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Bài 1: laptop
A Ream of Features in Computers the Size of a Memo Pad
By THOMAS J. FITZGERALD
Published: May 26, 2005
Most of the attention in notebook computing has been on full-size models, the hefty laptops with 15- or 17-inch screens that can replace desktop units. But a spate of new ultraportable notebooks have also recently emerged, in the category often called subnotebooks or ultralight laptops.
These much smaller notebooks have screens of 12.1 inches or less and are compact enough to use in cramped places like airplanes. They are also light enough, in the range of two to four pounds, to tote for extended periods without much strain.
The new models include features like built-in optical drives with DVD burners, improved battery life, fingerprint readers and new processors. Wi-Fi wireless networking is a standard feature.
For a very small notebook, the Libretto U100 from Toshiba ($2,099; www.toshibadirect.com) lives up to its name, which in Italian means little book. Its screen measures only 7.2 inches diagonally, and its dimensions are trim: 8.27 inches wide, 1.31 inches thick and 6.5 inches deep.
Despite its small footprint, the Libretto comes with significant computing power and features. It has a 1.2-gigahertz Pentium M processor, a 60-gigabyte hard drive, built-in Bluetooth and a fingerprint reader for additional security. The unit is light, at just over two pounds, and it includes a dock with an optical drive that both records and plays DVD's and CD's.
A tradeoff on the Libretto, however, is its small keyboard. The keys are much smaller than normal and close together, which can slow typing significantly. I made many typos while typing quickly in a word processor, and I had to keep looking down at the keys to find my way.
Another tradeoff is the small display. At the device's highest resolution, 1,280 pixels by 768 pixels, I had to move closer to the screen to see what I was typing. But the screen's clarity and brightness are strong, bolstered with an L.E.D. backlight, and the 1,280-by-768 resolution allows much content to fit within view.
On the other end of the size spectrum, the Asus W5A ($1,649; www.asus.com), comes with a 12.1-inch screen, a 1.73-gigahertz Pentium M processor and a full-size keyboard. The device weighs about four pounds, and as with the Libretto, the display is a wide screen using the WXGA standard (for example, compared with conventional screens, you see more columns on a spreadsheet). The W5A has a built-in 1.3-megapixel Web camera and optical drive with a DVD player and CD-RW.
As with a few of the other new models, the W5A includes Intel's new generation of Centrino technology, which brings some speed and graphics enhancements, but no major improvements specifically for ultraportables. It has a white exterior of carbon fiber, and three U.S.B. ports - one in the back and one on each side. But the W5A is somewhat larger and heavier than most units with 12.1-inch screens.
A new model from Sony, expected to be available in early June, is the Vaio T350 (starting at $2,200; www.sonystyle.com). More compact than the W5A but larger than the Libretto, the new Vaio includes a wide screen that measures 10.6 inches diagonally, and a keyboard slightly below full size. It includes a 1.2-gigahertz Pentium M processor, one with lower voltage and less battery drain, and a built-in optical drive that records and plays DVD's and CD's.
The main new feature of the T350 is Internet access through a built-in wireless modem and subscription service from Cingular. Three plans are offered, from $50 to $80 a month, and each enables Internet access from within the Cingular Edge network, a high-speed wireless data service available in the most populated areas of the country. Typical connection speeds are 70 to 135 kilobits a second, and in tests it was easy to use the service. And with an included connectivity program called SmartWi, you can toggle between the Cingular connection, available Wi-Fi networks and Bluetooth-enabled devices within range.
An ultraportable from Sharp, the Actius MP30 ($1,617; www.sharpsystems.com), is compact and includes an Instant Play feature for watching DVD's and listening to audio CD's; when the computer is off, you push a button, insert a disc and movies or music run automatically without starting Windows.
The MP30 has a 10.4-inch screen, a 1.6-gigahertz Transmeta Efficeon processor and a file transfer feature that can be useful if you have more than one computer. It allows you to connect the MP30 to the U.S.B. port of any computer and transfer files to and from the MP30's hard drive as if it were a U.S.B. flash drive - all with the MP30 turned off.
