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As for specifications, let us see what the CX700 sports under the hood. It is powered by an Intel Core 2 Duo processor, has an ATI Mobility Radeon HD4330 with 512 DDR2 memory and can handle a maximum memory of 4GB DDR 2 at a frequency of 667Mhz. It sports an integrated 1.3-megapixel webcam as well, Gigabit LAN, optional Bluetooth and WiFi. It features three USB 2.0 ports and a default 6-cell battery.
The CR700 has an Intel Core 2 Duo processor, NVIDIA GeForce 8200M with shared system memory and again up to 4GB of DDR2 memory. A 1.3-megapixel webcam is once again present, as well as 802.11 b/g/n WiFi and Gigabit LAN. Three USB 2.0 ports and a choice of six or nine-cell batteries complete the list of specifications.
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.Dell Inspiron 1720
As You Like It
With the Inspiron 1720, Dell ups the ante in the super-performance notebook category. A 17-incher, the Inspiron 1720 is quite bulky, but the good design hides this.
You get to choose from eight colours for the lid—jet black and seven other satin finishes. The custom paint job, however, is modest, and will not last too long.
The 17-inch glossy widescreen (1920 x 1200) panel is beautiful; colour reproduction is vibrant, and it has a wide viewing angle.
The full-sized keyboard is a delight to type on—silent and great tactile response. The Matshita BD-RE UJ-220 Blu-ray drive means you won’t need to upgrade the optical drive in a long, long time! However, DVI as well as HDMI connectivity has been left out—criminal.
500 GB of storage should be enough for most users, and 4 GB of RAM is adequate for most applications, games, and for the bundled Microsoft Vista Home Premium.
The NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT 256 MB powers the graphics subsystem; a score of 5318 in 3D Mark 05 is very good indeed. This Inspiron churned out 96.4 fps and 65.31 fps in Doom 3 and FarCry respectively at 800 x 600—decent for moderate gamers.
In terms of performance, the Dell Inspiron 1720 scores better than the Digit Best Buy Gold winner (the HP DV6226tx) in the Performance Laptops category of our July 2007 laptop test. The 85 Wh nine-cell battery managed to power this beast for 2:48 hours in our tests.
The Inspiron 1720 can be configured at Dell’s Web site. The base price for the Inspiron 1720 series starts from Rs 58,650—price varies according to the components you choose. The laptop carries a one-year warranty with the option of on-site support for up to three years.
Specifications
Intel Core 2 Duo T 7500 (2.2GHz); 17-inch widescreen XVGA; NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT 256MB; 500 GB SATA hard drive; 4 GB DDR2 667MHz RAM; 85 Wh battery pack
RATINGS
Performance : 4
Features : 3.5
Build Quality : 3.5
Value for Money : 3
Overall : 3.5
Contact : Dell India Pvt Ltd
Phone : 080-25068026/1800-4254026
E-mail : sweta1@torquemail.com
Web site : www.dell.co.in
Price : Rs 1,56,200
HP Compaq 2510p
he Tough Ultraportable
Designed from a pure usability point-of-view, this little baby is built like a tank. The construction is rugged in general, and we liked the sturdiness of the hinges in particular. It’s not as flashy-looking as its competitors, but it’s sleek, and weighs just 1.29 kg. With an Intel dual-core processor and a decent amount of RAM, while running Windows Vista Business, this laptop packs in enough power to cater to business needs. The proc-essor’s and hard drive’s focus is on increased battery life.
The 2510p sports a widescreen (WXGA). An ambient light sensor automatically adjusts the screen’s brightness.
The keyboard is very comfortable to type on, but the touchpad is a little too smooth. There’s also a highly responsive pointer-stick. The keyboard layout is good, and just above the function keys is a line of touch-sensitive cool-blue backlit buttons for functions such as Turning On/Off wireless, Volume control, etc.
The 2510p features connectivity in the form of Bluetooth and Wi-Fi as well as Gigabit LAN—and even a legacy modem. It has a PC Card interface, SD memory slot, two USB ports and a FireWire port. You can buy the HP 2400/2500 Ultra-Light Docking Station to add more ports. There’s also a D-Sub connector so you can hook it up to a projector.
Security is taken care of by the biometric fingerprint reader and a host of utilities that can encrypt your hard drive and restrict data access to only authorised users. Even theft or removing the hard drive will not expose your data to prying eyes.
There’s not much to complain about with the 2510p; a webcam would have been a great value-add. A faster hard drive would have improved performance drastically, while reducing battery life marginally. And remember, this laptop is not made for gaming. With a one-year warranty and HP’s great support system, the HP Compaq 2510p is a reasonably good buy.
