Dell Inspiron 1520 Review

It should also be noted, for the benefit of anyone who is somewhat new to this website, that there is plenty of additional information on the 1520, including an excellent full-featured review by someone who actually purchased the 1520, as well as a side-by-side comparison of the 1520 and the HP dv6500t; this comparison includes a video that is definitely worth watching for anyone considering the Inspiron 1520, the HP dv6500t or any other 15.4” consumer notebook.

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Dell Inspiron 1520 Specs:

• Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo T7300 (2.0 GHz/4MB L2 Cache)
• OS: Microsoft Vista Home Premium
• Hard Drive: 160 GB SATA @ 5400RPM
• Screen: 15.4" WSXGA Widescreen (1680 x 1050)
• Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT 256MB
• RAM: 2.0GB DDR2 SDRAM @667 MHz (2 x 1GB)
• Optical Drive: 8x CD/DVD burner (DVD+/-RW) w/Double Layer Support
• Battery: 9-cell lithium ion
• Wireless: Intel 4965AGN
• Weight: 6.4 lbs
• Dimensions: 1.47-1.65” (H) x 14.12 “ (W) x 10.59" (D)
• Ports/Slots: 1 IEEE 1394 (FireWire); 4 Universal Serial Bus (USB 2.0); 8-in-1 Memory Card Reader; VGA Out; S-Video; RJ-45 Ethernet LAN; RJ-11 Modem; ExpressCard 54mm; stereo in, headphone/speaker out and dual digital mics

Initial Impressions

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This Inspiron 1520 weighs about six and a half pounds and is considered a mainstream consumer notebook. Though Dell allows customization of the lid in up to eight different colors, our model has a conservative looking black lid. Because of that our machine lacks some of the consumer flair a “Flamingo Pink” lid would have offered. Nonetheless, my first impressions had to do with a couple of things that distinguish the 1520 from its predecessors:

1. The overall look is very different, in a good way.
2. The hardware, particularly in the form of graphics processing, will allow the 1520 to perform about as well as any notebook on the market, with the exception of outlandishly expensive gaming machines that lack any concessions with respect to size, battery life and cost.

These two characteristics are what make the 1520 such an impressive achievement. I actually briefly owned the previous Inspiron generation's e1705 model, and reviewed the prior-generation e1405 thin-and-light notebook. I must say, the look of the current lineup is immeasurably more appealing. The old silver-and-white style always got me thinking of things like shag carpet and popcorn ceilings: sure, one can make a case for these innovations, just as one can make a case for thick white plastic trim around a notebook, but in the end (which usually comes within a matter of weeks if not months), the style grows tired, the initial promise hollow. The new Inspiron series design is cleaner, simpler and more tasteful. A cousin of the 1520, which shares its look, is the AMD-based Inspiron 1521.

Purchasing Considerations

Though this notebook was sent by Dell for review purposes and not purchased, I wanted to touch on the above topic, simply because there is something of an art to purchasing a Dell consumer notebook. There are many decisions to make, and like all decisions, they carry with them the opportunity for regret or satisfaction. I heartily endorse this web site’s forums for a little glimpse into the thought, action and subsequent level of satisfaction of other buyers.

As of this writing, deliberately moving along the Dell purchasing highway results in:

1. An Inspiron 1520 with a fairly basic configuration, but one more than adequate for general media and office tasks, for just over $900.
2. A deluxe performance configuration, virtually identical to this review machine, for just over $1500.

These prices reflect no special discounts or coupons, just today’s standard upgrades and reductions, which are plainly available to anyone who orders a 1520 today. In any case, at the high end particularly, these prices strike me as very competitive, and a savvy shopper who finds coupons, buys their own memory and times the Dell marketing promotions can do better on price.

One thing I found interesting while configuring a couple of 1520s on the Dell site was the price of a RAM upgrade from 2GB to 4GB: $850. Had I selected a higher-priced starting point, meaning a more full-figured set of warranty and support options, the cost of these 2 gigabytes of RAM would have moved away from the direction of a cool grand, but not by much. I saw no mention of this upgrade including a complimentary iPhone or round-trip flight to London, but it is there and available. That said, I would definitely opt for the T7300 CPU and the 8600M GT graphics included in this review model, if at all possible. While these enhancements will probably add three or four hundred dollars to the final price, they are well worth the cost and will almost certainly give the 1520 a longer useful life.

Design

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As noted, I like the look of the Inspiron 1520 and see it as a vast improvement over the Inspiron e1505, the 1520’s predecessor. However, one thing I’ll mention is that my own preference is the black lid of this review model because I find, in pictures at least, that the machines with colored lids have too much color for me. Two distinct colors, in this case silver and black, are just about right. I also like the aforementioned Vostro 1500, very similar to this 1520 and available at the Dell Small Business site, because of the all-black look, including a black keyboard, and the possibility of Windows XP. Though many won’t, I see a black keyboard and XP as decided advantages.

Also a welcome change is the placement and position of the keyboard and touchpad. The prior line of Inspirons featured a somewhat odd shaped keyboard that was set very close to the LCD, and a rather large touchpad placed in the middle of a vast sea of silver plastic. While this did allow the palm rests to accommodate even the most monstrous palms, the new Inspiron line, as represented by this review 1520, has a slightly smaller touchpad and a more centered keyboard; this redesign makes for more comfortable typing and touchpad operation, besides being more aesthetically harmonious.

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Build

The Inspiron 1520 feels very solid. The only issue, which has been mentioned elsewhere, is the screen latch, which does have some play. Aside from this lack of a nice, snug fit, the latch did not bother me, and I found nothing in the build quality that would make me hesitant to purchase a 1520. Firm but gentle pushing and prodding revealed no flex or weakness.

Input and Output Ports

The Inspiron 1520 has the following ports selection:

• (4) USB 2.0 Ports
• Integrated 10/100 LAN and 56K Modem
• IEEE 1394a
• 8-in-1 Card Reader
• VGA Video Output and S-Video
• Stereo In, Headphone/Speaker Out and Dual Digital Mics
• ExpressCard 54mm Slot

Left view of Inspiron 1520 ports (view large image)

Right view of Inspiron 1520 ports (view large image)

Front view of Inspiron 1520 with buttons (view large image)

Rear view of Inspiron 1520 with ports and battery (view large image)

The screen

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Color and brightness were both good on the WSXGA glossy LCD. While I like and would myself choose this option, other resolutions are available: 1280x800 WXGA, in both glossy and non-glossy, and 1440x900, glossy only. This represents improved LCD variety and is a major selling point of the 1520; there is something for nearly everyone. Careful scrutiny revealed only one utterly trivial imperfection in the screen: an eighth of an inch or so of uneven backlighting at the bottom of the LCD, which was only visible when I looked very closely while running a screen saver with a dark background. There has been some discussion in this site’s forums about “grainy” LCDs in the 1520, but I detected none of this. However, I am admittedly not a good cohort for those studying LCD perfection; generally (but not always) I’m okay with the screens I use. Everest Home lists the screen as an SEC3350, a Seiko Epson manufactured LCD.

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Graphics

The NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT is currently among the cream of the crop in notebook GPUs. Athough RivaTuner indicated that the 8600m in the Inspiron 1520 had DDR3 memory, in reality it is DDR2, which may be dissapointing to some. All the same, it's a powerful card and there were no graphics-related problems during my time with the 8600M. For those interested in gaming considerations, there is plenty of real-world information in this web site’s forums.

Sound

As always, or almost always, when discussing notebook sound: more than adequate for getting the gist, feel and intent of what’s being played, but definitely lacking in bass. Headphones or external speakers will provide a much more lifelike experience.

Multimedia Features

This 1520 came with a remote, snugly ensconced in the ExpressCard slot, as well as an array of physical media buttons on the front of the notebook. Both the built-in buttons and the remote worked as expected, forwarding and pausing and muting in accordance with my wishes.

