News about PC & Mac/Laptops & portable PCs/Laptops and netbooks:
Review: Sony VAIO VPC-CA1S1E/G
Sony produces a huge variety of laptops under its VAIO brand, from large desktop replacements to sleek ultraportables. The VAIO CA Series is a colourful new entertainment machine that is well suited to staying social online.
The most striking part of this laptop’s design is undoubtedly the bright green colour, which helps it to stand out from the crowd. You’ll either love or hate it and we’re guessing only attention seekers will enjoy using it on public transport, but it also comes in more conservative white and black finishes.
Review: Samsung RC710
The Samsung RC710 is a large family laptop and an excellent option for staying connected online.
802.11n Wi-Fi is supported for connecting to wireless networks, which is currently the fastest wireless networking standard available. If you have Wi-Fi at home, you can enjoy superfast networking speeds on your favourite social networking sites. If you don’t have Wi-Fi, you can use Gigabit Ethernet to connect to the internet via a cable instead.
Review: Sony VAIO VPC-EB4L9E/BQ
Sony is a household name and its VAIO laptops have long been popular with consumers. The VAIO VPC-EB4L9E/BQ is another well-designed machine that ticks lots of boxes, making it an excellent choice for any family.
An all-white chassis proves a standout feature, although the subtle glitter effect in the palmrests may be a step too far. Still, the chassis is reassuringly solid in all areas except near the DVD drive.
Review: MSI CX640-018UK
MSI manufactures everything from individual computer chips to full laptops and the CX640-018UK is a prime example of excellent components combining to form a great all round machine. Only a slight usability issue detracts from an excellent experience.
Review: Lenovo ThinkPad G570
Lenovo is probably best known for its ThinkPad business laptops, but the Chinese company produces some excellent consumer laptops too. The ThinkPad G570 is a great value entertainment machine with lots of strong points.
A plain black design has been used with a glossy finish to the lid and a brushed-metallic look inside. Every inch is firm, which is useful if you have heavy-handed family members.
Review: Packard Bell EasyNote TSX66
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Packard Bell has been busy refreshing its laptop range. The EasyNote TSX66 is a premium version of its existing TS Series, and an impressive little beast indeed.
Review: Toshiba Satellite Pro C660-16N
While the Acer Timeline X 4820T brings lightweight portability and the HP Pavilion dv6-3112sa unrivalled power, the Toshiba Satellite Pro C660-16N aims at a much more modest target.
Review: Lenovo ThinkPad Edge 15
Lenovo has long been associated with business, but its ThinkPad range has transcended the world of corporate business trips and offices and is now just as comfortable in the home.
The ThinkPad Edge 15 doesn’t disguise its corporate heritage and celebrates it through its plain black exterior and its red ‘finger pointer’ in the middle of the chassis.
Review: HP Pavilion DV6-3112sa
Companies that have excelled in the laptop market over the last three years have used a simple idea, one that’s been a secret in the retail industry for years and one that we’re going to blow wide open in What Laptop. The secret is to offer something more than everyone else. That’s it. Easy right?
Review: Medion Akoya E6221
Medion laptops offer strong value for money with impressive specifications for their asking price. The Akoya E6221 is no exception and an excellent choice for cash-strapped students in need of lots of power.
This is one of the cheapest laptops we’ve seen to feature Intel’s latest Sandy Bridge technology. Our Core i3 2310M model with 4GB of memory handled even complex design suites without slowing, and there’s even a more powerful Core i5 version available for a little more cash.
Review: Lenovo W520
Lenovo has built itself a strong corner in the business laptop market with its popular ThinkPad range. The ThinkPad W520 is a highly powerful business machine crammed with features, and is perfect for mobile professionals that use resource-hungry software.
Review: Alienware M11x
Alienware is one of the biggest manufacturers of gaming laptops and has gone from strength to strength since its acquisition by Dell. The M11x is the smallest laptop in the company’s range and has just been updated with a powerful new Intel Sandy Bridge processor for playing the latest titles.
Review: Acer Aspire 5750G
We’ve seen Sandy Bridge laptops emerge from almost every major manufacturer since Intel unveiled its second generation processor earlier this year. While these laptops have differed wildly in look and size, from the tiny Samsung 9000S to the hulking Dell XPS 17, we’ve found that performance is consistently excellent.
Review: HP EliteBook 2540p
HP is currently the world’s largest laptop manufacturer. The company produces a broad range of laptops, including consumer machines, but here we take a look at one of their business ultraportables, the excellent EliteBook 2540p.
While the laptop may lack the gorgeous design of the Apple MacBook Air and Dell Adamo XPS, this machine is all about performance and portability. As a result, it comes up against the Sony VAIO Z Series.
Review: Dell Adamo XPS
The Dell Adamo XPS was released to great a fanfare a while back courtesy of its slim, high-end design. A year or so on and the laptop has crashed in price, making it a great option for those out to make a (reasonably) affordable style statement.
