Top 5 iPhone 3G

The iPhone 3G has just released and we have reviewed it already. It is a great phone but definitely not the best out there. We take a look at some phones which, while priced similarly to the iPhone, have many features that are much better than the iPhone 3G. They can easily kick the iPhone 3G’s ass in a one to one face off. So here we present the devices, that we think, can dethrone the iPhone to become the king of smartphones. All these phones have all the regular features like calling, messaging, email, high speed web browsing etc, so we won’t be elaborating much on those points. We will highlight and compare just those features which are in direct contrast to the iPhone. All these devices will be releasing, hopefully, by the end of 2008. All new phones now have accelerometers, touchscreens and other sensors, all thanks to the iPhone. Do note that the devices are in no particular order.

Side note: The iPhone 3G has changed the history of mobile phone development and set the path for constant innovation. Its Multi Touch UI is its biggest asset. It was so cool and innovative, that even after a year of the iPhone’s release, no manufacturer has been able to beat it in terms of user interface capabilities. However even after the release of the iPhone 3G, it still has some very stupid shortcomings like - no video recording, no cut paste abilities, no MMS, no A2DP, no Flash support etc.

Top 5 iPhone 3G Killers

• Samsung Omnia i900 :

The creators of the Omnia i900 at Samsung definitely had the iPhone 3G as a target in mind when they made the Omnia i900. Whatever features the iPhone lacks in, the Omnia makes up for it in the best possible way. It is powered by Windows Mobile 6.1 and sports an iPhone esque Multi Touch interface - Touch Wiz. Though it is not as refined as the iPhone Multi Touch UI, it does come very close. It sports a superb 5MP cam and has everything that the iPhone does not - Flash, Video recording ( VGA at 15 FPS & QVGA at 30 FPS ), FM with RDS, A2DP. The audio quality is close in line with the iPhone 3G. Being a Windows Mobile phone, it offers a greater variety of softwares and games. It offers up to 8 GB expandable memory compared to iPhone 3G’s 8 / 16 GB.

• HTC Touch Pro :

The HTC Touch Pro is the most powerful and feature packed phone ever on Earth. It sports 288 MB RAM, coupled with a very powerful 528 MHZ processor. It runs on Windows Mobile 6.1 Pro and features a very cool User Interface - TouchFLO 3D which is just as good as the iPhone’s UI. In addition it features many more softwares and games from the Windows Mobile stable. The 3.2 MP Cam with AF & Flash is much better than iPhone’s 2 MP Cam. It supports CIF ( 352*288 ) Video recording at 30 FPS. It comes with a QWERTY keypad too which slides under the back of the phone. It combines style (Multi Touch) with usability (QWERTY) and is much more suited for office executives.

• Sony Ericsson XPeria X1 :

The Sony Ericsson XPeria X1 is a slightly underpowered clone of the HTC Touch Pro. It marks Sony Ericsson’s foray into Windows Mobile phones. It is slimmer and lighter than the HTC Touch Pro and with a supposedly inferior UI. It sports 256 MB RAM, a little lesser than the Touch Pro. It has a 3.2 MP Cam too, with Auto Focus, Flash and VGA Video recording at 30 FPS. The other features are almost same as the Touch Pro which mean that it pretty much pawns the iPhone 3G except in the UI department. The QWERTY keyboard is much more comfortable when typing, compared to a virtual onscreen keyboard.

• Nokia N96 :

The Nokia N96, though not a touchscreen phone, has everything you could ever expect from a phone. A superb 5 MP cam with Auto Focus and Flash, Video recording - VGA at 30 FPS, 16 GB Internal memory, A-GPS, a DVB - H receiver, a Dual ARM 9 CPU, 128 MB RAM, a brilliant 2.8″ 16M color screen - the list just doesn’t end. It is powered by Symbian s60 V3.2 OS v9.3 - The most popular smartphone OS ever. It has huge 3rd party application support, second only to perhaps Windows Mobile. It has the most user friendly interface in smartphones. Even though it doesnt have Multi Touch, it easily surpasses the iPhone in terms of its easy to use UI. It is going to be the flagship Nokia smartphone and packs enough power to kill the iPhone 3G. The UI with the iPhone 3G comparison is subjective. Its Webkit based inbuilt OSS browser and Opera mobile are just as good as Apple OS X’s safari and even beats it in some aspects.

• Sony Ericsson C905 :

The C905 is Sony Ericsson’s latest and greatest Cybershot. It will have a mind boggling; yea, hold your breath, 8.1 MP Super Cam with AF, Flash, VGA Video recording at 30 FPS and the likes. It is the best camera phone ever and gets precariously close to digicam territory. Taking awesome pictures is in its genes. It has 128 MB internal memory and theoretically supports up to 32 GB. It has all the other regular stuff like 3G, A-GPS, Geo tagging, WLAN, Bluetooth with A2DP etc. Like the Nokia N96, this one also doesn’t sport a touchscreen, but WTH! , does one need Multi Touch with all such features packed in?

