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HP 550 15.4″ Laptop Review

Filed Under: HP LAPTOP — supplylaptopbatteries — Leave a comment
May 23, 2012

The HP 550 is based on the somewhat older HP 6720s and represents the previous version of the HP 6730s (Intel) / HP 6735s (AMD) . HP’s first savings can be seen in the re-use of the older case and the availability of only one version, which has a Celeron M 550, 1GB of RAM, a 160GB hard drive and a GMA X3100. The only option available to customers is whether the system comes with or without Windows Vista Basic. On the HP homepage another model is listed with HP 625 adapter that is clearly better with an Intel Core 2 Duo T5670 processor, 2GB of RAM and Vista Business (NN308EA), however this is not currently known to be available at any well-known retailer.

The screen tilts back, covering the rear of the chassis when open, so you won’t find any ports on the back of this machine. HP has placed ports on the sides of the laptop and you’ll find the three USB ports grouped together, which is fine as long as you don’t need to add peripherals larger than the average USB memory key.

This notebook features a Core 2 Duo T5270 processor, a 15.4″ screen, and weighs about 5.5 lbs. Built in wireless LAN antenna, 2 GB installed RAM, vibration/shock tolerance technology.

Specifications:

  • Dimensions (WxDxH): 35.8 cm x 26.7 cm x 3.2 cm
  • Weight: 2.5 kg
  • Built-in Devices: Speaker, wireless LAN aerial
  • Processor: Intel Celeron M 530 / 1.73 GHz
  • Cache Memory: 1 MB – L2 Cache
  • RAM: 1 GB (installed) / 4 GB (max) – DDR2 SDRAM – 667 MHz ( 1 x 1 GB )
  • Card Reader: Yes
  • Hard Drive: 120 GB – Serial ATA-150 – 5400 rpm
  • Optical Storage: DVD±RW (+R double layer) / DVD-RAM with LightScribe Technology
  • Display: 15.4″ TFT 1280 x 800 ( WXGA ) – BrightView
  • Graphics Controller: Intel GMA X3100
  • Networking: Network adapter – Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g
  • Wireless NIC: Broadcom 4311BG
  • Input Device: Keyboard, touchpad
  • Battery: Lithium Ion
  • Run Time (Up To): 4.5 hour(s)
  • Operating System: Microsoft Windows Vista Home Basic

The HP 550 features a 15.4-inch display with 1280 x 800 resolution providing a widescreen view to explore the Web or watch a selection of your favorite DVDs. Burn your DVDs on the DVD+/-RW SuperMulti DL LightScribe Drive and get your multimedia files running in an instant! Other features include 3 USB 2.0 ports, Broadcom 802.11b/g wireless connectivity, high definition audio, and the Windows Vista Home Basic operating system.

When it comes to performance, the HP 550 is overshadowed by the competition in terms of speed, but this is a far more accomplished laptop when it comes to sheer ease of use. The keyboard may not be as good as we’d have liked, but we still found it comfortable to use and the large, bright screen makes this laptop a pleasure to use.

Performance (weight of 40%) gets a 5. This HP 625 AC adapter simply does little for me, outside of actually putting out 550W. Efficiency could be better, there’s no power factor correction, and the performance decreased significantly when temperatures were increased. The crossload shows that a computer with a minimal load on the 3.3V and/or 5V rails is going to wreak havoc on the 12V rails and the excessive ripple on the 12V line makes me contemplate potential long term effects on peripherals.

A comfortable laptop to use that offers a fair degree of use, at a great price Buying advice from the leading technology site     Quick links to useful Expert Reviews for HP 550 describing pros and cons. User sentiment in Forums. Download to User Guide and Manual     Extensive Review of HP 550 (Intel Celeron M 550 2.0 Ghz, Intel GMA X3100, 160GB HD,1GB RAM) with statistical measurements, benchmarks and evaluation.

Basic Elements. A comfortable fit for any budget, HP Business Notebook 550 helps keep you connected and productive so your office goes with you. With a 15.4-inch HP BrightView diagonal widescreen display, a fresh new look and Windows Vista Business, the HP Business Notebook 550 is the perfect business partner.

The HP 550 laptop is the perfect solution to your business needs. This HP business laptop comes with BrightView display which increases the overall resolution comparable to a LCD TV display. You can recharge your primary HP 625 battery up to 90% in 90 minutes with the help of this HP Notebook PC. Weighing 5.5 lbs, the HP 550 is light in weight and extremely stylish. This HP business laptop features HP ProtectTools security manager which guards your data, application, and network with total control over external storage devices and ports. It makes sure that your system is handled by only authorized users. The WLAN feature of this HP Notebook PC takes your Internet surfing needs while the HP 3D DriveGuard protects your data from sudden bumps or drops.

Currently we have the FreeDos economy version, which has a retail value of roughly 340,- Euro, on which we installed and tested the system with Windows XP Professional. We also took a brief look at Linux in the form of Ubuntu 8.1, a fairly popular and simple distribution of Linux, which represents a further saving potential, all the while offering a large range of applications and fucntions. For those who are upgrade-oriented, we added a further GB of RAM and took measurements of Dell Inspiron 1464D battery life with the optional 8-cell battery.

The previous HP model had one of our favourite keyboards at this price point. Sadly, this has not been carried through with the 550. The keys have the same square shape with a slight dip in the centre, so you won’t slip when typing. However, the quality has been reduced, resulting in a keyboard that rattles as you type.

With the low price you have to accept some drawbacks. The configuration options are limited to one model, Bluetooth is not available, some interfaces are placed impractically, and the case/processing quality will not please each potential customer. However, problems with the installation of the OS will not  be arduous for every user, who may overcome them without help. Upgrade and expansion options are possible but taking into account the price of the system, it would be more reasonable to go for a more expensive competitor’s notebook. You should take the HP 550 for what it is in order to exploit the full value for money that it offers. It has a very slim and portable design just under 5.5 lb a 15.4-inch with a BrightView widescreen display. It also has a fast charging feature with HP Fast Charge which is capable of charging the HP 625 battery upto 90% within 90 minutes.

If you’re a businessman on-the-go or a college student, it’s more convenient to have a laptop with you rather than a desktop PC. For an easy-to-use and efficient notebook, cast your eyes on the HP 550 Notebook PC KS158UT. The HP 550 Notebook PC KS158UT comes with an Intel Celeron 550 2.0GHz

Overall, the Mushkin HP-550 manages to score a “6.5″ Simply put, I don’t recommend this product. But do not let this affect your impression of Mushkin Dell Studio 1747 battery overall. It needs to be said that the XP series is based on a completely different platform and is supposed to be at a completely different performance level as the HP series.

