Friday, June 14, 2013
DELL VOSTRO A860
CPU: Celeron M540
North Bridge: 965GM
South Bridge: ICH8M
Project: VM9/VM8
Revision: 1A
 Attachment : VOSTRO A860 [660,03Kb] |
Monday, June 10, 2013
Dell Vostro A90 Available in US Now
The Vostro A90 netbook has an identical specs as the Inspiron Mini 9:
- 8.9-inch screen
- Intel Atom N270 CPU
- 1GB RAM
- 16GB SSD
- Windows XP Home
- WiFi, Bluetooth and an optional 0.3 webcam
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
Dell XPS 15
Our Dell XPS 15 Specifications:
- Intel Core i5 460M Processor (3MB cache, 2.53GHz)
- 15.6-inch 1366 x 768 glossy display with LED backlighting
- NVIDIA GeForce GT420M with 1GB DDR3
- Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)
- 6GB DDR3 memory
- 500GB 7200rpm HDD (Seagate Momentus 7200.4)
- Realtek gigabit ethernet and Intel 1000 802.11b/g/n wireless
- Bluetooth 3.0
- 6-cell Li-ion battery (56Wh)
- Dimensions: 15 x 10.4 x 1.3-1.5-inches
- Weight: 6.21lbs
- MSRP: $899.99 (Closest configuration)
The new Dell XPS 15 has a silver on grey color scheme, using metal panels and plastic for the body. Compared to past XPS designs that were trend setters that distinguished themselves from the lower models, the new XPS doesnt seem to spark much visual interest. In theory, mixing alloy panels with a brushed metal palmrest and backlit keyboard usually yields good results. The redesigned XPS 15 doesnt seem to really set itself apart, though, from the standard Inspiron 15R until you take a much closer look. Standing back five feet, the panels look like average plastic on the exterior, and the body itself even seems more bloated than the 15R. Overall, it seems like Dell missed a big opportunity to make the XPS-series the unique notebooks they once were. The result is a rather bland looking multimedia notebook where its budget-oriented sibling --the Inspiron 15R--outshines it.
Nevertheless, the XPS 15 feels nicer than it looks. The metal panels on the interior and exterior add strength to the body, reduce flex, and give the notebook a high-quality feel. Holding the notebook for the first time is a weird experience, as most of the panels look like plastic until you feel the cold metal. The screen cover does a very good job at protecting the display from impacts and seems to resist flexing when opening the screen from one of the front corners. The inside of the notebook features a large brushed metal panel that makes up the palmrest and keyboard surround. The bottom of the notebook is completely plastic (including the access panel) but still resists flex and feels durable. The only problem we noticed was the high use of plastic clips holding most of the notebook together (in addition to metal screws).
Users looking to upgrade the Dell XPS 15 will find it easy or not so easy, depending on which components they are looking to swap out. The single access panel on the bottom of the notebook houses the two sticks of RAM, wireless card, and WWAN/TV tuner slot. To get at the hard drive, you must fully disassemble the notebook, which isnt a task for the faint hearted. We counted about 16 screws, but didnt want to go further and risk breaking plastic clips or gouging the trim around the perimeter. Thats an awful amount of work just to swap out a hard drive for a full-sized notebook.
notebookreview.com
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
DELL STUDIO M1330
Project Name : Thurman Discrete
 Attachment : STUDIO M1330 [846.35Kb] |
Saturday, May 25, 2013
Review of Dell Mini 9
Full review of Dell Mini 9Dell was actually quite slow in catching up with the netbook craze, and it took until late last year for the Irish manufacturer to release this model.
The Dell Mini 9 sums up everything you expect from an average netbook; it comes with the standard 1.6GHz Atom N270 processor, Intel GMA950 graphics and a choice of a small solid state drive or more roomy hard drive. Moreover you get to choose from either Linux (Ubuntu) or Windows XP Home as the primary operating system.
So, why should you buy the Dell Mini instead of one of the other myriad netbooks out there with the exact same specs? For one thing the starting price is very low, just $249, but that gets you a mere 4GB SSD, so most potential buyers will probably add a few bucks for more storage space. Nonetheless, it is still very affordable.Another great thing about the Mini 9 is that you can get it in a variety of colors and decorations, although this will also cost you extra as per Dells business model. The standard color is glossy black (and it is very glossy I might add). The screen on the Mini is good, and doesnt have that large frame that many other netbooks have. On the downside, the keyboard feels more cramped than average, but that comes as no surprise on a 9-inch netbook.
Performance and Conclusion
The battery lasted just over 3 hours, which is completely acceptable. For some reason we couldnt get WorldBench to run on the Dell Mini, but the WPrime 32M test finished in 124 seconds.
If you feel like buying a low-end version and upgrade it later (with cheaper parts) you will be happy to learn that its very easy to access the internal components, as they are grouped together beneath a panel next to the battery.
If youre looking for a netbook, the Mini 9 should definitely be taken into consideration - its a solid, highly customizable little laptop available at a very attractive price point.
Edit: Although it would be amazing if the Mini indeed came with a 2.6GHz Atom, it was of course supposed to read 1.6GHz. Thanks Usman for the bump.
