M B A STUDENT LAPTOP

MBA Laptop Features

This is where we match MBA laptop features with your laptop usage. This is often the harded part when it comes to purchasing. Because this laptop will be used for your MBA program, our job is a bit easier. Here is a list of the most important features to consider.

* Processor (CPU) - this is the brain of the computer, so get the best. I prefer offerings from Intel. Avoid value-line models like the Celeron processor. Look at the latest specs in GHz and see what you can afford.

* Memory (RAM) - this is the short-term storage used while the laptop is on. It affects how much you can do at one time (multi-tasking). The more the better - side on having too much. I would start at 1 GB and go from there.

* Hard Drive - there are a few things to consider on the hard drive. The obvious one is space. These days, you will not get anything less than 80 GB and that should be sufficient. The other consideration is the speed of the hard drive in RPMs. The higher the better.

The CPU, RAM, and Hard Drive will have a bigger effect on performance and reliability than any of the other MBA laptop features!

* Screen size - This is more of a personal preference. You can get a really small screen (less than 14 inches) that allows for more portability. On the other side of the coin, you may want a large, wide-screen laptop for easier viewing.

* Networking - You will want both a wireless card supporting the latest wireless frequencies as well as a Ethernet LAN jack. You will run into both kinds of networks.

* Ports and Drives - Make sure you have ports for a printer, keyboard, mouse, monitor, etc. Plenty of USB ports is nice. Also make sure you have an adequate CD or DVD drive. Get one that is writable so you can periodically make backups of your files.

* Operating System - The operating system (OS) is required to run the laptop and will come pre-installed. Most people choose the latest flavor of Windows. Some people opt for Apple laptops too. Apple has its own Mac OS X operating system.

* Applications - As far as applications, make sure to get Microsoft Office. You can get a deal as a student - there are versions that run on PC and Mac now. At a minimum, make sure your version of Office has Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

* Malware Protection - At a bare minimum, be sure to protect your laptop from viruses and spyware. There are programs available for free so there is no excuse for not being protected.

You may want to consider extra MBA laptop features that are not essientials, but may be nice. A docking station (plus an extra monitor, keyboard, and mouse) will make for easy use as a workstation. An extra battery and an extra power cord will be handy if either dies during your program.

Panasonic TOUGHBOOK-30 Notebook

Not Much RAM for MultitaskingThe more RAM your laptop has, the faster programs will run and the greater number of windows you can work in at one time. If your needs are simple and you rarely do more than two things at once on your PC, the relatively modest amount of memory that comes installed in inexpensive laptops will be enough. Today the standard amount of RAM shipped in most PCs is 2GB. If you like to multitask--say, you want to launch a search for a file and start backing up data to a disc while you watch a news video--you need more memory.Suited for Commuting and Other Short TripsBecause of its midsize screen and other middle-of-the-road characteristics, this notebook qualifies as an all-purpose portable. Though it might not have the biggest hard drive or all the latest card slots, its features--and accordingly, its price--are a good fit for most people who need to get work done in mainstream applications. On this laptop, you'll be able to compute comfortably in word processing, spreadsheet, e-mail, and browser applications, and enjoy music or a DVD movie with headphones. This laptop, lighter and easier to carry than a desktop replacement, is also a better choice for commuting and other short trips.Underpowered Video Hardware Not Suited for Serious GamersA video chip set (also called integrated video or Intel video) built into this laptop's motherboard handles the graphics. Relatively speaking, this video hardware is underpowered. Since the laptop lacks a dedicated graphics card, the integrated chip set has to borrow video memory (an arrangement known as dynamic memory or shared memory) from the main system memory to make images look good. If you play only online trailers or 2D games, integrated video is fine. As long as the laptop has a fairly fast processor, such as a dual-core Intel CPU, even movies should look good and play smoothly. But laptops with integrated video can't render 3D well and handle sophisticated effects properly. Games will skip, lose details, or stop altogether if the video hardware can't manage at least 30 frames per second. If gaming is important to you, ante up for a laptop with a dedicated card.Low Maximum Resolution Limits Screen's Viewable Area A screen resolution of 1024 by 768 is also known as XGA (Extended Graphics Array). XGA became the de facto entry-level standard for most laptops around 2000, since it's easy to read and great for getting mainstream work done on small screens that have a 4:3 aspect ratio. Today, however, 1024 by 768 is a low resolution that limits how much you can see on screen at once. Wide-aspect laptops with screens of a 16:9 or 16:10 aspect ratio have introduced resolutions that display more picture. The most common entry-level resolution is 1280 by 768 or 1280 by 800, aka WXGA (Wide Extended Graphics Array). Screens ranging in size from 10.6 inches to as large as 17 inches can have a WXGA native resolution, which provides about 25 percent more screen content than a display of 1024 by 768 does.Expand Memory and Multimedia Through the ExpressCard SlotThe built-in ExpressCard slot on this laptop lets you easily expand the memory, wireless communications, multimedia, or security of the system. There are two types of ExpressCards: the ExpressCard/34, which measures 34mm by 75mm and is shaped like a stick of chewing gum, and the wider ExpressCard/54, which is 54mm by 75mm. The ExpressCard/54 slot, which accepts either type of card, opens up a wider world of expandability, including SmartCard readers, CompactFlash readers, and 1.8-inch disk drives. Few new laptops come equipped with the old PC Card slot that preceded ExpressCard, but if yours does, you can buy an adapter that lets you use ExpressCards in the PC Card slot. Supports SD CardsLike most new laptops, this one has either a multiformat card reader or a dedicated slot that accepts an SD (Secure Digital) Card. More popular than Memory Stick, CompactFlash, and xD-Picture Card, SD is found in a large number of digital cameras, PDAs, printers, and other devices. SD Cards have built-in security functions to protect data, including music copyright protection. (The cards have a small write-protection switch on the side similar to that of a floppy disk.) The latest SD card, the microSDHC, is the tiniest flash memory card to date, measuring only 11mm across. It's also the fastest and roomiest, capable of holding up to 16GB of data. Supports MultiMediaCardsAny laptop that can work with SD Cards can also take MultiMediaCards in its multiformat card reader. These small, thin cards look like their SD counterparts (and are often lumped into the same category), but the technology inside is different, as these cards lack SD's encryption and have only half the storage capacity. They're also slower. If security and speed are not critical issues for you, MultiMediaCard can be a cheaper alternative to the more popular SD; many devices that accept SD will also take the slightly thinner MultiMediaCard. Regardless, this laptop gives you the choice of using either format.Connect Peripherals With Bluetooth TechnologyThis short-range wireless technology is everywhere. Whether you activate it on a laptop by way of an external on/off switch or through software, the small internal Bluetooth card automatically detects other Bluetooth-equipped devices within 30 feet and sends and receives radio signals over an ad-hoc "piconet," or personal wireless network. Bluetooth is an especially convenient way to add external peripherals or partner the laptop with other devices, such as a cell phone, printer, or digital camera. Bluetooth works only over short distances to connect devices around your home or office, sending small chunks of data at a leisurely 1 megabit per second.Connect to the Net Via Ethernet PortEven though Wi-Fi is all the rage, an ethernet connection for wired networking is still a nice thing to have. Ethernet jacks allow for instant connections to the Internet, e-mail, and applications over a fast, secure wired network. Ethernet comes in three speeds: the all-but-obsolete traditional ethernet, limited to 10 megabits per second; fast ethernet, which works at up to 100 megabits per second; and gigabit ethernet, which operates at up to a gigabit per second. If your laptop is equipped with the still-common fast ethernet, it won't be able to take full advantage of the performance that a gigabit-ethernet network has to offer. But more and more laptops now come with gigabit ethernet, in which case you're covered for access to the fastest type of wired network.Windows XP InstalledCurrently Microsoft's Windows XP operating system remains an option for sub-$600 mini-notebooks (also known as "netbooks"). Although it debuted back in 2001, XP is still popular among many computer users, especially in businesses that have standardized on the OS and have no desire to switch to the 3D-heavy Vista. XP introduced a lot of the useful built-in applications we now take for granted, including the ability to burn CDs, as well as Remote Desktop, which lets telecommuters connect to another XP computer across a network or the Internet and access their programs and files. This streamlined operating system should run fine on this notebook.Be Wary of Battery Life SpecsTake the battery life you see advertised for any laptop with a grain of salt. Why? A few vendors still use unrealistic testing parameters in order to report the longest battery life possible. For example, a "tested" laptop simply might be turned on, with the screen brightness lowered to the darkest level, and allowed to run down without anyone touching it. When the laptop undergoes typical, everyday use--say, with the screen brightness turned up to a readable level and with the user working in several applications or playing a CD or DVD movie--its battery life could be much shorter than a vendor's claims.

