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Sony Unveils the VAIO C Series Laptops

2011-02-25T19:35:00.000+05:30

Today Sony announced the new VAIO C lineup of entertainment notebooks, each equipped with a second generation Intel Core i5 processor. Select models will come built with a Blu-ray player drive with HD video playback and DVD/CD read/write and a 1GB AMD Radeon 6630 hybrid graphics card.
A glowing light will run around the edges of the neon-colored notebooks, and also around the VAIO logo and the touchpad. Each model will also feature a backlit keyboard. The 14-inch VAIO CA and 15-inch VAIO CB series will be available in neon orange and green, white, and black. Both notebooks will have LED backlit widescreen displays with 1080p resolution.
Each model will also come with three quick-launch buttons on the keyboard: one button to launch media applications, one for Sony VAIO Care, and another to quickly launch your web browser.
Each notebook will have both an HD camera with an Exmor sensor; according to Sony, the camera will work well even when the lighting is low in the room. The camera also includes face-tracking technology (when you move, it moves).
Sony Imagination Studio Suite 2: VAIO Edition Features (included)

Vegas Movie Studio Platinum, film-editing software
Acid Music Studio, audio-editing/mixing software
Adobe Acrobat Standard
"Remote keyboard" option -- pair the VAIO C keyboard and touchpad with other Sony devices wirelessly

The VAIO C 14-inch and 15-inch models are expected to be a direct competitor to other similar-sized consumer notebooks such as the popular Dell Inspiron 14R and 15R.

The VAIO C series will be available for pre-sale on March 13, 2011 through Sony's online store at an MSRP starting at $880.

Motorola i335 (Nextel)

2011-02-25T19:30:00.000+05:30

It's been so long since we've reviewed a Nextel cell phone (the last was the Motorola i580 in July 2006) that we almost forgot they existed. In the wake of the 2005 Next/Sprint merger, the carrier announced it was phasing out iDEN-only models in favor of dual-mode handsets like the Motorola ic902 and ic502. But with its new Motorola i335, iDEN is back. Sporting Nextel markings only (you won't find "Sprint" anywhere on the handset or its packaging), the i335 combines traditional Nextel design with a dose of modern style. Its candy bar body is tough and durable, but the i335 is the thinnest Nextel handset to date. It lacks a camera, but of course it offers Nextel's standard array of push-to-talk (PTT) services. The i335 will put a crimp in your wallet if you pay full price ($249), but you can get it for as low as $49.99 with service if you buy it online. To find accessories for this phone, see our cell phone ringtones and accessories guide.
Design
Nextel loyalists will be pleased to know that the Motorola i335 has everything they've come to love in cell phone design. The sturdy candy bar model looks like it could take quite a beating, and the interface, while far from flashy, is functional and reliable. But as we mentioned earlier, the i335 is the first Nextel phone to make a play for the thin handset trend. At 4.7 inches by 1.8 inches by 0.5 inch, it sheds much of the bulk that plagued the carrier's earlier models though it remains slightly heavy at 3.7 ounces. The design succeeds not because it's fashionable, but rather because it's simple and practical. Clad in black with a few silver touches, it's unassuming as well.

Lenovo IdeaPad U260

2011-02-25T19:28:00.000+05:30

Processor: 1.33GHz Intel Core i5-470UM
Memory: 4GB RAM
Storage: 320GB hard drive
Optical Drive: None
Screen: 12.5 inches (1,366x768 native resolution)
Graphics: Integrated Intel GMA HD
Weight: 3.3 pounds
Dimensions (HWD): 0.8x12.5x8.1 inches
Operating System: Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)

With apologies to Cole Porter, if there were one word to best describe the design of the $999 Lenovo IdeaPad U260 ultraportable laptop, it would have to be “swellegant.” Its sturdy, lightweight design, combined with smart-looking features, makes the U260 a very attractive acquisition to anyone looking for a sharp, compact laptop. Factor in strong performance for an under-$1,000 ultra portable, and you’ve got the potential makings of a real winner for frequent-traveling business users or general consumers.

But all is not so swell in one crucial aspect of this lightweight laptop: the battery. The built-in four-cell battery in this IdeaPad delivered poor battery life on our tests, and Lenovo's sealed-chassis design doesn't allow users to swap out batteries. For serious road warriors who need to work for long stretches off the AC-power umbilical, that alone might be enough to dissuade them from falling for the U260’s good looks.

Design

Measuring only eight-tenths of an inch thick, the U260 is one of the thinnest laptops we’ve seen in a while—at the moment, bested by only a few models, like the 0.75-inch-thick Dell Vostro V130 ($808 direct, in our tested configuration) and Apple's insanely thin 2010 MacBook Air. At 3.3 pounds, the U260 is also easy to cart around, but it’s not the lightest ultra portable you’re going to come across—other offerings, such as the Toshiba Portégé R705-P41 ($939.99) and Acer Aspire TimelineX 1830T-68U118 ($899), are a hair lighter, at 3.2 pounds and 3.1 pounds, respectively.

The U260 is available in two colors: Mocha Brown and Clementine Orange. (We looked at the latter.) This splash of color covers the laptop lid and the bottom of the unit. Both sections are made of a magnesium-aluminum alloy, which has an almost rubbery touch. The laptop felt secure in our hands when we carried it (unlike some glossy models that seem as though they’ll easily slip through our fingers), and it was fairly impervious to fingerprint smudges. Sandwiched between the lid and the bottom of the laptop, a glossy black plastic strip runs around the front and sides of the U260, offering a stylish contrast.

Along the left side of the U260 are a USB 2.0 port, a headphone jack, a cable-locking security slot, and a Wi-Fi toggle switch. On the right side are a second USB 2.0 port, HDMI- and VGA-out ports, an Ethernet jack, and the AC power-adapter jack. With only two USB ports and no card-reader or PC Card slots, the U260’s physical-connectivity options are limited. Wireless connectivity is better, as the U260 comes equipped with Wi-Fi (in the 802.11b/g/n flavors) and a Blue tooth 2.1 + EDR radio.

We don’t usually go into detail about the bottom of a laptop, but in the case the U260, it bears mentioning. That's not because of what’s there, but because of what’s missing: user-accessible components. You can’t add more memory, and you can’t swap out the hard drive. But most important, you can’t remove the integrated four-cell lithium-polymer battery. When it comes to the U260’s battery life, what it gives is what you get—there’ll be no battery-swapping on long flights, like with Dell's Vostro V130. It was a deal-breaker on that notebook, and it’s a deal-breaker on this one, too, as far as we’re concerned.

Features

A unique feature of the U260 is its use of a 12.5-inch display. The U260 is, in fact, the first laptop to come to market with a 12.5-inch panel(although LG has promised that its forthcoming Xnote P210 notebook will also use a same-size display). Like many laptop screens, the U260’s 1,366x768 display is prone to catching distracting reflections—and this despite the screen’s antiglare coating. We also found that the U260’s display isn’t as bright as other ultrap ortable displays we’ve seen, which became evident when we watched some videos in a dark room.

Speaking of videos, if you want to watch movies on the U260, you’re going to have to either stream them or copy them to the laptop, as the U260 doesn’t come with an integrated optical drive. (The same goes for listening to music.) Also, for any movie-watching or music-listening you do with the U260, we recommend that you do so using headphones, as the unit’s speakers don’t get very loud and produce very tinny-sounding audio.

One of the U260’s features that we like a lot is its glass-coated, multi-touch touch pad. The slick surface helped make the pad very responsive to touch and movement. On the other hand, we found the dedicated left and right mouse buttons—which are positioned at the bottom of the touch pad—a bit too soft for our liking.

We also found the Chiclet-style keyboard a tad spongy, as well. Lenovo also shrank the width of some of the keys, such as the Tab and right-Shift keys, to get them to fit. Lenovo states that the keyboard is spill-resistant (we didn’t put this claim to the test) and that it’s a “breathable keyboard,” which allows air to flow through the keyboard and into the unit to help keep it cool. (We often found the bottom of the unit to be warm to the touch, but it never got hot.) Another feature we like is the U260’s textured wrist rest, which feels like buffed leather.

Canon Pixma MX360

2011-02-25T19:19:00.000+05:30

Price (at time of review): $79.99 (mfr. est.)

Print Technology: Color Inkjet
Interface(s): USB 2.0; Ethernet
Max. Paper Size: 8.5x11 inches
Max. Resolution (Color): 4,800x1,200dpi
Max Resolution (Monochrome): 4,800x1,200dpi
Scan Resolution: 1,200x2,400 dpi, ADF: 600x600 dpi
Automatic Document Feeder (ADF): Yes
LCD Size (Diagonal): 3 inches
Dimensions (HWD): 7.8x18.1x16.4 inches
Weight: 19.3 pounds

In the rash of sub-$100 inkjet all-in-one (AIO) printers that we’ve seen recently, there’s one thing we can say we’ve learned: You’re going to have to make trade-offs when buying a printer at this price point. So, if it’s a budget AIO you’re after, you need to know what’s important to your small or home office’s needs before you make a decision. Is a rich feature set important to you? Or would you rather have a unit that can churn out prints at lightning-fast speeds? Or is top-notch print quality your number-one goal? These are choices you’ll have to make with a budget printer that you might not have to make with a pricier model. In the case of the $79.99 Canon Pixma MX360, it may not be the fastest printer in the race, but it offers a nice feature set for SOHO environments, as well as quality document and photo output. Budget-minded small or home offices that value features and quality of output over speed will want to give this AIO a good look.

Design

The Pixma MX360 is a gray plastic box with a moderate footprint (7.8 inches tall, 18.1 inches wide, and 16.4 inches deep). Weighing just over 19 pounds, the construction is solid, although the design is a bit stodgy compared with the sleek black of other units in Canon’s new line of AIOs. The unit tapers out from the top, and the controls lay on the front part of this tapered portion.

The scanner is located on the top of the machine. Beneath the scanner, an output tray folds out from the front face. You load paper into the MX360's single, rear-mounted feeder tray. (It holds up to 100 sheets.) That tray is not too obtrusive, unlike many of its type; if you unfold the feeder tray from the back, you can still position the unit up against a wall or in a corner. On the top of the scanner lid is the ADF for copying, scanning, or faxing multiple pages. It has a 30-page input capacity. The ADF's output tray is also on the top of the unit, below the input feeder

You connect the Pixma MX360 to a PC or Mac via USB 2.0 or optional Bluet ooth. The USB connection is on the back of the printer. It does not have any memory card readers, but we didn’t expect any at this price point. It does, however, offer a PictBridge port on the front of the unit for printing directly from your digital camera or USB drive.

You get to the ink supply by lifting the scanning bed, which reveals the print head and ink compartment. The printer uses two ink cartridges: one monochrome tank, and a three-in-one color cartridge. The black ink is pigment-based, while the color inks are dye-based. (The resilient pigment black can be a plus for text documents that will be passed around the office.) The slots for each cartridge are clearly marked; installing the tanks should present no challenge. The print head comes pre installed and requires no additional setup. Note, though, that because this Pixma uses a single color cartridge, rather than discrete color cartridges, you may end up paying more for your color ink if you tend to print one color more than the others (such as when printing scenes with large areas of sky that use up lots of blue).

In terms of cost-per-page, though, the Pixma MX360 is actually quite a bargain for a sub-$100 AIO, as long as you purchase the high-capacity cartridges. If you purchase the larger-capacity cartridges, you’ll pay 5.4 cents for a monochrome page and 13.4 cents for a page of mixed text and graphics. With the standard-capacity cartridges, you’re looking at 7.2 cents for a monochrome page and 15.8 cents for a page of mixed text and graphics. These numbers are on the high side for a printer in this category.

Apple MacBook Pro (13-Inch, 2011 Version)

2011-02-25T19:17:00.000+05:30

Processor: 2.3GHz Intel Core i5
Memory: 4GB RAM
Storage: 320GB hard drive
Optical Drive: DVD±RW
Screen: 13.3 inches (1,280x800 native resolution)
Graphics: Integrated Intel HD 3000 (382MB shared)
Weight: 4.5 pounds
Dimensions (HWD): 1x12.8x8.9 inches
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard)

With Apple having an ever-increasing presence in the the homes of everyday users, the company has recently been making aggressive moves in terms of affordability versus performance in its desktops and laptops. Apple continues that trend with its latest line of MacBook Pros. Unlike the last makeover of this line, the 13.3-inch MacBook Pro, which is the entry-level version, gets a huge internal overhaul this time, receiving boosted processor power, as well as a larger hard drive, without raising the price tag. Some of the standout features from previous generations are here as well: The battery life is still unbeatable, and the design remains stark and gorgeous. In fact, aesthetically, it didn't change at all. The MacBook Pro line was already well ahead of its competition in terms of performance and style, and it takes another step ahead with this next generation.

The entry-level $1,199 13-inch MacBook Pro that we reviewed was built around a Second-Generation 2.3GHz Intel Core i5 processor (also known as Sandy Bridge), a 320GB hard drive, and a 13.3-inch screen. This is the base model of the group. For $300 more, you can bump up your processor to a 2.7GHz Core i7 and your hard drive to 500GB. The 15-inch models start at $1,799, and the 17-inchers at $2,499. The 15-inch and 17-inch models now come standard with Core i7 processors and advanced switchable graphics technology. The 13-inch offers only integrated Intel HD Graphics 3000 in both its models. All of the new MacBook Pros use Second-Generation Intel Core i5 or Core i7 processors.

Design

On the outside, the 13-inch MacBook Pro is almost exactly the same as the previous version. Design-wise, we think Apple was smart to approach the new line with the attitude that if it’s not broken, don’t fix it. The previous line of MacBook Pros was as stunning as it was stark, and the new line carries that torch onward. The silver case, dominated by an aluminum shell with just one seam around the underside, feels plenty solid. Nothing much mars the design of the MacBook’s body: On the top of the lid is a simple white Apple logo that lights up when the laptop is in use. And, well, that’s about it. The case snaps shut with a magnetic latch, making opening the lid easy without compromising the durability of the body.

As with the previous version, all the ports are located on the left side of the chassis and include an Ethernet jack, a FireWire 800 port (backward-compatible with FireWire 400, 200, and 100), the new Thunderbolt connector (more on that in a moment), two USB 2.0 ports, an SDXC-card slot, and a headphone jack. Toward the front left of the chassis are indicator lights that allow for a quick look at remaining battery power. On the right side of the body are a security-lock slot and the opening for the slot-loading optical drive, which is a dual-layer DVD burner. As with previous MacBook lines, it doesn’t support Blu-ray discs, a feature we keep hoping will come with every new iteration of MacBook Pros.

These MacBook Pros are the first laptops to feature the Thunderbolt port (which replaces the mini-DisplayPort connector from previous MacBook Pros), based on Intel's Light Peak technology, which supports both high-performance peripherals and high-resolution displays. Apple claims the technology can provide data transfer at 20 times the speed of a USB 2.0 port. And, from what we saw during our demonstration, we believe it. (We'd test it ourselves, but no cable is currently available.) It's compatible with USB 2.0 and 3.0, FireWire, Gigabit Ethernet, Fibre Channel, VGA, DVI, and HDMI. It also allows you to daisy-chain up to six devices.

We have to wag our finger at Apple a bit for not including a Thunderbolt cord in the box, though. Also, Apple won't even have Thunderbolt cables until this summer, so if you buy this system for this reason now, you'll have to buy an off-brand or wait until then. We haven't seen any pricing on these cables yet. Then again, there aren't many peripherals for it just yet, either.

Once you open the lid, you’ll notice that little has changed in the design of the keyboard and touch pad (which Apple terms its "Trackpad"). The full-size keyboard comes with backlit keys, and it remains perfectly spaced and nicely responsive to the touch. An ambient-light sensor adjusts the key backlighting according to the brightness of the area where you’re working. The speaker is above the keyboard, and although it's adequate for personal use while using the MacBook Pro, you won't want to try and fill a room with it.

Mobile Web Searches

2011-02-25T19:13:00.000+05:30

According to recent statistics even through mobile web searches, Google has been the dominant medium of search used throughout US. Mobile web search trends have only gone higher in recent times. Google has been taking a commanding lead in mobile searches too since its mobile web search launch.

The statistics according to Opera’s State of the Mobile Web Report confirms this. About 9% of the pages viewed via mobile, Google’s search portal have repeatedly come to be popular over Yahoo and Bing. These two sites only get 4.3% and 0.03% of the hits among the other search engine pages viewed.

Opera’s State of the Mobile Web Report works on to bring monthly publications about mobile search statistics in great details. They also bring you information on the best of global trends that have been influencing mobile internet in recent times. They also highlight statistics and profiles in Middle East. Their reports have concluded that in January 2010 about 50 million people have been using Opera Mini. This has been a 7.4% increase since December the previous year.

There are statistics and comparison records presented through this team. Their track records included that about 23.3 billion pages had been viewed in January 2010 alone. Since December there have been greater trends among people to view more pages through the net. The data traffic has been noted to be 337 million. The top ten countries to be using the Opera Mini has been Russia, Indonesia, India, Ukraine, China, South Africa, United States, Nigeria, Vietnam and United Kingdom. Nigeria has come back to the top ten’s list after a 3 month of retreat period from using the Opera Mini.

Samsung Caliber (SCH-r860)

2011-02-25T19:11:00.000+05:30

Samsung takes the cake with the advanced touchscreen which it has developed using the TouchWiz interface which is unique to Samsung. The touchscreen has several advanced features which includes certain Widgets which are specially designed so as to let users personalize them and adapt them according to their phone.

All the social networking websites like Facebook are accessible due to the phone’ s browser which is a full HTML enabled browser. There is mobile IM along with email facilities. The camera is a 3 mega pixel one and comes with a camcorder.

HOW TO REMOVE THE LEFT SIDE OF THE USER MESSAGE CENTER, CENTER TO RIGHT SIDE OF THE LAYOUT?

2011-02-18T21:05:00.003+05:30

Difficulty: Ya Blue template in the program, users want to Message Center, ranked so part removed, so that the layout of the right center, how to correct? Remove the left of the label is currently the mold after the left into a blue background, the right of the layout did not move over.
Answer:
1, PAGE used to correct the corresponding template, such as "\ Template \ Ya Blue template program \ column page template \ default text works of the parent part page template (two right and left circular). Static pages" section of the template document. Remove the template "

" and "{PE.Label id =" node on the left of the text works "

ASP.NET APPLICATIONS, OPTIMIZING THE PERFORMANCE OF 26 EVERYDAY TIPS

2011-02-18T21:05:00.000+05:30

consuming server resources. ASP.NET application pooling to help application (Connection Pool) to open and close the database to improve performance results. The system will connect the user's database connection pool on demand when removed, off when the recovery of connection, wait for the next connection request. Connection pool size is limited, if the connection pool to create a connection is still required after the maximum, be greatly effect performance. Therefore, to establish a database connection only open the connection when the real needs of operation, the application immediately after the close, so ... Body:

1. Visit Performance Optimization
Database connection and close
Resource requirements for visitors to create a database connection, open connection and close the connection of several operations. This part of the process needs to exchange messages with the database repeatedly authenticated, expensive trial of strength. . NET application application to help the connection pool (Connection Pool) to open and close the database to improve performance results. Database connection on a user's connection pool, the demand out, close the connection when the back, waiting for the next connection request.
Connection pool size is limited, if the connection pool to create a connection is still required after the maximum, be greatly effect performance. Therefore, to establish a database connection only open the connection when the real needs of operation, the application immediately after the close, so try to decrease the time to open the database connection to avoid connection beyond the control of the situation.
Application of the stored procedure
A stored procedure is stored on the server a set of pre-compiled SQL database statement, similar to DOS batch of documents. Stored procedure with an immediate visit to the database functions, message processing is very fast. Application of the stored procedure did not result to avoid multiple compilation command, after running an operation plan to reside in its cache, the demand just after the call directly to the binary cache.
In addition, the stored procedure runs on the server side, independent of the application ASP.NET applications, easy to correct, the most important achievement is that it did not decrease database operation statement on the Internet transmission.
Query optimization
ADO Connection ASP.NET application applications considerable consumption of resources, SQL database statement runs longer, taking longer time resources. Therefore, as far as possible applications optimized SQL database statement to decrease run time. For example, the query does not contain sub-queries, take advantage of indexes.

2. Char string operations performance optimization
Application tips ToString value category Char string in the connection, the frequent application of the "+" directly to the number added to the char string. This trick is simple, the results did not get the correct results, but not the same as it relates to the type of data, digital demand through the packing operation into the reference category was not added to the char string results. However, a larger effect on performance packing operations, due to the cessation of such treatment, will be allocated in the managed heap of a new object, the original value to the newly created objects.

Application of value types do not result ToString tips to avoid packing operation, thus increasing the practical application of program performance. The use of StringBuilder class String class objects are immutable, the String object re-assigned value, in essence, is to re-create a new value of the given String object and the object, the performance of their tricks ToString is not very significant increase. In dealing with char strings, the best use of StringBuilder class, the. NET application application namespace is System.Text. This class does not create new objects, but after Append, Rearouse, Insert and other tricks to stop directly on the char string operations, results of operations after return ToString tips. Its definition and operation of statement is as follows:

3. Optimize Web servers and the practical application of program-specific configuration files to meet your specific needs
By default, ASP.NET applications enabled application configuration is set to feature the most extensive and try to adapt to most everyday knowledge of the program. Therefore, the actual use of programs we did not score DEV procedures based on the actual use of application functionality, optimization and change some of these configurations to increase the actual use of program performance. The following list is a part of you should plan options.

The practical application of procedures only need to enable authentication. By default, the authentication mode to win the interface, or integrated NTLM. In most cases, the demand for the practical application of the authentication process, the best documentation in Machine.config disable authentication and enable authentication in the Web.config document. Under the appropriate request and response encoding settings to configure the practical application of procedures. ASP.NET Application Application default encoding format is UTF-8. If your program is strictly practical use ASCII, you configure the application procedures for the practical application of the performance of ASCII to get a little bit higher.

On the practical application of planning applications to disable AutoEventWireup. In Machine.config document will AutoEventWireup attribute is set to false, meaning PAGE names and events not to stop the match tips on matching and linking the two (such as Page_Load). If PAGEDEV we want to apply this part of the event, demand in the base class override this part of the trick (for example, demand for the load event rewrite PAGE Page.OnLoad, rather than as applied Page_Load tips). If disable AutoEventWireup, PAGE will be left after PAGE of the event and not connecting automatically as it is, get a slight performance boost.
Removed from the request processing pipeline without the module. By default, the server computer Machine.config document Nodes are reserved for the activation of all functions. The use of procedures based on the actual application, you do not score from the request to remove unused modules pipeline to get a little performance boost. Check each module and its functionality and customize it to your needs. For example, if you are not in the actual application of the use of the dialogue process state and output caching, you do not score from the List, remove them so that requests do not run more meaningful processing, do not have to run each module to enter and leave the source code.

4. Sure you want to disable debug mode
Practical application in the deployment of the production process or to stop before any performance measure, always remember to disable debug mode. If debug mode is enabled, the actual use of the program's performance estimates are subject to extraordinary large effect.

5. Extensive reliance on external resources for the practical application process, please plan on multiprocessor computers enabled Internet Gardening Application ASP.NET process model helps enable applications on multiprocessor computers scalability, multiple processes will be distributed to workers (each one), and each process is to contact the processor set to its CPU. This performance is called the Internet gardening. If the application of the practical application of program called a slow database server or external dependencies with COM objects (there is only mention of the two estimates), compared with the practical application of procedures for opening your Internet gardening is beneficial. However, in determining the opening of the Internet gardening, you should test the practical application programs on the Internet operation of the park.

FOREIGN LANGUAGE INTERNET ASP TIPS TO PREVENT INTERNET HACKERS

2011-02-18T21:04:00.000+05:30

The second Internet Guide: not estimated immediately win your site. As ASP's easy to use, more and more applications are Internet daemon ASP scripting language. However, the ASP security vulnerabilities inherent part of, a little carelessness will give hackers an opportunity to help. In fact, security is not only a network thing, in English you must also pay attention to details in some of the security, to develop good safety habits, or will own a huge Internet security risks. Currently, most of the ASP program on the Internet so that security holes are, but if programming time to note that the words, but also ... the text:

How better to prevent hacker attacks, personal mention independent individual opinion! NO · 1, non-profit, non-profit program can not really use, since you do not have results to share the original code, the attacker did not score the same plan. If attention to prevention in the details, so your site to greatly increase the resistance. Injection SQL database even if there is a kind of vulnerability, the attacker does not win you estimate the site immediately. Because of the easy to use, more and more applications are Internet daemon ASP scripting language. However, the ASP security vulnerabilities inherent part of, a little carelessness will give hackers an opportunity to help. In fact, security is not only a network thing, we must also pay attention to details in some of the security, to develop good safety habits, or will own a huge Internet security risks.Currently, most of the ASP program on the Internet so that security holes are, but if a little programming time to pay attention to the words, but that did not result to avoid.

