Notebook Price Watch
By Darius Chang
11/04/2008
URL: http://asia.cnet.com/reviews/notebooks/0,39050495,62040085,00.htm
 April 11, 2008
HIGHLIGHTS :
The 8GB Asus Eee PC has been spotted in several stores with a list price of S$768.
Check out our latest reviews on the HP Compaq 2133, Fujitsu LifeBook P8010 and HP Pavilion tx2000 tablet PC.
Aching for a Blu-ray laptop? Check our top picks here.
The rumor mills have been spinning overtime and word is a 8.9-inch Dell laptop as well as a MacBook redesign are in the works.
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OUR
RECOMMENDATIONS:
BUSINESS NOTEBOOK
| Model
|
Specs
| Price |
Vendor |
| Core 2 Duo processor
(2.2GHz); 2GB RAM; 160GB HDD;
17-inch screen;
DVD writer drive; Nvidia Quadro NVS 320M graphics card; Windows Vista Business Edition | |
Notebook.com |
| Why: |
If a large desktop replacement laptop is what you're after, the HP Compaq 8710p has an excellent 17-inch display, a powerful discrete graphics module, plenty of connectivity and a spacious keyboard.
|
| Wow factor: |
High-quality, large screen; graphics; full-sized keyboard and separate number pad; Windows Vista or Windows XP available; fingerprint sensor and SmartCard reader. |
| Peer pressure: |
Not all businesses need a powerful setup with premium support. For the small and medium enterprise, the Dell Vostro 1400 offers enough power and features for the rank and file at a budget price. Best of all, the system can be shipped with either Vista or XP and comes with minimal bloatware.
A premium notebook for the business traveler who values security and hardiness. The ThinkPad X61s also provides excellent dual-core performance in a lightweight, compact package that's still comfortable to use.
You can check out more options in our Top 5 business portables chart. |
GAMING NOTEBOOK
| Model
|
Specs
|
Price |
Vendor |
| Core 2 Duo processor (2.2GHz); 2GB RAM; 160GB HDD; 14.1-inch screen; Nvidia GeForce 8600M GS graphics card; DVD writer drive; Windows Vista Home Premium Edition |
|
PA Mart |
| Why: |
Possibly the only 14.1-inch machine to hold the powerful Nvidia GeForce 8600M GS graphics card, the JoyBook S41 offers fantastic performance for a portable unit. If only it had dedicated multimedia buttons and better internal speakers.
|
| Wow factor: |
Integrated Webcam; powerful graphics performance; inexpensive. |
| Peer pressure: |
Designed in collaboration with luxury car maker BMW, the Acer Aspire 5920G has a look you will either love or hate. However, it is possibly the most powerful gaming laptop to pass through our Labs. Based on the Santa Rosa platform coupled with the high-end Nvidia GeForce 8600M GT, it managed to squeeze out an impressive 3,288 on our 3DMark06 gaming benchmark. Oh, and did we mention it's also DirectX 10-compatible?
When it comes to gaming, the latest XPS M1730 from Dell seems to be a shoo-in for king of the hill. After all, with a blazing Intel Core 2 Extreme processor and two high-end Nvidia GeForce 8700M graphics card under the hood, it should cut through most games like a hot knife. Starting at S$3,899 for the base configuration, it has options for a Blu-ray drive as well as 64GB SSD storage device.
You can check out more options in our Top 5 gaming portables chart. |
BUDGET NOTEBOOK
| Model |
Specs |
Price |
Vendor |
|
Pentium Dual Core processor (1.6GHz);
1GB RAM; 120GB HDD; 15.4-inch screen; integrated graphics
card; Windows Vista Home Basic Edition | S$1,097.82 (inclusive of tax and delivery) |
Dell online store |
| Why: |
Taking consumer complaints to heart, Dell updates its mainstream 15-inch laptop with the Inspiron 1525. It's thinner, lighter, and less expensive than its predecessor. |
| Wow factor: |
Slimmed-down design; low starting price; high-end extras are available, including HDMI and touch-sensitive media control buttons. |
| Peer pressure: |
The Aspire 2920 should suit most people who are on a budget and like to stay portable, but who still need a bit of grunt. In fact, it may be one of the cheapest 12.1-inch portables in the market. If it had an HDMI port, it'd almost be the perfect solution.
Possibly the cheapest laptop in the market, the Eee PC was quickly sold out when first launched in Singapore. Despite its low cost, this petite machine has more than enough horsepower for emails and Internet surfing. More colors will soon be available to complement the current black-and-white units.
You can check out more options in our Top 5 budget portables chart.
|
Popular notebooks
Based on our readership statistics and sales figures from Singapore stores AAAs Com Solution and MC2/PA Mart, the following is a list of notebooks which have plucked at readers' purse strings. For an overview of popular models for the month, check out the ranks of our Top 10 chart.
| Model |
Specs |
Notebook
category |
Price |
Vendor |
| Celeron processor (900MHz); 1GB RAM; 4GB flash storage; 7-inch screen; integrated graphics card; Linux operating system | Ultraportable | |
Active Foto and Electronics; Notebook.com |
| Pentium Dual-Core processor (1.73GHz); 1GB RAM; 120GB HDD; 14.1-inch screen; integrated graphics card; DVD writer drive; Windows Vista Home Basic Edition |
Thin-and-light |
|
MC2 |
| Core Duo (1.66GHz);
1GB RAM; 80GB HDD; 14.1-inch screen; integrated graphics
card; DVD writer drive; Windows Vista Business Edition |
Mainstream |
|
MC2
| |
Core 2 Duo processor (2.4GHz);
2GB RAM; 160GB HDD; 17-inch screen; Dual Nvidia GeForce Go 8700M GT graphics
card; DVD writer drive; Windows Vista Home Premium Edition
|
Desktop
replacement | S$3,898.01 inclusive of tax and delivery) |
Dell online store |
|
|
