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Reviewing the Alienware M9750

Joel — 2008-04-26

Overview

Get ready to sit back and enjoy the ride because I'm about to introduce you to laptop that is probably considered the absolute best gaming laptop on the market. Today I'll be reviewing the Alienware M9750.

First, let's talk design. I have always been a big fan of Alienware's computer designs. Their desktops are simply stunning with out-of-this-world designs (hence the name "Alienware"). There is absolutely nobody else out there who manufactures a computer that shares the same type of design as Alienware products. The M9750 is a black, hi-tech looking standard Alienware design. This thing looks like it harnesses enough power to control a spaceship, and to be quite honest it just may have that.

Designed primarily for the gamer-on-the-go, the M9750 is equipped with high-end hardware to help support the most demanding games out there (COD4, Half-Life 2, Oblivion). With enough power packed into one system, you are sure to get your money's worth if you go this route.

The Alienware M9750 has a 17" glossy WXGA Widescreen LCD monitor with up to a max resolution of 1920x1200 pixels. This system comes with some optional upgrades that will cost you a bit more, so I will only review the standard specs.

Alienware Specs:

Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo T7600 (2.33GHz)
Memory: 2.0gb DDR2
Graphics: Twin Nvidia GeForce Go 7950GTX SLI Enabled
Operating System: Windows XP Media Center 2005
I/O: headphon/mic, digital optical audio port, svideo port, coax cable inport, integrated tv tuner, ethernet jack, sdcard 4-in-one media card reader, 54mm express card slot, 4 USB, Firewire

Additional Features

- Intel PRO/Wireless 4965AGN WLAN
- Internal Bluetooth
- Media/Multimedia buttons

Pros/Cons

PRO: Amazing unique design
PRO: Incredibly powerful laptop
PRO: Best portable gaming system available
PRO: Comes with Windows XP!
CON: Battery Life is close to one hour
CON: Expensive rig

My Opinion

This laptop is harnesses enough power to run any hi-end game, it's got a great look, it comes with Windows XP by default, and has amazing graphics and performs extremely well. The only downfall is that this system is a tad bit expensive, ranging from a starting price of about $2,100.00 - $4,500.00 with all available upgrades. If you are the type that is into gaming and needs a reliable, portable gaming system, then this laptop is right for you. It's brilliant design is definitely going to turn some heads.

Because of the price, I rate this laptop 9.5/10

Reviewing the Acer Aspire 5920

Joel — 2008-04-23

Overview

If you're looking for a sleek, aesthetically pleasing laptop that performs at the top end of high quality, then the Acer Aspire 5920 is for you. This unique design is amazing! With an opalesque contour and gemstone design, this laptop is definitely an eye-catcher.

Designed primarily for those who seek a reliable computer for general media needs, this Acer model out performs its requirements. The featured screen is a 15.4” (diagonal) WXGA LCD monitor that is backed by GeForce 8600 GT graphics. Also included is CrystalBrite technology, which produces a beautiful and accurate picture. Equipped with Dolby certified surround sound and an HD DVD drive, we're looking at a miniature, portable entertainment center all packed into one laptop!

Additional features include an HDMI output which is a single cable output that you can hook up to your HD TV that takes care of both audio and visual (yes, in just one cable!), HDCP capability, and 10 ADP video content. In addition, the Acer Aspire 5920 has media touch keys to help you control and access your media with ease.

Not only does this laptop have the necessary gadgets/features to appease your media needs, but it also has the hardware to back it up. Review the specs below.

Specs:

Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo 1.66ghz
Memory: 2.0gb DDR2
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce 8600 GT
Storage: 250gb HD
Operating System: Windows Vista Home Premium
I/O: VGA Port, Ethernet, Dial-up, USB Ports (4), HDMI output, S Video, Firewire, XPress card slot, 5 in one media card reader, audio ports mic and headphones
Chipset: Mobile Intel PM965 Express

Additional Features

-Integrated Web Cam (highest quality web cam)
-802.11 N Wireless (high speed) 10x faster speed 4x the range
-802.11 A, B, and G Networks

Pros/Cons

PRO: Attractive Design
PRO: 4 USB ports is a plus
PRO: Excellent display capabilities
CON: Not a big fan of the color shceme
CON: 1 USB port is located about a millimeter away from the DVD drive, making it impossible to open unless the USB device is removed first.
CON: Windows Vista (always a con for me)

My opinion

If Acer made a laptop with this exact hardware setup and specs but used XP instead of Vista, I'd give this thing a 10/10. Unfortunately, Vista is probably going to be promoted further throughout all the new laptops to come, so I suppose I better get over it an judge this thing without taking into consideration the operating system.

At a glance, this is an amazing looking laptop. Acer has always been a brand that I know is top quality, and this laptop definitely proves it. I love the idea of having 4 USB ports, however I think Acer should re-design this model just a bit to make it so that you can actually use the USB port nearest to the DVD drive while being able to open and close the DVD tray.

Looking at a price range, I'd say that this notebook is a bit on the expensive side. Most places have these marked somewhere around $1600.00. If you can afford this laptop, then I'd suggest buying it.

