Gadget Reviews

The New Samsung Series 9 Laptop

The new Samsung Series 9 laptop, model NP900X3A, provides an amazing user experience in an ultra-slim package. Its powerful processor, 128GB solid-state drive and 4GB of RAM allow for lightning-quick operation and effortless multitasking, while its bright, 13.3-inch screen provides 160-degree viewing in almost any light condition. In addition, this laptop’s thin frame and lightweight construction make it incredibly portable, and yet it does not sacrifice durability. The main drawbacks of this Samsung Series 9 laptop are its screen resolution, which is not as high as others in its class, and its hefty $1600 price tag.

Look and Feel

The first thing most people notice about the NP900X3A is its size. It is only .64 inches thick at its thickest point and weighs a mere 2.88 pounds, which makes it easy to carry and transport. However, this does not mean that it’s flimsy; its chassis is made of duralumin, an aluminum alloy that’s used on aircrafts and has double the strength of regular aluminum.

The Samsung Series 9 laptop also has a stylish design. The case is a dark, brushed black with chrome borders and curved edges, and the ports, which include 2 USB ports, a microSD card slot, a mini HDMI port, an Ethernet jack and a headphone jack, are hidden behind port covers. Its matte screen produces crisp images and vivid colors without any glare, and the screen’s 400-nit brightness adjusts automatically according to light conditions. In addition, this laptop has a backlit keyboard and a large, multi-touch mouse. It does, however, only have a 1366 X 68 screen resolution, which leaves a little to be desired.

Hardware

Samsung Series 9 Laptop Model NP900X3A

This laptop has a 1.4GHz Core i5-2537M processor with Turbo Boost Technology and 4GB of included RAM. As a result, the Samsung Series 9 laptop is able to quickly open programs, switch between applications effortlessly, and run many programs at once. It also has a 128 GB solid state drive, which allows the laptop to power up in under half a minute as well as providing ample storage space and minimizing problems with overheating. In addition, this kind of drive has no moving parts, which greatly reduces the chance of hard drive failure. The graphics type on the Samsung Series 9 laptop is Intel HD Graphics 3000, which provides HD viewing capacity and enough power for Flash HD video clips and most games.

Battery Life and Software

Samsung claims that this laptop’s battery can last up to seven hours. In actual tests, however, it only ran four-and-a-half to six hours, depending on the brightness of the screen and what applications were in use. Still, this is impressive for such a thin laptop. In addition, the small charger on the Samsung Series 9 laptop is very easy to carry around.

The NP900X3A doesn’t come with a whole lot of software. It is loaded with several Samsung tools, including Easy File Share, Easy Network Management and Easy Migration, and most models include Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium and Microsoft Office Starter 2010. In addition, the included webcam comes with ArcSoft YouCam software. However, there aren’t many applications on the Samsung Series 9 laptop beyond that.

Conclusion

The Samsung Series 9 laptop model NP900X3A is a serious competitor in the world of ultra-thin laptops. It is stylish, fast and durable, and it contains outstanding hardware. It also boasts an incredibly bright screen, a backlit keyboard and an impressive battery life. For Windows users who can afford the $1600 price tag and don’t mind a 1366 X 768 screen resolution, this Samsung Series 9 laptop may be the perfect option.

The New Apple iPad 2

The improvements are notable. The CPU is almost twice as fast, and the graphics perform nine times better. This thing zooms!

Apple listened to those who have clamored for both front and back cameras. The rear camera has 5x zoom, and both are video recorders.

You can get the iPad 2 with either a black or white exterior.

There have been some software improvements as well. Apple launched iOS 4.3 concurrently with the iPad 2. It adds FaceTime and Photo Booth, and it improves Safari’s performance noticeably.

Some things have remained the same. The power requirements haven’t changed appreciably despite the huge performance advances. Therefore battery life remains at about 10 hours.

Price is something else left unchanged. Just like its predecessor, the iPad 2 starts at $499 for a Wi-FI only, 16 GB model and ranges up to $829 for a 3G-capable, 64 GB unit. The 3G units use either AT&T or Verizon service.

