Nokia X6 Review

Nokia has finally made a touchscreen music phone worth craving with the X6, which is everything the 5800 XpressMusic should have been. Plenty of water has flowed under the bridge since the 5800 was released, and the X6 doesn't break any new ground, but there's still much to like about this music maestro.

The Nokia X6 is available from free on a £35-per-month, 2-year contract or £400 SIM-free.

Capacitive capability
Nokia struggled to make us crave the 5800, due to its chunky design and unresponsive resistive touchscreen. The X6 feels like the 5800 reborn, with a capacitive touchscreen and sleek, angular body.

The X6 uses a touchscreen-orientated version of Nokia's Symbian operating system, which isn't the smoothest or most user-friendly system out there. For example, you have to tap an option once to open it in some places, and you have to double tap in other places. It's not a huge problem, but it can get annoying.

The X6's capacitive touchscreen makes it feel more responsive than other touchscreen Nokia phones, because you don't have to apply pressure with a fingernail or stylus to get it to respond. Even with its capacitive advantage, the screen could be more responsive, though. At times, we felt the phone took too long to respond, although it isn't the slowest phone we've used by any means.

Music magic
The X6 sports an epic 32GB of memory and Nokia's Comes With Music service, so you can fill it up with a year's worth of free downloads, choosing from zillions of music tracks. The tracks are chained-down with DRM, so you can't listen to them on your other music players, but you can keep them on the phone even if you choose not to renew your subscription to Comes With Music after your free year is up.

Nokia has released yet another version of its desktop syncing software to help you get music on and off the phone, and it's an improvement on previous versions. Now called Nokia Ovi Suite, the software is a good attempt at creating an iTunes-style music store. We found downloading tracks easy, and syncing the phone was surprisingly simple. We particularly like the ability to sync the phone over Bluetooth, so, if your laptop has built-in Bluetooth, you may never have to break out the USB cable once the phone is set up. You can also download tunes directly onto the phone when you're on the move.

Once you've helped yourself to some free music, you can listen to it on your own headphones, thanks to the standard 3.5mm headphone jack. We weren't blown away by the audio quality, though, especially at low volumes, and even when we were using high-end cans. The volume settings also leap too quickly from tinny and quiet to deafeningly loud.

Source : http://reviews.cnet.co.uk

[+/-] Read More...

[+/-] Short Page...

ASUS Eee PC 1005PE Review

The ASUS Eee PC 1005PE is the first 10.1” Intel Pine Trail netbook on the market featuring the Intel Atom 450 processor and Intel GMA 3150 integrated graphics. Claiming up to 50 percent better battery life than the previous generation, this model could potentially offer up to 14 hours of battery life! Is this the “all-day” netbook platform we have all been waiting for? Check out our full review to find out.

ASUS Eee PC 1005PE Specifications:

* Windows 7 Starter Edition (32-bit)
* 10.1-inch diagonal WSVGA (1024x600)
* Intel Atom N450 Processor 1.66GHz (667MHz FSB, 512KB Cache)
* 1GB DDR2 SDRAM (800MHz)
* Intel GMA 3150 integrated graphics
* 250GB Seagate 5400.6 SATA HDD plus 500GB Online Storage
* Atheros AR9285 BGN Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
* 4-in-1 media card slot
* Dimensions: (H x W x D): 0.89-1.40 x 10.2 x 6.9 inches
* 2.8lbs (not including weight of AC adapter)
* 6-cell Lithium-Ion battery (5600mAh, 63Wh)
* One-year standard warranty
* MSRP: $379.99 (Ready for Purchase Jan 3, 2010)

Observant readers will recognize this review is quite similar to the review of the Eee PC 1005HA. This is because the 1005PE is essentially just a 1005HA with the newer Intel Pine Trail motherboard.

Build and Design
The ASUS Eee PC 1005PE is a lower-cost version of the 1008HA Seashell and features a similar clamshell chassis design but is a little thicker and comes with a removable battery. Unlike the 1008HA, which had plastic covers over every port, all of the ports on the 1005PE are easily accessible so you won't have to struggle to plug in a USB flash drive. The 1005PE also isn't as thin as the 1008HA Seashell, but the 1005PE makes up for extra bulk with a high-capacity removable battery.


If you look at the top of the 1005PE it's easy to see the "Seashell" heritage, and thankfully it manages to retain some solid build quality for a budget netbook. The glossy blue plastics aren't prone to flex and the keyboard is very firm ... two things you usually don't see on budget notebooks. The various parts of the chassis come together with tight build tolerances like a higher-priced Laptop. This isn't the most rugged netbook we've ever seen, but ASUS gave the 1005PE a pretty solid build for less than $400.


One nice improvement on this netbook compared to the last Seashell is the return of an easy-access RAM cover. If you want to upgrade the RAM in your 1005PE all you have to do is remove one screw on the access panel on the bottom of the netbook. I would have also liked to see an easy-access panel for the hard drive, but most netbook buyers aren't going to mess with the hard drive.

Screen and Speakers
The new ASUS Eee PC 1005PE Seashell uses a fairly standard LED-backlit display panel with a 1024x600 native resolution. The glossy screen looks identical to what we saw in the 1008HA: it offers good color and contrast, but glare and reflections indoors under strong lights or outdoors under direct sunlight can be a problem. Again, although the 1024x600 resolution is pretty standard for a netbook these days, I'd much rather see a 1366x768 screen in the next Eee PC. Vertical viewing angles are average, with minimal color distortion when viewing from below and some over-exposed colors when viewed from above. Horizontal viewing angles are better with colors staying accurate at extremely wide viewing angles with just a little bit of color wash out.

One slightly annoying feature we noticed on the 1005PE is related to the low-end Starter edition of Windows 7. The desktop background is locked to the ASUS OEM background image and can’t be changed through normal means. If you plan on swapping out the OEM background image, savvy users can follow one of many online guides that outline the process of changing the desktop background.

