Alienware M17X Laptop
June 2, 2009
Warning : Before you read this piece of article, a word of caution for those weak hearts, who cannot take surprises and too much of good news! The Dell Alienware M17X Laptop is a powerful device with breath-taking specifications and jaw dropping features. Hence, please take deep breaths and then plunge further.
Majestic, humongous, yet attractive, Alienware M17X Laptop has got it all right on the looks front. The royal black with the crimson lighting around the keys, trackpad and lower edge, definitely make this hulk look unique. The lighting zone might even be capable of emitting other colour lights.
This laptop is mighty from the inside as well. The Intel Core 2 Duo P8600 2.4GHz processor has been employed for handling internal operations. There is an option to upgrade this to a quad core processor too. Boosting up the processing speed is a supreme 8GB DDR3 RAM. The hard drive capacity is a walloping 1TB. One terabyte is equivalent to 1000GB! (Hope you are still deep breathing!) You could even opt for a 512GB Solid State Drive instead. A Blu Ray optical drive is housed in this beast as well.
All you gaming enthusiasts might have their hearts racing and craving for more details. A 17-inch LCD widescreen monitor with a resolution of 1920 x 1200 pixels is featured. Clear, crisp and detailed displays are hence a surety. For graphics, dual 1GB Nvidia GeForce GTX 280M GPUs are used. There is a long line-up of connections aboard this gamers’ paradise too - 4 USB ports, a USB/eSATA combo port, a Firewire port, a Displayport, a HDMI link, a VGA connection, an ExpressCard slot, an 8-in-1 card reader and audio sockets for 6.1 Dolby sound. Also built-in is a 2 Megapixel camera for video conferencing.
Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity are offered by this machine. Face recognition is supported for security. With a thickness of 2.11” and a weight close to 5kg, this workstation is not very portable. However, since it is more of a multimedia and gaming laptop, you wouldn’t be traveling often with it. A 9-cell battery has been employed for power supply. A reasonably good battery life can thus be expected too. Coming to the price, the Alienware M17X Gaming Laptop costs $1800 in the USA. The UK price will be announced sometime soon.
Dell Studio 14Z Laptop
May 31, 2009
Dell have unveiled their latest and lightest Studio Laptop – Dell Studio 14Z 14″ Laptop. This laptop has been designed for people who require an easy to carry workstation and ample amount of storage space. The laptop making company has mainly targeted the student community, with this mobile computer. Apart from helping students with their homework and study, this portable PC is also a multimedia entertainer.
The Intel Core 2 Duo processor has been used for internal computations. The operating system that this notebook features is the Microsoft Windows Vista Home/Ultimate. The standard version comes with a 3GB DDR3 RAM, which can be upgraded to 5GB. The hard drive too, has a capacity of 320GB and can be extended to a whooping 500GB. The graphics card employed is the NVIDIA GeForce 9400M card, which surely indicates the multimedia traits.
The screen of this notebook measures 14” diagonally. This LED back-lit widescreen monitor allows high definition picture display. SRS powered high definition audio speakers are as well integrated into this multimedia laptop. WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity are both supported by this mobile PC too. The ports and interfaces present on-board are – 2 USB ports, a USB/eSATA combination port, an Ethernet connector, an ExpressCard slot, a display port, an HDMI link, an 8-in-1 multi-card reader, microphone and headphone jacks. A 1.3 Megapixel web-cam is built into this machine as well.
There is even an anti-theft feature built into this device. This utility helps track stolen laptops, which connect to the internet, while also allowing deletion of files remotely. Face recognition facility is offered too for additional security. A suitable long battery life, light weight, compactness, large storage space and good connectivity, make the Dell Studio 14Z Notebook an ideal travel partner. Available in a variety of colours - Black, Spring Green, Midnight Blue, Plum Purple, Promise Pink and Ruby Red, this notebook PC will be available for sale sometime in July 2009, for a price of $649 (£405). Lets keep fingers crossed for a UK release.
The Slumdog Millionaire Child Actor And My Dell Studio XPS 13 Laptop
April 27, 2009
It was just a normal day that had begun with a cup of coffee and the 9 o’clock news. But then it turned out to be one of the days my mind is as agitated as The Thar desert in a windstorm. The reason - The news that the ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ child-actor Rubina Ali was to be sold for 200,000 pounds. The news made me sit up straight. Statements like “I have to consider what is best for me, my family and Rubina’s future,” “I’m not going to let my girl go.” and the little girl’s face was flashed across news channels, news papers and the internet. I couldn’t work all day. Whether or not it’s true, just imagine the state of mind of that little girl! She probably would have been flocked by journalists from all over the world, wanting a piece of her. Poor child!
