2008年5月29日星期四

HP pavilion dv9000 laptop battery review

HP announced today its HP Pavilion dv9000 entertainment series notebook. This large scale laptop isn’t aimed at the business traveler, but at the person who loves his movies and music. Fun features include a bright high definition 17-inch widescreen display and a power hp dv9000 battery, HP’s proprietary QuickPlay 2.0 application, which lets you watch your movies, listen to music, view your photos and videos, without booting the system.


Custom tailored to fit your needs, the dv9000 can be configured for almost anyone, on any budget, and with any computing requirements. You can configure a dv9000 with a new Core 2 Duo processors as well as the AMD Turion 64 X2 dual core processors if you do a lot of heavy processing jobs, like multitasking video recording and sorting through large data sheets. For simpler tasks, you can outfit your system with the Intel Core Solo processor or AMD’s Mobile Sempron chip.



Videophiles will like the option of having up to 240GB of storage available from two 120GB hard drives. And gamers will appreciate Nvidia’s GeForce Go 7600 graphics with up to 512MB of graphics memory.


In addition, there’s a 5-1 card reader, a high quality hp pavilion dv9000 battery, touch-sensitive buttons for volume, dual stereo headphone jacks, an optional webcam feature and optional remote.


Stay tuned to see a review of this laptop, in the following weeks.


If you don't like this original battery, i can introduce a better laptop battery replacement.



HP pavilion dv9000 laptop battery replacement review


  • Battery Type :lithium-ion

  • Voltage : 14.40v

  • Capacity: :6300mAh

  • Color: black

  • Size: 271.95x52.70x21.80 mm

  • Condition:New

  • hp pavilion dv9000 battery

    hp pavilion dv9000(HSTNN-IB34) laptop battery is specially designed for HP Pavilion dv9000 ,dv9000T, dv9000Z ,dv9009, dv9039 ,dv9040 ,dv9060.hp pavilion dv9000 battery replacement is a new external battery with high quality . 100% compatible with original hp pavilion dv9000, dv9000T, dv9000Z laptop battery and so on .Giving your laptop computer a new life.


    the reason of buying


    HP pavilion dv9000 battery replacement is lower price than original's,and higher capacity,li-ion battery have no memory effect.So many people choose it .hp dv9000 battery replacment is a external battery,can fit dv9000 series laptop computer.You are very wise to choose repalcement.And you can buy all kinds of replacment and hp laptop battery charger.

    2008年5月28日星期三

    hp pavilion dv1000 laptop battery review

    HP pavilion dv1000 laptop is considered a lightweight entertainment notebook that boasts extra features for playing DVD's and music.It’s stylish, it’s powerful, and it’s fun. The sleek HP Pavilion dv1000 is the perfect widescreen wireless notebook for students or business users who want the most productivity and multimedia bang for their buck. It doesn’t have the sheer graphics horsepower of the Sony VAIO S series, but its instant-on playback of music and DVDs, dual headphone jacks, and easy-to-use controls make this our favorite thin-and-light notebook.


    HP pavilion dv1000 is so powerful because of its laptop battery.HP pavilion dv1000 laptop battery is 6 cells battery,higher battery life,li-ion battery have no memory effect,give dv1000 laptop strong enery support.And i like to buy laptop battery replacement.


    hp pavilion dv1000 battery

    Reasons for Buying


    After my old battery started having issues I decided to do my research and look for a new battery that filled my needs and didn't break my computer. I was mainly looking for a battery replacement on one online laptop battery shop that was thin, light and ran quiet.


    Buying



    I decided to purchase my the dv1000 battery from HP. My reasoning for this was to be able to customize it just the way I wanted it. I downgraded things I didn't need and purchased the minimum amount of RAM, things that I could upgrade myself at a discounted price. With my customization was still able to get better specs for a cheaper price than the original product stores were selling the dv1000battery for. If you are interested, do the math and you will see that by buying direct and customizing a dv1000 yourself you get much better specs at a discounted or similar price to say Best Buy. My final cost a little momey in rebate, free shipping and a basic HP DeskJet printer free! It took 7 days from the day I ordered the notebook online and to the day I received it.



    Build and Design



    At first glance the hp dv1000 laptop battery looks a lot more expensive that it really is. The outer shell is made of black colored plastic. The inside of the battery is all black with a sort of textured feel to it. I would have preferred all black rather than the others, but the look seems to work for this model. The laptop is sturdy, but I do have problems carrying it from the side, it seems a bit fragile and "creaky" when I am grasping it. The bulk has very little or no flex to it. The hinges seem very sturdy. I have a problem with the open the notebook battery. With just a strong push on the carapace,so the hp dv1000 battery replacement is very tightness.



    Performance



    The laptop battery has 6 li-ion cells, and the cells are from Janese,you can say the cells are best cells.it have longer battery life,last 3-4 hours energy supplying.HP pavilion dv1000 laptop battery supply dv1000 laptop enough energy,let dv1000 looks like more power,more fresh.And dv1000 laptop battery replacement price is lower than original battery.



    Fan



    A big reason I chose the hp dv1000 external battery was because the battery seems pretty quiet. Coming from a battery that temperature like a litter cool. I must say the original dv1000 battery does run a bit hot. This was a big point in my laptop battery buying happiness and the dv1000 battery is quiet and cool enough for me.

    Acer aspire 3000 laptop review

    Now acer aspire 3000's price is , offers best in class performance, compatibility with all the applications, flexibility with all features that meet the needs of your mobile lifestyle and takes full advantage of AMD PowerNow! Technology. It features everything for rapid access to online information both in the office and when located elsewhere.


    Aspire 3000 laptop is very low price; fairly lightweight case; broad keyboard; big touch pad.But the original battery have Dreadful battery life.So you can buy a acer aspire 3000 battery replacement,higher battery life and capacity.


    acer aspire 3000 battery

    the Acer Aspire 3000 is one of the least expensive laptops on the market. Though it has an unremarkable design, the Aspire 3000 features a big 15-inch standard-aspect display and weighs right around six pounds--too heavy for regular travel but fairly lightweight for a laptop of this size and price. That said, the Aspire 3000's measly specs aren't going to set any records, and this machine delivers absolutely terrible battery life; furthermore, it lacks some basic ports and connections. If you're looking for a laptop that's portable enough to move around the house for lightweight computing tasks--e-mail, Web surfing, and word processing--the Aspire 3000 may fit the bill. Still, we recommend that you consider shelling out a few hundred more for one of the stronger systems we profiled in our $1,000 roundup a few months back.