1, the user name and password is compromised

Attack Thought: the user name and password, hackers are often most interested in the items, if in some way be seen pouring through the code, the consequences are significant.

Prevention tips: involving the user name and password the best package at the end of the procedure, as little as possible appear in the ASP documentation involved with the connected user name and password should be given minimal privileges. Many occurrences of a user name and password did not result in a position to write contest include hidden document. If involved with the database connection, under ideal conditions it is only the permissions to run the stored procedure, do not directly given to the user to correct, insert, delete records of the authority.

2, authentication is bypassed

Attack ideas: the current needs of the ASP program validated mostly in the head plus a judge PAGE statement, but not enough, there are estimated to be hackers to bypass the authentication directly into.

Prevention tips: demand proven ASPPAGE, can track the PAGE on a document name, and only come in from the previous dialogue turn PAGE to read the PAGE.

3, inc disclosure documents and difficult

Attack idea: when there is production of ASP's home page and do not stop before the final testing completed, no additional results are some of the mobile object for the Search. If this time was using Search engines look for this part of the stop, the document will be on the grade, and can view the database in place and the details of the framework, and to reveal the full stream of the code.

Prevention tips: programmers should be published in the website thoroughly before it is to stop debugging; security experts reinforced the need for external users ASP document can not see them. First. Inc encrypted document content to stop, then did not score applications. Documents instead. Inc document should be directly from the browser the user can view the document stream of code. inc document the default document name can not be applied or have special meaning easy to guess the name of the user, no rules apply as far as possible in English letters.

4, the automatic backup is downloaded

Attack idea: In some props editing ASP program, when the ASP to create or correct a document, Editor automatically creates a backup of documents, such as: UltraEdit will backup one. Bak document, as you create or corrected some. asp, Editor will automatically generate a document called some.asp.bak, if you do not delete the bak document, the attacker did not score a direct download some.asp.bak document, as some.asp the source will be downloaded.

Prevention tips: check carefully before uploading process, delete unnecessary documents. BAK suffix of the document to be especially careful.

5, a special char

Attack ideas: the input box is a hacker using the purpose of their No results through the input script language such as damage to the user client; if that involves data query input box, they will use a special query and get more database data, or even the entire table. Therefore necessary to filter out the input box to stop. However, if only in order to increase efficiency and legitimacy of the client stop the importation of inspection, there are estimated to be bypassed.

Prevention tips: dealing with a similar message boards, BBS, etc. in the input box of the ASP program, the best block out static pages, javaScript, VBScript statements, as no special requirements, not performance limited only enter letters and numbers, masked special char. At the same time the length of the input char stop control. And not only the legality of the client stop the importation of inspections at the process on the server side to stop a similar examination.

6, Database Download Vulnerability

Attack thoughts: In with the Access database to do the background, if someone through a variety of tips to understand or guess the server's Access database path and database name, then he can download the Access database, document, which is unusual dangerous.

Prevention tips:

(1) the name of your database documentation for unusual from a complex regulation of the name, and put it under layers of the list. The so-called "extraordinary rules", so to speak, for example there is a database to save information about books, can not give it a "book.mdb" name, but to play a strange name, such as d34ksfslf.mdb, and put it on as ./kdslf/i44/studi / the layers list, so after a hacker in order to guess the way to get your Access database document to more difficult.

(2) The database name can not be written in the program. Some people like to write the DSN in the program, such as:

DBPath = server. MapPath ("cmddb.mdb")
conn.Open "driver = {Microsoft Access Driver (*. mdb)}; dbq =" & DBPath

If in case people got the source, the name of your Access database to a glance. Therefore, in the opinion set your ODBC data source, and then write in the program as:

conn.open "webjxcom"

(3) Application Access to the database document coding and encryption. First, the "props → Security → Encryption / decryption database", select the database (such as: employer.mdb), and then click OK, then there will be "encrypted database, Save As" window can be saved as: "employer1.mdb" .

It should be noted that the above action does not set a password as the database, but only on the database to be encoded document, the purpose is to prevent other applications other props to view the content of the document database.

Then we as database encryption, encoding the first open after the employer1.mdb, when opened, select the "monopoly" approach. Then select the menu "prop → Security → Set Database Password", then enter the password. That even if the others were employer1.mdb documents without a password can see he is employer1.mdb content.

7, injection attacks against remote

Such attacks in the past should be the battle against the daily knowledge of methods, such as POST attack, the attacker did not score easily change the data value has to be submitted to attack purposes. Another example: COOKIES forgery, was the fuse that more value writers, or the attention, do not apply COOKIES method for the user authentication, or you and the thief left the keys to the same reason.

For example:

If trim (Request. cookies ("utitle "))=" fqy" and Request.cookies ("upwd") = "fqy # e3i5.com" then
... ... .. Abundance ... ... ...
End if

I think you like the Internet regulators to write the program or do not make such mistakes buddy, really is unforgivable. Forged COOKIES are more young people, and you also used to blame other people like to run your password. Involves to the user's password or user login, you best use it is the most secure session. If you want to apply COOKIES COOKIES in your message on one more, SessionID, which is 64-bit random value, we must guess solution It is not estimated. Example:

if not (rs.BOF or rs.eof) then
login = "true"
Session ("usertitle" & sessionID) = Usertitle
Session ("passexpress" & sessionID) = Passexpress
'Response.cookies ("usertitle") = Usertitle
'Response.cookies ("Passexpress") = Passexpress

Here we talk about how to prevent remote injection attacks, attacks are usually single table to submit documents to the local drag, the Form ACTION = "chk.asp" to point to your server documentation to process the data. If all your data filter out pages in a single table, then congratulations, you will have been scripting attack.

How can stop that kind of long-range attack? Easy to handle, see the source code is as follows: The body of (9)

<%
server_v1 = Cstr (Request. Server Variables ("HTTP_REFERER"))
server_v2 = Cstr (Request. Server Variables ("SERVER_NAME"))
if mid (server_v1, 8, len (server_v2)) <> server_v2 then
response.record "

"
response.record ""
response.record "the wrong path you submit, submitted against the data from an external site, please change the parameters can not be chaos!"
response.record ""
response.end
end if
%>
'Feeling independent individual filter out the source code above is not as good, some of the external submission and she was upright in, then write one.
'That is to filter out good results, opinions applications.
if instr (request.servervariables ("http_referer "),"")) <1 then response.record" server error when processing URL.
If you are using any means to attack a server, you should be glad, for your server, all operations have been recorded, we will NO · 1 notice to the Public Security Bureau and the English department to check your IP. "
response.end
end if

ASP.NET Input Security

2011-02-18T21:03:00.002+05:30

The second Internet Guide: Class records, or that they expect to apply some "query interface" to create and run queries, SQL databases without having direct application. This article demonstrates the use of ASP performance filter out the records to establish the interface to select a trick. Although the discussion of the settlement where the trick is quite simple, but the application did not result in similar performance of complex queries of any WebPAGE help do the job. Solution for any tips before coding, you should fully understand and record the end-user needs. For this example, the user requires the ability to use the specified types of tricks to get the specified name ... Body:

First, note
Most end users of their Web solutions require some kind of report can help do the job.Application of static Web pages and, no result is very simple to help record and are listed in the table one by one view of their competence. However, users often require that after a drop-down list box (or other selection method) to select a specific category of records, or that they expect to apply some "query interface" to create and run queries, SQL databases without having direct application. This article demonstrates the use of ASP performance filter out the records to establish the interface to select a trick. Although the discussion of the settlement where the trick is quite simple, but the application did not result in similar performance of complex queries of any WebPAGE help do the job.
Solution for any tips before coding, you should fully understand and record the end-user needs. For this example, the user requires the ability to use the specified class name specified in the table to get the hang of a group of records, he had not the type of results did not select all results select a specific category. That feature is there, we apply a the "recursive" ASPPAGE, it has helped select the form contains the category from the list, according to the data extraction form to send the results of the record set, the result will be recorded in the form of table appears to facilitate the user to look.

Second, the structure required to filter out
For the practical application of such a database should first understand the database table involved in the necessary framework and connect to the database connection parameters. Tips connection parameters specified in Microsoft's ASP online documentation has a very detailed description, the paper will not repeat them. In this case to use two tables for the: Document_Category, it contains for the user to select a category name Category_Name; Documents, which contains the names corresponding to other data types, fields, including Category_Name, File_Name, Comments, Date_Submitted and so on.
Select the category list in the form table from the category of Category_Name Document_Category field, constructed type drop-down list box below, please note that there use to VBScript ADO contains documentation:

<%
ConnString = "DSN = LocalUpload;"
Set conn = server. CreateObject ("ADODB.Connection")
conn.Open ConnString,,, adOpenForwardOnly
Set rs = SERVER.CreateObject ("ADODB.Recordset")
'First get used to populate the drop-down list box the type of record
'Set the SQL database statement
database strSQL = "SELECT * FROM Document_Category ORDER BY category_title"

database rs.Open strSQL, conn, adOpenStatic
%>

PERSONAL HISTORY TIPS: ASP.NET APPLICATIONS 2.0 GENERICS AND ANONYMOUS TIPS

2011-02-18T21:02:00.000+05:30

Introduction to the second Internet: s.Generic.Stack (statement source code) did not score the Stack class thought of as the process has the following schematic: Stack class indicative source: public class stack <> {T [] item; int count ; public void Push (T item) {} public T pop () {}} No results for the generic type parameter set three kinds of constraints: the derived constraints, structural parameter constraints, the reference / value type constraint Anonymous Tip: Almost Anonymous Tips ... Body:

Generic:

Generic Description: Generic class can actually be used, tricks, frameworks, interfaces, delegates and other design, and re usability, type and high efficiency is associated in a non-generic of the reach for the practical application of generic , required application class System.Collections.Generic.Stack. Such a statement as follows:

System.Collections.Generic.Stack (Declaration)

No results the Stack class thought of as the process has the following schematic:

Indicative of the source code of class Stack:

public class stack <>

{

T [] item;

int count;

public void Push (T item) {}

public T pop () {}

}

No results for the generic type parameter to set the constraints 3: derived constraints, structural parameter constraints, the reference / value type constraint

Anonymous tips:

Anonymous tips overview: In C # 1.x, the application support calls tricks of the delegate to occur event. Fu and tricks to help calculate commission to add or delete the purpose of tips, did not result in the whole. Net framework, widely used for events, callbacks, asynchronous calls, multithreading. However, in order to apply a commission, and sometimes can not not create a class or a trick, this approach is too cumbersome, and the habit of thinking with the DEV we do not match. For example, the following example arose from a box containing a list, document boxes, and buttons for simple input form. When you press the button, the document box of the document will be added to the list box. In C # 1.x, the application event mechanism entrusted to occur, the source code looks like

The emergence of application C # 1.x source code

class InputForm: From

{

ListBox listBox;

TextBox textBox;

Button addButton;

pulic MyForm ()

{

listBox = new ListBox ();

textBox = new TextBox ();

addButton = new Button ();

}

........

void AddClick (object sender, EventArgs e)

{

listBox.Items.Add (textBox.Text)

}

Anonymous tips allow one associated with the source code (usually tips entity) "embedded" into the application areas delegate, delegate and tricks entities that together

The emergence of anonymous tips application source code (no argument)

class InputForm: From

{

ListBox listBox;

TextBox textBox;

Button addButton;

pulic MyForm ()

{

listBox = new ListBox ();

textBox = new TextBox ();

addButton = new Button ();

addButton.Click + = delegate {listBox.Items.Add (textBox.Text);}

.NET ENGINEERS MUST UNDERSTAND THE 20 QUESTION

2011-02-18T21:01:00.002+05:30

The second Internet Guide: is overloaded? CTS, CLS and CLR, respectively, be interpreted?4. List know about your performance and the practical application of XML types and reference types 5.value the difference? Write a C # sample source code. 6.ADO.net in which everyday objects? Describe, respectively. 7. How to understand the commission? 8.C # interfaces and classes in what similarities and differences. 9 .. net in which classes are used to read and write database needs? Their connections and TCP connection function 10.UDP the similarities and differences. Body:

Want to become. Net engineer? Consider the following 20 questions you can answer how much road?

1. OO What are the main ideas?

2. What is. Net user control in the

3. What is the actual use of application domain? What is regulated? What is a strong category?What is boxing and unboxing? What is overloading? CTS, CLS and CLR, respectively, be interpreted?

4. List know about your performance and the practical application of XML

5.value categories and reference category is the difference? Write a C # sample source code.

6.ADO.net in which everyday objects? Describe, respectively.

7. How to understand the commission?

8.C # interfaces and classes in what similarities and differences.

9 .. net which classes are used in reading and writing needs? Their function

10.UDP connections and similarities and differences between TCP connections.

11.ASP.net authentication methods are there? What were thinking?

12. Processes and threads, respectively, how to understand?

13. What is the code-Behind performance.

14. Gathering the list of features.

15 .. net class to read and write XML, which all belong to the namespace?

16. Explain UDDI, WSDL meaning and function.

17. What is SOAP, what practical use.

18. How to deploy one ASP.netPAGE.

19. How to understand. Net recovery mechanism in the Junk.

20. Everyday tips for calling webservice What?

NET ENVIRONMENT BASED ON THE MVC AJAX SOLUTION

2011-02-18T21:00:00.000+05:30

Introduction to the second Internet: scriptcript extraordinary understanding, at least, its web development javascript web development appear competent enough to return to the contents of the PAGE of callbehind updates, so there is certainty DEV threshold increases when the Ajax-based mechanism to stop when DEV , under the original method based on postbehind time, asp.net source code from the backend logic (Model), aspxPAGE (View), aspx.cs (Controller) MVC framework consisting of failure in fact, when callbehind return data, either in the client end web development web development using javascript to return the content to appear updated analysis, or server-side configuration is necessary ... in the body: 1, difficult background

Currently, more and more people start trying to stop non-Based Ajax refresh WebDEV, however,. Net environments, the actual use of Ajax is not easy as unusual, mainly estimated by the following part of the reason is due to:

• Since the Ajax web development javascript-based nature of web development, making the need for javascript DEV Zhe development Feibixunchang understanding of network development network, at least, the javascript development web development network appear on the callbehind competent enough to return to the contents of the PAGE updates, so the DEV's determine the degree of increase in the threshold there is

* Ajax-based mechanism to stop the DEV when when under the original method based on postbehind when, / 'target =' _blank 'class =' infotextkey '> asp. Net from the back-end logic (Model), aspxPAGE (View), aspx.cs ( Controller) MVC framework consisting of failure in fact, when callbehind return data, either in the client-side javascript web development web development by parsing the content returned by an update, or server-side structure is necessary to better compete in the complete source code for static pages, and then directly from the web development javascript web development constructed to a good set of static pages PAGE object, it is clear that as a result, there should be a function of the easiest callbehind, should a lot of source code, and is relatively random contest source code, even in the difficult coming asp.net2.0 still not been effectively resolved

2 The purpose of this

This paper aims to fully conducive to the existing asp.net ajax own characteristics and features, made for a stop under the asp.net ajax the webDEV the MVC-based solutions to the following main objectives:

· Asp.Net Ajax environment for a clear MVC architecture

Reduced everyone too much javascript coding web development web development to reduce dependence on the threshold of English

• Flexible support of the daily DEV ajax mode method

3, difficulty planning

How to appear above the main purpose?

1) To xmlhttprequest for a better package, so call the method is more simple;

2) Try to update the data in the server side to stop the construction, but also to avoid the hand each time to return data structure, therefore, to expect did not score the full application of UserControl, the UserControl as the "View", corresponding to the document as by the ascx.cs " Controller ", consisting of MVC is also a contest as a clear;

4, difficult to solve

Based on the above ideas, a person to the group following a class library to simplify the process:

Source Code Analysis:

1) First in the client side, AjaxHelper.js encapsulates the xmlhttprequest, and will be available to help a

Sequence into the form param1 = v1 ¶ m2 = v2 & ... form for the post of parameters;

Update r (ajaxTemplate, output, params, onComplete) parameters for the call once callbehind

ajaxTemplate (required): Specifies the path UserControl run demand function

output (optional): Fill the prescribed label to return the data reference or IDvalue

params (optional): form param1 = v1 ¶ m2 = v2 & ... the post parameters

onComplete (optional): returns the data can be used to stop the special treatment of the callback parameter, the parameter formatting function (str), str for the returned data

SerializeForm (form) parameters for the sequence of

form: no result is specified reference or IDvalue

2) In the server side, Ajax.aspx documentation package for the specified by the client ajaxTemplate UserControl call, the rest of the specific logic function in a particular UserControl and ascx.cs appeared in;

3) as a callbehind specific run, the English we simply PAGE reference AjaxHelper.js, and in the specified location through the web development web development javascript: Update r (ajaxTemplate, output, params, onComplete) to stop calling, if the demand Stop a form submission, you can call the javascript web development web development: SerializeForm (form) sequence of the form and pass params, of course, did not score manually constructed params, and returns the data specified by set output or through the practical application of the PAGE onComplete custom processing.

4) The full use of UserControl, means that the results did not make full use of existing side asp.net controls and data binding mechanisms, as a matter of fact, has largely simplified the return data structure, in ascx.cs, after Request.Form [ParamName] visit to the client side will be able to pass the params, then visit the logic source code for the source data.

THE PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF PROGRAM RESOURCES, ASP.NET APPLICATION SECURITY MODEL VISIT

2011-02-18T20:59:00.000+05:30

The second Internet Guide: Framework, generally did not result from the logical framework is divided into that layer, business logic and data visiting layer; client process to visit the actual use of resources, their authentication and authorization is bound to span multiple levels. This article discuss the practical application of procedures SP.NET application resources application security model visit 2. Resources WEB visiting the practical application of identification procedures of foreign assistance to the client's typical resources include: Web server resources, such as Web pages, Web services, and static resources (static Web pages and images). Database resources, such as the text for ...: Summary: This paper describes. NET WEB application of the practical application of procedures for application of the model species, compare their advantages and disadvantages of proposed selection mechanism.

KEYexpress: the trusted security model sub-model to imitate / ASP.NET application sub-model commissioned by the practical application of WEB application

1. Introduction

ASP.NET WEB Application Application is the practical application of procedures are usually multi-system framework, the general did not result from the logical framework is divided into that layer, business logic and data visiting layer; client process to visit the actual use of resources, their authentication and authorization necessarily span multiple levels. This article discuss the practical application of procedures SP.NET application application security model resource visit

2. Resources visiting logo

WEB practical use of foreign assistance program to the client's typical resources include:

Web resources such as Web pages, Web services, and static resources (static web pages and images).
Resources, such as the data for each user or the practical application of program-level data.
Internet resources, such as remote document resource.
Resources, such as, the event log and configuration documentation.

The practical application of procedures across the client layer to visit this part of the resources, to have a logo through all layers. That the identity of visitors to resources, including:

Original identity of the caller identity of the caller is the original and subsequent access through each layer.

Process of identification of local resources is the application of visits and calls the downstream stop the current process ID. The feasibility of this approach relies on to cross the border, as the process identity must be the purpose of system identification. This needs to stop calling the following two methods:

Interface with one win in the security domain

Cross-win interface security domain - application and domain trust accounts, or there is no link to the application of trust duplicate user name and password.
This method applies a service account the (fixed) service account. For example, the database's visit, the service account is estimated that by connecting to the database components that a regular SQL database user name and password.
When the demand for fixed win the interface ID should be the actual application of Enterprise Services server application program.
Custom logo does not win the interface when the account is available, the application did not score there Iprincipal and Iidentity construct their own identity, no results contain detailed information about the security context.

3. Resource visiting model

3.1 The trusted subsystem model

Figure 1 shows, in this model, the original caller's security context does not flow through the operating system level services, but application service layer in the middle of a fixed identity to visiting the downstream services and resources. Trusted subsystem model gets its name from the fact that a: the downstream services (estimated to be a database) Trust upstream services that allow the caller to stop authorization. The example in Figure 1, the database layer on the caller trust the authority to stop and allow only authorized caller ID visit the database of trusted applications.

3.1.1 Resource visiting model

In the trusted subsystem model, the resource visit the following pattern:

Authentication of users to stop the user mapping for the role authorization based on role membership to contact to stop applying a fixed trusted identity downstream resources visit

3.1.2 fixed identity

Together resources for visiting the control device downstream system of fixed identity, no results application process identity, application did not score a pre-set win interface account - service account to help. For the SQL database server resource control device, which means win on the SQL database server interface authentication.

Usually used when the application process ASP.NET application identity application process identity (ASPNET account for tacit knowledge). The actual practical application, we often need to change the ASPNET account to a more secure password, and the SQL database server MIRROR create an ASP.NET application with the account application process that matches the account interface on the match win. Specific tips are as follows:

Edit in% windr% / Microsoft.NET application application / Framework/v1.1.4322/CONFIG Machine.config under the list of documents, willelement to reconfigure the password attribute, its default value to ; or through ASPNET_setreg.exe props, the user name and password saved to the registry, configure the following: < !-enable = "true" UserName = "Registry: HKLM / SOFTWARE / YourAPP / processsModel / ASPNET_SETREG, userName" passexpress = "Registry: HKLM / SOFTWARE / YourAPP / processsModel / ASPNET_SETREG, passexpress" ->

Another part of the application of the practical application of procedures specified SQL database account (char string in the connection name and password specified by the user) to visit SQL database server. In this case, the database must be configured for SQL database authentication. Saved in the configuration file needs the connection string encryption char.

3.2 Imitation / delegation model

Shown in Figure 2, the application copy / delegation model, a service or component (usually located in the business service layer logic) in the visit prior to the next downstream services, the application operating system copy function to mimic the client identity. If the service is on the same computer, the application of imitation is sufficient, if the downstream service is located on a remote computer applications also demand commission, the security context of the downstream resource is visiting the client's context.

3.3 Select resources to visit Model

Trial of two resources, such as visiting the model shown in Table I.

Trusted subsystem model to imitate / delegation model

The upper back-end services, trust audit function, if the infringement of the middle layer, the back-end resources vulnerable. Back-end service performance for each caller did not stop the authentication, authorization, security is good.

Scalability to support connection pooling, better scalability. Does not support connection pooling, scalability poor.

Control of the back-end ACL ACL configuration for a single entity to stop, control workers less.Each user must be granted the appropriate visit level, back-end resources and the number of users increases, the control of workers cumbersome.

Difficulties do not delegate the performance. Demand for commission. Most of the security services to help does not support delegates.

In most practical use of Internet programs and the practical application of a large intranet application process will be trusted subsystem model, mainly because this model can support scalability. Imitation / delegation model for small systems tend to. For this part of the practical application of procedures, scalability is not that the main planning factors, the main factor is the audit plan.

FEATURED EMAIL TRANSFER CLASS FOR PHP

2011-02-18T20:58:00.001+05:30

PHPMailer is a PHP useful to send the message class. It supports the use smtp server to send mail, also supports Sendmail, qmail, Postfix, Imail, Exchange, Mercury, Courier and other mail servers. If the server also supports SMTP authentication, multiple SMTP to send (but not quite sure what's the use.) Mail may include multiple TO, CC, BCC and REPLY-TO, supports both text and HTML mail format, you can wrap in support of attachments and images in various formats, custom e-mail first class basic mail functions. Because only contains a PHP mail function, so PHPMailer is greatly enhanced its is believed that meet the needs of many people, huh, huh.Which mainly include two types of documents: send mail function used to implement the class.phpmailer.php and smtp implementation class.smtp.php. Then there can achieve a variety of error output file, and a very detailed document. Software released under the LGPL agreement.

Is also very simple to use, see the following example to understand:

require ("class.phpmailer.php");

$ Mail = new PHPMailer ();

$ Mail-> IsSMTP (); / / send via SMTP
$ Mail-> Host = "smtp1.site.com; smtp2.site.com"; / / SMTP servers
$ Mail-> SMTPAuth = true; / / turn on SMTP authentication
$ Mail-> Username = "jswan"; / / SMTP username
$ Mail-> PassWord = "secret"; / / SMTP password
'Www.knowsky.com
$ Mail-> From = "from@email.com";
$ Mail-> FromName = "Mailer";
$ Mail-> AddAddress ("josh@site.com", "Josh Adams");
$ Mail-> AddAddress ("ellen@site.com"); / / optional name
$ Mail-> AddReplyTo ("info@site.com", "Information");

$ Mail-> WordWrap = 50; / / set word wrap
$ Mail-> AddAttachment ("/ var / tmp / file.tar.gz"); / / attachment
$ Mail-> AddAttachment ("/ tmp / image.jpg", "new.jpg");
$ Mail-> IsHTML (true); / / send as HTML

$ Mail-> Subject = "Here is the subject";
$ Mail-> Body = "This is the HTML body ";
$ Mail-> AltBody = "This is the text-only body";

if (! $ mail-> Send ())
{
echo "Message was not sent ";
echo "Mailer Error:". $ mail-> ErrorInfo;
exit;
}

echo "Message has been sent";

JAVA CALCULATE THE TIME DIFFERENCE

2011-02-18T20:57:00.000+05:30

Core Tip: The following procedure describes the time in JAVA in comparison, to obtain the time difference. For example, if you want to implement a function, can be submitted within 30 minutes, not more than 30 minutes after the submission. Then: calculate the time difference ** / SimpleDateFormat sdf = new SimpleDateFormat ('yyyy-MM-dd HH: mm: ss'); S. ..

