Toshiba Qosmio X305-Q725

If you're a closet gamer who hides behind a screen name and isn't the trash-talking type, the Toshiba Qosmio X305-Q725 ($2,699.99 direct) is probably not for you. Its outlandish design, which conjures up images of fiery balls of flames striking a bloody canvas, seems fit for those who crave bragging rights for their systems. Within this 9.2-pound beast sits a mobile quad-core processor and an Nvidia GeForce 9800M GTX graphics card—parts that will set you apart from casual gamers. Performance, overall, lived up to expectations, but there is a cheaper alternative that turned in better gaming scores.

Gaming laptops cater to different personalities. For a practical gamer who isn't obsessed with looks, something like the Gateway P-171XL FX would be a good fit. Gothic-loving gamers might prefer the LED-crazy Dell XPS M1730, while the Alienware M17's stylish and subtly classic design is calculated to appeal to a wide range of gamers. To say that the X305's fiery red design caters to colorful personalities is somewhat of an understatement. It's a daring design, just a pitchfork symbol short of something Satan himself would be proud of. Upon close inspection, you can actually see your reflection through the red flames.

The fiery theme extends to the interior, only in a darker red that surrounds the 17-inch screen, the area above the keyboard, and the speaker grilles. This Qosmio is devoid of color-shifting LED lights, like those for which the Dell M1730 is notorious. Because it takes numerous fans and heat sinks to cool the quad-core processor and the Nvidia graphics card, the X305 is thick, and its 9.2-pound frame is as heavy as that of the Gateway. At 9.4 pounds, the Alienware M17 is fractionally heavier, while the Dell M1730 is the back-breaker of the group at 10.7 pounds.

The 17-inch LCD widescreen is as large and as bright as the ones on the Alienware M17 and the Gateway P-171XL FX. The 1,680-by-1,050 screen resolution, however, is a feature Toshiba should have paid closer attention to, as both the Alienware and the Gateway laptops bundle screens with a resolution of 1,920 by 1,200 (1080p), which makes for substantially better viewing at a lower cost. The full-size keyboard is very much like the ones found in Toshiba's Satellite line—comfortable and pleasant to type on. Unlike in the Satellite line, the keyboard includes a numeric keypad to the right, ideal for entering serial codes and number crunching. Adding a keypad, though, aligns the touchpad further toward the left-hand side of the frame so that it's centered with the keyboard. In doing so, your left palm rests on top of a speaker grille, whereas the right palm has almost too much space.

Four speakers above and below the keyboard and a subwoofer underneath the X305 immerse you into a phenomenal surround-sound experience. Because of its size, the X305 can accommodate every single connectivity port that matters. There are four USB ports, one of which doubles as an eSATA port, for storage expansion. In the back sits a FireWire port, HDMI-out, VGA-out, and an Ethernet port. Toshiba is still recovering from the HD DVD debacle, so don't expect a Blu-ray drive anytime soon, but the unit does have a dual-layer DVD drive. Both the Dell M1730 and the Alienware 17 offer optional Blu-ray drives for those who wish to take their cinematic experience to the next level. Storage capacity is a differentiating feature in the X305. While the Alienware (160GB) and the Gateway (400GB) are bundling spinning drives only, the X305 gives you both a 320GB spinning drive and a 64GB solid-state drive (SSD), for a total for 384GB. The SSD drive is costly, which factors into the X305's price.

The X305 is one of two laptops that are the first to use a 2-GHz Intel Core 2 Quad Q9000 processor. The other is the Acer Aspire AS8930-7665 (check back soon for our review), a media center laptop. As a group, these mobile quad-core CPUs are less expensive than the mobile Extreme processors found on the Dell M1730 and the Gateway M-171XL FX, but their performance is as impressive. Aided by 4GB of DDR3 memory, the X305's video-encoding scores beat out the Gateway's by 35 percent and the Alienware M17's by 37 percent. On CineBench R10, its score pummeled the other two by margins of 63 percent and 70 percent, respectively.

The X305 has a clear advantage in overall performance over the Alienware M17 and the Gateway P-171XL FX. On gaming tests, however, it's a different story. The Nvidia GeForce 9800M GTX is a magnificent gaming card, but as a single card it was no match for the M17's dual ATI Radeon 3870 CrossFire graphics cards. At a low resolution (1,024 by 768), the quad-core processor couldn't help 3DMark 06 scores; the X305 trailed the M17 by 8 percent. On 3DMark 06 at native resolutions, the M17's higher resolution was enough to beat the X305's by 17 percent. Crysis benchmark scores favored the M17 as well, whereas there was more parity on World in Conflict tests. Unless you're an extreme gamer, however, these score deltas won't significantly affect your actual playing.

Against single-graphics-card systems like the Gateway P-171XL FX, the X305 shone brightly on my gaming tests. Keep in mind, though, that the X305 uses the most recent Nvidia GTX card, while the other two already will have had updated systems by the time you read this review.

