HP Mini 5102

HP Mini 5102

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If you're looking for a netbook with great battery life and good durability then the new HP Mini 5102 might be exactly what you need. You can even configure this netbook with a touchscreen for a tablet-like experience. Keep reading to find out if this business-class netbook is worth the price.
Our HP Mini 5102 features the following specifications:

Operating System: Genuine Windows 7 Starter (32-bit)
Processor: Intel Atom N450 Processor 1.66GHz (667MHz FSB)
Memory: 1GB 800MHz DDR2 SDRAM
Storage: 160GB 7200rpm SATA HDD
Display: 10.1-inch diagonal (1024x600)
Graphics: Intel GMA 3150 integrated graphics
Wireless: Broadcom 802.11a/b/g/n and Bluetooth 2.1 +EDR
Expansion: 4-in-1 media card slot
Dimensions (H x W x D): 0.91-1.25 x 10.4 x 7.25 inches (including feet)
Weight: 2.64 lb with 4-cell battery (not including weight of AC adapter).
Power: Standard 4-cell (28WHr)Lithium-ion battery or 6-cell (66WHr) extended-life battery like Hp OmniBook 6000 battery, Hp F1739A battery, Hp Omnibook XE battery, Hp F2024B battery, Hp F2024A battery, HP XH260 battery, HP Pavilion N5200 battery, Hp Omnibook XE3 battery, Hp 346970-001 battery, Hp HSTNN-DB02 battery, Hp F2019A battery, Hp F2019B battery
Warranty: One-year standard warranty
Starting price: $749.00 $599.00 $399.00 as of 2/1/2010

Our configuration of the HP Mini 5102 is not available for sale at the time of this writing. The closest configuration to our review unit currently available is the HP Mini 5102 model WH236UA ($899.00) which features a total of 2GB of system memory and HP Mobile Broadband (powered by Gobi) with GPS.

The HP Mini 5102 looks like a minor update to last year's Mini 5101 ... essentially a netbook version of HP's "ProBook" line of laptops designed for small and medium businesses. In fact, the Mini 5102 looks like what we would expect to see if someone shrunk down the HP ProBook 4510s to something small enough to fit inside a purse. The Mini 5102 is roughly one inch thick and weighs less than 3 pounds despite a very durable chassis that feels like it can handle years of abuse in your briefcase or backpack. The nearly full-size keyboard makes typing quick emails or editing documents a breeze ... even if you have to work on the tray table in coach class during a business flight. The traditional clamshell-like design gives the Mini 5102 a very clean look and the all-metal chassis means serious business. The brushed metal lid features a durable black finish and only suffers from a slight amount of flex under heavy pressure.

When open, the rubberized metal chassis and glossy black surfaces highlight the keyboard and 10-inch display. The thick bezel surrounding the matte screen offers additional protection and a place to keep your fingers off the screen when opening the netbook. The bezel is also needed in order to provide enough space for the larger keyboard. That said, I can't shake the feeling that the Mini 5102 would look better with either a larger screen or a smaller screen bezel. The screen hinges are made of metal and offer the perfect amount of resistance. You can pick up the Mini 5102 by the edge of the screen without feeling like something is going to break. While we're on the topic of carrying the netbook around, you can order the 5102 with an optional handle that is built-in to the chassis next to the battery for easy transport ... essentially turning the netbook into a tiny briefcase PC. The Mini 5102 is also available in red and blue just in case black isn't your color of choice.

HP engineers also added a few nice little features to the design of the Mini 5102 that I really appreciated. First, the battery features a button and LED meter so that you can quickly see how much charge is left in the battery. Four blue lights mean you've got a full charge and three blue LEDs and one blinking LED means you have somewhere between 75% and 100% remaining. Sure, the on-screen battery meter is more accurate but this little feature let's you know if you need to bring your AC adapter without powering on your netbook.

Another nice feature is the quick release switch for the RAM cover. Simply release the battery and then slide the right-side battery release switch all the way to the left and you can instantly pop off the cover for the RAM module. This makes upgrading the RAM nice and easy. I actually wish more netbooks made upgrading the RAM as easy as this.

When we first reviewed the HP Mini 5102 someone at HP had the bright idea to try and sell this netbook for twice the price of similar netbooks. Thankfully, HP has updated the pricing for this excellent business-class netbook and we can update our review. The current starting price of the HP Mini 5102 with 4-cell battery is just $399.00 ... making this one of the best values among current-generation, Atom-based netbooks.

The Mini 5102 offers fantastic build quality, delivers solid battery life numbers, and comes with some nice pre-loaded software. Unfortunately, the screen is only average, the touchpad is "blah" and the overall performance is no better than netbooks costing the same amount of money. We would have liked to see a higher resolution display, a better processor and better graphics, but the excellent build quality and reasonable price should be be enough to justify the purchase for most consumers and small business owners.

As long as you don't buy a configuration priced above $700 the the HP Mini 5102 is indeed a good value for a business-class netbook.

