From the processor to RAM, HD display, optical drive, connectivity ports, things keep changing in the world of notebooks. And with the introduction of Intel’s Atom processor in 2008, mobile computing devices have seen a new avatar in the form of netbooks. We do a comprehensive lowdown on this most important component for Mobile Computing, to help you choose the right one

Before we start dissecting the vital elements of a notebook, we want to remind the uninitiated about the key difference between netbooks and laptops. While both look the same, they are purposefully built for different needs. Laptops are powerful computing devices and can be used for running heavy software while netbooks on the other hand are meant to support basic productivity tasks such as browsing, email, running office apps, etc. You can’t run any complex application on them so if you are a professional working with a large organization, these are not meant for you. With this important clarification, we now get to the key parameters that should be kept in mind before you shell out your money.

Screen size and weight
These matter only for laptops as netbooks usually are build to be carried around easily and usually come with a screen size of around 10� with average weight below 2 Kg. Notebooks on the other hand are available in different screen sizes, ranging from 12.1� to 17� widescreens. The weight of a notebook is in direct proportion to the screen size and so their average weight varies between 2 to 3.5 Kg. Another important point aspect is that the weight mentioned by the vendor is the weight of the laptop alone without the carry bag, adaptor and other accessories that you have to lug around. Also when buying a widescreen notebook, check for its compatibility with external display devices such as a projector or a monitor.

Battery backup
Battery backups of most notebooks vary between 2.5 to 5 hours with a 6-cell battery which can further be increased with a 9-cells battery. It is advisable to go for a 9-cell battery if you travel a lot. However, upgrading to a 9-cell battery would also mean added weight.

I/O ports and optical drive
Other key considerations are the optical drive and the number and type of connectivity ports such as USB, HDMI, etc. As netbooks miss out on an optical drive, this feature is exclusive to laptops. Go for Blu-ray or DVD drive depending on your needs, keeping in mind that a Blu-ray drive adds a lot to a laptop’s overall cost. As for I/O ports, laptops should have at least three USB 2.0 ports, one FireWire, a VGA out, S-Video out, Ethernet (RJ-45), modem (RJ11), headphone (line-out) and microphone ports.

A CD/DVD writer is being offered with all current models. In case you buy a laptop that doesn’t have it, you can always attach a USB/FireWire based drive. These days Blu-ray format for high-def video is making headlines. Some of the high-end notebooks come equipped with a Blu-ray drive and vendors also offer it as an option to buyers for extra cost. The added capacity that Blu-ray (25GB per layer) discs offer over standard DVDs (4.7 GB per layer) shall be an advantage for those who want their notebooks to be future ready.

Security features
Most notebooks have a feature or two for security and privacy. These could be TPM (trusted platform module), biometric fingerprint or face recognition and HDD security. As the name suggests, the finger print or face recognition system stores the image of the finger or the face of the authorized user, which is used to authenticate access to the notebook. These features can also be applied to individual files/folders on a notebook. Some notebooks also have a one touch data recovery button for retrieving lost data which could be very
helpful incase of data crash in the middle of travel or meeting.

TPM chip is a feature which can be used along with hard drive encryption software such as Windows BitLocker, etc and can be used to store the public key for encryption. This makes sure that the hard drive only works when connected to the laptop with the key sitting inside the TPM chip. So if someone tries to take out the drive and plugs it into a different machine it will not be readable. Even changing the bus of the hard drive in the same machine will make the data unusable.

Here’s another UFO gadget to go with all the rest of your alien themed gadgetry and there’s plenty of it out there.  This 5V speaker has a 3.5mm audio plug that will work with your MP3 or MP4 player as well as CD players and even cellphones.  The speaker itself measures 2.87 in x 2.87 in by 1.38 in.  You can purchase the tiny UFO for $13.90 from Deal Extreme.  Which really isn’t too bad of a price for a portable speaker.

We’ll leave it to economists and pundits to sort out whether this is indeed the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression. What we do know for certain is that we’re all making sacrifices: cutting our spending, saving more, and searching for deals. At ComputerShopper.com, we’ve seen an undeniable surge in interest—from both readers and sellers—in low-cost computers, and part of that wave is the Aspire Timeline series from Acer. Dressed in an austere gray and promoted at Wal-Mart, among other outlets, these bare-bones notebooks are built for business users on a budget. The latest Timeline configuration we tested, the AS5810TZ-4657, is the largest of the line (it has a 15.6-inch screen) and lists for $598. (Note that at the time we wrote this, Wal-Mart had knocked down its selling price to $548, and other sellers had discounted this model, too.) But, in keeping with the times, this laptop will also demand you make some sacrifices. It has great battery life for a mainstream notebook, but its performance is mired somewhere between that of a low-end laptop and a netbook.

