Lenovo Tablet Tegra 3 present at the end of the year

Lenovo has expanded its product range with the tablet, but this one will be equipped with NVIDIA Tegra 3 and Google's Android OS Ice Cream Sandwich. The official announcement of the new gadget will be held later this year. As for technical details we only know a few things: the 10.1-inch display, 2GB of RAM, quad-core Tegra 3 with a frequency of 1.6, rear camera and USB-port GHz. Interestingly, the device receives a fingerprint scanner, which implies it belongs to the business segments.

Sony VAIO SE Full HD Entertainment Notebook

Sony VAIO Notebook SE, is now available for purchase at the company's official website. Sony VAIO SE Full HD Entertainment Notebook, In contrast to other models in the VAIO S series, which has a 13-inch screen, the new gadget is equipped with 15.5-inch diagonal screen with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. The configuration of this model can include Core i5-2430M (2 cores, 3MB cache), or Core i7-2640M (2 cores, 4MB cache) processor, up to 6 GB DDR3-1333 memory, up to 640 GB hard drive or two 128 GB SSD respectively, and optical drives that support DVD and Blu-ray.

Prototype MacBook Pro with a SIM-card slot

Behold the great mystery of Apple’s doing. Today something strange appeared on eBay products list. The prototype of 2007’s MacBook Pro with SIM-card slot and with an antenna. Confusing, isn’t it? I really don’t want to believe that Apple could make something that ugly.

Owner states that he couldn’t make it to work in GSM networks, so it works only with 3G networks. He also says that regular MacBook Pros from the era also have this unused and hidden SIM slot, this can only mean that Apple seriously considered a 3G variant of their product. Maybe one day we will see this thing put out on mass production. Who knows.

Core i7 powered Asus M60J shows its specs

You must have heard the news about Intel's new Core i7 processors released at IDF. Step by step they keep arriving to notebook manufacturers, and it's a joy for us to see all this good stuff coming out soon. This time it's Asus that adds a new Core i7 based notebook to its M60 series. M60J is a proper multimedia rig and I personally can hardly think of a task that will put it in frustration. Everything is on its place apart from price and availability date. They are yet hold in the Asus lobby, but with rivals light on their feet, and that's not just us thinking so, very soon M60J must be found on a shelf in your local store.


Apart from powerful hardware, Asus M60J also stands out with a long list of options for almost every major technical aspect. This is obscure why other manufacturers just let us choose between two hard drives and an extra memory stick. Because it's not the case, here is the list of what is available for Asus M60J:

* Mobile Intel PM55 Express Chipset

* Intel Core i7 820QM 1.73 GHz or 720QM 1.6 GHz

* 2 x SODIMM DDR3 1333 MHz SDRAM, up to 4GB

* NVIDIA GeForce GT240M, 1GB

* 2.5 inch SATA, 5400rpm or 7200rpm, 250GB, 320GB or 500GB

* 5.25 inch DVD Super Multi or Blu-Ray DVD Combo

* 6 cell 4800 mAh battery

* 16 inch HD display, 1366 x 768 resolution

* 2 megapixel web camera

* Genuine Windows Vista Ultimate, Business, Home Premium or Home Basic

IFA news: Samsung OLED laptop in Q3 '10

About a year ago, we had a fortune to become witness of the first OLED panel going into mass production. Back then it was a hi-tech exhibition, and, well, the story has repeated, almost. Today at the first day of IFA Berlin Samsung’s Head of Worldwide Sales and Marketing, who is Kyu Uhm of course, has given us a deem view of what will be a show stopper in a year – a (first) OLED notebook.

I am not going to speak all about his speech at IFA. Instead, let’s just have a walk through what an OLED display on a notebook can offer and take. One glance back though: Kyu Uhm has mentioned an expected growth of netbook market.


In short, what he effectively said was: "We are making an OLED netbook". How good is that? If we think of power consumption, then it makes even more sense than putting an OLED display in a standard-sized laptop. What are main juice lovers in a PC? – screen, hard drive and processor. Same thing with size and weight. Organic diodes are really thin and light. Besides being overly magnificent to behold. So the future of personal computing, which is coming from Samsung in late Q3 of 2010, is a netbook with an OLED panel, SSD and low voltage processor. I like that. If only they give it out for netbook money, which I’m afraid they won’t.

You might have though the picture above is familiar to you. Yes, it is not new and not true. It’s a last year concept.

The three new stylish HP Minis

The Mini Notebook Family has grown up. HP launches new three portable stylish notebooks. Let’s look through them.

HP Mini 110 XP Edition is the first. The ability to satisfy HD picture fans is allocated at the first sight. Mini 110 XP Edition has Crystal HD Enhanced Video acceleration. Also the notebook has 1 GB of virtual memory and 160 GB hard drive. Thorough different possible connection can be allocated presence of WWAN.

HP Mini 110 Mi Edition is made for gourmet users. It is based on Linux operation system and has 2 GB RAM. Consumers can store their information on 250 GB hard drive.

HP Mini 1101 is a good choice for ordinary requirements. Consumers can buy Mini 1101 with XP Home, XP Pro or Vista installed. Also it has a two battery option for those who appreciate time.

The price of the HP Minis with XP or Vista installed is near 330 USD. The HP Mini 110 Mi Edition with Linux costs near 280 USD.

Lenovo G530 Review

Lenovo offers three lines of notebooks; the ThinkPad, IdeaPad, and the not-so-frequently-mentioned "Value line" series. The Value line currently only includes the G530, a 15.4” notebook offering either an Intel Pentium dual-core or Core 2 Duo processor and Intel integrated graphics. With a starting price of $429, is the Lenovo G530 value notebook worth considering? Read our full review to find out.
The design of the Lenovo G530 is simple yet stylish, having a black MacBook-ish appearance when the notebook is closed. The edges are rounded off and the lid has a matte black finish that is smooth to the touch. The interior of the notebook shares the same color as the lid, but is textured with a rougher matte finish similar to what you would find on unpainted sections of a ThinkPad. Lenovo took the back-to-basics route with the color scheme on this notebook, making it entirely black inside and out.

Lenovo Value line G530 Specifications:

* Intel Pentium Dual-Core T3400 (2.16GHz, 1MB L2 cache, 667MHz FSB)
* Microsoft Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium (w/ SP1)
* 15.4-inch glossy 16:10 display (1280x800)
* Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD
* 3GB DDR2 667MHz RAM
* 250GB 5400RPM HDD
* SuperMulti DVD+/-RW Optical Drive
* Broadcom WiFi (802.11b/g), 10/100 Ethernet, Modem
* 6-Cell 11.1V 53WHr Battery
* Limited 1-year standard parts and labor warranty
* Dimensions: 14.1 x 10.1 x 1.45
* Weight: 5lbs 13.9oz
* Price as configured: $499

Speakers and Audio
The onboard speakers are fine for occasionally playing music or watching video, but they were fairly unimpressive as far as notebook speakers go. Bass and midrange were lacking, but given the low-cost nature of this notebook it was expected. Peak volume levels were fine for a small room, but for the best possible audio quality a pair of headphones connected through the audio jack is the best option.

Performance and Benchmarks
System performance of the G530 was good considering it was equipped with an Intel Pentium T3400 dual-core processor instead of a Core 2 Duo like most of the budget models we review. Graphics are limited to integrated only, with the Intel X4500 chipset used in this notebook. While it can’t handle the latest games, it easily copes with standard applications such as Microsoft Word, Firefox, iTunes, and other media applications. It can also handle playing HD movies, but with only VGA out, external video connections are limited. Overall for basic small business or student use this notebook would work just fine.

Conclusion
Lenovo really made a great budget notebook with the G530. It feels solid and well built, something that isn’t usually the case when it comes to low-cost notebooks. Styling is very basic, similar to the Dell Vostro or HP ProBook line, and just like the ThinkPad comes in an all-black color scheme. System performance was fine for normal use, and could even handle HD content. Gaming is out of the question, but given its intended market that is hardly a concern. Compared to a Vostro or ProBook I think the G530 feels sturdier and given the price and configuration, the G530 is a better deal. Overall I think Lenovo should be pushing this notebook to small and medium businesses instead of the ThinkPad SL500, since the G530 feels like a much better machine.

Pros:

* Excellent build quality
* Good configuration for the price
* Comfortable keyboard
* Simple, let good looking design

Cons:

* No HDMI or eSATA

The One - men's kerala trance fabulous LED binary timepiece

The one and the only Kerala Trance attract our attention with its new time-telling gadget which looks to be a futuristic oasis. The way the display operates is very impressive with it using a binary code. There is also an instructional booklet with all the technical information you will need. The timepiece is fitted with genuine leather band with 41-millimeter-wide stainless steel case.

Kerala Trance wrist watches are craftily designed with all its futuristic looks and LED technology innovations. The logo “01” is placed on the left part of a dial with two LED lights designed to show the time. Its black dial is absolutely stunning; with LED lights making this gorgeous wrist watch clearly visible even at night. The Kerala Trance watch is water proof up to 100 feet.