And Re-introducing the current nemesis of the iPhone 3G,

• The HTC Touch Diamond :

The HTC Touch Diamond is the current reigning iPhone 3G ass kicker. It will soon be surpassed by its successor, the HTC Touch Pro. It has similar features to the HTC Touch Pro - Windows Mobile 6.1 Pro + Touch FLO 3D, except that it doesnt have the QWERTY keypad and has less RAM - just about 192 MB. The only negatives with the Touch Diamond are the absence of a QWERTY keypad and the slightly laggy Touch FLO 3D user interface. You can check out the here.

Alienware Area-51 mm15x

Alienware is a name synonymous with high-end gaming rigs and are a favorite among gamers across the globe. Gaming laptops are generally in desktop replacement category ie. having 17″ screen but Alienware has come out with a high-end gaming laptop in the 15″ category. You can now enjoy gaming on the move with Alienware Area-51 m15x.

Alienware Area-51 m15x specifications :

• 
• Dimensions : 14.6″ x 10.7″ x 1.3″
• Processor : Intel Core 2 Duo T8100 2.1 GHz
• Chipset : Mobile Intel GM965 Express
• Display : 15.4″ TFT with 1440 x 900 resolution
• RAM : 2GB DDR II SDRAM 667 MHz
• Hard Disk : 250GB SATA-150 7200 rpm
• Optical drive : DVD±RW 8x Dual Layer
• Graphics : 512MB Nvidia GeForce 8800GTX
• OS : Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium
• Battery : 6-cell Lithium-ion
• Approx. price : $2175

With a base price of just $1499, it will attract a lot more buyers apart from hardcore gamers. It can be customized which leaves room for balance your budget and performance. Customizing it to the extreme leaves you with the best configuration you can get in any 15.4″ notebook PC. The exterior of the laptop is made of metal and has a silver finish but the body is prone to fingerprints. The overall exterior look of the laptop is average which isn’t what you expect from a high-end laptop.

The touchpad is a bit different as it runs in line with the body and there is no demarcation except for the border which is backlit. Although it does look cool, but it reduces the functionality. Above the keyboard, you can find a row of touch sensitive buttons for controlling various radios in the laptop and applications.

The best part is the backlit keyboard which not only adds look but also makes the keyboard usable in low light conditions. The 15.4″ display has a resolution of 1440 x 900, although it can be upgraded to 1920 x 1200 resolution for full HD capability. Blu-ray drive is an additional component for $300.

HDMI is the only display output port, which is surprising. RAM can be bumped up to 4GB and the processor to Intel Core 2 Extreme X9000 2.8 GHz for a whopping $900. There is also an option to add solid state drives. The overall hard disk capacity can be increased to 1TB. If Nvidia 8800 GTX doesn’t satisfy you, then you can opt for Nvidia Quadro FX series for an additional $100.

The performance of the laptop is amazing. It notched up high scores in gaming. URT III notched up 100fps at 1280 x 800 resolution. The display quality is great with the sharpness, brightness etc. all perfect. RAM is ample to support various applications and games. Overall gaming performance is impressive.

Pros :

• Extensive customization options
• Backlit keyboard
• Great display
• Excellent performance
• Aggressively priced

Cons :

• Average build quality
• Thick
• Touchpad awkward

Final Thoughts

The Alienware Area-51 mm15x is one hell of a laptop which offers extreme high-end configuration options. The performance is not an issue and being a 15 inch laptop, it can be carried around also. Build quality isn’t the greatest around along with an awkward keypad are its two major disadvantages. Overall a very good buy.

My Rating : 4.25/5

Asus M70SA-X2

You always expect something special from Asus and they rarely fail to live up to their expectations. Asus M70SA-X2 is another such product from Asus’ labs. It boats of never heard specifications on a laptop. It isn’t priced exorbitantly which is the icing on the cake. So does this laptop make the cut as one of the best gaming laptop, lets find out.

Asus M70SA-X2 specifications :

• 
• Dimensions : 16.1″ x 11.7″ x 1.5″
• Display : 17″ TFT active matrix
• Display resolution : 1920 x 1200
• Processor : Intel Core 2 Duo T9300 2.5GHz
• Data bus speed : 800 MHz
• Chipset : Mobile Intel PM965 chipset
• RAM : 4GB DDR2 SDRAM 667 MHz
• Hard Disk : 1TB (2×500 GB) SATA ATA-II
• Optical drive : Blu-ray drive
• Graphics : ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3650 (1GB)
• Webcam : 1.3 megapixel
• Battery : 8-cell Lithium-ion
• OS : Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium
• Warranty : 2-years
• Approx. price : $2400

This one surely has impressive specifications with a TB of hard drive space, a gig of video memory on the graphics card and a blu-ray drive. And not to forget the state-of-the-art processor with 4 gigs of memory, perfect!