    The Aspire 3000 sits right on the edge between thin-and-light and midsize. It weighs 6 pounds and measures 14.3 inches wide, 11 inches deep, and 1.5 inches thick, so it's a bit bulky for regular travel. It's a smidge larger than two other inexpensive laptops--the 6-pound Acer TravelMate 2350 and the 5.7-pound Toshiba Satellite L25. The Aspire 3000's AC adapter weighs 0.8 pound, which is about average for an adapter on a laptop in this category.


    acer aspire 3000 battery

    Designwise, the Aspire 3003LCi is a dead ringer for the Acer TravelMate 4060 save for its keyboard: the TravelMate's is curved and the Aspire's is rectangular, and we like both just fine. The Aspire 3000 features a nice wide touch pad, two big mouse buttons, and a convenient rocker button for scrolling through documents or Web pages. It doesn't incorporate multimedia controls or external volume buttons, though it has four programmable application buttons and a Wi-Fi on/off button. The system's 15-inch display has a standard 1,024x768 native resolution and is plenty clear and bright, but it doesn't have the wide-screen dimensions you find on more and more laptop displays. The two speakers deliver mediocre sound. For a better multimedia experience, check out the Dell inspiron 6000, which starts at $999.



    The Aspire 3000's limited group of ports, jacks, and connections reflects its rock-bottom price. It offers one VGA port, one Type II PC Card slot, 56Kbps modem and Ethernet jacks, three USB 2.0 ports, and three audio jacks (headphone, microphone, and line-in). Also onboard is a cost-cutting DVD-ROM/CD-RW drive. Absent from this group are common connections such as FireWire and S-Video as well as a flash-media card reader--a key feature for digital-photo enthusiasts.



    Microsoft Windows XP Home comes preloaded on the Aspire 3000, though other configurations in the Aspire 3000 series ship with Windows XP Professional. Acer bundles very little software with the system. For viewing and burning discs, Acer includes CyberLink PowerProducer and NTI CD,a original aspire 3000 battery and DVD Maker; it also provides its own utility for managing core system settings, such as passwords. Starting at $989, the Sony VAIO FS series provides a more palatable software package.



    Our test unit, the Aspire 3003LCi, features decidedly bargain-bin components: a 1.8GHz AMD Sempron 3000+ processor, a meager 256MB of slow 333MHz RAM, a puny 40GB hard drive running at a sluggish 4,200rpm, and a low-end SiSM760GX graphics chip that steals up to 64MB of main system memory. Both the comparably priced Acer TravelMate 2355LCi and the Toshiba Satellite L25 offer Celeron processors and larger hard drives, and the TravelMate includes twice as much RAM. Many other laptops offer considerably better specs for a few hundred dollars more; check out our roundup of $1,000 laptops and our list of top low-priced laptops for some picks.



    We couldn't measure the Aspire 3003LCi's mobile performance precisely, because the system's battery couldn't last the 90 minutes it takes to complete CNET Labs' mobile benchmarks. It consistently cut out after about 70 minutes, which is nearly two hours less than average. Battery life aside, the Aspire 3003LCi displayed enough power in our SysMark performance tests to handle basic productivity tasks such as e-mail, Web surfing, and word processing; it performed on a par with other low-priced systems, including the Gateway NX500X (a.k.a the M360) and the Acer Aspire 5000.



    Acer backs the Aspire 3000 with a one-year warranty, which is standard for consumer laptops. Acer's tech-support phone lines are open only Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. and on weekends from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT. The company's online support could stand some sprucing up; it currently lacks helpful features such as forums and real-time chat with a tech-support rep.

    2008年5月26日星期一

    Asus Eee pc 900 laptop information

    When we first saw the diminutive Asus Eee PC back in the fall of 2007,i liked it. we were duly impressed by its capability to mix small size with a small price, and rightly predicted it would be popular with consumers and influential with other PC makers (although, to be fair, the OLPC XO and Intel Classmate first blazed the same trail in the education space).And if you want to buy the pc,there are many asus eee pc laptop battery replacements supplying you,in the market.



    asus ee pc laptop


    At the time, we said the Eee PC could be the perfect secondary or travel laptop as long as expectations were kept modest, and we found its small screen, Celeron processor, and tiny flash-based hard drive adequate for Web surfing and working on office documents. Later the Eee added different colors and Windows XP, but other systems, such as HP's 2133 Mini-Note were already expanding on the original concept with bigger screens, more storage, and sharper designs, while keeping the price fairly reasonable ($599 for a Mini-Note versus $399 for the 7-inch Eee PC).




    Just as the original Eee PC started to feel a bit dated, Asus comes out with an updated version, called the Eee PC 900 with high quality eee pc laptop battery. Although it occupies only a marginally larger footprint than the original, this new model finds room for a 9-inch screen, accomplished by moving the tiny speakers away from the sides of the lid, leaving more room for the display. With a much more reasonable 1,024x600 resolution (the 7-inch screen was a paltry 800x480), the new Eee PC 900 feels more like a laptop and less like a portable Internet appliance.




    While the RAM has been bumped from 512MB to 1GB, and the onboard storage from 4GB to 12GB (or 20GB in the Linux version), you're still stuck with the same 900MHz Celeron processor. With new mobile CPUs from Intel and Via on the way, and more powerful mobile processors available in the Lenovo U110 and MacBook Air (both of which admittedly cost nearly $2,000), that's starting to look dangerously dated, especially now that, at $550, the Eee PC has passed the point of an impulse purchase.



    The new Eee PC is, at first glance, virtually identical to the original. The chassis is only marginally larger and a few ounces heavier, but it has the same white, pearlized plastic look. The Eee PC 900 is still among the smallest of the Netbooks, about the size of a trade paperback book, and it can fit in a large jacket pocket without too much trouble.




    Opening up the lid, the most striking difference is the new, larger screen. There's still a fairly thick screen bezel, but the two speaker grills that sat next to the 7-inch model's screen are gone (they now sit under the front lip of the system), and the display now fills more of the lid space. The touch pad is larger as well, and supports a handful of gesture controls, similar to those on the MacBook Air. Images can be pinched (or unpinched) with the thumb and forefinger to zoom in and out, and two fingers can be used to scroll up and down Web pages. The zooming only works with select software--for example, we could zoom a photo in the Windows image viewer, but not in Firefox.




    The keyboard, with its tiny UMPC-sized keys, unfortunately remains unchanged from the 7-inch Eee PC. It's still fairly hard to use for any length of time, especially now that we've seen a couple of tiny laptops (Lenovo's U100 and HP's 2133 Mini-Note) with nearly full-size keyboards.




    One of the major benefits of the bigger screen is its higher resolution. At 1,024x600, it's still on the low side, but it's a major improvement over the original Eee PC's 800x480 resolution, which made most Web sites hard to read, and left little room on the desktop for icons and files.


    Next,we introduce asus ee pc battery,laptop battery replacement and original battery's difference:
    • higher capacitance

    • lower price

    • 100% compatible with original asus eee pc laptop battery

    • longer battery life

    So if you can consider to a anther battery replacement.