On the outside, this Timeline sports a dull, brushed-aluminum finish. It’s not as flashy as some notebooks we’ve seen—if you want to stand out on a budget, try the HP Pavilion DV2-1030US—but it’s certainly professional-looking. Measuring in at 1×15x10 inches and weighing 5.3 pounds, the chassis is slim yet solid; we felt like we were typing on a slice of steel. And, without the glossy exterior finish that many of its competitors bear (including the Pavilion DV2-1030US), the Aspire 5810 Timeline is immune to fingerprint smudges.

Under the lid, the laptop hosts a luxurious full-size keyboard with a dedicated number-pad region. The keys are black, flat, and slick, with clear separation between the keys in what’s commonly called a “Chiclet”-style design. Unlike the rest of the body, though, the key tops do become greasy with use. Our opinion of the keyboard is divided: We think the smooth (as opposed to sculpted) key surfaces make touch-typing tough, but we also love the keys’ snap and response.

IT IS very rare that we encounter a Samsung notebook, so this was a good opportunity to see what the South Korean company has been cooking up for its notebook line all this while.

The Samsung R470 is a well-built machine. It weighs a comfortable 2.3kg— not as heavy as some other high-end notebooks but not feather-light as a netbook. Overall, everything felt strong and tough.

The top of the notebook sports a very shiny surface, and the screen and the area surrounding the keyboard are also glossy and shiny. All of this conveys a sense of sleek sophistication.

The R470 comes with a 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo processor, 3GB of RAM, and an nVidia G105M graphics processor to power the 14in screen with LED backlight.

This notebook was designed to deliver excellent visuals and video as it has a 1,366 x 768-pixel resolution.

Also, the 500GB hard disk gives you ample space to store media content.

The only minor complaint I have is that the R470 doesn’t close completely. Little stubs on the screen frame prevent the screen from touching the keyboard. This has the effect of creating a little “flapping” motion when picking up or putting down the laptop in its closed position.

Performance

There were no lags experienced when using the R470 to batch process RAW images while watching a DVD movie and having a few other applications open.

The G105M graphics processor by nVidia is not a new GPU. It is in fact a higher clocked GeForce 9300M GS.

In a nutshell, it won’t perform as well as a 9600 M or 9800 M but it will definitely be powerful enough to play mid-range graphics intensive games as well as playback 1080p HD movies smoothly.

The screen performed well when I was watching videos and doing photo colour adjustments.

The viewing angle is quite acceptable as the contrast only changes if you make a big adjustment to your seating position.

The sound from the laptop is good but not fantastic when played using the laptop speakers given the fact that the speakers are generally too small to generate good sound.

I found that the sound was much improved listening using a pair of earphones.

Battery life

On a single charge the battery holds enough power to last you through an entire two-hour movie though watching something much longer like Lord of the Rings could be really stretching it.

While watching a movie on a DVD and running some other processor intensive background tasks, the R470 managed to squeeze a little bit more than 2.5 hours of usage.

If you were just surfing and doing some document processing, it could last you about three hours.

Connectivity

As with any notebook in the market now, the R470 has all the bases covered in terms of connectivity.

WiFi and Bluetooth provide wireless connectivity. A USB/eSATA port works as a USB port as well as an eSATA port that supports newer SATA devices with faster transfer rates such as external hard drives.

Also, the ExpressCard slot lets you use extra devices that you may have.

There is an interesting thing about the USB port on the top of the notebook. You can use it to charge any USB powered device that you have even when it’s off.

Yes, you read that right. Samsung calls this feature the Chargeable USB.

So if you’re really in a fix and your handphone is running low on battery, you could use the R470 to recharge it.

Extra features

There is a built-in microphone as well as a microphone jack to plug in a headset, for instance.

Coupled with the webcam, this would be great for making VoIP calls.

The R470’s body also has a water-tight seal around it so it’s “spill resistant.” Samsung claims that you could spill coffee or water on it and it would work perfectly fine.