The built-in speaker performance on the ASUS Eee PC 1005PE is pretty good for a 10-inch netbook. I'm not a fan of the location of the built-in speakers since they're located on the bottom front edge of the 1005PE, but the audio quality is better than what we typically hear from netbook speakers. The speakers produce good volume (enough to fill a small room) and there is minimal distortion even at higher volume levels. The speakers lack much bass, but the range of highs and midtones are fine. Still, the audio output from the headphone jack is free of any obvious distortion and is a better solution when paired with earphones or a good set of external speakers.

Keyboard and Touchpad
The keyboard on the 1005PE is comfortable to type on and very responsive. The keys are slightly smaller than those on an average notebook but still quite usable. The "Chiclet" style keyboard has been added to the 1005PE, whereas the older 1005HA used a standard keyboard. The keyboard tray has very little flex under strong pressure, but in some areas the tray seems to float above the support structure beneath it. When you type in areas on the right side of the keyboard, centered right above the K-key, your clicking action is met with a solid “thunk”. On the opposite side of the keyboard each press is met with a quiet high-pitched click.

The Synaptics touchpad used on the 1005PE is likewise identical to the gesture-enabled model on the 1008HA. This allows you to use multi-figure gestures such as "pinching" your fingers together or "pulling" your fingers apart to zoom in or out. You can also use a "three-finger tap" as an alternative to a right click on a mouse. The Synaptics control panel in Windows also allows you to customize these gestures as well. The touchpad surface is covered in dots that provide a clear indication of the edges of the touchpad, but this also makes the touchpad surface too rough for quick finger movement. The left and right touchpad buttons are located beneath a single rocker-style button, but with no separation between the left and right side it's easy to accidentally press the middle of the touchpad button when you're trying to press the left or right side. The touchpad buttons have extremely shallow feedback, so it isn't always easy to feel when you have or have not pressed a button.

The 1005PE lacks a dedicated wireless on/off switch, but ASUS did include a dedicated touchpad on/off button as well as FN keyboard shortcuts for wireless, screen brightness, video output, volume, and Windows task manager.

Input and Output Ports
The 1005PE provides a few more ports than the 1008HA. Namely, you get three USB 2.0 ports, a 4-in-1 media card reader, headphone and microphone jacks, Ethernet port, and the return of a standard VGA out port. The 1005PE lacks the protective port covers seen on the 1008HA, but I personally don't like protective covers since I have to move them to use the ports.

Source : http://www.notebookreview.com

[+/-] Read More...

[+/-] Short Page...

MSI Wind U135 Review

In general, MSI netbooks have been the long-distance runners of the category; the U100, the U110, and the U123 all had impressive battery life. With its newest netbook, the Wind U135 ($329), MSI is using the second-generation Atom N450 processor, which was designed to provide up to 20 percent greater power efficiency than Intel’s last chip. However, the U135 doesn’t last nearly as long on a charge as the competition. What we do like about this netbook is its comfortable keyboard and low $329 price.

Design
With a footprint of 10.2 x 7.0 x 1.5 inches, the U135 takes up about as much desk space as other netbooks of its ilk. However, its battery sticks out the bottom of the system, increasing its thickness in the back to 1.5 inches. While not nearly as egregious as the Wind U110, this protrusion is more noticeable than those on many other netbooks with 6-cell batteries. Weighing 2.8 pounds, the U135 disappeared like every other netbook once inside our messenger bag.

When we first opened the lid of the U135, we were struck by the similariries between this system and the ASUS Eee PC 1005PE-P (Seashell), and with good reason: The two island-style keyboards are almost identical, and both have a single mouse bar as opposed to discrete buttons.

While our U135 came in blue, consumers will also be able to get the netbook in silver, red, or black. The wavy line pattern on the lid is also repeated on the touchpad, which adds a nice graphical element to the design. This pattern also does a decent job of masking fingerprint smudges.

Heat
The U135 kept its cool, something nice to see (and feel) on a device this small. After playing a Hulu video at full screen for 15 minutes, both the touchpad and the space between the G and H keys only reached 88 degrees, and the middle of the bottom was a comparatively cool 83 degrees. Even the area by the vent, usually one of the hottest areas on a notebook, only got as warm as 90 degrees. The trade-off is that the U135’s fan is a bit loud.

Source : http://www.laptopmag.com

[+/-] Read More...

[+/-] Short Page...

Sony Vaio CW series (VPCCW1S1E) Laptop Review

Medium-size entertainment laptops are a popular choice. They pack, or at least should pack, enough power to do justice to music, movies and games at home, yet are still portable enough to use on the move for more serious pursuits. On paper, Sony's new CW-series Vaio VPCCW1S1E laptop certainly seems to have the specs to satisfy, but does it deliver the goods in practice?

Putrid in pink
There are five models in the CW series laptop. They all have the same specification, differing only in the colour of their case. Sony supplied us with a garish pink model. The outer lid and large, raised wrist rest are finished in the same deep shade of pink, but the screen bezel and keyboard surround have a paler, pearly finish. If the colour were different, this would all be rather fetching.

The 14-inch chassis makes the VPCCW1S1E laptop a good size for slipping into a bag, but its 2.4kg weight is at the upper end of what we'd consider suitable for carrying around all day.

Film-friendly display
Screens with 16:9 aspect ratios are fast becoming standard issue. The widescreen-movie-friendly shape makes sense on an entertainment laptop like the VPCCW1S1E, even though you have to sacrifice vertical pixels.

The glossy display does a good job with video, but the viewing angles are slightly too narrow for a few people to sit around the laptop, although perhaps that situation isn't likely to occur with a 14-inch screen anyway. One welcome touch is a button below the screen that turns off the display to save power when you're listening to music.

The usual Vaio keyboard is present and correct, and, as usual, is very good. It's full-width with full-size keys, but it's rather bendy. It's doesn't exhibit enough flex for you to notice it while typing, but there's more than we'd expect at this sort of price. We have no complaints about the multi-touch trackpad, though. It's a good size and works very well.

