Only Best Laptops

Since early 2008 until late this summer, the small world of the netbook has copiously bored: although progress had been made since the first Eee PC from Asus on ergonomics and especially autonomy, but side equipment, the EEG was completely flat. And for good reason: Intel 945G chipset and were only present in the bowels of various netbooks market.

But now that NVIDIA has put a kick in the anthill by offering its ION chipset, which will thus compete with Intel inside machines at low cost, as we have already seen with the Acer Aspire Revo. We shall see further the various strengths of older 945G chipset facing Intel, especially in terms of graphics performance. ION in netbooks, evolution or revolution? Answers in the following lines with a duel between the first two models of its kind, the Samsung N510 and HP Compaq Mini 311 signed.

In a previous article, we presented in detail the features of NVIDIA ION. So just remember in the outline. Under the name ION hides nothing more nor less than the NVIDIA GeForce 9400M, ie one that equips the current Mac Book and Mac Book Air Apple. Its interest in combining on a single component of the typical functions of a chipset (memory controller, Input / output, network controller, among others), DirectX compatible graphics chip but also a solution decompression HD material. In comparison, Intel had at the time chose to separate the graphical portion of the chipset with the GMA 950 controller totally outdated.

This is also far to measure up to the GeForce 9400 and its 16 stream processors. The performance graphs are indeed the main purpose of progress between the Intel and NVIDIA ION. From the standpoint of performance in 3D, first, as we shall see later, but thanks to the presence of PureVideo HD, a HD solution decompression hardware. Earnings: while a netbook based on Intel’s 945G is not capable of playing HD video, the two models running around the NVIDIA chipset is able to read a stream 1080p without putting the knee in which Atom the team.

Logo HDTV
Who says High Definition HDMI says: netbooks are equipped ION, unlike models based on the 945G which is satisfied with a VGA output. Besides a streaming video of a maximum resolution of 2 560 per 1 600 pixels (the GeForce 9400M is compatible with DVI Dual-Link), this connection is also capable of carrying 7.1 audio signal.

Other improvements are the order of the day, with the support of a gigabit network controller that does not exist on the Intel 945G. They are also 10 USB ports can handle the GeForce 9400M, while the Intel platform that can bear 8. Note also that if it was compatible with the RAM running at 667 MHz maximum, ION is in turn supports modules running at 800MHz.

Logo Intel Atom (2009)
All these developments, while important, however, should not distract us from a very important point: it is indeed still the Intel Atom N270 netbooks that our team. In fact, nothing new from the side of the processor, and if NVIDIA introduces some new features with ION, the evolution of our netbooks appears limited by the status quo at the CPU level. We will see what it’s all thanks to our various tests.

Microsoft has presented yesterday its new material and particularly its new mice and webcams, officially available since Tuesday.

Let us start by mice with the Arc Mouse model of original design while. Another feature of this mouse is that it is possible to bend thereby reducing its size by almost half.

It is a model for laser sensor wireless that works through a radio frequency of 2.4 GHz. Its range is 10 meters and comes with a carrying case. Compatible with Windows and Mac.

The Wireless Mobile Mouse 3000 sports a classic design rather rounded. Ambidextrous and wireless, it has a high resolution optical sensor, 4 buttons and a USB receiver plug below.

Compatible with Windows and Mac OS X 10.2 and higher, it is guaranteed 3 years and.
Now for the webcams. The LifeCam Show is ultra-thin model, a thinner market. It can also be used on a laptop with a clamp or two discs fixed with a desktop PC with a foot 30cm high. It has a high sensor resolution of 2.0 megapixels (8.0 megapixels interpolated) and a microphone. Warranty 3 years and supports Windows.

Finally, the LifeCam VX-5500, a little more classic, features a 1.3 megapixel sensor with micro and a universal mounting system that can hang on a laptop or desktop. The plus is that it comes in blue, white and red, which give the appearance of the mouse according to the mood or room decor.

The series of TouchSmart 12.1 inch ultraportable convertible Tablet PC is expanding with a new model, the TouchSmart tx2-1150ef.

This model has an AMD Turion X2 RM-75 (2.2 GHz), 3 GB DDR2 (max 4GB), hard disk SATA 320GB 5400 rpm, some integrated graphics Mobility Radeon HD3200 dedicated 64 MB shared 1.47 GB , touch screen multi-touch rotary 12.1”WXGA BrightView a resolution of 1280 × 800, a webcam with microphone, a LightScribe DVD burner, a fingerprint reader, a card reader 5 in 1 connectors and Wi -Fi a / b / g / n, Bluetooth, ExpressCard34, VGA, Infrared, S / PDIF / Headphone, Microphone, Gigabit Ethernet and USB 2.0 (x3).

