In this video I give you an overview of the Dell Studio XPS8000 Windows PC.
Specifications:
Intel Core i7-860 2.8GHz processor
8MB L3 cache
8GB 1067MHz Dual Channel RAM
1GB Nvidia GeForce GTS240 GPU
1TB SATA Hard Drive
16x Optical Drive
Integrated HDA 7.1 Dolby Digital Audio
Wired Keyboard & Mouse
Manufacturer website: http://www.dell.co.uk/
If you want a superb value Windows based laptop package, but something a bit bigger than a netbook, then look no further. The Asus K50IN-SX001C offers up a sexy design and a 15.6-inch widescreen display. Check out the review.
Product: Asus K50IN-SX001C Laptop
Price: £599
Supplied by: Asus UK
Contact: +44 (0) 870 1208 340
If you want a slim laptop with a Windows flavour, you could do a lot worse than check out my Acer Aspire Timeline 4810T Review.
Product: Acer Aspire Timeline
Price: £549 to £749
Supplied by: Acer UK
Contact: +44 (0)870 853 1005
If you want a laptop (or should I say mini sized netbook) that is even smaller than the recently announced MacBook, then check this Asus Eee PC 901 out. Although it is not anywhere near as powerful as Apple's offering, it does give you access to a very very small and useful machine. Ideal as a 'take anywhere' and 'chuck in your bag' affair. Check out the video review below.
Product: Asus Eee PC 901 (16GB SSD, Linux)
Price: £282 (Amazon)
Supplied by: Asus UK
Contact: 0870 120 8340
Video sponsored by Adagio Teas Europe
We were very lucky to get our Asus Eee PC 1000H today from Clove Technology. The version we have here in the Geekanoids office is a 10-inch Windows XP version, with 1GB RAM and an 80GB hard drive. Having only just unboxed the tiny wonder and played with it for around one hour, this is by no means a full review, rather a first impressions.
See the gallery at the end of this review.
Firstly, the accessories you get in the box make it seem a lot better value than other offerings. The stumpy, yet high capacity battery should yield much longer runtimes than the 3-cell batteries shipping with other netbooks. You also get a nice little manual, a polishing cloth, Support CD and MS Works 9.0 licence. There is also a slip case, which is functional and means you can get out-and-about with your Eee very quickly.
The 1000H unit is very very sexy. Our model is in black and it has a very high gloss finish. It looks as thought it'll really be a fingerprint magnet, but this does not seem to be the case. Touching the outer lid leaves no traces of smudges, which is a good sign. On first switch on, you get a feel for how the screen delivers a nice bright picture. It is not quite as bright as the Advent 4211 (MSI Wind), but it is bright enough, giving a just slightly off-white look (only very slightly) at its brightest setting. The keyboard is nicer than the Advent, it is better spaced, and you have a little room at the edges, so I like it a lot more. The feel of the keys is nicer too, giving a nice amount of travel and a very positive feel.
Where the 1000H really wins my vote is the trackpad. It is a proper size and offers multi-touch, so you can do the two finger scrolling that makes navigating web pages and your other windows just so much easier. Yes, I know that this unit is an extra £70 over the Advent, but it does come in at almost the same price as the official MSI Wind. I think that the extra price is more than justified. It feels more solid, more like a real laptop and like I said, you will love the trackpad and the keyboard. When you think that those two features are the most used on any laptop, the Eee PC 1000H is certainly a very wise choice. Don't ride the 'wind', fly higher on the Eee.
Always on the hunt for new toys, and primarily a replacement for my 12-inch PowerBook. I had been keeping my eye on the netbook front for the last month or so. Initially I was really tempted to wait for the Asus Eee PC 901 or 1000H, but then through the forums I heard of the MSI Wind U100. This little 10-inch screen notebook looked superb. The term being touted is 'Netbook' due to it being ideally suited to surfing and emails, with the odd office task.
A slideshow of this little netbook can be viewed at the bottom of this review.
Anyway, the MSI model seemed to be so hard to get hold of. Then the Advent 4211 appeared on the PC World website. It was a rebadge, sourced and manufactured by MSI, so really just a different colour Wind, except at £279 it is cheaper. The box is tiny and hides this little laptop inside. The laptop itself is very solid and has a nice build to it. The lid that houses the screen has very little flex which is encouraging. The screen itself is very hard, pressing a little causes no ripples, so it seems very robust. The battery is a slimline 3-cell, which proves a bit hard to fit and remove, but a snug fit, which does not protrude from the base of the laptop at all.
The keyboard feels nice and responsive, with the keys have just the right amount of travel. Size is good too, comparing to a full size notebook it is almost the same, just a bit more compact. The symbols on the keys are nice and clear too.
On first start up, you are asked a few set-up questions, but it lets you get underway with Windows XP SP3 pretty fast. I was certainly up and running within about five minutes. The only problem I have experienced is getting it to recognise my wireless network, but I am sure I will sort that out.
In use the screen is very crisp and clear. The backlighting seems very even and the brightness is pretty darn impressive. Normally my experience of PC laptops is that the screen never goes as bright as I would like. The Advent 4211 is the first that I have to say I am happy with. A white page is as it should be, white and not grey. After an hours use, the system is running very quietly. I created a restore backup following the instructions, using an SD card. This tooks about 12 minutes, and I suggest you do the same, as it means you have a copy of all the drivers you need too. Overall, the Advent 4211 has impressed. The trackpad is a little small, but again you will get used to it. If you need something really portable thought, then pop into a PC World and take a look. You will be surprised at what £279 gets you. For such a compact package, you can really get truly mobile, with the addition for a PAYG or contract mobile (such as the great offers from Three), you can add mobile broadband easily to this tiny package.
*UPDATE* I am happy to confirm that after an official BIOS update and updating the network card driver, the wi-fi connection is now OK and very stable.
If you need something nice and compact for your children (or yourself) without spending too much cash, then take a look at our review of the Asus EeePC (also know as the RM MiniBook). This tiny wonder is so cheap and very well made, it certainly impressed me with what you get for your money. There are a few of these popping up nowadays, but the Asus version feels like a proper laptop, with excellent build quality and a nice crisp clear screen.
Product: Asus EeePC - RM MiniBook
Price: £169 (from)
Supplied by: RM
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