As the day wore on, I couldn’t work and set to take my Dell Studio XPS 13 laptop along to Margret’s for a chat and may be a little bit of work later in the day. I drove along the streets of London with my mind still on Rubina – I crossed buildings, pedestrians, dogs in leashes, lovers kissing at a park bench, an old couple walking, fields, pastures…wait a minute! Pastures? I stopped the car and was struck by the sudden change in the landscape. I had driven myself to some strange place.
It was empyrean, that it inspired a smooth flow of words and I set to work right there. My words took shape of their own – some places have magic in them you know, they can inspire words fit for the next Booker. Rubina’s cherubic face, the innocent smile in her face, seemed to haunt me. Was she really to be sold? Oh God, If a father was to give away his beloved daughter for a sum of money, did it not reflect the conditions they were living in? May be Rafiq wanted his daughter to have a better life. Was it love for his girl that drove him to give her away to a wealthy sheik? Or was it greed? Or was he impeccant and the whole thing a drama staged by the media? Such thoughts rumbled like dark clouds in my mind that I actually mistook the actual darkening of the clouds overhead for a phantasma of my own pensive mind. Now, wait a minute, don’t form the impression that I envisage too much, for that’s my job- that is what a writer is supposed to do.
I drove off to Margret’s, for that place was unhinging my mind. Margret made me a cup of my favourite hot chocolate, and we sat in her garden next to a sweet-smelling bush of yellow flowers. Careful not to start a conversation on anything serious, Margret started off with her usual “Oh, how I wish Tyler ends that crazy expedition of his!” Her son Tyler was hitch-hiking across Europe to Asia, with meeting the Aghori tribes of Benares as his sole purpose. It has been seven months since he left and Margret spends days and nights thinking of him, hoping upon hope that he’s not smoking a joint with some grizzly-bearded man at the foot hills of the Himalayas.
I opened up my laptop to distract her, for she loves these modernistic gadgets. “Now this is a dandy looking laptop, Brig! Do you know what processor it runs on?” Now here we go again, thought I. Because Margret teaches electronics at a local college and I was sure she will question me in and out about my laptop. Anything to take her mind off Tyler. And so I said, “This is Tessa’s laptop Maggie. It’s the Dell Studio XPS 13. It has a 2.5GHz Intel Core 2 Duo P9500 processor– it’s quite fast.” “Mmmm, the screen resolution? It looks nice.” “It’s about 1280×800. Has a 4GB RAM, if you want to know. Has a 2 megapixel webcam, Nvidia GeForce 9500M for graphics, which does a fine job. Graphics is a stunner here, Maggie, it uses the Hybrid SLI technology.” “Oh, really? I’m sure it has Bluetooth, right?” “Ofcourse it has! And Wi-Fi too! And what else….yes, there’s a DVD-RW optical drive and the operating system is Windows Vista Home as you can see.”
Feeling the underside, Margret said, “Oh, I feel the heat. It gets hot quite quickly!” “Sadly, yes. And hey the keyboard and mouse are backlit, for which I’m extremely happy. Then there’s an HDMI port and two USB ports.” “It’s a good bargain, nice and thin, if you look over a few hitches that is.” The rest of the day was spent in nostalgia of our school days, when the both of us had a major crush on the same boy, David. We spent sunny days in the swimming pool of my parents’ house arguing about who David smiled at during the lunch break!
It was time to leave, for both of us had our work to get back to – I to my short story collection and she to a presentation on 32-bit microprocessors. At the juncture of opening the door and the quotidian ‘Come agains’, ‘good byes’ and ‘call me when you have the times’, Margret asked a little tentatively, “Some thing’s bothering you, Brig. What is it?” I hesitated. “Maggie, it’s just that…the whole set up…the whole world..I can’t seem to understand it.” Maggie’s brows furrowed and she smiled warmly, the crow’s foot near her eyes deepening. “You never change, Brig. Think too much, that’s what you do… listen now Brig. This is important. I cannot change the world, but you can. With your pen- it’s your sword. I really believe you can. You have a kind heart, have courage sprinkled in the right proportion. And strong words and convictions to back it. If not now, someday you will.” I left her without a word, her words lending me speechless. As I sat with my night gown, with my pen in hand at the workdesk, I heard the clock strike 11. I wrote about a little girl at the slums, I named her Chloe. The story evolved of its own. Chloe faces difficulties, yes. Life in the slums is not easy. But she tries her best to prevail, neighbours scoff and elders mock. “You’re a dirty cat” they say. “Look at your fur peeling off! Eat the remains and learn to starve. Do not strive to be someone you are not.” But in the end, it’s the dirty cat that rises above the world like a tigress. As brilliant and as magnificent as ever. She’s here to rule.
