Dell XPS 15 Core i7 Laptop Review

Dell XPS 15 Over the years, we’ve seen a mouthful of interesting computing devices walk out from Dell quarters right from the XPS and Studio line up for multimedia enthusiasts to the widely customizable Inspiron and Alienware series. Though nothing noteworthy has really happened on the Studio and Adamo fronts for quite a bit now, 2010 did see Dell revising its XPS system line-up which brought to the table a host of mainstream laptops. Decipher XPS for one and you’ll know Dell means business, at least with something that stands for Xtreme Performance System, (even if it’s bad spelling). Now we do know that the company had debut the new Dell XPS 15 and 17 laptops with 3D and Sandy Bridge just last month. Why a review of the older XPS 15 notebook then? Well, better late than never!

Our first impressions of the Dell XPS 15 went from ‘Now that’s a chubby laptop’ to ‘It’s very heavy’. Our guess is on the anodized aluminum grade finishing in metal and black draping the laptop on its external and internal areas respectively making it look a wee bit slimmer and sleeker than it actually is. Despite the very noticeable full demeanor, the laptop looks anything but uninviting with its rounded edges et al. What we also got in the box were a range of software CDs, couple of set up guides, warranty support and 3DTV support booklet. The top chassis of the laptop bears just the Dell logo in the central portion and the display has been hinged at least an inch ahead from the back edge. Quite a move away from the plethora of 15-inchers we’ve come across in recent times, this one doesn’t have the I/O ports on both edges too. They are instead affixed to just the right and the posterior area.

Worth noting is the slight dip when you move towards the back with the left edge in particular incorporating the cooling vent and a single USB 3.0 port here. As for the right side, it holds the optical drive along with the headphone, mic-in and S/PDIF jacks and an eSATA/USB combo port. Dell’s quite intelligently placed the other connectivity options in a very unlikely place, the back of the laptop. Mini-display, HDMI, Ethernet, Antenna-in, Power and a Kensington lock slot in line with another USB 3.0 option are the ports in this region. For some reason Dell also has the battery and HDD status indicator LEDs here. Move over to the front rim and a 9-in-1 SDXC-MMC-MS/Pro slot is all that’s there. It’s long after you’ve hit the power button that the laptop actually starts up. In the meantime, we notice the innards of this device to have a very plastic feel with either sides of the backlit keyboard splashed by JBL speakers. Right above the keyboard is the Power button, WLAN indicator and shortcuts to the Windows Mobility Center, Display off and the Waves MaxxAudio3 interface.

As far as the technical bells and whistles are concerned, it’s the Intel Core i7 CPU Q740 running in at precisely 1.73GHz that lights things up. 4GB of RAM on the 64-bit Windows 7 Home Premium OS, a 500GB hard drive and by now we find ourselves seeing too much of a similarity with the Lenovo Ideapad Y560 laptop we’d scanned just some time back. With the XPS 15 powered up, the familiar Dell Dock seated itself on the front top edge of the screen. It brings in the option of fitting a range of shortcuts and leaving the desktop uncluttered while also being able to customize the dock as you fancy. The 15.5” screen though very reflective displays content vividly. Its native resolution of the 1366 x 768 coupled with the varied viewing angles offered make it a visual treat. Add the Nvidia Optimus technology courtesy of the Nvidia GeForce GT435M chipset and even your odd gaming experience is taken to new levels. There’s no visual lag and the laptop is quick to auto-switch between the Nvidia and Intel HD graphics options whenever needed. It also works at going easy on the power being consumed.

While on everything visual, the Dell Central Webcam software lets you put to good use the integrated 2MP webcam. Both the image and video quality offered are just decent enough and the interface does allow various customization options to enhance the experience. We wouldn’t suggest you snap up images in low-lit environments as the webcam isn’t suited for this. Another issue is the viewing of images in this interface which was anything but smooth with the screen flickering vigorously when you zoom in and out of images. If you use your laptop extensively for typing, the backlit keyboard for one can have you quite disappointed. Obviously the backlighting works in favor of helping you type in dark environments but the fact that the keys don’t have enough spacing in between only got plain annoying after a point. We ended up hitting the Caps Lock button every time we intended to hit ‘A’. And it doesn’t end at this. You’re going to be striking a lot many wrong keys before your fingers are actually used to the keyboard. On the upside, the topmost row includes a host of shortcuts for media functions and a touchpad enable/disable key. Speaking of the touchpad, it’s very comfortable, and the wide form coughs up easy navigation options. It also supports multi-finger gestures including pinch to zoom.

