laptop review

Frontal view, ( Acer Aspire One battery ) sun from the backThe display's vertical viewing angles are very tight with the usual 15 degrees. We can deviate horizontally to the left or right better, but only up to about 45 degrees. Beyond that, the screen clearly dims and colors fade. ( Battery Acer Aspire 4710 ) The narrow viewing angles hardly will affect the Lifebook's single user. Viewing problems first turn up when five pairs of eyes look at the screen at the same time. Ghosting can get very annoying in pictures or movies. The Lifebook NH751 proves that a better job is possible.

The 15.6 incher is equipped with an Intel Core i3-2310M (2x 2.1 GHz). The Core i3 dual core CPU isn't capable of Turbo Boost,( dell Latitude D620 Battery ) but Hyper Threading (processing on 4 threads). For more information about the processor for low-cost notebook, please see the data sheet.

The NVIDIA GeForce GT 525M ( dell vostro 1400 battery ) (1024 MB) isn't solely responsible for 3D calculations. The graphics chip, HD Graphics 3000, in the processor is enabled (GT 525M can be deactivated via Optimus). The RAM configuration is 4 GB, whereas two 2048 MB modules occupy both RAM slots.( Vostro 1310 battery ) A 5400 rpm, 320 GB HDD from Seagate (ST9320325AS) is used as the hard disk.

System information: Fujitsu Lifebook AH531

The Core i3-2310M (2x 2.1 GHz)( Sony VGP-BPS13A/S battery ) manages just as many points (2761) as the much higher clocked Arrandale generation i3-380M (2x 2.5 GHz; 2751 points) in Cinebench R10 Single 32bit. The big brother, i5-2410M (2.3 GHz, Turbo Boost) achieves a considerably faster 4510 points (64bit).

The i3-2310M achieves 7550 points in multi-threading (Cinebench R10 Multi 64bit).( VGP-BPS13A/S Battery ) So, almost as many as the currently strongest i3 processor, 380M (7811). The i5-2410M and i5-2520M achieve 9451,( Dell Laptop Battery ) respectively 10128 points via Turbo Boost 2.0. Conclusively: the 2011 Core i3, in its smallest 2.1 GHz alternative, is almost on a par with its higher clocked Arrandale predecessors. If you'd like to have high computing performance for the next few years, you should spend the 50 euros more and take the AH531 version with an i5-2410M (starts at 600 euros).

5.6Windows 7 Experience IndexProcessorCalculations per second6.5Memory ( Vostro 1320 Battery ) (RAM)Memory operations per second5.9GraphicsDesktop performance for Windows Aero5.6Gaming graphics3D business and gaming graphics6.6Primary hard diskDisk data transfer rate5.7 CB10 Rendering Single 32Bit 2761 points

PCMark Vantage determines a score of 5320 points. ( dell Inspiron 1720 Battery ) This is on the same level as the older systems with Core i3-380M (e.g. Samsung RV511: 5432) or i3-370M (Samsung SF510). Our test system reaches 1910 points in the new PCMark 7. The dedicated graphics card ensures an advantage because another i5-2410M notebook ( Dell inspiron 1520 battery ) (Lifebook LH531; Intel HD 3000 only) tested at the same time only achieves 1855 points despite the Turbo Boost processor (PCMark Vantage: 5902).

The 320 GB HDD from the manufacturer Seagate works slowly,( Dell Inspiron 1420 battery ) as we expect from a normal rotating 5400 rpm HDD. It only reads with 57 MB/s in sequential read (HDTune). CrystalDiskMark, as the second test, records 74 MB/s (different test routine than HDTune). PCMark Vantage's HDD score shows a score of only 3339 points (sub score).

The HDD turns out to be the system's brake,( Dell Inspiron 1525 battery ) which can be seen with a look at SSD notebooks. Even if we pick out a system with a rather weak processor, such as the Samsung 900X3A (i5-2537M 1.4 GHz), 23 thousand points in the HDD sub score let PCMark Vantage's total score skyrocket to 8657 points. A direct Core i3 comparison with a SSD is difficult because such systems aren't yet available.( Sony VGP-BPS13/B battery ) An Nvidia GeForce GT 525M (1024 MB DDR3) works with Nvidia Optimus and Intel HD 3000 (in CPU) in the Lifebook AH 531. ( battery vostro 1510 ) All information about Nvidia's smallest midrange graphics card can be found in the spec sheet.

