Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E530 Notebook Review , ASM 45N1048 / FRU 45N1049 computer batteries

Product ID:1002989 Battery Type:Li-ion Property: original computer batteries Battery Voltage:11.1V Battery Capacity:62Wh \ 5600mAh Battery Color:Black

LENOVO ThinkPad Edge E530 Series Battery Life

On the whole, the consumer ThinkPad has the potential for supplying feasible battery life. The power consumption is even lower on the L11L6Y01 battery and allows a runtime of 401 minutes (6 hours 41 minutes) in BatteryEater Reader's test (maximum runtime with all wifi modules off, minimum brightness). That is about 7.1W rather than the measured 9.3W.

4 hours off the mains was possible in the practical wifi surf test (brightness ca. 150 cd/m2, energy savings mode). DVDs can run for a good 3 hours when using the energy saving mode, disabled wifi module and full brightness. The test device lasts 1 hour in the BatteryEater Classic test (minimum runtime, all modules on, maximum brightness). However, this fairly good result is also due to the GPU's throttling. In numbers, only 44W was consumed, rather than the maximum 63.1W that we measured when the laptop was plugged in. This is usually intentional because when the battery is discharged too quickly, cell degradation can accelerate, damaging the battery and sometimes, you can have issues with overheating.

Case

In contrast to classic ThinkPads, the business gray case is pepped up a bit by small highlights. A narrow aluminum strip running around the screen, the display lid's darker color (also available in red or blue) and the Edge series' glowing red i-dot in the ThinkPad logo break the monotonous looks generally associated with the Thinkpads. We cannot comprehend the reason why Lenovo went with a glossy finish for the area surrounding the keys breaking. This measure is not really a beauty upgrade. It is going to be a nightmare to keep this area free from fingerprint smudges and dust for even a short period of time.

The overall case quality can definitely compare to superior business notebooks and does feature good stiffness. The surface can only be deformed in the critical areas, such as the display lid and over the optical drive and battery compartment. The materials' quality does not quite reach the level of more expensive business lines like the Latitude, Elitebook or ThinkPad T, X or W series. The wrist rest is firm, the display lid is rigid and the display hinges have a secure grip. We did not determine teetering here. (ASUS A42-U31 batteries) 

The bottom has two covers that allow access to all important components quickly and easily. The notebook stays in place even without the battery thanks to the rubberized feet. The workmanship is good; we did not notice any protruding ridges, irregular transitions or sharp edges. The weight of roughly 2.5kg is quite normal for this form factor and it doesn’t even pretend to be an ultrabook.

Speakers are located on the front of the laptop and they are merely of passable quality. Don't expect a full range of frequencies out of them, especially on the low end. Furthermore, if you use the notebook on your lap while listening to music through them, they will be muffled. Plug in some headphones or speakers for serious listening and just use the built-ins for YouTube.

Connectivity

The LENOVO ThinkPad Edge E530 features solid connectivity options that should cover most use-cases. Unlike the Edge E520, it does not feature an eSATA port or an ExpressCard slot. Moreover, quite a few modifications have been made to the interface positioning. As usual, VGA and HDMI connect to external analog and digital monitors and TVs respectively. The three USB 3.0 ports are new and now provide fast data transfer to external storage peripherals such as hard disks (129 MB/s sequential read). A powered USB 2.0 port which enables charging of external devices even when the notebook is off, is also onboard again. The E530's combined audio jack significantly restricts the choice of headsets with separate jacks and prevents the further use of existing peripherals that have two separate inputs.

The interfaces are easy to reach due to the positioning towards the front, but consequently have the disadvantage of partly obstructing the work area when devices are connected. Compared with the E520, Lenovo has changed the positioning a bit, but we do not see this as an improvement. The ports on the left are still too close to each other, getting blocked especially when wider USB extensions are used alongside other devices. You will end up with fewer usable ports that will leave you annoyed.

Keyboard

If there's one thing that Lenovo does consistently well, it's comfortable notebook keyboards. We love the keyboard on the ThinkPad Edge, which has full-sized keys that feel soft and responsive. It's a keyboard that's very comfortable to use for long typing sessions. A full-sized number pad makes it easy to crunch lots of numbers and there are shortcut buttons that allow you to quickly bring up the Calculator application, the My Computer folder, the Windows search box and the Windows lock/log-in screen. (LENOVO FRU 45N1049 batteries) 

The main functions of the F-keys are to change brightness and act as media controls, but these can be swapped around in the BIOS so that if you're used to hitting F5 to refresh a Web page, you won't all of a sudden bring up the webcam application. Likewise, the position of the Fn and left Control keys can be swapped around so that the Ctrl key is the one right on the corner. There is a dedicated Print Screen key, which we like, and clearly marked Home, End, Page Up and Page Down keys. The arrow keys are a little cramped, but that's a minor quibble.

The chicklet keyboard with standard sized keys features a separate number pad and virtually fills the entire case width. The keys have a medium key-drop, a stiff stroke and an audible clicking noise. As usual, the larger keys such as space and return generate some clatter. The keyboard plate fits very tightly and does not yield under force. However, the plate loses a bit of its rigidness toward the right and can be depressed over the optical drive. Whether this is considered unfavorable depends on personal typing and stroke habits in daily use. Prolific typists will be unhappy with the key design anyway and will sooner reach for a model featuring the older, well-established ThinkPad keyboard.

Touchpad

Unlike other ThinkPad models, the ThinkPad Edge E530 doesn't have a screen-mounted light that can shine down on the keyboard, nor does it have a backlight for its keyboard. However, it still retains Lenovo's dual-pointing devices, using Synaptics-based drivers for its TrackPoint and TouchPad. Whichever device you use is entirely up to you and we had almost no problems using either of them. The touchpad is 93x67mm and has buttons that are located under the pad itself. Unfortunately, right-click-and-drag operations failed every time and this is something we have experienced with other touchpads that have a similar design, such as the one on the Toshiba Satellite U840 Ultrabook. Apart from that, the touchpad, which also has little bumps on it that sometimes tickle, wasn't a problem for us; it reacted accurately to three-finger flicks and two-finger scrolling gestures.

The touchpad is big, accepts inputs very well and has good gliding qualities. Standard multi-touch gestures are supported and owing to the big surface, can be implemented easily. Unlike the ThinkPad Edge E520 (ASUS A32-K55 batteries), the touchpad no longer has distinct mouse buttons. It works quite well although it needs a bit of familiarization, especially when frequently switching between track-point and pad as an input device. Normal typing caused some clattering noise in our model. Apparently there was a bit of room between the pad surface and the base. This can get annoying in the long run. As always, the track-point worked flawlessly and it was no different from the other models in the ThinkPad line.

Display

The notebook's hinges are strong and they hold a 15.6in screen that's good for use in rooms with lots of lights. Its matte finish isn't prone to reflecting room lights and glare is minimal. As is the case with most notebook screens on the market though, its vertical viewing angles are shallow and contrast is lost when viewing it from too high or too low. We found its colour reproduction to be adequate for viewing photos and presentations, although we would have liked a little more saturation.

Lenovo basically offers the Edge E530 with three different screens, two HD screens with 1366 x 768 pixels (one is glossy and the other matte) and an HD+ screen with 1600 x 900 pixels (matte). The standard matte 15.6 screen was available on our test model. We have not found configurations with the glossy screen yet. The 15 screen's fairly low resolution enlarges the icons and a grid like appearance on the screen makes using the display a trial.

We measured the screen's maximum brightness in nine zones. It ranged from a minimum of 197 cd/m2 in the upper-right corner to 245 cd/m2 in the center. The illumination is about 80% and the average brightness is about 224 cd/m2. Those are good values and allow use both indoors and out. Due to the matte surface and the consequent lack of reflections, ergonomic brightness rates of around 150 cd/m2 can be set indoors. The brightness can be adjusted in 15 levels with level 10 roughly measuring 150 cd/m2.