Processor and Performance

Thanks to the very strong components, performance was always good, regardless of the stress put on system resources such as RAM and CPU. The new Santa Rosa platform coupled with an Intel T7300 CPU, together with a stronger GPU, outperformed my “old” T2400-based Dell Precision M65 by a wide margin on all benchmarks.

For prospective buyers, it may be worth adding that this review 1520’s configuration is worth considering if one is looking for excellent performance while keeping the price reasonably modest. The T7300 is the cheapest available CPU that comes with 4MB of Level 2 cache, the 8600M GT GPU will provide optimal graphics performance, and anything less than 2GB RAM will significantly hinder performance.

Benchmarks

Super PI, used as a CPU benchmarking tool by calculating pi to 2 million digits of accuracy:

Super Pi comparison results:

Notebook	Time
Dell Inspiron 1520 (2.0GHz Intel T7300)	0m 59s
Dell XPS M1330 (2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7300)	0m 58s
Lenovo ThinkPad X61 (2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7300)	1m 01s
Lenovo 3000 V200 (2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7300)	0m 59s
HP dv2500t (1.80GHz Intel 7100)	1m 09s
Lenovo ThinkPad T61 (2.00GHz Core 2 Duo Intel T7300)	0m 59s
Lenovo ThinkPad T60 (2.00GHz Core 2 Duo T7200)	1m 03s
Toshiba Satellite P205-S6287 (1.73 GHz Core 2 Duo Intel T5300)	1m 24s
Toshiba Satellite A205 (1.66GHz Core 2 Duo)	1m 34s
HP Compaq 6515b (1.6GHz AMD Turion 64 X2 TL-52)	2m 05s
HP dv6000t (2.16 GHz Intel T2400)	0m 59s
Dell Inspiron e1705 (2.0GHz Core 2 Duo)	1m 02s

PCMark05 comparison results:

Notebook	PCMark05 Score
Dell Inspiron 1520 (2.0GHz Intel T7300, NVIDIA 8600M GT)	4,616 PCMarks
Dell XPS M1330 (2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7300, NVIDIA GeForce Go 8400M GS)	4,591 PCMarks
Lenovo ThinkPad X61 (2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7300, Intel X3100)	4,153 PCMarks
Lenovo 3000 V200 (2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7300, Intel X3100)	3,987 PCMarks
Lenovo T60 Widescreen (2.0GHz Intel T7200, ATI X1400 128MB)	4,189 PCMarks
HP dv6000t (2.16GHz Intel T7400, NVIDA GeForce Go 7400)	4,234 PCMarks
Fujitsu N6410 (1.66GHz Core Duo, ATI X1400)	3,487 PCMarks
Alienware M7700 (AMD Athlon FX-60, Nvidia Go 7800GTX)	5,597 PCMarks
Sony Vaio SZ-110B in Speed Mode (Using Nvidia GeForce Go 7400)	3,637 PCMarks
Asus V6J (1.86GHz Core Duo T2400, Nvidia Go 7400)	3,646 PCMarks

3DMark05 comparison results:

Notebook	3D Mark 05 Results
Dell Inspiron 1520 (2.0GHz Intel T7300, NVIDIA 8600M GT)	5,348 3DMarks
Dell XPS M1330 (2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7300, NVIDIA GeForce Go 8400M GS 128MB)	3,116 3DMarks
HP Compaq 6510b (2.20GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7500, Intel X3100)	916 3DMarks
HP Compaq 6515b (1.6GHz AMD Turion 64 X2 TL-52, ATI x1270)	871 3DMarks
HP dv6000t (2.16 GHz Intel T7400, NVIDA GeForce Go 7400)	2,013 3D Marks
Dell Inspiron e1705 (2.0GHz Core Duo, ATI X1400)	1,791 3D Marks
Acer TravelMate 8204WLMi (2.0GHz Core Duo, ATI X1600 256MB)	4,236 3DMarks
Alienware Aurora M-7700(AMD Dual Core FX-60, ATI X1600 256MB)	7,078 3D Marks
Lenovo ThinkPad T60 (2.0GHz Core Duo, ATI X1400 128MB)	2,092 3D Marks
Asus V6Va (2.13 GHz Pentium M, ATI x700 128 MB)	2,530 3D Marks
Fujitsu n6410 (1.66 GHz Core Duo, ATI X1400 128MB)	2,273 3DMarks
Dell XPS M1210 (2.16 GHz Core Duo, nVidia Go 7400 256MB)	2,090 3D Marks

3DMark06 comparison results:

Notebook	3DMark06 Score
Dell Inspiron 1520 (2.0GHz Intel T7300, NVIDIA 8600M GT)	2,905 3DMarks
Dell XPS M1330 (2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7300, NVIDIA GeForce Go 8400M GS 128MB)	1,408 3DMarks
Samsung Q70 (2.0GHz Core 2 Duo T7300 and nVidia 8400M G GPU)	1,069 3DMarks
Asus F3sv-A1 (Core 2 Duo T7300 2.0GHz, Nvidia 8600M GS 256MB)	2,344 3DMarks
Alienware Area 51 m5550 (2.33GHz Core 2 Duo, nVidia GeForce Go 7600 256MB	2,183 3DMarks
Fujitsu Siemens Amilo Xi 1526 (1.66 Core Duo, nVidia 7600Go 256 MB)	2,144 3DMarks
Samsung X60plus (2.0GHz Core 2 Duo T7200, ATI X1700 256MB)	1,831 3DMarks
Asus A6J (1.83GHz Core Duo, ATI X1600 128MB)	1,819 3DMarks
HP dv6000t (2.16 GHz Intel T7400, NVIDA GeForce Go 7400)	827 3DMarks
Sony Vaio SZ-110B in Speed Mode (Using Nvidia GeForce Go 7400)	794 3DMarks
Samsung R20 (1.73GHz T2250 and ATI 1250M chipset / GPU)	476 3DMarks

HDTune results:

Keyboard and Touchpad

Dell Inspiron 1520 keyboard (view large image)

Keys are responsive and have good travel. Overall, I’d say Dell has done an excellent job with the 1520’s keyboard, both in terms of the feel and the new placement that doesn’t err northward the way the last-generation Inspirons did, especially the e1505 and e1705. Individual key placement makes sense, being more or less standard, and the half-height function keys are consistent with, and just as comfortable as, their larger brethren. The touchpad, which is smaller than that of the e1505, is eminently usable and did everything I expected of it with no discomfort or untoward behavior.

Battery Life

Under fairly heavy usage, e.g., a lot of hard drive activity, wireless going and the screen set to maximum brightness, I managed to run on the battery for almost three hours. Very light usage and a dim display, but wireless still running, yielded an additional hour or so. I expected a greater disparity, given that my usage for the two tests was at opposite ends of the spectrum, but I did have wireless enabled for the light-usage test, and both times seemed fairly strong for a machine with this power. With a little tweaking, I’m sure others could squeeze more life out of the 9-cell battery.

Heat and Noise

The 1520 was remarkably quiet (virtually silent, in fact) the whole time I had it, and heat was never a problem. The bottom of the unit became a little warm after protracted heavy activity, but not unusually so.

Service and Support

I have used Dell support in the past and have always been satisfied, in the end, with the experience, but I had no reason to contact support regarding this 1520.

Software

Being a creature of habit, I removed most of the “trialware,” along with some other common programs I loathe, as soon as I received the notebook. I was barely paying attention while doing this, but the whole process for this review notebook seemed to go very quickly. There were no apparent software issues, though I do find myself longing for Windows XP whenever I use a Vista machine. The availability of XP is reason #2 for my seriously considering the Vostro 1500 if I were in the market for a high-powered 15.4” notebook at a reasonable price.

Conclusion

Much of what I found while using the Inspiron 1520 is consistent with (to the point of being almost identical to) what has been written elsewhere. There was really only one thing about this notebook that bothered me, my preference for the all black Vostro 1500 notwithstanding: the play in the screen latch mechanism when the notebook is shut. Is this a big deal? I would say no, not at all.