The Kerala Trance is all the rage weighing just 90grams is a perfect gift whatever occasion and appears to be very trendy. The Kerala Trance KT102B1 binary watch is made of top quality stainless steel making it looking unbelievably great. LED lights are used to show both hours and minutes with LED ON meaning 1 while LED OFF for 0. So it must be fashionable to have a watch with binary format displaying on it.

If you are about to use decimal, you can change your option with adding the numbers of the lit LED lights on upper row for telling hours while adding the numbers of the lit LED lights on lower row for telling minutes. Upper row include 8 - 4 - 2 - 1 while the lower one has 32 - 16 - 8 - 4 - 2 - 1. If button is pushed the time will be shown for about 5 seconds. This marvelous timepiece has a quality stainless steel black bracelet as well as a battery (CR2032). Its size is 38 x 30 x 11mm and features a one year warranty, so enjoy wearing it.

Dell Announces Mini 10v Netbook (Updated)

The big news, obviously, is the launch of the Inspiron Mini 10v. Dell's Inspiron Mini series of netbooks has been largely popular thanks to the balance of mobility and affordability ... with several Dell Inspiron Mini netbooks priced below $300. The new Mini 10v will be available just in time for summer travel and lets students get an early jump on their back-to-school efforts.

Dell intends the Inspiron Mini 10v to be a lower-cost configuration of the original Mini 10. Like the rest of the Inspiron Mini family, this budget-priced ultra-portable laptop makes a great Internet companion to help keep students, bloggers or adult travelers connected in a more convenient form than a smartphone. Available in seven color options, the $299 Mini 10v will likely prove to be a popular netbook in the current economic environment.

Here are the key features and specs for the new Inspiron Mini 10v:

* New, larger keyboard – 92 percent of a standard full-size keyboard for comfort and ease of use
* Your choice of one of seven colors: Obsidian Black, Alpine White, New Cherry Red, Promise Pink (US), Ice Blue, Jade Green and new Passion Purple
* 120GB, 160GB hard drives and 16GB solid state drive (XP and Ubuntu); 8GB SSD (Ubuntu)
* 1GB RAM
* Availability of Ubuntu Linux or Windows XP operating systems
* Built-in webcam to stay in touch with family and friends
* Multiple connectivity options
* Optional built in Bluetooth connectivity
* Starting at $299 US

Stay tuned to NotebookReview.com for a full review of the Dell Inspiron Mini 10v coming soon.

UPDATE:

We spent some hands-on time with the new budget-friendly Inspiron Mini 10v yesterday and took a few photos to hold you over until our full review. The build quality is still pretty solid despite the use of more plastic rather than the alloy used in the standard Mini 10. The keyboard is certainly one of the better ones we've seen on a 10-inch netbook and rivals the excellent keyboard used on the HP Mini 1000 and HP Mini 2140. This may prove to be a popular netbook for Dell this year.

Toshiba Portege A605 Review

The Toshiba Portege A605 is a 12.1" ultra-portable notebook designed for business travelers who want something small and lightweight, but don’t want to make any compromises when it comes to features. The A600 series notebooks offer an on-board optical drive so users can enjoy movies or install applications on the road, eSATA to expand storage, and a power saving Intel Centrino 2 platform to squeeze out as much battery life as possible. In this review we find out how well the A605 stands up to the rigors of day-to-day use, and if it is worth purchasing this notebook over a netbook or other ultra-portable notebooks.

Toshiba Portege A605-P210 Specifications:

* Processor: 1.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo SU9400 (800MHz FSB, 3MB Cache)
* Graphics: Intel X4500 Integrated Graphics
* Operating System: Windows Vista Home Premium with SP 1 (32-bit)
* Screen: 12.1" diagonal WXGA LED-Backlit Display (1280x800)
* Memory: 3GB PC6400 DDR2 (1GB onboard, 2GB in slot, 5GB Max)
* Storage: 320GB Hitachi SATA HDD (5400rpm)
* Optical Drive: LabelFlash SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-R/RW with Double Layer Support
* Intel 5100AGN WLAN with Bluetooth 2.1 w/ EDR
* Power: 6-cell Li-Ion 5800mAh battery, 45W AC adapter
* Dimensions: 11.3" x 8.8" x 1.2"
* Weight: 3lbs 1.8oz (3lbs 11.9oz travel weight)
* Warranty: 1-year
* Price as configured: $1,399.99

Build and Design
The Portege looks very classy for a business notebook, with glossy piano black keyboard bezel and screen cover along with a matte silver base. The port and button layout appears to be very well thought out with effort put into things as simple as the power and activity indicators. The silver keyboard contrasts the black finish, with a nice matte finish with black lettering that is easy to read.

Build quality is hit or miss depending on what part of the notebook you are looking at. The quality of the finish is excellent, with a thick layer of glossy black paint that appears to be scratch resistant. On the flip side, the plastic used to construct the notebook suffers from abnormal amounts of flex--a side effect of its lightweight construction. The palm rest and lower half of the case flex inward when you grip the notebook to carry it around, and even resting your palms on the palm rest makes them bend in slightly. The screen cover shows similar flex and when gripped firmly makes the display show signs of color distortion around the edges and center. The screen itself also has some issues in how it is mounted, showing a pressure spot in the bottom corner that "flashes" when the screen jiggles on your lap or desk surface.

Conclusion
The Toshiba Portege A605 offers good looks and a small form factor, but compromises build quality to achieve its very low weight. The palm rest, keyboard, and screen all exhibit a good amount of flex, which doesn’t bode well for thoughts of durability. Looking past the flexible chassis, the notebook does offer a built-in optical drive, and still keeps the overall weight to just above 3lbs. For a business traveler who only cares about that, this notebook falls right in the weight range of most netbooks. With the current list price of $1,399 it is priced against the Lenovo ThinkPad X200 or about double the price of an HP Pavilion dv2. Overall I think the Portege A605 offers a lot potential for a customer interested in a good looking business notebook, but it has a few areas that could see some improvement.

Pros:

* Weighs in at 3lbs, even with built-in optical drive
* Good battery life
* Cool operation
* Very small power adapter

Cons:

* Slow charging rate while the notebook is powered on and charging at the same time
* Flexible chassis

HP ProBook 4510s Review

The HP ProBook 4510s is the latest 15.6" business notebook designed to provide solid performance at a low price for small and medium businesses. If your company wants the HP Elitebook 8530p but doesn't have the budget to spend $1,350 per laptop, the ProBook 4510s might be a good alternative at a starting price of just $529. Is this budget-priced business notebook destined for success? Take a look at our full review to find out.

Our pre-production review unit of the ProBook 4510s is configured as follows:

* Intel Core 2 Duo T6570 Processor (2.1GHz, 2MB L2 cache, 800MHz FSB)
* Microsoft Genuine Windows Vista Business (with option for Windows XP downgrade)
* 15.6-inch LED-backlit anti-glare HD display (1366 x 768)
* Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD
* 2GB DDR2 800MHz RAM
* 250GB 5400RPM HDD
* LightScribe DVD+/-RW Optical Drive
* WiFi (802.11a/b/g/draft-n), Ethernet, Modem, and Bluetooth Connectivity
* 8-Cell 63WHr Battery
* Limited 1-year standard parts and labor warranty
* Dimensions: 1.25" x 14.6" x 9.83"
* Weight: 5.8lbs
* Price as configured: $749

Build and Design
The HP ProBook 4510s is a business notebook designed to meet the needs of small and medium businesses ... in other words, it needs to have a good balance of features and security at a low price. That said, small and medium business notebooks tend to have a very basic build and deign in order to help bring down the cost of production. At first glance, the ProBook 4510s looks very similar to a HP EliteBook 8530p with a new keyboard and all black finish. Unfortunately, the design similarities stop there.

HP received much praise for the strong magnesium alloy chassis used in the EliteBook series of business notebooks. Unfortunately, in order to lower the cost and weight of the notebook the ProBook 4510s is constructed mostly of plastic. The base of the laptop flexes heavily under pressure, the palmrests likewise bow under the weight of your wrists, and the back of the screen lid is similarly prone to flex. The plastics used in the 4510s should hold up fine if the notebook is being used as an office desktop replacement, but the chassis might not survive multiple drops off a desk or the kind of abuse you expect from a mobile workforce. On the bright side, the new keyboard is pretty firm except for a very minor amount of flex around the directly above the optical drive (more on that later). The key point to remember in this section is that the ProBook 4510s looks pretty nice, but isn't as rugged as more expensive business notebooks.

Screen and Speakers
The ProBook 4510s comes equipped with a 15.6" anti-glare display with a 16:9 widescreen ratio. At 1366 x 768 pixels, this 720p high-definition display is perfectly usable and features good color and contrast. We know many people are concerned about the transition from 16:10 to 16:9 ratio screens (because this means less vertical resolution) but the difference is so minor that the vast majority of notebook users will never have a problem.