HP Pavilion dv2

HP Pavilion dv2

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The newest 12-inch notebook from HP is no ordinary ultra-portable laptop. Featuring the new AMD Athlon Neo processor, the HP Pavilion dv2 (dv2z) promises to bridge the gap between low-performance netbooks and higher-priced ultra-portable notebooks. This thin and light laptop can handle 1080p Blu-ray movies or even get you to the next level of your favorite video game. But at a price of $750, will consumers buy this instead of a $300 netbook?
Our HP Pavilion dv2 (dv2-1030us) features the following specifications:

1.6GHz AMD Athlon Neo Processor MV-40
4GB PC2-6400 DDR2 SDRAM 666MHz (1 Dimm)
Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit with Service Pack 1
12.1" WXGA High-Definition HP LED BrightView Widescreen Display (1280x800)
320GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3410 Graphics (512MB)
802.11a/b/g/n wireless and Bluetooth
5-in-1 card reader
External Lightscribe SuperMulti 8x DVD+/-R/RW with Double Layer Support
6-Cell Li-ion battery such as Hp HSTNN-UB02 battery, Hp DP390A battery, Compaq PP2100 battery, Compaq Presario R3000 battery(Compaq r3000 battery), Compaq Presario X6000 battery, Hp Pavilion ZV5000 battery(Hp zv5000 battery), Hp Pavilion ZV6000 battery(Hp zv6000 battery), Hp PF723A battery, Hp Omnibook XT1500 battery, Hp F2019 battery
Dimensions: 11.50 in (L) x 9.45 in (D) x 0.93 in (min H) / 1.29 in (max. H)
Weight: 3.95 lbs (with 6-cell battery)
Price as configured: $749

The design of the Pavilion dv2 is brand new for HP and features the AMD "Yukon" platform designed specifically for ultrathin laptops. The body of the dv2 is smooth with rounded edges, making it extremely comfortable in your hand while carrying it around. The design is compact, but the overall footprint is almost as wide as a 13-inch notebook because of the bezel around the keyboard and screen. The screen also sports a latchless design, making it easy to open the notebook with one hand. Although the lid lacks any latch to keep it held shut, the hinges feel nice and strong, keeping the lid secure. Pressing firmly onto the back of the screen cover will produce some ripples on the screen ... but you must apply significant pressure to cause this.

What might look like a giant beefy hinge for the 12-inch display is actually a standard 6-cell battery with a small hinge on either side of this thin and light laptop. The plastic covered, alloy-reinforced lid features a glossy black finish that looks subtle and stylish and doesn't scream "LOOK AT ME!" the way that the HP Imprint Finish does on most HP Pavilion notebooks.

The magnesium-aluminum alloy chassis is quite rigid and suffers from no flex or creaks even when twisted between my hands. Granted, this is due to the fact that the dv2 is less than one inch thick ... meaning there isn't much empty space inside the notebook for anything to bend under pressure. Bottom line, this notebook can survive the use and abuse from students who will toss it into a backpack every day for several years in a row.

In terms of upgradeability, the dv2z is much easier to upgrade than most netbooks and even some notebooks currently on the market. One panel provides access to the single RAM slot and a place for a Gobi WWAN card (available on custom configurations starting in June). Another panel gives you access to the Wi-Fi/Bluetooth card, and a final panel contains the hard drive. Although the dv2 provides easy access for upgrades, you won't be able to add more RAM to this notebook since it comes maxed out with a 4GB RAM module.

Under normal use, backlight at 50 percent and using wireless for web browsing and Vista set to "Power Saver" mode, the 6-cell battery managed to deliver four hours and 12 minutes of battery life. This is pretty good for a $750 ultra-portable notebook, but the ASUS Eee PC 1000HE netbook was able to deliver almost nine and a half hours of battery life with similar settings. If you switch to the "High Performance" mode in Windows Vista and boost the screen brightness to maximum then the battery life of the HP Pavilion dv2 drops to a modest two hours and 24 minutes.

I started this review with an important question, "at a price of $750, will consumers buy this instead of a $300 netbook?" The answer is, yes ... or at least I hope so.

The HP Pavilion dv2 satisfies an important need that low-cost netbooks never could. When netbooks originally hit the market at the end of 2007 every notebook industry analyst was certain that netbook sales would cannibalize the notebook market. Why would consumers buy a regular laptop if they can buy a $300 netbook? What ended up happening is that 95% of consumers who purchased a netbook purchased a netbook in addition to a notebook. Netbooks are great for travel but just don't have the performance and features needed to replace a regular laptop for most consumers.

The HP Pavilion dv2z is thin and light enough that it can replace a netbook, and it has enough performance to replace a full-size notebook. The only people who might need more performance are extreme gamers and people who need extreme processor speed and multiple cores for multitasking work like encoding two or more video formats simultaneously.

If you want to connect your laptop to your HDTV and watch 1080p video, the dv2 can handle it. If you want to edit high-resolution images in Photoshop while you're on vacation, the dv2z can handle it. If you want to play new video games and don't need extreme detail and frame rates, the dv2 can handle that too.