They even took some things away from the original in designing the iPad 2! For example, some of the bulk and weight is gone. It’s only 8.8 mm thick now; about 1/3 thinner. It lost a little weight, too, and comes in at a little over 600 g.

Extras

For an extra $39 you can get a smart cover for your iPad 2. It automatically wakes or puts the iPad to sleep as it’s opened and closed. The smart cover also comes in leather for $69.

The new camera functions have inspired a couple new apps at $4.99 each called iMovie, which allows you to edit video, and GarageBand, which turns the iPad 2 into an audio 8-track recording and editing studio.

Despite the growing competition, iPad 2 has a substantial lead. Not only do its features dwarf the copycats, but there are over 65,000 apps available for iPad and only 100 or so for Android-based tablets.

Motorola Xoom Android Tablet

As a tablet, the Motorola Xoom seeks to close the gap between Android operating devices and Apple’s iPad. In terms of technology, Xoom actually tries to go toe-to-toe with the iPad. The device features a highly capacitive touch screen, a front facing camera for video chat, and highly proficient apps processor. As for the operating system, Xoom will be one of the first gadgets to feature Android 3.0. This already places Xoom atop the already growing Android tablet market.

However, Motorola has its sights set on competing with the iPad, not other Android devices. This is notable in a number of ways. The iPad is configured for portrait view as a default. This is clearly evident by where Apple placed the home button. Xoom is engineered to start off in landscape view, so that most apps and viewing experiences are orientated towards a wider screen. Xoom also features less of a trim around the screen. While this may help make the device lighter, it makes the Xoom slightly uncomfortable to hold. Sometimes, this also allows for accidental data entry, as there are more opportunities to accidentally brush against the capacitive touch screen.

However, the Xoom partially makes up for that with its keyboard function. Most touch screen smartphones have a tendency to crowd keyboard buttons together, leading to a higher frequency of “fat finger” mistakes. The iPad does not have this problem when the keyboard is in landscape view, but there is a tendency towards mis-keying while in portrait mode. The Xoom does not present this problem in either orientation.

In short, the Xoom may able to provide the iPad with some stiff competition. However, there one certain fact that may make this an uphill struggle. Motorola’s price point is roughly similar Apple’s. Right now, the iPad has credibility as a proven commodity. Since the product has been out longer, there will likely be fewer instances of bugs and glitches. Some users, if they are going to invest hundreds of dollars into a tablet, may opt for the iPad while staying in touch with Android applications via their smart phones. However, this is also still the beginning of the tablet market. Xoom proves could very well be the new rallying point that makes Android devices equal to the iPad. Only time will tell.

Xoom Hardware Specs:

1280×800 display resolution
Android 3.0 Honeycomb
Dual Core 1GHz
Bluetooth 2.1
3G and 4G able
5 MP rear facing camera
2 MP front facing camera
32 GB user memory
SD Card support
10 hour video playback battery

Lenovo ThinkPad X120e

As far as physical specs go the Lenovo ThinkPad X120e has pretty much everything going for it. It has a fast dedicated graphics card known as the Radeon 6310. Having a dedicated graphics card is great for these types of laptops. When a laptop has an integrated graphics card every time it displays something on the screen it is sucking away at CPU power. Less CPU power means a slower computer. With dedicated graphics the laptop has an entirely separate processor that is made specifically for doing graphics. The 6310 is a fast graphics card and will be able to play most games on at least the medium setting.

Lenovo ThinkPad X120e Specs

Lenovo ThinkPad X120e Specifications:
AMD E-350 with AMD Radeon HD 6310 Graphics (dual-core CPU at 1.6GHz and dual DX-11 SIMDs at 500MHz)
4GB PC3-10600 DDR3 SDRAM (1333MHz, 2 DIMM)
Windows 7 Professional (64-bit)
11.6″ WXGA HD anti-glare LED Backlit display (1366×768)
320GB 7200rpm SATA Hard Drive
802.11b/g/n, Gigabit LAN
4-in-1 card reader and 0.3-megapixel webcam
6-Cell Li-ion battery
Dimensions: (W x L x H) 11.1″ x 8.2″ x 0.6″/1.2″
Weight: 3.3 pounds (with 6-cell battery)

The processor is pretty medium as far as laptops go. If one were buying a normal sized notebook then the processor found within this computer would be considered extremely slow. However, since it is an ultra portable and battery life is a priority, Lenovo decided to go with a slower processor, clocked at dual 1.6 GHz. Don’t be fooled, however, as this processor is going to be able to do pretty much everything that the average computer user needs. It will be able to run a browser, play music and run anti virus software at the same time without any issues.

