Samsung - SF310 review

While netbooks have become the laptops of choice for the Facebook generation who mostly want to chat online and check their e-mails, small portable notebooks are growing in popularity for youngsters, low level gamers and business folk who need decent graphic card performance allied to a powerful CPU. Hence the arrival of Samsung's SF310.
This class of notebook is supposed to be chic as well as functional and certainly the wave style design on the sides creates a cool rippling effect that should impress your friends. However, while the SF310 has attractively tapered smooth edges, the Apple-emulating white exterior looks decidedly bland in an age of designer artwork and textured surfaces.
Inside there's a thick black glossy bezel surrounding the 13.3-inch LED HD display which features the increasingly commonplace 1366 x 768 screen resolution in 16:9 widescreen. The matching (matt) black keyboard is of the much favoured chiclet design with Scrabble type letters and plenty of space between the keys. Sensibly, Samsung has dispensed with a separate number pad, so there's no issue with arrow keys being squashed up, and typing feels comfortable, firm and responsive.

There's a discrete collection of silver control buttons for sound and WiFi above the keys and a large touch pad below them, set in the centre of a chrome workspace. Some may find the absence of specific mouse buttons off-putting, as their role is incorporated into the same flat surface as the touch pad; but you need very little pressure for a positive reaction, even if the scrolling function needs considerably more effort.
Ports and peripherals are relatively meagre, with a single USB and a DVD player on one side and two more USBs plus an HDMI output (inexplicably hidden behind a rather flimsy plastic cover) on the other, alongside Ethernet, VGA, sound and a 4-in-1 memory card slot. The overall dimensions are a reassuringly portable 331 x 235.9 x 26.9mm and although the 2.06kg weight might seem a touch chunky compared to some of its competitors, it's hardly going to be responsible for serious back strain.
The main selling point for the SF310, though, is its general performance under the hood. With a powerful Intel Core i5-M460 CPU clocked at 2.53GHz and 4GB of DDR3 RAM, you'll have little problem cruising the Net, playing music, adding a bit of graphic design and preparing documents simultaneously. In addition, the SF310 will automatically switch between the native Intel HD graphics card and a mightier NVIDIA GeForce 310M according to load, thus allowing a decent level of competitive gaming and ensuring movies look respectably sharp and free of judder.
Battery life is a not inconsiderable six and a half hours plus at lightest usage, and around one hour forty-five minutes at heaviest. It was a little disappointing to see only 320GB worth of storage capacity but that can easily be rectified for the SF310's successor.

Asus - Eee PC 1215N review

Nothing lasts for ever, and it appears the public's love affair with netbooks is starting to lose its spark. This is due in no small part to Apple injecting new life into the tablet market, and you can expect to see a glut of these touchscreen wonders on the shelves this Christmas.
Tablets lack keyboards, though, and that rules them out for those looking for a portable computer on which to type out long documents. So although the number of new netbooks being released will undoubtedly decrease, they certainly won't disappear altogether.
Asus pioneered the netbook, and its latest model, the Eee PC 1215N that we have here, is aiming itself at those who demand slightly more in terms of raw power. It also has a larger-than-average screen at 12.1 inches.
First impressions are good, and it's instantly obvious this isn't a budget netbook. The lid has a smart, brushed silver coating, while on the inside you're greeted by the same effect on the wrist rest and a well-sized keyboard. If silver's not your bag, black and red versions are also available.