HP ZE4800 Budget Notebook

HP ZE4800 Budget Notebook

Welcome to a laptop battery specialist of the Hp laptop battery

HP is well known for their wide range of laptops that offer good price to feature ratios. I purchased the HP ZE4800 three months ago and can say that I absolutely love it. As with any laptop, there are of course short falls. After all, since money does not grow on trees, we all have to give and take when finding the right laptop for your needs. As a student, I needed a cheaper priced laptop and that is what lead me to HP. HP is one of the few notebook makers that use AMD mobile chips allowing for more bang for the buck in my opinion. I am not a gamer, so there was no need for a high end graphics card containing system. Wireless was a big factor for me though, so I went with an internal wireless b/g card. I bought this laptop at Staples for $899

Specs

AMD AthlonXP-M 2800+ 2.13 GHz
Microsoft Windows XP Home
512MB DDR SDRAM (2x256MB)
30 GB 4200 RPM Hard Drive
8X DVD/CDRW Combo Drive
Built in 56K Modem+10/100 LAN
Wireless B/G Card
14.1" TFT XGA (1024 x 768)
ATI Mobility Radeon IGP 320M
Microsoft Works/Money
8 Cell Lithium Ion Battery like Hp Pavilion DV1000 battery(Hp dv1000 battery), Hp 367759-001 battery, Hp PM579A battery, Hp Pavilion DV4000 battery(Hp dv4000 battery) , Hp Pavilion ZE2000 battery(Hp ze2000 battery), compaq Presario M2000 battery (compaq m2000 battery), Hp Pavilion ZT1100 battery, Hp Omnibook XT1000 battery
Ports: 2 USB, S-Video, parallel,serial,PS2

The mobile AMD chip speeds things up nicely for everyday items. It moves along seamlessly for web surfing and daily office use. If you want games, don't look here. Also don't expect to be doing much video or audio editing with the slow 4200RPM hard drive.

Battery life performance could be better too. With normal use I get less than 3 hours of life out of the battery. If you do little work and optimize power settings such as dimming the screen all the way then you might be lucky enough to get 3 hours.

This is not the most modern laptop, it does not have the latest bells and whistles and it is not the sleekest and slimmest laptop on the block. But again, price as a student was the main factor for me. The 14-inch screen works well and is adequate, but a wide screen HP such as the DV1000 or ZT3000 would be so much nicer. The wireless card works, but there is plenty of room for improvement. The battery life at just less than 3 hours is fine, but compared to newer Intel laptops, is not very good.

Other than these downfalls, the laptop is stable, sturdy, and built quite well. I have not encountered any problems and am overall pleased with my HP unit. If I had to do it all over again, I would get something with a larger screen. But if you are looking for great laptops at a reasonable price, look to HP. I hope this review will assist those looking for a laptop.

HP Compaq 2510p

HP Compaq 2510p

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The HP Compaq 2510p is a 12.1" screen ultraportable notebook designed for business people that are frequently on the go. The Compaq 2510p with batteries such as Compaq Presario V2000 battery(compaq v2000 battery), Hp pavillion zx5000 battery(Hp zx5000 battery), Hp PP2200 battery, Hp Pavilion dv2000 battery(Hp dv2000 battery), Hp HSTNN-LB31 battery, Hp EV088AA battery, Hp Pavilion ZT1000 battery, Hp Pavilion XZ200 battery replaces the older nc2400 ultraportable offering from HP. The 2510p improves upon the nc2400 by offering a touchpad, LED backlit display, the Intel Santa Rosa platform and a fresh new design look.

If you recall back to late May of 2007 when HP released its entire new business notebook lineup, we discovered the new naming convention for business notebooks to have the following classification based on number grouping:

Ultra-Light (2000)
Balanced Mobility (6000)
High Performance (8000).
While the letter designations at the end of a model number indicate the following:

s = standard
b = business
p = professional
w = workstation
So by this formula the 2510p is classified as an ultra-light professional level notebook. The "professional" connotation means that you'll get a slightly stronger build than a consumer notebook, more security features, less bloatware, better technical support and a finish that's more appropriate for a business environment.

The Compaq 2510p starts at a price of around $1,549 from the HP.com business store and can be configured in various manners, though being an ultraportable you are somewhat limited in processor choice -- you can choose between the Intel U7500 or U7600 ultra low voltage processor. Integrated graphics is the only choice you'll have and the hard drive is a slowish 1.8" 4200RPM variety, so there's no path to a super duper performance system. Rumor has it SSD might show up as an option at some point for this machine though.

The performance isn't really what you're looking for in an ultraportable though. It's the utility factor and how capable it is for on the go work that matters with such a machine. The integrated optical drive, light weight, great screen, nice keyboard and overall good design will serve therefore serve as a focus in this review.

