New Technology Reviews!.: mobile computing/laptops

In Depth: Intel Ultrabook: what you need to know

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Intel has announced a massive $300m (£185m) fund to help develop Ultrabook hardware and software, and it's confident that Ultrabooks will make up 40% of the market by 2012.</div>
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So what is an Ultrabook and why should you care? Let's find out.</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;">Ultrabooks are a bit like things you've already seen</span></h4>
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The best way to think of an Ultrabook is a MacBook Air that isn't made by Apple, a netbook that isn't underpowered or a laptop that's been on a crash diet.</div>
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Ultrabook designs we've seen so far look awfully Apple-y, with super-thin cases and aeroplane-friendly 11.6-inch displays.</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;">Ultrabook specs will not be low-end</span></h4>
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Although Ultrabooks are designed for maximum portability, we're told that they won't make the same compromises that netbooks did: the Ultrabook specifications should be akin to mainstream laptops, not cheap netbooks.</div>
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The first models will ship with Sandy Bridge Core processors, followed by Ivy Bridge chips in 2012 and Haswell processors in 2013. The first Ultrabook to break cover, the Asus UX21, boasts SSD storage and USB 3.0 connectivity.</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;">There are three Ultrabook manufacturers so far</span></h4>
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Lenovo, Asustek and Acer are the first firms to throw their hats into the Ultrabook ring, although we'd expect everybody else to join in if the sector proves popular.</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;">Ultrabook features will become more impressive over time</span></h4>
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That's where Intel's $300m fund comes in: the firm wants to create "a cycle of innovation and system capabilities". Whatever that means.</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;">Ultrabook specifications are heavy on battery life and portability</span></h4>
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Haswell chips promise to use half the power of current-generation processors, although even today's Core processors are more efficient than processors of old. Just ask Apple, whose Core-powered MacBook Air runs for ages.</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;">The Ultrabook price should eventually undercut Apple</span></h4>
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Intel's pushing hard for sub-$1,000 price tags, which just happens to be the price of a MacBook Air. However, it seems that Ultrabook manufacturers are finding that hard to achieve: DigiTimes reports that the Bill of Materials, the total cost of building an Ultrabook, will be more than $700 - and there are software licenses on top of that.</div>
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Manufacturers are already demanding Intel cuts its prices or subsidises their efforts. Intel points out that as sales go up, prices will drop. We're taking that to mean that the typical Ultrabook price won't be sub-$1,000 for a while.</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;">The Ultrabook release date could be before Christmas</span></h4>
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Manufacturers are keen to sell some kit before Christmas, so Ultrabooks such as the Asus UX21 should turn up in late 2011 with Core i7 processors. The Asus Ultrabook price hasn't been announced yet, but we're expecting a September release date.</div>
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In Depth: Intel Ultrabook: what you need to know

Intel has announced a massive $300m (£185m) fund to help develop Ultrabook hardware and software, and it's confident that Ultraboo...