Four Popular 8.9” Netbooks Compared
April 12, 2009
“There’s a popular saying that goes - “Some of the best things come in tiny packages”. How true it is! Just behold the Asus EEE PC T91 Netbook, the Fujitsu-Siemens Amilo Mini UI 3520 Netbook, the Dell Inspiron Mini 9 Netbook and the HP 2133 Mini Ultra Netbook, and you’ll be convinced. All 4 netbooks sport 8.9” screens and are capable of stealing your heart at the very first glimpse. Being extremely compact, small and light, they make great ultra-portable computing devices.
Here are tables illustrating the specifications of all 4 mobile PCs.
Processor:-
| Asus EEE PC T91 | Fujitsu-Siemens Amilo Mini UI 3520 | Dell Inspiron Mini 9 | HP 2133 Mini Ultra |
| Intel Atom Z520 1.3GHz processor | Intel Atom N270 1.6GHz processor | Intel Atom N270 1.6GHz processor | VIA C7 M ULV 1.2GHz processor |
Operating System:-
| Asus EEE PC T91 | Fujitsu-Siemens Amilo Mini UI 3520 | Dell Inspiron Mini 9 | HP 2133 Mini Ultra |
| Windows XP | Windows XP | Windows XP | Windows Vista |
Memory [RAM]:-
| Asus EEE PC T91 | Fujitsu-Siemens Amilo Mini UI 3520 | Dell Inspiron Mini 9 | HP 2133 Mini Ultra |
| 1GB | 1GB | 1GB | 1GB |
Hard Drive/SSD:-
| Asus EEE PC T91 | Fujitsu-Siemens Amilo Mini UI 3520 | Dell Inspiron Mini 9 | HP 2133 Mini Ultra |
| 32GB Solid State Hard Drive | 60GB/ 80GB/ 120GB Hard Drive options | 16GB Solid State Hard Drive | 120GB of Hard Drive |
Graphics:-
| Asus EEE PC T91 | Fujitsu-Siemens Amilo Mini UI 3520 | Dell Inspiron Mini 9 | HP 2133 Mini Ultra |
| Intel GMA 500 | Intel GMA 950 | Intel GMA 950 | VIA Chrome 9 |
Screen:-
| Asus EEE PC T91 | Fujitsu-Siemens Amilo Mini UI 3520 | Dell Inspiron Mini 9 | HP 2133 Mini Ultra |
| 8.9” screen which is ‘Touch Sensitive’. Pivots about its central hinge and can be folded over the keyboard to use like a tablet PC. Presents a resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels. | 8.9” screen with a resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels. No touchscreen or pivoting features. | 8.9” screen with a resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels. No touchscreen or pivoting features. | 8.9” screen with the highest resolution among the foursome - 1280 x 768 pixels. No touchscreen or pivoting features. |
Networking:-
| Asus EEE PC T91 | Fujitsu-Siemens Amilo Mini UI 3520 | Dell Inspiron Mini 9 | HP 2133 Mini Ultra |
| WiFi, wired Ethernet, Bluetooth connectivity. 3G capability. GPS support. | WiFi, wired Ethernet, Bluetooth connectivity. Optionally 3G broadband modem can be accommodated. | WiFi, wired Ethernet, Bluetooth connectivity. | WiFi, wired Ethernet, Bluetooth connectivity. |
Connections:-
| Asus EEE PC T91 | Fujitsu-Siemens Amilo Mini UI 3520 | Dell Inspiron Mini 9 | HP 2133 Mini Ultra |
| 2 USB ports, a Disk Expander for addition of MMC, SD or SDHC, a VGA output, a multi-card reader, a DVB-T TV tuner, headphone and microphone jacks. | 2 USB ports, a 4-in-1 card reader for SD/SDHC, MS, MMC and MSPRO cards, a 34mm ExpressCard slot, a VGA output, headphone and microphone jacks. | 3 USB ports, a VGA port, 3-in-1 media card reader, microphone and headphone jacks. | 2 USB ports, a 54mm ExpressCard slot, an SD Card slot, a VGA port, microphone and headphone jacks. |
Camera:-
| Asus EEE PC T91 | Fujitsu-Siemens Amilo Mini UI 3520 | Dell Inspiron Mini 9 | HP 2133 Mini Ultra |
| 0.3 Megapixel webcam | 1.3 Megapixel webcam | 1.3 Megapixel webcam | A VGA webcam |
Dimensions, Weight:-
| Asus EEE PC T91 | Fujitsu-Siemens Amilo Mini UI 3520 | Dell Inspiron Mini 9 | HP 2133 Mini Ultra |
