Computer Reviews

The Samsung is an unusually solid netbook with good performance and doesn’t look like a cheap kids toy. I’ve seen quite a few positive comments on this model and it offers a good mix of styling and performance. As with all netbooks it won’t blow other computers away, but the price is right and the specifications balanced enough to give a good experience.

Here’s some of the main features:

• 2.8lbs
• 10.1 inch screen
• 1024 x 600 resolution
• 1GB of memory
• 160GB hard drive
• Fast Ethernet
• Wireless 802.11b/g/n

The size of the screen is enough for a web browser, although it will be cramping some websites and they might need to be zoomed out for optimal viewing.

The Intel Atom processor is the stock specification for netbooks ever since it was first introduced so there are no surprises and no real performance differences between this and other netbooks.

The keyboard, often a tough point for those with larger hands, is about 90% the size of a standard keyboard and is big enough to use comfortably, albeit not for a full weeks work at the computer.

The outside of the netbook is robust and does well against scratches and abrasions.

1GB of memory will handle most web browsing needs. This will allow two or three programs to be open at the same time. Firefox with 15-20 tabs, Tweetdeck and an instant messaging client will handle just fine. Running one at a time will yield better results though.

I’m glad that 802.11n wireless networking is included. As netbooks are meant to be connected to the Internet mostly and do almost everything online, a decent network connection is pretty important. Speeding up the local connection, i.e. the wireless connection from the computer to the Internet router, makes the experience that much more seamless.

Other extras include audio input, audio output, built-in speakers, built-in webcam, built-in microphone, VGA port, and three USB ports.

I’m not drooling over netbooks as I once was, but I think this one would be high up on my list if I was planning on getting one. It hits does well where it needs to and looks good to boot. The $300 price is pretty tough to beat.

With a large 15.6 inch widescreen monitor, large hard drive and plenty of memory, the Toshiba Satellite L505 has a lot of performance in a not-so-portable package. Ideal as a desktop replacement laptop, it offers a full range of features expected from a desktop computer, but in a laptop sized package.

Here’s some of the more important stuff:

• 15.6 inch monitor
• 2.1GHz Intel Pentium T4300 dual-core processor
• 500GB SATA hard drive
• 4GB memory
• Graphics card with shared memory
• DVD writer
• 802.11n Wifi and Fast Ethernet

The 15.6 inch monitor is enough for everyday use. My wife owns a similar Toshiba with a screen of the same size. It is not up to the full day workloads of a desktop computer, where a much larger desktop is more comfortable. But for using a single window at a time, this is just enough. At the highest resolution the screen will accommodate a web browser with an instant messaging program or other slim window at the side. A VGA slot if available for attaching a monitor.

The memory is enough, 4GB will serve even the most demanding of users, and is upgradeable to 8GB, although I really don’t see that as being worthwhile because the odds of actually using that much memory are very slim. If you run enough programs to fill up more than 4GB of memory then the speed of the processor will start to come into play as it will have a lot of programs to deal with.

The processor is fast enough, but will chew on power. This is not a super low power CPU and that is reflected somewhat in the short battery life of this laptop. Nothing special, but will perform as expected for the price range.

The 500GB hard drive is more than enough. Up to 100 DVD movies. Just remember to back up your data if you’re going to use that much space. Although hard drives are pretty reliable, they are a common point of failure and are usually not recoverable. With all the information you can store on there, it means there is a lot to lose if the hard drive is damaged. The same information can also be lost due to viruses, so backup regularly. Consider an external hard drive or online storage for backup.

802.11b/g/n wireless is always good. This offers speeds of up to 300Mb/s for the wireless connection to the router if the router supports it. There is a wired Fast Ethernet port too, which is standard and will connect nearly anywhere there is a network available.

Rounding out the rest are three USB ports, built-in speakers, a webcam, and audio input and output.

One little gripe though. I really don’t think it’s necessary to squash the 10-key numeric keypad onto the right. I would opt for a keyboard without the numeric keypad. Although the extra keys are helpful, it is pretty much expected that it won’t be included on laptops because it just makes the space too squashed.

Overall, I would recommend this for home use. It can get lugged around, but does not offer the portability of a netbook. My wife’s version, with different speakers is just great. Windows 7 is a plus too.

Pros:

• Fast
• Plenty of memory
• Spacious
• Full range of extras

Cons:

• Unnecessary keyboard keys

Need a higher specced laptop at a decent price. The HP Pavilion DV6-1354US offers a 15.6 inch screen, a dual-core processor and 4GB of memory, a great desktop replacement laptop for home use and light travelling.

Here’s a quick rundown of the main features:

• 2.2GHz Intel Core2 Duo T6600 processor
• 15.6″ LED backlight screen
• 4GB memory
• 500GB hard drive
• DVD burner
• Wifi draft n 300Mb/s

This processor is a bit of an unknown featuring the Penryn core. Jumping to a new core in the T series, it offers slightly lower power consumption which is somewhat negated by the higher speed it is run at. The processor will provide enough oomph for daily activities. With more power than the ultra-low voltage processors on offer in this price range, this computer will only last up to four hours on battery, but give more speed.

The 4GB of memory is more than enough and is being seen on more and more notebook computers around the $700 price mark. That’s great because upgrades will not be necessary that often. That’s enough memory for browsing the web, instant messaging, using tweetdeck, writing documents, listening to mp3s and creating spreadsheets all at the same time.

I sometimes wonder why hard drives on personal computers continue to increase in size as so much information is going online. Currently my local hard drive usage is limited to storing the photos and movies that I will later upload to my Picasa account where they are safely stored. Online storage can be safer than local storage because the computers your information is stored on are purposefully designed for storing information and have backup systems in place, unlike the hard drive in your computer. This computer offers enough to store around 100 DVD movies on it.

More useful for those who spend a lot of time online are the fast network connections. The standard Ethernet is offered, giving a very standard wired option for connecting to a network or to the Internet. This is always the failsafe as Ethernet is widely used in both the home and office. The slightly more exciting bonus is 802.11n Wifi connectivity which offers up to 300Mb/s transfer speed, perfect for a home network and a nice fast connection for Internet connectivity.

The wide screen monitor is always appreciated in these smaller form factors. Adding a large monitor to the notebook computer while at home is not problem as the extra monitor will just connect to the video outputs for a larger viewing area. This system boasts an LED backlit monitor which is a newer technology for lighting up the screen.

Software-wise, the addition of Windows 7 is welcome and it’s the 64-bit version to boot. Adoption of 64-bit technology has been slow in the consumer marketplace, but it should pick up with the support of Windows 7.