Horizontal viewing angles are quite impressive and you only start to notice some color shift after you get 75 degrees off center. Vertical viewing angles are only average as the screen begins to wash out from above and colors begin to invert from below after about 45 degrees in either direction.

Keyboard and Touchpad
The full-size keyboard on the 4510s is a completely new design for HP and provides fantastic spacing between keys for typing as well as a dedicated number pad (a major plus for businesses that use their computers for number crunching or data entry). Each key is relatively flat with a nice matte texture and the keys sit above a glossy black support frame. The support frame surrounding the keys is quite firm thanks to the design of the chassis which adds additional support for the keyboard. The only obvious area of flex in the keyboard is when you press on the number pad keys. Keep in mind, however, that we received a pre-production unit, and HP claims that the production units shipping to customers have even better support against flex.

Performance and Benchmarks
Our pre-production ProBook 4510s came with the Intel T6570 processor, clocking in at 2.1GHz, and Intel integrated graphics. Discrete graphics will be available at a later date, but discrete graphics will obviously increase the cost of the notebook. A 250GB 5400 RPM hard drive was also included, which helped applications load without much lag. This notebook didn't really exceed our expectations in terms of performance, but the 4510s has more than enough power to handle Microsoft Office or even very basic video work.

The obvious bottleneck in terms of performance here is the use of Intel graphics, but considering the small and medium business buyers interested in this notebook don't care about the ability to play video games or edit HD video, this isn't a major concern.

Heat and Noise
During normal use (browsing the web or working on a text document) the ProBook 4510s remained relatively cool but not very quiet. The exhaust fan seemingly runs a full blast when the notebook is plugged in, so your coworkers might hear what sounds like a distant hair dryer in a quiet office. When doing tasks that stress the processor and graphics, the laptop's fan works hard to keep this laptop cool. This is something of a mixed blessing in that while noisy, it helps to lower the internal temperatures and helps extend the life of your notebook components.

Finally, we recorded the following external temperatures using an IR thermometer after running two consecutive PCMark05 benchmarks. This should serve as an indicator of how hot the notebook will get after about 30 minutes of serious use. All temperatures are listed in degrees Fahrenheit. It's obvious that the bottom of the notebook near the wireless card, processor, and graphics are the hottest parts of the notebook.

Battery
HP offers two different batteries with this notebook. The base configuration the ProBook 4510s comes with a 6-cell 47WHr battery while the $749 configuration comes with the 8-cell 63WHr battery. The battery life of the extended life 8-cell battery is a little better than average, but not amazing. During our timed tests, with the laptop set to "high performance" mode, wireless active, and 80% screen brightness, the 4510s lasted for 5 hours and 10 minutes with a power draw of about 11.1watts. Battery life can also be extended using the "power saver" power profile in Windows Vista.

Conclusion
The HP ProBook 4510s is a solid, though not overwhelmingly impressive small and medium business notebook. Compared to similar notebooks like the Dell Vostro 1510 and 1520 or the Lenovo ThinkPad SL500, the ProBook 4510s is more impressive than the Dell and is either better or worse than the ThinkPad depending on configuration. Whether you're a small business owner looking for a low-cost notebook for yourself or a medium business needing desktop replacements for a few dozen employees, the ProBook 4510s will get the job done.

Still, things like the plastic construction, uncomfortable touchpad design, and difficulty of upgrades might give potential buyers reasons to reconsider a purchase. Additionally, the fact that HP charges almost twice the price for custom configurations (CTO) means that business buyers are almost forced to choose pre-configured models.

Bottom line, the HP ProBook 4510s is a fine notebook for its intended market, but if HP made a few simple changes to the design and purchase options then business buyers would have even more reasons to buy this laptop.

Pros:

* A great price for a 15.6" business notebook
* Nice keyboard ... despite some flex
* Attractive design and relatively light weight

Cons:

* Not-so-great build quality
* Custom configurations are overpriced
* Touchpad buttons are just plain horrible
* Too difficult to upgrade

HP Mini 2140 (HD Update) Review

With more companies entering the netbook market the one thing that is starting to set different models apart is the quality of the keyboards. The HP Mini 2140 offers an expansive keyboard that is comfortable to type on and is the closest you can get to a full-size keyboard on a 10” netbook right now. In this review we take a look at the Mini 2140 again, this time with the higher resolution screen option.

Editor's Note: Since the HP Mini 2140 with high-resolution screen is virtually identical to the Mini 2140 with the lower resolution screen, much of the text in this review is borrowed from our last review of the Mini 2140. If you just want to see what's new, skip ahead to the sections on the Screen and Battery.

Our HP Mini 2140 HD features the following specifications:

* Operating System: Genuine Windows XP (Vista or SuSE Linux also available)
* Processor: Intel Atom N270 Processor 1.60GHz (512 KB L2 cache, 533 MHz FSB)
* Memory: 1GB DDR2 SDRAM, 800MHz, one SODIMM memory slot, supports up to 2GB
* Internal Storage: 160GB 5400 rpm SATA HDD with HP 3D DriveGuard (also available with 160GB 7200 rpm SATA with HP 3D DriveGuard or 80GB Solid State Drive)
* Display: 10.1-inch diagonal 16:9 HP Illumi-Lite LED HD display (1366 x 768 resolution)
* Graphics: Intel GMA 950
* Wireless: Broadcom 802.11a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.0, HP Wireless Assistant
* Expansion slots: (1) ExpressCard/54 slot, Secure Digital (SD/SDHC) slot
* Ports and connectors: (2) USB 2.0 ports, VGA, power connector, RJ-45/Ethernet (Gigabit), stereo headphone/line out, stereo microphone in, VGA webcam
* Input device: 92% full-sized keyboard, touchpad with scroll zone
* Dimensions (H x W x D): 1.05 (at front) x 10.3 x 6.5 inches
* Weight: 2.96 lb with 6-cell battery (not including weight of AC adapter).
* Power: 6-cell (55 WHr) or 3-cell (28 WHr) Lithium-Ion battery, 65W HP Smart AC Adapter with HP Fast Charge
* Warranty: One-year standard parts and labor warranty, pick-up or carry-in, and toll-free 7 x 24 hardware technical phone support.

Pricing for the HP Mini 2140 with higher resolution screen starts at $479.

Build and Design
The HP Mini 2140, like last year's Mini-note 2133, has a great design. Everyone in our office agrees that this ultra-mobile laptop has a solid chassis and attractive look. The brushed aluminum and plastic casing is durable and hides fingerprints well. It also keeps the Mini 2140 lightweight; only weighing in around 2.4 lbs as configured. The sleek business appeal feels at home in the corporate world, but the Mini 2140 is targeted toward students as well. One look at this machine and you can see why. Who wouldn't want an inexpensive mini notebook to toss in a backpack between classes, especially one that pretty much has a full-size keyboard?

HP was smart to keep the design of the 2140 mostly unchanged from the 2133. Nothing about the Mini 2140 feels cheap. The chassis is solid thanks to a combination of aluminum, plastic, and a magnesium alloy support structure inside. The larger 10.1" display is beautiful and easy to read indoors despite putting off some significant glare outdoors because of the protective coating. The Mini 2140 also comes with enough ports and storage capacity (thanks to the 160GB hard drive) that you might even consider using this business-grade netbook as your primary computer.

As I mentioned above, the keyboard is almost full size. It is 92% of a full sized keyboard, which is quite impressive for such a small form factor. It is much more comfortable to type on compared to the keyboards found on most 10-inch netbooks. However, the touchpad can be awkward since the placement of the right and left touchpad buttons are on the right and left sides rather than beneath the touchpad. As you can see from the pictures in this review the Mini 2140 also has neat power and Wi-Fi switches that light up and change from blue when on to orange when off.

Screen
HP uses a LG LP101WH1 LED-backlit panel under the glossy plastic cover. The display actually has a matte finish, which probably helps lessen reflections between the panel and outer cover. HP lists this panel as having a 200 nit brightness rating and a 400:1 contrast ratio. These figures are in line with what we observed in our testing. The screen brightness was in line with most full-size notebooks, but didn’t appear as bright as other netbooks. I think part of this is the Infinity cover and the higher resolution panel. Colors were bright and vibrant, making most images “pop” out at you from the display. Outside of a few high-end workstations I think netbooks offer some of the best color saturation levels. Vertical viewing angles were above average, with minimal color distortion at viewing above or below the optimal viewing angle. Horizontal viewing angles are better with colors staying accurate at wide viewing angles; although as the screen appears darker, reflections off the Infinity cover start to overpower the display. HP’s technical specification lists the official viewing angles at +/- 30 degrees horizontal and +/- 10 degrees vertical.

