Dell Printer 1250c and 1350cnw reviewed

1250c

Dell has introduced two colour LED printers, the 1350cnw A4 and 1250c, which are smaller than laser printers but are still feature-packed and energy efficient.

Both printers, which have a footprint of only 394 x 300mm, have a print resolution of up to 600dpi.

LED printers are compact because they have less moving parts than laser printers.

Instead of a complex system of lenses, rotating mirrors and scanners used in laser printers, the 1350cnw and 1250c use an LED bar that pulse-flashes across an entire page to form a latent image.

1350cnw

The LED printers are also cheaper and simpler to manufacture than laser printers, according to Dell. The higher-end 1350cnw can be hooked up to a network using an Ethernet port or via WiFi.

It has a rated speed of 15ppm (pages per minute) for churning out monochrome documents and 12ppm for colour. The model also has 128MB of built-in memory, 150-sheet drawer and 10-sheet bypass drawer.

As for the 1250c, it has a rated print speed of 12ppm for monochrome documents and 10ppm for colour. It also has 64MB of built-in memory, a USB port and a 150-sheet input tray.

Dell introduce the first hybrid devices : Dell Streak Review

The Dell Streak is the first Android device to combine smartphone and Tablet features in one slim device.

THE introduction of the Apple iPad has reignited interest in Tablet devices. Most phone and computer manufacturers are planning to release their own version of a Tablet computer.

Dell is one of the first to showcase its Tablet/smartphone hybrid device, the Streak. We managed to get our hands on it but the Streak is only expected to launch early next year.

Sleek and hardy

There isn't any other device quite like the Streak because it integrates phone and tablet functions into a simple yet attractive device.

And don't be fooled by the term Tablet - the Streak is both lightweight and compact enough to fit in a pocket easily.

The build quality is rock solid and the housing is made of metal. Even the screen is made of durable Gorilla Glass material which is supposed to be scratch resistant.

We tried scratching it with sharp objects such as car keys and a pair of scissors but the glass screen survived with almost no damage. The test caused a barely noticeable scratch on the screen but it's very minor.

Bright and sharp, the 5in display has an impressive 800 x 480-pixel resolution which is a lot of space for displaying text and apps.

The Streak uses a customised Qwerty keyboard which has a numberpad. Typing on it takes getting used to because the alphabet keys are off centre because of the numberpad.

The numberpad makes entering dates and passwords easier but generally the keypad feels a little clunky to use at first.

Size matters

As a phone, the Streak is a little cumbersome to use as it is much bigger than most phones.

Call quality was fine but the tiny ear piece makes it difficult to align one's ear to hear calls clearly. The speakerphone fared better - it was clear but we would have preferred it to be a little louder.

Needless to say, a Bluetooth headset is a must if you intend to use the Streak as your primary phone.

HANDY: The Streak's on-screen virtual keyboard is good for text messaging and web browsing.

Also, the device can become quirky when receiving calls. For example, we received a call once when using an application - the Streak just kept switching between the app and phone function.

Messaging, on the other hand, proved to be no problem on the Streak. The large virtual keyboard and predictive text made it easy to type accurately.

The device only has 2GB of internal memory but you can expand it using microSD cards. The review unit was bundled with a 16GB microSD card and if that's not enough you can get a 32GB card.

Good performance

Under the hood, the Streak has a speedy 1GHz Snapdragon processor and 512MB RAM.

Browsing on the Streak was a pleasant experience as it was able to render full webpages relatively fast although graphic intensive sites tended to load a little slower.

However, the browser struggled to keep up when we rapidly scrolled a webpage which caused it to appear choppy as it attempted to load the content.

Also because the Streak lacks Flash, not every site will display properly, and some embedded videos and animation clips will not appear at all.

SLEEK: Despite its large size, the Streak manages to keep a slim profile.

The device uses the outdaded Android 1.6 but Dell has done a good job in redesigning the interface to better suit a Tablet environment.

Like other Android devices, the homescreen can be personalised with applications and widgets. However, the homescreen is orientated permanently in landscape view although applications work in portrait modes also.

Also, the Streak misses out on many improvements introduced with Android 2.2 - there are no animated wallpapers, support for integrated e-mail accounts or multitouch gestures.

Hopefully, when the Dell Streak is launched here early next year it will have the new OS.

The Streak's battery performance is surprisingly good for a device with a 5in touchscreen.

We were able to use it for an entire day for surfing the Web, making phone calls, checking e-mail and such before we needed to recharge it.

