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How to Choose a New Hard Drive
Jul 7th
Day by day computers are getting more advanced. Capacity and performance are increasing with every passing year. This is true for the primary storage also. Latest Hard disks are getting bigger in capacity and with higher rotational speed can access the data faster. This is good news for computer users. The digital revolution has brought with it the need to store vast amounts of data. The new Hard disks are ready to take the challenge. Whats more, these Hard disks with higher capacity are affordable.
Thanks to a very competitive market and demanding consumers. Hard disk technology is suitable for the speed demands of todays applications. The 7200 rpm hard disk drives with a minimum storage space of 40 GB and above are now more common than ever before. The demand for storage in PCs has boomed. With a lot of multimedia files being used today, including MP3, Flash files and movies—even todays entry level 40 GB hard disks are often proving to small for many users. Consequently, 80 – 400 GB, 7200 rpm drives are also available and are preferred by professionals.
Depending on your need, you should select the proper hard drive. Ask yourself few questions, before going for the selection of a new hard drive. This strategy will be useful in the long run. Think of the following points.
Hard drive storage capacity,
Rotating speed,
Transfer speed
brand and price
1) First select the Hard drive storage capacity
- What software, you will loading in your computer.
- What type of files, you will be loading.
If you are a basic computer user, go for the 40 to 80GB hard drive which is sufficient for OS and file storage. Text files require very little storage space however multimedia files require large storage space. If you are a gamer or a graphic designer, go for a minimum 80 to 120 GB hard drive. If you are a movie or song lover who would be storing a lot of movies then go for the higher capacity of 240 GB depending on your budget.
2) Second select the proper speed.
The most common speeds which are available in the market are 5400 and 7200 RPM. The 5400 RPM means the hard disk will be rotating at a speed of 5400 revolutions per minute. The faster the rotating speed the faster the hard drive. Now there is not much price difference between 5400 and 7200 rpm so it is generally better to go for a 7200 RPM hard drive.
As to transfer speed, there are 2 main types used. The old IDE (or ATA) kind, which comes in 4 flavors: ATA33, ATA66, ATA100 and ATA133, each number corresponding to the transfer rate in MB/s, the bigger the faster. This type is pretty standard. If your computer is older, you may only be able to use this kind, and depending how old will determine which speed. SATA is a newer kind. It uses a different cable and allows much faster information transfer. The slower kind is 150MB/s and the faster (SATA ll) transfers at up to 300MB/s, so they are much faster than IDE.
3) It is also generally better to go for a standard brand.
Seagate, Maxtor, Western Digital, Samsung, Hitachi and Mitsibishi are the standard brands available in the market. The above suggestions are for your internal hard drives. If you have to carry data frequently, you can go for an external hard drive. These drives can be connected to your computer through a USB port. There is absolutely no difference between an external hard drive and internal hard drive if you consider the operation or drive mechanics. The USB interface has made external hard drive installation very user friendly. External hard drives give alot of portability. However these external hard drives have a higher access time compared to a desktop internal drive because of the USB connection (bit like a small water pipe compared with a big water pipe). Iomega, Freecom and Transcend are some of the manufacturers of external hard drives. These drives normally require an external power supply and are most suitable for additional desktop/laptop backup or storage space. When youre selecting an external hard drive, check whether the manufacturer is offering a carry bag, data cable and power supply if it is externally powered. Also check the warranty offered by the manufacturer. Now a days, some of the manufacturers offer 3 year warranties.
Wi-Fi technology
Jul 7th
Wi-Fi, which stands for wireless fidelity, in a play on the older term Hi-Fi, is a wireless networking technology used across the globe. Wi-Fi refers to any system that uses the 802.11 standard, which was developed by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and released in 1997. The term Wi-Fi, which is alternatively spelled WiFi, Wi-fi, Wifi, or wifi, was pushed by the Wi-Fi Alliance, a trade group that pioneered commercialization of the technology.
In a Wi-Fi network, computers with wifi network cards connect wirelessly to a wireless router. The router is connected to the Internet by means of a modem, typically a cable or DSL modem. Any user within 200 feet or so (about 61 meters) of the access point can then connect to the Internet, though for good transfer rates, distances of 100 feet (30.5 meters) or less are more common. Retailers also sell wireless signal boosters that extend the range of a wireless network.