There are so many positives, including the overall build quality, and so much flexibility in terms of configuration, the 1520 would seem to make a lot of sense for a wide range of notebook users, and a little bit of latch looseness should not be a determining factor. There are many fine notebook deals in the Sunday ads, as well as online, but there is often something about these machines, such as the keyboard, the graphics or the resolution, that would make me reluctant to purchase one of them. The 1520, or the Vostro 1500, for that matter, can be configured just right. If I weren’t already happy with my two laptops and in no hurry to get a replacement, I’d definitely consider the Inspiron 1520 or its nearly identical sibling, the Vostro 1500.

Pros:

• Excellent performance with the right configuration
• Solid, inexpensive multimedia notebook with more basic hardware
• Good screen
• Wide variety of LCD resolutions, configurable by user
• Well built
• Nice appearance, with user-selectable colors
• Very good keyboard
• Good battery life
• Runs quiet
• Stays cool

Cons:

• Dual LCD latch does not hold as firmly as it should
• Window XP is not an option (though it is with the Vostro 1500)

Dell XPS M1330

If any single notebook can bring Dell out of its recent slump, the XPS M1330 is it. This portable's combination of light weight, stylish design, powerful performance, and built-in mobile broadband makes it a top choice for business travelers and hipsters alike (view photo gallery). Add in a stellar screen and keyboard and long battery life, and you have one of the top contenders for notebook of the year.

The M1330's soft-touch, crimson exterior is a new look for Dell, but the round logo on the lid is reminiscent of the one on the XPS M1210, this system's predecessor. Only 4.8 pounds (or as light as 4 pounds, depending on the battery), our configuration came with a built-in webcam, nine-cell battery, and travel remote. Although the VGA webcam no longer swivels as it did on the M1210, this one comes with tons of capabilities via software, including pan and zoom, face tracking, and special effects. All the webcam features worked reasonably well, and the picture was bright and clear, albeit washed out.

Along the right side you'll find an ExpressCard slot (with a mini remote control inside), a slot-loading DVD+/-RW drive, a Wi-Fi Catcher, and one USB 2.0 port. The left side houses another USB port, along with FireWire, VGA, Ethernet, and HDMI ports. An 8-in-1 memory card reader, dual headphones jacks, and a microphone jack grace the front.

We're big fans of the multimedia buttons along the top of the keyboard deck, although in general we'd prefer real buttons to touch-sensitive ones. Nonetheless, the Eject, Rewind, Stop, Play/Pause, Fast-Forward, Mute, and Volume buttons all worked well for us. You'll also find a Media Direct button for accessing your content without booting into Windows. The full-sized keyboard has a light, bouncy feel, which made touch typing a pleasure. The track pad and mouse buttons were both responsive, and we like the horizontal and vertical scrolling function on the track pad. A fingerprint reader sits off to the right.

Even with its slick external design, the display steals the show. The epic battles in our 300 DVD looked sharp and spectacular on the 13.3-inch, 1280 x 800-pixel widescreen. Colors were vivid, thanks to Dell's backlit WLED display. This panel is a welcome upgrade to the 12.1-inch screen on the XPS M1210.

We found the notebook's speakers plenty loud but the base weak, especially at the top volumes. Dell bundles noise-isolating earbuds, which sounded spectacular for both movies and music. We'd like to see some visual feedback when adjusting volume with the media buttons and the remote, but beyond that, watching movies or listening to music on a plane will be a blast with this screen and earbud combo.

Like its predecessor, the XPS M1330 packs a lot of power into a compact frame. Intel's 2-GHz Next Generation Core 2 Duo processor, along with 2GB of RAM, paced this system to a very strong PCMark05 score of 4,545; that's about 1,000 points higher than average for a thin-and-light system. Regular productivity tasks were speedy as well, even with several windows open, and the M1330 handled Vista's Aero interface with ease.

This notebook pumps out plenty of eye candy, at least for casual gamers. Thanks to Nvidia's GeForce 8400M GS graphics card with 128MB video memory, the M1330 turned in a way-above-average 3DMark03 score of 5,196. The M1330 garnered decent F.E.A.R. scores of 56 and 15 frames per second on autodetect and maximum settings, respectively. Having an HDMI output on board means you'll be able to output video and audio to a larger screen via a single port, whether you're playing games or watching movies. Too bad Dell doesn't include a Blu-ray or HD-DVD drive option..

Wi-Fi scores were also impressive at 19.1 Mbps and 16.9 Mbps at 15 and 50 feet, respectively. We saw very good speeds with the integrated Verizon Wireless EV-DO Rev. A mobile broadband connection. We uploaded a 991K image file to our FTP site in 38 seconds (208 Kbps) and downloaded it in an even faster 11 seconds (720 Kbps). Likewise, we downloaded Firefox (a 5.7MB file) in just 53 seconds. To date, only the Panasonic Toughbook CF-W5 has been faster, at 37 seconds. Other Rev. A. notebooks hover between 1:01 and 1:07. And when surfing the Web on a bus ride to New Jersey from Manhattan, Web pages loaded quickly, with only a little trouble while we were in the Lincoln Tunnel, understandably so.

We saw solid battery life of 2 hours and 24 minutes on our DVD rundown test with a six-cell battery and 3 hours and 47 minutes with the included nine-cell battery, which added $60 to the price of our tested configuration. That's five minutes longer than average for this class, and you should expect about 4.5 to 5 hours of productivity time.

Our system came with Windows Vista Ultimate, but you can save yourself $199 if you go for Home Premium. You also get a trial version of Norton AntiVirus. Dell backs the M1330 with a one-year next-business day, in-home service warranty on parts and labor.

Whether you compute on campus, during your commute, or while flying from coast to coast, the Dell XPS M1330 has the power and multimedia chops you're looking for. It's one of the few no-compromise lightweight notebooks we've seen, and we like this one the best because of its unbeatable combination of performance, portability, and style. Dell is back.

View: Dell XPS 1330 photo gallery

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QUICK SPECS
Dell XPS M1330 www.dell.com
CPU	2-GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7300
Operating System	Windows Vista Ultimate
RAM/Expandable to	2GB/4GB
Hard Drive/Speed	160GB/5,400 rpm
Optical Drive	4X DVD+/-RW
Display/Resolution	13.3 inches/1280 x 800
Graphics/Video Memory	Nvidia GeForce 8400M GS/128MB
Wireless Networking	EV-DO Rev. A, 802.11a/g/n, Bluetooth 2.0
Ports	Two USB 2.0, FireWire, VGA, HDMI, Ethernet, dual headphone, mic
Card Slots	ExpressCard/54 (with remote control), 8-in-1 memory card reader
Size	12.5 x 9.4 x 1.3 inches
Weight	4.8 pounds (with a nine-cell battery)
Warranty/Support	One-year in-home parts and labor/24/7 toll-free and chat support
MobileMark 2005	N/A
3DMark03	5,196
PCMark05	4,545
Battery Life (Wi-Fi On/Off)	N/A / 2:24
Wireless Performance (15/50 feet)	19.1 Mbps / 16.9 Mbp

Source: Laptopmag.com

Lenovo ThinkPad T61p

If the Lenovo ThinkPad T61p were a car, it would be known in street-racer circles as a sleeper: no glossy paint, no chrome trim--just a plain-Jane exterior with enough horsepower to blow the doors off all comers. Add in the ThinkPad line's excellent manageability, top-notch security, and standard three-year warranty, and you have a high-powered workstation for business users who value substance over in-your-face style. And at $2,288 for our tested configuration, it's also reasonably priced.

The T61p comes wrapped in the classic (a nicer word for dull) matte-black cloak we've come to expect; while it's not contemporary, at least it's smudge-proof. The 15.4-inch widescreen and extended nine-cell battery hanging off the back (the standard six-cell sits flush) give the machine a large footprint and makes the 6.2-pound unit feel a little tippy in the hand. But the extra screen real estate and three hours of runtime on our demanding DVD rundown are worth the tradeoff.