Other features

The 5-megapixel camera isn't anything to shout about. It comes with standard features such as autofocus and dual LED flash.

It takes decent quality photos under bright sunlight but even those tended to be over sharpened and saturated to look natural.

LIMITED: The 5-megapixel on the back has a dual LED flash but it doesn't help illuminate subjects well in the dark.

The camera performs poorly in low light conditions and photos turned out mostly grainy and the dual LED flash doesn't really help matters.

Disappointingly, the camera is only capable of recording in standard VGA quality. The videos recordings were decent but could be better.

As a portable media player, the Streak features a nice clean interface that easily allows you to select your tunes.

Also, the Streak's large 5in screen is perfect for playing HD videos. It supports H.264, MPEG-4, 3GP and WMV formats but we were not able to play some movies on it.

The lack of codec support for popular formats like Xvid also limits the device's usefulness.

Conclusion

The Dell Streak is just compact enough to fit in your pocket and it's built tough so that you don't have to worry about your car keys scratching it.

However, as a phone it feels a little cumbersome to use, and the ear piece is too small and sounds too soft.

Also, it will take a little practice to get used to the virtual keyboard for messaging.

Browsing the Web is nice thanks to the large screen but the lack of Flash support means some site won't display properly.

In terms of performance, the Streak is fast but it's just hobbled by an old operating system. But this could be fixed when the device is released next year.

The device has some minor flaws but if you are interested in using a device that combines phone and Tablet features, then the Dell Streak is worth checking out.

Pros: Large 5in touchscreen; good web browser; decent battery life.

Cons: Outdated Android 1.6 OS; no Flash support; VGA video recording; limited video codec support.

Dell Streak

Smartphone/Tablet hyrbid device
Network: GSM 850/900/1800/1900, HSDPA 900/2100
Operating system: Android 1.6
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon QSD8250 1GHz
Display: 5in TFT capacitive touchscreen (480 x 800-pixels)
Camera: 5-megapixels with autofocus; dual LED flash; VGA video recording
Connectivity: Bluetooth, WiFi, micro USB
Memory: 2GB
Expansion slot: microSD (16GB microSD card included)
Standby/talk time: 384 hours/10 hours
Other features: Facebook and Twitter widgets; Google Talk, Google Maps and Quickoffice apps
Dimensions (W x D x H): 152.9 x 79.1 x 10mm
Weight: 220g
Price: TBA

How ARM will impact Intel market

The hard battle between Intel and AMD seems to be long way to go. While Intel clearly has the upper hand in client processors and AMD is playing catch-up, there is another battle brewing for PC processors, particularly in notebooks. Here, we will discuss about the battle for the “secondary” processor and how this battle will not pit Intel against AMD, but rather, x86 architecture against ARM. And it’s not looking good for x86.

Dell and lenovo have come out with the “instant” laptop, which has capability to instantly access mail, calender, web without full boot up of the machine. They run a version of the Firefox browser for Web surfing and provides direct connection to Exchange, GroupWise or IMAP/POP3 e-mail systems through direct memory access. Also included is a dedicated document viewer for Word, Excel, PowerPoint and PDF files, dedicated Wi-Fi and a VPN for secure connectivity. In essence, what Dell has done with Latitude ON is provide an embedded “smartphone-lite” device that uses the main screen, keyboard, power and memory systems.

What makes the Dell and Lenovo approach interesting is that first, they utilize low-cost, low-power, ARM-based chips adapted from the smartphone industry. Second, they provide dedicated-function processing. And third, each subsystem is capable of being functionally extended, possibly even by third parties through a future API to include additional convenience and protection capabilities.

It is safe to assume that other manufacturers will follow suit and provide coprocessor subsystem in business and higher-end consumer machines—particularly as prices for ARM chips continue to fall. It is also highly likely that additional functionality will be added over time.

Finally, it is apparent that neither Windows nor x86 will be the preferred platforms utilized by these coprocessor subsystems—at least until x86 can match the low cost and low power of ARM (potentially with future Atom chips).

The bottom line: With the potential of one or more coprocessors per PC, ARM has a lucrative path in which to infiltrate the PC market—a market it has never impacted. While it’s unlikely that ARM will displace x86 for the core processor anytime soon, it nevertheless gives ARM a large potential market of many millions of units—a fact not lost on ARM licensees (for example, Texas Instruments, Freescale, Qualcomm and Samsung).