Review: Samsung R540
Just because a laptop is low cost doesn’t mean it has to be light on features, and the Samsung R540 packs some serious hardware into its sub-£399 frame.
At the heart of this laptop is an Intel Pentium 2GHz processor which, although still lowly on the scale, outstrips the Celeron that powers the Fujitsu LifeBook A530. There’s also 4096MB of memory, double that of the LifeBook, and a 500GB hard drive, again, twice the size.
Review: HP Pavilion dv6-3046sa
Without doubt the HP Pavillion dv6 dv6-3046sa is one of the best looking laptops around and brings a touch of class where others at this price fail.
The body is a beautiful textured white, as if adorned in carbon fibre, and offset by smooth black keys. It’s an instant head turner and, on closer inspection, doesn’t reveal a tacky plastic veneer like the Samsung R540.
Review: Fujitsu LifeBook A530
If you’re looking for a recession-busting laptop, the Fujitsu LifeBook A530 will certainly catch your eye. The price tag is pretty tempting and, at just £364, there’s really not many cheaper options on the market.
If your laptop-buying decision is based purely on price, then the LifeBook A530 is a no brainer, but it goes without saying that there’s no such thing as a free lunch and the A530 makes huge sacrifices.
Review: Acer Aspire Timeline X 3820TZ
If you take a trip to your local PC superstore and take a look at all the laptops under £399, you’ll find that the majority are fat, heavy, plasticky and cumbersome. The Acer Aspire Timeline X3820TZ couldn’t be more different, and it’s just as portable and solid as it is great value.
Review: Toshiba NB520-108
Netbooks aren’t usually regarded as multimedia machines, with their tiny speakers, compact screens and lack of power. However, Toshiba’s NB520-108 aims to smash this trend by featuring designer speakers from audio experts harman/kardon, and the result is surprisingly good.
Review: Packard Bell Dot SE
Packard Bell’s Dot S netbook really impressed us, with a great set of features and some truly impressive portability. The Dot SE is another excellent and very well-priced option for regular travellers, with a strong battery life and great design.
Review: Samsung RC510
The 15-inch Samsung RC510-S03UK laptop shows off exactly what Intel’s Core i3 performance beast of a chip is capable of. It’s also reasonably priced – you can currently find one for around £580.
Review: HP G72-a10SA
Business is booming at the low end of the laptop market. The PC platform has basically levelled out in terms of the functionality most of us expect. You don’t need to shell out on a Macbook Pro or a high end Dell laptop such as the Latitude XT2 XFR to get a slick desktop performance – around £350 will do the trick.
Review: MSI Wind U160DX
Taiwanese company MSI has been putting out its Wind netbooks since the birth of the mini machines back in 2008. The Wind U160DX is an update of the excellent Wind U160, and we like this new machine’s usability and portability, even if it lacks excitement.
Review: Dell XPS 17
It’s been quite a while since we’ve seen a new 17-inch laptop from Dell’s XPS range, which is home to the company’s multimedia machines.
Dell hasn’t been twiddling its thumbs, however, and this laptop boasts fantastic design, power (for the money) and a huge range of multimedia features.
Review: Sony VAIO Z Series VPCZ13M9E
Following hot on the heels of its new VAIO S-Series ultraportable laptop, Sony has released another ridiculously slim and light portable that packs in plenty of power.
Review: Sony VAIO CA Series
Here at TechRadar Towers, we see an awful lot of laptops. Some are hulking desktop replacements, some are highly desirable ultraportables, but these days it takes something particularly eye-catching to stand out from the crowd.
One sure-fire method is to use a bright and colourful design. From Dell’s XPS 15, which can be customised with an excellent variety of slick and surreal lid prints, to Packard Bell’s red-tinted EasyNote range, it’s always refreshing to see something a little different.
Review: Packard Bell EasyNote TS13
In the past couple of months we’ve seen the first laptops emerge featuring Intel’s latest Sandy Bridge processing technology. Packard Bell’s EasyNote TS13-HR-035 is the latest and it offers an impressive level of performance for such an affordable machine.
Review: MSI GE700
While the majority of gaming laptops on the market cost extortionate amounts of money, MSI is a company that regularly manufactures powerful rigs for those on a slightly tighter budget. The GE700 is such a machine and makes an impressive entry level gaming laptop.
Review: Medion Akoya P6627
The Akoya P6627, from German PC manufacturer Medion, is a mid-range laptop with an impressive specification, along with a good features list and average portability.
The first thing you notice is the very shiny design. As with the Lenovo IdeaPad Z560‘s lid, the Medion Akoya P6627 looks great straight out of the box, but within five minutes is covered in fingerprints, smudges and scratches.
Review: HP Pavilion dm4-1101ea
The HP Pavilion dm4-1101ea falls into the same ultra-portable laptop category as the Asus U36JC, and will certainly suit regular travellers after a highly portable companion. But, unfortunately, it falls a little short in some key areas.