Lift the lid and you'll find the absolutely perfect-feeling ThinkPad keyboard--illuminated from above with the handy white LED ThinkLight--as well as both a pointing stick and a smallish touchpad. You'll even find a fingerprint reader and dedicated volume and mute buttons.

The 15.4-inch screen has a matte finish, which is appropriate for most business settings because it cuts down on office-lighting glare, but we still prefer a glossy option. The 1920 x 1200-pixel resolution is ideal for workstation apps and accommodates the main project screen and all the peripheral tool palettes, but it also means text and icons get pretty small. The screen isn't as bright as others we've tested lately, either.

Lenovo designed the T61p for durability, with a spill-resistant keyboard, active hard drive protection for the shock-mounted hard drive, and magnesium-skeleton rollcages for both the bottom chassis and the lid. This system is ideal for managed corporate deployments, thanks to the built-in Intel Active Management Technology (AMT). AMT allows IT staff to remotely access a machine to assess hardware and software inventory, heal a system remotely, and more. That's in addition to Lenovo's already-excellent ThinkVantage utilities. And the T61p is an ISV (independent software vendor), certified to run the leading workstation applications.

As for security, the T61p includes the ThinkVantage Client Security Solution, which works with the embedded TPM chip and fingerprint reader to manage user authentication. The optional Gemplus GemPC400 Compact Smart Card Reader ($50) can help enterprises control access to corporate networks with two layers of security: the Smart Card and a password. IT administrators can also lock the USB and other ports to protect against data theft from internal parties.

Our test unit came with a 100GB 7,200-rpm SATA hard drive, 2GB of 667-MHz SDRAM (up to 4GB is available), an Nvidia Quadro FX 570 GPU with 256MB of VRAM, and a 2.4-GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7700 processor. Benchmark performance was among the best we've seen for a Windows Vista machine--and that includes 17-inch gaming rigs: The T61p scored 5,693 on PCMark05 (the highest on record for any Vista notebook to date) and 11,586 on 3DMark03 (the highest for a 15.4-inch system by a long shot). It even proved an admirable gaming machine, delivering an average of 79 frames per second on our F.E.A.R. test with optimal settings, and a very playable 43 fps with settings maxed out.

Wireless throughput was also good, averaging 18.1 Mbps at 15 feet from our access point and 17.7 Mbps at 50 feet. And throughout our tests, the T61p was exceedingly quiet in operation, even when churning through graphics applications. Battery life was decent at 3 hours on our DVD rundown with its nine-cell battery. That means you can expect about 4 to 4.5 hours of productivity time.

The T61p comes with a full contingent of ports and connectivity options, including 802.11a/b/g wireless, Bluetooth 2.0, a SmartCard reader, a PC Card slot, a 4-in-1 memory card reader, and FireWire. You can order the T61p with a range of hardware and OS options, including Windows XP and 32-bit and 64-bit Vista (ours came with 32-bit Vista Business). The only option we might ask for that isn't available is embedded wireless broadband, though Lenovo says it will be offered at some point in the future. And you can opt for 802.11a/g/n for $45 more, but because wireless performance was so good on our tests with 802.11g, you might want to skip it.

The ThinkPad T61p offers blistering performance along with all of the amenities and creature comforts you would expect from Lenovo. When you throw in the durability features and price, this workstation-class machine in business-notebook attire is a force to be reckoned with.

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QUICK SPECS
Lenovo ThinkPad T61p www.lenovo.com/us
CPU	2.4-GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7700
Operating System	Windows Vista Home Premium
RAM/Expandable to	2GB/4GB
Hard Drive/Speed	100GB/7,200 rpm
Optical Drive	8X DVD±RW Dual Layer
Display/Resolution	15.4 inches/1920 x 1200
Graphics/Video Memory	Nvidia Quadro FX 570M/256MB
Wireless Networking	802.11a/b/g, Bluetooth 2.0
Ports	Three USB 2.0, VGA, FireWire, Ethernet, modem, headphone, mic, docking connector
Card Slots	One Type II PC Card, one PC Card + Smartcard, 4-in-1 memory card reader
Size	14.1 x 10 x 1.4 inches
Weight	6.2 pounds
Warranty/Support	Three-years/three-years 24/7 toll-free phone
PCMark05	5,696
MobileMark 2005	N/A
3DMark03	11,586
Battery Life (Wi-Fi Off)	3:00
Wireless Performance (15/50 feet)	18.1 Mbps / 17.7 Mbps
F.E.A.R. (autodetect/maximum)	79 fps / 43 fps

Source: Laptopmag.com

Dell Vostro 1400 Review

Specifications:

• Core 2 Duo T5470 (1.6Ghz, 2MB L2 Cache, 800MHz FSB)
• 14.1” Wide Screen XGA LCD Display with TrueLife
• 1GB DDR2 667Mhz
• 128MB Nvidia Geforce 8400GS
• 120GB 5400RPM SATA
• Genuine Windows Vista Home Basic
• Integrated 10/100 Network Card and Modem
• 8x CD/DVD Burner w/ double layer DVD+ write capability
• Integrated High Definition Audtio
• Dell Wireless 1390 802.11g Wi-Fi Mini Card
• Integrated 2.0 mega pixel web camera
• 85 WHr 9-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery
• Dell Wireless 355 Bluetooth Internal (2.0 + Enhanced Data Rate)
• 1 Year Limited Hardware Warranty with Mail-in Service

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Reasons for Buying:

Ever since selling my XPS M140, I have been keeping my eyes open for another notebook deal. For a while, I was seriously considering the Asus W3j, but I just couldn’t justify the high price. Instead, I bought a desktop to hold me over.

I wanted a notebook that was portable and had good battery life (4 hours or more was my goal). I also wanted something in the $600-$800 range. I wanted my future notebook to have a 12-14” widescreen display, have discreet graphics, have a built in webcam and microphone. The Vostro 1400 met all of my needs and at a great price!

Shopping

I had my eyes on the Vostro 1400 ever since the day of release and before that. On the day of release I was playing around with different configurations, all which came out to be around $850-$900. The next day to my amazement I saw that it had dropped down to $700 for the configuration that I wanted. I ended up ordering the notebook for $700+ tax.

Between ordering and delivery it took about two weeks for me to get my notebook. I selected shipping via DHL 3-5 days, but it took only about 24hrs to get to me!

First Impressions

The Vostro 1400 came nicely packed in a brown Dell box. As I opened it up, the power supply CD’s and some instructions were revealed. Underneath that was the notebook itself. It was surrounded by 1" thick styrofoam.

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Construction:

I pulled the notebook out of the Styrofoam and examined it very carefully. The looks and everything exceeded my expectations. Though one thing I did notice right away was that the battery didn’t snap in very well. It rattled a little bit after being inserted and was not a snug fit, but it’s something I have seen in other notebooks as well. I found a simple, but inelegant solution to the problem. A small wedge of paper between the notebook and the battery solved the problem and was not visible, unless removing the battery was necessary.

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Everything else on the notebook felt very sturdy. The build quality greatly exceeds the Inspiron e1405 (Dell’s previous 14” notebook). There is little to no keyboard flex. There is very little screen flex. The screen and hinges feel especially sturdy. The notebook’s lid closes very nicely. Unlike previous Inspiron notebooks, the Vostro 1400 has no latch, which is very nice for easy one hand opening and closing.

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Ports and layout:

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The picture above shows the front microphone input and headphone outputs. On the left is the 9in1 card reader.

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The picture above shows the Optical drive, s-video out, two USB 2.0 ports, and an RGB output.

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The picture above shows the kensignton lock slot, the AC input, a heatsink, an IEE 1394 firewire port, two USB 2.0 ports, and an express card slot.

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The picture above shows several blue activity LED’s, the 9in1 card slot, and wi-fi catcher button.