Rating: 8.87/10

Reviewing the Dell XPS M1330 Laptop

Joel — 2008-04-09

Hello, it's me again, and I'm back to tell you about another laptop. Today I got the opportunity to test-drive the Dell XPS M1330, and I would like to take this time to share with you what I had found.

Before I continue, I would like to address that I plan on going much more in-depth on all my future laptop reviews from now on. Looking back on my first review of the HP Pavilion dv6000, I have noticed that I am lacking some of the extra technical data that might be useful to know. I plan on changing that from now on, so please expect much more in-depth reviews to come.

OK, enough of that. It's time to get started on the good stuff.

At first glance, the Dell XPS M1330 series laptop looks very sleek. This design was meant to be aesthetically pleasing, and I think Dell really hit the target right on with this design. The Dell XPS M1330 is available in 3 colors: red, black, and white. A unique feature about this machine is that it is extremely light. In fact, it weighs just under 4lbs (3.97 to be exact).
The M1330 has a very thin, 13.3 inch UltraSharp WXGA screen equipped with LCD Technologies that help promote engery efficiency, durability, and superior display. The screen also has a built-in camera and microphone for all of you media-savvy people.

The techincal stuff

Processor: Supports Intel Core 2 Duo processors: T5450,T5550,T7250,T8300,T9300 and T9500
Memory: Can have up to 4GB6 shared Dual Channel 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM
Graphics: nVidia graphics : Intel Integrated Graphics Media Accelerator X3100
Storage: Supports SATA Hard Drives
Dimensions: (Before Modifications) Width: 31.8cm, Height: 2.31cm – 3.38cm, Depth: 23.8cm
Operating System: Windows Vista
I/O: 2 USB 2.0 Ports, RJ45 Ethernet port (10/100), VGA and HDMI vidoe ports, ExpressCard 54 mm slot, memory card reader, 2 headphone ports, 1 microphone port, and a FireWire port.
Battery: Comes with a 6-cell battery by default, but you can upgrade that to a 9-cell battery that will last about 5 times as long! The only downfall is that the 9-cell battery sticks out a lot, causing your laptop to sit at an angle on flat surfaces.

http://www.dell.com

Additional Features

- Biometric Fingerprint Scanner: Can be used for system security like login credentials (can be upgraded to support up to 5 different fingers!)
- Built-in (removable) media remote controller
- Touch-sensitive media buttons
- WiFi capture button to help you detect and easily connect to nearby wireless signals.
- Internal mobile broadband.

Pros/Cons

PRO: This model is very lightweight and easy to transport
PRO: There are tons of nice features and media-friendly gadgets.
PRO: Sleek, attractive design.
CON: Not enough USB ports
CON: Battery life is pretty short.
CON: I'm not exactly a fan of Windows Vista

My opinion

All in all, I'd say that this laptop would be great for the media-lovers out there who like to travel a lot because this laptop is very lightweight and therefore easily transportable, and its extra features like the built-in remote and heat-sensitive touch media buttons make this a very media-friendly laptop.

I must say that I am particularly fond of the fingerprint scanner technology incorporated in the M1330. I have seen technology like this before on other laptops, but I believe this is the first Dell laptop that I have seen so far with this extra feature.

On the subject of affordability, I'd say that the Dell XPS M1330 isn't exactly the cheapest laptop I've seen, but then again, it's not the most expensive either. If you want all the extra bells and whistles, then this might be a bit out of your price range. Starting price for this laptop is $999.00, but I'd say it's worth it to spend a few extra bucks on the upgrades.

Overal Rating: 8.5/10

Reviewing the HP Pavilion dv6000 Laptop

Joel — 2008-04-08

About seven months ago my girlfriend and I were in search of a new laptop that she could use for school. We were looking for something that would be reliable, fast, and affordable. Among all other laptops that were at Best Buy, the HP Pavilion dv6000 seemed to be exactly what we were looking for.

The HP Pavilion dv6000, after a few days of testing, turned out to be exactly what she needed. Not only was the price right, but the performance of this laptop was beyond our expectations. The best part is, we only paid about $600.00 for the laptop, and we got a lot more than we thought we would.

The specs for the HP Pavilion dv6000:

Processor: AMD Turion 64 Mobile Technology MK-36 2.00 GHz
Memory: 958 MB
System Type: 32-bit Operating System
Operating System: Windows Vista Home Premium

Additional Info:

-Graphics: NVIDIA graphics with a built-in control system to help you configure and optimize your graphics settings.
-Easy wireless access

Seeing how this laptop is mainly used for school, we weren't looking for a monster with 4 gigs of memory and a processor that required it's own hi-tech cooling system involving multiple fans and freon. However, we decided to test the capability of this laptop by trying out some MMORPG's. The main purpose was to see if this laptop is good for both school work and gaming. After downloading and registering an account for the game Archlord, we sought to see how well the HP Pavilion dv6000 could perform in the gaming environment.

Much to my surprise, its performance was amazing! The graphics were great, and thanks to the speed of the computer and the excellent graphics, lag issues were not a problem unless the internet connection was bad. The test passed, and we both have established that this laptop can definitely be used for business and entertainment needs. I would recommend this laptop to anyone who is looking for a fast and reliable laptop to buy.

My overall rating: 7 out of 10.