Review: Asus U36JC
Asus has continued building its popular ultra-portable laptop line with its U36JC-RX197X. Blending fantastic design with impressive power and portability isn’t an easy task, but Asus has done it with aplomb, making this a fantastic option for those after non-compromised portability.
Review: Acer Aspire 7741G
Acer has impressed over the past couple of years with its range of high-quality, well-priced laptops. The Acer Aspire 7741G-5464G50Mnkk is a desktop replacement machine boasting a large screen and decent performance; it’s just a shame that build quality and a few usability issues mean this laptop isn’t quite as competitive as it should be.
Review: Toshiba Satellite Pro S500
Toshiba’s Satellite Pro range aims to strike a balance between a work machine and a home laptop. The S500-15W is a strong performer and has an excellent array of features that help it to stand out in the crowd.
At 2.6kg, this laptop is only marginally heavier than the Acer Aspire 5552 and the Zoostorm 3389. It can certainly be carried around if needed, but the Dell Adamo 13 inevitably proves a much slimmer and lighter option.
Review: Zoostorm 3389
PC Nextday delivers cost-effective laptops via its Zoostorm range. The Zoostorm 3389-9426/A is a solid machine with some strong features, although it struggles to compete against some other laptops at this price point.
The simple black design is attractive, with a mottled, fingerprint-proof lid and palm rests. It’s a well-constructed chassis, despite a little flex around the DVD drive, and the 2.5kg weight almost matches the Acer Aspire 5552 and Toshiba Satellite Pro S500-15W. The 206 minute battery life is distinctly average though.
Review: Dell Adamo 13
When we first reviewed the Dell Adamo 13 back in 2009, we fell in love with its sleek design, but at £1649 it was priced a little too high.
Now this highly desirable ultraportable has dropped massively in price to just £499, so even cash-strapped consumers can afford it.
Review: Acer Aspire 5552
Acer’s consumer Aspire range includes a comprehensive collection of entry-level laptops. The Aspire 5552-N834G50Mnks is one of the most affordable laptops, but consequently it suffers from a few unfortunate weaknesses.
Performance is provided by a triple-core AMD Phenom II X3 processor but we were a little disappointed by the results of our benchmark tests, as the Acer was comprehensively beaten by the other laptops around this price point.
Review: Sony VAIO S Series VPC-SB1V9E
The Sony VPC-SB1V9E is Sony’s latest power ultraportable laptop but it’s unusual for Sony – itfalls into the business-oriented VAIO S-Series range.
Review: Samsung 900X3
Samsung had a great 2010, producing a series of highly impressive machines. But it got a little left behind in the ultraportable stakes. Here to rectify this is our long-awaited Samsung 900X3 review – otherwise known as the Samsung 9 Series.
Review: Acer Aspire One 522
Although tablets are fast overtaking netbooks in terms of popularity, especially with the recent release of Apple’s hallowed iPad 2, the humble netbook still has a lot to offer the average consumer. For one, the presence of a physical keyboard makes it infinitely superior for typing out lengthy emails and that half-finished novel.
Review: Kobalt G150
From the get go, Intel’s new Sandy Bridge family of PC processors have seemed destined for mobile greatness. Partly that’s because Intel never intended the new Core i3, i5 and i7 2000 series chips to take over at the very top of the performance table.
Review: Asus Eee PC 1018P
Asus is largely responsible for kickstarting the whole netbook market when it released the original Eee PC back in 2007. Since then it has released a broad range of netbooks, but has returned to its roots with the Eee PC 1018P.
Unlike some of Asus’ earlier Eee PC models, this netbook boasts a high-end look and feel thanks to the brushed aluminium design. We can’t remember seeing such a subtly stylish netbook before and the matt finish means it’s also impervious to scratches and scuffs while you’re working at home or out and about.
Review: Toshiba NB550D
Enthusiasm for netbooks may be waning with the rise of the tablet PC, but Toshiba has proved there’s life in the old dog yet with the release of the NB550D – a smartly designed and eminently portable mini-laptop.
For a machine so clearly geared towards portable use, all-day battery life is essential and the Toshiba delivers in spades. Running for 10 hours during constant, demanding use, you can easily work for a full day away from the mains.
Review: Kobalt GS150 Optimus
Kobalt is an infant in manufacturing terms, having only been around since 2004, yet we were highly impressed by its GS150 Optimus.
The eyebrow-raising specification certainly delivers, with plenty of extra features adding strong value for money. The main talking point is the Intel Sandy Bridge processor, as this is one of the first laptops to feature this high-performance technology.
Review: Sony VAIO VPCF21Z1E/BI
With the resurgence of 3D technology still in full swing, Sony is the latest to jump on the bandwagon with the release of its VAIO VPCF21Z1E/BI.
While it’s not the most graphically powerful machine around, it still makes for a formidable 3D media centre. Although the 16-inch chassis isn’t the largest in Sony’s range – the 17.3-inch E-Series holds that crown – it’s still far from sleek.
