Make the Most of Your New PC

by Eric Griffith

Did you receive a pristine, mint Windows 7 (or even Vista) computer this holiday season? Great, but right out of the box, every computer is far from perfect. Unlike most electronic devices, which you can plug in and use instantly, PCs—particularly those with Windows—need some adjustment before they're ready for everyday use. You need to make your new system safe, and also personalize it with your own preferences. There are programs on the hard drive you should get rid of, and other things you should add immediately. If you haven't yet been introduced to Windows 7, or it's been a while since you've set up a new machine, we'll walk you through it all in these 12 simple steps. If your new baby is a Mac, you've got a much shorter to-do list.

After you've devised clever ways to use your new collection of Styrofoam, and made the basic initial connections (power, monitor, Ethernet, keyboard and mouse), Windows 7 will ask you to do various things, like set your language, time zone, clock and calendar, and perhaps most important, create a user account and password. Forgo this only if you're 110 percent sure no one else will want to gain access, ever, or if you're so dull-as-dishwater that it wouldn't matter. For a computer that will have multiple users, this is a must.

2. De-bloat the System
Big-name system vendors typically install software on their consumer PCs at the factory. These "extras" go by many names: bundleware, begware, bloatware, and my favorite, crapware. That's because a lot of it is just that: useless crap. The vendors install it under the guise of helping you out, but mostly they do it to get money from the software makers. A few vendors, like Sony and Dell, offer some options to avoid crapware, but usually just for businesses . Boutique manufacturers, like Velocity Micro, do a better job of providing a clean system.

What can you do to decrapify your new PC? Download and run the free PC Decrapifier. It will hit some of the flotsam you might not want, from AOL installers to Yahoo! Toolbar, but it won't get it all. If you can identify more crapplications it missed, try Revo Uninstaller, a free utility that does more to fully eradicate errant softwarethan the built-in Windows control panel.

This is a good time to kill anything you don't want that's part of Windows 7 itself. Load up the control panel called Uninstall a Program. Click "Turn Windows Features on or off" at left. You'll get a User Account Control warning; click OK. Uncheck anything in the list you definitely don't want, such as games, Tablet PC Optional Components, and so forth. If you don't know what an item does, hover the mouse over the name for a description. If you still don't know what it does, best to leave it.

Don't confuse crapware with trialware—a trial version of software you might actually want that is active for a limited time. It might be worth keeping, especially if it's a free trial of a solid security product, which leads us to...

3. Activate Shields
If you're willing to pay to protect your system from malware, and get some extra firewall protection to boot, we recommend you install our Editors' Choice security package, Norton Internet Security 2010. Its defense against spyware and viruses is extremely effective, and impact on system performance is minimal.

If you don't want to pay, check out Panda Cloud Antivirus Free Edition 1.0, a software-as-a-service (SaaS) that is super-light on your systems. That's because the data it uses to fight malware is entirely online. The downside is that you must have an active broadband Internet connection for it to work properly.

Everyone on a broadband connection needs a software firewall to control which applications on your PC can access the Internet. The firewall in your network router is not enough. When it comes to free firewall software, there are several to pick from, including Comodo Firewall and ZoneAlarm Free Firewall. Look for free download links at their Web sites.

4. Download Updates
At some point your PC will tell you there are Windows updates available. Probably about five minutes after you successfully boot up. Grab those updates. You may have an icon in the system tray at the lower right, or you can select Windows Update from the main menu at the lower left (choose All Programs to find it).

Depending on which version of Windows has been installed on your computer and when, you could have quite a few updates—big updates—to download. Let this process run its course. Walk away. Eat some leftovers, go out for a mocha latte, watch an Adam Sandler movie. It's going to take a while, and the Sandler movie will seem to last forever (especially Zohan).

When the downloads are done, run Windows Update... again. Updates tend to beget updates. Three times should be sufficient. By now you've got a truly pristine system

5. Ghost the Machine
After something catastrophic happens, some techies prefer to reinstall from the original CDs to get a fresh start. That means going through all those updates again. Instead, back up your pristine system right now with the full, updated OS, so you can restore everything quickly after a disaster.

Make a complete drive image (aka a ghost) of the C: drive. You can make images with Norton Ghost 15, Acronis True Image Home 2010, or a freebie like DriveImage XML (www.runtime.org). If you've got Windows Vista Business or Ultimate, use the built-in tool called Complete PC Backup to do the job. Windows 7 users with Home Premium on up can go to the Back up or Restore control panel and pick "Create a System Image." Save the image to your hard drive. If it's small enough, burn it to some DVDs, otherwise copy the im to an external hard drive or USB flash drive for access later.

6. Transfer Files
Windows Vista and 7 makes relatively simple to move files from your old computer to the new with the Windows Easy Transfer utility. It works with various methods (external hard drive, USB flash drive, network, and transfer cable) to move not only data files and folders but also settings from your old Windows system to the new. It even re-creates your user accounts, if you want that. It does not move your old applications. To take advantage of Easy Transfer, your old PC must be running Windows 2000, XP, or Vista.

You can always use old-school sneaker-net—copy files from the old PC on a CD, DVD, or flash drive, then copy them over to your new machine—but if you've got a lot of files, this could take hours or days. That really big external hard drive with a USB connector you bought for backup is an option. A better solution might be to reuse the hard drive from your old computer. A USB 2.0 to SATA/IDE Adapter (about $25), like one from StarTech, can turn an old drive into an external drive for use on your new PC. It's just not very pretty.

The home network is your slickest alternative—once you have it set up right. Go into the System control panel, click Advanced system settings, and then go to the Computer Name tab under System Properties. Click the Change button. Make sure the new computer has a name that's unique among the computers in the house, and that the Workgroup name is exactly the same for all the computers in the house. Otherwise, they can't see each other to share. Go into your software firewall and check that it's open to other PCs on your network (and that the firewalls on the other computers are open to the new PC, as well). Find the folder containing the files you want to share on the old computer, right-click on it to get Properties, and tell Windows to share the folder. On Vista and Windows 7 systems, the folder should now show up in the Network and Sharing Center when you click View computers and devices. (That HomeGroup stuff in Windows 7 is great, but is only going to be useful if all your computers run Windows 7, and how likely is that?)

Avoid the temptation to buy a migration utility or some special, expensive USB cable to use with its Easy Transfer utility. Neither option is worth the money, especially for an action you'll take only once.

Consider instead something that does much more, like IOGear's USB laptop KVM Switch with File Transfer (www.iogear.com). It not only handles file transfers between computers but lets you switch instantly from PC to PC, using a single monitor and keyboard/mouse. For $49.95 it's one way to ensure that both your old and your new computers remain useful.

7. Prep for Data Backup
No doubt you've heard this a zillion times, but in case this advice hasn't taken, I'll repeat: A simple backup regime is great for peace of mind. Online backup services like MozyHome make it painless. You can start with a free account that stores up to 2GB of data. Perfect for your unfinished novel or other small projects. (You can get unlimited online storage with Mozy for $4.95 per month.)

If you've got multiple machines, consider one of the many services that synchronize files between computers and add online backup in the middle, so you can get to files when you're at someone else's PC. Dropbox is our Editors' Choice in this category. supports sync between multiple Windows, Mac, and even Linux PCs, and even allows access to files via iPhone. Basic service is free and gives you 2 gigs of online storage; it costs $9.99 a month to get 50 gigs.

Local backup of your data gives you more control. One option is to partition your hard drive into multiple drives—C: for the system and programs, D: for data, E: for items you don't need to back up. That way, you can tell Windows Backup and Restore control panel to look at one drive only. Buy an external hard drive that's at least 1.5 times larger than the data partition (a 500GB external drive to back up your 300GB partition, for example) as a target drive. Now even huge video and photo files are no big deal to back up. Simply put them in the same spot every time—always "D: for data" (for example)—and let the software do its job.

8. Geek Out The Browser
Firefox remains the PC Magazine Editors' Choice Web browser for good reason. It's friendly and infinitely configurable, though problems with memory have been cropping up a lot lately.

