Laptop Reviews

Toshiba has got very good reputation that it is an expert at experimentation and improvisation. It is clearly evident in the way its products and especially its laptops look and perform. The Satellite series laptops are just the example that justifies the above statement. The Satellite is a series of high end laptops, which were released by Toshiba earlier this year. They have become a revelation in the laptop market since they look very alien. They are not like laptops that you will normally see. Out of those, the laptops that belong to the L550 series are the most superior in almost all the aspects. The main reason behind the production of this set of laptop computers by Toshiba is that, the company offers a laptop that is as good as its desktop counterpart and hence the latter can be replaced by the former, so that a lot of space is saved. Now, let us save some of the aspects of the Satellite L550 from revealing here itself as we unfold each and every feature of it in the detailed review below.

Design:

Bedazzling Looks:
The Satellite L550 is one of those laptops that will catch your eye the moment you look at them. The dimensions of this laptop are slightly on the higher end since this is a big computer and it is made to be a replacement for your desktop computer. It has come with a great colour combination. The steel grey display cover and the snow silver top cover make the design look better in association with the black coloured keyboard. The dimensions of the Satellite L550 is (W x D x H) 416.2 x 272.3 x 36.3 mm. These dimensions are significantly higher than normal. The satellite laptops also weigh more. If you see the Satellite L550, it weighs about 3 kg. The weight and dimensions also depend on the screen size that is selected. The more the screen size, the higher the dimensions. Although this particular laptop may not be that comfortable on your lap nor is it an easily portable thing, but it still has commanding looks that will make sure that its portability issue is nullified.

Display:
The display part of the laptops from Toshiba has always been very good and also attractive. Now, the Satellite L550-1CC Laptop Computer is a little unique as it has got a bigger display. A screen as big as 17.3 inches measured diagonally, gives you a lot of space to view movies and play games. The TruBrite HD + technology give you a high brightness display with a screen resolution of 1600 x 900 pixels and an aspect ratio of 16:9. This aspect ratio means that the display will be in a landscape format and it will be great to watch movies on it. The screen is also LCD type which is backlit by an array of LEDs. This makes sure that the display is always lucid and crystal clear and in addition to this, the viewing angles are great on the Satellite L550. Hence, you can say that the display mechanism of the Satellite L550 is better than that of many others in the market.

Features: A Flurry of them
Toshiba has included many features in the Satellite L550 17.3″ Laptop so that the laptop can easily replace a desktop computer. Along with those which you will see on a conventional laptop computer, there are also additional features that make up a complete Satellite L550.

Toshiba Bulletin Board:
This is a unique feature that is developed by Toshiba and it will feature on your laptop irrespective of the operating system that is used by the computer. This Bulletin Board is like a small homepage that will be seen on your main screen. It contains many features like calendar, clock, to-do list, sticky notes, important reminders and schedules etc., which are also designed in an awesome manner so that, they are not only easy to use, but also are very stylish. All you need to do is just drag and drop the different files or even folders to this menu and they will be stored right on the desktop, rather than inside some folder which you need to search for every time. You can also customise it and change the way the panel looks by changing designs and applying backgrounds. You can also access the online back up support team by a click and also get regular updates and news. This is like an easy access panel and will be of great use for people from all walks of life.

Toshiba ReelTime:
The ReelTime is a panel for media files and it is more like a collection of recently created and used files or folders. Instead of the conventional search and find option, you can scroll through various files that were accessed in the recent past. You can also select specific files and store them in this panel so that they can be accessed quickly. Photos, Videos, Movies and other documents are stored here in the form of thumbnails, so that it will be easy for you to identify them with just a glance. The ReelTime, just like the Bulletin Board is like a dock and it can be hid or even removed whenever needed. But, using is really fun as well as time saving and you can access all you r favourites at a single place.

Processor:
The processor decides how a computer works and you need to select a computer that has a robust processing system so that you will not face many problems in the future. The Toshiba Satellite L550 comes with a wonderful Intel® Pentium® Processor T4400. It is one of the best that you will ever find in the market. Its features are also very good; a clock speed of 2.20 GHz that is equivalent to two central processing units which means that there is wonderful response to the signals and hence the computer operates really fast. A couple of other features include a front side bus off 800 MHz and a second level cache of 1MB. What all these numbers mean to you is that, your laptop will be very quick in its functioning and there will also be little or no problems regarding its operation.

Operating System:
The Satellite L550 comes with a pre installed operating system of Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium, 64 bit. It also comes with the special feature, Toshiba HDD recovery, which means that there will always be a back up for all your data in the computer and they can be recovered again even after the system is formatted due to any reason. Now, in many cases, the 64 bit system faces some problems regarding compatibility. Some applications or features require a 32 bit system and they cannot work with the 64 bit one. Even if they are compatible, they require an upgrade for that. Hence, Toshiba offers you the 32 bit Windows 7 as well and you can select it at the time of purchasing. For normal home usage, the 32 bit version works well and it is more than enough.

Memory:
Memory is also one of the features that are instrumental in deciding the capacity of a computer. The standard RAM of the system is 4 GB and is very good considering other similar computers in the market. 4 GB means you will have a large ready memory and this ensures that the system runs at a very fast rate. This RAM of 4 GB is common to all the Satellite laptops. But, even then, it can be upgraded to a higher memory depending on individual interest. An additional 4 GB of memory is supported by the Satellite L550. The RAM is also DDR3 type, which is superior to the commonly seed DDR2 and it boosts the overall performance of the system. Coming to the hard disk space, a standard hard disk is provided to all the Satellite laptops, whose capacity is 500 GB with drive rotation speed of 5400 rpm. 500 GB will be more than sufficient for home usage and you can store plenty of movies, videos, games and stuff. There is no option for expansion here. If at all more memory is required, you have to purchase an external hard drive.

Graphics Card:
After featuring such a good processor, it will certainly be great if there is a graphics accelerator. And yes, the Satellite L550 comes with a formidable graphics card. Intel’s latest and one of the best in the market, Mobile Intel GMA 4500 M, is used as the graphics accelerator for all your needs and especially for gaming. This is great news for all the gamers because, such a robust graphics card allows high end gaming on your laptop. Detailing more about this card, the total graphics memory that is available is up to 1340 MB, for a 32bit system which has 3 GB of RAM and about 1759 MB for a 64 bit system which has 4 GB of RAM. The memory type of this graphics card is shared. Hence, looking at these jaw dropping numbers, all the gaming fanatics should definitely buy the Satellite L550.