Strong performance
Processor performance is seldom an issue with any mid-range laptop, and the VPCCW1S1E is well-equipped with a 2.13GHz Intel Core 2 Duo P7450 chip. That said, the machine's PCMark05 benchmark score of 4,871 is slightly lower than we expected. The same processor scored 5,407 in the Sony Vaio VGN-AW41MF/H, albeit when twinned with a slightly better graphics chip.

The VPCCW1S1E is no slouch when it comes to 3D graphics performance. Its Nvidia GeForce GT 230M chipset scored 6,164 in 3DMark06. This puts it near the top of the league in terms of general-purpose laptops, and even the most recent DirectX 10 games should run well at medium detail settings.

Small enough to use on the move, battery life is an important issue for a laptop like the VPCCW1S1E. It racked up 1 hour and 48 minutes in Battery Eater's intensive Classic test, and just under 4 hours in the less demanding Reader's test. That suggests a typical usage time of around 3 hours, which isn't amazing but is enough to get some work done. The pre-boot, Mozilla-based Web browser means you can stretch the battery still further if you just need to work online.

Conclusion
If your idea of a good all-round laptop includes 3D-gaming capability, the Sony Vaio VPCCW1S1E should be a very strong contender for your cash. It costs less than the similar HP Pavilion dv3-2230ea, but has dramatically better 3D graphics performance, and you won't miss the multi-touch screen.

Source : http://crave.cnet.co.uk/laptops

[+/-] Read More...

[+/-] Short Page...

HP Pavilion dv3-2230ea Laptop Review

The tablet PC may not have taken off, but support for multi-touch displays in Windows 7 means that some manufacturers are now trying a different tack by fitting touch-sensitive screens to otherwise standard laptops. HP is one of the first, with the Pavilion dv3-2230ea, available for around £780. We were supplied with a pre-production model for this preview, which we will update with the results of our benchmark tests once we get our hands on the final version.

No Behemoth
The dv3-2230ea is billed as an entertainment laptop, but it's no big-screen monster, and its 13.3-inch chassis weighs in at a fairly portable 2.1kg. The case is thick, measuring 32mm, and looks pretty chunky, but just about every edge is curved, and the silver plastic that runs around its middle helps break up the design.

The shiny black lid and keyboard surround have a pale grey 'modern vintage imprint' pattern that reminds us of William Morris wallpaper. We rather like it, and it makes a change from the usual swathe of solid colour.

The thick lid sits on two stiff hinges that still exhibit some wobble. Beneath it lies a full-width, low-profile keyboard that's very comfortable to type on, although some give around the L key slightly compromises the otherwise solid feel. There's no separate numeric keypad, but all the keys are full-size.

The wide multi-touch trackpad has a mirrored finish with the same wallpaper pattern as the rest of the case, but its very shiny surface means it suffers from the same sticky finger problems as similar pads on other laptops. A small button above the trackpad disables it. Presumably you're meant to use this button when you're resting your forearm on the wrist rest and prodding the screen.

Responsive touchscreen
The dv3-2230ea's 13.3-inch, multi-touch screen works very well. As is the case with the iPhone, the screen's sensor seems very adept at figuring out where you meant to press, rather than just taking a very clumsy poke at face value. The usual set of compatible gestures are all present and correct -- you pinch your fingers together to zoom, swipe left and right to move through photos, and so on -- but reaching up to stroke a vertical surface doesn't feel very natural and we're not convinced that multi-touch capability on a traditional laptop display is as beneficial as on a tablet PC.

Nonetheless, some users, particularly children, may find that a touchscreen provides an easier way to interact with Windows than a trackpad or mouse, and the dv3-2230ea's display is certainly much more responsive than other touchscreens we've tried. Some crispness seems to be lost as a result of the multi-touch technology's inclusion, but the 1,366x768-pixel image is still bright and vibrant.

Theoretical benchmark results
The dv3-2230ea that we were supplied with was a pre-production model with a slightly different specification to the one that will eventually be sold, so we won't mention its actual benchmark results.

The specification published with this preview is that for the final model and, since it's very close to that of the HP Pavilion dv3-2055ea, which we reviewed in June, its performance benchmark results shouldn't be too dissimilar. If anything, the dv3-2230ea should be slightly quicker in the PCMark05 test, as its Intel Core 2 Duo T6600 processor is 200MHz faster than its stablemate's, which scored 4,520. Both use the same Nvidia GeForce G105M graphics chipset though, so we'd expect a similar 3DMark06 score of around 2,400. That's not bad, but not good enough to run modern DirectX 10 games at anything more than low resolutions and detail settings.

Since our sample model shipped with a different processor and on-board graphics, we'll also have to take its times in the Battery Eater tests with a pinch of salt. That said, they weren't too different to the dv3-2055ea's times, at 1.5 hours in the intensive Classic test and 4.5 hours in the less demanding Reader's test.

Outlook
Based on the final specification that HP will sell, the Pavilion dv3-2230ea should be a solid performer, but it needs better graphics capability if it's to live up to its entertainment billing. The multi-touch screen is a novel addition, and some people may find it useful, but it won't replace a trackpad for most applications.

Source : http://crave.cnet.co.uk/laptops

[+/-] Read More...

[+/-] Short Page...

Toshiba Satellite P500 Review

We never thought we'd see the day, but it's finally arrived: Toshiba, purveyor of the doomed HD DVD format, has swallowed its pride and released its first laptop to use the rival Blu-ray disc format -- the Satellite P500. The laptop comes in two forms. The £1,000 P500-12F ships with a Blu-ray drive and a slightly faster processor than that of the £800 P500-12D, which uses an ordinary DVD Super Multi drive. Here we review the P500-12F laptop.

Kind of a big deal
The P500 laptop is massive. It measures a quite staggering 443 by 42 by 294mm, and weighs 4.4kg. It's that big for a reason -- it houses a gigantic, 18.4-inch display. It's not quite as sizeable as the freak of nature that is the Dell XPS M2010, but, once you've got this sucker home, you won't be taking it anywhere else.

