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Review: Acer Aspire 5742G-384G64Mnkk

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Students on a tight budget will find great value to be had from the Acer Aspire 5742G-384G64Mnkk. Strong performance is just the icing on the cake, with plenty of great features to speak of, although the short battery life is a pain.</div>
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The Aspire 5742G-384G64Mnkk looks immediately familiar with Acer's usual raised keyboard filling the interior. Anyone used to bevelled, rounded keys might be put off by the completely flat design, but we find them perfect for touch-typing, thanks to the generous key size. Only the arrow keys are a little cramped.</div>
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<li style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;">Acer Aspire 5742G review</li>
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However, the gaps between the keys are a magnet for crumbs, so typing while eating crisps is not recommended.</div>
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The body features a matt-black finish, which prevents fingerprints and other marks from showing up, although we did notice some flex around the palmrests when we pushed down on them.</div>
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At just 2.4kg it's perfect for slipping into backpacks, thanks to the slender frame. Unfortunately, the battery dies quite fast, lasting just two hours when watching video.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Colourful screen</span></div>
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Like every laptop here besides the Packard Bell, the Aspire 5742G has a 15.6-inch screen. It's not particularly bright, but it is colourful and great for enjoying your photos and movies. The display also tilts back almost to horizontal, so you're bound to find a comfortable viewing angle even when the machine's resting on your lap.</div>
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However, the integrated speakers are rather muted compared to the likes of the HP G62-b32SA, so you'll need a decent pair of headphones or earphones to enjoy your music.</div>
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A previous-generation Intel Core i3 380M processor provides strong performance, despite being older technology than the new Sandy Bridge Intel processors. In our benchmarking tests, the Acer was beaten only by the Dell Inspiron 15r N5110 and HP G62-b32SA.</div>
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You can comfortably do all sorts simultaneously making it perfect for any multi-tasking student who needs to bash out an essay while doing web research and chatting with friends through instant messenger programs. The 4GB of memory keeps everything running smoothly.</div>
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Acer has included dedicated Nvidia GeForce GT 520M 1GB graphics, which makes this the best multimedia laptop after the Dell Inspiron 15R. If you need to edit video or perform other complex media tasks, or simply want to play games, this is a great option. Just bear in mind that you'll need to turn down detail levels on some of the more recent games to keep things running smoothly.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Tech Labs</span></div>
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Battery Eater '05: 120 minutes<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" />Cinebench: 7836<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" />3DMark 2006: 11,935</div>
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You can fit a huge number of games and high-definition (HD) movies on the 640GB hard drive, which offers twice as much storage space as most other laptops at this price. A 2-in-1 memory card reader can also be found on the side of the laptop for backing up important files.</div>
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This laptop also features built-in 802.11n Wi-Fi support, so you can quickly access the internet by connecting to a wireless network. You also get HDMI and VGA ports for attaching monitors or televisions, and a DVD drive for watching films and installing software.</div>
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Despite the short battery life, the Aspire 5742G-384G64Mnkk is still a great-value laptop that will suit almost any student. The strong multimedia performance, huge hard drive and excellent keyboard make it an option well worth considering.</div>
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Review: Acer Aspire 5742G-384G64Mnkk

Students on a tight budget will find great value to be had from the Acer Aspire 5742G-384G64Mnkk. Strong performance is just the icing ...

Review: MSI U270

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The MSI U270 looks and feels like a netbook, but its sharp screen and graphically capable processor push it more into the realm of an ultraportable laptop. It's best suited to regular travellers who need a basic machine for running simple office applications.</div>
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An AMD processor runs the show, and it's the same model as found in the HP Pavilion DM1-3100sa. First impressions were bad as it scored a similarly low score in our benchmarking tests, and was thoroughly beaten by the Intel-powered machines. While you can comfortably browse the web and run basic office applications, the U270 does drag when you try to do things in parallel.</div>
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We were pleasantly surprised when we ran the graphical tests. In a massive turnaround, the U270 scored well, narrowly edging out the HP, and we found that photo-editing software ran acceptably. However, some of our high-definition (HD) films actually stuttered quite badly during play.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Tech Labs</span></div>
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Battery Eater '05: 162<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" />Cinebench: 2206<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" />3DMark 2006: 5805</div>
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Also bear in mind that, like the HP, there is no built-in DVD drive. If you want to install software from discs or watch DVD movies, you'll need an external drive that connects up via USB.</div>
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While the 11.6-inch screen may be a little small for fully enjoying movies, it's still a colourful and well-designed panel. Along with the HP, it has a sharp, while the lack of a glossy Super-TFT finish means you can see perfectly outside, with no reflections to hamper your view.</div>
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The tinny speakers are rubbish though, so you'll need some headphones to enjoy music.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Highly portable</span></div>
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Although performance falls short, the MSI makes up for it with portability. This is a light machine at just 1.5kg, so you'll barely notice it when stashed inside your bag, although the 42mm chassis is surprisingly thick.</div>
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The battery will put up a good fight, giving almost three hours of video playback before finally running out. You'll get over four hours when performing lighter tasks such as checking your email, so you won't need to pack the charger if you use it on your daily commute.</div>
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Despite the compact frame, we still enjoyed using the isolation-style keyboard. It stretches the width of the interior and all of the keys are a good size for touch-typing, except for the tiny right Shift key. The touchpad is a little cramped, but the increased sensitivity makes up for this. You can always attach a mouse using one of the three USB ports.</div>
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One of these ports is the latest USB 3.0, indicated by the blue colouration. This is the latest and fastest version which allows data to be swapped with compatible devices, such as external hard drives, at twice the rate of the old USB 2.0.</div>
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Most users will be satisfied by the 320GB of storage. This gives you enough space to hold a sizeable media collection, including thousands of holiday snaps and music albums.</div>
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Both VGA and HDMI ports are available for connecting external monitors. If you want an affordable laptop for working on basic office software, and need a mobile machine so you can stay productive on the go, the U270 is worth considering. However, those after a bit more power should look elsewhere.</div>
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Review: MSI U270