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Review of Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E520

Filed Under: LENOVO LAPTOP — supplylaptopbatteries — Leave a comment
May 15, 2012

Lenovo is a world leading company in information system which has released several innovative product ranges in different IT markets. This company is main supplier of IT products in Australian IT market. Recently a new laptop computer model has been added in huge list of Lenovo product that is Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E520. This laptop is featured with advance technology, outstanding performance and eye catching appearance.

This stylish laptop is aimed at small and medium size bussinesses. It runs on the latest hardware, having a very good I7 processor and an average video card. The card will let you run games only to an extent, being unable to render graphic intensive games such as Crysis 2 at high quality and/or high resolutions. In office applications it is very fast and I am very happy with its performance.

Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E520 Notebook PC

Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E520 Black 15.6″ HD AG display i5-2430M processor 4GB memory Intel HD graphics 500GB/7200rpm HDD multi-burner webcam Bluetooth fingerprint reader Intel 1000 BGN NO WWAN 7-in-1 card reader 6 cell Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E520 battery Win 7 Pro 64This item cannot be shipped to APO/FPO addresses. Please accept our apologies.

In direct comparison to the ThinkPad Edge E520, when left on idle, there is very little difference in battery life. During internet surfing over WLAN, or during DVD playback, the Edge E520 has the lead however. Under full load, however, the E525 Edge has a slight advantage. In terms of consumption, the Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E525 can be compared to the E520 with Intel Core i3-2310M processor. In idle mode, the AMD processor is slightly more efficient than the Intel processor. Under stress, the two processors are nearly identical. One should remember, that the AMD processor is a quad core and the Intel i3 is a dual core. The 65-Watt Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E520 AC adapter has no problem supplying the laptop even under load.

Even better, we were able to watch an entire three-hour movie before the battery died, and lighter use will prolong the Dell Inspiron I1564 battery life by almost two hours. To help SMB users experience business growth and productivity gains, Lenovo introduces the new ThinkPad® Edge E420 and E520 notebooks. These slim, elegant notebooks offer SMB users a sophisticated computing experience with the capabilities of enterprise PCs.

The computer is powered by a dual-core 2.4GHz Intel Core i5-2430M CPU that can be overclocked up to 3.0GHz via Intel’s Turbo Boost Technology. It boasts 4GB of RAM, a 750GB 5400rpm hard drive, a DVD/CD burner and integrated Intel GMA HD 3000 GPU. For wireless communication, the system supports 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 3.0. It has a built-in Gigabit Ethernet port for establishing a wired connection to the Internet.

This touchpad will be considered by most users to be very much suited for some quite complex tasks. Be it for office work, browsing online, or for designing, reviewers thought this trackpad to be convincing. For gaming however, an external mouse is needed. The touchpad button comes nothing short of what the rest of the trackpad provides for: The feedback is accurate, the feel is smooth, and the size is well suited for medium to large displays. This trackpad helps you in quickly adjusting to your new computer.

The computer is powered by a dual-core 2.1GHz Intel Core i3-2310M CPU. It boasts 4GB of RAM, a 320GB 7200rpm hard drive, a DVD burner, and an integrated Intel GMA HD 3000 GPU. The system also features 802.11n Wi-Fi and a 720p webcam. Windows 7 Professional (64-bit) is the installed operating system.

Since these machines are pretty new, it is a bit early to say what the user experience will be. I believe that one needs to work long with a laptop so as to gauge what some of its long term problems are, something that you cannot do by simply reading the features of the computer and holding one in your hands for a whole day. However, the folks at Lenovo are know to come up with some pretty loveable Lenovo Thinkpad Edge E520 adapter. So if you would like to buy this product, you need not be afraid at all. You can easily get one for yourself for only $600. Before you do this thou, you need to make sure that you really need a new computer with the features that have been outlined here. If you fail to do that analysis, you may end u8p spending your $600 only for you to end up being extremely disappointed when it will be already too late.

The ThinkPad Edge E520 15.6″ Notebook Computer from Lenovo takes the no-nonsense, business-oriented side of Lenovo ThinkPad notebooks and adds a touch of personality for customer-facing roles in small- to medium-sized businesses. The result is a slimmed down 15″ notebook computer that weighs just 5.2 pounds. This Lenovo notebook is also wrapped in a refined, soft matte coating and a sleek Midnight Black finish.

The Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E520 ombines the no-nonsense business side of the ThinkPad with a touch of personality for customer-facing roles in small- to medium-sized businesses. Featuring a soft matte finish and reinforced with sturdy metal hinges, the Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E520 Notebook is 13 percent thinner than previous generations. And the powerful 2nd generation Intel Core i3 processor will be sure to boost your productivity on the go.

Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E520 features Intel Core i5-2410M or i3-2310M dual-core processor, a 15.6” LED backlit display with HD resolution, Intel HD graphics, DDR3 1333MHz memory, Intel QM65 chipset, 4-cell or 6-cell Lenovo Thinkpad Edge E520 battery, HD webcam, HD audio, 4-in-1 card reader, an HDMI port, and four USB 2.0 port.

The Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E520 15.6-inch “Sandy Bridge” Laptop is on sale today for just $499 for the Core i3 model and $549 for the Core i5 model after $585 in instant savings and a $50 off coupon code. This ultra thin laptop measures 1.1 inches thin and weighs just 5.3lbs. It has a HP ProBook 5310m battery life of up-to 6 hours with an optional battery, and comes with 3 USB 2.0 ports, HDMI output, and a 4-in-1 card reader.

Detail Info:

  • Windows Mobile® 6.1 Professional Edition
  • Qualcomm® MSM7201 400MHz Processor
  • 320×320 transflective colour TFT touchscreen
  • HSDPA/UMTS/EDGE/GPRS/GSM radio
  • Tri-band UMTS — 850MHz, 1900MHz, 2100MHz
  • Quad-band GSM — 850/900/1800/1900
  • 802.11b/g with WPA, WPA2, and 801.1x authentication
  • Built-in GPS
  • Bluetooth Version: 2.0 + Enhanced Data Rate
  • 256MB storage (100MB user available), 128MB RAM
  • 2.0 megapixel camera, up to 8x digital zoom and video capture
  • Removable, rechargeable 1500mAh lithium-ion battery
  • Up to 5.0 hours talk time and up to 250 hours standby
  • MicroSDHC card expansion (up to 32GB supported)
  • MicroUSB 2.0 for synchronization and charging
  • 3.5mm stereo headset jack
  • 60mm (W) x 114mm (L) x 13.5mm (D) / 133g
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Dell Vostro 1015 LED 15.6″ Notebook Review

Filed Under: DELL LAPTOP — supplylaptopbatteries — Leave a comment
May 7, 2012

Dell Vostro 1015 The affordable 15.6″ Vostro 1015 is packed with great technology to help keep you connected,Productivity-Boosting Features: Intel A CoreTM 2 Duo processors and energy-efficient WLED screen,Excellent Wireless Connectivity: Next-generation draft Wireless-N Wi-Fi helps reduce dead spots so you can connect wherever your business takes you.

