Dell Vostro 1500

Dell's new Vostro line of computers developed to meet the needs of small businesses has become very popular among working professionals and consumers alike. The Vostro 1500 is the "twin sister" to the Dell Inspiron 1520, and while this business notebook with a 15.4" display doesn't come in a variety of colors, the Vostro is packed with enough performance and optional extras to keep anyone happy. But is this "black beauty" a thoroughbred, or is it destined for the pastures?



The Dell Vostro 1500 is available with a range of Intel processors (from the 1.86GHz Celeron M M540 up to the T7500 2.2GHz Core 2 Duo). There are two 15.4" screen offerings, a 1280x800 WXGA and 1440x900 WXGA+ display. The notebook can take up to 4GB of RAM but Dell only offers 32-bit versions of Microsoft Windows Vista or XP ... so don't expect to be able to use all 4GB. Built-in wireless is standard and the system is priced starting at $549 with integrated Intel X3100 graphics at the time of this writing.





Our review unit of the 1500 has the following specifications:

• Screen: 15.4-inch Wide Screen XGA (1280 x 800) LCD with TrueLife (glossy finish)
• Processor: 1.6GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T5470 (2MB L2 Cache,800MHz FSB)
• Hard Drive: 120GB SATA hard drive (5400RPM)
• Memory: 1GB RAM (PC5300, 667 MHz, DDR2 SDRAM) -- 4GB max memory
• Optical Drive: DVD+-R Double layer / DVD+-RW Drive (Blu-ray drive optional)
• Ports and Slots: Four USB 2.0, one FireWire 400 port, one ExpressCard slot, one S-Video, one VGA, one 8-in-1 card reader, headphone / line-out, microphone-in, modem, 10/100 Ethernet
• Wireless: WiFi (802.11a/b/g/n), Bluetooth 2.0
• Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS (128MB)
• Operating System: Windows XP Home Edition
• 6-cell 56WHr Li-Ion battery
• Dimensions: 14.12" x 10.59" x 1.65" (Width x Depth x Height)
• Weight: 6 ibs and 11.6 oz with 6-cell battery

Apple MacBook Pro 15" with Intel Santa Rosa

Overview & Introduction


We'll be taking a look at Apple's MacBook Pro, to be specific the most recently updated model as of June 5th, 2007. The MacBook Pro line is aimed at the professional market, including those who do heavy amounts of video and photo editing. The MacBook Pro is best described as a mid-size desktop replacement, or performance laptop.

Before I go to far I should say this is not only my first laptop review, but also my first Mac computer. Thus, this review will be geared more toward people considering the MacBook Pro as an alternative option to a Windows based laptop, including some things that would seem trivial to the veteran Mac owner.

MacBook Pro machine specs as purchased

• Screen: 15.4" LED Backlit Screen @ 1440 x 900 Native Resolution
• Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo T7500 CPU at 2.2ghz (4MB Shared L2 Cache)
• Memory: 2GB DDR2 PC2-5300 667mhz RAM
• Hard Drive: 120GB HDD @ 5400RPM (Fujitsu)
• Graphics: Nvidia 8600M GT with 128MB VRAM GPU
• Optical Drive: Slot-loading 8x SuperDrive (DVD+R DL/DVDRW/CD-RW)
• Wireless: Apple Airport Extreme Wireless B/G/N
• Built-in Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR
• Mac OS X 10.4.9 (Tiger)
• Dimensions & Weight:
  14.1" x 9.6" x 1.0" (35.7cm x 24.3cm 2.59cm)
  5.4lbs (2.45kg)
• Cost: $1,999 USD ($1,799 with Education Discount
  

Toshiba Satellite Pro A210

Toshiba just released the Satellite Pro series notebook line, which is a toned down business version of their popular Satellite models. Some of the key changes include the loss of the glossy cover, black instead of silver keyboard, and the loss of some quick access media keys. Overall the notebook is basically the same as its fancier brothers, but with a smaller pricetag for small businesses.


Our Satellite Pro A210 had the following configuration:

• 15.4-inch WXGA (1280 x 800) CCFL glossy screen
• AMD M690V chipset
• AMD Turion 64 X2 Dual-Core Mobile Technology TL-60
• 2GB DDR2-667 SDRAM (supports up to 4GB DDR2 SDRAM)
• 120GB 5400 RPM SATA HDD
• DVD SuperMulti (+/-R double layer) drive
• ATI X1200 Integrated Graphics
• Ethernet, Atheros 802.11b/g
• VGA, S-Video, four USB 2.0 ports, integrated media reader (MS, SD, xD)
• Windows XP Pro
• Battery: 4000mAh 4-cell, 75w AC Adapter
• Dimensions: (WxDxH): 14.3” x 10.5” x 1.32-1.55” (without feet)
• Weight starts at 5.9 pounds with 6-cell battery (5lbs 15.9oz actual)

Build and Design

The Satellite Pro A210 has a nice sleek design with very soft rounded edges, sloped palm rests, and even a glossy screen that you don’t usually find on business notebooks. The top cover features a matte semi-gloss texture instead of having the gloss finish found out the Satellite models. The benefit of the new texture is that it's more resistant to handprints and smudges. Opening the top cover we find more changes from the consumer line, with the multimedia access keys missing, high-end speakers gone, and the keyboard color being black instead of silver. Once you get past those changes the notebook is practically identical to the consumer Satellite line.