The Sony Vaio E Series laptops are designed as everyday laptops, with a fresh new "wrap around" design for 2012. This reminds us slightly of the folded design of the Sony Tablet S and it's a design we like.

Separating the E Series from models higher up the Vaio range, like the S Series, these are finished in plastic. It's a noticeable difference, but the plastics look and feel like good quality.

There are 14, 15 and 17-inch models available of the new E series, with black, white and silver colours. We played with the white version and we like the contrast between the white surfaces and black sides; it's slightly reminiscent of a Stormtrooper's uniform.?

The keyboard has a very nice action to it and seems well supported, with flex not being a problem, from the time we spent playing with the notebooks on show.

The display of the 17-inch model we played with offers a resolution of 1600 x 900 in a 16:9 aspect. The screen is nice and vibrant, offering good viewing angles.

Elsewhere, you'll find a choice of hardware available, with the option for AMD graphics, which you'll need in place if you want to opt for the Core i7 model with Blu-ray player.?

Otherwise, the large chassis means you have plenty of space for connectivity, with 4x USB, Ethernet, HDMI and VGA around the sides, with card readers on the front edge.

Overall we like the design of the new E series and the new sizes mean plenty more options for a more affordable Vaio notebook. Expect to pay from ?410 depending on the size you opt for.

Tags: Hardware Laptops Sony Sony Vaio E series

Sony Vaio E Series pictures and hands-on originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 18 May 2012 13:22:00 +0100

"By 2015 China will have more than 650 million people connected and online.” ?These were the words of HP's CEO Meg Whitman at the company’s recent conference in Shanghai.

“China is just below the worldwide average at about 200 PCs per 1000,” one in five with a computer, if you want to look at it more sensibly.

As emerging markets go, it seems that China has well and truly now emerged. All the telltale signs are there, from Apple’s vast store in Shanghai to the wall-to-wall adverts for mobile phones and laptops all backed by department stores and shopping malls devoted entirely to technology.

All that demand is forcing companies to reconsider their approach. Once it was the Asian nations, such as Japan, designing products with a Western market in mind. Now, it’s the Western-owned companies looking to to service China with their hardware.

HP's CEO explained that China was well and truly on her radar when it came to product research and development. The company has a huge presence there with one of its most significant facilities, second only to that of the US, based in China.

They aren't the only ones either. Take Foxconn, Apple's ever-talked-about manufacturer. Foxconn employs a staff of approximately 1.2 million to keep consumers' insatiable demand for iPhones and iPads sorted, as well as other products.

All across China the numbers continue to grow. PC adoption and internet availability, in particular, is increasing at an astonishing rate. Just as Sony rose from nowhere to release some of the most iconic pieces of consumer tech in history, the same could be inbound from any number of Chinese tech companies with the likes of Asus, Huawei and ZTE ?at the forefront. And how about some you haven’t even heard of yet - like Meizu and its MX smartphone.

The Chinese gadget market demands cutting-edge technology, just like the Western one. The difference is that, rather than importing it, a lot of Chinese manufacturers are producing it themselves. The MX is no slouch either. It packs a 4-inch qHD screen, an 8-megapixel camera and a 1700 mAh battery - all specifications you would expect to see in a flagship piece of kit on the high street. Currently there is a dual-core version of the handset out on the shelves but a quad-core MX is set for release in June.

And Meizu isn’t alone. ZTE might be relatively small in Europe but is actually a vast smartphone manufacturer with a bigger market share than Apple globally. The company manages just under 5 per cent of the world market share of mobile phones and is predicting a doubling of sales in 2012 with the United States aimed as its primary point of sale by 2015.

Korea is, of course, also a hot topic for smartphones and televisions. Samsung and LG have run an aggressive takeover of that market from the likes of Sony and Toshiba. So how does China shape up against them?

The first manufacturer that springs to mind is Lenovo. Originating in Beijing’s Zhongguancun district, the Chinese equivalent to Silicon Valley, it has rapidly established itself in the laptop market, even acquiring IBM’s PC business in 2005. In China, Lenovo Mobile ranks third in terms of unit share in the smartphone market, and that’s a bigger deal than it sounds when you consider the country has a roughly 1.3 billion population.

Still though, in terms of the West, it’s Samsung that dominates. The Korean giant overtook Sony in 2005 as one the most popular consumer electronics brands in the world. It’s now ranked number 19 and sits ahead of Apple in terms of smartphone manufacture.

So, China still has a fair way to go if it is to conquer the traditional technology giants. With the likes of Foxconn, the huge manufacture bases, the infrastructure and the traditions in factory work, the conditions are all there for the country to begin to dominate consumer demand. Similarly, if companies on the scale of HP are viewing China as number one priority for product investment and sales, then the future looks set in stone.

We might not know what the next big thing will be in the technology world but, whatever it is, you can pretty much guarantee it will involve China.

Tags: Phones Televisions China Japan HP Laptops Features

Is China the new Japan? originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 17 May 2012 17:50:00 +0100

The updated Sony Vaio S series ushers new Intel hardware into a body that's constructed from premium materials giving you a slim and portable powerhouse.

The starting price sets it close to the asking price of the Sony Vaio T13 Ultrabook, but the S series offers a lot more potential for customisation and configuration. For starters there is a wide range of colour options and 15 and 13-inch screen sizes. We looked at a black 13-incher.

Rather than presenting the slick lines of the Vaio T13, the S Series models offer more connections and more buttons. That might only really amount to an additional USB (along with the optical drive, of course), but it also means you get things like a fingerprint scanner and a switch to change power modes.

Importantly you'll be able to get up to an Intel Core i7 under the skin, along with an optical drive, a Blu-ray even, as well as the option of a higher resolution display and Nvidia graphics display if you pick the right model.

The finish is very good, with the backlit keyboard offering a nice action, even if there appears to be a fair amount of flex there. The wide trackpad makes it easy to get around the display and the palm rest feel luxurious when you get down to serious typing.

The display is bright and vibrant and offered great viewing angles from the time we spent peering at it.

Starting at about ?600, there are 15 and 13-inch versions of the Sony Vaio S Series available, with a choice of processors, as well as plenty of other options to choose from.?

Tags: Hardware Laptops Sony sony vaio S Sony Vaio S Series Photos

Sony Vaio S Series pictures and hands-on originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 17 May 2012 17:38:00 +0100

Sony is setting a trend by not jumping on the bandwagon as soon as it starts rolling. It was slow off the mark with its Android tablet, for example, and it has been relatively slow to bring out its first Ultrabook.

But with time comes the chance to take a slightly more considered approach. The likes of Toshiba, Acer, Asus and Dell have shown their hand and now it's Sony's turn.

The Sony Vaio T13 is a slim and portable notebook, impressively lightweight at 1.6kg but doesn't try to strike out and claim the slimmest profile. It's 17.8mm thick and unlike many rivals, it doesn't ape the style of the MacBook Air by tapering into a point at the leading edge.

With that, comes a style that some might say is all the more utilitarian and it wouldn't be unfair to liken the Vaio T13 to the company's new S series notebooks, especially the smaller 13.3 model.

But in the flesh, the Vaio T13 is an impressive looking and feeling notebook. In reality, the lack of a tapered leading edge doesn't detract from it. Instead you get a base that's impressively solid.

You also get a base that lets you lift the screen easily without rocking backwards. Like some previous Sony Vaio models, we like the hinge detail, dropping down the screen to sit on little rubber feet at the rear.

Finished in magnesium and aluminium, it feels great in the hand; it feels like a premium notebook and starting at ?679, it's not outrageously expensive either.

The metal construction benefits the keyboard, which offers a great typing action and is surprisingly free of flex. Many slimmer-profile laptops lack support behind (or across) the keyboard, but the T13 doesn't seem to suffer.

There are a range of configurations available, the model we played with was running an Intel Core i3-2367M processor, 4GB RAM with 320GB HDD. The 13.3-inch display offers a typical 1366 x 768 pixel resolution and is nice and vibrant, with what looked to be good viewing angles.

Naturally there is the system SSD, as offered by Ultrabooks to enhance performance, and an SSD option is available if you'd rather have the solid drive, although it bumps the price considerably.

In terms of connectivity, the flanks of the Vaio T13 offers 2x USB 3.0, including one which will charge USB devices, which is always handy. You also get HDMI and VGA, a proper Ethernet port and a memory card reader.

First impressions of the Vaio T13 are good. It feels solid and looks like it could be a great portable companion.

