Reviews

Netgear GA311 PCI Gigabit Ethernet Adapter

Friday, August 22nd, 2008 | Networking (LAN), Reviews | Comments

The Netgear GA311 boosts network speed tenfold compared Fast Ethernet. The Netgear Gigabit Ethernet adapter puts your local network on steroids, and only using a standard PCI connector. The Netgear GA311 Gigabit Ethernet adapter enables higher speeds and faster transfers over local networks, allowing videos to be played almost as though they were on the same computer.

Networking is the lifeblood of the everyday computer. 10 years ago an isolated computer was just the norm, but now modern computers rely heavily on networks, usually the Internet, for almost all aspects of computing.

For computers on a local network, where information is often stored on separate storage media like Network Attached Storage devices, the speed of the local network makes a big difference when it comes to watching videos over the network, or listening to music, or just about anything that moves a lot (or a little) data over the network.

Older computers typically utilized a Fast Ethernet adapter, meaning it could handle up to 100Mb/s of data transfer. This is still the standard, but faster is better, and the Netgear GA311 helps with that.

The Netgear Gigabit Ethernet adapter transfers data at up to 1000Mb/s, or around 1GB in 10 seconds. The Netgear GA311 is perfect for older computer that attach to faster networks. It does need to be combined with other components that also handle Gigabit speeds, so the routers and other components also need this.

For $25 this is an easy way to make a home network that much more seemless.

Tags: , ,

Lenovo IdeaPad Y510 Laptop Computer with Intel Core2 Duo

Wednesday, June 18th, 2008 | Laptop and Notebook Computer Reviews, Reviews | Comments

This laptop computer review item goes for just under $1000, the Lenovo IdeaPad Y510 offers a well-rounded package with fairly high performance processor, decent sized screen and enough extras to keep most users happy. Ahead with the notebook computer review.

The screen is a around 14 inches and offers 1280 x 800 screen resolution. I always find this a little disappointing. The screen resolution doesn’t allow much more than a standard amount of desktop space, that is to say it will fit a document or a webpage, but struggle to fit both. I suppose that’s reasonable for the size, but even if the text is small, I like to be able to fit two windows comfortable beside each other. On the other hand, I do use a 1280 width monitor for work and it’s usually enough.

The dual-core processor gives a bit of punch, and allows multiple programs to be run simultaneously, whilst the load is spread over the two cores.

Here are some of the main specs for the Lenovo IdeaPad Y510:

  • Intel Centrino Core2 Duo
  • 3GB of memory
  • 250GB hard drive
  • DVD writer
  • Windows Vista Home
  • 3 USB ports
  • Wireless 802.11b/g/n
  • Fast Ethernet
  • Up to 4 hours battery life

A major plus is the amount of memory and hard drive space. 250GB of hard drive space is enough to store plenty of photos, songs and videos. 3GB of memory gives a lot of memory for Windows Vista to play around with. Windows Vista needs at least 1GB and this gives it more than it needs.

Wireless connectivity supports up to 300Mb/s, faster than most internet connections. The Ethernet port only supports up to 100Mb/s, which is a little strange, because the wired networks usually support much faster speeds than the wireless. However, there are probably more fast wireless networks around than Gigabit wired networks.

At a tad under 3kg, this is not a light notebook, but makes up for the extra weight with a full house of features. Add to these Lenovo’s VeriFace security software, which verifies users by their facial features and you get a very capable machine quite worthy to be a desktop replacement laptop.

Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Acer Aspire Refurbished Notebook PC with AMD Turion 64 X2 Dual-Core Processor

Tuesday, June 17th, 2008 | Laptop and Notebook Computer Reviews, Reviews | Comments

This notebook computer review is for an Acer computer for just under $600 and offers a lot of features for a fully-featured laptop. AMD Turion 64 X2 processor offers a lot of processing power without sucking too much power. A 15.4″ screen gives ample viewing area. 2.0 GB of memory allows Windows Vista to operate well, and 160 GB hard drive and DVD burner give plenty of options for storing lots of data.

Personally, I love litte, ultraportable computers. That’s probably because I do the vast majority of my work at a desktop and have little need for a regular laptop. However, modern laptops have improved so much that they provide more than enough power for what most users require. My five year old desktop computer still does everything I want it to do, and laptops now do better, for even less than what I originally paid.

This Acer Aspire does give what’s necessary to be a desktop replacement notebook. Here are some of the main features:

  • 1.9GHz AMD Turion 64 X3 Dual-Core processor
  • 15.4″ wide screen (1280 x 800)
  • 2.0 GB of DDR2 memory (supports up to 4.0 GB)
  • 160 GB hard drive
  • DVD writer
  • Media reader
  • Gigabit Ethernet
  • Wi-Fi (b/g)

This is a refurbished notebook though, so you get a computer that has been used before, but fixed up. With all the features I would still say that this is a good bet and offers everything necessary to be a desktop replacement computer.