The higher resolution display is a huge benefit compared to the standard 1024x576 screen option for one reason; menus in Windows are almost all designed for a minimum height 600 pixels. It is a pain having to drag menus above the screen to find a cancel or confirm button. Other added benefits might include viewing a document and a webpage at the same time or editing large photos. Just be aware that if you have a hard time viewing small text on a screen, the HD display might not be the right option for you.

Viewing outside would be very difficult unless it was very late in the day, or it was overcast and you were under the shade of a tree. The added reflections from the additional screen cover make viewing in bright conditions difficult, making you change your position often to find a new sweet spot where a light isn’t bouncing off the screen into your face. Another problem we saw first-hand with the screen cover is its ability to capture dust between the layers. Some specs of dust were big enough to cast shadows on the display where the smaller ones just looked like white dots as they reflected light from overhead. On a normal screen dust is easily removed with a soft cloth, where this design requires full disassembly to carefully remove any dust without introducing more. In the picture below all the white specs of dust are ones trapped beneath the glossy surface. We tried cleaning the dust out ourselves using a cloth and compressed air, which took care of the big pieces, but still left a lot of small specks behind.

Keyboard and Touchpad
The keyboard on the Mini 2140 is simply fantastic. Last year we said the keyboard on the Mini-note 2133 "is the best keyboard we've seen on a notebook this small." That statement holds true for the new Mini 2140 as well. Sure, you can find better keyboards on larger notebooks, but HP currently has the best keyboard we've tested on 10-inch and smaller netbooks. The keys have the silver "HP DuraKeys" finish that makes them resist dirt and makes the letters printed on the keys last longer over time. The surface of the keys are also smooth to the touch.

Regardless, the most important thing to remember about this section of the review is that the Mini 2140 has the biggest and best keyboard you will find on any netbook or notebook with a 10-inch screen. It is literally almost a full-sized keyboard, so writing papers for school or reports for work is a breeze. You won't see spelling errors due to hitting the wrong keys as often as you might with the tiny keys on most netbooks. I didn't notice any signs of keyboard flex and really liked that most of the keys were full sized except a few. The tilde (~) key and the number "1" key are smaller than the rest of the numbers, which was quite odd. The space bar was also a little smaller than normal.

As mentioned previously, most people find using the touchpad on the Mini 2140 a little awkward. The right and left click buttons are what catch you off guard. The buttons are located on the sides of the touchpad and it's easy to forget where they are located if you're used to a regular touchpad. I would have liked the palm rest area to be a little bigger so the buttons could have been relocated below the touchpad like on standard notebooks and most netbooks. The button above the touchpad is a convenient feature that turns the touchpad off and makes it inactive when you are typing or using an external mouse.

Input and Output Ports
Every netbook on the market requires one minor compromise due to the ultra-mobile form factor: limited port selection. You simply cannot accommodate the standard array of ports you'll find on larger notebooks in a computer this small. That said, HP did a remarkable job packing as many ports as possible into the Mini 2140. The complete list of ports includes:

* One ExpressCard/54 slot
* Secure Digital (SD/SDHC) card reader
* Two USB 2.0 ports
* VGA out
* Power connector
* RJ-45/Ethernet
* Stereo headphone/line out
* Stereo microphone/line in

Overall, the port selection is amazing for a notebook this size. However, we would have like to see one of the USB ports replaced with a combo USB/eSATA port. HP uses combo USB/eSATA ports on almost all of their larger notebooks and the combo port allows you to use either USB devices or eSATA devices such as high-speed external storage drives. Considering how easy it would have been to make one of the USB ports a combo port, we're a little surprised HP didn't do that.

One additional thing worth mentioning regarding ports is that HP doesn't offer built-in 3G WWAN (mobile broadband from a provider such as AT&T or Verizon) with the Mini 2140. If you want to stay connected to the internet via WWAN you have to use an adapter card in the ExpressCard slot or one of the USB ports. It's sad to see that HP doesn't offer the option considering that smaller netbooks like the Dell Inspiron Mini 9 offer built-in WWAN.

Performance and Benchmarks
If you've read our reviews of other netbooks that use the Intel Atom processors then you know that overall performance with the Intel Atom platform is very reasonable for most daily activities like web browsing, email, using Microsoft Office, listening to music, and even watching movies. You can even use photo editing software like Photoshop Elements or GIMP. That said, the Mini 2140 doesn't make the ideal photo editing tool because of the low-resolution screen and the fact that the Atom processor is slower than a faster notebook or desktop when editing large image files. You can play some basic games on the Mini 2140, but don't expect to play Crysis or Left 4 Dead at 60 frames per second ... or at all.

Audio
The built-in speaker performance on the Mini 2140 was nice, but not as impressive as the superior speakers on last year's HP Mini-note 2133. In order to accommodate the larger screen in the 2140, HP removed the large speakers next to the screen and used a pair of smaller speakers integrated into the chassis of the netbook. The end result is the speakers produce weak sound that's good enough for basic web browsing and online chats but doesn't provide a satisfying entertainment experience.

The best possible audio performance with this netbook comes via the use of external speakers or headphones. The audio output from the headphone jack is quite good and provides excellent, distortion-free sound for headphones or external speakers.

Heat and Noise
The ultra low voltage VIA processor in last year's HP Mini-note 2133 generated far more heat than we typically expect from ultra low voltage processors. Temperatures on the new Mini 2140 are thankfully much, much more comfortable thanks to the use of the Intel Atom processor. Temperature readings taken from the outside of the aluminum and plastic chassis rarely spiked above 95 degrees Fahrenheit ... compared to well above 110 degrees Fahrenheit in the previous generation.

The cooling fan was usually running at low speed during our tests and rarely increased to full speed. Most of the time the fan can't be heard even in a perfectly quiet office environment ... unless you put your ear next to the fan exhaust.

Battery
Battery life with the 6-cell battery option was great for the average road warrior who needs to work on the go without wondering why they might plug in. In our test with the screen brightness set to 70%, wireless active, and XP set to the laptop/portable power profile the system stayed on for 5 hours and 26 minutes. If battery life is all that you are concerned about the ASUS Eee PC 1000HE got 7 hours and 36 minutes on its extended battery, but doesn’t include a higher resolution screen option.

Conclusion
The HP Mini 2140 is a very solid netbook that offers an amazing keyboard instead of something condensed that might be difficult to type on for extended periods of time. It wooed us last time we reviewed it, and it gets the same response again now that it offers a higher resolution screen. The other alternatives at this time for a comparable resolution screen is turning to the Sony VAIO P, at the starting cost of $899, or the Dell Mini 10 for $484 for similar configuration. Our big complaint with this model is the glossy plastic layer over the display, which adds glare and created a trap for dust. This is one cosmetic change that might look great on paper and in pictures, but in real life becomes more trouble than it's worth. Overall we were impressed with the excellent battery life, great build quality (except of the dust), and the starting price of $479 for the configuration we reviewed. If HP offered the Mini 2140 with a plain matte or glossy LCD, sans cover, this would be hands-down the best netbook money could buy. With the cover it is still an excellent netbook, but it loses some of its attractiveness.

Pros:

* Excellent keyboard
* Very good extended battery life
* Higher resolution

Cons:

* Glossy screen cover adds a lot of reflection
* Second screen layer can trap a ton of dust

Samsung N310 3G Mini netbook

Samsung Korea debuts with the N310 premium netbook in Korea. It is the winner of the international design award. The N310 looks like a curved-design finish like a pebble, without LCD display frame.

Let’s look inside. The N310 3G Mini netbook has a 10.1-inch LCD screen and is powered by an Intel Atom processor. Also it includes a 160GB hard drive and 1GB of RAM. Connection to the world is provided by Wi-Fi, HSDPA and WiBRO.

You will never run out of connectivity options. Also the N310 comes with 1.3 Megapixel camera, three USB ports and 3 in 1 memory card reader. The netbook is a little bit heavy - 1.23 kg. Also N310 can work up to 5 hours on the battery.

The N310 3G Mini netbook can be bought in Turkey Blue and Red Orange in Korea markets. The price of the netbook is near 620 USD.

Samsung NC20 Review

The Samsung NC20 is a 12.1" netbook and larger brother to the 10" NC10. The NC20 offers a larger nearly-full-size keyboard, large 6-cell battery, WXGA resolution display, and the VIA Nano platform. Since the last VIA-based netbook in our office was the Everex CloudBook with less than stellar performance, the biggest thought on our minds is if the VIA Nano can compete against the trusted Intel Atom platform. In this review we see how well it compares against its netbook brethren, and if it changes our thoughts about VIA processors in notebooks.

