This week I had a nice long look at the Nook

This week I had a nice long look at the Nook Color and I can honestly say that I was impressed. akku r60 Maybe there needs to be a little back story here. You see, since I’ve started doing this column for Laptop Magazine, K. T. Bradford has always pa3535u-1brs been trying to show me various eReaders that come across her desk. And each one I chuck aside and state that I’m not interested. My main issue: no color.

We’ve reviewed 140 notebooks this year and not many of them boast the twin perks of ”incredible performance” and “long battery life”. Then sony vgp-bps8 battery again, I guess an Intel Core i5 machine with a starting price of $1,399 should have a few choice adjectives thrown its sony vgp-bps13/b battery way. It would also be helpful to have another descriptive term stapled to it: Affordable.

Now before you assume that the reason I want Sony VGP-BPS13 battery color was because of the iPad, you must know that this just wasn’t the case. My main gripe was the fact that everywhere now we are blessed with HD color, 3D color, and even IMAX HD 3D Color. So why in the world can’t I get some color for an eReader? Sony VGP-BPS13A/B Battery And yeah yeah, eInk does a good job of trying to copy an actual book’s likeness, but I embrace tech and I want my color. I don’t care Sony VGP-BPS9/B Battery if it is on a LCD screen. So, because of this, I had no love for any eReader. And then the Nook Color came.

I think you know where this is headed.

Not only is Lenovo slashing the price off an extremely capable 12.1-inch business notebook Sony VGP-BPS9/S Battery with discounts ranging from $400 – $515, LogicBUY is offering a stackable coupon worth another 20% off.

So say you were to configure the Lenovo ThinkPad Sony VGP-BPS9A/B Battery X201 to cost $1,899. That would include Core i7 quad-core processing power (which may be overkill considering the X201 is available only with Intel Graphics chips are responsible for processing all images sent to your computer?s 3000 v100 battery display.

Learn Moreintegrated graphics, but follow along with us here, won’t you?), a 500GB The storage 3000 v200 battery device that holds your OS, programs, and data.

Learn Morehard drive, 4GB of RAM, and the long3000 n100 battery -lasting 9-cell battery (just an extra 30 bones to upgrade) in your system. How much would you pay with Black Friday discounts from Lenovo and LogicBUY?

This thing is beautiful! Not only is the Nook Color more stylish on the outside, but that color screen finally does something for me. First 3000 n200 battery off is the new look. Compared to the original Nook, this one definitely has style. Seeing a product in black or graphite always outdoes one 3000 c200 battery that’s in all white. An all white product feels cheap and plasticity; all black it just oozes with chic appeal.

The Nook Color also has a nice rubberized back 3000 y410 battery panel, and products that have rubberized parts are always cool in my book as they just feel great. There is a small hook on the bottom left side, which I’m told is to hook charms into. This is the only part or feature of the Nook Color that it could r51e battery of done without.

And finally there is the screen. LCD, color, sharp, and bright. If there is any eReader r50e battery that would get my blessing and I would want to put the G Style official stamp on it, the Nook Color is it. If you can bare with the LCD screen which can x300 battery possibly be a little tough on the eyes after extended use, then this is the eReader you need

Oh, just $1,200. That’s only $900 back in your pocket. No big deal. That’s not worth a 42-inch HD-television set or a cruise x200 battery for two to the Caribbean or anything like that…

see the Iconia in action.What We Don’t Like

•The Iconia seemed sluggish. We counted six seconds just to launch the photo app, r61 battery though this is not the final product.

•At 6.2 pounds, this is definitely one of the thinkpad t400 battery heaviest laptops with a 14-inch display we’ve seen, but since there’s two screens some people may be willing to live with the heft.

•Battery life is rated at a wimpy 3 hours, which is understandable given the two huge 14-inch screens but still a bummer. Plus, thinkpad t500 battery the battery is sealed in the design so you can’t replace it.

•When using Windows 7 beyond Acer’s own apps, it was difficult to close applications, just thinkpad t61 battery as with other Windows slates. Our demonstrator jabbed at on-screen items multiple times during the video to perform a given action. (See video.)

What We Like

•The dual 14-inch touchscreens felt pretty thinkpad t60 battery responsive, and we like the way the two displays interact, yet are capable of separate operations.

