Monday, 30 April 2012
Dell XPS 13
It might seem gushing, but the XPS 13 is a joy to hold. In fact, once you've unpacked it, you'll probably want to hold it a lot, and sometimes - and we really mean this - caress its smooth metal lid. This is something that, in the past, only Apple laptops could inspire from us.But this lovely design isn't the only thing on which Dell has taken its cue from Apple. This machine has very little in the way of connectivity - something that garnered Apple considerable criticism when the Air launched. There are just two USB sockets, and only one of them supports USB 3. Aside from that, you'll find a DisplayPort socket and a combined headphone and microphone jack.
And that's it. Apart from the power connector - but that really doesn't count.
It's hard to say how we feel about this dreadful connectivity. Our gut reaction is that we simply don't care, that the design and beauty of this laptop makes up for its lack of socketry. Then we snap out of the haze that Apple has managed to hypnotise us in to, and we realise that it is a little bit annoying not to be able to use an Ethernet connection without an adaptor.
But the flipside to this is that we don't usually plug our laptops in to Ethernet cables anyway. It's entirely too much hassle, and it detracts from the pleasure of having a portable computer.
We miss a full-sized SD card socket too, and that hurts a little more, as it means we'll have to carry a card reader around with us to manage photographs and video - something we do an awful lot of. In many ways, we think Dell should have ditched the battery meter, and put an SD card socket in there instead. Although we have no idea if that's possible, given the tiny proportions of this machine.
Screen and sound
As with 99 per cent of Ultrabooks, the screen on this XPS 13 is driven by Intel integrated graphics. That means you'll get a solid, but uninspiring performance. Gaming is pretty much out of the question here, but that's unlikely to bother the people buying this machine.
The screen is covered in a glossy glass. This is a bit of a disaster for using it in bright conditions, but it is usable. There are some Ultrabooks that use matt screens, and this is good if you use your machine outside a lot, but for most of us, it's not a massive issue.
The LCD panel behind the glass is top-notch though. It might be only a 1366x720 panel but the colours are spot on and there's plenty of detail. We really enjoyed looking at it and movies and TV shows look superb with that high contrast - thanks in part to that glass cover.
We streamed movies in both 720p and 1080p over our network using Plex. They looked utterly fantastic, and the detail in both was delicious. It's worth pointing out that the i5 processor in our machine handled the high-quality video with ease. Proving, to some extent, that the faster core i7 is perhaps unnecessary.
We plugged in a pair of our high-end reference headphones to get the measure of the sound on the Dell. We felt that audio was a little whispy and trebbly to start with, but a quick check in the control panel told us that the Realtek soundcard was applying some daft sound effects. Once disabled, sound was much more balanced and a pleasure to listen to.
The built-in speakers are, as you'd expect, less than impressive. They do the job though, and for video conferencing and the occasional YouTube clip are more than adequate.
Options
The available hardware choices for the XPS are quite small, which is a good thing. As of now, you can get two i5 machines with either 128 or 256GB SSDs and 4GB of RAM each or you can opt for an i7 with a 256GB SSD and 4GB of RAM.
Thursday, 22 March 2012
HP ProBook 4530s
The device weighs in at 2.5kg, which is pretty impressive considering it measures 374 x 256 x 28.7mm. It would make a good desktop replacement system, but mobile road warriors would require something less bulky.
The 4530s has a full-size keyboard with numeric extensions and a 15.6in screen. One unusual aspect of the system is that it comes with two separate onboard graphics systems. The first is Intel’s Intel HD Graphics 3000 system integrated into the processor, which shares 1.76GB of system memory. The second is ATi’s Radeon HD4690M, which uses its own dedicated video memory and not the computer’s system memory.
The dual graphics cards enable users to tag applications whichever one best suits it. Standard apps like Microsoft Word could use Intel's HD graphics system, while CAD applications requiring better performance could be set up to use the ATi graphics card.
The system uses a Mobile Intel HM65 Express Chipset, and the processor is a second generation Intel Core i5-2410M running at 2.3GHz. The processor quad core rating is achieved by having two cores with dual hyperthreading.