In the past, the gaming performance was slightly below that of a Radeon HD 6550 or HD 6650. ( VGP-BPS13B/B battery ) The synthetic benchmark however vary if the GT 525M or the Radeon HD 6550 compute faster. 3DMark 11 says, ( battery dell Vostro 1520 ) the HD 6550M is faster (+30%). The tessellation benchmark, Unigine Heaven, states a par (-4% for the HD 6550M). 3DMark Vantage says, the HD 6550 is a bit slower (-2%). In order to take a look at the gaming suitability, we ran three tests.

The shooter shows itself unimpressed from the "weak" i3 processor.( battery Dell inspiron 6400 ) The frame rate is 40 fps in medium settings. The GT 525M performs the same 40 fps when it's supported by a quad core i7-2630QM (Fujitsu Lifebook NH751). Gamers would have more fun with a Geforce GT 540M (devices for less than 600 euros; +14%, ~31 fps). A Radeon HD 6550M is even faster by an average of 23% in high (~33 fps).

The multi-touch screen reacts well and accurately to commands from a finger.( HP 8510w battery ) Control using a pen is not intended as with the Iconia Tab W500. The navigation around the Android 3.0 surfaces is smooth, and apps open quickly.( battery sony VGP-BPS9/B ) Using different themes for screens it is possible to organize the apps as wished. Important operating functions, such as the zooming of pictures using a double-click or by using two fingers works perfectly. The rotating of pictures in comparison doesn't work. The surface of the display has good traction properties and makes a robust impression,( Acer Aspire 4520 battery ) but is also very reflective. From time to time users should check the settings for apps that are no longer needed that may be running in the background. Should these become too many, then the reaction times become noticeably slower as a result.

Basic bundle. Typewriter,( sony vgp-bps13/s battery ) calculator, gaming machine, movie entertainment system, portable companion and survival artist. The 15 incher has something of everything, yet isn't outstanding in any single point. But: does it have to at a price of 550 euros? ( battery sony vgp-bps13a/s ) With courage for incompleteness to a round offer.

Fujitsu Lifebook AH531 with Core i3 & Geforce GT 525M: ( hp 452057-001 ) Does the gateway to gaming always need a Core i5?"Unlimited graphics performance" – is how Fujitsu heralds the Lifebook AH531/GFO in its spec sheet.( apple a1185 battery ) Hopefully no one will believe that because we are talking about an Nvidia GeForce GT 525M (1024MB). In its enthusiastic description, the manufacturer has overlooked the fact that at least knowledgeable customers will sooner smirk at this graphics card than take it seriously.

However, it's the price that is important in the end.( battery vgp-bps13as ) And the smallest midrange graphics from Nvidia is positioned at an attractive 549 euros in the Fujitsu Lifebook AH531. That is attention-grabbing because this price design is currently the lowest for a notebook with this graphics card.( sony vgp-bps13s battery ) We still have to clarify if Fujitsu has successfully built a quality notebook for a small price. What's the keyboard's typing feel like? We'll shed light on these and more questions in this review.

Finish with glitter effectThe Fujitsu Lifebook AH 531's case doesn't rely on optical attractions, ( battery vgp-bps13b/b ) but does use the moody impression of black piano lacquer with a metallic effect. It's pretty to look at,( sony vgp-bps13b/s battery ) at first but fingerprints will be the Lifebook user's constant companion. The manufacturer is stingy and doesn't even add an according polishing cloth in the box.

If you now expect a creaky plastic case with a wobbly lid,( battery sony VGP-BPS13 ) you'll find yourself wrong. Quite contrarily, the case is rigid, the hinges are tight and the lid is sufficiently stable. The wrist-rest is firm and the key field doesn't yield anywhere. We can only dent the lid in the center. The maximum opening angle of about 145 degrees is more than sufficient for use on the lap. The lid is kept firmly in position by very tightly pulled hinges.( vgp-bps13/b battery ) There is no teetering. The hinges make a stable and long-lasting impression and fit very tight on the case.