That makes Google Chrome 3, which also rates four stars without quite making it to an EC—yet—another good choice because it's about as fast as a Web browser can get come. And if you're willing to switch to the 4.0 beta, you'll also find that same kind of configurability, since Chrome now has support for extensions.

Sure, you could go your whole life using both browsers and never change a thing, but once you install a few key extensions, you'll wonder how you ever lived a plain vanilla browser. If you used Firefox on your old computer, you probably want the same settings, bookmarks, and extensions. Back up the old Firefox using freeware MozBackup, save the file to your new PC, and use MozBackup to restore. It also works with Thunderbird to back up e-mail.

If you want to get anything done online, you better quickly install these programs no matter what browser you use: QuickTime, Adobe Flash, Microsoft Silverlight, Windows Media Player, and a PDF file reader (try the free Foxit Reader; it's faster and smaller than Adobe Reader)

9. Place Your Programs
This is one area where you're on your own: We can't decide what software you want or need. But if you're configuring this new machine for someone else, remember that no PC is complete without at least an office suite, a photo-editing tool, a media manager, and e-mail. And there are free alternatives for almost any program you might need; see our no-cost favorites in The Best Free Software 2009.

If you want the same setup as your previous machine, check the Program Files folder on the C: drive of your old PC. Make a list of the programs there using an online word processor like Google Docs so you can access the list from any computer. Keep in mind that you'll also want to carry over the settings and log-in info for software like e-mail and IM clients.

Gather those monstrosities known as registration codes for your software. Record them somewhere permanent and accessible. Write them on the discs themselves with a thin-tipped Sharpie, keep them in a notebook, get a tattoo; use whatever method you have for preserving data you know you will need again.

Some software is limited to a certain number of machines. For example, iTunes also an Editors' Choice, will play only songs you've bought online on up to five PCs. So check that the software is de-authorized on the old PC if you won't be using it there.

10. Tune-Up Time
On the right system Windows is very fast--Windows 7 is especially impressive—but tweaks always help performance. You have to decide: do you want a system that works great or is goodlooking? Here are a few steps to tweak your new PC's performance in favor of speed, not appearance:

* Set the desktop to a plain, one-color background. Big photographic wallpaper can slow load time.
* If you're not into desktop widgets along the screen's edge, or maybe prefer those from another source (like Google), turn off Windows Sidebar. It takes up space on your desktop. In Vista, go to the Windows Sidebar Properties control panel and deselect Start Sidebar when Windows starts. In Windows 7, the control panel is renamed Windows Gadgets. But you can just right click a gadget to remove it and it won't come back unless asked.
* Aero is the name for the fancy graphics interface that delivers things like transparency in windows. Cool as it looks, Aero can slow down your system. In Vista's Personalization control panel, select Windows Color and Appearance. In the next window, click Open classic appearance properties. Change the color scheme to something else, such as Windows Standard, and click Effects to turn off menu shadows and the ability to see windows as you drag them. In Windows 7, you can deactivate features like transparency individually.
* Go to the System control panel, click System Protection, and on the Advanced tab, click the button in the Performance box. If you turn off every option under Visual Effects (like animated controls, fading menus, and shadows under your mouse cursor) by selecting "Adjust for best performance," it should speed things up.
* If you've got a very fast USB thumb drive, insert it and activate Windows ReadyBoost. This cache can help a bit with performance while the drive is inserted.
* Adjust the power settings, especially if you've got a laptop that is unplugged while in use. The "high performance" pre-sets will drain juice faster.

11. Review Hardware
Starting out with a new PC is the perfect opportunity to reassess the hardware attached to your old PC. Before you start plugging things from that ancient XP machine into that snazzy Windows 7 system, consider carefully how much you need those peripherals. Do you really need that old flatbed scanner now that the pictures you take are digital? For some, the answer will be no. Ancient USB hubs (you probably have more ports on your new box, and you don't want a hub that doesn't support USB 2.0), old-school ink-jet printers,low-capacity portable hard drives could probably all stand a refresh if not outright dumping.

Old hardware moved to a new PC means you need the latest drivers. DriverMax can back up drivers for when you need them later. However, it doesn't upgrade your old XP drivers to new Windows 7 drivers, so you still need to do the leg work. Hit the manufacturer's Web site for your scanner, printer, camera, media player, and so on, and download what you need.

That mouse and keyboard that came with your new system should be considered suspect. PC vendors aren't known for including highly ergonomic input devices. Consider instead the Microsoft Wireless Comfort Desktop 5000, which comes with a wireless ergonomic keyboard and mouse.

In fact, consider an ergonomic keyboard and mouse even if your new PC is a laptop. Especially one you don't move around much. Your wrists will thank you later.

12. Register Everything
It's no guarantee of great technical support, but if you register your PC with the manufacturer, as well as the software and peripherals with their respective creators, you stand a better chance of being recognized when the time does come to call for help—and you know that time will come. Getting a vendor to honor a warranty might depend on knowing when you bought or received the product.

Registering online is relatively painless; you're on the Web anyway, so you might as well. One downside is that registration can also put your name on endless mailing lists, so if that bothers you, deselect that option when signing up. Or, create a special email address that you can use to filter them. For example, Gmail users can stick a random period in the first part of their address (such as your.name@gmail.com) and it will still come to the account, but you can filter messages sent to it into special folders. Keep in mind that it's smart to be registered in case there's a recall—you don't want to be the only person walking around with a laptop battery that might catch on fire, do you?

Easy, Mac
One thing you don't have to worry about with a Macintosh computer is crapware. Companies like Dell or HP can justify lame extras by claiming they provide functions that are unavailable (or insufficient) in Windows. The MacOS and hardware is a closed system controlled by Apple, a company that prides itself on user experience. It is not about to sully that rep with a bunch of third-party junk; it would have no one to blame but itself. Of course, Apple will gladly sell you some extras, like the iWork and iLife suites.

Mac OS X SnowLeopard (version 10.6 comes with an application firewall to control any connections made by your software to the Internet. You can find it in the System Preferences folder to make adjustments. As for antivirus software, you can buy itbut Apple's market share is still small enough that the Mac is seldom a target of malware.

Migrating files from old Mac to new is a breeze. In the Applications/Utilities folder, find the Migration Assistant. Hook two Macs together with a Firewire cable and run the Assistant. The settings from the older Mac (with Mac OS 10.4.10 or later) will transfer to the new system with Leopard. That includes data like browser bookmarks and user profiles. It doesn't include apps that come with the Mac OS; Apple assumes the new Mac will have the latest Safari, for example. If you've got a modern MacBook, including the Firewire-free MacBook Air, you can migrate files over the wireless network.

If you're going from Mac to Windows, or vice versa, you can always fall back on a USB drive to move files, but you're on your own finding the data you want to transfer. And it's slow. A faster method might be the Media Sharing Cable for PC and Mac from Kensington. This $60 cable allows you to drag and drop files between systems—very handy for really big media. That's a lot to pay however; you might prefer to network the Mac and Windows, even if it is a struggle.

Of course, if you plan to use both the Mac and Windows PCs regularly, real-time synchronization is definitely the way to go, and as stated, our favorite, DropBox, will do that between folders on multiple Windows and Mac OS systems

What to Do with Your Old PC
You can probably put your old PC to some kind of good use. But sometimes, you want that old dinosaur out of the house. Here are some options to consider:

1. Revitalize it. You may think that ancient laptop is too slow for use, but try installing a Linux-based operating system like Ubuntu. It may turn that geezer into the perfect Web-surfing speed demon. If you want to hand it down to your least PC-literate family member, gOS 3.1 Gadgets will get them started online.

2. Give it away. Whether you hand it down to family or to a local charity, there's got to be someone clamoring for your old, working PC. If you can't find anyone, check www.freecycle.org for a mailing list of people in a city near you who love free stuff. Your junk is their gold.

3. Pick a dump spot. Find a PC Donation center in your area that will make sure PC toxins don't end up in a landfill. Search Earth 911.com or MyGreenElectronics.org for places that will dispose of electronics responsibly.