Face Recognition:
Of late, a few of the manufacturers are providing the face recognition feature for their laptops in particular. This strengthens your security since there is nothing like the password setting system and then the leakage of that password so that your files are open for access to all those who open the computer. From now onwards, your face is the key to open your computer. This is a very useful facility. First of all, you need to register your face with the software that is pre installed in the computer. Only one face can be registered and stored at a time. Overall, your computer is now safer than ever before, that is unless you have a twin sibling.

Wi-Fi:
Wi-Fi is now a compulsory feature for all laptops as it has become very popular as well as useful. Even though this is a pretty common feature that you will see on every laptop, the Satellite L550 features an integrated WLAN card that is capable of detecting even the slightest of signals so that you can easily access any wireless hotspot. The connectivity is also very strong with excellent signal strength which means that even video chatting and calling can be done with pretty good speed. Chatting with your pals and sharing files like pictures and videos has never been easier and the Satellite L550 provides special options when it comes to sharing files. Hence, leave the mess of wires and cables and plunge into the wireless world.

Software Bundle:
The Satellite L550-1CC Notebook Computer comes with a huge software package; so huge for a package that you will not be able to carry it if it consisted of hardware instead. Such is the software abundance. Here is a list of all the special software provided by Toshiba: Toshiba Disc Creator, Face Recognition software, Toshiba Photo Service, The manual, Toshiba Assist, Supervisor Password Utility software, Microsoft Student, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Works, Wild Tangent Games Console, Connectivity Doctor, Toshiba Drivers and Utilities, Google Pack comprising Google Toolbar, iGoogle, Google Picasa, ConfigFree, Toshiba Recovery Media Creator, McAfee Total Internet Security which includes free updates for 30 days, Toshiba Accessibility, Flash Cards, Toshiba DVD player, Toshiba Button Support, PC Diagnosing Tool, Toshiba Power Saver, Components Common Drover, Toshiba Zooming Utility, Toshiba Value added package, and Chicony Camera Assistant software. Some of these are pre installed in the computer while the others come inside a software CD package and they have to be installed separately by the users.

Ease in Usability:
Easy Usability is a special package of the wonderful features provided by Toshiba in the Satellite L550. It comprises Control Buttons, LED backlighting, Eco utility, Smart display support, Toshiba LifeSpace, McAfee Total Internet Security, Touch pad with multi touch control, Toshiba TEMPRO Performance tuning service, and PC health monitor. All these aforementioned special features make the Satellite L550 a very unique and one of the best user friendly and user accessible laptops ever.

Security:
In order to provide you and your computer ultimate security, Toshiba has taken a few steps by introducing a few security features. They are the supervisor password, which can be set by the computer administrator, Face recognition software, about which we have already discussed, HDD password on request which means you can set passwords for specific files and folders, user password, which is a very common feature and you will find this on every computer in the world, and last but not the least, a slot for Kensington Cable slot. All these features protect your computer from data losses.

Special Features:
Toshiba is always reckoned to be a provider of extra special features especially when it comes to its laptops. Here, in this case, the special features that can be found on the satellite L550 are: SM BIOS compliant, integrated VGA Web Camera for Video over IP, integrated microphone for Voice over IP, 4 mechanical Control Buttons (Mute, Play/Pause, Forward, Rewind), HD Audio support, Enhanced Intel® SpeedStep® Technology, and ENERGY STAR qualified computer. Another important thing to be noticed here is that the Toshiba Satellite L550 is in compliance with the demands of the pertinent European Directives towards CE marking.

Hence, it has been such a long list of features that everybody will feel tired of reading but at the same time, feel happy to have it.

Performance:

The Toshiba Satellite L550 is already a wonderful computer to have at your home, with all the wondrous design and fantastic features. Now, imagine what if the performance of the Satellite L550 is on par with the best in the business. Doesn’t that sound great to you?

Picture and Sound Performance:
As we have already seen, the Satellite L550 17.3 inch Laptop Notebook comes with a solid display technology. Now, this technology in association with a great processor and a very good graphics card provides you very splendid performance. The pictures are great on the Satellite L550’ screen and it is ideal for watching movies and playing high end games. Both these are never better on any other laptop in the history because, imagine watching movies on such a big and qualitative screen like that of the Satellite L550. It is really entertaining and it is a commendable effort put in by Toshiba. Talking about the audio system and its performance, the Satellite L550 comes with built in stereo audio speakers that support a 24 bit audio format. The sound system has been greatly improved by Toshiba and the Satellite L550 features the Toshiba Bass Enhanced sound system, which provides excellent acoustics and the sound system complements the videos and games very well. Hence, you will not be harried by frequent audio and video troubles.

Interfaces:
Interfaces decide the connectivity range of a computer and perhaps none other than Toshiba knew it better. This is because you will find a lot of ports or interfaces on all sides of the Satellite L550, which is very good sign since the more the interfaces, the better the connectivity. Here is a list of all the connectivity ports: 2 x USB 2.0, 1 x external monitor,1 x external microphone, 1 x headphone stereo, 1 x eSATA / USB 2.0, 1 x integrated VGA Web Camera with built-in microphone, 1 x RJ-45, 1 x DC-in, Multi Media Card up to 2 GB, 1 x 4-in-1 Bridge Media slot, SD Cards up to 16 GB supported , Memory Stick up to 256 MB compatible , Memory Stick Pro up to 2 GB compatible. Hence, these connectivity options enhance the range of usability of the Satellite L550. You may not find so many features on any other laptop. Again, the main reason behind providing so many ports is because the Satellite L550 is kind of a replacement to desktop computer.

Battery:

Toshiba satellite L550 uses a lithium ion battery as usual. According to the tests conducted by Mobile Mark, the battery life of the laptop is considered to be very good. On an average, the Satellite L550 has a maximum battery life for a period of 3 hours and 15 minutes. The exact life depends upon individual usage of the laptop and also the functioning of the different features that are mentioned already. Using the power saver option also enhances the battery life significantly. An autosensing AC power adapter is also provided for worldwide usage, which can be used at both 100 V and 240 V. The adapter features are: an output voltage of 19 V and an output current of about 3.95 A.