The hard drive on this laptop is impressive. Most laptop hard drives have a hard drive speed of 5400 RPM. This particular laptop has a 320 gig hard drive rated at 7200 RPM. When one makes their hard drive go and find something for them the hard drive has to spin up. The faster the spinning the faster the access times and the snappier the computer. This hard drive gives this particular laptop snappy performance.

The screen has a great resolution and a good size for an ultra portable. Many consider the 11 inch screen size to be ideal because it’s not too big and not too small. Large amounts of information will fit onto the screen without being too small to actually read.

All of the other specs on this laptop basically mean that it has all of the bells and whistles that people have come to expect from any laptop. It has a webcam, WiFi, a card reader and a good sized battery. All in all the Lenovo ThinkPad X120e is a great computer at a good price. It will make its owner happy for years to come.

The Samsung QX410 is the first Samsung notebook to incorporate Nvidia Optimus switchable graphics. The installed Intel i5-460M processor with 4GB of RAM is a powerhouse. The Nvidia GeForce 310M graphics card makes displaying graphics a breeze to look up on the 14-inch LED-backlit display. The 4GB of RAM easily handles the Optimus switching between integrated graphics and the installed card for handling gaming, photo editing and other intensive graphics duty. The applications that don’t require much memory such as word processing uses the integrated graphic card. The gesture pad on the Samsung QX410 uses use multi-touch commands. Samsung claims the new lithium polymer battery may provide power up to 7 hours of battery life on a single charge.

The Samsung QX410 RF series consist of three models: the RF510-S01, RF510-S02, and RF710. The difference is the three models is the size of the screens, processors, and hard drive storage. The two 510 systems have a 15.6-inch screen and the RF710 has a large 17.3-inch display. Both the 15.6 and 17.3 screens are LED-backlit. All three of the Samsung QX410 RF series come with the Nvidia GeForce GT 330M graphics card, 4GB of RAM, and USB 3.0 ports. The lower price RF510-S01 includes a Core i5-460M CPU and 500GB hard drive. The middle of the road RF510-S02 and higher end RF710 have installed the i7-720QM quad-core processors and 640GB hard drives. You can watch Blu-ray movies on the RF710 Blu-ray drive. This model even has a second (empty) hard drive bay.

As far looks go, the Samsung QX410 can really turn heads with its silvery aluminum case. The cultured brushed metal treatment contributes to the Samsung QX410′s appearance as an upscale laptop. It is nice looking and has a great feel to it when carrying it. Though it isn’t super light, it weighs in on the scales at a meek 5 pounds. The laptop measurements are a respectful 13.7 x 9.7 x 1.1 inches. A notebook this size easily fits into standard laptop bag. You won’t get a back ache toting the Samsung QX410 around.

If you are a laptop warrior, you know sometimes you get the feeling your laptop is cooking your legs while sitting on your lap. The Samsung QX410 doesn’t have very many vents or openings, but it still manages to keep its cool. Heat test have shown the undersize of the laptop maintains 87 degrees while playing using the full capability of the processor and dedicated graphic card for extended periods of time. Though the Samsung QX410 stayed fairly cool, it has been reported the one visible vent registered 105 degrees.

If you are looking for one stylish and fast laptop, then look no further than the Samsung QX410. It has enough muscle to handle light gaming as well as deliver a little punch to your graphics. The excellent Wi-Fi performance is perfect whether you are using in it in a hotel, airport or at your favor coffee house. The battery is strong enough to handle some work without having to keep close to a plug for re-charging. Overall, the Samsung QX410 offers great performance, looks and design at a reasonable price.

