If you thought the netbook market was already flooded, Intel’s recently-launched ‘Pine Trail’ platform means you can expect another new batch to come through. We’ve already seen Asus’ take on Pine Trail with the Eee PC 1005PE – reviewed here. Now we have Acer’s Aspire One 532h.
Acer’s Aspire One 532: ‘Pine Trail’ pioneer?
Like the 1005PE, Acer’s 532h is powered by Intel’s 1.66GHz Atom N450 processor. This is joined by 1GB of DDR 2 memory and integrated GMA3150 graphics – as with all Pine Trail netbooks, the graphics and memory controllers are both housed on the CPU. Intel claims this results in enhanced battery life and improved performance.
The 532h is an attractive piece of kit. Its glossy lid – silver, blue and red are the colour options – might be a prone to a few smudge marks, but it looks striking and features smooth, curved edges. Read the rest of this entry »
You know where you stand with business-oriented laptops. They’re chunky, dull-looking machines with all the pizazz of a rainy afternoon in Chester. Dell’s Vostro range has been a case in point: a collection of low-power, low-charisma laptops likely to appeal only to the most frugal of IT department bean counters.
Dell’s Vostro V13: not your average business PC design
Until now. When we pulled the V13 from its box we had to double check we’d received the right machine. We’d been promised a model from a range of business laptops costing from a paltry £422 inc. VAT, and instead we got a slim, gleaming machine Steve Jobs would be proud to pull from a shoulder bag.
The V13 bears more of a resemblance to the MacBook Air – reviewed here – or Dell’s desirable-but-expensive Adamo range. The aluminium-clad machine is a gorgeous sliver of technology whose quality feel and good looks easily disguise its bargain-basement price. Read the rest of this entry »
The YoYoTech Warbird i750CX is a juiced-up version of the Warbird i750X. Both models are bare towers that come without a display, mouse, keyboard, speakers or operating system, although our review unit was supplied with Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit already installed to save us the effort. Everything else is included.
YoYoTech’s Warbird i750CX: it’s what’s inside that counts…
The i750X has an AMD ATI Radeon 5850 graphics card and a price of £800, while the i750CX combines a pair of Radeon HD 5850 cards in CrossFire mode. The power supply has been beefed up to 850W to ensure there’s plenty of juice to keep things humming along.
Dual HD 5850s have the potential to offer epic levels of DirectX 11 gaming power, provided your CPU is up to the task. This is where YoYoTech has taken a bold step by overclocking the i750CX’s Intel Core i5-750 processor from 2.67GHz to 4.0GHz. In our experience, you can overclock a ‘Lynnfield’ Core i5/i7 or ‘Penryn’ Core i7 900 to 3.8GHz with the minimum of effort and 4.0GHz shouldn’t be any harder. Read the rest of this entry »
HTC’s Legend is to all intents and purposes the follow up to the very popular Hero. Like its predecessor it is an Android handset, and GPS, Wi-Fi and 3G are here as Android staples but, as you would expect, the Legend has a lot that is new, updated, enhanced and tweaked too.
Nice touch? HTC’s Legend
For a start, the Legend’s bold chassis design, revamped Sense User Interface sitting on top of Android 2.1, and an AMOLED capacitive touchscreen are the headline features that could combine to make HTC’s latest as popular as the Hero. Currently, the Legend is slated to be available on contract exclusively from Vodafone. You can also get it SIM free. Read the rest of this entry »
It’s taken a while, but LG has finally got around to releasing an Android handset. We’re pleased to see they haven’t just gone for a me-too ‘droid either – the GW620 is firmly aimed at the lower mid-range rather than the smartphone high end. It puts the focus firmly on social networking, with integrated SNS, a slide-out Qwerty keyboard, plus Wi-Fi, HSDPA 3G, 5Mp Camera and GPS.
Android enticer? LG’s InTouch Max GW620
The InTouch Max GW620 is a pocket-friendly 109 x 55 x 16mm with a 3.2in touchscreen – so it’s on the small side when compared the likes of the iPhone or media-tastic Android handsets like the Google Nexus One. It’s nice and curvy too, with sloping edges top and bottom and rounded corners, all of which helps it to sit very neatly in hand or pocket despite the inevitable depth lent it by the slide-out Qwerty keyboard.
It’s black gloss on the front, with an anti-slip rubberised coating on the back – ah, those little things mean a lot – together with a protruding Camera lens and LED flash. The touchscreen is set within a surround, which includes the LG logo, but no buttons, touch sensitive or otherwise, which seems like a waste of real estate. Read the rest of this entry »