•We also like the thought Acer has put in to the touch programs they developed. Acer’s custom gestures take advantage thinkpad t60p battery of the screens’ remarkable 10-finger capability. For example, placing both palms on the bottom screen launches the keyboard and placing thinkpad r60e battery five fingers on the screen launches a fan-like menu that lets you choose which program to run.

•A special Social Jogger that reminds us of Tweetdeck hp battery delivers feeds from Facebook, YouTube, and Flickr, but Twitter isn’t on board yet.

•The touch-friendly browser allows you to draw a box around areas of web page that interest you and save them in your portfolio. dell battery When you open the portfolio app, that part of the web page can automatically update itself, such as a stock price or weather apple battery update.

•In addition to the built-in gestures, Acer is realing an SDK next month will hopefully result in a lot more great acer battery software at launch. Check out our hands-on below to

In many ways, the Droid Pro is a throwback

In many ways, the Droid Pro is a throwback, design-wise, to the many BlackBerry Sony VGP-BPS13 Battery black slab imitators--an elongated 3.1-inch 480 x 320 HVGA touchscreen situated above a three-line QWERTY keyboard. Inserted into the Sony VGP-BPS13A/B Battery silver-banded perimeter are a volume toggle and the micro USB jack on the left side, an assignable function key on the right, and a screen on/off and 3.5mm headphone jack up top. Around back, the 5-megapixel camera/LED flash assembly forms a bit Sony VGP-BPS13/B Battery of a hump, which makes the Pro a bit thinner than its stated 0.46-inch thickness.

The Droid Pro and Droid 2 have nearly identical dimensions, but the latter weighs more than a ounce more Sony VGP-BPS13B/B Battery (4.7 vs. 6 ounces). But in addition to its larger display, the Droid 2 includes 8 GB of built-in memory and includes a Sony VGP-BPS13A/S Battery built-in 8 GB microSD card, versus the 2 + 2 GB in the Droid Pro. This Droid has four capacitive buttons above the keyboard, which, while responsive, felt like a disconnect in that this handset has physical keys.

Behind the easily pried-off battery cover is the microSD card slot, which is guarded by a springy plastic Sony VGP-BPS9 Battery bumper clip that's difficult to remove. However, you'll want to do this because you only get 2 GB out of the box.

Display

By adding a QWERTY keyboard to its face, Sony VGP-BPS8 Battery Motorola has reduced the space for a screen, thus the 3.1-inch 480 x 320 (HVGA) TFT display is larger but has a lower resolution than on the BlackBerry Tour and Torch (2.4 inches, 480 x 360), and 0.6 inches smaller than the 3.7-inch 854 x 480 Sony VGP-BPS9A/B Battery WVGA screen on the Droid 2.

The Droid Pro's screen is not only smaller than other Droids', but it's not as crisp, either. Small text on Sony VGP-BPS9/B Battery websites is squint-inducing. You'll definitely need to zoom in on this device. On the other hand, apps such as Angry Birds looked fine on Sony VGP-BPS9/S Battery this scrunched display.

Keyboard

The Droid Pro's most important differentiating physical feature is its QWERTY keyboard. The tall rectangular keys are Sony VGP-BPS8A Battery wedged, with the wedge ridge located on the right side of each key on the left-hand side of the keyboard, and toward the left on the right side. Keys and rows Sony VGP-BPS2 Battery are arranged checkerboard-style rather than staggered and, even though they are jammed together, the wedge ridges help avoid accidental adjacent key presses

Overall, the keys are large enough that you'll likely type with more accuracy and confidence on this Sony VGP-BPS2A Battery layout than you would on a touchscreen-only phone. We also like that the keyboard never gets in the way of content. However, the keys felt a Sony VGP-BPS2B Battery bit stiff, and required more effort than we'd like to type. The humped keys on the Droid 2 are larger, staggered, and slightly easier to use, but you have to slide out the keyboard to enter text, which can be a pain. And the Droid 2's layout doesn't Sony VGP-BPS2C Battery offer as much travel. Having the keyboard always accessible can make a big difference, too, whether it's typing a quick tweet or using Dell inspiron 1525 battery Android's universal search feature.

By comparison, keys on the typical BlackBerry are spaced Dell latitude d630 battery apart a bit in slightly curved rows. This approach results in speedier typing on candy bar designs such as the BlackBerry Tour, but the Torch slider phone's keyboard feels flat compared to this device. We prefer the Droid Pro for Dell studio 15 battery typing.

