Handy Computer Guide

CNET have published a review of the Dell Studio Hybrid desktop PC. 'Standing upright with the sleeve on, the Studio Hybrid measures 8.75 inches tall by 3 inches wide by 8.25 inches deep. Take the unit off its stand, remove the sleeve, and lay it flat, and its dimensions change to 2.5 inches tall by 7.5 inches wide by 7.25 inches deep. Compared with the Mac Mini or the forthcoming Asus Eee Box, the Studio Hybrid is a bit bigger in either configuration, but it's also clearly smaller than your average midtower PC. You can take the Studio Hybrid off its stand by simply pulling the two apart, and the sleeve slides off once you remove a screw. You can even reconfigure the stand to support the system horizontally. However, if you want to change its position, you can do so easily.'

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Posted by HCG Admin at 10:05 PM | Permalink

Pocket-Lint have published a review of the Dell Latitude XT tablet PC. 'Weighing 1.6kg, it's an incredibly light notebook to carry around. What's more, the light weight means you can hold this tablet in the crook of your arm and write on the screen without it being an obvious burden. We were impressed with the build quality, as the XT feels solid in the hand and it will certainly withstand the odd knock or drop. The design follows the popular clamshell design, so you can use the XT as a standard notebook for most occasions, switching to tablet mode only when you need to write directly on the screen.'

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Posted by HCG Admin at 1:45 PM | Permalink

A review of the new Dell Studio 15 laptop has been posted over at ZDNet. 'While clearly inspired by the popular XPS M1530, the Studio 15 has a more angular look, with its large side hinges curving the screen down at a sharp angle; the XPS presents a more rounded look. At 6 pounds, it's a bit heavy to tote around every day, but still at the lower end of the 15-inch scale, around 6 pounds. Our early review unit had a matte midnight blue lid, but there are a variety of color options. We've also seen some leaked shots online of several artistic designs motifs that should be available in the future, which we've previously covered on Crave.

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Posted by HCG Admin at 10:05 PM | Permalink

Trusted Reviews have published a review of the Dell Vostro 1310 13.3in Notebook. 'Aesthetically, the 1310 is everything you might expect from a "business" laptop. Finished entirely in black, its only attempt at flair is the glossy black section of the lid and around the edges. Otherwise it's all solid matte black plastic and though it doesn't make the 1310 a very exciting machine to behold, it does make it strong and durable. This makes it a good choice for the road-bound sales rep or home office worker, who needs a simple and long lasting machine for both in or out of the office - it might even be a great option for a student, too.

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Posted by HCG Admin at 4:13 PM | Permalink

PC World have published a review of the Dell XPS 630 gaming desktop. ‘Our $3229 XPS 630 system (the price drops to $2889 without the bundled 22-inch Dell SP2208WFP monitor, and lesser configurations start at $1199; pricing is as of June 6, 2008) packed 3GB of RAM and Intel's 3-GHz Core 2 Extreme QX6850 processor--an older quad-core chip that continues to deliver strong performance. Two speedy 160GB, 10,000-rpm Western Digital Raptor hard drives configured in a RAID 0 array provide a modest 320GB storage. The system also carried dual 512MB nVidia GeForce 8800 GT graphics boards bridged as one via SLI (nVidia's Scalable Link Interface).

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Posted by HCG Admin at 10:06 AM | Permalink

A review of the Dell XPS 730 H2C gaming desktop has been posted over at CNET. 'Dell's brand-new XPS 730 H2C high-end gaming PC ticks off all the right boxes and even manages to pull off a few new tricks, at least for Dell. It's the first PC that Dell will ship with a factory-overclocked CPU and memory. Our $6,747 review unit features the latest quad-core processor from Intel and boasts four graphics chips between two ATI graphics cards. Dell has also added a few new tweaks to smooth out the case design. That's all good stuff, but the problem is that Dell loses out on price and performance to its boutique vendor competition. This new XPS is ambitious, but you can get more for your high-end gaming dollar elsewhere.