Full brightness is available on battery. Displayed contents are sufficiently legible outdoors and allow for relatively long working sessions when the seating position is chosen well. You should avoid direct sunlight because the backlight brightness cannot overcome this.

Like most notebook screens, the display in our test model has a very low contrast ratio of 122:1. Colors look pallid, black looks grayish and consequently, a lot of the detail is lost in pictures and movies. The color spectrum reaches approximately 78% of the sRGB color gamut and surpasses other standard screens by about 20-30 percentage points. Nevertheless, this result only satisfies standard requirements since the sRGB color spectrum should at least be nearly covered for image editing or graphic based tasks.

Typical for TN screens, the viewing angles stability is quite good horizontally, but extremely weak vertically. The contents fade or invert very quickly when the screen is tilted too far in either direction. The perfect viewing experience is found at very limited angles and consequently only allows minor seating position changes while working.

Verdict

Lenovo fuses both worlds well and delivers a solid notebook. The configuration is decent and hardly leaves anything to be desired (though we would welcome Ivy Bridge parts). The performance is basically good and the battery runtime of around 4 hours, owing to Optimus technology, is satisfactory. Furthermore, there are a few possibilities to increase the system's performance without much effort.

Most pure-bred Office notebooks usually cannot serve up sufficient gaming capabilities. The test device featuring Nvidia's GeForce GT 630M delivers smooth gameplay. This added value is marred by the GPU's throttling on battery and Nvidia's graphics' drop in performance during full load conditions.

Unfortunately, cutbacks have once again been made in the screen and Lenovo has not looked into the erratic nature of the fan. However, the past shows that the manufacturer responds quite fast with BIOS updates, which should at least resolve the fan issue.

The material and workmanship quality is higher than in most entry-level laptops, but does not quite reach that of “genuine” business notebooks. The input devices should also satisfy many users, but they have to make a few minor compromises. The noisy touchpad without distinct mouse buttons and the slight flex of the keyboard need a bit of getting used to.

In summary, the Edge E530 is a good all-rounder with minor drawbacks. It will feel especially comfortable in home office settings, ready for some gaming and might just become the family computer.

More info: laptop-batteries.com.au , laptop-battery.org.uk , battery-store.eu

Review Toshiba Satellite U845W Notebook

Design

One of the more unusual notebook designs to come along, the Satellite U845W looks like Toshiba took a 15-inch notebook, and sliced a few inches off the long end. Measuring 14.5 x 7.8 x 0.72 inches, it's as long the 15-inch Acer Aspire TimelineU M5-581TG, (14.4 x 10.1 x 0.79-0.81 inches), but much narrower. If anything, its dimensions reminded us of a legal notepad, or a supersized Sony VAIO P. While slim and light (the U845W weighs about 4 pounds), its length stretched, ever so slightly, our messenger bag.

You'll get stares for more than just its dimensions, though. This is an attractive laptop. About two-thirds of the Toshiba U845W's lid is made of a Midnight Silver brushed aluminum (which has a slightly bronze tint), and the top third is covered in a black textured rubber. The underside is coated in the same material, which makes the U845W very comfortable to carry around while closed.

Inside, the palm rest is made of the same rubberized material. Above, the keyboard deck is a bead blasted aluminum. On either side of the black keyboard are two large speakers. Overall, it's a subdued yet sophisticated look.

The Toshiba Satellite U845W weighs around 3.5 pounds, according to Toshiba, depending on configuration, and is 0.82 inch thick: thicker than most 13-inch ultrabooks, but around the size of many 14-inchers.
Keyboard and Touchpad

As the chassis of the U845W is more squat than traditional notebooks, the island-style keyboard attempts to accommodate its unorthodox dimensions. As a result, the keys are squatter than is usual. Additionally, the keys felt a bit slippery and the key travel was sorely lacking, which resulted in more errors than we're used to making. The backlighting is a nice touch, as are the media keys along the function row, but overall, this layout just doesn't provide a comfortable typing experience. (TOSHIBA PA3904U-1BRS batteries)

The 3.9 x 2.5-inch Synaptics touchpad on this Toshiba is quite spacious, and the integrated buttons are easy to press with one hand. We had no problem selecting text using our thumb and forefinger. Multitouch gestures such as pinch-to-zoom, rotate, and three-finger swipe worked well.

Display

Of course, the star of the show is the Toshiba Satellite U845W's 14.4-inch 1792 x 768-pixel display. When watching 1080p trailers for Total Recall, The Avengers and other films, the glossy panel did an excellent job with whatever we threw at it. Blacks were deep and true, with no artifacts, and colors were wonderfully vibrant.
With an average brightness of 259 lux, the Toshiba Satellite U845W outshines the thin-and-light average of 202 lux, and is on a par with the Dell Inspiron 14z (254 lux). It's far better than the T13, whose screen was a relatively dim 163 lux.

One of the things that Toshiba touts with this Ultrabook's display is that the black bars on the top and bottom of movies are minimized. However, this is dependent on the movies themselves being filmed in the same 21:9 aspect ratio as the display. For example, The Avengers was shot in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio, while Total Recall was filmed in a 2.35:1 aspect ratio. As a result, the latter completely fills the screen, while the former has black bars on the left and right sides.

Of course, you can do more than just watch movies on the U845W. Toshiba built in a small utility designed to maximize productivity. Called Snap Screen, it allows you to snap windows to either side of the display, and automatically resize them to a size of your choosing. You can tell the feature is activated by a small icon that appears on the upper right of any active window. It takes Windows 7's Snap feature an extra step.
We found it very useful to have the text of this review open on one side, and our notes on the other side. However, text does appear a bit smaller than we'd like, especially when it came to menu items. (TOSHIBA PA5023U-1BRS batteries)

Audio

Half the experience of watching a movie is listening to it, which is why we were pleased that the Toshiba Satellite U845W's harmon kardon speakers pumped out loud, accurate sound. Bruce Springsteen's I'm on Fire resonated, as did U2's Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For. There was a nice amount of bass, and trebles were clear without being distorted. Flo Rida's Turn Around cranked out loud enough for a small dance party, and the bass thumped.

The SRS Premium Sound 3D control panel let us tweak settings; one unique slider, called SRS Focus, redirected the sound toward the middle of the notebook, as opposed to the edges. This increased the volume, but made things sound a bit tinnier, especially higher notes.

Ports

The left side of the Toshiba Satellite U845W has an Ethernet port, as well as two USB 3.0 ports. The right side has a third USB 3.0 port, HDMI, and headphone and mic jacks. The front edge has an SD card slot.

Webcam

While the Toshiba Satellite U845W's webcam only takes pictures at a max resolution of 640 x 480, images and video were reasonably clear and well-balanced in terms of color. Our skin tones were accurate, as was the blue and white of our shirt. We did notice a bit of graininess in darker areas, though. (PA3820U-1BRS batteries)

Heat

After streaming a Hulu video at full screen for 15 minutes, the Toshiba Satellite U845W's touchpad measured 76 degrees Fahrenheit, and the space between the G and H keys was 83 degrees. Both are well below our threshold for what we consider uncomfortable--95 to 100 degrees. However, the middle of the underside reached a troubling 101 degrees.

Graphics and Gaming

While the Toshiba Satellite U845W has an integrated Intel Graphics HD 4000 GPU, it's more than powerful enough for some moderate gaming. With the screen set to its native resolution and effects on autodetect, the U845W averaged 49 fps in World of Warcraft. Amping up the effects to ultra dropped the rate to an unplayable 20 fps. Still, that's better than the T13, which averaged 32 and 15 fps at those same settings, but with the resolution at a lower 1366 x 768. The 14z, which has a discrete AMD Radeon HD 7570M GPU, averaged a higher 64 fps and 32 fps at those same settings.
The Toshiba Satellite U845W's 3DMark11 score of 614 falls below the 14z (902) and the category average (819), but bests the T13 (456) by a comfortable margin.