The base plate proves to be made of simple plastic, but it can only be dented slightly at the vents with a finger.( battery sony VGP-BPS13 ) The bottom's openings provide the option of exchanging hard disk, RAM (2x2GB) or WLAN module.( battery VGP-BPS13A/B ) This also applies to the processor. The Intel Core i3-2310M is inserted and freely accessible.

ExpressCard54 slotThe interfaces are concentrated on the left, where the vent is also located.( battery vostro 1520 ) A highlight is the ExpressCard54 slot for expansion cards on the left. It allows retrofitting additional interfaces, e.g. USB 3.0 or FireWire. ( battery Compaq CQ42 ) The according cards can be purchased in stores. ExpressCard34 cards also fit in the slot.

There aren't any interfaces on the rear. ( battery HP Compaq 8510P ) This is regrettable for use on the desk because all cables gather on the visible sides. Especially the unwieldy HDMI cable or the USB ports placed in the front area could obstruct placing a mouse there.

Recovery DVDs are included for Windows 7 Home Premium (64 bit).( battery hp probook 4510s ) Fujitsu holds back on bloatware. The few tools are very reasonable: DeskUpdate (downloads updates), Nero9 (burn) and PowerSaving Utility (settings ECO button).

The manufacturer's warranty is only for a period of 12 months (bring in).( ibm 40Y6795 ) This is valid for purchases made in Germany but can be 24 months in other countries (collect & return service). The manufacturer bids a 3 year collect & return service for a price of 40 euros.

The 15.6 incher's keyboard can be classified as office suitable. ( lenovo Thinkpad T60 Battery ) The keys prove to have a medium key drop, a clear pressure point, but a very firm stroke. A small problem (a matter of practice) is the even key surfaces. ( vgp-bps13b/s Battery ) Our fingers didn't find the center instinctively while typing and tended to get stuck at the rigid edges when sliding to the next key.

The keys fit tight and don't yield over the optical drive.( HP 6545B Battery ) The layout, with a large enter, shift and backspace key, is well-designed. Fujitsu has only squeezed in the arrow keys under the shift key and halved the size.( hp Compaq 8510W battery ) At least they are separated spatially by a gap. A standard sized number pad is available and facilitates entering numbers and calculator use.

The (Synaptics V7.2) touchpad is in a small cavity and makes a cheap impression with its clattery and loud keys (short key drop). ( hp Compaq CQ40 Battery ) The touch surface is sensitive up to its edges and relatively slippery (low resistance).( hp probook 4710s battery ) The multi-touch pad can be controlled by two fingers. Zooming or scrolling with two fingers is just as disabled as the horizontal and vertical scroll bar in the state of delivery (lower and right scroll bar, one finger use).



The Lifebook AH531's HD Ready screen has the resolution of 1366x768 pixels common for the laptop category. ( hp probook 4710s battery ) The screen (model: LG Philips LP156WH4-TLA1) is not AR coated. Thus users will have to struggle with reflections in unfavorable ambient light conditions. The glare type deceives the viewer's eyes and we experience brilliant colors despite the very poor contrast of 142:1. Nevertheless, ( Dell xps m1530 battery ) the display is adequate for the claims of a low-cost multimedia notebook.The HD screen's color spectrum is narrow. AdobeRGB (t) is clearly failed and the same is true for sRGB (t). We place the Sony Vaio EB4X(t) (third picture), a screen that absolutely covers sRGB,( ibm Thinkpad T61 Battery ) beside it for comparison with the Full HD screen.

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Deckeldesigner. ( akku Acer Aspire One ) Lenovo liefert mit dem IdeaPad Z370 ein 13 Zoll Subnotebook mit aktuellen Intel Core Prozessoren der zweiten Generation. Neben der Hardware hat man sich vor allem bei der Optik viel Mühe gegeben So verfügt das Notebook etwa über einen Displaydeckel mit 3D-Effekt. Alles nur Effekthascherei?