Dell Vostro 1015 Laptop

According to Dell, users can expect Intel Core 2 processors, extended Dell XPS L511X battery life, power-efficient WLED LCD screens and Energy Star 5.0 compliance, a 5-in-1 media reader for transferring photos, video and data, and the option of an integrated Webcam. There’s also a choice of a glossy black, blue or cherry red finish.

Aside from its increased dimensions, the Vostro 1015 is little different from its smaller companion – the display, for instance, offering the same 1,366 x 768 pixel resolution. Similarly, CPU choices of Core 2 Duo or Celerons, up to 4GB of RAM, up to a 320GB hard drive and Intel X4500MHD integrated graphics are all carried over from the Vostro 1014. Like the Vostro 1088, the optical drive in the Vostro 1015 is optional, the 6-cell Dell Inspiron 14R battery less so.

The new affordable price 15.6-inch Dell Vostro 1015 is packed with great technology to help keep you connected , productive and worry-free. Dell Vostro 1015 is a bold member of the Vostro line with a sturdy and smart chassis and a 15″ screen suitable as a desktop replacement for both multimedia viewing and all kinds of computing work.

Brightness and embedded The hinges to the ease of using the laptop. Rugged housing is built to the test of everyday life, to resist Use and appearance with two tone colors. Chrome Dell logo in the center of the ceiling is simple but elegant. 15.6-inch widescreen WLED designed to clean and provides excellent brightness and contrast with the higher class Brightness. Touch media controls, slightly higher than the standard keyboard for your music and video control.

Dell Vostro 1015 is a 15.6-inch laptop equipped with a 2.16GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T6570 processor, 3GB DDR2 RAM, and 320GB SATA Hard Drive (5400RPM). It sports a 15.6 inch Anti-Glare LED Display (1440×900), Intel® Integrated Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD, DVD+-RW, 802.11b/g/n wireless, 2.0MP Webcam, Built-in Bluetooth, and 6 Cell Dell XPS L511X battery. The laptop runs on Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 32-bit operating system.

Description:

  • Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium, with Media, 32-bit, English
  • 1 Year Basic Limited Warranty plus 1 Year Mail-in Service
  • No Onsite System Setup
  • Vostro 1015 Config 7
  • No Pre-installed Productivity Software
  • Intel Core 2 Duo T6570 (2.1GHz, 2M L2 Cache, 800MHz FSB)
  • 2GB Single Channel Shared DDR2 SDRAM at 800MHz, 1 DIMM
  • 8X DVD+/-RW with double-layer DVD+/-R write capability, Roxio and Cyberlink PowerDVD™ DX 8.2
  • Intel Integrated Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD
  • 160GB SATA Hard Drive (5400RPM)
  • Dell Wireless 1397 802.11b/g
  • 2.0MP WebCam Included,1015
  • Purchase is Not Intended for Resale
  • Obsidian Black LCD back cover
  • No Bluetooth
  • Intel Core 2 Duo Label
  • 6-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery
  • Norton Internet Security 2009 30-Day Subscription
  • 15.6 inch Anti-Glare LED Display
  • US Keyboard and Documentation
  • 65W AC Adapter

Dell Vostro 1015 has got Good performance and runs quick. Has got good screen, you can afford these in low price. It runs on Ubuntu 11.x nicely. It has good speed great looks best connectivity with good battery and back fast DVD RW. Laptop with Core 2 duo and works very fast compared to other laptops. You can buy these if you are saving the cash.

Power comes from a long-lasting 6-cell Lithium Ion battery or a 65 Watt Dell XPS L511X AC Adapter although those consumers who require additional battery time would be advised to upgrade to the 3000 series which offer more options including a 9-cell battery and travel adapters.

Dell Vostro 1015 Intel Celeron T 3500 2.1 GHz / 1 GB / 250 GB / LED 15.6 / DVDRW / Win 7 Home Premium : Laptop computers, sound card: Integrated, bluetooth, firewire, memory card reader: 5-in-1, network card, pc card slot, usb ports: 4, vga (d-sub), wlan, wlan standard: 802.11 b/g/n, mouse/click device: Touchpad, display surface: Matte, screen size: 15.6 in, screen type: LED, optical drive: DVD-RW/CD-RW, graphics card: Intel GMA 4500MHD, cpu number: T3500, cpu speed: 2.1 GHz.

The new Vostro machines won’t go on sale in North America for another few months, but they’re already available in certain parts of Europe and will land in Asia Pacific and Japan today.  The Vostro 1015, for instance, is on sale from £235 ($386) pre-tax through Dell’s UK store, shipping with a choice of Core 2 Duo M or Celeron CPUs, up to 4GB of RAM, up to a 320GB 5,400rpm HDD and Intel’s GMA 4500MHD GPU driving a 15.6-inch HD antiglare display.

The battery life on the Vostro is decent, and with the 6-Cell battery, it is extended from the base bones Vostro model that comes with a 6-Cell lithium ion Dell Inspiron 14R battery. You will notice a decrease in battery life over some netbooks that boast over 8 hour of battery life, but it is important to keep in mind that this is a laptop and consumes more power than a netbook.

It is very portable and the design is very chic. Every businessman who uses it will surely look elegant, regal, and very executive with this laptop computer. It can be used inside the boardroom, snack bars, coffee shops, and even in airports or train stations. With this laptop computer, businessmen will be able to do their tasks wherever they are, anytime. Its LED screen packed with energy-saving features. Its integrated graphics technology makes graphics viewing for presentations and other business reports very crisp, vivid, and clear. The Dell Vostro 1015 laptop is in deed very promising for business professionals as it is jam-packed with several great features better mobility and productivity.

All other models get Windows 7, with the top-rung Vostro 1015 powered by a 2.1GHz Core 2 Duo T6670, Windows 7 Professional on the 320GB hard drive and 3GB of RAM. There is also a dual-layer DVD burner, a 2-megapixel camera and a Wi-Fi connection. All Vostro 1015s have a six cell battery and graphics are handled by Intel’s GMA 4500MHD integrated processor.

