Tag Archives: laptops
The HP Envy 14 Spectre
The HP Envy 14 Spectre is one of the most exciting laptop models that have been released this year so far thanks to its bold departure from the cookie cutter mold in terms of design. It had received lots of buzz since even before its release, and we must say that it did very much live up to its hype.
The HP Envy 14 Spectre is a 14-inch ultrabook model that is not too common in the market thus far. Weighing in at just 4 pounds and measuring 12.9 x 8.7 x 0.79 inches in dimensions, this laptop is much lighter than the standard 14-inch laptop affair. Before we proceed to the essentials of the laptops, we just must state in advance the features that make this laptop model stand out from the crowd.
For starters, this is a glass-clad laptop model. Yes your heard right; glass! Instead of the meta-finish found on many high-end laptops, which is a little of a yawn by now, the screen, upper external lid and the palm rests on the Spectre has a glass finish to them. Whether when it is in use or closed up, the laptop has a very unique to it, resembling nothing in the market so far! When folded, it looks like your laptop is made of polished marble of some sort of stone, which is really cool!
While the word glass is synonymous to the word ‘fragile’, the glass finishing on the laptop are made from corning Gorilla Glass, which is extremely tough and durable. With that said, the element of vulnerability does, strangely enough, adds to the laptop appeal.
Audio fans will also be glad to know that the HP Envy 14 Spectre comes with Beats Audio, complete with a very handy physical volume control button, Beats Audio software, a built-in subwoofer and 2 high-end speakers.
As if there isn’t enough, the laptop also has another cool feature in the form of a built-in NFC (near field communications) antenna. This feature is meant to be used with a compatible smartphone. With the right app installed, all you have to do is to place the smart phone on the palm rest of the laptop for syncing or data transfer. This is uber- cool!
The HP Envy 14 Spectre comes with an Intel Core i5-2467M, a 128 solid-state drive, 4GB of DDR3 RAM and a 1600 x 900 display screen. It currently retails at around $1400 per unit, which is a little steep, but absolutely worth every penny for those who have some extra cash to spare.
Samsung Series 5 Ultrabook Reviewed
Before we proceed to the usual tests and analysis of the Samsung Series 5 laptop model, it is best that we set expectations straight. The Series 5 is marketed as a ultrabook model, but we must state in advance that it is not as slim nor as light as we expected for a 14-inch ultrabook model. Although there are no hard and fast definitions as to what ultrabooks really are, there is a general consensus, that it should be very thin and very light compared to a regular laptop.
It is best that we view the Samsung Series 5 as an ultrabook with an optical drive (something that is not found on most ultrabook models). In light of a 14-inch laptop model with an optical drive, the size of the Series 5 laptop would then seem more reasonable. It measures at 13.1 x 9 x 0.82 inches in dimensions and weighs 3.9 pounds, which is lighter than your regular 14-inch laptop with an optical drive.
With that out of the way, we should note that the Samsung Series 5 is a pretty good mainstream laptop in its class. Its specs include an Intel Core i5-2467M processor, a 500GB SATA hard drive and 4GB of DDR3 RAM. There is also a small, built-in 16GB solid-state hard drive that helps with a quick system startup.
Design wise, the Series 5 sports the usual high-end finish with its matte aluminum lid. It generally has a very professional and sleek vibe to it to looks set to win over some style-conscious consumers. The keyboard uses matte, island style keys that were relatively quiet and comfortable to use.
Overall, the Samsung Series 5 is a pretty decent mainstream, desktop replacement laptop model. We really liked the quick start-up time on the laptop and also its nice external design. At the time of writing, the Series 5 is selling for around $900 per unit.
Dell XPS 13 Ultrabook Full Review
The Dell XPS 13 is finally here! While other brands have already rolled out their own ultrabook models quite a while ago, Dell took their time with the XPS 13 and it shows. This svelte little ultrabook would make a pretty decent buy whether it is in terms of design, specs, features or pricing levels.
The most noteworthy feature on the Dell XPS 13 is that it is actually smaller than most other 13-inch ultrabooks in the market. Dell managed to fit the 13.3-inch display into a 12.4 x 8.1 x 0.5 inch body, which is pretty close to the dimensions of an 11 or 12-inch ultrabook. Yes you heard right, it actually has a smaller foot print that many of its competitors, including the 13-inch MacBook Air.
Some of the other features that are worth mentioning would be its extremely sturdy design and the Gorilla Glass finish on the screen. It looks extremely suave where sophisticated design is sure to turn heads every now and then. The Dell XPS 13 weighs in at just 3 pounds. The laptop is also made from variety of ‘high-end’ materials such as the aluminum finish on the upper external lid and carbon fiber on the bottom. Then there is also the very comfortable backlit keyboard and the huge glass touch pad. Another cool feature is the physical LED-lit battery indicator on the side of the laptop that lets you check the battery levels when the laptop is folded close.
This ultrabook comes with an Intel Core i5 processor, 4GB of DDR3 RAM, a 128GB solid-state hard drive and runs on the 64-bit Windows 7 Home Premium OS. The screen has a 1366 x 768 resolution and the usual slew of connectors (2 USB ports, Bluetooth, 802.11n wi-fi). The XPS 13 however is missing a HDMI port and a memory card reader. The official specs sheet states that the battery can last up to 8 hours and 53 minutes on one charge. In reality it lasts close to 5 hours on regular use, without the need for it to be plugged in. The Dell XPS 13 is reasonably priced at around $1000 each.