Tags: Hardware Laptops Ultrabooks Intel Sony Sony Vaio t13 Photos

Sony Vaio T13 Ultrabook pictures and hands-on originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 17 May 2012 16:47:00 +0100

It is already being touted that Apple's next MacBook Pro, an ultra-thin 15-incher, will come with a Retina display and could even be announced at WWDC in the middle of June. Now, reports suggest that the high pixels per inch screen technology will also be adopted for the next wave of MacBook Airs.

Sources in the supply chain have told 9to5Mac that the overall design aesthetic of the 2012 MacBook Air family refresh will be largely unchanged, but they will each sport the Retina display technology used on the iPhone 4, 4S and new iPad.

They claim that there will be new 11.6 and 13.3-inch versions, which will be powered by Intel Ivy Bridge processors and faster graphics chips than before. The battery demands will be higher with the Retina displays, they say, so that issue will also be addressed.

There's no word as to whether Apple will be looking to add USB 3 connectivity to the new MacBook Air, something believed to be being considered for the MacBook Pro. However, the same sources say that higher resolution iMac display panels have been turning up in the supply chain. There's no word on what those resolutions are, but the current 21-inch model is 1920 x 1080, while the 27-incher offers a maximum resolution of 2560 x 1440.

It is not expected that the new iMacs or MacBook Airs will be unveiled at WWDC. Apple will most likely stick to revealing the new MacBook Pro and is expected to announce iOS 6.

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Tags: Apple Laptops Computers Retina display Apple MacBook Air

Retina display could be coming to MacBook Air too originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 16 May 2012 11:38:00 +0100

Not content with enhancing its VAIO E Series array of laptops, Sony has now added to its S Series range too.

Consisting of a 13.3 and a 15.5-inch display models, both laptops feature an uber-svelte waistline which Sony claims makes them ideal for people who work on the move.

Despite the skinny waistline the Sony VAIO S Series sports a robust shell as depending on the model it’s made up from the likes of magnesium, aluminium and carbon fibre. The choice of materials means Sony has been able to keep the weight of the devices down, with even the larger S Series 15 model weighing in at less than 2kg.

Both Sony VAIO S Series laptops will feature a slot-in optical drive for either Blu-ray Disc or DVD playback, as well as a large "button-free" touchpad to navigate the mouse pointer.

The S Series 13 model boasts a VAIO Display Premium screen, while the S Series 15 laptop offers a more advanced Full HD VAIO Display Plus.

Sony has kitted out the S Series 15 models with third-generation Intel Core i7 quad-core processors for some much needed power, with Sony saying some future S Series 13 devices will be too.

Sony is also introducing two accessories to accompany the S Series range. A docking station with an integrated 500GB hard disk drive that will enable users to back up any files will also be sold, as will an optional sheet battery that will provide power for an additional 14 hours.

As with Sony’s latest additions to its VAIO E Series range, plug your smartphone into the S Series laptops, even when switched off and you’ll be able to charge your mobile accordingly.?

Both Sony’s 13.3 and 15.5-inch VAIO S Series models will be available in the UK from early June, though there’s no word on pricing.

Tags: Laptops Sony Sony Vaio S Series Netbooks

Sony upgrades its VAIO S Series laptops with quad-core Ivy Bridge processors originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 15 May 2012 16:58:00 +0100

Sony has added a few extra inches to its VAIO E Series range with a 15.5 and 17.3-inch display models.

Following in the footsteps of the Sony VAIO E Series 14, both laptops feature the same "wrap-around" design while the 15-inch model sports a VAIO Display and the 17-inch model ups the game with a VAIO DISPLAY Plus Full HD screen.

Sony’s bundled in the hand gesture control as seen in the E Series 14 that allows users to control their laptop by moving their hands in front of the HD web camera that's powered by "Exmor for PC".

Both come with Intel processors, a backlit keyboard and Sony’s Rapid Wake + Eco facility that enables you to close the lid of your VAIO E Series laptop, which will in turn keep all your data and start position secure for up to ten days.

The larger model also comes up trumps with a built-in Blu-ray Disc player, while both have the facility to charge you smartphone via the USB output even if the laptop is switched off or in sleep mode.

Both the Sony VAIO E Series 15 and 17 will be available from early June in white and black, while the 15-inch model will also come in silver. Pricing for either model is yet to be confirmed.

Tags: Laptops Sony Sony Vaio E series Sony Vaio Netbooks

Sony adds 15 and 17-inch displays to its VAIO E Series range originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 15 May 2012 16:06:00 +0100

Lenovo has been showing off its new ThinkPad X1 Carbon laptop - and adding some bold statements, to boot.

The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon is the follow up to the original ThinkPad X1 only bigger and lighter. That may sound like a contradiction in terms, but though Lenovo has increased the screen size to an inch bigger than its predecessor the ThinkPad X1 is the “world’s lightest 14-inch professional Ultrabook” .

The clue to how the ThinkPad X1 Carbon’s impressive 1.36kg weight is achieved is of course in the name. The laptop is made from carbon fibre, a material that though light remains sturdy and non-flimsy. It’s also enabled Lenovo to keep the ThinkPad X1’s breadth down to just 18mm. ?

Lenovo hasn’t skimped on the features under the chassis either. The keyboard is backlit while the display has a 1600 x 900 resolution panel with 300 nits brightness. Power-wise, and Lenovo has kitted the ThinkPad X1 Carbon with an Intel Ivy Bridge processor, though its keeping shtum as to which one.

In terms of connectivity, there are two full-size USB 3.0 and 2.0 ports, 3.5mm headphone jack, a Mini DisplayPort socket, SDcard slot and a SIM card slot. ?

There’s also a fingerprint reader for added security, while the bodywork itself has been coated with a fingerprint-resistant matte rubber finish. The manufacturer is also promising that you’ll be able to charge the laptop up to 80 per cent in just half an hour. ?

No word on pricing (it won’t be cheap), but Lenovo says it will begin shipping the ThinkPad X1 Carbon before the end of July.

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Tags: Laptops Lenovo ThinkPad Hardware Ultrabooks

Lenovo unveils the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Ultrabook originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 15 May 2012 10:05:00 +0100

AMD has given its processor line up a significant refresh with the newly launched Trinity APU. The new processors, just like Intel's recently announced Ivy Bridge, do a lot to extend battery life, boost speed and increase graphics capabilities.

Without getting bogged down in technical details, the real juicy facts about Trinity are what it means for ultra-thin laptop fans. Not being Intel, these sleekbooks, as HP calls them, boast quad-core chips, a touted 50 per cent graphics performance boost on competition and up to 12 hours battery life when in resting state.?

AMD is claiming up to 8 hours of straight web browsing with the new Trinity APUs, a particularly impressive figure and one we will definitely be testing once we have some Trinity-toting hardware to play with. So far the only two pieces of kit Pocket-lint has seen with Trinity inside have been a Toshiba Portege Z835 laptop - which was an empty demo shell at the time - and the HP Envy sleekbook, which appeared last week in Shanghai.?

On top of the performance boost, Trinity also adds a few clever software tweaks only possible with the new processor grunt. First up is automatic image stabilisation and the ability to have multi-person HD video chat. AMD is also claiming a clever piece of tech called Quick Stream, which will divert the majority of network bandwith to video streaming, so you get smoother playback on low-speed connections.?

Something to look forward to in the future is AMD's hardware acceleration of Windows 8's Metro UI and Metro style apps. There is also out of the box Direct X 11 compatibility and instant readiness for Windows 8 on its arrival.?

Photoshop CS6 gets itself another 30+ hardware accelerated features on Trinity, as does Winzip, which allegedly performs better using the APUs. AMD is saying that Trinity will be appearing in the hardware of "leading manufacturers". So far we know HP, Samsung, Toshiba, Acer, Asus and Sony?are on the cards, but expect plenty more to be joining the party. The Trinity desktop chip will be arriving in June with ultra-thins and laptops carrying it appearing in July.?

Tags: Laptops AMD AMD Trinity

AMD rolls out Trinity APUs for laptops and desktops originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 15 May 2012 05:01:00 +0100

Apple is readying a new 15-inch MacBook Pro which will feature a Retina display screen, ultra-thin design and USB 3.0 ports. Sources in the company's supply chain say they have handled prototype components and casings, and that the new laptop is undergoing production test rounds at present.

The claimants, which 9to5Mac calls "trusted sources", have also revealed that the new MacBook will be coming this summer.

It's reported that the casing of the new computer will be similar to that of the existing late 2011 model, but thinner and won't feature the taping synonymous with the MacBook Air (as other reports would have you believe). In addition, 9to5Mac writes that there will be no optical drive on the new Pro, in order to keep the newly svelte waistline.