Microsoft Readying Low-cost Windows Server OS

Microsoft

is readying a new low-cost version of Windows Server to give customers a server OS similar to client OSes that run on low-cost PCs.
Microsoft plans to release "something akin to" a netbook version of Windows, but for servers, not PCs, over the next month or two, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said on a call with members of the financial community on Tuesday.
He said that although there is not high demand at the moment for netbook-like server hardware, declining prices in the server market make a low-cost OS an attractive option for customers.
"We don't exactly have a netbook phenomenon, but if somebody can buy a [US]$500 server, they're a little loathe to spend $500 for the server operating system that goes with it," Ballmer said.
He described the software as a "low-cost, low-price, low-functionality Windows Server SKU" called "Foundation Edition," but did not offer more details.
Microsoft also posted a blog entry on its Windows Server Division Weblog reiterating Ballmer's comments, but still did not provide specifics about the product.
Microsoft has a range of Windows Server offerings to suit the needs of different customers, but Forrester analyst Chris Voce said the company sees a gap in its portfolio at the lowest end of the market. For some customers, even its Small Business Server product -- which bundles Windows Server with Exchange Server, SQL Server and other software -- is too much, he said.
"They want to make sure Windows Server is as flexible as it can be," Voce said. He added that he is aware that Microsoft is readying the new Windows Server SKU but is not at liberty to discuss specifics.
Microsoft's revenue has been affected by the decline in purchases of full-featured PCs in favor of low-cost netbooks, which don't provide as much margin for the company as sales of Windows on PCs do. Further, netbooks run both Linux and Windows XP, the latter an eight-year-old OS, so Microsoft's OS does not have as dominant a position in the netbook market as it does among PCs.
Windows Vista, XP's successor, has too large a hardware and memory footprint to run well on netbooks. However, Microsoft said that Windows 7, which will be out later this year or early next, will be netbook-friendly.
Ballmer spoke to the financial community this week to give them an update on Microsoft's financial outlook for the remainder of the year. He said the company expects PC sales to continue to be slow and the economy to remain challenging for the foreseeable future, and the company will adjust its internal expectations accordingly. Microsoft is not providing public financial expectations for the rest of its fiscal year, which ends June 30.

golden MacBook Pro

Gold-plated MacBook Air vs Golden Age MacBook Air; Which One Is Prettier?

In this blog, we have already talked about the most expensive laptop in the world and most expensive golden MacBook Pro. This time at CeBIT, you can find the most expensive MacBook Air. Already MacBook Air has become a favorite laptop for business people for its excellent design. So, A MacBook Air laptop made of gold and crystal can be very attractive luxurious device for rich people.

"Golden Age" is the name of this new, er, product, the world's first Apple MacBook Air to be fully crystallised with 12,000 "dazzling" Swarovski elements, according to pocket-lint. There will only be 20 units of this laptop available.