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Posted by HCG Admin at 10:14 PM | Permalink

Laptop Magazine have published a review of the Dell Vostro 1310 business Notebook. 'Thinner and lighter than the 14-inch Vostro, the 4.8-pound Dell Vostro 1310 looks the part of a business notebook without being boring. Take a closer look at the 12.5 x 9.6 x 1.5-inch system, and you’ll see that the magnesium-alloy and titanium chassis has a little sparkle to it, visible in the lid and the keyboard deck. Above the keyboard is a set of blue status lights for Internet, Bluetooth, and more, plus seven touch-sensitive multimedia keys, which were very responsive on our tests. Above the display is a microphone and 1.3-megapixel webcam, which were fine for video chats. The full-size keyboard is spacious and comfortable, though we did notice some flex when we typed. We had no problems with the very responsive touchpad or comfortable mouse buttons.'

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Posted by HCG Admin at 10:21 PM | Permalink

CNET have published their review of the Dell XPS 630 gaming desktop. 'The XPS 630 combines familiar characteristics of a few desktops we've reviewed recently. Like the Gateway FX7020 and the Uberclok Ion, the XPS 630 is a sub-$2,000 gaming PC with a quad-core processor, respectable gaming capabilities, and a spacious 500GB hard drive. Velocity Micro's ProMagix E2055 is also similar to this Dell system in price, although it has dual-core CPU with a faster clock speed. When you compare the Velocity system with the XPS 630, it becomes apparent that the Dell is a more well-rounded PC, despite the fact that the Velocity has the edge in a few component categories

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Posted by HCG Admin at 3:05 PM | Permalink

HotHardware have published a review of the Dell XPS 630 gaming desktop system. 'Our evaluation system came stocked with an NVIDIA GeForce 8800GT and 2GB of Samung DDR2-667 memory. Although the base unit ships with an Intel Core 2 Duo E8200 processor, we opted to test the XPS 630 with a Core 2 Quad Q6600 running at 2.4GHz. For added benefit, we also took Dell up on an offer to test not only some faster RAM in the form of Hynix DDR2-800 sticks, but also doubling up the number of GPUs by throwing in an extra 8800GT in SLI. The keyboard, mouse, and mousepad look capable enough for most users, although the mouse is a simple two-button scrollwheel variety. As with everything else, these two component can be exchanged for higher-end peripherals such as Razer's Tarantula Gaming Keyboard or a Microsoft Sidewinder USB Laser Mouse, for an additional cost.'

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Posted by HCG Admin at 9:37 PM | Permalink

A review of the Dell XPS 420 multimedia desktop has been posted over at PC Magazine. ‘The XPS 420 has a BTX-style case with a black faceplate and aluminum-silver colored sides. It looks like an evolution of the white silver and black XPS 410 and the Dimension 9100 boxes. Two changes are especially notable: the new XPS MiniView (a 3-by-2-inch, 320-by-240 interactive color display set in the top panel, along with a keypad to control its functions); and doors added to the front panel to hide the optical drives. All in all, it's an attractive makeover, but the unit is still undoubtedly a large tower PC. The case pops open as easily as previous high-end Dell BTX cases.

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Posted by HCG Admin at 2:46 PM | Permalink

Pocket-Lint have published their review of the Dell XPS M1530 laptop. 'As with all Dell notebooks, you can choose the specification that best suits your needs but the review sample we were sent was clearly middle of the range but still managed to pack more than a powerful punch. With an Intel 2GHz Core 2 Duo T7250 and 2048MB of memory there is more than enough power to run multiple tasks at the same time. Running Windows Vista Home Premium, we found it loaded quickly and when we used it out and about for a couple of days, we found it reliable and fast.'

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Posted by HCG Admin at 2:23 PM | Permalink

Trusted Reviews have published a review of the sleek Dell XPS M1530 Notebook. 'Announced not long ago, it takes the same basic design and expands it to house a larger 15.4in display and updated hardware. This was always a logical move for Dell to make given the success of the 13in model, providing a far more attractive and exclusive tonic to the solid but rather utilitarian Inspiron 1520. Aesthetically then, it should go without saying that the XPS M1530 is everything one would hope it to be. Dell has done an excellent job of translating the already excellent styling to a larger chassis, losing none of the style or sharpness that made the XPS M1330 such a popular and in demand machine. Its combination of brushed metal interior, touch sensitive buttons and 'micro satin' exterior is eye catching and boast worthy - should that be a requirement.'