The following procedure describes the time in JAVA in comparison, to obtain the time difference. For example, if you want to implement a function, can be submitted within 30 minutes, not more than 30 minutes after the submission. Then:
Calculate the time difference ** /

SimpleDateFormat sdf = new SimpleDateFormat ("yyyy-MM-dd HH: mm: ss");

String systemTime = sdf. Format (new Date ()). ToString ();

To the time of the interception time format string into a string ** /

Date begin = sdf.parse (2008-03-28 11:55:30);

Date end = sdf.parse (systemTime);

long between = (end.getTime ()-begin.getTime ()) / 1000; / / divide by 1000 to convert seconds

long day = between / (24 * 3600);

long hour = between% (24 * 3600) / 3600;

long minute = between% 3600/60;

long second = between% 60/60;

if ((hour == 0) & & (day == 0) & & (minute <= 30)) {/****/}

For example: It is now 2004-03-26 13:31:40

Past :2004-01-02 11:30:24

I now get two dates is poor, poor form: XX XX days XX hours XX minutes seconds

Method One:

DateFormat df = new SimpleDateFormat ("yyyy-MM-dd HH: mm: ss");

try

{

Date d1 = df.parse ("2004-03-26 13:31:40");

Date d2 = df.parse ("2004-01-02 11:30:24");

long diff = d1.getTime () - d2.getTime ();

long days = diff / (1000 * 60 * 60 * 24);

}

catch (Exception e)

{

}

Method Two:

SimpleDateFormat df = new SimpleDateFormat ("yyyy-MM-dd HH: mm: ss");

java.util.Date now = df.parse ("2004-03-26 13:31:40");

java.util.Date date = df.parse ("2004-01-02 11:30:24");

long l = now.getTime ()-date.getTime ();

long day = l / (24 * 60 * 60 * 1000);

long hour = (l / (60 * 60 * 1000)-day * 24);

long min = ((l / (60 * 1000))-day * 24 * 60-hour * 60);

long s = (l/1000-day * 24 * 60 * 60-hour * 60 * 60-min * 60);

System.out.println ("" + day + "days" + hour + "hours" + min + "minutes" + s + "seconds");

Method three:

SimpleDateFormat dfs = new SimpleDateFormat ("yyyy-MM-dd HH: mm: ss");

java.util.Date begin = dfs.parse ("2004-01-02 11:30:24");

java.util.Date end = dfs.parse ("2004-03-26 13:31:40");

long between = (end.getTime ()-begin.getTime ()) / 1000; / / divide by 1000 to convert seconds

long day1 = between / (24 * 3600);

long hour1 = between% (24 * 3600) / 3600;

long minute1 = between% 3600/60;

long second1 = between% 60/60;

System.out.println ("" + day1 + "days" + hour1 + "hours" + minute1 + "sub" + second1 + "seconds");

I am here out of a mistake, not the number of days to double check that the format of time

Here dateA, dateB format with the same yyyy-MM-dd! Remember!

/ **

* Based on the two dates, the number of days apart to obtain

* Method Name:

* @ Param dateA

* @ Param dateB

* @ Return

* /

public static int getBetweenDayNumber (String dateA, String dateB) {

long dayNumber = 0;

long DAY = 24L * 60L * 60L * 1000L;

SimpleDateFormat df = new SimpleDateFormat ("yyyy-MM-dd");

try {

java.util.Date d1 = df.parse (dateA);

java.util.Date d2 = df.parse (dateB);

dayNumber = (d2.getTime () - d1.getTime ()) / DAY;

} Catch (Exception e) {

e.printStackTrace ();

}

return (int) dayNumber;

Galaxy Pop S5570

2011-02-14T14:21:00.000+05:30

Welcome Party for Smartphone Rookies
Show Off Your Identity
Do More on Your Mobile
Stay Connected from Anywhere


Network: 3G
Display: Type : Resolution : QVGA (240x320)
Size: Weight : 106.6gDimension : 60.6x110.4x12.1
Battery: Talk Time : up to 570min (2G), up to 380min (3G)Standby : up to 570Hr (2G), up to 440Hr (3G)

Creative Gigaworks T40

2011-02-14T14:14:00.000+05:30

With powerful bass and crisp audio, Creative's $149.99 Gigaworks T40 redefines what small speaker systems are capable of. This two-speaker setup lacks a dedicated subwoofer, yet delivers room-filling sound that can please gamers, moviegoers, and music fans alike.

Each of the two PC- and Mac-friendly speakers stands 12.5 inches tall and delivers 11 watts RMS of power. They have a glossy gray exterior with rounded corners and an attachable flat stand to prevent them from toppling over on your desk. The speakers also come with removable grilles, which protect the three midrange drivers underneath. Like their predecessors, the T20s, the T40s feature a BasXPort on both the left and right satellite to help boost the lower midrange. Bass, treble, and volume controls are located on the right speaker in addition to a front-mounted headphone jack. On the rear, you'll find the speaker's power switch—somewhat inconveniently—alongside a docking port that is compatible with Creative's X-30 Docking Station for iPods ($49.99). Noticeably missing is an auxiliary input, although Creative does include an adapter that lets you use the speakers with dual RCA connections.

Once we tweaked the default bass and treble settings these speakers blew us away. They were strong enough to deliver punchy bass when we were watching movies and did an excellent job of highlighting dialogue so that it was always clear and defined. Even at high levels, the bass was powerful and not overly boomy. When playing back music, the speakers again impressed us with well-defined vocals that weren't drowned out or muffled by high volume levels. In fact, sound from these speakers was strong enough to fill not only our bedroom, but also our entire apartment.

If you're in the market for a solid pair of multimedia speakers that won't weigh you down with a massive subwoofer, the T40s should be high on your list. Thanks to their incredible audio quality, they create an immersive soundstage that's worth every dollar.

Toshiba Qosmio X505-Q898

2011-02-14T14:13:00.000+05:30

Processor: 1.73GHz Intel Core i7-740QM
Memory: 6GB DDR3
Storage: 64GB solid-state drive; 500GB hard drive
Optical Drive: Blu-ray/DVD combo drive
Screen: 18.4 inches (1,920x1,080 native resolution)
Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 460M (1.5GB)
Weight: 10.1 pounds
Dimensions (HWD): 1.8x17.4x11.6 inches
Operating System: Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)

Welcome back, stranger. We haven't looked at an update of Toshiba's now-venerable line of Qosmio desktop-replacement machines in some time, so we were excited to check out a freshly minted Core i7 version of one of these big machines.

And it did not disappoint, in our formal tests or our hands-on trials. Loaded with high-end components, Toshiba’s Qosmio X505-Q898 propels to the top of the early-2011 class of entertainment notebooks. In addition to the Core i7 CPU power, it features Nvidia GeForce GTX 460M graphics and a feature set that will satisfy the most demanding multimedia enthusiast. At a $1,999 list price, it isn’t exactly what you’d call an impulse buy, but if you’re in the market for a notebook that can handle serious media crunching and viewing, strenuous productivity-app workouts, and some serious gaming demands, the Qosmio is hard to beat.

Design

Like most big-screen notebooks, the Qosmio X505 is huge and heavy. It weighs 10.1 pounds and measures 1.8x17.4x11.6 inches (HWD). When you factor in its sizable 1.6-pound power brick, there’s a high probability that it won’t see a whole lot of travel time. The chassis sports Toshiba’s so-called "Omega Black" glossy finish, infused with a subtle checkered pattern, and bright metallic-red trim surrounds the lid and keyboard deck. The obligatory Toshiba logo, also in red, is smack in the middle of the lid. You’ll see a fair amount of fingerprint smudging with the shiny finish, but the red-on-black color scheme is sharp-looking when clean.

This model is loaded with connectivity ports, many of which are located along the left side of the chassis. Here you’ll find Ethernet, HDMI, and FireWire ports, as well as an eSATA/USB combo port, a single USB port, an ExpressCard/54 slot, and the tray eject for the Blu-ray reader/DVD writer. Over on the right are two additional USB ports, a pair of audio jacks (headphone and microphone), and a VGA video-out connection. We were surprised that all of the USB ports are of the 2.0 variety rather than the faster 3.0 ports that are beginning to show up on some newer notebooks.

Five red status indicators line the front edge of the keyboard deck, along with a six-format flash-card reader and a Wi-Fi on/off switch. The card reader works with the SD, SDHC, Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro, xD-PictureCard, and MultiMediaCard formats.

Features

The Qosmio X505’s 18.4-inch screen is, in a word, stunning. With a 1,920x1,080 resolution and 16-to-9 aspect ratio, it displays movies, photos, and other streaming content in full 1080p HD—and does it well. Scenes from our test Blu-ray movie, Avatar, were very bright, with sharp color reproduction, and the inky blacks provided excellent shadow detail. Motion blur was nonexistent both during the movie and while playing Assassin’s Creed II, a fast-paced action/adventure game that looked very striking on the big screen. Viewing angles from the sides were wide, but when viewed from the bottom, the picture darkens considerably. That is not uncommon for a notebook panel, however.

The keyboard deck sports the same glossy-black finish used on the lid, and as such is susceptible to fingerprint smudges. The black keys are illuminated by white LED backlighting and are well-spaced and responsive. The keyboard allows for a bit of flex while typing but is far from mushy. A numeric keypad sits off to the right, and there’s a touch-sensitive control panel with red backlighting to the left of the keyboard. This panel contains the power switch, volume and mute controls, media-transport controls (play/pause and forward/reverse), a DVD-player launch button, and a button that launches Toshiba’s power-conservation Eco utility. (The utility lets you enable and disable the notebook’s power-saving mode, monitor real-time power usage, and track power use over a period of time.) At the leading edge of the keyboard deck, the touch pad is flush with the deck and slightly textured, giving you a bit of friction for precise cursor control. The metallic red mouse buttons are nice and big, and emit a slight click when pressed.

At the top of the deck is a pair of powerful Harman Kardon speakers that will have no trouble filling a small room with crisp, distortion-free sound. With the help of Dolby Home Theater technology, the X505 offers better-than-average bass response without the need for a subwoofer. Storage comes by way of a 64GB solid-state primary drive and a 500GB secondary hard drive that spins at 7,200rpm. Wireless features include 802.11b/g/n and Bluetooth networking, and there’s a 1.3-megapixel Webcam embedded in the screen’s upper bezel. The X505 also has a hard drive impact sensor that parks the drive heads when it detects a sudden movement or falling motion.

Performance

Powered by Intel’s 1.73GHz Core i7-740QM processor and 6GB of DDR3 RAM, the Qosmio X505 notched some very impressive scores on our benchmark tests. On the 64-bit PCMark Vantage test, which measures overall system performance, its score of 10,458 was more than 3,000 points higher than the average score for a desktop-replacement notebook we've tested. By way of comparison, the $1,599 Acer Aspire 8943G and $1,699 HP Envy 17, both also built around Intel Core i7 processors, turned in scores of 6,076 and 6,324, respectively, showing that the processor is only part of the overall performance equation. Scores were far more similar on Cinebench 10, which taxes all the available cores on the CPU (and focuses on the CPU more specifically): Here, the X505 scored 11,045 points, while the Envy 17 scored a close 10,250 and the Acer scored 10,206.

Performance at crunching media files was also quite good. On our Windows Media Encoder test (in which we convert a standard 3-minute video clip to DVD-quality format), the Qosmio's score of 3 minutes and 38 seconds was above the category average, though 28 seconds slower than the HP Envy 17. The results on our iTunes Conversion Test were similar. In this test, we convert 11 standard MP3 files to AAC format, and the X505 completed the task in 3 minutes and 12 seconds. Again, that score is above average, though the Envy edged it out by 13 seconds.

Gamers will appreciate the Qosmio X505’s graphics prowess. (In that regard, this machine is no slouch, fueled by Nvidia’s GeForce GTX 460M graphics processor with 1.5GB of its own video memory.) The X505's score of 10,672 on our 3DMark06 gaming benchmark test (running at its native resolution of 1,920x1,080, under DirectX 9) was more than 3,000 points higher than that of the Acer Aspire 8943G. (That machine, by comparison, gets its graphics pep from an ATI Radeon HD 5850 processor with 2GB of memory.) On this test, the X505 also beat the HP Envy 17, which uses a 1GB Radeon HD 5850, by more than 1,200 points.

HP Pavilion dm3t

2011-02-14T14:10:00.000+05:30

Processor: 1.33MHz Intel Core i3-380UM
Memory: 3GB RAM
Storage: 320GB hard drive
Optical Drive: None
Screen: 13.3 inches (1,366x768 native resolution)
Graphics: Integrated Intel HD
Weight: 4 pounds
Dimensions (HWD): 1.3x12.8x9.2 inches
Operating System: Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)

The HP Pavilion dm3t is a significant update over last year’s dm3 model, offering better performance and a more stylish look, all at a lower price. Starting at just $529 and ringing up for $655 in our Core i3 test configuration, this lightweight 13.3-inch-screened notebook has a comfortable, roomy keyboard, a responsive CPU, and a sharp, bright screen. It’s not going to set any speed records, and its poor 3D-graphics performance is only suitable for the most casual of games, but overall it feels like a notebook that should cost more.

Design

The dm3t is on the small side for a budget 13.3-inch notebook, measuring 1.3x12.8x9.2 inches and weighing in at 4 pounds, hovering on the border between the ultraportable and thin-and-light laptop categories. Though the brushed-aluminum shell of last year’s dm3 model is still present around the keyboard and screen, the outside is now a rubbery, flat-black “soft touch” material. We really like the aesthetic, and the material is completely resistant to fingerprints.

We’re generally pleased with the full suite of ports on the dm3t. On the left, you’ll find VGA and HDMI video ports, a combo eSATA/USB 2.0 connector, and a slot for attaching a Kensington-style cable lock. On the right, you’ll find power, headphone, microphone, and Ethernet jacks, as well as a pair of USB 2.0 connectors. In addition, you get a memory-card slot that supports just about all the major flash formats: SD, MultiMediaCard, Memory Stick, and xD-PictureCard. What’s missing, however, is an optical drive.

Features

The roomy, full-size, Chiclet-style keyboard is a pleasure to type on. The keys are well spaced and have just the right amount of vertical travel for comfortable typing. For the most part, the layout is good, but the half-size up and down arrow keys take a little getting used to. Also, the keyboard has no dedicated page-navigation buttons: You have to hit the Fn key in combination with the arrow keys to get Page Up, Page Down, Home, and End, and none of these is labeled thus. The keys in the function-key row default to various system controls for media playback and screen brightness; you’ll have to press the Fn key in concert with one of them to enter F1 to F12. A backlit version of the keyboard is available, but our test unit wasn’t equipped with this $25 option.

As with the touch pads popularized on Apple’s MacBooks, the entire surface of the touch pad can be used to navigate around the screen, and you simply press the lower right or left corners to register a mouse-button click. The button area is demarcated by a slightly raised ridge, a nice touch that makes using the touch pad without glancing down easier. You can double-tap a dot in the top left corner of the touch pad to disable it; a small orange light will appear to indicate that it’s turned off.

The 13.3-inch, 1,366x768-pixel screen is sharp and very bright, with rich, deep colors. The viewing angle is very good from side-to-side but fairly narrow vertically. The glossy surface is very reflective, though, and reflections may be an issue if you have lighting directly behind you. The speakers are mounted above the keyboard and offer rich, clear sound for a notebook in this class. Audio sounded very good until we cranked the volume to its highest level; it got a bit muddy at that point.

The VGA Webcam isn’t impressive from a resolution standpoint, but it works well in low light. Video looks great in bright lighting. In dimmer environs, the image gets grainier, but it compensates for the lack of lighting and remains colorful and bright.

Das Keyboard Professional

2011-02-14T14:09:00.000+05:30

How much are you willing to pay for outstanding typing? Thirty dollars? One hundred dollars? More? If so, then there's a keyboard for you: the Das Keyboard Professional.

Yes, it costs $129 (there's also a similarly priced version, the Das Keyboard Ultimate, that is outfitted with blank keycaps to truly test your mettle). But if you type as much as we do, on the order of tens or hundreds of thousands of words per year, or you just want the keys on your keyboard to feel like extensions of your fingertips, you'll adore the Das Keyboard's construction. The gold-plated mechanical key switches offer comfortable springy action, immediate tactile feedback, and a satisfying “click” that makes typing more of a multisensory activity. You even get n-key rollover, so you can press up to 12 keys at once.

The Das Keyboard is as close as you'll get to the legendary IBM Model M keyboard without a time machine. It steps out of the 1980s, though, with its built-in two-port USB 2.0 hub. One can never have too many USB ports, and having a couple of additional ones at your fingertips is a definite plus.

When we reviewed the Das Keyboard II last year, it cost an extreme $89.95 without the USB ports. But now, that price is almost $40 higher. And since the Das Keyboard is frills-free—it's a standard 104-key model with no media controls or other fancy modern accoutrements—you could spend less on a fully decked-out model and a separate USB hub, while getting more ports and buttons in the bargain.

What you're paying for is the Das Keyboard's typing capability. Keyboards have become utterly ubiquitous, included free with every PC and dirt cheap if you actually need to go out and buy one. But you may have noticed that their quality has degraded even as their quantities have skyrocketed. The Das Keyboard Professional returns you to a time when typing comfort was paramount, and helping people do it safely and well was a science of its own. We think more people would take that trip if only the ticket didn't cost so much.

Asus Republic of Gamers G73Jh

2011-02-14T13:58:00.000+05:30

Processor: 1.6GHz Intel Core i7-720QM
Memory: 8GB RAM
Storage: 1TB hard drive
Optical Drive: DVD±RW
Screen: 17.3 inches (1,920x1,080 native resolution)
Graphics: ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5870 (1GB)
Weight: 7.4 pounds
Dimensions (HWD): 2.2x16.3x12.6 inches
Operating System: Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)

It’s rare that gamers on the prowl for high-end gear get a price break. Most gamers are used to paying top dollar for bleeding-edge parts and systems—with the downside of sacrificing precious power for any money they try to save by settling for older or less capable components. But the Asus G73Jh, branded under the Republic of Gamers (ROG) line, manages to offer, seemingly, way more than its price tag’s worth of juice.

The G73Jh has some of the specifications you’d expect to see on much pricier notebooks. A quad-core Intel Core i7 CPU? Check. A fat bank of 8GB of memory? Check. A 17.3-inch display at full 1080p resolution? Check. A cutting-edge, HD 5800-series ATI Radeon graphics subsystem? Check again. We’d expect a price of well over $2,000 for this configuration, so we’re left scratching our heads as to how Asus crammed it all into a stylish chassis and charges just $1,599 for it.

The G73Jh looks like a stealth fighter. It's a nifty-looking, unique system, with a matte-black finish and a streamlined, contoured lid. It's definitely not your father's Dell Inspiron, that's for sure, and it's sure to turn heads at gaming parties. The only downside of the form factor is the included power brick, which weighs more than a pound on its own and is one of the largest we've ever seen.

The input devices alone, including a black, backlit keyboard and a huge, 4.5-inch-diagonal touch pad, are worth the price of admission. The keyboard features surprisingly large keys with plenty of room between them, and it even includes a numeric keypad. Plus, somehow, enough room is left over for one of the largest laptop touch pads we’ve seen. They keys and the pad are both gloriously responsive, and thanks to an innovative cooling system that draws air through the front and blows hot air out two rear exhausts, the palm rests stay cool throughout any computing session.

Furthermore, the G73Jh features a 2-megapixel camera that performed well in all lighting situations. You’ll also find an eight-format memory-card reader, Bluetooth 2.1, and a full range of connectivity, anchored by Gigabit Ethernet and 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi. Of course, you'll find the rest of the standard ports along the sides of the laptop, including four USB 2.0 ports, an HDMI port, a VGA port, and audio jacks. One specification that floored us is the full terabyte of hard drive space, divided into four partitions on two physical notebook drives. One partition is expressly for the operating system; the rest are for the whims of the user.

Output is equally remarkable, via the huge, bright display. Driven by the powerful ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5870 chipset, which features a full gigabyte of DDR5 VRAM, the display features excellent visuals no matter what you choose to do. On our tests, video-playback quality was brilliant, without hiccups, artifacts, or blurring. Audio playback through the onboard speakers proved muffled, typical for any notebook, but throw on a decent headset, and the aural sensation goes from blah to fantastic. That's because the built-in Realtek audio chip supports Creative’s EAX technology up to version 4.0, allowing for positional audio in games that use it.

Indeed, gaming is a pleasure on the Asus G73Jh—as it should be, because that’s what it’s built for. And our gaming benchmark tests came back with excellent scores. On our 3DMark Vantage test, for instance, the G73Jh scored 8,234. On the first of our real-world gaming tests, Company of Heroes, it scored a very nice 139 frames per second (fps) on the DirectX 9 (DX9) version of the test and an excellent 51.2fps under DirectX 10 (DX10). When we ran our second gaming test, Far Cry 2, the G73Jh scored a strong 92fps for DX9 and 53fps for DX10. Considering the price, these are all very impressive scores. Only the most expensive laptops, such as the $4,849 Alienware M17x, trump these numbers.

Other performance scores were equally impressive. On our CPU-centric Windows Media Encoder test, the Asus ROG G73Jh came back with an outstanding time of 3 minutes and 53 seconds, a leading time in its price class, with the exception of the $649 Gateway NV7915u, which beat it by 21 seconds. All the other systems that beat this score cost $4,000 or more, proving that the Intel Core i7-720QM processor, paired with 8GB of DDR3 memory, is as impressive as it sounds. Next, in our iTunes encoding test, the G73Jh took 2 minutes and 54 seconds to convert our 11 standard MP3 files to AAC format, stacking up the same against competing notebooks as in the previous test, except that in this case, it beat the Gateway NV7915u by 2 minutes.

For overall system performance, the G73Jh managed strong PCMark Vantage scores of 5,436 and 3,936 on our 32- and 64-bit tests, respectively. Again, consider the system's low price: These are standout scores, trumped only by pricey notebooks such as the $4,199 Toshiba Qosmio X305-Q708 and the $4,076 Malibal Satori. In a nutshell, this entry in the Republic of Gamers line is a real powerhouse.

Lenovo ThinkPad T410s (2011 Version)

2011-02-14T13:55:00.000+05:30

Processor: 2.66GHz Intel Core i5-560M
Memory: 4GB RAM
Storage: 128GB solid-state drive
Optical Drive: DVD±RW
Screen: 14.1 inches (1,440x900 native resolution)
Graphics: Nvidia NVS 3100M; Intel HD graphics (on-chip Core i5)
Weight: 3.2 pounds
Dimensions (HWD): 0.8x13.3x9.5 inches
Operating System: Windows 7 Professional (64-bit)

When we reviewed the ThinkPad T410s back in July, we appreciated Lenovo’s ability to take an already stellar business notebook and make it even better. As with that earlier model, the latest iteration of the T410s sports some notable improvements, including a processor upgrade and the addition of Nvidia’s Optimus graphics technology, which automatically engages the laptop's dedicated graphics processor when needed. The good news is that the improved CPU in the new model we tested earns the updated T410s laurels for best-performing thin-and-light notebook we’ve seen to date. The bad news is its battery life is below average, and for a 3-pound machine that's nearly $1,800, that merits a markdown from the previous version, which earned an Editors' Rating of 9.3 and cost $400 less. If you need maximum performance in a short-haul travel machine, however, choosing this version for its superfast performance is a no-brainer.
Prices start at $1,299 for a base configuration, but our (nearly) fully loaded T410s will set you back a cool $1,779, making our test model one of the pricier thin-and-light notebooks around. You can save hundreds of dollars if you opt for a traditional hard drive, half the amount of memory, and an integrated graphics chipset, but you’ll be sacrificing performance if you do.