Grow your business and stretch your budget with the easy-to-own 15.6″ Dell Vostro 1015 Notebook – no IT staff required. From boardrooms to coffee shops to airports and beyond, the portable, flexible Vostro 1015 notebook helps you stay connected and make every minute count.

Suitable for small businesses and home use Vostro 1015 is built with such technology that you might just not need any external IT assistance. Dell provides 1 year limited warranty on hardware for it with the policy of 30 day return guarantee. It also comes pre-loaded with software programs like Trend Micro Worry-Free Business Security Service for protecting your Dell XPS L511X adapter against virus attacks. You also have an option to choose CompleteCare6 Accidental Damage Service for reliable coverage in case of any accidents.

Overall, this Dell Vostro 1015 Laptop is a solid budget notebook with neat looks and decent performance. It comes with Dell?s reliability and service warranty if you are looking for a mainstream laptop with modest gaming capabilities, then it surely will be a wise choice for you.

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HP EliteBook 8740w Notebook Review

Filed Under: HP LAPTOP — supplylaptopbatteries — Leave a comment
April 27, 2012

Create advanced digital content with the 17.0-inch diagonal HP EliteBook 8740w with workstation-caliber graphics and ISV certifications. Produce accurate, predictable and consistent color for precise results with HP DreamColor and keep your applications running smoothly with HP Performance Tuning Framework. Run demanding applications and experience fast rendering capabilities with next-generation graphics, fast hard drives and support for up to 16 GB of memory. The industrial design of the HP EliteBook 8740w in gunmetal is quite impressive. This HP EliteBook 8740w battery also meets the military standards for vibration, dust, humidity, altitude, and high temperature. You can even remotely monitor, diagnose, and repair your PCs over the network with optional Intel® Centrino® 2 with vPro™ technology. Additional features on the EliteBook 8740w include the latest integrated wireless solutions, professional visual collaboration in HP SkyRoom, and faster data transfer speeds with USB 3.0 and display connectivity with DisplayPort.

HP EliteBook 8740w Specs:

  • Intel Core i7 processor (Q 740 @ 1.73Ghz, 6 MB L3 cache)
  • 8 GB 1333 MHz DDR3 SDRAM
  • 17″ LED-backlit WXGA anti-glare HP DreamColor display (1920 x 1200)
  • NVIDIA Quadro 5000m (2 GB dedicated GDDR5 video memory)
  • 500GB Hard drive (SATA II @ 7200 rpm)
  • Spill-resistant full-size backlit numeric keyboard
  • Dual point three button trackpad + Pointstick three button mouse
  • 2 MP built in webcam
  • 4 USB ports (2 USB 3.0, 2 USB 2.0), 1 eSATA port, 1 external VGA monitor, 1 1394a (FireWire), 1 Express Card/54, 1 Smart Card Reader, 1 Secure Digital, 1 RJ-11 (dial-up), 1 RJ-45 (ethernet), 1 mic, 1 headphone

It also has some cool extra perks too, like a fingerprint scanner, ambient light sensor, dual microphones, a three button trackpad mouse as well as a three button point stick mouse, touch-sensitive media keys, a 2.0mp integrated webcam, and a LightScribe DVD +- RW burner. It’s also got a Bluetooth module and an Intel Centrino Ultimate N wireless HP EliteBook 8740w AC adapter.

Life is tough. The words cheap and flimsy make us cringe, because these words are too often associated with another word – broken, and nobody wants to go through the hassle of fixing a broken laptop. The body of the Elitebook 8740w is made of magnesium alloy while the backside and keyboard are a strong black plastic. This gives the HP AV08 battery a very solid feel and prevents it from being affected by the kind of everyday abuse most laptops receive. There is a drain beneath the keyboard for spills, a fingerprint scanner for security purposes, and an option for a built-in webcam. There is a touch-sensitive strip above the keyboard that controls volume and allows quick shortcuts to e-mail, internet, wireless, and a calculator. The strip’s responsiveness was hit-and-miss, but, HP got the sensitivity just right with the trackpad which was comfortable and easy to use.

When you are using a Windows machine, problems usually arise due to upgrade issues. There are a number of tools that come with Windows, but they are not always reliable. HP is attempting to resolve these issues with their Support Assistant, which is constantly searching the Internet looking for updates. The Support Assistant will download updates, keeping your PC updated, and working smoothly. This is akin to System Restore and Disk Cleanup, but the extra help offered by HP is what makes it worth it. You can go to forums, as well as other online resources, with only a few clicks of your mouse. A tech support is just a call away.

The graphic card choices available include several NVIDIA and ATI models. The big difference between these brands is their built-in technology. NVIDIA cards feature CUDA technology, so video editors would opt for these. CUDA is a big plus for Adobe Premiere Pro CS5 editors because it accelerates certain effects via the NVIDIA GPU. The ATI options include ATI Eyefinity Technology, which supports multiple displays from a single card. Up to five displays (including the native panel) can be supported when the EliteBook is docked to an optional docking station that has the necessary ports to connect the additional four displays.

Having a 30-bit display isn’t just about the breadth of the palette. It’s also about color accuracy. Even if your camera isn’t capable of recording the full palette, a 30-bit display could ensure that you actually see the colors as they were captured, as well as how they may eventually be displayed. And if you do any kind of Dell WU946 battery corrections or adjustments, you’ll want your display to correctly reproduce the changes in tint, saturation and contrast.

I ran it through some tests on Photoshop. It didn’t have any problems rendering a 30 mb file with a bunch of other apps opened. I also advanced a video streaming video forward and it didn’t stutter at all. I tried it my mac book pro too but it had to rebuff before the video would start playing again.

It’s nothing but wonderful. Quiet, sensitive, enjoys walks on the beach and on top of all of that, it’s backlit. The backlit keys are a beauty, especially for someone like me who types in the dark because the light is scary and hurts my skin. It’s got the full-size keyboard thing going for it too, full number pad and the Ctrl and Shift keys actually put in the right locations. Good on that HP. The nub by the G and H key up there is the pointstick mouse. This is the first computer I’ve used that has one of those. The mouse buttons below the space bar makes it convenient, but I’m so use to a touchpad that it won’t get used much at first. What’s extremely nice about the pointstick though is the responsiveness. Sooooooo nice, smooth in fact. Keeps the CTS and ganglions at bay. My big complaint about the keyboard, and this is MAJOR, is the PRT SC (Print Screen) Key. You have to press the function key to use the PRT SC key to take a screen shot. All the HP laptops I’ve used are like this and it’s super lame. For anyone who’s in the print, media, graphics, blogging, writing, teaching or publishing scene this is about annoying as it can get.