No matter what, sanitize that hard drive before you pass it on. At the very least, format the drive and reinstall the operating system before recycling the old PC. If you're extra paranoid, keep in mind that formatting isn't enough to be 100 percent certain data is completely unrecoverable. Specialty software Darik's Boot and Nuke or Active@ KillDisk - Hard Drive Eraser will do the job free, but the job can take hours and hours.

So then there's the Swiss cheese option: Take the drive out to the workshop and drill holes through it. Bullet holes will do the same thing, but that's overkill, even for your data.

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Spring-Cleaning for Your PC

by David Cardinal

Is your computer filling up with old files or slowing down, cluttered with applications? Just like your house, it likely needs a good spring-cleaning. Fortunately there are a few simple steps you can take and utilities you can use to clean up the debris that may be cluttering up your machine. Here's part 1 of our guide. Part 2—on physically cleaning your PC and peripherals—arrives tomorrow.

First you should decide how thorough you want to be. Like your basement, your PC can potentially benefit from hours of cleaning, but you probably have other things to do with your time. So if your hard drive is filled to bursting, spend some time backing up and clearing off your data files. Otherwise, though, honestly, your time is better spent on other chores.

There are two exceptions to this rule: your desktop and your Start menu. If you've been letting your desktop fill up, take just 10 minutes to file away or delete the clutter. If you're using Windows XP and need to ease navigation in the Start menu, open the menu in Windows Explorer (C:\Documents and Settings\username\Start Menu\Programs) and spend a couple of minutes filing. Since Vista users have the convenient Start menu search field, straightening up the Programs menu seems like a waste of time.

UNCLOG THE PIPES

One of the simplest steps you can take to help out your machine's performance is to defragment the hard drive—although, alas, test results show that defragging achieves uneven improvement. But with a disk defragmenting utility built right into Windows, there's no reason not to run it. This is as simple as right-clicking on the hard drive icon in Windows Explorer and choosing the Defragment option under Tools. Your computer may need to reboot to complete the work, so give yourself some time to run the utility. Defragmenting reassembles and rearranges files that have become scattered across the drive, ensuring that your computer can get to each file as quickly as possible.

FREE SPACE

System Configuration Utility

Slightly more complicated but practically guaranteed effective is freeing space on your hard drive. Unused programs and especially services take up space as well as using computer processing time and even slowing your start-up. The first culprits to look for are any applications that start up each time you launch Windows but aren't doing anything you need. Once everyone learned to delete the application shortcuts in the Start menu's Startup folder, app developers got crafty. You can uninstall programs you don't want at all, but to disable start-up programs, you'll want the System Configuration utility. Click Start | Run, and type msconfig. Go to the Startup tab and you can disable the apps you don't want running automatically. You can search online for unfamiliar names; we like the Process Library for this information. And do take a few seconds to research the names; you don't want to disable a critical process.

Next, a trip to the Programs and Features section of the Control Panel in Vista or to the Add and Remove Programs item in Windows XP is well worthwhile. If you're the sort of person who has tried a number of programs, or even if you've just stopped using some of your older software, you'll find a gold mine of opportunity for cleaning up your system. Select and uninstall each of the applications you no longer use. In general, if you're asked whether to remove shared files, it is safest to say no. They don't take much room, and if you remove them you risk breaking some other application.

ELIMINATE REDUNDANCY
Disk Cleanup Options
It won't make your machine run any better, but if you hate staring at the runt entries left in the Programs control panel after they don't uninstall correctly, then Microsoft's uninstall cleaner will get rid of them.

Fast Duplicate File Finder
If your hard drive is filling up, several utilities can help you remove duplicate or unused files. The first one to try is built right into Windows. Disk Cleanup, accessible from your Programs menu under Accessories | System Tools | Disk Cleanup (or Start | Run… cleanmgr) will delete, among other things, the contents of your Recycle Bin, old downloads, temp files, unneeded system logs, and dump files, as well as helping you remove unused Windows components. Then if your machine has more than one drive and your System drive (usually C:) is filling up, consider moving some of your data files to your other drives. Remember not to move applications themselves. They have to be uninstalled and reinstalled if you want them in a different location.

If you suspect you've wound up with multiple copies of large files like photos, music, or videos, there are utilities that can help you locate and delete duplicates. One nice free one is Fast Duplicate File Finder from MindGems; PCMag utility Dupeless 2 is another good choice, though it's not free. Finally, as long as you're getting your hands dirty, now's a good time to make sure you have a backup system and that it's working. See our article on the best backup tools to get some ideas on how to make sure your system is effectively archived.

Whether you take the time to go through all of these steps or just some of them, the time you spend spring-cleaning your system should more than pay for itself in a better-performing machine for the rest of the year.

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Disney Netpal by ASUS

produc by amazone

ASUS and Disney have teamed up to bring the magic of creative learning and fun into a perfect first laptop for your child.
Designed for kids aged 6-12, the Disney Netpal by ASUS is durable, with a reinforced mechanical design, and offers a truly magical and engaging computing experience with a unique Disney user interface. With colorful Disney-themed style, your child can explore a web-safe world of technology on their own with ease.
The Disney Desktop “gadget tray” offers a creatively designed 2D menu displaying a Disney-themed browser and a robust suite widgets and applications.
The Netpal includes more than two dozen robust parental control options and a kid-friendly software suite featuring Disney characters and icons in a fun and intuitive design. The kid-friendly web browser and email have extra filters to assure that parents are able to control online safety and content for their children, and can easily select whom their children can correspond with.

It comes with an 8.9-inch LCD display, built-in wireless Internet connectivity, and the familiar Windows XP Home operating system; making it the ideal first computer for your child.Developed with parents and kids in mind, the Disney Netpal by ASUS is designed for kids ages 6-12 and is durable, with a reinforced mechanical design, and offers a truly magical and engaging computing experience with a unique Disney user interface. Features include more than 40 robust parental control options, an 8.9-inch LCD display, Wi-Fi capabilities, Windows XP Home, and kid-friendly software featuring Disney characters and icons in stunning visual environments. Browsers and email have extra filters to assure that parents are able to control online safety and content for their children, and can easily select with whom their children can correspond via email. The Disney Desktop “gadget tray” offers a creatively designed 2D menu displaying a Disney-themed browser and a robust suite widgets and applications.

Product Feature

* Intel Atom N270 Processor 1.6GHz; 1 GB DDR2 RAM, 1 x SODIMM Slot, 2GB Max
* 160GB SATA Hard Drive (5400RPM); Windows XP Home Operating System with Magic Desktop Software
* Fun: Disney theme designed desktop and interface with intuitive and fun applications
* Web-safe: Robust safety features including white-list for added protection for your kids to safely browse the Web and email
* Easy: Easy to use and handle with compact hardware design made for kids

Processor, Memory, and Motherboard

* Hardware Platform: PC
* Processor: 1.6 hertz Intel Atom N270
* Number of Processors: 1
* RAM: 2000 MB
* RAM Type: SDRAM
* Memory Slots: 1

Hard Drive

* Size: 160 GB
* Manufacturer: Portable
* Type: ATA100
* Speed: 5400.0 rpm

Cases and Expandability

* Size (LWH): 9.76 inches, 6.81 inches, 1.13 inches
* Weight: 2.21 pounds

Power

* Rated Charge (normal use): 5.0 hours

Warranty and Support

* Amazon.com Returns Policies: You may return any new computer purchased from Amazon.com that is "dead on arrival," arrives in damaged condition, or is still in unopened boxes, for a full refund within 30 days of purchase. Amazon.com reserves the right to test "dead on arrival" returns and impose a customer fee equal to 15 percent of the product sales price if the customer misrepresents the condition of the product. Any returned computer that is damaged through customer misuse, is missing parts, or is in unsellable condition due to customer tampering will result in the customer being charged a higher restocking fee based on the condition of the product. Amazon.com will not accept returns of any desktop or notebook computer more than 30 days after you receive the shipment. New, used, and refurbished products purchased from Marketplace vendors are subject to the returns policy of the individual vendor.