Another obvious design change, according to the sources, will be a new power button on the keyboard, which replaces the disc eject key. The sides of the prototype unibody casing that is going through testing feature a?charging port, two USB ports, two audio in/outs and a battery meter on the left-hand side,?two Thunderbolt ports, an SD card slot and another USB port on the right. There's no room, it is said, for an Ethernet port.

Other than "summer", no release date has been touted, but we do know that WWDC12 is coming up in June, so who knows? Could we see a public unveiling then?

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Tags: Apple Laptops Computers Apple MacBook Pro

Apple opts for Retina display and ultra-thin design for new MacBook Pro originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 14 May 2012 14:36:00 +0100

HP has gone product mad this morning - as you may have already seen from our hands-on of the refreshed Envy laptops and brand new Spectre XT Ultrabook. On top of all this new Ultrabook fodder were plenty of other products to bulk out its range of laptops, as well as some new printing hardware.

First up is the HP Pavillion M6, a mid-range laptop packing latest gen Intel processors or AMD chips. A 15.6-inch Brightview HD display coupled with dual-speaker Beats Audio tech ensures the hardware package doesn't disappoint.

A brushed-aluminium shell, discrete class graphics and HP CoolSense tech - which stops the laptop getting too hot so it can rest comfortably on your legs - completes the tech package. There is also a HD webcam thrown in and a June release date for those desperate to play with one sooner rather than later.

HP has seriously bulked out its business range of laptops with a broad array of less-exciting pieces of hardware. For us though, the standout product with business has to be the new Elitebook Folio, essentially a business-orientated Ultrabook.

Touting eight hours of battery life, the Folio has an optional battery expansion pack which will keep it ticking over for up to 20 hours. Fingerprint reader, smart card reader and a third-generation Intel V-Pro processor are all also crammed inside the Elitbook Folio. A 14-inch 1366 x 768 display keeps things on the right side of HD while ensuring the Folio is compact enough.

A particularly unusual announcement among all of HP's new gear was the first all-in-one portable printer. The OfficeJet 150 is designed so you can lug it around, scan in documents and send them out to your phone via Bluetooth. It appeared only briefly on HP's stage but was heavy enough that the woman carrying it out seemed to be struggling.?

Lots of new kit from HP and a clear statement that it is well and truly still playing in the consumer market.?

Tags: Laptops Ultrabooks HP Printers

New HP Elitebook Folio and Envy M6 laptops announced originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 09 May 2012 07:23:00 +0100

HP has gone laptop mad at its Shanghai-based influencers conference, announcing a confusingly large array of new portable machines headed by the flagship Spectre XT. Sitting behind these are a newly updated range of Envy Ultrabooks and the alternatively named Envy Sleekbook with AMD chip inside.

Arriving in 14-inch and 15.6-inch versions, both laptops carry latest gen Intel processors or AMD APUs, which we presume will be Ivy Bridge and Trinity although we can't be sure of clock speeds yet. Both laptops have a 1366 x 768 resolution screen.

You also get a choice of 500GB hard drives with an optional 32GB mSata SSD drive. All the usual Intel Ultrabook technologies are there, such as instant on and smart connect. Beats Audio is thrown in for good measure. There is also 4GB of RAM to play with, to keep multitasking going zipping along smoothly.

The Envy comes in two colours, either a black and red version with a matte base and black keyboard or a silver keyboard version with a matte black base. Both look fairly tasty although a personal favourite is definitely the red option, which looks particularly slick with the Beats branding.?

The bigger 15-inch version of the Envy does appear to be leaning towards the bulkier side of the Ultrabook specs sheet, although both are well within the required specs at 19mm thin and 1.79Kg at their lightest. They both feel portable enough when you pick them up.

WAN, VGA output, USB 3.0 and Display Port ensure the Envy has a lot to play with in terms of connectivity. There is also HD Webcam sat on top.?

One significant difference between the Sleekbook and the Ultrabook is that AMD's offering uses discrete class graphics on its APU. The Ultrabook uses integrated graphics but does have the option to upgrade to discreet graphics.

At the moment complete specifications of the new Envy setups are pretty thin on the ground. Pocket-lint will of course be keeping you updated with details of all of HP's new hardware straight from Shanghai. Expect to see the Envy Ultrabooks and Sleekbooks turning up around June time.?

Tags: Laptops HP HP Envy Sleekbook HP Envy Ultrabook

HP Envy 4 and HP Envy 6 pictures and hands-on originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 09 May 2012 06:42:00 +0100

HP has announced a whole heap of Ultrabooks at its Global Influencers conference in Shanghai. By far the sweetest piece of kit there has to be the new Spectre XT which sits at the top of HP's Ultrabook lineup.?

The laptop shell is built out of a combination of rather tasty materials, including a MacBook Air-esque brushed-aluminium casing. At 14.5mm thin and 1.39Kg in weight, it is well within the realm of the Ultrabook and it definitely feels like one. This is a particularly premium piece of hardware and HP has done a great job designing something that looks good and weighs very little.?

The 13.3-inch screen, from our brief play, looks nice enough and does a good job of keeping the laptop's size down with a very slim bezel. We particularly like the rather retro-looking Hewlett Packard logo on top of the laptop - it makes a change from the usual Ultrabook style and gives the XT a premium look when it is closed.?

Beats Audio is, of course, included as is what HP calls its Imagepad - essentially a multi-gesture trackpad. Again we didn't have long to play with the XT but it appears the trackpad has been seriously improved over HP's previous attempts.?

HP Coolsense tech is also thrown in for good measure, preventing any unpleasant leg burn situations should you be putting your Ultrabook through its paces, by intelligently controlling fan speed and processor load automatically.?

An HD Truevision webcam and backlit keyboard complete the top-of-the-line Ultrabook package. There is the option for up to 256GB of SSD storage and, thanks in part to a selection latest gen Intel processors, it manages eight hours of battery life. No exact details on processor speed or RAM yet, although we imagine it will be Ivy Bridge and you should be able to squeeze 8GB out of the XT.?

Gigabit ethernet, HDMI out and USB 3.0 have the connectivity front covered. Interestingly, HP has opted to go light on the bundle software and instead ship the XT with some genuinely useful applications, namely Photoshop Elements 10 and Premiere Elements 10. Also included is a concierge service for the laptop should you have any issues with it.

Expect to pay ?899 for the Spectre XT when it is out in June. There is also a HP Spectre XT Pro, which will ship in July with Windows 7 Professional and a TPM chip for business security priced in at ?859.?

Tags: Laptops Ultrabooks HP HP Spectre XT

HP Envy Spectre XT pictures and hands-on originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 09 May 2012 05:49:00 +0100

Samsung has unveiled the latest member of its Series 5, the 550P, and it is available with either a 15 or 17-inch display.

With a display of this magnitude, Samsung is billing the Series 5 550P?as a multimedia demon, and reading the features list it has got the specs to back it up.

Powering the device is Intel’s latest third-generation quad-core Ivy Bridge Core i7 processor, while there is a built-in Blu-ray drive and JBL optimised subwoofer speakers on the top-rung 17-inch model.

Gamers can take heart in knowing that the notebook has been equipped with an Nvidia GeForce GT 650M 2GB graphics card, while Samsung claims the processor will make 3D gaming twice as fast as the second generation CPU.

Both the 15-inch and 17-inch displays are LCD, with the former model weighing 2.5kg and the latter a heavier 3.05kg. Each variant runs on the Windows 7 Home Premium operating system.

No word on pricing yet, but Samsung has said that both versions of the Samsung Series 5 550P notebook will be available in the UK from May from an array of retailers including PC World and Currys.

Tags: Samsung Samsung Series 5 Laptops Intel

Samsung Notebook Series 5 550P arrives with multimedia and Ivy Bridge at its core originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 08 May 2012 22:58:00 +0100

According to Intel, if you buy an Ultrabook?you won't have to go all Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon on people fighting over a power outlet ever again.

"In an ancient Chinese temple, two martial artists face off in a battle for the power outlet," reads the blub accompanying the YouTube video by Intel promoting the new laptop form factor.

The video sees two women kung-fu fighting around a Chinese temple because one needs to upload a picture to her fashion blog and has run out of battery on her big clunky laptop.

It ends with the pair realising they are in a coffee shop and one of the other customers shouting at them:?"You bring great shame on this coffee hut."

Cheeseball marketing at its finest.

Tags: Intel Laptops Ultrabooks Adverts

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Ultrabook (video) originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 02 May 2012 16:50:00 +0100

Sony?has announced its entry into the Ultrabook market with the launch of the Vaio T13, the company's first Ultrabooks-branded laptop. ?