A sophisticated camera with features even pros would like (but that's simple enough for beginners), the Dell latitude d620 battery 10-MP Panasonic LX5 has a sharp Leica-branded f/2.0 lens that offers sterling performance in both optimal and low light. And Dell xps m1330 battery because it's a 3.8x lens that can zoom out as wide as 24mm, you'll have no trouble shooting street scenes, landscapes, or group portraits. The LX5 has a larger-than-average 1/1.63-inch CCD image sensor that captures great color, while the camera's built-in Dell inspiron 6400 battery Optical Image Stabilizer steadies shaky shots. One-touch video recording means she'll always be ready to shoot HD movie clips, which Dell inspiron 1501 battery can play back for friends on the LX5's gorgeous, 3-inch, 460,000-dot LCD screen.

The 12-MP Olympus PEN E-PL1 is another small camera Dell inspiron e1505 battery with a big sensor that allows for interchangeable lenses (this one using a Micro Four Thirds system). We like the 720p HD video capability along with its six art filters, including a cool pin hole filter, an old-school grainy film filter, and a new filter Dell latitude d820 battery called Gentle Sepia. The camera's new Live Guide mode lets users select icons to change basic settings, such as brightness and contrast, via sliders. The Dell vostro 1000 battery changes are shown live on the camera's 2.7-inch LCD screen. The E-PL1 is also less expensive than Olympus' other PEN models and Dell gd761 battery features something its stablemates don't have: a pop-up flash.

Looking to get in on the Internet TV game without spending much cash? Oakland, California based Orb Networks may have your solution. Dell latitude d830 battery The company just announced its new Orb TV Internet video device, available immediately for a relatively affordable price of $99 compared Dell inspiron 1520 battery with flashier options such as the Logitech Review with Google TV.

Taking an interesting approach both design and feature wise, the Orb Dell vostro 1500 battery TV is a small disc less than an inch thick meant to either integrate cleanly into main home theater systems or auxiliary rooms. The device also promises to deliver Web video from big-names such as Hulu, Netflix, YouTube, ESPN3, and Comedy Dell inspiron 1720 battery central. In a unique twist, the Orb will allow users to command it via an Orb Caster app on either iOS or Android devices.

What doesn’t sound very appealing is that the Orb TV lacks an HDMI port, with analog component output its Dell xps m1530 battery most powerful connection. That means a likely max of 720p for HD video. That limitation could be the real deal breaker for many. This is Dell xps m1730 battery especially true when squared off against other products like the Roku devices that are comparably priced yet offer full HD along with Netflix and Hulu access.

Even so, the Orb TV’s ease of use and hopefully simple connection to PCs and Macs over Wi-Fi could be a big draw. Also, the device’Dell inspiron 1420 battery s flexibility is alluring. The Orb TV supports deployment in multiple rooms, across multiple handsets, and even using multiple accounts per unit. Dell vostro 1400 battery That could either complicate your TV viewing life or simplify things greatly. We plan to get one in and report back with our results. Dell CF623 battery Stay tuned

The Sony Alpha NEX-5 is a pint-size camera with a 14.2-megapixel image sensor as large as what you'd find in a big and bulky Dell latitude d610 battery DSLR. That sizable sensor has bigger individual pixels, giving you crisp, clean images even in lousy lighting. The NEX-5 uses interchangeable lenses, letting your Dell KD476 battery shutterbug switch them out depending on the shooting situation; we like the snub-nosed 16mm f/2.8 for capturing dreamy wide-angle images. Dell 1525 Battery The camera's Sweep Panorama mode automatically combines several shots into one large image, and its full 1080p HD movie mode captures some pretty sweet high-def battery clips.

Sony Alpha NEX-3

This compact and versatile interchangeable-lens camera takes Akku Sony VGP-BPS8 excellent photos in all conditions and shoots gorgeous HD video.

Design

Despite its diminutive size, the Alpha NEX-3 feels solid in hand; much of this has to do with the metal lens, which dominates the camera. The body itself is a silver-colored plastic, but consumers can opt Akku Sony VGP-BPS8a for red or a black. At 4.4 x 2.4 x 1.6 inches, the NEX-3 is slightly smaller than the latest Olympus PEN E-PL1 (4.5 x 2.8 x 1.6 inches), and, at 10.1 ounces, it’s about 2 ounces lighter. The Panasonic DMC-G10K, another Micro Four Thirds camera, weighs in at a hefty 19.7 ounces.