Disney Netpal by ASUS
Lisp Price : $349.99
Price : $344.99
You Safe : $5.00 (1%)

BUY THIS PRODUCTS

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Windows 7

Posted By: Larry Seltzer

Bots and botnets have been around for a long time. There's some innovation in the programming form, but the large majority are Windows executables in PE (Portable Executable) format.

Cisco's security blog has started a series studying one new attempt they discovered to break out of the Windows-only mold: A bot written in Java.

The sample they study comes as a normal Java JAR file, as it would have to, and this is immediately a weakness compared to native bots, which usually come disguised by a variety of programs called "packers". Cisco's sample showed no attempt at all at obfuscation: It actually included the source code and the project file for Eclipse, a Java development platform. Malware analysis doesn't get any easier than this.

Craig Williams, the author of the post, speculates that the author chose Java thinking that AV programs might not be able to parse Java byte code (the executable format for Java), but a true Java bot should, depending on the features it uses, be able to run on more than just Windows as well, for what it's worth, but Williams says that this particular bot can only install itself on Windows systems. A Java bot might also run into problems, depending on what it does; if it tries to write to the file system, for example, it would need to be trusted, and that's not so easy to do.

This leaves a whole host of open questions: what does it do, how does it do it, and so on. Tune in next week, or whenever Williams writes part 2 of this series, to find out.

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HP Mini 110-1125NR 10.1-Inch

Product Description
The Internet is at the center of modern life keeping you connected and informed through email, IMs, RSS feeds, social networking sites and Search. Keeping up often requires time shifting with companion devices like netbooks. Powered by energy-efficient Intel Atom processors, the HP Mini 110 is optimized for Web access and can handle standard productivity apps - but is light enough to carry everywhere at just 2.33 lbs. Its LED anti-glare display reduces reflection that can distract from the visual experience, especially when used outside. The 92% of full-size keyboard enables much more efficient and comfortable use than texting (or typing on smartphone keyboards) for most. Windows 7 makes locating and connecting to hotspots easier and faster than ever. The HP Mini 110 is the perfect device for staying productive, informed and in touch.

Product Features

• 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 Processor (512 KB L2 Cache, 533 MHz FSB)
• 1 GB DDR2 RAM (1 Dimm), Max supported 2 GB
• 160GB (5400RPM) SATA Hard Drive
• 10.1” Diagonal WSVGA LED Anti-glare Widescreen Display (1024 x 600); Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950 (shared) with up to 128MB total available graphics memory
• Genuine Windows 7 Starter, *Up to 8 Hours of Battery Life

Processor, Memory, and Motherboard

• Hardware Platform: PC
• Processor: 1.6 GHz Intel Atom N270
• System Bus Speed: 533
• Number of Processors: 1
• RAM: 1 GB
• RAM Type: SDRAM

Hard Drive

• Size: 160 GB
• Manufacturer: Portable
• Type: SCSI

Ports and Connectivity

• Modem: None

Cases and Expandability

• Weight: 5 pounds

Warranty and Support

• Amazon.com Returns Policies: You may return any new computer purchased from Amazon.com that is "dead on arrival," arrives in damaged condition, or is still in unopened boxes, for a full refund within 30 days of purchase. Amazon.com reserves the right to test "dead on arrival" returns and impose a customer fee equal to 15 percent of the product sales price if the customer misrepresents the condition of the product. Any returned computer that is damaged through customer misuse, is missing parts, or is in unsellable condition due to customer tampering will result in the customer being charged a higher restocking fee based on the condition of the product. Amazon.com will not accept returns of any desktop or notebook computer more than 30 days after you receive the shipment. New, used, and refurbished products purchased from Marketplace vendors are subject to the returns policy of the individual vendor.

HP Mini 110-1125NR 10.1-Inch

Lisp Price : $379.99
Price : $339.99
You Safe : $40.00 (11%)
FreeTwo-DayShippingfrom Amazon.com

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Toshiba Mini NB205-N230 10.1-Inch

Amazon.com Product Description

Small enough to throw in a purse or bag, the affordable, super-compact 10.1-inch Toshiba mini NB205 netbook--which weighs just under 3 pounds--is designed with smart features like a full-sized keyboard and touchpad, long battery life, 3 USB ports (including one Sleep and Charge port) and a hard drive impact sensor that protects your data. You'll also get excellent battery life with the included six-cell battery that provides up to 9 hours of battery power--enabling you to go through an entire day of school, work or errands without worrying about a recharge.
With up to 9 hours of battery life the Toshiba mini NB205 lets you go through an entire day of school, work or errands without worrying about a recharge (see larger image).
The Toshiba mini NB205-N230 features a brilliant high-gloss Fusion Finish in Black Onyx that's sure to capture attention.
It comes pre-installed with the Microsoft Windows 7 Starter operating system, which combines the latest in reliability and responsiveness with the familiarity and compatibility of Windows. It includes new Windows 7 features like Jump Lists to help you to better find and manage files, and connecting to printers and peripherals is easier than ever. (Learn more about Windows 7 Starter below.)

Product Features

• 1.66GHz Intel N280 Atom Processor
• 1GB DDR2 533MHz Memory
• 250GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive, Integrated Wi-Fi
• 10.1" LED Backlit Display, 1024x600 native resolution (WSVGA)
• Microsoft Windows 7 Starter (32 bit), *9 Hours of Battery Life

Processor, Memory, and Motherboard

• Hardware Platform: PC
• Processor: 1.66 GHz Intel Atom N280
• System Bus Speed: 667
• Number of Processors: 1
• RAM: 1 GB
• RAM Type: SDRAM
• Memory Slots: 1

Hard Drive

• Size: 250 GB
• Manufacturer: Serial ATA hard disk drive
• Type: Serial ATA
• Speed: 5400.0 rpm

Ports and Connectivity

• Modem: Modem

Cases and Expandability

• Size (LWH): 7.6 inches, 10.4 inches, 1.27 inches
• Weight: 2.93 pounds

Power

• Rated Charge (normal use): 9.0 hours

Warranty and Support

• Amazon.com Returns Policies: You may return any new computer purchased from Amazon.com that is "dead on arrival," arrives in damaged condition, or is still in unopened boxes, for a full refund within 30 days of purchase. Amazon.com reserves the right to test "dead on arrival" returns and impose a customer fee equal to 15 percent of the product sales price if the customer misrepresents the condition of the product. Any returned computer that is damaged through customer misuse, is missing parts, or is in unsellable condition due to customer tampering will result in the customer being charged a higher restocking fee based on the condition of the product. Amazon.com will not accept returns of any desktop or notebook computer more than 30 days after you receive the shipment. New, used, and refurbished products purchased from Marketplace vendors are subject to the returns policy of the individual vendor.

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ASUS Eee PC 1005HA-PU1X-BK 10.1-Inch

Amazon.com Product Description

The 10.1-inch Eee PC 1005HA-P Seashell shines as the ideal mini-notebook for the traveler looking to have it all.
Utilizing ASUS' exclusive Super Hybrid Engine, the Eee PC 1005HA-P boasts an astounding 10.5 hours of uninterrupted battery life so you can work on important documents and surf the Web longer than ever before.
Inspired from the sea shell's contour shape, you will appreciate the attention to detail and eye-catching beauty that makes the Eee PC 1005HA-P a true work of art. Dressed in a sparkling pearlescent "shell" casing that gives it a captivating sheen, the Eee PC 1005HA Seashell is beautiful inside and out.
The Eee PC 1005HA-P offers great user comfort and convenience with its 92% scaled keyboard, multi-touch touchpad and instant key (for quick access to touchpad-lock). The 10.1-inch (Color-Shine) LED-backlit display and sleek chassis will allow you to work or travel in absolute comfort for hours on end. The generous 170GB ASUS Hybrid Storage will enable you to store, share and access your important data anytime, anywhere.
Miles ahead of its competition, the Eee PC 1005HA-P provides leading-class performance and superior portability, liberating you from wall chargers and bringing you into the future of mobility.

