New Macbook Airs arrive

With the launch of its OS X Lion operating system, Apple also updated their Macbook Air line of notebook computers. The thinnest and super powerful notebooks are now even faster. Here is a quick run down on the updated specs which matter most:

Intel core i5 & i7 processors:

The new airs come with Intel’s Sandy bridge based core i5 processors and also offer configuration options to upgrade to the more powerful core i7 processor. These processors are about 2 times more faster than their predecessors thus taking Macbook air’s performance to the next level.

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Apple Unveils the latest Macbook Pro – Faster, Thunderbolt and HD FaceTime

Apple unveiled upgrades to the Macbook Pro 13, 15 and 17 inch models to a better hardware. They now have better dual and quad core processors and a thunderbolt port.

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13″ MacBook Pro Spec Leak, Upgraded With Thunderbolt Port

I was planning to purchase a laptop and Apple has answered my prayers by upgrading the  MacBook Pro line.

Now, the website FSCKLog managed to leak the specifications of the 13″ inch MacBook Pro. The noteworthy improvements are

• Intel’s Core i5 processor (Sandy Bridge) – 2.23 Ghz, 3MB L3 Cache.
• Thunderbolt port – which is Intel’s Light Peak Data transfer technology which supports speeds up to 10Gbps.
• Two 13″ inch MacBook Pro versions (this one is the entry-level one) and another one with better hardware. (Sandy Bridge line of processors?)
• Intel HD 3000 graphics (entry level graphics, don’t hope to do gaming on this) -
• SDXC Slot which supports memory cards up to 2TB.

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Dell Adamo Becomes Affordable [Laptops]

Remember we told you about the sleek Adamo series that Dell launched to compete with Macbook Air? The only issue we ever had with it (apart from it running Windows) was the price. It was ridiculously expensive. But now Dell has gotten back to it’s senses and lowered the prices to make the notebook really worth a look.

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Apple updates Macbook Air; Launches FaceTime for Mac

In a much expected move, Apple has updated its Macbook Air line of notebooks and launched the infamous FaceTime application for Mac at their keynote event yesterday which was streamed live.

The new Macbook Air now comes in two sizes – 11.6 inches and 13.3 inches. Both have almost similar features:

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Apple updates Macbook Pros with Intel Core i5 & i7 processors

Apple has updated the 15 and 17 inch Macbook Pros with Intel Core i5 & i7 processors. 13 inch Macbook & Macbook Pros have not been updated.

15 inch MBPs now have 4GB RAM, switchable Intel HD and NVIDIA GeForce Graphics and a choice of i5 or i7 CPU.

The 17 inch comes with i5 as standard but you can get the i7 one for 200$ more. The rest of the specs are same as 15 inch.

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The New Dell Studio 15 Laptops [Notebooks]

Dell recently updated its Studio 15 range of notebook computers in India. The updated range boasts of high amount of RAM and solid graphics cards coupled with the latest processors. Let’s take a look at what’s inside the hood:

The 2 models above are featured on Dell’s website as preset models. They also seem to be the most popular owing to the balanced configuration.

Both the models have 4 GB of DDR2 RAM and 320 GB 5400 RPM hard drive. The display is pretty good with 720p (HD ready) resolution support on a 15.6’’ LED screen. There’s also gigabit ethernet coupled with Intel’s WiFi supporting 802.11n and a buttload of ports on these beasts.

The primary difference between the two models is the processor and the graphics memory. While the cheaper model sports the much successful Core 2 Duo T6400 processor with 256 MB of graphics memory, the expensive one boasts of the shiny new Core 2 Duo P8600 processor with double the amount of graphics memory.

The configuration might suggest that the laptops are suited for high end applications and gaming, however, looking at the price, these laptops can be a good choice for students and home users alike.

Apart from the awesome configuration and appropriate pricing, what I like about these laptops is their looks. I must say that they give some serious competition to the Macbooks. And Dell hasn’t left a chance to show these babies off. Check out some images (click to enlarge):

First Look: Sony Vaio VGN-CS24

Sony India launched its CS series of laptop in India some time back. The CS series has been doing pretty well in the US and Sony has added a lot of laptops to this range in India. Today we look at the VGN-CS24.

Configuration:

The laptop is targeted at students and home users. Clocking at 2 GHz with an ample amount of RAM, this laptop should be able to handle our daily surfing and multimedia tasks with ease. Students should be able to work seamlessly on MS Office and their school projects. The 250 GB HDD should be sufficient for those photos and media. Need more? get a portable USB hard drive.

This is not a high end machine, however, the good amount of RAM and a sound processor should be enough to run heavy applications like Adobe Photoshop, Flash etc. it will also be able to do your seldom video compression tasks. I wouldn’t count on this as a serious gaming machine, owing to the standard graphics, however, you should be able to play most games at medium or low settings. Although, Counter Strike, AOE etc. should run pretty smoothly on this.

A screen resolution of1280 x 800 should be enough for document editing, playing games and watching movies. The isolated (Macbook type) keyboard makes typing easier and faster. The wireless card supports “802.11 Draft n” networks which means that it will be compatible with the upcoming high speed wireless networks (802.11n).

The only downside is the bundled Windows Vista Home Basic OS. We would recommend installing Windows XP to leverage the full potential of the hardware.

With a decent battery life of 2.5 hours, this is a good choice for students and home users with casual multimedia needs. The laptop is available in 3 colors – Jet Black, Blazing Red & Noble Brown. The MRP is INR 49,990, but you can get this for approx INR 46k at most retail outlets and probably for even lesser at Nehru Place.

