Archive for the ‘Notebooks’ Category

7 Things You Should Know About Upgrading to Windows 7

Thursday is a big day for Windows users. Microsoft is finally making Windows 7 publicly available, and the number of preorders for the operating system on Amazon.com has already surpassed orders for Harry Potter in the UK.

Not bad for an operating system that costs $120 and doesn’t even have any magic wands or dragons in it.

That’s a good indicator that a ton of people are upgrading, and we’re sure there will be even more that follow after consumers spread the word about the vast improvements in Windows 7 over its predecessors. Here’s a simple guideline of tidbits you should know to ensure your upgrade process is smooth — from purchase to install.

1. The Upgrade Is Worth It
We’ve written about Windows 7’s strong points as well as the weaker points of Windows 7. On balance, we’re confident saying this is the best Microsoft operating system yet. If you’re running any earlier version of Windows, you’ll almost certainly want to upgrade — and you should feel no hesitation about buying new computers preloaded with Windows 7.

2. But It Will Cost You
Apple offers an upgrade to its latest operating system, Snow Leopard, for $30 — and you can even take advantage of it if you don’t have the previous version, Leopard. Not so with Microsoft: You’ll need to pay $120 for the upgrade — or even more, depending on which version you get (unless, of course, you’re a smart shopper and can find a discounted price. See tips 6 and 7 below for details on which version to buy and how to find discounts.) As with previous versions of Windows, Microsoft has created a bewildering array of variations.

3. Double-Check Compatibility With Your Hardware
Paranoid about losing access to some of your third-party accessories and software after upgrading? You should be, at least a little bit. Microsoft claims Windows 7 will work smoothly with most third-party gadgets and software, but to be on the safe side, you should check out the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor. The tool automatically scans your system and provides a report of any potential issues that arise, as well as steps to resolve them.

4. Scout for Computers Shipping With Windows 7
If you’ve been shopping for a new computer — but waiting for Windows 7 to come out first — there’s a Microsoft tool to help search for new computers that ship with Windows 7. It’s called PC Scout, and it searches for computers based on your preferences. As of this writing, the results don’t bring up Windows 7 systems (since Windows 7 isn’t officially released yet), but the website clarifies all the computers listed in the database are eligible for a Windows 7 upgrade. That means if you purchase one of those computers today, all you have to pay is $10 for shipping, and you get the Windows 7 upgrade free. By the time Windows 7 ships, the PC Scout should be showing results for computers that include Windows 7.

Amazon customers shopping for Windows 7 computers: There’s a web page just for you. Amazon breaks down lists of netbooks, notebooks and desktops specifically shipping with Windows 7, so definitely check those out.

5. Upgrading From XP? Back up Your Data, Wipe and Migrate
Windows XP users cannot do a straight upgrade; they’ll have to back up their files, format their hard drive and perform a clean install. After your fresh copy of Windows 7 is on your computer, Microsoft offers a tool called Easy Transfer to migrate your files.

(If you’re a Vista user, you’ll be able to upgrade without doing a clean install — though fresh installations are generally recommended for optimal performance anyway whenever you switch to a new operating system.)

6. Know What You Want
Disregard the awful, intimidating Windows 7 upgrade chart when you’re picking a version to buy. Choosing the right version really isn’t as complicated as Microsoft has made it sound in the past. Consumers: The vast majority of you should go with Windows 7 Home Premium. Business users: Most of you will want to go with Windows 7 Professional. (There’s a Windows 7 Ultimate edition, but that’s aimed at a very niche audience of ultra geeks who want to do everything they could possibly imagine doing with their computers.) Again, if you want to be safe, use the Upgrade Advisor to check your hardware and software compatibility.

7. Look for Limited-Time Discounts
If you’re buying Windows 7 while it’s brand new, you shouldn’t be paying the full price. Microsoft and its partners are holding a weeklong sale called “7 Days of Windows 7.” Companies offering Windows 7 discounts with Microsoft include Best Buy, Dell and Acer. You can sign up to hear about daily offers on Windows.com. Also, you can check discount-aggregation sites such as PriceGrabber.com or Froogle.com to find the cheapest Windows 7 deals.

See Also:

• 7 Good Reasons to Switch to Windows 7
• 7 Reasons to Avoid Windows 7
• First Look: Windows 7 Shapes Up as Microsoft’s Best OS Yet …

Unibody Apple MacBook Review [Review]

It was inevitable that Apple would take their unibody manufacturing prowess from their MacBook Pros and focus it on the MacBook line. We just never expected the new MacBook to be as enticing as the 13-inch Pro.

It’s Basically a White Macbook Pro

To illustrate just how good the internals are on the MacBook, just compare them to the current base 13-inch MacBook Pro. Both have a 2.26GHz Core 2 Duo with a 3MB L2 cache, a 1066 MHz frontside bus and a 2GB default RAM. They also have a really similar LED backlit display, which eliminates the problem of narrowed viewing angles that we docked the first generation unibody MacBooks for, and both now have the same contrast ratio. The only difference is that the Pro has a 60% greater color gamut.