Warranty:

Toshiba offers parts and labour warranty to the Satellite L550 for a period of about of one year from the original date of purchase. This particular warranty is called the EMEA carry in. Toshiba announced that it also is offering an array of sundry services in order in extend the warranty service in an indirect manner. Even after the official warranty period is over, you can still avail different offers put up by Toshiba. For further details, visit the official website of Toshiba.

Verdict:

For many years, there was not a single laptop that could replace a desktop computer. At last, Toshiba has done it by introducing the Satellite L550. Beautifully engineered, this latest laptop from Toshiba has beaten its rivals regarding the design. Along with that, it has got one of the best features and they are also more in number than on most other laptops. They all are pretty useful to even the hoi polloi. Special attractions like the Toshiba Bulletin Board and Toshiba ReelTime only make the scene better.

The Satellite L550 is also one of the best performing computers in the world today, powered by the latest technology such as the processor and graphics accelerator. Toshiba is also regarded as one of the manufacturers who receive the least number of complaints. You may feel that the price of the Satellite L550 is a bit high for a laptop, but if you compare it with the price of the average desktop computer, you will find that it is really very affordable. Hence, if you need a desktop now and you have less space for it, you need not hesitate to place your order for the Satellite L550.

Check other Toshiba Laptops Reviews in this website.

Toshiba Satellite L550-1CC Laptop – Technical Specification Table

Dell is one of the most popular computer brands in the world and is the preferred choice of many a shopper.  An entry level product from the Texan manufacturer, the Dell Inspiron 1545 has a lot of expectations to live up to because the last product from the Inspiron series, the Dell Inspiron 1525 Laptop was one of the best products released that year.  The Inspiron 1545 is one of the most versatile and affordable mid range laptops available in the market right now.

The configuration we are reviewing is a 15.6 inch laptop with Core 2 Duo processor.  It is empowered with a 2 GHz processor, 4 GB RAM, 320 GB Hard drive, DVD RW and a Webcam. Another highlight of the laptop is the fact that it is equipped with Window’s latest Operating System the Windows 7.  Being a highly customisable laptop, it is not a surprise that the Inspiron 15 line is Dell’s most popular laptop in several markets across the world. Will Dell be able to pull off another successful product? We have done extensive testing to uncover the plusses and minuses of the Inspiron 1545.

Design:

First Impressions:
Like most new models in the market, the Dell Inspiron 1545 is available in a number of different colours and a lot of artistic designs as well. The model we choose was a default Standard Black one and for any other choice of colour, you would have to shell out extra cash. The Inspiron 1545 notebook has a glossy black plastic surface on the inside and a matte black plastic on the outside, making its look rather ordinary. As the device is very glossy, people who hate fingerprint smudges would be better off choosing another colour.  Since the device is black all over, using it would attract a lot of smudges. There are no patterns such as the Toshiba A350 11N or the HP HDX 16 have to disguise these fingerprints. While semi matte palm rests are less attractive, at least they would require less maintenance.

Body:
The design is streamlined and pretty minimalistic. On the top casing was the silver Dell logo embossed on the black glossy surface. The case feels rather stiff and could be twisted a little bit on applying force. There was also some creaking noise while opening or closing the lid. The frame felt loose and the lid was fragile.

Keyboard:
The keyboard sits rather tight and only slightly gives close to the right shift and hence, the stroke is firm. We were not satisfied by the feedback we got while typing. The keys are arranged in a standard layout. They are reasonably big and are adequately spaced from each other.  The outermost column with Del, Page and Down buttons are clearly separated from the rest; thus, separating the enter key and preventing one from accidentally pressing the Enter button. Touch typists beware! The haptical marks for the home position of the hands are not really distinct. But on the whole, the keyboard seems suitable. People using desktop keyboards will have to get used to the spongy feedback.

Touch Pad of Dell Inspiron 1545:
The touchpad has a shiny surface and sadly does not seem to support multi touch gestures. The surface of the pad is smooth enough, for one not to notice any sort of resistance while the finger is gliding on it.  There are separate horizontal and vertical scroll areas, though they are not really distinct and the according areas are on the bottom right edge.  This touchpad even comes with a separate tool for setting up the width of the scroll areas. As mentioned earlier, the touch pad does not support two finger input, but it does feature zooming. The mouse buttons have great travel and feedback. The click feels hollow but is fine.

Display:
The Inspiron 1545 Laptop Notebook features a 1366 x 768 pixel screen that is HD ready as well.  It has a standard 16:9 resolution, which is a standard amongst all mainstream office and multimedia laptops. The TFT screen without an anti reflection protection, has a moderate contrast. At its maximum brightness, the display was able to achieve a contrast ratio of 205:1.  The blacks were not deep and the colours could have been even livelier. When we used the notebook in the sun, we noticed that the shine of the sun was able to outshine the brightness of the screen and hence, the notebook is less readable outdoors. The viewing angles of the Inspiron 1545 are 45 degrees when the movement is horizontal. The colours start to bleach at 30 degrees when the eyes are moved up or down.  While there is a display of higher resolution (600 x 900 pixels) is available, the screen is adequate for most tasks. However, Dell looks stingy when one considers that Sony has the 1366 x 768 pixels resolution into its 10.1 inches W series netbook, which makes it look simply stunning.

Speakers:
An aluminium bar like speaker is present right below the display. They were unusually loud and are adequate for games, songs or movies. Most of the time the volume was never above the half way mark and we had no problems whatsoever. The volume from the speakers is crisp clear and audible at lower limits. But at maximum volume, the sound scape of the stereo speaker includes a grating noise and the middle tone quality deteriorates. The sound via a headphone on the contrary, is quieter and even the annoying click sounds are inaudible.

The quality of the built in mike is bad. Built right into the front of the case, the input of the mike is low even after adjusting the input levels. So, having a conversation on Skype will be incomprehensible.

Webcam:
Dell offers the Inspiron 1545 an optional webcam. The 1.3 megapixel camera is pretty decent and it takes great pictures and is okay for video conferencing. But, the real surprise was, when we found the facial recognition software. The software adds a whole new meaning to securing personal data.