The MSI U270 looks and feels like a netbook, but its sharp screen and graphically capable processor push it more into the realm of an u...

Review: Lenovo ThinkPad B560

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While Lenovo's ThinkPad range usually appeals to business users, its cut-price ThinkPad B560 is a well-built machine that should suit anyone after a cheap portable. It'll suit regular travellers and commuters too, despite a less-than-impressive battery life.</div>
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At a glance, it's obvious that this is a ThinkPad. Lenovo's trademark plain-black design is used throughout, from the solid lid to the interior. The body is textured and does a great job repelling dust and fingerprints, even if it's not very exciting.</div>
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The chassis is just 34mm at its thickest point, making it perfect for slipping into a bag. It's also light enough to carry around with ease, so anyone who needs a portable for working or staying in touch on the go will be well served.</div>
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However, the battery only lasted 134 minutes when we watched a film, a poor effort that was beaten by many other laptops around this price. You'll get longer life when doing simpler tasks, such as browsing the web. However, still pack your charger on trips.</div>
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One feature we were surprised to see is the fingerprint scanner, a security feature usually found on more expensive business machines.</div>
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The 802.11n Wi-Fi support allows fast wireless web browsing.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Ample storage</span></div>
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There's also an eSATA port for connecting external hard drives for speedy data transfer. You already get 320GB of built-in storage, enough space for thousands of photos and songs and only the<a href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/laptops-portable-pcs/laptops-and-netbooks/samsung-rv510-928431/review" mce_href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/laptops-portable-pcs/laptops-and-netbooks/samsung-rv510-928431/review" style="color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;">Samsung RV510-A08UK</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>has more. However, connecting an external drive is useful if you want to back up your important files.</div>
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We enjoy using Lenovo's firm and comfortable keyboards, which are perfectly sized with bevelled keys. Our only complaint is that the Function and Ctrl keys have been swapped around, and we were constantly hitting the wrong one. This is only an issue if you use Windows shortcuts, however.</div>
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A back-up shortcut key above the keyboard allows you to copy your important files instantly.</div>
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If you enjoy browsing your photos or kicking back occasionally with a film, you'll love the Lenovo's vibrant 15.6-inch display. It's not as sharp as the HP's compact screen, but the glossy coating brings images to life.</div>
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The built-in speakers do their job, but don't have much power even on top volume, so you'll want to use a pair of headphones or a separate pair of external speakers when listening to music or enjoying a movie.</div>
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Multimedia power is limited as the Lenovo uses basic integrated graphics. Gaming is impossible with all but the oldest titles, but you can still play around with your photos and even high-definition (HD) video streamed impressively well.</div>
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We were impressed by the resilience of the Intel Pentium processor, which performed well in our benchmark tests. You can listen to music while working on your office applications or browsing the web and you'll experience no slowdown, while software loads quickly. Only the Acer Aspire 5742 and Asus X52F-EX894V offer better performance for this kind of money.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Tech Labs</span></div>
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Battery Eater '05: 136 minutes<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" />Cinebench: 5680<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" />3DMark 2006: 3792</div>
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For this price, the ThinkPad B560 is a steal. Impressive power and satisfying usability, as well as the solid and portable body, make this a great laptop for use at home and on the road.</div>
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Review: Lenovo ThinkPad B560

While Lenovo's ThinkPad range usually appeals to business users, its cut-price ThinkPad B560 is a well-built machine that should su...