With the amount of heat these parts generate, battery life is bound to suffer. The problem I have with the X305's battery life is that Toshiba didn't even bother putting in the biggest battery it could accommodate. The 58-Wh battery seems small considering that the Alienware M17 and the Gateway P-171XL FX are using 90-Wh batteries. Even though the Gateway scored only 1 hour 35 minutes on MobileMark 2007, the manufacturer's inclusion of a high-capacity battery shows at least an attempt to optimize battery life. The X305's 1:32 score deserves less sympathy because Toshiba should have put in a bigger battery, given the unit's higher price.

The fiery motif and daring colors may not appeal to everyone, but the parts inside should trump whatever doubts you may have about the design. The Toshiba Qosmio X305-Q725 has the fierce performance to go with the look, integrating one of the first Intel mobile quad-core processors and the most powerful Nvidia graphics card to date. Nonetheless, the Alienware M17 outperformed the X305 in a variety of gaming tests, at different resolutions and at a lower cost, which makes the M17 still the gaming laptop to beat.

HP Pavilion dv2 Review

Our HP Pavilion dv2 (dv2-1030us)

features the following specifications:
1.6GHz AMD Athlon Neo Processor MV-40
4GB PC2-6400 DDR2 SDRAM 666MHz (1 Dimm)
Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit with Service Pack 1
12.1" WXGA High-Definition HP LED BrightView Widescreen Display (1280x800)
320GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3410 Graphics (512MB)
802.11a/b/g/n wireless and Bluetooth
5-in-1 card reader
External Lightscribe SuperMulti 8x DVD+/-R/RW with Double Layer Support
6-Cell Li-ion battery
Dimensions: 11.50 in (L) x 9.45 in (D) x 0.93 in (min H) / 1.29 in (max. H)
Weight: 3.95 lbs (with 6-cell battery)
Price as configured: $749

Build and Design

The design of the Pavilion dv2 is brand new for HP and features the AMD "Yukon" platform designed specifically for ultrathin laptops. The body of the dv2 is smooth with rounded edges, making it extremely comfortable in your hand while carrying it around. The design is compact, but the overall footprint is almost as wide as a 13-inch notebook because of the bezel around the keyboard and screen. The screen also sports a latchless design, making it easy to open the notebook with one hand. Although the lid lacks any latch to keep it held shut, the hinges feel nice and strong, keeping the lid secure. Pressing firmly onto the back of the screen cover will produce some ripples on the screen ... but you must apply significant pressure to cause this.

What might look like a giant beefy hinge for the 12-inch display is actually a standard 6-cell battery with a small hinge on either side of this thin and light laptop. The plastic covered, alloy-reinforced lid features a glossy black finish that looks subtle and stylish and doesn't scream "LOOK AT ME!" the way that the HP Imprint Finish does on most HP Pavilion notebooks.
The magnesium-aluminum alloy chassis is quite rigid and suffers from no flex or creaks even when twisted between my hands. Granted, this is due to the fact that the dv2 is less than one inch thick ... meaning there isn't much empty space inside the notebook for anything to bend under pressure. Bottom line, this notebook can survive the use and abuse from students who will toss it into a backpack every day for several years in a row.

In terms of upgradeability, the dv2 is much easier to upgrade than most netbooks and even some notebooks currently on the market. One panel provides access to the single RAM slot and a place for a Gobi WWAN card (available on custom configurations starting in June). Another panel gives you access to the Wi-Fi/Bluetooth card, and a final panel contains the hard drive. Although the dv2 provides easy access for upgrades, you won't be able to add more RAM to this notebook since it comes maxed out with a 4GB RAM module.

Keyboard and Touchpad

Most low-priced, full-size notebooks currently on the market feature poorly built keyboards that show significant flex/bounce when typing pressure is applied. This isn't the case with the dv2 thanks in large part to the ultrathin chassis design. There simply isn't space inside the notebook for the keyboard to flex or bounce.

Each key press has the perfect amount of resistance with soft, quiet clicks. The keys are accurate and responsive and I enjoyed typing on this keyboard. The overall size of the keyboard looks virtually identical to what we've seen on other 12-inch notebooks from HP ... and that's a good thing. This keyboard is much nicer than what is featured on most netbooks. The keys are easy to read and are a good size ... except for the top row of Function keys which are a little too small and not particularly easy to press without hitting another key by mistake.

The touchpad is an ALPS model and feels very responsive with little lag. The entire touchpad surface is made of a high gloss plastic, and can sometimes be hard to use depending on how dry or oily your fingertip happens to be. The surface needs to collect some of your finger's natural oils to allow for easy movement on the touchpad. While the reflective touchpad surface looks cool HP probably would have been better off using the same type of textured touchpad surface used on the HP Pavilion tx2500 and TouchSmart tx2. The touchpad buttons are in a great location and are easy to control with your thumb. The buttons provide mild feedback with a shallow movement that gives an audible click when pressed.

Display

The 12.1" WXGA glossy widescreen display features LED backlighting and is bright and vibrant with excellent colors for viewing images or movies. Contrast seems a little better than what we've seen on the larger 14-inch screens on the HP Pavilion dv4, but blacks aren't quite as deep as we would like to see. The 1280 x 800 resolution is significantly more than what you get on the average netbook screen and is the perfect match for a 12-inch screen.
Viewing angles are average with limited vertical viewing angles that give you a sweet spot of +/- 15 degrees. Horizontal viewing angles are much better with colors staying true even out to very wide angles. Brightness levels are more than adequate for viewing in a bright office setting. Sunlight readability is limited, but as long as the sun isn't shining directly at the glossy screen the dv2 is perfectly usable outside on a table at a coffee shop.