Features:

Connectivity:
The Inspiron 1545 Notebook computer is equipped with a decent set of ports. The notebook has all its ports arranged on its three sides. The rear side is spared because of the battery slot sitting in there.  The front side has a card reader and two audio ports which are pretty handy and hence, the headphones can be connected directly.  The 1545 has three USB ports, a VGA network and audio (headphones and microphones) interfaces.  The highlight however, is the Express Card 34 slot on the right. Music lovers can transfer music to a hi-fi system or enjoy headphones sound without cables. If music is not your cup of tea, you could just add a UMTS module in the Express Card 34 format. There is a wireless WLAN draft n provided as well, enabling the usage of Internet via a router. The model being reviewed also has a 1.3 megapixel webcam.

Hardware:
Beneath the glossy exteriors of the 1545 lie a few better internals, than what one would uaually expect. There is an Intel Core 2 Duo T8500 processor that runs at 2 GHz with an 800 MHz front side bus. In layman’s terms, that is sufficiently fast enough to handle any piece of software you would be using on a notebook like this. There is a 3GB memory along with Windows 7 Home edition Operating System. The Intel Integrated GMA4500 graphics card is not recommended for gaming, but is sufficient for most other things. The storage is handled by a decent 250GB 5400 rpm hard drive. The absence of Bluetooth is sadly regrettable.

Software:
The Dell Inspiron 1545 laptop has a couple of pre loaded software included in it. There is Microsoft Works 9.0 included for word processing and spreadsheet work. On the security front, Dell has McAfee Security Centre for anti virus protection bundled along with 30 days of free updates. There is also the Dell Dock included which enables a user to sort software applications on your PC into user friendly categories right on the desktop.

Operating System:
Yes, the Dell Inspiron 1545 ships with the Home Premium Edition of Windows 7.  It is solid, nimble and the most attractive Operating system till date. The Start Menu, The Task Bar and the System Tray have got a thorough makeover and the new design reduces clutter. These Windows 7 interface changes are minor, but are sensible enough to make you wonder why they were not included earlier. When it comes to speed, the Windows 7 Operating system requires lesser power to work and is highly efficient when compared to the incumbent Vista. Another highlight of the Operating System is the Windows Media Centre that allows you to watch free shows on Internet TV. Thus, the OS makes the Inspiron experience a much better one.

Performance:

Speed:
The DELL Inspiron 1545 notebook has an Intel Pentium Dual Core 2 Processor with a clock rate of 2 GHz. The CPU features an FSB of 800 MHz and one Megabyte L2 Cache. The T4200 has 2 physical cores, something that is common in most midrange systems. Processor heavy tasks such as image processing or even video editing are inappropriate on this model or for that matter most mid range systems. As a matter of fact, The Pentium T4200 has replaced the Celeron M in most entry level PCs and hence one cannot really expect a wonderful performance.  The lack of a dedicated graphics card, applications tend to burden the CPU.

In one of our CPU rendering tests, we were able to determine that the T4200 is purely an entry level processor that takes the advantage of dual core architecture. In the 3D Mark test it scored as much as the Asus P50IJ – so036x (an Intel Core 2 Duo system with low clock rate). Anyone looking for a solid office performance can be satisfied with the T4200. The Online store from Dell has customisable processors, and if you want a faster processor you could choose the Intel P8400 which is better when combined with an ATI or a Nvidia graphics card. The Hitachi hard drive inside with 320GB capacity has meagre access times. While contemporary notebook record an average of 60-75MBps, this drive had an average of 45MBps during sequential reading on the HD tune tool.

System Noise:
One of the strengths of the Inspiron 1545 is its very low noise emissions during office use. If alteration of low demand states, and load occurs, the fan seems to flare up for a short flare up of the fan. The noise falls to a quieter state soon. This continues till the load is stopped. The sound is nevertheless okay to bear with.

Temperature:
The heat generated by the machine stays below under an acceptable limit as long as the benchmark tests are not use to increase the load. While being on idle mode, the touchpad reached a temperature of 36.3 degrees centigrade. Under normal load, the screen touched 37.5 degrees. The keyboard’s temperatures ranged from 28 degrees to 35 degrees and are convenient values for a notebook.  We did not have any inconveniences while using the Inspiron on a lap.

Energy Consumption:
The Inspiron 1545 has low energy demands. The Inspiron 1545 laptop consumes about 27w during the 3DBenchMark test and about 45w about CPU benchmark test. In reality, the power consumption of the laptop will be somewhere around 17w and 27w. On standby, the energy demand falls to a meager 0.3 watt. Putting the notebook in idle will cause the system to burn only 9 watts.

Battery Life:

Being a laptop targeted at the office goers and users looking for a desktop replacement, most of the tasks that one would do on the Inspiron 1545 would be either browsing the Internet, listening to music or watching DVDs. The Inspiron ran for about three whole hours with an active WLAN connection. That is decent in spite of being equipped with a 35w processor. The 1545 lasted 233 minutes, roughly about 4 hours on idle mode. So, if you turn down the brightness to a minimum, deactivate the WLAN connection, this figure of near 4 hour battery life is not unrealistic. But practically, the laptop would last anywhere between two to three hours. While there are CULV notebooks such as the Asus Ul50VT that have a battery life of 9 hours, three hours are alright for an office notebook in this price category. The values are meant for a six cell battery and if you want better values, you can upgrade to a nine cell model. While it offers a longer battery life, the notebook does become less portable.

Accessories in the Box:

The Inspiron 1545 package has a rechargeable lithium ion battery, an AC adapter and operating instructions, apart from the notebook.

Warranty and Support:

Dell has a standard one year warranty on parts and labour. Apart from the classic protection, Dell offers online service support as well. Their website features a solid collection of support tools such as an Flash based question widget, Online chat and a 24 x 7 toll free telephone support. Users have the choice to upgrading to a three year warranty service, but that comes with a small dent in your wallet.

Verdict:

The Dell Inspiron 1545 is something that we expected from an entry level laptop. While the look and feel of the keyboard is that of an inexpensive laptop, Dell managed to surprise us in a couple of areas. The screen of the 1545 is something that stands out from most of the crowd. Even the basic model had a reasonably decent screen. The model also scores points for being energy conscious. It is really quiet and has a low energy demand. Apart from that, it generates lesser heat than most of its contemporaries. While the internals were okay, the chassis of the body felt cheap. The hinges seemed to creak. The model also attracted our wrath for being so smudge prone. If you hate glossy surfaces, you can try out the Acer Extensa 5220. The lack of extras is unjustified and at 2.84kgs, it is not really light weight. While being able to choose everything from CPU to Wi-Fi card, too many options just confuses most users, preconfigured systems such as Dell’s very own i1545-012B or the Gateway NV5807u are not a bad idea. The Lenovo G550, which is roughly around the same cost as the Inspiron is also a good alternative.