Sony Vaio TZ

Sony Vaio TZ
it's obvious that the Vaio TZ from Sony has been designed from the ground up with 100% mobility in mind. It looks stunning in its carbon fiber casing and remarkably thin design, and with up to eight hours of battery life, there is very little that discerning road warriors won't appreciate about the TZ.
# tel® Core™2 Duo Processor U7600 (1.20GHz)
# Genuine Windows Vista® Business
# Battery stamina: Up to 11hours
# Super light weight: 1200g
# 4.7mm slim display: Clear Bright High Colour LCD (White LED)
# Network freedom: Wireless LAN 802.11a/b/g/n
# Built-in camera : MOTION EYE

Dell Studio XPS 16

The Dell Studio XPS line emphasizes style without sacrificing functionality. These multimedia laptops have a bit of leather trim here, a backlit keyboard there--and a whole lot of plugs, ports, and features packed in.

The Studio XPS 16 is in a prime position to outmuscle one competitor, the slick but slightly flawed . The Dell's advantage speaks to the idea that you can get a little luxury in your laptop without having to shell out a fortune. The polished looks and edge-to-edge glass of the MC7803u make Gateway's $999 all-purpose box seem a little more premium than its guts actually are. In contrast, Dell's classy Studio XPS 16 starts at $1199 (as of 1/8/09), $200 higher than Gateway's offering, and that shows in its build quality and construction (which I'll get to in a bit).

But it has more substantial possibilities, too: The blingy, premium version of the Studio XPS 16 that we received for testing offers significantly more than the Gateway machine does--at a significantly higher price (our review unit sells for roughly $1804 as of 1/8/09, according to spokespeople). In truth, it would probably be fairer to compare Dell's beefed-up box with the, which tips the scales on price, but offers comparable features.

Inside our Studio XPS 16, a 2.4-GHz Intel Core 2 Duo P8600 CPU, a 512MB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3670 graphics processor, and 4GB of RAM run the 64-bit flavor of Windows Vista. That configuration notched a 92 in WorldBench 6. It lags a little behind the HDX 16, but it's more than enough for everyday tasks -- and some games when you're done. What I can tell you is that I had no problem playing Fallout 3 and Left 4 Dead at the screen's native resolution of 1920 by 1080 pixels. Thank the capable mobile graphics processor and the laptop's speedy, 7200-rpm, 320GB hard drive (whose fast rotational speed enables better read/write performance during game play).

Images looked sharp on the laptop's RGB LED screen. Provided that you don't have bright daylight bouncing off the colorful and glossy display, you're in for a treat. Inky blacks, such as in the creepy corners of Left 4 Dead's zombiethon, look deep and rich. And the sand-blasted landscapes of Fallout 3 pop off the screen.

The sound of the Studio XPS 16, on the other hand, falls a little flat. Two speaker grilles flank the keyboard. Though you can sit for a spell and listen, the audio comes off as hollow. I had no issues with the volume level, though; the laptop's sound became loud enough to disturb my cubemates.

Besides extra audio outputs, the Studio XPS 16 has a number of nice input options around the sides. You get two USB ports and one shared eSATA/USB jack, and DisplayPort, HDMI-out, and VGA-out jacks cover all possible video needs. In addition, it sports a four-pin FireWire 400 port, a five-in-one flash memory card reader, a 2-megapixel Webcam, an ExpressCard slot, and a slot-loading Blu-ray Disc drive. Our review unit came with both a six-cell battery and a nine-cell battery for the price. And with the 9-cell battery our test unit survived for three hours, 41 minutes. That's about 12 minutes under the average, but certainly long enough to watch a movie on it's crisp display. Another thing to keep in mind: HP's HDX16, another multimedia all-purpose machine, only lasts about two hours, 14 minutes on a single battery charge.

The operative word with the Studio XPS 16 is "extras." In addition to all the hardware hoopla, it has you pretty well covered on the software side. Included in the price is Microsoft Works 9, a 2GB Data Safe Online account (free for one year), and a slick little facial-recognition security suite that uses the laptop's Webcam to drive the biometric security. And everything from the software to the online storage is accessible through an unobtrusive quick-launch bar at the top of the screen.

Not only is the Studio XPS 16 packed with features, but it also boasts a reasonably sharp-looking design. Earlier, I mentioned that this machine and its siblings are Dell's answer to Gateway's MC series. If you were to put the two open laptops side by side, you'd see that the Studio XPS 16 one-ups the MC7803u. The two laptops share similar backlit and square-cut keyboards, but on the Studio XPS 16 the keys feel a little more satisfyingly solid. The same can be said for the Dell's nicely positioned touchpad and backlit mouse buttons.

Like the MC7803u, this machine sports edge-to-edge glass on the display. The difference here is that Dell locks down the screen by bolting the hinges firmly into both sides of the bezel. In the end, even from a quick glance at the Studio XPS 16, you can see what the $200 difference buys you.

Oh, just so don't you think I'm completely in love with Dell's design, I did spy one head-scratcher: The leather pad on the lid adds a classy two-tone touch, but it's also a little silly. I'd rather have that leather on the wrist rest.

Dell's Studio XPS 16 is squarely aimed at people who want to get a little more for their entertainment buck; it's a solidly built multimedia machine that piles on features without breaking the bank. Dell's Studio XPS 16 looks to be a solid choice for gaming and movies, as well as getting the job done, while keeping costs within reason.

Core 2 Extreme X9100

X9100 LapTOp
Whether it's gaming, digital photography, or video editing, today's high-impact entertainment demands breakthrough technology. Get the unrivaled multi-core performance of the Intel Core 2 Extreme processors. It's not about playing the game. It's about dominating and winning the game. Designed for extreme performance, the Intel Core 2 Extreme processors feature the whole arsenal of performance-rich technologies.