We didn’t have the opportunity to test it but it’s good to know that the notebook is safe from little mishaps.

And the keyboard has an antibacterial coating on it which will keep you healthier since research shows that computers are one of the most bacteria prone places.

Conclusion

So how was the Samsung R470? It’s a well-built notebook with everything that is expected of one nowadays.

In terms of performance, it delivered flawlessly and is feature-packed. Even though it’s a little pricey you get what you pay for.

In a market where everything is nearly the same, it’s the little extra touches that sets apart the R470 from other notebooks.

Pros: Stylish; lots of little useful features.

Cons: A tad pricey.

Looking to make remote gadget control even more versatile than it already is, Swiss accessory and peripherals maker Logitech has unveiled its new Harmony 900 remote unit, which laughs in the face of extreme distance and closed doors and will allow tech lovers to “say good-bye to clutter”.

More pointedly, Logitech’s latest Harmony controller boasts a completely redesigned RF system that not only enables the unit to relay commands from a distance of up to 100 feet, but also means users can control all manner of entertainment-based gadgets that might be neatly hidden behind cabinet doors.

“Like all Harmony remotes, the Harmony 900 simplifies home entertainment, which is particularly relevant with more and more people staying home to watch movies on their big-screen TVs and enjoying surround sound and hi-def video from the comfort of the couch,” commented Ashish Arora, vice president and general manager of Logitech’s Harmony business unit.

“Unfortunately, more remotes and more wires tend to be byproducts of increasingly sophisticated home-entertainment systems,” he continued. “With the Harmony 900 remote’s RF technology and ability to control up to 15 devices, you can say good-bye to the clutter while gaining better control of your devices.”

The remote works in conjunction with an included IR blaster and two mini blasters, which receive and distribute remote commands after being placed within close proximity to any compatible entertainment devices – whether they be visibly open to the Harmony 900 or secreted away from sight.

Equipped with an intuitive one-touch control system and a colour touch-sensitive interface screen, the Harmony 900 remote will, according to Logitech, enable friends and family, “and even the babysitter,” to effortlessly navigate between devices and select what they want to do.

It all sounds too good to be true, eh? From a technical standpoint, it would certainly appear Logitech’s Harmony 900 is able to deliver on its promises.

However, it remains to be seen whether the controller’s suggested retail price of €399.99 Euros convinces gadget lovers to adopt it en masse ahead of the apparent inconvenience of multiple controllers and closed cabinet doors.

The Tech Herald, fond as we are of multiple remotes, unsightly clutter, and the physical act of opening doors, probably won’t be investing such an amount – not least because that could buy us a PlayStation 3.

Q. How much does the notebook weigh?

A. THE SHACK doesn’t seem to be saying, but we can estimate, right? I’m not great at math, but RadioShack.com has a 14-inch Toshiba laptop that weighs 5.8 pounds. A 14-foot laptop would be twelve times the size of a 14-foot one, so it would presumably weigh about twelve times as much. That means that the giant laptop weighed slightly under seventy pounds. Not exactly featherweight, but pretty impressive for a computer the size of a ranch house.

Q. What brand and/or model is it? THE SHACK sells HP, Toshiba, Acers, and Lenovos, and once upon a time, it sold the first popular laptop under its own name.

I saw no logo. Some normal-sized computers being used by the AV crew appeared to be Dells, but my instinct is to believe that the giant one must surely bear the proud name that was once carried by all Radio Shack computers. Let’s call it the Radio Shack RadioShack THE SHACK Tandy TRS-80 Model 14000, shall we?

Q. What’s the story on specs?

The Radio Shack RadioShack THE SHACK Tandy TRS-80 Model 14000 sat behind barriers, but I was able to check out many of the key features rom a distance. It has a more-than-full-size keyboard with a roomy touchpad (and oddly squarish touchpad buttons)…

Hate ‘em or love ‘em, but either way those pesky analysts from Piper Jaffray still have a significant voice when it comes to product rumor and speculation.  Stoking the firey Apple rumor pit is Gene Munster, who has received reports from component suppliers in Asia that parts for Apple’s newest devices will be delivered later this year, which sort of puts the kibosh on a September launch date for their rumored tablet computer.

He also speculates that the device will run most of the 70,000 applications currently in the iTunes Store and that Apple will add a new category of apps designed for larger screened devices.  He expects the price to fall some where between a Macbook and iPhone – around $500 to $700 – and that the device might include a 3G cellular modem, which means the cost could be subsidized by a carrier.