Keyboard:

The keyboard is a typical Inspiron keyboard. It feels just like the e1405. I personally am not super picky about the keyboard. Although it is not a high-quality Thinkpad keyboard, it still is very comfortable to use, and is relatively quiet (good for taking to class).

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Touchpad:

The touchpad is very similar to the Inspiron e1405, it is dark grey in color. The touchpad is easy to use and I haven’t had any problems with it. I still prefer an external mouse if I’m using the notebook for extended periods of time.

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Screen:

I selected the Vostro 1400 with a 1,280 x 1,024 WXGA display with TrueLife. I love the display. The colors are very bright, images and text are crisp, and it provides quite a bit of contrast. There is minor light leakage around the edges.

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The viewing angles on the Vostro 1400 are good from left to right. But if you look from the top, the screen looks dark and it is hard to make out anything. The backlight is very bright.

Webcam:

Built into the trim of the screen, I selected the 2MP webcam (a $30 upgrade at the time of this review). The webcam is more than worth the money. It does exceptionally well at taking pictures of close up objects and people. When taking pictures of landscapes, it doesn’t do as well. The camera can capture at resolutions up to 3200x2400. However, there isn’t much point of capturing pictures at this resolution as the quality is about the same as at 1600x1200.

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Here are some sample pictures I took:

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As far as video recording goes, the 2MP camera can record up to 1600x1200 resolution at very low FPS however (Around 2-3FPS). Video quality at this resolution is quite blurry when there is movement. The video does reasonably well at 640x480, and very well at 320x240. When using the webcam over an instant messaging client, you can select for the camera to use face tracking. With face tracking it will actually zoom into your face and pan in and out as you move.

The webcam also features a blue LED indicator light, that tells you when your webcam is active.

Sound:

The Vostro 1400 has two tiny speakers on the left and right side above the keyboard. They appear to be quite a bit smaller than the previous Insprion e1405 speakers. For their size they really do quite well, and on max volume get loud enough to easily fill a small to medium room. The quality of the speakers is just average. The volume these speakers put out is more than enough for one to enjoy a game or a DVD.

Microphone:

The Vostro 1400 comes with two digital microphones which are located in the top trim of the screen, on both the left and right side of the webcam. Both microphones capture audio very well. This is great for skype or other VOIP applications.

Operating System:

I selected the Vostro 1400 with Microsoft Vista Home Basic. I have never used Vista much besides the Beta versions. There are some really great features that I like a lot in Vista. But some of the features in Xp that I am used to have seemed to disappear or are harder to find. It will take some time to get used to, but it sure is a nice looking interface.

Software:

Dell finally started listening to their customers as far as software goes. You have the option to select if you want various Dell utilities installed on your computer. Dell also gives you the option to select or not to select trial software and other freebies.

I said no to all of the freebies and trial software. I did go ahead and opt for installing a couple of Dell utilities. Even though I didn’t select much, the computer booted up and was running about 60 processes! In the past when I have purchased a Dell notebook, the first thing I always did, and advised others to do, was to reformat. Dell would just install so much junk that it made a new computer seem slow. Out of the box, the machine booted up in about 35 seconds. After adjusting the startup processes using Microsoft’s “msconfig” utility I was able to shave that number down to about 30.

Benchmarks and Performance

I ran Super Pi to 2 Million digits of accuracy and got 1m 10 seconds as a result. That’s nothing super fast, but it's not bad for a budget processor.

Super Pi comparison results:

Notebook	Time
Dell Vostro (1.6 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T5470)	1m 10s
Fujitsu E8410 (2.2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7500)	0m 55s
Sony VAIO FZ (2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7300)	0m 59s
Dell XPS M1330 (2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7300)	0m 58s
Lenovo ThinkPad X61 (2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7300)	1m 01s
Lenovo 3000 V200 (2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7300)	0m 59s
HP dv2500t (1.80GHz Intel 7100)	1m 09s
Lenovo ThinkPad T61 (2.00GHz Core 2 Duo Intel T7300)	0m 59s
Lenovo ThinkPad T60 (2.00GHz Core 2 Duo T7200)	1m 03s
Toshiba Satellite P205-S6287 (1.73 GHz Core 2 Duo Intel T5300)	1m 24s
Toshiba Satellite A205 (1.66GHz Core 2 Duo)	1m 34s

PCMark05 comparison results:

Notebook	PCMark05 Score
Dell Vostro 1400 (1.6 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T5470, NVidia 8400m GS)	3,853 PCMarks
Fujitsu E8410 (2.2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7500, NVIDIA 8400M)	4,618 PCMarks
Sony VAIO FZ (2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7300, Intel X3100)	3,377 PCMarks
Dell XPS M1330 (2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7300, NVIDIA GeForce Go 8400M GS)	4,591 PCMarks
Lenovo ThinkPad X61 (2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7300, Intel X3100)	4,153 PCMarks
Lenovo 3000 V200 (2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7300, Intel X3100)	3,987 PCMarks
Lenovo T60 Widescreen (2.0GHz Intel T7200, ATI X1400 128MB)	4,189 PCMarks
HP dv6000t (2.16GHz Intel T7400, NVIDA GeForce Go 7400)	4,234 PCMarks
Fujitsu N6410 (1.66GHz Core Duo, ATI X1400)	3,487 PCMarks
Sony Vaio SZ-110B in Speed Mode (Using Nvidia GeForce Go 7400)	3,637 PCMarks

With stock drivers, out of the box, the notebook scored 2,942 on 3DMark05

3DMark05 comparison results:

Notebook	3D Mark 05 Results
Dell Vostro 1400 (1.6 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T5470, NVidia 8400m GS)	2,942 3DMarks
Dell Latitude D830 (2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7300, Nvidia Quadro NVS 140m 256MB)	3,063 3DMarks
Fujitsu E8410 (2.2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7500, NVIDIA 8400M)	1,925 3DMarks
Sony VAIO FZ (2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7300, Intel X3100)	910 3DMarks
Dell XPS M1330 (2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7300, NVIDIA GeForce Go 8400M GS 128MB)	3,116 3DMarks
HP Compaq 6510b (2.20GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7500, Intel X3100)	916 3DMarks
HP dv6000t (2.16 GHz Intel T7400, NVIDA GeForce Go 7400)	2,013 3D Marks
Dell Inspiron e1705 (2.0GHz Core Duo, ATI X1400)	1,791 3D Marks
Acer TravelMate 8204WLMi (2.0GHz Core Duo, ATI X1600 256MB)	4,236 3DMarks
Lenovo ThinkPad T60 (2.0GHz Core Duo, ATI X1400 128MB)	2,092 3D Marks
Fujitsu n6410 (1.66 GHz Core Duo, ATI X1400 128MB)	2,273 3DMarks

HDtune:

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Heat and Noise:

The Vostro 1400 is very quiet. The fan stays off unless I start playing a game or run some other demanding application on it. It puts out a little bit of heat out from the left side of the notebook, but for the most part it runs cool and I can’t feel any heat coming out.

Battery Life:

I ran a battery benchmark application that maxed out the CPU to 100% load and put the sytem under a lot of stress, including the graphics card as it rendered 3D graphics. The notebook kept going for 2 hours 24minutes, until it shut down with 3% battery life to spare. This would be the worst case scenario. I can’t imagine ever getting under 3 hours with the 9 cell battery.

Dell claims that the Vostro 1400 can get up to 8hrs. So far the longest I have seen is 6.5hrs.

The battery is an 11.1 Volt, 9 cell 85Wh Li-ion battery. The battery cells were made in Japan. Similar to previous batteries, there is a battery tester right on the battery showing you how much of a charge it has. Right under the battery, I was surprised to find a SIM card reader. I didn’t pay extra for it, and don’t think it is active, but there might be a way to enable it.

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Service and Support:

The day after I purchased the notebook, the price dropped by $50! So Immediately I went to the Dell small business site, and tried to chat with someone from Dell small business. I was connected with a guy from Dell home, who was unable to help me request a $50 refund, or to help me cancel my order and re-order. He just gave me Dell small businesses’ number and told me that they only work Monday-Friday. So, I was unable to contact them. I eventually decided just to write Dell an email asking for $50 credit back.