• Processor - Intel Core 2 Extreme X9100 / 3.06 GHz ( Dual-Core )
• RAM - 4 GB (installed) / 8 GB (max) - DDR3 SDRAM - 1066 MHz - PC3-8500 ( 2 x 2 GB )
• Hard Drive - 200 GB Full Disk Encryption (FDE) - Serial ATA-150 - 7200 rpm
• Operating System - Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate 64-bit Edition / XP Professional downgrade
• Screen - 17" TFT 1920 x 1200 ( WUXGA ) - 24-bit (16.7 million colours)
• Optical Drive - DVD-Writer - removable plug-in module
• Graphics - NVIDIA Quadro FX 2700M - 512 MB
• Bluetooth - Yes
• Notebook Camera - Integrated - 1.3 Megapixel
• Warranty - 3 years warranty

1.8-GHz to 2.4-GHz Intel Core 2 Duo

Business Notebooks? 1.8-GHz to 2.4-GHz Intel Core 2 Duo

Style takes a back seat to substance for business users, so their notebooks put the emphasis on portability, durability, security, and connectivity. Long runtime is also the goal, with battery options that enable all-day outlet-free computing. And okay, at least a little style is welcome.

View top-rated business notebooks >>


What Are Business Notebooks?
Business notebooks are thin-and-light or mainstream models (see the ultraportables category) that include the security, connectivity, and durability features a professional user would need. Notebooks intended for corporate use have all that, plus manageability features and a stable platform so the OS image of units deployed now will match that of machines ordered six to nine months from now.
Who Are They For?
A business notebook is the right choice for employees of both small and large companies, as well as sole proprietors who often take a machine to off-site meetings. If the machine is for use in a home office and won't see road use, you can opt for a consumer notebook, where you will likely get similar specs for a little less money.
What Can You Expect From a Business Notebook?

* 1.8-GHz to 2.4-GHz Intel Core 2 Duo CPU
* 2GB RAM
* 13.3-inch to 15.4-inch screen
* Spill-resistant keyboard
* Shock-mounted hard drive
* Fingerprint reader
* TPM (Trusted Platform Module) circuitry
* 802.11agn Wi-Fi
* WWAN option

Simple Buying Tips

* Portability: If the choice is yours, go for a smaller, lighter machine (usually with a 13.3-inch widescreen), especially if it will see a lot of use on airplane tray tables or be schlepped home on your daily commute. If the machine will simply be carried from your office to a conference room and back, go for one with a larger screen.

* Security: Should it fall into the wrong hands, a business notebook needs to be able protect the locally stored data as well as the company network. A fingerprint reader will take care of the former, while TPM circuitry can handle password management and enable hard-drive encryption.

* Durability: Most business portables will see travel during their useful lifespan, so features like a magnesium-alloy outer shell, reinforced inner frame, spill-resistant keyboard and a shock-mounted hard drive are important.

Ideally, look for a machine with active hard drive protection technology, which parks the heads to prevent damage to the platters should the machine sense it is falling. If you tend to be particularly tough on a machine, consider one with a solid-state drive (SSD). Capacities are low and prices are high, but the drives are crash-proof (and draw less power, too).

* Runtime: If you tend to travel (or get stuck in long meetings), opt for the notebook's extended battery. It adds a little bulk, but often a couple extra hours of runtime. If all-day computing away from an AC outlet is essential, look for a machine that can take a second battery in a modular bay in place of the optical drive, or just buy an extra battery.

* Connectivity: For business buyers, 802.11agn Wi-Fi is a must, since all of these standards are in use today. Frequent travelers may also want to consider a model with embedded wireless broadband (either EV-DO or HSDPA) connectivity.

Service isn't cheap ($60 to $80 monthly), but these 3G data networks offer good nationwide coverage and near-DSL throughput, and a subscription can pay for itself in increased productivity and the money you'll save in airport and hotel connection fees.

Hp Gaming LapTop

Gaming LapTop Pity it's just a concept, but at least one laptop that HP will be showing off at CES next week looks *amazing*. Laptop Magazine has managed to get a hands-on of the HP Firefly - an innovative gaming laptop. Click over the jump for the full details of this beast.
There's no point talking specs on the Firefly, if it's not going to make it to market, so lets just concentrate on features. The keyboard has adjustable backlighting, HP's great media buttons, volume and EQ controls, and a mute toggle-switch. There's also a multitouch (:D) trackpad is mounted to the right of the keyboard (like a mouse), and a night-vision webcam(!).

In addition to the main 17.1" screen, there's a secondary 4.3" 800x480 display underneath, which anything can be dragged to. It's a bit small for reading a walkthrough though, probably. Laptop mag says that using the secondary display heavily caused a little bit of in-game lag, but other than that, the machine steamed through every game they played with absolutely clarity on top settings.

I wonder if we can get a petition running for them to release the thing... Even if they don't, then it seems that they realize what gamers want from a desktop-replacement machine, which is good news. More of this please, HP!