It is really easy to criticise the device, but it is a highly competitive product in its category and that explains its popularity. If you want a cheap and simple family laptop, then this is a good choice.

Check other Dell Studio XPS 16 Reviews, Dell XPS M1530 Reviews, Ratings in this website.

Configurations Available:

DELL Inspiron 1545 – Technical Specification Table

Advent is a well known company in the entry level laptop segment. A brand that belongs to the popular hardware magazine PC world, the prime focus of their marketing is the United Kingdom. The company has been designing stylish yet useful laptops for home computing and everyday office tasks.  Amongst their vast range of products, the focus this time is on the Advent Roma 1000, that promises an affordable and yet powerful PC which can handle everyday tasks with ease.  Featuring an Intel Celeron M 900 processor along with the Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500 HD, the laptop is suited for everyday tasking and multimedia. The 15.6 inch screen with a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels is another stunning feature on the model. The 160 GB memory and wireless capabilities are amongst its specifications. In these tough times, when price is more important than it ever was, will the price tag of the Roma 1000 help it gain a mass appeal? Read the review to find out.

Design:

First Impression:
Inexpensive laptops do not really score that high when it comes to style but the Roma is more appealing than most in the category. Advent Roma 1000 laptop looks great and the black design uses a combination of matt and glossy plastics for that stylish effect. The black case is complimented by a subtle pattern of concentric circles that are molded on to the plastic .The glossy lid is highly prone to attract scratches and fingerprints; the matte coated interior is more resilient. There is a mirrored plastic strip that runs along the front edge of the base that masks several status LEDs. The build quality does feel more luxurious than what the low price suggests.

Dimensions:
The Roma 1000 is a firmly built laptop with a smooth lustrous body. It is 369mm wide, 43 inches deep and a height of 260mm and weighs a huge 2.9 Kgs.

15.6 Screen Display:
The Advent Roma 1000 features a large 15.6 inch screen display which ensures one gets large and clear pictures. The screen size is perfect for a budget notebook like this. With a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels, the screen is capable of displaying HD content flawlessly. If you would prefer a larger screen then you should check out the Packard Bell EasyNote LJ65-RB-055K which has a 17. 3 inch screen that would ensure impressive visuals. However, the screen continues to be amongst the pros of the model as it is one area where no compromises have been made when it comes to cost.

Keyboard and Touch Pad:
The Advent Roma 1000 Keyboard has large and well spaced keys with an almost flat profile. There are the usually set of keys you would expect to find in a normal ordinary laptop. The keys have a slightly spongy feel which can hinder comfort. The board also seems to flex but does respond accurately even though if it is a little bit noisy. The touchpad is nothing extraordinary. It is an ordinary one that is neither small nor fiddly.

Speakers:
When one needs to maintain a low manufacturing cost of a notebook, the quality of the components are sometimes compromised. The Roma 1000 has 2 tiny speakers that lie below the screen. They are not really that good for anything other than inbuilt Windows chimes.

Webcam:
The Advent Roma 1000 has a webcam that is provided for video chatting as well as taking photographs. The picture quality was pretty decent; however, the video quality seemed to be inconsistent when we tested it on Skype.

Ports:
The Advent Roma 1000 15.6″ laptop computer features 3 USB ports, an Ethernet port, VGA port and a HDMI port. Thanks to the HDMI port, one can hook up a better screen if there is a choice provided. And mind you, it is a rarity at the price. It lets you connect to an external HDTV for the ultimate full home cinema screen.

Features:

Processor:
The Advent Roma uses an Intel Celeron 900 processor that clocks at 2.2GHz. It is basically a single core processor that does not support hyper threading. It is a Pentium M with a halved level 2 Cache and limited on FSB 400. An important characteristic of the processor is its speed which is just a little bit slower than the equivalent Pentium processor. Though it still is not quicker than most other notebooks’ Intel Atom processor, it is capable of running Windows 7 smoothly without any issues. Another important aspect of the processor is that it has a very small power consumption.

Graphics:
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) 4500HD is the chipset provided within the Roma 1000. Thanks to 2 more shaders and a higher core clock, it is faster than the older GMA X3100. However, in spite of all this it is still not recommended for gamers. Games that require Direct X 10 can be playable only with very low settings. The integrated processor is however capable of decoding HD videos with AVC, VC-2 and MPEG 2 formats.

Operating System:
It is one of the very few laptops to feature Microsoft’s latest operating system Windows 7. Windows 7 released in October was met with rave reviews and is considered to be a massive improvement over Vista.  The newer OS is faster and provides a more intuitive user experience than Vista. If you use a system with a Windows Vista, it is the perfect time to quit it and enjoy the credentials of Windows 7. The OS needs less memory for its smooth execution when compared to the earlier versions. Apart from that the shut down and boot up times are smaller. So, it is suited to run on budget laptops unlike the earlier Operating Systems which needed a rather more powerful machine.

Memory:
These are times when even net books have equivalent HDD capacity and RAM as much as laptops do. The 250 GB drive of the earlier Roma has now been replaced by a 160 GB drive and that is still sufficient for most users. The Hard drive is a 4 GB DDR2 RAM.

Connectivity:
The networking features of the device are limited when compared to other models in the market. One can access the Internet using either wired Ethernet or wireless Wi-Fi. 802.11b/g WLAN is the WLAN standard for the device. Another point to notice is that this model lacks Bluetooth support.

Performance:

Good for Basic Tasks:
The Advent Roma 1000 is focused on users who would want a laptop that would serve to the basic day to day tasks such as browsing the internet, editing Word, Excel and other documents and basic photo editing. The TFT screen is bright and sharp enough for office and internet applications. Thankfully Windows 7 ran smoothly and was a pleasure to use. A note of caution is that the Advent Roma 1000 NOT recommended for gaming or editing videos.