Design

On the outside, the ThinkPad T410s hasn’t changed at all since our last review, and that’s fine by us. We love that Lenovo managed to keep this 14-incher at just over 3 pounds and under an inch thick. Over the years, ThinkPads have always maintained a business-centric style, and this model continues the trend; the familiar matte-black chassis certainly isn’t what you’d call flashy, but it has a sturdy feel, and the finish is smudge-resistant.
A modest selection of ports lines the sides and back of the chassis. Rear-mounted connections include VGA, HDMI, and DisplayPort video outputs, as well as Ethernet and power jacks, an eSATA/USB combo port, and an “always on” USB port, identified by its yellow connector. The last lets you charge USB devices even when the T410s is powered off. (The AC power brick must be plugged in, however.) On the left edge, you'll find a headphone jack, an additional USB port, and a three-format card reader, and on the right is a DVD burner. The optical drive is modular and can be swapped out for an optional three-cell battery pack ($120) to extend your overall battery life.
On the bottom of the ThinkPad T410s is an expansion-dock slot that's compatible with the optional Lenovo Mini Dock Series 3 ($219.99), Mini Dock Plus Series 3 ($249.99), and USB Port Replicator with Digital Video ($149). Of the three expansion units, the Plus Series 3 offers the most connectivity options, including six USB ports, audio outputs, Ethernet and eSATA ports, and five video outputs (one VGA, two DVI, and two DisplayPort). When attached to a ThinkPad equipped with Nvidia’s Optimus technology, the Mini Dock Plus Series 3 makes it possible to send a video signal to up to four displays, including the notebook’s display. The Nvidia GPU uses any combination of the two digital ports (DVI and DisplayPort) to send a video signal to two of the three external displays, while the integrated Intel GPU uses the analog (VGA) port to send video to the third monitor and to the notebook’s built-in screen.
Lenovo was kind enough to send us a Plus Series 3 dock to test-drive, along with three 19-inch ThinkVision L1951P monitors ($239.99 each) to test its multi-display capabilities. After following a set of easy directions and enabling the “Extend desktop to this display” option in the Display Screen Resolution control panel, we had all three monitors, plus the laptop screen, working together. This setup is ideal for business users who work with multiple documents and spreadsheets, as you can comfortably view two pages on each monitor while leaving the notebook screen available to display your desktop. Or you can take multi-tasking to the next level by displaying a different application on each screen.

Features

Our ThinkPad T410s came with a 128GB solid state drive (SSD), but for an additional $80 you can choose a 160GB SSD if you require more storage. Lenovo also offers a traditional 250GB hard drive option that’ll save you $210, but it’s a relatively slow 5,400rpm drive. As always, Lenovo’s full-size ThinkPad keyboard is outstanding; the beveled keys are very responsive and provide a firm foundation, and the keyboard is spill-resistant.
We love that Lenovo offers both a TrackPoint pointing stick and a touch pad for input, each with its own set of mouse buttons that are quiet and easy to press. The textured touch pad is flush with the deck and provides smooth cursor control. A fingerprint scanner is positioned to the right of the touch pad, while at the top of the keyboard deck are dedicated volume, mute, and microphone mute buttons. There’s also a blue ThinkVantage button that launches a toolbox (powered by PC Doctor) where you can manage passwords, backup and restore important files, enable virus protection, monitor system health, and run diagnostic tests.
As with the earlier ThinkPad T410s, this model sports a 14.1-inch LED-backlit display with a resolution of 1,440x900, which is a step up from the typical 1,366x768 panels used on most 14-inch notebooks, including the Samsung QX410. The panel delivers excellent color fidelity and has a matte finish that reduces glare without reflecting ambient light. Our 720p HD test clip, “Adrenaline Rush,” looked awesome on the brightly lit screen, and motion blur was not an issue. The integrated speakers are standard notebook issue; you don’t get much in the way of volume, but they are adequate for presentations in close quarters. The 2-megapixel Webcam embedded in the upper screen bezel delivers decent video, even in low light, and is well suited to video chats from the road. Still images are a tad grainy, however.

NewerTech NuStand Alloy Desktop Stand For Apple iPad

2011-02-14T13:53:00.002+05:30

NewerTech's NuStand Alloy is for those who value sturdiness over portability in an Apple iPad stand for their desks. The body is aluminum, with a silicone insert for holding your iPad. The 3.5-ounce NuStand Alloy isn't heavy, but it's designed to be used in one location; it's less suited as a mobile model to take with you while traveling on business. You can stand one up for $24.99. It's available via various online distributors.

HP Mini 1103

2011-02-11T20:13:00.000+05:30

Processor: 1.66GHz Intel Atom N455
Memory: 1GB RAM
Storage: 250GB hard drive
Optical Drive: None
Screen: 10.1 inches (1,024x600 native resolution)
Graphics: Integrated Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 3150
Weight: 2.8 pounds
Dimensions (HWD): 0.9x10.6x7.5 inches
Operating System: Windows 7 Starter (32-bit)

HP's Mini netbooks have traditionally been well priced, durable, and fast enough for basic tasks. A new model for 2011, the Mini 1103, acts as an inexpensive successor to other business netbooks like the Mini 5101 and 5102. HP is positioning this squarely as a companion PC, a netbook you use for travel or when you need an alternative to your main desktop or laptop. The Mini 1103's $299 price point is hard to beat, and the system delivers excellent battery life along with average netbook performance from its Intel Atom N455 processor.

Design

Wrapped top to bottom in black shiny plastic, the Mini 1103 looks like a generic but professional netbook. The top half has a slippery coating, while the bottom half has a textured feel that keeps it from sliding around on your lap. While attractive, the shiny black plastic on the top collects fingerprints easily. At 2.8 pounds and measuring 0.9x10.5x7.5 inches, it's svelte enough to be unobtrusive for travel.

The Mini 1103 has a standard array of ports: three USB ports, a VGA-out port, a Kensington lock slot, an Ethernet jack, the power port, and a combo headphone/microphone jack. Also included is a flash-card reader that supports the SD, SDHC, SDXC, Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro, and MultiMediaCard formats. Connectivity on the unit includes Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n) and Bluetooth for various peripherals. A 250GB, 7,200rpm hard drive is included in the standard configuration, with a 160GB or 320GB drive offered in other configurations.

Features

A 0.3-megapixel VGA Webcam is embedded in the Mini 1103's bezel. A small LED light turns on when it's in use. The cam is low-res, though, and as a result provided lackluster visuals. In our trials, pictures and video looked grainy, dark, and washed out. One friend using Skype said she could make out enough detail and facial features to make video calling worthwhile, but we suggest tempering your expectations.

On the other hand, we liked the Mini 1103's keyboard, which is 93 percent of full size. It's not of the Chiclet variety that has become nearly ubiquitous on netbooks lately, but its layout allows for accurate typing, though those with larger hands might feel a bit cramped. The keyboard offers reverse-operation function keys along the top row that act as easy-to-access media and system controls. You can adjust brightness, volume, and wireless access just by pushing one of them. But if you want to access an actual function (to, say, access the BIOS during bootup), you’ll need to hit the Fn key in concert with the appropriate function key to make it register.

As for the 3.1x1.25-inch touch pad below the keyboard, we found it very responsive, if also a bit cramped. There are two small plastic mouse buttons below the touch. In general, were comfortable and responsive, if a little cheap-feeling.

Embedded into the glossy bezel above the deck is the 10.1-inch LED-backlit display. The screen has a 1,024x600 native resolution and a matte finish, the latter helping to keep stray reflections down. And even with the matte finish, the picture was bright and the colors rich. Video playback from Hulu and YouTube streamed smoothly for such a low-powered machine. Streaming playback stuttered a lot when trying to play 480p (640x480) or 720p (1,280x720) streams, but 360p (640x360) generally worked fine. Unfortunately, when video was viewed more than 20 degrees off-angle from the screen's center, the picture's colors appeared washed out.

The speakers, which line the front of the unit, can crank up quite loud for a netbook. That said, sound quality is poor: Music sounds flat, and spoken voices came off harsh when volume was turned up. On the song “What's My Name” by Rihanna, the bass and midrange tones could hardly be heard even at loud volume. This could be acceptable for watching a presentation, but it’s not ideal for a movie.

Performance

The Mini 1103 has a standard Intel Atom N455 processor. We run three tests on a netbook's processor. First up is our Cinebench 10 test, which taxes all available cores on the CPU while rendering a standard test image. The Mini 1103 scored 840 on this test, which is less than the 899 average we've seen across netbooks we've tested. To put that in perspective, that score is nearly identical to the 870 the HP Mini 100e earned—and that notebook, while also $299, is made for kids. For more business-centric users, a comparison with the Samsung NF310 is more appropriate. That netbook is $399 but otherwise has the same sort of sober aesthetic as the Mini 1103. It scored 1,458 on this test, proving its processing superiority with its 1.5GHz Intel Atom N550 CPU. (The Mini 1103's chip is a slightly older chip with lower power consumption.)

Next, we ran our iTunes Conversion Test, in which the test system converts 11 standard MP3 files to AAC format. The Mini 1103 completed the test task in 18 minutes and 45 seconds, close to the 19:07 average we've seen across the netbook category. By comparison, the HP Mini 100e ran the iTunes test at 19:22, while the Samsung NF310 ran the test in 19:36.

HP Pavilion dm3t

2011-02-11T20:09:00.000+05:30

Processor: 1.33MHz Intel Core i3-380UM
Memory: 3GB RAM
Storage: 320GB hard drive
Optical Drive: None
Screen: 13.3 inches (1,366x768 native resolution)
Graphics: Integrated Intel HD
Weight: 4 pounds
Dimensions (HWD): 1.3x12.8x9.2 inches
Operating System: Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)

Design

We’re generally pleased with the full suite of ports on the dm3t. On the left, you’ll find VGA and HDMI video ports, a combo eSATA/USB 2.0 connector, and a slot for attaching a Kensington-style cable lock. On the right, you’ll find power, headphone, microphone, and Ethernet jacks, as well as a pair of USB 2.0 connectors. In addition, you get a memory-card slot that supports just about all the major flash formats: SD, MultiM edia Card, Memory Stick, and xD-Picture Card. What’s missing, however, is an optical drive.

Features

The roomy, full-size, Chiclet-style keyboard is a pleasure to type on. The keys are well spaced and have just the right amount of vertical travel for comfortable typing. For the most part, the layout is good, but the half-size up and down arrow keys take a little getting used to. Also, the keyboard has no dedicated page-navigation buttons: You have to hit the Fn key in combination with the arrow keys to get Page Up, Page Down, Home, and End, and none of these is labeled thus. The keys in the function-key row default to various system controls for media playback and screen brightness; you’ll have to press the Fn key in concert with one of them to enter F1 to F12. A back lit version of the keyboard is available, but our test unit wasn’t equipped with this $25 option.

As with the touch pads popularized on Apple’s Mac Books, the entire surface of the touch pad can be used to navigate around the screen, and you simply press the lower right or left corners to register a mouse-button click. The button area is demarcated by a slightly raised ridge, a nice touch that makes using the touch pad without glancing down easier. You can double-tap a dot in the top left corner of the touch pad to disable it; a small orange light will appear to indicate that it’s turned off.

The VGA Web cam isn’t impressive from a resolution standpoint, but it works well in low light. Video looks great in bright lighting. In dimmer environs, the image gets grainier, but it compensates for the lack of lighting and remains colorful and bright.

LG GD880

2010-09-22T13:02:00.000+05:30

The profligate rareness that redefines the destination between looks & intellectual.

Stunning looks and razor shrewd features,GD880 has go it all. its crowning unify of communication and innovation with 8.1cm instinct feeling screen with S league UI , LG Air Sync , 5MP camera with automobile nidus , real measure gregarious networking and MP3 participant with 3.5mm Diddley . What solon could you ask for?
Actual Example Gregarious Networking
    Attain your favourite services and appease in touch with your friends 24x7.With its SNS widgets , get a one exploit reach to facebook,Cheep & Blogger.
LG Air Sync
    Vibration the hurdle of data sharing crosswise the devices with limitless possibility to transmit from the web & PC directly to your phone.Conscionable do it with human login to the www.lgairsync.com.
3.5 mm Illiberal Bezel
    The 3.5mm specify bezel gives you the smooth viewing feeling and posture to the posh sound making it jolting & hard diva,you would never recede to bonk.
Wi-Fi
    Enjoy broadloom connectivity on the run. Get an fast attain to the cyberspace in Wi-Fi enabled divide.So always fiat joined and meet updated.
8.12 Full Signature Covert with S-Class UI
    Participate a large and crystallization overhaul receive with 8.12 cm congested move take.Get delighted & thrilled with its intutive S-class UI for hurried & painless right of the transmission features in vindicatory one go.
Ultra Slenderize & Minimalistic Ornamentation
    Super Smooth Plan that defines call. Edgy embody with knifelike curve makes it fit gracefully in your assemblage.This realistic beauty is sure to envoke several desire.
Opposite Features :

Aggroup Messaging
    Yes (Up to 20 Nos)
NDTV Existing
    Yes
Bluetooth
    Ver 2.1 with A2DP
Anti-theft Versatile Tracker
    Yes
Humankind Time
    Yes
Organisation converter
    Yes
Reckoner
    Yes
Speakerphone
    Yes
USB Charging
    Yes
Papers Viewer
    Yes (doc, xls, ppt, pdf )
USB Accumulation transpose
    Yes
Stairway Modality
    Yes
Fearfulness
    Yes
Motion Sensor Gallinacean
    Yes (Realistic Move Fishing, Eruct Air)
Embedded Applications
    DataWallet, JustCricket, NewsHunt, LG HelpDesk, Google Maps
Occlusive Ticker
    Yes
PC Sync
    Yes
Wi-Fi
    Yes (802.11b/g)
Merchandise of music tones
    72 polyphonic
Island
    MIDP 2.0
Application
    Yes
Accelerometer
    Yes
Multiethnic Networking
    YouTube, Blogger, Facebook, Twirp
LG Air Sync
    Yes
GPS
    Assisted GPS, Defence exclusive

LG GX500

2010-09-22T12:58:00.000+05:30

LG's new threefold SIM Sound lets you untaped two lives with Righteous one Stir

The new LG GX500 Booming Exploit Obturate Treble Sim Sound is all about the prizewinning of both worlds.A admittedly enabler,the sound lets you dissent a perfect structure between your ever demanding adult & personal period.Conscionable exploit it and mishap into your authority humanity.

Features :

3 MP Camera with Recording Recording
    A camera that freezes the time and straight plays sanction the moments lived. With 3.0 MP camera trance superior grade picutres and listing videos on the go and cherish them whenever you poorness.
House Mini Browser 5.0
    The fastest reading receive accessible for your sound.Theatre's performance rate and controls put it light-years dormie of different port browser
Duple SIM Get
    Virtually get an receive of using two disjunct phones with just one. With its call ready serve it is also now researchable to tally quintuple alive calls at the aforementioned instant.
Gregarious Networking
    Attain your pick services and outride in move with your friends 24x7. With SNS widgets,get a fast admittance to facebook,Chirp,Myspace
Wi-Fi
    Enjoy Smooth connectivity on the advise & get present gain to net in Wi-Fi enabled zones.
7.62 cm Engorged Meet Jam with A-Class UI
    Elevate your way sound experience with its 7.62 cms WQVGA TFT riddled spot strain. It's a-class threefold SIM UI allows users to rapidly browse finished its docket & acccess different widgets with rightful a simplified ingest.

Gateway FX6803-25

2010-09-22T12:46:00.000+05:30

If you expect you're sight treble, you're not dishonourable: The Gateway FX6803-25 is identical, from its piano-black windup to the red LED accents on its chassis, to the Gateway FX6831-01 we reviewed gage in Feb. Flatbottom the inward looks same, unconnected from the updated Intel Ngo i7-930 processor, 9GB of RAM (versus 8GB in its predecessor), and Blu-ray optical journey. But with these ingredient upgrades also comes a $200 value lift; the FX6803-25 lists for $1,499 (we've seen it for little online), spell its predecessor was priced at $1,299. Whether the upgrades confirm the value premium mostly depends on what you system to do with this PC, and how probable you are to advance it in the prox.

As mentioned above, Gateway has switched to a 2.8GHz Intel Core i7-930 from an Intel Core i7-860 in the previous FX scheme we looked at. That's a opportune artifact, because content from a slight modify condition, the motherboard in this organization sports the LGA 1366 CPU socket victimized by Intel's current high-end processors. So, later on, when extremum CPUs similar the six-core Set i7-980X (mercantilism at the period we wrote this for almost $1,000 by itself) rise dr. out of the stratosphere toward affordability, you'll be competent to depute to that breaking (or something plane faster, if Intel sticks with this socket for a spell). With the senior FX6831-01, you'll be limited to Socket 1156 CPUs, and at the time at small, those top out with the Ngo i7-875K, a quad-core CPU that's not substantially faster than the Nucleus i7-860 in the senior FX system. As a termination, if you're the DIY type, or would help is definitely author forward-looking and upgrade-friendly.
The otherwise nucleus components of the Gateway FX6803-25 are fairly corresponding to what's in the senior machine. You get a 1.5TB uphill journeying and an AMD Radeon HD 5850 graphics greeting with 1GB of discrete faculty, both of which are also institute in the FX6831-01. Nevertheless, the FX6803-25 also has a Blu-ray locomote, in acquisition to a 16x DVD burner. (The older FX6831-01 exclusive sports the latter.) Since these two diversion rigs are so corresponding in position of their components, we'll screw to provide it up our tight lab investigation to see retributory how some a conflict the speedier CPU and artifact gig of RAM makes. We also threw our Editors'-Choice-winning iBuypower LAN Warrior II ($1,999 upfront, as proved) into the mix for similitude, to see how overmuch author execution stepping up to the $2,000 indicant faculty, the $1,499 FX6803-25 scored an magnificent 17,180, patch the $1,299 FX6831-01 wasn't far behind with 16,849. The LAN Warrior II, with its own Set i7-930 CPU, scored honourable scarcely modify than both systems, at 17,427. The tarradiddle wasn't overmuch diametric when it came to our CPU-focused real-world media-conversion tests. The FX6803-25 took 2 proceedings and 11 seconds to persuade our 11 essay MP3 files to AAC split in iTunes, and 2 proceedings and 49 seconds to encode our stock essay video in Windows Media Encoder (WME) 9. The FX6831-01 clocked in 9 seconds behindhand at 2:20 in iTunes, and 3 seconds late in Windows Media Encoder, action 2:52 to transcode the like line. The LAN Warrior II remained on top (tho' by the thinnest of margins), with times of 2:10 in iTunes and 2:47 in our WME endeavor.

We close bound out PCMark Plus, a artificial suite of tests fashioned to mensurate overall scheme execution. The FX6803-25, somewhat astonishingly, pass to tertiary site, with a bitterness of 8,252, though it wasn't far behindhand the FX6831-01's make of 8,833. The LAN Warrior II, however, thanks to its 64GB unvaried say move (SSD) and some more ruling Radeon HD 5970 graphics roll, blew foregone both Gateway machines with a win of 13,124. Understandably (and unsurprisingly), with the iBuypower PC, you get a hot proportion increase in value. But we then affected on to our diversion frame-rate tests to see how untold that other h.p. really matters in games, which is the unqualified focusing of these PCs.
The FX6803-25 did shaft enough to fit most mainstream gamers in our graphics tests, flat bottom if it didn't charge quite so compartment against its competition here. The FX6803-25 had an average in close order of 72.2 frames per secondment (fps) in our DirectX 10 examine using the scheme Far Cry 2, which was lower than the FX6831-01's 84.3fps and the LAN Warrior II's high 151fps. (We ran this examine at a papers of 1,680x1,050.)

We then repeated the judge at the ultrahigh finding of 2,560x1,600, which is typically seen exclusive on costly, big 30-inch LCDs. Here too, the FX6803-25 (43.6fps) elapse behind the FX6831-01 (69.6fps). The LAN Warrior II breezed through this exacting run, turning in 93.1fps.

AMD Phenom II X4 970 Black Edition

2010-09-22T12:42:00.000+05:30

With all the niggle over six-core CPUs same the AMD Phenom II X6 1090T and Intel Nucleus i7-980X Intense Edition, quad-core CPUs vindicatory don't get the attending they utilised to. But with most mainstream software plant exclusive scrivened to purchase advantage of a azygos CPU ngo, a quad-core CPU equal AMD's current, the 3.5GHz Phenom II X4 970 Fateful Edition, is a cracking choice for uttermost gamers and users of high-end apps who don't necessity to noise out the extremity prices for one of Intel's maximum-speed CPUs.

At $185, this newest Phenom II part isn't exactly threepenny, but it's perfectly provident compared with Intel's $1,000 quad-core Nucleus i7-975 Extreme Edition. But as you'll see when we run finished our investigating results, the Phenom II X4 970's closest competitor is the Intel Ngo i5-750, which, at the clip of this variety in September 2010, sold for almost $15 solon than the AMD divide.

There's nothing new with the structure of the Phenom II X4 970. It's manufactured using the unvaried 45-nanometer (nm) noesis as old Phenom II CPUs, and it has the like total of L2 stash (2MB). As with all Colorful Edition processors, this CPU is unlocked for overclocking, which adds to its value. (Remark, tho', that AMD does biliousness that operation with a pure caveat: Casualty from overclocking isn't clothed by the warranty.) AMD's unrestrained Utilize software app offers considerable keep o

In our testing at the chip's get motion (3.5GHz), the Phenom II X4 970 was exclusive slightly faster than its predecessor, the Phenom II X4 965. And piece it bested the Ngo i5-750 on a few tests, the pricier Intel mar was relieve slightly faster in our video-editing trials. In our 11-track iTunes transformation test, the Phenom II X4 970 reborn our 11 standardised test files from MP3 to AAC split in just 2 transactions and 47 seconds. That was 3 seconds upbound of the Phenom II X4 965, but 4 seconds behind the Intel's Nucleus i5-750's moment of 2:44. The Phenom II X4 970, though, bested the Intel crisp in our Windows Media Encoder video-conversion examine, action 2 transactions and 41 seconds to resound our essay line. (The Core i5-750 fattened in 2:55, and the experienced AMD Phenom II X4 965 came in with a dimension of 2:53.) The Phenom II X4 970 held a disregard slightly down, scoring 14,134.

In our Sony Vegas 8 video-rendering tests, intentional specifically to tax all processor cores in a real-world service, the Nucleus i5-750 pulled ahead slightly. The Intel dung rendered our MPEG-2 prove record in 2 minutes and 55 seconds, patch the Phenom II X4 970 took 3:08, and the sr. Phenom II X4 965 came in at 3:12. Those zip disparities aren't discipline, but book in cognition that differences of a few seconds in rendering a moderate record equal our attempt lop will morph into proceedings or hours when version somebody, higher-definition video clips. Of instruction, if you drop loads of indication redaction video, you're healthier off opting for a six-core CPU such as the AMD Phenom II X6 1075T or Intel's Ngo i7-980X.

While Intel's Ngo i5-750 evidenced slightly faster in our video-editing tests, it's coverall quite evenly mated with the Phenom II X4 970. And the Phenom II is easier to overclock, if you're so aslant, to eke out a soft artifact quicken. The riches of inexpensive AM2+ and AM3 motherboards also operate in AMD's upgrade if you're construction a new machine from irritate. A intelligent chequer of NewEgg.com rotated up individual motherboards with an AM3 CPU socket in the $50 terms formation, with a few starting as low as $40. Oppositeness that with the cheapest motherboard useable on the unvarying situation activity Intel's LGA 1156 socket: $60. (Quality, the starting terms for boards from most of the many respected brands vacillate around $80.) As a ending, if you're starting from admittedly quantity.

Despite a state only a slight move bump over its predecessor, the Phenom II X4 970 is a high selection for a speedy raise, or for those who essential to increase a almighty quad-core group at a commonsensible damage. Its overclocking latent, compatibility with sr. motherboards, and benevolent execution for the value piss it a worthwhile plectrum in this soprano reach. Higher-end Ngo i7 CPUs request significantly faster show for recording and graphics professionals, but for those who reckon their backlog balances over sheer bleeding-edge performance, the Phenom II X4 970 is rattling

AMD Phenom II X6

2010-09-22T12:41:00.002+05:30

AMD's forward duad of six-core CPUs, the $285 Phenom II X6 1090T and the $200 Phenom II X6 1055T, both debuted in April 2010, and neither was just tatty. But compared with Intel's fix six-core CPU as of this composition, the $1,000 Core i7-980X (which launched a period earlier), AMD's offerings looked complete economical.

That relic admittedly today with AMD's fashionable six-core content. The Phenom II X6 1075T, at $245, falls reactionist between the company's two early six-core CPUs. At those prices, it's not a surprise that AMD's six-core chips don't run as allegretto as Intel's simple CPU velocity demon. What is a disruption, tho', is fair how quality these chips are, considering they're around a quartern of the cost. With features equivalent dynamic CPU timekeeper speeds and sympathy with existing AM3 systems, these digit chips promote cement AMD's change hegemony in status of both upgradability and supreme action, but in our tests, the Phenom II X6 1075T performed quite cease to Intel's quad-core Nucleus i7-870, which (as of this work, in mid-September 2010), oversubscribed for roughly $40 statesman.