HP Compaq Presario CQ70-120US

HP Compaq Presario CQ70-120US
Hardware
Product Name CQ70-120US
Product Number FS110UA#ABA
Microprocessor 2 GHz Intel Pentium Dual-Core Mobile Processor T3200
Microprocessor Cache 1 MB L2 Cache
Memory 3072 MB
Memory Max Up to 3 MB DDR2
Video Graphics Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD
Video Memory Up to 1277 MB
Hard Drive 250 GB (5400 rpm)
Multimedia Drive LightScribe Super Multi 8X DVD±R/RW with Double Layer Support
Display 17.0” Diagonal WXGA+ High-Definition HP BrightView Widescreen Display (1440 x 900)
Fax/Modem High speed 56K modem
Network Card Integrated 10/100 Ethernet LAN
Wireless Connectivity 802.11a/b/g/n WLAN
Sound Altec Lansing speakers
Keyboard 101-key compatible
Pointing Device Touch Pad with dedicated vertical and horizontal Scroll Up/Down pad
External Ports

* 5-in-1 integrated Digital Media Reader for Secure Digital cards, MultiMedia cards, Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro, or xD Picture cards
* 3 Universal Serial Bus USB 2.0
* 1 VGA (15-pin)
* 1 RJ-11 (modem)
* 1 RJ -45 (LAN)
* 1 headphone-out
* 1 microphone-in

Dimensions 15.59"(L) x 11.22" (D) 1.47"(min) - 1.63"(max) (H)
Weight 7.2Ibs
Security

* Kensington MicroSaver lock slot
* Power-on password
* Accepts 3rd party security lock devices

Power

* 65 W AC Adapter
* 6-cell Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion)

What's In The Box HP Pavilion WebCam with Integrated Microphone
Software
Operating System:
Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium with Service Pack 1
Security and Support:
Symantec Norton Internet Security 2008 (including 60 days complimentary live update)

HP Help & Support Center

PC Recovery (Softthinks Restore Solution)

HP Wireless Home Network Setup

HP Total Care Advisor
Multimedia:
Vongo

HP PhotoSmart Essentials

HP Quick Play

Muvee AutoProducer

Cyberlink DVD Suite

HP Games Powered by Wild Tangent

Adobe Acrobat Reader
Productivity and Finance:
Microsoft Works

HP Smart Web Printing

Microsoft Office 2007 Student and Teacher Edition: 60 Day Trial Version
Internet Solutions:
AOL Instant Messaging Service

Microsoft Internet Explorer

HP Easy Internet Signup (part of HP Easy Setup)

HP - Pavilion dv6285

There's a standing joke that if dull, reliable old HP had come up with the concept of Sushi it would have named the cuisine 'cold dead fish', so it's no great surprise that the photos of the HP Pavilion dv6285 utterly fail to convey how gorgeous it looks.

What you see in the photos is a laptop with a black lid and a grey surround to the keyboard, but you can't see that the piano-black lid is finely patterned with a series of swirling lines. This pattern extends to the bare metal finish of the keyboard surround, while the touchpad and mouse buttons have a smooth metal finish. The shiny black bezel around the screen looks great and hides the 1.3-megapixel Web-cam discreetly.

Some bright spark at HP has also thought to continue the swirling, fine pattern from the lid and keyboard surround to the HP desktop wallpaper in Windows Vista Home Premium. Generally speaking we change the wallpaper on a review laptop or PC to a neutral colour ASAP, but in the case of the Pavilion dv6285 we left well alone.

he styling is a complete success but you want your laptop to have 'go' as well as 'show'. Under the bonnet you'll find a dual core AMD Turion 64 X2 TL-56 running at 1.80GHz with 1GB PC2-5300 memory and an Nvidia GeForce Go 6100 chipset with GeForce Go 7200 graphics. That gives a decent level of performance, however the graphics are the weakest part of the system and seem to have been chosen for the job of running the Vista Aero interface and little more.

This laptop has a hefty 160GB hard drive and a list of features that tick most of the boxes. On the right-hand side there's an ExpressCard/54 slot, the optical drive and one USB 2.0 port and on the left side there are two more USB ports, one mini Firewire port, plus VGA and S-Video outputs. You even get a neat card reader that supports SD, MMC, xD and Memory Stick. The only box that remains firmly unchecked is the one labelled Bluetooth as you don't get it with this model. Shame, that.

The 15.4-inch screen has a 1,280 x 800 resolution and looks both sharp and clear. While the keyboard is good to type on, and the row of media controls is very handy, we found that the dual functions of many of the keys made the controls slightly awkward to use.

But the main problem with this laptop is the battery life, which lasts just over one hour. This is a common theme with AMD-powered laptops and just goes to show that Intel has got battery power sorted with Centrino while AMD seems to struggle with this essential technology.

HP Pavilion dv3

HP Pavilion dv3

WiTh

Genuine Windows VistaGet things done, stay connected, and enjoy entertainment in a protected environment with Genuine Windows Vista with Service Pack^††. This series comes with Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium, which includes Windows Aero, Windows Media Center, and instant search.

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Leading-edge mobility

This lightweight notebook features:

• Modern lines and durable surfaces with a bronze imprint finish on the cover and an "Intersect" imprint finish on the palm rest
• A 13.3" (diagonal) LED display for improved color saturation, lighter weight, and energy efficiency
• AMD mobile technologies for exceptional multitasking and ^{Wireless connectivity}
  
• An extended-life battery for improved performance
• A weight saver to replace the optical drive for enhanced mobility

Elegant and innovative

The dv3z delivers mobility without sacrificing style or performance. It supports:

• A full-sized color-matched keyboard and touchpad
• Built-in HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection, which automatically detects if your laptop has been dropped, then locks your Hard Drive to help safeguard your data
• An optional Solid State drive for faster bootup, lighter weight, and quiet operation
• Up to 8GB of system Memory for maximum performance
• High-speed backup of videos and files via eSATA/USB combo port
• Optional under-keyboard backlighting for easy typing in a low-light environment
• Tray-load optical drive (or optional slot-load)
• Simplified password management with an integrated fingerprint reader

Totally entertaining

Enjoy all-in-one entertainment wherever you roam, with hours of recorded TV, photos, movies, music, and more. Highlights include:

• Standard wireless-G or optional bluetooth which make it easy to stay connected
• A built-in VGA webcam and digital microphone that let you do live video chat³
• Our MediaSmart entertainment software, back-lit media buttons, and a mini remote control that put entertainment at your fingertips
• SRS Premium sound plus Altec Lansing speakers, for captivating audio
• An HDMI 1.3b port for connecting the PC to an external monitor or HD TV

Quality software, security, and support

All our PCs are backed by a one-year hardware warranty. In addition, we test and qualify all software sold with our PCs to give you a trouble-free experience with your new computer. You get:

• A 60-day trial of Microsoft Office Home & Student 2007 Edition
• 60 days of complimentary live updates to Symantec Norton Internet Security
• A one-year limited software warranty

1. Wireless access point and Internet service required and not included.
2. The specifications for the 802.11n WLAN are draft specifications and are not final. If the final specifications differ from the draft specifications, it may affect the ability of the notebook to communicate with other 802.11n WLAN devices.
3. Internet access required and sold separately.

