CES this year saw the unveiling of latest versions of the Dell Inspiron laptops. The main focus given in these models is stressed on the enhancement of its battery life. However, there is no compromise on the quality as well as performance of the laptop. The USP of the new models of Dell Inspiron is its increased portability.
The new version provides you with the option of choosing a processor as per your requirements. You can either go for i3 or i5 or even i7 processor. The notebooks belonging to the Inspiron series come with DVD slots which are built into the gadget. Also a touchpad with multi-touch sensitivity that can work in sync with Windows 8 operating system is incorporated in the Inspiron notebook along with wireless cards by Intel. The wireless cards are basically there to support the sans wire display of Intel. Other features in the notebook are Bluetooth 4.0 support and HDMI 1.4 a, 3 by 3 dual-band support without any wire, speakers with stereo sound effect and processing by Waves MaxxAudio 4.
Versions 15 and 17 of Dell Inspiron Laptop
Dell has always been a manufacturer that models its gadgets for people who want a budget-friendly option. The Inspiron 15 and 17 versions are solely designed for such a criterion. These gadgets have a capacity of supporting around 8 GB of random access memory. The storage capacity of the hard drive is of around 1 TB. The system comes integrated with HD 4000 graphics by Intel. You will also get video memory of around 1/ 2 GB with the graphics cards by Radeon. There are three screen sizes available in the 15 and 17 Inspiron models. The most common models available in the US are 15” or 17”. 14” screen is available in certain areas outside America.
Versions 14R, 15R, and 17R of Dell Inspiron Laptop
The R series of Inspiron laptops is the perfect find for those who are looking for more features in the earlier Inspiron models. Full high definition display along with 1920 by 1080 resolution (which equals to around 1080p) can be obtained in the 15R and the 17R series. To break away from the monotonous matte or glossy finish, these laptops have classic Moon Silver hued finish with aluminum. You can also order for color shades like Lotus Pink, Fire Red or Peacock Blue. These color combinations are optional.
The starting price of 15R model of Dell Inspiron is $550 and that of the 17R model is $700.
Ultrabooks and tablets have become the next big thing in the electronics world. Gadget lovers are impressed with the sleek designs and portable nature of these devices. So it was only a matter of time before the laptop cases manufacturing companies developed products to match the needs of these two new gadgets.
Mobile Edge has launched two of its new casing products ‒ one for ultrabooks and the other one for tablets. The cases are designed especially for these sleek devices and are a part of Mobile Edge’s Slimline Ultrabook Cases.
Each case has a capability of holding an ultrabook and tablet of a size of up to 14.1”. There is also extra space for the ultrabook and tablet accessories along with an inner pocket which features a zip. The case comes with an exterior pocket (full size) which has a organizer exclusively for the smartphones, flash drives, pens, memory cards, a key fob, and mp3 players. In order to carry around the case easily, there is a provision of a shoulder belt that can be adjusted with the help of a buckle. The strap is polished with nickel fitting.
The stylish ultrabook and tablet carrying cases (Slimline Ultrabook Briefcases and Messenger Bags) have an integrated padded ultrabook compartment as well as a separate iPad/ Tablet pouch which is lined with fleece fabric. What makes the look of these cases even classier is the Koskin material for outer shell, which comes with stitching which has contrast effect as well as accented panels that are perforated.
G. David CartWright, President and CEO, Mobile Edge quoted, “We work very hard to ensure that our products reflect the changing needs of mobile computer user.” He also added, “The Mobile Edge Slimline Cases are the ultimate in stylish full function, ultra portable carrying cases.”
Both these cases have dual color combinations. The first one has a black casing with white contrast stitching and the second one comes with black casing with orange stitching that has a contrast effect. The Slimline Ultrabook Briefcases come with a suggested retail price of $ 59.99 and the suggested retail price of Messenger Bags is listed at $ 69.99. The newly launched cases are available in the market with a warranty for lifetime.
Brief summary about Mobile Edge:
Mobile Edge is a leader in designing men’s and women’s laptop carrying cases. They have a group of senior computer industry professionals who are dedicated to produce computer related carrying cases which are of ultimate quality. The company is known to offer some of the most stylish designs and the best product warranty when it comes to computer cases. Mobile Edge is a trusted name with leading computer manufacturing firms and they outsource their OEM cases building needs to this company.
Las Vegas: The 2013 CES show saw a confident Director of AMD’s Notebook Product Line, Kevin Lensing. Lensing’s confidence sure does come from the fact that after the few setbacks in the initial stage (which indecently led to delay in the launch of AMD’s APU strategy), the APU strategy is finally gathering some much needed momentum. This APU strategy basically makes the integrated graphics core in the chip an equally substantial partner along with the CPU.
