A Product Review of the 14.1″ Sony VAIO VGN-CR420E/N Laptop
The most popular price range for laptops is currently the $700-800 range. This Toshiba Satellite sits firmly within that range and is one of their top selling models. I have gotten my hands on one and I'm going to let you know what you can expect, as well as who can get the most out of owning one of these notebooks. First I'm going to start with the basics.
Hardware:
Imaging: Integrated Webcam
Display: 15.4″ LCD
Processor: 1.83 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T5550
Storage: 200GB
RAM: 2 GB RAM (expandable to 4GB)
Optical Drive: CD R / RW burner with integrated DVD +/- R RW dual layer burner
Graphics Accelerator: Integrated Intel GMA X3100 graphics (using up to 256mgs of shared RAM)
Operating on: Windows Vista Home Premium
Dimensions: 14.3″ x 10.5″ x 1.55″
Weight: 6lbs
At first glance this Toshiba is a little larger than I would like weighing in at 6lbs and being over an inch and a half thick when closed up. Once you open it up you notice that the screen really is fairly nice for this price range. Toshiba does a great job on their screens and this one has a nice gloss and a resolution you could compared to something like a 720p television. Though this isn't what you would refer to as an entertainment PC it does have a spacious hard drive. The graphics card isn't great and uses the system's ram as its memory which strains the system's limited resources. The 1.83 Intel is also a little underpowered. It is a decent mobile device because it gets good mileage out of the battery; it is just a little bulky.
Toshiba has a good deal of trial ware preinstalled on this notebook so the first thing I would recommend doing if you have made the purchase would be to remove most of it. A great deal of it starts up and runs in the background when you boot up the PC. You can see them down on the system bar, there are so many it doesn't even display them all. It isn't quite as bad with Toshiba as it is with some manufacturers (cough cough … Sony).
Connectivity:
Integrated Wireless
1 Ethernet port
4 2.0 USB ports (gold standard PC input, use these to connect to your digital camera, printer or whatever)
1 FireWire port (for high speed data transfer between another PC or your digital camcorder)
1 VGA output (to connect to a standard PC monitor)
1 S-Video output (can connect to compatible TV's or to a projector)
1 audio out / 1 microphone in
ExpressCard slot
The connectivity is standard although mine doesn't have Bluetooth bundled. This is something that I would've expected even at this price point. It isn't a big deal because you can always buy a separate dongle but it is a little disappointing. I do like seeing that there is 4 not just 3 USB ports. Otherwise everything is standard and what I like to see. Currently priced at $769 it is a little high for my tastes. I would like to see it closer to $699 before I would pull the trigger. In the end it will please about any typical notebook user.
from: Alayshas Blog
World Cup fever hits netbook industry. Manufacturers trying pump up its sales differentiated their product World Cup themed lid their ntook. First we got Samsung N150 Adidas which originally packs 10.1-inch 1024x 600 display, 1.66GHz N450 Atom processor boast Bluetooth 3.0.
The second one also Korean manufacturer, famous LG which released its LG X140 World Cup Edition. Beside its World cup themed lid, netbook pack same old specs like 10.1” 1024 x 600 or 1366 x 768 display, Atom N450 or N470 processor, 1 / 2GB RAM, 250 / 320GB HDD, 6-cell or 9-cell battery (up 12 hours battery life), 1.3MP webcam, SRS TruSurround HD sound, 3G Windows 7 Starter.
And last not least Hi-Grade Notino mL815E which also comes with an “England Red” lid. Obviously this one designed fans England’s football team.The netbook packs 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450 Pine Trail processor,1GB RAM, 250GB hard drive. Its display 10 inch 1024 x 600 pixel display Notino mL815E arrive Windows 7 Starter Edition. The netbook available £311 ($447 US) price tag.
LG Electronics has unveiled its new WIDEBOOK notebook range. Each model in the series features a wide 16:9 HD LED-backlit display and Intel Core 2 Duo processor to offer an extreme entertainment experience to consumers. The WIDEBOOK range comprises five models – the R580/R560, R480/R460 and R380 – and further cements LG’s position as a global notebook player. LG recognises consumer demand for notebooks over conventional desktop PCs is building, as is evidenced by the growth of the netbook market.
“Notebooks are more popular than desktop PCs in many parts of the world due to their mobility and connectivity. The key to success in the market going forward is to design lighter, more stylish notebooks with powerful PC-like functions,” said H.S Paik, the President of LG Electronics Gulf FZE. “We believe that LG’s advanced technology and experience in the mobile sector positions us well to deliver cutting-edge products to our consumers.”
The WIDEBOOK series is available in various screen sizes, with the R580 and R560 boasting a 15.6” display while the R480 and R460 units include a 14” screen and the diminutive R380 packs a 13.3” panel. The R580 and R480 are positioned as premium models and sport a stylish design, while the R560 and R460 are reliable everyday workhorses and the R380 offers a blend of performance at an affordable price.
The new WIDEBOOK notebook range has also been awarded the world’s first Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) certification for a notebook running Microsoft’s Windows 7 Home Premium. DLNA certification, the gold standard for home networking technology, is designed to ensure the quick, convenient sharing of multimedia content among a variety of consumer electronics products. DLNA-certified PCs, mobile devices and home entertainment appliances can seamlessly share such content as music, photos and video using either a wired or wireless network irrespective of brand. Already, some 200 companies worldwide have products supporting DLNA.
The WIDEBOOK series boast superb features to help them serve as mobile entertainment stations. The 16:9 widescreen display is optimized for HD content and ships in 1600 x 900 and 1368 x 768 HD pixel resolutions, depending on the model. The LED backlight also means that the screens draw 15-20% less power than existing notebooks, which also helps boost battery life. Each machine in the range includes SRS TruSurround HD sound to bring movies to life.
The premium R580 notebook is sure to prove popular with movie buffs thanks to its inclusion of a Blu-ray drive. The WIDEBOOK range packs Intel Core 2 Duo processors with 2GB or 4GB of turbo memory and a NVIDIA GeForce graphics chip with up to 1GB of DDR2 video memory, providing plenty of power for general use and adequate punch for 3D games. In fact, according to tests using 3DMark06, these graphics subsystems offer between three and six times the performance of Intel’s GMA X4500MHD chipset.
LG has bundled a Smart Pack with the WIDEBOOK range to help provide customization and quick diagnosis of errors to help even novice users maintain a problem-free PC. Smart Indicator is a customizable quick-launch feature that helps the user set up a list of frequently used functions for quick and easy access. Smart Care and Smart Recovery provide intelligent diagnosis and repair of system errors.
The WIDEBOOK R380 also includes a Smart On feature that enables the machine to be booted in only five seconds. Smart On enables users to rapidly access commonly-used applications including a web browser, messenger, games, photo viewer and MP3 player.
The WIDEBOOK series is packed with a range of easy-of-use features as well. A 1.3-megapixel webcam is included and the You-Cam viewing software offers editing and an integrated UI for video chatting and conferencing. WIDEBOOK models offer an e-SATA port to connect with current-generation hard drives and a High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) connector is included.
Beyond the widescreen and high-performance multimedia features, the WIDEBOOK offers a stylish exterior to suit the most style-conscious consumers. The cutting-edge style includes a UV coating and trendy low-profile chrome hinge. The premium R580 and R480 models also include a row of backlit blue buttons to provide quick access to features.
The WIDEBOOK is also available in a range of colors including shiny white and crystal black colors for the R580 / R560 and R480 / R460 to add a sleek look and feel. The R380 is designed for the youth market and is available in white, black and pink schemes.