Premiere, tho', let's address who is a potential customer for these high-end CPUs. As such as both Intel and AMD may wail it, most software still can't necessitate welfare of many than one CPU core. As a resultant, for most mundane engineering situations, unless you're someways tackling six CPU-intensive tasks at the identical time, your six cores won't piss anything befall any faster. Justified quatern cores is overkill for some users, which is why we travel to gas options similar AMD's $100 dual-core Phenom II X2 560 (also announced on Sept. 21, 2010, the self day as this CPU) and the triple-core AMD Athlon II X3 435 ($75) as advantageous, that sets the Phenom II X6 1075T separated from these less-expensive AMD chips is a have fashioned to get around the limitations of circulating software. AMD has else changing ngo timepiece speeds, meaningful that the alkali measure constant of the knap (3GHz, with the Phenom II X6 1075T) will act up as highschool as 3.5GHz automatically when the CPU is roiling inaccurate on a strain that makes use of only a lone CPU set. Intel's variant of this application, which it calls Turbo Aid, has been available on higher-end Intel CPUs since mid-2009. But before Intel fans restore the touch at AMD for just copying its competitor, IBM. This picture is a welcomed increase to a CPU, to be trusty, but in the end, exclusive those who rely on software that actually uses all disposable cores in a counter instrument see the brimming aid and reckon of additional cores.

Most of the software that currently makes untasted use of all forthcoming CPU cores comes from the adult content-creation domain. For those who rely on programs equal Adobe's Inventive Suite or Sony's Vegas video editor (or kindred programs that are expressly multi-core knowing), stepping up to a six-core processor can convey a earnest speedup, especially if you're currently working with an aging dual-core CPU. Gamers will also see both goodness in titles that withdraw benefit of manifold cores. (Where applicable, the extra cores ofttimes tolerate the game to interact more-complex fake intelligence for nonplayer characters, in games equivalent the new free Maneuver.) But again, spell a operative goodness here if you're already flying a accelerating quad-core CPU.

What this tells us, in a nutshell: If you're from one of those two camps-very sincere gamer or thing creator, or straddling the two-six-core CPUs are a clever select. Those writing monolithic amounts of high-def recording on a fine schedule may wishing to pay the premium for Intel's faster Set i7-980x CPU, but there's no denying that AMD's Phenom II X6 1075T handles those said high-end technology tasks intimately considering its toll is most one-fourth of what you'll pay for the Intel cut. Advantageous, this crisp drops reactionist into an existing AM3 or AM2+ motherboard. (A BIOS update module be necessary, so be reliable one is available for your timber before purchase.)

To see how the Phenom II X6 1075T stacks up against related CPUs, we ran it through our surge of tests fashioned to measure solon execution, as healed as how it handles tasks that tax its six cores to the ample. We started with our PCMark Vantage suite, a inflectional try intentional to determine boilersuit scheme action. In that affliction, the Phenom II X6 1075T managed a advance of 7,041 in our try rig. That persuade puts this defect onward of Intel's quad-core (and currently about $290) Core i7-870, which scored 6,583. Intel's latest six-core sovereign, the $1,000 Core i7-980X, coasted in advantageously marginally surmount than the Phenom II X6 1075T here, scoring 7,462.

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2010-08-08T16:47:00.001+05:30

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Asus Eee PC 1001P Seashell

2010-06-30T20:42:00.000+05:30

Processor: 1.66GHz Intel Corpuscle N450
Storage: 1GB RAM
Store: 160GB brutal propulsion
Optical Force: Service
Cover: 10.1 inches (1,024x600 person document)
Graphics: Introjected Intel GMA 3150
Coefficient: 2.8 pounds
Dimensions (HWD): 1.4x10.3x7 inches
Operating Group: Windows 7 Starter (32-bit)

Asus, a standards setter in the netbook accumulation, continually raises the bar on contention and action. The company's last ultra-affordable grouping presents a new barrier for else netbooks to top. The Asus Eee PC 1001P, which looks strikingly corresponding to whatsoever of its peers, is an excellent entertainer with a cut-rate $299 terms tag.

On product, the 1001P appears pretty standard-unimpressive, regularize. Its Conifer Drag structure by Intel (mainly an Material N450 processor, connected with nonsegregated graphics) follows proceedings with nearly every one netbook we've seen in 2010. The 1001P's dimensions, coefficient, and lid organisation are same to the Asus 1005PR, which we recently reviewed. Nevertheless, it's a polish and slenderize method, advisement 2.8 pounds and mensuration 1.4x10.3x7 inches. The textured checkerboard itinerary on the 1001P's lid is repeated on the touch rests and jazzes up the system's minimalistic beautiful.

Along the sides of the chassis is an smorgasbord of ports launch on most opposite netbooks. Highlights let ternion USB ports, a three-format media book customer (for MMC, SD, and SDHC), and VGA yield for connecting to an foreign monitor. There is no optical route or HDMI output, but that's typic of a 10.1-inch netbook same the 1001P. As for connectivity, the grouping comes with WLAN 802.11b/g, but no Bluetooth. (An upgraded plan of the 1001P comes with Bluetooth and a 250GB petrified ride for $329). Embedded into the bunk check bezel is a VGA Webcam (0.3 megapixels), which takes crisp photos that countenance slightly washed out. On the nonnegative face, recording recordings bed reasonably take, a weensy matte-black advert pad sits flowing with the floral region rests. Beneath the fashion pad is a shiny one totter add that has a unfathomable drop and provides beneficent feedback, though its faux-chrome move attracts smudges. The disturb pad is answering and supports multi-touch gestures (much as rotating images with two fingers), but the minor sense sturdier. Positive, the 1001P's right-Shift key is commodious, something we've develop to apprize on a netbook. We also same the easy papers direction (Fn+F4) that toggles between the system's aboriginal breakdown (1,024x600 pixels) and 800x600 pixels.

Embedded into the glazed bezel above the beautify is the 10.1-inch LED-backlit WSVGA exhibit. Its mat destination reduces the stare from which sleek screens have low sunshiny lights. However, vigil angles are controlled and the luminance settings are low. When we streamed Flash-based media from Hulu.com, we noticed the familiar jerkiness with which nearly all netbooks clutch. Similarly, video clips from YouTube looked choppy in low closure (360p) and played equal a slideshow in higher-resolutions same 480p. There is a bright lining, however: The speakers are positively booming. Flush when we upset the product feather beneath 50 proportion, the healthy filled a bitty room.

The 1001P, with its conventional bod and its limited specs, is an last execution mortal. Running on Windows 7 Starter and featuring a ho-hum 160GB scheming thrust, the system's Intel Material N450 processor is supercharged by 1GB of RAM. We began moving out our CPU reference tests with low expectations, but we quick realized the processing potential of this darkling buck group. To tax all open CPU cores we ran our Cinebench 10 judge, on which the 1001P dominated with 900 points. That's the maximal persuade we've seen on a netbook this year. The incoming good enter, 874, comes from the $379 Samsung N210. The $329 MSI Wind

Sony VAIO P-Series

2010-06-30T20:40:00.000+05:30

Processor: 2GHz Intel Stuff Z550
Memory: 2GB RAM
Hardware: 256GB solid-state intend
Optical Drive: None
Occlude: 8 inches (1,600x768 endemic papers)
Graphics: Interracial Intel GMA 500
Coefficient: 1.4 pounds
Dimensions: 0.8x9.6x4.7 inches (HWD)
Operating Grouping: Windows 7 Home Premium (32-bit)

Antepenultimate twelvemonth, Sony rolling out its P-Series Way PC, a super-stylish laptop intentional with women in intellect. This year, the P-Series targets a broader audience-in theory, anyway. The P-Series, in its 2010 personification, may now change cross-gender mention, but supposition its $899 turn price, unconcerned consumers are believable to channelize vivid. This mini-laptop's primary features square it a block above netbooks, but that's a travel you'll pay dearly for. In fact, our constellation (the VPCP118KX/B), with its immense 256GB solid-state track (SSD) and built-in mobile-broadband connectivity, is priced at a startling $1,499. Since numerous movable PCs cost far fewer, the Sony VAIO P-Series is a terminal year's display, and it packs positive change reckon into every ounce.

Those who can afford a P-Series present aspect same the hippest Web surfers at the brownness course. The P-Series is easily one of the coolest netbooks we've e'er seen, and its tiny footmark is undeniably single, flat if it does resemble an oversized makeup dense. Its border measures only 0.8x9.6x4.7 inches, which is bantam, flatbottomed for a netbook, and it practically vanishes interior a machine bag. Consideration 1.4 pounds, the P-Series is also one of the lightest full-fledged PCs we've ever reviewed. It comes in phoebe flag: car orange, argonon naif, hot flower, discolour, and sarcastic. Although we proved the tasteful human variant, we works noticed heads turning every less organisation sports a mix of ports connatural to those on net year's P-Series. Along the sinistral face are a lock receptacle, the knowledge connector, a USB port, a headphone ass, and a wireless on/off control. The alter lateral is plate to other USB opening and a side for the VGA/LAN dongle. Along the forepart, you'll bump an SD flash-card slot and a Retention Lever Duo slot with MagicGate functionality. As for wireless connectivity, the P-Series features Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, Wi-Fi (in 802.11b/g/n flavors), and built-in Verizon Wireless City Band with GPS (a seldom-seen picture, and one of our lover holdovers from the old P-Series). As with appurtenant kinda concentrate, considering that it provides ports that uprise criterion on every another laptop these life.

Because of the laptop's identifying variant calculate, the LED-backlit display measures exclusive 8 inches diagonally. At its soul resolution of 1,600x768, text is little and attacker to interpret. At the inferior ripe of the silky covering bezel is a painting move pad you manipulate with your moulding. In addition, right- and left-click buttons are on the leftist choose of the protect. Together, these touch-pad features are called the Mechanised when you influence the P-Series by the protection and let the keyboard drop freely. Regrettably, the proposition pad is too slender and can be fastidious, so we rarely old it.

Overall, we saved feeding the Web in this way comfortless at times, although we did revalue the style's built-in accelerometer, which allows you to modify the sieve orientation between genre and likeness style just by rotating the organization. Time aquatics the Web, the accelerometer lets you guide o.k. a tender by tipping the method to the leftmost and maneuver ship by tipping the scheme to the rightish. This click-free disjunctive is inventive and can be utilised in meeting with the slight adjoin pad. The accelerometer function worked alright in our investigation, so bimestrial it off for wandering employment.

Finally, holding the machine by the display felt infelicitous. We desirable using the pointing espouse, which is nestled among the character keys. The two lengthened steal buttons beneath the keyboard worked honorable pure, but the pointing stick's tap-click lineament was fussy and made us sesquipedalian for a symmetrical change pad piece we altered photos and surfed the Web.

Moving Flash-based media cognition from the Net was also a disappointment on the P-Series. Videos on Hulu.com were choppy and lagged regularly, and YouTube clips looked equivalent slide shows. Most netbooks change confusable problems, though we've seen meaningful improvements lately, especially from the Gateway LT2120u and the Broadcom-chip-equipped HP Mini 210 HD Edition. HD recording stored locally, downloaded from Microsoft's HD Cognition Scope, was more smoother, but the frequency lagged behindhand the video at present. Also, the P-Series' speakers make unsmooth, muffled vocalize. (At littlest Sony does countenance a set of noise-canceling headphones.)

In plus, a VGA Webcam (with a 0.3-megapixel resolution) is embedded into the block bezel above the proposition pad. It captures laconic photos and recording; withal, it works considerably exclusive low sparkly illumination. When we took a photo with a puny desk lamp for illumination, the end lead was so tenebrous we could scarce name our own tackling. Specified this machine's full

HP ProBook 4520s

2010-06-30T20:37:00.000+05:30

Processor: 2.26GHz Intel Ngo i5-430M
Retention: 4GB RAM
Store: 320GB stony cross
Optical Track: DVD±RW
Block: 15.6 inches (1,366x768 soul deciding)
Graphics: Mainstreamed Intel GMA HD
Coefficient: 5.3 pounds
Dimensions (HWD): 1.4x14.6x9.8 inches
Operating Scheme: Windows 7 Authority (32-bit)

For transportable professionals who mortal their notebooks to solon have and buck than the total person, the metal-clad HP ProBook 4520s is intelligent to ask many licks. This long notebook offers Ngo i5 engineering country and a striking 15.6-inch display, as easily as a oecumenical set of tools for job users on the go. A jumpy take pad and pale graphics chipset cut from an otherwise hard travail, nonetheless, and firing bunco indorse. Console, its $799 toll is promiscuous on your concern' budget, and it could be a real healthful fit if you can change pacification with those threesome shortcomings.

The ProBook's depressing brownish "Caviar" brushed-aluminum patch is not exclusive classy, but it's also statesman imperishable than the ABS impressible used on galore notebooks. A bright HP logo and a ProBook badge beautify the lid, which, despite its matte decorativeness, attracts a antitrust total of daub smudges. The chassis is 1.4 inches stringy and weighs in at 5.3 pounds; as with most 15-inch notebooks, it's a bit too powerful for toting around all day but controllable for close jaunts.

The auriferous decorativeness extends to the keyboard beat, which holds a full-size keyboard with stranded keys and a sacred numeric keyboard. The keyboard is unwaveringly but not unbending, and typing is casual and homy. It is also spill-resistant and contains intramural drains to divert liquids inaccurate from the laptop's inside circuitry. The ProBook 4520s lacks sacred media-player controls or quick-launch keys, but it does united contestant controls into the suffice keys.

During our testing, the tinge pad exhibited both really unusual doings. At nowadays, the cursor would start crossways the covert without warning and without incitement. At another nowadays, the shitting was not quite as wicked, but it allay prodigious enough that we had to deposition the cursor before continuing on. As it turns out, the folks at HP aware us of a driver update that took aid of most of the job. The savage cursor jumps ceased nudeness, but there was still several causeless cursor motion from indication to indication, tho' not nearly as oftentimes as before the update.

The ProBook 4520s's 15.6-inch display is framed by a smooth individual bezel with a 2-megapixel Webcam mounted on top. The 1,366x768 obturate is LED-backlit and has an characteristic ratio of 16-to-9; the articulator has a matte anti-glare decorativeness that is nonreflective. Vigil angles are wide, and the body delivers sumptuous colors without attendance overly sodden. On it, high-definition (720p) communication played smoothly without any observable artifacts, and the "Gamy Angels" succession on our Supernatural of Stairway check case looked grotesque, with no dropped frames or stuttering.

The ProBook 4520s comes seaworthy with all the accustomed ports, including cardinal classic USB 2.0 ports, an eSATA/USB combo porthole, HDMI and VGA video connections, mike and headphone toy, and an Ethernet embrasure. A DVD burner with LightScribe disc-etching capabilities, an ExpressCard/34 slot, and a flash-card interval alter out the dimension set. (You can feature the grouping equipped with a Blu-ray move, but it'll set you play an more $250, not factored into our test shape.)

Supercharged by a 2.26GHz Intel Core i5 CPU and 4GB of RAM, the ProBook 4520s is your basic middle-of-the-road entertainer. On our PCMark Vantage attempt, which measures gross method show, its rancor of 4,905 was slightly inferior than the $999 Sony VAIO E-Series, which comes with a lower muscular Ngo i3 CPU but has the benefit of a separate ATI graphics knap, and it lagged behindhand the $649 Gateway NV7901u, which uses a Set i5 430M CPU, by 575 points. Again, the Gateway's separate graphics root helped increment coverall group action. Predictably, the ProBook 4520s outscored end year's AMD-based ProBook 6545B by much than 1,500 points.

On our Windows Media Encoder and iTunes coding tests, which tax the CPU specifically, the ProBook 4520s required 4 transactions and 33 seconds, and 3 proceedings and 23 seconds, respectively, to good our cryptography workloads. Those times are pretty often in goal with the Gateway NV7901u and the similarly configured $750 Acer Aspire 5740-6378. (The scores were also significantly faster than the ProBook 6545B's.) Results were corresponding on our Cinebench 10 experimentation, which taxes the CPU patch rendering a 3D human. The ProBook 4520s scored 6,138, which is considerbably outstrip than the accumulation figure of 4,724 but down the Acer Aspire's advance of 7,807.

The ProBook's coeducational Intel GMA HD graphics chipping is book for playacting high-definition recording, but it lacks the 3D strength needful to run the fashionable and sterling games and graphics-intensive applications. Nevertheless, on our 3DMark06 test, which measures DirectX 9 graphics action, it managed a reason of 1,866 while lengthwise at its aboriginal (1,366x768) determination, which is nearly selfsame to the Acer Aim's display with its ATI Radeon HD 5650 graphics engine. Even so, our Accompany of Heroes real-world recreation run came backmost with a choppy 17.7 frames per ordinal (fps) at 1,024x768 papers, and a painfully decelerate 13.5fps at the organization's indigene breakdown

Toshiba Laptops Shall Restrain

2010-06-30T20:33:00.000+05:30

New, Toshiba has been on the rove with its new roster of laptops, firstborn it was the statement of the new Tecra and Qosmio laptops, shortly after Intel announced their new lineup of Core processors. Then, they declared the launch of 11 new laptop models under their Satellite and Star Pro brands, and now, the all new dual-touch cover mini laptop with Windows 7. In fact the mini laptop, titled Libretto W100 is touted as the showtime of an all new segment.

The leash latest Toshiba products, the Qosmio F60-X5310, Libretto W100 and the Portege 700, were showcased in Hangchow, China, during the 25th Day recreation of Toshiba's laptop commercialism.

As a thing of fact, the Portege 700 is manufactured in the Metropolis effortlessness, the station we toured during our see. We not exclusive saw the assemblage connection, but the entire walk from dent. Turn from, the printing on the motherboard PCB, the mounting of processors and separate research components, I/O controllers, to the construction, senescence and packaging of the dressed production.

Moral after the trinity products were displayed, some really stimulating questions were fired upon in the Q and A meeting. But before we advise on to that, let's have a intelligent perception at the newbies.

Toshiba Libretto W100
Family: Dual-touch-screen mini notebook
Chipset: Wandering Intel QS 57
Processor: Intel Pentium U5400, 1.2 GHz, 3MB L3 Fund
RAM: 2 GB DDR3, 1066 onboard
Erect get: 62 GB SSD
Check: 2 x 17.8cm (7 advance) WSVGA capacitive multi-touch displays with LED backlight
Sift resolve: 1024 x 600 pixels (16:9)
Connectivity: Wi-Fi N, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
1 USB 2.0
Micro SD/SDHC - Scorecard Order
Realistic (onscreen) keyboard
Built-in accelerometer to automatically shift from product modality to laptop average
1 megapixel webcam
Situation: 202mm x 123mm x 30.7mm
Unit: 819 grams
Fire: 8 cell
Operating method: Windows 7 Institution Premium
Price: Rs 75,000

Intel Core i7-875K

2010-06-08T13:54:00.001+05:30

Key Specsifications

Socket Type: LGA 1156
Number of Cores: Four
Operating Frequency: 2.9GHz
Front-Side Bus: Intel QuickPath Interconnect
Cache Memory: 8MB

The oft-repeated mantra in the desktop-processor strategy for the sunset family of life has been that while Intel rules the sit in damage of raw pace (thanks to pricey Nucleus i7 processors equivalent the $1,000 Nucleus i7-980X), its competitor AMD offers solemn treasure in the midrange and budget zones (with offerings same the sub-$100 Athlon II X4 630 or the speedy Phenom II X4 965). But the otherwise way that AMD has held an progress in quantity, especially for the technically sidelong approach, is by substance various CPUs that are unlocked for easier overclocking. This allows those who eff how to cell their group temperatures under control, via aftermarket coolers or liquefiable chilling, to drop a few minutes tweaking BIOS settings to storehouse several sobering additional ratio.

Of new, Intel has offered unlocked multipliers exclusive on its high-end "Extremity Edition" CPUs, equal the Core i7-965, Set i7-975, and the said six-core Ngo i7-980X. All of these chips delude for upward of $800. AMD, labeling its unlocked CPUs with the "Colorful Edition" sobriquet, offers the alternative both in its high-end quad-core Phenom II CPUs, same the Phenom II X4 965 and 955, as advantageously as in more-affordable dual- and triple-core offerings equal the Phenom II X2 555 and Phenom II X3 720. (The latter two chips deceive for around $100 apiece, as of advanced May 2010.) But with the statement of the K serial processors-the Core i7-875K we're superficial at here, as easily as the dual-core Ngo i5-655K, both debuting at the Computex 2010 patronage demonstration in Taipeh during the archetypical period of June-Intel is transfer acerose overclocking to its more-affordable midrange CPUs.

At $342, still, the Nucleus i7-875K is no budget CPU. The slightly slower Set i7-870, as of new May 2010, sells for wellspring over $500, making the Core i7-875K seem similar a confection negotiate. And for those perception to development their low-end Socket LGA 1156 scheme into a performance machine, the Set i7-875K is sure writer inexpensive than the higher-end CPUs that fuck arrive before it, with the additional payment of beingness competent to overclock by outlay fair a few transactions dynamic values in the BIOS. But unluckily for Intel, in most of our tests, the Core i7-875K ran very cease to, and in some cases a bit behind, AMD's new free six-core Phenom II X6 1090T CPU, which is also unlocked for gentle overclocking. That counter sells for some $40 fewer than
earnest recording writing or cognition commencement using Adobe's Creative Suite (CS4 or CS5), instrument get a bit gambler value with an AMD-based machine in this toll limit.

That's not to say the Nucleus i7-875K isn't a vivace CPU. In fact, it's the fastest CPU we've seen on Intel's LGA 1156 socket. But excursus from the unlocked multiplier, it doesn't move more in the way of conflict from preceding analogous CPUs, equal the Ngo i7-870.

Thanks to the unlocked number on this CPU, we were able to rage up its stand timekeeper constant above 3.5GHz on air mechanism with Intel's furnish cell, by retributive dynamical the Computer Timepiece Oftenness environment in the BIOS. That's a lot statesman handy and lower liable to wind to prejudicial your CPU than disagreeable to get set voltages and remaining settings to win in wheel to result in a unfluctuating scheme. Solace, as all overclocking processes go, your distance may variegate by CPU. And of way, overclocking can harm your CPU if you top the energy guidelines, and don't look Intel's warranty to initiate cooling component) if you try.

Same all Set i7s (new than the past Ngo i7-980X), the Nucleus i7-875K has quaternary processor cores and supports Intel's Hyper-Threading (HT) study, which allows it to attach up to viii processor vesture simultaneously. The Ngo i7-875K has a stock quantify deepen of 2.93GHz, retributive like the Ngo i7-870. It supports Intel's Turbo Advance lineament, which can automatically run cores at higher clock speeds in situations where all cardinal cores aren't state pushed to the demarcation. (You could perception at this as a no-hassle "automatic overclocking" movie.)

Equal the author dear 900-series quad-core chips that run on the LGA 1366 socket, the Nucleus i7-875K features an 8MB store and its own onboard DDR3 store mortal. Notwithstanding, unequal the triple-channel mechanism in the 900-series chips, which requires you to install troika RAM DIMMs at a experience to get the primo action, the Nucleus i7-870's storage soul is dual-channel, requiring you to add DIMMs in pairs for optimal module bandwidth. Depending on your retention needs, you can reckon of this as an further cost-saver, since you may poorness less DIMMs, equal tho' triple-channel memory theoretically offers surpass show.

In our tests, the Core i7-875 ran slightly leading of its core-locked Core i7-870 sibling, whereas it ran sometimes aweigh, and sometimes down, the less-expensive six-core AMD Phenom II X6 1090T. In our PCMark Asset essay, fashioned to measure boilersuit grouping execution, the Set i7-875K's account of 7,097 was a bit before of the Ngo i7-870's 6,583, but down the Phenom II X6 1090T's 7,462.

In our 64-bit Cinebench 10 trial, which is CPU-specific, winning riddled asset of tenfold cores, the Ngo i7-875 slipped in foremost, with a incision of 18,031, with the Phenom II X6 1090T functioning retributory down at 17,812, and the Nucleus i7-870 again in the rear with 17,542. But in the newer writing of Cinebench, which we've righteous late begun using as a standard due to its knowledge to ask the most welfare of multi-threaded cores, as advisable as six-core CPUs, the Ngo i7-875 damned out to the Phenom II X6 1090T, scoring 5.18 to the six-core AMD CPU's scotch of 5.64. Understandably if your software is fully plane between Intel's Nucleus i7-875K and AMD's Phenom II X6 1090T. In our Sony Vegas video-editing attempt, which takes untasted benefit of all getable cores, the Phenom II X6 1090T rendered our check files into MPEG-2 video in 2 proceedings and 23 seconds, while the Ngo i7-875K took two seconds human. In our iTunes conversion judge, which only stresses a one CPU nucleus, the Set i7-875K polished in 2 transactions and 42 seconds, with the Phenom II X6 1090T slippy in retributory six seconds down.

Nvidia GeForce GTX 470

2010-06-08T13:52:00.001+05:30

Key Specs

Graphics Processor: GeForce GTX 470
Core Clock: 607MHz
Graphics Memory: 1,280MB
Interface: PCI-E x16
Onboard Ports: 2 DVI, 1 mini-HDMI
Bundled Adapters: VGA, HDMI
DirectX Support: DirectX 11

While Nvidia's high-end GeForce GTX 470 graphics book system can't modify the GTX 480, the modern single-GPU fastness competition in performance, it allay offers sufficiency quality to let you run the stylish 3D games with

the information maxed out on most setups. In fact, its execution is neck-and-neck with ATI's top-end single-GPU card, the Radeon HD 5870. And an get, its $350 asking terms is almost $40 below the asking cost of ATI's competing correspondence. Design-wise, it's tastefully unostentatious: all-black with a carbon-fiber face behindhand the someone trademark, and no sword-wielding copal babe label to explain to your noteworthy opposite. The Asus-branded ENGTX470 model we looked at also adds features aimed toward gamers who suchlike to tune their carte for superfluous execution.

