Laptops Arena

Apple laptop computers have a worldwide recognition of being the slimmest and with one of the most durable battery life seen in laptop computers. And let’s not get started about design, stylish, comfortable, slim and thin. It fits any laptop bag or case and it looks amazing when it’s taken out for a walk.

The newest family of Apple laptop computers is the MacBook. You have three sizes to choose from: 13” starting at a fairly price of $1199, the 15” at $1799 and the biggest 17” at $2299. And with all of them, you have the certainty that you get only the best. And don’t forget that Apple has its own operating system, especially designed for multimedia purpose.

So let’s take them by turn. For example Apple MacBook Pro has a 15.4” TFT screen, 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB of RAM installed, built-in 10/100/1000 BASE-T, Bluetooth and NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT graphics.  This Apple laptop computer is considered to be very smart and stylish. Includes multi-touch technology, allowing you to use the touchpad with both hands to enlarge images, adjust them or advance through. The processor is meant to reduce the power consumption and save up battery life. The screen is also environmental-friendly, as it does not contain mercury.

The laptop is made out of aluminum, the casing is sturdy and believe it or not it measures just 1” and weights 5.4 pounds, talk about portability! The keyboard is full-size and it is very easy to work with, keys are responsive and the built-in sensor light adjusts the screen’s brightness to fit any environment. The incorporated iSight video camera is perfect for starting video calls or even takes a few pictures



As I mentioned before, all Apple laptop computers have Apple Mac OS, which includes applications such as iPhoto, iMovie, Garageband and iTunes. All of these help you make your own videos, create songs and then load them up to the internet. The hard drive stores 200GB and you have an 8x combo Superdrive. Apple MacBook Air has a 13.3” glossy LED backlit screen, powered by a 1.6 Intel Core 2 Duo processor. The hard drive has 80GB storage and there are 2GB of RAM installed. The specifications here are smaller, as the laptop is smaller. But the operating system is the same and it has the same multimedia applications as the rest of the MacBook family. MacBook Air is the thinnest laptop in the world, measuring 0.16”.

Here we have the multi-touch technology as well, and even if the laptop is smaller, the keyboard is full-size and backlit. The built-in camera is again iSight especially designed for video conference. Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard is the biggest upgrade done by the Apple operating system as it features more than 300 widgets and applications. Apple has emerged in starting the fight to save the environment with its systems, with no arsenic or mercury in their screens. And the battery lasts for over 7-8 hours jut to save up energy. Also in this way you won’t have to replace it so often.



It’s true it is a high price you must pay for Apple laptop computers, but with all the features offered it is totally worth it.

If you want to feast your eyes on the best gaming laptop, then take a look at Alienware laptops. They are specialized in gaming computing needs and have ill it takes to meet first-class computing laptop. Such a powerful machine requires an outstanding processor, powerful video graphics, large hard drives and excellent displays.

And yes, Alienware laptops have them all. We will take Alienware m17x, which has been rated as one of the best gaming laptops there is. Another thing you should know about gaming laptops, is their price, be prepared to take out of your pocket about $2000-$4000, depending on the customizing you choose.

Back to our Alienware m17x, it is surprisingly powerful and fast, highly configurable and it offers the best gaming hardware you need in such a laptop. But be aware, as it doesn’t come cheap. The system starts at $1799, but when you configure it to benefit the best; you will reach over $4000. The looks are great also; you’ll get the feeling of having aliens in your room. The processor is 2.53GHz Intel Core 2 Quad Extreme QX9300 and with dual Nvidia GeForce GTX 280M GPUs and 1TB hard drive are the most powerful hardware parts you can get. There are cheaper systems out there that are good, but if you want the best gaming laptop, then here you have it. the design on this one is minimalistic, on the keyboard you won’t notice as many lights, just like previous models, the case is made of anodized aluminum so you won’t be able to take this laptop with you as it weights almost 15 pounds.



But once you pay this much, you won’t want to risk anything. It’s nice that you can create a rainbow like set of colors on the keys, you have four separate zones. Keys on the keyboard are spaced nicely, as you need stability and good grip while you are playing. The widescreen is 17” and it offers a native resolution of 1920x1200. Of course the colors look bright and crisp.