Wifi networks can either be “open”, such that anyone can use them, or “closed”, in which case a password is needed. An area blanketed in wireless access is often called a wireless hotspot. There are efforts underway to turn entire cities, such as San Francisco, Portland, and Philadelphia, into big wireless hotspots. Many of these plans will offer free, ad-supported service or ad-free service for a small fee. San Francisco recently chose Google to supply it with a wireless network.
Wifi technology uses radio for communication, typically operating at a frequency of 2.4GHz. Electronics that are “WiFi Certified” are guaranteed to interoperate with each other regardless of brand. Wifi is technology designed to cater to the lightweight computing systems of the future, which are mobile and designed to consume minimal power. PDAs, laptops, and various accessories are designed to be wifi-compatible. There are even phones under development that would switch seamlessly from cellular networks to wifi networks without dropping a call.
Flash memory Vs Hard disk
Jul 7th
There are significant differences between a standard hard drive and flash memory. A hard drive is a fairly heavy palm-sized device composed of several spinning platters and a roving head that reads data that has been magnetically imprinted on the platters. Flash memory refers to a memory chip about the size of a postage stamp, or smaller. The memory chip is solid-state, or has no moving parts and is therefore less likely to fail. It is virtually weightless, retains data without a power supply, is faster than a hard drive, does not generate significant heat, and requires little power. This is excellent news for extending the life of laptop batteries, reducing their weight, and eliminating fan noise from systems.
Flash memory is used in flash drives and derives its name from the electronic process of flashing a ‘cell’ within the memory chip in order to clear or change the data stored. Certain types of flash drives are also called memory sticks, or flash cards, and are sold in a variety of configurations for various digital devices and storage purposes.
Flash memory that is packaged as a USB-enabled stick for use with a computer system is an extremely handy invention that has replaced the floppy disk drive. This type of flash drive resembles a BIC lighter in form with one capped end. The cap detaches to reveal a universal serial bus (USB) connector.
USB devices are plug-and-play, meaning the flash drive can be connected or disconnected to the USB port while the system is up and running. Flash memory can hold an enormous amount of data in an extremely small chip. The only deterrent is price, but as the cost of new manufacturing processes are offset by sales, retail prices continue to fall. As of the first quarter 2007, a 1-gigabyte (GB) flash drive can be purchased for under 20 US dollars (USD). This is extremely reasonable considering the price of earlier flash drives of far smaller capacities.
Aside from physical size, lack of moving parts, and weightlessness of flash memory, it is also more durable than a standard hard drive and completely silent. Benefits of flash memory are so overwhelming that flash drives are slated to replace hard drives in the near future. Already the hybrid hard drive incorporates a flash memory cache. Some high-end laptops have been incorporating Not And (NAND) flash drives since 2006, though they are extremely expensive. Prices are expected to be competitive with standard hard drives by 2009, at which time platter drives will become legacy technology.
Consumers lacking the benefit of deep pockets might just hang on to their platter drives a while longer. However, when flash memory drives become affordable they will no doubt be a welcomed improvement.
What is PS/2?
Jul 7th
The PS/2 standard, introduced by IBM in 1987, stands for Personal System/2. A PS/2 port is an electronic receptacle or plug found on computers. It accepts a PS/2 cable with a mini-DIN connector, and is most often used to plug in a keyboard or mouse.
The PS/2 port is female while the mini-DIN cable is male. The connector is small with a diameter of about 1/3 inch (9.5mm). It features a metal sleeve that is notched to ensure proper alignment when inserting it into the PS/2 port. This protects the circular pins inside the DIN connector from becoming bent.
The PS/2 port was initially a large DIN plug used for a keyboard, while the mouse was commonly plugged into a serial port. However, as modems also used serial ports, configuration conflicts between mouse and modem became a common problem as each tried to share the same IRQ or memory address. To fix the problem, one could purchase a “bus mouse,” or a card that could be installed in the computer and featured a rear PS/2 port for the mouse. The PS/2 mouse was a popular solution because it worked independent of the serial port and avoided configuration problems. Eventually, computers incorporated two built-in PS/2 ports, one for the keyboard and one for a mouse.