Dell unveils world’s thinnest notebooks

It has been quiet some time since Apple unveiled the Macbook Air. It was the world’s thinnest notebook and created waves of excitement all around.

Now Dell has come up with their entry in the thin notebook segment with the launch of Adamo. At 0.65 inches,  Dell claims this to be the world’s thinnest notebook (about 1/tenth inch thinner than Macbook Air).

The key features include a gorgeous 13.4” HD screen, Wireless N support, 5+ hours of battery life, Solid State Drives and backlit keyboard.  And yeah, they do look lovely. Check out the pics (click to enlarge):

Adamo is available in 2 colors – Pearl and Onyx. There will be 2 variants available with the following common features:

• Super-thin 13.4-inch 16:9 (High Definition; 720p) WLED display
• Full-size keyboard with back-lighting and scalloped, metallic key cap design
• Integrated 1.3 megapixel camera and integrated digital microphone
• IO: Display Port, USBx3 (1 eSATA combination), Audio Out and integrated RJ-45 port
• Communications: Gigabit LOM, Bluetooth 2.1, 802.11n (3×3)
• 5+ hr battery life using Li-Polymer cells; 40 Whr
• Compact power adapter
• Dimensions: (w x d x h) 13.03 x 9.5 x 0.65 in (331 x 242 x 16.39 mm)
• Weight: 1.81 kg (4.0 lb)
• 90 Days of Adamo Premium Service (US Only) (Select Configurations)
• Genuine Windows Vista®  Home Premium Service Pack 1 64-Bit

The two variants have the following specific features:

ADMIRE ($1,999)

• 1.2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Processor with Centrino technology
• 2GB 800MHz DDR3 dual-channel memory
• 128GB solid state drive

DESIRE ($2,699)

• 1.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Processor with Centrino technology
• 4GB 800MHz DDR3 dual-channel memory
• 128GB solid state drive
• Mobile Broadband

Dell has also launched an elegant range of accessories for Adamo. This will definitely stir up competition in the thin notebooks segment. I would love to see what Sony VAIO has to offer.

Dell is accepting pre bookings for adamo in the US.

Review: Acer 5920 series [Laptops]

Most people these days prefer to choose the Compaq/Dell counterparts over the Acer laptops (Despite Acer’s insane attempts at publicity by using Hrithik Roshan). But is that always a good decision or should you give Acer a second look? We at woikr review the popular Acer Aspire series of laptops and find out.

The Acer Aspire 5920 is a good  low to mid range laptop aimed at home users and students. The configuration is surprisingly good at this price point and is better than the competitors. Here is the detailed configuration of the model we reviewed:

The laptop performs really well in the mid range section of the notebook market. It runs  most common applications like web browsers, media players, development tools etc. without any hiccups. The graphics performance isn’t much to speak off but the laptop isn’t targetted at serious or even casual gamers.

It scores highly in the multimedia department. The screen is really bright and sharp.  And the refresh rate at 8ms is the lowest I have seen in laptops in this budget. The best part is the speakers. It has a dedicated subwoofer below it! The bass is not even near to the cheap desktop woofers, but it’s much better than other laptop speakers. The sound is loud and clear. If Acer is to be believed the speaker does surround sound to, but I didn’t find it too good. There is an S/PDIF connector if you want to connect the your Dolby speaker set. The thing is actually Dolby certified! Apart from this you have a VGA webcam that takes decent pictures and videos too. So, you don’t need to hookup a webcam the next time you’re in mood for video chat.

The connectivity options are pretty much standard. It has 4 USB ports which is a good number (I always think the 3 USB ports that most Compaqs have are 1 too less).  The 160 GB hard disk may not satisfy all your needs but external disks are cheap and comfortable to carry around so that shouldn’t be much of a problem.

The keyboard is really nice and comfortable. For a change the Quick keys are very accessible especially the Internet/Multimedia keys. The touchpad is decent but the buttons are a tad hard.

In the looks department the laptop is above average. It looks great from the outside but all the stickers on the neat white inside look clumsy. Also, it looks a bit too big when opened up. The weight is well balanced so it never feels heavy although it actually is on the heavier side. One thing I hated about the laptop is the opening latch, it’s clumsy and feels like it’ll break if used roughly.

The biggest issue that you might face is related to software. Acer has officially stopped supporting Windows XP. So, If you’re planning to use Windows XP on this laptop, you’re in for some trouble. After searching for hours we found drivers to almost all the hardware and Acer management software but some of it was unofficial. On the bright side, the laptop is not loaded with the junk that these companies install on there new systems.

Price:
The laptop can be easily purchased for approx 35500 INR at various shops in Bangalore. At this price, it ‘s arguably the most feature packed laptop and a great deal for almost everyone looking for a budget laptop.

Pros:

- Provides pretty much all the features you’ll ever need
- Faster CPU than competition in the same range
- Better speakers than competition
- 4 USB ports
- Good Webcam

Cons:

- Large size
- The Linux OS installed is really basic
- Clumsy opening latch

Here is how I rate it:

Performance: 4
Features: 4.5
Value for money: 4.5
Build quality: 3.5 (4.5 if the latch wasn’t there)
Looks: 4

Overall: 4.5

As you can see I really enjoyed the laptop despite it’s shortcomings. For all those who are wary of the Acer brand, give it a try. It’s good.