# Not all Windows Vista features are available for use on all Windows Vista Capable PCs. All Windows Vista Capable PCs will run the core experiences of Windows Vista, such as innovations in organizing and finding information,security and reliability. Some features available in premium editions of Windows Vista--like the new Windows Aero^TM user interface--require advanced or additional hardware. Check www.windowsvista.com/getready for details.

* Prices, specifications, availability and terms of offers may change without notice. Despite our best efforts, a small number of items may contain pricing, typography, or photography errors. Correct prices and promotions are validated at the time your order is placed. Please note these policies apply only to products sold by the HP Home & Home Office Store; reseller offers may vary.

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Intel® Core™ 2 LapTop

Intel® Core™ 2
Technology Group today introduced a new whitebook solution powered by the long awaited Intel Centrino 2 (“Montevina”) platform. This state-of-the-art platform technology provides a breakthrough in mobile computing for higher performance, advanced connectivity, and longer battery life. In addition, the new OCZ whitebooks are built for superior on-the-go gaming by harnessing the world’s highest-performing mobile processor, the Intel Core 2 Extreme X9100.


OCZ is pleased to offer one of the world’s first Montevina-based notebooks to the channel. This whitebook is designed with the high end gamer in mind and will be made available to system builders to add their own unique brand, performance enhancing features, and design.

“The introduction of the Montevina platform by Intel enables OCZ to deliver a superior notebook computing experience to our system integrator clients and consumers,” said Ryan Petersen, CEO of the OCZ Technology Group. “The new OCZNBIM17A will enthrall users with the exceptional performance of Intel’s new Core 2 Extreme processor and is the ideal notebook for gaming and multimedia applications with cutting edge features including upgradable dual graphics, Blueray, and HDMI.”

“Intel’s Core 2 Extreme mobile processor X9100 brings extreme performance to the OCZNBIM17A Notebook for incredible gaming on the go that can even rival desktop systems,” said Erik Reid, Director of Marketing, Mobile Products Group, Intel. “Improvements in speed and energy efficiency delivered by the Intel Core 2 Extreme mobile processor give users confidence that they are working and gaming on the most advanced notebook technology imaginable.”

When developing the decisive gaming laptop, OCZ sought to deliver the ultimate high-end solution to consumers always on the cutting-edge of technology. Optimized by Intel’s powerful and versatile Centrino 2 platform, the new OCZ whitebook exceeds expectations of on the go power-computing. Based on the latest 45nm Intel Core Microarchitecture and designed for maximum battery life, Intel Centrino 2 processor technology includes new and innovative features that drive new levels of performance and power savings. The Intel Core 2 Extreme mobile processor X9100 delivers the revolutionary levels of dual-core performance you need to shatter all speed barriers and power multiple highly-threaded HD applications simultaneously giving you unrivaled realism and responsiveness in 3D gaming.

For the demanding visual effects gamers require for the latest PC titles, the OCZ whitebook solution features powerful MXM 2.0 upgradeable graphics solutions and can currently support 2 ATI M88XT in Crossfire™ mode or a single NVIDIA 8800 GTX. The option of customizable MXM 2 graphics will offer a truly powerful gaming experience.

The OCZNBIM17A Notebook
The new OCZ whitebook can be customized by the leading system builders to meet the needs of consumers, and fully-configured the OCZNBIM17A leads in performance and features:

Intel Centrino 2 Processor Technology
Intel Core 2 Duo T9600, P9500, T9400, P8600, P8400
Mobile Intel GM47, GM45, and PM45 Express Chipsets with ICH9M or ICH9M Enhanced
Intel Core 2 Extreme Mobile Processor
Core 2 Extreme X9100
ATI M88XT CrossFire DirectX 10.1 Compatible (option for single NVIDIA 8800 GTX)
Upgradeable MXM 2 Graphics Slots
Up to 4GB (2x2GB) Dual Channel DDR3-1066
17" WUXGA (1920x1200)
High Definition integrated stereo sound
Maxim Amplifier
Audigy HD Software Edition Option
2W/CH, Stereo, Two Channel, Subwoofer
Full Sized Keyboard 2.5mm Stroke, Vista Key
Intel 802.11a/g/n wireless LAN (MIMO)
Bluetooth V2.1 + EDR
Built-in 2.0MP Digital Video Camera
Fingerprint Reader
12 Cell Lithium-Ion Battery

ApppLe MaCBooK

AppLe WorLD


From the stunning aluminum unibody to the powerful graphics architecture, the new MacBook makes progress a beautiful thing.

Square one: a solid block of aluminum.

Instead of assembling a notebook from many minor parts, the new MacBook was reinvented from just one: the new, solid-aluminum unibody enclosure. It gets full credit for making MacBook thinner, lighter, and even more stunning. But it’s not all beauty. Because of the unibody, this MacBook is also durable. It was designed to take on your world. So slip it into your backpack or briefcase and pull it out wherever you go — it’s impressive in any setting.

Even the keyboard is advanced.