If buying extension cable for your PS/2 keyboard or mouse, be sure to check the pin configuration to ensure you are purchasing the correct PS/2 cable. There are seven different configurations for mini-DIN plugs that all look like standard PS/2 port plugs at a glance. The cable should specify what equipment is it made for. S-Video cable looks similar to mini-DIN cables, for example, but the keyed notch in the metal sleeve and pin arrangement differ.
Although PS/2 ports remain in widespread use, subsequent technologies have lessened the need for a PS/2 port. For example, many manufacturers of keyboards and mice have introduced models that utilize USB (Universal Serial Bus) ports instead. Other models are wireless. This gives the consumer the choice to bypass the PS/2 port all together.
USB2 and USB1
Jul 7th
The USB standard that all of us are currently using to power our mice, MP3 players, scanners, printers and assorted other peripherals is technically USB1.1. When it was originally introduced it was a heck of a lot faster than anything else around. Now USB1.1 is dated and ready to be usurped by a newer, faster standard you may have heard rumblings about. That new standard is called USB 2.0.
USB 2.0 operates at 480Mbps, about 40X times faster than USB 1.1 which currently works at a snails pace of just 12Mbps. For arguments sake, IEEE 1394 Firewire has transfer speeds of 400Mbps and has been around for a year or two now. Having had a taste of Firewire which has seen itself largely segmented to the digital video marketplace, USB2.0 is an exciting development. While there have been many devices launched under FireWire that enabled computers to have hard drives, CD-burners and similar devices located externally, the mainstream PC market never really seemed to embrace it – possibly due to the fact that it has become a standard on Mac computers.
While I have yet to see any mainstream manufacturer, or any for that matter drop IEEE 1394 FireWire onto a motherboard, MSI have already done the very same with USB 2.0 – a very good sign that it will see wide implementation amongst PC makers.
Wide implementation opens up the doors for more external devices like hard drives, CD-burners, DVD drives and other data-have devices. While this was technically possible with USB1.1, the data transfer times were so slow that it became impractical vs. IDE. With speeds of 480Mbps, USB2.0 takes care of these issues in almost the same manner that FireWire has. The main benefit is of course the backwards compatibility (both in terms of devices and interfaces) and lower cost of implementation USB2.0 brings to the table. USB2.0 uses the exact same cables and ports.
| Standard | Transfer Speed |
|---|---|
| USB 2.0 | 480 Mbps |
| USB 1.1 | 12 Mbps |
| Firewire (IEEE1394) | 400 Mbps |
| Parallel Port | 1 Mbps |
| Serial Port | 0.115 Mbps |
At the moment, USB2.0 drivers are not native to Windows XP. This may change with subsequent updates, and as more devices make the upgrade to the new standard. Intel have recently announced the D850MV-SE, a USB2.0 enabled Pentium 4 (RDRAM), and MSI have the 845Pro2-RU with USB2.0 support via NEC chipset. The groundwork is also there for USB2.0 networking, which would offer fast connectivity between PCs like MSIs PC-to-PC technology currently does on the USB1.1 standard.
Companies currently offering USB2.0 peripherals include: ACOM, Adaptec, Addonics, ADS Technologies, Archos, Argosy Research, ATEN Technology, Belkin, BusLink, DataFab Systems, DoTop Technology, Dura Micro, Fellowes Manufacturing, Fujitsu, Good Way Technology, I-O Data Device, Iogear, LaCie, Maxtor, Melco, Microtek International, Opteon Corp, Orange Micro, Pacific Digital, Plextor, QPS, Quik Tech Solutions, Ratox Systems, RocketPod, Seiko Epson, Siig, Sony, System Talks, and Yamaha who have a 20X CD-RW Recorder.
What is HDMI Technology ?
Jul 7th
HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) is a connection standard that was first developed by Hitachi, Panasonic, RCA, Silicon Image, Sony, and Toshiba in 2002.
HDMI is quickly emerging as the connection standard for HDTV in the consumer electronics market. HDMI is the first and only digital interface that is able to combine uncompressed audio and video over a single cable.
Possessing a bandwidth of 5 Gbps, transmissions over HDMI are currently using less than half of that. This leaves plenty of room to expand the technology in the future.