Perhaps, I’m too caught up with Apple products, but I love the idea of Apple’s MagSafe HP EliteBook 8740w adapter. It’s discrete, disconnects if you happen to trip on the wire and nothing is actually inserted into the computer so there won’t be any internal damage if it is pulled out at an odd angle. The 8740w power adapter is the exact opposite of all of this. You insert a half inch plug into the laptop and it sticks out an additional inch and a half from the side of the HP EliteBook 8740w battery. This may seem like a minuscule issue, but on a computer where the power plug almost always needs to be plugged in, you’re bound to get it caught on something and only bad things can happen from that point on. I’ve already heard some small cracking noises coming from the plug port when I got the cord caught on my chair. It doesn’t unplug and I’m afraid I have damaged something or will in the future.

The screen has a semi-glossy finish, with one of the better anti-glare coatings we’ve seen, meaning that there is a good intensity of colour without the risk of distracting reflections. The keyboard is full-sized and has a numeric keypad to the right. It’s also backlit, which makes it easy to use in darker environments. We weren’t so happy with the small Return keythough.

Its performance in our hard drive, CPU and graphics benchmarks was gratifying and indicated the power of the hardware. This laptop blows all of those concerns out of the water. It has replaced my big desktop. I seriously unhooked my monitor from my primary desktop computer and bought a Displayport cable so I could do a dual monitor setup, because I just don’t need my desktop anymore.

On the inside you get an Intel Core i7-820QM CPU, 8GB of RAM and a 500GB, 7200rpm hard drive. Its performance is great for multithreaded applications, as its score of 45sec in our Blender 3D rendering test shows, and its I/O performance also proved to be good — its hard drive recorded a transfer rate of 84.8 megabytes per second in our tests. Graphics are handled by an NVIDIA Quadro FX 3800M adapter, which is geared towards speeding up engineering, design and 3D animation applications, instead of gaming. Its 3DMark06 score of 12,646 is a great result nonetheless, and shows just how powerful this Dell WU946 battery is.

In After Effects, I had an old project with the usual solids, C4D movie files and a short list of effects that I felt would be a good starting point for a quick render test. On my old computer, the render took 5 minutes 31 seconds. On the HP 8740w, it took 13 seconds. Wow. I knew my old computer was slow, but I didn’t think it was that slow. Right away, I knew this was going to be an eye opening review. I proceded to move on to test number two.

I am getting picky here but on the outside of the machine, just under the screen, there are a whole bunch of flashing lights (volume, brightness, etc.) that I couldn’t seem to dim or turn off. They got quite distracting when working at night.

Speaking of hefty, our unit weighed a not-inconsequential 8 pounds, 6.4 ounces—add to that another 2 pounds, 2 ounces  for the chunky power brick. Much of the weight can be attributed to the notebook’s sturdy build, which reportedly meets mil-spec standards.

The rugged design is more than skin deep, as the EliteBook 8740w has been built to meet military toughness standards. Whether it be dust, temperature, humidity, vibration, or altitude, the EliteBook 8740w is built to survive it and keep performing. Internally, the 320GB 7,200rpm hard drive is cushioned with shock-dampening material and wrapped in a magnesium drive cage with hardened steel pins holding everything together. A three-axis accelerometer detects motion and activates additional hard drive protection against drops and shocks.

HP says that this mobile workstation “has been tested and meets the military standard MIL-STD 810F tests” and we’ve seen HP demonstrations where this EliteBook 8740w was exposed to excessive heat, vibration and water and kept running. Additionally, the 8740w also features hard drive shock protection in the form of HP 3D DriveGuard which helps protect your hard drive in the event the laptop gets dropped or violently bumped. You can also configure the HP AV08 battery with a solid state drive (SSD) if you need extreme speed and resistance to vibration.

At this point, I’m legally obligated to tell you that HP is giving me my laptop as material compensation for completing my review. I can assure you, this won’t affect my review in the slightest. In fact–a little disclaimer of my own–I love Apple products. I have a dual monitor iMac sitting on my desk, an iPad in my living room and an iPhone in my pocket. I feel they have better designed products and, although I’m not going to focus on it in this review, a better operating system. That said, I took on the responsibility to review this product as fair an unbiased as possible, and that’s what I’m going to do. Although I may have to bring up some comparisons during the review, I’m not going to let past biases sway my judgment. So, with that said, here we go.

The HP Elitebook 8740w range will likely not come in question for private users, even if the entry price starts at about 1700 euro (dual core). However, if the Dreamcolor display is on the equipment wish list, you’ll have to reckon with a leap to 3000 – 4000 euro, and depending on the configuration perhaps even more.

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Dell Vostro V13 Notebook PC Review

Filed Under: DELL LAPTOP — supplylaptopbatteries — Leave a comment
April 20, 2012

Dell has started selling the 13.3-inch Dell Vostro V13 in the US market. It is known as the first laptop in the US with the Intel 1.30GHz Core2Duo U7300 Processor. The laptop is powered by a 13.3-inch 1366 x 768 Wide LED Display, an Intel Integrated Video Grphics, up to 4GB RAM, a 320GB Hard Drive and Windows 7 Professional 32bit. The Dell Vostro V13 Laptop is start selling on July 21, 2011, and 5.9 pounds.

Vostro V13

Specification:

  • Thin as 0.65 inches
  • Weight: 3.5 pounds
  • Brushed-aluminum casing
  • Reinforced zinc hinges
  • Low voltage Intel processor
  • Full-sized keyboard
  • 13.3″ display
  • Optional FDE (full-data-encrypted) hard drives
  • Windows 7
  • Integrated Webcam
  • Integrated Microphone

From the first look you may think that processor of 1.3 GHz is not enough for you but from my personal experience I can say that Dell Vostro V13 is quite fast and can be used for such perfrormance-dependent tasks as development of software for mobile devices and video compressing. At least the speed is acceptable for comfortable work while travelling.

Just looking at it, you can tell which is which. It is tiny, easily carried in a single hand, and only 1.7cm thick. When shut, it still looks ready for business, wherever it must be done. The plain silver and black exterior gives the V13 a minimalist look from any angle, particularly as its edges are almost completely free of unneeded slots and sockets.

direct return completely to the family typically recover only your actual V13 Adam’s older brother handsomeness, and in addition to the brand of high quality. Just as, in particular your particular V13 Adam reside freely within the specialty-specific that are very close on the computer screen and, consequently, above, lying on the lower deck of a large computer. Receiving an elegant brushed aluminum top and bottom around the body, especially the V13 almost all of good quality is almost certainly meet our expectations. Add the following model for the very kind and as a result of the keyboard and mouse pad in addition, your A13, in particular, is typically only a certain unique business-oriented handset, which many of us will die.