"Thin, light and portable, the responsive new VAIO T Series is always?ready for action," claims Sony of the new laptop that "is the first Ultrabook to proudly?carry the?VAIO name".

The new Vaio T13, as the name suggests, will feature a 13-inch (1366x768) LED screen and go on sale in the UK in June. It will offer many of the features we've come to expect from the Ultrabook computers already seen from HP with the?HP Envy 14 Spectre, Dell with the?Dell XPS 13, Asus with the?Asus UX31 Zenbook, and others.

That means nine hours battery life between charges, a thin, lightweight design, and of course Intel's Core i3-2367M Ultra Low Voltage processors powering it all.

Other features include 4GB of DDR3 memory as standard, and 320GB hard drive with a second 32GB SSD to improve system responsiveness rather than storage.

The VAIO T Series comes with?HDMI, VGA and RJ45 network ports, plus an SD/MMC media?slot and an 1.3 megapixel "Exmor for PC" HD web camera. xLOUDTM?and Clear?Phase?technologies provide the sound.?

If you are trying to work out whether you can get a smaller bag, the Vaio T13 will measure 226 x 17.8 x 323 mm and weigh 1.6Kg.

Sony has told Pocket-lint the new range should start from ?679.

Tags: Laptops Sony Sony Vaio Sony Vaio t13 Ultrabooks

Sony Vaio T13: Sony's first Ultrabook laptop originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 02 May 2012 09:11:00 +0100

Dell has announced that it is refreshing the M14x, M17x and M18 gaming laptops with new Nvidia GeForce and AMD Radeon HD graphics cards and Intel's new third-generation Ivy Bridge processors.

The enhanced systems include: the M14x, the 3D-capable M17x, and the M18x.

The new M14x?features optional dual drive configurations, up to 16GB of memory, a Blu-ray combo optical drive, and an NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M graphics engine with GDDR5 graphics memory.

The Alienware M17x delivers the latest?Nvidia and AMD graphics card options, up to 32GB of memory, optional 17.3-inch 120Hz WideFHD WLED 3D display, and THX 3D surround sound. It is one of the first laptops to offer the AMD Radeon HD 7970M graphics card and the latest GDDR5 NVIDIA GeForce GT 660M and 675M graphics solutions.

Top of the pile is the Alienware M18x. The new model delivers up to 200w of mobile graphics power when configured with the optional Dual NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675M graphics enabling an NVIDIA SLI experience and up to 4GB of GDDR5 graphics memory. It wil feature such specs as an 18.4-inch Full HD 1080p WLED backlit LCD, up to 750GB 7200RPM SATA hard drives, and support for a triple solid state drive option – 768GB SSD (3 x 256GB SSD).

A configuration featuring dual AMD Radeon HD 7970m with CrossFire will be available in the coming weeks, says Dell.

All three laptops are compatible with Intel’s third-generation processors and Intel Turbo Boost 2.0 technologies, and feature HDMI 1.4, USB 3.0 for fast data transfer, Bluetooth 4.0, optional 3D HD gaming capability, optional Blu-ray disc drive and exceptional surround-sound quality from Klipsch speakers.

Alienware M14x, M17x and M18x are available now on Dell.co.uk and Alienware.co.uk with standard configurations starting at ?999 for the M14x, ?1299 for the M17x, and ?1699 for the M18x.

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Tags: Laptops Dell Alienware Alienware m14x Alienware M17x Alienware m18x Intel

Alienware M14x, M17x, and M18 get Ivy Bridge and GeForce refresh originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 01 May 2012 10:47:00 +0100

Vodafone has released a new mobile Wi-Fi dongle for those that like to stay connected on the go, but does it improve the experience over the previous model, and should you bother?

Design

If the Vodafone Mobile Wi-Fi R205 looks familiar, that's because it is virtually identical to the Three Mi-Fi Mobile Wi-Fi (Huawei E585) we reviewed back in July 2010. Again, made by Huawei, the Vodafone offering comes with the same pebble design, same mini OLED screen and the same clip-off back to reveal the SIM card slot and swappable battery.

Around the sides is a microSD slot, which allows the dongle to double as a portable storage device.?You can recharge the device via a Micro-USB cable and Vodafone include one and a charging plug in the box.

Unlike the previous Vodafone Mobile Wi-Fi dongle that was larger and squarer, there is no red light to tell you whether the device is on. You have to look at the screen for that now.

Screen

The screen is the key way of getting an idea of what is going on and here you get a stack of information such as connection speed, how many wireless devices you have connected (up to 5), battery life, cumulative data used, and time spent connected to the internet.

The last two allow you to have some indication of how much your phone bill will be, and whether you will go outside of your allotted quota.

Setting up

Turn on the dongle, turn on Wi-Fi on your device. Punch in the password found on the inside of the R205 and away you go. It really is that easy.

Somewhat frustratingly, when your connection drops out - say when you are on a train - rather than fail to load the page in question, keeping the URL address you've entered intact, the Vodafone Mobile Wi-Fi is keen to push you to the device's homepage hub that lets you check your SMS messages or other connection stats. It's annoying.

Settings

Although there is very little setup needed, you can keep an eye on the workings of the device through a dedicated setup page that is accessed via your browser. Just as with the router on your home broadband connection, you can manage the device easily making sure it really is connected, access the microSD card you've inserted or collect your SMS messages.

You can also change the name of the Wi-Fi network so it's no longer VodafoneMobileWIFI-AD12356761, but something more useful to you.

In action

We've taken the dongle on a number of test runs around Ascot and London to see how it performs. The new dongle promises faster speeds of up to 21Mbps. That's something the previous model can't, but it really does depend on where you are and whether Vodafone is even supporting that speed in the area where you are.

Travelling from Ascot to Waterloo, connection speeds achieved varied wildly depending on the time of day. Testing in on the commuter run is slower - most likely down to the level of other users on the train also vying for bandwidth. The R205 doesn't tell you connection speed data on the fly and we aren't interested in benchmarking it, as it depends on so many factors.?

The same trip on an empty train proved to be a lot more successful, so it's worth bearing that in mind when you look to get a Wi-Fi device like this.

In London and the results were a lot better. The dongle lets you connect simply and easily and we were happy with the performance. As with your phone, you'll know whether or not some places are better for connection than others. Richmond-Upon-Thames station is awful for example, but 30 metres either side is really fast.

We got around four hours of Wi-Fi connection out of a single charge. That's okay, but not fantastic. You can use the device while charging from your laptop.

Pricing

The Vodafone Mobile Wi-Fi R205 costs ?65 if you opt to buy it out right as a PAYG offering, although you will have to buy a ?10 top-up SIM at the same time.

If you want to get it free you will have to sign up to an 18-month contract that will cost you ?15 a month with 2GB of data.

Compared to Three's Mi-Fi package, you get a lot less data for your money. Three's Mi-Fi package is ?18.99 a month for 24-months but you get a whopping 15GB of data.

It is worth checking what the coverage of Three is like in your area, and whether you really need that much data in the first place. If you are planning on watching YouTube videos on the go, or for the dongle to replace your home broadband package, then you will need the extra allowance. If you are just using it to catch up on emails on the go on your laptop, or iPad, then you won't.?

Verdict:

If you've been waiting for a slightly better mobile Wi-Fi dongle from Vodafone with access to the faster speeds the operator offers, then this is the device for you.

In reality however you're unlikely to get the promised top speed - certainly if you commute in rush hours - and you're unlikely to see any improvements above and beyond the one that Vodafone has previously sold. Yes it is smaller and you will get your data usage on the device this time around.

So, if you're looking for a mobile hotspot, the R205 certainly doesn't?disappoint, although there are better deals out there, if you're happy to try a network like Three.?

Tags: Mobile broadband Phones Tablets Laptops Vodafone Huawei

Vodafone Mobile Wi-Fi R205 originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 25 Apr 2012 13:30:00 +0100

How good is that idea you've got knocking about in the back of your mind? That's what Cisco wants to know, with the creation of the Cisco British Innovation Gateway Awards looking for the best ideas the UK has to offer.

The BIG Awards aims to recognise and support up-and-coming innovators, entrepreneurs and early-stage startup businesses.

Cisco is seeking submissions from small businesses and early stage startups, which have technology-based prototypes and proof of concepts in development.

If you win you'll get access to the full array of Cisco capabilities from technology to business development, plus potential investment and partnering opportunities in the future.

Wow.

To participate, all you have to do is simply?register?on the BIG Awards site and submit your BIG idea - it really is that easy.