However, the coprocessing subsystems potentially offer another point of machine failure and/or instability, especially in corporate settings where consistency, security and device management is critical. Companies should be careful when and how to deploy these coprocessor-enabled systems until they prove their worth.

source : www.eweek.com

Full Review of Dell Latitude E6510

Durability, security, and performance. That's what any business notebook shopper is looking for in a good workhorse. And the 15.6-inch Latitude E6510 delivers all of the above, starting with a sturdy yet attractive Tri-Metal case. You also get a Core i7 processor and discrete Nvidia graphics for serious power, plus a high-resolution (1600 x 900) display. Add in a host of data protection features and you have a pretty solid package. But is this notebook worth nearly $2,000 (RM 6,100)?

Design

At 14.7 x 10 x 1.3 inches and 6.6 pounds (with 9-cell battery), the E6510 sits right on the borderline between a bulky notebook you can tolerate carrying and a weighty workstation you just have to leave on the desk. If you're willing to lose a few hours of battery life, you can opt for the less-powerful 6-cell battery, which brings the weight down to a much more reasonable 5.5 pounds.

The subtle, yet attractive design ID of the entire Latitude E Series hasn't changed much, but why mess with a good thing? The smooth, aluminum lid comes in three colors: Slate Silver, Regal Red, and Regatta Blue. Our review unit came with the Regatta Blue lid, which looked stunning, particularly when paired with the silver battery. When you open up the lid, you'll notice a completely matte black bezel, keyboard, and deck, accented with attractive light blue status lights that match the lid. The push-button latch adds another touch of class.

Keyboard, Touchpad, Pointing Stick

The E6510's keyboard uses a traditional layout with full-size keys. When taking the Ten Thumbs Typing test, we managed to get our average 80 words per minute, but with a higher-than-usual 2-percent error rate. The key feel was comfortable overall, though a bit on the mushy side. For those who like typing in the dark, the keyboard has a backlight which can be set to stay on all the time or turn on only when the notebook's light sensor detects it is in a dark room.

Like Lenovo ThinkPads and HP EliteBooks, the Dell Latitude E6510 has both a touchpad and a pointing stick. Though which method one prefers is largely a matter of personal preference, we like pointing sticks, because they're more accurate than touchpads and touch typists can use them without removing their fingers from the home row. However, while the pointing stick on the E6510 provides these benefits, it has a much lower profile than ThinkPad's that makes you bend your finger more to use it. Worse, the cursor was quite jumpy when we used the stick, even after decreasing the pointing speed.

The 3.3 x 1.8-inch touchpad helped us navigate around the desktop quickly and easily, but when performing multitouch gestures such as pinch-to-zoom, it wasn't as responsive. For example, the pad sometimes mistook a pinch gesture for rotate when using two fingers on one hand. We had better results when we used one finger from each hand.

Heat

The Latitude E6510 stayed pleasantly cool throughout our testing. After playing a video at full screen for 15 minutes, we measured the touchpad at a chilly 88 degrees Fahrenheit and the keyboard at a reasonable 92 degrees. We consider temperatures below 95 degrees to be comfortable. The bottom measured at 102 degrees, but most notebook bottoms reach 100 and, unless you're built like Shaq, you won't be putting this notebook on your lap.

Display and Sound

The 15.6-inch 1600 x 900 matte display provided plenty of screen real estate for our documents and Web pages while outputting sharp, colorful images at fantastic viewing angles. Whether we were watching a 1080p WMV file we downloaded from Microsoft HD Showcase, a DVD of Dark City, or a 720p episode of Fringe, video was smooth and free from visual noise.

When we listened to both a rock tune, The Heavy's "Sixteen," and a jazz song, "Morning Dance" by Spyro Gyra, the E6510's stereo speakers provided sound that was accurate, if not overly rich. At maximum volume, the E6510 was loud enough to fill a large living room, though music became a little bit tinny.

Ports and Webcam

Because it's a large and expensive business system, you'd expect a lot of ports from the E6510 and, for the most part, it delivers. On the right side are an ExpressCard 54 slot, Smartcard reader, FireWire 400 port, audio in/out jacks, and two USB ports. Mounted on the back are an Ethernet port and VGA-out. On the left side are an ExpressCard/34 slot, a 6-in-1 card reader, HDMI-out, and two more USB ports for a total of four. Noticeably absent are an eSATA and USB 3.0 ports. Though USB 3.0 is still rare, competitors like the ThinkPad W510 offer them.