HDMI is fully backwards compatible with DVI, and will supplant it as the interface of choice over the next few years.
DVI and HDMI are fully interchangeable using HDMI-DVI adapters,
The HDMI specification supports long copper cable lengths up to 15 meters, and even longer lengths are supported with the use of fiber optic technology.
HDMI also supports HDCP.HDCP stands for High Definition Content Protection. It is a specification that was developed by Intel Corporation (with input from Silicon Image) to protect digital entertainment content across both the DVI and HDMI interfaces.
Sony DVDirect VRD-MC5
Jul 7th
With analog technologies moving to digital, youre probably cringing at the prospect of your entire VHS collection crumbling over time. Buying and installing a capture card— as well as figuring out how to use your PC to convert these tapes to digital format, is way complicated—but theres a superb alternative. The Sony DVDirect VRD-MC5 is the easiest way to convert your entire VHS collection (as well as video from your camcorder and photos from your digital camera) into DVD format, with one click of a button. All of this is done without the use of a PC, and you can see whats being recorded on its 2.5-inch LCD screen. Its worthy of an Editors Choice, just like its predecessor, the VRD-MC1, though this new model is unique in the market.
Those seeing the DVDirect for the first time might not guess what it does, because it doesnt look like any conventional external optical drive. It sits flat like a standalone DVD player. In fact, one might think it was a portable DVD player with its 2.5-inch LCD screen situated in the center. Sony has actually made the VRD-MC5s screen half an inch bigger than the VRD-MC1s, making it similar in size to the electronic viewfinders found in the back of point-and-shoot digital cameras—except the quality of the DVDirects screen is much better. (It wont be too long before Sony puts in a screen twice as a large, given the way LCD prices have dropped.) The buttons are pretty straightforward. The big red button lets you record photos or videos with just one touch. The arrow keys help navigate the menu, which you can get to by pressing the Return button. The Stop button is self-explanatory.
Although the VRD-MC5 is a great tool for capturing video from a camcorder, its main draw lies in converting old VHS tapes into DVDs. Youll need an A/V cable—either a red, white, and yellow or S-Video cable—to connect the DVDirect to your VCR. (Sorry, this cable doesnt come with the VRD-MC5—you have to buy it separately). When you hit the Play button on your VCR, the VRD-MC5 will automatically stream video onto its own LCD screen. You can record or stop recording at any point during the feed. You can also set up an automatic timer in the menu screen. The process is similar with a camcorder, though you will need to buy an additional cable (FireWire or USB) for data transfer. The VRD-MC5 also supports high-definition camcorders like the Sony HDR-HC3 HDV 1080i Handycam, which uses Sonys proprietary AVC HD format. It doesnt support other HD camcorder formats, though.
The selection menu has grown since the previous version, so there are several things you can do to enhance the DVD experience. First, make sure you pick the right quality mode. You can choose from five quality recording modes (HP, HSP, SP, LP, SLP) that range in recording time from 1 hour in the HP (high-quality play) mode to 6 hours in SLP (super long play) mode. For maximizing DVD space without compromising video quality, I suggest using the SP mode (2 hours). Bear in mind, these times are for 4.7GB single-layer DVDs; the amount of content you can load doubles with 8.4GB dual-layer DVDs. Sony adds four basic title menus with different colors and styles that you can choose from, although you cant add transitions, special effects, or anything fancy. This is on-the-fly recording—youll have to use professional video-editing tools on a PC for sophisticated tasks. Speaking of PCs, Sony removed the DVDirects capability to connect to a PC and a USB printer, which it used in previous versions, so its now a standalone device. That also means you cant use it as an external USB DVD burner for your PC. The lone USB port is for connecting USB camcorders only. As with previous versions, you cant connect this device to your TV because it lacks video output ports, and you cant play a DVD from, say, Blockbuster or Netflix on the LCD screen—not that youd want to, anyway.
The VRD-MC5 has three multimedia card slots that support Memory Stick Duo, MS, SD, xD, and CompactFlash formats. You can view your photos as thumbnails on the LCD screen, with up to six thumbnails per screen, or one at a time if you want larger images. You can then pick and choose which ones to burn onto a DVD, or just burn everything from the flash card. Creating a slide show that works with a DVD player and incorporates an MP3 musical track is as easy as clicking the selection on the menu. After the burn is done, you can preview the finished product on the LCD screen. One pet peeve of mine is that the VRD-MC5 doesnt burn CD formats, so youll have to use DVD media even if you want to burn only several photos.