A large 3-inch LCD dominates the back of the camera, and can be tilted up or down Sony VGP-BPS8 Battery so you can hold the camera above your head to take photos; a nice feature if you’re in a crowd.

There are only a few controls on the camera’s surface: on the top VGP-BPS9/B is the shutter ringed by the on/off switch; to its left is a button that turns the LCD on and switches to review mode. Just below that is a small button used to record video. On the back, to the right of the LCD sits a small menu button near the top, and an equally small button on the bottom displays shooting tips on-screen, the most obvious nod to potential customers. In between is a clickable scroll wheel used to access menus and adjust settings.

Also on top of the camera is a large VGP-BPS9A/B Battery flap that opens to reveal a slot for the detachable flash (which, thankfully, is included). On the left side is a mini-USB port and a mini-HDMI port. While Sony insists on retaining its Memory Stick format, the slot also accepts SD Cards.

At launch, the camera is available with an 18-55mm lens, but for $50 less you can opt for a smaller 16mm lens; we say go VGP-BPS9/S battery for the 18-55mm zoom, which also includes motion stabilization. An 18-200mm zoom lens will be available in the near future.

User Interface

The major knock we have on the Alpha NEX-3 is its user interface, which, while tailored Dell Studio 17 Battery for novices, can become convoluted. For example, if you want to switch shooting modes, you have to press the Menu button, select Shoot Mode, then rotate the dial. As you change modes, the camera offers helpful on-screen dialogue saying what each mode is best suited for.

Another annoyance is that can’t view both recorded stills and videos together; it’s needlessly complicated having to switch to a different menu to see a movie when you’re just trying to scroll through everything you shot. At first, we thought the Dell Studio 1737 Battery camera had failed to record video. We preferred using the image index, which displays thumbnails in a grid; at least here, it’s obvious (by a tab on the left side) that you’ve actually taken videos, too.

Performance and Features

Photos taken with the NEX-3 looked excellent. While similar in size to Micro Four Thirds cameras, the NEX-3 uses a different Dell Studio 1535 Battery 14.2-megapixel Exmor APS HD CMOS sensor that’s 50 percent larger than the Micro Four Thirds format adopted by Olympus and Panasonic. The camera adapted well to a variety of shooting conditions, and colors were downright vibrant; oranges, purples, and reds on flowers popped.

The NEX-3 has a huge ISO range of 200 to 12800; even cranked up to 1600, photos taken VGP-BPS13B/Q at a nighttime softball game illuminated by just overhead lights showed very little noise, and the camera was able to freeze the action on the field. Even though we kept the flash on the camera at all times, we rarely found ourselves using it. When we did require this function, it didn’t wash out the foreground of our photos.

The Intelligent Auto mode is well-suited for those VGP-BPS13/B who know nothing of f-stops, shutter speed, or depth of field. A feature called Background Defocus (see test shot to the right) does just that—turning the dial on the back brings the background into focus, or blurs it. What the camera is really doing is adjusting the f-stop, but if you’re just starting out, you don’t need to know that, do you? Even for more advanced shooters, it’s a nice convenience.

Another excellent feature on the NEX-3 is the Auto High Dynamic Range function, which snaps three shots in quick succession—each at a different aperture setting—and combines them into one photo (pictured below). When used artistically, it creates truer-than-life images, but for more practical purposes, it was helpful when we wanted to E6400 Battery photograph a dark foreground with a light background. The NEX-3 was able to bring out details in green shrubs while letting us see the definition of white clouds in a blue sky.

When you use Panorama mode, you’ll think the NEX-3 has a mind of its own. On other Inspiron 1545 battery cameras, panorama modes make you take one picture, move the camera, then take another picture, and so forth. Once you press the shutter on the NEX-3, the camera starts firing away madly; all you have to do is move it from left to right. The camera stitched the pictures in a few seconds, and did so well. Even when taking a panorama in a small room, we saw very few errors.

Video

The NEX-3 is capable of taking 1440 x 1080-resolution Vostro 1510 Battery video at 30 frames per second, and 640 x 480 videos at 60 fps. As with stills, video was quite good; footage of a group of people using hula hoops was smooth as the rings circled around their bellies, and the NEX-3 automatically adjusted its focus to keep things sharp. The stereo mics on the camera (found on either side of the flash) also picked up excellent sound.