The high definition webcam is able to shoot stills and videos at a whopping 2048 x 1536 resolution or 3.1-megapixels. Better still, the lens handles low-light situations with aplomb. Even when we sat in a dark livingroom, our image was sharp and colorful. On Skype our image was smooth and relatively noise-free, considering the poor lighting conditions. This is definitely one of the best webcams we've tested.

Performance

Equipped with a 2.66-GHz Core i7-610M CPU, an Nvidia NVS 3100M graphics card,4GB of RAM, and a 7,200 rpm hard drive, the Dell Latitude E6510 provided some of the highest performance numbers we've seen on a business notebook this size. On PCMarkVantage, a synthetic benchmark that measures overall performance, the E6510 scored a whopping 7,796, around 90-percent above the mainstream notebook category average, about 40-percent faster than the HP EliteBook 8440p, and roughly 10-percent faster than the Toshiba Tecra A11, which has the same processor.

Compare PCMark Vantage results with similar laptops

The Latitude E6510's 250GB 7,200 rpm hard drive booted Windows 7 Professional (64-bit) in 61 seconds, about 2 seconds faster than the category average and 17 seconds quicker than the Tecra A11 (78 seconds). However, the HP EliteBook 8440p was much faster at 44 seconds. It took just two minutes and 33 seconds to complete the LAPTOP Transfer test, which consists of copying 4.97GB of mixed media files. That's a rate of 32.3 MBps, nearly 50-perecent better than the 22.9 MBps category average and comfortably ahead of the Tecra A11 (27.8 Mbps) and HP ElteBook 8440p (29.6 MBps).

Compare LAPTOP File Transfer Test results with similar laptops

When it came to transcoding video, the E6510 also excelled, as it took only 46 seconds to convert a 114MB MP4 to AVI using Oxelon Media Encoder. That's 17 seconds better than the category average of 63.5 seconds, but only a little bit faster than the Toshiba Tecra A11 (48 seconds) and HP EliteBook 8440p (53 seconds).

Graphics

By pairing Nvidia NVS 3100M discrete graphics with its 2.66-GHz Core i7-620M CPU, the Latitude E6510 provides strong enough graphics performance for any business application and many games as well. On 3DMark06, which measures overall graphics prowess, the notebook scored 3687, which is just above the category aerage of 3,426. The Toshiba Tecra A11, which sports a slower Nvidia NVS 2100M CPU, got a slightly lower score of 3406 and the integrated graphics-powered HP EliteBook 8440p managed only 1766.

Compare 3DMark06 results with similar laptops

The E6510 got a whopping frame rate of 144 frames per second when playing World of Warcraft at 1024 x 768, though that rate dropped to a much-more-modest 28 fps at the native 1600 x 900 resolution with special effects turned up. Though those numbers were far above the 71.4 and 23.5 category averages, the Toshiba Tecra All turned in similar scores of 129 and 26 fps.

On the very-demanding game Far Cry 2, the Latitude E6510 got a reasonable 46 frames per second, though that numbered dropped to an unplayable 12 fps at 1600 x 900. The lower-res number is way ahead of the category average of 31 fps, while the high res number is just slightly slower than the category average of 15 fps. Either way, the Dell is good enough to do some light gaming when you're not crunching numbers.

Battery Life and Wi-Fi

Due to the massive 9-cell battery on our review unit, the Dell Latitude E6510 lasted 5 hours and 41 minutes on the LAPTOP Battery Test, which involves continuous surfing over Wi-Fi. That time is way longer than the the 3 hour and 48-minute category average and the 2 hours and 6 minutes turned in by the Toshiba Tecra A11. However, as we mentioned above, the 9-cell battery adds nearly a pound of weight over its 6-cell counterpart.

Compare LAPTOP Battery Test results with similar laptops

The notebook's Intel Centrino 6200 802.11n radio produced strong transfer rates of 39.9 and 21.1 Mbps at distances of 15 and 50 feet from the router respectively. The 15-foot score was much better than the HP EliteBook 8440p (31.9 / 24.6 Mbps).

Green Testing

When charging, the Latitude E6510 took 1 hour and 23 minutes to reach 80-percent of capacity and a full 2 hours and 6 minutes to reach full charge. Both times were much much quicker than the category averages of 1:34 and 2:23. During that charging period, the notebook used an average of 49.8 watts. That gives the E6510 a LAPTOP Green Efficiency rating of 24.4, much better than the category average of 33.1 (lower is better).