Sony doesnt provide any specifications for the DVD drive used in the VRD-MC5 because you cant connect it to a PC anyway, so its really only one speed—which burns at a good clip. I was able to dub 2 hours worth of camcorder footage, with a number of 10-minute chapters and a title menu, in 25 minutes. Burning 120 photos from my SD card, with slide show and music, took roughly 10 minutes. As stated earlier, it doesnt come with any cables as the previous versions did, and it doesnt bundle burning software like Nero 7.0 (which is a moot point since, as Ive said, you cant connect this to a PC).
The Sony DVDirect VRD-MC5 is the easiest way to transfer video from a VCR or a camcorder, or photos from a camera, to a DVD, taking only a matter of minutes to do it. It lacks some functions the previous versions had, such as a USB port that connects to a PC or printer. Also, the accessories arent as impressive without the data cables and software bundle that the previous iteration had. But thats how Sony was able to bring the price down to $229, from the VRD-MC1s list price of $299, and its a tremendous bargain considering what you can do with it. If you have camcorder tapes piling up or youre worried about your old VHS collection turning to dust, the DVDirect VRD-MC5 can easily make your memories digital.
Seagate FreeAgent Go (500GB)
Jul 7th
The Seagate FreeAgent Go is a new breed of portable hard drive: one with a prodigious capacity—500GB is larger than many internal desktop drives—as well as a convenient ability to dock the drive to a PC like you might with an iPod. The Go has a wealth of features that make it easier to back up your data than other drives do, which is one reason why Im giving it the Editors Choice for portable hard drives.
Too many people dont back up their important files (pictures of the grandparents with the kids, that rare CD they ripped and then lost, 15 years worth of résumé updates). All of this data is irreplaceable but is also a hassle to back up using traditional CDs or DVDs. A 500GB drive has enough space to keep multiple copies of each file. Thanks to the optional dock, which is a must-have, and the software, backing it all up is a breeze
The Gos tapered silver case deliberately evokes last years FreeAgent series of drives. Seagate has spent a lot of money on branding, and the design ID carries over to the companys desktop-class hard drives and the drives theyre building for Mac users as well. The Go is available in 250GB, 320GB, and 500GB capacities and a choice of silver, black, red, and blue—colors no doubt designed to pop on the store shelves and complement other consumer electronics products like the iPod nano. The Gos optional dock is worth the additional money. It lets you easily connect the drive to your PC and keep it connected via a very long dual-head USB cable. The dock kit also comes with a slipcase for the drive, so it will stay relatively scratch-free in your travel bag. One big plus with the dock is that it is hot-swappable: You can remove the drive without having to use the “Safely Remove Device” command in Windows.
The Go comes with a relatively easy-to-setup Seagate backup utility, and like many similar programs, it defaults to saving your files to the My Documents folder. You can customize the backup routine and set the system to automatically back up most folders on the PC. The drive also comes with a folder sync utility, which lets you designate a folder on two PCs, which the software and drive will then keep current on both machines. That way, you can bring your work folder home with you and keep up-to-date copies of its contents with you at all times. I wouldve liked to have seen a disaster-recovery software package, like the one on Maxtors OneTouch 4 Mini drives, but for most external drives its not a deal breaker.
The Go comes with a relatively easy-to-setup Seagate backup utility, and like many similar programs, it defaults to saving your files to the My Documents folder. You can customize the backup routine and set the system to automatically back up most folders on the PC. The drive also comes with a folder sync utility, which lets you designate a folder on two PCs, which the software and drive will then keep current on both machines. That way, you can bring your work folder home with you and keep up-to-date copies of its contents with you at all times. I wouldve liked to have seen a disaster-recovery software package, like the one on Maxtors OneTouch 4 Mini drives, but for most external drives its not a deal breaker.