Although sturdy, the screen's hinge locks out at around 50 degrees. This is fine for most scenarios, but in cramped conditions (for example on an aeroplane where the netbook is effectively sitting on your lap) you may find the fact the display can't be tilted back further makes it tricky to use.
The keyboard is of the chiclet variety, meaning each key pokes out from its own individual hole in the chassis. Opinion on this style of keyboard is divided, but we found it very comfortable to use. Each key has a nice, textured surface along with a solid feel when pressed and, unlike with most netbooks, the arrow keys aren't slimmed down.
The Enter key is set one column in from the right edge of the keyboard and during our first few hours with the laptop we frequently pressed the key to the right of it (PgUp) by accident. Thankfully it didn't take too long to get used to this layout.
One thing we really didn't like, however, was the amount of flex to the keyboard. We're used to seeing a certain amount of flex on laptop keyboards, but the Eee PC 1215N is particularly bad. Even with light key presses you'll notice neighbouring keys moving in tandem with the one you're pressing. It's not a massive problem, but if you've a heavy-handed typing style it will soon start to irritate and it blights an otherwise excellent keyboard.
The touchpad could also be better. It's of a decent size, but its glossy nature makes it a little too slippery; we'd prefer a touchpad with a little more texture.
A suitable 250GB hard drive is installed, with Asus splitting it into two partitions. All the networking boxes are also ticked, with the Eee PC 1215N home to Bluetooth, 802.11n wireless and 10/100 LAN. As far as ports and sockets are concerned, the netbook has three USB ports, an SD card reader, VGA-out and audio in/out. Unlike most netbooks, however, it also sports an HDMI port, allowing it to quickly be hooked up to an HD television.
Thanks to the 12.1-inch display having a resolution of 1366 x 768, however, there's no need to connect a TV to view HD video. Smooth 720p playback is aided by the use of Nvidia's ION graphics, which is a step up from the usual GMA3150 integrated graphics that most netbooks rely on.
The choice of processor also helps. Asus has gone for Intel's latest Atom D525 CPU, which has a clock speed of 1.8GHz. It's also a dual-core chip, which gives the preinstalled Windows 7 Home Premium (32-bit) a shot in the arm. Asus has sensibly supplied 2GB of memory to sit alongside this processor.
While it's certainly more powerful than your average netbook, don't go thinking the Eee PC 1215N will be able to take on your desktop PC. The preinstalled Windows 7 runs smoothly enough and has no problem multitasking relatively simple applications such as browser windows and Word documents. However, what it won't do is let you play 3D games. With suitably low expectations we decided to fire up Call of Duty 4, and the resulting 6fps at a paltry 800 x 400 pixel resolution says it all. Still, the fact it managed to run the game at all is fairly impressive.
Slow frame rates aside, during our brief and rather jerky gaming session we noticed the audio was pretty good, with the stereo speakers situated just under the front lip of the laptop managing to belt out some loud noises. The lack of a sub-woofer means the audio is fairly tinny, but you can't expect thundering bass from a small laptop such as this.
With a power-sucking 12.1-inch display, faster-than-average Atom processor and Nvidia's Ion graphics, you'd be forgiven for thinking battery life would be relatively poor on the Eee PC 1215N. However, under general use with wireless switched on, we managed nearly four hours before the battery died, which isn't at all bad. Slip it into power-saving mode and you can expect up to six hours usage.
We noticed it got a little warm on the left side during extended use, but the wrist rest remains impressively cool so it's not a huge problem. We did, however, find the hard drive noisier than most. You won't hear it unless you're in a very quiet room, but the constant high-pitched clicking noise did start to irritate.

ASUS - G51J 3D review

Anyone who visited the Gadget Show at the NEC this year will know that much of the event was obsessed with showing off all the latest 3D computer technology in the wake of the massive success of Avatar. 2010 has become 3D Year and all the major computer manufacturers are jumping on board the supposed gravy train: the ASUS G51J 3D notebook is simply the latest evolution.
At the end of last year, Acer brought out the Aspire AS5738, a 15.6-inch laptop with a native resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels that produced a 3D effect through a combination of polaroid glasses and TriDef 3D software, which effectively transformed 2D images into 3D. The problem with presenting 'true' 3D on a laptop was finding a way to incorporate NVIDIA's new 3D Vision technology (which was prohibitively expensive), and the ASUS G51J 3D is the first to do that.
When you open the box you'll find a host of goodies including a rucksack, a smart gamer's mouse and the all-important 3D kit which comprises a USB connected infrared emitter that looks like a small pyramid, together with a pair of active-shutter glasses with a power button on the top. Once the emitter is plugged in, the glasses are charged up and the setup wizard completed, you're ready to start, after tapping the Republic of Gamers logo above the middle of the keyboard.