Though the ENGTX470 runs at have speeds out of the box, Asus includes its SmartDoctor monitoring and overclocking travail, which allows you to modify cause to the paper using the Asus Emf Force film, making boosting GPU and store speeds easier. How far you can overclock varies from book to card, but our analyse object easily handled a 15 percent GPU overclock and could believable go change faster if we experimented with cognition and clock settings. Asus also includes GamerOSD, a video-capture programme similar to FRAPS, which you can use to acquiring protect shots and videos of gameplay in WMV or XviD MPEG-4 formats.

The ENGTX470 supports DirectX 11, the new gaming-centric exercise planning port (API) that launched with Windows 7 (it's disposable to Vista users, as surface), which mandates Shader Copy 5.0 and constituent tessellation capabilities, allowing for solon visually knotty characters and objects. DX11 has gained activity overmuch faster than DX10 did, with much games as Tube 2033, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Song of Pripyat, Dejection 2, and Battleground: Bad Society 2 already substance enhanced visuals for owners of DX11 cards. Of action, it also supports DirectX 10 and originally profession as well.

Nvidia likes to scalper its operation for CUDA programming, which lets peculiar recording encoders and other applications do super-fast computations using the GPU and works only on Nvidia game. DX11 features DirectCompute livelihood, which offers correspondent capabilities as CUDA but mechanism with any name of DX11 scorecard. Still, CUDA has gained few friction in the video-authoring activity, with Brick Execute CS5 and Nero Sensation Xtra among the applications that proffer considerable video-encoding speedups on CUDA-equipped game same the ENGTX470.

The ENGTX470 also supports Nvidia's PhysX hardware-accelerated physics library, which is typically victimized in games like Batman: Arkham Asylum to fill the class with further realistically-behaving physiologic objects. You can also use the greeting with Nvidia's 3D Exteroception three-dimensional glasses falsehood. The newest drivers reinforcement 3D Vision Bear, which allows you to use up to tercet monitors in 3D fashion, but you'll requirement to unify two GTX 470 game in an SLI plan to use triplex monitors for 3D. Of pedagogy, most users faculty be elated with a one presentation for 3D diversion, and the depth effects with the nonobligatory 3D Modality accessary are real imposing.

For those curious in the lottery, the GTX 470 features 14 moving multiprocessors, 448 CUDA Cores, 56 texture units, and 40 raster activity units. Its graphics measure pace is 607MHz, time its CUDA cores run at multiply that movement, 1.18GHz, and its faculty timepiece modify is 837MHz. The fare boasts a 320-bit hardware port and 1.25GB of recording store.

The ENGTX470 is a dual-slot PCI Verbalize x16 bill that's an advance shorter than its GTX 480 big crony, allowing you to fit into smaller cases. It requires two six-pin PCI-E superpower connectors and a 550-watt cognition provide. If you have the spare slot and a strapping index give, you can span it with an added GTX 470 lineup in an SLI design. Fair watch that this paper is solace big sufficiency to casting an neighboring increase receptacle. The fan on the conspicuous alter sink isn't as vocal as the one on the GTX 480 card. We could definitely intensity was more fewer obtrusive than that of the GTX 480's fan at sounding qualify.

Dell Vostro 3700

2010-06-08T13:47:00.000+05:30

Key Specs

Processor: 2.4GHz Intel Core i5-520M
Memory: 4GB RAM
Storage: 500GB hard drive
Optical Drive: 8x DVD±RW
Screen: 17.3 inches (1,600x900 native resolution)
Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GT330M GPU (1GB)
Weight: 6.5 pounds (with optional 9-cell battery)
Dimensions (HWD): 1.3x16.2x10.7 inches
Operating System: Windows 7 Professional (32-bit)

Small-business owners that sat out the Windows Vista era, take note: Dell has a powerful, affordable machine to replace your aging desktop—and it’s one you can carry with you (well, occasionally at least.) The Dell Vostro 3700 is the big-screen desktop replacement model in Dell’s new Vostro 3000 series lineup, featuring a 17.3-inch HD display, fast Intel Core i5 or i7 processors, and an available Nvidia GPU that can satisfy your gaming itch when work is done.

The Vostro 3700 is certainly aggressively priced. The base model, with an Intel Core i3 processor and integrated graphics, starts at $629, while a Core i7–powered unit starts at $1,304. Our configuration—with a Core i5 CPU and dedicated Nvidia GeForce GT 330M graphics processor—splits the difference at $1,172 when you add in the $99 nine-cell battery to supplement (not replace) the standard six-cell power pack.

Design, however, is another story, in which you get what you pay for. The silver-and-black model is inoffensive, if a bit generic. If you want to make more of a statement, spend an extra $40 and step up to the red or bronze chassis. But either way, the case is plastic; you don’t get the richer materials, such as leather and aluminum, that make the Dell Studio XPS
models so satisfying to behold (and hold). As expected of a laptop with a desktop-size screen on board, the Vostro 3700 is large. Its footprint measures 16.2 by 10.7 inches and the machine is 1.3 inches thick. At 6 pounds with the six-cell battery and 6.5 pounds with the nine-cell, the Vostro 3700 is no lightweight, but the heft is more than reasonable given the size.

The LED-backlit panel has a native resolution of 1,600x900. That puts it in HD territory; some might argue a full 1080p (1,920x1,080) resolution is more appropriate given the panel’s 17.3-inch size. But for business use, the slightly lower resolution delivers readable text and still plenty of pixels to have two application windows open side-by-side. The panel has an extremely wide viewing angle side-to-side, making the Vostro 3700 appropriate as a presentation device. However, there’s a fairly narrow sweet spot in the vertical plane for games and video. If the lid isn’t open to just the right angle relative to your eye position you’ll see an annoying brightness shift. Videophiles should also note that Dell opted for a subtle anti-glare coating to cut down on reflections in typical business lighting environments, but that does rob some of the “pop” from movies and games. We also noticed motion blur in action scenes.

Those are minor nits. Worse is the Vostro 3700’s sound system. Typically a large portable delivers fairly rich sound, given the copious room in the box for decent-size speakers and sometimes even a subwoofer. But the Vostro 3700’s speakers are straight from the bargain bin, with thin, tinny sound that’s especially disappointing for music playback. Better is the 2-megapixel Webcam, which delivered a good (if slightly reddish) image under typical light and a fairly usable image even in low light. We also like the easy-to-use Dell Webcam Central utility for capturing stills and video. The software gives you the option of sharing your desktop with the person you’re chatting with and lets you send a still or video clip to e-mail, YouTube, or Photobucket with a click.

Also on the plus side, Dell did not skimp when it came to the keyboard. It's full size, of course, and the wide screen means there’s room for a dedicated number pad. The keys have good up-down travel and a comfortable feel overall. A pleasing white backlight is included on higher-end SKUs (ours included); but lower-priced units do not let you add the backlit keyboard as an option, which is unfortunate. Dell also includes a row of white-backlit touch-sensitive multimedia buttons above the Function-key row, a welcome touch missing from many business laptops

XFX Radeon HD 5850 Black Edition

2010-05-24T19:04:00.001+05:30

The suffix ‘Black Edition’ suggests that this variant of the Radeon HD 5850 by XFX is factory-overclocked. The core and memory aren’t supercharged, but they run slightly faster than their stock speeds. The core runs 5.5 percent faster at 765 MHz and the memory is clocked 125 MHz higher than the stock speed at 1125 MHz.

The card sports AMD’s reference design and standard cooler, which is good enough to handle the additional heat. The cooler is about the length of the card, with a fan at the end that draws air in from the top and cools the heatsink within the chamber. Hot air is blown out from the vents at the rear and side of the card. The heatsink has copper heat pipes running through it for efficient and uniform dissipation of heat from the GPU to the fins. The card draws power from a pair of 6-pin PCIe power connectors at the end. With support for AMD Eyefinity multiple display technology the XFXRadeon HD 5850 Black Edition supports triple monitor setups for which it has three digital outputs on the rear panel—DVI, HDMI and DisplayPort.

Test rig
CPU: AMD Phenom X4 965 Black Edition
Motherboard: Gigabyte 890FXA-UD7
RAM: 2x 2 GB Corsair XMS3 DDR3-1600
Hard disk: Intel X25-M SSD, 80 GB
Power supply: Tagan BZ 1300
Operating system: Windows 7
ATI Catalyst Control Center: Version 10.3

Dell Studio XPS 7100

2010-05-24T18:58:00.001+05:30

Dell today unveiled Studio XPS 7100 desktop designed for busy multi-taskers who demand their technology keeps pace with their up- tempo lives. Featuring AMD’s VISION Technology,Dell Studio XPS 7100 desktop deliver a seamless intersection of social networking, entertainment and multimedia creation.

The Dell Studio XPS 7100 is one of the first desktops available to support the powerful AMD Phenom II X6 six-core processor with AMD Turbo Core technology, as well as available quad-core Athlon II processors, for incredibly fast HD media creation, advanced multimedia capabilities, multi-tasking and gaming. With six-core processor power available at Rs. 49,900/-, the Studio XPS 7100 offers exceptional multitasking performance and features a cutting edge, tilt-back design in premium Carbide Silver color. Other key features include:

6GB DDR3 1333Mhz RAM, upgrade-able to 16GB 1333MHz DDR3 RAM
Dell ST2210 21.5" Full HD Widescreen Monitor, upgradeable to 24"
1GB ATI Radeon HD 5450 DDR3 Discrete Graphics, upgradeable to 1GB ATI Radeon HD 5870
750GB SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive with Native Command Queuing, upgradeable to 2TB
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit Edition
Dell Wireless Desktop Keyboard and Mouse
Dell Datasafe Backup Service: 1 Year Online backup

HP Pavilion All-in-One 200-5020

2010-05-20T17:12:00.001+05:30

Processor: 2.7GHz Intel Pentium E5400
Memory: 4GB DDR3
Storage: 500GB hard drive
Optical Drive: DVD±RW
Monitor: Integrated 21.5-inch LCD (1,920x1,080 native resolution)
Graphics: Integrated Intel GMA X4500
Operating System: Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)

After reviewing the HP Pavilion MS214 and HP Pavilion MS225, a pair of similar-looking entry-level all-in-one (AIO) PCs, we assumed the Pavilion 200-5020 would be just a larger-screened variant. But after examining the spec sheet, we knew we were in for something a bit different. Rather than the underpowered (by typical desktop-PC standards) low-voltage AMD processors found in those earlier Pavilion AIOs, the Pavilion 200-5020 comes better-equipped for HD video playback and other serious computing tasks, thanks to its much speedier dual-core 2.7GHz Pentium CPU and larger 1080p, 21.5-inch screen. Still, despite these additions, the Pavilion 200-5020 faces stiff competition in its price class (around $800) from the likes of Lenovo and Averatec. This model is well equipped for serious for productivity work, but several competing machines outmatch in terms of entertainment-friendly features for the price.

Aesthetically, HP borrowed heavily from its earlier designs with the Pavilion 200-5020, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. This machine looks nearly identical to the HP Pavilion MS225 and MS214, the only differences being the larger display (the previous models have an integrated 18.5-inch LCD) and a black stand in place of the silver one found on the less-costlier models. The display’s bezel is made of glossy black plastic, with a silver accent that runs along the bottom, separating the screen from the speakers. The system’s duo of integrated Webcam and microphone live at the apex of the bezel, while the power button resides on the bottom right corner, accompanied by a teal activity light directly to its left. You can tilt the screen roughly 45 degrees forward or back, and while the stand doesn't swivel from side to side, it's easy enough to rotate the whole machine to meet your viewing needs. The speakers are passable, though not powerful by any stretch, so high-quality headphones are recommended for the best space-saving listening experience.

From a style perspective, HP scored a couple of hits, but committed a couple of errors as well. First the bad news: An external power brick subtracts from the minimalist quality that's supposed to be the flagship feature of AIO desktops, especially if you can't find a place to hide the brick behind your desk. The optical drive is a standard tray-loader, rather than the slot-loading drives we strongly prefer with AIOs. On the bright side, the mouse and keyboard are wireless, which wasn't the case with the Pavilion MS225. So while there's definitely room for improvement on the design front, especially for those hoping to place this machine on a countertop, where the power brick will be hard to hide, this PC is an overall improvement over earlier Pavilion AIOs we've seen.

While the peripherals aren't exactly exciting, they do at least match the decorative theme of the system itself. The mouse is a standard three-button rodent with a glossy black body. The keyboard is adorned with silver volume and mute buttons, but devoid of any other media- or browser-centric keys.

Back on the system itself, the port selection is pretty standard. The display’s left side houses two USB 2.0 ports, along with a headphone jack, a microphone jack, and a six-format flash-card reader. The right side serves as a base for the optical drive, as well as buttons to adjust screen brightness. (Why most AIO designers continue give brightness controls priority over dedicated volume buttons is still a mystery to us.) The rear of the chassis houses five additional USB 2.0 ports (for a total of seven), along with a Gigabit Ethernet jack (wireless 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi is also included), and an audio-out jack for adding more powerful speakers.

nside the Pavilion 200-5020, an Intel Pentium E5400 dual-core CPU clocked at 2.7GHz handles everyday computing tasks quite well, aided by 4GB of DDR3 RAM, Intel GMA X4500 integrated graphics, a 500GB hard drive, and a DVD±RW optical drive. The CPU and the RAM earn the Pavilion 200-5020 scout badges, but the integrated graphics hold this system back from being a real gaming-capable AIO ace. Nevertheless, the steady uptick in AIO components is much appreciated; we've slogged through testing countless machines packing anemic, low-voltage CPUs, bite-size hard drives, and aging DDR2 RAM.

But does this roster of parts make the Paviliion 200-5020 a champion of the sub-$1,000 AIO world? Not exactly. Lenovo sells an $849 version of its IdeaCentre A600 that holds a fairly significant edge over the Pavilion 200-5020 in several areas. The IdeaCentre A600 packs a 2.2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T6600 CPU, which is clocked lower than the 2.7GHz CPU here. However, the Core 2 Duo T6600 is a newer CPU than the Pentium E5400, and both CPUs are plenty fast enough to handle productivity and HD video tasks. The IdeaCentre A600 at this price has slightly less DDR3 RAM (3GB, as opposed to 4GB), though 1GB less RAM won't make a noticeable performance difference in the tasks most users will perform with these PCs.

Classmate PC (Quanta NL)

2010-05-20T17:06:00.000+05:30

Processor: 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450
Memory: 1GB RAM
Storage: 160GB hard drive
Optical Drive: None
Screen: 10.1 inches (1,024x600 native resolution)
Graphics: Integrated Intel GMA 3150
Weight: 3.8 pounds
Dimensions (HWD): 1.5x10.6x8.4 inches
Operating System: Windows 7 Professional (32-bit)

The Classmate PC has certainly come a long way since its first iteration. No longer a better-than-nothing netbook for children in third-world countries, the Classmate PC has enough unique and compelling features to make educators in first-world regions sit up and take notice. Intel has updated its Classroom PC and rebuilt it using Pine Trail architecture, the latest standard for the guts inside netbooks. Hardware-wise, we're impressed with the durability of the Classmate PC and with its tablet abilities. But hardware is just the beginning for this system.

While we focus on the laptop (because that's the part we can test and review), you need a little more background on Intel's Learning Series, which is the company's ecosystem that encompasses hardware, software, infrastructure, content, training, and support. Basically, Intel has come up with a reference design of an educational mini-laptop here, which then gets sold to different manufacturers in various regions of the world. As part of the package, Intel offers capabilities beyond mere hardware blueprints. Those who buy a variation of the Classmate PC can opt for other features for "enhanced collaborative learning." In layman's terms, this is a classroom system that keeps the teachers connected to the students, allowing them to push information to—and pull information from—students in real time, enabling everyone to be on the same page.

Intended for schoolchildren aged 6 to 12, the Classmate PC is available in custom configurations from manufacturers worldwide, and prices are set accordingly. (CTL, Equus Computer Systems, M&A Technology, and MGD are the options for North America.) That being said, some Classmate PCs are sold at retail, too. (Check Amazon.com and the manufacturers listed above to get started.)

All models are built around an Intel Atom N450 processor and offer integrated Intel GMA 3150 graphics. Hardware, software, design, and warranty options will vary depending on the manufacturer, however. The reference model we looked at was the Quanta NL, with a 160GB hard drive and running Windows 7 Professional (a bonus, considering how prevalent Windows 7 Starter is in the netbook market). It's powered by 1GB of RAM, which is still pretty standard among netbooks.

While the main reason netbooks exist is sheer portability, the Classmate PC’s big differentiatior is instead durability. Weighing 3.8 pounds and measuring 1.5x10.6x8.4 inches, this is not your average netbook. The rugged features add more than a pound to the weight, but we think it’s worth the extra heft. These PCs will likely be spilled on, dropped, and stuffed into cluttered backpacks without regard for the delicate internal components. Wisely, Intel has included hardware protection that can help the device survive drops from desk height.

With its somewhat drab gray-and-white color scheme and its scratch-resistant frame coated in no-slip-grip rubber, the Classmate PC we looked at looks similar to the no-nonsense PeeWee Pivot Tablet Laptop, an educational PC we reviewed back in 2009. Like with the PeeWee, the Classmate’s screen swivels 180 degrees and converts the system from a clamshell notebook to a tablet. Topping the Classmate’s display is a 1.3-megapixel Webcam that rotates 270 degrees—a feature standard notebooks omit, but one that works well, for example, with kids taking pictures on a field trip.

The keyboard’s springy letter keys are responsive, although the tiny right-Shift key takes some getting used to, and overall, we did feel a little cramped when typing. The keyboard deck is water-resistant, so it’s easy to keep clean without risking damage to the system. (Some manufacturers even offer an antimicrobial keyboard treatment in their versions of the Classmate.) The touch pad, on the other hand, is a decent size and is responsive to taps and scrolling, though it doesn’t support multi-touch navigation (touch control using two or more fingers, similar to what you see in the iPhone commercials). The pad's dual rocker buttons function well, too.

Along the sides of the chassis are a basic array of netbook ports, such as VGA, two USB ports, a microphone jack, two headphone jacks, a five-format flash-card reader, and a cable-lock slot. As for connectivity, the Classmate PC has an Ethernet jack and an option for Bluetooth. Manufacturers may also include options for mobile broadband with GPS functionality. There is also a slot for the stylus, which is anchored to the system by a nonretractable cord looped into the lock slot. Tethering the stylus might keep you from losing it, but the cord is short and limits the stylus’s reach. Not only that, but the cord just dangles from side of the system—it’s an accident waiting to happen, and we recommend removing it.

HP LaserJet Pro P1102w

2010-05-20T17:04:00.001+05:30

Printer Technology: Monochrome laser
Interface: USB 2.0; Wi-Fi
Maximum Paper Size: 8.5x14 inches
Maximum Resolution: 600x600dpi (1,200dpi effective)
Dimensions (HWD): 7.7x13.7x9.4 inches
Weight: 11.6 pounds

We've seen a bunch of basic, low-cost monochrome laser printers come through our labs in recent weeks, so we've been excited to put them to the test and see how they stack up. They offer many of the same features: Wi-Fi wireless connectivity, high-quality output, and reasonably fast printing. Each model, though, has had one or two features that make it stand out. With the HP LaserJet Pro P1102w, it's the size. If you're looking for a low-cost laser to sit unobtrusively in your home or small office, this model fits. But given the merely average performance we saw from it and the high per-page cost for its output, we strongly suggest looking at a slightly bigger model for the same price, such as the Samsung ML-2525W, before jumping in.

Unpacking the printer, we found it neatly nestled between two Styrofoam blocks, with the USB and power cables tucked into the packaging. Plastic bag and shipping tape were the only other items between the printer and our desk, and once they were removed, we plugged in the svelte, black unit and pressed the power button. You can opt for a direct USB connection or wireless connectivity via Wi-Fi, but regardless of which you ultimately want to use, you need to make an initial USB connection before you'll be able to install the driver. We did so, inserted the software-install CD into the computer, and chose to install the printer to work over our wireless network. The onscreen directions were self-explanatory, and we had the printer up and running within 5 minutes of removing it from the box.

With the front paper tray closed, the LaserJet Pro P1102w is comparable in size to a large toaster oven. When open, the tray protrudes about 5.5 inches from the front, making the total footprint when the printer is in use about 13 inches by 14 inches. The simple control panel on the top left hosts two buttons (power and Wi-Fi on/off) and three LEDs (power, attention, and Wi-Fi). The USB and power cables plug into the right rear of the printer. Paper enters via the trays in the lower front and exits into the tray at the top, which holds up to 100 sheets.

The LaserJet Pro P1102w has two ways to accept paper: a 150-page main tray, and a 10-sheet "priority" slot for fast-feeding special media or envelopes. We can’t complain too much about the measly paper capacity, because fitting larger paper-input and -output trays would compromise this printer’s small size and light weight. And not entirely surprising for a printer in this price class, it lacks a feeder for automatic two-sided printing (auto-duplexing). Indeed, this model is not designed for high flexibility in executing print jobs or for large amounts of output. The latter is reflected in the very low maximum monthly duty cycle (the maximum number of pages it can print per month): 5,000 pages. Even worse, this model's recommended duty cycle is a mere 250 to 1,500 pages. (That's only about eight to 50 pages per day.) As a result, don't expect to use this model as a page-churning workhorse; it's more of a "convenience printer."

That said, there are some nice nods to economical operation, stemming from HP's company-wide initiatives toward greening tech. The P1102w incorporates both auto-on and auto-off power-saving functionality. The former wakes the printer from the off mode when it senses a print job; the latter turns it off after a user-set idle time, ranging from one minute to two hours. In addition, several settings allow you to conserve toner. To make the output lighter, you can use a Print Density slider in the Device Settings tab of the Printer Properties dialog box, or you can save toner by checking the Econo Mode box in the Paper Quality tab. In terms of paper, you can feed the unit stock in letter, legal, executive, postcard, and envelope sizes. Acceptable paper weights range from 16 to 43 pounds, which encompasses media types such as photocopy paper, photo paper, vellum, envelopes, labels, cardstock, transparencies, and postcards

Lenovo IdeaPad Y460

2010-05-20T17:00:00.002+05:30

Processor: 2.4GHz Intel Core i5-520M
Memory: 4GB RAM
Storage: 500GB hard drive
Optical Drive: DVD±RW
Screen: 14 inches (1,366x768 native resolution)
Graphics: Integrated Intel GMA HD graphics and ATI Radeon HD 5650 (1GB)
Weight: 5.1 pounds
Dimensions (HWD): 0.75x13.6x9.3 inches
Operating System: Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)

Lenovo’s IdeaPad Y460 is all about entertainment on the go. This stylish thin-and-light notebook offers Core i5 processing power and lets you switch between a powerful dedicated graphics chip for gaming and other graphics-intensive tasks and an integrated graphics chipset to conserve battery life. Priced at $1,049 in the model we saw (Lenovo also offers a dialed-back version of the Y460 at $899), the IdeaPad Y460 is reasonably affordable given its powerful configuration, which propelled it to the top of its category in terms of performance. Our gripes with this model were comparatively minor: an overly reflective LCD screen, and merely mediocre battery life.

As with the IdeaPad U450p we tested not long before this model, the IdeaPad Y460 features a patterned black finish. Instead of a weave print, though, it is decorated with a series of intertwined hexagons and other geometric shapes. A sliver of glossy copper trim frames the lid, complementing the matte finish. The notebook weighs 4.6 pounds and measures three-quarters of an inch thick, so you’ll have no trouble hauling it around town.

Raising the lid exposes a roomy keyboard deck that's gunmetal gray on the lower half and piano black at the top. In the middle is a typical world-class Lenovo keyboard; the black keys are well-spaced and have just the right amount of give without feeling too mushy. The gesture-enabled touch pad (which lets you navigate the screen with multiple-finger motions, just like you would on an Apple iPhone) is also a pleasure to use and features a lightly textured finish that provides effortless cursor control. The dual mouse buttons are whisper-quiet and highly responsive.

At the top of the keyboard deck is a small pair of JBL speakers that are surprisingly loud and crisp for their size. Predictably, they lack bass (most laptop speakers do), but their audio output is nonetheless a cut above the norm. To the left of the backlit power switch is a hotkey that launches Lenovo's backup and restoration application, OneKey, and to the right of that are wireless-network- and drive-activity indicators.

in the center is Lenovo’s SlideNav bar, a touch-sensitive slider control that lets you launch items such as Calculator, Notepad, and Sound Recorder, as well as other items that you can add on your own. You can also change the wallpaper by sliding from right to left and “zip the screen” by sliding from left to right. (Zipping the screen disables the keyboard, mouse buttons, and touch pad.) You can unzip the screen by dragging your finger from right to left. This is a pretty cool feature and one we haven't seen before.