And if there is ever a way to remove all credence from your statements, you take a Gen 1 iPhone and call it a mock up of the expected device (image above).

The Sony has added one more notebook in sony Vaio Type G series. Now they launch ultra portable B5 size laptop. Its G3 is one of the lightest notebooks. Sony has already added some nice notebooks in Vaio G series. Its weight is just 859g.

This Sony Vaio Type G is powered by Core 2 Duo SU9400 @ 1.40 GHz or you can also customize you notebook with Core 2 Duo SU9300 and Celeron 723 @ 1.20 GHz, It offer you to add parts or customize according to your needs or budget. It offers 13 hours battery life, 160 GB / 320 GB HDD or SSD, 12.1-inch display screen with 1920 x 1200 Resolution, 1 GB or 4 GB RAM optional, Mobile Intel GS45 Express chipset, Build-in DVD-RW drive Optional OOD, Intel High Definition Audio Sound System and English and Japanese QWERTY keyboard.

This G series notebook is available in three different colors Black, Premium Brown and Silver color. Its price is ¥ 149,800.00.

Tired of paying for features you don’t need? Gateway has a notebook for you. At $499, the 6.8-pound NV5214u is priced like a netbook but functions like a mainstream laptop. Its sleek design, 15.6-inch wide-screen LCD, and 1,366×768 native resolution give the impression of a high-end notebook. But when you’re paying half the price of the average mainstream laptop, you should expect to sacrifice some on performance, and this model does demand this. The $499 price is the best thing the NV5214u has going for it, followed closely by its design. But those with undemanding computing needs and an eye for style should seriously consider this notebook.

With a matte-black keyboard, a silver rim, and a subtle honeycomb pattern, the NV5214u keeps in step with current laptop design. Our model came in coffee brown, but cherry red, nightsky black, and midnight blue options are also available.

The extra-wide keyboard features a dedicated number pad; neither, thankfully, puts any of the major keys in odd places. The letter keys are broad and flat, which takes some getting used to but doesn’t affect typing ease. The space bar is small, compared with the other keys, though it’s not reduced enough to be bothersome. The touch pad is roomy, and the long, thin button below it functions as both a right- and a left-click button, depending on which side of it you press.

Above the keyboard is a row of indicator lights. The four lights to the left are for hard drive activity, Caps Lock, Num Lock, and Bluetooth. To their right are seven LED indicators that double as touch buttons, glowing red when activated. These touch controls govern a power-save function, the MyBackup function, the Wi-Fi enabler, a touch-pad-lock feature, and volume levels. (The MyBackup button lets you copy and store important files with one press.) Above the screen are a built-in microphone and an integrated Webcam.

To test display and sound, we watched The Matrix via the NV5214u’s DVD drive. In dim light, picture quality was beautiful (and viewable even from off-axis). However, the glossy screen was prone to glare in bright light. Unless you’re sitting directly in front of the screen, don’t try to watch movies in a well-lit room. Volume levels were an issue, as well. The Dolby-quality sound was best appreciated with headphones on; without headphones, we found ourselves continually pressing the volume controls for more oomph, even when we knew volume was at 100 percent. Gunshots and musical swells were quite loud, but dialog-filled scenes sounded very soft. The NV5214u’s cooling system runs quietly, however, so the internal fan noise doesn’t interfere with the sound, as it does on some laptops.

HP’s HDX line is fairly straightforward–it courts multimedia fiends. From its double-wide demeanor (with ample room for full QWERTY keys and a keypad) to all the plugs and ports offered here, the HDX18–a fairly fashionable desktop replacement–will stand out on your desk. The HDX18 isn’t quite a desktop-destroyer like Toshiba’s Qosmio X305,?? but the HDX18’s multimedia-mindedness proves that HP is ready to put up a fight.

The HDX18 has some brawn to match its beauty. In our WorldBench 6 tests, HP’s notebook scored a commanding 102. It’s not quite the fastest we’ve seen–the Micro Express JFL9290 (a notebook in the all-purpose class) fared a little better–but it’s more than powerful enough to play some games as well as video. A 2.8-GHz Core2 Duo CPU (T9600), 4GB of RAM and nVidia’s 512MB GeForce 9600M GT GPU fuel our review unit. I can spit out frame rates of games like Doom 3 (which got a respectable 90 frames per second at 1280-by-1024 resolution), but what matters is that this machine is capable of playing this season’s big guns without much a of hitch. I tooled around Fallout 3 and Left 4 Dead on the screen’s native 1920-by-1080 resolution. Both looked good and ran fairly smoothly.