The front side bus runs at 1333 MHz, and the 4530s has two memory slots for DDR3 dual-channel 2GB or 4GB memory SoDIMMs, up to a maximum of 8GB (2 x 4GB).
Our 4530s was running the 64-bit version of Windows 7 Professional, although Windows 7 Home Premium, Home Basic, and Vista 7 Home Basic are also supported. SuSe Linux Enterprise Desktop 11 is also certified for use by HP on the 4530s, as well as FreeDOS (a DOS compatible, free, open-source free operating system).
For optical media, the 4530s uses an on-board SATA HP DVD A DS8A5LH drive, which supports CD, DVD and Blu-Ray media.
Storage is provided by a 2.5in form factor Toshiba 5,400 rpm MK6465GSX 640GB hard drive partitioned into four sections: operating system, recovery, system and tools.
There’s also a protected partition for Microsoft Office 2010 Click-to-Run, a method for installing Office 2010.
Ports
The UK version of the 4530s has four USB ports, two USB 2.0 towards the front on the right hand side, and two more USB 2.0 ports on the left hand side.
The 4530s has a full-size keyboard with numeric extensions and a 15.6in screen. One unusual aspect of the system is that it comes with two separate onboard graphics systems. The first is Intel’s Intel HD Graphics 3000 system integrated into the processor, which shares 1.76GB of system memory. The second is ATi’s Radeon HD4690M, which uses its own dedicated video memory and not the computer’s system memory.
The dual graphics cards enable users to tag applications whichever one best suits it. Standard apps like Microsoft Word could use Intel's HD graphics system, while CAD applications requiring better performance could be set up to use the ATi graphics card.
The system uses a Mobile Intel HM65 Express Chipset, and the processor is a second generation Intel Core i5-2410M running at 2.3GHz. The processor quad core rating is achieved by having two cores with dual hyperthreading.
The front side bus runs at 1333 MHz, and the 4530s has two memory slots for DDR3 dual-channel 2GB or 4GB memory SoDIMMs, up to a maximum of 8GB (2 x 4GB).
Our 4530s was running the 64-bit version of Windows 7 Professional, although Windows 7 Home Premium, Home Basic, and Vista 7 Home Basic are also supported. SuSe Linux Enterprise Desktop 11 is also certified for use by HP on the 4530s, as well as FreeDOS (a DOS compatible, free, open-source free operating system).
For optical media, the 4530s uses an on-board SATA HP DVD A DS8A5LH drive, which supports CD, DVD and Blu-Ray media.
Storage is provided by a 2.5in form factor Toshiba 5,400 rpm MK6465GSX 640GB hard drive partitioned into four sections: operating system, recovery, system and tools.
There’s also a protected partition for Microsoft Office 2010 Click-to-Run, a method for installing Office 2010.
Ports
The UK version of the 4530s has four USB ports, two USB 2.0 towards the front on the right hand side, and two more USB 2.0 ports on the left hand side.
Dell Latitude E5410
The Dell Latitude E5410 is a laptop built for business that doesn’t skimp on features, but strikes just the right balance that it won’t break the bank, either. It seems Dell has done their best to build a machine that doesn’t compromise too much, but that still comes in below average on price. Let’s take a look ‘under the hood’.
The first thing you’ll notice opening the Latitude E5410 up is the screen. It’s 14.1 inches (measured at a diagnol), supports a native resolution of 1440×900 pixels, and is LED-backlit, so colors appear clearly and contrast is consistent across it. We’re very happy to see that this is becoming more standard on portable computers these days.
The heavy lifting is handled primarily by an Intel Core i5 520M dual-core chip at 2.4 GHz, with a 3MB L2 cache. Multitasking on the machine is smooth, and due to its clock frequency, it stacks up well against typical desktops. Heat output is fairly low compared to the higher-clocked i7 parts, and as you might expect, this also keeps battery life from being impacted too harshly under heavy load.
Our review model came fitted with 3GB of RAM, which is a slightly odd number to see. However, it makes no noticeable performance impact in most applications, even using the memory-hungry Windows 7. Since a Core i5-series CPU is being used, it’s no surprise to see that the memory employed here is the newest available, DDR3.