HP 2510p Specs as Reviewed:

Intel Core 2 Duo U7600 1.20GHz Ultra Low Voltage processor
Chipset: Mobile Intel GM965
Memory: 2GB DDR2 SDRAM, one user accessible slot
Hard Drive: 1.8-in PATA 100GB 4200RPM
Graphics: Intel GMA X3100
Wireless: Intel 802.11a/b/g/n, Bluetooth (built-in WWAN is an option through Verizon or AT&T in the U.S.)
Communications: Intel Gigabit Network Connection
Expansion Slots: 1 Type I/II PC Card slot, Secure Digital slot
Ports: 2 USB 2.0 ports, VGA, stereo microphone in, stereo headphone/line out, FireWire, power jack, RJ-11 modelm, RJ-45 ethernet, docking connector for HP 2400/2500 ultra-light docking station
Input: Full-sized ekyboard, dual pointing device
Dimensions: (h x w x d) 0.97-in x 11.11 in x 8.38 in
Weight: starting at 3.2lbs
Power: 9-cell (83 WHr), 6-cell (55 WHr) or 3-cell (28 WHr)
Warranty: 3-year limited, 1-year on battery

HP EliteBook 8560p

HP EliteBook 8560p

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The HP EliteBook 8560p is the latest generation of 15-inch premium business notebooks from Hewlett-Packard. This aluminum-clad workhorse is designed to serve as a mobile desktop replacement for business professionals who need cutting-edge technology wrapped inside a durable shell. Keep reading to find out if the new EliteBook is as "elite" as it looks.

HP EliteBook 8560p Specifications:

Windows 7 Professional 64-bit
Intel Core i7-2620M (2.70GHz, 4MB L3 cache)
4GB 1333MHz DDR3 SDRAM
500GB 7200 rpm SATA II Hard Drive
DVD+/-RW SuperMulti drive with LightScribe
15.6-inch diagonal LED-backlit HD+ WVA anti-glare (1600 x 900)
AMD Radeon HD 6470M with 1 GB dedicated DDR3 video memory
720p HD webcam
10/100/1000 Ethernet
Intel Centrino 802.11a/b/g/n wireless
Bluetooth 2.1+EDR
90W Smart AC adapter with HP Fast Charge
6-cell (62 WHr) Li-Ion battery like Hp F4486B battery, Hp CGR-B1870AE battery, Hp Pavilion ZD7000 battery, Hp PP2182D battery, Hp 338794-001 battery, Hp 345027-001 battery, Hp 342661-001 battery, Hp pavilion dv6000 battery(Hp dv6000 battery), Hp PB991A battery, Hp PP2182L battery
Weight: 6.05 lb
Dimensions (w x d x h): 14.72 x 9.86 x 1.34 inches
MSRP: $1,499.00 (starting price: $1,099.00)

In recent years the HP EliteBooks have distinguished themselves in the business world thanks to an exterior design featuring brushed-metal cladding and an interior chassis made of durable magnesium alloy. In short, the EliteBooks look cool and are built tough. The latest generation of HP EliteBooks takes that heritage a few steps further with what HP calls its "FORGE" design philosophy. FORGE is actually an acronym for the words, "Form, Optimization, Richness, Green and Enduring." If you want to overlook that marketing fluff for a moment, what HP is trying to say is that these notebooks are stylish, offer excellent performance, deliver a premium feel, provide efficient power management for long battery life, and are very well built to survive the rigors of business use.

Those might sound like bold claims but, based on what we've seen from the previous generation of EliteBooks, those marketing claims have a very real basis in fact.

One of the first things you'll notice when you pick up the new 15-inch EliteBook 8560p is that the notebook feels like it's made of very thick chunks of aluminum. You won't feel the "flex" that you normally see in cheaper plastic laptops. The 8560p notebook features a completely redesigned HP DuraCase that meets the MIL-STD 8710G military-standard testing specifications, meaning these notebooks withstand greater wear and tear than a typical laptop. Despite the rugged build quality this notebook should be easy to carry thanks to a starting weight of just over six pounds.

Six pounds might sound heavy for a 15-inch notebook when there are many 17-inch consumer laptops that tip the scales at about the same weight. That said, I challenge anyone to build a metal-encased business notebook with high-end CPU, a discrete graphics card, and a built-in optical drive that weighs less than five pounds. The extra pound or so of weight comes from all that metal armor covering the notebook.

The EliteBook p-series is available with second-generation (Sandy Bridge) Intel Core i7 quad-core processors and Core i7, i5 and i3 dual-core processors, with your choice of integrated graphics or AMD Radeon HD 6470M discrete graphics. The notebook also feature USB 3.0 ports and a USB 2.0 charging port, in addition to a variety of wireless options and either hard disk drive or solid-state disk drives for storage.

The bottom of the 8560p is quite strong (no flex or creaks under pressure) and features a single massive access panel for making upgrades or replacing components. It should be extremely easy for an IT manager or even a lone small business owner to upgrade the RAM or replace a hard drive. You'll also notice the docking station connector on the bottom of the notebook in case you need to plug the 8560p into multiple external displays or you need additional ports.

The HP EliteBook 8560p is a solid update to the EliteBook line of business laptops. The combination of powerful Intel Sandy Bridge processors, a stylish-yet-durable design, and decent battery life make for a very well-balanced business notebook.

My biggest complaints may or may not be a concern for most potential EliteBook buyers. The optional AMD Radeon 6470M graphics is good, but not particularly remarkable when you consider the $1,499 price tag. Given that this is an EliteBook it's reasonable for customers to assume this notebook offers extremely high-end graphics/video performance and we're just not seeing it here. Likewise, the lack of a 1080p screen option is a bit disappointing when competitors are offing full HD screens on their 15-inch notebooks. I was also sad that HP didn't give the 8560p a backlit keyboard or a three-button touchpad.

