Notebook Price Watch
By Darius Chang
11/06/2008
URL: http://asia.cnet.com/reviews/notebooks/0,39050495,62042516,00.htm
 June 11, 2008
HIGHLIGHTS :
At the recent Computex event, the star of the show was most certainly mini laptops. Intel Netbooks showed off just how cheap and powerful a small portable can be, though AMD did just as well during the launch of the Puma platform for full-size mobiles. If you are confused over the variety of Netbooks in the market, check out our mini laptop special which showcases past, present and future models.
We've spotted a new UMPC, the Twinhead Twinmate e10, at Newstead (#03-50). It's not the fastest or cheapest mini-portable in town, but distinguishes itself for having a generous 10.2-inch display and PCMCIA slot.
Check out our latest reviews on the MSI Wind, HP Pavilion dv2700, Truenote S7Q40, Fujitsu LifeBook A6120 and Dell Vostro 1310.
With PC show just around the corner (from June 12 to 15), have a look at our coverage for the best deals in town.
HP has just unveiled an entire new range of business and consumer PCs at its annual Big Bang event in Berlin.
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OUR
RECOMMENDATIONS:
BUSINESS NOTEBOOK
| Model
|
Specs
| Price |
Vendor |
| Core 2 Duo processor
(1.8GHz); 1GB RAM; 80GB HDD;
13.3inch screen;
DVD writer drive; integrated graphics card; Windows Vista Home Premium Edition | S$1,250.83 (inclusive of tax and delivery) |
Dell online store |
| Why: |
Not all businesses need to equip their its employees with a fancy laptop with all the bells and whistles. For a cost-effective way to make your workforce mobile, the Dell Vostro 1310 is an economical alternative with highly customizable configurations.
|
| Wow factor: |
Reasonably priced; attractive design; antiglare display; corporate-level security, including TPM; thorough feature set; decent battery life; support package focused on small business. |
| Peer pressure: |
Fujitsu laptops are well-known for offering stylish business portables at a premium, and the LifeBook S6510 doesn't disappoint. Sporting one of the smallest LCD bezels we've seen, it manages to squeeze a 14.1-inch screen into a 13.3-inch form factor. Though pricey, the Japanese maker has included a port replicator and carry bag as part of the standard bundle. The 3G/HSDPA radio is great for surfing anywhere, anytime (note that this requires a mobile broadband subscription).
The Acer TravelMate 6292 is one of the most affordable corporate thin-and-lights in the market, yet doesn't compromise on features or performance. At under S$2,000, this TravelMate has high-end specifications as well as a one-year international warranty.
You can check out more options in our Top 5 business portables chart. |
GAMING NOTEBOOK
| Model
|
Specs
|
Price |
Vendor |
| Core 2 Duo processor (2.5GHz); 3GB RAM; 320GB HDD; 18.4-inch screen; Nvidia GeForce 9650M GS graphics card; Blu-ray writer drive; Windows Vista Home Premium Edition |
|
AAAs; MC2; PA Mart |
| Why: |
Acer's interesting take on the entertainment desktop replacement makes a few good steps, a few bad, but ultimately is a viable option. Fortunately, the Acer Aspire 8920G is decked out with the latest Core 2 Duo platform and discrete ATI graphics card for excellent gaming performance.
|
| Wow factor: |
Good quality screen; 16:9 ratio; "Cinetouch" media navigation; new design; Acer Empowerment software. |
| Peer pressure: |
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. The best part--there is now an option to put two high-end GeForce 8800M GT under the hood, which will give this desktop replacement monster speeds.
If you like blinking lights and a macho design, the Asus G2S certainly serves that in spades. The latest iteration is decked out with the new Penryn Core 2 Duo T9300 2.5GHz processor along with an Nvidia GeForce 8700M GT video card, the latter being one of the most powerful mobile graphics engines available in Asia markets.
You can check out more options in our Top 5 gaming portables chart. |
BUDGET NOTEBOOK
| Model |
Specs |
Price |
Vendor |
|
Core 2 Duo (1.83GHz);
2GB RAM; 250GB HDD; 14.1-inch screen; integrated graphics
card; Windows Vista Home Premium Edition | S$410
(After rebate. Applicable till June 28) |
MC2 |
| Why: |
If your needs are modest but a UMPC just doesn't have the screen size or power to cut it, then take a look at the Acer Aspire 4920. This full-featured laptop has what it takes for work and play despite its low price tag.
|
| Wow factor: |
Inexpensive; attractive design; integrated DVD writer drive; Core 2 Duo performance. |
| Peer pressure: |
With a starting price of S$999, the HP Mini-Note price borders dangerously close to budget portables that offer more features and better performance. Its heavy body and rather weak battery life don't help, either. But what really got our blood pumping was the sleek aluminum body and honking keyboard which was actually usable by human hands. Some users have reported that Vista is a little too poky on this device, so wait for the Windows XP version or downgrade the operating system yourself for better speed.
The extra S$200 over the Eee PC 701 is essentially for the larger 8.9-inch display and bigger storage capacity as the Eee PC 900 has almost the same platform and feature set. Despite the price bump, this model is still one of the most affordable sub-notebooks in the market. It also doesn't hurt that users are given an option between the Linux and Windows XP Home operating system.
You can check out more options in our Top 5 budget portables chart.
|
Popular notebooks
Based on our readership statistics and sales figures from Singapore stores AAAs Com Solution and MC2/PA Mart, the following is a list of notebooks which have plucked at readers' purse strings. For an overview of popular models for the month, check out the ranks of our Top 10 chart.
| Model |
Specs |
Notebook
category |
Price |
Vendor |
| Celeron processor (900MHz); 1GB RAM; 4GB flash storage; 7-inch screen; integrated graphics card; Linux operating system | Ultraportable | |
Buy Laptop |
| Core 2 Duo processor (2.0GHz); 3GB RAM; 250GB HDD; 14.1-inch screen; ATI Mobility Radeon HD2400 XT graphics card; DVD writer drive; Windows Vista Home Premium Edition |
Thin-and-light |
|
MC2 |
| Core Duo (2.0GHz);
2GB RAM; 320GB HDD; 15.4-inch screen; Nvidia GeForce 8600M GT graphics
card; DVD writer drive; Windows Vista Home Premium Edition |
Mainstream |
S$ 2,265.19 (inclusive of tax and delivery) |
Dell online store
| |
Core 2 Duo processor (2.5GHz);
4GB RAM; 160GB HDD; 17.1-inch screen; Dual Nvidia GeForce Go 8800M GT graphics
card; DVD writer drive; Windows Vista Ultimate Edition
|
Desktop
replacement | S$5,325.39 inclusive of tax and delivery) |
Dell online store |
|
|
