Monday, December 14, 2009

KOHJINSHA DZ GETS REBRANDED AS ONKYO DX


Kohjinsha made news a couple of months ago by releasing a laptop with two side-by-side displays. The Kohjinsha DZ as it is called is only available in Japan. Now another dual-screen laptop has also hit the Japanese market. The Onkyo DX appears to be a rebranded version of the Kohjinsha DZ. It is also only available in Japan.

The Onkyo DX has two 1366 x 768 pixel displays. Other specifications include a 1.6 GHz AMD Athlon Neo MV-40 processor, ATI Radeon HD 3200 graphics, up to 4GB of RAM and a 320GB hard drive. There are 3 USB ports. The connectivity options include Bluetooth 2.1, 802.11b/g/n WiFi and Ethernet. The machine runs Windows 7 Home Premium.

Pricing and Availability
The Onkyo DX is now available for purchase in Japan. But at ¥84,800 or about $961 US, it is awfully expensive for a laptop of this size and capabilities.
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LENOVO LAUNCHES ITS NEW MODEL IDEAPAD Y550

LENOVO IDEAPAD Y550Lenovo IdeaPad Y550 is the latest laptop model launched by Lenovo, which they claim is the best fit for all type of users whether it is official or personal work this is the Notebook which suits you all. Lenovo IdeaPad Y550 has a 15.6 inch LED display and can support high end things which the other notebooks couldn’t offer. This has list of system options which has an Intel Core i7 processor and NVIDIA GT 240M for high end graphics whereas normal affordable configuration has a standard Intel Core 2 Duo processors and integrated graphics.

The most common specifications of this model is the following

Operating system: Windows Vista Home Premium with Service Pack 2 or Windows 7 with 64-bit processor

Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo T6400 2.0GHz (2MB Cache, 800MHz FSB)

Max RAM Supported: 4GB DDR3 SDRAM (1066MHz)

Hard Disk: 320GB 5400 rpm SATA HDD

Monitor: 15.6-inch LED-backlit WXGA display (glossy, 1366x768)

Graphics card: Intel X4500MHD integrated graphics

The following are the specifications of Ports and Connectors: Two USB 2.0 ports, One eSATA/USB Combo, One VGA, One HDMI, One SDHC-Card reader, One RJ-45/Ethernet (Gigabit), One Stereo Headphone/line out, One stereo microphone in and it also has a 1.3 megapixel web camera.

Dimensions: (Length x Width x Height) 15.2 inch x 10.0 inch x 1.02 inch to 1.5 inch

Weight: 5 lbs 13.5 oz

Battery Specifications: 11.1 Volts 56Watt hour 6-cell battery

It also has One-year standard warranty across the globe.

The Design of Lenovo IdeaPad Y550 looks robust and stylish, the exterior view is more stylish when it is compared with its other competitors, this looks so modern, which makes it more stylish with the contrasting color texture, and also its slight weight, thin and flat. The LED monitor adds the advantage over the other brands and the previous models from Lenovo itself since they had LCD monitor. The finishing is also good with smooth edges and sharp curves. The speakers are really good and they give such an immense feel which makes you think that these are not just ordinary stereo speakers. The drivers are available over the internet incase you don’t want to buy it with OS and later if you want to install it on your own it is simple and easy. And the best supported screen configuration which makes it look ultra digital is 1366 x 768. There are other resolutions also, the HD resolutions are as good as an LCD TV and it is sure worth the cost it is spent for the same.

Then about the usage and battery backup as the previous models it is easy and has a very good battery back up of two hours and above. The graphics support is ultimate. The advantage of this product is that it is good and can stand the best for years to come and the disadvantage is that its bit expensive but when you compare its cost with the performance it definitely is a best buy. This is so far the best laptop I ever came across, you can also checkout the reviews over the net and everyone I believe will feel the same.
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SAMSUNG N140 NETBOOK REVIEW


The most remarkable feature of the Samsung N140 is its bright matte display. Most netbooks in the market have glossy displays which can be difficult to read in bright surroundings.

Samsung N140 Specs
The Samsung N140 is available in Blue or Burgundy.
Review laptop specifications
Display: 10.1 inch matte display with 1024 x 600 pixels
Processor: Intel Atom N280 (1.6GHz) processor
Graphics: Intel GMA 950 graphics
Memory: 1 GB
Storage: 250 GB Hard drive (5400 rpm)
Operating system: Windows 7 Home Premium (Default – Windows 7 Starter)

Build / Feel
The Samsung N140 has an all matte interior which prevents it from collecting finger prints. The keyboard, display, palm rests and the screen bezel all have a matte finish. On the flip side the screen lid is glossy and very good at picking up fingerprints.