Again, if none of those quibbles stand out as major problems to you then the new EliteBook 8560p might be the best business notebook for your needs.

HP dv8000

HP dv8000

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The HP dv8000 is a desktop replacement, 17-inch widescreen notebook that comes with either the AMD Turion-64 or the Intel Core Duo processor. The dv8000 is a thinner and lighter replacement for HP's previous 17-inch widescreen zd8000, and like the rest of the dv- family, comes in a two-tone, light gray and black color scheme. While it falls short of the top-of-the-line, 17-inch Dell and Toshiba models that include features like dedicated graphics and integrated TV tuners, the dv8000 with battery such as Hp Pavilion dv8000 battery(Hp dv8000 battery), Hp HSTNN-DB20 battery, Hp 395789-001 battery, Hp 396008-001 battery, Hp Pavilion dv9000 battery(Hp dv9000 battery), Hp EV087AA battery, Hp EX942AA battery, Hp Pavilion ZT3000 battery, Hp PB994A battery is more than sufficient for most people. With good build quality, a beautiful screen, large storage options, numerous ports, and a price near $1,000, the dv8000 is an excellent value.

Specifications of the dv8000z reviewed

AMD Turion-64 ML-32 (1.8GHz/512KB L2 Cache)
512MB 333MHz DDR SDRAM (1x512MB 200-pin SODIMM)
100GB 4200RPM HD
17-inch Ultra Brightview WXGA+ screen
128MB ATI RADEON XPRESS 200M w/Hypermemory
DVD+/-RW/R & CW-RW Combo w/Double Layer Support
Windows XP Home
Broadcom 802.11b/g WLAN

The dv8000 follows the same stylistic elements as its older dv-series counterparts. The two-tone case is light gray on exterior facing surfaces and black on interior surfaces. Most of the ports are located on either side of the machine for easy access, and are conveniently labeled on the keyboard surface facing the user. Power and volume buttons reside above the keyboard, as well as buttons for launching the included HP QuickPlay software, a wireless switch, and a button for Windows Calculator. All of the buttons are backlit with blue light except the wireless indicator, which stands alone in the hinge of the screen. Blue indicator lights are also provided for NUM and CAPS lock on the keyboard, and for power and drive usage on the front panel.

The build quality is generally good, with little keyboard flex and a screen that stays well in place. It does not have the indestructible feel of the ThinkPads, but compares as well as or better than most of the mainstream notebooks on the market. My unit came with several scratches on the keyboard and one faint grease stain on the cover.

The specified weight for the dv8000 is 8.1 lbs, which is about 10% lighter than the zd8000 but still fairly hefty. The width and length is large enough that carrying it around generally requires purchase of an extra-large notebook case, but at least it is relatively thin for a desktop replacement. Still, because of its heft and dimensions, this is not a notebook that you will want to carry around everywhere you go.

For reference, below is a top and side view of the dv8000z underneath a Toshiba Satellite M45 underneath a Thinkpad X40.

The HP dv8000 is a respectable budget desktop replacement notebook that provides good power and a pleasantly large screen in a well-built package that is not too heavy to carry around or to use on your lap. With prices currently ranging from around $800 for the barebones to $1600 well equipped, the dv8000 series provides excellent value compared to other comparable systems and adds HP's reputedly good customer service.

Sony VAIO E-series laptops

Sony VAIO E-series laptops

Welcome to a laptop battery specialist of the Sony laptop battery

The Sony VAIO E-series laptops are the most affordable notebook PCs available from Sony. The 14-inch VAIO EA and the 15-inch VAIO EB bring the style and extra features associated with the Sony brand name to you starting as low as $649. Keep reading to take a closer look at the VAIO EA.

Our review unit of the Sony VAIO EA (VPCEA3CFX) has the following specifications:

Intel Core i3 370M (2.4GHz, 3MB L3 cache)
Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
14-inch LED-backlit display (1366x768)
Intel GMA HD integrated graphics
4GB DDR3 (1066MHz) system memory
500GB hard drive (5400rpm)
CD/DVD player/burner
Bluetooth (2.1 + EDR)
Ethernet: 10Base-T/100Base-TX/1000Base-T
Wi-Fi: Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6200 (802.11/b/g/n)
Intel Wi-Di (wireless display transmitter)
Standard Capacity Lithium-ion Battery (5000mAh) like Sony PCGA-BP1N battery, Sony PCGA-BP2NX battery, Sony PCGA-BP2NY battery, Sony PCGA-BP2R battery, Sony PCGA-BP2S battery, Sony PCGA-BP2T battery, Sony PCGA-BP2V battery, Sony PCGA-BP4V battery, Sony PCGA-BP71 battery
Dimensions: 13.60(W) x 1.07(H) x 9.39(D) inches
Weight: 5.2 pounds
Color: Coconut White
MSRP: $849 (optional $19.99 keyboard skin brings total to $868.99)

The Sony VAIO AE is the latest 14-inch general purpose laptop from Sony. The E-series notebooks are the most affordable full-featured notebooks in the VAIO product line and you can probably argue that the "E" stands for "Economy class." The laptop body is made of a combination of matte black plastics and polished plastics in your choice of Lava Black, Hibiscus Pink, Coconut White, Iridescent Blue, or Passion Purple colors. Our review sample is "Coconut White" but pearl white might be a more accurate description of the color in real life. All of the plastics feel firm with no obvious flex or creaking sounds when you apply pressure to the chassis. Despite being designed as a budget laptop, the VAIO EA feels reasonably well built. The screen hinges offer enough resistance to hold the display in place yet aren't so tensioned that opening the laptop is difficult.