The Go comes with a dual-headed cable, which gives the drive additional power when you use it with a laptop. (Some laptops have trouble powering certain power-hungry drives through the USB ports; the dual-headed cables ensure against that.) The newer, larger-capacity portable drives tend to need more power than they can get through just a single USB port. Nonetheless, I was able to power the Go from a single USB port on both my test beds, an Apple MacBook Pro and Dell desktop.
The drive is a speedy one: Dragging and dropping our 1.2GB test folder took only 56 seconds, and the Seagate backup utility was right behind at 1 minute. PCMark05 returned a hard drive score of 2,779 points, which is par for a portable 2.5-inch hard drive. You shouldnt have any trouble waiting for the drive to complete your backups; youll likely just leave it in its dock so its always ready.
The Go is a little more businesslike in its design than competing drives, such as the SimpleTech Signature Mini Black Cherry. (We reviewed the 320GB model, but SimpleTech now also offers the 500GB capacity.) The SimpleTech comes with a free online storage subscription, but its only 2GB. The Western Digital My Passport Elite is also stylish, has a built-in port protector, a capacity indicator, and comes in several colors, but with its dock ability, the Gos trumps the other two. The WD and Seagate have long-life five-year warranties, but the SimpleTech is shorter at only three years.
The Seagate FreeAgent Go (500GB) is the portable hard drive to beat. Its innovative dock, stylish design, generous five-year warranty, and included software give you just about all you need from a portable external drive. Half a terabyte is more than enough to back up a computer or two for most average users. The dock and software make the backup process easy—and the easier it is, the more likely youll use this often ignored but very important safeguard of your digital life.
Dell Inspiron 1525 laptop
Jul 7th
The lifespan of a Dell Inspiron laptop is usually quite substantial, sometimes to the point where it becomes long in the tooth. Thus its unusual to be mourning the loss of the Dell Inspiron 1520 after only six months on the market. Stepping into the spotlight to replace it is the revamped Dell Inspiron 1525. While theres no miracle weight loss here, the 6-pound frame is nearly half a pound lighter than the 1520s, and the tapering design gives it a slimmer silhouette (similar to that of the Dell XPS M1530). An unpleasant side effect of going small, however, is that powerful graphics cards will not be offered as an option—only integrated graphics.
According to Dell, the Inspiron 1525 is about 25 percent smaller than its predecessor, the Inspiron 1520. When Dell does a revamp, its usually across the line. Interestingly enough, the Inspiron 1420 and the 1720 keep their designs, for now. At 9.8 by 13.9 by 1.4 inches, the 1525 is even smaller than the Dell XPS M1530. Its thickness depends on where you take the measurements. At the back, its 1.4 inches deep, then tapers down to an inch thick at the front bezel. (By comparison, the Apple MacBook Pro 15-inch (LED) is 1 inch thick no matter where you apply the ruler.) The same color options provided with the previous version are available. Jet Black comes standard, while Alpine White, Espresso Brown, Ruby Red, and Sunshine Yellow have a $25 add-on. Additionally, Dell will begin rolling out decorative patterns laminated into the lid, a process called In-Mold Decoration made popular by the HP Pavilion dv6500t and the Gateway M-150X.
The 15.4-inch widescreen is a boon for video enthusiasts and photographers with their first D-SLR camera, though I found that the screen image itself was a little wobbly—probably a preproduction thing. The 1,280-by-800 resolution is standard and doesnt take away from the multimedia experience, although higher resolutions will improve the contrast. Thankfully, Dell did not touch the awesome, full-size keyboard, which can also be found across the Inspiron and XPS lines. The palm rests, unfortunately, have a grainier feel, removing the smooth, lustrous finish that can still be found on the Inspiron 1420. The 1525s palm rests look a little cheaper, in my opinion.
Dell rarely disappoints when it comes to features. The most discernible addition has to be an HDMI port. Hooking up a laptop to a bigger display is a neat feature, and the 1525 is the first Inspiron laptop to get such a port. This is a hopeful hint that other high-end media features may be just around the corner. My configuration has only a dual-layer DVD drive, and so far, there is no word on whether or not Dell will add HD drives, even as options. Alternatively, the HP dv6500t already offers an HD DVD-ROM– or a BD-ROM–equipped laptop for around $1,000. Meanwhile, the Toshiba Qosmio F45-AV425 offers its HD DVD-ROM laptop for $1,599.