There are?five categories?in which to submit your idea:?Big Data, Collaboration, Future Cities, Internet of Things,? Mobility. Ideas must be ?in by the end of the month (closing date is 1 May).

Once all the entries are received, Cisco will then start picking the best ones with the top 20 ideas will be picked for the Semi-finals, before the final six ideas will proceed to the finals.

Three ideas will receive grand prizes?valuing over $250,000.

Open to UK-registered organisations, companies and UK residents aged 18 years or older.

The winner will receive a range of support aimed at accelerating the potential of their idea, product or initiative. This will be in the form of financial assistance, expertise and mentoring.? The team will also win the following:

- $100,000 US in cash

- 12 months of technology and business mentoring from leading Cisco engineers and managers

- $30,000 US in 12 month Digital Marketing support from dnx which includes things like social media training.

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Tags: Phones Cameras Tablets Gaming Laptops Apps Cars iPad

Win $100,000 with Cisco British Innovation Gateway Awards originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 24 Apr 2012 13:03:00 +0100

Intel’s Ivy Bridge processor has arrived in all its 22nm glory. With it comes a beefy line-up of launch hardware all sporting the new CPU. Every major manufacturer rather unsurprisingly, from Lenovo to MSi, has a laptop lined up for Ivy Bridge’s arrival.

Pocket-lint has been lucky enough to get a look at most of the inbound Ivy Bridge notebooks at a recent Nvidia event. Sadly though, a lot of the laptops were lacking full specifications, as designs were being finalised for the US and Europe. This means no definite processor clock speeds yet for the hardware. As soon as we have the full specs for each, we will be adding them in.?

Toshiba Satellite P850

First up is Toshiba's attempt at an Ivy Bridge laptop and it's actually rather nice. A bright, glasses-free 17.3-inch 3D screen sits above a decent looking keyboard with an unusually offset trackpad. Inside is a Blu-ray drive, a powerful Nvidia GeForce 650m and up to a 1TB hard drive with 8GB of RAM.

There is also HDMI output and a proper HD webcam. Inside it's all good then, but from our extremely brief play with the laptop, we have to say, the build is a bit too plasticky for our taste. No pricing yet for this one but we imagine, giving the graphics card and Ivy Bridge processor, it will be up the top end of the cost spectrum.?

Lenovo Y480

The highlight of all the hardware we were shown was Lenovo's offering. Small and light enough to be portable yet extremely powerful and put together rather decently as well. The Y480 is sporting a 14-inch widescreen display with LED backlighting, which up close looks very sharp and saturated. Inside is a mid-range Nvidia 650m which, believe us, is more than powerful enough to run most current PC games at decent settings.

What we think is an i3 processor clocked at 2.4GHz with 8GB of RAM and a 500GB hard drive completes the package. The exciting bit comes in the form of the audio, which is powered by JBL and sounds damn good for such a small device.?

MSI GT70

Part of a pair of laptops MSI plans to release for hardcore gamers, the GT70 and GT60 are both packing Ivy Bridge processors and what we presume is a top-end Nvidia GT670m processor, although Nvidia wouldn't tell us.?

MSI has gone connection crazy with this one, adding USB 3.0 ports and two USB 2.0 as well as SDHC and proper audio inputs. There are also optical drives, a custom-made Steelseries keyboard and backlighting for the gamer who likes a bit of disco styling in a laptop.?

Asus N56

Like the MSI, this laptop comes as part of a family; the N56, N46 and N76. All look absolutely fantastic and despite?blatantly?ripping off the MacBook Air, are still impressive to behold. A brushed-aluminium body with drilled speaker holes and Bang & Olufsen audio ensure it looks and sounds great.

Inside is a choice of i3, i5 and i7 processors, up to 8GB of RAM, a maximum hard drive size of 1TB and GeForce GT650m graphics cards. Loads of power to play with then and rather nicely, a Blu-ray drive to enjoy movies on the laptop's 15-inch display.?

Samsung Series 5

Samsung's current flagship Ultrabook, the Series 5, is getting an Ivy Bridge overhaul. All the usual hardware is there, including the JBL speakers and the usual 256 GB SSD or 1TB HDD options, as well as the ability to use 8GB of RAM.?

A nice and bright 13-inch screen is backed up with an Ivy Bridge processor and an Nvidia 650m card. A big refresh then for the Series 5 which previously used Intel's integrated graphics.?

?

Tags: Laptops Intel Ivy Bridge MSI Samsung Lenovo Toshiba Asus Acer Nvidia

Intel Ivy Bridge launch laptops pictures and hands-on originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 24 Apr 2012 10:13:00 +0100

What's in a name? In the case of the HP Envy 14 Spectre, a lot of really confusing nonsense. Of course, it's better than the model numbers you get with TVs, but even so it's very hard to work out what Spectre really has to do with anything - although we do understand why HP called it the Envy, because it will create some of that.

Technically, the Envy 14 is an Ultrabook, although we argue slightly on that point, becuase it's both thick and heavy. If it falls within the Intel spec for Ultrabooks, that's fine, but we still think if you buy it looking for a thin-and-light laptop, you'll be a bit disappointed. But we need to explain that in more detail, and we're certainly not trying to say the Envy isn't lovely, because it really is.

Utterly stunning design

From the first second you see the Envy, we think you'll struggle not to love it. For a start, it's unique. The body features quite a lot of glass - one of the reasons it weighs a little more than other Ultrabooks - which gives it an enormously funky exterior. We love the way the black body is given a new depth by the clear glass surface.

Of course, we don't love the way it gathers fingerprints, but even so we think it looks incredibly cool as a surface, although we're worried about how long it will last, and how durable it is. While it may not be any less tough than a normal laptop, it will look a lot worse once it gets banged around a bit. And if you do manage to crack the glass, it will look really dreadful. Still, most people are careful with their laptops, so that's unlikely to be a problem, and HP also includes a neoprene travel wallet in the box.

Also included is a travel-sized power adaptor. This might not be quite as small and chic as Apple's charging solution - Magsafe is incredibly useful - but it is a compact unit that is easy to carry around.

The keyboard is the now ubiquitous island-style affair. It's very good and although the keys don't have a lot of travel to them, they are quite large, and as such typing is very easy indeed. The keyboard is also backlit, which, while hardly new, does make using the machine in subdued lighting much more pleasant.

The trackpad deserves a mention too. It doesn't have a glass cover - presumably Apple has a patent that prevents anyone else doing that - but the surface of the pad is very low?resistance. That means scrolling with it is very easy indeed, and we loved using it. Easily one of the best trackpads we've used on a laptop in a long time. ?

Connectivity is good, but not amazing. There are two USB sockets, one of which is 3.0 capable. For your display needs, there is both DisplayPort and HDMI, which strikes us as a bit of a waste of space, given that 99 per cent of people are going to just stick with HDMI.

There is also a red headphone socket, which is part of the Beats Audio branding and you'll find Ethernet here too, with a compact socket, which pulls down slightly to allow a network jack. An SD and MMC card reader finishes off the sockets, and does so in a useful way. We struggle with laptops that don't have an SD card reader included these days. To complement the Beats headphone jack, there is a volume wheel, this is small and recessed into the body of the laptop. It is, however, easy to adjust. There is also a dedicated mute control, and a button which loads the special Beats control panel. It is here that you can adjust the sound of the laptop in quite some detail.

It might be a pointless little effect, but we also love the glowing HP logo. Not just because it glows, but because when it's not glowing, the logo looks silver. We just think that's quite clever, because the logo looks good when the machine is off, as well as when it's on.

The only thing we don't like, design-wise, is the way the laptop is festooned with various logos. The red Beats "b" is to be found in three places, with a fourth instance of the full "beats audio" trademark on the top left of the screen. When you add these to the HP logos and the names of the product, which are scattered here and there, it's quite a busy machine for logos and such.

Hard drives

We have honestly never seen a drive set-up as complicated as the one provided in the Envy. At the most basic level, there are two separate drives here. One for your system, the boot drive, and a second for your data - which is named as such.

The boot drive is then split into a hidden system partition - standard in Windows 7 - the 100GB boot drive, which houses Windows, and all your programs. Then there's the inevitable recovery partition, which eats 15GB but will allow you to restore Windows should anything go wrong.

And to finish off, there are two more partitions for HP Tools and the hibernation area, where your in-progress work is kept when the machine is sleeping.

Most of these partitions won't trouble you, and most aren't actually visible, but it does seem like a very complicated set up, and one that uses a lot of disk space that you could be using for other things. Having said that, it's Microsoft's annoying lack of Internet install that means recovery has to be done from a hard drive. Apple has the right idea here; we'll just have to hope Windows 8 allows for cloud restore.