Ports and Features

The HP Pavilion dv2 comes equipped with most of the ports you need, including three USB ports and a media card reader. While three USB ports might not sound like a lot, that's the same number of ports found on most 13-inch and 14-inch notebooks. The other thing to keep in mind is that the dv2 is between 0.93 and 1.29 inches thick. Some ultrathin notebooks like the Apple MacBook Air only have a single USB port. The really impressive thing to mention here is the addition of a HDMI port for connecting video and audio to an external monitor or HDTV.
We would have liked to see at least one USB/eSATA combo port and possibly even a docking station connector on this notebook, but given the ultrathin form factor and $750 price point we can forgive these omissions. One thing worth mentioning is that the HP website claims the dv2-1030us configuration of the dv2 doesn't include Bluetooth. However, our review unit does indeed include Bluetooth and several new dv2 owners in our discussion forums also report that the dv2-1030us inlcudes Bluetooth. That said, here's a quick tour of the sides:
Front: No ports, just indicator lights and the speakers.

Performance

HP offers the Pavilion dv2 with the new AMD Athlon Neo 64-bit processor. This single-core processor is bassically a scaled-down version of AMD's current 65nm notebook processors with a lower TDP (15 watts) which means this notebook shouldn't get as hot on your lap and should last a little longer on battery power. While the power consumption of the new Athlon Neo isn't as low as the Intel Atom, it's clear from our synthetic benchmarks that the 1.6GHz AMD Athon Neo is faster than the 1.6GHz Intel Atom. Likewise, the processor inside the dv2 can encode video or run Photoshop filters in a fraction of the time it takes the Intel Atom processor to perform the same task.
The only time the Athlon Neo processor seemed noticeably slower than a low-voltage Intel Core 2 Duo processor was when we attempted to launch multiple applications at the same time. Multitasking in this way generally created a delay of a few seconds, but the delay was never severe enough to cause problems.
Not only does the dv2 run 64-bit Windows Vista with ease, but it's packed with a full 4GB of system RAM in a single DIMM module. That's four times the amount of RAM you get in a netbook! The 320GB Western Digital Scorpio Blue hard drive also gives you plenty of storage for a full entertainment library. As great as all that sounds, the big news with this laptop is the availability of discrete graphics thanks to the new ATI Radeon HD 3410 graphics and 512MB of dedicated memory.While it's true that a few netbooks (such as the ASUS N10) offer discrete graphics, the reality is that the Intel Atom platform lacks the muscle to truly take advantage of discrete graphics when playing games ... at least based on the netbooks we've reviewed so far. Our own lab tests confirm that Atom-based netbooks with dedicated graphics cards only perform marginally better than Atom-based netbooks with integrated graphics when playing games. This is yet another reason that the dv2 should be labeled as a notebook rather than a netbook. For the first time ever consumers have a low-cost ultra-portable that offers flawless 1080p video playback and can even play many 3D video games at reasonable frame rates!
The dv2 was able to play Bioshock at 1280 x 800 resolution at 12-30 frames per second with detail settings at medium and at 24-40fps with detail settings at low. Likewise, the dv2 can handle Unreal Tournament III at 1280 x 800 and keep frame rates in the low to mid 30s. A newer title like Left 4 Dead only managaes an average of around 26fps, but that's still pretty impressive. Notebooks equipped with Intel integrated graphics just can't handle games like that.
The dv2 is at least several hundred dollars less expensive than other thin and light 12-inch notebooks that offer similar or superior processor performance and lower quality graphics, so it's hard to find serious fault with the dv2 in the performance department

Sony Vaio VGN-Z11WN/B

Sony isn't shy about charging premium prices for its laptops, and the cost of the ultra-portable Vaio VGN-Z11WN/B is fairly eye-watering, at about £1,500. To justify this level of expense, the laptop needs to be truly superb. Fortunately, it is.
DesignThe Z11WN/B has a carbon-fibre casing, which makes for a light, yet strong, chassis. It's an ultra-portable, weighing just 1.5kg. There's no clasp to hold the upper and lower sections together in transit, though. To be safe, you should use a carrying pouch or ensure the machine has its own pocket in your travel bag.
The Z11WN/B measures 31.4cm by 21cm by 3.3cm. This rather large footprint (for an ultra-portable) is due to the display.
This laptop's screen simply bowled us over. It's a 13.1-inch unit with LED backlighting and Sony's X-Black image-enhancing technology. The screen's surface is semi-reflective, which we much prefer to the over-reflective screens on some other laptops.
Even better is the 1,600x900-pixel native resolution. This widescreen 16:9 aspect ratio means it's easy to work with two document windows open side by side.
Ultra-portables need to strike a balance between portability and screen size. We think Sony has got it just right with this laptop.
The Z11WN/B shares some key design elements with its recent stablemates, including the cylindrical hinge, one end of which houses the on/off switch and the other the power input. The hinge gives the system a distinctive look and, when the laptop is powered up, the on/off switch area is attractively backlit.
Another design element shared with other Vaios is the Apple-like keyboard. The keys protrude from a backplate made from a single sheet of aluminium that runs down the wrist rest and into the front of the casing. This forms what Sony calls an 'isolation keyboard'. The keys are well spaced -- indeed, touch typists with smaller hands may find they are too far apart. The keys give good feedback and feel well-built, though.