As for ports and connectivity you get VGA-out, HDMI, DisplayPort, 5.1 speakers to get the most intense sounds, surround sound audio ports, five USB ports, SD card reader, FireWire, Express Card, Ethernet, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and DVD burner along with a Blu-ray player. The amount of memory installed is 8GB and the quad-core Extreme-edition CPU will give you multitasking experience faster than light. The best feature here represents the SLI configuration of Nvidia's GeForce GTX280M, with these games like Unreal Tournament 3 or F.E.A.R 2 will load up fast and work smoothly.

Being a gaming laptop, don’t expect the battery to hold long, for example in a video playback battery drain test it rated about one hour and 15 minutes. You can’t expect longer battery life from this huge desktop replacement. It’s one of the most power-hungry laptops out there. The operating system is Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit.



The standard warranty is for one year, including in-home service. If you pay an extra of $299, you can extend the warranty for three years. Of course telephone service is provided and other options when you purchase this system. it is expected once you have paid this much on a laptop.

Compaq Presario cq60 series of notebook computers have been designed as a combination of features to help you through your daily-computing needs. Compaq Presario systems are suitable for those looking for a reliable computer, with which they manage to edit documents, surf the internet, edit some pictures or videos, and play some simple demanding games and so on.  The prices remain low, so don’t expect high-end performance and gaming capabilities. For entry level and simple computing needs, these systems are reliable and perfect for the job. It is also important to mention that Compaq cq60 line has a beautiful design, with glossy black casing and silver touchpad. The matching “Q” logo on the top casing gives it a special look.

Compaq Presario cq60-212us notebook pc is powered by the 2.00 GHz AMD Athlon X2 QL-62 Dual-Core Processor. AMD processors are designed mostly to meet simple computing needs and this is the reason they come a bit cheaper. The good thing is that you have the maximum memory installed, which is 4GB. With this amount you’ll be able to perform multitasking instantly. Video graphics installed are NVIDIA GeForce 8200M, it allows you to play some games and even an improvement in the video quality will be noticed while watching movies.

The hard drive is pretty spacious, 250GB, gives you enough room to store all your data. What is nice about this Compaq Presario cq60-212us notebook pc is that it has a SuperMulti 8X DVD±R/RW with Double Layer Support; you will be able to watch DVD movies, burn DVDs and even print images on the disk. When the burning process is over, you just flip the disk and printing text or images is done easily.



Network is possible thanks to the high-speed 56k modem, integrated 10/100 Ethernet LAN and wireless connectivity through 802.11b/g WLAN. Images will look crisp and clear at the beautiful 15.6” Diagonal High Definition HP with a resolution of 1366x768. What is more, with the BrightView Technology, we are assured to see an improvement in the image quality, crisper images and brighter colors. Even the sound is pretty good; Altec Lansing speakers deliver decent sound even at a high volume.

As for external ports, you have all you need and more: 5-in-1 integrated Digital Media Reader for Secure Digital cards, three USB ports, one headphone-out and one microphone-in, one VGA, one port for LAN and one for the modem. The notebook measures 14.88" (L) x 9.9" (D) x 13.8" (min H) -1.72" (max H) and weights 6.52. It’s true it is not the lighter system available, but it looks good and the price is reasonable, so it is worth the carrying. 6-Cell Lithium-Ion battery gives power to your Compaq Presario cq60-212us notebook pc, giving you around 2-3 hours of wireless experience.



Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit is the operating system installed here, and it will help you organize your media files and give you plenty of widgets regarding multimedia activities. Along with the operating system, you will also have some pre-installed software including Norton Internet Security 2009 with 60 days of update. The warranty is for one year, for all the parts and labor, but the online support is unlimited. you will be able to download drivers, manuals and all you need for your notebook.

Compaq Presario cq60-210us notebook weights 6.6 pounds and it is a mainstream consumer notebook computer. Unlike other mainstream computers, this one comes inexpensive at around $580. And what defines this notebook is simplicity in design, thin lines and iconic touchpad with sleek control panel. The black glossy imprint leads to improved durability.

There is a touch of silver on the palm rest and touch pad area for a better contrast. Compaq Presario cq60 series have all it needs to meet your daily expectations and they get the most out of Windows Vista operating system. Result can be seen in fast research, good organization tools and security when you go online thanks to Norton antivirus installed.

The system is powered by 2.00 GHz AMD Athlon X2 QL-62 Dual-Core Processor, and here is the reason for the low price. AMD processors are cheaper as they can perform basic tasks such as editing documents, slight photo editing, and web browsing and so on. You can expect to run high-end applications or games, as you would do if we were talking about Intel processors. The memory installed on Compaq Presario cq60-210us is 2GB and you can make an upgrade up to 4GB.