Battery Life

Sony rates the camera’s battery at approximately 300 photos; Sony Laptop Battery we shot about half that, as well as a few videos, and saw the battery life drop below 50 percent. Three hundred pictures may seem like a lot, but we found ourselves charging the NEX-3 more often than we’d like. To be fair, the Olympus Pen E-PL1 is rated for fewer shots (290), but the upcoming Panasonic DMC-G10K has a rating of 380 images. Bottom line: if you’ll be doing a lot of shooting we suggest springing for an additional battery ($79.99) so you can have a charged spare handy.

Verdict

The Sony Alpha NEX-3 is very close to an ideal camera for travelers who want to get great shots on good battery the road, but don’t want to lug around a full-size DSLR or mess too much with settings. At $599, it’s about the same price as a prosumer DSLR such as the Canon T2i or Nikon D5000, and takes great-looking photos and HD video. While we wish its menu structure were less convoluted and the battery life longer, we can’t argue with the results.

DTX (W881CU) Notebook Eingabegeräte

Tastatur

Die Tastaturqualität ist als sehr gut zu bezeichnen. Die freistehenden Akku Sony VGP-BPS8 Tasten (Chiclet-Design) verfügen über einen wohl dosierten Druckpunkt und einen klaren Anschlag. Das Tippgefühl ist stets angenehm, das Layout wirkt durchdacht. Bezüglich der Stabilität gibt es kaum etwas auszusetzen, erst bei unverhältnismäßig starkem Druck gibt die Tastaturfläche insbesondere zur Mitte hin geringfügig nach. Einzig das laute sowie klapprige Tastengeräusch konnte uns weniger überzeugen. Auf eine Tastaturbeleuchtung muss das Fragbook DTX übrigens leider verzichten.

Touchpad

Das Touchpad kann nicht ganz Akku Sony VGP-BPS8a mit der famosen Tastatur mithalten. Hauptproblem ist dabei die mäßige Präzision, Eingaben werden oftmals nicht sonderlich genau umgesetzt. Die gewöhnungsbedürftige, vertikale Scrollfunktion liegt überdies arg weit innen. Dafür ist das Touchpad mit einer Größe von 80 x 50 mm wohl dimensioniert. Die angenehme Oberfläche bietet darüber hinaus passable Gleiteigenschaften, die leichte Absenkung sorgt für ein Mindestmaß an Orientierungsmöglichkeit. Die beiden Touchpadtasten halten wir indes für misslungen. Einerseits ist der zum Auslösen nötige Kraftaufwand zu hoch, andererseits nerven der kurze Tastenweg sowie der schwammige Druckpunkt.

Display

Die meisten Notebooks müssen spätestens beim Display herbe Kritik einstecken: Eingeschränkte Blickwinkel, dürftiger Kontrast und mäßiger Sony VGP-BPS8 Battery Schwarzwert sind dabei die aktuell am häufigsten anzutreffenden Attribute. Nicht so beim Fragbook DTX, denn das verbaute Hannstar HSD173PUW1 (HSD06A5) Panel begeistert mit einer erstaunlich hohen Bildqualität.

Angefangen beim Schwarzwert, der sich mit 0.17 cd/m² auf einem hervorragenden Niveau VGP-BPS9/B bewegt und sogar viele externe Monitore überflügeln kann. Im Gegensatz zu anderen Notebooks driften dunkle Partien dadurch nicht ins Gräuliche ab, sondern bleiben stets tiefschwarz. Der Kontrast hat mit 1028:1 ebenfalls unseren ganzen Respekt verdient, Farb- und Helligkeitsabstufungen wirken ungemein differenziert. Die Farben machen fürderhin einen überraschend natürlichen sowie kräftigen Eindruck. Filme und Spiele bereiten aufgrund der genannten Eigenschaften gleich nochmal soviel Spaß. Einen VGP-BPS9A/B kleinen Makel hat das Display dann aber doch. So geht die Helligkeit mit durchschnittlich 183.4 cd/m² zwar völlig in Ordnung, ein wenig mehr Leuchtkraft hätte allerdings keinesfalls geschadet.

Für den Außeneinsatz ist das Fragbook DTX unterdessen nicht konzipiert. Die glänzende Displayoberfläche spiegelt bei direkter VGP-BPS9/S sowie indirekter Lichteinstrahlung sehr stark. Selbst in Innenräumen kann es bei ungünstiger Positionierung zu störenden Reflexionen kommen. Zum komfortablen Arbeiten ist das Notebookdisplay deshalb eher ungeeignet, die Augen werden auf Dauer zu sehr belastet.