Product Features

• Up to 10.5 Hours of Battery Life and Free Sleeve Case Included
• Intel Atom N280 Processor 1.66GHz
• 1GB DDR2 RAM, 1 x SODIMM Slot, 2GB Max; Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n; Bluetooth 2.1
• 160GB SATA Hard Drive (5400 RPM) and 10GB Free Eee Storage
• Windows XP Home Operating System, 10.1-inch WSVGA 1024x600 LCD Display

Processor, Memory, and Motherboard

• Hardware Platform: PC
• Processor: 1.66 GHz Intel Atom N280
• System Bus Speed: 667
• Number of Processors: 1
• RAM: 1000 MB
• RAM Type: SODIMM

Special Features

• Display Type: LED backlight
• Display Type: WSVGA
• Screen Size: 10.1"
• Maximum Resolution: 1024 x 600
• Memory Type: DDR2
• Memory Size: 1GB
• Capacity: 10GB
• Capacity: 160GB
• HDD/SSD Drives Included: 1x 160GB
• HDD/SSD Drives Included: 10GB (Eee Storage)
• Drive Types: Hard Drive
• Lifestyle: Netbooks
• Condition: New
• Operating Systems: Windows XP Home
• Startup Operating System: Windows® XP Home
• Platform: Netbook
• Processor Brand: Intel
• Processor Class: Atom
• Processor Type: Single-Core
• Processor Speed: 1.66GHz

Hard Drive

• Size: 160 GB
• Manufacturer: Portable
• Type: Serial ATA

Graphics and Display

• LCD Native Resolution: 10.1

Cases and Expandability

• Size (LWH): 10.31 inches, 7.01 inches, 1.02 inches
• Weight: 2.9 pounds

Power

• Rated Charge (normal use): 10.5 hours

Warranty and Support

• Amazon.com Returns Policies: You may return any new computer purchased from Amazon.com that is "dead on arrival," arrives in damaged condition, or is still in unopened boxes, for a full refund within 30 days of purchase. Amazon.com reserves the right to test "dead on arrival" returns and impose a customer fee equal to 15 percent of the product sales price if the customer misrepresents the condition of the product. Any returned computer that is damaged through customer misuse, is missing parts, or is in unsellable condition due to customer tampering will result in the customer being charged a higher restocking fee based on the condition of the product. Amazon.com will not accept returns of any desktop or notebook computer more than 30 days after you receive the shipment. New, used, and refurbished products purchased from Marketplace vendors are subject to the returns policy of the individual vendor.

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Acer Aspire One AOD150-1920 10.1-Inch

I love it when a company sees fit to shake things up a little and cook up some crazy new design. The Acer Aspire One AOD150 is not that netbook. In fact, many of the changes made from the original Aspire One make the AOD150 seem more like everything else on the market. And that isn’t necessarily a good thing.
Seem a little harsh? Let me put this in perspective: The original, 8.9-inch screen model packed a huge keyboard onto a fairly tiny frame. That keyboard was practically dripping over the sides and I was genuinely impressed for the effort. Here, with its new 10.1-inch screen (which looks great), I’d expect a little more room to work with. Instead, you get the same still-short-of-full-size keyboard. It’s not tiny, but Acer could’ve made an effort to space out the buttons a little more.
The next big switchup is the touchpad. At first glance, I was ready to dance a jig because the left and right buttons flanking the touchpad surface were gone. Just a single, simple mouse button bar. In and of itself, not necessarily a bad thing. But then I tried using it. Exerting a shaolin monk’s concentration, you need to really want to hit that button in order to get it working. With very little give, it’s hard to know when you’ve made contact and the way that it’s recessed into the wrist rest makes it a little more difficult to use than the mouse on the first Aspire One. At least the new touchpad has a multitouch functionality, so that scrolling and browsing is a little less headache-inducing.

The only other change for the (slightly) worse is the second-gen Aspire One ditches the original’s second SDHC Card slot. Not a major bummer, because this machine has a reasonably large 160GB hard disk drive.
Now, back to that new 10.1-inch display: I really do love this 1024-by-600-pixel screen. It’s crisp, with good color reproduction and, quite frankly, it feels like this machine was built around the gorgeous screen. Its dimensions are relatively slim (one thing that hasn’t changed too much from the original) measuring 10.2 by 8.0 by 1.31 inches. That makes it slighter than comparable netbooks with a 10.1-inch screen. The Aspire One is also very solidly constructed, ready to get knocked around in a bag.
The second-generation Aspire One’s performance is in line with what we’d expect from its components: 1GB of RAM and a 1.6-GHz Intel Atom N270 CPU. It achieved a score of 35 in our PC WorldBench 6 tests, an average score based on what we’ve seen with this configuration in other netbooks.
One thing that isn’t quite standard is the battery that came with our machine. Our test unit arrived with a 5800mAH battery. Don’t get too excited, though: This battery will not be a standard config in any of the units here in the U.S., and Acer doesn’t even know when this longer-life battery will be available separately. The standard configuration usually comes with a 6-cell 4400mAH battery. Usually.
Here’s where it gets goofy: According to a spokesperson, in the hurry to get units to store shelves, some of the machines shipped with higher-powered batteries, instead of the standard. It’s like some kind of Willy Wonka move, but instead of a golden ticket, you have a chance you’ll get a better battery and not get charged for it.
If you get lucky, you’ll be thrilled: In the PC World Test Center’s battery life test, the Aspire One lasted an amazing 8 hours, 34 minutes with the supercharged battery. Since the odds are more likely you’ll get the 4400mAH power, though, we are scoring this machine based upon the reasonably impressive 6 hours, 38 minutes. It’s funny — last time around the Aspire One got dinged for its poor battery life and celebrated for its large keyboard. This time around it’s almost the reverse. Am I in Bizzaro world?
The software on the machine is fairly minimal. The only things of note here are a 30-day trial for an online backup solution (my advice, Acer: check out what Asus is doing — its netbook comes with 10GB of free online storage for 18 months) and eSobi, a news and RSS feed reader.
Not much else has changed, though, between the two Aspire One models. The ports are the same: Three USB 2.0 ports, VGA out, ethernet jack, webcam and microphone . . . it even has the same $350 price tag. And honestly, I think a good chunk of that money went into the screen. It shows. But at the end of the day, I feel like the Aspire One moved on, but I’m not 100 percent sold that the developers have taken these guys in the right direction.
The new Acer Aspire One has some strong points, but even better netbooks are on the market now, and more are on the way. If you want in on the battery lottery for the long-life battery, then go for it, but even the included battery will give you solid day-long performance, That said, I’d still recommend that you take a peek at what Asus offers with the Eee PC 1000HE. I’m digging that netbook a whole lot more and it only costs a few dollars more.

Product Features

• 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 Processor
• 1 GB RAM; Wi-Fi (802.11b / g) enabled
• 160 GB Hard Drive (without operating system), Integrated 802.11b/g, Wi-Fi Certified
• 10.1-Inch Display, Includes Acer Crystal Eye webcam
• Windows XP Home with SP3, 6 Cell Battery (6 1/2 Hours of Battery Life)

Processor, Memory, and Motherboard

• Hardware Platform: PC
• Processor: 1.6 GHz PowerPC G4
• System Bus Speed: 533
• Number of Processors: 1
• RAM: 2000 MB
• RAM Type: SDRAM

Hard Drive

• Size: 1 GB
• Manufacturer: Portable
• Type: ATA100

Graphics and Display

• LCD Native Resolution: 10.1

Ports and Connectivity

• Modem: None

Cases and Expandability

• Size (LWH): 7.28 inches, 10.2 inches, 1.31 inches
• Weight: 2.95 pounds

Power

• Rated Charge (normal use): 6.5 hours

Warranty and Support

• Amazon.com Returns Policies: You may return any new computer purchased from Amazon.com that is "dead on arrival," arrives in damaged condition, or is still in unopened boxes, for a full refund within 30 days of purchase. Amazon.com reserves the right to test "dead on arrival" returns and impose a customer fee equal to 15 percent of the product sales price if the customer misrepresents the condition of the product. Any returned computer that is damaged through customer misuse, is missing parts, or is in unsellable condition due to customer tampering will result in the customer being charged a higher restocking fee based on the condition of the product. Amazon.com will not accept returns of any desktop or notebook computer more than 30 days after you receive the shipment. New, used, and refurbished products purchased from Marketplace vendors are subject to the returns policy of the individual vendor.