The screen lid, palm rests and touchpad plastics are made with overlapping layers of clear acrylic with different patterns on different layers. The end result is a multi-layer design that looks a bit like the scrolling pixel code in The Matrix movies. Don't let that description prevent you from considering this laptop; the effect is pretty subtle since the layered patterns are done using the same color as the rest of the laptop. Most people won't even notice the design on the lid or palm rests unless they are within a few feet of your laptop.

Users looking to upgrade or tweak the VAIO EA will find plenty to keep them happy once they look at the bottom of the notebook. Sony engineers were kind enough to include two access panels on the bottom of the chassis that allow you to replace the RAM or the hard drive with whatever you want. Since our review unit came with 4GB of system memory and a 500GB hard drive it's unlikely that most consumers will upgrade either, but if you decide to purchase a high-performance solid state drive (SSD) then it's good to know that you can easily put it inside the VAIO EA.

Sony VAIO N series

Sony VAIO N series

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The Sony VAIO N series is a bit of a new page in the playbook for Sony. The VAIO N is a 15.4” widescreen notebook that can actually be called a budget level notebook, in the past we haven’t seen Sony go after cost conscious customers. The VAIO N is squarely targeted at consumers that want a stylish and suitably powerful laptop just for around the home. This review will investigate whether that goal is achieved.

The model being reviewed here is specifically the Sony VAIO VGN-N130G/B and the following specs:

Processor: 1.6 GHz Intel Core Duo T2050
Screen: 15.4-inch WXGA (1280 x 800) LCD with XBRITE-ECO technology (glossy display)
Battery: Sony VGP-BPL2 battery, Sony VGP-BPS2 battery, Sony VGP-BPS3 battery, Sony VGP-BPS5 battery, Sony VGP-BPS8 battery, Sony VGP-BPS9 battery, Sony PCG-R505 battery, Sony PCG-V505 battery, Sony PCG-Z505 battery
Hard Drive: 80 GB hard drive, 5400 RPM
Color: Grey and Black
Memory: 1 GB RAM (2 GB max) 533MHz
Graphics: Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950 (128 MB of shared RAM)
Optical Drive: multi-format/dual-layer DVD/CD burner
Wireless: Intel 3945abg card (802.11a/b/g), 10/100 Ethernet
OS: Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005--Windows Vista capable and Windows Vista Premium ready
Size: 10.5 inches x 14.4 inches x 1.6 inches (L x W x H)
Weight: 6.8 pounds
Ports:
Two USB 2.0 ports
FireWire (also known as IEEE 1394 or i.Link)
ExpressCard/34 slot
VGA monitor out
S-Video out
Stereo headphones/speakers/line-out
Microphone/line-in
Memory Stick reader (compatible with Memory Stick PRO and PRO DUO with MagicGate functionality)
SD Card reader slot

The packaging for the VAIO N is pretty basic but fits the bill. The box is sized only as big as it needs to be, it’s very easy to carry and sturdy. Inside the package everything has been wrapped properly to ensure safe shipping from production to the owner’s waiting hands. The contents of the package are pretty basic as well. You get the laptop, battery, power adapter and cord, a couple of discs (alas, no recovery discs) and a small getting started guide.

Toshiba Qosmio X500

Toshiba Qosmio X500

Welcome to a laptop battery specialist of the Toshiba Laptop Battery

"Premium gaming power and performance. The Qosmio X500 is designed for gaming, high definition entertainment and high performance computing."

As Toshiba is keen to make clear in its own adverstising, the Qosmio X500 is one of the most powerful laptops currently available, and with some of the latest technology inside, we're expecting a powerful performer that's a treat to use.

The processor in the Qosmio X500-11D with batteries like Toshiba PA2487U Battery, Toshiba PA3107U-1BRS Battery, Toshiba PA3383U-1BRS Battery, Toshiba PA3384U-1BRS Battery, Toshiba PA3285U-1BRS Battery, Toshiba PA3191U-1BRS Battery, Toshiba PA3166U-1BRS Battery, Toshiba PA3331U-1BRS Battery, Toshiba PA3098U-1BRS Battery, Toshiba PA3084U-1BRS Battery is the best that's currently available: an Intel Core i7-720QM with four cores! With such a powerful engine, this laptop reached 127 on our CPU index and 135 overall. You can compare that to the 100 on our standard reference, the Fujistu-Siemens Amilo Xi 3650 with its Intel Core 2 Duo T9400. Although it's a little behind the Asus G60J, these are still excellent results which show how easily this computer can handle both office tasks and multimedia fun like gaming, photos and video.

