment with a Blu-Ray burner available as a more expensive option. These optical disc drives still earn their keep if you need to burn photos or video previews to DVD, or view DVDs and play CDs while you travel. It is in addition to the computer being equipped with an SDXC card slot. The hard disk is delivered as two sectors like some earlier laptops, with the presumption that you could store your data in the D: sector.

Battery life

This computer wouldn’t look out of place at a downtown business hotel like Rydges

The Fujitsu SH771 ultraportable laptop had yielded very long run times on mixed activities, including viewing online video in the previous instance. As well it completed 4 hours, 15 minutes on the DVD run-down test where I replayed “Munich” off the DVD. This was all done with the laptop still connected to the wireless network.

Conclusion

I would recommend this Fujitsu SH771, especially the reviewed configuration for people who place importance on a safe durable full-function ultraportable computer. Here, the capacity of the unit’s shock-proof hard disk would come in handy for storing a large collection of high-resolution digital images or many hours of video footage.

The only limitation that I would place on this unit is its cost, but I would suggest to look around online for areas where this unit might be sold at a lesser price.

Article

Editorial: Thin laptops are the new mainstream, but what about battery life? — Engadget

My Comments

Acer Aspire S3 Ultrabook – suits air travel very well

You expect that you use a laptop, especially an Ultrabook through most of the day on a mixture of tasks ranging from basic data entry / content creation through playing audio and video content to even playing games. Often these tasks require you to be online all the time, thus causing you to use the built-in Wi-Fi network adaptor or a wireless-broadband adaptor whether built-in or plugged in to the machine’s USB port or ExpressCard slot. Here, you expect the battery to last around 6-10 hours on this activity mix with you just plugging the laptop in to its charger and having it on charge for up to 8 hours while you eat and sleep.

This is compared to you having to make sure that you have the charger in your laptop bag when you are out for the day and looking for power outlets all the time after a significant amount of battery-only activity.

A common reality with the battery life on a laptop is that this factor can be easily assessed, measured and reviewed on new machines where the battery would be performing at its best. But as the battery pack ages as you use the machine, the runtime will typical deplete through the repeated charge and discharge cycles. Similarly, the kind of usage a customer throws at a laptop or similar device may not be typical of what a manufacturer or reviewer would observe due to the mixed nature of this use, the laptop’s configuration which may be different from what was assessed with, and the peripherals connected to the machine.

The article talked of the idea of a laptop having the horsepower of a “thin-and-light” like an Ultrabook or the Toshiba Portege R830, but as thick as a regular “standard” laptop. But this extra thickness is taken up with a larger high-capacity battery pack that facilitates a longer runtime. It is a practice that has been tried before with some portable-computer implementations including the Apple iPad.

As well, Sony have implemented this concept with their add-on external-battery-packs that are available for their VAIO S Series and VAIO Z Series that I have reviewed. From the various comments and images that I have come across regarding these accessory batteries and their use with the VAIO laptops, the laptops don’t become obnoxiously weighty or thick when the battery packs are installed.

Nowadays the issue of battery life in the ultra-slim laptops is becoming more important as Intel releases the Ivy Bridge processor range which provides integrated graphics for these computers that can yield high performance for most video and gaming needs. Of course, it may not satisfy the needs of competitive LAN-party gamers or high-end video-editing / graphics needs.

Here, intense graphics-rich activity on these computers, such as a marathon session of Civilization V on the long-haul flight or a long run of video editing and transcoding for that “on-the-road” vidcast may put a strain on the Ultrabook’s battery. If the concept of a laptop equipped with the abilities of a “thin-and-light” but using a high-capacity battery; or a “thin-and-light” working with a high-capacity add-on battery pack was followed through, you could then provide for more room with the battery even after this kind of activity takes place.

Of course, I would still ensure that there is the ability to run these computers on external power as a way of not compromising battery runtime when you are using the computer at your “base”, whether it be your office, hotel room or car.

It is then still worth factoring in long-run battery life in laptop’s design, whether as part of the computer itself or as an optional accessory, especially for those of us who may consider working online and away from power for significant periods.

Article

Lenovo ThinkPad USB 3.0 dock lends its ports to your deprived laptop via DisplayLink, available May 15th for $180 — Engadget

My Comments

I have previously talked about on this site about the concept of standards-common expansion modules for use with laptops, especially Ultrabooks. These devices, also known as docking stations, would have connections for peripherals that you would typically used at your desk like larger displays, Ethernet network connections or work-specific peripherals.

Infoact one of these devices was part of an ultraportable laptop that I had reviewed, namely the Sony VAIO Z Series unit; and this one included a slot-load optical-disc drive that reads Blu-Ray Discs.

Now Lenovo have presented the ThinkPad USB 3.0 Dock, which connects to the host laptop using a USB 3.0 connection, already common on most laptops including higher-priced Ultrabooks. But it exploits the higher data throughput of USB 3.0 to allow for more than what one would typically expect from these devices.

For example, the expansion module is a network adaptor for Cat5 Gigabit Ethernet networks and an external sound module as well as a self-powered USB 3.0 hub for five peripherals. The self-powered USB hub also has the advantage of supplying power to USB peripherals independently of the host computer so that you could charge up smartphones and other gadgets or use it as a power supply for USB-driven gadgets.

But it uses DisplayLink technology to use the USB 3.0 connection to drive external displays while using the host computer’s graphics subsystem. This can encourage us to use the large displays with these laptops without needing to connecting them to the computer itself.

What I would like about this expansion module and any expansion modules designed along this line is that it isn’t dependent on the laptop being a Lenovo ThinkPad model at all, let alone a Lenovo unit. Compared to the Sony solution which exploited a proprietary “Light Path” setup over USB 3.0, this could be used with computers that use any USB 3.0 port.

This is more so as the next generation of Ultrabooks come with USB 3.0 ports integrated in to them but may have two or three of these ports as well as fewer connections for other wired peripherals. Infact the more of these devices that exist, the better it would be for people who use “work-home” laptops or 13” ultraportabls as travel/desk computers/

Article

Samsung unwraps 17in Ivy Bridge beast • reghardware

My Comments

Apple who may call the direction of personal computing may say that the 17” desktop-replacement laptop is “out of fashion” or “uncool” and cease running this form factor for their MacBook. But it is not so for Samsung’s up-and-coming Ivy-Bridge-powered Windows 17” multimedia desktop replacement known as the Series 7 Chronos 17.

But, as I have outlined in my recent laptop buyer’s guide, this screen-size form factor does still have relevance as a portable computer, especially when it comes to a large-screen “stow-it-away” solution for those who need to regularly set up and pack up their computing environment. Examples of this kind of use include the dining or kitchen table is your home office, a large-screen work-home laptop or project-based computing.

The Samsung, with its dual-graphics functionality with NVIDIA Optimus switching  and 2Gb NVIDIA GT650M dedicated graphics, could still earn its keep as a games or multimedia machine with that large screen. Even on economy integrated-graphics mode, this unit and others with Ivy-Bridge chipsets will have a bit more in the graphics “oomph” that what the previous Sandy-Bridge chipset.

It also has the Blu-Ray player and 1Tb of hard disk storage plus 8Gb on the RAM. The big question to ask is how much this unit, especially this configuration, will cost. More or less, it still shows that the Windows-driven multimedia desktop-replacement laptops still have that credibility on the stage.