Acer Aspire One AOD150-1920 10.1-Inch

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Dell Inspiron 14z

The Dell Inspiron 14z laptop makes a clear statement: You are probably a student, you want a whole lot of battery life on a Windows 7 machine, and you probably don't care much about performance. A small, sleek portable, the 14z mainly looks good and has a very long battery life. There's nothing wrong with it, as long as you know exactly what you're getting. As reviewed, the 14z would cost about $849--a sizable chunk of change considering its lack of horsepower. At first sight, this model seems to be an echo of the Dell Studio 14z that we reviewed just a few months back.

The Inspiron 14z is a pretty notebook. At 13.4 by 9.5 by 1.1 inches, it's slim and sleek, with lines that suggest speed from its edging to the shape of its hinge. A silver wristpad encircles a sleek black keypad and monitor frame, while the distinctive silvered-circle Dell logo rests on the top of the machine in the middle of a clean, slick paint job. It feels a little heavier than it looks, with models starting at 4.4 pounds, but this is still an easy machine to throw in a small bag or to carry under your arm without worrying about its weight--or about looking too much like a nerd.
Dissappointing Performance
Our review system shipped with a 64-bit version of Windows 7, 3GB of memory, a 1.3GHz Intel Mobile Core 2 Duo SU7300 processor, and Intel's integrated graphics--a package that led to a disappointing PC WorldBench score of 66, well below average. Unsurprisingly, any try at gaming that needs a strong 3D push also stutters to the point of uselessness. So the good news about this laptop is that your student won't spend much time goofing around with it. But word processing and Web browsing, even with a heavy load of Office apps and Firefox tabs open, moved at a more than reasonable pace.
While WorldBench performance disappointed, battery life was something else all together, creeping 10 minutes over 7 hours before the 14z finally took a bow. With a full-size keyboard and a widescreen 14-inch monitor, there's a real place for a laptop with that kind of stamina. This is a complete flip from the results that we saw Dell's Studio 14z--that machine emphasized horsepower (and a discrete GPU) over battery life.
The case feels sturdy, and the latchless lid feels good and stiff, holding the screen in place. The monitor is quite bright, with a nice pop to its colors. Its top resolution of 1366 by 768 isn't bad for the screen's size--text is easy to read, and icons are easy to pick out. With both streaming video and DVDs, playback was consistently smooth and clear. The biggest issue with the screen is its extraordinary glossiness, though it does have a nice level of brightness and color. Even if you prefer the shine of a glossy screen over a less-reflective matte-style LCD, the Inspiron's screen is simply too glossy. In anything but the gentlest lighting with the whitest objects on the screen, you'll be able to pick out details of your own reflection. On the bright side (get it?), the VGA- and HDMI-out ports let you see what you're doing.
As for the audio side of the equation, the speakers are passable, but the headphone and microphone jacks will be your go-to choices with this machine. Rounding out the rest of the box are two USB jacks on the right side and one on the left. The left USB jack shares that side with the ethernet port and a memory card reader. The system ships with a CD/DVD burner built into the right side, and with a smallish 250GB, 5400-rpm hard drive for storage.
Between those ports and up a step are the keyboard and the touchpad. The keypad feels a bit cheap, with thin plastic buttons that seem like a too-solid hit might break them clean off. The laptop's thinness also dictates a very short travel time on keystrokes. The overall feeling is like working with a really big, cheap cellphone's keypad. The touchpad sits under the the keyboard and is recessed just a little into the case, with two buttons under it. The touchpad buttons are the type that recess into the body of the machine when you press them, and they share the "ready to break at a moment's notice" feel of the main keypad.
That grousing noted, the keyboard and touchpad are responsive and are sized just about perfectly. Even with my giant reviewer paws, the interface never felt cramped or slow. The touchpad, in particular, is precisely big enough to work with, but small enough that it's out of the way.
The laptop's layout gives the "Home" set of keys its own unique buttons along the right side, a nice use of space for those core navigation keys. The F1-F12 keys are also mapped to laptop-specific functions; for example, the F7 key's primary use is to mute the machine, and the F5's is to increase brightness. It's the right choice for a machine for which most users will be neither hard-core road warriors nor tech folks. One misstep, though, was placing the monitor-selection key right on the F1 button, leaving it too close to that darned-handy Esc key.
Dell's included support software is comprehensive, but not much more user-friendly than simply finding the necessary programs or Web pages yourself. The 14z also ships with the "Dell Dock," an aggregation widget that gives you easy access to programs by category, such as "Email" or "Photos." However, the Dell Dock is so ancillary on a Windows 7 system, and such an obvious aping of the similar Apple interface, that there's no reason to leave it running.
Dell has aimed the Inspiron 14z squarely at users who are more concerned with flash than substance, and who consider a 7-hour battery life to be a core quality for a laptop. Students are an obvious demographic here, and they should be able to get their money's worth out of a good-looking machine that won't have them scrambling to find an outlet or leave the library.

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Asus UL80Vt-A1 Delivers Impressive Flexibility

Nokia spokespeople are quick to correct you if you slip and call the Booklet 3G a netbook. Well, let's see: It has a tiny, clamshell, laptop-like design. It has meager specs (1GB of RAM, Intel's Z530 1.6-GHz Atom CPU, and a 4200-rpm 120GB hard drive). It has a 10.1-inch screen. Last time I checked, that was pretty much the definition of a netbook. The Booklet 3G just happens to be a reasonably well-constructed model with a focus on being 3G wireless-ready. But are you willing to shell out $599, sans contract (price as of 11/13/09), for Nokia's maiden effort in the netbook market (or $299 subsidized through an AT&T data plan)?
As you can probably tell, I'm not exactly enamored with what lies under the Booklet's hood--certainly not at the asking price. Let's start with the hard numbers. In PC WorldBench 6, the Booklet slogs along to a 27. That's what happens when you have a underpowered machine running Windows 7. In a a quick, subjective performance spin, it seemed painfully pokey. From a cold start, it takes 45 seconds to boot into the Windows 7 Starter Edition desktop. Try opening up more than two applications at a time, and brace for the lag. As for battery life, it's a slightly better story. In our labs, the Booklet lasted an impressive 8 hours, 39 minutes. It may be nearly delivering on that promise of all-day computing. You just might need that time to get the computer to run.