Battery Life

The Toshiba Satellite U845W will definitelylast you through a double feature. On the LAPTOP Battery Test (Web surfing via Wi-Fi), the notebook lasted 7 hours, about a half-hour longer than the category average, 90 minutes more than the Inspiron 14z and two hours longer than the T13. (PA3842U-1BRS batteries)

Verdict

Those looking for a cinematic experience--or simply looking to get the benefit of nearly two screens in one--will find the Toshiba Satellite U845W an intriguing option. For $999, you get a 14-inch Ultrabook with a wide, bright screen, excellent audio and seven hours of battery life. The biggest issue holding this notebook back is its mushy keyboard. We'd be a lot more willing to live with this system's wider frame if the typing experience were better.

More info: laptop-batteries.com.au , laptop-battery.org.uk , battery-store.eu

Acer Aspire One 725 Notebook Review

Case

Ivy Bridge might be the belle of the ball in laptop-land, but small and nimble will always be on the dance card, too. Despite its petite 11.6-inch 1366x768 screen and 2.6-pound frame, Acer's newly announced ACER Aspire One 725 can still pirouette with a dual-core C-60 AMD processor, 4GB of DDR3 RAM, Radeon HD 6290 graphics, and choice of two colors. Along with the 320 or 500GB hard drives and HD output, those specs should allow you to edit the odd video while still doing the emailing and surfing it was made for.

The case itself, compared to the acer Aspire One 722, has only changed a minimal amount. The display lid for example doesn't have the stylish water-drop design any more, but is instead kept simple with one color. Customers are only left with two options, which are either Volcanic black or Caribbean blue.

The case proves itself to be relatively stable, merely under a lot of pressure does the material start to bend. The display hinges also perform their task well. Definitely impressive is the very wide maximum opening angle of the 11 inch netbook, which spans up to 150 degrees. Less favorable are the sharp edges of the device. Especially around the LAN port, where there is a chance of getting cut. Thanks to its typical netbook weight of 1.2 kg and size of 11.6 inches diameter, the device is well suited for mobile use.

Connectivity

Compared to the Acer Aspire One 722-C62kk, the reviewed device has a speedy USB 3.0 port, as well as two USB 2.0 ports. Otherwise the netbook also provides a modern HDMI connector as well as an integrated card reader, as did its predecessor. One negative aspect in our opinion, is the combination port for the microphone input and headphones output. The previous model still provided these two separately. Now external headphones and an external microphone cannot be connected in parallel. All the ports are distributed along the left and right sides of the netbook.

Communication

The highlight when it comes to the communication features of the Acer Aspire One 725 is surely the version 4.0 Bluetooth module. Only a few netbooks, such as the predecessor Acer Aspire One 722-C62kk model for example, provide this new standard. Bluetooth 4.0 is Low Energy power saving thanks to its protocol stack. The distance between two communicating devices can now also extend to up to 100 meters.

Gigabit LAN is unfortunately not supported by the 11 inch netbook. In this case the owner will have to make due with the Realtek PCIe FE Family Controller (10/100 Mbit).

WLAN is provided for users by the Atheros AR5BWB222 Wireless Network Adapter. Acer has not equipped its netbook with a UMTS module though.

Input Devices

Keyboard

The adopted chiclet keyboard has only slightly changed compared to the Acer Aspire One 722-C62kk. Among these the keys now have a bigger gap in between them. Otherwise the size of individual keys has also changed, whereby the letter keys still have a size of 19 mm. The arrow keys are, as is the case with many netbooks, still small. Apart from this the whole of the keyboard supporting surface also gives way. The inflection point of the keys on the Aspire One 725 is relatively undefined, and the key travel is also quite short.
Touchpad

When it comes to the touchpad, Acer is betting on old strengths. The mouse replacement is more or less identical with that adopted for the Acer Aspire One 722-C62kk. The touchpad is sufficiently big and possesses good gliding properties. What is less favorable in our opinion are the accompanying buttons. One big panel is supposed to be used for both of them. Two separate buttons would be considerably more pleasant though.(ACER W83066LC batteries)

Display

With its 11.6 inch diagonal display, the Acer Aspire One 725 belongs among the larger netbooks. The display manages a maximum resolution of 1366x768 pixels, and is also reflective, as with the Aspire One 722-C62kk. A matte display would be far better for outdoor use. Due to the average brightness of 210.8 cd/m², the netbook is merely average when it comes to outdoor suitability. The maximum brightness lies at 223 cd/m². In this case the Aspire One 722-C62kk has an advantage with a maximum brightness of 261 cd/m². At least the brightness doesn't reduce during battery powered use. The illumination is relatively balanced at 91%.

The contrast level is than less than ideal. Due to a high black level of 1.35 cd/m², a mere contrast of 164:1 is the result. In addition, the sRGB color space is also not completely covered.

The outdoor suitability was tested by us in practice. One thing that speaks in favor of outdoor use is the luminance of over 200 cd/m², however, this is also curtailed by the absence of an anti-glare display surface. Text and graphics are only recognizable to a limited extent outdoors, since the reflective display makes itself clearly noticeable. In this case the brightness could also have been a little bit higher as well.

The viewing angle stability has the familiarly weak characteristics of panels in this price category. While the display shows considerable changes to the displayed images when deviating from the center horizontally, the picture quickly breaks down when deviating vertically. This characteristic is depicted by the above photomontage. For this we photographed the netbook from different angles in a dark room, using the same shutter speed and lens.(acer al12b32 batteries)

Speakers

The integrated speakers in the Acer Aspire One 725 are not especially good, as we are already familiar with from its predecessor models. For listening to music we would recommend using external speakers. The frequency response of the integrated speakers is very much concentrated in the high frequency range, while bass frequencies are completely missing. External speakers systems can be connected via the 3.5 mm audio socket, or also using the HDMI connector.

Battery Life

The battery runtime was tested by us using three different scenarios. For the first test, we wanted to determine the maximum battery life. In this case we used the most frugal configuration (lowest brightness, WLAN deactivated, power saving profile), and carried out the Readers Test from BatteryEater. During this test the reviewed device managed to stay on its feet for about 7 hours and 5 minutes. The predecessor Acer Aspire One 722 C62kk, managed approximately an additional 2 hours, albeit with a higher capacity battery. While our reviewed device has a 4 cell battery with a capacity of 37 Wh, its predecessor had a battery with 6 cells and a capacity of 48 Wh.

During our practical test we simulated internet surfing. In this case we activated the WLAN and set the display brightness to a pleasant 150 cd/m². With this test the netbook ran out of steam after 4 hours and 21 minutes. Last but not least, we tested the battery life with a high processing load. In this case we used all the highest performance settings (highest brightness, high performance profile), and once again the BatteryEater software, albeit with the Classic Test. During this scenario the AC adapter had to be connected again after 2 hours and 38 minutes. With the Acer Aspire One 722 C62kk, this was the case almost an hour later.

Verdict

The performance difference between the Acer Aspire One 725 and the Acer Aspire One 722 C62kk is hardly noticeable. Moreover the reviewed netbook is merely a new variant with small differences. Buyers will once again receive a reflective HD display with the new model, which will limit the potential for outdoor use. The display brightness could also have been a little bit higher. One thing that makes the Acer Aspire One 725 stand out from its predecessor is the speedy USB 3.0 port. The battery life of a maximum of 7 hours has been reduced with the newer version. With the Acer Aspire One 722 this was still 9 hours.

Unfortunately the old weaknesses have remained. The soft keyboard is just as much worthy of improvement, as the high temperatures developed with a high processing load.

A good alternative to our reviewed device would also be the 11 inch dimensioned MSI Wind U270. The netbook may also have a reflective display, but provides considerably more performance with its AMD E-450 processor. The price for the MSI netbook however lies at approximately 450 Euros.