According to the Director, the triumph of AMD’s APUs lies in the design of the strategy and to support the fact, there are the slick laptops from ASUS, a similar Intel based Ultrabook, shiny, glossy brand new laptops as well as the all-in-ones from Vizio, and an announcement of a budget friendly, tuch based Windows 8 laptop by HP.
The feature of an APU (accelerated processing unit) is that it combines x86 compatible CPUs with the latest AMD Radeon GCN graphic cores. GCN means graphics core next. A quad core CPU which comes with 284 graphic cores is mashed by the top model A 10 APU. The 384 graphic cores is equal to the unique Radeon high definition 8600 M mobile GPU. The Windows 8 operation system is benefited here because the A 10′s graphic core offers a compatible set of features which includes a full DirectX 11.1 capability. This smooth capability is highly responsible for the smooth running of Windows 8 operating system.
Vizio’s sleekly designed are sure to be of high focus point. The combination of laptops along with desktops to give an all-in-one gadget which uses the AMD’s APUs and also the AMD unique graphic chips is Vizio’s key designing win. Another such example pointed out by AMD is the U 38 ultra thin laptop which has recently been launched by Asus. This laptop is in fact a collaboration of efforts when it comes to the designing part, this collaboration is between Asus, AMD, and Microsoft. The U 38 ultra thin laptop comes integrated with an AMD A 8- 4555 M APU. This laptop includes Full HD IPS display technology with a screen that as a resolution of 1920 x 1080 and a 10 point touch capability.
The Director of AMD also spoke about their upcoming tablet processor at the CES 2013. the new processor goes by the name of Temash chip and it is the successor to the current generation Hondo (Z 60) tablet APU. It is being said to be built on a 28 nm manufacturing process. According to Lensing’s claim, the Temash chip is going to be the fastest processor available for a tablet. The GPU portion is DirectX 11.1 compatible because the Temash chip uses Radeon graphics core. Tablet designs with Temash chip are expected to hit the market by the second quarter of 2013. There has been heavy marketing and shipping from AMD to the system builders in order to promote the Temash chip.
AMD’s plans are ambitious when it comes to their APU strategy. They are planning to integrate APU in to mainstream laptops as well as the thin and light laptops. Also, the company is set to deliver higher power version with high end technology of its SoC code. This code is named as Kabini. Kabini will be functional in the Windows 8 convertible laptops.
So overall, one can assume that after almost 2 years of difficult time which was full of doubts and struggle, AMD’s APU strategy is getting its due. The key design wins have brought focus on AMD and they might help in concrete the company’s position in the market. Another helping feature is the clear road map. Whether or not these new designs make AMD one of the prominent players is a question that only time can answer, but one can predict that some high end products are definitely going to reach the users in the nearby time.
HP has launched a replacement for the Pavilion dv7 by the name of HP ENVY dv7. It is a notebook which offers good configuration at a low price. The wide variety of configurations is there to suit almost any performance need and you can easily find the combination which will fit in to your budget. Even though looks and designing wise the ENVY dv7 is just a copy of its predecessor, the Pavilion dv7 but it has the updated Windows 8 operating system. Let us review and see if the updated version is worth its salt!
Overall design of the notebook:
These days, many companies are designing their notebook models in such a way that they can be used by people who are looking out for a desktop replacement. HP too has developed the ENVY dv7 in a similar model. This 17.3 inches screen is HP’s offering to desktop replacement seekers. Even though the critics have lashed time and again regarding the features of Ultrabook, the desktop replacements like ENVY dv7 by HP are a hit amongst customers. That is mainly because of the looks, easy to use features, and affordable price of this gadget. Who would not like a sleek and smart looking notebook with numerous features instead of a bulky desktop?
The ENVY dv7 has a metal skinned, metallic black finish featured lid. The edges are lined with contrasting metal silver. On the top side of the lid, there is an illuminated HP logo. So the overall first impression about this device is glossy yet classy. Since the finishing is metallic and pitch black, you will not need to worry about smudgy fingerprints. However, the keyboard and touchpad area is a different story altogether! For some reason, HP has ditched the metallic finish and gone for an ultra glossy bezel around the screen and keyboard. So the moment you touch the screen’s sides or the keyboard tray area (which happens quite many times given that it is a keyboard!), your gadget will be smudged with greasy finger prints. We would have liked these sides to have had matte finish. While the keyboard tray has this issue, the keys itself are designed with flat tops and hence saved from fingerprint marks.
Overall build of the device can be termed as strong and tough. The chassis made with aluminum provides solid internal framing to the device. Also there is automatic resistance to flex from outside. The battery can be removed and upgraded as the casing for battery is not sealed (a welcome change!). Similarly the RAM, wireless card, and dual hard drive can be easily removed and upgraded by just taking out a panel. The panel can be fitted back with the help of a screw.