Mit dem IdeaPad Z370 bringt Lenovo ein kompaktes 13,3 Zoll Subnotebook auf den Markt.( Dell M1530 Akku ) Lenovo hat das IdeaPad Z370 nach dem Vorsatz „Hohe Eleganz ist nicht gleich hoher Preis“ entwickelt. Aber das IdeaPad Z370 soll nicht nur durch seine Optik punkten, aktuelle Intel Prozessoren mit Sandy Bridge Architektur sollen für genügend Rechenleistung sorgen. Die Liste reicht bis zu einem aktuellen Core i7 und einer 1 TB Festplatte.( akku Apple A1175 ) In unserem Test sehen wir uns das Modell mit dem Intel Core i5-2410M und 750 GB großer Festplatte an. Zudem sind zahlreiche Sonderfunktionen mit an Bord. So spendiert Lenovo dem IdeaPad Z370 unter anderem OneKey Recovery, OneKey Theater oder die Rapid Boot Technologie.( Akku Dell 6400 ) Ob diese Programme einen wirklichen Mehrwert für den Benutzer bringen, wird sich zeigen.

Schon am Werbetext von Lenovo spürt man,( Akku Apple A1185 ) dass beim IdeaPad Z370 viel Wert auf die Optik gelegt wurde. Alleine beim Displaydeckel hat man sich sehr viel Mühe gegeben. So wurden hier ein Transparenz-, Metallic- und ein 3D-Effekt eingebaut. Unter der Oberfläche befindet sich ein Muster aus kleinen Quadraten, das je nach Blickrichtung mehr oder weniger sichtbar ist. Es handelt sich bei dem Ganzen zwar um einen netten Effekt, aber dadurch besitzt der Deckel auch wieder eine glatte, glänzende Oberfläche. ( Sony VGP-BPS2 akku ) Diese ist wiederum sehr anfällig für Fingerabdrücke und Kratzer. Ein Reinigungstuch wird also empfohlen. Bei Druck gibt der Displaydeckel leicht nach und auch gegen Verwindungen ist das Display nicht gefeit - allerdings traten dabei keine Farbverfälschungen auf. Die Scharniere sind nicht besonders straff eingestellt.( Akku Acer 5920G ) Dadurch kann man das Notebook zwar bequem mit einer Hand öffnen, ohne dass die Baseunit mit nach oben gezogen wird, bei Bewegungen wippt das Display aber deutlich nach.

Klappt man das Display hoch, erblickt man eine Aluminiumoberfläche, (Akku VGP-BPS13b/q )die sich über den gesamten Innenraum erstreckt. Über die Farbgebung bei der Oberfläche lässt sich zwar streiten - bei unserem Testmuster besitzt sie etwa eine leichte rosa Tönung - dafür ist sie aber resistent gegen Fingerabdrücke und fühlt sich zudem noch gut an. ( HP Compaq CQ42 akku ) Die Handballenauflagen sind sehr druckresistent und geben auch bei größerem,( Akku Compaq presario CQ60 ) punktuellem Druck kein Stück nach. Auch die linke Seite der Tastatur erwies sich als ausgesprochen stabil. Diese Stabilität nahm aber, je weiter man sich in Richtung optisches Laufwerk bewegt, deutlich ab. Direkt über dem Laufwerk lässt sich die Tastatur um ein paar Millimeter eindrücken. Auch an der hinteren Kante, also über dem Akkufach, lässt sich die Oberfläche ein paar Millimeter eindrücken.

Die Verarbeitungsqualität des Notebooks macht insgesamt einen sehr soliden Eindruck.( akku VGP-BPS9A/S ) Positiv überrascht hat uns die aus Aluminium bestehende Handballenauflage. Die Spaltmaße sind größtenteils sehr gleichmäßig, einzig links und rechts der Tastatur konnten wir geringe Unterschiede feststellen. Aufwerten lässt sich das IdeaPad Z370 über eine große Klappe auf der Rückseite. Hier gewährt Lenovo dem Benutzer viel Spielraum. ( Sony VGP-BPS13a/q Akku )Wer möchte, könnte theoretisch sogar den Prozessor austauschen.

