eNotebook Reviews

Asus Eee PC

2007-12-28T16:26:00.000-08:00

PROS:
Amazing bargain. Designed like a high-end laptop. Integrated webcam. Three USB ports. Good speakers. Xandros Linux is speedy and solid. Comprehensive selection of software.

CONS:
Only 4GB of storage. Not powerful enough to stream audio and video from an external optical drive. Cramped keyboard.

Specifications:
Type: General Purpose, Ultraportable, Value

Operating System: Xandros Linux

Processor Speed: 900 MHz

RAM: 512 MB

Weight: 2 lb

Screen Size: 7 inches

Graphics Card: Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 900 GM

Storage Capacity: 4 GB

Networking Options: 802.11a/g

Primary Optical Drive: External

MSI GX600 Turbobook

2007-12-28T16:12:00.000-08:00

The MSI GX600 is a "compact" 15.4" gaming notebook with a 512MB NVIDIA 8600M GT graphics card, and an overclockable Intel T7300 Core 2 Duo processor. This notebook offers a wide range of ports including HDMI, e-SATA, MCX for TV-Antenna, VGA, S-Video, four USB ports, one Firewire port, and LAN/Modem jacks to cover almost any device you have laying around. Probably the coolest feature which I have not seen since my 20Mhz 486 desktop is a Turbo button to overclock the machine on the fly to bump the processor speed from 2.0GHz to 2.4GHz without a restart.

Specifications:

Screen: 15.4-inch screen SWXGA (1680x1050, Matte)

Processor: 2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7300 (2.4GHz Overclocked)

Hard Drive: 250GB Western Digital hard drive (SATA, 5400RPM)

Memory: 2GB RAM (PC5300, 2 x 1GB)

Optical Drive: DVD+-R Double layer / DVD+-RW Drive

Ports and Slots: HDMI, e-SATA, Four USB 2.0, one FireWire 400 port, ExpressCard 54, VGA, S-Video, one SD card reader, headphone, microphone-in, analog/SPDIF line-out modem, 1Gb Ethernet

Wireless: Intel 4965 Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n)

Graphics: 512MB DDR2 NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT

Webcam: 1.3 MP

Operating System: Windows Vista Home Premium

Dimensions: 14.09" x 10.16" x 1.06-1.26" inches (WxDxH)

Weight: 6.25 pounds

Battery: 6-Cell 4800mAh

ASUS G Series G2K-A1

2007-12-28T15:51:00.000-08:00

The 17.1-inch widescreen displays more visual information with almost no black bars for enhanced viewing comfort during movie playback. Widescreen displays also enable convenient panoramic image editing and viewing with less horizontal scrolling. The ASUS G2S-A1 notebook features an HDMI output for transmission of high-quality, uncompressed digital audio and HD video to your compatible home theater equipment such as HDTV and Hi-Fi audio systems.

Specifications:

Processor: AMD Turion64 X2 TL-64 (2.2GHz, 1MB L2 Cache, FSB1600MHz HT Speed)

Chipset: ATI RS690M

Memory: 2GB (2x 1GB) DDR2-667 Memory, Max Capacity 4GB

Display: 17.1" WUSXGA (1920x1200) Color Shine Glossy LCD

Graphics Module: ATI Mobility Radeon HD2600 Graphics Controller, w/ 256MB DDR3 Video Memory

Hard Disk Drive: 160GB 5400rpm SATA Hard Drive

Optical Storage Device: Super-Multi DVD¡¾RW, w/ LightScribe

Audio: Built-in Intel High Definition Audio Compliant Audio Chip; SoundBlaster Pro Compatible; Built-in Speaker and Microphone

Connectivity: Intel High Definition Audio MDC Fax/Modem; 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet; 802.11/a/b/g/n Wireless LAN; Bluetooth V2.0+ EDR

Interface: 4x USB 2.0 Ports; 1x eSATA Port; 1x IEEE 1394 Port; 1x VGA Port; 1x HDMI Port; 1x TV-out; 1x AV-In Port; 1x RJ11 Modem Port; 1x RJ45 LAN Port; 1x Microphone-in; 1x Headphone-out; 1x Line-in; 1x Express Card Slot

Card Reader

Camera:: 1.3 Mega Pixel Web Camera

Battery Pack & Life: 8-cell Lithium-Ion Battery

AC Adapter:

Dimensions (WxDxH): 16.17 x 12.43 x 1.84 inch

Weight: 9.6 lbs

Operating System: Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium

Panasonic's ToughBook CF-29

2007-12-28T15:40:00.000-08:00

PROS:

Rugged design; nearly seven hours of battery life; three-year warranty; antireflective touch screen.

CONS:
Expensive; limited RAM expansion; no FireWire and only one USB 2.0 port.

ALL IN ALL:
This is one of the best ruggedized laptops, perfect for war zones and other tough environments, but it's too expensive for the average user.

Specifications:

Panasonic recommends Microsoft® XP Professional
Intel® CentrinoTM Mobile Technology
Integrated 802.11 a/b/g wireless LAN
13.3" outdoor-readable TFT Active Matrix Color LCD with optional touchscreen
7.9 lbs., including battery, floppy drive and handle
Full magnesium alloy case with handle
Moisture- and dust-resistant LCD, keyboard and touchpad
Sealed port and connector covers
Shock-mounted removable hard drive in stainless steel case

Dell XPS M1330

2007-12-28T14:48:00.000-08:00

PROS:
Thin, sexy design; strong performance; backlit-LED display; included media remote control.