Another consumer-oriented model is the Fujitsu LifeBook P7010 (starting at $1,599 with rebate; www.fujitsu.com), with a bay for adding an optical drive (which can record and play DVD's and CD's) or a second battery. Fujitsu estimates battery life at 7 hours, using power-saving tips like lowering screen brightness, and 10 hours with dual batteries. In my test, with screen brightness at full and two applications running, the built-in battery lasted 4 hours 14 minutes.
The P7010's 10.6-inch screen, a wide screen, has a glossier look, intended to enhance video and digital images. But the technique, included on some other models, gives off more glare around indoor lighting. The P7010 has an optional fingerprint reader, plus various ports and slots including FireWire, PC card, Secure Digital and Compact Flash.
Several of the new ultraportables are aimed at business users. Lenovo, which bought I.B.M.'s PC division, offers a new ultraportable ThinkPad, the X41 (starting at $1,899; www.thinkpad.com). It has a 12.1-inch screen and a large keyboard and is powered with a 1.5-gigahertz processor, giving it more speed than its predecessor, the X40. It includes a fingerprint reader for added security, and a useful disaster-recovery tool that runs on a hidden partition.
The Latitude X1 from Dell (starting at $1,499; www.dell.com) is also aimed at business users. It has a wide screen measuring 12.1 inches diagonally, a magnesium alloy exterior and weighs as little as 2.5 pounds, making the X1 the smallest and lightest Dell notebook ever, according to Dell. It has a good-size keyboard and a 1.1-gigahertz Pentium M processor that Intel calls "ultralow voltage" for less battery drain.
Hewlett-Packard, with its Compaq nc4200 (starting at $1,799; www.hp.com), offers faster processors, ranging from 1.73 to 2.0 gigahertz, and its layout includes dual pointing devices (a touchpad plus a point-stick in the center of the keyboard) and also good port placement with U.S.B. ports along the sides and back. It has a 12.1-inch screen and a large keyboard that I thought was the most comfortable among these three business models (with the most space to rest your palms).
With all the ultraportables, the laws of physics still have not changed, so the smaller you go, the more screen and keyboard space you will need to sacrifice. But if you like things small, the choices are getting larger.
Bài 1: laptop
A Ream of Features in Computers the Size of a Memo Pad
By THOMAS J. FITZGERALD
Published: May 26, 2005
Most of the attention in notebook computing has been on full-size models, the hefty laptops with 15- or 17-inch screens that can replace desktop units. But a spate of new ultraportable notebooks have also recently emerged, in the category often called subnotebooks or ultralight laptops.
These much smaller notebooks have screens of 12.1 inches or less and are compact enough to use in cramped places like airplanes. They are also light enough, in the range of two to four pounds, to tote for extended periods without much strain.
The new models include features like built-in optical drives with DVD burners, improved battery life, fingerprint readers and new processors. Wi-Fi wireless networking is a standard feature.
For a very small notebook, the Libretto U100 from Toshiba ($2,099; www.toshibadirect.com) lives up to its name, which in Italian means little book. Its screen measures only 7.2 inches diagonally, and its dimensions are trim: 8.27 inches wide, 1.31 inches thick and 6.5 inches deep.
Despite its small footprint, the Libretto comes with significant computing power and features. It has a 1.2-gigahertz Pentium M processor, a 60-gigabyte hard drive, built-in Bluetooth and a fingerprint reader for additional security. The unit is light, at just over two pounds, and it includes a dock with an optical drive that both records and plays DVD's and CD's.
A tradeoff on the Libretto, however, is its small keyboard. The keys are much smaller than normal and close together, which can slow typing significantly. I made many typos while typing quickly in a word processor, and I had to keep looking down at the keys to find my way.
Another tradeoff is the small display. At the device's highest resolution, 1,280 pixels by 768 pixels, I had to move closer to the screen to see what I was typing. But the screen's clarity and brightness are strong, bolstered with an L.E.D. backlight, and the 1,280-by-768 resolution allows much content to fit within view.
On the other end of the size spectrum, the Asus W5A ($1,649; www.asus.com), comes with a 12.1-inch screen, a 1.73-gigahertz Pentium M processor and a full-size keyboard. The device weighs about four pounds, and as with the Libretto, the display is a wide screen using the WXGA standard (for example, compared with conventional screens, you see more columns on a spreadsheet). The W5A has a built-in 1.3-megapixel Web camera and optical drive with a DVD player and CD-RW.