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Posted by HCG Admin at 9:04 PM | Permalink

CNET have published their review of the sleek Dell XPS M1530 feature-rich Notebook. 'The M1530, like the M1330 before it, is slightly wedge-shaped, going from 1.2 inches in the front to 1.5 inches in the rear. At a hair under 6 pounds, it's a bit lighter than most 15-inch laptops we've seen, and the overall look is slim and attractive. A few color options are offered, although the only difference is in the back of the lid, which is available in black, white, or red. Our review unit had the matte-red finish (Dell calls it crimson red), which looks great and is the color seen in Dell's ads and promotional materials. More color options (as with the current Inspiron line of laptops) would have been welcome.

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Posted by HCG Admin at 9:41 PM | Permalink

A review of the Dell XPS M1730 mobile gaming Notebook has been published over at HotHardware. 'As you would expect, just about every 17" laptop has roughly the same width and depth, with the main difference being thickness. The M1730 is no exception, but its styling gives the illusion that the chassis is larger than it really is. Many laptops (e.g. most ASUS and Toshiba models) feature a wedge-like design where the front is significantly thinner than the back to give the illusion of thinness. Another trick to further enhance the illusion is to make the edges of the laptop as thin as possible, either through rounding, tapering or cutting out areas. However, the M1730 forgoes any illusion of thinness by featuring a relatively uncompromising rectangular shape that is equally thick all the way around. This causes the M1730 to appear bulkier compared to other 17" laptops like the Toshiba X205 despite actually being similar in thickness (2.1" vs 2").'

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Posted by HCG Admin at 9:20 PM | Permalink

PC Authority have published their review of the Dell Latitude D430 Notebook. ‘While the D430 is available with standard mechanical 1.8in hard disks, our review model had a 32GB SanDisk SSD UATA 5000 solid-state disk. The capacity isn’t great, although it’s enough for the OS and all of your work documents, but the disk is fast and Windows started quickly. Since there are no moving parts, you won’t lose data if you drop the notebook when it’s turned on or off. The downside is that these disks are expensive. For most people, it makes more sense to switch to a mechanical hard disk – a 60GB model drops the price by $487!

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Posted by HCG Admin at 9:20 PM | Permalink

A review of the Dell XPS One all-in-one system has been posted over at CNET. 'Dell offers four basic configurations for this new XPS One all-in-one system, and our $2,399 review sample represents the highest-end model. Complete with a Blu-ray burner, 802.11n wireless networking, and a TV tuner, it competes well against other higher-end all-in-ones, namely Sony's high-end VAIO LT19U. Overall, though, HP's cheaper, small-scale Pavilion SlimLine s3200t desktop and its HD-DVD/Blu-ray drive outshines any all-in-one in price and versatility. Apple's iMac also maintains its hold as the best overall computer in the all-in-one category. That awards the XPS One the prize for most affordable all-in-one with a Blu-ray drive. If you're looking for a system in that narrow category, you should check it out, especially because it has some unique usability features. Otherwise, you can get better overall computing and home theater experiences from other systems.'

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Posted by HCG Admin at 9:02 PM | Permalink

A review of the Dell XPS M1730 gaming notebook has been posted over at Notebook Review. 'From the moment you slide the notebook out of the box, you realize just how massive this notebook is. Clocking in at over 10lbs for the notebook alone (add on almost 3lbs for the ac adapter), you realize this is more of a portable desktop in terms of weight and gaming power. The body is extremely well built, on par with many rugged business notebooks, in some cases could probably destroy the business notebook in a fight. The display cover is a mix between a glossy painted plastic finish, and a semi-transparent plastic shell that LED's illuminate to show off the Dell "XPS" logo. The materials used are fairly scratch resistant, and should hold up well with minimal scuffs over time. For a gaming rig the design is pretty tame, and not too flashy, but with the lights going full blaze it will stand out in a classroom.'

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Posted by HCG Admin at 1:11 PM | Permalink

CNET Asia have published a review of Dell's new XPS 420 (Core 2 Quad Q6600 Processor 2.4GHz, 2GB RAM) configuration. 'The XPS 420 features a chassis update to Dell's 400 series in the US. This new model comes with a glossy black front panel that seems to be required of any current mainstream desktop. Beyond just the cosmetics, the XPS 420 also comes with a small Windows SideShow LCD (or Dell MiniView, if you prefer) on the top edge. SideShow was announced early this year at CES. It's essentially an extension of Windows Vista's SideBar pane, and it runs all of the same free Gadget mini applications (similar to Apple's Widgets).