Blu movie connoisseur
The P500 laptop is available with a DVD combo drive, but its biggest selling point is that it's also available with a Blu-ray drive. This is of the BD-RE variety, which means you can record, rewrite and play movies on it.

Don't think you can watch these films in their full, 1080p glory, however, as the P500's display -- despite being gigantic -- has a relatively puny resolution of 1,680x945 pixels -- well short of the 1,920x1,080 pixels needed to fully exploit such films. On the plus side, the integrated Harmon Kardon speakers are better than those on your average laptop. They're loud enough to fill a small bedroom and offer surprisingly good fidelity.

Hook up, line in and sync her
Those who demand 1080p in all its glory have the option of outputting the video signal to an external display via the P500's HDMI port. This, you'll be pleased to hear, pipes the laptop's audio signal over the same cable, so you can use the P500 as a proper alternative to a standalone Blu-ray player.

Unfortunately, it doesn't ship with a remote control, but the laptop does have capacitive, white-backlit shortcut keys to the left of its keyboard that allow you to control the volume and playback of your media. In addition, the P500 has a VGA video output, four USB ports (one of which doubles as an eSATA port), 4-pin FireWire, and mic and headphone jacks.

Eek! A mouse!
Most large laptops have comfortable keyboards and mice that are easy to use. Not so with the P500. Its keyboard can feel as fiddly as a netbook's at times -- not due to its size, but due to the keys being so tightly packed together. They're also totally flat across the top, which means it's all too easy to mistake one key for another. We're not too fond of the mouse either. The trackpad is fine, but the large, chrome buttons are loud and clunky, and have a slightly cheap feel about them.

Specs fiend
Both versions of the P500 are well-equipped. The P500-12D uses a 2.13GHz Intel Core 2 Duo P7450 CPU, while the P500-12F has a slightly quicker 2.53GHz Core 2 Duo P8700. Both machines have a healthy 4GB of memory, although this is of the DDR2 800MHz variety, and not the faster DDR3 type.

Source : http://crave.cnet.co.uk/laptops

[+/-] Read More...

[+/-] Short Page...

Acer Aspire One D250 Android Review

The latest version of the 10.1-inch Acer Aspire One D250 is a netbook with a difference. It's the first mini PC we've seen that comes not only with Windows XP installed but also with Google Android, an operating system designed primarily for mobile phones. Despite its twin-OS configuration, this miniature marvel retails for a relatively reasonable £250. Note that we reviewed the XP-only version of this machine in June.

Robots are the future
Some people may wonder why Acer has bothered supplying Android on a netbook, but the answer becomes clear within about 17 seconds of hitting the power button. The OS boots on this netbook about three times faster than XP, which means you can be on the Internet, check your emails and have grown bored of watching people fall over on YouTube before XP's hourglass has vanished.

Don't expect access to many applications, though. You get Minefield (a development version of the Firefox browser), plus webmail, Google Talk and Calendar. More applications on this netbook can be found by clicking the settings tab on the right side of the Android desktop, but most of them are pretty lame. There's an alarm clock, generic Android browser, calculator, calendar, camera, contacts list and music player -- the sorts of things you'd get on a mobile phone, basically.

Danger, Will Robinson
As attractive as the presence of Android may seem, it's also fraught with problems. The biggest of them is the fact it was designed for mobiles, not PCs. Firstly, you'll need to remind yourself that the D250 doesn't have a touchscreen, despite the fact it's using an operating system designed for gadgets with such an interface. Then you'll need to get used to the odd graphical user interface, which is impossible to control using a mouse alone -- you'll need to keep the Esc key handy for going back a step each time you're done with a new menu.

We can sort of forgive the interface, but we can't excuse the fact that you're unable to add any new applications to Android on this device. Unlike Android mobile phones, the D250 doesn't have access to the Android Market for new applications, and, therefore, can't be upgraded in the same manner. If you want to enjoy new applications or do anything other than mess about on the Internet, you'll need to fire up XP.

Come back, Windows, all is forgiven
Annoyingly, it's not possible to boot straight into XP -- you'll need to hit the power button, wait for Android to boot, and then click a shortcut at the top left of the Android desktop to initiate XP mode. As a result, the D250 shoots itself in the foot, taking a few seconds longer to boot to what we believe is a truly usable state than most other netbooks do.

Once XP's loaded, you'll be able to check your email and watch YouTube clips to your heart's content, as well as do incredible things like download new software or use multiple applications simultaneously (no, Android isn't any good at multitasking). Seriously, once you've entered XP mode, it's like being in the future or something.

Business as usual
The D250, despite the inclusion of Android, is pretty ordinary to look at. The red finish (glossy on the lid and matte on the inside) is pretty unusual, but the 10.1-inch, 1,024x768-pixel screen, Intel Atom N270 CPU, 1GB of RAM, and 160GB of storage are all par for the netbook course. As a result, the D250's performance is like that of pretty much every other netbook in its class. Battery life is above average, however, thanks to a large, six-cell battery. In Battery Eater's intensive Classic test, the D250 lasted for 6 hours and 21 minutes while running XP.

Conclusion
The Acer Aspire One D250 Android is a pretty decent netbook, but we're not sure its Android OS contributes very much. It'll let you surf the Web quickly, but, if you fancy doing anything else, you'll need to fire up Windows XP. After a while, you'll begin to question whether it was worth bothering with the Android OS in the first place. Ultimately, we think its inclusion is something of a gimmick, but, as the D250 isn't a bad device, it's one we can ultimately forgive.

Source : http://crave.cnet.co.uk/laptops

[+/-] Read More...

[+/-] Short Page...

BlackBerry Storm Review

It's hard to overstate how important the BlackBerry Storm is to RIM and Verizon. It's RIM's bold effort to fend off the iPhone and Verizon's best hope for a star handset that draws people in, or at least keeps them from bailing. The BlackBerry Storm's major innovation is what RIM calls SurePress—the entire touchscreen is fat, honkin' button—which has been paired with a redesigned, finger-friendly BlackBerry OS. We've already showed you a lot of what the fuss is all about, but now that we've spent some quality, uninterrupted time with the Storm, here's why we think it falls short of its promise.