Dell Mini 9 Technical Specifications
- Processor Atom N270 1.6GHz
- Memory 512MB-1GB
- Harddrive 4GB-64GB
- OS Linux (Ubuntu)/Windows XP Home
- Weight 2.3lbs
- Screen 9
- Screen resolution 1024x600
- Graphic Card Intel GMA950
- Battery Life 3:07
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Dell Latitude XT2
Dell Latitude XT2 features the following specifications:
- Intel Core 2 Duo SU9400 1.4GHz (800MHz FSB, 3MB L2 Cache)
- Microsoft Windows 7 (64-bit)
- 12.1" Premium WXGA (1280 x 800) LED-Backlight Display with 2-finger Multi-touch
- Intel X4500MHD Integrated Graphics
- 3GB DDR3 1066MHz RAM (2GB + 1GB)
- 120GB Toshiba 1.8" 5400RPM HDD
- 8X CD / DVD Burner (Dual Layer DVD+/-R Drive) through docking station
- Dell Wireless 1510 A/G/N, Bluetooth, and 1Gb Ethernet
- 6-Cell 42WHr Battery
- Limited 3-year standard parts and labor warranty with on-site service
- Dimensions: 11.7 x 8.7 x 1.1"
- Weight: 3lbs 13.6oz
- Price as configured: $2,830 ($2,262 Street)
Build and Design
I personally love the side profile of the Latitude XT2, which is almost perfectly square at all corners. It has no sloped surfaces, no rounded sides, and sits very low to the desk surface. If you are carrying the tablet around in one arm it takes up such a small amount of space that you really dont mind holding it.
Build quality is excellent, and probably the best construction I have ever seen on a Dell notebook. Panels feel solid with very little creaking or squeaking plastic, and fit and finish are impeccable. Surfaces meet with clean lines and nothing feels out of place. Paint quality is great on every part of the body, with no specs of dust, unpainted edges, or any type of imperfection. The screen hinge is tough and rugged ... giving you the sense that it should hold up well over time. The chassis feels very durable with barely a hint of flex if you squeeze the palmrest or put heavy pressure on the keyboard. The screen lid has some minor wiggle, but the screen doesnt show any signs of color distortion unless you really try to twist the panel
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Access to user-serviceable components is easy through two areas. The hard drive is located underneath the battery and has four screws and a frame holding it in place. The RAM, Wi-Fi card, and WWAN card are located under a single access panel held in with two screws. Most upgrade needs can be taken care of in less than five minutes or however long it takes you to swap out a component. One interesting feature that Dell puts front and center under the access panel is a user removable BIOS chip (with a handy pull tab). This lets companies replace it in the event of a failed BIOS update, instead of sending the entire machine in for repair.
Screen and Speakers
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Backlight levels on this screen are about average with other business notebooks, but not as good as "sunlight readable" displays. Dell does offer a brighter panel for daylight use ... which should hopefully be bright enough to not be washed out in direct sunlight.
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The XT2 supports two-finger multitouch with its capacitive touch display. We didnt see much improvement between the multitouch environment in Windows Vista compared to Windows 7. Scrolling and zooming in Internet Explorer 8 still feels choppy, which makes it very easy to overshoot your intended mark. Switching to other web browsers didnt seem to help much and Googles Chrome only interacted with the zoom feature. I feel when it comes to multitouch Apples hardware and software support is by far the best. Dell also didnt include any OEM-specific touch software on our Latitude XT2 besides ControlPoint which felt out-dated and redundant compared to Windows 7s own controls.
The audio system on the XT2 consists of a single mono speaker located on the left side of the chassis. It works well enough for listening to the occasional song or movie, but it sounds really off-center because the single speaker is located on one side. Peak volume is pretty loud, but it also distorts when it tries to produce bass or midrange audio. Headphones are a must.
Keyboard and Touchpad
The touchpad is an ALPS model running proprietary Dell software. Compared to the average Snypatics model it does show some minor lag, but it still feels responsive and easy to use. I think Dell could have gone with a larger touchpad surface, since the XT2 has enough space to incorporate it if you move the buttons more towards the lower edge of the palmrest. Dell also includes a pointing stick, which worked, but doesnt feel as fluid or responsive as other alternatives I have used.
Ports and Features
Performance
Wprime processor comparison results (lower scores mean better performance):
PCMark05 measures overall system performance (higher scores mean better performance):
3DMark06 measures overall graphics performance for gaming (higher scores mean better performance):
HDTune storage drive performance test:
Heat and Noise
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Battery Life
Conclusion
Pros: Cons:
Friday, May 17, 2013
DELL VOSTRO 3700
CPU: Arrandale/Clarksfield
Discrete Nvidia N11P-GE1(40nm)
Chipset: Intel PCH
OEM: Wistron Corporation
Project code: 91.4ES01.001
Part Number: 48.4ES11.0SB
PCB P/N: 09297
Revision: SA
Document Number: Vostro Calpella
 Attachment : VOSTRO 3700 [0.97Mb] |