Get ready for some truly stunning and portable performance at a very low price! The Dell Vostro V13 offers you a super compact 13.1-Inch High Definition screen to delivery all of your portable media and applications with stunning color. It includes a speedy Intel Core 2 Duo ULV SU7300 1.3Ghz processor to power through all of your tasks, 2GBs of RAM for easy multitasking and a large and speedy 320GB 7200RPM hard drive to store everything you need without compromise. It has full bluetooth and wireless b/g/n support for all of your wireless needs and also has a built-in 1.3MP webcam and mic for easy video chats and recording.

The keys are a bit noisy when pressed. The touchpad measures 3.2 x 1.7 inches and is great for a notebook of this size. The touchpad surface is slightly recessed and offers the right amount of friction. Display and audio The V13 has a Dell Vostro 13.3-inch screen with 1366 x 768 pixels. The display is very nice with good color and acceptable contrast. Viewing angles are also good. Vostro V13 is not an entertainment notebook, the audio quality is still good. Ports and Webcam Port selection is average. There is a USB port, an eSATA / USB combo port, Ethernet, VGA, an ExpressCard slot, 5-in-1 memory card reader, headphone and microphone jacks. No HDMI or FireWire. The 1.3 megapixel webcam produces decent images. Performance The Dell Vostro V13 has a 1.3 GHz Intel U7300 processor and 4 GB of RAM. The notebook has remarkable performance not deliver a number of benchmark tests, but it has enough power for day-to-day chores. Browsing with multiple tabs open is no problem, no image editing in Photoshop.

Battery life is where the Vostro V13 comes to a screeching halt. On our video rundown test the V13′s six-cell, 30Wh Dell Vostro V13 battery lasted only 2 hours and 39 minutes with brightness set to 65 percent. That’s more than half the runtime of the ASUS UL50Vf. Even worse is that because of its solid aluminum build the battery cannot be swapped out. There’s really no good news when it comes to Dell T1G6P battery life here — the reality is that you’ll spend more of your time looking for an outlet with this ULV than others out there. Because it’s a small business laptop, Dell bundles the V13 with its own BackUp and Recovery software, but other than that the desktop arrived quite clean.

Windows 7 makes it easy to create a home network and share all of your favorite photos, videos, and music. For the best entertainment experience, choose a Dell Vostro V13 with Windows 7.

The V13 scores 3.2 points on the Windows Experience Index and 571 points on the 3DMark 06 graphics test. The battery lasts 98 minutes. These scores are on the low side but typical of an entry-level business notebook.

Especially for business users — the Vostro V130 has a built-in 3G modem (Dell Wireless 5540 HSPA Mini-Card Network Dell Vostro V13 adapter) and a SIM slot is located at the front of the unit. To insert a SIM card, you’ll have to first find a thin screwdriver or bobby pin with which to pry the slot open. Dell’s Mobile Broadband Manager software was installed on our system; however, we weren’t able to test the 3G capability of the laptop as our review unit shipped with UK Vodafone profiles that we couldn’t change.

Dell’s latest ultraportable laptop—otherwise known as the poor man’s Adamo—is a great looking machine, constructed with durable and premium materials at a decent price. Its specifications aren’t cutting edge, but it’s so much faster compared to most netbooks which use Intel’s low-cost Atom processor. The biggest criticism of the Vostro V13 is that its svelte design results in good Dell 0449TX battery life and the inability to swap out the cell or system memory.

A 7200 rpm drive is approximately 50% faster in performance than a 5400 model, however that does not translate into 50% more performance across the board. Booting up and shutting down will be faster as will all applications that are opened for the first time in a given session. Once these apps/programs are in the cache, the competitive machines with their slower drives should open apps as quickly as this Dell.

Intel Core 2 Duo SU7300 Processor 4GB installed memory 320GB hard drive 13.3 in. Widescreen HD Display with Anti-Glare Intel Pro Wireless 5100 802.11 b/g/n Card Dell Wireless 365 Bluetooth Built-in 1.3MP webcam 6-Cell Lithium Ion Dell Vostro V13 battery Up to 4 hours and 42 minutes of battery life Genuine Windows 7 Professional Weight 3.5lbs 1 year warranty Software included: Office 2010 preloaded. Includes reduced functionality versions of Word and Excel. Purchase of Product Key required to activate full Office 2010 suite features. Trend Micro PC-Cillin 15-Month Security Subscript ion What’s in the box 6-Cell Li-Ion Battery Dell Vostro V13 AC adapter AC Power Cord Documentation Setup Guide Safety, Environmental, & Regulatory Information Warranty & Support Information Drivers & Downloads Tech Sheet Hardware System Recovery & Drivers & Download discs.

The key specs include a 1.3GHz Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB of RAM, a 320GB hard drive, and a 13.3-inch display with an antiglare coating. (Thank goodness! What were laptop makers thinking with those superglossy screens.

The Vostro is driven by a Intel® CoreTM 2 Duo SU7300 1.3GHz in its base configuration with options for the SU3500 or the Celeron 743. There is a single DDR3 memory slot on board. This is a good move as the DDR3 really drives system performance. The display is a 13.3-inch diagonal LED-backlit HD (1366 x 768) anti-glare and performs nicely in the daylight. The graphics are good but nothing to brag about on the quad with a Intel Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) 4500MHD but it gets the job done.

The basic model runs for $449, and comes equipped with a 1.2GHz Celeron ULV 743 processor, 2GB of DDR3 SDRAM, a 250GB, 5400 RPM hard drive, and Ubuntu Linux. Connectivity options include 802.11 b/g WiFi, Gigabit ethernet, and Bluetooth 2.1 on every model. The 13.3 inch LED-backlit screen is also standard on every model. Klutzes will appreciate a Free Fall Sensor built into the motherboard, while road warriors can opt for a Mobile Broadband Module.

The screen itself though is very nice and easy on the eyes – there is little to no glare or reflections, with only a small trade-off in that the screen can look particularly dark at times, particularly if the computer is running on Dell 0449TX battery.

Even with some drawbacks (the screen, warmth and Dell T1G6P battery life), the Vostro V130 is still a 13.3-inch business laptop to be reckoned with. Its slim profile, light weight and reasonably good performance make it a great tool to use while on the road. However, we wish it was easier to access its internal components, that it didn’t get so warm and that the screen was better.