The Body
The body BlackBerry Storm is surprisingly heavy. Like, heavier than RIM's manly slab of smartphone, the Bold, at 5.47 oz to the Bold's 4.7 oz. It feels thick, too, thicker than it actually is, because of its squarish shape. It looks good, it feels okay in your hand. It's just kind of clunky at the same time. On the other hand though, all this substance also makes the Storm feel really robust. You'll never feel like you're going to break it.

That Button Screen
When you push the screen and it clicks, it's a genuinely satisfying tactile sensation that, as I said in my hands on, is clearly a finely tuned experience. You won't accidentally press it when you don't mean to, but you don't have to drop a sledgehammer on it, either. Like the rest of the body, it's a sturdy piece of hardware that seems like it will hold up over the many, many thousands of clicks it will endure in its life time. The only concern is that it seems like the chasm between the screen and rest of the body is a lint nest waiting to happen. But the gap is large enough you should be able to clean your pocket gunk out with the edge of a toothpick.

Screen
The Storm has the biggest, highest resolution screen RIM has ever produced with a 480x360 res. It's bright and beautiful, though not quite as stunning as the Bold's since it has a lower pixel density. Still, the OS and video look fantastic on it, with plenty of pop. The capacitive touchscreen is fairly responsive—on par with the T-Mobile G1—though sometimes the OS lags behind you.

Battery
We haven't fully tested the battery life on the Storm yet, but it seems to be respectable. The battery isn't quite as beefy as the beast powering the Bold, but you shouldn't have a huge problem getting through the day on one charge or anything.

Network
No Wi-Fi is a bummer, even with Verizon's fantastic 3G network, 'cause not even it penetrates everywhere. That said, one of the Storm's greatest strengths is Verizon's network, with its basically unbeatable coverage, and you'll get a signal most everywhere that's not a subway, airplane or supervillian secret lair. 3G is plenty fast and more reliable than AT&T, so it's been sunshine. Any pokiness in web browsing is the software's fault. Calls sounded great to the other party, though they sounded kind of muted to me on the default volume compared to the Bold.

Camera
The camera is 3.2MP of noisy noise, like most cellphone cameras. The camera is tarted up with some basic photo editing features and a dedicated flash, but it's nothing incredible.

GPS
The GPS seems to provide a pretty accurate location with a reasonable amount of speed, though you're stuck with Verizon's VZ Navigator as the main navigation app (no BlackBerry maps). Some people really hate Verizon's program, so you might be less than stoked here.

Browser
The first thing I asked the RIM rep was how much better the Storm's browser was than the Bold, which kind of eats it when it comes to scripts. He said it was improved "but don't expect a miracle." That's a good assessment. It's fast, faster than the Bold whenever I put them side by side, but not quite the fastest browser on the planet. It's also smarter than the Bold, rendering pages more accurately where the Bold slipped. Performance once pages loaded was good. I'll be doing some more formal benchmarks, like with our browser Battlemodo earlier today, shortly.

One thing RIM gets really right is the browser UI. You have lots of of options for getting around—two prominent zoom in and out buttons, plus you can zoom by clicking. Very easy. You've got two main navigation modes though—pan mode, where your finger swipes zoom around the page, and cursor mode, where the whole screen acts like a trackpad. I mostly stuck with pan mode. SurePress comes in handy when scrolling, because you'll never accidentally press a link again. One thing I'd like is multitouch zooming (sorry, gotta say it) and a way to quickly get to the bottom of the page, since a hard flick doesn't send you flying like on mobile Safari. Overall though, RIM delivers pretty big here.

Multimedia
The biggest improvement over the Bold, media wise, is that the Storm comes with an 8GB microSD card. Unfortunately, everywhere else, it's mostly the same. The media player UI is essentially identical, with minimal tweaks to make it touchable. On the actual playback screen, it's fine, and album art looks great. However, the list system it uses is fairly tired and straight out of the old BlackBerry playbook essentially. The bigger pain point, if you're comparing it to the iPhone's multimedia muscle, is the crappy Roxio Media Manager. New phone, same crap. Please please please get better media software, RIM—this stuff is beneath you. Video looks really great on that screen though!

Source : http://gizmodo.com

[+/-] Read More...

[+/-] Short Page...

BlackBerry Bold 9000 Review

One of the best hitech products is The BlackBerry Bold 9000. This gadget have many feature that can make human got almost everything they need from gadget. And now, in this article I want make a good review about this product. So you will know and feel what I know and what I fell when I have The BlackBerry Bold 9000 for the first time. It's very amazing gadget.

The BlackBerry Bold 9000 is a true reflection of what the brand name Blackberry stands for. This high-tech gizmo is a groundbreaking GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 and HSDPA 850 / 1900 / 2100 compatible device and with its ultra-elegant looks, flawless connectivity and high-end features, it has become a sort of rage among the masses. It is a wonderful business gadget and offers almost everything that one could ask for.

The Blackberry Bold 9000 weighs 133g and measures 114 x 66 x 14 mm. It comes with a 2.6 inches screen that has a resolution of 480x320 pixels and displays up to 65K colours, giving a beaming view. Users can set any of the wallpapers that come along and enjoy the splendid scene. It sports a full QWERTY keyboard, along with trackball navigation, ensuring maximum comfort and minimum effort.

It performs really well on the entertainment front as it offers a media player that is capable of playing multiple file formats including MP3, WMA and AAC+, along with a video player that again supports a couple of file formats such as 3GP and DivX. To enhance the listening experience, it also provides a 3.5mm stereo headset jack. In addition, it also features several interesting games and allows the users to download the games of their choice.

The Blackberry Bold 9000 comes with a 2MP camera, that works at a resolution of 1600x1200 pixels and is blessed with features such as LED flash. Apart from clicking pictures, it allows the users to record videos as well. Individuals can share the photographs that they capture, through MMS. Apart from that it offers several messaging options, which include SMS, e-mail and last but not the least, instant messaging.