Wireless audio

One nice touch is the inclusion of a wireless audio system, which allows you to stream music wirelessly. There isn't really, as yet, a standard for music streaming about the home. HP here is using a system called "KleerNet". There seems to be quite limited harware available, but it would be nice to see more devices offering a way to send music around the home.

Of course, Apple has this licked with Airplay on its devices, and that functionality also works on PCs, via iTunes, or other more hacky methods.

Screen

Big round of applause for HP here for including a 1600 x 900 resolution screen in the Envy. This extra resolution gives everything a boost, and makes you feel like you're looking at a very high-end machine - which it is, of course.

The screen has a reflective cover. Given the glass used all over the case of this machine, to have a matte screen would have been outright weird. But, outside, in bright sunlight, the reflections become bothersome. You have to boost the backlight to see anything at all, and that means your power consumption is going to go through the roof.

Still, for most things, that built-in screen is gorgeous.

Performance

We certainly have no complaints with the Core i5 processor or the 4GB of included memory. This isn't a top-end spec, by any stretch of the imagination, but it's certainly a decent enough machine for day-to-day computing.

We check the UK and US websites for the Envy, and it seems our US cousins have better configuration options than we do. Ideed, the second drive we mentioned earlier doesn't appear on the UK site, leaving us to wonder if we have a US spec laptop. This sometimes happens with review samples, and we have asked HP to clarify for us.

However, the machine is powerful enough to cope with everything except games. Sadly, the lack of discrete graphics means this isn't a laptop for the Battlefield 3 lovers of the world.

We did check 1080p video playback from our Plex media server, and we're most pleased by the results. It's best to put the laptop in the high-performance power profile first, but with this done playback was flawless with almost incredible amounts of detail in the images. This is no doubt thanks to that epic screen, which we love.

Battery life

It's nearly impossible to give an accurate picture of battery life because it depends so much on the profile you use, the brightness of the screen, and what you're doing.

HP claims there's as much as nine hours of battery life to be squeezed from the Envy. While we're a little wary of that claim, we have to say that we really did find the battery in the machine pretty epic. Five hours is easily achievable, depending on what you're doing. We found that the energy-saving profiles slowed the machine down to the point where it was just useful for writing. But for a lot of people, that's what they want to do.

If you are like us, then you'll likely leave the laptop on, while you do other thngs. It is here that you'll see good savings, as the machine is pretty clever about turning the screen off to save juice. It uses a special motion detection sensor to tell when you're in front of the laptop, and when you've gone to the fridge to scoff a bit of cheese - it's a working from home thing.

Bundled software

Praise the lord, HP has finally managed to strike a balance between providing useful software and annoying nonsense that fills up your hard drive. Here you get two full years of Norton internet security, which is well worth having, even if Microsoft's free service is just as good. You also get Adobe Photoshop Elements and Premiere Elements thrown in, for good measure.

We honestly wish all laptops had such good bundled software, and the HP should get some credit for providing things that people will actually use.

Verdict:

What HP seems to have done here is make a terrific laptop that plays by its own rules. It's too big and heavy to really be called an Ultrabook and it's really expensive too, especially considering how much cheaper the Dell XPS 13 and Samsung Series 5 Ultrabooks are. But the HP has something that most laptops don't have these days: it has the appeal of premium features, and interesting design.

We love the display, and seeing higher resolutions on laptops has to be applauded in the wake of the iPad 3. The keyboard and trackpad are both excellent, and make using the machine a pleasure. Audio too, is pretty impressive, it's certainly loud and very, very clear from the built-in speakers. Beats, at least in this area, makes a difference worth having. We aren't so sure when it comes to headphones though - both sets we tried sounded empty and lacked much range.

Honestly, it's a lot of money to spend on a laptop, but HP has sweetened the deal with Beats Audio, the impressive screen and epic battery life. Connectivity is a little average for a normal laptop, but good for an Ultrabook and there's everything here you could need, including Ethernet and HDMI.

In terms of cool, it's a toss-up between this and the Dell XPS 13. Of course, they're both useful in different ways, but it's hard to decide which machine we'd rather spend our grand-and-a-bit on.

Tags: Laptops HP HP Envy 14 Spectre Ultrabooks

HP Envy 14 Spectre originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 23 Apr 2012 17:30:00 +0100

Intel has shown off a Windows 8 ultrabook-tablet hybrid at its Intel Developer Forum (IDF) in Beijing, demonstrating ?what the Ultrabooks of tomorrow will be capable of.

Looking like the Asus Eee Slider, the new laptop-come-tablet will be capable of a lot more, however - mainly running Windows 8.

That's right, according to reports from the week-long event in China, the new technology - dubbed Intel Cove Point, and previously know as Letexo - will be for consumers who can’t decide whether to buy a tablet or notebook but want something considerably more powerful than just another Android tablet.

When not in laptop mode, the technology can be used as a standard tablet with the keyboard resting flush against the back of the screen, so it looks like a fat iPad rather than something you've bolted together.

"At the demo, Cove Point also ran on an early sample of Intel’s upcoming Ivy Bridge CPU. Just like you’d find in a full-fledged notebook, the device sports a 12.5-inch screen, two USB 3.0 ports and an HDMI port," reports Wired, which was at IDF.

No companies have yet made a specific Cove Point announcement, so this is all theoretical at the moment. With popularity for the Ultrabook form factor growing however, and more and more manufacturers coming on board, we don't think it will be long before we see someone bringing one out.

We will keep you posted. ?

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Tags: Laptops Tablets Windows 8 Intel Microsoft

Intel Cove Point Windows 8 ultrabook-tablet hybrid shows us future of computing originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 18 Apr 2012 12:00:00 +0100

When we look at the new Samsung 530U, we aren't filled with the same sense of excitement that we were when we took the Dell XPS 13 out of its box. The Samsung, in fact, looks more like a regular laptop than it does an Ultrabook. But none of that matters a jot, because this machine is every bit the Ultrabook as any of its competitors.

What it adds?is a lot of the sensible features that are missing from the Dell XPS 13 an - if you want to include it as an Ultrabook - the Macbook Air 13-inch. So, will the Samsung be able to tease our money from us, or is it lacking in the glamour needed by Windows-based laptops these days?

Design

It may not be an exciting-looking machine, but it's very slim and incredibly light.

Where this machine shines is in the connections it offers. The Dell was hopeless here, sporting a miserly two USB sockets and a Display Port connector - which is nowhere near as useful as HDMI in practical terms, despite being very similar technically.

For a start, there are three USB sockets: two vanilla USB 2.0 and one blue-coloured USB 3.0. You also get that incredibly useful full-sized HDMI output. It's a small point, but these normal-sized sockets make it a lot easier to connect the laptop to displays or home cinema equipment. Not having to carry an adaptor cable is a nice touch, and very much welcomed.

The Samsung also has a 4-in-1 card reader. That the Dell was missing an SD card socket really caused us problems, because we - as you can imagine - write on the move a lot, and having access to photos we've taken on our SD-equipped cameras is a huge deal. You also get a combined headphone and microphone 3.5mm jack too, which is useful if you're a regular Skype user.

We also love that there's a Gigabit Ethernet connector too. This is accessed via a little spring down clip, which saves space in quite an elegant way. There's no need for any sort of adaptor here though, so that's more travel hassle eliminated.

Frankly, when it comes to connectivity, the Samsung 530U is king of the Ultrabooks.

Screen and audio performance

The 13.3-inch screen is pretty decent too. It may only support a resolution that's a little over 720p, namely 1366x768, but it is very crisp and sharp. Colour also seems pretty bold and accurate most of the time. But, there are some problems.

The brightness isn't great, so outside you're likely to have some problems, even though it features a matte screen, which keeps reflections to a minimum. Video in particular suffers from brightness issues. Mostly, it seemed too dark, but boosting the backlight just led to blacks turning grey/blue. You can probably adjust the video player settings to compensate for this a little, but it's still a concern.

Part of the problem seems to be the viewing angle of the screen. It's bad. Not especially so from the left and right, but up and down it's pretty severe. Indeed we found, especially with video, that we needed to have the angle exactly right to get anywhere near an accurate image.

Using Plex, we were able to stream 1080p video via Wi-Fi with no problems. It's important to note that the laptop needed to be in its "high performance" power profile to play the video smoothly though. Using any of the battery saving modes resulted in a bit of a mess.

