HP ZE4800 Budget Notebook

HP ZE4800 Budget Notebook

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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

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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

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"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

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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

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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

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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.

Fujitsu LifeBook UH900

Fujitsu LifeBook UH900

Welcome to a laptop battery specialist of the Fujitsu Laptop Battery

It’s bigger and more powerful than a smart phone but not as large as a traditional netbook, so is the Fujtsu LifeBook UH900 just right or just an overpriced tweener? On the plus side, this little guy weighs only 1.1 pounds, although it is rather thick. And we like that the 5.6-inch display supports multitouch input. The champagne color is also distinctive. Plus, the built-in Garmin app lets the UH900 double as a GPS navigator. And then there’s the price tag.

This tiny Windows 7 wonder will cost you a cool $1,000. Still, there is something about being able to get a full Web experience on something so small. The UH900 packs with battery such as Fujitsu FPCBP80 Battery, Fujitsu FPCBP77 Battery, Fujitsu FPCBP68 Battery, Fujitsu FPCBP63 Battery, Fujitsu FPCBP95 Battery, Fujitsu FPCBP36 Battery, Fujitsu LifeBook B2566 Battery, Fujitsu LifeBook B2620 Battery, Fujitsu FPCBP37 Battery, Fujitsu LifeBook B2175 Battery a Atom Z530 processor, 2GB of RAM, and a 64GB SSD for storage. It also comes with an SD card slot, two USB, and a mini VGA out port. Usability is an issue, though. The little nub in the upper right corner that’s used as a pointing device was a bit oversenstive when we tried it out. Your’re not going to touch type on the keyboard, either, but it’s pretty good for this size display.

Want to see this handheld PC in action? Check out the gallery and video below.

Fujitsu LifeBook T1010

Fujitsu LifeBook T1010

Welcome to a laptop battery specialist of the Fujitsu Laptop Battery

As the first convertible with a 13.3-inch display, the new Fujitsu LifeBook T1010 is a sleek tablet that offers a decent-size screen without too much bulk, making it a good choice for students. This system also has Centrino 2 technology under the hood, so it should offer zippy productivity performance. Read on for our first impressions, and stay tuned for a full review. Sleek Design Thanks to its optical drive, the 5.2-pound T1010 is heavier than other tablets we’ve tested, including Fujitu’s own LifeBook T2010 with adapter such as Fujitsu FM-41 Battery, Fujitsu FPCBP83 Battery, Fujitsu Lifebook C2320 Battery, Fujitsu Lifebook C6200 Battery, Fujitsu LifeBook P1510 Battery, Fujitsu FPCBP102 Battery, Fujitsu LifeBook P1610 Battery, Fujitsu LifeBook B6110 Battery, Fujitsu FMVNBP136 Battery, Fujitsu FPCBP112 Battery. That said, we like its matte silver design and the glossy lid, which has a geometric pattern that reminds us buildings in a skyline. The white, full-size keyboard is comfortable to type on, and felt sturdy even as we pounded away at documents. The touch pad, in addition to being on the small side, gets kind of hot, even after idle use. Tablet Performance The screen doesn’t automatically adjust the orientation as you hold the screen vertically or horizontally; instead, there’s a dedicated switch button in the lower right corner of the screen’s bezel. We are disappointed that the resistive (passive) touchscreen display doesn’t recognize the touch of a finger. Though we could select icons with a finger nail, simply pressing a finger on icons was unsuccessful. However, the tablet’s handwriting recognition software is excellent.

Even when we misspelled onamatapoeia (on purpose, of course) the T1010 offered us the correct spelling instead. And when we wrote in script, the notebook recognized our words as well. The problem is that you have to make an effort to press down with the stylus as you write; if you just drag the pen across, you’ll end up with patchy script that the tablet can’t recognize. Now, if only it had multi-touch like the Dell Latitude XT! Display a Bit Murky As for the 13.3-inch full-frame screen, whose native resolution is 1280 x 800, the matte finish is cloudy, and surprisingly reflective. We enjoyed decent enough viewing angles from the front and sides when we watched Finding Nemo, but we would have liked the display to be brighter, more vibrant, and sharper. Overall Performance Our review unit has a Centrino 2 chipset, Windows Vista Home Premium, and only 1GB of RAM. It took a sluggish 1:18 to boot up (the typical Vista machine takes about a minute). That said, we were able to watch a movie while running Norton Internet Security in the background, which bodes well for everyday multitasking. We don’t have wireless scores yet, but we were able to surf the Web uninterrupted from a good 100 feet away from the router. And if the T1010 is anything like the T2010 or LifeBook U810 it should have long battery life. Early Verdict After playing around with– and drooling over– the Dell Latitude XT’s multi-touch just this afternoon– the Fujitsu LifeBook T1010′s tablet performance seems lackluster. Comparisons aside, though, it does well what it promises to do, and comes in a sleek package, to boot. If your needs aren’t fancy, and assuming the T1010 delivers strong battery life like other Fujitsu tablets, this could be a strong contender for tablet fans on a budget.