More info: laptop-batteries.com.au , laptop-battery.org.uk , battery-store.eu

Dell Inspiron 15R Special Edition Notebook Review, 4YRJH / 8858X computer batteries

Property: original computer batteries Battery Type:Li-ion Battery Voltage:11.1V Battery Capacity:60Wh / 97Wh Battery Color:Black

DELL 8858X Battery Life

Dell ships the notebook with a 4YRJH 6-cell lithium-ion battery rated at 48 Wh.
To determine the maximum run time during idle, we deactivated the WLAN, turned the display brightness all the way down, and enabled the power-saver profile. Our Inspiron manged to run for 4 hours and 45 minutes.

To determine battery life using a more realistic scenario, we subjected the test candidate to our WLAN-surf-test. Surfing the internet using WLAN (via an automated script) with a display brightness of 150 cd/m², we measured a run time of 3 hours before having to plug in the adapter.

Those wanting to watch a movie better check the feature length first: a DVD shouldn't be longer than 1 hour and 41 minutes, a Blu-ray 1 hour and 25 minutes.

When we ran our load test using DELL 312-1242 Battery Eater Classic, which renders an animated 3D-scene and places a heavy load on the processor and the graphics card, we recorded a run time of 1 hour. Charging the battery takes about 3 hours and 20 minutes.

Although the processor is able to supply full power while the laptop is on battery, 3DMark 06 showed a drop from 9615 to 5291 points, indicating that the graphics subsystem is running at reduced capacity.

Case

The design is completely new. The unusual placement of the hinges, a distinctive feature of older Inspiron and Vostro models, has been abandoned in favor of a new design. The hinges are now located at the far back of the base unit. Unfortunately, the display lid still can only be tilted back about 140°. The lid is made out of plastic which accepts the interchangeable aluminum covers as inserts. With the cover in place, the display is very resistant to any pressure applied. The hinges are strong and easily keep the display in the desired position.

The base of the unit, save for the palm rest, is made from plastic. The chassis is torsionally very rigid but the surface areas deform under pressure. Build quality could be improved: the top appears well constructed, on the sides we noticed uneven gaps. The locking mechanism for the battery is very solid and user friendly. (TOSHIBA PA3904U-1BRS batteries) 

Most of the surfaces are non-glossy. The interchangeable aluminum cover and the palmrest are made from black anodized aluminum and feature an embossed (but subtle) honeycomb pattern. The sides are made from silver plastic. The three quick access buttons and the keyboard panel are painted glossy.

With Switch, Dell is trying to separate the Inspiron notebooks from the rest of the pack. Unfortunately, the selection of covers leaves to be desired. At this time, only a pink, a red, and a blue cover are available for the standard Inspiron 15R. Additional aluminum covers are not offered. The process of changing the cover is easy and thoroughly explained.

Connectivity

Port selection is above average. The front houses a card reader (compatible with SD, SDHC, SDXC, MMC(+), MS (PRO), and xD). The right side is home to a Blu-ray optical drive in the front and two USB 3.0 and the Gigabit LAN jack towards the back.

The notebook is not particularly well suited for left-handers wanting to use an external mouse: the headphone- and microphone-jack, a regular USB 3.0 and one USB 3.0 that is always powered, are on the left side towards the front, followed by a HDMI port. A VGA port and the power jack are located behind the cooling fan outlet. No ports are located on the back.

Keyboard

The keyboard is different from the predecessor's: while the design is similar, the numeric keypad is missing. The keyboard is now the same one found on some Vostro models. A backlit keyboard, the same one the Vostro V131 features, is available as an option (40 Euro) on the top-of-the line model. Typing is a pleasure: the key travel is not too short and the feedback is solid.

Aside from the fairly big and backlit power button, the Inspiron features three shortcut buttons on the top right. The first one opens Windows Mobility Center, which provides an overview of frequently used settings. The second one opens a small window that lets the user choose a profil for the sound card (game, music, movie,..). The third key can be customized as desired. (DELL PRRRF batteries) 

Touchpad 

The touchpad is adequately sized and allows for precise control. It features a definite (and easily felt) perimeter although the extreme borders don't respond that well. Multitouch is supported and works without issues. The driver properties allow for a plethora of configuration settings so the touchpad can be customized as desired. A key combination turns the touchpad off; a little orange light glows above the touchpad when it's deactivated.

The two mouse buttons are a pleasure to use. They offer clear tactile feedback and respond well even if not pushed dead-center. 

Screen

The screen measures 15.6 inches on the diagonal. If you've not been able to decide between the more portable 13-inch laptops or the desktop-friendly 17-inch beasts, 15 inches is an excellent compromise.

Better still, it packs a Full HD resolution making it well suited for media use. Most 15-inch laptops tend to offer a lesser 1,600x900-pixel display or even 1,366x768 pixels -- the resolution offered on the lower-end model -- so it's great to see Dell providing 1080p on a display of this size.

The HD screen means you're now perfectly equipped to enjoy the Blu-ray drive shoved in around the side. I loaded up my Blu-ray copy of of The Art of Flight and spent blissful minutes watching snowboarder Travis Rice descend mountains at terrifying speeds. The screen proved fairly bright and adequately bold although I have seen more vivid screens. (DELL XPS L321X batteries) 

It'll certainly do the job for watching a casual movie on the sofa or for looking at Maru's latest exploits on YouTube, but if you want a more cinematic experience then you'll need to hook up your massive TV and sound system using the HDMI port.

The screen has been given a matte coating that helps cut reflections to a minimum. That's particularly handy if you often find yourself working in bright sunlight or harsh office lighting. Reading the fine detail in massive Excel spreadsheets is considerably more comfortable when you're not avoiding staring back at your gawping face.

Speakers

Dell heavily promotes the speakers in the Inspiron 15R. They are sourced from the US company Skullcandy and controlled using Waves MaxxAudio 4. The sound quality is definitely above average. Maximum volume is very high and the speakers never sound distorted. Unfortunately, there is no subwoofer in the Inspiron, so bass is severely lacking. While we can't recommend the Dell for audiophiles for that reason, for movie night or a presentation the system is perfectly usable.

Verdict

The Inspiron 15R Special Edition is designed to appeal predominately to the performance-oriented crowd. Dell spruced up the chassis with aluminum components and installed more powerful hardware to differentiate the model from the standard edition.

The Inspiron-series was completely redesigned. The models now have generously rounded corners and sport a timeless grey-black chassis. Build quality of the base unit and the display lid is good, although we noticed uneven gaps on the sides of the notebook.

Features and port selection are above average. A Blu-ray optical drive, four USB 3.0 ports, and a card reader capable of reading almost all formats are all included. Networking components are up to date and include WLAN b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, and Gigabit-LAN.

The input devices allow using the laptop for extended periods of time without any issues. The keyboard, which provides good feedback, is also used in the Vostro notebooks. The touchpad is adequately sized and has very decent mouse buttons. (TOSHIBA PA3928U-1BRS batteries) 

The FullHD-display is a differentiating feature of the Special Edition compared to the standard Inspirons. Since it is very bright and none-glare, it can be used in bright conditions. The generous viewing angles make using the laptop easier and allow several people to watch a Blu-ray movie. The contrast ratio is quite impressive.

The Intel quad-core processor and the middle-class graphics card supplied by AMD allow decent performance and satisfy most use-case scenarios. Most current games can be played successfully in medium or sometimes even high quality mode. We were quite impressed with the very quiet and fast 1 TB hard disc drive. The notebook remains mostly silent but gets quite warm under load.

Manufacturers seem to pay more and more attention to the sound quality of their notebooks. Skullcandy provides the speakers for the Inspiron. The sound is indeed very impressive, albeit lacking bass.