The next day I was surprised to receive a response, I thought Dell Small Business only worked Money-Friday? In the email, the rep told me that he would issue me a $50 refund after the notebook had shipped. I agreed and waited. A few days after I received the notebook, I got my $50 refund, which dropped the price down to $650+ tax! (I also used fatwallet to save an additional 1.5% or $10)

What I have concluded from this and previous experiences with Dell is that, they are really hard to get a hold of usually. You will usually have to play the Dell “game” of phone tag, or wait online from a rep and chat with them. It usually takes a few tries to get a hold of someone with the authority to address most problems. Once you do get a hold of them, they are usually quite responsive and help you with the problem right away! In the past, I have had Hard drive replacements and optical drive replacements sent next day air by Dell, and arrive the next day!

Source: Notebookreview

Dell Inspiron 1520

If you fancy a notebook that will keep you connected, productive, and entertained on the go, the Dell Inspiron 1520 is quite a compelling option. Featuring a more attractive design than the E1505, with rounded edges and your choice of eight colors, this notebook packs a speedy Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 802.11n and Sprint's EV-DO Rev. A connectivity, as well as discrete graphics. Dell also goes the extra mile by offering 3GB of free online backup, the choice of ordering your system free of trialware, and--for the first time ever on a Dell consumer notebook--3G mobile broadband. We just wish it were more travel-friendly.

With the 1520, Dell ditches the familiar (but heavily aged) silver-with-white-trim look for one that has more flash. Our model came with a colorful soft-touch Ruby Red lid, but you can also get it in Jet Black, Alpine White, Espresso Brown, Flamingo Pink, Midnight Blue, Spring Green, and Sunshine Yellow. We were disappointed that the interior didn't offer as much flair as the exterior, but removing the white plastic bumpers found on the E1505 was a step in the right direction. We would like to have seen a sleeker chassis; at 6.7 pounds and measuring 14.1 x 10.6 x 1.5 inches, the 1520 is hefty compared with other 15.4-inch notebooks. But with that heftiness comes a solid build that feels like it can take a few bumps (view photo gallery).

The 15.4-inch (1680 x 1050-pixel resolution) display looked good from a variety of angles, whether we were surfing the Web, viewing photos, or working in Word docs. We noticed that flesh tones were a bit muted when we watched DVDs, however. Beneath the LCD sits a full-sized, flex-free keyboard that was comfortable to use even for extended periods. The touchpad is plenty big nd features firm, quiet mouse buttons.

The very edge of the front bezel houses handy multimedia controls, but we were disappointed to discover that the stereo speakers are angled upward from the bottom of the system's base, resulting in weak volume. An optional two-megapixel webcam is included, but its picture quality was no better than that of the typical 1.3-MP cameras found in most notebooks. Recorded video was jerky as well.

Powered by a 2-GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB of RAM (expandable to 4GB), and a 5,400-rpm 160GB hard drive, the 1520 delivered a solid PCMark05 score of 3,579. (If you're looking to save money, the 1521 comes with an AMD Turion Dual-Core TL-50 processor for about $100 less than the 1520's starting price.) Nvidia's GeForce Go 8600 graphics processor churned out a 4,233 3DMark03 score that was capable of handling Vista's transparencies and Windows Flip 3D without a hitch.

In our F.E.A.R. test, the Inspiron 1520 notched a pretty good score of 48 frames per second on the autodetect settings, but maxing out settings saw the game chug along at an unplayable 12 fps. On our DVD rundown test, the nine-cell battery lasted 2 hours and 35 minutes before needing a charge. That's a good 20 minutes above average for a mainstream notebook, but most of those come with six-cell batteries. Either way, you can expect to see closer to four hours of runtime with standard use and Wi-Fi off.

Our configured unit came with 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi, which moved data along at an excellent 16.7 Mbps and 15.1 Mbps at 15 and 50 feet away from our access point, respectively. Dell's Wi-Fi Catcher is included so that users can search for available signals without powering on the notebook. When outside of hotspot range, the embedded Sprint EV-DO Rev. A mobile broadband connection (a $150 option) kept us surfing at a brisk pace; we were able to download Firefox, a 5.7MB download, in only a minute. Uploading a 1MB photo to our FTP server was also swift; we were able to post the file in just under 30 seconds.

On the expansion front, the 1520 offers an ExpressCard slot, as well as FireWire, VGA, S-Video, and four USB 2.0 ports. Dell allows users to select an optional Blu-ray drive ($700) instead of the standard 8X DVD+/-RW drive, but with the lack of an HDMI port, there's no way to export video to a big screen. With only a 15.4-inch screen, you might as well skip high-def.

Photos, music, and video are always just a button press away with Dell MediaDirect with Instant Office, which let us swiftly access multimedia content--as well as view contacts, appointments, and PowerPoint presentations--without booting into Windows. Bundled with our system is Dell's Travel Remote Control ($15) and noise-isolation earbuds that come paired with the webcam for a total of $30. The handy remote, which slides easily into the ExpressCard slot, allowed us to kick back and control our media in comfort. The earbuds were loud and clear, with sufficient bass.

Dell tosses in two convenient services designed to make your computing life easier: DellConnect, a remote diagnostic and repair service, and Dell DataSafe backup solution, which lets users save up to 3GB of data on Dell's secure servers. If you're in need of more storage, you can upgrade to 10GB ($10), 20GB ($20), or 30GB ($30). Dell backs the 1520 with a one-year warranty and 24/7 tech support.

Although it's a bit bulky, Dell has crafted a fine machine in the Inspiron 1520. Priced at a reasonable $1,807, our configuration is a stylish and powerful notebook. But with a starting price of $869, less souped-up versions of the this system, without bells and whistles like mobile broadband, should appeal to a wide audience.

View: Dell Inspiron 1520 photo gallery

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QUICK SPECS
Dell Inspiron 1520 www.dell.com
CPU	2-GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7300
Operating System	Windows Vista Home Premium
RAM/Expandable to	2GB/4GB
Hard Drive/Speed	160GB/5,400 rpm
Optical Drive	4X DVD+/-RW drive
Display/Resolution	15.4 inches/1680 x 1050
Graphics/Video Memory	Nvidia GeForce Go 8600/256MB
Wireless Networking	802.11a/b/g/n, Sprint EV-DO Rev. A, Bluetooth
Ports	Four USB 2.0, VGA, FireWire, S-Video, Ethernet, modem, headphone, dual digital mics
Card Slots	ExpressCard/54, 8-in-1 memory card reader
Size	14.1 x 10.6 x 1.5 inches
Weight	6.7 pounds (with nine-cell battery)
Warranty/Support	One-year parts and labor/24/7 phone, in-home service and next business-day available for $70
MobileMark 2005	N/A
3DMark03	4,233
PCMark05	3,579
Battery Life (Wi-Fi On/Off)	N/A / 2:35
Wireless Performance (15/50 feet)	16.7 Mbps / 15.1 Mbps

Source: Laptopmag

Toshiba Satellite A135-S4527 Review

Toshiba Satellite A135-S4527 (view large image)

I can't say that I looked up any others; I've always been a Toshiba loyalist myself. My grandmother, cousins, several friends, as well as the school system I attend and work for all have Toshibas, and all have fantastic track records. Some friends who have Dell, Acer, and HP have all had major problems. So it was only natural that I would continue to buy Toshiba.