Crucially, the LED-backlit display has a 120Hz refresh rate that helps the eye combine two images into one and keep up with fast action. However, it seems astonishing that with all the technological advancement since the Aspire AS5738, ASUS's new wunderkind has not increased the screen resolution beyond 1366 x 768. So despite having a decent Blu-ray player installed as standard, you still can't watch Blu-ray movies in Full HD unless you use the HDMI port to feed them to your HD TV.
Ironically, ASUS supplies you with a copy of the Avatar video game which shows off the 3D depth of perspective extremely well once you've blinked rapidly a few times to help your eyes adjust. You'll find your eyes tiring after a comparatively short time, though, and we wonder how long the novelty value will last for.
As there are so few 3D movies available at the moment, the chances are you'll be using the effect for gameplaying: fortunately NVIDIA has an increasingly large catalogue of compatible games to choose from. All the more reason, therefore, for ASUS to make sure that they increase the relatively dim screen for their next model.
Aside from the 3D wizardry, the ASUS G51J 3D is one of the sexiest looking laptops on the market, with its striking designer cover, cool black interior, stunningly backlit keyboard and metal encased touch pad. The chiclet style keyboard is one of the finest we've seen, too, both for its easy but firm responsiveness and for its economic yet sensible layout (they've even overcome the 'squashed arrow keys' problem of similar models).
There's plenty of power under the bonnet as well, courtesy of the Intel Core i7 CPU clocked at 1.60GHz, 8GB of RAM and the NVIDIA GeForce GTS 360M graphics card. As you'd expect for a heavy-duty gaming laptop, battery life is minimal (around 2 hours at most) and heat output is considerable, but on the performance side the machine runs quietly and efficiently thanks to an inbuilt eco system.
However, improved technology also comes with a hefty price tag, especially when you remember that the Aspire AS5738 only cost around £600 compared to the £1,700 here. So ultimately you'll have to decide whether being at the cutting edge of 3D advances is worth the outlay.

Acer - Aspire 5745PG review

Acer's Aspire family of notebooks continues to mushroom and it's not hard to spot what the principal selling point of the 5745PG model is from the second it's been powered up: its considerable touch screen capability.

The Aspire 5745PG is a 15.6-inch notebook that wisely decides to make the maximum mileage out of Windows 7's built-in multi-touch technology by linking it to Acer's proprietary TouchPortal system, thus ensuring that this could be a highly attractive proposition for the business person on the go who wants the most out of a comparatively low-cost machine.
Before examining the touch performance in detail, it's worth doing a tour of the external features first. Outwardly the Aspire 5745PG is pleasingly slim (379 x 250 x 28.5mm), relatively lightweight at 2.75kg and decidedly chic with its glossy black 'pinstripe suit' lid and gunmetal grey work surface.
A quick scan of the sides reveals four USB 2.0 ports alongside VGA, HDMI, Ethernet and a DVD-Super Multi double-layer drive. Round the front is a 5-in-1 memory card reader which covers all the usual suspects, including the increasingly out-of-favour xD-Picture Card. Although higher spec models have a Blu-ray player in place of the DVD, it's a shame one of the USB ports could not have been an eSATA variant.

Thankfully Acer has decided to use a full-size keyboard of the chiclet style with square-shaped keys that are a dream to type on, being firm yet responsive. Making the most of the space, Acer has also included a full-size number pad but, as we've seen before, this inevitably means squashing down the space for the four arrow keys, which will annoy some people. Nearly invisible at the top right of the keyboard is a button to initiate PowerSmart mode, next to the manual DVD release button.
Nothing else clutters the area around the touch pad and that's probably because it will have sterling use for scrolling and pinch-zooming, etc. This brings us neatly to the 15.6-inch HD, LED-backlit, TFT display, which is brightly lit at the native 1366 x 768 pixel resolution and responds agilely to the multi-touch demands made upon it.
The TouchPortal icon sits comfortably in the corner of the frame, waiting to be dragged into full screen and enabling you to play and reposition videos, photos and music as well as browse the Net, search Microsoft's Surface Globe and play some games. It works extremely well and will clearly be an asset to anyone who dislikes rummaging through folders using the conventional Windows interface.
Even the basic model of the Aspire 5745PG reviewed here was powered by an Intel Core i3-350M processor clocked at 2.26GHz, with 4GB of DDR3 memory, and was easily able to cope with most multi-function operations.
With a not-inconsiderable NVIDIA GeForce 310M graphics card under the hood, you can even play comparatively undemanding games with pleasure and the stereo Dolby Home Theatre surround speakers do make watching movies much more atmospheric than usual for a notebook.
320GB of hard drive storage should be more than sufficient for most business needs but you will have to pack your power lead, as battery longevity is only around 90 minutes at heavy usage levels, stretching to three and a half hours of light working.