Lenovo hat leider auf die schnellen USB 3.0 Schnittstellen verzichtet. Insgesamt bietet das Notebook stattdessen drei USB 2.0 Anschlüsse. Bei einem handelt es sich um einen kombinierten USB 2.0 /E-SATA Anschluss. ( acer aspire 7740 Akku ) Die Anschlüsse sind weitestgehend so angeordnet, dass sie den Benutzer nicht zu sehr stören. Auf der rechten Seite des Notebooks sind kaum Anschlüsse vorhanden und die Anschlüsse die häufiger Verwendung finden (USB und Netzanschluß) sind nach hinten gewandert.(Akku sony VGP-BPS13/b ) Auf der linken Seite befindet sich leider der Großteil der Anschlüsse im vorderen Bereich, hier stören sie allerdings nicht so stark, da die meisten Benutzer die Maus eher auf der rechten Seite des Notebooks liegen haben. An der Rückseite befinden sich konstruktionsbedingt durch Akku und Display keine Anschlüsse.

An der Front befindet sich der 5-in-1 Kartenleser.( Acer Aspire 3680 akku ) Dieser versteht sich auf die Formate MMC, SD, Memory Stick (Pro) und xD-Card. Zum Schutz befindet sich hier bereits eine Dummy-Karte. Neben dem Einschub befindet sich noch ein kleiner Schalter, mit dem man die Funktechnologien ein- oder ausschalten kann.

Bei den Netzwerkverbindungen lässt das IdeaPad Z370 kaum Wünsche offen.( sony VGP-BPS13b/b Akku ) Um die WLAN Verbindungen kümmert sich eine Atheros AR9285 Wireless Network Adapter Karte. Diese versteht sich auf die Standards 802.11bg/b/g/n. Wer lieber Kabelgebunden ins Netz geht, kann auf den PCIe Family Controller von Realtek zurückgreifen. Allerdings liefert dieser nur die Geschwindigkeiten 10 MBit/s und 100 MBit/s. ( Akku sony VGP-BPS13B/S ) Gigabit Ethernet wird leider nicht unterstützt. Bluetooth ist ebenfalls mit an Bord, allerdings noch nicht 3.0, sonder noch in der 2.1 Version mit EDR.

Der Lieferumfang fällt nicht sehr üppig aus. Neben dem Notebook selbst, ( Akku Inspiron 9400 )dem Akku und dem Netzteil befindet sich noch etwas gedruckte Dokumentation und Garantiekarten in dem Karton. Auf Treiber- oder Wiederherstellungs DVDs wurde verzichtet.( Akku Aspire 5100 ) Die Wiederherstellung des Systems funktioniert über die OneKey Recovery Lösung. Diese kennen wir bereits aus früheren Lenovo Geräten und hat damals schon gut funktioniert.

Lenovo setzt bei der Tastatur auf eine AccuType Tastatur.( Latitude D630 Akku ) Im Grunde handelt es sich also um eine Tastatur mit freistehenden Tasten, auch genannt Chiclet Tastatur. Die einzelnen Tasten sind 15 x 15 Millimeter groß und leicht konisch. ( akku dell vostro 1710 )Das bedeutet, dass sie eine leichte Wölbung nach innen besitzen, was die Orientierung verbessern und die Treffsicherheit erhöhen soll. Aber auch ohne die Wölbung, sollte allein der Tastenabstand von 4 Millimetern für eine ausreichende Treffsicherheit sorgen.

Der knackige Anschlag der Tasten hat uns sehr gut gefallen und die Tasten vermitteln ein sehr angenehmes Schreibgefühl.( Sony VGP-BPS22A Akku ) Auch das Schreibgeräusch konnte überzeugen - es ist sehr unauffällig und leise. ( Akku VGP-BPS22 ) Im Kapitel Design haben wir die Stabilität der rechten Seite der Tastatur bemängelt, beim normalen Schreibbetrieb fällt dies aber kaum noch auf, lediglich beim Betätigen der Enter-Taste spürt man das Nachgeben noch ein wenig.