The wrist-rest area houses a large touchpad. Although it takes almost two full sweeps to move the cursor right across the screen, we like the wide-aspect touchpad. It has vertical and horizontal scrolling built into the bottom and right edges, and, underneath, there's a pair of wide mouse buttons flanking a fingerprint scanner.
To the right, above the row of function keys, is an eject button for the optical drive caddy. It's unusual to find a physical button for this task, and we're not sure why Sony bothered with it, particularly as there's a button on the caddy itself.
Above and to the left of the function keys are buttons marked 'S1' and 'S2'. These can be configured to launch applications of your choice. By default, one switches between display types (normal, mirror and extended desktop), while the other opens up a 'Vaio guide' that walks you through using the laptop.

Features

There are several Z-series models, including one with a 128GB solid-state drive. You can further configure some of the models, altering their hard-drive size and other components, should you choose to.
Our review sample had a 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo P8600 processor and the maximum 4GB of RAM installed. The operating system is Windows Vista Business with Service Pack 1, but the box includes an install CD for Windows XP Professional with Service Pack 2, should you wish to downgrade.
The graphics sub-system is a dual-mode affair, comprising a discrete Nvidia GeForce 9300M GS GPU with 256MB of dedicated video memory and the integrated GMA 4500MHD module in the Intel GM45 Express chipset. A slider button on the keyboard area lets you switch between 'stamina' (integrated) and 'speed' (discrete) modes, depending on whether you need to conserve battery life or maximise graphics performance respectively.
As befits an ultra-portable aimed at mobile professionals, communications features are exemplary. Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g and Draft-N) and Bluetooth are present, as expected, along with Gigabit Ethernet and a V.92 modem. More excitingly, the Z11WN/B also has integrated 3G/HSDPA connectivity (up to 7.2Mbps download) courtesy of T-Mobile. You get a 30-day trial of T-Mobile's service, so you can judge whether it's for you.

Performance

Because the Z11WN/B supports stamina (integrated graphics) and speed (discrete graphics) modes, we ran the Windows Experience Index twice. In both modes 'processor' (calculations per second) and 'primary hard disk' (disk data-transfer rate) scored 5.3, while 'RAM' (memory operations per second) scored 5.9. All Windows Experience Index scores are out of 5.9.
In speed mode, 'gaming graphics' (3D business and gaming graphics performance) scored 5.1, and 'graphics' (desktop performance for Windows Aero) 4.4. In stamina mode, gaming graphics dropped to 3.8 and graphics to 4.1. Overall, performance -- especially in speed mode -- is excellent.
Sony rates the system's li-ion battery life at 4.5 hours in speed mode and just under 5.5 hours in stamina mode. We ran two battery tests, in each case asking the laptop to play a DVD movie continuously from a full battery charge under the Vaio Optimized power scheme.
In stamina mode we got just under 2.5 hours, while in speed mode the system managed just over 2 hours.
Although these are reasonable battery-life figures, you're not going to get a day's work done on battery power, especially if you're a heavy user of Wi-Fi or HSDPA when on the move. You may, therefore, want to consider buying the optional extended battery, which costs roughly an extra £160.

Conclusion

The Sony Vaio VGN-Z11WN/B is beautifully designed and reassuringly robust. It marries a decently sized 13.1-inch screen with good portability, and has the advantage of integrated 3G/HSDPA support. There are some downsides, though, including a meagre two USB ports. It's also packed with pre-installed software, such as Skype and Google Earth, much of which is eminently removable.

Acer TravelMate 8100

Acer TravelMate 8100

Wider screen. Sleeker case. Easier upgrades. The Acer TravelMate 8100 offers several advantages over its predecessor, last year's impressive TravelMate 8000, which the company is still selling. The 8100 weighs about the same--6.4 pounds including an integrated DVD burner--yet boasts an impressively large 15.4-inch wide-aspect screen for working on documents side by side more easily. (The native 1680-by-1050-pixel resolution renders screen elements slightly small but crisp and perfectly readable.)

The unit slopes to a slim 1.3 inches in front, and the lower case is slightly deeper than the closed screen to protect it from bumps and to leave exposed the front ports. Those connections include microphone and headphone jacks in addition to a five-in-one card reader and handy Bluetooth and Wi-Fi buttons that both control wireless communications and serve as glowing status indicators. Three of the four USB 2.0 ports now sit on the right side of the case instead of the left, a welcome change for right-handed folks like me.

The 8100 is fully user upgradable: You can access both RAM slots, and although the hard drive does not slide out of the side (as it does on the 8000), it's still easy to reach in a compartment on the bottom. Also, the 8100's battery pops off the rear, not out of a bottom bay--another small improvement.

The 8100 isn't superior to the 8000 in every way: For example, its battery life was actually slightly lower than that of its older sibling: The 8100 lasted a little over 4 hours on one charge in our tests, about a half hour shorter than the TravelMate 8000 we tested last year. Still, that's well above average.