Youll find a 2.0-megapixel webcam right above the screen. The four USB ports and a FireWire port are enough to handle all your peripherals. The HDMI port is not your only video-out feature; S-Video and VGA-out ports also come standard with the system. For those who take their work on the road, Dell is one of the few vendors to offer cellular modems across its entire line. The 1525 will be available in all three WWAN flavors, including Verizons and Sprints EV-DO Rev A and AT&Ts HSDPA modems.
As with any Dell laptop, processor options are aplenty. You can load any standard-voltage processor and still get great performance. Mine came with a 2-GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7250. Just make sure you dont go with less than the 2GB of RAM my review unit had, so youre able to offset the demands of Windows Vista Home Premium. SYSmark 2007 Preview Overall scores were identical to those of the XPS M1530, and it beat out the HP dv6500t thanks to a faster processor. The Apple MacBook Pro 15-inch (LED) is the overall winner because it loads the fastest parts and was tested under Windows XP Professional. Battery life with just the standard 56-Wh battery (six-cell) was an impressive 3 hours 45 minutes on MobileMark 2007 tests. Imagine what you can get with the 85-Wh (nine-cell) battery for an additional $50? The only drawback that sticks out like a sore thumb is that an integrated chipset is your sole graphics option. Because of a smaller footprint, Dell couldnt afford to place fans underneath the chassis to cool a dedicated graphics card like the nVidia GeForce 8400M GS. The XPS M1530 is a better candidate for 3D-intensive games like BioShock and Unreal Tournament.
With a new look and a slimmer design, the Dell Inspiron 1525 is poised to provide a seamless computing experience for mobile consumers and deskbound home-theater enthusiasts. It inherits many of the cool features from the Inspiron 1520 while adding one more, the HDMI port. Unfortunately, the slimmer design also means that it had to forgo an option for dedicated graphics.
Sony Cybershot DSC-T77
Jul 7th
The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T77 ($299.99 direct) is a beauty. Its compact design, metallic features, and touch screen make it feel like a luxury item. Aside from color fringing in the corners of images, most users will find the shots they take dazzling. The cameras 3-inch LCD touch screen is very responsive, and the user interface is more intuitive than those of competing touch-screen models, such as the Nikon Coolpix S60 or the Kodak EasyShare v1073. The less-expensive Canon PowerShot SD790 IS ($249) and Nikon Coolpix S610c deliver images that are on a par with T77s, but they dont have touch screens and fun in-camera retouching options. Beyond that, this Cyber-shot is just handsome. Of course, as with any camera that employs a touch screen, battery life suffers.
The T77 has very slim build, measuring just 2.4 by 3.8 by 1.3 inches (HWD) but feels rock solid. Two of these in your pocket would probably feel like one Canon PowerShot A1000 IS. The camera comes in silver, black, pink, green, or brown. My review unit had the hue of a deep-brown leather couch or dark mahogany. Dropping down the lens shield on the front turns the camera on. The lens has a focal range of 6.18mm to 24.7mm (35mm equivalent: 35mm to 140mm) with corresponding maximum f-stops of f/3.1 and f/5.9, and a 4X optical zoom.
This camera has a lot of features that will impress, but battery performance isnt one of them. We dont do a formal battery rundown test for cameras, but, in any case, just taking picture after picture until the cameras battery runs out of juice isnt indicative of real-world performance. Why not? Because much of the time spent using a camera involves viewing images on its LCD screen, which can drain the battery without taking a single exposure. This camera has a big LCD, and one that is a touch screen, so Id expect its lithium ion battery life to be shorter, and the T77 didnt surprise me. With most cameras, I can test for an entire week on one charge. The T77 required multiple charges during my review period. You may want to carry a spare battery, if you pick the T77.
The Sony Cyber-shot T77 faces tough competition when it comes to point-and-shoot cameras that deliver image quality and speed without draining your bank account. The Canon PowerShot 790 IS, Canon s610, and Nikon s610c, for example, deliver comparable images without the color fringing. Still, Sonys handsome T77 offers good speed, solid imagery, and exciting in-camera editing tools, all of which add up to a very good buy—just dont forget to bring along an extra battery.