Über der Tastatur befindet sich noch eine Reihe an Sondertasten. ( Sony VGP-BPS8A Akku ) So findet man rechts über der Tastatur beispielsweise Tasten um die Audio-Lautstärke zu regeln. Diese sind als kapazitive Tasten ausgelegt,( Sony VGP-BPS8 Akku ) so dass ein Berühren der Taste ausreicht um den gewünschten Effekt auszulösen. Links über der Tastatur befindet sich der große Power-Knopf und der, zurecht sehr klein gehaltene, OneKey Recovery Knopf.

Lenovo spendiert dem IdeaPad Z370 ein Multitouch Touchpad mit einer Diagonalen von 95 Millimetern ( Akku VGP-BPS13A/B ) (42 Millimeter x 85 Millimeter). Das Touchpad selbst befindet sich in einer Vertiefung in der Handballenauflage, ( Sony VGP-BPS9A/B Akku ) wodurch die Grenzen des Pads klar definiert werden. Die Oberfläche des Touchpads wurde leicht angeraut und erhielt eine gepunktete Struktur. Das soll der Präzision des Touchpads zu Gute kommen. An der rechten Seite gibt es noch einen vertikalen Scrollbalken, der horizontale Scrollbereich ist standardmäßig deaktiviert. Multitouch funktionierte ebenfalls problemlos und ließ uns mit Leichtigkeit durch Dokumente und Webseiten scrollen oder Bilder vergrößern.( Sony VGP-BPS9 Akku ) Insgesamt lässt sich mit dem Touchpad sehr gut arbeiten.

Die beiden Maustasten wurden nach dem Vorbild einer Wippe gestaltet und bestehen aus einer großen Taste. （Sony VGP-BPS9/B Akku ） Der Hub der Tasten ist recht kurz ausgefallen, stört aber auch nicht weiter.（Sony VGP-BPS9/S Akku ） Auch mit den beiden Touchpadtasten lässt sich vernünftig arbeiten.

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The multi-touch screen reacts well and accurately to commands from a finger.( HP 8510w battery ) Control using a pen is not intended as with the Iconia Tab W500. The navigation around the Android 3.0 surfaces is smooth, and apps open quickly.( battery sony VGP-BPS9/B ) Using different themes for screens it is possible to organize the apps as wished. Important operating functions, such as the zooming of pictures using a double-click or by using two fingers works perfectly. The rotating of pictures in comparison doesn't work. The surface of the display has good traction properties and makes a robust impression,( Acer Aspire 4520 battery ) but is also very reflective. From time to time users should check the settings for apps that are no longer needed that may be running in the background. Should these become too many, then the reaction times become noticeably slower as a result.

The virtual keyboard is actually quite big, and more or less comparable with that of the iPad.( battery Dell inspiron 6400 ) Users won't have to plan for a lengthy familiarization since the operation is intuitive and in line with expectations.( battery dell Vostro 1520 ) Even longer emails can easily be written with it, although it doesn't come close to the conventional keyboard of a notebook. Frequent typists will unlikely find much gratification. At least for stationary use it is also possible to attach an external keyboard via USB or Bluetooth in order to solve this issue. We tested this with a Microsoft USB keyboard, and were able to use this immediately. ( VGP-BPS13B/B battery ) When clicking in a text field the virtual keyboard no longer opens in favor of external entry.

Since the first installment of Android tablets that we had for review last year, ( battery vostro 1510 ) there is a clearly noticeable improvement when it comes to the display qualities. Although there are still hardly any devices with a non-reflective display,( Sony VGP-BPS13/B battery ) the other characteristics are definitely worthy of praise.

Acer has included a 10.1" display in the Android Tab A500,( Dell Inspiron 1525 battery ) as with the Windows model Iconia Tab W500. This also has a smooth and reflective surface, although the display frame is not quite as wide. The resolution is 1280x800 pixels, with an aspect ratio of 16:10. Thus there is more room horizontally and vertically compared to the iPad.