It supports most of the new-age technologies and standards like GPRS, EDGE and HSDPA, that boost up connectivity. Wi-Fi is enabled as well, giving users an extra reason to rejoice. In addition, v2.0 Bluetooth with A2DP and v2.0 USB that come along help the individuals connect the handset to another compatible device. People can surf the internet using the HTML browser, that has been provided for this purpose.

This gadget comes with a phone book that you can use to store all your contacts. It offers an internal storage space of 1GB with 128MB RAM, which is quite sufficient to store a huge amount of data including documents, music, video recordings and pictures and you would not need to delete some files every now and then, to create extra space . The best part is that, if required, the memory can be further expanded up to 8GB, with the help of a microSD (TransFlash) card.

The messaging options that the users can avail with this phone include SMS, MMS, e-mail and instant messaging. It is the perfect companion for people who travel a lot, as it has GPS with A-GPS support and Blackberry maps. Some of the other features include document editor (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDF), organizer, voice memo and downloadable games. The Blackberry Bold 9000 comes with a standard Li-Ion 1500 mAh battery, that provides the users with a talk time of up to 5 hours.

Source : http://communications.myfreearticlecentral.com

[+/-] Read More...

[+/-] Short Page...

BlackBerry Curve 8530 Review

Refined? Yes. Exciting? Not so much. With the BlackBerry Curve 8530 ($99.99 through Verizon Wireless with two-year contract), RIM has tweaked one of the top-selling smart phones over the last year and a half. Like the older Curve 8330, you still get a spacious keyboard, long battery life, reliable push e-mail, and a pocket-friendly design. But the 8530 adds such welcome enhancements as Wi-Fi, an optical trackpad, and a zippier processor (no more spinning hourglass). On the other hand, the 8530 lacks the sleeker interface of the identically priced HTC Droid Eris, and it brings up the rear when it comes to Web surfing. This is amazing hitech products.

Is this sleek successor worth the upgrade, or should you step up to the classier BlackBerry Tour? And how does the new Curve stack up to Verizon’s Android devices?
Design and Keyboard.

The Curve 8530 definitely looks more modern than its predecessor. Decked out in a glossy black plastic case (also available in violet), this smart phone has a streamlined aesthetic. We especially like the rubberized soft-touch finish on the top, sides, and part of the back, which makes the 8530 easy to grip. RIM also integrated media controls on the top of the device so you can change tracks or pause playback at any time.

On the front you’ll notice the biggest change compared to the 8330: an optical trackpad that replaces the trackball. This addition took some getting used to, but in general navigating menus was simple, and we like that there’s no risk of lint mucking up the works. Flanking the trackpad are four buttons (Back, Call, End/Power, and Menu) that are flush with the device. These buttons were responsive but feel a bit cheap compared to the cushier ones found on the Tour.

Weighing 3.7 ounces and measuring 0.6 inches thin, the 8530 definitely feels lighter than the 4.6-ounce Tour, and is even lighter than the older 4.0-ounce Curve 8330. However, the Tour feels more substantial (in a good way) and luxurious overall, complete with a metallic border. We also couldn’t help but notice that the keyboard backlight and display were dimmer on the Curve 8530 than the Tour.

Speaking of the keyboard, the 8530’s layout is very similar to that of the 8330. We still appreciate the generous amount of space between keys here, even if the keys themselves felt a bit stiff and were loud. Some may prefer the cushier, quieter layout on the pricier Tour, but its keys are also closer together.

Display and User Interface

Like its predecessor, the 8530 features a 2.5-inch display with 320 x 240 pixels, but the interface eschews the 8330’s colorful menu icons for RIM’s minimalist line-drawing icons. Some people like it, but we’re not fans of this approach because it’s often difficult to tell at a glance what’s what on the menu screen. We’re also not sure why there are separate options for things like Downloads and Applications. The BlackBerry OS needs a new makeover.

The Tour has the same confusing UI, but at least it has a brighter display with a higher resolution (480 x 360), which makes text more crisp and fits more info and images on the screen at once.

Source : http://www.laptopmag.com/review

[+/-] Read More...

[+/-] Short Page...

Samsung X120 Laptop Review

The ultra-portable laptops with ultra-low-voltage processors that we've seen so far have all been thin and light, but none could really be described as 'affordable'. That's not the case with the Samsung X120. At around £500, it's the cheapest ULV ultra-portable we've seen so far.

Low-key looks
Although the term 'ultra-portable' covers a range of laptop sizes, the 11.6-inch X120 hits the sweet spot -- it's small enough to be extremely portable but big enough to use comfortably. It's not that much larger than a 10.1-inch netbook and, at exactly 25mm thick, certainly no fatter. It's not even any heavier than most 10.1-inch netbooks, weighing just 1.4kg.

Just about every edge of the X120 is curved, but Samsung has displayed some welcome restraint in terms of design. The metallic grey lid has a small silver Samsung logo (sticky labels are used, rather than moulded plastic) and the bottom half of the case has a thin silver trim that tapers to almost nothing along the front edge. It's a low-key design and we like it.

Big keyboard
A case this wide provides ample room for a large keyboard. The X120 uses the same type of keyboard as the recently reviewed R720 desktop-replacement laptop. The wide, flat keys are almost full-size and sit flush together, but each has a raised area to create some finger room between them. The keyboard is very comfortable to use, although the condensed cursor-key cluster at the bottom right corner is rather fiddly.

The wide trackpad supports the usual array of multi-touch gestures and generally works well, although it isn't quite tall enough to enable us to pinch our fingers to zoom. With limited space on the wrist rest, Samsung has moved the buttons to the left and right of the trackpad, but this isn't much of a problem, since they're large and have a positive click.

The two hinges wobble slightly, but not enough to detract from the LED-backlit screen's excellent image quality. The 1,366x768-pixel resolution means you may have to squint to read some text, but the trade-off is a very crisp display, and the glossy finish gives plenty of contrast.