Our model came with a 250GB 7200RPM hard drive by Western Digital. Some other storage options are available, but for a cheap laptop like this, we wouldn’t expect an enormous amount of storage. 250GB should be more than enough for most users, and will hold a substantial library of music, photos, movies, and standard office documents with room to spare.
Wireless is of course included, and we’d be quite concerned if it weren’t. The model on offer is an Intel chipset, model 6200AGN. It supports Draft-N, so it will be compatible with the latest other Draft-N access points you may wish to use in your home, as well as the standard A/G/B points you are likely to find at coffee shops, libraries and the like. We found range to be about on par with notebooks, maintaining a stable connection at the other end of the office with 2+ bars, well within usable range. Using wireless knocked about 90 minutes off the battery life of the laptop.
While we are on that topic, the included battery on our test unit was 9-cell, with the typical Lithium-Ion battery chemistry. This battery protrudes a little from the back of the unit. This machine can also be purchased with a standard 6-cell battery that will sit flush with the edge of the unit. This will of course yield less battery life, but reduces cost. The included one has a capacity of 85 Watt Hours (WH), and yielded about 5.5 hours of life in our web browsing test with the wireless enabled. Very impressive!
From a physical standpoint, build quality of the unit appeared quite high. Measuring at 13.3 long by 9.6 wide by 1.31 inches thick and weighing 5.21 pounds, the unit is small enough to tuck under your arm and take to and from work or school every day, but not nearly as light as a netbook would be. You can decrease the weight a bit by using the 6-cell battery instead, but it’s not a huge difference.
The first thing you’ll notice opening the Latitude E5410 up is the screen. It’s 14.1 inches (measured at a diagnol), supports a native resolution of 1440×900 pixels, and is LED-backlit, so colors appear clearly and contrast is consistent across it. We’re very happy to see that this is becoming more standard on portable computers these days.
The heavy lifting is handled primarily by an Intel Core i5 520M dual-core chip at 2.4 GHz, with a 3MB L2 cache. Multitasking on the machine is smooth, and due to its clock frequency, it stacks up well against typical desktops. Heat output is fairly low compared to the higher-clocked i7 parts, and as you might expect, this also keeps battery life from being impacted too harshly under heavy load.
Our review model came fitted with 3GB of RAM, which is a slightly odd number to see. However, it makes no noticeable performance impact in most applications, even using the memory-hungry Windows 7. Since a Core i5-series CPU is being used, it’s no surprise to see that the memory employed here is the newest available, DDR3.
Our model came with a 250GB 7200RPM hard drive by Western Digital. Some other storage options are available, but for a cheap laptop like this, we wouldn’t expect an enormous amount of storage. 250GB should be more than enough for most users, and will hold a substantial library of music, photos, movies, and standard office documents with room to spare.
Wireless is of course included, and we’d be quite concerned if it weren’t. The model on offer is an Intel chipset, model 6200AGN. It supports Draft-N, so it will be compatible with the latest other Draft-N access points you may wish to use in your home, as well as the standard A/G/B points you are likely to find at coffee shops, libraries and the like. We found range to be about on par with notebooks, maintaining a stable connection at the other end of the office with 2+ bars, well within usable range. Using wireless knocked about 90 minutes off the battery life of the laptop.
While we are on that topic, the included battery on our test unit was 9-cell, with the typical Lithium-Ion battery chemistry. This battery protrudes a little from the back of the unit. This machine can also be purchased with a standard 6-cell battery that will sit flush with the edge of the unit. This will of course yield less battery life, but reduces cost. The included one has a capacity of 85 Watt Hours (WH), and yielded about 5.5 hours of life in our web browsing test with the wireless enabled. Very impressive!
From a physical standpoint, build quality of the unit appeared quite high. Measuring at 13.3 long by 9.6 wide by 1.31 inches thick and weighing 5.21 pounds, the unit is small enough to tuck under your arm and take to and from work or school every day, but not nearly as light as a netbook would be. You can decrease the weight a bit by using the 6-cell battery instead, but it’s not a huge difference.