The Inspiron 15R Special Edition is a multimedia-notebook that manages to leave a very good impression in those areas where it really matters: a great display, well-designed input devices, and plenty of performance.

More info: laptop-batteries.com.au , laptop-battery.org.uk , battery-store.eu

Acer Aspire One 722-C62kk ( LU.SFT02.150 ) Netbooks Review ,AL10A31 / AL10B31 computer batteries

Battery Type:Li-ion Property:original computer batteries Battery Voltage:11.1 V Battery Capacity:49 h\4400mAh and 73Wh\6600mAh Battery Color:Black

ACER AL10B31 Battery Life

The increased AC-consumption that we measured does reflect in the maximum AL10A31 battery run time. As a result of the higher minimal consumption we achieved about 100 min less than with the Aspire One 722-C52kk (C-50 CPU). In the Battery Eater Readers Test (maximum running time, minimum brightness, all wireless modules turned off) the net book managed 549 min running time.

The revised Acer One fared slightly better in all other tests. Surfing with W-LAN it clocks at 407 min, (display level 5, at about 150 cd/m², balanced profile), Films are played for 342 min (Display level 7, wireless modules off, played from hard disc) and the Battery Eater Classic Test (minimum running time, high power profile, maximum brightness, all wireless modules turned on) runs for 201 min. As the results of the Battery Eater Readers Test are of a more theoretical value in reality there shouldn't be any loss of running time.

Case

The Taiwanese company now also has an updated version of its largest 11.6 inch netbook representative available as the Acer Aspire One 722. Alike the previously reviewed Acer Aspire One 522, the test device comes along with a 1 GHz weak AMD C-50 Dual-Core APU (accelerated processing unit) together with incorporated AMD Radeon HD 6250 graphics unit. Other key data, such as a 2 GB DDR3 main memory, a 250 GB hard disk capacity and the usual interfaces, have been maintained.

The netbook shows modernizations in the area of case and display. The latter now has a resolution of 1280x720 pixels (HD Ready) and a glare type surface at a typical size. The prior model still had the finer resolution of 1366x768 pixels in a 16:9 format. (ACER AL10G31 batteries)

The glossy display cover with it's wave pattern is a real eye-catcher, but quickly becomes annoying because of visable fingerprints, micro-scratches and dust particles. the materials used around the keyboard are better and less flashy. The display frame and base are stable and aren't easily flexed. The keyboard area isn't as resistant against pressure, especially the keypad and palmrest area left of the touchpad which bent under little pressure. The display hinges are tight and allow a very large opening angle without any wobbling.

The case isn't absolutely convincing in terms of stability. Slight pressure is already enough to induce visible yielding in the center. This gives the keyboard a very spongy impression. The display lid, on the other hand, is fairly rigid and only allows a marginal distortion. Stronger pressure from the outside produces slight pressure marks on the picture in a turned on state. However, this should hardly be the case during routine use. Two fragile-looking, tightly pulled display hinges provide a good hold. In addition to the pleasant opening angle of 150 degrees, the evident teetering remains to be a small minus point.

Connectivity

Sameways we couldn't find any differences concerning the interfaces. The three USB-ports have a maximum speed of 27,1 MB/s and the SD-HC cardreader 14,2 MB/s. You can connect an external monitor (or TV) with a HDMI or VGA port. Both are able to display a good picture quality at a resolution of 1680x1050 pixels, although the HDMI delivers a slightly sharper picture (ASUS N46V batteries). The arrangement of the ports has it's pros and cons. Both USB-ports on the right side are rather far to the back and connected items won't disturb, but the space between them is too small as to permit the simultaeneous usage of two larger USB-sticks. The ports are better spaced on the left side, but are more to the front and attached cables limit your freedom of movement.

Keyboard

The Keyboard has normal-sized keys in a 19mm grid with a hi-contrast layout and all important extra funcions are realized as FN-combinations. The keys themselves have a short key drop and a soft and indefinate pressure point.The keyboard as such bounces and bends more or less obviously across the whole area. The keys make an inobtrusive mechanical sound and the big keys such as space and return rattle a little.

Touchpad

The touchpad is rather big, with a structured, well gliding surface. Usual multi-finger gestures are supported and the touchpad can be turned off or on via FN combination keys.I didn't like the one-button design of the touchpad. It is thin and the key drop is too small and ease of use leaves room for improvements. To the middle of the button the already long reaction time worsens and makes it difficult to hold using combined key inputs. 

Display

The glossy LED-screen has a resolution of 1366x768 pixels (TOSHIBA PA5024U-1BRS batteries), and thus has the same desktop-size like standard 15 notebooks. The image apperars much smaller and reflects the higer pixel density od 135dpi. 

The mean maximum luminosity is 245 cd/m² and offers a very even brightness distribution. The brightness can be suficcenty varied in 9 steps. Step 5 delivers about 150 cd/m², which would suffice for inside use with matte screens. Users are liable to select a higher setting to eliminate mirroring, as this screen is glossy.

The measured contrast ratio of 186:1 results from a black level of 1.4 at maximum brightness. The low contrast is noticeable with rather weak colors and dark grey as black and light grey as white. This effect is not quite as visible as on matte screens thanks to the shiny screen surface and appears subjectively better. Another advantage of a shiny screen is a somewhat sharper display as opposed to a matte screen. The sRGB color space is about 59% and is comparable to other standard displays 

The Aspire One 722 makes a surprisingly good impression for outdoor use, as the small screen size makes it easier to avoid having reflections on it and thanks to the rather high brightness (245 cd/m²) which is also available when using the battery. It is possible to view screen content in a sufficient way and you can work with it in a relaxed fashion most of the time. Of course this assumes that you place the screen in a good position and avoid direct sunlight.

The viewing angle stability is that of a typical TN and changes quickly vertically from a faded image viewing from above to inverted colors from the bottom. The optimal viewing angle is rather small and situates itself between 75-115°. The horizontal viewing angle has much more range and the image is well recognizable, if you take some color and brightness variations in account. 

Verdict

Acer has upgraded the performance and improved the display quality of the Acer One 722. The computing power is sufficient for a wide spectrum of applications and should satisfy many home users. Otherwise much has stayed the same. The low weight, mitigated chassis quality and the frugal but adequate connectivity are unchanged and usually are sufficient for the key audience.

Still apparent are the wobbly keyboard, the mirroring poor-contrast screen and the higher chassis temperature. These disadvantages may not be felt the same by every user, but they might tip the balance. Great: the battery life hasn't diminished despite the higher performance and has even increased in some real-life areas.

More info: laptop-batteries.com.au , laptop-battery.org.uk , battery-store.eu

Alienware M18x R2 Gaming Laptop Review, 312-1254, BTYAVG1 computer batteries

Product ID:1002613 Battery Type:Li-ion Property: original computer batteries Battery Voltage:14.8 V Battery Capacity:96 Wh \ 6480 mAh Battery Color:Black

DELL Alienware M18x R2 Battery Life

The low battery run times also point to AMD and/or Dell still having to work on optimizations. In spite of the strong BTYAVG1 12 cell battery (96 Wh!), the M18x ran out of power quite quickly. Two hours of web surfing or two hours of video playback (good to maximum brightness) are considerably below the possibilities of this high end notebook. The old model managed almost twice as much with three to four hours. Just under 60 minutes under 3D load is also pretty meager.

As is common with new GPUs, the energy saving options for the Radeon HD 7970M are not yet optimized. Reason 1: The relatively high power draw in idle mode. While the first revision of the HD 6970 CF drew a moderate 19-28 Watt from the outlet, our measurements indicated 32-42 Watt for the HD 7970M CF. Reason 2: The CrossFire bug. When we deactivated CrossFire, power draw actually rose to a beefy 60-72 Watt. Under load, the HD 7970M CF worked more frugally than their predecessors. Instead of 183-316 Watt, the new GPU only pulled 161-294 Watt during the 3DMark 06 benchmark.