The backlight provides a maximum of 305 cd/m²,( Dell Inspiron 1420 battery ) which is not quite as much as the current tablet competition, but still a significant improvement compared to the "first generation". ( Dell inspiron 1520 battery ) Together with the other 8 measurement points, the illumination lies at 79%, whereby 275 cd/m² are reached on average. The latter of which is more than enough for use indoors, and is strong enough to trump most reflections on the display surface. ( dell Inspiron 1720 Battery ) The uneven illumination is more than anything else the result of a reduction of brightness of more than 60 cd/m² from the left upper edge to the right bottom edge. When looking in detail this may not only be visible with monochrome backgrounds, but doesn't play a big role in practice in our opinion.

For outdoor use the illumination is no longer sufficient in order to trump the reflections, ( Vostro 1320 Battery ) causing these to become a limiting factor. In this case users will have to find a place in the shade, ( Dell Laptop Battery ) and sit with the right orientation to prevent surroundings appearing on the display as much as possible. Other competitors, including the iPad, have to contend with the same issues however, and due to the lack of alternatives with a matte display these have to be accepted.( VGP-BPS13A/S Battery )

The contrast ratio lies at over 1000:1, ( Sony VGP-BPS13A/S battery ) and thus provides very crisp colors for pictures, videos, and games. Deep blacks are otherwise seldom seen (exception AMOLED, see review of the Nexus S Smartphone). What is surprising is that a display like this has made it into a 500 Euro product, while more expensive notebooks in the business and consumer domain often only provide dull images.( Vostro 1310 battery ) At least manufacturers seem to have changed their thinking when it comes to tablets, something that will hopefully also transfer into the notebook space.

What is also surprisingly good is the viewing angle stability. ( dell vostro 1400 battery ) Images are visible from all angles, as they should be with a tablet. There is also no excessive color inversion or dulling of colors either.( dell Latitude D620 Battery ) Merely smaller color and brightness changes are discernible, depending on how the display is being held.

Viewing angles Acer Iconia Tab A500to top

As with the Toshiba Folio 100, ( Battery Acer Aspire 4710 ) Nvidia's multi-core processor Tegra 250 is used. Along with 2 (main) processing cores, there are also additional cores for all the special tasks. ( Acer Aspire One battery ) Underneath the processor there is also Nvidia's Gefore ULP, which is responsible for the graphics processing. With 1 GB of DDR2 RAM, and a 32 GB capacity flash memory chip, these are the primary components in the Acer Iconia Tab A500. The upgrade possibilities are merely an additional 32 GB with the appropriate MicroSD card.

Honeycomb Alternative! ( vgp-bps13b/s Battery ) Acer's tablet presence has so far been fairly restrained, but is beginning to gain more and more traction with every new model. The Iconia Tab A500 offers an Nvidia Tegra 250 multi-core CPU/GPU, 32 GB of memory, a high resolution WXGA display, ( ibm Thinkpad T61 Battery ) and the brand new Android 3.0 operating system. What can be expected from the slim 500 Euro device was tested by us.

As with the netbooks, ( Dell xps m1530 battery ) Acer appears to be approaching the booming market for tablets in a relatively casual manner. While several manufacturers have already experienced some flops with their quick releases, Acer has taken its time. This can actually only be good for the quality of the products, since this can provide for a good basis, whereby it is possible to learn from the mistakes of others. ( hp probook 4710s battery ) Since a few weeks there are now two new interesting devices in Acer's portfolio. The Iconia Tab W500, which runs Windows 7, AMD-Fusion, and an interesting docking concept. And the Iconia Tab A500 in our review, which despite of the similar name,( hp elitebook 8730p battery ) is equipped with an Nvidia Tegra 250 and runs the new Android 3.0, and thus ventures an entirely different way. Our tested model is currently available from about 490 Euros, and thus only lies a fraction below the RRP of 499 Euros.

