To make a “fit” or “not a fit” judgment on the under $500 Compaq Presario notebook, you need to establish you analysis criteria. The major points of analysis are: operating system, processor, memory, hard drive, CD/DVD drive. In this article, I am looking at the Compaq Presario V6000.
When looking at the operating system for your Compaq Presario you must, in the new Vista world, pay attention to which operating system you are getting. No longer are there basically 2 Windows XP versions and later released Media Center Edition. It appears Microsoft initially proposed 7 versions but then whittled them down to 4. You must carefully look at each version because a Vista version does not exactly map to an XP version equivalent.
Second, the Compaq’s processor can make a huge difference in performance. The AMD Turion models have significant differences between one processor and the next level up. If you are not paying close attention, the slower processor (Turion 64 Mobile) has a higher clock speed than the better performing Turion 64 X2 dual core. The thing to remember is that the X2 is dual core which makes all the difference in performance. Over the single core Turion Mobile, the Turion X2 gives you better battery life, thinner, lighter and true multi-tasking.
Third, with the Compaq’s memory, keep in mind that you will be running Vista. A hate to break the news to you…but the under $500 option only has 512MB of memory. This is only a quarter of the amount of memory necessary for good performance out of Windows Vista.
Specs:
Notebook: Acer Aspire 2930
Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo P8400
Graphics Adapter: Intel Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) 4500MHD
Display: 12.1 inch, 16:10, 1280 x 800 pixels, glossy.
Weight: 2 kg
Prices: start from 800 Euro upwards
Description:
The Acer Aspire 2930 is a powerful and ultra-portable notebook, uses the latest technology, has a great keyboard and screen and has an executive glossy look without being too heavy in weight. What makes it interesting is the Centrino 2 (3D) platform – a huge plus for Intel technology and making Wi-Fi compulsory to every notebook on today’s market. As an aside, Wi-Fi enables laptops to connect to the Internet within range of wireless networks connected to hotspots and mesh networks have been set up in London for example, in community networks. With Wi-Fi, public access can be either free of charge or by subscription to various Internet providers. The hospitality industry for example often provides free hotspots to attract customers. Wi-Fi connection is also useful for gaming applications.
For a laptop to carry a Centrino 2 certification, it has to use a specific chipset and processor. In this instance, the chip is the Core 2 Duo T9400 running at 2.53 GHz. The chipset accommodates DDR3 and is the first Centrino to do so. The rapid 1,066MHz front bus is used to transfer data between the processor and memory. The DDR2 memory clocks in at 667Mhz. The 12.1 inch display contains CrystalBrite coating resulting in brilliant, precise colors. The keyboard has large keys for easier typing.
The Acer Aspire 2930 incorporates Bluetooth for transferring data from devices such as cell-phones and an Express Card slot, three USB ports, and a typical D-Sub VGA connection for external monitors.
This notebook is fast enough for the older games but not for the more-intensive new ones. It is also a little thicker than other ultra-portable laptop versions.
Details:
o Intel Core 2 Duo: with Core Solo means 5-20% more speed without additional drain on power. A fourth decoder is included, an amplified SSE-unit and additional arithmetical logical unit (ALU).
o Intel Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) 4500MHD: There is shared memory GPU built in the GM45 chipset (Montevina). Two additional shaders and higher core clock means it is much faster than it’s predecessor but still not good for all games. DirectX 10 games are either not playable or compatible only on very low settings. Video processor is able to help decode HD videos such as AVC/VC-2/MPEG2 for effortless Blu-Ray playback with slow CPUs.
o 12.1″ is the most commonly sized screen for notebooks. The advantage being, that the smaller display needs less power, improving battery lifetime, size of notebook and as a result – the mobility. Reading text is more difficult on the 12.1 inch monitor, however.
o 2kg: The Acer Aspire laptop weighs less than the average scale of most notebooks, but falls into the heavier weight class among sub-notebooks. For a 12 inch display monitor, the weight is as expected.
This Toshiba Portege R500 review will mainly highlight the unique features that make this notebook a great system. Toshiba is known for designing unique laptops with innovative technology, and this one in particular is the first ultraportable, ultra-light, and ultra-thin model to have an optical drive. In addition to the optical DVD SuperMulti player and writer, this system also has a Core 2 Duo processor, fingerprint reader, widescreen display WXGA, WiFi, Bluetooth, Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950, and more.
The appearance of this notebook is pretty impressive and stylish. It’s another notable highlight. As mentioned above, it’s very thin and light. It measures less than 1″ and weighs less than 2.5 pounds. The Toshiba Portege R500 is silver with rounded edges which produce a nice, space-efficient shape. When closed, the machine is very flexible. This can be a bad thing for those who intend to travel a lot; the lid isn’t as durable as it should be, which can cause damage to the screen.
The full sized keyboard is really nice and easy to use. It features home and end keys, which is a bit unusual (but pleasantly so) for an ultraportable notebook. One reason why this system is so small is that there is no wasted space on the keyboard or touchpad. However, the touchpad is still large enough to provide comfort and excellent responsiveness.
The sides of the notebook are also worth talking about in this Toshiba Portege R500 review. On the left side are two USB ports, VGA port, headphone and microphone jacks, volume button, and WireFire connection. On the right side is an Ethernet jack, one USB port, an on and off switch for Wi-Fi, and an SD memory card slot. Last but not least is a PC card slot and DVD+/- optical drive door.
