Laptops Arena

HP notebooks generally have a very good reputation. The HP manufacturer is very well known for producing the Pavilion line, a series of laptop from small to big which can cover quite a lot of consumer needs all over the world. Aside from the Pavilion line which made HP notebooks famous, we do have the ProBook and the EliteBook series of business laptops that can cover from small to extra large companies.

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With a starting price of $899 and the total price of this configuration at $1099, the HP ProBook 4710s is surely one of the most affordable business laptops that money can buy. Surprisingly, this business laptop comes with a 17 inch display which can prove to be very useful in the office. The unit is powered by a 2.53 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo P8700 processor and 4 GB of RAM. The total storage capacity of the hard drive is 320 GB and the graphics card is the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4330 with 512 MB of video memory. The 17.3 inch display is quite a beauty. It has a native resolution of 1600 x 900 pixels and it provides us with great brightness and contrast levels as well as beautiful and sharp colors. The horizontal viewing angles are good. The speakers on the other hand need a lot of work. The sound quality on the ProBook 4710s is very poor and even with the volume turned to maximum, you can barely hear some sounds. On the other hand, the location of the speakers is great. Since they are placed right above the keyboard, the sound is projected straight up.

The keyboard is fully sized and it provides quite a lot of space between the keys. The flat keys really reminded us of the ones found on the Apple MacBook. There is also a dedicated numerical pad and some flex registered when you type on these keys. The touchpad is very responsive for a notebook this cheap. The left and right touchpad buttons are easy to press using your thumbs. As for the selection of ports and features, the unit comes with 4 USB ports, one modem port (hidden by a rubber flap), a VGA out, a HDMI port, an Ethernet port, an Express Card slot, a multi format media card reader, a Kensington lock slot and the regular headphones out and microphone in jacks.



I think that battery life is not very important when you are dealing with a 17 inch notebook which is not meant for portability anyway. In fact, battery life is most of the time lousy when it comes to desktop replacements. However, with the display brightness set to 70%, the wireless card activated and with the laptop set to “HP Optimized” mode, you can squeeze about 3 hours and 35 minutes of battery life. Quite a good performance for a 17 inch notebook, especially is you consider the fact that you can save some battery life by lowering the brightness of the display and setting the Windows power management profile to “power saver”.

In our days, a laptop has become a very practical accessory. If you are a business man or you simply want to have access to technology every time, you certainly have to be the proud owner of a notebook. For those people who want to buy a very powerful and high-quality laptop, we have gathered the top 10 notebook computers which are currently available on the market at the present time. These models belong to the most popular manufacturers, like Apple, Alienware, Dell, Sony, HP, Toshiba and Lenovo.

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The first laptop that we have to mention in this top 10 notebook computers is the HP Pavilion dv5t. This notebook is designated for those multimedia fans which have a low or medium budget. The Dv5t model comes with an Intel Core 2 Duo, 4 GB of DDR2 RAM memory, nVidia GeForce Go and Windows Vista Home Premium.

It has a 15.4 inch WSXGA+ display with a native resolution of 1680 x 1050 pixels and HD (720p) support. Also, it comes with a 320 GB (SATA 5400 RPM) hard drive, a Blu-Ray and supports Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.0.

Another fantastic notebook which is worth mentioning in this top is the Alienware Area-51 m15x. This notebook is designated for gamers and was launched, at a price of $3600. It has a 15.4 inch WUXGA display with HD support and a native resolution of 1920 x 1200 pixels.

Being a gaming notebook, it comes with an Intel Core 2 Extreme X9000 2.8 GHz processor and 2 GB of DDR2 RAM memory. To keep up with the most demanding games, it has an nVidia GeForce 8800M GTX 512 MB graphics card, Windows Vista Home Premium and a 200 GB (Serial ATA 7200 RPM) hard drive.  Besides all these, the Alienware Area-51 m15x comes with a DVD-Burner, card reader, HDMI port and Bluetooth 2.0.

The Sony Vaio FZ is also one of the best notebooks on the market. It is quite a very powerful device at an affordable price. It has a 15.4 inch WXGA display with a native resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels and HD (720p) support.

For running multi-tasks without any lag, it comes equipped with an Intel Core 2 Duo T8100 2.1 GHz and 4 GB of DDR2 RAM memory. In standard configuration it comes with an nVidia GeForce 8400M GT graphics card, preinstalled  Windows  Vista Ultimate, a 300 GB (Serial ATA 4200 RPM) hard drive, Blu-Ray and 2-in-1 card reader. For connectivity it has 3 USB ports, a FireWire port, an Ethernet port, a HDMI port, a VGA port, an S-video port and headphones and microphones jacks.

From the Dell manufacturer, we have chosen the Dell XPS M1530. Because the notebook’s prices are in a continuous decrease, the Dell XPS M1530 comes with a price of only $1900. For this price you will get a powerful device with a 15.4 inch WUXGA display with a native resolution of 1920 x 1200 pixels, an Intel Core 2 Duo T9300 2.5 GHz processor and 3 GB of DDR2 RAM memory.