The new body

The rounded edges and a reduced number of seams make the new MacBook appear to be a flattened marshmallow. A glossy, rubber-bottomed marshmallow. It’s an immediately more appealing shape than the previous generation of white MacBooks, marking the end of the transition of Apple laptops to unibody construction. That rubber bottom is also pretty satisfying, both in the fact that it grips surfaces better to not slide around, and because it’s a more thigh-friendly material when the machine heats up. The whole body is more solid, thanks to an aluminum sheet and some more structural supports found in the teardown.
Otherwise, there are many other small design changes you’ll appreciate. The trackpad is now the standard glass multitouch type found on the Pros, the screen has a more prominent bezel and the iSight is circular instead of square. Keyboard layout is the same, but on-key shortcuts have been updated to the latest standards. It also comes with Apple’s new 60W power adapter, which has a tip that looks more like the MacBook Air than any of the previous chargers.
In general, the build quality is more solid and more “Pro” than ever before, despite the material being polycarbonate instead of aluminum. It’s like trading up from a Toyota Yaris to a Camry—not luxury, but it’s a noticeable difference.

Benchmarks and Battery Life

Comparing the 13-inch aluminum unibody MacBook of 2008 to the 13-inch aluminum unibody MacBook Pro to the 13-inch MacBook now shows that there really isn’t a big difference between the three models. The small discrepancies fall inside the margin of error, and some change can probably be attributed to the fact that the first two machines were running Leopard, whereas the machine we have now is running Snow Leopard.

Point is, this MacBook isn’t really that much faster or slower than the one last year.
Just as the transition to non-replaceable batteries increased MacBook Pro runtime, so too has the transition benefited the Macbook. Except for the fact that there’s no external battery display on this unit for some reason, and that there’s no infrared port for Apple Remotes.

The new MacBook ran 4 hours and 12 minutes, longer than the two most recent MacBook Pros, using the same metrics as we did before: Wi-Fi on, keyboard backlight on low, non-stop H.264 movie playback. In real-world circumstances, that battery life can only get better. Our testing is processor-intensive.

What’s also interesting, according to the teardown, is that the battery is only 60 watt-hours vs. 55 on the old one, yet it gets a lot more battery life. This is probably due to internal optimizations that Apple made, not just because there’s a fatter battery.

Some new problems

• A consequence of having an improved, unibody construction is that you can no longer replace the battery yourself. It also means that native battery life will be longer, as demonstrated in the testing above. In fact, unlike Pro machines where people really do want to swap batteries for extended field use, an improved internal battery will serve regular users much better.

• For some reason, Apple decided to make the entire area surrounding the keyboard as glossy as the outer shell, meaning that your wrists have a more sticky feel when you’re typing. It’s not a huge deal, but it is less usable when compared to previous generations or the MacBook Pro line.

• Again, like the Magic Mouse, the white polycarbonate (plastic) will get scratched easily, and will show scratches if you look at it from a certain angle. It doesn’t diminish performance, but it is annoying if you’re anal about your stuff.

Where does that leave us?

Right now is the brief window in time when MacBooks just got bumped up in specs to match the low-end MacBook Pros, in order for the MacBook Pros to have room to grow without leaving the entry-level machines too far behind. If you’re in the market for a MacBook, this could be the best time for you to buy and feel good about your purchase, knowing that you’ll get the same performance as a machine that costs $200 more.

But keep in mind, this development basically implies that the MacBook Pros will be getting the Core i5 and i7 processors some time in the next year.

The unibody construction was an inevitable upgrade to the MacBook line, and one that brings many more benefits than it does faults. There shouldn’t be a drastic change in the MacBook design any time soon, so now is probably the furthest away from the next generation as you’re going to get. [Apple]

Polycarbonate unibody construction looks, feels great

Has just about the same specs as the 13-inch MacBook Pro, so you’re getting a good deal

Finally get Pro stuff like the multitouch glass trackpad

Glossy wrist area is slightly too sticky

Can’t swap out batteries, but you do get longer life in return

Firewire port is gone

Acer Introduces Notebook with 3-D Display

Acer is set to launch one of the first notebooks that will come with a 3-D display and run Microsoft’s latest Windows 7 operating system.

The Aspire 5738DG laptop throws up images with 3-D depth, perception, while maintaining the performance and features of a general notebook, says the company.

“This holiday season, we are seeing 3D content become more prevalent in popular films and games,” said Ray Sawall, senior manager of product marketing for Acer America in a statement. “The Aspire notebook enables consumers to enjoy 3D entertainment on a mobile PC that can also replicate a 3D experience from standard 2D content.”