The 17″ monsters are always bulky and this one is even bulkier, so moving it around frequently isn’t an option. The build quality of the laptop is solid and its lid is made up of reflective material. The keyboard is gray in color which is glossy and attractive. The keyboard has a 10-digit numeric keypad which is becoming standard on 17″ inch laptops.

The display is exceptional as it supports full HD resolution ie. 1920 x 1200. Coupled with a Blu-ray drive, it will come it very handy while watching HD movies. The display has an ambient light sensor for automatic adjustment of the display brightness, sweet. If that was not enough, the display incorporates Asus’ Splendid Video Intelligence Technology for automatic adjustment of brightness, contrast, color saturation etc based on the application you are running. Webcam sits pretty on top of the display.

The touchpad is a beauty to say the least. It isn’t like those normal touchpads, it is a dual touchpad. It doubles up as a multimedia control with the touch of a button. It changes it color and reveals touch sensitive keys which can be used to control the media player. Scroll turns into a volume slider. It also has a couple of programmable buttons.

There are a whole lot of ports that it incorporates which includes HDMI port, eSATA port, S/PDIF out, S-Video in apart from the regular set of ports. The speakers haven’t been left behind the revolution, four speakers with subwoofer make the way for full balanced sound.

Performance isn’t something you would worry about after looking at the specs! It ships with 32-bit Vista, so only 3GB RAM gets recognized sadly. Also the graphics card isn’t the most powerful around. CPU has a lot of juice in it and that shows in CPU-intensive tests. Gaming performance isn’t top notch but still its very good. Battery will last more than 3 hours on normal usage which is highly acceptable.

Pros :

• 
• Top-line specifications
• Solid build quality
• Full HD 17″ screen
• Brilliant touchpad
• Awesome speakers
• Good performance
• Great battery life

Cons :

• Bulky and large
• 32-bit OS does not support full 4GB RAM
• GPU a bottleneck

Final Thoughts

The Asus M70SA-X2 is a hell of a laptop and offers awesome specifications at an aggressive price. Apart from a average GPU, everything else on this laptop is close to perfect. Be it the screen, speakers or even the touchpad, all them impress. So get this one if you can live with a bit lower frame rates in the games!

My Rating : 4.25/5

Top 10 Digital Cameras

Point and Shoot cameras come in all shapes and sizes now, ranging from extremely skinny ones that can fit in your pocket to mini-SLR sized cameras that pack a large punch. Deciding which camera is for you can be extremely hard because of the sheer number of choices, but hopefully this list will provide enough of a choice that you can find the camera that best suites your needs.

Before I start listing the top 10 point and shoot cameras, please keep in mind that I’m not listing the cameras in any specific order and that my choices are based off the reviews of a number of different point and shoot cameras. If you’d like to see a full review of each camera please click on the name of the camera. If you feel differently please feel free to post your list. Now, without further adieu, here’s the list for the “Top 10 Point and Shoot Cameras”.

1. Canon Powershot G9

Coming in at $500, the Canon Powershot G9 is the most expensive of the list. The price is mainly due to the number of features that the G9 has, including an optical viewfinder, 12.1MP resolution, and a number of manual features. The G9 is the closest camera to a SLR and if you’re wanting to have that extra control over your pictures without having to lug around a large SLR, the G9 is for you.

2. Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W90

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W90 is essentially the polar oposite of the Canon G9. It’s small size and small price make it affordable to the masses, but it still packs a good punch. Sony included what they call “double anti-blur” technology which reduces both subject shake blur and camera shake blur. With a 8.1MP resoultion and a 2.5″ LCD this camera has it all.

3. Canon PowerShot SD950 IS

The Canon PowerShot SD950IS is another great little camera. It features a very large 12.1MP resolution as well as a 2.5″ LCD screen. One of my favourite features with this camera is the optical viewfinder. Most digital cameras are now opting for a larger LCD instead of the viewfinder and I find this annoying because most LCD screens are useless in direct sunlight. The SD950IS is fairly expensive at $360 considering you can’t manually control the pictures.

4. Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX2

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX2 is the only Panasonic camera on the list but that doesn’t mean its not a competitor. THe DMC-LX2 has a number of great features including a variety of focus modes, all of the essential metering and semi-manual exposure options and a wide-angle lens. This is probably the ugliest camera of the group so if you’re looking for style you should continue reading. Coming in at $450, the DMC-LX2 is one of the more expensive cameras, but as they say “You get what you pay for”.

5. Nikon CoolPix P5100

The Nikon CoolPix P5100 is one of the more high-end point and shoot cameras in the list. It’ll set you back $400 but its features are more like a SLR than those of a point and shoot camera. You have pretty much total control over the pictures that you take (but theres also an automatic mode for those who want the camera to do everything for them). 12.1MP resolution, optical viewfinder and image stabilization are all pluses as well.