Sunday, 11 March 2012
Asus U46SV
The Asus U46SV all-purpose laptop sets itself apart from the crowd through great performance and outstanding battery life, two attributes that rarely cohabitate.
The primary reason for the long 6-hour, 41-minute run time is an unusually large 74-watt-hour battery. The large battery is also responsible for the U46SV's hefty 2.2 kg static and 2.7 kg travel (with AC adapter) weights, but clever design makes the unit feel lighter than those numbers might lead you to believe.
The battery protrudes about a half-inch beneath the back of the otherwise one-inch thick unit. That gives you a firm, yet comfortable grip when toting it about (part of the reason it doesn't feel as heavy as it is) and also adds a slight forward rake that puts your hand at a better typing angle. All told, the heavier, larger, longer-lasting battery should please more users than it discourages them.
The U46SV sports a stylish aluminum lid and keyboard deck, though the effect is cheapened slightly by chrome touchpad buttons and a rather bright power button. Still, while the touchpad buttons are distractingly reflective, they also have just the right amount of resistance. The U46SV's breathable Chiclet-style keyboard feels exactly like those found on Lenovo's U series (a good thing); crisp, even though the keys travel only a short distance. The touchpad is nicely responsive as well.
Our test unit featured an Intel Core i5-2430M CPU, 8GB of DDR3 memory and a 750GB hard drive. It also had both Intel HD Graphics 3000 for everyday use and a discrete Nvidia GeForce GT 540M GPU that propelled the unit to playable gaming frame rates; in the 60s at low detail and high 30s at high detail at 1024x768 resolution. You can also buy the U46SV with a Core i3, less memory and less capacious hard drives if our configuration's price tag seems too steep.
Besides the stellar battery life, the U46SV scored a 123 on WorldBench 6, excellent for a Core i5. Video of all resolutions plays smoothly and is rendered to good effect on the U46SV's 14 inch, 1366x768 display. So good, in fact, that when I tested with a 1080p DVD of True Grit (the Coen Brothers version), I wound up watching nearly the entire movie. Of course, it's also a very good movie. That experience was best with headphones; the U46SV's speakers sound weak and thin despite the Sonic Focus audio enhancement software that tries to overcome that fact.
The U46SV's ports include VGA and HDMI, three USB ports (one of which is USB 3.0), ethernet and an SD card slot. The laptop includes both headphone and microphone jacks, as well as a Kensington lock port on the back. You get a webcam, too, but for some reason Asus opted for a relatively low resolution 0.3 megapixel unit.
Though the U46SV turned in very nice performance numbers, it performs sluggishly for the first minute after booting with the stock software configuration. This is largely due to loading a whopping 32 non-standard startup items, the majority of which aren't particularly useful or necessary.
The primary reason for the long 6-hour, 41-minute run time is an unusually large 74-watt-hour battery. The large battery is also responsible for the U46SV's hefty 2.2 kg static and 2.7 kg travel (with AC adapter) weights, but clever design makes the unit feel lighter than those numbers might lead you to believe.
The battery protrudes about a half-inch beneath the back of the otherwise one-inch thick unit. That gives you a firm, yet comfortable grip when toting it about (part of the reason it doesn't feel as heavy as it is) and also adds a slight forward rake that puts your hand at a better typing angle. All told, the heavier, larger, longer-lasting battery should please more users than it discourages them.
The U46SV sports a stylish aluminum lid and keyboard deck, though the effect is cheapened slightly by chrome touchpad buttons and a rather bright power button. Still, while the touchpad buttons are distractingly reflective, they also have just the right amount of resistance. The U46SV's breathable Chiclet-style keyboard feels exactly like those found on Lenovo's U series (a good thing); crisp, even though the keys travel only a short distance. The touchpad is nicely responsive as well.