Getting to the highlight of the Dell XPS 15 mainly the fitted JBL speakers with subwoofer, they’re a class apart. The Dell Audio by Realtek software offers nifty audio support and our love for The Road to El Dorado only scaled higher when we saw it on this laptop. The software interface is divided into Main, Speaker/Headphone, Microphone and Advanced options that allow various enhancements to the audio. You can tune the Bass, Treble and Stereo Sound to meet your requirements via MaxxAudio too while choosing from among Stereo, Quadrophonic and 5.1 speaker options. You’re desire to opt for external speakers is going to be close to zero once you have the correct adjustments in place. When Dell says its studio quality audio, we want to believe them, at least with the experience we got. There’s also an equalizer option which doesn’t really need any detailing. It does much of the speaking for itself.

The Andrea Microphone Technology too enabled noise cancellation on a pair of standard microphones – pretty nifty we must say. Two options in here are Echo Cancellation and Noise Reduction and if you’re recording sounds, you can fix the recording volume or simply boost the microphone. Jump over to the Advanced tab here and you’ll see a Power Management option which basically turns off your system audio devices in a no sound event to save power. Moving on to the Windows Mobility Center experience, it’s very intelligently crafted to precisely include the shortcuts to tasks you’re likely to need the most without having to scamper over to the control panel every now and then. Among the crowd are Display brightness, Keyboard brightness, Sound, Battery Status, Function Key Row and Radio control that can be tweaked effortlessly.

On the hardware front, Intel leaves a mark with the 500GB Intel Rapid Storage technology doing more than its bit to aid easy transfers. It comes complete with the control and management interface. Intel’s My Wi-Fi technology too allows seamless connectivity to wireless networks. Our web browsing experience on this laptop was pleasing and minus any real sluggish behavior. While we did multi-task extensively with ease, our only grouse was about the laptop being heated too soon. In particular, the area to the left of the touchpad in and around the wrist rest area got very hot.

All in all, our experience with the Dell XPS 15 was engaging. It did stand out for delivering very good audio support and robust performance abilities. We can look past our reservations for the keyboard and the mere 3 hour battery support we got with only average usage too. That’s because the real sore point if we may call it so appears to be the added bulk, with the laptop tipping the scale at 2.8kg, which can be a little too much to ignore. The device sells for Rs. 69,000 and we’ve liked it enough to give it a good 9 out of 10.

Specifications
Processor	Intel Core i7 840QM (1.86GHz/4MB cache) Intel Core i7 740QM (1.73GHz/4MB cache) Intel Core i5 560M (2.66GHz/3MB cache) Intel Core i5 460M (2.4GHz/3MB cache)
Chipset	Intel HM57
Main Memory	4/6/8GB Shared Dual Channel DDR3 Memory
Graphic system	NVIDIA GT435M GeForce NVIDIA GT420M GeForce
Display	15.6″ HD (720p) WLED Display
Hard Disk	Up to 640GB SATA hard drive (7200RPM) Up to 256GB Solid State hard drive
Webcamera	2.0MP HD with single digital mic (H.264)
Audio	JBL 2.1 Designed & Certified Speakers +Waves MaxxAudio 2.1 Audio: 2 X 4W + 12W sub-woofer 20W Total
Optical Disc Drive	16x DVD+/-RW (standard), Blu-ray Disc combo (reads Blu-ray Disc & writes to CD/DVD); 12.7mm tray load
GPS	Optional
Mobile Broadband (WWAN)	Dell Wireless 5540 HSPA mobile broadband mini card Dell Wireless 5620 EVDO-HSPA mobile broadband mini card
WiMax	Intel Centrino Advanced-N + WiMAX 6250 802.11 a/g/n
Wireles	Intel Centrino Wireless-N 1000 Intel Centrino Ultimate-N 6300 802.11 a/b/g/n (3×3) Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6200 802.11 a/g/n Intel Centrino Advanced-N + WiMAX 6250 802.11 a/g/n
Bluetooth	Bluetooth 3.0
TV tuner	Optional
Input/Output Port	1 x Mini DisplayPort (1) 2 x total USB 3.0 1 x USB 2.0 (eSATA/powershare combo) 1 x LAN (RJ45) 1 x HDMI 1.4 1 x AC adapter connector 1 x Audio jacks (headphone with SPDIF support (2), Mic-in
Expansion Slots	9-in-1 media card reader
Operating System	Genuine Windows 7 Ultimate 64-Bit Genuine Windows 7 Professional 64-Bit Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit
Battery	6-cell LI (2.6Ah) standard; Up to 5 hours, 14 minutes of battery life 9-cell LI (2.8Ah); Up to 9 hours, 9 minutes of battery life
Dimensions	Width: 15″ (381mm) Height: 1.3″ (32.2mm) front /1.5″ (38.2mm) back) Depth: 10.4″ (265.4mm)
Weight	6.14lbs. (2.78kg) with 6-cell battery 6.51lbs.(2.96kg) with 9-cell battery
Warranty	1 Year Basic Service Plan
Price	start at $849.99 at the Dell online store