6. Canon PowerShot A590 IS

As you can probably tell, I like the PowerShot line of cameras. They’re solidly built and take great pictures and the A590IS is no different. This version is less expensive than its bigger brother and only costs $200, but you don’t lose too many features. While the design isn’t the greatest, it still features 8.1MP resolution, a 2.5″ LCD screen and a number of manual features that’ll let you take the picture you really want to take.

7. Fujifilm FinePix F50fd

Coming in at the middle of the pack as far as price is concerned ($250), the Fujifilm FinePix F50fd is pretty much your average point and shoot digital camera. It has an impressive 12MP resolution, different shutter speeds and a large 2.7″ LCD screen. The thing I like best about this camera is the face detection software, because it works extremely well. Most of the cameras on this list have FD software but the F50fd can find a face even when it’s in full profile (which a lot of cameras can’t).

8. Canon PowerShot SD1100 IS

The Canon PowerShot SD1100 takes one of the best selling Canon 35mm cameras, the “elph” and turns it into a digital powerhouse. This camera ($250), has one of the best menu and user interfaces in the list. All of the controls are intuitive and it didn’t take me long at all to learn a new interface. Often times cameras have very complex menus and it’s hard to navigate around them but this is not the case with the SD1100 IS. It also has 8.1MP resolution, 2.5″ LCD screen and an optical viewfinder (which I like).

9. Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T300

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T300 is the second most expensive camera on the list at $450. It features a massive 3.5″ LCD screen, 10.3MP resolution, image stabilization and more. The LCD screen on the DSC-T300 is very large and very bright. You control almost every aspect of the camera via the 3.5-inch touch-screen LCD, leaving just a power button, a playback button, a shutter release, and a zoom rocker as its only physical controls. This camera is by far my favourite when it comes to design, because of its sleekness.

10. Nikon CoolPix S700

Last but certainly not least is the Nikon CoolPix S700. This camera is another mid-range digital camera with a rounded set of features. The S700 feels very sturdy when you’re taking pictures, and the pictures that it takes are of great quality. The controls have a solid feel for the most part, and the AutoFocus is amazing.

Well there you have it. My current Top 10 Digital Cameras. Now, the important thing to remember is that these cameras have different things to offer. People that don’t want all of the manual function sof a digital SLR probably aren’t going to want the Canon G9 or Nikon P5100 since they can’t justify the cost for the functions they need. On the other hand a lot of people aren’t going to want a simple point and shoot camera.

If you feel that this list is missing out on a great camera feel free to drop a comment with the camera that you feel should have been included.

Dell Inspiron 1525

Dell Inspiron 1525 was an upgrade to the hugely popular Dell Inspiron 1520 laptop. Dell brought about subtle changes in its design and looks more than the configuration front which was much required to the Inspiron 1520. Dell Inspiron 1525 is a 15″ laptop with like any other Dell laptop offers customisation according to what you desire.

Dell Inspiron 1525 specifications :

• 
• Dimensions : 14.0″ x 10.1″ x 1.45″
• Processor : 2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7250
• Memory : 2GB 667MHz DDR2
• Hard Disk : 120GB
• Display : 15.4″ TFT with 1280 x 800 resolution
• Chipset : Intel GM965
• Graphics : Mobile Intel Express 965GM Integrated
• Optical drive : DVD±RW Integrated
• Battery : 6-cell Lithium ion battery
• Approx price : $1000

The test rig had the above configuration, so the data will vary depending on the configuration you go for. The base price of the Inspiron 1525 is just $500. A couple of gigs of RAM has almost become standard today, so make sure you get nothing less than that. A better processor always helps in the longer run, but don’t compromise on other things just because of it.

The Dell Inspiron 1525 is smaller, thinner and lighter than the Inspiron 1520. The exterior of the 1525 is still made of plastic unlike the XPS series which have brushed metal as its exterior. Some other improvements include touch sensitive media control buttons and a HDMI port as well. The smaller size has meant that the room around keyboard has reduced.

The keyboard has not gone under the hammer and still stays the same. The key response of the keys is solid and they are responsive. The touch sensitive keys can be found above the keyboard for easy access. Dell has included a 2 megapixel web camera with the laptop, which offers good clarity, although the price is not included in the base model.

The display is glossy and offer rich movie watching experience. If you work under bright lighting conditions then glare can be an issue, but you can opt for the antiglare screen at no extra charge. Add ons such as Bluetooth, WiFi etc are all charged by Dell, which explains the low cost of base model.

The performance isn’t any issue if you go for decent configuration. It offers similar performance when compared to XPS series. The battery lasted close to 3 hours when watching a movie, which is good. It comes with a standard one-year protection but can be extended to 3-years.