Surprisingly speedy
Intel ULV processors are more about energy efficiency than all-out performance, but the Pentium SU4100 chip in the X120 is surprisingly speedy. Dual-core with a 1.3GHz clock speed, it scored 3,310 in the PCMark05 benchmark test. This puts the X120 well behind standard Intel Core 2 Duo laptops in the speed stakes, but it's around twice as fast as a laptop with an Intel Atom processor. The processor also provides more than enough power for multi-tasking with productivity applications in Windows 7.

Samsung hasn't done anything special with the X120's graphics capability -- it has the same Intel GMA 4500MHD GPU as most other ULV laptops. This turned in a 3DMark06 score of 863, ruling out 3D gaming. The X120 can handle 720p video with ease, but 1080p video is more of a struggle, so you won't be able to fully exploit the HDMI port.

The X120's only real weak spot is its battery life. Any ultra-portable stands or falls on how long it can be used away from the mains. Lasting for 1 hour and 36 minutes in Battery Eater's intensive Classic test and 3 hours and 38 minutes in the less demanding Reader's test, the X120 won't let you stray far from a power point.

Conclusion
The Samsung X120 is by far the best ULV ultra-portable we've seen so far. It's cheap, highly portable and Samsung has made surprisingly few compromises. The only real disappointment is its lacklustre battery life, but, if around 2.5 hours of mains-free use is all you require, you'll be served well by the rest of the specification.

Source : http://crave.cnet.co.uk/laptops

[+/-] Read More...

[+/-] Short Page...

Dell Inspiron 11z Review

The 11-inch notebook category is heating up, with all the major manufacturers now offering netbook alternatives with bigger screens and keyboards. The sleek 11.6-inch Dell Inspiron 11z joins the party with a wide range of personalization options, along with a ULV processor that can handle HD video. Pricing starts at a very netbooky $399, but the $654 configuration we received raises serious questions about this laptop’s value. Yes, the 11z easily outperforms Intel Atom-based machines, but how does this Dell stack up against the competition?

Design

Weighing just 3.4 pounds and measuring 11.5 x 8.4 x 0.9 inches, the Inspiron 11z is a light, svelte machine with an attractive profile. It shares nearly identical dimensions with the equally attractive Lenovo IdeaPad S12 netbook. The Acer Aspire 1410 is 0.2 inches thicker, as is the HP Mini 311, but both of those systems are 3.2 ounces lighter as well.

The 11z comes standard with a black lid, but you can choose from six color options that add $40 to the cost. Our review unit came with a glossy green lid that we were happy to find didn’t show many fingerprint smudges. Other color options include blue, pink, purple, red, and white. If you want to personalize your ultraportable further, Dell offers over 200 unique lid designs ($65) you can custom order, from Big Giant Plaid to your favorite MLB team.

The plastic deck is simple and straightforward: the power button sits above the keyboard on the left side. There’s just one light on the bottom left area of the wrist rest, indicating power. Unfortunately, Dell didn’t include a light to indicate Wi-Fi status, which we would have found helpful.

The six-cell battery on our configuration raised the unit about an inch in the back, providing a comfortable downward slope.

Heat

Whenever we had the 11z in our lap, the system got uncomfortably hot underneath in a short amount of time. Even when sitting on hard surfaces, the left underside near the vent was always noticeably hot. We knew the notebook’s fan was working, though, because we heard its constant whine whenever the system was on.

After the 11z sat idle for five minutes, we played The Daily Show on Hulu at full screen. Within 15 minutes, the touchpad was 88 degrees Fahrenheit, and the space between the G and H keys was 95 degrees. When we measured the bottom of the unit near the air vent, the thermometer registered 104 degrees; air coming from the vent got up to 109. Temperatures below 95 degrees are acceptable; we consider anything over 100 degrees to be a cause for concern.

Keyboard and Touchpad

Due to the 11z’s 92 percent of full-size keyboard, we were able to reach our normal typing speed right away (though we committed far more errors than usual). The slightly rough-textured keys on the 11z are also flat, lacking the familiar slight dip in the center. It’s too easy to hit the wrong key on the 11z or accidentally hit two at once. Even after playing with the system for a couple of days, we still experienced a high error rate. The key size seems to be the culprit, as is the small space between each, and when combined these elements offer no slack for slightly inaccurate typers. We didn’t have this problem with the Acer Aspire 1410’s keys, which are about an eighth of an inch bigger and have more space between them.

Otherwise, keys offer snappy return and good travel. Placement is also good; the Shift key is a bit undersized to make room for the up arrow, but it’s in the correct position. Alt, Ctrl, and Fn keys are sized well on both the left and right, making things easy for frequent shortcut users. We also appreciate the dedicated End, Home, and Page Up and Down keys on the right.

We’re pleased to see that the Function keys along the top row have been reversed so that you don’t need to press the Fn key to control brightness, multimedia playback, volume, and Wi-Fi.

The 3.5 x 1.8-inch touchpad is also like the one found on the Dell Mini 10—and reminiscent of the MacBook Pro—as the mouse buttons are integrated into the touch surface. The bottom corners of the touchpad are clickable, indicated by two oblong markers on the left and right. While we liked the larger surface area, we found it to be overly sensitive. When we’d try to do something as simple as click and drag or scroll down a Web page, the touchpad would interpret the movement as a pinch or zoom about two-thirds of the time.

In the options page for the Elan touchpad driver (found in the Control Panel) users can access customization options and enable or disable any of the gestures. However, while there are sensitivity sliders on the PalmTracking software (which keeps the mouse cursor from jumping due to accidental contact), there is no way to fine-tune the sensitivity of the touch surface itself; we had to turn off some of the multitouch features just to make using the touchpad bearable.

Powered by Elan Smart-Pad software, the touchpad is capable of multitouch gestures beyond two-finger scroll or pinch-and-zoom. Elan’s tutorial demonstration of the eight gestures the touchpad is capable of was very helpful. It showed us how to execute the three-finger window switch, as well as how to quickly minimize all windows by placing your palm on the touchpad. The level of functionality and complexity also reminded us of the MacBook. Unfortunately, Dell’s multitouch isn’t as easy to use.