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HP EliteBook 2540p Notebook Computer Review

Filed Under: HP LAPTOP — supplylaptopbatteries — Leave a comment
April 15, 2012

Tailor made for well-heeled business users, HP’s EliteBook line is known for its elegant but rugged designs and top-of-the-line components. The 2540p ($1,629 as configured), a new 12-inch addition to the line, lives up to this reputation, delivering fast Core i7 performance and long endurance thanks to the Ultra-Low Voltage CPU and large six-cell HP EliteBook 2540p battery. And unlike with Lenovo’s ThinkPad X201s, you get a built-in optical drive. The EliteBook 2540p isn’t perfect, but it’s one of the best business ultraportables available.

HP EliteBook 2540p Notebook

The EliteBook 2540p offers an excellent port selection, but depending on the model configuration, your options can change. For example the model without a built-in optical drive has a 2.5-inch hard drive and an extra USB port.

The EliteBook 2540p will stay juiced for 12.5 hours on the optional 9-cell battery. Yes, really. That’s almost the entire length of an LA-to-Sydney flight. Or 4-5 viewings of Inception, if you like.

This keyboard has been rated to be among the best in the market. The reviewers were impressed by the comfort and the speed provided for when typing. It is ideal for users whose profession demands long typing hours such as for journalists or academicians, without suffering from the slightest pain or frustration in the process. It is as well impressively comfortable and enduring for HP EliteBook 2540p AC adapter, as one of the many activities requiring frequent and long usage, all of which this keyboard is perfectly fitted for.

I traded in my Dell E4300 for the HP 2540p mainly due to the i7 processor and the added security of a fingerprint reader. I was pleasantly surprised when I saw that it had a DVD burner but a bit peeved when I saw the 160GB hard drive size. I ended up pulling out the DVD drive and replacing it with a hard drive caddy and a 500GB hybrid drive.

There are a couple of other cool features such as a little LED light located next to the webcam that pops out to illuminate the keyboard if you’re in a dark room and a thin touch-sensitive strip between the screen and keyboard that houses HP’s “QuickLook” and “QuickWeb” buttons for launching software quickly, along with controls and status indicators for volume, network, and external display functions.

The HP EliteBook 2540p takes light weight and a compact, but powerful design with full-size features to a whole new level. It’s perfect for day-to-day office tasks with a matte finish making it readable in any lighting situation. It has speed, versatility and reliability, so HP hasn’t let us down with this newest addition to their fleet of notebooks in the least.

The 6-cell, 55 Watt-hour HP HSTNN-DB22 battery lasted 2hr 47min in our rundown test, in which we disable power management, enable Wi-Fi, maximise screen brightness and loop an Xvid-encoded video. You can get over four hours out of it if you use HP’s stringent, built-in power management plans while using the notebook for web browsing and document creation.

I enjoyed typing on the chiclet keyboard and using the smooth touchpad and rubber track pad buttons. You could type comfortably on the laptop for quite a while (the extended HP EliteBook 2540p battery provides 10+ hours of running time). I also liked the screen’s matte finish. Although the display was clear, however, it seemed oddly not very bright, even when I had the brightness on at the highest setting.

The case on the EliteBook 2540p is one of its strongest selling points (though it’s pretty much the same as last generation). Even if it wasn’t built to be so tough this would be a handsome system, with its brushed aluminum lid and all-metal exterior, but it was designed to take some punishment. HP gave the computer a full magnesium chassis which is stiff and confidence-inspiring as well as features like a spill-resistant keyboard, metal hinges, and a latch closure on the display. They really did a nice job here, all while managing to keep the computer reasonably light. It passed the 810G testing for vibration, dust, humidity, altitude and extreme temperatures As for the most important one–drop testing–I’ve been told that it’s certified to the 30-inch drop standard. Also on the chassis front the system is now made with more recycled material than ever, 12% post-consumer recycled resin. It would be nice to see HP slim the system down and get it closer to the 1-inch thickness mark though.

The EliteBook is made truly elite by its massive range of ports (including a docking port) and the high-quality input devices including a point-stick. Apart from eSATA and a serial port, there was room for all the ports that you get on the larger EliteBooks or the ProBooks. There was even room for a DVD multiburner.

The LED-backlit screen is very bright, and the 1,280×800 native resolution makes for crisp, readable text. We did notice that the viewing angle is somewhat constrained; you’ll have to orient the screen exactly perpendicular to your line of sight to get the best image. The panel handled DVD playback well, showing rich colors and little motion blur. Audio from the built-in speakers is typical for the class, though, which is to say somewhat tinny and constrained for music playback but fine for personal Web audio.

Image quality from the 12.1in screen was slightly above average; the 1,280×800 resolution is sufficiently high for most tasks and images looked very sharp. Colours were mostly accurate although there was a slight imbalance towards the yellow end of the spectrum. Brightness was excellent, which HP EliteBook 2540p adapter should make it easier to use the system in direct sunlight. Vertical viewing angles are very limited, but that shouldn’t be too much of a problem; the screen tilts back over 180 degrees. The matt finish also helps stop reflections from harsh office lighting obscuring the display.

The 2540p comes with a trio of HP apps geared toward business convenience: QuickLook 3 gives you one-button access to Microsoft Office when your notebook is off by storing that information in a separate partition from your OS. You can not only see your email, calendar, and contacts in an instant, but edit that information as well. QuickWeb, as it implies, give you near-instant access to a browser when the notebook is off or hibernating. And Power Assistant gives you a multitude of ways to monitor, tweak, and even graph your power consumption.

It may not be as impossibly slender as a netbook or Apple’s new MacBook Air, but the EliteBook 2540p comes surprisingly close to those comparatively performance-hobbled ultra-lights when it comes to portability. It weighs just 3.38 pounds in its base configuration, and measures 11 inches wide, 8.4 inches deep, and 1.1 inches tall. A standard sheet of paper nearly perfectly matches its footprint, which can be handy if it’s going to share a briefcase or backpack with documents.

While HP recently focused on redesigning its line of notebooks for small businesses, its enterprise-ready line of EliteBooks look the same as before, which is to say the 2540p is still one sleek machine. The system has a full magnesium alloy casing, which extends to the palm rest, hinges, and chassis on the inside. The surfaces, meanwhile, are made of scratch-resistant anodized aluminum. The overall look is more modern than the latest ThinkPad X201s.