Equipped with an nVidia GeForce 8600M GT graphics card and a 320 GB (SATA 5400 RPM) hard drive, you will be capable to play a lot of games without malfunctions. Other included features are DVD Writer, Card Reader, Bluetooth 2.0, Mobile BroadBand, a HDMI port, a VGA out port and USB 2.0.

We are at the middle of our top 10 notebook computers with a star in this ranking, the Apple MacBook Pro, available at a price of $2100 – $2500, depending on what configuration you choose. In standard configuration, this notebook comes equipped with a 15.4 inch WXGA display with a native resolution of 1440 x 900 pixels and HD support.

The processor is  Intel Core 2 Duo T8300 2.4 GHz, 2 GB of DDR2 RAM memory, an nVidia GeForce 8600 GT graphics card, a 200 GB hard drive and preinstalled Mac OS x.  Other features are the DVD Writer, an Express Card slot, two USB ports, a FireWire port and a DVI-out port.

The Toshiba Qosmio F55, even if it is considered a low-end laptop, it is definitely worth mentioning in our top. The most attractive feature at this laptop is that it has a 15.4 inch display and a GPS sensor. It comes equipped with an Intel Core 2 Duo processor, an integrated nVidia GeForce 9700M GTS graphics card, and 2 GB of RAM memory. On the specification list, it has a preinstalled Windows Vista Home Premium operating system, eSATA ports and HDMI-CEC ports.

Another “fresh” notebook is the Dell Studio 15, available at a price of $1600. This device is equipped with a 15.4 inch WUXGA display with a native resolution of 1920 x 1200 pixels, an Intel Core 2 Duo T930 2.6 GHz processor and 3 GB of RAM memory.

The integrated graphics card is an ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3450 and the hard drive has a capacity of 320 GB of free space. In addition, the Studio 15 has a Blu-Ray optical drive, a card reader, HDMI support, a VGA port, a FireWire port, USB 2.0, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

With a price of only $1000, the Toshiba Satellite A305 promises to be another phenomenal notebook made by Toshiba. It comes with a classic 15.4 inch WXGA display with HD support and a native resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels, an Intel Core 2 Duo T5750 2.0 GHz processor, 4 GB of RAM memory, a 320 GB hard drive and an ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3470 graphics card.  For connectivity, it comes with a card reader, USB, FireWire, S-Video, VGA, Wi-Fi and HDMI-CEC.

In January 2008, the Lenovo Company has launched the IdeaPad Y510 model, a laptop which impresses people by being one of the most powerful Lenovo notebooks. Available at a price of $1000, it comes equipped with a 15.4 inch WXGA display with a native resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels, an Intel Core 2 Duo T5550 1.83 GHz processor and 4 GB of RAM memory. It also comes with an integrated nVidia GeForce 8600M GT graphics card and a 250 GB hard drive.

For the end of our top 10 notebook computers, we choose an older notebook model, the Sony Vaio NR. Even if this notebook was launched in November 2007, it has proven to be the perfect unit at that time.

Anyway, available at a price of $1050, it is equipped with a 15.4 inch WXGA display with a native resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels, an Intel Core 2 Duo T5550 1.83 processor, 2 GB of RAM memory, a 250 GB hard drive and an integrated Intel GMA X3100 graphics card. Whether you choose an ideal laptop for gamers or the most powerful "multimedia monster" any laptop from this top would be a road companion. With prices between $1000 and $2000+, these models are affordable for most customers.

The ProBook 4310s is one budget HP notebook laptop which offers good specs for the price. The unit is based on a 2.1 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T6750 processor and 2 GB of DDR3 RAM. The graphics card is the integrated Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500 MHD. The total storage capacity of the hard drive is 320 GB. The price of the unit configured in this review is $779.

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The ProBook 4310s is that HP notebook laptop which can make a great choice from small to medium business. The 13.3 inch display comes with a native resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels and it shows some of the most beautiful and sharp colors you will ever see on a 13.3 inch laptop. The horizontal viewing angles are some of the best and if you want to gather some friends around the display and show them that new PowerPoint presentation you have been working on. As far as the speakers on the HP ProBook 4310s go, the sound quality is impeccably considering the size and price of the unit. The integrated speakers could fill a conference room, even if it is better that you get a set of external speakers.

The keyboard of the HP ProBook 4310s is stretched all the way to the edges and it makes the laptop look smaller than it really is. The style of the keys is very similar to that of the Apple MacBook as the keys are designed in the chiclet style. There is a bit of flex registered is the keyboard area but nothing to worry about. The touchpad feels very nice to the touch and it is also very responsive.

The left and right touchpad buttons are easy to press using your thumbs. Let us see if the selection of ports and features is satisfying enough on this 13.3 inch laptop. The unit hosts 3 USB ports, one Kensington lock slot, one HDMI port, one VGA out, the Ethernet port, the modem port, the multi format media card reader and the regular headphones out and microphone in jacks.

This laptop model comes with 2 different batteries, a 4 cell battery and an 8 cell battery. Even with the 4 cell battery you will achieve good scores when it comes to battery life performance. With the screen brightness set to 70%, the wireless card activated and the Windows Vista power management profile set to “balanced mode”, the laptop managed to stay on for 4 hours and 10 minutes.