The MacBook keyboard is solid, responsive, and comfortable. Just put your fingers on the crisp keys and you’ll feel pure typing bliss. An illuminated keyboard, a popular feature of MacBook Pro and MacBook Air, now comes standard on the 2.4GHz MacBook model. So when you’re in low-light settings such as airports or lecture halls, you can always see what you’re typing. It’s a luminous feature for anyone on the go.

Hey, where’s the button?

The amazing new trackpad doubles as a button — just press down anywhere and consider it clicked. No separate button means there’s 39 percent more room for your fingers to move on the silky glass surface. Now that Multi-Touch gestures have come to MacBook, all the function is in your fingers. Use two fingers to scroll up and down a page. Pinch to zoom in and out. Swipe with three fingers to flip through your photo libraries. Rotate to adjust an image with your fingertips. Using the new four-finger swipe gesture, swipe up or down to access Exposé modes and left or right to switch between open applications. If you’re coming from a right-click world, you can right-click with two fingers or configure a right-click area on the trackpad. The more you use the Multi-Touch trackpad, the more you’ll wonder what you ever did without it.

Simply stunning.

The beautifully seamless, remarkably thin design isn’t the only gleaming quality of the LED-backlit display. Open your MacBook and you’re instantly greeted by glorious full screen brightness. The aluminum enclosure is perfectly integrated with a glass overlay that stretches to the edge of the notebook, providing a completely unobstructed picture. Anything you view, including the glossy widescreen display itself, is a spectacular experience. The LED-backlit display is more power efficient. And it’s mercury- and arsenic-free, so it’s greener than ever.

Cooler creatures. Richer worlds.

The NVIDIA GeForce 9400M brings up to five times faster, discrete-level graphics performance to MacBook.¹ That means high-end, high-speed 3D game-playing power. Graphics-intensive features in iPhoto and iMovie are smooth and responsive. Movies and video offer rich colors and fine details. NVIDIA performance even makes a difference as you flip through your music library with Cover Flow or use the Dashboard.

Dell SLIm

Dell SLimIt's hard to say what we've come across here, but if our retinas aren't deceiving us too badly, this looks to be an in the wild shot (sans blur, amazingly) of Dell's forthcoming E Slim. If you'll recall, we caught a glimpse of said device way back in June and the two look at least marginally similar using the oh-so-scientific eyeball test. But look, even if this thing isn't the E Slim (though we're guessing it is until proven otherwise), we've been told on numerous occasions that Dell is mulling the idea of pumping out a netbook with a 10- to 12-inch display An accompanying screenshot of the unit's internals was also provided, and while the model may say Optiplex1210, we're guessing that's just there for prototyping purposes; besides, the listed CPU matches up quite nicely with the aforementioned E Slim specs that slipped out this summer. So Round Rock -- when are you going to come out and get official with your 12.1-incher? Before or after this coming Tuesday?

XPS M1530

The year of 2007 saw Dell making big noise with stylish yet powerful XPS models such as M1330. It's great to hear that a 15.4" model is now available that follows the same design-first philosophy, yet boasts of premium features that make this laptop a great choice for a portable entertainment and multimedia platform.

At a quarter less than 6 pounds, that's with the standard battery, XPS M1530 is towards the lighter end of laptops available with a 15.4" screen. The front of the notebook is slim, less than 1 inch thick, but the notebook overall is wedge-shaped going to almost 1.4 inches thick at the rear. Though it comes with a choice of 3 colors for the back of the lid, we would have appreciated more considering this model is meant for style and entertainment.

At a price of $1224, we were able to lock our XPS M1530 with a 1.5GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 160GB hard disk capacity, ample 2GB of RAM and a slot loading dual layer DVD writer. While that may sound quite standard, enhancing the hardware profile is NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS graphics card with up to 128MB of dedicated graphics memory and the fact that XPS M1530 has plenty of innovative design, style and usability features that make it stand out from the crowd.

If you've seen or used the XPS M1330 model, you'll find the keyboard of M1530 to be very similar. No big surprise since the XPS M1530 inherits many of the design features of the M1330 model anyway. Typing on this keyboard is an easy job, thanks to the right travel and cushion, as well there's no flex present.

The touchpad is responsive but it feels that Dell could have dedicated a little more space to it considering the total size of the notebook. The mouse buttons are well-spaced, just a little noisy when clicked. XPS M1530 also hosts media playback buttons housed just above the keyboard, which are touch sensitive with LED backlights. Not to forget that M1530, like other XPS models, also comes equipped with a media center remote control that occupies the ExpressCard slot at the right side of the notebook.

XPS M1530 features a 15.4" glossy screen with sharp colors, great contrast rations and wide viewing angles. Thanks to customer feedback and Dell listening to it, XPS M1530 now gives two more choices for screen resolutions, 1440x900 and 1680x1050, which are way more respectable than the 1280x800 resolution that 1530 was initially launched with. The higher resolutions not only give more screen real estate but are a must for anyone who's planning to go for the high definition drive.

Delll E series

Delll E series from the time was leaked to web became attractive for many laptop enthusiasts. And Now Dell has released the models of the laptops stand in E series: Dell E6500, E6400, E5500, E5400, E4300, E4200, E5500a and E5400a.
These laptops are slated to be released in June this year.
The first 6 laptops are based on Intel’s upcoming Centrino2 processors
(Montevina platform) and the last two ones are based on AMD.
The impressive parts of these laptops are
- They are thinner and lighter than the existing Dell laptops
- The have battery life for all day
Dell Latitude E6500 and E5500 are mainstream laptops with 15.4-inch display and Latitude E6400 and E5400 are more portable and come with 14.4" display.
12.1″ E4200 and 13.3-inch E4300 will be the successors of Latitude D430. as you know Dell Latitude D430 is a 12.1" ultra portable laptop based on Napa platform and comes with all sorts of network connections such as mobile broadband EVDO, WLAN and Bluetooth.
Both E4200 (2.2 lbs) and E4300 (3lbs) ultra portable laptops come with LED backlit displays
Each is powered by Centrino 2 processor, and DDR3 800MHz with Intel Turbo Memory 2.0 and integrated UMA graphics.
Each laptop features at least 2 USB ports; Firewire, eSATA, 2x audio, DisplayPort ( VGA port), ExpressCard 34 and lots of security features like TPM and smart card reader fingerprint reader and Contactless to keep laptops as safe as possible ( They are much more than what you can find on D430).
The E4300 differs from E4200 laptop with a higher WXGA+ resolution, modular optical bay, peppier CPU options, and a choice of HDD hard disk drives instead of the 32GB or 64GB SSD restriction of the E4200 and having optical drive, according to engadget
Also Tablet pc that will be released ion November 2008 is based on Montevina platform.