| 216mm by 165mm by 28mm, 980g | 235mm by 185mm by 42mm, 1kg | 232mm by 172mm by 27mm, 1kg | 255mm by 165mm by 33mm, 1.27kg |
Battery Life:-
| Asus EEE PC T91 | Fujitsu-Siemens Amilo Mini UI 3520 | Dell Inspiron Mini 9 | HP 2133 Mini Ultra |
| 5 hours | 4 hours | 3 hours | 2 hours |
Price:-
| Asus EEE PC T91 | Fujitsu-Siemens Amilo Mini UI 3520 | Dell Inspiron Mini 9 | HP 2133 Mini Ultra |
| Most expensive. About £800. | Least expensive. About £250. | Average. About £400. | Average. About £400. |
Asus EEE PC T91 8.9″ Netbook is a winner in the display, battery life and networking options. Its touchscreen, 3G and GPS capabilities are impressive. The battery life of 5 hours, is the highest among the 4 netbooks. Also being the lightest and smallest among the quad-netbooks, it seems to be the most ultra-portable.
Fujitsu-Siemens Amilo Mini 8.9″ Netbook offers high speed performance with its fast processor. Powerful graphics are presented too. The hard drive capacity options are also very convenient. This netbook is an all-rounder, providing a decent battery life, flexible networking options, appreciable connections and reasonably high-resolution camera. Moreover, it is Energy Star 4.0 certified, indicating that it is an efficient portable PC.
Dell Inspiron Mini 9 Netbook, surely deserves credit, being the first netbook from Dell. It possesses a powerful and fast processor, like the Fujitsu Siemens netbook. The graphics of this mini laptop is also worthy of praise. It is the only one among the 4 netbooks considered, that houses 3 USB ports. A similar camera to that of Fujitsu Siemens netbook is integrated into this mobile computer. The battery life and hard drive space are a little disappointing. However, this device can undoubtedly meet your internet surfing, emailing and entertainment needs during your journeys.
HP 2133 Mini-Note PC is the earliest one among the others mentioned above, to be manufactured and released into market. It has a spacious hard drive, good connectivity and networking options. The screen of this netbook also offers the highest resolution among the foursome, thus promising clear and better detailed displays.
Dell Adamo Notebook
March 23, 2009
Dell have always laid more emphasis on technology and performance when making their laptops and notebooks. Now, they are putting their toe out of the line, and are trying their hands on making fashionable notebooks. Giving tough competition to the Apple MacBook Air, is the new Dell Adamo Ultra-thin Notebook. This luxury notebook is focused on image, style and design and is supposed to be the thinnest notebook, with a thickness of 0.65 inches. Available in 2 colours - “pearl” and “onyx”, this laptop is claimed to have been made from a single piece of aluminium. Special bags are also being designed for this mobile PC by Tumi.
This portable computer is internally powered by the Intel Core 2 Duo processor with Intel Centrino technology. 2 GB of RAM and 128GB of solid state drive have been housed in this device. A 13.4 inch screen is featured which is wide with an aspect ratio of 16:9 and offers a high definition resolution too. This device supports a mobile broadband option and Bluetooth 2.1 as well. The other interfaces and connections offered are as follows:-
- Two USB ports
- A 2-in-1 port for eSATA and USB connection
- A display port
- An RJ-45 port
“Adamo” in Latin means “to fall in love”. Thus the Dell Adamo high-end Notebook seems all set to steal everyone’s hearts with its stylish looks. However, the fat price tag it carries, surely seems to be a point to ponder upon before buying.