The nondescript guts aren't the real story here, however--it's the Booklet 3G's upscale lines. The machine's smart styling is almost techno-retro, making this little laptop look like, well, a large cell phone. The glossy plastic lid may be a smudge magnet, but it nicely offsets the sturdy aluminum case. The mouse buttons have a swooping design. Heck, I half expected to see a version of Snakes running on this thing. In short, Nokia seems to think that it's still 2002--and I'm okay with that.
But then you try to use the machine. The 10.1-inch screen, with its native 1280 by 720 resolution (not to mention the unit's HDMI output), may fool you into thinking that you'll be able to enjoy HD video on it. Between the Booklet 3G's poky processor and its low-speed hard drive, I found it tough to watch a 480-by-320-resolution video running full screen. The colors and contrast seemed a bit muted, and as if that weren't enough, the glare coming off the screen was extremely noticeable unless I looked at the display dead-on. I could do my morning shave looking at that reflection.
Something else I noticed while trying to watch video on a bus: The hinge mechanism has almost no grip. The slightest bump kicks the screen back. As a test, I tried just slightly flicking my wrist while holding the machine, and the screen flopped out. That's a huge pet peeve of mine, and a strike against the Booklet 3G.
I should note that the keyboard is tiny. I'm talking small, scrunched keys, the kind where my fingertip dwarfs the entire button. Over time, I grew accustomed to the size, but I wouldn't recommend it for long typing sessions (like the time I spent typing this review...ouch). On the other hand, I really liked the touchpad: Spacious, with two big, satisfying mouse buttons, it makes navigating a whole lot easier.
Measuring 10.4 by 7.3 by 0.8 inches and weighing about 2.7 pounds, the unit feels substantial in your hands. On the edges are three USB ports (two on the left side), plus a combo mic and headphone jack (so you can plug in a cell phone headset). I especially recommend sticking with headphones, because the two built-in speakers barely rise above a whisper--and when I tried to crank up Elvis Presley's "Suspicious Minds," the speakers cracked.
Also on the side are the power switch and, behind a flap, the SD and SIM card slots. I presume that the easily accessible SIM card slot allows for the closed-case design and permits international travelers to pop in a region-friendly card wherever they may land. Otherwise, the case is fairly clean.
As for software, the big draw looks to be Nokia Ovi Suite, the company's set of connectivity apps, which didn't come with our initial test machine. We are hoping to get a closer look at that prior to assigning the Booklet 3G a final score. But going by what we have seen so far, it could be a little tough to give this netbook a hearty recommendation.
The sturdy frame and reasonably slick lines of the Nokia Booklet 3G show that the company has what it takes to make a smart-looking portable. But considering the poor choice of components (really, a tiny, slow hard drive?) and the above-mentioned quirks, this is a too-pricey portable. If someone tried selling me the Booklet 3G at $599, I'd balk. The $299 subsidized deal may rope some people in--until they realize that they would need to shell out $60 per month in data costs.
As nice as this machine looks, it lacks the gumption to make for a versatile netbook. And, yes, it has a good battery life, but we've seen better for less in Toshiba's NB205 (it runs faster for 10 hours). Want a little more power instead of battery life? The $400 HP Mini 311 (with a decent GPU) is another alternative.

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Asus UL80Vt-A1 Delivers Impressive Flexibility

Asus has its work cut out for it in finding a market for the UL80Vt-A1. This ultraportable laptop has a higher price ($849) than many similarly specced competitors, though it's in the same ballpark as its $800 stablemate, the Asus UL30A. So how does Asus justify the price tag?
The answer is surprisingly simple: long battery life (6 hours on our review unit) and better-than-average flexibility. The UL80Vt-A1 includes both a discrete nVidia G210M graphics system and an integrated Intel alternative, so users can switch on the fly to adjust the laptop's performance and battery life to the task at hand. Another appealing feature is the unit's power-sipping LED backlit display.
The UL80Vt-A1 comes with 64-bit Windows 7 Home Premium and 4GB of DDR3 memory installed. The Intel processor at the heart of the ultraportable is a 1.3GHz CPU factory-overclocked to 1.7GHz. The UL80Vt-A1 earned a WorldBench 6 score of 76--reasonably swift for its class but hardly smoking fast. In any case, the user experience was generally positive.

The UL80Vt-A1 felt pretty snappy and responsive during everyday use, even with Aero Shake and Flip 3D enabled. The dedicated nVidia graphics kick in by default at high performance settings. As a result, the laptop turned in frame rates above 35 frames per second on both Unreal Tournament 3 and Quake Wars: Enemy Territory at 800 by 600 resolution and high quality. Though the UL80Vt-A1 isn't a gaming machine, you can throw games at it occasionally and get surprisingly playable results.
When closed, the UL80Vt-A1's attractive brushed metal finish on the lid looks slick without seeming ostentatious. With the lid is open, things remain streamlined, but the glossy finish around the display and around the keyboard made the typing experience problematic: My hands constantly stuck or skidded across it. That's a shame because the keyboard itself is great, with a Chiclet-style layout of inlaid keys on a flat panel.
The UL80Vt-A1's 14-inch display delivered so-so color reproduction, tending toward a slightly washed out appearance. The screen is bright and extremely readable in every lighting condition we tested it in, including direct sunlight. In fact, at its highest setting, the display sometimes verges on too bright. I would have preferred a higher-resolution screen, but this might have presented problems with the switchable discrete/integrated graphics options. Despite the underwhelming resolution options, I havd no trouble with such day-to-day tasks as working with Word documents and Excel spreadsheets.
Editing those documents is another matter. I've already mentioned the slippery finish around the keyboard. The mouse button is awful. In lieu of dedicated right and left clicks, you get a single button that pivots left or right on a central point. This design is getting more common these days (it also shows up on the Gateway NV5807u, for example)--and the trend needs to stop. You have to use considerable pressure to get the button to click, which makes working with the mouse even worse.
The UL80Vt-A1 comes with a fairly robust array of software options for protecting and restoring data. The backup utility is intuitive and yet reasonably feature-rich. The electronic user manual is welcome, too.
The laptop's speakers are standard fare for an ultraportable not expressly dedicated to multimedia. The sound quality isn't awful--with no appreciable distortion at moderate volume levels--but the absence of a dedicated subwoofer makes the UL80v inappropriate for serious listening.
The UL80Vt-A1 covers its base respectably. Strong battery life and surprisingly responsive performance give Asus's latest rig two solid legs to stand on. The only major drawbacks here are the price and that wretched mouse.

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Lenovo ThinkPad SL510 (2847-22U)

Lenovo's new SL510 won't surprise anyone who has used a ThinkPad before--it's an excellent laptop that's oriented entirely toward no-nonsense use. The matte black housing, the iconic nub in the middle of the keyboard, and the deep-set keypad are all comfortingly familiar, as are its black, boxy looks, with the familiar "ThinkPad" logo on the top of the case's corner. The machine's lightweight feel is surprising but welcome. It's the return of an efficient, gifted friend--a friend who is now marginally less awkward at social events. And it'll set you back $889 (as of 11/9/2009).
At 15-by-9.7-by-1.4 inches and weighing 5.7 pounds, our review unit was big, but not too bulky. The latchless case opens easily, and the join between screen and laptop feels rock-solid. Our review unit's 15.6-inch screen was matte, not glossy, which means a bit less brightness and color but makes the screen easy to view under just about any lighting you like (a glossy screen is available). The native resolution is just 1366 by 768, but going any higher would have required Lenovo to pack a little more graphics dynamite under the hood.
Our review model's guts include a 2.53GHz Intel Core 2 Duo P8700 CPU, 3GB of RAM, Intel's integrated 4500 Graphics Media Accelerator, and a 320GB, 7200-rpm hard drive. That was enough to earn a score of 104 in our WorldBench 6 test suite, and is actually fairly fast for an all-purpose laptop. In my own subjective tests, the SL510 easily handles DVD and streaming video playback, but is also meaty enough to deal with 12 tabs of Firefox running while fiddling in Office and Photoshop. However, that anemic GPU means gaming is secondary--hardly a surprise here. (That said, if you need a quick gaming fix, consider Torchlight, which ran swimmingly and is a lot of fun.) As for battery life, the SL510 lasts 5 minutes shy of 4 hours, or about 20 minutes less than the average we've seen from all-purpose-class laptops. So, while it has moxie, keep your charger handy.
The keypad is the fantastic standard that ThinkPad users have used to write so many memos. It's full-size, with plenty of space between individual keys and a fantastic feel on each individual keystroke. The arrow keys and the dedicated Page Up/Page Down keys sit in the lower right as a two-row, three-column bunch with a careful trio of grooves leading the hand from the bottom of the machine to the keys themselves. It's a little thing that makes it very easy to navigate documents and apps without looking down to find keys. The keyboard also features Lenovo's usual spill-resistance technology--it even feels as if you could drop a brick on the keyboard, and it'd be fine.
The keyboard's positioning doesn't make as strong a case for adoration. Sticking close to Lenovo's plain-design philosophy, the keyboard sits squarely in the middle of the laptop. Given its wide screen, that decision leaves a broad swath of space to either side of the keys, though the left side has four dedicated volume buttons, while the right has the ThinkVantage and power buttons and your indicator light array. I'll admit it irks me to see such swaths of unused space on a laptop, but this is still a very comfortable setup. The keyboard is center-aligned with the screen, and you can rest your hands comfortably without accidentally hitting any extra arrays of buttons.
The aforementioned ThinkVantage button gives access to an excellent suite of support and monitoring tools. It is a central clearinghouse of information about your machine and doesn't require someone from IT to come over and help just to get something useful done. Lenovo's electronic help documentation is quite thorough--designed, clearly, to be helpful to the IT guy while not overwhelming to the business user. And ThinkVantage's Enhanced Backup and Restore features make online, external, and local backup easy, while its Performance and Configuration History tracks a wide variety of boring but important facts about your machine: hardware scans, tests, system changes (as granularly as program updates), critical events (with full error logs), performance-changers (such as new programs that launch at startup), and when you created restore points. The SL510 also incorporates the ThinkPad line's usual Active Protection System, which stops the hard drive from spinning if the machine takes a sudden impact. It's a recurring theme: This ThinkPad is a tank.
As for what you'll find lining the box, here's a quick rundown: Three USB ports, a hybrid eSATA/USB port, VGA- and HDMI-video outputs, a mic and headphone jack, a media card reader, a DVD/CD-RW drive, an express card slot, and an ethernet port are arrayed around the machine. One USB port sits in the back; every other connection is on the right or left side and recessed into the SL510 just a little. That rear port may not seem very useful, but think about it for a second: How many odd dongles or awkwardly-sized USB flash drives block up neighboring USB ports? This back-mounted port should accommodate any USB devices with exceptionally fat plugs. 802.11 Wi-Fi is supported out of the box for every version; optional Bluetooth, WWAN and WiMax units are available.