| RATINGS |
| Features : 4 |
| Performance : 3.5 |
| Build Quality : 4.5 |
| Value for Money : 4 |
| Overall : 4 |
Specifications
Intel Core 2 Duo ULV processor U7600 @ 1.2 GHz; Mobile Intel GM965 chipset; 1 GB 667 MHz DDR2@533 MHz; 80 GB 1.8-inch 4200 rpm PATA hard drive; Intel GMA X3100 graphics with 384 MB shared; DVD-RAM drive; 12.1 inch WXGA anti-glare LCD; Ports: 2 USB, 1 IEEE 1394, Gigabit, RJ-11, D-Sub; Wireless: Intel 802.11a/b/g, Bluetooth 2.0; Dimensions: 282.3(W) x 212.8(D) x 24.7(H) mm; Weight: 1.29 Kg; Battery: 3-cell (28 WHr) high capacity Lithium-Ion
Contact : Hewlett-Packard India
Phone : +91-9819881983
E-mail : abhinaya.deshpande@hp.com
Web site : www.hp.com/in
Price : Rs 89,990 plus taxes
Sahara AL 096 (Personal Tech)
Low On Frills, High On Price
The Sahara AL 096 is very solidly built and has a business-like look, with a grey-black finish and no decorations. The hinges are well-built and offer little play, which is a good thing. It weighs over 2.5 Kg—making it a little heavy to carry around.
Equipped with an older Core Duo processor and 1 GB of RAM, of which 256 MB is reserved for sharing, there is still enough power to handle normal office applications. The 120 GB hard drive offers ample storage space. A DVD multi-write drive takes care of backups. There are three USB ports for expansion, but no FireWire. WiFi and Ethernet ports are there, but Bluetooth is absent. A D-Sub port lets you hook up a projector for presentations.
The 17-inch widescreen LCD looks good and has a wide horizontal viewing angle, the vertical angle is a bit narrow. It has a matte finish, so it is easier to view it even if the light source is at the front, as there is very little distracting reflection. The ATI RADEON Graphics label (mis)leads one to believe that there is discrete graphics inside, but it’s really an onboard ATI XPRESS 200M graphics chip—good for 2D display, and decent for 3D (not for any new generation games, though).
The keyboard has a very positive feedback and feels good to type on for long download. A separate numeric keypad would be more than welcome, and there are just a few shortcut keys. The touchpad has a slippery finish, which is a bit irritating to move your fingers over. As far as response goes, though, the touchpad does fine.
The Sahara AL 096 costs a surprisingly high Rs 36,999. It lacks a webcam, a card reader, and even a microphone (so you need to connect an external one). Even the sound level of the speakers isn’t audible even when there isn’t much ambient sound. The battery life lasts two and a half hours—again, not impressive. The steep price isn’t justified by Windows Vista Home Basic; there isn’t any worthwhile bundled software either. To sum it up, the price is just not right.
| Ratings |
| Features : 3 |
| Performance : 3 |
| Build Quality : 4 |
| Value for Money : 2.5 |
| Overall : 3 |
Specifications
Intel Core Duo T2250 1730 MHz; ATI Radeon XPRESS 200M (256 MB shared); 1 GB DDR2 533 MHz RAM; 120 GB 5400 rpm SATA hard drive; DVD multi-writer; Ports: 3xUSB 2.0, D-SUB, RJ-45, Modem; WiFi: 802.11g; Windows Vista Home Basic
Contact : Sahara Computers & Electronics Ltd
Phone : 95120-4397235
E-mail : info@saharacomputers.co.in
Web site : www.saharaglobal.com
Price : Rs 36,999
Lenovo Y410
The Y series from Lenovo is touted as the home entertainment series—the good speakers and a few additional multimedia buttons are a step in the right direction; the plain décor isn’t! The Y410 is a good-looking notebook overall, though—the outer body panels have a quality finish, and this 14.1-inch unit feels sturdy.
The glossy, 1280 x 800 display is clear, crisp and vibrant, with good contrast ratio. The keypad offers good feedback, but it’s a little squishy. The shortcut keys are well-laid-out, and you’ll have no issues with using the nifty little add-on keys like the volume adjustment, mute, or even the “Novo” key, which switches between power modes to optimise battery or performance. There is a neat array of multimedia keys that allows you to listen to music without logging in to Windows (after inserting an audio CD).
The Y410 is available in configurations including a speedy Core 2 Duo T7100 (1.8 GHz) and an NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS with 128 MB of video RAM.
The one we received had a Core 2 Duo T5450 and Intel’s GMA 950 graphics solution, which is good enough for most multimedia work, including HD movie playback; just don’t expect to game without a graphics card.
With an overall PC Mark 2005 score of 3251, a 3D Mark 2005 score of 673 and a SiSoft Sandra 2007 drive Index of 39 MBps, the Y410 doesn’t really excite as a “high-end” product—at Rs 38,500, it makes sense as an excellent value solution. It’s got loads of pre-installed software; we’d have liked to see Windows Vista Home Premium instead of Basic, though. Whether you’re looking at a multimedia notebook, or something to use in college or in office—the Y410 has both your needs and your wallet covered.
| RATINGS |
| Features : 3.5 |
| Performance : 3 |
| Build Quality : 3.5 |
| Value for Money : 4 |
| Overall : 3.5 |
Specifications
Core 2 Duo T5250; 1 GB RAM; Graphics: Intel GMA 950; 1280 x 800; 14.1 inches; 160 GB HDD, 5400 rpm; Weight: 2.4 kg
Contact : Lenovo India
Phone : NA
E-mail : directlenovo@in.lenovo.com
Web site : www.lenovo.com/in
Price : Rs 38,500