Pros :

• Slim,light and small
• Low base price
• HDMI port included
• Touch control media buttons
• Good performance
• Good battery life

Cons :

• Plastic exterior
• Bluetooth/WiFi chargeable add ons
• Base model lacks performance

Final Thoughts

The Dell Inspiron 1525 has only superficial improvements over Insprion 1520, at the cost of reduced customizability. Although, the Inspiron 1525 is better than Inspiron 1520, but it could have been better. Dell laptops are always a good choice, but if you can spend some extra cash then you can go for XPS series which offers better looks.

My Rating : 3.75/5

Samsung F700

Touchscreen got a big boost with the release of Apple iPhone and other companies pushed into making phones that could compete against it. Samsung has come out with a phone that has lot of potential and can challenge the iPhone. The Samsung F700 features a large 3.2″ touchscreen display and a full QWERTY keyboard!

• Dimensions : 112 x 56 x 15.9 mm
• Weight : 139 g
• Display : 3.2″ TFT screen with 240 x 440 resolution
• QWERTY keyboard
• GPRS, EDGE, 3G
• Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP
• 3.2 Megapixel with autofocus and flash
• Approx. price : $450

The Samsung F700 looks pretty similar to the Apple iPhone and that can also be attributed to the fact that its display size is quite close to its Apple counterpart. But what sets it apart is the full QWERTY keyboard that gets revealed when the slide the phone sideways.

The phone’s exterior has been well designed and the build quality is quite solid. Its body changes colors depending on the angle light falls on it, nice thinking from Samsung. The phone is quite big and has reasonable weight. There is a video call camera above the display. At the bottom, you can find the key that open up the Croix shortcut menu. There are a bunch of controls on the right side of F700 which include volume rocker, dedicated camera key etc, hardware keylock etc. The 3.5mm audio jack can be found at the top.

The display is a touchscreen one but lacks visibility in sunlight which is a shame. The QWERTY keyboard is very handy for typing out emails or other long stuff. It is quite ergonomic and also features a virtual Multi tap keypad for backup input mode. The keys are back lit and are quite comfortable to work upon. Sliding the keyboard out switches the display to landscape mode pretty smoothly.

The Samsung F700 sports the Croix UI which is an award winning interface and is adept in delivering real time animations and transitions. The display vibrates on every tap to confirm the acceptance of the command, a nice addition and can also be adjusted on a scale of 5. The menu system has been well designed and the icons are pretty. Navigating through the menus is smooth and has a low learning curve.

The music player on the phone is good to say the least. It supports filtering the songs through a variety of criteria. Samsung has implemented the cross like interface in the music player as well which works brilliantly. Horizontal bar is used to skip portions of track while the vertical one is for volume control. The audio quality is great on the F700 and the loudspeakers also fare well. Infact, both the iPhone and Samsung share the same audio chip which is manufactured by Samsung!

The F700 comes equipped with a 3.2 megapixel camera which can also take widescreen pics. The camera is loaded with lots of settings to tweak around with. You can choose picture size, shooting modes, effects, white balance, viewfinder etc. The video captured by it is nothing to boast about as it can only capture videos at QVGA resolution and 15fps frame rate. Overall the camera is above average and yields good still photos.

The web browser is full of lags which mars the whole experience of browsing on a big screen with touchscreen functionality. The zooming and panning in the browser is slow and also you have to slide the finger in the direction you want to scroll which is not quite user friendly.Nothing beats the iPhone here! Some of the other features include Java support, great organizer and a full blown galley. The gallery is also plagued by the slow zooming in and out problem and takes away the charm from the galley. Samsung seriously needs to work on this in this next version of the phone that it releases.

Pros :

• Good build quality
• Big touchscreen display
• QWERTY keyboard
• Above average 3.2 MP camera
• Intuitive interface
• Good audio quality

Cons :

• Bit large and bulky
• Below average video recording
• Lagged web browsing
• Slow zooming in gallery

Final Thoughts

The Samsung F700 aims at plugging the gaps in the iPhone but while doing that it loses out on a few features which iPhone rocks at. The QWERTY keyboard is all fun and great to work with but adds weight and dimensions to the phone. The display is great but is again has low sunlight visibility. The still photography is good but video recording capabilities of the phone are below average. Web browsing fails to capitalize on the big touchscreen display. The gallery has lot of options but the zooming is very slow. So overall the Samsung F700 is just above average and hopefully its successor will manage to plug in the gaps that this one has. If you are Apple hater or want a full QWERTY keyboard, get this one!

My Rating : 2.5/5

Gateway P-6860FX

Gaming laptops have started becoming a rage and gamers are ready to spend mega bucks to be able to game on the move. Alienware has always been known for gaming laptops and PCs but now several companies like Gateway and Dell have also jumped into this field. Gateway introduced its latest gaming laptop P-6869FX last month with upgraded components.