Blackberry Playbook

The device connects through Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n. Another feature is the Bluetooth 2.1 in addition to EDR. It is powered by the QNX platform. This offers multi-tasking capabilities. It also offers the full Adobe Flash 10.1 suppport. It comes with a built in HTML 5. The Blackberry Playbook will allow for video conferencing providing HD quality as well as stereo sound. It comes with a 5 MP rear camera along with a 3 MP front camera.

The current Blackberry Playbook supports Wi-Fi. Models in the future will support 3G and 4G. These models will be coming soon. This model of the Blackberry Playbook is scheduled to be released in the United States in the first quarter of 2011. It will be released internationally during the second quarter of 2011. Although the price has not yet been released on the new Blackberry Playbook it is expected to be sold in the cheap range – or at the lower end in the tablet market. It has been suggested that the price will be somewhere around $1,000. Although this might seem high to some consumers the fact is this unit features a number of specs that are not available in other models at the present time. For example, the dual core CPU – this is the first time it is being offered in the tablet world. Although it is expected to be utilized more in the future it will still be after the Blackberry Playbook is released in the U.S. and most likely before it is released worldwide.

The price will also be a result of the featured 2 HD cameras. Both of these offer support for 1080p video recording. Not only is this impressive it is also the first of its kind. One issue the new Blackberry Playbook might face is the delayed release. This will make it more difficult to make a strong impact the iPad already has on the market. Still, the Blackberry Playbook is following in the advanced footsteps of smartphones by offering the compatibility out of the box for serious work capability. It is equipped with all of the goodies. Consumers will most likely be particularly drawn to the ‘full’ web experience. This means flash compatibility along with true multi-tasking. One of the advanced features will be the capability of video conferencing.

Although the Blackberry Playbook will will come in an unassuming glossy black. It will offer rounded edges. This indicates that the shrunken iPad has gone corporate. All of this will come with the new operating system. The Blackberry Playbook is destined to take a large market share come the first quarter of 2011.

Samsung Galaxy TAB

The Galaxy Tab is a tablet computer designed and developed by Samsung. It is so elegantly designed that everyone wants to have one. Samsung Galaxy Tab includes all the features that a Smart phone has, plus it is also equipped with advanced feature like 4000 mAh battery, Touch Screen, Wi-Fi and 3G technologies. It is particularly designed as a platform for audio and video multimedia such as reading eBooks, periodicals, watching movies, music, internet browsing and online games.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab was released by Samsung on 3rd Sep 2010. The cost of this super gadget runs around $900 to $1050 and is the first true competitor for the Apple’s iPad. It runs on Google Android v 2.2 and has a super-fast 1GHz Cortex A8 CPU.

Hardware

The Samsung Galaxy Tab comes in a beautiful package. It is 190.09 x 120.45 x 11.98 mm in size, and weighing just 380gms. It is controlled with a 7 in TFT LCD WSVGA highly sensitive touch-screen. One can enjoy a full High Definition video on its screen with 720p HD video playback and 1024×600 pixel resolution. The Samsung Galaxy Tab is equipped with a super-fast 1GHz Cortex A8 CPU and a 512 MB of RAM which gives it an incredible processing speed. It comes in two models based on internal storage capacity i.e. 16GB and 32GB. Besides the internal storage it also offers additional 32GB microSD expansion which is not possible in Apple’s iPad. It comes equipped with a 3MP camera with powerful LED flash on the back side for high quality photo and video shots. In addition to this a 1.3 MP webcam on its front side facilitates video calling and video chatting. One of the interesting features of the Samsung Galaxy Tab is it can sense the portrait and landscape positions with the help of its inbuilt accelerometer. It is also loaded with the gyroscope, geo-magnetic and ambient light sensors. The most important feature of the Samsung Galaxy Tab is its high power 4000mAmpH battery which allows 7 hours of video playback. The device is provided with stereo speakers and a 3.5mm universal audio jack to listen its amazing audio capabilities.

Software

As previously mentioned, the Samsung Galaxy Tab runs on Android v 2.2 operating system with TouchWiz 3.0 UI. One of the greatest advantages of having Android operating system is that it supports all the application developed for Android which exceeds 1 million in number. It supports DivX, XviD, MPEG4, H.263, H.264, and other video formats with full Flash 10.1 support. The Samsung Galaxy Tab comes with several applications, including ThinkFree Office, Google Mobile Services such as Maps, Search, Mail, and video-calling over 3G networks. It is loaded with amazing features like Layer augmented reality browser, Swype text input.