Mediocre Visual Performance:
The problem with cheap or low budget laptops is that you cannot expect much in terms of performance. The Advent Roma is amongst one of them.  The Celeron processor is usually a compromising option as it is cheaper than the Intel Pentium processor.  The 2.2 GHz Celeron processor, in spite of partnering with a 3GB RAM, scored a meager 0.78 in a benchmark test. Another victim of the low price is the 3DMark06 score. The Roma 1000 scored a 735 which means 3 D gaming is out of the question. The Intel 4500M does support Direct x 10 but most games will be playable in very low settings. With a score of 5fps in Crysis at low detail, one can safely conclude that the Roma 1000 is useless for hardcore gaming and can be used to play older games.  However, the graphics chipset was able to accelerate high definition video performance and was a saving grace.

Audio:
The Audio was also not up to the mark and are not anything special. Any serious music listening or movie watching would require the usage of headphones. However, at higher volumes, the speakers sounded flat and this was a bit of a minor irritant.

Battery Life:

The Laptop has a really poor mobility rate.  In one of our rigorous battery tests, it lasted just 44 minutes. An average user can expect somewhere around one hour and 40 minutes. Way better than the 44 minutes, it is mainly suited for home use.  One cannot expect to be close to the mains all the time and the Roma 1000’s low battery life goes against it.

Warranty:

There is a warranty period of one year on the Advent Roma 1000.

Verdict:

The latest version of the Original Roma is an impressive machine with its set of flaws. The budget laptop does not thrill us at least in terms of performance. While it continues the strengths of its predecessor, it suffers from a poor battery life and a mediocre performance. The performance is sufficient for basic tasks and one would probably be not bothered about the battery life assuming the laptop would be mostly at home connected to the mains. As said earlier, its low battery life makes it ideal for usage at home.  But at the time of writing, very few budget laptops have Windows 7 in them and that gives the Roma an edge over its rivals.  The full sized keyboard and a DVD writer make it an appealing alternative to users who would look to but a net book. So, judge according to your needs and see if it appeals to you.  If not, there are other choices available.

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Advent Roma 1000 Notebook Computer – Technical Specification Table

Dell has recently launched the new Dell Studio XPS 13 and 16.  Yes, you have read that right. Dell has combined the mid range Studio series with the higher end XPS lines to make way for its Studio XPS lineage.  Designed for a power packed performance, cutting edge features and style, the Studio XPS 16 will certainly grab attention. Available in plain 15.6 inches LED and RGB LED, the model is being projected as a multimedia powerhouse. But more essentially, combining both the series means that we are getting a true 16: 9 16 inch laptop, similar to the Acer 6920G launched last year.  The first 16 inch laptop from Dell in recent times, the model offers viewing pleasures as good as the Sony VAIO VGN Z11WN/B which is a larger and a far more expensive model.

The Dell Studio XPS 16 offers a full a 1900 x 1080 pixel RGB LED backlit display which means it has one of the widest colour gamut on a notebook.  That makes it not only for watching films, but also for editing pictures, where high colour accuracy is a concern.  It combines portability with actual media centre capabilities and has competition in the form of Acer Aspire 6930 and HP Pavilion HDX 16. But in these times of recession, is it worth shelling out extra for a niche luxury laptop? Read the review and find out.  Trust us, the Dell Studio XPS 16 will not disappoint.

Design:

“Sleek” attracts:
In the earlier half of the decade, Dell laptops were criticized for being heavy think and boxy. Fortunately, they realized that companies like HP, Apple and Sony had huge market shares partly due to sleek notebooks and decided for a major overhaul in the way their laptops looked.  2007 marked the launch of the Dell XPS M1330 which was followed by more attractive notebooks in the form of Studio, XPS and Inspiron series. Thanks to the success of the XPS brand, Dell now offers a modifier for their notebooks which means one can customize their laptop according to their needs.

A Hybrid:
Anyone who has seen the Studio XPS 13 would recognize that the XPS 16 looks identical except for its larger frame. The rounded hinge and tapered design of the XPS 16 is a reminiscent of the fact that the laptop is a hybrid of the XPS and Studio lines.  The sleek lines and brushed aluminium accents from the XPS brand and the chassis design of the Studio make it sport a radically new design.

Stylish:
The glossy black exterior with a leather patch on the lower half of the LCD cover not only enhances the style but makes carrying it more comfortable. The Black lid with Dell’s logo emblazoned on it has an anodized strip which stretches from the width to the top. At the back of the lid is present a matching black leather trim near the hinge which did seem arbitrary. This is not the first notebook to use leather, but here the leather makes it look a bit more appealing. For people who carry their laptops with the hinges pointed down, the leather area provides a surface to hold and keep a tight grip.

Superb Built Quality:
The magnesium alloy chassis gives it spectacular build quality and is perhaps amongst the best laptops that Dell has ever made. The XPS 16 is not as sturdy as the Dell Latitude series but can resist a fall from a desk without any physical damage.

A bit too glossy:
The Studio XPS 16 Laptop is available in black, white and red finishes. The problem with glossy black laptops is that they tend to attract dust and are fingerprint prone. The problem is not only with the body but also with the display as well. The edge to edge glossy sheet of plastic tends to attract a lot of smudges as well. Fortunately, Dell has included a cloth to wipe away all those fingerprints.

Display:
This is perhaps the USP of the device and as we stated earlier, the display is the real gem. The XPS 16 features a brilliant 16 inch Widescreen WLED LCD display with a maximum resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels. The display quality is simply marvellous. The viewing angles are wide and that is essential for a multimedia centric notebook. The display looks almost frameless and being an LED display, it is highly power efficient as well.  The wide colour gamut is obvious from the moment one turns the machine on. Though it might appear oversaturated, one can calibrate it accordingly. The fidelity of the RGB LED is simply mind blowing and easily surpasses some great desktop displays. The only problem would be with the glossy display (which uses a separate glossy layer in front of the screen) is that it is extremely difficult to be read in strong sunlight because of significant amounts of reflections.

Design issues:
We did have an issue with the LCD cover. The rear side of the laptop has ventilation only on the back left corner. So what is the problem? you may ask; the problem is that when one opens the laptop, the bottom edge of the laptop blocks the only exhaust port making the system warmer. Another issue we had been with the bottom access panel. The XPS 16 uses a single massive panel at the bottom of the notebook which does make things easier for people who make multiple modifications. But since it lacks a separate RAM cover, upgrading your RAM means removing all those screws.