Toshiba - Portégé R700 review

The Toshiba Portégé R700 is the latest incarnation of Toshiba's ultra portable business person's notebook. It comes in several iterations and all share some defining characteristics. You can more than double the base asking price if you want an Intel Core i7 processor, 128GB Solid state drive and wireless broadband integration, or for £629 plus VAT you can go for a more humble Core i3 processor, 320GB hard drive and no mobile broadband.
Most of the models lack an optical drive, which is hardly a surprise for a notebook with a 13.3-inch screen. However, several do squeeze in a DVD drive and these models are arguably the all-rounders that could work as an everyday computer for many people.
Battery life is good, with Toshiba quoting a maximum of 8 hours and 55 minutes. On an exercise involving continuous movie playback from a USB stick on a version of the notebook without an optical drive, we got a bit over four hours of movie playback, which is pretty good going. There is an an eco utility to help you monitor power and conserve battery life.

That 13.3-inch screen manages 1366 x 768 pixels natively but will drive a 1900 x 1200 external monitor and there is a button above the keyboard for quick monitor switching. The screen has a matt finish and is clear and sharp. A joy to use.
The Toshiba Portégé R700 is a fairly light notebook measuring 316 x 227 x 16.8-25.7mm. It is light, too, at 1.28kg. If you want to carry it for long periods you may want to invest in a protective sleeve, as the lid section is rather flimsy. Heavier handed typists may also notice some give in the keyboard, though we are pretty light fingered and did not have any problems. The chiclet keyboard design is visually appealing and we find it helps with typing accuracy.
A button above the large touchpad disables it so that if you are the kind of user who brushes the touchpad with your wrists the problem is easily avoided. There's a fingerprint sensor and webcam on some models, and you can use the latter for face login if you wish.
All the various versions of the Toshiba Portégé R700 run Windows 7 Professional 32-bit and graphics are handled by Intel's GMA chipset. All also have gigabit Ethernet, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
The range of ports and connectors is limited, but to be fair it is difficult to see how Toshiba could have packed in much more. On the right side, by the optical drive if it is present, are microphone and headphones connectors, a USB connector and the Ethernet port. Embedded into the wrist rest on this edge of the chassis is a cardreader for SD and compatible cards.
On the left side is an HDMI port, two further USB ports, with one doubling as an eSATA port and offering sleep and charge facilities, a VGA out port, cooler vent and mains power input.

Toshiba - AC100-10Z review

Android seems to be flavour of the month at the moment as far as smartphones are concerned, and it is set to start making inroads in the tablet market soon as well. Toshiba is among those set to launch an Android-based tablet, but in the meantime the company has come up with the AC100, an Android device in a notebook format. Does the combination actually work?
The AC100 comes in two flavours. We had the less expensive AC100-10Z to test, but for around £50 more you can get the AC100-10U which adds 3G data support. Apart from that, both versions of the notebook are identical and both have Wi-Fi.
The hardware is superb. A 10.1-inch screen makes for a small notebook that measures just 262 x 189 x 14-21mm and weighs a mere 0.87kg. The design is novel in that most of the chassis is brown with orange highlights. This won't appeal to everyone, but we found it rather fetching.

