New Powerful & Lightweight Laptops

Samsung Notebook 900X3A Series 9



Saumsung Notebook 900X3A:

"The perfect balance of lightness and design"

A competitor to the new XPS 15z is advertised in T3 this month. The Samsung Notebook Series 9 is “Designed to go. Powered to perform with visibly smart performance.” There is a gatefold brand ad as well as a full page in the third quarter part funded by Microsoft.



Samsung Notebook









Performance

It is ultra slim and lightweight making it easily portable, but durability is not compromised as it is made from Duralumin (the same material as aircraft).It features the latest Intel Core i7/i5 Processor with up to 8GB memory, which accelerates performance by dynamically allocating processing power where it’s needed most using intelligent Turbo boosting technology. 

Dell XPS 15z:"Less mass. More appeal."



The Notebook powers up in 12 seconds and comes out of sleep mode in 3 seconds and the solid state drive (SSD) provides 128/256GB of efficient and secure storage.

The PowerPlus battery lasts up to three times longer than a conventional battery. It also delivers mobility and freedom with its extensive battery life of up to 7 hours.

The Dell ad is in a similar simple style to the Samsung. the XPS 15z is also similar to the Samsung Notebook. It is slim, lightweight and powerful. The specifications of similar models from each manufacturer are below.

Spec Comparison Table

Sources
T3 (July issue)
Wired.co.uk
Currys.com
Dell.com

A Snapshot of What's Hot in T3 This Month

10 Reasons to Buy Dell’s Streak

Dell Streak

1. Larger screen than the original Streak

2. Dual cameras – back and front

3. Full Flash support, giving access to the whole web

4. Multitasking is a breeze with the Nvidia’s 1GHz dualcore Tegra 2 processor

5. Scratch-resistant screen (Gorilla Glass)
6. Plenty of storage – 16GB internal, plus SD, MMC and SDHC card slots
7. Dell’s stage software will upgrade automatically when and OS update becomes available
8. Full support for Microsoft Exchange email and calendars, so you can work on the go
9. You can sync it with other Stage-equipped devices (Dell PC/Laptop)
10. Only £299 for a future-proofed Android tablet

Top 5 Tablets

Asus Eee Pad Transformer


A new Tablet review in T3, replaces the Motorola Xoom with the Asus Eee Pad Transformer in 2nd place, whereas Apple’s iPad 2 remains firmly at the top.

The ranking:
1. Apple iPad (5/5)
2. Asus Eee Pad Transformer (4/5)
3. LG Optimus Pad (3/5), Motorola Xoom (3/5), RIM Blackberry Playbook (3/5)

Despite the glowing review earlier in the magazine and the fact that it is the same size as the Blackberry Playbook, the Dell Streak wasn't mentioned. Dell is conspicuous in its absence here.

The main points are that the Apple iPad is the best value for money. Its 32GB model retails at £479, whereas the LG Optimus Pad is a whopping 57% more expensive on sale for £750.

*The tablets were tested by:
1. Playing the same video clip on each tablet, pausing at the same scene to assess colour rendition.
2. Playing the same audio track on each tablet, comparing the sound quality and speaker volume.
3. Browsing the web to see how quickly the touchscreen responded.
4. Testing the screens for off-angle visibility and visibility in different lighting conditions.
5. Battery endurance was tested by playing a film on each tablet with Wi-Fi on.
6. Timing how long the T3 website took to launch over the home Wi-Fi connection (after clearing the cache and history of each tablet).

XPS15

Dell did however come out well in the “Laptops that are equally up for work and play” category. The XPS 15 scored the highest on best value for money and was equally ranked in equal position to the Apple MacBook Pro 15”, Acer Aspire Ethos 8943G and Sonly Vaio VPCZ13M9E/B.

Source
T3 (July Issue)

Dell Inspiron Duo Review



p. 136



The following two pages were taken from Stuff Magazine (Issue 145, April). It is a review written after one month of using the Dell Inspiron Duo.

The main points are:

Positive

• Chunky but with great ergonomics.

• Fun when docked - The dock plugs into a custom port on the base of the Duo, and along with a respectable set of JBL speakers it also adds an Ethernet port, SD card reader and two USB 2.0 ports.

• Great for media playing (with a good set of speakers) - Spotify & iPlayer - "makes a tidy kitchen TV and mini hi-fi."



p. 137



Negative

• Heavy

• The screen is not very sensitive - you have to stab rather than swipe - "it's still a mouse-driven system at heart."

• The Windows 7 Touch is difficult to use.

• Graphics performance is poor: choppy video playback and it chokes on visually intensive websites.

• Poor speakers
• Poor battery life - approximately 2hrs of high media use.

