Laptops, Netbooks, Notebooks, NetTops, Eee PC, SmartTops, Mobile PC, Tablet PC

The Lenovo G770 packs fantastic power and good graphical performance into a solid big-screen laptop which is great for the home. We’d recommend it to anyone looking for a desktop replacement, but movie buffs will be disappointed about the lack of a 1080p screen.

The first think that strikes yon when opening the G770 is the fantastic build quality. There’s an expanse of brushed metal, in which sits a generous isolation-style keyboard with well-cushioned keys. It took us a while to get used to the travel between the keys, but it was comfortable to use for long periods. Read the rest of this entry »

If you’re looking for a desktop replacement laptop that will keep up with your needs in years to come, the Dell Inspiron 17r (£629 inc. VAT) is a great option, and with its cool switchable lids, you can future-proof its look as well. There’s a choice of over 25 different designs to choose from, but we’re not sure you’ll be picking up too many at £30 a pop.

However, beneath the design there is a competent and powerful laptop. The interior is a black; brushed-metal chassis similar to earlier Dell laptops and the isolation-style keyboard looks good. While we found a moderate amount of flex in the center of the keyboard, the rest of the chassis – including the DVD drive -was reliably firm. Read the rest of this entry »

Following Lenovo’s smart ThinkPad XI, HP has launched its latest business ultraportable. The HP ProBook 5330m (£765 inc. VAT) packs Intel Sandy Bridge technology into a thin aluminum chassis, giving a strong mix of power and portability.

If you’re constantly on the move, you’ll love the slender build. With a compact 13.3-inch screen that measures just 28mm; it its thickest point, it slips into almost any backpack or carrier. At just 1.9kg, it won’t weigh you down either. Read the rest of this entry »

If you crave a MacBook Air for the design, but don’t want to stop using Windows and your favorite programs, then the Samsung 900X3A (£1100 inc. VAT) is the best alternative you can find. The 9 Series is only 12mm thick at its widest point and the brushed-metal exterior gives the build quality a premium look.

The quality extends to the specifications with a Sand} bridge processor capable of handling demands as well as its Apple rival. In short, if you need a stylish ultra-thin Windows machine for travelling, this is as good as they come. Read the rest of this entry »

Toshiba has a good record when it comes to laptops you can peak into a hag and take away with yon. The high-end Portege range has been finding favor with business users for a while now. But Toshiba is offering a more affordable alternative with the 13.3-inch Satellite LV30-10V (£479 inc. VAT). Although the Satellite would serve as a good travelling companion, there are some underlying issues which prevent it being a great laptop. Read the rest of this entry »

The latest release from Dell-owned Alienware, the M18X (£1699 inc. VAT), is a behemoth with enough power to run any game under the sun without as much as a flicker. But you’ll have to have deep pockets to get your hands on one.

Even getting the M18X out of the box is a challenge, thanks to its 438 x 311 x 52mm dimensions and a backbreaking weight of 5.7kg. This machine was designed to dominate your desk. As expected, it sticks to the Alienware design, which we love, but probably won’t be to everyone’s taste. The entire machine is a slab of moulded rubber and brushed metal, and that ever-present Tron-style neon backlight. Read the rest of this entry »

This mainstream laptop has a boatload of features, sports a thin, attractive chassis, and breezes through any task. The eight hours of battery life only add to the allure. Aside from some minor annoyances—the stiff-clicking mouse and irksome port covers—it should be at the top of your list of laptops to consider and is our new Editors’ Choice for mainstream laptops.

Like other 14-inch laptops, the 14z (Core i5) integrates a DVD burner, yet kept its dimensions as svelte as those of the Asus U46E-BAL5 and Gateway ID47H02U. It’s the only one that omitted a VGA port—a forward-thinking move—and instead opted to have both HDMI and mini-DisplayPort technologies. Both connectors can transmit digital audio and video to an external display. Read the rest of this entry »

TOSHIBA docs a wide range of Satellite laptops from no-frills budget models to high-powered multimedia machines. The Satellite C670D-108 (£349 inc. VAT) is one of its entry-level models, a machine that provides basic home entertainment.

Featuring a large 17.3֊inch display this is the biggest laptop in the group test. That extra bulk means it’s heavier and more cumbersome to carry around, but the C670D wasn’t designed to be lugged about every day. This is a desktop replacement machine, which is best led at home and carried between rooms if needed. Despite this, the battery survived for almost two and a half hours when watching movies. Read the rest of this entry »

For some of us, a paltry 13-inch or 15.6-inch laptop just isn’t good enough. We need at least an 18-inch our games are more immersive and more than one person can sit and look at our photos. In short, bigger is better. If you decide to buy the Acer Aspire Ethos 8951G (£1500 inc. VAT), then you will certainly be satisfying this one very basic need.

The screen is, in fact, 18.3 inches and when matched with the Dolby Home Theatre sound system and Bin-ray drive, makes this a laptop tailor-made for gaming and movie watching. Furthermore, the touchpad doubles as a detachable remote control that you can use to control multimedia software – such as Acer’s pre-installed clear.fi program. Read the rest of this entry »

In a few hours from now, HTC will unveil another 4G LTE smartphone with integrated Beats Audio technology at a public event on Thursday, November 3^rd, 2011 in New York. The Taiwanese smartphone manufacturer hasn’t been too quiet about their new product, which is known as the HTC Rezound and will be operated on the Verizon network. Even Verizon Wireless stores are already advertising the new device.

HTC Rezound Launch - New York

Analysts expect the Rezound, which is also known as the HTC Vigor, to feature a 4.3-inch 720pHD touch screen, an 8 MP camera and a 1.5GHz dual-core processor. The high-end specs notwithstanding, it’s actually the integrated Beats Audio technology that makes the handset a true winner. HTC gained rights to the new audio technology when Dr. Dre’s Beats Electronics was acquired. And there are some gadgets already on the market that utilize the technology.

As it is, the sound of the audio system becomes instantly louder with a deeper bass, whenever Beats Audio is enabled. But it’s not clear at this time if this feature enhances the music quality better than audio on other handsets. That said, we’re expecting HTC to highlight this point on Thursday in New York, when it unveils the Rezound smartphone to the world.

The Zenbook UX31 is a 13-inch notebook with a 900 pixel display developed by the Taiwanese computer manufacturer, ASUS. Owing to its high-end specs in a slim form factor, it’s touted by the company as a credible competitor to Apple’s MacBook Air.

Asus Zenbook UX31 with Accessories

The ASUS Zenbook UX31 comes in two screen sizes – 11.6 and 13.3 inches, and gives customers the option to choose either Intel Core i5 or Core i7 processor. It also features Intel HD graphics and a non-removable 50Whr polymer battery, and can be customized with up to 4GB-1333 DDR3 of memory RAM.

Pros:

• It’s high quality and incorporates a great design.
• It includes a fine high-resolution display.
• It has the capability to serve for long hours – around 6 hours of uninterrupted service.
• It actually has great value for the money.

Cons:

• Its touchpad and keyboard do not deliver impressive performance.
• Unfortunately, the keyboard doesn’t have a back-lighting feature.

Costing $1,099.00, the ASUS Zenbook is a fine machine that stands tall as a credible alternative to the more costly MacBook Air. But to call the notebook “a MacBook Air killer” seems tantamount to an overstatement. Even though it’s a nice high-end notebook, the Zenbook UX31 doesn’t have what it takes to push the beloved MacBook Air out of the scene.