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This story was printed from CNET Asia.
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Centrino 2 marks a distinct departure from Intel's previous processor strategy. Where once it measured progress mainly by clockspeed and number of cores, the latest mobile platform focuses on the complete computing experience, specifically on the graphics forefront. Like AMD's Puma chipset, Centrino 2's vision of the future is high-definition Blu-ray movies, which it hopes to provide at least 2.5 hours of HD video on a single battery charge.
Though laptops based on the new Intel platform has started trickling into the market, these new machines command a premium which not everyone will feel compelled to pay. As such, July still saw Centrino laptops hitting the popularity charts as they offer a good value proposition. Of course, if you are a tertiary student in Singapore, your wallet will be eternally grateful if you go for the bargains in the campus purchase program. But if you are a little older, then we suggest waiting for the upcoming COMEX show at the end of August for the best deals.
To find out the hottest models in the month of July, we polled what readers searched for on our site, as well as sales
figures from Singapore stores AAAs Com Solution and MC2
for our latest chart-busters.
Outlook
The Aspire 4920G may be cheap, but it's definitely not boring with its Gemstone design. Billed as a portable entertainment notebook, it sports a dedicated ATI graphics card for additional video performance. Users who frequently edit videos or produce presentations will appreciate this affordable Acer PC.
The good: Inexpensive; solid construction; stylish design belies its budget price; nearly full-size keyboard.
The bad: Weak performance; unimpressive battery life; tiny touchpad; misses out on new Intel Atom CPUs.
The bottom line: Despite an underpowered CPU, the HP 2133 Mini-Note PC offers the best balance of small size, comfort, and functionality we've seen in a mini-notebook, making it fast a favorite for on-the-go use.
The good: Attractive new "special edition" bronze theme; includes a media remote control and an HDMI port; available dedicated graphics.
The bad: Heavier than it should be; tinny speakers, unimpressive battery life.
The bottom line: The 14-inch HP Pavilion dv2700 Special Edition packs plenty of extra features and a cool new paint job into a slightly too-heavy package with an uninspiring battery.
The good: High-end specifications; excellent performance; brilliant screen.
The bad: Grey coloring; misplaced USB port; overall design.
The bottom line: The Aspire 5920 is a candidate for the ugliest laptop of the year. It's smeared in enough grey to put British skies to shame, and has had some absolutely awful design touches. But the rest of the laptop is a very good one. It's fast, feature-packed and is excellent value for money.
Outlook
The Compaq Presario V3000 delivers a strong set of components and decent basic features for a competitive price. Optional addons like the HP XB 3000 expansion base further expand the functionality of this series with more connectivity ports and a better speaker setup.
Outlook
The Asus F8 offers good value for a laptop which hovers at the S$2,000 price point. Equipped with a hybrid TV tuner, mini remote control and options for fingerprint sensor and discrete graphics card, this laptop is an excellent all-rounder for those on a budget.
The good: Good connectivity options; reasonable performance for the size.
The bad: Speakers aren't great; no digital video-out.
The bottom line: The Aspire 2920 should suit most people who are on a budget and like to stay portable, but still need a bit of grunt. If it had an HDMI port, it'd almost be the perfect solution.
The good: Strong entertainment suite; mini remote control; USB/eSATA port; value-for-money machine; unique top cover design; swappable optical drive.
The bad: No expansion port for Pavilion accessories; thick and heavy for a 13.3-inch portable; no integrated TV tuner.
The bottom line: If you are looking for a strong entertainment machine at a reasonable price, the HP Pavilion dv3000 certainly fits the bill nicely. Just be aware that it's not the lightest or sleekest in its class.
The good: Excellent battery life; spiffy performance; multitouch touchpad; solid state storage; Draft-N wireless radio and Bluetooth; built-in CPU overclocking/underclocking application.
The bad: Keyboard still hard to use; a little more hefty than the Eee PC 900; glossy finish attracts fingerprints.
The bottom line: With an excellent battery life and spiffy performance, the Eee PC 901 has matured into an exceptional Netbook capable of all-day computing.
Outlook
The B1200 is a performance portable targeted at users who need a system primarily for work. As such, it eschews extras like Altec Lansing speakers and a mini-remote control, leaving only a Webcam and touch-sensitive multimedia control bar for the occasional video or music playback. In return, this 12.1-inch system puts in a water-resistant keyboard so the occasional spill does not spell disaster.
Click here for a feature comparison table.