Gateway P-6860FX specifications :

• 
• Dimensions : 15.7″ x 11.7″ x 1.7″
• Processor : Intel Core 2 Duo T5550 1.83 Mhz
• Chipset : Mobile Intel PM965 Express
• RAM : 2×2 GB DDR II SDRAM 667 MHz
• Hard Disk : 320 GB SATA-300 5400 rpm
• Graphics : Nvidia GeForce 8800 GTS
• Video Memory : 512MB GDDR3 SDRAM
• Display : 17″ TFT active matrix
• Display resolution : 1440 x 900
• Optical drive : DVD±RW
• OS : Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit Edition
• Webcam : Integrated 1.3 megapixel
• Battery : 9-cell Lithium cell battery
• Warranty : 1-year
• Approx. price : $1350

That surely is a bit list, and promises to deliver good gaming performance. If you look at the specifications closely, then you will realise immediately that the processor is the weakest component of this machine. We will get to the performance aspect later though.

The laptop has a glossy black plastic chassis and aluminium finishing can be seen around the touchpad and the keyboard. Having a 17″ screen does have its benefit apart from the obvious disadvantages, the laptop keyboard has a separate numeric keypad along with the standard keyboard. Media buttons above the keyboard have become the favorite place among manufacturers to place them and same is the case here. The volume control buttons is touch sensitive.

Talking about the display, the 17″ display has a resolution of 1440 x 900. The picture quality was clear and crisp and the glossy screen gives you sharp texts and amazing movie viewing experience. The resolution is good enough to run games as well as watch high definition movies.

Coming to the ports section, this one has quite a large number of ports and some unexpected ones too. HDMI port has be included which is slowly becoming a standard. The surprise is the inclusion of an eSATA port for hooking up external drives, the port has not made its way to newer desktop motherboards also yet! Bluetooth and Wi-Fi capabilities are nothing to boast about, a Blu-ray drive would certainly have been, but that isn’t the case.

Finally, lets come to the performance of the laptop, which is of utmost importance as it being a gaming laptop. The processor as I mentioned earlier, is a weakling, and is a shame that Gateway decided to include this when higher end processors like T8xxx series has been out for quite some time now. 64-bit OS has been bundled to make sure the RAM gets detected as 32-bit OSes can detect only upto 3GB RAM, but that would hardly affect gaming performance. The high-end graphics card ensures that you get good frame rates in games. It notched up impressive scores in Quake III and Crysis. A better processor could have gone a long way in improving the scores but then it would have added few extra hundred dollars.

The battery lasted a cool 2 hours while watching a high-definition movie, which is excellent for 17 incher. Gateway includes a 1-year only warranty with the laptop. Overall the laptop offers excellent value for every penny spent on it.

Pros :

• Excellent performance
• Great display
• Big hard drive
• Inexpensive
• High-end graphics
• Excellent battery life
• eSATA port

Cons :

• Poor processor
• Not configurable

Final Thoughts

The Gateway P-6860FX is an amazing system as if offers high-end configuration as an extremely affordable price. 4GB RAM, 8800GTS, 17″ display and 320GB hard disk are too hard to resist at this price. The low-end processor can be forgotten as it won’t hamper your gaming experience too much.

My Rating : 4.5/5

Dell Studio 17

Last year Dell finally realized that consumers don't want another nameless, faceless black and gray laptop that gets lost in the crowd. Today's mobile generation wants notebooks that are as unique and stylish as possible. The result was the amazingly attractive and amazingly popular 13.3" XPS M1330 and the 15.4" Dell XPS M1530. Taking things one step further, Dell announced the highly customizable Studio 15 and Studio 17 notebooks.




Dell Studio 17 notebook is equipped with the following specifications:

• Intel Core 2 Duo T9300 (2.5GHz) processor
• Windows Vista Home Premium SP1
• 17-inch WUXGA Glossy Display (1920 x 1200)
• 3GB system RAM - 2 DIMM (DDR2-667)
• 320GB 5400rpm HDD
• 256MB (GDDR2) ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3650 graphics
• Webcam and Fingerprint reader
• Backlit keyboard
• Slot Load DVD+/-RW with Dual Layer DVD+R write capacity
• Dell Wireless 1510N
• 9-cell battery (85WHr)
• Dimensions: 1.18" to 1.69" x 15.46" x 11.36" (H x W x D)
• Weight: 7.87lbs
• Other: "Dell Dock" software; 30-day security trial; 3GB Dell DataSafe; Dell Support Center
• Base Price: $999
• Price as configured: $1,599 (E-Value Code: 1-DNDPVA1)

Build and Design

For a number of years the phrase, "Dude, you're getting a Dell" from old Dell television commercials was synonymous with heavy, thick, and boxy laptops that offered great value but where short on style. In fact, several competing laptop manufacturers developed sleek notebooks over the last five years that attracted consumers mainly due to their more "personal" appearance. The new Studio line from Dell is the latest example of how Dell has finally learned that the package matters almost as much as the contents of the box.