Case

Alienware M18X R2 featuring the new Ivy Bridge mobile CPUs. Users will have the option between three CPUs: i7-3610QM, i7-3720QM and i7-3820QM. To power the 18.4-inch FullHD LCD White-LED Glossy screen, end-users with have the option for dual Radeon HD 7970M or dual GeForce GTX 675M (SLI) mobile graphic cards. A third option of the GeForce GTX 660M will be available but it is unknown if it will be available in SLI or just a single card setup. As for your memory options, the M18X R2 will offer DDR3 1600 MHz in 2 GB, 4 GB and 8 GB, with DDR3 1866 at 2 GB.

Users will find the Alienware M18X R2 offers a wide range of storage options from standard hard drives to SSDs. Users will be able to choose either a 500 GB 7.2K 2.5-inch HDD or 750 GB 7.2K 2.5-inch HDD for their systems. If speed is more your thing, you have the option for SSD storage. The SSD storage options include; 256 GB / 512 GB Samsung PM830 (SATA3, 7mm, 2.5-inch), 32 GB / 64 GB Samsung PM830 (SATA3, mSATA) or 512 GB Micron C400 (SATA3, 7mm, 2.5-inch). In addition, the Alienware M18X R2 will feature a Wireless HD card (optional), a 240 W or 330 W AC adapter, and two color choices - red and black.

The noble aluminum surfaces might drive up the weight (over 5 kg), but they guarantee excellent stability. Only the keyboard bed and the cooling exhaust grids can be noticeably dented in. Combined with good workmanship, this results in a perception of high quality. We especially liked the pleasantly soft wrist rest (Soft-Touch). Different from its smaller brother the M17x, the display lid surfaces are not gummed. Talking about the lid: Depending on your viewing angle and the surroundings, the black variant of the M18x sometimes looks rather gray or brown instead of black.

Since Alienware largely favors matte finishes, the 18-inch unit is relatively impervious to smudges. An exception is the glaring plastic display surface, which ends up covered with finger prints after a short time. The relatively tight display hinges do a decent job, though they cause the base unit to swing up when opening the notebook.

Due to the high weight and enormous scale (436 x 323 x 55 Millimeters), the M18x is only suited for stationary operation. Those who frequently move their notebook, should pick a more compact machine.

With a product from the competition, one misses out on the stylish case lighting. The M18x offers multiple zones that can be independently lit in different colors. In addition to the keyboard and touch pad, you can light up speaker grilles, the Alienware logo, the power button, the status lights and the multimedia button bar. (ASUS A42-U36 batteries)

Connectivity

Alienware undertook only minor optimizations in regards to interfaces. Not surprising, as the first revision already offered a multitude of connections. Instead of two USB 2.0 and two USB 3.0 connectors, the new M18x contains 4 USB 3.0 ports. External drives or input peripherals can also be connected to the eSATA/USB combo as needed.

Three video ports (VGA, HDMI 1.4, Mini-DisplayPort) and four audio connectors (5.1 analog, 7.1 digital per S/PDIF) are also commendable. In addition, there is a 9-in-1 card reader, an express card slot (54mm) and a Kensington Lock. An RJ-45 Gigabit LAN port can't be missing either, of course. One can even use the laptop's display for other devices through the integrated HDMI input. Aside from the power connector, all interfaces are placed on the sides.
Wireless Communication

Wireless connections can be made over WiFi b/g/n or Bluetooth 4.0. The base configuration is equipped with Intel's Centrino Wireless-N 2230 module, which supports transfer rates up to 300 Mbit/s.
Service

Servicing is a comfortable affair. After pushing out the battery and removing four screws, the bottom plate simply slides to the rear. With the exception of two RAM slots (under the keyboard), all important components are accessible here. Cleaning the fans is as easy as upgrading hard drives or memory.

Keyboard

There is little to complain about the input devices. The keyboard sports a dedicated number block and a decent layout. The key size of 18 x 18 millimeters might seem ample on paper, but due to the slanted edges, just under 12 x 13 millimeters are actually usable.

We'd call the typing feel and acoustic feedback a success. Even with the relatively soft pressure point, the keyboard offers passable feedback. Keyboard travel seems neither too short nor too long and should meet approval from most users. Requiring some getting used to, on the other hand, are the five macro keys (three levels), which Alienware placed to the left. Since the main block does not start at the edge of the notebook, its easy to miss them during first use.

Touchpad

The minimally sunken touch pad with its lit edges doesn't just score with a useful size (99 x 55 millimeters), but also with good gliding attributes and excellent precision. Thanks to the smooth surface, finger movements come easily.

We weren't quite as excited about the classic image run. For one thing, its fairly slow with default settings, and the speed varies irregularly from time to time. It's also less than great that you have to manually enable supported 2-finger multi touch gestures (zoom, scroll, rotate) in the touch pad driver.

Some gamers might also take exception to the positioning. Since Alienware mounts the touch pad relatively far to the left, it can cause accidental inputs while playing (deactivating the touch pad will fix that). Beyond that, the touch pad is without fail.

Display

The 18.4-inch glare type display panel comes from Samsung (HT184). With a diagonal of 46.74 centimeters and a resolution of 1920 x 1080, the gaming notebook provides impressive screen space.(DELL 312-1254 computer batteries)

If you just look at brightness, the monitor fails to deliver an outstanding performance. Under 220 cd/m² is an average value, but at least it's half way sufficient for interior spaces. Black values score significantly better at roughly 0.3 cd/m², so dark areas really look dark. Cheap run off the mill panels tend toward a noticeable gray tint, which turns games and movies into pale affairs.

Such problems are unknown to the M18x. A contrast of about 700:1 is more than respectable. As our screen shots prove, the panel also does a decent job with color reproduction. Few notebooks cover the sRGB color space this well.

Outdoor usability of the M18x tends toward zero. Too often, there are annoying reflections due to the glossy display surface. On brighter days, you can see almost nothing at all on the display. Even in interior spaces you are often confronted with annoying reflections. To find a good placement for the notebook during the day is so difficult that you may begin to wonder if Alienware engineers designed the notebook exclusively for poorly lit conditions. To make it short: Alienware should really think about offering a non-reflective display option.

Viewing angles are sufficient. While horizontal angle changes are tolerable, vertical angles should not veer too far from 90 degrees. The more you open the display towards the rear, the worse the illumination changes - typical for TN panels. Re-adjustments of the display, however, are only rarely needed.

Speakers

For the sound system, Alienware has chosen speakers from Klipsch. Two speakers and a sub woofer form the basic ingredients for an adequate sound stage. Aside from the strong bass, we liked the high maximum volume..

The good sound of the M18x relies not only on the quality of the speakers, but also on Creative's Recon3Di chip. With the installed software, the sound can be adjusted to one's individual liking. The THX TruStudio Pro technology especially lifts the 18-inch unit above the competition. Games, movies and music still sound a little hollow as is typical of notebooks.

Verdict

The Alienware M18x R2 is definitely a superlative notebook, but calling the massive 18-inch unit a notebook is stretching the term. At over 5 kg, the M18x R2 is essentially limiting the user to indoor use only.

Still, no one can deny its mighty performance. Thanks to the overclocked Ivy Bridge processor and the two Radeon HD 7970M GPUs, the high-end machine handles every task easily and painlessly. All currently available games can be played with maximum settings.

As mentioned earlier, AMD's CrossFire technology is limping a bit behind Nvidia's SLI system. Thanks to better driver and game support, Nvidia models profit considerably more from a second GPU. If this trend continues, the brand new GeForce GTX 680M might offer the faster dual GPU solution. In fact, this particular Nvidia setup is already on our radar for a future review. (SONY VGP-BPSC29 Battery)

Aside from the excellent performance, the M18x offers further qualities. The noble metal surfaces and the numerous illumination elements make the competition look pretty outdated. The integrated Samsung display panel also convinced us with good color reproduction, black values and contrast - it doesn't need to hide behind external displays. Speakers, input devices and connectors are also appropriate to the high price.