On our test bench, the 8100 performed well, doing better than its sibling. It pulled down a WorldBench 5 score of 94 (compared with the 8000's score of 89), about what I would expect from a 2-GHz Pentium M 760-equipped laptop loaded with 1GB of RAM. (A Toshiba Portégé S100 with the same processor but only half the RAM earned a score of 83.)

Although Acer advertises the 8100 as its mainstream laptop, it's loaded, with a capital L. It has a removable right-side double-layer DVD burner that swaps out for a second hard drive or a second battery, it has a FireWire port, and it offers three ways to connect an external monitor (via VGA, S-Video, and DVI-D). Those who prefer key cards to fingerprint readers for thwarting break-ins at the BIOS, password, and file levels will appreciate the 8100's smart card slot, stacked atop a standard PC Card slot on the left side of the case. You get two cards with your purchase, including one that can be set up as a one-time-use emergency card. (After that, you have to return the laptop to a dealer for resetting, which is one reason I slightly favor a biometric security solution.)

The TravelMate's ergonomic keyboard curves 5 degrees upward on the ends so you end up positioning your elbows in a way that experts say helps prevent carpal tunnel syndrome. It's an acquired taste. Besides that, I like everything else about the keyboard, including its short, hard 2.7-millimeter key depression (rather than the standard 3mm) and handy set of four user-programmable shortcut buttons.

Acer includes some nice software extras. For instance, the proprietary power management utility makes it extremely easy to specify customized power schemes, including whether the FireWire port and wireless scanning are enabled. Acer's GridVista, based on Dritek System's utility for dragging and dropping applications into preset windows on the extrawide screen, looked worthwhile, but I couldn't get it to work on our unit.

The only area in which the 8100 stumbles is entertainment. Letterboxed DVD movies looked fine on the wide-aspect screen, but sound from the front-mounted stereo speakers was too faint. Hardware volume control is limited to annoying combination keystrokes. Looking up information in the user manuals could be simpler, too. The Acrobat manual preinstalled on the hard drive is more detailed than the basic printed manual, but it has no index. At first, I thought that it also lacked a contents page, but that page simply turned out not to be bookmarked.

Upshot: Except for slightly shorter battery life, the TravelMate 8100 is a better machine than the 8000, which translates into sleek, powerful, well-equipped portable computing for a commensurate $2299.

Dell Inspiron 6000

Dell Inspiron 6000

You can see more on the Dell Inspiron 6000's wide screen than on most other 15.4-inch displays thanks to its WUXGA resolution of 1920 by 1200 pixels. In fact, you can work with higher-resolution photographs, more spreadsheet columns, and more tiled documents simultaneously on the Inspiron 6000 than you can on some 17-inch wide screens. (The Inspiron 6000 is also available with a 1280-by-800-pixel WXGA screen or a 1680-by-1050-pixel WSXGA+ screen for $150 less or $50 less, respectively.)

This 6000 has a lot more going for it than just its extra-high-resolution screen. We didn't test the 6000's standard six-cell battery; but we did test the nine-cell battery (a $99 option), and it lasted an impressive 5 hours and 7 minutes on one charge, making the 6000 an excellent candidate for the road--if you don't mind its 7.5-pound weight (sans power adapter). An extra-fancy external power gauge helps you keep track of when you'll need to recharge.

The Inspiron 6000 is a smoothly designed, handsome laptop with a sloped front and cream-colored trim. Our unit had a multiformat DVD burner, plus FireWire and TV-out ports and four USB 2.0 ports, all placed for easy use. The 6000 accepts user upgrades easily. Like many laptops, it has two memory slots located in a compartment on the bottom of the laptop. But instead of residing in dovetailed slots, the modules lie side by side--an unusual arrangement that makes them more accessible than most. The hard drive is a breeze to remove, too: Just unscrew its bottom panel and tug the drive out through the right side of the case. Though the optical drive doesn't have a lever for popping it out, you can boost it out by its lower edge after removing a security screw on the bottom of the case.

The 6000 disappointed us in only a few areas. We missed having an external switch for controlling Wi-Fi scanning (you have to use a software utility instead). And the 6000's memory card reader accepts only Secure Digital cards for exchanging data with PDAs, cameras, and other digital equipment, leaving Memory Sticks, CompactFlash cards, and other media incompatible.

Our biggest reservation, however, relates to the Inspiron's keyboard. The layout is typical of a Dell portable--well designed and roomy--except that is buried in a cluster of -size keys. Two big, easy-to-press mouse buttons complement the touchpad. But the keys on our test unit were so stiff initially that we had to type forcefully. As we continued to type, the keyboard seemed to limber up, and we made fewer mistakes. But we still felt that we had to type more carefully than usual, not a good omen for a long-term relationship with a keyboard. If possible, try out the keyboard before buying.

You'll like the 6000's panel of dedicated CD controls and its surprisingly good stereo sound. (Only one other model in our roundup, the Fujitsu LifeBook N6010, offered better audio.) There's no instant-on button for playing discs without using Windows, but you can play CDs while the lid is closed, because the music buttons and speaker outlets remain exposed. Pressing one of the buttons momentarily lights the entire music panel's bright blue LEDs, a helpful feature in dark environments.

