Aspire 5052 ANWXMi

Product Specifications
* Processor:
+ AMD Turion64 Processor MK -38 (2.2GHz, Cache 512KB)
* Memory:
+ 512 MB DDR2 SDRAM PC-4200
* Video Type:
+ ATI Mobility Radeon X1100 128 MB (shared)
* Display Size:
+ 14.1" WXGA TFT
* Display Max. Resolution:
+ 1280 x 800
* Hard Drive Type:
+ 80 GB Serial ATA 5400 RPM
* Optical Drive Type:
+ DVDRW
* Card Reader Provided:
+ SD, MMC, Memory Stick / Stick PRO, xD-Picture Card
* Interface Provided:
+ 2x USB 2.0, VGA, LAN, Audio
* OS:
+ Linux
* Weight:
+ 2.9 kg
* Camera:
+ Integrated Acer OrbiCam 0.3 MegaPixel CMOS Camera.

Price: $729

HP NX6320

Design

As far as notebooks go, the Compaq nx6320 comprises a fairly bog-standard build and colour for a business notebook. It features a black chassis with a silver top designated with an HP logo -- despite belonging to HP's budget Compaq brand.

As a business-oriented notebook, it has a good heft and should withstand the trials and tribulations of life on the road -- even if it's a little on the weighty side at 2.8kg.

Above the well-appointed keyboard is a set of media buttons -- unusual for a business model -- which includes a volume up/down control with mute, and a wireless toggle.

Connectivity is good with a total of four USB ports -- two on right and two on left. Also included is a mini FireWire port, which is handy for camcorder enthusiasts, and also a VGA out.

Features
The Compaq nx6320's HP Premium Desk Bundle, which comes as an option on all HP notebooks, is available in two different versions. The first -- the HP Desk Value Bundle, which we received -- retails for AU$499. It includes HP's basic docking station and notebook stand, a Belkin-branded keyboard, mouse and a four-port Surge Protector. The premium model upgrades to an Advanced Docking Station, wireless peripherals, and Belkin's seven-port Surge Protector. Both docks feature legacy ports and audio ins and outs, while the advanced dock increases the basic's complement of four USB slots to six, and adds MultiBay II and ExpressCard slots.

You can also choose to add a monitor if you wish, and we received the very good 19" HP LP1965 LCD (AU$599), but presumably you would use this instead of the notebook stand. The LP1965 transforms from landscape to portrait, and boasts very good readability and colour definition for a monitor of its size.

The Compaq nx6320 itself also features a 15-inch screen, which sports good colour saturation and a non-reflective coating. Under its clothes you'll find a 1.66 GHz T2300 CPU and 1GB of RAM - which means it can upgrade to Vista Ultimate if needed. For users of memory cards there is also a 5-in-1 reader on the front edge of the notebook. One of the downsides to this device is that the included 40GB drive is rather small by today's standards.

Performance
In use, the Compaq nx6320 and Premium Desk in concert worked well, though we have to add that the supplied mouse was fairly basic -- we've used better budget peripherals. The keyboard has a decent feel -- one reminiscent of older notebooks. A bit "clicky" but comfortable to type on.

The keyboard stand itself, the HP PA508A, has two large handles used to unlock the height, and the base is quite sturdy and reinforced by steel. The notebook sits on springy feet, but it doesn't move while in place. The package we received didn't include the dock replicator so unfortunately we're unable to comment on it.

When not using the bundled keyboard we found the trackpad to be of a good size, and the mousing buttons -- though unusually raised and not flat -- had a good feel and tactile feedback. Unlike some other portable laptops, the Compaq doesn't get too hot during use, so you can easily nurse it on your knees without fear of burning through three layers of skin.

The 15-inch LCD screen itself is of a decent quality -- bright and clear -- although not a resolution buster at only 1024 x 768 max resolution. And to further dampen our multimedia spirits, the front mounted speakers were what you would expect from a business 'book -- not amazing, but will keep you notified of alerts. Rounding out the package is an onboard microphone -- which worked successfully at capturing our voice and will translate well in VoIP applications.

As the laptop came with Windows XP and not Vista we were able to use our standard benchmark Bapco's MobileMark 2005. We found the battery life was excellent for a device of its type with a total of four hours and nine minutes with the six-cell battery connected. The productivity performance rating benchmark ended up with a score of 161.

HP Pavilion dv9500t

CNET editors' review
Reviewed by: Michelle ThatcherEdited by: Matthew ElliottReviewed on 5/9/07
Release date: 5/9/07

We always liked the Pavilion dv9000 series, and today HP's desktop replacement is among the first available systems to feature Intel's refreshed Centrino Duo mobile platform (codename Santa Rosa). With the new processor comes a new model name--Pavilion dv9500t--and a few smaller changes, such as the addition of a fingerprint reader and a different Webcam. The early version of the Pavilion dv9500t we reviewed also included a discrete graphics card and an HD DVD drive--two options that won't be available for about a month. Without those high-end components, the HP Pavilion dv9500t costs a very reasonable $1,615, making it one of the most inexpensive entertainment-oriented desktop replacements on the market. Though high-definition fanatics and casual gamers will want to wait (and save their pennies) for the higher-end components to become available, we think the HP Pavilion dv9500t as it exists today is a good choice for home users who want their laptop to double as a mobile entertainment system.