Samsung NC20 Specifications:

* 1.30GHz VIA Nano ULV U2250 (800MHz FSB, 1MB L2 Cache)
* 1GB DDR2 SDRAM (2GB Max)
* Windows XP Pro w/ SP3 (Ships with Windows XP Home)
* 12.1" WXGA LED-Backlit Widescreen Glossy Display (1280x800)
* 160GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive
* VIA Chrome9 HC3 Integrated Graphics
* 802.11b/g and Bluetooth
* 3-in-1 card reader
* 6-Cell Li-ion battery
* Dimensions: (LxWxH) 11.5 x 8.5 x 1.2
* Weight: 3lbs 5.8oz (4lbs 3.4oz travel weight)
* Price as configured: $549

Build and Design
The design of the Samsung NC20 is very clean with a consistent color scheme inside and outside the netbook with a thin border of chrome around the edges. The pearlescent white on our review sample has the same almost-dirty appearance that the original ASUS Eee PC 701 had. I think a pure white looks better or even better would be going all black. The black configuration of the NC20 looks stunning from the samples I have seen and if I were buying one that would be my only choice.

Build quality is above average with durable feeling plastic throughout the body. Flex is minimal on the lower half of the notebook, usually an added perk of having such a thin frame packed with components. Flex under the keyboard structure is non-existent which adds a level of quality that you notice while typing. The screen lid has some minor flex that when squeezed shows some distortion on the panel.

User upgrades to the NC20 are limited to swapping out the RAM or hard drives. Samsung has a single panel on the bottom of the it that gives quick access to the hard drive bay and single memory slot. No “warranty void if removed” stickers were over the cover or screws.

Display
The 12.1” WXGA display on the Samsung NC20 is above average compared to most notebooks. The LED-backlighting is very even across the screen with barely any backlight bleed around the edges. Image quality is excellent thanks to the glossy surface, with vibrant colors and nice contrast levels. Vertical viewing angles are average with a narrow viewing sweet spot where colors are not washing out or inverted. Horizontal viewing angles are better, staying true at steeper angles. Screen backlight brightness was good for viewing in a bright office setting, but you would be pushing the limits trying to use the NC20 outdoors on a sunny day.

Keyboard and Touchpad
The Samsung NC20 has an almost-full-size keyboard that is comfortable to type on and very easy to transition to from larger notebooks. Compared to other netbooks the keyboard is very good, but notebooks still have an edge on it. Business notebooks in the 12-inch form factor have been able to incorporate completely full-size keyboards, but they are generally higher priced. Individual key action is smooth with no sound emitted when clicked. The ability to type covertly in a quiet classroom or office meeting could easily be added as another feature.

The NC20 offers a Synaptics touchpad that is nicely sized for a netbook. Measuring in at 2.75" x 1.63" it is larger than the touchpad on my Lenovo ThinkPad. The surface texture is a fine matte finish that is smooth to slide your finger across even if your hands are moist. Sensitivity is excellent once adjusted, since the default driver settings put the "PalmCheck" adjustment at max, which made movement very twitchy. The touchpad buttons are controlled through a bridged button that connected the left and right side. Feedback from it is shallow with a mild click noise when pressed.

Ports and Features
Port selection is average compared to most netbooks on the market, offering three USB ports, VGA, LAN, audio jacks, and a 3-in-1 multi-card reader. With the increased real estate of the 12.1” frame I think Samsung could have easily fit an additional USB port on without any problems.

Samsung includes an imitation-suede netbook sleeve with the NC20. It works very well to keep the netbook smudge and scratch-free during transportation, but does little to pad it from impacts. I like the suede appearance of it more than the neoprene slip cases, which have that Spandex-vibe.

Performance
Compared to the last VIA-equipped netbook in our office the VIA Nano was a huge improvement. System performance of the NC20 was in-line with the Intel Atom platform, above in some areas and below in others. Day-to-day use the system handled tasks like web browsing or typing documents with ease. Entertainment use was limited to older games or less tasking modern games with the integrated graphics. Standard definition videos played smoothly without any hint of lag, but when you try to play HD movies the limits of the processor were noticed. Standard 720p x264 content played at 15-17FPS on scenes with little motion, but slowed down to 5-10FPS under panning or action. With enough tweaking HD content might be playable at full frame rates, but you would have to ask yourself if it would be worth it. In our synthetic benchmarks the VIA Nano platform scored lower in wPrime and PCMark05, but slightly higher under 3DMark06. Still nowhere near as fast as a full-size notebook with integrated graphics though.

Speakers
Audio performance was limited by the small size of the drivers located on the bottom of the NC20. Bass and midrange were completely lacking and peak volume levels were under similarly sized notebooks. For viewing YouTube clips or watching streaming TV shows this might not be a problem, but I would still highly recommend a nice pair of headphones.

Battery
Battery life was good compared to most notebooks, but when compared to the latest netbooks like the ASUS Eee PC 1000HE, it was hindered by the larger screen. The Samsung NC20 with the processor set to adaptive, screen brightness set to about 70%, and wireless active managed 5 hours and 55 minutes before it went into standby at 4% remaining. A larger battery would definitely improve the runtime, but then you would have to deal with an extended battery sticking out the bottom of the notebook to allow the screen to still pivot.

Heat and Noise
Thermal performance is normal compared to other small netbooks, where the body tends to warm up over time, and develop some hot spots under heavy use. Under light activity temperatures around the palmrest and bottom of the notebook were within reasonable levels and very lap friendly. The left side of the palmrest was higher than the rest, which might be explained by a wireless card located in that region. Fan noise was minimal when browsing the web, but when you tasked the processor it would ramp up to whisper levels.

Conclusion
The 12.1" Samsung NC20 is a netbook that is just on the fringe of being the same size as regular notebooks. It offers a large keyboard, higher resolution screen than most netbooks, and long battery life that you would expect from a ULV platform. With a retail price of $549 it is set to compete against the Dell Mini 12 and HP Pavilion dv2. Overall we were pleased with the performance from the VIA Nano platform, which was a massive step up from the lackluster performance of the older C7 we saw in the Everex CloudBook. My only complaint with our review sample was it not being the much better looking black model, but that can be easily fixed by buying that version instead.

Pros:

* Nice display
* Keyboard is excellent for a netbook
* Modest battery life
* Great performance from a VIA platform

Cons:

* Poor speaker performance

HP announced redesigned Pavilion dv3t notebook

HP announced a mild redesign of the Pavilion dv3t notebook. Now it is HP’s lightest Intel home notebook. It is 4.9 pounds and has 13.3-inch screen.

The Pavilion dv3t can use up to a 2.66 GHz Core 2 Duo. Also it has options for 8GB of RAM and dedicated GeForce 105M G video. Operation time has suffered. Now the notebook will run up to 4.25 hours (with wireless off) on the stock battery and up to 7 hours on an extended 9-cell pack, both thanks in part to an LED-backlit display.

An entry version of Pavilion dv3t starts at 799 USD. It comes with 2GHz Core 2 Duo, 2GB of RAM and 250 GB hard drive. Also it has a DVD burner and Intel’s GMA 4500MHD for video. There are few features which come with all model. For example, HDMI output is present and provides getting video to an HDTV. Other features are 802.11n Wi-Fi, 500GB hard drive and Blu-ray. Also backlit keyboard and a higher-contrast LCD are included for gourmets.

Getac V100 Rugged Tablet Review

When it comes to making rugged notebooks and tablets, Getac is one of the most respected names in the business. As impressive as the fully rugged Getac V100 tablet might be at first glance, there's one thing that makes this tablet really special ... a screen rated at 1,200 nits brightness! By comparison, a good notebook screen might only be rated as a 250 nit screen. We're talking about a rugged tablet that can not only be used in the middle of the desert, but that has a screen you can still read when the desert sun is beating down from above. Read on to see how well the Getac V100 holds up against our testing.

Getac V100 Rugged Tablet Specifications:

* Processor: 1.2GHz (ULV) Intel Core 2 Duo Processor U7600
* Memory: 1GB DDR2 (expandable to 2GB)
* Storage: 120GB hard disk drive, removable, shock-mounted
* Display: 10.4-inch XGA (1024 x 768) TFT Touchscreen LCD with digitizer and 1,200 nits brightness
* Graphics: Intel 945GMS, 128MB shared memory
* Operating System: Microsoft Windows XP Tablet PC
* Expansion Slots: PCMCIA Type II x 2 or Type III x 1
* Memory Card Reader: SD card reader
* Smart Card Reader: Optional smart card reader (occupies one PCMCIA type-II slot)
* Communication: 10/100/1000 base-T ethernet, 56K ITU V.92 modem, Intel PRO/Wireless 3945 a/b/g, Bluetooth (v2.0+EDR class 2), Optional GPS (either GPS or webcam), Optional EV-DO/GSM/GPRS/EDGE/UMTS/WCDMA/HSDPA
* Security: TPM 1.2, Kensington lock
* Battery: 11.1v 7800mAh
* Weight: 4.9 lbs. (2.2 kg) including battery
* Dimensions: 11.2 x 8.7 x 1.9 inches (285 x 222 x 49 mm)
* Evironmental Spec:
o Operating temp: 0°C to 55°C / 32°F to 131°F
o (Optional low temperature: -20°C / -4°F)
o Storage temp: -40°C to 70°C / -40°F to 158°F
o Humidity: 5% to 95% RH, non-condensing
* MSRP: $3,550

Build and Design
The design of the Getac V100, like virtually all fully rugged notebooks is extremely boxy. There's nothing "consumer friendly" about this design. The V100 means business, and the magnesium alloy construction and rubber bumpers covering the edges are enough to strike fear in the hearts (or processors) of average notebooks. The V100 is almost twice as thick as a standard 12” notebook or tablet and a price tag to match it's rugged build.