    2008年5月25日星期日

    HP compaq presario 2100 laptop and 319411-001 laptop battery review

    Do you want to know hp compaq presario 2100 and its battery,compaq 319411-001 laptop battery.

    First about battery,compaq 319411-001 battery is a new high-power laptop battery.Lithium ion, giving best performance .So compaq 319411-001 have a longer than any other batteries .compaq 319411-001 battery replacement is specially designed for compaq 319411-001 battery. 100% compatible with original compaq 319411-001 laptop battery and so on .Show a perfect performance.

    hp compaq 319411-001 laptop battery

    the battery detail:



    • Battery Type :lithium-ion

    • Voltage :14.80V

    • Capacity :3600mAh

    • Color : Black

    • Dimension:134.40 x 95.00 x 21.80 mm

    • Net Weight : 389.50g


    Replacement for Part Numbers:


    Compaq: 319411-001,4098A,916-2150

    HP :F4098A,F4809A ,F4812

    compaq presario 2100 laptop review


    HP's mainstream Compaq Presario 2100 series is one of the most chameleonlike notebooks around. It goes from a frugal $899 mainstream system (a mail-in rebate good through December 1, 2003 cuts the price by $100), with basic specs such as an Intel Celeron or an AMD Athlon processor and a 14.1-inch display, to a packed $2,266 desktop replacement, with an Intel Pentium 4-M CPU and a 15-inch screen. Things only get better from there, with the ability to add more cutting-edge options such as a DVD/CD-RW combo drive and integrated wireless. Be aware that the Presario 2100's lack of a cutting-edge graphics chip prohibits peak performance; still, it provides enough speed and battery life for the average tasks of a home user. If you yearn for a desktop replacement with even more features and speed, check out the Compaq Presario 3000 series.



    compaq presario 2100 laptop

    Floppy drive and ports are on the left edge.





    The Presario 2100 series is a well-crafted mainstream notebook, and our only major complaint with the design is the loud fan that kicks in on occasion. The 7.2-pound notebook measures a slightly wide 13 by 10.7 by 1.6 inches, which is reasonable when you consider that every system in the series comes with a big and bright 14.1- or 15-inch screen, an integrated floppy drive, and a built-in CD, DVD, or DVD/CD-RW combo drive.




    We're particularly partial to the unusual blue lights that complement the Presario 2100 series' power button and the standard touchpad (no pointing stick option is available). A button above the touchpad turns the pad on and off, helping you avoid accidentally moving the pointer by bumping the pad. We also like the way the right side of the touchpad is sectioned off by a vertical line, indicating the part of the software-enhanced pad that you should use for scrolling. Two mouse buttons form a smile shape underneath the pad. Finally, the wide keyboard features a familiar, desktoplike layout, with Insert, Delete, Home, and End keys huddled in the upper-right corner.





    The right side of the touchpad can be used for scrolling.




    The keyboard features a familiar, desktoplike layout.




    The Presario 2100 series comes with a full assortment of ports and slots. Its right edge sports one PS/2 port and whichever secondary optical storage drive you choose. The back edge includes two of the slower USB 1.1 ports and one port each of serial, VGA, Ethernet, S-Video out, and parallel. On the left edge are the floppy drive, a 56Kbps modem port, a FireWire port, one Type II PC Card slot, headphone and microphone ports, and three buttons for volume up, down, and mute. The front edge features an IrDA port.




    The Presario 2100 series' extensive configurability is a nice change from the limited options that are typical of mainstream notebooks. You can currently choose between AMD mobile Athlon XP, Intel mobile Celeron, and Pentium 4-M processors running from 1.6GHz to 2.5GHz. Your four hard drive choices are 20GB, 30GB, 40GB, or 60GB. The active-matrix display comes in two sizes and two native resolutions: 14.1 or 15 inches at an average 1,024x768 pixels, as well as another 15-inch option with a finer 1,400x1,050 resolution. All memory consists of fast 266MHz DDR SDRAM starting at 128MB and going to 1,024MB. You can also order either integrated 802.11b or the extrafast 802.11g wireless networking, although you'll have to rely on software wireless controls because the system lacks a convenient wireless On/Off switch. The model we tested included a 2.4GHz Pentium 4-M processor, 512MB of memory, and a 60GB hard drive.


    The laptop's two internal bays ship with a built-in floppy drive and your choice of a CD, a DVD, or a DVD/CD-RW combo drive. Due to the fixed nature of these drives, you can't swap them out for other modules such as a second hard drive or a battery. The only other static component in this series is the ATI Mobility Radeon graphics chip that borrows up to 64MB of video RAM from main memory. If your head is swimming from all of these choices, HP also offers several preconfigured versions of the Presario 2100.




    HP offers a satisfying selection of software with the Presario 2100 series. The penny-pincher's option includes Microsoft Works 6.0, along with Money 2003, Quicken Financial Center, InterVideo WinDVD, and Encarta Online. The company also provides the more full-featured Microsoft Office Small Business Edition and Professional office suites. Systems including CD-RW and DVD/CD-RW drives ship with Roxio Easy CD & DVD Creator. HP understandably supplies only one operating system with this home-oriented notebook, and it's Windows XP Home.


    Mobile application performance


    The Compaq Presario 2100 performed below average compared to previous 2.4GHz Pentium 4-M systems that we've tested. This performance deficiency can be attributed to its ATI Radeon 340M graphics adapter, which borrows 64MB of main memory and cripples the system's performance. The Presario 2100 scored even lower than the 2.2GHz desktop Pentium 4 Toshiba Satellite Pro 6100. The system, however, ranked significantly higher than the Fujitsu LifeBook E series, which has the same processor and uses a similar graphics adapter. The bottom line is that the Presario 2100?'s greedy graphics adapter prevents the system from achieving its full potential. If you?'re looking to buy a system for mobile performance, you should look elsewhere.

    2008年5月24日星期六

    HP pavilion dv4000 laptop review

    This review is for the Hewlett Packard DV4000 laptop.The unit is a multimedia notebook in a medium sized form factor. For several months I have been looking for a portable computer that I could use to surf the internet while sitting in my easy chair. I looked at the Dell Inspiron 6000,
    Toshiba Satellite 3000 and the Sony VAIO FS550. The Toshiba didn't have a glossy screen and the Sony's audio system was barely audible. I thought the Dell was clunky looking. I always liked HP's DV1000 but thought its 14-inch screen too small. When the dv4000 came out with a beautiful 15.4 inch screen, it was just the ticket I had been looking for. I purchased this configure-to-build unit fromHPShopping.com for $1191 after rebate (before taxes) . I saved a little by going through the EPP (employee purchase program) site which gives modest discounts to employees of large companies. It only took 8 days from placing my order to being delivered at my home after being built and shipped from China. When I placed the order, HP estimated it would take a month for delivery. I understand from others who have ordered from HP, they are often this conservative and give you a ship date further out than what is actual.