Keyboard:
The Dell Studio XPS 16 Laptop Computer has a standard studio keyboard with proper shaping and a standard key layout. Unlike the Studio 17 which features a dedicated number pad, the keyboard looks smaller than it actually is thanks to the speaker grills located on the keyboard. The keys have a great travel and offer good feedback. It has no sort of flex in the keyboard area – a touch typist’s dream. It does have a sturdy chassis and has a pretty nice feel to it. Typing is rather soft and with clear feedback and a short key travel.  Some users however might find the keys a bit too flat and will probably have a learning curve while using the notebook. Above the keyboard is a series of touch sensitive media controls. These touch controls will allow you to play/pause music, skip tracks, raise/lower/mute volume, eject discs, and toggle Wi-Fi radio on/off. These white LED backlights located above the keyboard stay lit constantly rather turning off. This would not have much impact on battery life though.

Touchpad:
Below the keyboard is the touch pad located slightly on the left.  A Synaptics touch pad, it is highly responsive and has good sensitive levels. There is a nice textured feel to the touch pad which makes navigating easier. It also has horizontal and vertical areas for scrolling. The touchpad buttons feel nice and offer good feedback too. Driver updates will also enable some basic multi-touch functions on the touchpad. We wish it were a bit larger.

Webcam:
Most users would want security for their data and Dell does not disappoint users here.  While it lacks a biometric fingerprint reader, it has the FastAccess facial recognition technology which when used in conjunction with the 2 MP Webcam allows users to login only after it recognizes the user. The quality of the video during a Skype chat was reasonably good.

Speakers:
Being a multimedia oriented model, the focus was on the audio as well. It features speakers in the form of two 7W drives on either side of the keyboard.  The dual stereo speakers also feature a built in sub-woofer, something that is common in multimedia notebooks. The sound quality is good and offers great volume. At moderate volumes, music, movies and games sound rich and have plenty of bass. The speakers are enough for watching a movie or listening to songs occasionally. However, we wished it had Dolby Home Theatre had been included. The speakers’ grills also tended to collect grime but that is a minor issue.

Ports:
The 15.2 x 10 x 1 inch magnesium alloy chassis enabled Dell to include all the ports you were likely to use. There are 3 video connections: VGA, HDMI and DisplayPort. One of the first systems to use a DisplayPort connection built in, it is raising standards in a huge way. The built in HDMI is great if you would want digital video and audio output. There are 3 USB ports one of which is a memory card reader, a four pin Firewire, a 54mm ExpressCard slot and eSATA/USB dual function port.  The rear side of the model has no ports, but only the battery and heat exhaust. There is an IR receiver, dual headphone outputs and microphone input as well but the lack of an included remote disappointed us.

Hardware:
The Studio XPS 16 Notebook reviewed in the model has an Intel Core 2 Duo CPU with 6MB L2 Cache and a 1066MHz front bus. This configuration is more than enough for basic multitasking use such as Web browsing, document editing and media viewing. The system memory can be upgraded to even 6GB and 8GB as well. One has the option to choose different processors as well ranging from 2.4GHz P8600 up to the 2.93GHz T9800. There is present the 512MB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3670 and is sufficient for light gaming chores. The graphics outpace most of the midrange NVIDIA ones. Draft N Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Gigabit Ethernet are provided as well. The other specifications are ones you would expect from a high end notebook. One can have a Blu-ray drive and a TV tuner included. That way, you can take full advantage of the RGBLED display. One particular configuration with a lower resolution, non RGB LED 720p display, no blu-ray driver and no Tuner seems shoddy considering that the HP HDX X16 1005ea offers all this and is significantly cheaper.

Features:

RGB LEDs:
You must probably know what LED backlit screens are; they are used in net books as they help in thinning down of the device and making it lighter. RGB LEDs use Red, Green and Blue LEDs as compared to the usual LEDs which emit only white light. These colours can reach almost 100 percent of the Adobe RGB colour space giving it a wide colour gamut. This makes the Studio simply great for viewing TV and high definition video.  However, we noticed that they do not change intensity as far as the CCFLs or white LEDs.

Operating Systems:
The Dell Studio XPS 16 initially featured Windows Vista. But the latest versions of the model have Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit or Windows 7 Professional 64 bit or Windows 7 Home Ultimate 64 bit. One has the option to choose the better versions of the Windows 7 OS but at a higher rate.

Dell Dock:
Another feature incorporated into the XPS 16 is the Dell Dock on the desktop. To make the OS friendlier, there is a dock on the desktop akin to what one finds on the Mac OS X. Except, the dock is located on the top of the desktop by default. One can customize the location and colour of the dock by simply right clicking it. One can also add shortcuts by dragging icons into it. It reduces the need to keep digging into the Start Menu.

Software:
Dell has done a good job by cleverly choosing decent software for the XPS 16. Apart from the usual applications such as Bluetooth manager, software such as McAfee Security Centre and Dell Data Software is provided. The list of pre installed software includes PowerDVD DX, Adobe Acrobat Reader 9, Microsoft PowerPoint  viewer, Dell Video Chat, Dell Webcam, FastAccess Facial recognition, Roxio Creator DE, Internet Explorer and a couple of Windows games. So, nothing really special here.

Backlit Keyboard:
Another Standard feature of the Studio XPS line is the backlit keyboard. This is an aesthetic feature that the Dell model shares with the Apple and Sony laptops. Backlit keyboards enable you to work in dark conditions and are highly useful in presentations and conferences.

Performance:

Performance factors with the insides:
The Studio XPS 16 System came with 4GB of RAM and an Intel Core 2 Duo P8600 CPU. There is the ATI Mobility Radeon HD3670, the presence of which surprised us. This is a powerful video chip as powerful as the nVidia 9600 GS. While the XPS brand was synonymous with exceptional performance and was pure pleasure for gamers, the Studio XPS 16 has steered away from that image. The XPS 16 focuses more on multimedia considering the presence of a Blu-ray player, an inbuilt TV tuner and HD screens in 16:9 aspect ratios. In the 3D Benchmark Test, the XPS 16 achieved 4279 points, which is 700 points more than the category average. This makes the XPS 16 as powerful as the XPS M1530.