Configuration Options

Though our review unit cost a whopping $1,854, base configurations of the Dell Latitude E6510 start at just $729. When configuring your E6510, you can choose between 6 different Core i3, Core i5, and Core i7 CPUs. You can also decide between a 1366 x 768, 1600 x 900, or 1920 x 1080 resolution screen. Both discrete Nvidia NVS 3100M graphics and integrated Intel graphics are available. Storage drive options range from a 160GB 5,400 rpm unit on the low end to a 256GB SSD on the high end, with lots of 7,200 rpm and encrypted drive options in between. The base config starts with 1GB RAM, but can be specked up to 8GB. Though the default battery is a 6-cell unit, a 9-cell option is available as well.

Unless you need workstation-level performance, we recommend you save money by choosing a Core i5 or Core i3 CPU, but that you splurge to get the full 1920 x 1080 resolution panel (a $129 option). If you get the full HD panel, a Core i3 CPU, 250GB hard drive, 3GB of RAM, integrated graphics, a 6-cell battery, and a webcam, the notebook will only cost you $1068, $30 less if you get it in Silver rather than Blue.

Dell Latitude On

If you just can't wait 61 seconds for Windows 7 to boot, you can the button to the left of the power button, which triggers Dell Latitude On, an "instant on" OS based on Device VM's popular Splashtop operating system. After about 18 seconds, you'll be hit with a login prompt and then asked which of five applications you wish to launch first: e-mail, web browser, chat (aka instant messaging), VoIP (aka Skype), or Remote Desktop. When you click one of these you'll wait another 10 to 15 seconds for the app and the Latitude On OS to launch.

In Latitude ON, you have a taskbar that lets you easily switch between the five initial launch programs and adds a few others including Citrix Receiver and VMWare view for running virtualized apps, a music client for playing tunes, and a photo viewer. While the different Latitude On applications we tried ran smoothly and the Latitude On environment had an attractive user interface, we were left wondering how many users would want to use this scaled down operating system just to save 30 seconds or less of start up time.

Alienware M11X: A netbook built for games

Gaming notebooks are generally bulky and weigh a ton but not so with the Alienware M11X.

ANNOUNCED earlier this year at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Dell's Alienware M11X netbook is certainly an impressive piece of hardware packed in a small form factor.

Indeed the M11X is a small gaming netbook that packs a powerful punch when it comes down to performance, capable of running modern games while keeping things nice and light for easy transport.

On the outside, the M11X is a stylish netbook that feels very well built. Its compact form factor allows the netbook to easily slip into your travel bag when you need to hit the road.

Though it weighs more than your average netbook, it still feels light enough to be carried around.

It's hard not to notice the M11X's trademark Alienware design - it comes complete with glowing LED lights for the keyboard, alien head logo on the outside and external "vents" on the sides that you can customise to any colour of your choosing.

I have to say the backlit keyboard is a nice touch that comes in useful when typing in the dark; the lights weren't too bright that it draws your attention away from the screen either.

The honeycomb pattern trackpad feels nice to use and provides sufficient coverage to scroll from one screen to another. Disappointingly, the trackpad doesn't feature multi-touch capabilities, which is a severe handicap that makes the netbook less enjoyable to use without a mouse.

COOL: The M11X's keyboard is comfortable to type on and even features backlit keys for easy typing in the dark.

Take a closer look at the M11X and you'll see that it's quite well decked out with three USB ports, multi-card reader and an Ethernet port thrown in for good measure.

If the M11X's 11in screen isn't big enough, you can consider blowing your up your images using the VGA or HDMI-out on to a larger screen or projector.

We hooked the M11X up to a 1080p monitor and the netbook generally proved it could handle the higher resolution both in games and movies.

Considering this is a gaming-centric netbook, the lack of an optical drive serves as a hindrance if you want to install games or software from physical discs. Gamers however can still puchase and download games from online game distribution services like Steam, which comes pre-installed on the M11X.

Dell unveils Vostro 3000 series

Vostro 3700

Dell has unveiled its Vostro 3000 series notebooks, which sport the latest Intel Core processors, including the Core i7 quad-core processor on the high-end Vostro 3700 model.

The Vostro 3300, on the other hand, is a 13in notebook with an integrated optical drive.

And for those that cannot afford to be chained to their desks, the 14in Vostro 3400 offers up to eight hours of battery life with an optional nine-cell battery.

Vostro 3500

As for the Vostro 3500 and Vostro 3700, both offer high definition WLED screens while the 3700 offers the option of a 1GB nVidia GeForce discrete graphics card.

The Vostro 3000 series notebooks also sport durable hinges and are encased in aluminium for extra protection.