An der Blickwinkelstabilität gibt es dagegen weniger auszusetzen. Sowohl horizontal Akku dell Studio 15 als auch vertikal wird das Bild erst bei größeren Abweichungen verfälscht. Mit mehreren Personen einen gepflegten Videoabend zu gestalten ist daher kein Problem. Zum Abschluss seien noch einige technische Details genannt. So verfügt das 17.3-zöllige und im etablierten 16:9 Format gehaltene Display über eine LED-Hintergrundbeleuchtung sowie eine FullHD-Auflösung von 1920 x 1080 Bildpunkten.

Leistung]

Um dem Anspruch eines HighEnd-Notebooks gerecht zu Akku Dell Latitude D620 werden, hat Deviltech unser Testgerät mit einem Vierkernprozessor von Intel ausgestattet. Der Core i7-720QM kann im Ausgangszustand zwar nur mit einem Takt von 1.60 GHz aufwarten, durch die inzwischen bekannte Turbo Boost Technik wird der Takt einzelner Kerne allerdings automatisch auf maximal 2.80 GHz angehoben. Eine weiteres nennenswertes Feature ist die Hyperthreading Technologie. Diese simuliert zu den vier real existierenden Kernen vier weitere virtuelle Kerne hinzu, was dem Core i7-720QM die Möglichkeit eröffnet, bis zu acht Threads gleichzeitig zu bearbeiten. Der Strombedarf ist mit 45 Watt indes relativ hoch angesetzt, 774 Millionen Transistoren wollen jedoch ebenso mit Energie versorgt werden wie der sechs MByte große L3-Cache. Im Gegensatz zu den Core i5 Prozessoren wird die Core i7 Riege nicht im Akku Dell Latitude D820 topaktuellen 32nm, sondern noch im 45nm Prozess gefertigt.

Das eigentliche Highlight des Fragbook DTX ist derweil wohl die brandneue Akku Dell Latitude D630 GeForce GTX 480M, die als Grafikkarte ihren Dienst verrichtet. Während die GeForce-Karten der 300er Reihe noch mit einer Unterstützung für Direct X10 auskommen mussten, beherrscht die neue Fermi-Architektur nun endlich auch fortschrittliche DirectX 11 Effekte wie Tesselation. Die Spezifikationen der GeForce GTX 480 lesen sich dabei beeindruckend: 352 Unified Shader, rund drei Milliarden Transistoren (Radeon HD 5870: 1.04 Milliarden) sowie ein 2048 MByte großer GDDR5-Videospeicher, der mit 256bit angebunden ist. Kehrseite der Medaille ist ein - trotz moderner 40nm Fertigung - ungemein großer Chip sowie ein sehr hoher Energieverbrauch von bis zu 100 Watt. Bezüglich der Taktraten gibt es keine Sony Notebook Akkus Überraschungen, 425 MHz (Kern), 850 MHz (Shader) und 1200 MHz (Speicher) entsprechen den Vorgaben von Nvidia.

CPU Leistung

Der Core i7-720QM ist für seine hervorragende Anwendungsleistung bekannt. Im Singlecore-Rendering des Cinebench R10 kann er mit 3757 Punkten beispielsweise problemlos den bei Herstellern äußerst beliebten Zweikerner Core i5-430M überholen, der durchschnittlich 3371 Punkte erreicht. Im Multicore-Rendering fällt der Abstand zu Dualcore-CPUs noch deutlicher aus. Während der Core i7-720QM ganze 10216 Punkte für sich verbuchen kann, muss sich der derzeit schnellste akku Zweikerner Core i7-620M beispielsweise mit 8995 Punkten zufrieden geben.

McAfee Total Protection 2010

This security suite makes your PC run faster, but it's not as effective Akku Sony VGP-BPS8 as competitors in staving off attacks.

Most people have heard of McAfee: it's a ubiquitous security company whose software already comes preinstalled on scads of PCs. Since the last time we reviewed McAfee's Total Protection suite, the company has beefed up its PC tune-up utility, which slashed our PC's boot time this time around. This software makes it easy to back up key files and folders online, and in a way that doesn't slow down your computer. While the interface isn't Akku Sony VGP-BPS8a our favorite, and it doesn't emphasize parental controls the way other suites do, it's a winner when it comes to speed. But is it as effective as the competition?