As with a few of the other new models, the W5A includes Intel's new generation of Centrino technology, which brings some speed and graphics enhancements, but no major improvements specifically for ultraportables. It has a white exterior of carbon fiber, and three U.S.B. ports - one in the back and one on each side. But the W5A is somewhat larger and heavier than most units with 12.1-inch screens.
A new model from Sony, expected to be available in early June, is the Vaio T350 (starting at $2,200; www.sonystyle.com). More compact than the W5A but larger than the Libretto, the new Vaio includes a wide screen that measures 10.6 inches diagonally, and a keyboard slightly below full size. It includes a 1.2-gigahertz Pentium M processor, one with lower voltage and less battery drain, and a built-in optical drive that records and plays DVD's and CD's.
The main new feature of the T350 is Internet access through a built-in wireless modem and subscription service from Cingular. Three plans are offered, from $50 to $80 a month, and each enables Internet access from within the Cingular Edge network, a high-speed wireless data service available in the most populated areas of the country. Typical connection speeds are 70 to 135 kilobits a second, and in tests it was easy to use the service. And with an included connectivity program called SmartWi, you can toggle between the Cingular connection, available Wi-Fi networks and Bluetooth-enabled devices within range.
An ultraportable from Sharp, the Actius MP30 ($1,617; www.sharpsystems.com), is compact and includes an Instant Play feature for watching DVD's and listening to audio CD's; when the computer is off, you push a button, insert a disc and movies or music run automatically without starting Windows.
The MP30 has a 10.4-inch screen, a 1.6-gigahertz Transmeta Efficeon processor and a file transfer feature that can be useful if you have more than one computer. It allows you to connect the MP30 to the U.S.B. port of any computer and transfer files to and from the MP30's hard drive as if it were a U.S.B. flash drive - all with the MP30 turned off.
Another consumer-oriented model is the Fujitsu LifeBook P7010 (starting at $1,599 with rebate; www.fujitsu.com), with a bay for adding an optical drive (which can record and play DVD's and CD's) or a second battery. Fujitsu estimates battery life at 7 hours, using power-saving tips like lowering screen brightness, and 10 hours with dual batteries. In my test, with screen brightness at full and two applications running, the built-in battery lasted 4 hours 14 minutes.
The P7010's 10.6-inch screen, a wide screen, has a glossier look, intended to enhance video and digital images. But the technique, included on some other models, gives off more glare around indoor lighting. The P7010 has an optional fingerprint reader, plus various ports and slots including FireWire, PC card, Secure Digital and Compact Flash.
Several of the new ultraportables are aimed at business users. Lenovo, which bought I.B.M.'s PC division, offers a new ultraportable ThinkPad, the X41 (starting at $1,899; www.thinkpad.com). It has a 12.1-inch screen and a large keyboard and is powered with a 1.5-gigahertz processor, giving it more speed than its predecessor, the X40. It includes a fingerprint reader for added security, and a useful disaster-recovery tool that runs on a hidden partition.
The Latitude X1 from Dell (starting at $1,499; www.dell.com) is also aimed at business users. It has a wide screen measuring 12.1 inches diagonally, a magnesium alloy exterior and weighs as little as 2.5 pounds, making the X1 the smallest and lightest Dell notebook ever, according to Dell. It has a good-size keyboard and a 1.1-gigahertz Pentium M processor that Intel calls "ultralow voltage" for less battery drain.
Hewlett-Packard, with its Compaq nc4200 (starting at $1,799; www.hp.com), offers faster processors, ranging from 1.73 to 2.0 gigahertz, and its layout includes dual pointing devices (a touchpad plus a point-stick in the center of the keyboard) and also good port placement with U.S.B. ports along the sides and back. It has a 12.1-inch screen and a large keyboard that I thought was the most comfortable among these three business models (with the most space to rest your palms).
With all the ultraportables, the laws of physics still have not changed, so the smaller you go, the more screen and keyboard space you will need to sacrifice. But if you like things small, the choices are getting larger.