Read rest of entry

Lenovo ThinkPad X220 Ultraportable Notebook Review

Over the past year I've had the opportunity to review nearly half a dozen Lenovo notebooks including models from the consumer-level IdeaPad line as well as the business-oriented ThinkPad series.

Living up to its reputation, I've generally been pleased with Lenovo's overall build quality and performance. The recently reviewed IdeaPad U260 was a real work of art and excelled in nearly every category except for one -- it narrowly missedIntel's Sandy Bridge processor refresh which would have offered even better all-around CPU and GPU performance.

Today we'll be looking at our first notebook based on Intel's second generation Core processors, the ThinkPad X220.The X220 was just introduced this month and represents Lenovo's latest ultraportable ThinkPad. Feature highlights include a 12.5" 1366x768 IPS display, a solidly built thin frame and starting weight of 3 pounds, all without sacrificing on performance courtesy of Intel's new mobile processors. The ThinkPad X series refresh is available in various configurations, from the Core i3-2310M all the way up to the high-end i7-2620M (the series fastest dual-core mobile processor). The ThinkPad X220 also includes a full-size keyboard and an all-new oversized touchpad with integrated mouse-click buttons.

 Our review unit came equipped with a dual-core Core i5-2520M clocked at 2.5GHz (four thread capable with Hyper-Threading). This processor packs Intel's new HD 3000 graphics core and has max TDP of only 35W. Other specs include 4GB of PC3-10700 DDR3, a Hitachi 320GB 7200RPM hard drive, Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6205 wireless, Bluetooth, a 6-cell Li-ion battery and as mentioned before a 12.5" IPS display.

The prospect of using a SSD for this type of system makes a lot of sense, however Lenovo has kept a standard hard drive likely to keep base price of the system accessible. According to the system's spec sheet they will let you fit a SSD out of the box, including Intel's popular solid state offerings.

Our review unit came equipped with a dual-core Core i5-2520M clocked at 2.5GHz (four thread capable with Hyper-Threading). This processor packs Intel's new HD 3000 graphics core and has max TDP of only 35W. Other specs include 4GB of PC3-10700 DDR3, a Hitachi 320GB 7200RPM hard drive, Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6205 wireless, Bluetooth, a 6-cell Li-ion battery and as mentioned before a 12.5" IPS display.

The prospect of using a SSD for this type of system makes a lot of sense, however Lenovo has kept a standard hard drive likely to keep base price of the system accessible. According to the system's spec sheet they will let you fit a SSD out of the box, including Intel's popular solid state offerings

Read rest of entry

VAIO S Series Laptop | Sony announces spanking new VAIO S Series laptop

Sony’s range of VAIO laptops are further expanded with yet another model – this time around through the VAIO S which will cater for folks who want more power in their everyday, portable computing. It might be a laptop, but don’t be fooled by it’s size – similar to how we shouldn’t judge a book by its cover.

Offering the far more powerful performance of a larger full-sized PC despite being crammed into a thin one-inch profile design alongside a 13.3-inch screen form factor, the VAIO S laptop will incorporate all the mobility of VAIO laptops, boasting the second generation Intel Core i5 and Core i7 processors (you can choose according to your needs, of course) coupled with Hybrid Graphics and dual channel solid state drive options for select models.