Inaccurate manufacturingThe case of the Iconia Tab A500 has stylish similarities with the Iconia Tab W500. The aluminum look on the back, chrome colored operating buttons, and the large black display frame with the WXGA display.( hp Compaq CQ40 Battery ) The rigidity of the case is very good, the materials are solid, and the robustness of the surfaces is in line with the usual sensitive standard thanks to the glossy display. What's not so convincing is the precision of manufacturing. This may only become apparent when looking in detail, ( hp Compaq 8510W battery ) but the badly aligned components are certainly not beautiful.( HP 6545B Battery ) The iPad makes a generally high quality and robust impression in this case, thanks to the unibody case and the glass display surface.

The big advantage of our tested candidate compared to the previously tested W500, ( lenovo Thinkpad T60 Battery ) is the lighter weight of 750g, which is almost 200g less. Holding this without support is possible for a relatively long time,( ibm 40Y6795 ) whereby the lightness of the iPad 2 with 601g is not quite reached. The AC adapter is also very light with a further 120g, and can also be tucked away neatly thanks to the removable plug. More on the theme of cases can be read in our comparison of different tablets.

The available interfaces barely provide the standard sizes, but instead require micro-variants.( battery hp probook 4510s ) A regular USB 2.0 port is the exception to this. Otherwise there are Micro-USB (for connecting a hard drive to a PC for faster data transfer), ( battery HP Compaq 8510P ) Micro-HDMI, and a MicroSD card slot. Included in the delivery is merely a special USB cable, HDMI will have to be acquired separately.( battery Compaq CQ42 ) The important interfaces are located on the sides, and are easy to reach, with the exception of the Micro-SD slot with its fiddly cover. The latter of these appears to be more suitable for a permanent memory expansion in any case, ( battery vostro 1520 ) since the swapping of the small memory cards can become very fiddly due to the difficult to reach slots. The transfer of data is therefore better carried out via a cable or a USB stick. We were able to transfer pictures, videos, and music without problems using a USB stick, or data transfer cable from a PC and from an external hard drive. ( battery VGP-BPS13A/B ) Even videos could be played back directly from a USB stick. A simultaneous use of both of the USB ports is only possible with narrow USB cables, since the distance between the two is very close at 3 mm.

The big disadvantage of Android and iOs compared to Windows tablets,( battery sony VGP-BPS13 ) is the missing usability of common USB peripheral devices, such as DVB-T sticks, DVD drives, or UMTS sticks.( vgp-bps13/b battery ) In these cases it is either necessary to resort to expensive specialty solutions, such as for example Equinux` tizi DVB-T or WLAN hotspot for iOs, or to completely omit these options. What is also not exactly ideal is the long reaction time of 5s when switching on and off, ( battery sony VGP-BPS13 ) which is not possible with the usual short press. Changing this setting is also not possible.

For wireless communications there are WLAN 802.11 b/g/n and Bluetooth 2.1+ EDR available.( sony vgp-bps13b/s battery ) An additional GPS module supports the usual locating services. Variants of the A500 with UMTS are currently not available,( battery vgp-bps13b/b ) however, should be offered soon as with the W500.

The Iconia Tab A500 has 2 cameras,( sony vgp-bps13s battery ) just like most smartphones and in the meantime also the iPad. One 2 MP front camera for video telephony, and one 5 MP camera with autofocus and flash on the back for taking pictures. ( battery vgp-bps13as ) A comprehensive evaluation with a comparison to the competition can be found in our tablet comparison test.

The accessories for the Iconia Tab A500 are easy to oversee.( apple a1185 battery ) These primarily include a docking station with a remote control (LC.DCK0A.001) for about 70 Euros, and a special protective case which functions as a holder (LC.BAG0A.011) for about 35 Euros. The docking station provides a charge function, ( hp 452057-001 ) as well as an audio output, and a remote control although this is a matter of preference.

The manufacturer's warranty lasts for 1 year, ( battery sony vgp-bps13a/s ) and can be extended via different bolt on packages. It is for example possible to extend the warranty to 3 years bring-in + 1 year international travel insurance for 79 Euros,( sony vgp-bps13/s battery ) and 3 years bring-in + 3 years accident cover + 3 years international travel insurance for 99 Euros.