Display quality of the notebook:
The screen of the HP ENVY dv7 is a 17.3 inches broad one. It has a resolution of 1600 x 900 and it comes with high definition technology. However, if you are willing to pay $150 more, you can get a full HD version screen with 1920 x 1080 resolution. This screen has matte finish. The pixel density of a typical 1600 x 900 resolution display screen of HP ENVY dv7 is around up to 15.6″. The screen makes use of TN panel technology. This technology does not give extensively wide viewing angles. In fact, when you tilt the screen of the laptop backwards and/ or forward, you will notice definite difference in the color. This technology is best for straight viewing of the screen. Also the screen is prone to give reflections in direct sunlight and in a brightly lit room. The glossy screen however makes the colors look deep and distinctive.
Pros of HP ENVY dv7:
1. Looks sleek and smart.
2. Easy on the pocket because of its modest price.
3. Easily removable upgradeable battery.
4. Dual hard drive, wireless card, and RAM can be easily removed and upgraded as well.
5. Comes with a standard 2 year warranty.
Cons of HP ENVY dv7:
1. The glossy finish of screen sides and keyboard tray is prone to smudgy fingerprints.
2. The screen does not have wide viewing angles.
Final verdict:
The HP ENVY dv7 has upgraded Windows 8 OS and the hardware is easily removable and upgradeable. It is a good buy for people who want an affordable, smart desktop replacement.
Nowadays you will hardly find a professional who is traveling without a laptop or a notebook to do his/ her work on. A mobile electronic device has become a must. And it is very important that such devices be tough and rugged to sustain the shocks and beatings while traveling. Panasonic has launched a new laptop Toughbook CF-53 which as its name suggests is a strong bodied, tough device. It is an ideal laptop to be carried outside of the comfort zone of your home or office.
This is not the first time that Panasonic has come up with a travel friendly gadget. The Toughbook CF-31 is a favorite amongst people who want a highly portable option with them. The latest CF-53 has its own pros and cons. Let us review that device and check out as to how usable and feasible this new laptop is.
Design and making of the laptop:
The Toughbook series by Panasonic has a customized design and making. This model (Panasonic Toughbook CF-53) too follows the designing of its predecessor, the Toughbook CF-31. It has magnesium alloy construction from inside as well as the outer body. The magnesium alloy is used to lock the port covers. The hinges in this device are resistant to both dust as well as water. There is sealing cover provided to the touchpad as well as the keyboard so as to protect from scratches and moisture. These protective ‘layers’ make this laptop so tough that it can withstand a heavy fall from the waist height. It is also able to resist any damage due to falling of water or a drink on the touchpad or the keyboard. In short the design and body material of this laptop makes it ideal to be carried around in airplanes, on motor bikes, on construction sites, and even while skating on a roller board!
The ruggedness and the toughness of this laptop does result in a compromise: the size of the laptop. It is not a slim and sick device with feather-light weight. In fact it measures around 2.2 inches thick. And weighs around 5.8 pounds. The dimensions are 2.2 x 13.4 x 11.1 inches. To compensate for the chunky built and weight of the device, it has been provided with a handle (somewhat like a briefcase handle) so that it can be carried around easily. Well, we like a touch device and so we are not complaining!
Display quality of the laptop:
While checking this device for display quality, we realized that the makers had wanted it to be a rugged device which can be carried anywhere and used as roughly as possible. And thus factors like display quality are not designed to be top notch. Nevertheless, the 1366 x 768 resolution for a 14 inch screen is decent enough for the eyes. Plus it has the advantage of being clearly visible in direct sunlight. And again, the screen is protected with a pre-installed film. This film protects the device from any finger smudges or scratches. The screen is very bright and it needs to be toned down when you are using the laptop indoors.
Hardware of the laptop:
The Panasonic Toughbook CF-53 has been integrated with a 500 GB hard drive (with the speed of 7200 rpm). Like all its parts, this gadget’s hard drive too is safely protected. It is shock mounted so as to cushion it against the drops as well as pushes. There is a rugged AC adapter cable for the Toughbook CF-53 which has around four inches of ribbed reinforcement on the side of the plug. This reinforcement is quite more than the usual laptops which mostly use a length of around half an inch.
Pros of using the Panasonic Toughbook CF-53:
1. it is a highly strong and rugged device to be used.
2. Each and every part of this laptop is protected against shocks, vibrations, scratches, moisture, and dust particles.
3. The battery lasts for almost the entire day.
4. An ideal laptop to be carried around in rough weathers, on airplanes, on construction sites etc.
Cons of using the Toughbook CF-53:
1. Because of the ruggedness, the device is quite bulky and heavy.
2. The operating system is not to the par.
Final Verdict:
If you are looking for a rough to handle, tough and strong laptop and if you do not mind the bulkiness, then Panasonic Toughbook CF-53 is a good choice.