The Core i7 CPU is more than capable of playing 1080p HD Blu-ray standard video by itself, but this can also be done by the Nvidia graphics card. To get the most out of its excellent decoding ability, we recommend you go for software that can use the hardware decoding that's available. Power DVD 9 and Media Player Classic HC with the right codecs are just two options. Doing this takes a lot of work off the processor which can then get on with other things. In practice, the energy consumption falls form 85 to 74 W, while the load on the CPU drops to a negligible 1%, compared to 18% without the graphics card.

It lasted just 1 hour 48 minutes in out standard video playback test (WiFi turned off, headphones plugged in and brightness at 100 cd/m²), so the X500 isn't really the type of computer that you take with you on the road very often. It's much more at home in your front room, or as a desktop replacement in an office.

The huge charger only confirmed our impression. It's an absolute brick, and comes on top of the 4.6 kg of the computer itself. This laptop really does fall into the category of transportables ...

Progress at last! With contrast of 805:1 (blacks at 0.25 cd/m² against whites of 201.3 cd/m²) and a Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixel) display, this laptop does better than much of the competition.

It still relies on TN panel technology, like just about every other laptop out there, with a response time of 5 ms. As a result, the viewing angles from above and below aren't great, but the screen is responsive enough for office work and watching films.

By default, the colours aren't accurate and we measured an average discrepancy, or deltaE, or 7.5. After calibration, that feell to 0.9.

The Qosmio X500 is one of the most powerful laptops currently available, and nothing stands in its way. But it's also a transportable, rather than a portable, computer, and we were disappointed by its speakers and trackpad.

Toshiba Satellite U840W

Toshiba Satellite U840W

Welcome to a laptop battery specialist of the Toshiba Laptop Battery

The 21:9 display has finally found its way onto the laptop and batteries such as Toshiba PA3399U-1BRS Battery, Toshiba PA3395U-1BRS Battery, Toshiba PA3250U-1BRS Battery, Toshiba PA3356U-1BRS Battery, Toshiba PA3291U-1BRS Battery, Toshiba PA3506U-1BRS Battery, Toshiba PA3591U-1BRS Battery, Toshiba Portege 4000 Battery, Toshiba Satellite A10 Battery, Toshiba Satellite A100 Battery market. One such product is the Toshiba Satellite U840W, a 14.4-inch ultrabook running Windows 7.

In the run-up to the Windows 8 release, Toshiba has continued expanding its notebook line with this 14.4-inch ultrabook. The "W" in the name stands for "Wide", which the U840W most certainly is, with its 21:9 aspect ratio (1792 x 768 resolution). To make full use of the screen Toshiba has included a split-screen manager that allows you to display multiple tasks side-by-side.

The shape will turn more than one head, with the laptop taking on a sort of flattened-out look. Toshiba thinks it resembles a chic women's hand-bag when closed. Why not.

Inside are an Intel Core i5 Ivy Bridge processor, up to 10 GB of DDR3 RAM and a choice of a solid-state drive of up to 256 GB or a 500 GB HDD plus a 32 GB SSD.

The Satellite U840 has three USB 3.0 ports on the sides, each of which can feed peripherals and chargers even when the computer's turned off. It also features SRS Premium Sound 3D technology and harman/kardon speakers. The minimum weight is 1.57 kg.

We should point out that the soft-touch lining on the base of the keyboard and the lid are of very good quality and the device is remarkably well finished. It currently runs Windows 7, but it's ready to handle the switch-over to Windows 8. The Satellite U840W is already on sale and runs for the recommended price of £899.

Toshiba Satellite C655D

Toshiba Satellite C655D

Welcome to a laptop battery specialist of the Toshiba Laptop Battery

For the last few years, the sub-$400 notebook realm has mostly been the exclusive province of netbooks. Budget mainstream notebooks sometimes dip below the $500 mark, but it's usually a clearance item or a Black Friday deal. So the 15-inch Toshiba Satellite C655D may shock a few consumers when they see it with a $398 price tag at Walmart (where it's being sold exclusively). This machine offers a basic design, an AMD Fusion processor that promises slightly better performance than a netbook, and long life battery like Toshiba Satellite A70 Battery, Toshiba Satellite A75 Battery, Toshiba Tecra 8000 Battery, Toshiba Tecra 8100 Battery, Toshiba Tecra 9000 Battery, Toshiba Tecra 9100 Battery, Toshiba Satellite 1900 Battery, Toshiba Satellite A60-662 Battery, Toshiba Satellite A65 Battery, Toshiba Satellite 2100 Battery, Toshiba PA3291U-1BAS Battery, Toshiba PA3591U-1BAS Battery. Was Toshiba able to bring the mainstream budget price range down without sacrificing too much? Read on.

Weighing in at 5 pounds, the Satellite C655D is pretty light for a 15-incher. The matte black lid and deck have a dimpled texture that gives the notebook a nice grip. Above the keyboard are two oval speaker grilles, which are also plastic, but have a nice glossy trim. We're fans of the simple all-black color scheme, which isn't marred by many ostentatious LEDs (though there are two that indicate when the Number and Caps Lock is on).