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Acer Aspire 5738DG-6165

The Acer Aspire 5738DG-6165 grafts a 3D panel onto a mainstream laptop. It's a gimmick, a feature that caters to maybe 1 percent of the computing population--and at first I was completely skeptical. People are offering 3D as a crowd-pleasing extra in movie theaters, as a ploy to justify the purchase of Blu-ray discs, and now as a new reason to buy a high-end graphics card. But in a $780 all-purpose laptop?
After kicking the tires on the 5738DG-6165 for a few days, I've seen some mixed, finicky--but also at times surprisingly good--results. Since the rest of the laptop (even the discrete GPU driving the visual experience) is so average, I have to make the 3D panel the focal point of this review.
But before we dive into the specifics of the panel, you need to understand the three different 3D technologies currently available. The first approach is the old standby, in which you use red-blue cardboard glasses. The effect tints your world a little (mutes colors), but it's fairly effective in everything from comic books to movies. The second approach is more advanced. A while back, nVidia proudly trotted out its 3D Vision goggles--powered, shuttered glasses that blink in time with a screen's refresh rate. Similar takes on the technology have been used for some time, and it yields pretty solid results. With nVidia's version, you plug the goggles into a powerful PC, make sure that your screen has at least a 120Hz refresh rate (or, if it's a CRT, at least 100Hz), and you're in business. The third approach, employed in the Acer laptop, uses polarized lenses. In this case the entire thing works thanks to a combination of Oakley-shades look-alikes, the polarized panel, and TriDef software.
That software is the main reason why I was digging the 5738DG-6165. Fire up the program's main interface, and you can open specific 3D video files that truly leap off the screen. The software will also add depth (a slider lets you adjust the 3D functions) to any movies that you pop into the internal DVD drive; our DVDs of Top Gun and There Will Be Blood looked reasonably good. On top of that, the 3D effect works with video files on your computer. In my trials, WMV and AVI clips ran well, but I hit some roadblocks with QuickTime videos and TV shows recorded on Windows Media Center--you'd figure those would be no-brainers to work out of the box.
You know what else would be handy? 3D effects added to video from Netflix Instant Access and Hulu streaming. A TriDef spokesperson noted that in order for the software to offer 3D functions, developers need to create drivers and plug-ins that work inside programs. So here's a request for the developers: Hulu has desktop software and Netflix is now integrated into Media Center. Make it happen. Please.
On the 5738DG-6165, the next icon on the software's menu launches a 3D photo viewer. The sample images are no doubt tweaked to pop off the screen, but the feature worked equally well with images I took on a trip to New Zealand--trees grew out of the panel in nature shots, and geysers erupted.
And then there's the reason everyone else will use the 3D: getting the most out of games. I fired up the zombietastic Left 4 Dead, and shambling ghouls jumped out of the screen. I found that games based on Valve's Source engine (Portal, Half-Life 2) yielded the best results. Real-time strategy titles like Command & Conquer 3 made me feel as if I were operating in a war room, with the heads-up display floating above the fray while the odd explosion or vehicle rose up from the terrain. (I should say, though, that trying to read text in this setup can be a little disorienting at times.)
You can find drivers out there that promise to breathe a little more 3D life into some games, but the results are largely hit-and-miss. You might wind up hitting TriDef's support forums to locate the latest hack drivers created by other users. But I found that trying to test a game like Batman: Arkham Asylum, for instance, was an exercise in frustration, due to an underpowered machine and beta drivers. Personally, I'd like to see nVidia's 3D Vision shutter-glasses technology find its way to laptops, because, though it is a little more kludgy, it works with just about everything you throw at it.
The 3D functions aside, in general the 15.6-inch panel is reasonably bright and crisp. The average experience, with regular 2D content, offers pretty good color reproduction. In our tests, still images had appropriately deep, rich blues and bright, fiery oranges and reds. Test video clips sped along at the 1366-by-768-pixel native resolution. Whether we used HD video installed on the hard drive or clips streamed off Hulu, we saw no major causes for concern. It's all gravy--so long as you're looking at the 5738DG-6165 dead-on. The screen is actually pretty unforgiving for 3D; two people sitting side by side may be able to enjoy the effects if they have the screen positioned at the precise 120-or-so-degree angle. And when you aren't wearing your polarized specs and you're using the screen in 2D mode, you can't help but notice the lines in the panel--it gets distracting, a little too quickly.
As for the rest of the laptop, in our tests it had just enough gumption (courtesy of a 2.2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T6600 CPU, 4GB of RAM, a 320GB 5400-rpm hard drive, and an ATI Radeon Mobility HD 4750 GPU) to notch a score of 88 in WorldBench 6. The 5738DG-6165 was good enough to run through just about any basic task we tried on it.
In modern games, however, it was bound to bog down a little. What do you expect for $780? At 1024 by 768 resolution with high settings, the Acer laptop generated only 28 frames per second in Enemy Territory: Quake Wars and 37 frames per second in Unreal Tournament III. (By the way, the 3D effects seemed to work decently well in the latter game.) This machine is not really a gaming rig, but if you keep the settings--and your expectations--fairly low, it will do fine.
While the 5738DG-6165 isn't a powerhouse on the performance front, it is a power-hungry battery drainer. Posting a meager battery-life score of 2 hours, 28 minutes in our tests, it ran well short of the 4-hour, 14-minute average that we usually see from all-purpose portables. If you buy this laptop, keep your AC adapter handy!
The keyboard is great. It has wide, flat keys, and Acer fit in a full number pad for good measure. My hat's off to the company for taking full advantage of the space and making a keyboard this big, as well as adding a few shortcut buttons along the top. The multitouch touchpad is equally roomy. Unfortunately, the single-bar mouse button is not as appealing; though it certainly is big and wide enough, it feels a little on the cheap, plasticky side.
In other respects, the 5738DG-6165 sports what I expect these days out of a basic, all-purpose laptop: four USB 2.0 ports, HDMI and VGA video outputs, a five-in-one flash-card reader, a Webcam, two headphone jacks--even decent audio. (Don't get me wrong, you'll still want to plug in headphones, but at least the on-board speakers don't produce completely shrill results.) Connectivity-wise, the laptop gives you Bluetooth, 802.11n, ethernet, and even an old-tyme modem port.
The Acer Aspire 5738DG-6165, geared toward the everyman, has just enough features to attract people who need a capable portable computer for daily use. And the price is within the realm of reason. As you may have gathered, though, the big selling point is the 3D panel. It's a gutsy attempt on Acer's part, for sure, and the company deserves some credit for that. But if Acer--or someone else--tries to step up with more graphics horsepower, 3D could be a cool gimmick that actually catches on.

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