CONS:
Small touchpad; some options (SSD hard drives, Blu-ray) not available yet; not as many color options as Dell's new Inspiron line.

The bottom line:
Dell has finally put design first with the head-turning XPS M1330 laptop, emphasizing both the "thin" and "light" aspects of the thin-and-light category without sacrificing features or performance.

Specifications:

13.3-inch WXGA screen with LED backlight

"Crimson" red paint (also available in "Tuxedo" black or "Pearl" white)

2.0GHz Core 2 Duo T7300 processor, Santa Rosa chipset (up to 2.4GHz available)

2GB DDR2-667 SDRAM (up to 4GB DDR2 SDRAM available)

160GB 5400 RPM SATA HDD (32GB SSD drive available)

Slot-loading dual-layer DVD±RW drive

128MB NVIDIA GeForce Go 8400M GS

WWAN option for Verizon

Ethernet, 802.11a/g/n (Intel 4965), Bluetooth option

Integrated VGA webcam

HDMI, VGA, 1394, two USB 2.0 ports, integrated media reader (MS, SD, xD), fingerprint reader

Media Center remote located in ExpressCard slot

Windows Vista Home Premium

Dimensions 12.5" x 9.4" x 0.87" - 1.33"

Weight starts at 4 pounds with 6-cell battery

Toshiba Qosmio G45-AV680

2007-12-28T14:46:00.001-08:00

PROS:
Redesigned, sexier chassis. First laptop with HD DVD burner. Amazing sound experience. 1080p resolution. HDMI-out port.

CONS:
Prepare to pay dearly for it. Lack of processing options. Ten pounds of backache.

ALL IN ALL:
The Toshiba Qosmio G45-AV680's HD DVD and audio experience will make anyone yearn for this media center laptop if you can afford it.

Specifications:

Operating System : Windows Vista® Ultimate (32-bit)

Processor Type : Core™2 Duo
Processor Number : T7300
Processor Speed : 2.0GHz
Front Side Bus : 800MHz

Memory Size : 2048MB

Memory Speed : PC2-5300 DDR2 667MHz SDRAM

Intel® Turbo Memory : 1024MB

Display Size : 17.0" widescreen

Display Type : WUXGA with Ultimate TruBrite® Technology

Display Resolution : 1920x1200, Supports 1080p content

Graphics Engine : NVIDIA® GeForce® 8600M GT

Graphics Memory : 767MB total: 512MB DDR2 discrete memory + up to 255MB shared memory w/NVIDIA® TurboCache™ technology

Hard Drive Size : 320GB: 160GB HDD+160GB HDD

Optical Drives : HD DVD-R/DVD SuperMulti (+/- double layer) drive (in one optical drive), supporting 13 formats

Toshiba TV Tuner : TOSHIBA USB HDTV Tuner (External)

Wireless LAN : Intel® Wireless WiFi Link 4965 AGN (802.11a/g/n)

Bluetooth : Bluetooth® V2.0 + EDR

Webcam : Webcam and microphone built into LCD bezel

Input Devices : TouchPad pointing device, Internet Launch button, CD/DVD Buttons (Play/Pause, Stop, Prev Track, Next Track), 86 key US keyboard, Toshiba Remote Control

Security : Finger Print Reader

Modem : Modem

LAN : 10/100/1000 Ethernet LAN

Audio : 1-bit Digital Amplifier, Built-in microphone, Headphone jack (stereo), Audio Line-in, S/P DIF output port (shared with headphone port), 4 harman/kardon® stereo speakers with subwoofer

Battery Type : Li-Ion (7050mAh)

PC Card Slots : 1-Type II PC Card Slot

PC Express Slot : 1-ExpressCard™ Slot

Media Port : 5-in-1 Bridge Media Adapter

USB Ports : 5-USB (2.0)

S-Video : TV-out (S Video)

Fast Infrared : Infrared for Consumer Remote only

Weight : Starting at 10.6 lbs.

Color : Cosmic Black Pearl

Notebook VS Laptop VS Deskbook VS Tablet PC

2007-12-28T14:30:00.000-08:00

Laptop computers are somewhat larger than notebook computers and will accommodate a built-in disk drive unit. That is, a CD/DVD ROM drive is either built into the unit or the unit has a built-in bay that will accommodate a removable CD ROM drive. You should expect the display unit to be at least 15" wide, when measured diagonally. It is thought that some OEM use the term Notebook because their Laptop computer generate too much heat to actually use it on your lap.

Notebook computers generally allow you to attach, via cable, a CD ROM drive. Since the drive is not built into the unit, notebooks are smaller and lighter than laptops. These units are commonly known as "Ultra Portables". Hence, a notebook is an ultra small laptop. Another way to look at it is a notebook is about the size (or a little larger than) of a real [binder] notebook.

Deskbook computers often refer to mobile computers that can be considered as desktop replacement units. Deskbooks tend to be larger and heavier than average notebook/laptop computers. Generally the display units are 15" or larger. They tend to draw down battery power relatively quickly due to their powerful, but power-hungry, processors. Deskbooks often will contain the same processor found in desktop computers. If you are looking for the power of a desktop unit, with the freedom of mobility, then a deskbook may fit the bill.

Tablet PCs are mobile computers with a twist. That is, you can literally twist the monitor. Tablet display screens will swivel on its base - usually 360 degrees. They generally allow you to capture handwriting, via a special stylus pen, and store it on the computer. Table PC software automatically turns your handwriting to text. Tablets are no more, or less, mobile than any other laptop or notebook.