The appeal of a low-voltage processor is that it’s battery efficient, so even though my unit shipped with a 62WH battery (6-cell), it still managed a score of 8 hours 2 minutes on MobileMark 2007. The Sony Z116GXS, with a similar battery (57WH), scored just 5 hours 10 minutes. Battery life still hinges on the size of the battery, which is why the Lenovo X201 nearly hit the 10-hour mark (9:36) with its 94WH (9-cell) HP HSTNN-DB22 battery. The 2540p has a 9-cell battery option as well, which HP claims will drain in 10.5 hours.

The EliteBook 2450p is an excellent business tool with great build quality and excellent usability. But where it really shines is everyday performance.

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Dell Inspiron 4000 Review

Filed Under: DELL LAPTOP — supplylaptopbatteries — Leave a comment
April 8, 2012

There’s something sexy about notebooks. Whether it’s the call of a gorgeous LCD or the feeling of freedom one gets when they can go anywhere and still be chained to their desk, notebooks make geeks go ga-ga, and with some luck you may get the boss to purchase one for you.

Dell Inspiron 4000 Notebook Computer

Specifications:

  • Intel Celeron 600Mhz
  • 8MB ATI Mobility M3 – 128-bit 3D graphics card and 2X AGP
  • ESS Maestro 3i audio chip
  • 64MB SDRAM (max 512MB)
  • 6GB Hard Drive
  • Weights as little as 5.2 lbs.
  • 14.1″ TFT XGA active-matrix display
  • Max of 1024 x 768 x 16M resolution
  • DualPoint Keyboard
  • 8-cell 53WHr “Smart” Lithium Ion Dell 0M4RNN battery with Express Charge delivers up to 4 hours of battery life
  • Hot-swap modular floppy drive and 24x CD-ROM drive
  • A single USB port
  • PCI docking connector lets you connect to a port replicator.
  • 15-pin VGA monitor connector (1280×1024 out)
  • PCMCIA: Supports two Type I / Type II cards or one Type III card
  • Physical Dimensions: 12.5″ x 10″ x 1.47″ H

The Inspiron 4000 comes in Dell’s familiar all-black midtower case. You can customize the color of the front panel in the online version, although interestingly, the configurable Inspiron 4000 available from Dell’s Web site features slower processors, smaller hard drives, and lower prices than this retail-only model. We expect few people will find Dell’s simple midtower design offensive in its monochrome incarnation. Our only question is whether a commodity desktop vendor like Dell, Gateway, or HP will ever find a way to seriously compete with Apple in terms of system aesthetics.

The Inspiron 4000 didn’t turn in a particularly distinguished performance in our business application speed tests: Despite its PIII-900/700 processor, it earned a PC WorldBench 2000 score of 142, slightly lower than the average for notebooks running Windows Millennium Edition with PIII-850/700s. The keyboard may be too loose and springy for some users’ tastes.

One of my biggest complaints about the Sony Vaios is their really disappointing Dell Inspiron N4020 battery life. The nice thing about the Inspiron is that its battery life lasts a surprisingly long time (worked for 3 hours before I decided to charge it, with some reviews claiming it can go up to 4 hours before it runs out). My old Sony SuperSlim Pro could barely last 1 hour 45 minutes. Dell also sells an extra battery for about US$110 compared to the US$ 450 for the big Sony battery. (Not to mention that you have to buy different spare batteries for different Vaio’s because they all use different sizes.) If I needed to travel with a laptop, the Dell 0M4RNN battery strength and reasonably priced extra battery make it a good choice.

My dell Inspiron 4000 Laptop has died. The first sign was a reluctance to start, either on battery or mains power. Many presses of the start button were needed. Then it would not start at all so I put it on one side. A few days later it started, but there was no screen display and then it just powered down and died. Occasionally it would start but there was never any screen display and after about 10-15 seconds it powered down and died. The Dell Inspiron N4020 battery is fine and fully charged.

Starting at only 5.2lbs, this notebook is light enough to take anywhere, but powerful enough to speed around the web, run movies and access multiple applications. Featuring changeable color inserts on the palm rest and back cover. Multiple configurations are available including a less expensive Celeron-equipped model.

Dell’s Inspiron 4000 is a flexible all-around laptop that shows they can make a great laptop without making compromises. processor, this Dell Inspiron laptop will make short work of even the toughest tasks. You’ll connect effortlessly to all your favorite Dell Inspiron N4020 AC adapterwith this Dell laptop’s wireless networking option. Earlier generations of batteries needed to be run all the way down before charging to get a full charge, but this isn’t the case with today’s lithium batteries, so feel free to plug this in whenever you want. The part number for this laptop is inspiron 4000.

Give the preinstalled Windows Millennium Edition room to maneuver with a 10GB or 20GB hard disk and at least 128MB of SDRAM (though the system hits its ceiling at 256MB, less than other Inspirons). Replace the standard CD-ROM with either a DVD-ROM or CD-RW drive. And before you know it, you’ve got a notebook that can compete with any desktop-replacement mobile on the market.

Yes, other companies have models with similar features, but Dell manages to pack those features into an attractive (to us at least), relatively thin and lightweight shell with a swappable color top as well as changeable color wrist rests that let you accentuate and customize the look of your Inspiron 4000. We managed to get our grubby little hands on one of these notebooks and put it through a suite of benchmarks, lived with it, played with it, worked with it, typed on it, and, of course, watched “The Matrix” on it in order to see how it could perform the all-important in-flight movie test.

As a whole, I was very impressed with this laptop. With its sleek and thin design, crisp 14.1″ display, and an impressive array of hardware, the Inspiron 4000 is a fantastic package. Overall, I was able to get everything I wanted working within a day or two, with the exception of hot-swapping. The Inspiron 4000 would be a great addition to any Linux enthusiast’s arsenal, and I would definitely recommend it.

The Dell Inspiron isn’t going to win any design awards. It’s pretty much a standard laptop. To add a little spice to the machine, I bought the optional “color” palm rests. This does turn the laptop into something a little better looking. The keyboard turned out to be HUGE both in terms of absolute size and in terms of Dell Inspiron N4020 adapter. I guess when you’re used to the little Picturebook or the compact SuperSlim Pro, these bigger laptops are a welcome change. Typing is as comfortable as a regular desktop keyboard.

A good laptop, although much older, will be ok for basics like internet browsing and word processing. I have my music on here and it’s decent. I have an N wireless PCMCIA card in it and the internet runs fairly smooth. I got this machine from some friends of mine who said it was useless. That’s because it was running Windows 98 when I got it and was filled with crapware. Now XP Pro is installed, I’m superised how well it does after I upgraded the RAM. I suggest this for anyone who dosn’t need anything powerful but wants something that still looks good even though it was made over 10 years ago.

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