I think the performance is quite good for a 4 cell battery and I’m guessing you could get much better performance with the 8 cell battery. For a 13.3 inch ultraportable, this HP model can offer some pretty good performance and decent battery life. The keyboard and the touchpad both feel nice and they also work well. The built in quality may not be the best but it’s ok if we compare it to other 13 inch laptop models, this HP ProBook manages to deliver exactly what you paid for.

The HP HDX 18 notebook is one unit which surely manages to impress everyone. It is one of the most powerful, stylish and expensive units that HP has ever launched on the market. It has the looks and the power to be considered one of the best desktop replacements that money could ever buy. The 18t is one HP HDX 18 notebook that delivers good performance for the money that you pay so a quick look though what this baby can do should be enough to convince everyone.

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This unit is based on a 2.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T9600 processor and some 4 GB of RAM. The graphics card is the nVidia GeForce 9600M GT with 512 MB of video memory (DDR3 to be more precise). The total storage capacity of the hard disks is 320 GB as we have 2 x 160 GB.

This unit is about to cost you about $2000 - $2100 which can be considered quite a spicy price by some people. With 17.17" x 11.26" 1.33-1.72" in dimensions and 8.92 lbs. in weight you can surely understand why this notebook is considered to be a desktop replacement.

The selection of ports and features was unlikely to be poor on an 18 inch laptop which is as huge and powerful as the HP HDX 18. The unit hosts 3 USB ports plus one eSATA and USB combo port, an Express Card slot, a VGA out, a HDMI port, a docking station connector, a 5-in-1 media card reader and 2 headphones out and one microphone in jack.

Since the unit also comes with a Blu-ray optical drive, the HDMI port is excellent news because you can now connect a HD TV to your unit and enjoy some great quality movies on a bigger display. Now it’s time for the popcorn to start popping and for you to invite your friends for a weekend movie marathon as the HP HDX 18 notebook supports you multimedia needs perfectly. Oh, did I mention that the laptop also comes with a built in TV tuner? This means that if you were planning to buy a small TV for one of your rooms, the HDX 18 has got you covered and there is no need to invest in a TV anymore.

The 18 inch display is without any doubt one of the most beautiful you will ever see on a desktop replacement. Since it offers full HD resolution the display supports 1920 x 1080 pixels. The horizontal viewing angles are great and you can even enjoy movies on the display of the HDX and only attach a HD TV when you have a lot of friends for visit. The colors are beautiful, sharp and vibrating due to the HP BrightView technology used.

I never expected to get more than 2 hours of battery life out of this unit especially with the demanding components which are located inside. The HP HDX 18 notebook manages however to deliver 3 hours and 10 minutes of battery life under the “high performance” power management profile and with the display brightness set all the way up to the maximum level, with the wireless card turned on and while surfing the internet. Quite amazing I might add.

Even if a notebook cooling pad is considered to be an accessory by most people, it is in fact more of a necessity. As we have explained in some of our past articles, an overheated notebook can be a serious problem as the heat generated without proper ventilation is what causes the components inside to get damaged. This is why a notebook cooling pad should owned by everyone that has a laptop as it is going to help you extend the life of your unit by properly ventilating the components inside.

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In this article we are going to show you some notebook cooling pad and shortly present their features and maybe we can convince you that it’s small price to pay in order to get a long living laptop. I keep hearing nothing but positive things about the Belkin laptop cooling pad. The price is as low as $30 so buying this notebook cooling pad is not exactly going to make a hole in your budget.

The shape and dimensions of this cooling pad make it easy to still use the unit on your lap. There is a gentle slope with improves you typing comforts and it also reduced wrist strain.  Thanks to the dimensions, the unit also fits into your laptop bag so you can take with you wherever you think it is necessary.

It can be connected to your notebook via one of the available USB ports and it takes its power from there which means you don’t have to mess around with any other cables except the USB one. The grips pads are going to prevent your notebook from slipping.

For about $35 you can buy the Thermapak HeatShift Cooling Pad which is available in different sizes, including the 17 inch model. When you first the HeatShift, you can tell that it is a bit different than what you usually see in laptop cooling pads. Inside this Thermapak you can find the phase changing material which is a crystal compound essential for the cooling process.

These crystals are the ones that absorb the heat inside the laptop and the grooved channels are used to blow the air away from the unit. This notebook cooling pad is special and different because it does not use the traditional air fans which are normally used in laptop cooling pads.

Due to its construction, this notebook cooling pad is very easy to roll up and just place it anywhere you like. It is highly transportable since it can be folded. The bottom of the pad has some rough plastic material which helps keep the pad together with the laptop into one place when you put it on the desk. You can but this cooling pad even if you have a 17 inch laptop.

Even if it does not use the conventional technology, it still manages to keep the whole surface of the laptop cool. There is no additional power necessary and this cooling pad is also environmentally friendly. It is very easy to maintain and it has an ultra slim design which increases its portability.