The system has very nice specifications for the price:

• Processor: Intel Core Duo T2080 (1.73GHz)
• OS: Windows Vista Home Premium
• RAM: 1GB PC2-4200 DDR2 RAM
• Hard Drive: 120GB Hitachi SATA
• Screen: 15.4” Tru-Brite WXGA (1280x800)
• Optical Drive: DVD±RW/DVD-RAM Drive
• Graphics: Intel GMA950 Graphics
• Slots: Type II PCMCIA (left), 5-in-1 Card Reader (front)
• Ports: 4 USB 2.0 (two right, one left, one back), 1 4-pin Firewire (left), 1 VGA output (left), 1 S-Video output (left), 1 Headphone jack (front), 1 Microphone jack (front), 1 RJ-11 phone jack (back), 1 Power jack (back), 1 RJ-45 LAN jack (back)
• Wireless: Atheros 802.11g

The Screen

The first thing that I looked at when I opened the box was the screen. I've been annoyed by the prominence of the high glare screens in most notebook computers sold today, and took the opportunity to see just how distracting my reflection and the glare would be. The “Tru-Brite” screen isn't nearly as annoying as I thought it would be, though it is more annoying than my laptop's matte screen. (I have a Toshiba Satellite A15-S157) It is certainly much brighter than mine, though that could also be explained by the fact that my system is nearing four years old and has been almost constantly used during that time. I also notice fingerprints beginning to show up on the screen, which are more distracting than the various reflections and glare.

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The screen itself was of good build quality, seeing as it had no dead pixels that I could see. There is no leaking at the edge and the backlighting seemed very even. Even when I booted Kubuntu and had just a command line, the lighting seems to be quite even. The screen on the unit, especially with the “Tru-Brite technology,” exceeded my expectations with its quality.

Build Quality

The case is a thick plastic that is black on the inside and on the bottom, with a gray finish on the outer shell. It feels well-built, as there's not much “give” to it when pressed on. Pressing on the screen from the inside or from the shell causes no change in the appearance of the screen, and it feels well-protected from normal pressures, especially compared to my current Toshiba. I attempted to twist the screen and though it was definitely not flimsy, it does twist a little bit.

Top view of Satellite A135 (view large image)

The screen is held on by two hinges on the unit, and they provided a nice amount of resistance. My laptop's hinges failed after two years of heavy use and were repaired under the extended warranty, but initially felt just as sturdy as these, so only time will tell as to the quality of these hinges.

Underside view of Satellite A135 (view large image)

Speakers and Sound

One of the first things I noticed about the Toshiba is that the classic sound dial on the front of the machine was no longer a hardware control. The dial now controls the master software volume control, and for this reason was quite a bit less sensitive. It took several turns of the dial to adjust it from high volume to no volume, though I imagine this could be adjusted in software.

The speakers themselves seemed to be of moderate quality. I did not try to max them out, but after a certain point the sound did become distorted on the music I was listening to, a Q8 Ogg Vorbis recording downloaded from Jamendo.

The sound jacks are on the front of the system, which is somewhat of a mixed blessing. My current laptop has the sound jacks on the side, and this makes angled connectors favorable in all conditions. By moving them to the front, they seem more awkwardly placed. Without an angled connector, it seems that a plug could be easily pulled or leaned on, but with an angle connector the cable would then go out to the sides better. However, it seems that by putting them on the front, you gain a greater ability to reposition yourself with respect to the system without worrying about pulling too much on the cord if you pull too far to one side or the other.

Processor and Performance/Heat and Noise

The system features a Core Duo processor, a last generation chip, but for the simple tasks my grandmother will be using it for, it functions just fine. In fact, the system was quite snappy in its response compared to what I expected from a system running Windows Vista.

One thing that sticks out about this system was how cool the area under the processor fan is. Unlike my current system (Netburst Celeron 2.2GHz), which can get too hot to touch, this system never felt hot to the touch underneath, and even the air that blew out of the side never got very hot, even under stress. The processor fan is also much quieter than my own system's fan, and the palm rest stays cool.

Benchmarks

Following are some benchmarks that were run on the Satellite A135-S4527 so you can have an idea of how it stacks up to other laptops.

SuperPi Benchmark Results

Super Pi tests the speed of a processor, in our test we force Super Pi to calculate the number Pi to 2 million digits of accuracy:

Notebook	Time
Toshiba Satellite A135-S4527 (1.73GHz Core Duo)	1m 38s
HP dv9000t (1.6Ghz Core 2 Duo, nVidia Go 7600 256MB)	1m 37s
MSI M677 (1.8 GHz Turion X2)	1m 53s
LG S1 (2.16 GHz Core Duo)	1m 11s
Dell Inspiron e1505 (2.0GHz Core Duo)	1m 16s
Lenovo ThinkPad T60 (2.0GHz Core Duo)	1m 18s
Toshiba Satellite M100 (2.00GHz Core Duo)	1m 18s
Samsung X60 (1.66GHz Core Duo)	1m 29s
Sony VAIO FS680 (1.86 GHz Pentium M)	1m 53s

PCMark05 System Results

PCMark05 measures the overall system performance, here's how the Satellite A135 stacked up to other laptops:

Notebook	PCMark05 Score
Toshiba Satellite A135-S4527 (1.73GHz Core Duo, Intel GMA 950)	2,816 PCMarks
HP dv6000t (2.16 GHz Intel T7400, NVIDA GeForce Go 7400)	4,234 PCMarks
Fujitsu LifeBook A6010 (1.66GHz Core 2 Duo, Intel GMA 950)	2,994 PCMarks
Fujitsu N6410 (1.66GHz Core Duo, ATI X1400)	3,487 PCMarks
Alienware M7700 (AMD Athlon FX-60, Nvidia Go 7800GTX)	5,597 PCMarks
Sony Vaio SZ-110B in Speed Mode (Using Nvidia GeForce Go 7400)	3,637 PCMarks
Toshiba Tecra M6 (1.66GHz Intel T2300E, Intel GMA 950)	2,732 PCMarks
Asus V6J (1.86GHz Core Duo T2400, Nvidia Go 7400)	3,646 PCMarks

Below are the detailed results from the PCMark05 results:

PCMark05 Detailed Results
HDD - XP Startup:	5.38 MB/s
Physics and 3D:	59.24 FPS
Transparent Windows:	1628.47 Windows/s
3D - Pixel Shader:	7.12 FPS
Web Page Rendering:	1.32 Pages/s
File Decryption:	42.42 MB/s
Graphics Memory:	64 Lines 188.76 FPS
HDD - General Usage:	3.93 MB/s
Multithreaded Test 1 / Audio Compression:	1649.88 KB/s
Multithreaded Test 1 / Video Encoding:	230.99 KB/s
Multithreaded Test 2 / Text Edit:	68.72 Pages/s
Multithreaded Test 2 / Image Decompression:	19.72 MPixels/s
Multithreaded Test 3 / File Compression:	3.42 MB/s
Multithreaded Test 3 / File Encryption:	20.24 MB/s
Multithreaded Test 3 / HDD - Virus Scan:	36.6 MB/s
Multithreaded Test 3 / Memory Latency - Random 16 MB:	7.24 Maccesses/s

HDTune Benchmark Results:

Below are the results of HDTune when run on the A135, HDTune measures the hard drive speed and performance

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Keyboard and Touchpad

The A135 line looks to be the last line to use the classic Toshiba keyboard layout, that puts the Windows and Menu keys at the top right, and the Ins and Del keys below the right hand. I've always preferred this layout on laptops, seeing as I am primarily a Linux user and the Windows key could easily be replicated with Ctrl+Esc.

As far as the construction quality on the keyboard itself, it seems to be well-made. It has almost no flex to it, and the keys are much quieter than the keys on my current system. The keys are shifted to the right on this system to allow for the power button and four media buttons to be placed to the left of the keyboard. These keys seem to perform their purpose, though admittedly I haven't spent much time with them.

The touchpad is correctly placed so that one can easily type without touching it. As with both old systems, this unit will also scroll by sliding up and down the right edge of the touch pad. I was disappointed to find that the included software would not emulate a middle-click by clicking both buttons at once, but this is a driver issue rather than a hardware issue.

Input and Output

The system is covered in ports.