Our test unit featured an Intel Core i5-2430M CPU, 8GB of DDR3 memory and a 750GB hard drive. It also had both Intel HD Graphics 3000 for everyday use and a discrete Nvidia GeForce GT 540M GPU that propelled the unit to playable gaming frame rates; in the 60s at low detail and high 30s at high detail at 1024x768 resolution. You can also buy the U46SV with a Core i3, less memory and less capacious hard drives if our configuration's price tag seems too steep.
Besides the stellar battery life, the U46SV scored a 123 on WorldBench 6, excellent for a Core i5. Video of all resolutions plays smoothly and is rendered to good effect on the U46SV's 14 inch, 1366x768 display. So good, in fact, that when I tested with a 1080p DVD of True Grit (the Coen Brothers version), I wound up watching nearly the entire movie. Of course, it's also a very good movie. That experience was best with headphones; the U46SV's speakers sound weak and thin despite the Sonic Focus audio enhancement software that tries to overcome that fact.
The U46SV's ports include VGA and HDMI, three USB ports (one of which is USB 3.0), ethernet and an SD card slot. The laptop includes both headphone and microphone jacks, as well as a Kensington lock port on the back. You get a webcam, too, but for some reason Asus opted for a relatively low resolution 0.3 megapixel unit.
Though the U46SV turned in very nice performance numbers, it performs sluggishly for the first minute after booting with the stock software configuration. This is largely due to loading a whopping 32 non-standard startup items, the majority of which aren't particularly useful or necessary.
Lenovo IdeaPad V470
The Lenovo IdeaPad V470 is an ideal choice for users who want a budget-conscious notebook with both home and office features. It's equipped with a second-generation Intel dual-core processor, 4GB of RAM, Intel HD graphics, and an HDMI port. Keep reading to find out more about this notebook, including full specifications, an overview of its build quality, and more.
BUILD AND DESIGN
The first thing you'll probably notice about the V470 is that it's an extremely attractive-looking notebook. It has a clean, dual-color scheme of metallic gray and black, as well as a glossy screen bezel. The look appears business-casual and classy. And, at 4.8 pounds with a 14.0-inch screen and just over an inch thick, it's portable, too.
The display cover and palm rest consist of brushed aluminum while the base is made of hardened plastic. Hardly any flex was seen when we pressed down on the palm rests with considerable pressure; it's constructed very well. The display cover isn't constructed as well, though -- it's just too thin to be considered sturdy. I could break it easily if I tried. Ripples appear on the screen when both top corners are bent inward. The chassis is much more durable; it doesn't flex much at all. Overall, we would consider the V470 to have good build quality if the display cover was thicker and less worrisome.
The hard drive and memory can be swapped out from the bottom panel. To replace the hard drive, simply remove a few screws as well as the drive compartment. The memory can also be increased up to 8GB (dual-channel) as there are two SO-DIMM sockets. If desired, the mini PCI Express card and optical drive can also be removed.
PORTS AND FEATURES
The V470 has a great port selection; above average for its price range. Even though it doesn't have USB 3.0, it has a total of four USB 2.0 ports, along with a 6-in-1 memory card reader, VGA, HDMI, eSATA, separate headphone and mic jacks, and an optical drive with CD-RW/DVD-RW/DVD-Multi capabilities. The memory card reader is compatible with SD, SDHC, MMC, MS, MS Pro, and xD-Picture memory cards. The V470 also has a fingerprint reader to the right of the palm rest.
Front: Activity lights, speaker, 6-in-1 memory card reader, Wi-Fi on/off switch
Left: Lock slot, exhaust vent, VGA, Ethernet, HDMI, eSATA/USB 2.0 combo, USB 2.0
Right: Headphone jack, mic jack, USB 2.0, optical drive (CD-RW/DVD-RW/DVD-Multi), USB 2.0
BUILD AND DESIGN
The first thing you'll probably notice about the V470 is that it's an extremely attractive-looking notebook. It has a clean, dual-color scheme of metallic gray and black, as well as a glossy screen bezel. The look appears business-casual and classy. And, at 4.8 pounds with a 14.0-inch screen and just over an inch thick, it's portable, too.