Different S Series models will come with a premium and elegant design in either black or white colors, alongside magnesium and aluminum materials for that added touch of class. All of them do sport a built-in lithium polymer battery that will work even better in tandem with the all new and advanced large-capacity optional sheet battery, letting you work away from a power outlet for up to 15 hours.

With intelligent charging enables, you are able to juice up the optional sheet battery separately and hook it to the system without having to shut it down for maximum flexibility.

The use of AMD Radeon HD 6630 1GB Hybrid Graphics card on some models are able to offer a performance boost to your day-to-day processor functions, making the overall computing experience a faster and more optimized one without sipping additional juice – in fact, it will lower overall power consumption. Other models for those who want top performance in a mobile package can look forward to dual channel solid state drive with RAID 0 technology.

You can already place a pre-order for the VAIO S Series laptops from today onwards with prices starting from around $970 and above, depending on the type of components as well as innards that you would like to see. If the optional sheet battery is your cup of tea, you will need to top up another additional $150 thereabouts.

Press Release

Read rest of entry

Tobii Technology rolls out eye controlled laptop

The disabled have yet another way to let technology work for them – and this time round it will be Tobii Technology that will help them out, with the introduction of a new eye controlled laptop. This is still not the final deal just yet, but a prototype at the moment and has been developed in collaboration with Lenovo of China. For those who are interested, you will be able to drop by CeBIT which is happening in Germany from March 1 to 5.

It makes perfect sense for Lenovo to be the manufacturer – after all, they are the world’s fourth largest manufacturer of personal computers, and it must be their honor to build the world’s first eye-controlled laptop, thanks to eye tracking technology from Tobii. The laptop, after all, is a fully functional conceptual prototype and will be an important breakthrough for Tobii as they intend to bring their own eye tracking technology to other serial production and consumer products.

It makes perfect sense to use one’s eyes to control your computer, after all, it is a natural form of movement, and boy are we glad to see technology progress to such a point where one is able to use one’s eyes to point, select and scroll through a myriad of windows.

According to Henrik Eskilsson, CEO of Tobii Technology, “More than anything else, the Tobii laptop prototype is proof that our eye tracking technology is mature enough to be used in standard computer interfaces. To reach a state where the technology is part of the average computer, we need to make it smaller and cheaper. We believe that this can be realized in a couple of years by partnering with the right manufacturer.”

You can’t find these in stores immediately though, since the first batch of eye-controlled laptops will only comprise of 20 units split evenly between Tobii Technology and Lenovo, and they’re up and available for development and demo purposes.

Press Release

Read rest of entry

Asus U36JC A1 - Core i5 460M 2.53GHz - 13.3" TFT

ASUS's U30 series of 13-inch ultraportable notebooks has long provided a strong mix of portability and power, from the original U30Jc with its 7 hours of endurance to the snazzy bamboo U33Jc. The ASUS U36Jc ups the ante with a slick 3.8-pound frame, snazzy aluminum-magnesium alloy lid, speedy 2.53-GHz Core i5 CPU, and Nvidia's Optimus switchable graphics. But are its strong specs good enough to justify its price--$1,000--and beat out its competitors?

Design

Super sleek, the 0.76-inch thick ASUS U36Jc's lid is built from a lightweight, raven black aluminum-magnesium alloy, while its matching palm rest is covered in a soft matte material that ASUS describes as "nanometer" coating. Unfortunately, the area near the screen doesn't have the same premium look as the palm rest and lid; its glossy plastic hinges drag down the aesthetic a bit, as does the gap between the screen and the deck.

At 3.8 pounds, the U36JC is quite a bit lighter than the previous generation U33Jc (4.4 pounds), but a little heavier than the Toshiba Portege R700 (3.2 pounds) and the Lenovo IdeaPad U260 (3 pounds). With dimensions of 12.9 x 9.28 x 0.76 inches, this laptop is also slightly larger than the U260 (12.5 x 8.1 x 0.7 inches) and R700 (12.4 x 8.9 x 0.7 inches).

Heat

While the top surface of the ASUS U36Jc stayed relatively cool throughout our testing, its underside reached uncomfortably high temperatures. After playing a full-screen video for 15 minutes, we measured the touchpad at a pleasant 85 degrees and the G and H keys at an acceptable 95 degrees Fahrenheit. However, the bottom measured a warm 105 degrees and, while playing World of Warcraft, it reached 110 degrees.