With this amount multitasking will work nicely and fast. Video graphics are good, NVIDIA GeForce 8200M, you can play some games and run certain applications. The hard drive is spacious, 250GB, you will have plenty of space to store all your documents and media files. Multimedia drive is represented by LightScribe SuperMulti 8X DVD±R/RW with Double Layer Support, this means you can both write DVDs and even print text or photos on them after the burning process is over. In this way you will better organize your media discs or even make a personalized gift.



The beautiful display has 15.6” and it features BrightView technology, meaning that you will notice an improvement in image quality, brighter color and sharpen also. The native resolution is 1366x769. Networking can be provided by the high speed 56k modem, integrated 10/100 Ethernet LAN and 802.11b/g WLAN. Even the Altec Lansing speakers deliver crisp and loud sound. Furthermore, connectivity ports round all you need: a 5-in-1 integrated Digital Media Reader for Secure Digital cards, three USB ports, one for headphone and one for microphone, one VGA, one fort for modem and one for LAN. Compaq Presario cq60-21us notebook measures 14.88" (L) x 9.9" (D) x 13.8" (min H) -1.72" (max H) and weights 6.52lbs. The battery is 6-cell Lithium Ion and will last around 2-3 hours depending on the type of applications you will run. Along other pre-installed software, you have Norton Internet Security 2009 with 60 days of update.



The warranty is for one year for parts and labor and also for telephone support. The online service is available 24/7 and it is unlimited. You can access their website whenever you need to download drivers for your system, manuals, or see any troubleshoots in case you encounter a problem. Setting up the system can be done easily as you receive tons of additional materials to get you started. Even a CD with tutorials is available in the box. Any settings regarding recovery can be done using the pre-loaded software HP Recovery Manager.

What Compaq Presario cq60 series have in common is the great design, the black glossy casing with the “Q” logo up front the case. Another good thing about Compaq Presario notebooks is the low price they offer. The components and features are good and they still run low prices. Compaq Presario cq60-417dx notebook pc has a friendly keyboard and touch pad, nice screen with bright colors. On the bad side, it does not have Bluetooth and the processor is not that powerful.

Compaq Presario cq60-417dx notebook pc comes at a fairly price below $400. It features a great 15.6” display, a high resolution and comes with Windows Vista Home Premium, but also it is Windows 7 eligible. Unfortunately the system is not so light, it weights six pounds, but with the great design, comfortable keyboard and keypad and the big screen, the notebook is worth carrying. The 15.6” LCD features a 1366x768 pixel resolution and a 16:9 aspect ratio. It features BrightView technology to deliver better contrast and improved image quality. Stereo speakers also sound good and at higher volume they still sound pretty clear.

As for networking and connectivity you have VGA-out, headphone and microphone jacks, three USB ports, no expansion port, Ethernet and 802.11 b/g Wi-Fi. You also receive a DVD burner, great thing for a notebook.The hard drive has 160GB and there are 3GB of RAM installed. You have enough storage space and thanks to the 3GB installed you will be able to do multitasking smoothly.

Compaq Presario cq60-417dx notebook pc is powered by a 2.2GHz Intel Celeron 900 processor, it will help run faster your applications and multimedia multitasking, but when it comes to Photoshop it isn’t the best. The battery is 6-cell and it lasts for over two hours, but this depends more on the types of applications you run. Furthermore, the standard warranty is for one year for parts and labor and one year 24/7 toll free phone service. The unlimited tech support online provides drivers, manuals and even the chance to talk to real agents in case you have encountered more difficult problems.



Graphics installed are Intel GMA 4500MHD and the operating system Windows Vista Home Premium offers various applications for organizing your media files, being mostly designed for multimedia purpose. The good thing is that the system is pretty thin, measuring 1.7” thickness. In this way you can slip it in a laptop case and take it with you. It is a great system for travelers also, if you want to still edit and create documents, watch movies or play some games. And because it costs only $399, it is worth it all the way.



Compaq Presario systems are great for entry-level users or the ones looking for a simple, yet reliable notebook, from which they can perform their daily tasks. Another good thing about this company is that systems are very easy to set up, you receive plenty of manuals, posters and CD guides that will help you set up and also get familiar with the system.