To the right of the SlideNav bar is a button that launches Lenovo’s Energy Management utility, which lets you change power schemes on the fly, and a Theater button that switches among three preset display modes (normal, movie, and intelligent). At the far right are volume-up, volume-down, and mute buttons. As with the power switch, all of these upper-deck buttons are illuminated with white backlighting. A backlit IdeaPad logo is on the lower right-hand portion of the keyboard deck.

The 14-inch display has a 1,366x768 resolution and uses a glossy coating to provide rich color reproduction and wide viewing angles. The screen is very reflective, however, and under bright lighting it exhibits mirror-like characteristics. That said, the movie Avatar on DVD looked wonderful on the LED-backlit screen, as did the action-packed game Far Cry 2, one of our favorite first-person shooters. Video and gaming action displayed smooth and artifact-free, and the small speakers did a fine job of filling the room without distorting.

Whether you’re focused on watching movies or sharing photos, you should be able to find the right port to supplement what you're doing. HDMI and VGA video connections (for outputting the display to an external monitor) are joined by two USB ports, an Ethernet jack, and headphone and microphone jacks on the left side of the chassis. On the right are an additional USB port, an eSATA/USB combo, an ExpressCard slot, and a DVD drive that reads and writes. On the front edge of the chassis are a multiformat flash-card reader, a Wi-Fi switch, and a switch that toggles between the discrete graphics chip and the integrated graphics. (A white LED lights up when the dedicated chip is selected.) This implementation isn’t as seamless as Nvidia’s Optimus technology, which switches automatically according to what you're doing with the laptop, but you don’t need to shut down when switching. So as long as you understand the appropriate time and place to switch, it’s pretty straightforward. A 1.3-megapixel Webcam and a dual microphone array are embedded in the display’s upper bezel.

Gateway NV5933u

2010-05-20T16:52:00.003+05:30

Processor: 2.13GHz Intel Core i3-330M
Memory: 4GB RAM
Storage: 320GB hard drive
Optical Drive: Blu-ray reader/DVD±RW combo
Screen: 15.6 inches (1,366x768 native resolution)
Graphics: Integrated Intel GMA HD
Weight: 5.8 pounds
Dimensions (HWD): 1.5x14.7x10.2 inches
Operating System: Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)

Most of the notebooks with 15-inch screens that we’ve seen this year have been priced over $800, so a feature-rich budget entry like the Gateway NV5933u always grabs our eye. This $649 model uses Intel’s Core i3-330M processor, and the more laptops that we see based on this chip family, the more we're convinced that it's an excellent performance choice for low-cost laptops. Plus, for the price, this machine packs in a Blu-ray disc drive and a 320GB hard drive. Could this be a budget shopper’s dream come true?

As we examined the NV5933u's exterior, what we saw kept our hopes alive. The red honeycomb lid design gives the notebook a more upscale look than the price suggests it should, and the pattern helps mask the dust and scratches that the glossy plastic attracts. A silver screen hinge, silver trim, and a reflective mouse button break up the otherwise all-black keyboard deck. The design is simple and understated, something that other manufacturers could learn from. At 5.8 pounds, this laptop is a bit heavy to throw in your shoulder bag (and a bit too bulky, considering its 1.5x14.7x10.2-inch frame). Then again, the same applies to most midsize laptops.

We certainly did a double-take when we first saw the Blu-ray drive—a rarity not just for this price class, but also for its size class. In addition to the Blu-ray drive, the NV5933u features a decent range of ports, including a multiformat flash-card reader, four USB ports, microphone and headphone jacks, and both VGA and HDMI ports for connecting to a larger screen. For connectivity, Gateway includes both an Ethernet and a modem jack, plus 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi. The power button caps the screen hinge on the right side, and a lock slot occupies the left. Absent were an ExpressCard expansion slot and an eSATA port, two ports more often found on big-ticket systems. As it is, budget shoppers should do fine with what Gateway has included, although Bluetooth would have been a nice addition.

The chassis deck proudly displays a roomy keyboard with broad keys and a dedicated number pad. We noticed good vertical key plunge and a springy response during typing, but the broad, flat keys provide little tactile grip. While the keyboard felt a bit insubstantial, it’s not as flimsy as the keyboard on the NV5933u’s cousin, the Gateway NV7901u. The decently sized touch pad, sunken slightly into the chassis, responds well and offers support for multi-finger gesture commands. Less satisfying is the too-skinny seesaw button below the pad; it feels mushy when pressed.

Above the deck, a 15.6-inch LED-backlit display is embedded into a glossy black bezel. (The bezel also hosts a basic 0.3-megapixel Webcam.) This spacious wide-screen display features a native resolution of 1,366x768 pixels, allowing for 720p video playback. For true high-definition (1080p), you’ll have to output to a higher-resolution screen via HDMI, but those who can make do with 720p will be satisfied with the beautiful, clear picture that the NV5933u's screen affords. When we inserted a movie into the Blu-ray drive, we enjoyed a sharp picture coupled with rich audio from powerful speakers.

With its 2.13GHz Core i3-330M processor, 4GB of RAM, and a 64-bit version of Windows 7, the Gateway NV5933u delivered some excellent benchmark-test scores considering what it costs, in some cases performing like a more expensive system. On our PCMark Vantage test, which measures overall system performance, the NV5933u scored high among budget PCs, scoring 4,824 on the 64-bit version of this test. In this class, the budget notebook to beat is the Core i5-equipped Acer Aspire 5740-6378, which scored 367 points higher and cost $100 more in our test configuration.

We evaluate laptop processor performance based on three tests. The first, Cinebench 10, taxes all available cores on the CPU. The NV5933u yielded a score of 6,726 on the 64-bit version of this test. While this falls far short of high-end notebooks, such as the four-grand-plus Malibal Lotus Series (which scored 13,506), the NV5933u beats out other budget competitors like the $849 Asus UL50Vf (3,858) and the $649 Gateway EC5409u (2,850).

The other two CPU-centric tests we run are tests involving conversion of media files: an iTunes test, and a Windows Media Encoder (WME) test. The NV5933u completed the first in 4 minutes and 31 seconds, and the second in 5 minutes and 10 seconds. Both of these scores stack up well against the Acer Aspire 5740-6378 (3:59 in iTunes, 4:27 in WME) and trounced the Asus UL50Vf, which stumbled on both tests (6:05 for iTunes, 8:10 for WME).

Despite its good marks for productivity-program and raw-CPU performance, the NV5933u did show its limitations during our 3D-graphics tests. The integrated Intel GMA HD chip was the culprit that kept its scores on our 3DMark06 test well below average. The NV5933u scored a measly 1,693 at its native resolution and 1,878 at 1,024x768. (Two budget competitors, the HP ProBook 6545b and the Acer Aspire 5740-6378, neither of which is meant for gaming, scored similarly.) If you want stronger graphics performance from a 15-inch budget PC, your best bet is the $799 Acer Aspire 5738PG Multi-Touch, which is equipped with reasonably muscular ATI Mobility Radeon HD graphics. The Acer Multi-Touch scored 3,007 (at its native resolution) and 3,384 (at 1,024x768), scores that approach those we often see on better-equipped systems.

To continue exercising the graphics, we ran our Company of Heroes test, which reflects the laptop's abilities at real-world gaming. During our run of the test under DirectX 9, the NV5933u cranked out 18.2 frames per second (fps) at a resolution of 1,024x768, with some of the game's eye candy turned off. Meanwhile, at its native resolution (1,366x768) and with lots of game eye candy turned on, the NV5933u scored 11fps. Both scores indicate that playing some older mainstream 3D games might be possible on this laptop, but you'll probably need to crank back the resolution and visual features a good bit. (Also note that the laptop could not run the DirectX 10 version of this test.) Based on these lackluster 3D results, we can predict that the Gateway NV5933u isn't a good fit for serious players of demanding games, but it should suffice for Flash-based social-media games or light titles like The Sims.

Finally, to test battery endurance, we popped a movie into the Gateway NV5933u’s Blu-ray drive and set the brightness and volume levels at half-power. The six-cell battery lasted for 1 hour and 36 minutes, considerably shorter than the average of 2:20 we've seen on this class of laptop. Also, most comparable budget laptops lasted longer than the NV5933u on this test. The Gateway EC5409u, for one, stood out on our tests with a commendable 4:18, while the Acer Aspire 5740-6378’s 2:11 is more typical. Still, it's good to put these numbers in perspective: Even though the NV5933u’s battery life might seem a disappointment, 15-inch laptops typically don’t spend too much time used far from a power plug. So the short battery life might not be a big issue for you.

2010-05-12T12:02:00.000+05:30

Processor: 2.27GHz Intel Core i5-430M
Memory: 4GB RAM
Storage: 500GB hard drive
Optical Drive: DVD±RW
Screen: 17.3 inches (1,600x900 native resolution)
Graphics: ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5650 (1GB)
Weight: 7.4 pounds
Dimensions (HWD): 1.4x16.2x11 inches
Operating System: Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)

As a rule, big notebooks don't come cheap, and for that reason alone, the $849, 17.3-inch Gateway NV7901u caught our attention. And once we started testing it, this budget desktop replacement won us over for its speed, feature set, and spacious feel. The typical desktop-replacement laptop that comes through our labs averages close to $3,000, and we rarely see competitive models that are budget-price. (We define desktop replacements as laptops with screens 17 inches or larger.) However, Gateway's entrant performs like a much pricier machine and is a good choice for budget-minded consumers who need a laptop with a big, roomy screen and keyboard.

The NV7901u looks just like another competitively priced Gateway PC, the $649 Gateway NV7915u, which also features a large 17.3-inch display, 4GB of DDR3 RAM, and a 500GB hard drive. For $200 more, the NV7901u offers a couple of worthy hardware improvements. While the NV7915u was built around an Intel Core i3 processor with integrated graphics, the NV7901u boasts Intel’s beefier Core i5 processor and a dedicated ATI graphics chip for better overall performance and 3D capability.

Weighing 7.4 pounds and measuring 1.5x16.2x11 inches, the NV7901u is a bit bulky to travel with. The outside has a honeycomb pattern that tends to show up fingerprints readily. (Our system came in black, but you can also get it in red.) The keyboard and touch pad are positively spacious, but we did note an uncomfortable amount of flex in the keybed during typing. And even though the keys are large and responsive, their flat design provides little tactile grip. The roomy touch pad, sunken slightly into the chassis, responds well and offers support for multi-finger gesture commands. A skinny, reflective seesaw button that serves in place of the usual pair of mouse buttons shines beneath the touch pad and stands out against its matte-black surroundings. Though the button looks nice, it feels mushy when pressed.

Making up for in features what it lacks in a sturdy-feeling build, the NV7901u hosts a satisfying range of ports for a budget model. Around the edges, you’ll find a five-format flash-card reader, four USB ports, microphone and headphone jacks, and both HDMI and VGA ports for connecting the laptop to a larger screen. Likewise, for network connectivity, you get both an Ethernet jack and a modem, combined with 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi. The hinge sports a locking-cable slot on the left and a power button on the right. And Gateway rounds out the system with a DVD±RW drive on the right and a VGA Webcam in the screen's bezel. Though most big-ticket desktop-replacement laptops feature a wider range of ports (such as an eSATA port, a 54mm ExpressCard slot, a DVI video output, and a Blu-ray drive), the NV7901u’s modest selection should suffice for budget shoppers. Bluetooth connectivity for peripherals and VoIP headsets would have been a nice touch, though.

The highlight of this system is its 17.3-inch LED-backlit LCD screen, which is well-suited for movies. Slightly recessed into a glossy bezel, the bright screen is capable of displaying HD video at a native resolution of 1,600x900 (720p). The HDMI-out port lets you connect the NV7901u to a higher-resolution screen for true HD viewing. When we popped a movie into the DVD drive, we were able to enjoy a crisp, clear picture coupled with rich audio from the laptop's surprisingly powerful speakers.

Considering this is a budget machine, the NV7901u’s benchmark scores are far above adequate. On our PCMark Vantage test, which measures overall system performance, the NV7901u scored 5,480 (32-bit) and 5,358 (64-bit). (This is a 64-bit system, but we run this test under both 32- and 64-bit modes and provide the results for comparison's sake.) That’s 550 points higher than the average 32-bit score (4,930) for desktop-replacement laptops and only slightly behind the average score on the 64-bit test (5,488). We don’t often see budget rigs giving laptops that cost three times as much a run for their money on this test, but we credit the NV7901u's 2.27GHz Core i5 processor with the high scores. For a little more perspective, the only real competitor in the 17-inch category is Gateway’s own $649 NV7915u, which couldn’t quite keep up with the NV7901u, scoring 4,339 and 4,838 on the 32- and 64-bit tests, respectively.

Asus Republic of Gamers G73Jh

2010-05-12T11:59:00.000+05:30

t’s rare that gamers on the prowl for high-end gear get a price break. Most gamers are used to paying top dollar for bleeding-edge parts and systems—with the downside of sacrificing precious power for any money they try to save by settling for older or less capable components. But the Asus G73Jh, branded under the Republic of Gamers (ROG) line, manages to offer, seemingly, way more than its price tag’s worth of juice.

Apple MacBook Pro

2010-05-12T11:57:00.000+05:30

Processor: 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
Memory: 4GB RAM
Storage: 250GB hard drive
Optical Drive: DVD±RW
Screen: 13 inches (1,280x800 native resolution)
Graphics: Integrated Nvidia GeForce 320M (256MB shared)
Weight: 4.5 pounds
Dimensions (HWD): 1x12.8x8.9 inches
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard).

At first glance, you may not notice anything different about Apple’s latest line of MacBook Pros, introduced in April 2010. The new models, which feature 13-, 15- and 17-inch screens, sport the same sleek, minimalist design, the same keyboard, and the same touch pad as the previous iteration. Even the ports haven’t changed. To tell the difference, you really have to get down and dirty and actually start using one of these new members of the MacBook Pro family. Once you do, you’ll see advancements in performance in a line of laptops that was already well ahead of much of its market, and battery life that blows the competition out of the park.

We got our hands on an entry-level $1,199 MacBook Pro, built around a 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, a 250GB hard drive, and a 13-inch screen. This is the base model of the group. For $200 more, you can bump up your processor to 2.66GHz and your hard drive to 320GB. The 15-inch models start at $1,799, and the 17-inchers at $2,199. The 15-inch and 17-inch models now come standard with Core i5 processors (you can upgrade to Core i7) and advanced switchable graphics technology. The 13-inch offers only Core 2 Duo CPUs and integrated Nvidia GeForce 320M graphics in both its models. Take note: With this generation of MacBook Pros, the base price of the 15-inch model has increased by $100; the 17-inch base price has decreased by $200; and the 13-inch base price stays the same.

Like the previous version, the ports are located on the left side of the chassis and include an Ethernet jack, a FireWire 800 port (backward-compatible with FireWire 400, 200, and 100), a mini-DisplayPort connector (for attaching an external display), two USB 2.0 ports, an SD-card slot, and a headphone jack. Toward the front left of the chassis are indicator lights that allow for a quick look at remaining battery power. On the right side of the body are a security-lock slot and the opening for the slot-loading optical drive, which is a dual-layer DVD burner. As with previous MacBook lines, it doesn’t support Blu-ray discs.

Once you open the lid, you’ll also notice that little has changed in the design of the keyboard and touch pad (which Apple terms its "trackpad"). The full-size keyboard comes with backlit keys, and it remains perfectly spaced and nicely responsive to the touch. An ambient-light sensor adjusts the key backlighting according to the brightness of the area where you’re working.

On the keyboard deck is the generously sized, buttonless multi-touch trackpad, which has a glass surface. Instead of the two-button pad you’ll find on most other laptops, the entire pad on the MacBook Pro acts as a button, allowing you to press anywhere to enact a function; you use two fingers to right-click. One new feature related to it is that if you swipe up or down on the pad with two fingers, you’ll continue to scroll through the page until it reaches the top or bottom, just as an iPad or iPhone works. We appreciate these touches that Apple keeps adding to further bridge its products together. We also discovered that you can even toggle in and out of full-screen mode when watching a DVD by pinching and pulling on the touch pad, a nice enhancement. We found the trackpad very easy to get used to, especially since it functions much like the touch screen on an iPad or iPhone.

As with previous MacBook Pros, the pad also allows you to use a four-finger swipe to show your desktop, view all open windows, or change programs. Of course, the now-requisite multi-touch functionality is built in here as well. (This is the same as the touch features on an Apple iPhone or iPad, allowing you to zoom, rotate, and slide images around with two fingers.)

Apple MacBook Pro

2010-05-12T11:54:00.001+05:30

Processor: 2.53GHz Intel Core i5
Memory: 4GB RAM
Storage: 500GB hard drive
Optical Drive: DVD±RW
Screen: 17 inches (1,920x1,200 native resolution)
Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GT 330M (512MB) and Intel HD Graphics (switchable)
Weight: 6.6 pounds
Dimensions (HWD): 1x15.5x10.5 inches
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard)

At first glance, you may not notice anything different about Apple’s latest line of MacBook Pros, introduced in April 2010. The new models, which feature 13-, 15- and 17-inch screens, sport the same sleek, minimalist design, the same keyboard, and the same multi-touch trackpad as the previous iteration. Even the ports haven’t changed. To tell the difference, you really have to get down and dirty and actually start using one of these new members of the MacBook Pro family. Once you do, you’ll see advancements in performance in a line of laptops that was already well ahead of much of the pack and battery life that blows the competition out of the park. There's also a pretty significant price drop: The base model of the 17-inch version, which we tested, is now $200 cheaper.

We put a $2,299 MacBook Pro model, built around a 2.53GHz Intel Core i5 processor and a 17-inch screen, through our labs testing. For an extra $200, you can bump this model up to a 2.66GHz Intel Core i7-920 processor. Both models employ the same Nvidia GeForce GT 330M graphics processor, with 512MB of dedicated video memory.

Apple has also refreshed the 13-inch and 15-inch versions of its MacBook Pro. The entry-level 13-inch model costs $1,199 (with a 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo CPU and a 250GB hard drive). The base-model 15-inch MacBook Pro costs $1,799 and features a 2.4GHz Core i5 processor and a 320GB hard drive. You're also able to upgrade certain components on these base models through the online Apple Store. To clarify: With this generation of MacBook Pros, the base price of the 17-inch model has decreased by $200, the 15-inch model's base price has increased by $100, and the 13-incher's base price stays the same.

On the outside, the 17-inch MacBook Pro is almost exactly the same as before. Design-wise, we think Apple was smart to approach the new line with the attitude that if it’s not broken, don’t fix it. The previous line of MacBook Pros was as stunning as it was stark, and the new line carries that torch onward. The silver case, dominated by an aluminum shell with just one seam around the underside, feels plenty solid. Nothing much mars the exterior design of the MacBook’s body: On the top of the lid is a simple white Apple logo that lights up when the laptop is in use. And, well, that’s about it. The case snaps shut with a magnetic latch, making opening the lid easy without compromising the durability of the body

Like the previous version, the ports are located on the left side of the chassis and include an Ethernet jack, a FireWire 800 port (backward-compatible with FireWire 400, 200, and 100), three USB 2.0 ports, a mini-DisplayPort connector for attaching to an external display, headphone and microphone ports, and an ExpressCard/34 slot for expansion. Toward the front left of the chassis are indicator lights that allow for a quick look at remaining battery power. On the right side of the body are a security-lock slot and the opening for the slot-loading optical drive, which is a dual-layer DVD burner. As with previous MacBook lines, this model doesn’t support Blu-ray discs.

Once you open the lid, you’ll also notice that little has changed in the design of the keyboard and multi-touch trackpad. The full-size keyboard comes with backlit keys, and it remains perfectly spaced and nicely responsive to the touch. An ambient-light sensor adjusts the key backlighting according to the brightness of the area where you’re working.

On the keyboard deck is a generously sized, buttonless trackpad with a glass surface. Instead of the two "mouse click" buttons you’ll find on most other laptops, the entire trackpad on the MacBook Pro acts as a button, allowing you to press anywhere to enact a function; you use two fingers to right-click. One new feature on the trackpad is that if you swipe up or down with two fingers, you’ll continue to scroll through the page until it reaches the top or bottom, just as an iPad or iPhone works. We appreciate these touches that Apple keeps adding to further bridge its products together. We also discovered that you can even toggle in and out of full-screen mode when watching a DVD by pinching and pulling on the touch pad, a nice enhancement. We found the trackpad very easy to get used to, especially since it functions much like the touch screen on an iPad or iPhone.

As with previous MacBook Pros, the trackpad also allows you to use a four-finger swipe to show your desktop, view all open windows, or change programs. Of course, the now-requisite multi-touch functionality is built in here as well. This is the same as the touch features on an Apple iPhone or iPad, allowing you to zoom, rotate, and slide images around with two fingers.

The 17-inch screen on the model we tested has a native resolution of 1,920x1,200, allowing for high-definition video viewing at its full 1,900x1,080 resolution. Our test model's screen had a glossy finish; you can upgrade to an anti-glare screen for $50. We found the glossy screen to be impressive, displaying movies and photos with vivid, accurate colors. Artists might want to consider upgrading to the anti-glare screen, however, as we did see considerable reflectivity when we toted the machine around our offices.

Top 3 LED Monitors

2010-05-12T11:47:00.000+05:30

Regular readers of tech2 will know that "LED monitor" means that the backlight is LED, and the monitor display panel is still LCD. Now that that confusion is out of the way we should proceed. Slowly but surely, after LED backlights have taken over notebooks' screen lighting responsibilities, we are seeing them appear more frequently in every LCD monitor brand's latest endeavors. LED backlights claim better contrast, and moreover better power efficiency, than the regular CCFl backlights, that used to be the norm for LCD screens.

One thing about LEDs that is different from CCFL backlight is that the latter can diffuse very well, to show different levels of brightness. But LEDs use Pulse Width Modulation to show that they are dimming in brightness, meaning that the light actually is emitting at its full brightness whenever on, and to actually show different levels of brightness, the light is put on and off at fast flicker rates. So if you need a darker image, it is put off for longer periods. But of course the human eye cannot see this happen, it’s all above the fusion threshold of the human eye. These are 3 of our favorite LED-lit LCD monitors released in the very recent past.

Winner : BenQ V2200 LCD Monitor (LED lit)
Rs. 14,999

This one is a clear winner due to a number of factors. I agree it does not have any fluff in the form of webcam and speakers, but pure contrast-wise, none come anywhere close to this. The detail and sharpness also are on a higher level altogether. A few points need mention here - the colors were spectacular, but weren’t theoretically perfect, as all the 3 channels in our color plug had merging issues in highest intensity bars. This again is directly related to the backlight baring overpowering luminance to the shades. Thus one needs to actually reduce the brightness to below 50, to get the deep blacks and well gradated whites. Connector-wise we have a single HDMI in, and a VGA in, no DVI. This too is odd, and surely is a cost cutting tactic. This model has a screen size of 21.5 inches, and a native resolution of 1920 x 1080. The slim bezel makes it look wider, actually, but it’s a true 16:9 aspect ratio. The LCD panel itself is assumed to be a TN panel. Brightness is rated at 250 Cd/m2 but one must remember that the backlight is an LED backlight. Response time is 5 ms. The contrast is rated at 1000:1, and the dynamic contrast is rated at 5,000,000:1.

Dell Studio 15 Desktop

2010-05-12T11:45:00.000+05:30

Dell laptops are known for their rugged build, the value for money they offer, and for the options for customization. In fact, Dell has taken the customization part a rung higher with its partnership with OPI, a leading nail care company. So while you customize your Dell laptop online, you can choose from various OPI designs for the lid of a laptop.

Design and build quality
The Dell Studio 15 is essentially a desktop replacement mainly because it offers a 15.6-inch screen and weighs about 2.65 Kg. It sports a fantastic design and is superb in terms of ergonomics too. Even as far as the aesthetics go, it looks stylish, yet professional. The model that came to our test labs featured a stylish OPI design called ‘I’m Not Really a Waitress’. Now, this design isn’t bad, and, with its rose-pinks, whites and dark shadows, it is most likely to attract a female audience. On the other hand, the quality of the print is a big turn-off, mainly because it is grainy, its colors aren’t deep and look washed out. You might want to consider other designs if not the standard solid color options.
Apart from the custom design, the unit follows a black-grey theme, where the screen frame and keyboard rim are black and the wrist rest is grey. Except the sides and the base, the entire unit has a glossy finish, hence prone to dust and finger prints.