We consider temperatures below 95 degrees acceptable on the top surface of a notebook and temperatures of 100 degrees and below unpleasant but common for the bottom. However, this type of underside heat would make us think twice about placing the U36Jc on our lap while gaming.

Keyboard and Touchpad

The U36Jc's island-style black keyboard has the same look and layout as those on a number of Eee PC netbooks, from the 10-inch Eee PC 1015PN to the 12-inch Eee PC VX6. There's no flex at all, but the keys do feel a little stiff, which led us to a make a few more errors than usual while typing. We also wish the right Shift key were larger.

The 3 x 2-inch touchpad has a pleasant matte surface that matches the palm rest and allowed us to navigate around the desktop with ease. It also supports multitouch gestures such as pinch-to-zoom. Though we would have preferred two discrete buttons, the single mouse bar provided good tactile feedback and was not too stiff.

Read rest of entry

HP Mini 1103

HP is once again targeting the education market with its new Mini 1103 netbook. Unlike the kid-focused Mini 100e, this netbook looks and acts like a consumer model, but keeps the price low for cash-strapped schools and other institutions. Though not the flashiest system on the block, the $299 Mini 1103 combines very long battery life with decent performance for $50 to $100 less than many competitors.

Design

The HP Mini 1103's design is basic yet attractive. The overall aesthetic is closer to the Pavilion dm1and dm3 rather than high-end business netbooks such as the Mini 5103. The glossy black lid and display bezel pick up smudges, but thankfully the rest of the netbook features matte plastic. As with the Pavilion dm1 and the Mini 210, the bottom of the unit is a smooth line with just one panel to remove. This makes it easier to upgrade or repair internal components, such as the RAM or hard drive.

For the target market, the non-descript yet functional design of the Mini 1103 is just right. You won't find the same flair as other HP models, but it's not as toy-looking as the Mini 100e, which is geared toward younger students. However, the Toshiba mini NB505 offers bright color options and a more eye-catching design.

Heat

The top of the Mini 1103 stayed pretty cool, with the touchpad measuring only 85 degrees after playing a Hulu video at full screen for 15 minutes. The space between the G and H keys was about the same: 86 degrees. The underside of the netbook got up to 92 degrees, which is within our acceptable range.

Keyboard and Touchpad

The Mini 1103 doesn't have the modern chiclet-style layout of the Mini 210. However, the keys are well sized and placed, and we like the terraced treatment, which provides a better grip. We like that the media and system controls are one touch away, while the Function keys are secondary.

The 3.1 x 1.25-inch touchpad on the Mini 1103 has a fairly small surface when compared to other recent netbooks and even other HP models. This is due to the system having separate mouse buttons instead of integrated ones, as with a clickpad. The buttons are fairly large as well. Users who prefer physical buttons will likely not mind sacrificing some of the touch surface.

Display and Audio

One curious aspect of the 10.1-inch, 1024 x 600-pixel resolution screen on the Mini 1103 is that users can open it a full 180 degrees, allowing the entire netbook to lie flat. However, the viewing angles on the anti-glare display are somewhat narrow. Two people sitting side by side can share the screen, but sit any further away, and you'll encounter color distortion.

The 1103's volume was surprisingly strong from the narrow speaker just under the netbook's front lip. We were able to fill a medium-sized room with audio with the volume on 70 percent. When watching Hulu videos, we didn't need to crank it up to hear. Sound was somewhat flat and a little tinny at the at the max, but that's to be expected.

Read rest of entry

Deal of the Day: Fujitsu LifeBook PH52 for $399

There is a lot to like about the Fujitsu LifeBook PH5. With it’s lightweight construction, great battery life, and sleek style, it makes a great netbook for the mainstream user.

Some of the other features include a 320 GB S-ATA, 5400 rpm hard drive, an AMD Athlon™ II Neo Processor, an 11.6″ Crystal View WXGA HD display, 2GB of RAM, an integrated webcam, and it comes with Windows 7 Professional.

If a light and extra portable netbook is what you need, then you should definitely check this out. Originally priced at $599, you can now get it for $399 until January 30th. So strike while the iron is hot.

Purchase the Fujitsu LifeBook PH52 for $399 from LogicBUY.