Connectivity

The Galaxy Tab has Wi-Fi 5GHz 802.11 connectivity for ultra-fast internet browsing, live videos, live internet TV and lot more. It is loaded with latest Bluetooth 3.0. which allows Bluetooth connectivity with Bluetooth headset and keyboards.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab is featured with not only Wi-Fi and Bluetooth but also with 3G technology which gives it power of video calling. It has high-speed USB 2.0 client, 480Mbit/s micro-USB for connection with PC.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab is a Super Gadget packed with the entire digital world in it.

Toshiba Libretto W105

Toshiba have come out with their most innovative and daring product yet – the Toshiba Libretto W105. Designed and produced as an experiment for their 25th anniversary in mobile computing and design, the gadget can only be described as next gen. The Toshiba Libretto W105 is shockingly bold, for a netbook, because of its dual touch screens.

The first of its kind designed and produced for market (albeit for a limited time), the W105 is reminiscent of all those concept and prototype gadgets seen in sci-fi magazines but which never make it into production. One little difference though; this one actually made it into the market. Now that the cat is out of the bag, let’s delve a bit deeper into the specs.

The black chassis of the Toshiba Libretto W105 is book shaped and covers the dual touch screens nicely. Rather sturdy and blockish, the netbook doesn’t say much for aerodynamic design. The design is nevertheless functional and practical. The dual touch screens measure a not too exciting 7.95 inches but are surprisingly responsive.

The system runs on Windows 7 Home Premium, something that is surprising especially due to the dual screen design. The Toshiba Libretto W105 seems to have an upper hand against other netbooks because it’s a non-Atom processor running on 1.2GHz Intel Pentium U5400 specs. RAM maxes out at 2GB. Not built for direct competition with any other netbook, the Toshiba Libretto W105 comes off rather far off in terms of ease of use.

Take for example the Windows 7 Home Premium OS. The Toshiba Libretto W105 makes simple tasks such as selecting action commands to highlighting addresses in the address tab rather laborious. This may be because Windows 7 was not designed for touch screen capabilities, but that said, the netbook still does not make the task any easier. The Toshiba Libretto W105 has a 62GB SSD hard drive, which is consistent with most netbooks.

This netbook that looks like a tablet but behaves like a palm top is perhaps more of a collector’s item than a solid work netbook. The best parts about it are of course the innovative dual touch pads. As far as that is concerned, the guys at Toshiba have it hands down. However, in real world computing, everything is measured against everything else, and judged as such.

In this case, when the Toshiba Libretto W105 is pitted against the Apple iPad or Sony VAIO P, you find a number of pitfalls in the Toshiba touch pad. For instance, the Apple iPad offers remarkable touch capabilities such as flipping web pages with the flick of a finger or easy command recognition in a crowded page.

The other aspect that militates against the Toshiba Libretto W105 is the apparent lack of time and effort put into the design and ease of use of the Libretto. Numerous small buttons and interface shuffling means you need a serious learning curve in order to master the workings of this gadget.

However, the fact that the Toshiba Libretto W105 runs on a non-Atom processor and actually runs Windows 7 Home Premium rather smoothly puts it ahead of many Atom-based netbooks.

The Toshiba Libretto W105 is perhaps every collector’s or geek’s dream concept machine; a taste of the future if you may. Well, for a price tag of $1,000, the Toshiba Libretto W105 is definitely a decently priced trip into the future of touch screen computing.

HP Mini 5102

The most recent business netbook created by Hewlett Packard is the HP Mini 5103. The look of the HP Mini 5103 is very similar to that of its predecessors, the HP Mini 5102 and 5101. In the USA, it is only sold in a dark brown coffee color and come with a large selection of options including the possibility to add a touchscreen display, a SSD (80/128GB), HD Broadcom video accelerator and a choice of operating systems. Windows 7 Home Premium, Windows Seven Starter or SUSE Linux installed on this netbook.