At first glance it might look like the V100 is missing all its ports, but when you take a closer look you see that every external port has its own waterproof cap or door. This keeps dirt and moisture out when not in use, and also protects the fragile connectors in the event something might hit that area of the notebook when the tablet is dropped. The only potential negative to having all the ports covered in this way is that you have to move the port covers out of the way every time you need to plug something into the tablet.

The bottom of the V100--where you might expect to see easily replaceable components like a battery-you find access panels held in place with large screws and more weather-sealed doors. The docking station connector is hidden behind a sliding door and even the battery and hard drive are protected by rugged metal doors with hinges on the side of the tablet.

When we describe the Getac V100 as "fully rugged" we don't expect average consumers to understand that this convertible notebook is built with MIL-STD 810F and IP54 compliance. What should be easy to grasp is the fact that the V100 features a full magnesium alloy chassis, sealed ports and connectors, a shock-protected removable hard drive, a is overall vibration and drop-shock resistant.

The durability of the screen on the V100 is quite impressive. Not only are the back of the screen and screen bezel impact resistant, but the screen itself can withstand a direct impact from a fist (or the edge of a table as you drop the tablet) without any damage.

One minor problem with the design of the V100 is the integrated carrying handle. The handle seems to be more of a last-minute addition to the V100 rather than a fully integrated handle like what we see on the Getac B300 rugged notebook. The loose nylon strap and metal retention clips just hang off the front edge of the notebook. To make matters worse the metal clips started to wear some of the matte black paint off of the tablet next to where the clips connected to the chassis. Despite the fact that a fully rugged notebook needs to have a handle we would rather have a sturdy handle built into the design of the tablet (at the expense of size and weight).

Display
The screen on our review unit of the Getac V100 Rugged Convertible Notebook is a 10.4” touchscreen with 1024 x 768 resolution that is bright enough to be easily read outside under bright sunlight. Getac also offers the V100 with a 12.4" widescreen display. Colors are bright, but have a washed out look due to the combination of the touchscreen surface and an amazingly strong backlight. As listed in the specs, the V100 includes a screen with a backlight rated at 1,200 nits brightness. To put that in perspective, many of the giant displays in New York's Time Square are rated at 1,500 nits. Unfortunately, one negative side effect of having the 1,200 nit screen option is that the minimum screen brightness is still quite high. Even if you turn the screen brightness down to the lowest setting it is still brighter than many standard notebook screens at nearly maximum brightness.

Performance and Benchmarks
The V100 has an Intel U7600 Core 2 Duo Merom processor, running at 1.2GHz. This might sound unusually slow compared to the latest notebooks and tablets on the market, but the V100 uses a sealed chassis that is passively cooled. Any excess heat is dissipated through the metal chassis and not through a vent.

The V100 might not shatter any benchmark records, but it's still more than powerful enough to handle regular work in Microsoft Office, do some light Photoshop editing, or browse the web and respond to emails in the middle of a combat zone. Bottom line, you don't buy a V100 for the fastest performance ... you buy it because it can keep working in just about any environment.

We also decided to benchmark the video and graphics performance of the V100 with 3DMark06 just for the sake of running a complete suite of tests. The V100 produced a 3DMark06 score of only 107 ... an extremely low score, but that is to be expected from all tablets in this class.

Wireless
Wireless performance on this rugged notebook was average, losing a connection to wireless access points at roughly the same distance as other notebooks. That said, it's hard to complain considering the range of connectivity options that the V100 offers; everything from a modem to GPS and EV-DO/GSM/GPRS/EDGE/UMTS/WCDMA/HSDPA broadband.

Heat and Noise
Since the V100 is a passive cooled notebook the only noise you can hear is the faint seeking of the hard drive inside or the system chimes coming from the built-in speaker.

Heat is minimal at worst, even without active cooling. Like most passively cooled rugged notebooks, the entire chassis structure acts as a gigantic heatsink, evenly spreading the heat around inside. Even after stressful benchmarks the tablet's external temperatures stayed between 87 and 93 degrees Fahrenheit.

Battery
Battery performance was less than impressive, but it's safe to say that the lower-than-expected battery life is due to the insanely bright display. Again, having a screen rated at 1,200 nits is like looking into a spotlight ... a spotlight powered by the tablet's battery. With the screen set to the minimum brightness setting (still brighter than a 250-nit screen at maximum brightness) the V100 ran for just a little more than 4 hours. When you cranked the screen up to maximum for use outside, battery life was less than 2 hours with the 7800mAh battery in our review unit. In the interest of full disclosure, it's worth mentioning that we were never able to get the battery in our review unit to register a full charge (the maximum charge ended up being somewhere between 90 percent and 96 percent), so actual user results may vary. Still, spare batteries are probably a good idea for those who need longer battery life.

Conclusion
As a ruggedized convertible notebook, the Getac V100 is an exceptionally strong choice. Granted, you can find tablets with better processor and graphics performance for less money, but none of those cheaper tablets can withstand the daily abuse the the V100 will take in stride. Toss this tablet at a brick wall and the only thing that might be damaged is the brick wall.

At the end of the day, if you need a rugged tablet with a screen that's so bright you can see it from outer space then the Getac V100 is probably the perfect choice for you. The pen, screen rotation, and handle present some minor headaches, but this is still a very impressive tablet if you've got that budget to support a fully rugged convertible notebook.

Pros:

* Cool and silent
* Rugged and waterproof design
* Sunlight readable LCD ... extremely sunlight readable

Cons:

* No pen silo or retention clip
* Screen orientation can only be set in three of four directions
* The 1,200-nit screen option means the minimum screen brightness is still very bright
* Poor carrying handle design
* Expensive

HP Pavilion dv3510nr Review

The Pavilion dv3510nr is an attractive 13.3" multimedia notebook from HP, offered in both Intel and AMD configurations. In this review we take a look at the Intel version of this notebook, packed with an Intel Core 2 Duo processor, NVIDIA 9300M GS dedicated graphics, 4GB of DDR2 memory, and a 320GB hard drive. Retailing for $999, HP has it priced to compete with the Dell XPS M1330 and other mobile notebooks in the $1,000 price range. Is the high price worth it? Take a look at our review to find out.

Our review unit of the HP Pavilion dv3510nr was purchased at a Best Buy retail store and features the following specifications:

* 2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Processor P7350 (1066MHz FSB, 3MB Cache)
* 4GB DDR2 SDRAM (2GB x 2GB)
* Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit with Service Pack 1
* 13.3" WXGA High-Definition HP LED BrightView Widescreen Display (1280x800)
* 320GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive
* NVIDIA GeForce 9300M GS with 512MB VRAM
* Intel 5100 802.11a/b/g/n wireless and Bluetooth
* 5-in-1 card reader
* Lightscribe SuperMulti 8x DVD+/-R/RW with Double Layer Support
* Backlit Keyboard
* 6-Cell 55Wh Li-ion battery
* Dimensions: (LxWxH) 12.6 x 8.9 x 1.2-1.4"
* Weight: 4.8lbs
* Price as configured: $999

Build and Design
The Pavilion dv3510nr shares the same classic look and feel as the rest of the HP Pavilion lineup, with smooth edges and its shapely contoured chassis. The color scheme uses the HP Imprint finish, a durable glossy finish that is resistant to scratches and other blemishes. The Imprint Finish on the dv3 offers an attractive bronze or ash gold color that is shared with the outer cover, palmrest, and keyboard for a consistent look and feel.

While the design looks great, this laptop is not without its flaws. The build quality of our dv3510nr review unit was not as good as other HP Pavilion notebooks we've reviewed ... in large part due to a squeaky chassis and uneven keyboard. The keyboard tray was bowed upwards on the left side of the notebook with the top layer of keys separating from the backlight. The two layers were supposed to be held together with adhesive but the glue failed. Each time you pressed in that section of the keyboard the layers would squish together and put off a sound similar to a pair of stickers being pulled apart. We were not impressed to say the least. Internally the cause of the bowed keyboard section traced back to rubber padding used to hold the wireless antenna in place, but these rubber pieces were slightly thicker than the space allowed. This pushed up on the keyboard, stressing the layers until the adhesive failed. Other parts of the chassis felt weak and the plastics would squeak while you carried the notebook around.

Display
The 13.3" LED backlit display was average when compared with other notebooks equipped with TN panels. Colors were bright and vibrant inside the viewing "sweet spot" and contrast was excellent with the glossy finish. The screen was bright enough to stand out in an office setting, but would be difficult to view outdoors unless it was overcast or later in the afternoon. Viewing angles were limited to a narrow viewing sweet spot, quickly distorting as you moved out to steeper horizontal or vertical angles.