The dv9500t is the same size as its predecessor, and it remains smaller than both the Dell XPS M1710 and the Gateway NX860XL. Still, the dv9500t weighs nine pounds with its AC adapter, making it too heavy to carry with you every day.
While we prefer matte screens on more business-oriented systems, we're fans of the Pavilion dv9500t's glossy display, which features a crisp 1,440x900 native resolution. The screen produced rich colors and sharp details, and there's plenty of screen real estate for traditional computer work as well. Like all Pavilion laptops, the dv9500t includes a row of light-touch buttons above the keyboard that launch the media player and provide volume and playback controls; a somewhat annoying, high-pitched beep lets you know when you've pressed a button (the beep can be disabled in the system BIOS). Altec Lansing stereo speakers, located above those controls, deliver decent sound, though we prefer the depth and clarity of the sound produced by the speakers on the Toshiba Qosmio G35. And while the pricier Qosmio G35 includes an integrated TV tuner, the Pavilion dv9500t lacks built-in TV capabilities, though HP sells an ExpressCard tuner module for $130.

Acer - TravelMate 803LCi review

Acer's latest notebook in the TravelMate series, the 803LCi, features Intel's new mobile solution, known as Centrino. This isn't the name of the processor, but rather the complete platform, a combination of the CPU, the i855 chipset and the 802.11b wireless solution. If any of these three are missing then the system cannot be labeled Centrino.

The twin-spindle design of this notebook provides a good combination of weight and features, making it an suitable tool for those on the move. Powered by a 1.6GHz Pentium-M processor backed by 256MB of DDR memory, the TravelMate 803LCi certainly performs well, with the added advantage that you can play some serious games on this notebook. Because of the Centrino technology, you get decent battery life too. Carrying it shouldn't present major problems as it weighs a reasonable 2.7kg; no lightweight, but not as lardy as some.

As with most Acer notebooks, the first thing that strikes you when you open the case is the
FineTouch keyboard with its five degree curve. This is placed high enough up the panel to allow your wrists to lay flat when typing, and there is no fear of obstructing the speakers as they are built into the front panel of the notebook.

Above the keyboard are the power switch and four quick start buttons, two of which are set up for accessing the Internet and e-mail, the other two being user-programmable. In between the speakers are the indicator LEDs for power, battery condition/charge and two buttons which turn the Bluetooth and wireless functions on and off.

Along with the Centrino technology, the other thing that makes this notebook stand out is the graphics adapter. With a 64MB Mobility Radeon 9000, the graphics performance is impressive for a notebook. The Mobility Radeon 9000 is targeted at high-end mobile gaming, based around its desktop cousin, the Radeon 9000. It features most of the desktop card's capabilities, including DirectX 8 support, with the addition of power-saving circuitry. Output from this chip is displayed on the 15-inch SXGA screen.

The TravelMate 803LCi comes with a 40GB, 5,400rpm, ATA/100 hard drive and has an AcerMedia Bay solution for other drives. This bay can be used for a range of options such as DVD-RW drive, CD-RW drive, second hard drive or even a second battery. In the review model's bay was a 24x/10x/24x CD-RW and 8x DVD combo drive.

For connecting to the outside world the TravelMate 803LCi has more features than some desktop replacement systems. In addition to wireless and Bluetooth connectivity, there is an integrated LAN adapter, a V.92 modem, four USB 2.0 ports, a FireWire port, a single Type II PC Card slot and a SmartCard slot. The back panel contains the usual I/O ports; parallel, VGA and S-Video, but unfortunately no PS/2 ports. The three audio ports - microphone, headphone and line in - are mounted in one side of the chassis.

When tested with industry standard benchmarks, the benefit of Centrino and the 4,400mAh battery became apparent. The 'productivity' benchmark returned a battery life of 4hrs 50mins, rising to 5hrs 40mins under the 'reader' benchmark. Install a second battery in the Media Bay and you can add approximately 3 hours to both times.

The VAIO TX3. Sony’s Latest Notebook Series

Sony has recently launched its latest notebook series – the VAIO TX3 – which is said to deliver performances because of their embedded Intel new Core Solo Ultra-Low Voltage (ULV) processor and a battery life of up to seven hours.

The manufacturer said that it has used a special material for the notebooks’ case, one which is used in the aerospace industry and for the Formula One bolides. Because of the strength the carbon fiber laminate has (it surpasses the magnesium alloy resistance), the notebook benefits from an enhanced shock resistant feature, and a low weight – only 1,25 kg. (Sony didn’t mention if the batteries were included.)"The TX3-Series is exceptional," says Jun Koyama, Marketing Director of VAIO Europe. "The level of engineering behind it puts it in a class of its own, which is instantly obvious when you first see, let alone use one. Heavyweight security makes this versatile and utterly distinctive machine perfect for the business user who is uninterested in the ordinary.

"The TX3 also features a slim, integrated DVD±RW optical drive, which supports a special developed double layer (DL) technology for an extra capacity. The notebooks have enhanced security functions such as fingerprint recognition and hardwired chip-level Trusted Platform Module (TPM) security in order to prevent a potential data loss.Furthermore, the TPM is said to be capable to disable all the malicious software and to take out important information such as passwords and encryption keys by storing sensitive data on the chip itself. The TX3’s hard disk is also physically guarded by G-Sensor Shock Protection, which automatically shields the drive heads if the notebook is dropped.