The display cover and palm rest consist of brushed aluminum while the base is made of hardened plastic. Hardly any flex was seen when we pressed down on the palm rests with considerable pressure; it's constructed very well. The display cover isn't constructed as well, though -- it's just too thin to be considered sturdy. I could break it easily if I tried. Ripples appear on the screen when both top corners are bent inward. The chassis is much more durable; it doesn't flex much at all. Overall, we would consider the V470 to have good build quality if the display cover was thicker and less worrisome.
The hard drive and memory can be swapped out from the bottom panel. To replace the hard drive, simply remove a few screws as well as the drive compartment. The memory can also be increased up to 8GB (dual-channel) as there are two SO-DIMM sockets. If desired, the mini PCI Express card and optical drive can also be removed.
PORTS AND FEATURES
The V470 has a great port selection; above average for its price range. Even though it doesn't have USB 3.0, it has a total of four USB 2.0 ports, along with a 6-in-1 memory card reader, VGA, HDMI, eSATA, separate headphone and mic jacks, and an optical drive with CD-RW/DVD-RW/DVD-Multi capabilities. The memory card reader is compatible with SD, SDHC, MMC, MS, MS Pro, and xD-Picture memory cards. The V470 also has a fingerprint reader to the right of the palm rest.
Front: Activity lights, speaker, 6-in-1 memory card reader, Wi-Fi on/off switch
Left: Lock slot, exhaust vent, VGA, Ethernet, HDMI, eSATA/USB 2.0 combo, USB 2.0
Right: Headphone jack, mic jack, USB 2.0, optical drive (CD-RW/DVD-RW/DVD-Multi), USB 2.0
Tuesday, 17 January 2012
Advent Roma 3001
A great laptop featuring the best of everything in a value laptop. The Advent Roma 3001 is a great mid-range daily work and multimedia laptop including some great features such as a HDMI port, 4GB of RAM, a great 15.6” HD screen all at a bargain price. The hard drive even though quite large at 250GB could be bigger and a problem that we’re finding in numerous laptops is the lack of Bluetooth, even though not a huge problem it does limit the user to connecting the peripherals.If you're after a basic, reliable and cheap home laptop the Roma 3001 has been infected with the best bits of having a laptop including mobility, reliability and affordability, a moderate specification notched up the low price tag. The Advent Roma 3001 is another great laptop introduced to us by Advent, it skilfully infuses the best bits of mobility, reliability and affordability all in a cheap laptop deal under £375.
The Roma 3001, in terms of design, looks pretty much the same as the previous Advent Roma models such as the Roma 2000 and the Roma 2001. However, when you peer a little closer you realise that it what lies beneath the surface is nothing less than outstanding for a laptop under £375.
The Roma 3001 comes with a decent Intel Celeron T3100 Dual-Core Pentium processor, far more responsive and powerful than the previous generation of Celeron processors that lacked badly when tested on multi-tasking and running simultaneous applications. With the Dual Core Celeron T3100, or any other Dual Core Celeron, you can expect reliable and fast computing while using your standard day to day applications such as Microsoft Office, Internet Explorer and even download multimedia or play light 3D games.
The Advent Roma 3001 Laptop comes with a 250GB hard disk which is more than enough space for an average user to store there data. To make matters even better the high definition 15.6” LCD widescreen with 16:9 aspect ration is another feature you probably won’t find in a budget laptop. The Roma 3001 has a DVD-RW optical drive, perfect to play all your DVDs, a HDMI port so you can enjoy quality visuals when connected to a HD TV.
If you’re looking for a mid-range value laptop then the Advent Roma 3001 has it all to keep your basic computing needs covered. It seems Advent have become over generous and given the user brilliant multimedia capabilities that make this laptop an absolute bargain for £369.
The Roma 3001, in terms of design, looks pretty much the same as the previous Advent Roma models such as the Roma 2000 and the Roma 2001. However, when you peer a little closer you realise that it what lies beneath the surface is nothing less than outstanding for a laptop under £375.