It runs Windows Vista Home Premium with built-Works office, software for creating CD / DVD and photo / video Cyberlink DVDSuite and after HP MediaSmart, which allows to take advantage of multi-touch functions of the slab. Comes with batteries 4 and 8 cells, a stylus, a thicker case and a mini remote to the ExpressCard format, it weighs 19.63 kg and measuring 306 x 224 x 31.3-38.7 mm.

The HP TouchSmart tx2-1150ef is the small number of computers ultraportable convertible Tablet PC available in France. It is a model designed for travelers who agree to use office and multi-task classic. Under AMD Puma platform, it has a storage space comfortable, a nice amount of RAM, a fingerprint reader for easy access and protected, 2 batteries for greater autonomy, interesting software, an original design and a connection with classical n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and ExpressCard. It is so unfortunate to note about the lack of e-SATA ports, HDMI, Firewire and even 3G.

This is a comparasion between the Toshiba Satellite E105 and Dell Studio XPS 16.

Toshiba Satellite E105

The Toshiba Satellite E105 test is configured with a Core 2 Duo P8400 (2.26 GHz), 4 GB DDR2 800 MHz RAM, hard disk SATA 320GB 5400 rpm, some Intel GMA 4500MHD graphics, a screen 14.1”WXGA brilliant resolution of 1280 × 800, a 1.3 megapixel webcam with microphone, card reader 5 in 1 and port Wi-Fi a / g / n, Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR ,a dual layer DVD burner HDMI , FM Radio, Headset Microphone, Gigabit Ethernet and USB 2.0 (x3 combo with 1 e-SATA). It weighs 2.4 Kg and runs Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit. Its design is reminiscent of the old MacBook Pro and all is pretty nice, the design quality is very average compared to traditional satellite, the screen displays bright vivid colors with excellent contrast but is prone to glare and WXGA + resolution higher was assessed, the keyboarding is comfortable, the wide Synaptics touchpad is very pleasant to use with good sensitivity, the connection is correct but lacks such ports and ExpressCard VGA, speakers lacking bass are poor with a low noise level, the presence of an FM tuner is significant but a TV tuner would have been more useful, its autonomy is good, the heater is contained in common use but is a little felt when approached, it is rather quiet even if it means turning the fan, and prices base is rather high.

Dell Studio XPS 16

The Dell Studio XPS 16 loads tested a Core 2 Duo T9400 (2.53 GHz), 4 GB DDR3 1066 MHz Hard Disk SATA 500 GB 5400 rpm, a Radeon Mobility HD3670 512 MB, a screen 16 ‘ ‘HD WUXGA TrueLife LED with a resolution of 1920 × 1080, a 2.0 megapixel webcam with microphone, card reader 8 in 1, a 2.1 audio connectors with Wi-Fi a / b / g / n , HDMI, DisplayPort, FireWire, ExpressCard54, VGA, Headphone, a DVD burner, Microphone, Gigabit Ethernet and USB 2.0 (x3 combo with 1 e-SATA). It weighs 2.95 kg and runs on Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit. The design incorporates several characteristics of the famous MacBook and all is pleasant, the design is sound and quality, connectivity is provided, the entry is nice, the keyboard can be backlit which is valuable, the touchpad is functional, the screen offers high resolution is superb showing good color reproduction but is prone to glare and viewing angles are average, it is silent at rest and in common use but can be noisy when approached, the cooling system is not very efficient and can heat a lot in places but the tester was able to use this PC on the knees for 2 hours without problems, the sound is pretty good and its autonomy is low.

We will start a small review of this cushion multimedia from Philips.

The design is simple Cushion Speaker. It looks like a big rectangular block of 390 x 320 x 70 mm. Fortunately, the rounded corners lighten his lines. Its white color is simple but gives a little flair. The assemblies are precise and meticulous finish. The cushion gives a sense of quality.

If the top is hard plastic designed to be able to ask the laptop, the bottom is, however much softer for comfort but also ensure good stability when used on the knees.

But the Speaker Cushion is not just a cushion. It also incorporates speakers in front to improve the sound reproduction of your laptop.

For compatibility with all models of the market, the connection is via a USB port on the back cushion. Philips has thought of everything and has integrated connector in a dedicated location. A self-retracting system can automatically wrap the cable when not in use but also not to be forced out the entire cable (50 cm) to connect to the laptop.