The first time you look at the Studio 17 it's as if Dell added a few inches to the XPS M1530, cut out the brushed aluminum parts, and offered a few more ways to customize the look. The end result is an impressive looking desktop replacement. I use the term "desktop replacement" because most people in the market for a 17-inch notebook aren't planning to haul their notebook everywhere and use it during regular airline travel.

What the Studio 17 lacks in mobility it more than makes up for in solid design and construction. As mentioned above, the Studio 17 takes several design elements from the latest XPS notebooks: the wedge-shaped profile, drop hinge, slot-loading optical drive, and touch-sensitive media buttons are all hallmarks of the XPS M1330 and M1530. That said, there's more to the Studio 17 than just design elements from the XPS line.

The Studio 17 is available in your choice of seven colors: Plum Purple, Tangerine Orange, Flamingo Pink, Midnight Blue, Ruby Red, Spring Green or standard Jet Black. Our pre-production unit came with the "Midnight Blue" paint job and it looks absolutely flawless. The matte paint has an almost rubber-like texture similar to the paint used on last year's Inspiron notebooks and, of course, the XPS notebooks. Dell also took the customization options one step further by offering an optional high gloss "Graphite Grey" color that comes in your choice of black, blue, pink, or red edge trim around the display back and sides.

Another nice touch is the use of an imprinted design on the palmrest area (also on the display lid if you select the high gloss graphite grey color options). The design looks like a close-up view of a topographical map and is yet another way that the Studio notebooks stand out from the rest of the Dell lineup.

In terms of overall chassis construction the Studio 17 is quite solid and suffers from virtually no flex or creaks when squeezed and twisted between your hands. I don't recommend tossing the Studio 17 across the room, but it should survive a drop from your desk without significant damage.

The one design element I'm not 100 percent in love with is the bottom access panel. Rather than have the typical RAM cover, hard drive covers, and main panel on the bottom of the notebook, the Studio 17 uses a single, massive panel that provides access to all of the notebook at once. While this is helpful for those people who want to make multiple modifications or service their notebook, exposing the entire bottom of the notebook is a little intimidating for people who just want to upgrade their RAM.

Screen

Adding to the lengthy list of customizable options on this notebook, Dell offers the Studio 17 with a WXGA+ (1440 x 900) glossy display, a WUXGA (1920 X 1200) glossy display, or a WXGA+ LED (1440 x 900) glossy display. Our review unit came with the WUXGA (1920 x 1200) glossy display and it looks wonderful. I'm certain it would be even more impressive when paired with the optional Blu-ray drive for 1080p HD movies.

The screen on our pre-production unit looks beautiful from straight on. There was some slight uneven backlighting in the upper right corner of our review unit, but this is a pre-production notebook and the high-resolution display panels used in Dell notebooks usually tend to be better than the lower-resolution offerings. The horizontal viewing angles on our review unit are great. Upper vertical viewing angles are good, but colors did begin to invert at lower viewing angles when the screen is tilted back.

One additional item of note that somewhat falls into the category of the screen is the new "Dell Dock" application included with all Studio notebooks. The Dell Dock is a unique visual interface similar to the Dock in Apple's Mac OS X or the StarDock Object Dock application. The primary benefit of this application is that it helps you keep your desktop free of clutter and makes using Vista a little more user friendly. Kudos to Dell for adding this to the desktop interface on the Studio 17.

Keyboard, Touchpad and Media Controls

The keyboard on the Studio 17 is one of the better keyboards I've used on a 17-inch notebook. The keyboard is firm with only a minor bit of flex detected near the "K" key. All the keys have excellent travel and cushion. The Studio 17 is really quite a pleasure to type on and the dedicated number pad is something that I personally love to see on larger notebooks. The only complaint I have for the keyboard is that if your fingernails are slightly long they might get caught under the keys, this shouldn't be a problem for most males though. As you can see below, the keyboard also features a nice backlight function when you're typing in the dark.

The touchpad works well enough, though it's seems a little on the small side given the size of the notebook. The mouse buttons have excellent travel and cushion, though I did feel like they made a bit too much of a "clicking" sound when pressed. The good news with the touchpad is that it's responsive, has dedicated scroll areas and the glossy textured feel is extremely good.

A series of touch-sensitive media buttons with white LED backlights are located above the keyboard similar to the buttons on the M1330 and M1530. One nice feature about the media buttons is that the LEDs only stay lit for a fraction of a second after being pressed, so they won't distract you by staying lit all the time.

Dell also includes a Media Center remote control that fits neatly into the ExpressCard slot on the side of the notebook. This is a great accessory for presentations or if you want to control a DVD from across the room.

Ports and Features

The port selection of the Studio 17 is reasonably good for a notebook of this size. Here's a quick rundown of what you get:

Front: IR port.