Verdict
“A cute netbook that’s skilled when docked, but a lack of power and Windows 7’s touch issues are the Duo’s undoing.”

Rating
An unremarkable 3/5

Google Innovations

Google has been particularly busy recently with two big launches in the last week: The Google Chromebook and Music Beta, a music streaming service.

Google Chromebook
The Chromebook was unveiled last week at Google's I/O conference in San Fransisco by Sundar Pichai, vice-president of product management at Google, who claimed it was ushering in the new era of 'cloud computing'.
Manufactured by Samsung and Acer, the Chromebook will run on the web rather than the computer’s software, so apps, documents and settings will be saved in the cloud enabling it to run much faster than a standard computer and boot-up will take just eight seconds.

The Chromebook is targeted at businesses and educational companies, presenting a direct challenge to Microsoft, whose Windows 7 operating system dominates, with a 78.6% global market share in 2010 (Gartner research company).

The computers go on sale in the US, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands and Spain on 15th June. The Samsung version will go on sale in the US at $429 (WiFi only) and $499 (WiFi & 3G – free 100MB/month), whereas the Acer model will retail slightly cheaper at $349. In the UK, the Chromebooks will cost £349-£399.

Music Beta
Google Music will work in a similar way to Google Documents - tracks can be uploaded to Google's servers and then be streamed anywhere. Google has not struck any deals with labels or music publishers possibly because the service will allow consumers to stream data they already own, but there will be a limit of 20,000 tracks. The app can be downloaded on selected Android phones and tablet such as the Motorola Xoom.

This application has had mixed reviews. Many users have found it slow and the presentation poor. There is also no option to delete music once it has been uploaded, although you can remove it from playlists. It also seems that not only is it impossible to delete tracks, but when you’ve downloaded the app, it’s impossible to get rid of! The only positive review I could find was that it is “not terrible – everything is better than the original although there is no lock screen when changing songs”.


Sources
Market Android.com
Marketing Magazine.co.uk
Stuff (Issue 146)

Tablets

Top 10 Tablets

1. Apple iPad 2

2. Motorola Xoom

3. Samsung Galaxy Tab

4. Blackberry Playbook

5. Notion Ink Adam

6. HP Slate 500

7. Dell Streak 7

8. Archos 7

9. View Sonic ViewPad 7

10. Archos 9

The Leading Tablets Comparison

Review

The Motorola Xoom 3G and iPad 2 Wi-Fi are the current market leaders arising from the large influx of tablets entering the market in 2011.

The Motorola Xoom scores style points with its button free face; however its plastic exterior lacks personality and gives the iPad 2 the ultimate edge. It wins with not only its style, but also price. The iPad 2 retails at £440, whereas the Motorola Xoom has entered the market at £600 (a brave 15% higher than its chief competitor).


iPad 2 - no USB port

Storage wise, the Xoom takes the lead with twice as much storage as the iPad 2. The 32GB on board storage can also be expanded via the microSDHC slot and there is further real-world connectivity from a micro USB 2.0 port and direct HDMI Video ouput. Although the iPad is aesthetically pleasing with its blemish-free edges, it means that its 16GB storage is all you get.

The iPad 2 comes out on top for its screen - higher contrast levels and more sensitive to finger swipes than the Xoom. It also wins on its quality and quantity of apps.

 

Honeycomb operated Xoom

It is impossible to pick a winner when it comes to the tablets operating systems, as although the Xoom’s honeycomb system feels more versatile and powerful than the iOS, it is a bit more awkward to operate than Apple’s tried and tested system. However, perhaps this is getting a bit stale and in need of a re-vamp… for the future iPad 3?
 
In conclusion, the Xoom performs better for browsing and media playing, but for its style and apps the iPad 2 just clinches the win.

New TV Creatives

Apple iPad 2

Launched 24th April, this advert has a more personable feel than the iPad 1 ad, with a voice-over and no clinical white background. Calm piano music features.

It is less of an educational piece than the iPad 1, as people are now aware of tablets functions and purposes and is aimed at a broad audience – families, professionals, those wanting the latest high-tech gadgets.

The station mix includes: ITV, C4, C5, MTV, ITV Digital & Discovery. This is in contrast with the all station advertising for the iPad 1.

 

Acer Iconia Tab

Launched on 8th May, the ad shows a range of people using the tablet in various situations – a couple relaxing at home, a teenage boy having his hair cut, a group of friends on a night out, and a mother using the tablet as a teaching aid for her child.

Similar to the iPad 2, the Iconia Tab is broad reaching – families, teenagers, professionals, those wanting the latest high-tech gadgets.

The station mix is not yet available.



Sources
T3 (05.11)
Stuff (06.11)
Nielson Ad Dynamix (09.05.11)