The standard HP Mini 5103 comes with a 7200RPM hard drive, LED battery that shows you the amount of power left, metal cover made of magnesium and aluminun alloy and a sensor which prevents the hard drive from moving during a fall. This helps stop any possible data loss if you should drop it. The Mini 5103 is the first Hewlett Packard netbook with a dual core Intel Atom N550 processor. It is also available with a single N455 or N455 core Atom CPU options. We where pleasantly surprised by the comfortable spill resistant keyboard on this smaller than average netbook too.

The regular model costs $399, however, all the extra features can bring the price up to $600 or more. For example, the touchscreen feature alone costs $50. The HP Mini 5103 features a 10.1 inch, 1024 by 600 pixel display, weighs approximately 2.6 pounds and its measurements are 10.3″ x 7.1″ x 0.9″. The single access panel in the bottom of the HP Mini 5103 netbook allows the user to upgrade or replace the memory without a screwdriver which is nice and easy. Three USB ports, Ethernet, headphone jacks, a mic, a VGA port and a card slot for SDHC cards can be found around the sides of the machine.

Although HP advertises a ten hour battery life, the real battery life is approximately 7.5 hours with normal usage. Video playback is better than most other Atom-based computer due to the hardware acceleration so HD videos at full-screen from places like Hulu and YouTube are silky smooth. The ten inch screen makes full-screen video look amazing. This is useful for watching movies during business trips and plain journeys. Since Windows takes a long time to load, HP have included the new DayStarter feature that lets users check your calendar while the computer is booting up.

Another group of consumers who will appreciate the new HP Mini 5103 notebook are students. This product comes at a reasonable price and offers advanced features, portability and a trusted brand name. It is a smart investment for any student. This notebook will make a unique fashion statement as a result of its rare espresso color and interesting shape.

The New Apple iPad

Anyone seen the new Apple iPad ads on TV during prime time programming recently? The commercial continued with Apple’s familiar “iPad is” theme. It detailed a number of uses for the iPad. Then the advertisements used one word definitions to describe the iPad such as Live, Work, Play, Memories, and so forth.

Reviews are coming in that Apple really outdid itself with the new iPad. It offers a sleek, smart look. It also provides everything you could possibly want on a new revolutionary new Apple product. It is also the fastest mobile internet device on the market. This is due to Apple’s powerful internet browser known as ‘Safari.’ It offers the user an amazing ability to do online blogging, chats, online games, and emails. Many users will also be more than pleased with the speed you can browse YouTube for videos.

The iPad offers more than 14,000 extensive apps. This includes the new Apple eReader and iBook. iPad offers a number of inexpensive, sometimes free, games. Some of these have been designed only for the iPad. For business people you can be anywhere in the world and be able to manage your schedules, presentations, and paperwork. It also allows you to stay in touch with any of your clients 24/7.

For those people wanting specifics: the iPad is equipped with a 9.7 inch LED display technology; it is just 0.5 inch thick; if you use your iPad screen for long periods of time you will not experience any eye strain; it offers a high pixel resolution of 1024 x 768; it has the standard Apple external connector; the keyboard is larger than the other mobile Apple devices.

One of the freebies offered on the iPad is the EasyTask. It includes such things as ‘Getting Things Done’ which includes an Inbox, Someday, and Completed task lists. It also is capable of supporting projects and contexts. It allows you to sort your tasks by action, importance, or the due date. Another great feature is the OtterBox Defender Case. This is a case built specifically for this model. It is a great solution to protect your iPad against most of the weather elements. It consists of five parts. The outer shell is silicone. The inner shell comes in two pieces. It also offers a plastic screen cover. When removed this acts as a stand for the iPad. It also offers a strong screen protector. There is also a cleaning cloth as well as a Squeegee. Fortunately, the instructions are printed on the inner package.

All of the OtterBox products give outstanding protection. It allows you to remove the back part to charge or dock your device. It was specifically designed for people on the go, people who travel a lot, as well as for people who spend a lot of time in the outdoors. The case is built strong and it will definitely protect your iPad.

The iPad has been described as a “magical device.” This says it all. It is undoubtedly the most technologically advanced product at this time. The versatility that allows the user to surf the web, read a book, play a game, and even watch a TV show or a movie – this says it all.