Our big issue is that it doesn't tilt back very far. This is a real problem if you're typing on your lap: it doesn't quite have the ideal angle, and you'll find yourself stooping a little to see what's happening. The fact that the Samsung doesn't have the greatest viewing angle in the world doesn't help here either, and means that you'll often find yourself looking at a display that's not as clear as it should be.

Sound is impressive enough though. It's a bit tinny - to be expected from small laptop speakers - but it's very clear, and can be breathtakingly loud when pushed to its maximum.

Pre-installed nonsense

As always, there's a sigh-inducing amount of nag-ware included on the Samsung. Norton Antivirus knows how to press our buttons, it really does. At boot, you'll be nagged to "activate" your antivirus software. Until you do, it will make dramatic claims about how your PC is unprotected. You get a small number of days free, and then it will be time to cough up some money for continued virus protection.

Additionally, to complete the activation, you'll need to provide an email address - what a surprise.

Save yourselves the bother, and send a message to the likes of Norton and McAfee that you don't respond well to their passive aggressive nonsense. Uninstall the minute you get the computer, and put a free antivirus system on there. We suggest Microsoft's, it's lightweight and works well, although it does need to be nannied in to updating itself. If you go to the Microsoft Security Essentials site, there are other free options listed too.

Samsung also opts to use a piece of custom software to manage other aspects of the computer. For example, the wireless networking is done via its own console, rather than through the native Windows version. Other things are managed here too though, so it does make for a convenient stopping place for system configuration.

Despite its slightly childish UI, we found it okay to use and don't object too much to using it over the Windows system.

Express Cache

Against a lot of Ultrabooks, the Samsung once again bucks the trend. Rather than use a 128 or 256GB SSD, the company has included a 500GB hard drive. This gives a lot more space than an SSD - or at least an affordable one - but doesn't have the same low power consumption or speed.

The power issue is hard to solve, but the speed can be addressed, at least partially, via the Express Cache. This is a system where a low-capacity SSD is included, in this case 16GB, which is used to boost the boot time and load speeds of your most frequently used applications.

It does work, we managed to go from the computer being switched off, to it loading Windows fully in less than 30 seconds (around 28 seconds, by our count). This is good, and pretty close to the speeds you'd see with a pure SSD. We certainly like the idea of having a lot of storage AND fast load times, it's a good solution.

Keyboard and trackpad

We have to say, despite some initial doubts, we like the Samsung's keyboard. The island keys don't have a lot of travel, but it turns out it's easy to type on, and we didn't have any real problems with confused letters or anything. The keys are a little slippy though, although in practice this gave us no trouble at all.

The trackpad too is very good. Multi-touch gestures are supported, but unlike a lot of similar devices, we found it actually did a good job with two-finger scrolling. It's not a glass surface, as it is on the Mac, but we found it was pretty low-friction, even so.

Battery

The battery life seems pretty impressive to us. Even on "high performance" mode, we could get about three hours out of the Samsung. Switch it to a more efficient mode, and you'll see that jump up to more than six.

The battery isn't removable, but users can access the hard drive and memory via a removable cover.

We did notice, as an aside, that the Samsung got a lot hotter than most machines we've tested when doing our 1080p video test. This probably isn't anything to worry about, but laptops that run hot do tend to burn out quicker than those that run cold. We've seen this issue before on Dell XPS machines.

Verdict:

The weak point of this machine is its screen. But it's not a total disaster by any stretch of the imagination. If we had a choice, we'd prefer that the screen had a little more flexibility in its movement too, but we could live with this.

What you get with the Samsung is a light, thin laptop that has every type of connection you could possibly want on a laptop - even a desktop replacement couldn't ask for more.

Performance is great, the keyboard and trackpad are really usable and comfortable. This is certainly a machine that you could use day-in day-out without ever wanting to throw it across the room in frustration.

It lacks the excitement of the Dell XPS 13, but this is a very capable and likeable laptop.

Tags: Laptops Samsung Samsung 530U Series 5 Ultrabook

Samsung 530U Series 5 Ultrabook originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 12 Apr 2012 19:19:13 +0100

Samsung's latest gaming laptop is a monster of a 17-inch machine, with a huge, bright screen and a powerful combination of Core i7 and ATI Radeon graphics. It's one of the heaviest laptops we've looked at, weighing in at almost 4Kg, but with plenty of power and a massive HD 3D screen. ?

When you lift the glossy plastic lid of this hefty wedge-shaped laptop, it doesn't obstruct the huge cooling vents at the back of the case. That's a good thing, as we discovered the 700G gets quite warm, even when running on battery power and using a balanced profile. A matte metal keyboard surround stops suddenly at the reflective plastic strip that borders the two surprisingly small speaker grilles - which are even more surprising when you finally hear the volume it can put out. There is also a set of bright indicator lights that shine up through the smoky mirrored surface.

Keyboard and trackpad

There's a raised wrist rest around the large illuminated trackpad, which, combined with the rake of the wedge-shaped case makes typing on the keyboard surprisingly comfortable. If you couldn’t tell from the design that this is a gaming laptop, you’d guess from the highlighted W,A,S and D keys, ready for you to enter your virtual world of choice. There's plenty of travel on the keyboard, and the size of the machine leaves plenty of room for a full-size numeric keypad. Even so, we did find the keys themselves a little on the small side, and it was a little too easy to hit the wrong key. That's not something you want on a gaming machine, where the wrong key could be the difference between virtual life and virtual death.

A strip of function keys doubles as system and a basic set of media keys, with F1 also launching Samsung's set-up tools. You can use these to adjust the keyboard backlight, as well as tuning the display colour. Oddly there are no play/pause controls, as Samsung seems to believe that gamers don't play music or watch movies.

Perhaps one of the more unusual features is the four position switch on the right of the keyboard, which rotates between different power modes, even switching screen backdrops and keyboard backlight colours when you choose the laptop's gaming mode. The large touch pad is responsive, with a single bar that functions as left and right buttons. It has the usual range of single and multi-touch gestures, including pinch-to-zoom and a three-finger swipe to switch between programs. ?

Big, beautiful display and surprising sound

We really liked the huge 17.3-inch widescreen HD display. It's bright and clear, with a full HD 1920 by 1080 resolution. 1080p videos were clear and easy on the eye, with no artefacts and plenty of detail. The same was true for 720p movies streamed over a home network, with smooth upscaling.

The built-in Movie Colour Enhancer software turns on automatically when you play a supported format and, while we're generally not in favour of tools like this, we were pleasantly surprised by the results, which gave out test 720p video just that little bit more vibrancy and contrast.

The video quality is matched by the audio, with a set of powerful speakers that work well for video, for gaming and for both local and streamed audio. Two speakers sit behind the keyboard, with a subwoofer on the underside of the case. ?

The back edge of the machine is filled with a massive pair of cooling fans, looking like the rear-light cluster of a Lamborghini or a Ferrari. A Blu-ray drive takes up most of the right side, next to the mode dial and two USB 2.0 ports. Power is on the left, with HDMI, Display Port and VGA video ports, so you can connect to just about any screen, plus two USB 3.0 ports and a SD card reader for your camera.

The incredible hulk

This isn't a portable laptop, not by a long way. It's not even one for your lap. With a Core i7 processor and a screen this big, it's a desktop replacement. So it wasn't surprising that the battery life wasn't particularly long.

Using our standard tests, mixing streaming and video, on a balanced power setting, we got just an hour of battery. One thing to note is Samsung's Easy Settings tool. In order to preserve battery lifespan (not battery life), it sets the maximum charge to 80 per cent. You'll need to turn Battery Life Extender off to get the most out of your machine if you're planning to use it on the move, but we don’t see this monster travelling that far. ?

Samsung has bundled a reasonable selection of software with the 700G. Cyberlink's Media Suite, Microsoft's Live Essentials and Office 2010 Starter are the highlights, with Samsung's own suite of Easy tools giving you all you need to keep your machine tuned just the way you want. 3D support is handled by TriDef's tools, which can upscale existing DVD movies to 3D for viewing with the supplied 3D glasses (if you like that sort of thing).

Verdict:

There's a lot to like about the Samsung Series 7 700G, if you overlook its lack of portability and battery life. Like most 17-inch laptops, this is a desktop replacement, with a Core i7 and 8GB of RAM.

It's a hefty machine able to handle the most-demanding games and media applications, but where it really excels in its display. Samsung makes great LCD panels, and 700G showcases their quality, with a clear, bright display and with the power needed to deliver the media performance that will show off the display. 3D is the cherry on the top.

Tags: Laptops Gaming laptops Samsung Samsung 700G7A GAMER

Samsung 700G7A GAMER originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 11 Apr 2012 20:03:00 +0100

Pocket-lint is offering a lucky reader the chance to win a stunning blue HP Pavillion g6 1326sa,?one of the latest notebooks powered by VISION technology from AMD to hit the shelves this spring.