    Striking just the right combination of black and silver, HP made the Pavilion dv4000 one cool-looking laptop. The inside is black; the lid, the sides, and the touch pad are silver; and a handful of status lights scattered around the case glow a pleasing blue. Similar to the Acer Aspire 1410, the midsize Pavilion dv4000 measures 1.5 inches thick, 14.0 inches wide, and 10.3 inches deep. At 6.7 pounds, it's about the same weight as the Gateway M460S, half a pound lighter than the Dell Inspiron 6000, and 1.2 pounds heavier than the dv1000. With its 8-ounce AC adapter, the Pavilion dv4000 has a reasonable travel weight of 7.1 pounds.


    hp pavilion dv4000 laptop

    My configuration for the HP Pavilion dv4000 customizable Notebook PC:



    • Microsoft(R) Windows(R) XP Home Edition with SP2

    • Intel(R) Pentium(R) M Processor 740 (1.73 GHz)

    • 15.4" WXGA BrightView Widescreen (1280x800)

    • Intel(R) Graphics Media Accelerator 900

    • 512MB DDR SDRAM (2x256MB)

    • 60 GB 5400 RPM Hard Drive

    • FREE Upgrade to 8X DVD +/- RW/R & CD-RW Combo!!

    • 54g(TM) Integ. Broadcom 802.11b/g WLAN & Bluetooth

    • 12 Cell Lithium Ion Battery

    • Microsoft(R) Works/Money

    • Remote control (purchased separately)


    Upgrades


    As you can see, I upgraded the drive to 5400RPM , added Bluetooth and a 12-cell battery. This is one of the reasons I didn't buy a retail version like the dv4030us ($1399-$50 rebate)....you are stuck with a 4200RPM hard drive, Wi-Fi but no Bluetooth and only a 6 cell battery. If you ordered the 12 cell battery as an extra it would cost you $179. When I configured my dv4000 it was only $25 more than the 6 cell battery. If you do the math you can see the customized laptop was a better deal for me even though you can sometimes buy a retail unit for $1199 when CompUSA or Office Depot is running a promotion.


    Screen


    The screen was one of the main reasons I bought the dv4000...it is stunning. When I play DVD's on it, my friends can't believe how clear and bright it is. Similar to the DV1000 (as was pointed out in the excellent review of the dv1000 and hp pavilion dv1000 battery), the DV4000 LCD has a limited vertical viewing angle. You have to tilt it just right to get the best contrast and brightness. This is mostly an issue when playing DVDs and less of a problem when running typical applications for web surfing and word processing. The glossy screen can introduce a lot of glare, especially in a bright office, but in a dimly lit home it is not as bad. I want to stress this glossy screen can look like a mirror under some lighting conditions. Here is a photo showing the screen reflecting my backyard:


    Audio and Build Quality


    Besides the nice screen I picked the dv4000 for its audio. Those front firing speakers are very impressive for a laptop. Few other notebooks are as loud and clear. The fit and finish seems first rate. Build quality also seems pretty good too for a unit in this price range. Let's be clear, it's no bullet proof IBM ThinkPad, but it isn't bad. The keyboard has very little flex and the keyboard travel is good. I have noticed that the shift keys sometimes make a plastic rubbing plastic sound. I hope this does not become a problem. I suspect since the shift key is so large it may not be supported as well as the smaller keys. The only other key issue is over the up/down arrow keys. Sometimes it doesn't want to scroll a page. I have had to click a few times on the page before the arrow buttons work.I tend to use the up/down keys instead of the scroll bar as it is much faster. The scroll bar is located on the right side of the touchpad. It takes a while getting used to, I would prefer a scroll wheel like they have on a mouse (I don't know of any laptop with a built-in scroll wheel though!). The LCD hinges are sufficiently strong to hold the screen at any angle. The LCD frame does appear to be a weak spot. Don't get me wrong, the LCD doesn't distort when you move it like some cheap notebooks, but when you press on the back of the LCD (the top of the notebook) it creates distortions. I shudder to think what would happen if you dropped a heavy book on the top of the closed laptop. Speaking of closed....when you close the cover it is quiet...no loud clicks. It appears to latch well.


    Hard drive




    I was concerned that the 60GB 5400RPM (Hitachi) hard drive would be noisy. It is not. You can hear some little ticking sounds if you are in a quiet room. In a normal room with TV or music you won't hear the drive. Another thing you won't hear is the fan. It rarely comes on- almost never when just web surfing. When it does come on it sounds like an ocean breeze that is rather pleasant. It must not be a high RPM fan because it is nearly silent. Once again in an average room with background sounds you won't hear a thing.


    Hard drive Benchmark:



    HD Tune: Drive model # HTS541060G9AT00 Benchmark


    Transfer Rate Minimum : 18.2 MB/sec

    Transfer Rate Maximum : 36.0 MB/sec

    Transfer Rate Average : 28.9 MB/sec

    Access Time: 16.3 ms

    Burst Rate: 73.9 MB/sec

    CPU Usage: 5.7%


    Battery


    I got the hp pavilion dv4000 extended battery because I wasn't concerned about the extra weight it added, but with the 12 cell battery this sucker is heavy. HP says it is 6.5 pounds with a 6 cell battery so with the big battery it's about 7 pounds, this is not terrible but not light either. I wouldn't want to carry it from class to class. As you can see in the picture the battery bulges out of the bottom giving the unit a nice slant for ergonomic purposes. Air circulation is improved with this raising of the notebook also.It ruins the sleekness of the laptop, but I don't care. I don't plan on moving the laptop too much so the extra weight is no big deal. Battery life has been impressive, about 7.5 hours under light use.

    HP pavilion dv4000 laptop review

    This review is for the Hewlett Packard DV4000 laptop.The unit is a multimedia notebook in a medium sized form factor. For several months I have been looking for a portable computer that I could use to surf the internet while sitting in my easy chair. I looked at the Dell Inspiron 6000, Toshiba Satellite 3000 and the Sony VAIO FS550. The Toshiba didn't have a glossy screen and the Sony's audio system was barely audible. I thought the Dell was clunky looking. I always liked HP's DV1000 but thought its 14-inch screen too small. When the dv4000 came out with a beautiful 15.4 inch screen, it was just the ticket I had been looking for. I purchased this configure-to-build unit fromHPShopping.com for $1191 after rebate (before taxes) . I saved a little by going through the EPP (employee purchase program) site which gives modest discounts to employees of large companies. It only took 8 days from placing my order to being delivered at my home after being built and shipped from China. When I placed the order, HP estimated it would take a month for delivery. I understand from others who have ordered from HP, they are often this conservative and give you a ship date further out than what is actual.