The installation of audio system requires no driver. Simply connect the USB cable to the laptop. Windows automatically recognizes the speakers in a few seconds. The volume control is done via dedicated keys or laptop via the settings of the operating system. The speakers are self-powered through USB port, so there is no need to connect to the mains.

In practice

The primary function of the Cushion Speaker is to improve ease of use when the laptop is resting on the knees, typically when you are sitting comfortably in your couch. Thanks to its height, the cushion is a few centimeters of the position of the slab, which then finds more in line of sight. The position is more ergonomic and relieves neck tension. You can also use the pad on a desk for comfort even if it is not his first vocation. On this point, the actual improvement is clearly visible, especially with a model tends to be heated to any solicitation. However, if the heat emitted by the computer no longer felt, however, the cushion itself is hot. No problem in winter, on the contrary, but at high summer temperatures, use may be much less pleasant. A comparable situation, however if you use your laptop on your lap in a heat wave.

Finally, the last function Cushion Speaker, Sound Bar. If, at first, it is a little more in practice, it is nothing. The quality of sound reproduction has pleasantly surprised. The volume is powerful, low but present without compromising the medium and high frequencies. Obviously, the cushion Philips can not compete with all Hi-Fi Hi-Fi but over the integrated speakers of the majority of the portable market, the gain in terms of quality and power is significant.

Another strong point is its built-in speakers can dramatically improve the quality of sound reproduction. If you find that the power of the speakers of your laptop is too low, you should not be disappointed with the Speaker Cushion. The cushion also helps to isolate heat from the laptop but we believe it is not its primary quality.

Finally, the Speaker Cushion turns out to be a product attractive to people seeking support ergonomics and audio system more efficient.

Regularly, some readers will share their dissatisfaction with the quality and power of the sound reproduction of their netbook or their laptops. If models mid-range system have actually correct audio quality (sometimes in 4.1 see 5.1), we must recognize that the ultra-portable netbooks and others are worse off on this, especially to listen regularly to the music or watching videos.

To overcome this small problem, the simplest solution is to equip themselves with external speakers. The choice is so vast, both in terms of budget and quality. Difficult however for a mobile user to consider regularly transporting its speakers, even with compact design. Philips has understood and has a bar of its compact, designed exclusively for laptops. On paper, the ideal product.The design of the Philips Sound Bar is sober. The rounded lines are nice and gray color blends easily with most laptops and netbooks market.

The design is well thought out, like the little slot for storing the USB cable during transport. In addition to be particularly practical, this clever system design fits perfectly and does not alter the lines of his bar.

Simply loosen up the mounting system and to fully unfold. The latter is expected to fit on slabs of a thickness exceeding 44 mm, either apriori almost all models of the market.

Then it only remains to raise the bar sound on the laptop and adjust the setting to maintain. Buffers rubbers are present not mark the hull and prevent movement.

Last step, connect the cable (50 cm) USB to your laptop. Installation is automatic and requires no driver. Windows recognizes instantly the helm of his. The volume control is via the usual buttons or via the icon in the taskbar. The Sound Bar is self-powered through USB port, it is not necessary to connect the area or use batteries as on some models.
In practice

Theoretically, the bar’s Philips is designed to settle on the deck of your laptop. However, with dimensions of 290 x 56 x 29 mm, the length is too great for netbooks than 10 inches, see certain models 11 inches. In this case, simply raise the bar on its flat surface next to the laptop. With three feet, stability is very good. It is quite possible to use it this way.

We tested the Philips Sound Bar on a netbook and ultra-portable. In both cases, the sound reproduction has been improved greatly. The bass is deeper and power much greater than that originally issued by the integrated speakers of our laptops.

Of course, the quality delivered is unable to compete with a Hi-Fi or high-end speakers better size but the gain is still significant. However, it should not push the volume in excess of 70/80% since passed this threshold, the quality degrades significantly.
The Final Word

Rather initially skeptical about the usefulness of this small Philips Sound Bar, we have finally been pleasantly surprised. The design is well thought, look rather nice, neat assembly, installation easy and improved sound reproduction very present. At least compared to an integrated entry-level.

Designed to move the slab on the laptop, we have preferred to use laid flat on the desk. Why? Simply because with a weight of 200 gram bar of his tends to unbalance the slab at the slightest movement, especially on an ultra-portable.

After this little detail, the bar’s Philips should appeal to users looking for a sound system of good quality and compact enough to be transported regularly.