The 2-GHz Pentium M 760-equipped review unit did well in our speed tests, earning a WorldBench 5 score of 89, about 8 percent above the average for systems equipped with the same processor.

An Acrobat manual on the hard drive covers the 6000 thoroughly, right down to coverage of how to install new screen hinges and a new keyboard.

Upshot: With its extra-high-resolution screen and terrific built-in speakers, the Inspiron 6000 would be ideal for getting work done or watching movies.

Sys Technology Freestyle M7500

Sys Technology Freestyle M7500

Don't have thousands of dollars to spend on an entertainment notebook decked out with a 17-inch wide screen, TV tuner, and subwoofer? If you can live with its rough edges, the Sys Technology Freestyle M7500 makes a reasonable substitute. This 6.8-pound (sans power adapter) notebook packs a bright 15.4-inch wide-screen LCD, decent stereo speakers, a handheld remote control, and CyberLink's PowerCinema entertainment center software package--all for $1395.

The best knockoff of the Windows XP Media Center 2005 operating system I've seen yet, PowerCinema closely resembles the real thing with its blue-hued main menu. But because it's a quick-boot Linux-based application, it lets notebooks operate as movie, music, video, and slide-show players without sucking up as much battery power as Windows does.

Without turning on the notebook, you can launch PowerCinema from the M7500's keyboard or remote control. I had no trouble moving between and controlling entertainment applications. You don't even have to go through the PowerCinema main menu for some activities; just press the quick-launch button for the appropriate application in the upper right keyboard; these double as PowerCinema hot buttons for when you want to watch a movie, listen to MP3 files, or manage digital photos. Audio CDs require a separate player that you must launch from the PowerCinema menu, unfortunately.

Nicely designed overall, the M7500 is the first notebook I've seen with a front USB 2.0 port--an excellent feature. The notebook's microphone and headphone ports conveniently appear on the front of the case, too, next to separate LED buttons for controlling and monitoring the status of Bluetooth and Wi-Fi wireless communications. Two other USB ports and a four-in-one card reader sit on the right side of the case, while a DVD burner occupies the left.

I liked the keyboard's feel and layout, which includes a roomy touchpad and a four-way scroll button.

Dell Inspiron XPS GEN 2

Dell Inspiron XPS GEN 2

Since launching TrustedReviews I've looked at quite a few gaming notebooks, some of them good, some of them not so good. I've looked at mobile gaming solutions from hardcore players like Voodoo and Alienware, as well as lightning fast machines from the likes of Rock and MV. But sitting before me right now is, without a doubt, the best gaming notebook I have ever got my hands on, and it's not from any of the companies mentioned above - no, amazing as it sounds, the best mobile gaming solution I've seen comes from Dell.

In case you didn't know, XPS is Dell's gaming brand and TrustedReviews has previously looked at a desktop XPS machine that was fast, well built but very expensive. The Inspiron XPS Gen 2 follows the same path as its desktop sibling - it looks great, has a very high-end spec and has a solid and well built feel to it.

Before I get into the internal components of the XPS, let me cover the aesthetics of the machine itself. An unfortunate aspect of the latest mobile graphics chipsets, is that there are very few notebook chassis that can handle the power and heat that is produced. As a result, most of the machines I've looked at lately are based on the same Clevo chassis, or more recently a slightly different Clevo chassis. However, Dell has not just jumped on the same bandwagon as everyone else, and although the XPS is far from being small or light, it does look great.

The lid of the XPS is finished in silver and black, with the centre section sporting a metallic ribbed finish, with the Dell logo in the middle. But it's the XPS logos down either side that really enhance the look - when the notebook is powered on, these logos glow. When I took the machine out of the box the logos were set to glow blue, but the user can define the colour of each logo and create a custom look. In true Max Power style, there are also glowing lights at the front of the machine and either side - in some ways it reminds me of a modded Citroën Saxo with "underglow", but despite the definite leaning in the chav direction, I can't help but think that the XPS 2 looks cool.

Open up the XPS and things just get better - you're instantly greeted by a 17in widescreen display, with a high contrast gloss coating. The coating makes both games and movies look so much better, and although you do have to put up with a more reflective screen, I find that a small price to pay. But it's not just the size and the coating that make this screen so impressive, it's also the resolution. The 17in display in the XPS sports a native resolution of 1,920 x 1,200 - this gives you an amazing amount of desktop real estate and makes working at the XPS almost as enjoyable as gaming. What's really amazing is that you'd be looking at a 23in desktop screen costing around £1,000 to emulate this resolution.

Compaq NX6125

Compaq NX6125

The no-nonsense, AMD-powered HP Compaq nx6125 should be particularly interest small businesses. It has an all-black case, weighs under 6 pounds, and costs just $1245, including two layers of security beyond Windows passwords. The first layer is a biometric fingerprint reader, embedded in the lower right palm rest; the second is a Smart Card reader option. The latter works in combination with an optional ExpressCard/54 slot ($69 extra), which you can order in place of the PC Card slot.