Read rest of entry

HP Pavilion dm1z (with AMD Fusion) review

We mean this with no disrespect to Lenovo, but when you first lay eyes (or hands) on the incredibly attractive IdeaPad U260, it's pretty hard to believe that it was made by the company. Sure, the Chinese laptop manufacturer has always had a certain knack for creating very powerful and well-rounded ultraportables, but "drop-dead gorgeous" isn't exactly how we'd describe systems like the Lenovo IdeaPad U160, Edge 11, or ThinkPad X301. The U260 is indeed a total 180 for the company, and it's one of the most dapper and svelte laptops we've seen in a long time -- there's no question about it, its magnesium-aluminum alloy shell, leather palm rest, and glass touchpad even give the newest MacBook Airs a run for their money. But even better, the 12.5-inch system has the brawn to match that external beauty – its 0.7-inch shell has been injected with a Core i5 ULV processor, 4GB of RAM, and 320GB of storage. At $1,100 (the Core i3 version starts at $999), there's no denying that it's more than enticing, but is the U260 immune to Lenovo's typical ultraportable pain points, including poor battery life and tepid temperatures? We've been lucky enough to spend the last few days with the beautiful machine (yes, we took it on vacation!), so jump down below to find out in our full review!

It's obvious by now that we've got a real crush on the U260's bronzish, mocha exterior (it comes in an orange hue as well), and a glance at a few of the pictures in the gallery above makes it very easy to see why. It isn't as minimalistic as some others out there -- say Google's Cr-48 --but the soft-to-the-touch magnesium-aluminum alloy that envelops the system like a book cover gives the entire system a very clean and simplified look. Believe us, it's more than a welcome change from the glossy lids and rounded edges that we've gotten used to on the ThinkPad Edge family. The U260 also feels as high-end as it looks -- it may not have a unibody build, but it has a very rigid construction and that almost-rubbery metal lid not only seems to protect it from scratches, but feels really soft in hand. No, seriously, we've caught ourselves petting this thing a couple of times. Under the lid, the U260 loses its metal coverings, yet has an equally soft faux leather palm rest.

But, it's those aesthetic pieces combined with the U260's very slender design that really makes it turn heads. The system is a uniform 0.7-inches, which means there's no enlarged battery back or slight flare in the front to make it appear uneven, and when you open it up you certainly notice the svelteness of the screen. At 3.4-pounds, the U260 was just slightly heavier than pulling out a netbook at airport security, and it's just the right size and weight to comfortably transport it from the desk to the couch with one hand. Naturally, to maintain its lean body, Lenovo had to nix the DVD drive, but the U260 still houses a good array of ports along its edges. The right side is home to a USB socket and headphone jack, while the left houses USB, Ethernet, HDMI, and VGA ports. Unfortunately, there's no SD card slot, and while there's a place for an ExpressCard card slot, it doesn't open.

There's no doubt that Lenovo knows how to make some of the best keyboards around (see: Thinkpad Edge, ThinkPad T410), but the one on the U260 leaves a bit more to be desired. Don't get us wrong, the squircle shaped, matte keys have a great curve to them and feel as if they were molded for our fingertips, however, the chiclet layout is a bit cramped and doesn't stretch to the edges of the panel. Instead, the right Shift key is noticeably smaller than the one on the left and even the Caps Lock and Tab keys on the left are shrunken. It's not a deal breaker, but it did take us a bit of time to get into the groove of typing this review. Our bigger complaint about the keyboard comes with its lack of a backlight. In fact, it actually seems like oversight to not include a backlit keyboard option on a higher end system like the U260, and we definitely found ourselves wishing it was a feature in a dimly lit airplane cabin.

However, the polished glass touchpad receives our highest stamp of approval. The smooth surface, which feels similar to that a piece of sea glass, was incredibly soft on our index finger and just let the cursor glide along. Additionally, the two dedicated right and left mouse buttons, although slightly mushy, were quite comfortable. While two-finger scrolling worked decently in Word and Chrome, the dedicated scroll strip happens to give you a bit more control.

So, what's it like using the world's first laptop with a 12.5-inch display? To be honest, not that different than using a laptop with a 12.1-inch panel, considering the new screen still has the typical 1366 x 768 resolution. Okay, so it's not exactly great for pixel density, but that doesn't mean we're not seriously impressed with the anti-glare matte display. Yes, that means there's no glossiness or reflections, and yes, it's great! We actually were able to work on the laptop on a bright day without putting up any sort of shade. Too boot, the display is quite bright and the viewing angles are rather decent -- we had no problem sharing the screen in a tight airplane seat with our neighbor. We do have one complaint though -- the screen bezel is certainly glossy and can pick up its fair share of fingerprints.