Slots:

• Type II PCMCIA (left)
• 5-in-1 Card Reader (front)

Ports:

• 4 USB 2.0 (two right, one left, one back)
• 1 4-pin Firewire (left)
• 1 VGA output (left)
• 1 S-Video output (left)
• 1 Headphone jack (front)
• 1 Microphone jack (front)
• 1 RJ-11 phone jack (back)
• 1 Power jack (back)
• 1 RJ-45 LAN jack (back)

Front view (view large image)

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Left view (view large image)

Right view (view large image)

Back view (view large image)

I don't understand the logic in placing two of the USB ports on the right side right where one would be using a mouse, but it's good to at least have them.

Battery

I timed the battery on the system, and during an intense session of uninstalling default software and then installing things that were required, the battery life hit 3% after 121 minutes. This is a bit shorter than my current system's battery when new, and I wish that Toshiba could have squeezed an extra half an hour out of it. However, it is difficult to know how it would perform when merely surfing the Internet.

Wireless

The wireless card included in the unit is an Atheros card. My grandmother's old laptop had no internal wireless, and thus was connected with a D-Link PCMCIA wireless card. This system works flawlessly all over her house, whereas the old system would lose signal in the Family Room where she would watch TV most often. The unit also includes a switch on the front to turn this functionality on and off.

Windows Vista

My expectations were so low for Windows Vista that it should come as no surprise that I was mildly impressed by it.

The first thing that struck me was how slow it was to start up, given how Microsoft had claimed to speed up the boot time on Vista. After sitting on the BIOS screen for 13 seconds, Vista then took 2:01 to get to the desktop, with system tray applications still loading.

The 3D effects and translucency were all very nice, and I'm finding that I miss those now that I'm away from that system. They certainly add to the experience and make things feel smoother.

Another thing that annoyed me was the sluggishness of I/O operations. File transfers seemed to take forever and a day. I tried to move 300MB worth of files off of the hard drive and onto a USB disk and gave up after the first twenty minutes.

The system came with much less junk software than I'd expected. It came with a collection of quickly-removed Wild Tangent games as well as a McAfee Security suite that was also quickly removed. I left the Office 2007 trial on it as well as Works 8, which I have not yet tested.

Kubuntu Linux

I took a few minutes to boot up the Kubuntu 6.10 Live CD on it and see how it responded. Naturally, the Atheros wireless card was detected but was not in a functional state. In addition, though the 5-in-1 card slot was detected and even detected when disks were inserted, apparently the driver that actually reads the card does not exist. With those exceptions, the system seems to run Kubuntu just fine.

Source: notebookreview

Apple MacBook Pro (15-inch)

You can't tell by looking at the sexy, familiar aluminum design that the MacBook Pro has undergone several significant improvements that elevate it from a very good machine to one that's arguably the best in its class. Aimed at mobile professionals who want power and performance in an easy-to-carry design, the MacBook Pro features a blazing-fast Intel Core 2 Duo processor, powerful Nvidia graphics, outstanding battery life, and one of the best software suites around. Starting at a reasonable $1,999, the MacBook Pro is definitely a dream machine for creative types seeking a notebook for work and play.

At just 5.4 pounds and an inch thick, the MacBook Pro has a bright and colorful 15.4-inch display, making it the thinnest and lightest mainstream notebook on the market--again. Everyday productivity and video watching is a joy. The 1440 x 900-pixel screen isn't just eye candy, however; it represents Apple's dedication to going green, as the MacBook Pro is the first 15.4-inch machine to house a mercury-free backlit LED.

The new display didn't harm the visuals, as we experienced vibrant, robust images that looked great from all but the most extreme angles while watching Black Snake Moan on DVD. The widely spaced speakers on the left and right sides of the system are loud enough to fill a workspace. Situated between the speakers is a comfortable and quiet full-sized keyboard, which has a handy backlight for typing in low-light conditions. Although the keyboard flexed a bit under rigorous typing, it wasn't enough to dampen the overall experience. A large trackpad grants users smooth navigation.

The updated MacBook Pro comes in three versions, all of which are powered by OS X Tiger, have 2GB of RAM, 8X double-layer SuperDrives, ExpressCard/34 slots, two FireWire ports, and built-in 802.11n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR. The only differences are that the entry-level model ($1,999) has a 2.2-GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, a 120GB hard drive, two USB 2.0 ports, and discrete Nvidia GeForce 8600M GT graphics with 128MB of video memory; the mid-tier option ($2,499) has a 2.4-GHz processor, 160GB of storage, two USB 2.0 ports, and Nvidia GeForce 8600M GT graphics with 256MB of memory; and the high-end model ($2,799) adds an extra USB port and a 17-inch display.

New to the MacBook Pro line are Intel's Next Generation Centrino processors, which delivered impressive performance on our tests. The 2.2-GHz Core 2 Duo processor and 2GB of RAM produced an excellent PCMark05 score of 4,667, which edges out the Sony VAIO FZ. This power was borne out in our day-to-day use; the system handled multiple applications running simultaneously without a hitch. The MacBook Pro also demonstrated top-notch wireless throughput courtesy of the 802.11n radio: 19.6 Mbps at 15 feet from our access point and 18.5 Mbps at 50 feet. This obliterates the 12.6 and 9.6 Mbps scores from the previous version of the MacBook Pro.

Graphic artists and gamers will be pleased to learn that Nvidia's GeForce 8600M GT graphics card powered the system to an excellent score of 11,223 on our 3DMark03 tests--the only mainstream notebook besides the Lenovo ThinkPad T61p to surpass 10,000. The MacBook Pro churned out a good 45 frames per second when playing F.E.A.R. in autodetect mode and dropped to a still-playable 32 fps with the settings maxed out.

Despite the discrete graphics, the MacBook Pro managed 3 hours and 39 minutes of battery life on our DVD rundown test, which is just four minutes less than the MacBook, which sports battery-friendly integrated graphics. This model also lasted a full 46 minutes longer than last year's 15-inch MacBook Pro. Apple attributes this lengthy battery life to the new power-efficient LED display coupled with Intel's Santa Rosa platform.

As with all Apple notebooks, the MacBook Pro is powered by the incredibly stable and secure OS X Tiger and comes preloaded with the excellent iLife '06 suite. The entertaining software package includes iPhoto, iMovie HD, iDVD, iWeb, iTunes, and GarageBand. Also included is Photo Booth, which uses the integrated 1.3-megapixel iSight camera to snap fun pictures, and Front Row (OS X' counterpart to Windows Media Center), which uses the bundled Apple Remote to access music, photos, and video quickly. The MacBook Pro comes with 90 days of phone support and a one-year warranty, both of which can be expanded to three years with the optional AppleCare Protection Plan ($349).

Overall, the MacBook Pro leverages the power of the Centrino platform superbly. Some may prefer the Vista-powered Sony VAIO FZ because of its built-in multimedia controls and Blu-ray drive. However, if you're even thinking about switching to a Mac, this all-purpose machine that delivers desktop-replacement power in a highly portable body is good enough reason to take the plunge.

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QUICK SPECS
Apple MacBook Pro (15-inch) www.apple.com
CPU	2.2-GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
Operating System	Mac OS X Tiger
RAM/Expandable to	2GB/4GB
Hard Drive/Speed	120GB/5,400 rpm
Optical Drive	8X DVD+/-R DL
Display/Resolution	15.4 inches/1440 x 900
Graphics/Video Memory	Nvidia GeForce 8600M GT/128MB
Wireless Networking	802.11a/b/g/n
Ports	Two USB 2.0, Two FireWire, DVI, headphone, mic
Card Slots	ExpressCard/34
Size	14.1 x 9.6 x 1.0 inches
Weight	5.4 pounds
Warranty/Support	One-year parts and labor/90 days toll-free
PCMark05	4,667
MobileMark 2005	N/A
3DMark03	11,223
Battery Life (Wi-Fi Off)	3:39
Wireless Performance (15/50 feet)	19.6 Mbps / 18.5 Mbps

Source: Laptopmag.com