Keyboard and Touchpad
Outside of the issues described in the build quality section the keyboard on the dv3 was actually pretty nice. The keys felt solid and weighted, with barely any wiggle if you moved your fingers across the surface. Individual key presses gave off a mild click, not loud, but a step above stealth typing. The keyboard had good support with little flex, a benefit of the thicker design needed for the backlit keys. The backlight adequately illuminated the keys and was bright enough to type in a poorly lit room, but not blind you in the process. The backlight was triggered on or off by pressing FN+spacebar, with no varying levels in-between.

The dv3510nr uses an ALPS touchpad which worked adequately during our testing. Lag was minimal with a quick response time, but sensitivity could be improved. Part of the sensitivity problem relates to the glossy touchpad surface which requires a firm touch, but if you press too hard your finger doesn’t slide well across the surface. The touchpad buttons were large and gave moderate feedback with a shallow throw.

Ports and Features
Port selection on the dv3510nr was above average for a notebook of this size, offering three USB ports total, an eSATA/USB combo port, VGA, HDMI, modem, LAN, audio jacks, and IR for the multimedia remote. It was nice to see a combo port included on the notebook, as some manufactures waste space by using a standard eSATA port. It's also worth mentioning that HP decided to remove the dedicated port used for the HP xb4 docking station, so you'll have to use a less-capable generic USB docking station if you want to use the dv3510nr with desktop accessories.

The complete list of ports includes:

* 5-in-1 integrated Digital Media Reader for Secure Digital cards, MultiMedia cards, Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro, or xD Picture cards
* 3 USB 2.0 ports (including one USB/eSATA combo port)
* 1 VGA
* 1 HDMI
* 1 RJ-11 (modem)
* 1 RJ -45 (LAN)
* 2 headphone-out
* 1 microphone-in
* 1 Consumer IR (For remote)

Performance
System performance was excellent for a 13.3" notebook, handling multimedia tasks with ease thanks to the NVIDIA 9300M GS dedicated graphics. Gaming could be handled with some tweaking to lessen the burden of the gaming engine on the fairly low-end graphics chipset. The dv3 was quite at home decoding HD content, outputting 720p and 1080p signals through the HDMI port with digital audio. Daily tasks like typing a document or browsing the web were no problem for the 2.0GHz Intel P7350 Core 2 Duo processor, showing no lag switching between programs. A 7200rpm drive would have been a good upgrade, but most people probably wouldn’t notice the difference unless they were running disk-intensive applications.

Speakers and Audio
The HP dv3510nr includes Altec Lansing speakers, but beyond branding we didn’t notice any considerable difference compared to other notebooks of this size. Peak volume levels were fine for a small or medium size room. Sound quality was average, with low and midrange frequencies lacking. Overall they are fine for day-to-day use, but if you want to really enjoy a movie use headphones or a stereo connected through HDMI.

Battery
Our configuration includes a standard 6-cell battery, though a 9-cell battery is optional. With the screen brightness set to 70%, wireless active, and Windows Vista set to the "Balanced" power profile the dv3510nr managed 3 hours and 9 minutes of battery life.

Heat and Noise
Thermal performance was very good, with the notebook able to keep its cool after being powered on for extended periods of time. In our tests the left side palmrest warmed up more than the right side by about 10 degrees, which might be explained by the wireless card located on that side. The bottom had a peak of 94 degrees Fahrenheit, putting it into the warm category but not too hot.

Fan noise is minimal under normal activity, where the processor isn't under any significant load. As the system warms up if you are encoding video, ripping music, or gaming the fan noise gets louder up but is still within reasonable levels. In a lecture hall the only person who might notice is someone sitting next to you.

Conclusion
The HP Pavilion dv3510nr could be an impressive notebook given its features which include an Intel Core 2 Duo processor, NVIDIA 9300M GS graphics, and backlit keyboard inside a 13.3” chassis. What we got was a notebook that had some quality control issues, with a bowed, separating keyboard and a squeaky, flexible chassis. For almost $1,000 we expect a higher level of quality for a notebook. If the cost of the dv3510nr was between $500 and $600 some of the problems could be overlooked. On that note, HP currently offers the AMD-equipped dv3z for $679.99 if you are looking for an alternative to the Intel configuration.

Bottom line, the HP Pavilion dv3510nr excells in terms of design and features, but falls short when it comes to build quality. If you enjoy the overall looks of this model, I would recommend checking out the dv2 or dv4 which share a similar design but offer superior fit and finish.

Pros:

* Good performance and dedicated graphics for a 13.3” notebook
* Backlit keyboard
* Nice design and color scheme

Cons:

* Poor fit and finish
* Bowed keyboard

HP Pavilion dv2 Review

The newest 12-inch notebook from HP is no ordinary ultra-portable laptop. Featuring the new AMD Athlon Neo processor, the HP Pavilion dv2 promises to bridge the gap between low-performance netbooks and higher-priced ultra-portable notebooks. This thin and light laptop can handle 1080p Blu-ray movies or even get you to the next level of your favorite video game. But at a price of $750, will consumers buy this instead of a $300 netbook?

Our HP Pavilion dv2 (dv2-1030us) features the following specifications:

* 1.6GHz AMD Athlon Neo Processor MV-40
* 4GB PC2-6400 DDR2 SDRAM 666MHz (1 Dimm)
* Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit with Service Pack 1
* 12.1" WXGA High-Definition HP LED BrightView Widescreen Display (1280x800)
* 320GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive
* ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3410 Graphics (512MB)
* 802.11a/b/g/n wireless and Bluetooth
* 5-in-1 card reader
* External Lightscribe SuperMulti 8x DVD+/-R/RW with Double Layer Support
* 6-Cell Li-ion battery
* Dimensions: 11.50 in (L) x 9.45 in (D) x 0.93 in (min H) / 1.29 in (max. H)
* Weight: 3.95 lbs (with 6-cell battery)
* Price as configured: $749

Build and Design
The design of the Pavilion dv2 is brand new for HP and features the AMD "Yukon" platform designed specifically for ultrathin laptops. The body of the dv2 is smooth with rounded edges, making it extremely comfortable in your hand while carrying it around. The design is compact, but the overall footprint is almost as wide as a 13-inch notebook because of the bezel around the keyboard and screen. The screen also sports a latchless design, making it easy to open the notebook with one hand. Although the lid lacks any latch to keep it held shut, the hinges feel nice and strong, keeping the lid secure. Pressing firmly onto the back of the screen cover will produce some ripples on the screen ... but you must apply significant pressure to cause this.

What might look like a giant beefy hinge for the 12-inch display is actually a standard 6-cell battery with a small hinge on either side of this thin and light laptop. The plastic covered, alloy-reinforced lid features a glossy black finish that looks subtle and stylish and doesn't scream "LOOK AT ME!" the way that the HP Imprint Finish does on most HP Pavilion notebooks.

The magnesium-aluminum alloy chassis is quite rigid and suffers from no flex or creaks even when twisted between my hands. Granted, this is due to the fact that the dv2 is less than one inch thick ... meaning there isn't much empty space inside the notebook for anything to bend under pressure. Bottom line, this notebook can survive the use and abuse from students who will toss it into a backpack every day for several years in a row.

In terms of upgradeability, the dv2 is much easier to upgrade than most netbooks and even some notebooks currently on the market. One panel provides access to the single RAM slot and a place for a Gobi WWAN card (available on custom configurations starting in June). Another panel gives you access to the Wi-Fi/Bluetooth card, and a final panel contains the hard drive. Although the dv2 provides easy access for upgrades, you won't be able to add more RAM to this notebook since it comes maxed out with a 4GB RAM module.

Keyboard and Touchpad
Most low-priced, full-size notebooks currently on the market feature poorly built keyboards that show significant flex/bounce when typing pressure is applied. This isn't the case with the dv2 thanks in large part to the ultrathin chassis design. There simply isn't space inside the notebook for the keyboard to flex or bounce.

Each key press has the perfect amount of resistance with soft, quiet clicks. The keys are accurate and responsive and I enjoyed typing on this keyboard. The overall size of the keyboard looks virtually identical to what we've seen on other 12-inch notebooks from HP ... and that's a good thing. This keyboard is much nicer than what is featured on most netbooks. The keys are easy to read and are a good size ... except for the top row of Function keys which are a little too small and not particularly easy to press without hitting another key by mistake.

The touchpad is an ALPS model and feels very responsive with little lag. The entire touchpad surface is made of a high gloss plastic, and can sometimes be hard to use depending on how dry or oily your fingertip happens to be. The surface needs to collect some of your finger's natural oils to allow for easy movement on the touchpad. While the reflective touchpad surface looks cool HP probably would have been better off using the same type of textured touchpad surface used on the HP Pavilion tx2500 and TouchSmart tx2. The touchpad buttons are in a great location and are easy to control with your thumb. The buttons provide mild feedback with a shallow movement that gives an audible click when pressed.