Like the ThinkPad Edge 11, the U260 is available with both Core i3 and i5 ultra-low voltage processors -- Lenovo sent us the highest end configuration with a 1.33GHz Core i5 CPU and 4GB of RAM. As one would expect, the machine handled the brunt of our usual computing tasks, including simultaneously writing this review in Microsoft Word, chatting with friends in Trillian, checking our Twitter feed in TweetDeck, and surfing the web with multiple tabs open in Chrome. Even when we threw a 720p clip into the mix the system was able to keep up.

Speaking of HD content, the machine has no problems with full HD video, but as you can see from its 3DMark scores, it's definitely not a gaming rig. It should be fine for some light mainstream or Flash games, but you're not gonna want to fire up Black Ops on this thing, unless you're cool with playing at very, very low settings. We have to admit it would have been nice to see Lenovo put the U260 up with both discrete graphics and SSD options, though the latter can be accomplished on your own as the entire bottom of the system is removable. Obviously, we didn't test the waters on that with our review unit.

	PCMarkVantage	3DMark06	Battery Life
Lenovo IdeaPad U260	3858	1153	2:56
Lenovo IdeaPad U160 (Core i7 ULV)	3863	1175	3:10
Lenovo ThinkPad Edge 11	2964	1105	4:42
Dell Inspiron M101z (Athlon II Neo K325)	2572	1311	3:35
ASUS Eee PC 1215N (Intel Atom D525)	1924	181/2480	5:42
Acer Aspire One 721 (Athlon II Neo K125)	1814	1235	3:30
Alienware M11x (Intel Core 2 Duo SU7300)	2689	654 / 5593	4:30

Processor:	Intel Core i5-470UM Processor ( 1.33GHz 800MHz 3MB )
Operating system:	Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64
Graphics:	Intel HD Graphics
Total memory	4 GB PC3-8500 DDR3 SDRAM 1066MHz
Display:	12.5″ HD AntiGlare with integrated camera 1366×768
Pointing device:	Industry Standard Multi-touch 2 button touchpad
Hard Drive:	320GB 5400
Battery:	Li-Polymer
Network Card:	Intel Wireless Wi-Fi Link 1000
Bluetooth:	Bluetooth Version 2.1 + EDR
Warranty:	One year

Unfortunately, battery life is the U260's (expected) Achilles heel. On our usual video rundown test, which loops the same standard definition video with brightness set at 65 percent, the integrated 20Whr, four-cell Lithium Polymer battery lasted just two hours and 56 minutes. In regular use -- basically surfing the web and writing this review -- the system ran for about three hours and 20 minutes. Obviously, for a highly mobile system like this, the endurance is pretty terrible, and because there's no way to swap out the battery, you're pretty much stuck dragging the AC adapter with this thing everywhere you go.

Thankfully, there's better news on the heat side of things. Given our experience with the U160, we expected the system to get rather warm, but for the most part the system stayed relatively cool thanks to its "breathable keyboard" and Intel's latest Advanced Cooling technology. While we did notice the bottom right edge getting slightly warm, the vents in the back kept the entire chassis, including the keyboard and touchpad, at room temperature.

Software-wise, Lenovo's actually done a decent job of keeping this one crapware free. However, like the U160 it has a "Smile Dock," which can be launched by clicking on that creepy smile icon on the desktop. You can search Google and check Weatherbug from the dock itself, but other than that it's pretty useless and takes up precious screen real estate. Oovoo and McAfee are also preloaded.

How much are you willing to sacrifice for love? If you're anything like us, you're absolutely smitten with the U260's metal build, soft leather palm rest, brushed glass touchpad, and the fact that it packs Core i5 power in such a thin shell. But you're also asking yourself one question: can you live with just three to three and a half hours of battery life? For us the answer is sadly a flat no -- in fact, that sort of battery life is simply unacceptable in our book, especially when you consider that equally portable systems like theToshiba Portege R705 or the new MacBook Airs last at least two hours longer on a charge. It's a sad story of an amazingly attractive and solid performing laptop brought down by a single fatal flaw -- but if you can get past the battery life, nearly everything else about the U260 is almost perfect

Read rest of entry