The battery life isn’t the best, but it’s still pretty good. The R500 can last anywhere from three to five hours, depending on the performance settings. The best way to save power is to work outside, as there is a button to turn off the backlight for the LCD display. The screen is transreflective, meaning it can use natural light to make the display appear brighter. Needless to say, this saves a lot of power and energy, which increases the notebook’s lifespan a bit.
Consumers who don’t mind the somewhat flimsy lid will find this to be a pretty good computer. As mentioned above, it is extremely light and portable despite having an optical drive. To save money, shoppers can use Toshiba Portege R500 coupons. There are many coupon offers and discounts available at internet computer stores that sell Toshiba notebooks.
One thing about buying your first notebook, laptop, or desktop replacement is that you will never have to go through the experience again. By the way, is there a difference between a notebook and a laptop? There use to be, but from what I’ve seen in the market place, these two terms have been tossed around into a meaningless soup. Don’t give it a second thought – if you’re buying one for the first time, you have better things to worry about. I call them notebooks.
If you’re use to desktops and have never researched the notebook computer technologies, making an informed decision can be extremely frustrating to say the least. In the end I got just what I wanted (what I needed anyway) and I am happy. In fact I am writing this post on it. I nearly settled for less by rushing the buying process and trying to save a dollar or two. Don’t let that happen, you’re going to spend a pretty good chunk of change regardless, so you may as well end up happy with no regrets.
Help
I can certainly help if you’re the same kind of buyer and have similar computing needs as me. Then again, if you’re not the same kind of buyer and have different needs than I do, my choices may still enlighten you in regard to what you do or do not need/want.
Narrow Down Your Search
You will find that the huge selection of makes and models shrink considerably as you narrow down your search by making a list of your wants and needs in regard to hardware, software, notebook size and such.
I think that deep inside, most of us know what we really want. There was a machine selling for over two thousand dollars sitting next to the notebook I ended up buying. I wanted it really bad and for a moment actually considered buying it, but that would have been silly. Unfortunately, cost does matter to most of us.
Choices – making a list
First I made a list of what I could live with in a notebook computer, and then a list of what I actually wanted. As you can imagine the price difference was huge, but I knew that my new notebook computer was in the middle of this price range.
This made me aware of two things:
I wasn’t going to get exactly what I wanted because I refused to dish out that kind of doe. I was going to spend more than I had planned because I needed a certain amount of performance.
Here is what I wanted going in:
Display: large – 17.3 or larger. Video: graphics card with dedicated memory – no on-board graphics. Audio: decent sound card and speakers. Processor: 2 or 4 core 64bit with virtual technology (AMD or Intel) I ended up going with the Core i7 CPU by Intel. 4 to 8 GB RAM – preferably the newest DDR3. A healthy array of external ports.
I also wanted to buy in person rather than have my new notebook computer shipped. I didn’t like the idea of my computer going through any more shipping than it already had been – not after seeing what some of my Christmas packages looked like last year. To bad there wasn’t a new notebook computer in one of them.
Nothing on this list needed to be extremely high end. This small list narrowed down my search to an acceptable number of notebooks. It was then just a matter of what was in stock and available.
The end result – my new notebook computer
The end result for me was a nice, fairly high end workstation/entertainment center. Just what I needed and most of what I wanted. I spent more than what I had planned in the beginning, but far less than what I would have if I had not listed my wants and needs in the list above and started my research from there.
I hope this has helped you in some way. Happy computing…
The exceptionally talented Jazz artist Nelson Rangell has released him CD entitled Look Again. I am very confident and happy to announce that I believe Nelson Rangell fans, and Jazz fans alike will be pleased with this one. With the release of Look Again Nelson Rangell’s artistic excellence is on full display as Rangell has once again delivered a brilliant collection of tracks that could very well be him best work to date.
Nelson Rangell has been a heavy hitter in the Jazz genre for quite some time now and Look Again is an excellent illustration as to why.
One of the nicer things about a CD like this is when the talent is this rich even if Jazz isn’t your favorite genre you still can’t help but appreciate the greatness of the artist.
If you’re a Nelson Rangell fan, or just a fan of Jazz music this is a CD your collection simply should not be without.
While this entire CD is outstanding some of my favorites are track 3 – Good Morning Love, track 8 – Somethin’s Goin On, and track 11 – Scenario
My Bonus Pick, and the one that got Sore [...as in "Stuck On REpeat"] is track 1 – Look Again. Good stuff!
Look Again Release Notes:
Nelson Rangell originally released Look Again on March 11, 2003 on the A440 Music Group label.
CD Track List Follows:
1. Look Again
2. Dedication
3. Good Morning Love
4. Off The Hook
5. Saturday Night
6. Long Walk
7. Steppin’
8. Somethin’s Goin On
9. With All My Heart
10. Whisper
11. Scenario
Personnel includes: Nelson Rangell (saxophone); Terry Black (vocals, keyboards, Moog bass, programming); Will Downing (vocals); Jeff Kivet (trumpet); Ozzie Melendez (trombone); John Blasucci (keyboards, Hammond B-3 organ); Chris Davis, David Mann, Tejai (keyboards, programming); Gerey Johnson, Rhon Lawrence (guitar); Will Lee, Lamar Jones, Richard Patterson, Vernon Barbary (bass); Khari Parker, Ralph Rolle, Tarell Martin (drums); Lenny Castro (percussion); Craig Bauer (programming).
Producers include: Chris Davis, Darren Rahn, Craig Bauer, Vernon Barbary, Terry Black.
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