Review: Sony VAIO C-Series

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Sony's latest VAIO C-Series laptops have taken a good few pages out of Apple's big book of design and usability. The curvaceous aesthetics, well-spaced keyboards and not-too-intrusive extra software mean that they look and function amazingly well.</div>
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The Sony VAIO VPC-CA2C5E we were sent for review looks the part, finished with ludicrous levels of bright green perspex and plastic – although its hue will surely divide its target market.</div>
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The C-Series certainly puts the fun back into computing: we haven't seen such bountiful use of translucent plastic since the iMac back in the early 2000s.</div>
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When it's powered up, the keyboard is backlit and the whole thing glows eerily, complete with etched Sony and VAIO logos. Kids seem particularly attracted to it, which explains a lot given its positioning as a family laptop. It's available in a range of different colours, including more conservative blacks and whites and more vibrant pink, red, green, orange and blue.</div>
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There's a big gap in the market for a fun and funky laptop, especially in this 14-inch form factor. We've seen netbook manufacturers attempt to spice up computing with Asus's Disney Eee, and Packard Bell's Dot SE.</div>
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People seem to like customised laptops, too, and most of Dell's XPS 15 allows cases to be customised before you buy them. But Sony really has taken design to another level. It's a brave move, and one that's certain to attract people who are more into designer specs than computer specs, but what's Sony done inside the C Series?</div>
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Sony's VAIO C-Series laptops can be configured via the website, and the VPC-CA2C5E review model we were supplied with sat firmly in the middle of the customisation options: not too bad, but could be slightly better. It's powered by an Intel Core i5 2410M processor, backed up with an AMD Radeon HD 6470M graphics chip and 4GB DDR3 RAM.</div>
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The laptop can be configured with a Core i7 or i3 processor, as well as Intel onboard graphics and 6GB of RAM.</div>
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The body of the laptop feels substantial, and there is very little flex in the casing. At 2.3kg, it's not going to break your back – but we wouldn't want to have to carry it for extended periods. It can get a bit noisy and warm as the fans kick in when you're playing videos or games, but it's by no means a deal breaker.</div>
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As has become standard on Sony's laptops, there are three buttons for quick access to help, the internet and the VAIO media portal. They're by no means essential, and we do miss the screen-off button that's adorned previous VAIO laptops such as the VGN-NW11Z/S – it's incredibly handy when you want to connect the laptop to a TV to watch a Blu-Ray.</div>
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There is, unfortunately, none of Sony's own Blu-ray magic in our C-Series review model; it can be added in the build process, though.</div>
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Connectivity is amply handled by HDMI and VGA outputs, as well as three USB sockets – one of which is the speedy USB 3.0. The standard mic and headphone ports and a dual memory stick and SD Card reader complete the lineup.</div>
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Sony's screens are nothing short of amazing, and The C Series' 1366 x 768 display is no exception. Colours are vibrant and the contrast strong, but the viewing angle is a minor let-down. The size means you won't be watching films on this, though, and it's easy enough to connect to a big screen TV.</div>
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The built-in webcam is similarly impressive, offering clear images and video thanks to a 1.3MP Exmor sensor. However, for a company that prides itself on its high quality CD players and Walkmen, the tinniness of the speakers is disappointing.</div>
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As with Sony's other laptops, the C Series is an absolute joy in terms of usability. The separated keys make typing a doddle, and you're not likely to get crumbs underneath them. There is a slight flex to the keyboard, but not enough to be noticeable.</div>
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The trackpad and buttons are equally responsive, and Sony's integrated multi-touch makes zooming and scrolling nice and easy.</div>
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The Sony VAIO C-Series is disappointingly run of the mill in terms of performance. Sony has created an all-rounder of a laptop that doesn't do anything spectacularly, and this wouldn't be so bad if it didn't have such a high (£719) price tag.</div>
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Even its own cheaper laptops – such as the VAIO VPC-EB3J0E/WI – don't score much lower in our benchmark tests.</div>
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The C-Series is capable when it comes to gaming, if nothing more. It's not going to stand up to a dedicated gaming laptop, such as MSI's GE700, but it happily chugs through most modern titles, provided their graphics settings are low enough.</div>
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It's more capable when it comes to video and photo editing, thanks to the Intel Core i5 processor. HD videos play flawlessly, too, and look absolutely amazing.</div>
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<img alt="Sony vaio vpc-ca2c5e" class="aligncenter" height="189" mce_src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/TechRadar/Computing/Sony%20c%20series/Sony%20vaio%20c%20series%20green-420-90.jpg" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/TechRadar/Computing/Sony%20c%20series/Sony%20vaio%20c%20series%20green-420-90.jpg" style="border-width: 0px; clear: both; color: #444444; display: block; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px auto 12px; max-width: 640px;" width="252" /></div>
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The single most disappointing thing about Sony's C Series is the battery life, or lack thereof. Battery Eater emptied a fully charged battery in less than an hour by stressing the computer as much as possible. This means gaming on the move is next to impossible, unless you want the computer to die more quickly than your character.</div>
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In real-world terms, we managed to get two hours out of the battery when word processing, and this was with Wi-Fi turned off. It's not great, and it seems Sony has designed the C Series primarily as a desktop replacement PC capable of brief trips out.</div>
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Taken as a desktop replacement, its usability and bright screen stand out, and it's perfectly capable of multitasking a word processor, media playback and web browsing. But most netbooks – such as Samsung's NC110 – are capable of this level of performance, and they cost a third of the price and have better battery life.</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;">Benchmarks</span><br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" />Battery Eater: 62 minutes<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" />3D Mark 06: 5031<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" />Cinebench: 7732</div>
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<img alt="Sony vaio vpc-ca2c5e" class="aligncenter" height="189" mce_src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/TechRadar/Computing/Sony%20c%20series/Sony%20vaio%20c%20series%20green%20front-420-90.jpg" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/TechRadar/Computing/Sony%20c%20series/Sony%20vaio%20c%20series%20green%20front-420-90.jpg" style="border-width: 0px; clear: both; color: #444444; display: block; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px auto 12px; max-width: 640px;" width="252" /></div>
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Sony's laptops may match Apple's in terms of usability and design, but Sony always adds a few bells and whistles to make them stand out from the crowd. Performance, unfortunately, seems to come second to design in Sony's world.</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;">We liked</span></div>
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While the lime green colour of our Sony VAIO C Series review model is likely to inspire either slack-jawed awe or seething hatred, there's no denying that Sony has shaken things up in terms of design.</div>
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At the very least it makes a change from the black and silver hunks of plastic we've been toting since the early 2000s. It's a wonderful experience in terms of usability, and the bright screen, decent webcam and comfortable keyboard make it feel substantial and solid. For media tasks and general computing it performs very well, too.</div>
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<img alt="Sony vaio vpc-ca2c5e" class="aligncenter" height="189" mce_src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/TechRadar/Computing/Sony%20c%20series/Sony%20vaio%20c%20series%20red-420-90.jpg" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/TechRadar/Computing/Sony%20c%20series/Sony%20vaio%20c%20series%20red-420-90.jpg" style="border-width: 0px; clear: both; color: #444444; display: block; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px auto 12px; max-width: 640px;" width="252" /></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;">We disliked</span></div>
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Given the array of hardware packed into the C Series, we were disappointed with its performance. Although it's capable of moderate gaming, there are better dedicated alternatives for a similar price.</div>
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Battery life is the biggest let-down here, and a mere hour at high load is frankly appalling. There are laptops out there that offer 10 times as much, and with the Samsung Chromebook's eight hour battery life, it's become an important part of choosing a laptop.</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;">Verdict</span></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;"><img alt="Sony vaio vpc-ca2c5e" class="aligncenter" height="189" mce_src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/TechRadar/Computing/Sony%20c%20series/Sony%20vaio%20c%20series%20orange%20lid-420-90.jpg" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/TechRadar/Computing/Sony%20c%20series/Sony%20vaio%20c%20series%20orange%20lid-420-90.jpg" style="border-width: 0px; clear: both; color: #444444; display: block; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px auto 12px; max-width: 640px;" width="252" /></span></div>
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It's unfortunate, but the Sony VAIO C Series let us down in exactly the way we expected: it's a complete triumph of style over substance.</div>
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Despite its amazing looks, and fairly beefy hardware, it just didn't perform as well as it should have. This is compounded by the price, which is too high. Medion's Akoya E6221 costs £240 less, but includes a similar level of hardware specifications and performs almost as well.</div>
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It's also clear that Sony is targeting consumers who like shiny and sleek Apple products, but has forgotten that the price tag has to be more competitive in order to truly attract this market.</div>
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Review: Acer Aspire 5742G