    Striking just the right combination of black and silver, HP made the Pavilion dv4000 one cool-looking laptop. The inside is black; the lid, the sides, and the touch pad are silver; and a handful of status lights scattered around the case glow a pleasing blue. Similar to the Acer Aspire 1410, the midsize Pavilion dv4000 measures 1.5 inches thick, 14.0 inches wide, and 10.3 inches deep. At 6.7 pounds, it's about the same weight as the Gateway M460S, half a pound lighter than the Dell Inspiron 6000, and 1.2 pounds heavier than the dv1000. With its 8-ounce AC adapter, the Pavilion dv4000 has a reasonable travel weight of 7.1 pounds.

    hp pavilion dv4000 laptop

    My configuration for the HP Pavilion dv4000 customizable Notebook PC:

    • Microsoft(R) Windows(R) XP Home Edition with SP2
    • Intel(R) Pentium(R) M Processor 740 (1.73 GHz)
    • 15.4" WXGA BrightView Widescreen (1280x800)
    • Intel(R) Graphics Media Accelerator 900
    • 512MB DDR SDRAM (2x256MB)
    • 60 GB 5400 RPM Hard Drive
    • FREE Upgrade to 8X DVD +/- RW/R & CD-RW Combo!!
    • 54g(TM) Integ. Broadcom 802.11b/g WLAN & Bluetooth
    • 12 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
    • Microsoft(R) Works/Money
    • Remote control (purchased separately)

    Upgrades

    As you can see, I upgraded the drive to 5400RPM , added Bluetooth and a 12-cell battery. This is one of the reasons I didn't buy a retail version like the dv4030us ($1399-$50 rebate)....you are stuck with a 4200RPM hard drive, Wi-Fi but no Bluetooth and only a 6 cell battery. If you ordered the 12 cell battery as an extra it would cost you $179. When I configured my dv4000 it was only $25 more than the 6 cell battery. If you do the math you can see the customized laptop was a better deal for me even though you can sometimes buy a retail unit for $1199 when CompUSA or Office Depot is running a promotion.

    Screen

    The screen was one of the main reasons I bought the dv4000...it is stunning. When I play DVD's on it, my friends can't believe how clear and bright it is. Similar to the DV1000 (as was pointed out in the excellent review of the dv1000 and hp pavilion dv1000 battery), the DV4000 LCD has a limited vertical viewing angle. You have to tilt it just right to get the best contrast and brightness. This is mostly an issue when playing DVDs and less of a problem when running typical applications for web surfing and word processing. The glossy screen can introduce a lot of glare, especially in a bright office, but in a dimly lit home it is not as bad. I want to stress this glossy screen can look like a mirror under some lighting conditions. Here is a photo showing the screen reflecting my backyard:

    Audio and Build Quality

    Besides the nice screen I picked the dv4000 for its audio. Those front firing speakers are very impressive for a laptop. Few other notebooks are as loud and clear. The fit and finish seems first rate. Build quality also seems pretty good too for a unit in this price range. Let's be clear, it's no bullet proof IBM ThinkPad, but it isn't bad. The keyboard has very little flex and the keyboard travel is good. I have noticed that the shift keys sometimes make a plastic rubbing plastic sound. I hope this does not become a problem. I suspect since the shift key is so large it may not be supported as well as the smaller keys. The only other key issue is over the up/down arrow keys. Sometimes it doesn't want to scroll a page. I have had to click a few times on the page before the arrow buttons work.I tend to use the up/down keys instead of the scroll bar as it is much faster. The scroll bar is located on the right side of the touchpad. It takes a while getting used to, I would prefer a scroll wheel like they have on a mouse (I don't know of any laptop with a built-in scroll wheel though!). The LCD hinges are sufficiently strong to hold the screen at any angle. The LCD frame does appear to be a weak spot. Don't get me wrong, the LCD doesn't distort when you move it like some cheap notebooks, but when you press on the back of the LCD (the top of the notebook) it creates distortions. I shudder to think what would happen if you dropped a heavy book on the top of the closed laptop. Speaking of closed....when you close the cover it is quiet...no loud clicks. It appears to latch well.

    Hard drive


    I was concerned that the 60GB 5400RPM (Hitachi) hard drive would be noisy. It is not. You can hear some little ticking sounds if you are in a quiet room. In a normal room with TV or music you won't hear the drive. Another thing you won't hear is the fan. It rarely comes on- almost never when just web surfing. When it does come on it sounds like an ocean breeze that is rather pleasant. It must not be a high RPM fan because it is nearly silent. Once again in an average room with background sounds you won't hear a thing.

    Hard drive Benchmark:

    HD Tune: Drive model # HTS541060G9AT00 Benchmark

    Transfer Rate Minimum : 18.2 MB/sec
    Transfer Rate Maximum : 36.0 MB/sec
    Transfer Rate Average : 28.9 MB/sec
    Access Time: 16.3 ms
    Burst Rate: 73.9 MB/sec
    CPU Usage: 5.7%

    Battery

    I got the hp pavilion dv4000 extended battery because I wasn't concerned about the extra weight it added, but with the 12 cell battery this sucker is heavy. HP says it is 6.5 pounds with a 6 cell battery so with the big battery it's about 7 pounds, this is not terrible but not light either. I wouldn't want to carry it from class to class. As you can see in the picture the battery bulges out of the bottom giving the unit a nice slant for ergonomic purposes. Air circulation is improved with this raising of the notebook also.It ruins the sleekness of the laptop, but I don't care. I don't plan on moving the laptop too much so the extra weight is no big deal. Battery life has been impressive, about 7.5 hours under light use.

    2008年5月22日星期四

    dell laittude x200 laptop information

    For business travelers, Dell's Latitude X200 offers good features and performance, as well as the option of a versatile media slice.And you have a good time,with a dell latitude x200 laptop battery enough enery.

    The X200 is a wonder of engineering, with all the necessary performance packed into a tiny chassis. Add to this the well-featured docking station, and the only thing this ultra portable lacks is wireless connectivity.

    dell laittude x200 laptop

    There's something unnerving about carrying the Dell Latitude X200 around. With most notebooks, you can feel their weight as a constant reminder of their existence - with this 1.3kg wonder, I found myself constantly checking my bag to make sure it was still there. My fears were doubled by the fact that the chassis measures just 24mm from top to bottom, while its width is a briefcase-friendly 273mm.


    Media frenzy


    The $2,557 Latitude X200 we tested came with Intel's new 800MHz ultralow-voltage mobile Pentium III-M, 256MB of RAM, and a 30GB hard drive. Its media slice included a floppy drive in one bay and a front-loading, 8X DVD/CD-RW combo drive in the other. Thanks to dual sliding locks, attaching and releasing the slice is a cinch. Sans media slice, the notebook costs $1,999.