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Posted by HCG Admin at 3:08 PM | Permalink

Trusted Reviews have published their review of the sleek Dell XPS M1330 multimedia Notebook. 'For raw performance testing the XPS M1330 was put through our usual set of benchmarks, including PCMark 05 and our in-house Photoshop Elements and Virtual Dub tests. Overall performance was in line with expectations, with a solid 4,573 Overall PCMark score and a CPU score just under 5,000 -- both of which are very creditable. Results from our in-house tests were also good showing that, were it needed, the M1330 is up to some more intensive tasks. In general use though, the M1330 with the Core 2 Duo T7300 is snappy and brisk. A fact that will change little if you spec the T7250, which given the pricing would be sensible.'

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Posted by HCG Admin at 10:58 PM | Permalink

PC Magazine have published a review of the Dell Inspiron 531s desktop configuration. 'The "s" in 531s stands for small or slim. This means that the system is a lot thinner than the average mini tower desktop, at about 14 by 4 by 17 inches (HWD). Does this mean there is less expansion room in the system? Whereas that may have been true for older systems, the motherboard in the 531s has all the usual internal connectors, including two PCI card slots, a PCIe x1 and a PCIe x16 graphics card slot (occupied by an ATI Radeon HD 2400 card). The card slots are only half-height because of the slim desktop form factor, which limits some choices—but if you're buying a $500 PC, you're not likely to be looking to equip it with a $700 full-size graphics card, anyway.

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Posted by HCG Admin at 3:12 PM | Permalink

Trusted Reviews have published a review of the Dell Latitude D430 ultraportable Notebook. 'Despite the prevailing opinion that Dell's reliance on direct selling is a weakness, it remains one of the largest and most recognised brands in computing. It's a fact that cannot easily be ignored or underestimated and, though its colourful new Inspiron range drew a muted reaction, its Latitude range of corporate notebooks is in rather better shape. Clarity and consistency in design has helped it develop an enviable pedigree over the years, with the D630 proving a particular success. Today I'm looking at another member of the Latitude family, the D430, which is the ultra-portable of the range.'

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Posted by HCG Admin at 10:38 PM | Permalink

A review of the Dell Vostro 1700 Notebook has been posted over at Notebook Review. 'The Vostro 1700 is big and heavy, even for a 17" notebook. It is all black so it is difficult to argue whether it is pretty or not, but it is unlikely that one will find it ugly. On the other hand, stains and fingerprints get stuck on the black paint very easily and they are difficult to get rid of (see the backside image below where the fingerprints are clearly visible). Being so big, the screen actually takes more effort to open than an average laptop. In fact, I find that to release the latch and lift the screen I need to use both hands. USB connectors also take effort to pull out, so overall impression is that of a strong build. The part above the keyboard, around the On/Off button, bends somewhat when pushed harder but that is the only minor issue I could find with the case which otherwise is solid.'

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Posted by HCG Admin at 10:51 PM | Permalink

A review of the Dell Latitude D630 Notebook has been posted over at IT Reviews. 'Dell's popular Latitude D620 deservedly won many plaudits and awards with its excellent blend of features, price and performance. The question for Dell was, when the time came for a refresh would it be able to make its successor just as popular with the corporate buyer? The answer seems to a resounding yes, and the D630 seems destined to carry on what the D620 started. Intel's latest mobile technology, code-named Santa Rosa and now known as Centrino Duo, was the catalyst for the refresh and in the time-honoured fashion of "if it ain't broke don't fix it", Dell just jacked up the D620, removed the old chipset and CPU and replaced it with the Centrino Duo parts.'

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Posted by HCG Admin at 8:12 PM | Permalink

A review of the Dell Inspiron 1720 desktop replacement PC has been posted over at the Reg Hardware. 'With the 1720, Dell has caught the coloured notebook bug. The chassis may be the normal silver colour, but you can now personalise the lid with a choice of eight colours - a matt black called Jet Black, and six microsatin finishes, Midnight Blue, Bubblegum Pink, Spring Green, Ruby Red, Sunshine Yellow and Espresso Brown. Yes, really. A gloss white finish is also available, but you may have to wait up to 20 days longer before you can get hold of your Mac look-a-likey. Whichever hue you choose, you won't be showing if off too often as it weighs in at a spine-crippling 4.3kg including the power brick - hence the desktop replacement tag.'

