Toshiba 16-inch Solid State Drive Laptop
Image Courtesy Toshiba
Solid state drives have been growing in popularity thanks to the extremely fast access times and generally lower power consumption. The big drawback to the drives is their high overall costs and lower overall capacity. Toshiba's Satellite A505 series has an option for models that include a solid state drive as the primary storage. Does this drive up the cost too much and sacrifice overall storage capacity? Find out in my review of the Toshiba Satellite A505-S6999 laptop.
Computer Deal of the Week
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Netbooks are still extremely popular with consumers because of their extremely low cost and small sizes. Some people may want more out of their laptop than a netbook can provide but still have a limited budget. For them, NewEgg is offering a Lenovo G550 laptop for just $400 with free shipping. This version of the laptop includes a Pentium Dual-Core T4300 processor, 3GB of DDR2 memory, 250GB hard drive, DVD burner, 15.6-inch display, Intel GMA 4500 integrated graphics, 802.11b/g wireless and Windows 7 Home Premium. More information about a similar system can be found in my review of the G550 from last month.
Disclaimer: All deals are those advertised by the retailer in question and may have rebates or other conditions of purchase for the products. Please be sure to read all disclaimers from the seller before purchasing.
Desktop Processor Buyer's Guide
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The desktop processor market is very confused right now. Intel has added additional Core i7 and new Core i5 processors to the market, but they use a different socket from the original Core i7 processors. AMD keeps adding new products with the AMD Athlon II series and expanded Phenom processors, most of which are priced under $150. If one is looking to build or even buy a new desktop computer, how does one know if they are getting the right processor? Find out more in my article that explains the various desktop CPUs available on the market.
Sony's 15-inch Blu-ray Laptop For Under $1000
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While Blu-ray players for the home have dropped significantly and are selling pretty well, Blu-ray has been fairly slow to catch on with mobile computers. Those that do feature the drives offer a mobile high definition video player that can be used on the road or with any HDTV outside of the home. Prives for the drives have come down dramatically but they are typically found on laptops that cost over a thousand dollars. Sony has managed to produce an affordable 15-inch laptop with the feature. Does it stand up as a good mobile multimedia platform? Find out in my review of the Sony VAIO VGN-NW280F/B laptop.
eMachines Support Profile
eMachines was one of the pioneers of the low cost desktop computer system. They become so successful that they were purchased by Gateway, but retain their own brand. One of the ways to reduce the costs of their machines is to control the costs of support. This can be a very different experience from a high end PC maker that provides lots of options. With this in mind, I take a look at what options eMachines offers to customers needing help.
Included in the profile I list the various avenues that users have for support, some published ratings of the their product support, tips and advice. This can be used for those thinking of buying an eMachines system. If you happened to have used eMachines' support, be sure to vote in the survey and share your experience.
How would you rate eMachines' support?
A Modestly Priced Gaming Laptop From iBUYPOWER
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Gaming specific laptops have been around for some time but many of them have highly specialized hardware that ends up with them costing close to two thousands dollars or more. iBUYPOWER is one of a number of companies that sells customizable yet affordable gaming specific computers. Their Battalion 101 CZ-10 Premium offers up a gaming specific 15-inch laptop with a more modest $1250 price tag. Does this system do a good job at gaming? Find out in my review of the iBUYPOWER Battalion 101 CZ-10 Premium laptop.
Best Desktop PC Audio Cards
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Computer audio cards have undergone many changes in the past few years. First, you have the shift from the older PCI interface to the newer PCI-Express interface. Then you get the audio stack changes in the Windows operating system. Finally, you have improved audio solutions that are built into the motherboards. All of this has caused major shifts in the focus of audio cards and even who is manufacturing the cards. Cards have become specialized to different tasks that the computer might be used for. Because of this, I have altered my list of Best PC Audio Cards to reflect these changes. Find out which cards I think are best based upon how you intend to use your computer.
HP's Entertainment Focused 15-inch Laptop
Image Courtesy HP Inc.
HP calls their dv6 an entertainment laptop. This terminology could mean very different things for different people. For some, it might mean a mobile media platform for watching videos on the road. Others might see it as an extension of a home theater for recording and playing back television shows. Then there are those that use their computers for gaming as a means of entertainment. Can HP fulfill all these users needs in a single entertainment laptop? Find out in my review of the HP Pavilion dv6-1360us laptop.
Upgrade Your Desktop to Stay In The Game
Image Courtesy Advanced Micro Devices
Keeping hardware up to date for PC gaming can be a real problem. Many hardcore gamers would replace their computers every two years. This is not something that many people would even consider in the current economy. Many of the desktop computers purchased in the past two years can still play games fairly well with even the chance of running at higher resolution provided they get a video card upgrade.
Graphics or video cards have made some outstanding performance gains the the past year that allow them to play games at higher resolutions and detail than ever before. With monitor prices dropping for larger 24-inch displays with their 1920x1200 resolutions, gamers will probably find older PCs having a harder time keeping up frame rates or even playing at these resolutions. Thankfully, it is very easy to upgrade a computer's graphics cards. If you are looking to give your system a boost in the 3D graphics arena, check out my selections for the best performance graphics cards if you are looking for higher resolutions or my best budget 3D graphics cards if you are looking to do some upgrades but spend a bit less.
A 15-inch All-Day Laptop From Gateway
Image Courtesy Gateway
Like the idea of being able to use a computer for six hours or more but hate the tiny netbook and ultraportable systems that offer it? If so, Gateway is hoping that you will take a look at their new EC5802u. This laptop features a larger 15.6-inch display and a running time of up to eight hours. Sure, it isn't going to be as portable as the netbooks or ultraportables but it is relatively thin and light compared to other 15-inch laptops. How does Gateway try to achieve this and did they succeed? Find out in my review of the Gateway EC5802u laptop.