    Small but well supplied


    The Latitude X200 may be small, but it squeezes in a lot of features. It measure .8 inches thick by 10.7 inches wide by 8.9 inches deep and weighs 2.8 pounds. The AC adapter adds .49 pounds, while the media slice adds 2.46 pounds and doubles the notebook's thickness. Connectivity is good, with one IEEE 1394 (FireWire), one Ethernet, one modem, one audio, and two USB ports. The single Type II PC Card slot is nice, but rather than a spring-loaded door, it comes with a flimsy, plastic dummy card that'd be easy to break or lose. Dell meets you halfway on 802.11b wireless networking; you get dual antennae inside the system, but you have to purchase the optional TrueMobile 1150 mini-PCI wireless card ($149) to make them work or use a wireless card in the PC Card slot.



    Average speed, battery life



    It's unclear whether the low-voltage processor helped the Latitude X200; the Dell's standard six-cell battery conked out after just 114 minutes in tests,so dell latiutude x200 battery have a longer battery life. which is normal for an ultralight. By comparison, the Toshiba Portégé 2000 lasted only 92 minutes on its primary battery, but the Gateway 200 held on for 161 minutes. If you need more juice, squeeze out another for the X200's optional second battery, an eight-cell pack or a universal laptop battery to choose.


    The Latitude X200 performed capably in performance tests. Running Windows XP Professional, it closely trailed the Gateway 200, which had a faster 866MHz CPU. The Toshiba Portégé 2000's 750MHz mobile Pentium III CPU (which has a slower frontside bus and a smaller Level 2 cache than the mobile Pentium III-M's in the Dell and Gateway) kept it respectfully behind the Latitude X200.



    Dell does appear to have half an eye on the after-hours customer, though. There's a 30GB hard disk to provide plenty of storage space for audio, video and other space-hungry files, while a full-sized



    FireWire port makes hooking up a DV camera or external drive simplicity itself. Add two USB ports, a VGA output and the ubiquitous Ethernet and modem ports, and this notebook is surprisingly well connected.


    Our only criticisms here are the lack of an infrared port, Wireless LAN and Bluetooth. The latter two may seem like luxuries now, but in 18 months we suspect they'll be a standard inclusion - and there's just one PC Card slot, after all. That said, Dell will fit a mini-PCI 802.11b card for ?9.


    While we're covering the Latitude's bad points, we should mention battery life. It only just kept going for two hours in our light-use test, while pushing the notebook to its maximum cut this time in half. This isn't a huge surprise, as the battery itself is tiny. This does at least mean you can buy a second battery for ?9 without adding too much to your luggage, or you could choose the extended life unit (which increases the weight to 1.5kg) for ?06.


    One extra that Dell includes as part of this configuration is the excellent media slice (a docking station to the rest of us). This includes two USB ports, plus ports for FireWire, parallel, serial, PS/2, S/PDIF, Ethernet and a VGA output. We also appreciate the DVD/CD-RW combo drive, which is accompanied by a floppy drive. So it doesn't take much to transform this notebook into a fully featured desktop PC at home or work.


    Alternatively, you can buy a much more basic version of the Latitude - say with an external CD-ROM rather than the docking station - which will set you back a mere ?,249 (e-Value code 200-L01REV). And that includes a three-year, on-site, next-business-day warranty, just like the reviewed specification here.


    Hopefully, you won't need to call on this cover, as the Latitude X200 is well built despite its svelte dimensions. The slate grey chassis may be made of ruggedised plastic rather than magnesium alloy, but it offers plenty of protection to the screen. The only thing it lacks is the stylish finish of a Sharp Muramasa PC-UM10 or Toshiba Portege 2000 (see Labs, issue 91, p92).


    Okay, so it's not that glamorous, dell latitude x200 battery life is far from amazing, and there's no integrated wireless. But the Latitude X200 weighs a feather-light 1.3kg, is quick enough for all those chore-like jobs most people use ultra portables for, and its price is amazing. Our advice: go to the website and order one now. Just remember to quote Dell's 200-L02REV e-Value code.

    2008年5月21日星期三

    dell inspiron 6000 computer review

    Long time ago,i have had a dell inspiron 6000 laptop computer,so i know dell 6000 very much.Now i descript dell 6000 computer.If you want to buy dell 6000 computer,the review maybe help you.


    Dell inspiron 6000 laptop computer detail

    The Dell Inspiron 6000 series is a midrange desktop-replacement system with an entertainment slant and 6600mah dell insoiron 6000 laptop battery, appropriate for home and small-office use. Dell sells the system with an almost identical set of options on both its home and small-business sites; the difference lies only in the base configuration that Dell recommends (and the starting price) and the warranty and support options. Check out our full review of a midrange home configuration here.

    The design is quite similar to that found on a number of other Dell laptops, including the Inspiron 9300 and the XPS M140. The notebook is light silver with a white trim, and it measures about 1.5 inches thick, 14 inches across, and just less than 10.5 inches deep. The keyboard is firm and adequately responsive, and it's big enough to work on comfortably. Below the keyboard is a nice-size touch pad with two big mouse buttons. Our test unit weighed 6.6 pounds, or 7.5 pounds with the compact AC adapter--about average for a midsize and not quite light enough for comfortable travel. Overall, the case feels fairly sturdy, though the lid gives quite a bit when you push down on it. We like the silver media-control buttons that line the case's front edge. They're accessible even when the notebook's lid is closed, and you can use them to adjust the volume (or mute) and toggle through tracks on a CD or scenes on a DVD. Two stereo speakers also sit along the Inspiron 6000's front edge; they were louder and clearer than your average laptop speakers.

    Dell sells the Inspiron 6000 series online or via phone, and you can choose from a wide range of components to customize your system. The Inspiron 6000 is available with Intel's less powerful Celeron processor, running at 1.3GHz or 1.5GHz, or a Pentium M. If you go the Pentium M route, you can choose between a first-generation Centrino processor running at 1.5GHz and a slightly faster Sonoma processor running at 1.6GHz. So far, the Sonoma platform hasn't borne out a huge boost in performance over first-generation Centrino.


    You can load the Inspiron 6000 with up to 2GB of DDR2 RAM, and hard drive capacities range from 30GB to 80GB. Secondary storage options include the base-level DVD-ROM, which will also play CDs; a CD-RW/DVD combo drive; and a multiformat, dual-layer DVD burner. We recommend getting at least the CD-RW/DVD combo. Where wireless is concerned, Dell offers 802.11b/g and 802.11a/b/g cards made by either Intel or Dell itself, plus a Dell-branded Bluetooth card.


    Though the Inspiron 6000's 15.4-inch wide-screen display comes standard with a WXGA (1,280x768) native resolution, you can also select WSXGA+ (1,600x1,024) or WUXGA (1,920x1,200) resolutions. WUXGA will give you a ton of screen real estate, but text and numbers will be extremely small--proceed with caution. We're keeping an eye on the recent rash of customer complaints about Dell's notebook screens, but we didn't notice any significant problems with the Inspiron 6000.