VISION technology has AMD AllDay power, enabling extended battery life for longer entertainment on the go.?Alongside its powerful performance that helps make slow video streaming a thing of the past and lets users to switch between applications rapidly, the HP Pavillion g6 1326sa features cinema-quality graphics that will allow you to enjoy the most amazing possible entertainment experience.?

All you have to do to be in with a chance of winning an AMD Vision-powered laptop is follow us (@Pocketlint) and AMD (@amd_uk)?on Twitter?and?retweet any story on Pocket-lint including the hashtag?#plAMD.

The competition will close at midnight on Sunday, 15 April 2012, after which time we will draw the winners and inform them on this page and by direct message.

Please ensure that you read?Pocket-lint's?terms and conditions, and we must point out that this competition in open only to entries from the UK and Ireland.

Good luck.

Tags: Laptops HP Competitions Apps Phones Gaming Tablets

Win one of the latest AMD VISION powered laptops! originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 10 Apr 2012 15:50:00 +0100

Sony has unveiled its latest VAIO E Series 14 laptop range and has added a bit of colour to mark the occasion.

Available in white, black and even pink, Sony’s style team has introduced a new "wrap-around" design that sees the borders of the lid, base, touchpad and keyboard all decorated with a colourful trim.

Sony is key to champion the VAIO E Series 14’s looks, and while we found them fetching enough, it was a new piece of tech that really caught our eye.

This latest VAIO range will, for the first time, feature Gesture Control enabling the user to navigate and instruct their laptop by performing certain hand movements in front of the built-in HD web cam.

For example, a flick to the left or right will turn the webpage or photo you’re looking at, while pulling your hand down will pause your music or a slideshow.

Our personal favourite is the ability to turn your music volume up or down with a rotating movement. As though you were turning an imaginary dial.

Of course VAIO’s Gesture Control is limited to those programs that are able to support it, which currently include Windows Media Player, Internet Explorer 9, PowerPoint and PowerDVD.

Though the VAIO E Series 14’s battery life is billed at seven hours, Sony has included a light sensor that dims the keyboard’s backlight depending on how light your current environment is, which should help increase battery life.

The Rapid Wake + Eco function will also save your work for up to 10 days by putting the laptop into a deep sleep when you close its lid.

Once opened, the notebook will fire up immediately and you’ll be able to carry on where you left off.

The Sony VAIO E Series 14 features a 14-inch display (hence its name) and weighs in at around 2.3kg.

Available from the end of June, a Sony VAIO E Series 14 laptop will set you back around ?649 depending on which retailer you frequent.

Tags: Laptops notebooks Sony Vaio E series Sony

Sony VAIO E Series 14 laptop sports hand gesture control originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 10 Apr 2012 10:03:00 +0100

It has for some time been a source of great irritation to us that PC manufacturers just don't seem able to produce computers that look as impressive as Apple's MacBook Air. Ultrabooks provided something of an improvement in the situation, but even these thin and light machines were never as beautiful, nor were they as well designed, ergonomically.

But now Dell has popped on the scene with its XPS 13, and when we got it out of the well-designed box and handled its smooth, metal surface we did a little dance. A dance, if you will, of joy and relief that finally a Windows laptop could offer us the desirability that has been lacking for so long now.

First class styling

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.

There's also not a huge amount of difference in price. The entry-level machine is ?950, the mid-range ?1150 and the high-end ?1300. Interestingly, if you buy now, Dell will give you ?100 cashback for trading in a old laptop when you buy the mid-range and ?150 for the top of the range. That makes the 256MB i5 only ?50 more than the 128MB i5, and for us, this is the upgrade you want to go for.

Control

The keyboard on the XPS is the now ubiquitous raised island type. These are nice, on the whole, to type on, and the Dell is no exception. The keys are a little smaller than we'd like in an ideal world, but they are positive and travel well. They are also backlit, which is useful when you're on a night flight and want to get work done, without turning on an overhead light.

The trackpad is also very slick and, unlike so many similar devices, works really well indeed. We found minimal frustration with two-finger scrolling or tapping the two, subtle, buttons at the bottom of the pad. This all works well, although the friction is more than on the glass trackpad you'd get with a Mac.

This is all good, because plugging in a USB mouse would be bothersome on a machine that has only two USB ports.

Battery

It's always a challenge to tell you what battery life you'll get out of a laptop. If you turn the screen brightness down and don't do much more than typing, then we're sure you'll see five hours.

The problem is, in normal light we found that we needed to turn the screen up quite high to really see it. This is partially because of the reflective screen, but we also didn't find this laptop as bright as others we've used - including Dell's 15z.

Stream a bit of 1080p video with the screen turned up, and we're confident you'll see somewhere around the two hour mark. Keep the power saving mode turned on, and while you might see lower performance - perhaps say goodbye to 1080p playback - you'll almost certainly see a much improved battery.

As with most Ultrabooks, you can't replace the battery easily while on the road, so if you need more capacity, you might need to look elsewhere.

Dell software

Usually, we have to get quite cross with Dell about the software it installs on its machines. Here though, the company seems to have been a little calmer than usual. There are the usual face recognition, virus and data backup options, but not much more than that. You get 15 months' McAfee protection included, after which you can uninstall and use the brilliant Windows Defender instead, which is completely free. In fact, you could even do that straight away, as it's less intrusive than McAfee's leaden nonsense.

Overall, this is a streamlined machine that's a quick to use as it is pretty to look at.

Verdict:

This is the best Ultrabook we've seen. It might have a daft numberof connections, making it ever so slightly impractical, but for us, it captures what the whole Ultrabook thing was supposed to be about. And that was the little skip of the heart people get when they look at a MacBook Air.

The fact is, Windows 7 is a terrific operating system. It and OS X are hardly rivals anymore, they're equals. The struggles between the Mac OS and Windows are over, they're just different ways to do the same job. PCs don't do bluescreen as much as they used to, and Macs aren't stuck in the mire of incompatibility that hampered their popularity. Now, it all comes down to how sexy the hardware is.

And this hardware is very sexy.

If you're buying one, then you might want to spend money on a big SSD, rather than on a fast processor. This laptop isn't really about speed, it's about style, but it would be handy to store more files on it, especially with photos and video taking up so much space. We really found the Core i5 to be powerful enough for everything we wanted to do with it, and as nice as the i7 would be, it's not entirely necessary.

Tags: Laptops Ultrabooks Dell XPS 13 Dell

Dell XPS 13 originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 04 Apr 2012 19:20:17 +0100

Until Apple gets around to releasing an Apple iTV, to get your Mac desktop on your television or a large monitor you still have to plug in your MacBook Pro. That, if you are one of those tidy people, can be a very cluttered affair with a stack of cables strewn everywhere.

In steps the Henge Dock docking station that costs ?59 and comes in a variety of sizes to deal with the MacBook, 13-inch Macbook Pro, 15-inch MacBook Pro, and 17-inch MacBook Pro. The unit will fit all MacBook and MacBook Pro models from 2008 right through to the latest models, although you have to make sure you get the right one. For our purposes we opted for the 13-inch MacBook Pro dock for our 2009 model.

The idea is that you dock your Apple laptop into the docking station - vertically no less - and that not only tidies the cables, but means you can take your laptop away with you quickly when needed.

Henge Dock says that this orientation allows users to connect and disconnect all peripherals in a single motion, minimising the footprint of the computer and reducing cable clutter, and they would be right.

Included with each dock is a USB, Ethernet and audio cables as standard.? Some models also include FireWire cables, all of which have been designed to work specifically with the Henge Docks system.?

In practice, it takes about 5 minutes to set up the Henge Docks docking station with the right cables in the right place. Once done, it then takes just a few seconds to drop the MacBook or Macbook Pro into place - connecting all those cables at the same time. The design is solid, well built, and is study enough not to fall over.

The cables themselves are hidden out of sight, although we felt that the DisplayPort cable is a little tight in the hidden void where all the cables hide. Judging by the instruction manual, Henge Docks feel this is the case too.

Sometimes the best ideas are the simplest ones, and while this gadget serves an incredibly niche market - those who want to stand their MacBook Pro next to their TV without the fuss of cables - if you are a Mac owner looking to tidy up your living room, this might just be the docking station for you.?

Tags: Home Cinema Apple Henge Docks Laptops

Henge Docks MacBook Pro docking station pictures and hands-on originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 30 Mar 2012 15:41:00 +0100