Setup and User Interface

When installing Total Protection, the program forces you to manually remove conflicting security software (Symantec Norton 360 Sony VGP-BPS8 Battery does this automatically), and only shows you one piece of conflicting software at a time, which further slows down the process.

Like other programs, the main screen uses familiar green-and-red banners to indicate if your system VGP-BPS9/B is secure or if something is amiss. Beneath a color-coded banner, you'll see, in list form, whether your firewall and scanning are on, if your updates are current, and if your subscription is active. Below that is a list called Features, under which you'll find collapsible fields such as Parental Controls, PC Optimization, Web and Email Protection, and Virus and Spyware Protection. All in all, it's easy enough to tell at a glance if your computer is secure, but the user interface doesn't feel quite as streamlined as Symantec Norton VGP-BPS9A/B 360's, which divides the main screen into just four clickable areas that pertain to backup, identity protection, PC tune-up, and security.

PC Tune-Up and Performance

According to several third-party testers, Total Protection is one of the least effective suites in stopping viruses. On Anti-Virus Comparative's tests, VGP-BPS9/S it only blocked about 38 percent, almost half that of Kaspersky (59 percent). Dennis Publishing gave it a combined protection score of just 43, well below Norton 360 (80), Kaspersky Internet Security (76), and even BitDefender (68). However, it redeemed itself slightly with AV-Test.org, picking up 87.2 percent of malware. That's by no means good--Kaspersky and Norton both detected about 98 percent--but it did beat out BitDefender by 3 percent.

Although McAfee's PC optimization package shortened our boot time, its toolset is less comprehensive Dell Studio 17 Battery than what competitors offer. Its QuickClean tool erases unnecessary files, while the Defragmenter actually just activates the same Disk Defragmenter program that you can find in the Control Panel of any Windows machine. There's also a file shredder, which oddly makes a distinction between (but never explains) basic, safe, comprehensive, and complete shredding. These extra choices make shredding seem more intimidating and confusing.

While Total Protection's interface isn't our favorite, the performance Dell Studio 1737 Battery impact was at least minimal. Firefox opened in 1 second by default, and 2 with a full scan running. And after we ran optimization processes, the boot time dropped to 54 seconds from 1:17.

Backup

Interestingly, when you purchase a subscription to Total Protection, you'll receive three licenses to the software, but six licenses for online backup, Dell Studio 1535 Battery including three that have 2GB of storage and three with 1GB of online storage space

. When creating a backup set, you use check boxes to select files and folders in an interface that looks like what you would see if you chose to open a file from any program in Windows. The setup wizard tells you your upload speed, depending on your connection (ours was 574.6 kbps over Wi-Fi) and how much you could upload in 24 hours (in our case, between 1GB and 4.3GB).

You can toggle between having faster computer performance and faster VGP-BPS13B/Q backups (the quicker your backup, the more likely it is to slow down your PC). You can see the estimated time to back up the initial set, the size of the set, and the number of files (ours was about 45 minutes for 78 files totaling 39.7MB). Later, you can choose to start backing up immediately, wait until the PC is idle, or customize settings further: for instance, you can tell the program not to back up unless you've been idle for a certain number of minutes or if the CPU reaches a certain percentage of activity. These detailed backup settings are a standout feature for Total Protection.

Parental Controls

Unlike Norton 360, which compels users to download an additional piece dell Latitude E5500 Battery of parental control software, Total Protection's parental controls are baked into the security suite. Unfortunately, the interface is less intuitive, and the features skimpier.

McAfee's wizard interface means that you have to proceed through a sequence of screens to adjust the settings you want (Norton 360's tabbed interface lets you jump around, battery skipping categories that aren't of interest to you). You can set a web browsing schedule, as well as select from one of five age ranges (under 5, 6 to 8, 9 to 12, 13 to 15, 16 to 18). Each age range has a default set of categories, such as websites with profane language, E6400 Battery that are either approved or forbidden (there are 18 categories in total, not including the amorphous "other" label). While it's convenient that you can block or allow certain sites, it's a bummer that you can only create one profile (Norton 360 lets you create a profile for each of your children).

Also missing from these parental controls are power over social networks and instant messaging accounts, the ability toshiba PA3534U-1BRS Battery to monitor (and not just block) kids' activity, and the option to prevent children from disseminating personal information, such as addresses and phone numbers.