Take a cross section view and you’ll notice a wedge-like tapering design and a drop hinge which is common to Dell’s XPS series of laptop such as the XPS 16, minus the use of metal ofcourse. Though the shell is mostly plastic, it is ruggedly built overall and is rather bulky to carry around. In terms of ergonomics, the keyboard has well-sized and aptly placed keys, which makes usage quite comfortable. Although the touchpad is smaller than what you’d find on other desktop replacements, it is comfortable to use. The good part is that unlike the rest of body, it has a matte finish. Overall, it’s a very comfortable machine to work on.

Features
The Dell Studio 15 offers excellent performance and an above average feature set. Built around an Intel HM 55 chipset, it is powered by an Intel Core i3 350M processor. It has 4 GB DDR3 RAM and a roomy 500 GB hard drive. The discrete graphics is courtesy an ATI Radeon HD 5470, and the 15.6-inch screen is glossy and has a native resolution of 1366 x 768, which is common to most laptops.

Here’s the interesting part, this particular unit with its custom design costs Rs 49,300, and, on the company’s website, the OPI design which costs around Rs 3,000, is not selected by default . So, with the standard option, you can buy the unit at a lesser price. In this case, the Studio 15 offers good value for money. On the other hand, we compared the Studio 15 (with OPI design) to a laptop which features almost identical hardware, hence same performance, but is much richer in features, the Asus N61Jv . While the N61Jv costs higher (Rs 50,490, excluding taxes), it is equipped with Nvidia’s Optimus technology, Asus’ Sonic Master and it features has a USB 3 port too. Above all, the GPU in it is more powerful and the audio quality is better too, so the game-play and overall audio-visual experience is obviously superior. Therefore it offers more value for money (from the price-performance ratio and features point of view). But if you don’t want all of this and if sheer CPU power suffices, then the Dell Studio 15 (without the design ofcourse) is a better pick. On a side note, you even have the option to get more processing power from the Studio 15 in a sub-50K price, just opt for the one with an Intel Corei7 processor.
The rest of the features include 2 USB, an eSATA and a FireWire port. Common display options are HDMI and VGA. The laptop has a slot-loading DVD-writer, a 2 megapixel webcam, a PC-card slot, a memory card reader, and 3 audio jacks. The connectivity options are gigabit Ethernet, Wi-Fi N and Bluetooth. The machine is pre-loaded with Windows 7 Home Premium and bundles with it a number of discs for, Dell’s FastAccess Video capture utility, Webcam Central software, CyberLink PowerDVD and so on.

Highlight
The recent partnership between Dell and OPI Products Inc. has much to offer people who like to give a personal touch to their laptops. If you want to take a quick look at the color and design options, logon to Dell's Flickr site . Also, the latest designs, inspired by the city of Hong Kong are available on all Dell Inspiron and Studio laptops, including the Studio 14 and the new Mini 10 laptops.

New to Gaming? Start With the PS2

2010-05-12T11:43:00.002+05:30

Gaming is growing in India, and more and more people are getting into it now. So one question that I get asked a lot is, “Should I buy an Xbox 360 or PS3?”. Strangely, the Wii never makes that shortlist, but what’s really surprising is that these people, most of who have never been into serious gaming, completely overlook the PS2. Why would you want a PS2 when there’s the PS3, right? Well, it’s not quite that simple. If you’ve never gamed before, then you don’t quite know whether it’s something that’s going to hold your interest for too long. Do you then want to sink over Rs 20,000 into something that you might not use? How about a console that instead shows you what video games are all about at only the fraction of the price of a PS3? If that sounds good to you, you need to get yourself a PS2, and I’m about to tell you why.

Firstly, video games are an art form, so while today’s games look better and employ cutting-edge tech, the classic games, many of which are on the PS2, are just as much fun to play today as the day they released simply because of the ideas that went into making them. The PS2 has arguably the best games library of any home console. Ever. So if you’re a new PS2 owner, you’re never going to run out of good games. The second point in favor of the PS2 is reliability. I’m still using the PS2 that I bought in 2001, while I’ve had my Xbox 360 (purchased in 2006) replaced four times, and I’m on my second PS3 in three years. I’m ashamed to admit that I’ve neglected my PS2 since moving to the newer consoles, but even after gathering dust for months on end, the old timer fires right up when I’m in the mood for some giant slaying in Shadow of the Colossus. It’s the kind of hardware reliability that current generation consoles can only dream of.

Another important factor is compatibility. HDTV penetration is still quite low in India, and owning an HDTV is an important prerequisite before buying an Xbox 360 or PS3. For those who don’t own an HDTV, these consoles are an absolute no-no, because the games that are available for them are designed for high definition displays. So if you’re still on a standard definition CRT TV, a PS2 is a much better proposition. Last, but certainly not the least, is the price factor. The PS2 console will set you back Rs 5,990. Add Rs 2,000 more to get yourself four great games, and you’re good to go. By contrast, the PS3 console is priced at Rs 19,990, with games starting at Rs 999 (although the good ones cost a lot more). So you can get gaming on the PS2 at almost one-fourth the cost. Of course, once you do get hooked, you’re going to want to move up to the newer consoles and the high definition goodness they bring.

If you’re willing to pay the price of admission, I certainly wouldn’t discourage you from opting for the Xbox 360 or PS3 instead, because they too offer great gaming experiences. I, for one, find it hard to go back to many older games after being spoiled by the HD eye candy that the newer consoles offer. But I also know that with these consoles, your expenses don’t stop at just the hardware. Games are expensive, and so are the accessories that you will inevitably buy. So if you’re just looking for a taste of what video games have to offer, the PS2 will give you that in abundance. It’s the perfect entry-level console and home to some of the best games ever made. You just can’t go wrong with it.

Samsung CLP-770ND

2010-04-27T12:13:00.000+05:30

Print Technology: Color laser
Interface: USB, Ethernet, optional Wi-Fi card, Proprietary external interface
Maximum Paper Size: 8.5x14 inches
Maximum Resolution : 9,600x600 effective dpi
Dimensions (HWD): 18.9x18.3x17.5 inches
Weight: 63.1 pounds

Depending on what you do for a living, you may find yourself suddenly in need of a large volume of printing in a hurry, making you wish for a Kinko's in your living room—like when you're asked to bring a dozen copies of a 1,200-page manuscript to a meeting in the morning or hundreds of double-sided card stock invitations and envelopes for a stuffing party. For these moments, you need a color laser printer that has the perfect combination of speed, versatility, quality, high duty cycle, and low-cost-per-page (not to mention a boatload of paper). A device very much like Samsung's CLP-770ND color laser printer.

The $899.99 CLP-770ND is clearly meant for an office environment. At 63 pounds (78 pounds, once you add four full toner cartridges and a ream of 20-pound paper), as well as being about half the size of an apartment dishwashing machine, the CLP-770ND is probably too large and heavy to rest comfortably on your desk. (While Samsung doesn't market a matching cabinet for any of its printers, adding a couple of optional 500-sheet paper trays and a rolling base effectively transforms it from a desktop unit into a floor model.) But since it's a network device (with built-in USB interface and optional Wi-Fi connectivity, should you wish to make it a local printer), designed for departmental rather than individual use, you can easily position it on any conveniently situated large surface.

Despite its hulking dimensions, the cube-shaped unit has an unobtrusive battleship gray and dark gray–topped appearance that will help it blend in well with many business environments. On the front is the pull-down, 100-sheet adjustable multipurpose tray. The tray design lies somewhere between simple and crude; it is noisy and takes a bit of strength to pull open. On both sides of the tray are rigid white plastic straps, and as they help slide the tray in position, a small plastic slot at the bottom opens mechanically, for feeding paper into the printer. Inelegant, but effective.

Underneath the multipurpose tray is the main 500-sheet adjustable paper drawer, for a total capacity of 600 sheets. If you require even greater capacity, the CLP-770ND has the ability to add one or two optional paper trays, which stack underneath the printer. This gives the CLP-770ND a total capacity of 1,600 sheets, 700 sheets more than the $699 Lexmark C546dtn (also a color laser printer), which has a 900-sheet capacity. (The Lexmark costs $200 less, however.)

Just above the pull-down multipurpose tray is a recessed handle that releases and opens the front flap, exposing the printer's innards, for replacing consumables and clearing paper jams. The four self-contained toner cartridges (black, cyan, magenta, and yellow) slide into color-coded slots stacked one atop another, while the transfer belt cartridge snaps into the front flap. The cartridges have solid-feeling plastic handles on either side that make the cartridges relatively easy to hold and slide into place. However, you must be extra careful handling them because, unlike HP's and many other manufacturers' toner cartridges, Samsung's cartridges do not have a movable shutter or flap to protect the organic photoconductor (OPC) drum from fingerprints, scratches, or light. (But they do ship with a removable cardboard protector.) Also, it's possible to insert them into the wrong slot: Even though the LCD control panel will warn you to put them in the correct slot, it does so only after you've closed the flap.

Each toner cartridge is good for up to 7,000 impressions, which translates into just about the lowest costs per page in its class. An average monochrome page costs about 1.5 cents, with color at 7.5 cents per page. By contrast, the Lexmark C546dtn is 1.6 cents per page for monochrome and 11 cents for a typical page of color business graphics. Given its large paper capacity and speed, the CLP-770ND is capable of greater sustained throughput than the Lexmark.

The transfer belt is good for 50,000 impressions; a user can replace it in less than 2 minutes; and its cost of ownership adds up to less than four-tenths of a cent per impression.

On top of the printer is the sloping control panel. It has only four buttons—menu, back, stop, and the power-saving instant off/on (the master power switch is on the right side, below the network, USB, and external device interface ports); in the middle is a circular four-way rocker switch with an OK button in the center. The illuminated four-line monochrome control panel doesn't provide much information, but its menus are well structured and logically nested, making navigation relatively easy, even for novices. Some of its parameters and settings are duplicated in the printer driver, which can occasionally cause confusion and conflict. For instance, we set paper type to card stock in the control panel menu, while selecting plain paper in the interface. Instead of defaulting to the interface, the printer simply displayed a conflict message and waited for the user to press the OK button manually before proceeding.

Surrounding the control panel is a bezel lid with finger indents, to help clear paper jams. Behind it is the paper discharge tray with a fold-out paper stop. It can hold up to 350 sheets, and the paper arrives face down. One nice feature: When the output tray fills to capacity, instead of jamming up or spilling paper onto the desk, the printer will automatically pause until the paper is removed.

10 Free iPhone Music Apps

2010-04-27T12:10:00.002+05:30

When we show off our iPhone to curious friends, we usually cycle through some of the useful and cool apps that might tempt them into purchasing one for themselves. In the midst of apps aplenty, it’s easy to forget that the iPhone is also a music player, and, at most, we usually tap the Pandora button to listen to a wider variety of tunes than we store on our unit. So when our editor asked us to find 10 good, free (or almost free) music apps for the device, were shocked to see 274 pages of them on the App Store.

The apps range widely: free publicity for almost every extant music group, a wealth of free and for-pay pretuned radio stations, and apps for making your own noise with cowbells, screen taps, and virtual instruments. We confess that the cowbell app left us, um, moo-dy, and in our hands, the virtual-instrument apps drove most other living creatures from the room. But in the end, we did track down 10 versatile, interesting, and free music apps that either enhance the native iPod playlist structure or add hours of listening pleasure to your day.

HP EliteBook 2740p

2010-04-27T12:09:00.000+05:30

Processor: 2.53GHz Intel Core i5-540M
Memory: 4GB RAM
Storage: 250GB hard drive
Optical Drive: None
Screen: 12.1 inches (1,280x800 native resolution)
Graphics: Integrated Intel GMA 4500MHD
Weight: 3.8 pounds
Dimensions (HWD): 1.25x11.4x8.4 inches
Operating System: Windows 7 Professional (64-bit)

More than a decade before Apple stole headlines with its iPad, HP was among the first to offer a convertible laptop that could serve as a standard notebook PC or as a tablet. Its latest progeny is the EliteBook 2740p, a fast 12.1-inch ultraportable that also happens to be a killer tablet. That's not to say it's flawless: The $1,699 price puts the EliteBook 2740p on the high end of price continuum, and we were disappointed with the battery life. But if you need a business-rugged laptop with plenty of power and features—and you genuinely need its tablet abilities—the 2740p is a strong choice.

Weighing 3.8 pounds and measuring 1.25 inches thick, the EliteBook 2740p isn’t the thinnest or lightest machine in the 12-inch class. Part of the blame falls to the screen and its digitizer overlay, as the top half of the EliteBook 2740p is noticeably thick. HP also had to accommodate the thermal needs of a full-voltage Intel Core i5 processor here; thinner notebooks get by with low-voltage or ultra-low-voltage CPUs to squeeze into a thin chassis. The EliteBook 2740p isn’t as slim as the Lenovo ThinkPad X200 Tablet Multi-TouchFujitsu LifeBook T4310, although that 12.1-inch convertible tablet comes with an optical drive (tucked in a swappable bay, no less). That's a feature the 2740p lacks. tablet, but it delivers much better performance. And it’s a quarter of an inch slimmer and half a pound lighter than the

If your design sensibilities lean toward clean and uncluttered, the EliteBook 2740p will disappoint. Since all buttons need to be accessible in either laptop or tablet mode, out of necessity the sides are chock full of ports, buttons, and toggle switches. On the front edge, you’ll find the large latch to release the screen, a latch to open the swing-out WWAN antenna (on models with that $125 option), and the sliding power switch. Move to the right side, and you’ll find buttons to launch HP QuickWeb and HP QuickLook (more on those in a minute), a headset jack, a SmartCard slot, two USB ports, and a modem jack.

Around back, HP put the LAN jack and a VGA port; for use in tablet mode, you’ll find a handy scroll toggle, an Esc button, a button to rotate the screen, and a recessed button to enact Ctrl+Alt+Del. On the left side you’ll find the pen slot, a memory-card slot, an ExpressCard/34 slot, a Wi-Fi on/off switch, a FireWire port, and another USB port. HP engineers should be applauded for making this all fit, and we suspect the designers simply gave up trying to make it look anything but functional.

You’ll likely spend most of your working time with the EliteBook 2740p in laptop mode, and you won’t be disappointed. The LED-backlit screen is very bright, and colors are rich and vibrant. The panel’s 1,280x800 native resolution delivers crisp, readable text. The EliteBook 2740p’s spill-resistant keyboard is full-size and very comfortable. The keyboard isn’t backlit, which is a feature we’ve come to expect in this price range, but you do get a handy white LED above the screen that casts just enough light on the keyboard to make it visible on a plane or in a darkened conference room.

HP has included both a pointing stick and a touch pad, but the mouse buttons for the stick steal precious real estate from the touch pad—so much so that multi-finger gestures are limited to scroll and zoom, as there’s not enough room to accommodate the rotate gesture.

In tablet mode, the EliteBook 2740p’s Wacom digitizer, as on the Fujitsu LifeBook T4310, is simply terrific. The overlay is completely unobtrusive when you’re focusing on the screen and is discernible only if you look for it. (That's not a given with touch-capable panels.) The touch screen is very accurate and supports finger input, including gestures. As a result, in addition to tapping onscreen icons and dialog-box choices to mimic a mouse click, you can use a swipe to scroll, pinch, pull, and pivot to zoom in or out, or to rotate an image. Navigating around news and video sites with your fingers is certainly preferable to using a cursor on this tablet (or any system, for that matter). Also, while you're surfing, you'll be pleased with the EliteBook 2740p's speakers, which are adequate for Web video and presenting to a small group.

For life on the road, the EliteBook 2740p sports active protection for the 250GB hard drive, which means it will protect your data by stopping the hard drive heads if it detects the system is falling. It also adheres to the Military Standard 810G specifications for vibration, shock, dust, humidity, and temperature fluctuations. And the EliteBook 2740p was designed to withstand up to 300 pounds of pressure on the lid without damage to the screen or other components. So while this isn’t a fully ruggedized machine, it does qualify as “business rugged.”

The 2.53GHz Intel Core i5 processor and 4GB of fast 1,022MHz DDR3 RAM helped the EliteBook 2740p deliver strong results on our benchmark tests. The machine scored 5,558 on the 32-bit version of PCMark Vantage, which measures overall system performance, and 6,122 on the 64-bit version of the test. To put that in perspective, the physically similar Fujitsu LifeBook T4310 convertible tablet scored 3,727 and 4,021 on those tests. Compared with the Lenovo ThinkPad X201, a traditional 12-inch ultraportable in the same price range, the EliteBook 2740p came up a little short, as the Lenovo scored over 300 points higher (6,491) on the 64-bit Vantage run. But the EliteBook 2740p trounced both of those competitors on the 64-bit version of our Cinebench 10 test, scoring an impressive 8,667, compared with 6,440 for the ThinkPad X201 and 5,061 for the LifeBook T4310.

Also in the plus column, the EliteBook 2740p outperformed both the Fujitsu and Lenovo entries on our Windows Media Encoder 9 trial (which measures the capabilities of the CPU while converting a video file), needing just 3 minutes 57 seconds to complete the task; the ThinkPad X201 finished in 4:18 and the LifeBook T4310 in 6:20. And on our iTunes encoding test, in which the test machine encodes 11 tracks from MP3 to AAC, also heavily taxing the CPU, the EliteBook 2740p more than held its own, completing the process in 3 minutes and 40 seconds, which is a little slower than the 3:23 the ThinkPad required but faster than the 4:54 for the LifeBook.

Powered by the seemingly universal (in business machines, at least) Intel GMA 4500 integrated graphics chipset, the EliteBook 2740p delivered decent results on our 3D graphics tests: The system managed a score of 2,099 on 3DMark06 at 1,024x768 resolution. That’s essentially tied with the 2,090 we saw from the ThinkPad X201 and notably higher than the 1,109 posted by the LifeBook T4310. And while this performance is still not enough to play intense 3D games at high resolutions, it’s fine for low-impact, casual online gaming.

AMD Phenom II X6 1090T

2010-04-27T12:07:00.000+05:30

Socket Type: AM3
Number of Cores: Six
Operating Frequency: 3.2GHz
Front-Side Bus: HyperTransport 3.0
Cache Memory: 9MB (combined L2 and L3)

AMD’s first pair of six-core CPUs, the $285 Phenom II X6 1090T that we’re looking at here, as well as the $200 Phenom II X6 1055T (announced on the same day), aren’t exactly cheap. But compared with Intel’s sole six-core CPU (as of this writing), the $1,000 Core i7-980X, which launched last month, AMD’s offerings are downright thrifty. Indeed, while AMD’s new chips have names only a tax accountant could love, you probably won’t have to blow much of your federal return on one of these six-core wonders. That’s more than we can say about Intel’s six-core offering.

At their under-$300 prices, it’s no surprise that AMD’s six-core chips don’t run as fast as Intel’s top-end CPU speed demon. But with features like dynamic CPU clock speeds and compatibility with existing AM3 systems, they further cement AMD’s dominance in terms of both upgrade flexibility and performance for your dollar. Intel still holds a strong lead in ultimate performance, but in our tests, the Phenom II X6 1090T performed right in line with Intel chips that currently sell for nearly twice as much.

First though, let’s discuss who can actually make best use of high-end CPUs like these. As much as both Intel and AMD may lament it, most software still can’t take advantage of more than one CPU core at a time. For most everyday computing situations, unless you’re somehow tackling six CPU-intensive tasks at the same time, your six cores won’t make anything happen any faster. Even four cores is overkill for many users, which is why we continue to tout options like AMD’s $100 dual-core Phenom II X2 555 and triple-core $75 Athlon II X3 435 as good options for budget gamers, or those who just want a speedy, inexpensive CPU for average computing tasks.

To get around the limitations of current software, AMD has added dynamic core clock speeds to this processor, employing a technology it calls Turbo CORE. With Turbo CORE, the base clock speed (3.2GHz, in the case of the Phenom II X6 1090T) will ramp up to as much as 3.6GHz automatically when the CPU is churning away on a task that can only make use of a single CPU core. Intel’s version of this technology, which it calls Turbo Boost, has been available on higher-end Intel CPUs since mid-2009. This feature is a welcome addition to any CPU, to be sure. But unless you rely on software that actually uses all available cores, you won't see the full benefit of paying for those additional cores. Most such software comes from the professional content-creation realm. For those who rely on programs like Adobe’s Creative Suite or Sony’s Vegas video editor (or similar programs that are expressly multi-core aware), stepping up to a six-core processor can mean a serious speed-up, especially if they are currently running an aging dual-core CPU.

On the other hand, gamers (at least today) won't be the primary beneficiaries of six-core tech—except under certain circumstances. A few titles do take advantage of multiple cores. (In those games, the extra cores allow the game to handle more-complex artificial intelligence for non-player characters.) But again, while a handful of games qualify, and more are on the way, most games currently on the market won't see a significant benefit from six cores, especially if you're already running a fast quad-core CPU.

So, if you find yourself in one of those two camps (or straddling the two), six-core CPUs can be a smart choice. Those editing massive amounts of HD video on a tight schedule may wish to pay the premium for Intel’s faster Core i7-980X CPU, but there’s no denying that AMD’s Phenom II X6 1090T is plenty speedy. And what makes its under-$300 price extra-appealing is that you can drop the chip into an existing AM3 or AM2+ motherboard, making the entry cost for hexa-core computing that much cheaper if your PC is ready to accept the chip. (A BIOS update will be necessary, though, so be sure one is available for your board before buying.)

To see how the Phenom II X6 1090T stacks up against similar CPUs, we ran it through our spate of tests designed to measure general performance, as well how it handles tasks that fully tax its six cores. First up, in PCMark Vantage, a synthetic test designed to measure overall system performance, the Phenom II X6 1090T managed a score of 7,462 in our test rig. That puts it ahead of the 6,583 turned in by Intel’s quad-core (and currently $550) Core i7-870. Intel’s current six-core king, the $1,000 Core i7-980X, slid in well ahead, with a showing of 9,822.

We then moved on to Cinebench 10, another CPU-centric test designed to tax multiple processor cores. The Phenom II X6 1090T again ran a bit ahead of the Core i7-870, with a score of 17,812 to the Core i7-870’s 17,542. But the Core i7-980X’s showing of 26,981 puts Intel's six-core chip in another league (which is, truth be told, where it belongs for the price).

We then moved to our iTunes conversion test, which can only make use of a single CPU core. (In the test, iTunes converts 11 standard MP3 files to AAC format.) This test shows the limitations of six-core CPUs—AMD’s and Intel’s alike—in most everyday tasks. The Phenom II X6 1090T actually came in third here, converting our 11 test files in 2 minutes and 48 seconds. The quad-core Core i7-870 came in six seconds faster, while the six-core Core i7-980X again came out on top, finishing in just 2:26. The fact that these scores were much closer demonstrates how users who don’t rely on software that can tax extra cores won’t notice much real-world difference among any of these three high-end CPUs.

In video editing with Sony’s Vegas Pro 8 however, multiple cores make much more of a difference. In our Vegas 8 MPEG-2 render test, the Phenom II X6 1090T encoded our test file in 2 minutes and 23 seconds, while the Core i7-870 did surprisingly well with its four cores, finishing just 3 seconds behind. But the Core i7-980X showed its true dominance here, finishing in just 1:40. For those encoding very large files, those time differences will be of even greater significance. The takeaway: The Core i7-980X is much faster in this regard—if you can afford it—but considering that the $285 Phenom II X6 1090T does about as well as the (currently) $500-plus Core i7-870, video editors and content creators who don’t need the absolute fastest speeds should take a long, thoughtful look at this AMD chip.

Those upgrading or building a new PC should also consider the simplicity and relative affordability of AMD’s hardware platform as a whole. The new 890GX chipset supports all current-generation AMD CPUs and dual-channel DDR3 memory. Comparatively, the complexities of Intel’s current CPU lineup, which employs two different CPU sockets (LGA 1156 and 1366) that support, respectively, dual- or triple-channel DDR3 memory, seem downright confusing. On the practical side, the fact that AMD has stuck by a single socket standard means that current AMD motherboards have much more upgrade flexibility than recent Intel ones. With the Intel boards, you’ll have one of the two aforementioned socket types, and be locked into that particular socket’s cost and performance limitations until you’re ready to buy a new motherboard.

In terms of performance, though, little has really changed. As has been the case since the launch of the initial Intel Core i7 CPUs in November of 2008, Intel holds a strong lead over its CPU rival AMD at the very high end of the consumer-CPU market. But down in the realm of affordable chips, AMD has been doing quite well for itself with impressive offerings like the $120 quad-core Athlon II X4 635, which is, in most tests, a fair bit faster than Intel’s similarly priced, dual-core Core i3-530.

And in the world of six-core CPUs, things are decidedly similar today. To summarize: In our battery of tests, AMD’s new six-core flagship chip, the Phenom II X6 1090T, is a very strong performer in the $300 price range. Unsurprisingly, it doesn’t match the performance of Intel’s $1,000-plus, six-core Core i7-980X, or even the quad-core Core i7-975, which sold for about $970 when we wrote this in late April 2010. But it ran pretty close to even in our tests with Intel’s quad-core Core i7-870, which sold for $550.

Amkette Wireless Keyboard with Trackball

2010-04-22T19:37:00.002+05:30

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