Source : http://www.laptopmag.com/laptops/

[+/-] Read More...

[+/-] Short Page...

Samsung Go N310 (AT&T) Review

It’s hardly a secret that we’re not too keen on netbooks with integrated 3G broadband. In exchange for paying about $100 less up front, you’re making a commitment to spend between $840 and $1,440 for monthly data charges over two years for something that’s not going to be your primary PC. However, if you think the always-on connectivity—as well as that $199 price—are appealing, take note that some subsidized netbook deals are sweeter than others. The Samsung Go through AT&T is not one of those deals. While we liked the unsubsidized version of this netbook, the one that AT&T sells has a smaller battery, and doesn’t last nearly as long on a charge. For the same price, you can find other netbooks that perform better and last longer.

Design

From its rounded edges to its midnight blue rubberized lid, the Go has a fresher, more fashion-forward design than many other netbooks we’ve seen. The lid feels at once softer and more durable than other netbooks. However, it has Samsung’s logo embossed in huge capital letters, which some may find off-putting. On the inside, Samsung did a good job of designing an island-style keyboard while still giving the user plenty of room to type (it helps that there’s little space on either end of the keyboard).

In addition to its soft, rubbery finish and contoured shape, we quickly warmed to the Samsung Go simply on account of how light it feels. At 2.6 pounds, this system is light, even for a netbook. At 10.3 x 7.3 x 1.1 inches, it’s smaller than the Lenovo IdeaPad S12 with Ion, as well as most netbooks.

Keyboard and Trackpad

We enjoyed both the attractive design and comfortable feel of the Go’s island-style keyboard. However, compared to the Toshiba mini NB205, whose metal keyboard remains the best we’ve ever seen on a netbook, the Go’s layout feels more cramped, and sounds noisier. And yet, using the Ten Thumbs Typing Tutor test as a benchmark, we were able to type 81 words per minute. That’s pretty respectable, given that we’ve reached 88 wpm on a full size desktop keyboard.

We like that the Samsung Go has a fairly large touchpad (2.5 x 1.5 inches). However, we wish this netbook had two discrete touch buttons instead of a single touch bar. That said, this bar was easy to press and provided good tactile feedback. We’d like it more if it were just a bit wider; at only half an inch thick, it was sometimes difficult even for our narrow fingers to settle on.

Source : http://www.laptopmag.com/review/laptop

[+/-] Read More...

[+/-] Short Page...

DirecTV Satellite HDTV Receivers

As cable TV rates are increasing, so is the number of people switching to satellite TV subscriptions. It is a common knowledge that DIRECTV leads the American satellite television industry.

DIRECTV has more than 15 million subscribers in the country. It offers 250 channels with crisp digital-quality pictures and sounds. It also screens special sports and entertainment events through pay per view. DIRECTV runs both NSTC and HD programming.

To view HD programming, you will need an HD-ready television set, a DIRECTV satellite HDTV receiver and a DIRECTV multi-satellite dish.

DIRECTV has been developing advanced equipments to support HD viewing at home. DIRECTV satellite HDTV receivers are easy to use and they come with DIRECTV subscription packages.

DIRECTV satellite HDTV receivers provide the following TV resolutions: 480i (525i), 480p (525p) , 720p (750p) , 1080i (1125i). They also support Dolby Digital Surround sound.

One of the novel feature of DIRECTV satellite HDTV receivers is that they have on-screen program guides which are customizable. They also have built-in parent control feature for restricting unwanted channels or shows and setting spending limits.

DIRECTV satellite HDTV receivers usually come with remote control, batteries, component video cable , S-Video cable to enable HDTV to PC connection, audio/video cable, telephone cable, RF coaxial cable , and a power cable. One HDTV-ready TV set and one satellite dish can be plugged into the device.

Outputs for DIRECTV satellite HDTV receivers include two composites, 1S-video cable, 1 component, 1 HDMI, and 1 digital audio optical. There are additional ports on the DIRECTV satellite HDTV receiver where a USB and a telephone line can be plugged in.

With this phone connection, DIRECTV subscribers can order pay per view programs through remote control, get popular sports subscriptions and get secondary receivers for $4.99 each month.

This special phone connection does not disturb regular phone usage. A modeminside the DirecTV satellite HDTV receiver calls DIRECTV computer systemtoll free. If the modem detects regular phone usage it will try thecall later. These modem calls last only a few seconds.

DIRECTV allows the connection of more than one television in a single household to their services as long as DIRECTV satellite HDTV receivers are connected to the same land-based phone line. With this set-up, programming only costs $4.99 per month for a secondary and each additional television. Ordering separate DirecTV satellite HDTV receivers gives household viewers the flexibility to watch different programs on different TV sets.

DIRECTV HDTV receivers are usually made with in widths of 15 inches, height of 3 inches and depth of 11 inches. DIRECTV HDTV receivers come with a warranty of 90 days.

Other HDTV receivers of other brands are also authorized to receive DIRECTV satellite transmissions aside from DIRECTV. These are Zenith, Toshiba, Sony, Samsung, RCA, Proscan, Phoenix, Panasonic, Mitsubishi, LG. promax, Hughes, General electric.

Aside from DIRECTV HDTV receivers, Digital Video Recorders (DVR’s) are also provided with DIRECTV satellite subscription. DVR’s can be used to pause or rewind live TV, order instant replays slow motions.

It can also be programmed to skip commercials. DVR’s have the capacity to record hundreds of hours of regular TV programming and 30 hours of HDTV programming. DVR’s can be set to record a TV show for the entire season including extra overtime programming. Viewers also have the option to skip reruns.

The Digital Video Recorder can record shows two weeks before actual broadcast and even record two shows at the same time without overwriting recorded content until memory is full. Viewers decide the time span they want their recorded programs to be stored and program this accordingly. The HD DVR has 250 GB hard drive and supports many resolution formats.

[+/-] Read More...

[+/-] Short Page...