On the PC Mark 2005, it scored 6449 points making it one of the most powerful laptops in the segment. Also one noticeable aspect is that the XPS 13 is more powerful than the 16.  The inbuilt graphics card operated well and outperformed its nVidia counterparts. The RAM capacity of 4 GB, half of the maximum 8 GB was decent as well. One has various options when it comes to mass storage. There are HDD models in 400 rpm, 7200 rpm, and HDDs without mechanical parts. But the current limit is 500 GB for a 5400 rpm drive. The transfer speeds of the built in drive was about 61.7MBps which is a pretty decent score. The access time of 16.6 milliseconds is convenient too.

Display:
The Dell Studio XPS 16 Laptop Notebook Computer features a high resolution 1080p full HD display with RGB LED. The high resolution and the colour representation help it in realizing a big representable colour space. In our test, we recorded a brightness of 268 cd/m² and it falls towards the corners.  Illumination at 81 percent of brightness at display brightness of 232.1 cd/m² is favourable.  The black value was as low as 0.55 cd/m² and the contrast of 487:1 was excellent. The impressions of the pictures are good thanks to high sharpness and rich contrast. These numbers demonstrate that display with a RGB LED light provides a good picture.

Colour Representation and Viewing Angles:
While for most users colour representation is not important, it offers details regarding how well the colours can be displayed. Almost all the current colour spaces RGB, Adobe RGB or CMYC are covered.  Thanks to a reflecting surface display, the outdoor operation is not really strength of the XPS 16. However, it is possible to work well in outdoors without direct sunlight. In spite of disturbing reflections, the brightness was sufficient. Viewing angles offer decent vertical angles for stationary operation. In the vertical directions, it might appear that the colours actually suffer distortion and reflections tend to increase in horizontal direction.

Audio:
The availability of 2 loudspeakers and a built in subwoofer are responsible for a nice sound scape. The acoustics was very present and clear. The highly clarity is perhaps due to the advantageous location. The subwoofer did leave its impact. Though the system had a great audio, it could not reach the standards of Harman Kardon sound system of the Toshiba Qosimo Series.  At higher volumes, the subwoofer seemed to falter slightly.

Gaming Performance:
Considering the XPS brand was great for gaming, we tested the Studio XPS 16 on a couple of games. First we tested the model by playing Crysis as this shooter game is used as an endurance test for PCs as it can bring down the best machines on their knees.  For Crysis to run on full capacity, the settings need not be high. For medium detail, the Studio XPS 16 notebook achieved 29 fps in the GPU benchmark test, which is too less for a smooth run. One can play it even on low details, but the graphics would not be enjoyable. For Games like Race Driver GRID even at low resolution of 800 x 600 pixels, low detail and with anti aliasing disabled, the performance fell before 30fps which does not even allow a reasonable game play. In GTA IV the benchmark test revealed a score of 20.6 fps. The game was marred with constant stuttering and hence will disappoint many users.  The graphics card is a bit weak for running contemporary games at high detail and resolution. It is possible to play games, but only at low resolution.  This is sad considering that the same model uses RGB LED panel.

Heat and Noise:
We would not be wrong if we say that the heat produced by the device is amongst its cons. being flat and the fact that the model has only one ventilation port made the fan run the entire time. The unit we reviewed tended to get hot especially when we put the processor to tough tests. A couple of tests and 30 minutes of Blu-ray Playback later, the XPS 16 got uncomfortably hot. The processor and the graphics card usually generate a lot of heat, but the system fan seemed unable to cool down the notebook. If high temperature notebooks are not okay with you, you would perhaps be better not using it as a laptop.

Noise was not much of an issue with the XPS 16. The Cooling fan did not seem to make much noise. It gets completely silent when in idle mode. Apparently, the fan runs all the time and at a low speed and hence fails to cool the system down efficiently. But we would have not minded more fan noise if you would have a cooler laptop for it. The notebook is rather silent, but gets a bit noisy when demanding tasks are done. Though the slot loading disc made some noise while ejecting / inserting a disc, it was easily amongst the quietest slot loading drives in the market. Dell has even managed to cut down noise from the hard drive and is well appreciated.

Battery Life:

The Studio XPS comes with either a 6 cell or a 9 cell lithium battery with a capacity of 53.7 Wh. The 9 cell battery would come with a better life but is at the expense of a larger and slightly heavier notebook. When the LCD screen ran at maximum brightness, one could lose up to 10 to 60 minutes of power. At 280 nits (the maximum brightness), the model uses 9W more power. But that is the price we pay for the beautiful LCD display. That is quite significant, even by normal standards. With Windows Vista’s power management running at a brightness of 80 percent and with wireless on, the 9 cell battery life was about 2 hours 55 minutes. The 6 cell battery model has a battery life of two thirds of the 9 cell one, about 2 hours. That is nothing special when compared to other notebooks. We wonder why Dell has not included the hybrid nVidia 9400M integrated graphics card as its 13.3 inch cousin does. Though the battery life of the Studio XPS 16 is meagre when compared to the MacBook Air (whose battery life is claimed to be 8 hours), the values are not really bad for a 16 inch notebook.

Accessories:

On opening the elegant black box of the XPS 16 , one finds a velvet sheet in which is present the machine, Setup guide, Warranty guide, an Adapter and some software booklet filled with restore discs.  There is neither a mouse nor a kitchen sink provided.

Warranty:

Dell offers a warranty of one year on the basic model of the XPS 16. The higher end versions have a warranty and service period of 2 years.

Verdict:

After checking the model thoroughly we can safely conclude that this model is easily amongst the best models launched this year. Its simple case, solid cover and leather pad give it a high score when it comes to design.  It has all the necessary ports such as HDMI, display and VGA included leaving nothing else to be desired. The Backlit keyboard helps in intensive typing and is a great aesthetic add on. The FastAccess Face Recognition in place of a fingerprint reader is a nice feature too. But the best part of the XPS 16 is the high resolution panel with RGB LED backlight. No other notebook screen has been able to reach the colour quality, contrast and illumination and brightness levels of the XPS 16.  The ATI Mobility Radeon graphics card disappointed us because it seemed unable to run contemporary games at even normal resolution. The High temperature and its Poor battery life were sadly huge let downs.  However, it is recommended for multimedia applications of all kinds including picture, graphic and video editing. It offers a great value and a solid set of features and is advisable only if you go for the RGBLED option.

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Dell Studio XPS 16 Laptop Computer – Technical Specification Table