In addition to its fixed DVD burner and full set of connections (including FireWire and TV-out ports), the nx6125 has a six-in-one media card reader. The reader's location front and center makes popping cards in and out easy. Another handy extra: it conveniently labels the card types it accepts (namely, everything but CompactFlash) on top of the case and next to the slots.

The nx6125's audio sounds surprisingly good for such an inexpensive laptop, and the notebook's dedicated volume buttons are easy to adjust. The sensibly laid-out keyboard features highly legible blue-and-white lettering, a touchpad with scroll zone, and ridged mouse buttons. A handful of shortcut buttons above the keyboard add creature comforts: One launches your favorite application with a customized power setting; another provides a collection of shortcuts to various HP utilities. A wireless communications button combines control for Bluetooth and Wi-Fi--both are either on or off. Separate buttons would have been nice, but one is better than none.

The nx6125's 3.4-hour battery life is about average. HP says that you can more than double your battery life by snapping its optional $129 eight-cell travel battery onto the bottom of the notebook.

We haven't tested any other notebook equipped with a 2.2-GHz Turion 64 ML-40 CPU and 1GB of RAM. The closest configurations we've seen--a Compaq Presario M2000 and an Acer Ferrari that were equipped with the 1.8-GHz Turion 64 ML-34 chip--earned scores of 73 and 85, respectively. The nx6125 posted a score of 81, indicating that it is plenty fast for most applications.

To upgrade the notebook's memory to its 2GB maximum, you'd simply unscrew the bottom panel to reach the two slots. A bottom connector accepts either HP's $179 basic docking station, which adds a few additional ports (DVI, serial, and parallel), or the $279 advanced docking station, which compensates for the nx6125's lack of a modular bay by providing an enclosure for a second optical drive or second hard drive.

My only beefs are minor. The nx6125's 15-inch screen seemed a tad dull, and I missed having a USB port on the right side of the case. That said, I was pleasantly impressed with the nx6125's Getting Started printed booklet; a thorough electronic manual complements the booklet.

Upshot: This basic black business laptop offers extra security for a reasonable price.

Compaq Presario M2000Z

Compaq Presario M2000Z

Above-average audio highlights the Compaq Presario M2000Z, a boxy AMD processor-based laptop that sells for just over $1300. Like most Compaq notebooks, the M2000Z's case colors are the ubiquitous black and silver, but its unusual grooved base looks cool and gives it extra traction. Well equipped for its price, the M2000Z conveniently places a fixed double-layer DVD burner, a seven-in-one card reader, and two of its three USB ports on the right side of the case. Front audio jacks make plugging in headphones a snap. Left-side connections include an expansion port for HP's versatile $249 xb2000 notebook stand, which is a great addition due to the fine set of built-in Harman Kardon speakers, and an internal bay that can accommodate a 160GB hard drive. (With the M2000Z's maximum internal drive size of 100GB--our review unit had an 80GB--maximum storage comes to an impressive 260GB.) The xb2000 stand also includes composite and S-Video outputs, plus three additional USB 2.0 ports.

Three buttons atop the keyboard next to the Wi-Fi switch do a nice job of controlling volume, which pours from speaker outlets that wrap around the front corners. The other features I liked most about this laptop are the battery life --almost 5 hours in our tests--and the comfortable typing slant, both of which owe thanks the extra-cost 12-cell rear battery (a $25 upgrade from the standard 6-cell unit).

On the performance bench, the 1.8-GHz AMD Turion 64 ML-34-equipped M2000Z pulled down a WorldBench 5 score of 73. That's more than adequate for general use, but it is slower than many of the Intel-equipped notebooks we've looked at recently. The M2000Z's light gray keyboard offers a top-shelf layout plus an extrawide touchpad. The notebook is user upgradable, with the hard drive and two memory slots residing beneath their own grooved bottom panels held in by a couple of small screws each.

Topping it all off is a nice Acrobat manual with an especially useful contents page that breaks out each view of the laptop (left side, right side, and so on). Too bad it's buried in the Windows Help and Support Center.

Upshot: At $1314, the DVD burner-equipped Compaq Presario M2000Z is a nicely priced home laptop with a bonus: very long battery life.

Lenovo Thinkpad R52

Lenovo Thinkpad R52

IBM updates the processor but not much else with the ThinkPad R52, its latest entry into its R line of laptops. A thicker version of the thin-and-light T line, the R52 is virtually the same 7-pound corporate laptop as last year's R model, only faster and with a couple of new connections, including the new ExpressCard slot, which takes the place of a second PC Card slot.

The $1749 R52 offers dual pointing devices: a well-behaved touchpad and a comfortably squishy stick embedded in the keyboard, each equipped with its own deep-depressing mouse buttons. The keyboard is firm and quiet, topped by a launch button for IBM's excellent animated manual and a handy set of volume-control buttons; unfortunately, audio from the front-mounted speakers is not especially robust.

A squarish unit with a gently beveled front, the R52 offers most of its connections on the left side, with a parallel port for legacy peripherals as the sole rear connection. Unlike with the T line, a FireWire port is included for fast video downloads. The modular right bay can accommodate any one of three devices: an optical drive such as the combination DVD-ROM/CD-RW drive in our test unit (a DVD burner is available for $299), a second battery, or a second hard drive. A pop-out tab release built into each device lets you swap it in and out using one hand. The unit's hard drive and memory are user upgradable, although only one DIMM slot is accessible.