    Dell backs the Inspiron 6000(dell inspiron 6000 battery) with an industry-standard one-year warranty on parts and labor. Toll-free, 24/7 telephone support also lasts for just a year. Dell offers a long list of warranty extension options, including onsite repair, night-and-weekend service, and accidental-damage coverage--but they're expensive. The best part of Dell's support Web site is the customer forum, where users can go to get help from other Inspiron owners, as well as from Dell reps who moderate the forum. Otherwise, the site offers the typical knowledge base and downloads sections.

    From above all,dell 6000 laptop is high quality dell inspiron series computer,it is your better choose.

    2008年5月20日星期二

    toshiba satellite A105 laptop review

    My good old faithful Toshiba Satellite 3000-S353 (900mhz) start to
    give me a continuous noise (like wong - wong - wong).. I think the
    noise probably comes from the small internal power supply, or maybe
    the fan?? Don't really know.. does anyone have any similar experience
    and will I be able to fix this problem by myself??So i want to have a toshiba satellite A105.


    toshiba Satellite A105 review


    The Toshiba Satellite A105 is a no-frills media center laptop at a rock-bottom price.and with better toshiba satellite A105 battery.Though competing 15.4-inch wide-screen notebooks, such as the Lenovo 3000 N100, the Dell Inspiron E1505, and the Micro Express EL80, all offer either slightly better performance, better battery life, or both, they charge more for it, too. If you're looking for a Media Center experience but don't want to break the bank, you should consider the Satellite A105.



    Like most of Toshiba's other Satellites, the A105 is conservatively styled. With a dark gray, black, and silver case, the most colorful bit of this notebook is its obligatory Windows XP sticker. The Satellite A105 measures 14.2 inches wide, 10.5 inches deep and 1.5 inches thick and weighs 6 pounds, putting it right between the thin-and-light and the midsize categories. Though it's virtually the same size as the Lenovo 3000 N100, the Micro Express EL80, and the Dell Inspiron E1505, the Satellite A105 is lighter than all those models. With its AC adapter, the Satellite A105 hits the road at 7.1 pounds.

    toshiba satellite a105 laptop

    We think the display should be a star feature of a notebook that ships with Windows XP Media Center Edition, but the Satellite A105's 15.4-inch, glossy, wide-screen display disappoints. It's bright and has excellent color contrast, but with its 1,280x800 native resolution--the same as many 12-inch wide screens--you're carrying a larger, heavier screen without getting any functional real estate advantage. The Satellite A105 can display 17 columns and 36 rows of a spreadsheet and show a word processing document at 150 percent with no need for horizontal scrolling, which is exactly the same as the Fujitsu LifeBook Q2010, one of the smallest ultraportables we've seen. Moreover, while 720p HD content looks exceptionally crisp, the Satellite A105's screen is too low-res for 1080i/p video.



    Display aside, the notebook's other multimedia hardware, combined with Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005, makes for a good audiovisual experience. The Satellite A105's speakers sound rich on the low end and crisp on the high, though their limited volume means you'll have trouble filling a room with sound. The media controls to the left of the keyboard and the front-mounted analog volume dial are complemented by a dedicated key that launches the Windows XP Media Center dashboard. The included S-Video out port makes it easy to connect to most modern TVs. Unfortunately, a remote control is conspicuously absent.



    Though Toshiba could have used the Satellite A105's width to provide a full-size keyboard, the company instead opted for one that's slightly narrow. In addition, the Windows key has been relocated to the upper right, something that will undoubtedly frustrate people who depend on keyboard commands. Like other Toshiba laptops we've reviewed, the Satellite A105's touch pad is smaller than we'd prefer and lacks a dedicated scroll zone.



    The Satellite A105 has more than enough ports and connections for home users. There are 10/100 Ethernet, 802.11a/b/g Wi-Fi, and a 56Kbps modem for networking; four USB 2.0 ports; a FireWire port; two PC Card slots (but not the latest ExpressCards); S-Video out; VGA out; headphone and microphone jacks; and a 5-in 1 memory card reader for Secure Digital, Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro, MultiMediaCard, and xD-Picture Cards. Users who want Bluetooth, a Webcam, or a fingerprint reader will have to purchase external USB peripherals, as these features are not built in.


    The Satellite A105's software package provides applications for all critical software categories. Besides Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005, the notebook ships with Microsoft Works 8.5 for productivity, Microsoft OneNote 2003 for taking notes, Sonic RecordNow for burning discs, InterVideo WinDVD 5 for playing DVDs, and InterVideo WinDVD Creator 2 Platinum for making DVD videos.



    The notebook's most attractive feature may be its rock-bottom price. Though the suggested retail price for our Satellite A105 is an already low $999, some retailers are selling it for $799 after rebates. For that price you get a mix of low-end to midrange components, including a 1.6GHz Intel Core Duo processor, 512MB of average 533MHz RAM, a huge 120GB hard drive that spins at 5,400rpm, and an integrated Intel GMA 950 graphics subsystem. By comparison, a similarly configured Lenovo 3000 N100 costs $998 but does not include Windows XP Media Center Edition, while a Dell Latitude E1505 can be configured with the exact same specs for $891.



    On CNET Labs' performance benchmarks, the Satellite A105 held its own against notebooks with significantly faster processors, most likely due to superior power management by Toshiba. The Satellite A105 came close to matching the performance of the Lenovo 3000 N100 and the Dell Inspiron E1505, and it outran by 27 percent the Micro Express EL80, which is stocked with high-end components. Overall, we think the Satellite A105's performance should be more than enough for most home users who want to want to surf the Web, type documents, and play and burn discs.



    In our battery-drain tests, the Satellite A105 offered 3 hours, 49 minutes, of away-from-the-wall work time. That's just above average for a laptop of this size and 40 minutes longer than the Lenovo 3000 N100; the Dell Inspiron E1505, however, lasted nearly an hour longer, while the Micro Express EL80 topped 6 hours of battery life.



    Toshiba includes an industry-standard one-year parts-and-labor warranty with the Satellite A105. Support is accessible through a 24/7 toll-free phone line, an online knowledge base, and both a carry-in and mail-in repair service.

    Maybe i have the other to choose,such as dell inspiron 6000 laptop(dell inspiron 6000 battery and laptop charger),ibm thinkpad t40 and so on.

    2008年5月16日星期五

    ASUS Eee pc laptop pack review

    For several months before its release, the Asus Eee PC was one of a handful of small, inexpensive PCs that had tech types buzzing with anticipation. While the other systems, the Intel Classmate and the One Laptop Per Child XO, are aimed at the educational needs of children around the globe and not generally available to consumers, the Eee holds no such highbrow pedigree--it's for sale directly from Asus to the laptop-buying public.