Other features include an integrated webcam and microphone, remote on-call support, wireless capabilities with a full range of connectivity options such as 802.11g/n wireless LAN, Bluetooth, and WWAN (wireless wide area network) mobile broadband.

The pricing for the Vostro 3000 series notebooks start from RM2,379 (USD 799) onwards.

Windows 7 64-bit : Frequent hangs, lock-ups and freezes

Last time I decided to install Windows 7 64-bit enterprise edition on my machine ( HP DC 7800 c, dual core, 8Gb RAM, NVIDIA 285). I managed to copy and install all setting from my previous Vista 64 bit using easy migration tool in windows. Windows 7 detected all the hardware correctly even my bluetooth device that was not detected in windows vista. I install all my office and work related apps without a hitch.

However, after a while my windows 7 machine would occasionally freeze or lock-up and the only way to restore is to do a hard reset; pushing the on/off button on my machine. Looking around for assistance I turned to the internet for possible solution.

Among the key suspects were the NVidia driver and the power saving plan. I also suspected the setting in bios which enabled the hardware assisted virtualisation. so what I did was to install latest nvidia driver… well it didn’t help. So was changing the power saving options….. I even reset the setting I did in bios… all to no avail. It was frustrating to me.


Then, I got a new workstation from a project. It’s Dell workstation T5500, Intel Xeon Quad Core, 12 GB RAM, 2 TB HD and dual NVidia FX580 with 512Mb memory. I thought all is fine. It came with windows vista 64 bit. I let it run for a 2-3 days with out problem. Then I upgraded it to Windows 7, and it was fine for a couple of days. Then I install all the software that I need. It sure seems to em that everything was OK.

Unfortunately it wasn’t so. My new PC show the same strange behavior. It would randomly lock up and I had to do a hard reset. There wasn’t any particular reason. Sometimes it just stop when I was doing Word, at other times when I was browsing. Yet it also stop dead in the water even when I was not running any apps ( except those that run in the background). I was at lost.

So I tried all find the root cause. The event viewer does not offer much help. Nor does logging. and doing performance logging. I downloaded the new Nvidia driver.. still it hangs. I reset the power saving plan.. same result. I undo any settings in the bios by resetting to default factory setting… and still same problem occurs. Thinking that the CPU was heating up, I downloaded Core Temp to monitor its temperature. All the cores are functioning within normal parameter (.. refering to Lt. Cmdr Data in ST:TNG ). So what was the problem…..

Finally I read somewhere that some anti-virus program were causing strange behaviour in 64-bit OS. SO I uninstall AVG Free version (v. 9.0)… and my PC is working fine.. it has been 30 hours of operation without any hiccup….. Go Figure.

It seems to me that somehow AVG 32 bit causes my OS to stop responding. However, I also installed a 64bit windows 7 on my old HP pc, but without the Nvidia graphics board.. just using the onboard Intel Chip, and the PC does not display any symptom of freezes or lock-up.

So I guess that 9.0 free edition + NVIDIA Graphics + 64Bit WIndows 7 = frequent lock-up expected. Hopefully this is true. I shall see for the next week if my machine would still function normally. Any input from readers will be appreciated.

added: I have to conclude that my Av program is the cause for this misery since I have had no problem with my machine now, even when the system is running continuosly for 5 days. Right now I am testing my machine with Avast! pro (trial version).

The Dell Alienware M15x is a massive laptop with potential for serious gaming.

Once you turn it on, Alienware gives you the option of letting your face be your password. The facial recognition software uses the built-in webcam and is pretty neat.

It is easy to set up, you do not have to “remember” your face and it is arguably more secure than a password.

Strangely, the biometric connection to the webcam is not always functional. Sometimes when you turn it on it says the facial recognition is not available and you have to log in via regular password.

From the exterior, I was happy that this unit came with thee USB ports (one eSATA combo port) as I am not fond of using USB adaptors.

ALIEN TECH: The Alien head is the power button and its eyes blink to hard disk usage.

However, the touchpad has some serious bugs. Right off the bat, you can see the lag and unresponsiveness of it. It is not a vital component of any laptop, much less a gaming laptop, but you still expect it to work.

Game on

This model must have been one of the last to come with Windows Vista. Sure enough, it came with a coupon for a free upgrade to Windows 7. However, I figured I may as well try on Vista since it came standard with it. Before installing any games, I decided to update Vista and install Service Pack 2.

This did not seem to speed up the start-up process which I found to be unusually long for a device that is built for speed. Good riddance, Windows Vista.