Display
The 12.1" WXGA glossy widescreen display features LED backlighting and is bright and vibrant with excellent colors for viewing images or movies. Contrast seems a little better than what we've seen on the larger 14-inch screens on the HP Pavilion dv4, but blacks aren't quite as deep as we would like to see. The 1280 x 800 resolution is significantly more than what you get on the average netbook screen and is the perfect match for a 12-inch screen.

Viewing angles are average with limited vertical viewing angles that give you a sweet spot of +/- 15 degrees. Horizontal viewing angles are much better with colors staying true even out to very wide angles. Brightness levels are more than adequate for viewing in a bright office setting. Sunlight readability is limited, but as long as the sun isn't shining directly at the glossy screen the dv2 is perfectly usable outside on a table at a coffee shop.

Ports and Features
The HP Pavilion dv2 comes equipped with most of the ports you need, including three USB ports and a media card reader. While three USB ports might not sound like a lot, that's the same number of ports found on most 13-inch and 14-inch notebooks. The other thing to keep in mind is that the dv2 is between 0.93 and 1.29 inches thick. Some ultrathin notebooks like the Apple MacBook Air only have a single USB port. The really impressive thing to mention here is the addition of a HDMI port for connecting video and audio to an external monitor or HDTV.

We would have liked to see at least one USB/eSATA combo port and possibly even a docking station connector on this notebook, but given the ultrathin form factor and $750 price point we can forgive these omissions. One thing worth mentioning is that the HP website claims the dv2-1030us configuration of the dv2 doesn't include Bluetooth. However, our review unit does indeed include Bluetooth and several new dv2 owners in our discussion forums also report that the dv2-1030us inlcudes Bluetooth. That said, here's a quick tour of the sides:

Performance
HP offers the Pavilion dv2 with the new AMD Athlon Neo 64-bit processor. This single-core processor is bassically a scaled-down version of AMD's current 65nm notebook processors with a lower TDP (15 watts) which means this notebook shouldn't get as hot on your lap and should last a little longer on battery power. While the power consumption of the new Athlon Neo isn't as low as the Intel Atom, it's clear from our synthetic benchmarks that the 1.6GHz AMD Athon Neo is faster than the 1.6GHz Intel Atom. Likewise, the processor inside the dv2 can encode video or run Photoshop filters in a fraction of the time it takes the Intel Atom processor to perform the same task.

The only time the Athlon Neo processor seemed noticeably slower than a low-voltage Intel Core 2 Duo processor was when we attempted to launch multiple applications at the same time. Multitasking in this way generally created a delay of a few seconds, but the delay was never severe enough to cause problems.

Not only does the dv2 run 64-bit Windows Vista with ease, but it's packed with a full 4GB of system RAM in a single DIMM module. That's four times the amount of RAM you get in a netbook! The 320GB Western Digital Scorpio Blue hard drive also gives you plenty of storage for a full entertainment library. As great as all that sounds, the big news with this laptop is the availability of discrete graphics thanks to the new ATI Radeon HD 3410 graphics and 512MB of dedicated memory.

While it's true that a few netbooks (such as the ASUS N10) offer discrete graphics, the reality is that the Intel Atom platform lacks the muscle to truly take advantage of discrete graphics when playing games ... at least based on the netbooks we've reviewed so far. Our own lab tests confirm that Atom-based netbooks with dedicated graphics cards only perform marginally better than Atom-based netbooks with integrated graphics when playing games. This is yet another reason that the dv2 should be labeled as a notebook rather than a netbook. For the first time ever consumers have a low-cost ultra-portable that offers flawless 1080p video playback and can even play many 3D video games at reasonable frame rates!

The dv2 was able to play Bioshock at 1280 x 800 resolution at 12-30 frames per second with detail settings at medium and at 24-40fps with detail settings at low. Likewise, the dv2 can handle Unreal Tournament III at 1280 x 800 and keep frame rates in the low to mid 30s. A newer title like Left 4 Dead only managaes around 10fps, but that's still pretty impressive. Notebooks equipped with Intel integrated graphics just can't handle games like that.

The dv2 is at least several hundred dollars less expensive than other thin and light 12-inch notebooks that offer similar or superior processor performance and lower quality graphics, so it's hard to find serious fault with the dv2 in the performance department.

External Optical Drive
Another important feature to consider with the dv2 is the external Lightscribe SuperMulti drive. Power and data are handled over a single USB connection so you only have to sacrifice a single USB port on the dv2 when the drive is connected. In the coming months HP will also make an identical Blu-ray drive available to consumers as well. The Blu-ray drive (which was included with our review unit) allows you to take full advantage of the the dv2's ability to handle 1080p content over the HDMI port.

Keep in mind that the pre-configured dv2-1030us version of the dv2 only ships with a standard LightScribe SuperMulti DVD drive. The Blu-ray drive will not be available until May or June when the dv2 shows up on the custom order page on the HP website. The cost of the Blu-ray drive is not known at the time of this writing.

Regardless of whether you're playing a DVD or a Blu-ray disc, the most important thing is that it works ... without complications. The HP MediaSmart software that comes pre-installed on the dv2 instantly recognizes when we insert a DVD or Blu-ray movie into the drive and begins playing with a single click. This type of ease of use makes the Pavilion dv2 an excellent choice for college students who need a mobile entertainment center.

Speakers and Audio
The speakers on the dv2 are pretty impressive for a thin and light 12-inch notebook. The two Altec Lansing stereo speakers located on the front edge of the netbook produce fantastic volume levels with minimal distortion and acceptable range. However, it's worth complaining about the less-than-ideal placement.

Since the speakers are located on the front edge of the notebook the sound isn't being directed up and toward the user when the dv2 is used as a laptop. In fact, our staff usually refers to laptop speakers with this type of placement as "crotch speakers" because the speakers are directing sound to your lap rather than your ears. Given the compact design of the dv2 there weren't many other places for the speakers to go unless HP made them smaller, but we'd like to see a different speaker location on next year's model. Nevertheless, the speakers sounds great if you're using the dv2 on a desk.

The headphone jack on the dv2 works well with the two different brands of earphones I used during the test. No static or other noise was noticed through the jack besides imperfections in the audio source itself. The other benefit to having an HDMI port on the dv2 is that you can connect this video/audio port to an HDTV and home entertainment system speakers as well.

Heat and Noise
Nothing spoils a great notebook like heat. A "laptop" needs to keep external temperatures under control so it can be used on a lap. Unfortunately, notebooks equipped with AMD processors typically run just a little hotter than notebooks with Intel processors. Thankfully the new AMD Athlon Neo processor keeps heat under wraps.

The hottest spot on this netbook was the area around the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth card ... meaning AMD deserves some credit for the lower thermal output of the the new Yukon platform. The external temperature readings below (listed in degrees Fahrenheit) were recorded while browsing the Web and running two HDTune tests in a row after approximately 30 minutes of use:

In terms of noise, our review unit of the dv2 remained quiet during the testing period ... even during the synthetic benchmark tests. When the system was stressed during our review the internal cooling fan kicked into high gear, but the fan noise was barely noticeable.

Battery
Under normal use, backlight at 50 percent and using wireless for web browsing and Vista set to "Power Saver" mode, the 6-cell battery managed to deliver four hours and 12 minutes of battery life. This is pretty good for a $750 ultra-portable notebook, but the ASUS Eee PC 1000HE netbook was able to deliver almost nine and a half hours of battery life with similar settings. If you switch to the "High Performance" mode in Windows Vista and boost the screen brightness to maximum then the battery life of the HP Pavilion dv2 drops to a modest two hours and 24 minutes.

Conclusion
I started this review with an important question, "at a price of $750, will consumers buy this instead of a $300 netbook?" The answer is, yes ... or at least I hope so.

The HP Pavilion dv2 satisfies an important need that low-cost netbooks never could. When netbooks originally hit the market at the end of 2007 every notebook industry analyst was certain that netbook sales would cannibalize the notebook market. Why would consumers buy a regular laptop if they can buy a $300 netbook? What ended up happening is that 95% of consumers who purchased a netbook purchased a netbook in addition to a notebook. Netbooks are great for travel but just don't have the performance and features needed to replace a regular laptop for most consumers.

The HP Pavilion dv2 is thin and light enough that it can replace a netbook, and it has enough performance to replace a full-size notebook. The only people who might need more performance are extreme gamers and people who need extreme processor speed and multiple cores for multitasking work like encoding two or more video formats simultaneously.

If you want to connect your laptop to your HDTV and watch 1080p video, the dv2 can handle it. If you want to edit high-resolution images in Photoshop while you're on vacation, the dv2 can handle it. If you want to play new video games and don't need extreme detail and frame rates, the dv2 can handle that too.