Dell M1330

Finally! Having waited for what seemed like an age to get our mucky paws on Dell's latest and possibly greatest consumer notebook, we can bring you a review of the XPS M1330. Doubtless anyone who has already ordered one will be able to substantiate this frustration, because Dell has been struggling to fulfil orders of its latest consumer notebook due to some well publicised production issues. Thankfully, those issues seem to have been alleviated somewhat, though that'll be of little consolation to those who've been waiting for theirs to arrive.

Putting these issues aside for a moment: what's all the fuss about? Take a look at the pictures and you'll begin to understand, because the XPS M1330 is without a doubt one of the best looking consumer notebooks Dell has made in…well, ever actually. Built around a 13.3in display, the chassis measures a sleek and slender 318 x 238 x 33.8mm (WxDxH) at its bulkiest points and weighs 2kg with a 6-cell battery. Dell also claims that this is the thinnest notebook in its class, though this is somewhat disingenuous because the 22.1mm at its thinnest is only possible thanks to the wedged shaped design.
Ultimately this dubious claim isn't especially important, because it does nothing to add or detract from the M1330s undeniable good looks. On the outside Dell continues its use of the Microsatin finish we've previously seen on the which is reputedly a source of Dell's production problems.
There are plenty of other nice touches too, such as the slot loading optical drive, the touch sensitive media keys and the media remote, which slots discreetly into the 54mm ExpressCard bay. Also worthy of note is the display, in this instance a 1,280 x 800 resolution LED backlit panel. Dell also provides a standard panel that's cheaper, but the LED backlit version is truly superb thanks to superior brightness levels, vibrant colour production and razor sharp detail. A glossy high contrast coating helps in this regard too and it's not the most reflective finish we've seen either, which is a significant bonus.

The Dell Inspiron

THE DELL INSPIRON


Laptop PC is powered by 1.67 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Processor T5450 and it features 14.1 inch WXGA widescreen TFT display, Dell Wireless 1390 802.11a/g/n Mini-Card wireless connection, integrated 2.0 Megapixel webcam, and 8X Super Multi DVD Writer. Dell-inspiron-1420-laptopThe Dell Inspiron 1420 (R510304) laptop is built on Intel ?Santa Rosa? notebook platform and it is powered by 1.67 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Processor T5450 having 2-MB L2 Cache and 667Mhz FSB and it features 1-GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 667MHz (maximum 4-GB), 160-GB 5400 rpm 2.5 inch SATA Hard Drive and 8X DVD Super Multi Double Layer (8.5 GB) DVD Writer as standard configuration. Dell Inspiron 1420 laptop PC sports anti-glare, widescreen 14.1-inch (35.8 cms) WXGA+ TFT Display with TrueLife technology which can provide upto 1280 x 800 pixels resolution (or optional 1920?1200 screen resolution) powered by NVIDIA GeForceTM Go 8400M graphics, 128MB DDR3 dedicated graphic memory. The Dell Inspiron 1420 laptop PC offers a wide range of component upgrades - including integrated WWAN or a Blu-ray DVD burner optical drive - and offers color choices for typical home users to suit budget and applications. For example. besides standard black and white colors, the new Inspiron 1420 series also comes in red, blue, green, yellow, brown, and pink colors. With Dell MediaDirect, one can have fast, easy one-button access to movies, music, photos, & Microsoft Office content without starting Microsoft Windows! Genuine Windows Vista Home Basic OS preinstalled Dell Inspiron 1420 series of laptop PC for networking offers Dell Wireless 1390 802.11a/g/n Mini-Card for wireless networking, and comes with internal 56 kbps Fax/Modem connection along with internal 10/100 Ethernet LAN connection and an optional EVDO and HSDPA wireless broadband connections. Dell Inspiron 1420 laptop has 4 USB v2.0 high speed ports, Firewire IEEE 1394a, an 8-in-1 media card reader, an optional Infrared, an optional Bluetooth v2.0 connection, S-Video TV-out, standard VGA out port, and an empty ExpressCard 54mm slot. The Dell Inspiron 1420 laptop also ports integrated 2.0 megapixel webcam with 2 built-in stereo microphones for video chatting. Dell Inspiron 1420 laptop comes with several software including Dell MediaDirect which allows one-button access to movies, calendar, contacts and presentations, without waiting for your operating system to start up and Video Communications Pack which allows Chat with friends and family with integrated 2 megapixel webcam dual digital microphones and earbuds. Weighing 3.45 Kgs (with combo drive and battery pack) the Dell Inspiron 1420 laptop PC comes with 6-cell 56Whr Lithium Ion Battery which can provide upto 2.5 hrs of backup (without Wi-Fi). I/O Ports: * 4 USB v2.0 ports * IEEE1394a * ExpressCard 54mm Slot * 8-in-1 Memory Card Reader * VGA video output - external monitor * S-Video TV-Out * RJ45 - Integrated 10/100 LAN * RJ11 - Integrated 56K Modem * Stereo in Jack * Headphone/speaker out jack * Dual digital mics * PCMCIA Port