<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="90" src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//Review%20images/What%20Laptop/WLT%20152/WLT152.rev3.acer_1-200-200.jpg" width="120" /></p><br/>Acer aims to balance price with performance and the Aspire series has been its mainstay for many years. With the Aspire 5742G, Acer has put everything you need in a starter laptop and wrapped it up in a great-looking package.<br/><br/>Right out of the box the Aspire has enough processing power to handle everything you want in a starter laptop, but on top of that it's also a pleasure to look at. The textured finish on both the lid and internal chassis feels comfortable and won't pick up the grubby fingerprints that curse more reflective designs.<br/><br/>The keyboard doesn't feel quite as sturdy as some (we noticed an obvious flex in the keyboard during typing), but the keys are well spaced and easy to type on. The Aspire 5742G sports Acer's favoured keyboard where keys appear to float above the chassis. This looks great, but you'll find it quickly traps debris underneath the keys.<br/><br/>Whilst not as comfortable as either the Sony or the Packard Bell, this style is certainly good enough for bashing out longer documents. There is also a full-sized numeric keypad, although no dedicated hotkeys. The touchpad is also comfortable to use.<br/><br/>The Acer is built around Intel's Core i3 processor, which provides plenty of power, and is backed up by the 4096MB of memory.<br/><br/>But what really sets the Aspire 5742G apart is the 1024MB of video memory provided by the dedicated Nvidia GeForce GT 520M graphics card. As you can see from our benchmark tests, this laptop will be fine running the current crop of gaming titles and will easily handle photo and HD video editing.<br/><br/>Similarly, the massive 620GB of hard drive storage will provide plenty of space for all the family's data.<br/><br/><strong>Benchmarks</strong><br/><br/>Battery life: 278 minutes<br/>MobileMark 2007: 228<br/>3DMark 2003: 11,991<br/><br/><strong>Vibrant screen </strong><br/><br/>The 15.5-inch screen provides a great level of detail and colour vibrancy. The screen is bright and watching movies or playing games is an impressive experience. The HDMI, VGA and three USB 2.0 ports mean you can also hook it up to your HD TV for big-screen viewing.<br/><p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Acer aspire 5742g" class="aligncenter" height="167" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/What%20Laptop/WLT%20152/WLT152.rev3.buildacer_1-420-90.jpg" width="252" /></p><br/>We achieved a very respectable 278 minutes from the battery during our benchmark tests and the chassis is sturdy enough to take a few bumps and knocks should you decide to take it on the road.<br/><br/>We liked the Acer Aspire 5742G. The higher asking price is a bit painful to swallow, but we feel it justifies this with the dedicated graphics card, large storage space and great battery life.<br/><br/>It's likely to future-proof better than some of the other laptops and would make for a worthwhile purchase.

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