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Posted by HCG Admin at 1:03 PM | Permalink

Pocket-Lint have published their review of the Dell Inspiron 1720 laptop. 'The first thing you will notice is how sturdy it is, as Dell has learnt its lesson with the previous generation of Inspiron and opted to use thicker plastic for the main body and behind the lid. Under the lid, you’ll still find the same silver colouring but Dell has decided that consumers like colour so has made eight different coloured lids available. They claim they’ll bring out colour co-ordinated peripherals to match but details are a little thin on the ground. However, what really helps this machine stand out from previous versions is the keyboard, which is a great size and extremely comfortable to use. In keeping with 17-inch machines from its rivals, you’ll now find a numeric keypad has been added to the right-hand side, which is great if you need to do a lot of number crunching.'

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Posted by HCG Admin at 3:54 PM | Permalink

Laptop Magazine have published a review of the Dell Vostro 1400 laptop. 'With its rounded edges and soft-touch-finish lid, this notebook certainly looks hipper than the corporate Latitude line. (You don't have the Inspiron's eight color options, but that's fine given this system's target audience.) The six-pound Vostro 1400 is relatively thick and heavy for a notebook with a 14.1-inch display, but the magnesium-alloy chassis feels sturdy. If you'll be plugged in most of the time, you can skip the nine-cell battery that hangs off the back of the system and opt for a lighter six-cell battery, which will save you $40 and about a half a pound. We loved the responsiveness of the full-sized and sealed keyboard; the nice-sized touchpad buttons were equally responsive without being noisy.'

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Posted by HCG Admin at 1:29 PM | Permalink

A review of the Dell Inspiron 1720 laptop has been posted at PC Magazine. ‘The Dell Inspiron 1720 ($1,994 direct) is a desktop-replacement laptop that's had a significant makeover, succeeding the Inspiron E1705 (Vista) as the new media powerhouse in the Inspiron line. In addition to component upgrades from Intel's Santa Rosa platform, the 1720 also has a 1,920-by-1,200 resolution option and something that has never been seen on a 17-inch laptop—mobile broadband from either Cingular, Sprint, or Verizon. You can't mistake the 1720 for anything other than a desktop replacement. I'm a little disappointed that at 8.8 pounds, it's almost a pound heavier than the previous Inspiron E1705 (Vista) and roughly half a pound heavier than the HP Pavilion dv9000t (Vista).’

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Posted by HCG Admin at 3:29 PM | Permalink

Kevin Giberson writing over at Notebook Review has posted a review of the Dell Inspiron 1520 Notebook. ‘This Inspiron 1520 weighs about six and a half pounds and is considered a mainstream consumer notebook. Though Dell allows customization of the lid in up to eight different colors, our model has a conservative looking black lid. Because of that our machine lacks some of the consumer flair a “Flamingo Pink” lid would have offered. Nonetheless, my first impressions had to do with a couple of things that distinguish the 1520 from its predecessors:’

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Posted by HCG Admin at 8:52 PM | Permalink

A review of the feature-rich Dell XPS M1330 Notebook has been posted over at Laptop Magazine. ‘The M1330's soft-touch, crimson exterior is a new look for Dell, but the round logo on the lid is reminiscent of the one on the XPS M1210, this system's predecessor. Only 4.8 pounds (or as light as 4 pounds, depending on the battery), our configuration came with a built-in webcam, nine-cell battery, and travel remote. Although the VGA webcam no longer swivels as it did on the M1210, this one comes with tons of capabilities via software, including pan and zoom, face tracking, and special effects. All the webcam features worked reasonably well, and the picture was bright and clear, albeit washed out.’

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Posted by HCG Admin at 11:07 PM | Permalink

PC Perspective have published an updated review of the Dell XPS M1710 gaming Notebook. 'Overall, the Dell XPS M1710 is a real fast performer with the top-end T7600G CPU and the NVIDIA GeForce Go 7950 GTX GPU. The price of the XPS M1710 is surprisingly competitive if you go with a more basic configuration (i.e. no Blu-Ray drive, and the T7600 CPU), but this doesn't mean you have compromised on performance. The XPS M1710 is a great gaming notebook for those of you who can't afford something as expensive as a notebook with SLI yet still want something that's fun to own and play with.'

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Posted by HCG Admin at 4:26 AM | Permalink