The list of criticisms is rather short. The cheap, reflective display unfortunately does not reflect the quality of the rest of the notebook and its price and is the low point of the system. Regardless, the user will have to live with annoying reflections, short battery life and a bulky case. In other words, the sole drawbacks are everything one might expect from a large DTR.

More info: laptop-batteries.com.au , laptop-battery.org.uk , battery-store.eu

Lenovo IdeaPad U310 Computer Review, L11M3P01 Laptop batteries

LENOVO IdeaPad U310 Battery Life

    Product ID: 1003072
    Battery Fits: IdeaPad U310 Series
    Property: original computer batteries
    Rating: 11.1 V
    Capacity: 46 Wh \ 4160 mAh
    Feature: Rechargeable Li-ion battery
    Color: BLACK
    Brand: LENOVO
    Warranty: 9 months  

During the L11M3P01 Battery Test (continuous Web surfing over Wi-Fi), the LENOVO IdeaPad U310 lasted 5 hours and 19 mintues. That's below the 6:51 ultraportable average, but in line with other Ultrabooks we've recently tested. (Many Ultrabook makers seem to be willing to trade endurance for a thinner profile and lighter weight.) The VAIO T13 and the DELL Inspiron 14Z Laptop Battery managed only 5:05 and 5:35, respectively.

Design

To call the IdeaPad U310 an Ultrabook of a different color would be an understatement. We were immediately mesmerized by its aluminum Aqua Blue lid. The subtle sheen of the tiny metallic flakes danced with every flicker of light. A slightly raised diamond-cut chrome Lenovo insignia sits in the top right corner, creating a beautiful contrast.

The U310 is also available in Cherry Blossom and (boring) Graphite Grey for people who aren't keen on blue.

The interior of the notebook uses matte eggshell white plastic that extends around the sides of the notebook. It's cool and distinct. A lone chrome power button sits in the top left corner just above the black matte keyboard.

In terms of weight, the 3.6 pound, 13.1 x 8.8 x 0.7-inch U310 is smack in the middle of the 3.4 pound, 12.7 x 8.9 x 0.71-inch Sony VAIO T13 and the 4.6 pound, 13.7 x 9.5 x 0.83-inch Dell Inspiron 14z. However, it cuts a slim profile with its 0.7 inch thickness.

Display

The LENOVO IdeaPad U310's 13.3-inch HD 1366 x 768p display delivered sharp text, making reading the latest headlines from NYTimes.com and CNN.com easy to read. The HD YouTube trailer of Django Unchained was a canopy of subtle beauty set against the violent backdrop of vengeance, such as delicate drops of crimson blood being splashed across pillowy plumes of cotton. Our eyes were also drawn to Jamie Foxx's electric blue suit against a rose and tangerine sky.

Unfortunately, the U310 doesn't have the brightest display. Measuring only 148 lux, it was easily outshone by the 239 lux ultraportable category average as well as the VAIO T13 and XPS 13, which measured 163 and 254 lux, respectively. We were also disappointed with the shallow 45-degree viewing angles, which led to immediate washout if we ventured any farther from in front of the display. (ACER AL12B32 batteries)

Audio

Despite receiving a hearty assist from Dolby's Home Theater v4 technology, the LENOVO IdeaPad U310's speakers barely filled a large room. However, the sound was nice and clear, and we appreciated Dolby's optimized presets for Music, Movies and Games along with the ability to create our own custom presets.

As we listened to Marvin Gaye's Got To Give It Up, we clearly heard the funky bass, distinctive cowbells and background party vocals accentuating Gaye's silky tenor.

Keyboard

The non-backlit Chiclet keyboard (28cm x 10cm) is identical to the one found on the U.S. models of the IdeaPad U400, U300 or U300s. Each key of the AccuType keyboard is evenly spaced and of generally equal surface area - including the directional keys - unlike most Ultrabooks like the Dell XPS 13, Portege Z835, Acer Aspire S3, Asus Zenbook or the ultrathin Samsung Series 9. As a result, both scrolling and typing on the LENOVO IdeaPad U310 never become very cramped. The keys are flat with no concavity, but tactile feedback and key depth are both satisfactory and a touch deeper than many Ultrabooks and are even quieter than expected.

However, users may not initially agree with the shorter than usual Shift, Enter, and Backspace keys thanks to the encroaching Home, End, and PgUp/PgDn keys from the right end. Typists who are accustomed to having Enter and Backspace keys on the edge of the keyboard (for example, on MacBooks or desktop keyboards) may require some time to grow accustomed to the smaller sizes and different locations.

The F1-F12 keys take backstage as they can only be activated with an accompanying FN key. Fortunately, users can easily bring these important keys back to the forefront through the system BIOS if desired. Otherwise, we found the keyboard experience of the U310 to be agreeable without any noteworthy issues.

Touchpad

The large and flat touchpad surface is smooth and made of glass, but is still textured similarly to the adjacent palm rests. Its surface area (10.5cm x 7.0cm) is exactly that of the touchpad found on the IdeaPad U300s and similar in size to the touchpads of the XPS 13 or Asus Zenbook UX32. Left and right mouse clicks are integrated into the touchpad, although the bottom half of the surface is more easily clickable than the top half. Despite this, clicking or double-tapping anywhere on the surface will result in a left click input as only the smaller bottom right portion is reserved for right clicks. While the click depth itself is shallow, the feedback feels solid.

Gliding across the touchpad is easy and responsive. Even multi-touch gestures like two-finger scrolling, pinch-to-zoom, and three-finger flicking happen smoothly and quickly without significant misinterpretations or input errors. Up to 5-finger gestures can be recognized by the touchpad, but this is likely a preemptive compatibility feature for Windows 8 as the default Synaptics 8.0 software only provides customization options for up to 4-fingers only.

Lenovo also boasts a “smart sensor” that automatically disables the touchpad while typing to prevent accidental cursor movement. The feature works as intended and proves to be quite useful during word processing.(LENOVO L10M4P12 batteries)

In general, we found little to complain about the touchpad. Its precise performance makes the notebook that much easier to work with without a nearby mouse. The surface is a huge fingerprint magnet, however, and may be difficult to wipe clean the inevitable grime buildup without a wet cloth.

Heat

After watching a full-screen video on Hulu for 15 minutes, the touchpad space between the G and H keys registered a cool 80 degrees Fahrenheit while the underside measured 82 degrees. We were able to watch video, play some Bastion and write this review with the U310 in our laps for well over an hour with no complaints.

Webcam

The 1-megapixel webcam delivered sharp images overall. We saw better color in natural lighting, while images in fluorescent lighting were slightly oversaturated. The webcam can capture stills and video in 1280 x 720 using CyberLink YouCam 3.

In addition to video chatting in ooVoo, we used the webcam to add an extra layer of security via Lenovo VeriFace 4.0. The face-recognition software was quick and intuitive, taking about 30 seconds to record our faces and create a profile.

Ports

The right side of the U310 houses a USB 2.0 port, a combination headphone/microphone jack and a jack for the AC adapter. An SD Card slot sits on the left front lip of the notebook. A pair of USB 3.0 ports, HDMI, Ethernet and a button for Lenovo's One Key Recovery service is located on the notebook's left side.
Performance

Intel's Ivy Bridge processors continue to impress, powering the Lenovo IdeaPad U310 to solid scores. Equipped with a 1.7-GHz Intel i5-3317U processor, 4GB of RAM, a 500GB 5,400-rpm hard drive with a 32GB SSD and an Intel GMA HD Graphics 4000 GPU, the U310 easily streamed video from Hulu while we played a few rounds of Plants vs. Zombies with seven open tabs in Google Chrome and Internet Explorer.(FUJITSU FPCBP324 batteries)

During PCMark 07, the LENOVO IdeaPad U310 scored an impressive 3,480. That's 781 points above the 2,699 ultraportable average. The VAIO T13 and the Inspiron 14z, which also have 1.7GHz Intel i5-3317U CPUs, notched a lower 3,334 and 2,984, respectively.