No wide-screen wonder, our review R52 came with a sensible 14.1-inch screen capable of a native 1024-by-768-pixel resolution (models with 15-inch screens at 1024 by 768 or 1400 by 1050 are also available). The screen has one thing most others don't, though: the tiny ThinkLight LED embedded in the top edge to illuminate the keyboard in dark environments. The ThinkLight may not be IBM's most exciting invention, but I find it quite useful.

On our benchmark tests, the 1.73-GHz Pentium M 740-equipped R52 performed like the typical 1.7-GHz/600-MHz Pentium M laptop. The R52 earned a WorldBench 5 score of 77 compared with our average of 78 for notebooks using the slightly less powerful processor. Battery life was a solid 3.5 hours.

Upshot: If you've been waiting for an IBM ThinkPad R51 with improvements, you'll like the R52, a very similar black business laptop with a slightly faster processor.

Toshiba Satellite M55-S325

Toshiba Satellite M55-S325

Let's start with what's right about the Satellite M-55. It weighs just 5.1 pounds (sans power adapter) and has a bright 14-inch wide screen that I could open on a cramped airline tray. The laptop's TruBrite technology supposedly makes the screen easier to read at an angle, though I couldn't detect much difference between the M55-S325 and the non-TruBrite Toshiba Tecra A5--its almost identical business counterpart. Both looked great head-on and were a little harder to read from the sides.

The M55-S325 has almost all of the features I care about as a consumer, including a DVD burner and plenty of USB 2.0 ports--four in all, including two on the right side of the case where I prefer them. The notebook also supplies a FireWire port for downloading digital video from a camcorder, a TV-out port for linking to a big external screen, and a five-in-one memory card reader. The main disappointment here is the machine's lack of built-in support for CompactFlash cards, which my camera uses.

The removable 100GB hard drive is a stunningly roomy, and you get an empty memory slot for future upgrading. A 512MB chip is sealed beneath the keyboard--not ideal but something I could live with. Bluetooth is not an option, but the notebook is Wi-Fi ready and has an on/off switch on the front.

The touchpad buttons were too small and too close to the edge of the case for me to use comfortably. Each time I tried to depress a button, my thumb struck the case, too. Using an external mouse is an option, but that's not a tradeoff I'd willingly make, especially since I'd expect to use this notebook outside the office a lot. So, while tempted, I would probably pass on this otherwise terrific little wide screen.

The M55-S325's CD/DVD button saves battery life (it held out for 3 hours, 8 minutes in our tests) by powering up just the optical drive when playing CDs and DVDs. A full set of media buttons appear in a panel running down the right side of the keyboard; these let me easily stop, pause, and move forward and backward through CD tracks and movie chapters. My full-screen version of Master and Commander looked and sounded pretty good. The M55-S325 lacks a subwoofer for boosting bass tones, but its audio was above average thanks to the Harman/Kardon speakers located in a prominent panel that runs the length of the bottom screen frame. The headphone port and a volume wheel lie within easy reach on the front of the case.

The M55-S325 earned a WorldBench 5 score of 78, so it should be able to handle any mainstream application fine. The only one other notebook with the 1.73-GHz Pentium M 740 processor we've tested was Toshiba's Satellite M45-S351, which ambled to a score of 69.

This notebook has so much going for it--topped off by a good Acrobat manual and the Microsoft Works application bundle--that dismissing it for one poorly implemented feature seems almost unfair, but there you have it.

Upshot: Generous storage, great weight, and screen and eye-catching lid can't overcome this notebook's cramped mouse buttons.

Toshiba Tecra A5-S416

Toshiba Tecra A5-S416

The Toshiba Tecra A5-S416 is the sensible shoe of notebooks. The business version of the $1349 Toshiba Satellite M55-S325, it's equipped with a slower 1.6-GHz Pentium M 730 processor, a CD burner (instead of a DVD burner), a 40GB (instead of 100GB) hard drive, pitifully weak sound, and boring case colors.

The A5-S416 has the same grave shortcoming as the M55-S325: a keyboard that's easy to type on but has such small, close-to-the-edge mouse buttons that I couldn't use them without also striking the case with my thumb. That gets old quickly.

Instead of including a CD/DVD autoplay button for playing music and watching movies, the A5-S416 has a presentation button for switching to an external monitor. It does match its more exciting consumer version in weight (5.1 pounds), display (a bright 14-inch wide screen), and connections (four USB 2.0 ports, a FireWire port, a TV-out port, and a five-in-one card reader).It also has Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and a bottom docking connection for Toshiba's $179 Advanced Port Replicator III, which adds DVI, parallel, and serial ports.

The A5's battery life of 3:05 in our tests was a pretty good. Its speed should be adequate for undemanding applications. The A5's WorldBench 5 score of 74 places it in the company of other notebooks with a 1.6-GHz Pentium M processor and 512MB of system memory. Despite its faults, the A5-S416 is pretty impressive for a $1049 notebook (not including productivity applications).

Upshot: Cramped mouse buttons torpedo this otherwise reasonably well-designed business-oriented laptop.