Verdict

People who know their way around their computer and don't require the good battery simplest interface are likely the same people who will appreciate McAfee Total Protection 2010's low performance impact and speed. However, we're not enamored with its poor performance among third-party testing services. Plus, the UI isn't particularly attractive, and its parental controls are relatively weak. While it will store your files safe in the cloud and make your notebook run faster, we suggest saving $10 and picking up Symantec battery Norton 360.

ASUS UL80Jt-A1

This brushed aluminum machine balances good graphics performance Sony VGP-BPS8 Battery with long battery life.

Last fall, ASUS released Dell Studio 17 Battery the UL80Vt, a 14-inch notebook that paired an ultra-low voltage processor with switchable graphics; in addition to 9 hours of battery life, users could also get some gaming in, too. The new UL80Jt-A1 ($869 as configured) still has switchable graphics, but now it comes with Nvidia's Optimus technology, which does the switching for you. ASUS also swapped the ultra-low voltage processor for an Intel Core i3 CPU, which delivers more power at the expense of battery life. Still, it's hard to Dell Studio 1737 Battery argue with over 6 hours of endurance, making this brushed aluminum machine a solid choice for multimedia mavens.

Editor's note: Portions of this review were taken from the review Dell Studio 1535 Battery of the ASUS UL80Vt.

Design

The UL80Jt-A1 is all black, with an attractive brushed metal lid. Inside, the tastefully-appointed deck Sony VGP-BPS9 Battery is also made of metal. The deck is glossy plastic, while the bottom is matte plastic. This uniformity of color and design gives the system a sleek yet understated look, but tends to pick up fingerprints. In many ways, this notebook looks similar to the Samsung Q430-11, except the Samsung has a silver deck.

At 4.8 pounds and 13.5 x 9.6 x 1.1 inches, the UL80Jt-A1 Sony VGP-BPS9A/B Battery is the same size and weight as the UL80Jv, which is to say it's not the thinnest and lightest 14-inch notebook on the block. However, it's nearly identical in weight and size to the Gateway ID49C, and 0.2 pounds lighter than the Samsung Q430-11. The overall feel is sturdy but this 14-inch laptop is still fairly portable.

Keyboard and Touchpad

The UL80Jt-A1's island style keyboard is spacious, and has its keys in all the proper positions, even if the right Shift key is a tad undersized. This notebook Sony VGP-BPS9/B Battery was certainly more comfortable to type on than the U33Jc, and we were up to our usual pecking speed in no time. However, compared to the Samsung Q430-11, this machine's layout exhibited more flex.

With a dotted surface that sits flush with and blends into the wrist rest, the UL80Jt-A1 touchpad certainly VGP-BPS9/S looks futuristic. Navigating around the desktop was pretty smooth. Too bad the single chrome mouse button felt stiff. We prefer too distinct buttons.

Ports and Webcam

The UL80Jt-A1 has all the ports you'd expect from a Dell GD761 Battery modern consumer notebook, including VGA, audio in/out, HDMI, Ethernet, and three USB connections. A 5-in-1 memory card reader is included for getting pictures or video off of your camera.

The 0.3-megapixel webcam provided smooth and fairly good quality video. Over Skype, a caller could make out the stripes on our shirt, although there toshiba PA3534U-1BRS Battery was a little motion blur when we moved around.

Display and Sound

The 14.0-inch, 1366 x 768 glossy display on the UL80Jt-A1 provided bright, sharp dell Latitude E5400 Battery images in our testing. While watching a DVD of Dark City and a 720p video stream of Fringe from Fox.com, playback was smooth, and colors were true with minimal noise and no pixelation. However, viewing angles leave something to be desired. At 45 degrees off center horizontally, color clarity is good enough when looking at the desktop, but when watching video, colors started to reverse and wash out, to say nothing of the reflections.

Sound quality from the front-mounted speakers was quite loud both Dell Laptop Battery when watching videos and listening to music. While listening to Alicia Keys' "If I Ain't Got You" on Pandora, the piano riff at the beginning came through mostly clear, but bass notes got a little lost and muddy when she started singing, and there was slight distortion in the higher tones when playing the song at full volume. Bass was completely lacking when playing Iron Maiden's "Run to the Hills," and the song came through tinny. For a 14-inch system, the UL80's speakers good battery are above average, but the Toshiba Satellite M645's speakers are superior.