The first game I installed was Far Cry 2 and it ran fantastically well even on the highest resolution and graphics detail.

There was a little distortion if I had a browser open when I loaded the game but nothing overly distracting or catastrophic.

To be fair, that could be attributed to Vista as I could only minimise the game and surf about one out of three tries (by using Alt + Tab) without the game crashing. Some of us like to surf a little in-between levels!

If the current rave about Windows 7 is true, this could all have been fixed with the Windows 7 upgrade.

Red Alert 3 worked a little better. It crashed less on minimising, perhaps half the time.

Considering RA3 is a real-time strategy game it is more static than Far Cry 2 which is an open environment first-person shooter. That is probably why it crashed less.

The graphics, again, was handled superbly on high and ultra-high settings.

You can tell by the rapid gameplay that the graphics card can hold its own, especially when you turn up the RA3 game speed and watch ultra-high resolution armies fight to the death.

Wanna play outside?

Besides for gaming, taking this massive thing outside to play will make you think twice at best.

It is more than 4kg in weight and the 6-cell battery will last about 1.5 hours while gaming without an external power source.

Effectively you are lugging around a small child and constantly searching for a place where it can feed.

Even though gaming is generally done indoors, this is still a laptop and one of the reasons you pay more for it is because it is mobile. It is not the most practical thing to carry around by anyone’s imagination.

If you do take it out anyway, it is certainly a head turner. Its sheer size, beaming colours and extra-terrestrial design is pretty awe-inspiring. It is quite literally the (alien) elephant in the room.

Accessories

The review for this model included Alienware TactX headphones and TactX mouse with the Alienware command centre.

Now it should be remembered that these are not included in the RM5,999 price tag, with the headphones priced at RM276 and the mouse at RM365.

With the TactX mouse you are given a command centre CD which is a utility program that allows you to customise the buttons on it, amongst other things.

It was a better gaming experience being able to hear gunfire from the exact direction it’s coming from with the headphones and the customised ergonomic mouse can ruin other mice for you.

The price for the M15X seems reasonable in comparison with its counterparts. For those who were expecting to spend more on a gaming unit may consider indulging on the extras.

Conclusion

It is hard to gauge whether Windows 7 could have cured the distortion and minimisation issues but it’s likely it would have helped in some way.

Besides for that, the Alienware M15X lives up to its promise of top class gaming even for their laptop models but it may be too strenuous to carry around.

The faulty touchpad is also a major concern but overall the M15X is intense both in style and substance.

It is relatively cheap and is can be a highly useful while waiting for friends at a coffee shop, assuming it was practical to haul it over there.

Pros: Great for gaming; cool design; decently priced.

Cons: Heavy; buggy touchpad; minor OS issues.

ALIENWARE M15X

Gaming laptop
Processor: Intel Core i7-720QM (1.6GHz) mobile processor
Memory: 4GB DDR3 RAM
Graphics: 1GB nVidia GeForce GTX 260M
Display: 15.6in widescreen with LED backlight (1,920 x 1,080-pixels)
Storage: 500GB SATA hard drive
Connectivity: WiFi 802.11b/g/, Gigabit Ethernet, Bluetooth
I/O Ports: IEEE 1394a, 2 Audio out connectors, VGA out
Operating system: Windows Vista Home Premium
Other features: Facial recognition software
Battery: 6-cell lithium-ion
Dimensions (w x d x h): 378 x 308 x 48.7mm
Weight: 4.08kg

Price: RM5,999

Touch capable Windows 7

I read this blog about Windows 7 multi touch ( not Multi-Touch, as it is patented byApple ) support. It is the extension of borrowed feature from Microsoft Surface Computing include in Microsoft Surface. Microsoft Surace is a table like computer with its screen acts as tabletop; where user is able to use their fingers to navigate. Users are able to use multi fingers, hence multi touch, to make gestures which the computer interprets into action. For example moving one’s finger across the surface to move a window from one side of the screen to another, or spreading one’s fingers to  zoom in on a picture. Surface computing is also made popular in CSI:Miami tv series as well as in lates James Bond’s ‘Quantum of Solace’.

Microsoft has announced that Windows 7 will support multi touch. Good feature to be included as the concept is being adopted by some manufacturers such as HP and Dell. Although there are still not many  computers supporting it, I believe that with the release of Win7, many companies would start to produce one. Perhaps as early as 1st quarter next year we might even have a netbook with multi touch screen produced. I wonder if with the next generation e-Book program in Malaysia especially would sport this feature also?