Rear: No ports.

Left: WiFi on/off, security lock slot, WiFi catcher/locator, VGA, HDMI, two USB, Ethernet, powered USB port, Firewire, ExpressCard slot, 8-in-1 memory card reader.

Right: Two head phone jacks, microphone jack, slot-loading optical drive, two USB, power jack, power button.

The built-in HDMI is a very nice thing to have for those that want digital video output. That said, I'm a little sad to see no lugs/screw posts for the VGA cable. While the lack of posts makes the VGA connection look "cleaner" it isn't convenient for people who regularly leave their notebook connected to an external monitor. I wouldn't be bothered by this if the Studio 17 featured a dedicated docking station port such as those used on the Latitude notebooks, but since there is no dedicated docking station connection there needs to be a way to secure a VGA cable.

With FireWire, five USB ports (including one of high-power USB devices), a media card reader, two headphone jacks, microphone jack, ExpressCard slot and Ethernet port you're well equipped ports wise.

Some of our editorial staff are huge fans of slot-loading drives and while I think these drives look amazing, I'm not entirely sold on the technology. Slot loading drives don't like small DVDs or CDs like those you sometimes receive with hardware drivers or in the mail. Another issue is that slot-loading drives tend to be a bit more noisy than traditional tray-type drives. While the drive in the Studio 17 is the quietest slot-loading drive I've seen (or heard) it still makes more noise than a quiet tray-loading drive.

Speakers

The speaker quality was extremely good compared to most notebooks, but only "acceptable" compared to some 17-inch media notebooks with built-in subwoofers. If you aren't an audiophile then you'll probably find the built-in speakers to be more than adequate. Still, if you want deep, satisfying bass you'll need dedicated speakers or a great pair of headphones.

The speakers for the Studio 17 are located at the top of the keyboard area above the media buttons. There's not much to write home about the speakers, they get loud enough with minimal distortion, but the sound doesn't have the impressive lows you get from dedicated subwoofers.

Performance and Benchmarks

At the end of the day the most important parts of a laptop are the internal components that do all the work. Our review unit came equipped with the Intel Core 2 Duo T9300 process (2.5GHz) which offers excellent performance in terms of number crunching and video encoding. The 3GB of system RAM is enough for satisfy Vista and still provide enough RAM for most needs. The 320GB Toshiba hard disk drive (HDD) in our review unit is a 5400rpm drive with good performance but it's worth mentioning that you can equip the Studio 17 with a second HDD for added storage and performance.

Heat and Noise

The Studio 17 does a reasonable job keeping heat under control. The system fan and heatsinks in the Studio 17 do a great job managing heat when the system is under load ... as we discovered when we ran multiple benchmarks back to back. The fan moves a significant amount of hot air but the noise is reasonably low and isn't noticeable over background noise most of the time. While the Studio 17 will heat up when stressed, it never gets too hot to use as a "laptop."

As mentioned previously, noise wasn't much of an issue with the Studio 17. The slot-loading optical drive made some noise when inserting or ejecting a disk but it was the quietest slot-loading drive we've had in our office.

The hard drive was likewise quiet and it seems as if Dell has done a good job finding ways to minimize the noise coming from the hard drive.

Battery Life

The 9-cell lithium-ion battery provides excellent battery life for the Studio 17. With Vista's power management running in "high performance" mode, screen brightness set to maximum and wireless on, the 9-cell battery delivered more than 2 hours of battery life. With the power management settings set to "power saver" with wireless off and the screen brightness set to 50 percent the 9-cell battery could deliver more than 2 hours and 39 minutes of life.

While these numbers might not be as impressive as what you get on smaller laptops, this is really quite good for a 17-inch desktop replacement notebook.

Conclusion

All things said and done, the Dell Studio 17 is the most impressive 17-inch consumer notebook we've seen so far this year. The build quality, range of customizable options, expandability, style, and price make this an excellent choice if you're in the market for a 17-inch notebook. Still, we would have liked to see more graphics card options than just the integrated Intel X3100 and dedicated ATI Radeon HD 3650.

While issues like lack of VGA cable screw posts, dedicated docking station connector, or lack of a simple RAM expansion cover might prevent some buyers from purchasing this notebook, there's a lot to like about this notebook. The Studio 17 has virtually every cool feature you'd want in a 17-inch notebook ... with the exception of a built-in TV tuner.

Bottom line, you'll be hard pressed to find a better 17-inch notebook in the same price range at the time of this writing.

Pros

• Beautiful design
• Solid selection of available configurations
• Reasonable battery life
• Nice keyboard, touchpad and media buttons
• Great component layout
• Dell Dock is a nice feature
• Good value for the price

Cons

• No lugs/screw posts for VGA cable and no docking station connector
• All-in-one access cover on the bottom of the notebook is either great or frustrating
• No option for better graphics than ATI Radeon HD 3650 at this time