Processing power comes via an NVIDIA Tegra 250 Mobile Web Processor, much more the kind of thing you'll find in tablets and slates than in fully fledged notebooks. Its 1GHz dual core ARM A9 processor and NVIDIA graphics processor mean it can support 1080p video, and video playback is a real highlight of the AC100.
Ports and connectors are restricted, with a combined microphone and headphones slot, HDMI port and two USB ports being all you get. There is an SD card slot so you can boost the 8GB of built-in storage. Oh, and there is a webcam sitting above the screen so you can do a bit of video calling.
The screen's 1024 x 600 pixels can't compare to any ‘real' notebook, and its reflective coating makes it a challenge to use in sunnier conditions. We can see that a computer like this might have appeal as a machine that moves around the home - and maybe also the garden - but in reality its reflectivity may limit its potential.
The keyboard is really nicely made. It felt comfortable under our fingers, and some thought has gone into making it Android specific, with a Home button for going to the Android home screen, separate media playback buttons, and a web browser shortcut. But there's no multitouch support on the touchpad, which is a pity.
Unfortunately, the bottom line is that Android just doesn't work well on the AC100. The basic Android apps don't lend themselves to the keyboarded format in the same way they might do to a tablet. The keyboard simply feels redundant, largely because it is tricky to find software for producing and editing real documents. There's no flash support so even many web based document editing options are out of the question.
There's no Android Market, either. There is a marketplace for apps, the Camagni Market, but it doesn't have much content and concentrates on apps formatted for the large, high resolution display. Toshiba has added a couple of apps including Documents to Go for viewing Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents, and the Opera web browser, but without the thousands of apps in the market, Android is hamstrung here.

Fujitsu - LIFEBOOK T730 review

Fujitsu's T730 updates a long line of convertible Tablet PCs from the company. This latest model allows you to choose a version incorporating GPS, something that is still quite rare in standard notebooks, though you do find it in more ruggedised machines designed for military, industrial and other demanding outdoor circumstances.
The build is quite tough and solid, and the lid exhibits almost no flex. Fujitsu invariably adds a very solid clasp into its notebooks which helps hold base and lid together in transit. In this case the clasp doubles up to hold the lid section in place when the T730 is in tablet mode with its screen outermost.
The Fujitsu LIFEBOOK T730 is a reasonably light notebook with a starting weight of 1.8kg, though that may start to feel like a lot more if you have to hold it in the crook of your arm working in tablet mode for any length of time. Inside the chassis the 12-inch screen delivers 1280 x 800 pixels. You can opt for a standard display or a high brightness model which offers easier viewing outdoors in bright sunshine.

As befits at Tablet PC, the screen is touch sensitive. There is some multi-touch support with rotating of pictures, pinch-to-zoom and double-tapping all supported. Dragging on the screen to scroll, particularly when web browsing or reading long documents in tablet mode, is a beautifully intuitive and smooth experience.
If you want to use a stylus instead of a fingertip, or need to because you are working with an application that requires a finer point than a finger than provide, there is one sitting in the bottom front right edge of the chassis.
There is a webcam sitting above the screen, and buttons ranged around the screen bezel provide what you need for interacting with the T730 when the keyboard is unavailable. There are five buttons, offering individual functions and second functions when they are pressed in combination. You can launch two apps by pressing different combinations, for example.
There are several different configurations on offer, with Intel Core i3, i5 and i7 processors in the mix. Hard drives rise to 500GB and you can also opt for 64GB or 128GB solid state drives. There is a modular bay on the right edge of the chassis which you can fill with a DVD, second battery, weight saver or even a Blu-ray drive.
There are three USB ports, HDMI port, Ethernet connector, VGA out, card reader, Firewire, ExpressCard slot, headphones and microphone connectors. Unusually, the battery is a rectangular unit that sits on the front edge of the chassis nestled under the wrist rest. This means the ports and connectors are ranged on all four sides of the notebook, which is ideal if you work a lot in tablet mode.
The screen benefits from an ambient light sensor which means brightness can be automatically adjusted depending on lighting conditions.
Battery life is about average. We got nearly two and a half hours of movie playback from a full charge. Fujitsu says you should get up to seven hours of life from the provided battery, but obviously that assumes fairly light usage.