There is a silver rim around the edge of the chassis which lends the notebook a classy look. Build quality is reasonably good, and design is very attractive.

Keyboard
The Samsung N140 has a nearly full sized keyboard which occupies all the space on the chassis. The keyboard is very good. In fact, it is better than the keyboard on most 10 inch netbooks in the market. The keyboard is very sturdy and doesn’t show any flex at all.

Touchpad
There is a silver rimming around the touchpad. The touchpad supports multi-touch gestures including two-finger scrolling, zooming and pinching. It is the right size for a 10 inch netbook. Sensitivity is good. The touchpad doesn’t have separate left and right buttons. The single bar is easy to press and shows no stiffness at all. But it is a bit noisy when pressed.

Display
The Samsung N140 is one of the few netbooks in the market with a matte display. The display is very bright but it isn’t quite as sharp as glossy displays. Viewing angles are satisfactory. In fact, horizontal viewing angles are very good. While the screen itself is good, the lid does have some limitations. You can’t open the lid beyond 135 degrees. Another downside is the low resolution of the display which has only 1024 x 600 pixels. Samsung, however, has included a resolution application that allows you to raise the resolution to 1024 x 768 pixels.

Ports and Slots
There are 3 USB ports. Other features include LAN 10/100, WiFi 802.11b/g/n, 0.3 megapixel webcam, VGA, card reader, headphone and microphone jacks. There is no HDMI. The US model also doesn’t have Bluetooth.

Speakers / Audio
The stereo speakers come with SRS TruSurround XT, SRS WOW XT and SRS CS Headphone technology. Audio quality is very good.

Noise and heat
The Samsung N140 is almost silent. You have to try really hard to hear the fan humming even in a quiet room. Heat levels are within normal limits. The laptop does get a bit warm under heavy loads, but nothing unusual.

Battery Life
Most netbooks now offer all day battery life, but the Samsung N140 disappoints in this department. It has a 6-cell battery rated at 5,200mAh. While Samsung’s product page claims that the battery will offer up to 9.5 hours of uptime, in real usage, you will get only around 5 hours.

Performance
Don’t expect too much out of a netbook. These machines are powered by low power Atom processors. Samsung N140 is no different. It has enough power to handle everyday tasks. You will have no difficulty processing MS Office documents. You can browse the web with multiple tabs open. You can also run multiple applications at the same. But you won’t be able to play 3D games. You can’t watch HD video either.

Pros
Matte display
Really quiet
Good touchpad and keyboard
Good speakers
Affordable

Cons
Average battery life
Glossy screen lid prone to pick up finger prints
Not very upgrade friendly.
No WiFi with Linux
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MSI WIND U123 NOW SHIPS WITH WINDOWS 7 STARTER


MSI has upgraded its Wind U123. The new Wind U123 comes with Windows 7 Starter Edition. Incidentally, the MSI Wind U123 is the first MSI laptop to run Windows 7. Other specs are more or less the same.

The new MSI Wind U123 has a 1.6GHz Intel Atom N280 processor, 160 GB hard drive and 1GB of RAM. The 10.2 inch display comes with 1024 x 600 pixels. Unlike the previous version which has a 6-cell battery, the new version ships with a 9-cell, 7800mAh battery. You have got to agree that it is a thoughtful gesture. Because the upgrade to Windows 7 from Windows XP is going to take its toll on thebattery life. And by providing a larger battery, MSI has compensated for this loss.

The Wind U123 with Windows 7 is now available for $379.99 at Newegg. The previous version with Windows XP is available for $299.99.
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HASEE LAUNCHES THIN AND LIGHT NOTEBOOKS IN CHINA


Chinese PC maker Hasee has launched two thin and light laptops dubbed UV20-S17 and UV20-S23. These notebooks feature Intel’s CULV processors. Hasee has already built some netbooks with Atom processors. But this is the first time the company has forayed into the CULV segment.

Both models have Intel CULV processors and integrated Intel GMA X4500 MHD graphics. While the UV20-S17 has a 1.3 GHz Intel Celeron 743 single core processor and 160GB of RAM, the other model UV20-S23 has a faster 1.2 GHz Intel Celeron SU2300 processor and 250GB hard drive. Both models are equipped with 11.6 inch displays featuring 1366 x 768 pixels. Up to 1GB of RAM is available.

The notebooks cost between around $366 and $400.
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