Windows 7 on Laptop

I got 1 Dell Notebook D600 from ITD yesterday. I’m going to use it for testing Windows 7 on laptop. It has Pentium M 1.6GHz,with 2 GB of RAM, with built-in wireless (Intel Pro/Wireless LAN 2100). It has windows XP Installed.

Upon inserting the CD, it pop up a windows 7 installation dialog, which allow the user to check for compatibility online or install. I tried to click install now which led me to another dialog with 2 options, to check lates updates or not. I choose not to. Then the standard EULA.

I just accept the term. It then pop up another dialog asking wheteher I want to upgrade or choose custom. First I tried upgrad.. and Windows 7 says “You cannot upgrade from this Operating System..” and exit. Well have to try again from the beginning.

I choose custom, since I had been given the green light to reformat the laptop. It seems that it need about 12 GB of free space to install. Unfortunately none of the partition have enough space… so I have to install using the installation disc.

I opted to remove all partitions and create 1 partition since it it only have 40 GB storage. The installation took about 45 mins. It cannot detect the network card, multimedia card and the cardbus. Perhaps the drivers are not included. These needs to be resolve first.

Since I have to pick up my kids.. I have to stop. I ‘ll continue to resolve the issues other time.

Dell Latitude XT2 : Ready to take challenge

It seems Dell never give up with their tablet PC product. The latest Dell Latitude XT2 has been released in Korea with big changes from previous models. Based on the info from Dell, upcoming Latitude XT2 tablet will boast an Intel Core 2 Duo ULV SU9400, clocked at 1.4GHz, coupled with a Montevina chipset. The tablet also sports an Intel integrated GMA 4500MHD graphics solution, meant to deliver the graphics support required by the 12.1-inch LED backlit capacitive touch-screen with EM Digitizer pen. The small form factor should allow the Latitude XT2 users to easily take advantage of the tablet’s features, no matter where their work may take them.

The storage will be at 120GB SATA and upgradable to 128 GB Solid State Drive (SSD). With the maximum support up to 5GB RAM, this model would give a great shoot on the perfromance.

Specification:

No	Specification	Description
1	Model	Dell Latitude XT2
2	Processor	Intel Core 2 Duo  ULV SU9400 (1.4 GHz)
3	RAM	Max. 5 GB DDR3
4	Graphic Adaptor	Integrated Intel GMA 4500MHD
5	Storage	120 SATA / 128 SSD
6	Screen	12.1”capacitive touch screen
7	Input	2 X USB 2.0, firewire, Express Card

Notebook using its 2.15Ah lithium-ion cells facing global recall

After 40 global incidents of overheating involving notebook which using 2.15Ah lithium-ion battery .. several notebook vendor such as Dell, Toshiba and Hewlett-Packard notebooks with Sony-made batteries are being recalled. These incidents involved smoke and/or flames but there were four cases involving small burns and 21 resulting in minor property damage.

According to the official statement posted on Sony’s website (www.sony-asia.com), the recall involves only notebook computers using its 2.15Ah lithium-ion cells. Sony said its Vaio notebook computers use different battery types so they are not part of the recall.

Hewlett-Packard has confirmed a free replacement programme for the specified battery pack at its centres. Malaysian customers should go to its website 

(www.hp.com/support/batteryreplacement) for more details. Or, they can call HP Service and Support at 1-800-88-4848. The affected models include HP’s Compaq and Pavillion notebooks. A detailed list is available at the site.

Dell customers can check if they are having the affected models by surfing to www.dellbatteryprogram.com 

  
Potentially affected batteries were sold with the following models of Dell notebook computers or separately as secondary batteries:

Latitude: D410, D500, D505, D510, D520, D600, D610, D620, D800, D810, D530, D620ATG
Inspiron: 500M, 510M, 600M, 700M, 710M, 6000, 6400, 8500, 8600, 9100, 9200, 9300, 9400, E1505, E1705
Precision: M20, M60, M70, M90
XPS: XPS, XPS Gen2, XPS M170, XPS M1710

I'm using Latitude D830. So my battery is OK. But if your battery is really hot... you can also call your vendor to check the condition of your battery.

Tool-free-number for DELL customer

Australia 1300-662-087

New Zealand 0800-203-355

Singapore 1800-395-7932

Malaysia 1800-88-0432

Hong Kong 852-2969-3187

Thailand 1800-060-143

Taiwan 00801-86-1015

China 800-858-0614

India 1800-425-2069