    The initial buzz on the Asus Eee had the 7-inch, Linux-based laptop coming in as low at $199. In the end, the price is a more realistic $399, which includes a low-end Intel Mobile CPU, 512MB of RAM, and a 4GB solid-state flash hard drive (versions with 2GB and 8GB hard drives will also be available). The obvious limitations of the tiny hard drive, low-power CPU, and lack of the Windows operating system may be enough to scare away many potential users, but despite the system's budget origins, we found it hard to dislike when viewed as a highly portable Web surfing and office productivity machine.


    The Asus Eee is certainly worth a look as a second laptop for travelers, or perhaps a first laptop for kids--one you won't be afraid to leave in accident-prone hands. It's certainly a more attractive option than any of the UMPCs (which have screens of 5 inches or less) we've seen this year, which we generally found to be high in price and low on usability, and much less expensive than recent ultraportable laptops (which generally have 11- or 12-inch screens).

    the ASUS Eee pc detail:

    • Price as reviewed $399
    • Processor 900MHz Intel Mobile CPU
    • Memory 512MB RAM
    • Hard drive 4GB SSD
    • Chipset/Graphics Intel 910
    • Operating System Linux (customized by Asus)
    • Dimensions (WDH) 8.8 x 6.5 x 0.9 inches
    • Screen size (diagonal) 7.0 inches
    • System weight / Weight with AC adapter [pounds] 2.0/2.4 pounds
    • Category Ultraportable


    The Asus Eee looks like a fairly conventional ultraportable laptop, shrunk down by about a third. With a small 7-inch screen, the laptop weighs 2 pounds and measures 8.8 inches wide by 6.5 inches deep by a little less than an inch thick. In all, the Eee PC is about the size of a trade paperback book; it can fit in a large jacket pocket without too much trouble. The pearlized white look is attractive, if generic, and the typically understated Asus design keeps the system from looking too cheap.


    Cramming all the things one expects from a laptop into a package this small presents some difficult design questions, and the Asus Eee answers most of them about as well as can be expected. The biggest challenge is the keyboard. Tiny keyboards, as on ultraportable systems such as the Toshiba R500 or Sony VAIO TZ150, are hampered by both Chiclet-size keys and unfortunate compromises in key placement and double-mapped keys. The Eee takes it a step further, with some of the tiniest keys we've ever had to deal with. At least most of the space is saved for making sure the actual letter keys are a usable size, which makes typing at least possible, if not entirely easy. Other keys, including the backspace, tab, and control keys, are smaller--mere slivers of their usual selves, and especially hard to hit. The tiny touchpad measures 1.75 inches by 1.25 inches and works well on the whole, but there's only a single mouse button--click on the left side for the left mouse button, and the right for the right mouse button. We'd prefer two separate buttons. Overall, the keyboard is easier to use than any UMPC we've seen, but far more cramped than any other ultraportable PC.


    The 7-inch screen looks even smaller than it is thanks to the large black screen bezel that frames it. At least the extra space around the screen serves a purpose: a Webcam sits above the screen and tiny speakers reside on the left and right sides of the display, emitting tinny but passable sound for things like YouTube videos. With a resolution of 800x480, there's not a lot of screen real estate to spare, but the combination of low resolution and a tiny screen make for letters that don't (usually) require squinting. One niggling annoyance: at 800 pixels wide, many Web pages are too wide for the screen and require horizontal scrolling. We'd happily trade the thick screen bezel for an extra inch or so of screen real estate and a 1024x768 resolution, even if it meant we'd lose the Webcam and would have to get along with even smaller speakers.


    The biggest adjustment most users will encounter with the Asus Eee is trading Windows for the Linux operating system. While this machine is technically capable of supporting Windows, and Asus plans to sell a version with the Microsoft OS in the near future, right now, Linux is the only option. While the scant 4GB hard drive and unfamiliar (to many) operating system might make it hard to get the software you need, the Eee actually sports a very user-friendly custom Linux installation, and many of the apps you'll want are preloaded and easy to access through a series of tabbed desktop pages.


    Firefox is there for Web surfing and OpenOffice 2.0 for working with word-processing documents and spreadsheets. Both should already be familiar to Windows users (and OpenOffice is an especially appealing solution, as it reads and writes the popular Microsoft Office formats, and is worth checking out even for dedicated Windows users). There's also a generic media player, an instant messaging client that works with AOL, Yahoo, and other popular IM systems, and a handful of preinstalled casual games. Under the settings tab, you can check system information, add and remove programs, and perform diagnostic tests. It's a reasonably useful selection of software, and for Web surfing and working with documents, perfectly acceptable. You may, however, miss some popular software that won't run on Linux, such as iTunes or Photoshop.



    Asus Eee PC 4G Average for mainstream category

    • Video VGA-out VGA-out, S-video
    • Audio Stereo speakers, headphone/microphone jacks Stereo speakers, headphone/microphone jacks
    • Data 3 USB 2.0, SD card reader 4 USB 2.0, mini-FireWire, mulitformat memory card reader
    • Expansion None PC Card slot
    • Networking Modem, Ethernet, 802.11 a/b/g Wi-Fi Modem, Ethernet, 802.11 a/b/g Wi-Fi, optional Bluetooth
    • Optical drive None DVD burner

    With three USB ports, a VGA out, and standard headphone and mic jacks, the Asus Eee offers decent connectivity. FireWire is the one missing standard element, aside from the obvious absence of an optical drive. The SD card slot offers a good opportunity to boost the hard drive space, allowing you to pop in your own flash memory, easily doubling the system's 4GB drive (only about 1.3GB of which is actually free), with your own 4GB SD card, which you can get for around $50.

    Without the common frame of reference we get from our standard benchmark tests, including iTunes and Photoshop, it's difficult to judge the Eee's performance, especially as it comes with its own set of preinstalled software, doubtlessly tuned to the limitations of the hardware. We can't imagine 512MB of RAM or a 900MHz Intel Mobile processor would results in a pleasant Windows Vista experience (maybe the stripped down Vista Basic version in a pinch), but these meager specs suffice for lean Linux. We were able to surf the Web and work on some office documents with absolutely no stuttering or slowdown, which was a pleasant surprise. Gaming is a no-go, beyond the strictly casual variety (our favorite preinstalled game: Crack Attack). For its intended purpose of getting online while on the road, we found the Eee PC to be more than up to the challenge.

    We were not able to run our normal DVD playback battery test, but in anecdotal testing, we were able to use the Eee for a little under 3 hours while running a mix of Web browsers, OpenOffice documents, and playing MP3 files. Asus says the 4-cell battery is rated for 3.5 hours, which is decent for an ultraportable laptop, especially one this inexpensive.

    Asus covers its laptops with a standard one-year parts-and-labor warranty, and it offers online Web-based help and a toll-free phone number. The company's support Web site includes the expected driver downloads and a brief FAQ but lacks useful features such as user forums or the chance to chat in real time with a technician.

     
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