Consumer electronics makers are trying to create devices that will make 3-D content accessible to users. So far, much of the discussion around 3-D displays has been in TVs. Companies such as Panasonic, Mitsubishi and Sony, are betting on 3-D, with compatible TV sets planned for the market in 2010. Acer is among the few PC manufacturers attempting to bring the 3-D trend to notebooks.

The Acer Aspire notebook comes with a 3-D screen, software and polarized glasses. Users can switch from applications such as spreadsheets, documents and email to 3-D viewing with a mouse click. Customers can also view 3-D multimedia without the need for a special graphics card, says Acer.

The laptop has a 15.6-inch HD display coated with a special 3-D film to help the LCD deliver a 3-D image. Customers can also use the a bundled tool to enable 2-D to 3-D conversion for some games and applications.

The $780 notebook will run Microsoft’s latest Windows 7 operating system and will be available later this week.

All this is fueled by an Intel Core 2 Duo Processor, ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4570 graphics chip, 4GB memory, 320GB disk drive, webcam and a multi-gesture touchpad. The notebook weighs 6.16 lbs.

See Also:

• Sneak Peek: 3-D TV Menu Systems Surprisingly Complicated …
• Wired Explains: How 3-D Television Works
• 3-D Printers Make Manufacturing Accessible
• Self-Assembling DNA Makes Super 3-D Nano Machines
• Fujifilm’s 3D Digicam Almost Ready for Stores

Photo: Aspire 5738DG/Acer

ViewSonic announces 12-, 13.3-, and 14-inch ‘ViewBook’ ultraportables

ViewSonic dove headfirst into the ultraportable notebook game yesterday, with the announcement of the “ViewBook” line of 12-, 13-, and 14-inch low voltage machines.

The 13.3-inch ViewBook 130 (pictured above) looks to compete directly with Acer’s 3810-model Timeline offerings, while the 12-inch ViewBook 120 (video below) bears a striking physical resemblance to the Lenovo S12 series.

The ViewBook line was announced in Taiwan but it’s not out of the realm of possibility that we would eventually see these machines in the U.S., since ViewSonic products are already represented reasonably well here.

The ViewBook 130 will be available in three different configurations ranging from $24,900 to $31,900 New Taiwan dollars, which is roughly $767 to $983 U.S. dollars. That’s not to say that we’d see those actual prices stateside — I’d guess they’d be lower than that in order to stay competitive, perhaps between $650 and $900 or so.

Specs for the ViewBook 130 line include:

• Intel ULV743 CPU at 1.3GHz, SU4100 at 1.3GHz, or SU7300 at 1.3GHz
• 13.3-inch screen with 1366×768 resolution
• 2GB of RAM
• 320GB hard drive
• HDMI/VGA output
• Windows 7 Home Premium
• Six-cell battery good for up to 8 hours

The ViewBook 120:

• Intel SU2300 CPU at 1.3GHz
• 2GB of RAM
• 250GB hard drive
• VGA out, three USB ports
• Windows 7 Home Premium
• Six-cell battery good for up to 8 hours

Pricing for the ViewBook 120 is pegged at around $22,000 New Taiwan Dollars, which is about $678 here. Again, though, that’s not to say that it’d be priced at $678 through U.S. retailers.

Not much info on the 14-inch ViewBook 140, although my guess is that it’s likely similar to the ViewBook 130 from a features standpoint.

[via NetbookNews.de (translated)]

New White Unibody MacBook Torn Apart, Aluminum Case Revealed

Like a pack of hungry attack dogs on a piece of bloody flesh, Kyle Wiens and his iFixit cronies have gotten medieval on the new “unibody” MacBooks, ripping them apart to reveal the electronic tripe inside and spill it across their work-room slabs.

From the outside, the new plastic MacBooks look like white versions of their aluminum big brother. Aside from losing FireWire and separate audio-in ports, the white MacBook also lacks the SD card reader of the Pro models.

On the inside, there are some surprises. The lower case is actually aluminum, and has a rubber coating on the outside (it also loses the little rubber feet, saving you the bother of doing the same). The battery is held in with tri-wing screws, the driver for which not many people have lying around, and the hard drive, too, is harder to get at (the previous MacBooks had a slide-in design, and were arguably the easiest Mac drives to replace, ever).

But the big surprise is just how simple things are when the MacBook is fully disassembled. Some of this comes from combining previously separate parts (Bluetooth and Wi-Fi now share a board), and partly it is just a simpler design. Either way, it’s yet another Apple product that looks almost as good on the inside as the outside.

MacBook Polycarbonate Unibody Teardown [iFixit. Thanks again, Kyle!]

See Also:

• Gallery: iPhone 3GS Teardowns Reveal Underclocked CPU, More …
• Teardown Reveals iPhone Camera Could Fit the iPod Touch — Barely …

« Older Entries    Newer Entries »