The Roma 3001 comes with a decent Intel Celeron T3100 Dual-Core Pentium processor, far more responsive and powerful than the previous generation of Celeron processors that lacked badly when tested on multi-tasking and running simultaneous applications. With the Dual Core Celeron T3100, or any other Dual Core Celeron, you can expect reliable and fast computing while using your standard day to day applications such as Microsoft Office, Internet Explorer and even download multimedia or play light 3D games.
The Advent Roma 3001 Laptop comes with a 250GB hard disk which is more than enough space for an average user to store there data. To make matters even better the high definition 15.6” LCD widescreen with 16:9 aspect ration is another feature you probably won’t find in a budget laptop. The Roma 3001 has a DVD-RW optical drive, perfect to play all your DVDs, a HDMI port so you can enjoy quality visuals when connected to a HD TV.
If you’re looking for a mid-range value laptop then the Advent Roma 3001 has it all to keep your basic computing needs covered. It seems Advent have become over generous and given the user brilliant multimedia capabilities that make this laptop an absolute bargain for £369.
Advent Modena
The Advent Modena features the powerful Intel Celeron T3100 along with Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium which ensures effortless multitasking. Advent has even included a great hard drive to store all your files along with 2GB of RAM and a whole lot more. At the adequate price tag the Advent Modena gives you a 320GB hard drive which provides more than enough space to store music, photos and videos, which can be easily burned to your own CDs and DVDs using the built-in DVD rewriter. The size of memory also allows you to multitask smoothly. With the Advent Modena giving high-speed wireless connectivity which is provided by an integrated 802.11n Wi-Fi an additional feature is given. An integrated camera is in place, fitted above the screen.A problem of the Advent Modena is the very short life span of the battery only lasting 3 hours however for a laptop under £350 this is more than adequate. Another problem is the integrated graphics which shares the memory with all tasks and not dedicating memory to graphics. With high-definition video and high-resolution image editing can quickly bring the GPU to its knees.A basic, good looking laptop that, for its price, is one of the best of its kind giving great value for its price. Even though this won't be the first on your list for a multimedia machine it certainly, and comforatbly, will cope with the demands of daily laptop usage including multi-tasking. It's a cost effective solution that the entire family can use. The Advent Modena is driven by the powerful Intel Celeron dual-core T3100 with a processing speed of 1.9GHz. Windows 7 Home Premium guarantees smooth multitasking. The spacious 320GB hard drive lets you store everything from multimedia files to documents.
The slim chassis carries the same design scheme from the Advent range, but its patterned glossy lid and matt-plastic interior creates a nice contrast. At 2.5kg, this is a machine that is easy to use around the home or on shorter journeys. With a depth of just 33mm, it slips easily into a carry case, also the battery runs for under three hours. Usability is pleasing, with the isolated-style keyboard proving very comfortable to use.
An amazing feature of this laptop is the performance of the wireless connectivity, as the Advent Modena comes with a 802.11n wireless integrated card. A numeric keypad is fitted on the board's right-hand side, for fast data input and making quick calculations, and the glossy textured touchpad is tactile and works well. The most notable feature of this machine is its vibrant 15.6-inch screen. The colour and contrast is quite fantastic and really brings photos and movies to life. Even the glossy Super-TFT coating is less reflective then the other Advents in this range.
At this low price, the Advent Modena performs for the price you get it for but comes with amazing features.
The slim chassis carries the same design scheme from the Advent range, but its patterned glossy lid and matt-plastic interior creates a nice contrast. At 2.5kg, this is a machine that is easy to use around the home or on shorter journeys. With a depth of just 33mm, it slips easily into a carry case, also the battery runs for under three hours. Usability is pleasing, with the isolated-style keyboard proving very comfortable to use.
An amazing feature of this laptop is the performance of the wireless connectivity, as the Advent Modena comes with a 802.11n wireless integrated card. A numeric keypad is fitted on the board's right-hand side, for fast data input and making quick calculations, and the glossy textured touchpad is tactile and works well. The most notable feature of this machine is its vibrant 15.6-inch screen. The colour and contrast is quite fantastic and really brings photos and movies to life. Even the glossy Super-TFT coating is less reflective then the other Advents in this range.
At this low price, the Advent Modena performs for the price you get it for but comes with amazing features.
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