The U310 booted the 64-bit version of Windows 7 Home Premium in 33 seconds, much faster than the 0:47 category average. However, other Ultrabooks are faster. The Inspiron 14z and its 500GB 5,400-rpm hard drive loaded Windows in 0:28 while the VAIO T13 and its hybrid drive (500GB 5,400-rpm and 32GB MLC SSD) booted in a swift 0:25.

During the File Transfer Test, the U310's hard drive duplicated 4.97GB of mixed media files in 3 minutes and 29 seconds for a transfer rate of 28.6 MBps, which is well below the 45.7 MBps average. The Inspiron 14z notched 29.8 MBps, while the VAIO T13 delivered a dismal 18.6 MBps.

On the OpenOffice test, the U310 took 6 minutes and 6 seconds to match 20,000 names to their corresponding addresses, blowing past the 8:33 ultraportable average. However, the VAIO T13 and Inspiron 14z finished slightly faster at 5:53 and 5:47, respectively.

Verdict

Those in search of an eye-catching portable Ultrabook at an affordable price should put the $799 Lenovo IdeaPad U310 on their short list. The notebook delivers fast Ivy Bridge performance and sound ergonomics inside a design that doesn't look anything like a MacBook Air clone. However, the battery life could be better, and the display isn't the brightest.

Consumers looking for more graphical oomph will want to check out the $899 Dell Inspiron 14z. For an additional $100, shoppers get an ultrabook with AMD discrete graphics. Overall, though, the U310 is one of the best value-priced Ultrabooks yet.

More info: laptop-batteries.com.au,laptop-battery.org.uk, battery-store.eu

ASUS G75VW Laptop Review, A42-G75 computer batteries

Product ID:1002990 Battery Type:Li-ion Property: original computer batteries Battery Voltage:14.4 V Battery Capacity:5200 mAh Battery Color:Black

ASUS G75VW battery Life

I managed three hours, three minutes of battery life during our standard battery run-down test (Windows 7 Balanced power profile, 70% screen brightness, wireless active and refreshing a web page every 60 seconds). It's not a spectacular time but certainly not something I'm going to complain about. The second hard drive undoubtedly adds to the drain on the battery life. The Nvidia Optimus technology helps improve it by turning off the dedicated Nvidia graphics card and switching to the integrated Intel graphics card (which is actually part of the Core i7 processor) when no 3D processing power is needed. This also helps keep the heat and noise level down.

ASUS A42-G75 Battery life could be further improved by reducing the screen brightness to minimum and installing an SSD in place of one of the hard drives.

Case

Like a Ferrari, the ASUS G75VW is built for looks and speed. The notebook sports a soft-touch plastic lid with the ASUS and Republic of Gamers logos displayed prominently in the center. (The shieldlike Republic of Gamers design bears a passing resemblance to Ferrari's logo, too.)

The keyboard rests on an aluminum deck that wraps around the back of the notebook, and above it, a speaker grille runs the length of the system. The rubberized soft-touch plastic palm rests made using the keyboard for extended periods of time exceedingly comfortable. Large rear-facing vents complete the G75VW's sportscar aesthetic. Our only complaint is that the lid picks up fingerprints more quickly than we would have liked.

At 16.3 x 12.6 x 0.9-2 inches and 9.4 pounds, the ASUS G75VW is slightly larger (though a touch lighter) than the 17-inch Alienware M17x (16 x 11.9 x 1.8 inches, 9.6 pounds). The MSI GT60, a 15.6-inch gaming notebook that offers comparable performance, measures 15 x 10.2 x 1.8 inches and weighs 7.8 pounds.

Keyboard and Touchpad

The island-style keyboard on the ASUS G75VW features a full number pad on the right. The keys offered just the right amount of tactile feedback to make typing quick and virtually error-free. On the Ten Thumbs typing test, we achieved a rate of 72 words per minute with an error rate of 0 percent, well above our average typing speed.

Perhaps due to the aluminum base, keyboard flex was nonexistent. Of course, no high-end system would be complete without a backlit keyboard, and the G75VW one-ups the competition by providing adjustable backlighting. (Sadly, this ASUS doesn't go whole hog and offer adjustable multicolored backlighting, such as the Alienware M17x or MSI GT60.)

Overall, the G75VW boasts one of the best touchpads we've seen. The ASUS G75VW's 4.1 x 2.5-inch Synaptics touchpad is positively spacious. The cursor glides smoothly and accurately across the screen, and gestures such as two-finger-scrolling, pinch-to-zoom and three-finger-flick work consistently. The mouse buttons depress almost inaudibly and don't require an excessive amount of pressure.

Connectivity

The connectivity is decent, but not excellent. While the left side houses two USB-3.0 ports, a card reader and two audio jacks, the right side provides two video interfaces (VGA & HDMI), an RJ-45 Gigabit LAN port, a Thunderbolt/DisplayPort interface and another two USB 3.0 ports.(MSI BTY-M6D batteries)

Didn't we mention a DisplayPort in the previous review? Asus list a mini display port on their homepage, but the icon (a thunderbolt) remains on the Thunderbolt logo. Asus hinted that the G75/G55 won't feature Thunderbolt before autumn at the Computex . Anyway, we will discuss this topic with the manufacturer.

As this is a production model we could finally assess the scope of delivery. Alike most competitors Asus do not provide a Recovery DVD, but only a driver and tool DVD, a small user guide, a warranty pamphlet and some cable straps. The Wi-Fi module (Atheros AR9485WB-EG) and the excessive software installation (bloatware!) weren't touched since our last review.

Strange: The laptop sometimes requires USB devices to be plugged a second and third time before it recognizes them.

Display

Contrary to the more expensive model the display of the ASUS G75VW is not 3D capable. Asus impressively demonstrate that games and films do also look nice without 3D-Vision support (which requires a 120-Hz display).

Also other gaming notebooks like the MSI GT70 use the 17.3-inch Chi Mei N173HGE display (CMO1720) because of its good image quality. Though the matte surface looks slightly grainy, it is easy to neglect this flaw because of its "inner" values.

Although the brightness of about 260 cd/m² cannot keep up with the LGD02C5 display of the 3D model, it is above average in brightness. The display remains easily legible on bright days. Subjectively, the brightness distribution is uniform and the calculated value was slightly above 80%.

Compared to the 3D model the advantage of the lower brightness is that the black value is amazingly low (0.34 vs. 0.61 cd/m²). The lower the black value, the less grayish dark elements appear (e.g. night scenes in videos and games).

The two displays are on par in terms of contrast. The ASUS G75VW achieves an excellent contrast ratio of 800:1. The color space is also decent - pictures look good.

If you like you can also use this gaming notebook outdoors. The matte display and the decent brightness limit reflections. We appreciate the current trend to non-glare screens.

The viewing angles are noticeably better than of inferior displays. A slightly more tilted position only has a marginal (vertically) to no impact (horizontal). Colors and brightness changes only occur at bigger deviations.

Verdict

Our first verdict is mostly also true for the production model. The ASUS G75VW from Asus is a successful and sophisticated gaming laptop with hardly any flaws – apart from its weight.

Besides high build quality, decent input devices, and low noise and temperature emissions, we have to mention the matte Full HD panel positively. Gamers and film fans will not only appreciate the low black value, but also the excellent contrast.

Accepting that the graphics card may be a limiting factor in the future: The ASUS G75VW is without a doubt one of the best high-end notebooks available today.

More info: laptop-batteries.com.au , laptop-battery.org.uk , battery-store.eu