The HDX18 is huge. The first tipoff: An 8.9-pound, 17 by 11.26 by 1.72-inch case. And that “18″ in the name denotes an 18.4-inch display capable of showcasing full high-definition video in all its glory. The glossy finish on the panel ensures that you’ll never be alone–you’ll always see your reflection. It isn’t the highly polished, highly annoying sheen that you find on many glossy panels, but it’s still hard to ignore. The important part is that everything from Blu-ray movies to the newest games come across looking great.

The keyboard has a cool, metallic feel thanks to the coating–and the etched-in letters on each key make it that much more substantial. I wouldn’t say that the keyboard beats out the ThinkPad line for its sensitivity, texture, and key response, but I’m going to put it up on my list. I also happen to love all the extra-tweaking multimedia buttons that line the top of the keyboard. The bright LED buttons might seem a little much, but they provide quick access to key multimedia features–and even provide the ability to tweak treble and bass without having to dig deep into software settings (though you can still do that here; more on that below). The mirror-like touch pad is a little distracting, but in a good way thanks to the art that carries over from the case across the mousing surface. It also feels smooth to the touch. And the mouse buttons? I’m getting spoiled here. Long, sturdy metallic buttons stand ready for duty.

Now this is how a multimedia machine is supposed to look. Sure, there’s an obnoxious HP logo on the back of the lid that lights up when on (thanks for showing the rest of the world that little trick, Apple) but the rest of the system is laid out just as a meaty desktop replacement should be. The unit we received in the lab sprouts eSATA and HDMI ports, four USB 2.0 ports, a 4-pin FireWire port, a multi-format flash card reader, and a PC Express card slot. Of course, to match the big screen you’re going to find a BD-ROM drive on-board. What? You don’t want to watch a Blu-ray movie? Then plug in the HD or coax cable tuner and watch some TV shows. Combine all that with the flashy finish and neat exterior, and you’ve got yourself an incredibly handsome home solution that you wouldn’t mind lugging from room to room.

I’m actually very happy with the sound setup on the HDX18. I know, I’m usually a huge curmudgeon when it comes to on-board audio, but this time around, the Altec-Lansing audio solution is anything but blah. The mids and highs seem a little off, but way better than how most “multimedia” notebooks handle those tones. Meanwhile, the down-firing subwoofer lurking underneath the notebook rounds out the sound. Audiophiles will approve of the Dolby sound equalizer software. It’s not quite enough to topple Toshiba’s big audio dynamite, but it’s more than ample for rocking a room and without resort to headphones or external speakers. And to further tweak out the sound, IDT HD Sound software gives you quick-and-easy access to a 10-band equalizer and customizing the sound spacializing (you can push sounds to different parts of your headphones to feel surrounded; it works to a decent effect).

Speaking of software, I need to give a quick nod to the applications. They are slickly produced and suited perfectly for the hardware. You can tell that HP really thought about a nice multimedia interface with its MediaSmart software’s sweet GUI interface and how the notebook’s shortcut keys tie together. Here’s the problem, though: MediaSmart is technically bloatware–approximately 350MB that do the exact same job as what Windows’ Media Center software already does. Okay, it’s a minor peeve considering that the 5400-rpm, 640GB hard drive (technically 2X 320GB) is relatively clean from most other useless apps, so I’ll give HP that.

Last, but not least, is the battery life. I mean, nobody is really buying a desktop replacement notebook expecting it to last all day running on battery power. These monsters usually require a back brace to lug around town, and you’ll be lucky to last three hours before needing a recharge. That’s pretty much the case here; the HDX18 lasts 2 hours, 42 minutes–pretty respectable, if average. Then again, that was with an 8-cell battery. With a 6-cell, you’re probably looking at something a lot closer to 2 hours.

What kind of price can you put on this kind of entertainment PC? Quite a bit, actually. Our machine, as configured, will run you upwards of US $2300. If that’s a little too rich for your blood, scale back features, and you can get a baseline model for about US$1400. Or you can hang in and wait to learn more about what’s happening with Toshiba and Alienware’s latest media machines (hint: expect some cool stuff happening for the holiday timeframe).