During testing, the Satellite C655D notebook remained pretty cool. After playing a Hulu clip at full screen for 15 minutes, the space between the G & H keys was only 83 degrees, the touchpad only 82 degrees, and the middle of the underside only 84 degrees. Those temps are all well within our acceptable range. The hottest area on the notebook was near the vent, naturally, but even then it only reached 95 degrees--also within the acceptable threshold.

One area where the Satellite C655D did very well is on the LAPTOP Battery Test (continuous web surfing over Wi-Fi). It lasted 4 hours and 51 minutes, about 50 minutes longer than the average mainstream notebook. The MSI CR650's runtime was just a bit behind (4:38), and the Dell Inspiron 14R was almost 2 hours shorter (3:01).

The Realtek b/g/n wireless radio offered achieved a date rate of 29.1 Mbps at 15 feet from the router and only 15.6 Mbps at 50 feet away. Both scores are below the mainstream average (33.9/22.1) and well behind the MSI and Dell notebooks.

It helps to think of the Toshiba Satellite C655D more as a big netbook than a well-rounded mainstream notebook. At $398 (currently $378 at Walmart), it costs the same as many of those higher-end 10-inch systems, yet it offers a much larger screen and better graphics. Still, consumers must temper their expectations. Even though it has a 15-inch screen, you can't expect it to perform like similarly sized notebooks that cost $150 more. But if you're looking for a very basic laptop and a 10-inch screen is too small for you, the C655D is a pretty good deal.

Toshiba Tecra A11-S3540

Toshiba Tecra A11-S3540

Welcome to a laptop battery specialist of the Toshiba Laptop Battery

Not all business users need to travel with their notebooks. Maybe you want a powerful laptop at your desk with a fairly large screen and prefer to use a netbook, iPad, or smart phone on the road instead. And maybe you want that primary PC to offer screaming performance—without breaking the bank. Enter Toshiba’s Tecra A11 with batteries such as Toshiba PA3107U-1BAS Battery, Toshiba PA3383U-1BAS Battery, Toshiba PA3384U-1BAS Battery, Toshiba PA3285U-1BAS Battery, Toshiba PA3191U-1BAS Battery, Toshiba PA3166U-1BAS Battery, Toshiba PA3331U-1BAS Battery, Toshiba PA3098U-1BAS Battery, Toshiba PA3084U-1BAS Battery, Toshiba PA3399U-1BAS Battery, Toshiba PA3250U-1BAS Battery, Toshiba PA3356U-1BAS Battery, which combines a superfast Core i7 processor with discrete Nvidia graphics for a reasonable price. While this 15.6-inch system is somewhat plain to look at, it also boasts security and IT features that will protect your investment and your data. Just be sure to keep an outlet close.

Editors’ Note: While the A11 comes preinstalled with Windows XP Professional, Toshiba packages Windows 7 Professional with the system, which we installed prior to running our benchmark tests. Also, portions of this review were taken from our earlier review of the Toshiba Tecra A11 (S3510).

The A11’s matte black lid is dimpled with a handsome pattern that doesn’t show fingerprints, and it continues on the deck; the bezel is also a matte black plastic, but lacks the fancy design. Overall, this a very understated look that will no doubt appeal to business users, but it lacks the panache of the HP ProBook series, which has a more elegant brushed aluminum lid.

Above the keyboard are buttons for launching Toshiba’s Eco utility, outputting the screen to a projector or larger display, and volume controls. These are handy to have, but we think they would be better put to use if they offered quick access to, say, PowerPoint or some other business-centric function.

Measuring 14.7 x 9.9 x 1.5 inches and weighing 5.8 pounds, the A11 is a bit too bulky to carry around; those who travel often should look elsewhere. This notebook is certainly portable enough to take to meetings, but you’ll need to keep an eye on that battery meter (more on that below).

While the version of the Tecra A11 with integrated graphics saw a runtime of 4 hours and 37 minutes (an hour longer than average), this model lasted just 2:06. That abysmal runtime is nearly 2 hours less than the category average. This is the price you’ll pay for a Core i7 processor and discrete graphics.

Wi-Fi throughput was very strong. The Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6200AGN 802.11a/g/n radio saw throughput of 38.5 Mbps at 15 feet from our router, and 25.7 Mbps at 50 feet.

The A11 also comes with Intel’s My WiFi technology; once enabled, it allows the user of the A11 to share his or her Internet connection, creating an ad-hoc wireless network.

In the Tecra A11, Toshiba has created a very capable and affordable system for business users. For $1,349, you get a powerful processor, Nvidia graphics, and a high-resolution screen—but atrocious battery life. However, this laptop is loaded with useful productivity features (such as the ability to create a hotspot on the fly), security utilities like Secure Digital Token, and a three-year warranty. Before taking the plunge, though, make sure you need discrete graphics; otherwise, you could probably get by on a system like the 14-inch HP EliteBook 8440p, which costs about $400 less, has a more durable and stylish design, and lasts about twice as long on a charge.