Tags: , , , , , ,

Asus Eee PC 4G Surf with Wireless, 512 MB RAM and 4 GB SSD

Saturday, May 31st, 2008 | Laptop and Notebook Computer Reviews, Reviews | Comments

Little computers are becoming very popular, or so it would seem with the amount of hype around mini-sized laptops recently. There are plenty of notebook computer reviews and laptop computer reviews on these little guys, so I’ll add my opinion to the mix.

The Eee PC from Asus is heading up this movement to smaller, more portable computers, that tend to fit somewhere between a laptop, which is meant to cover as a full-time computer, and a PDA with a traditional operating system.

The Surf model has a few more features than the standard Eee PC.

Here are some of the features:

  • 7″ screen
  • 2 pounds
  • 3 USB ports
  • 1 VGA port
  • Audio out / Mic in
  • Intel Mobile CPU
  • 512 MB RAM
  • 4 GB solid state drive
  • 10/100 Mb/s LAN
  • Wireless connectivity (up to 54 Mb/s)

Personally I have quite an affinity for these little PCs. They offer everything that most people would want from a computer nowadays. Network connections are taken care of thanks to wireless and wired networking support.

The advantages of this computer lie mostly in it’s size and portability. It’s extremely light, and extremely small, not small enough for a pocket, but small enough to fit in a briefcase. The built-in operating system offers a web browser, document editors, messaging, media player and other standard software.

The downsides also have to do with reduced sizes. You’ll need an extra monitor and keyboard for prolonged use. The screen is too small for extended work, and the keyboard is not full-sized like a regular keyboard, it’s around 83% the size, which will make big hands feel cramped. The hard drive is only 4 GB, so no storage of DVDs. Linux OS is harder to upgrade. Although a new OS can be installed if you like, either Windows or another flavor of Linux.

Basically, I really like it. The best part is the price, it is cheap. It is functional and performs specific tasks very well. It lacks in power and storage space, but you can pay more for an 8 GB model or wait till more powerful ones are released in the future.

Tags: , , , , , ,

Gateway Intel Core2 Duo 1.8 GHz Desktop Computer

Monday, December 17th, 2007 | Desktop Computer Reviews, Reviews | Comments

Gateway Intel Core2 Duo 1.8 GHz desktop computerA powerful Core2 Duo processor, 320 GB hard drive and 1 GB of memory give this cheap desktop computer enough power for even the most demanding office uses.

Core2 Duo is not really a hot topic anymore, but the advantages are still there, and the maturity of the Core2 Duo line of processors means that lower speed versions are now available for greatly reduced prices.

In a nutshell, dual core processors like the Intel Core2 Duo offer two little “brains” inside the CPU allowing work load to be spread amongst the two cores, allowing much more efficient processing of information, and therefore, better performance.

Here are some of the other notable features:

  • 1.8 GHz Intel Core2 Duo processor
  • 1 GB of system memory
  • 320 GB hard drive
  • PCIe x16 expansion slot
  • PCIe x1 expansion slot
  • Two PCI expansion slots
  • Six USB slots
  • On-board audio
  • Memory card port
  • DVD burner
  • Windows Vista Home Premium included

Windows Vista is included in this package, which means that you will not have to install your own operating system unless you really want to. A retail version of Vista can cost a few hundred bucks, so this is a good saving.

Lots of memory is a necessity when running any version of Windows Vista and this Gateway desktop computer comes with 1 GB of DDR2 memory, which is the recommended amount for Vista. It won’t just benefit Vista though. More memory allows more programs to remain within system memory, speeding up system responsiveness and allowing programs to run faster, and allowing more programs to be run at the same time.

There is a host of the usual suspects for system expansion. There are six USB ports, there is a DVD burner, which is a nice extra and one that more system makers should go for as the difference in price between a DVD burner and a normal CD drive is getting so small that is just wastes consumers time having to upgrade, when it should just be standard. There is a flash media reader that will read a range of flash-based media cards. It can read: CompactFlash, MicroDrive, MemoryStick, MemoryStick Pro, xD, SmartMedia, MultiMedia and SecureDigital memory cards. There are also two USB ports in the same media drive. The drive is located on the front panel at the top.

Storage is great, with 320 GB being able to hold around 30 DVD movies assuming movies are about 8 GB each and that you still need a bit of space for other stuff on the computer.

Expansion options are also a great plus. PCIe x16 allows upgrading to the latest and fastest graphics cards, some of which can cost more than this desktop computer does. There is a further PCIe x1 slot for system expansion, as well as two PCI slots for any cards that need to be transfered from older computers.

There is nothing lacking in this cheap desktop computer. Some possible upgrades might include a RAID array for storage, but otherwise all other needs are taken care of. A well-rounded package with enough expansion options for any extras. Add a 17 or 19 inch monitor and it becomes a great all round package.

« Previous Entries

Stats