Archive for the ‘Laptop Reviews’ Category:
iRiver Story Review
The iRiver Story is the latest entrant into the Ebook Reader market, and its iRiver’s first ebook reader.
I must admit I was weary when I first heard bout the iRiver Story, as from afar it could be mistaken for a rebadged Amazon Kindle clone. But I’m pleased to say that iRiver have done a good job designing this ebook reader, and they have invested quite a bit in the packaging and marketing material for their ebook reader.
This is no Amazon Kindle though, the build quality although ok and it doesn’t have the solid feel of a Kindle. But the device doesn’t feel cheap, its quite attractive and the keyboard actually works quite well.
The screen is your typical Vizplex E-Ink screen, featuring 8 levels of greyscale (same as the Sony Touch & Pocket / Bebook) with a resolution of 800×600. The Kindle features a better 16 greyscale screen, but both offer a really good reading experience.
The user interface is intuitive, you can use the keypad to navigate through the menus and there are side buttons available so that you can use the book in one hand for both left and right handed users.
Unlike the Amazon Kindle which limits the ebook formats to their own amazon.com and pdf ebook formats, the iRiver Story is compatible with a wide range of ebook formats including: EPUB, PDF & TXT cover the main formats for commercial ebooks, while the Story also displays office files like DOC, PPT & XLS. For comics & graphic novels, JPEG, BMP and GIF image. This makes this ideal for reading business documents on the road without having to carry a laptop.
Page turns are snappy (for ebook reader standards) and you’ll find the ebook reader comfortable to read all sorts of books on your journeys.
The device comes with a generous 2GB of internal storage, enough to store hundreds of books, and it can be expanded with an external SD card.
We also like the added features which are not available on other ebook readers as yet including the diary, memo facility, the built in speaker and the voice recorder which are all handy but will probably never be used…
In all the iRiver is a good device, especially if you are interested in being able to upload any ebook format, or your own documents which is not currently possible on the Kindle.
Asus Eee PC 1002HA Review
Asus Eee PC 1002HA Review
If there’s one problem plaguing just about every netbook out on the market right now, it’s that cheap, toy-like feel. Manufacturers just can’t seem to escape it when they’re having their devices manufactured thousands of miles away in factories that seemingly just switched over just last month from building olive-green plastic army men. Asus attempted to remedy the netbook’s image problem with the high-end S101, but price followed suit, and the $800 price tag made us question whether you call it a netbook at all.
Highs:
Aluminum trim adds style;large hard drive; comfortable keyboard; compact power brick
Lows:
Plastic chassis still shines through; dim, somewhat dull screen; slight price premium; so-so battery life
Genuine Windows® XP Home
(*Pre-installed with Microsoft Office Home & Student 2007 60-day Trial)
Display
10.1″ LED Backlight
Intel CPU & Chipset
Intel Atom N270 & Intel 945GSE / ICH7-M
Memory
1GB (DDR2)
*Memory size may differ and is upgradable, please contact local dealers for more details.
Wireless Data Network
WLAN: 802.11b/g/n
Bluetooth V2.0
Storage
160GB HDD
10GB Eee Storage
*Eee Storage service is complimentary for the first 18 months. Please register account information for 6 months extension (depend on country)
Camera
1.3M Pixel
Audio
Build-in stereo speakers
High-Definition Audio CODEC
Digital Array Mic.
Storage Cards
4-in-1 MMC, SD, Memory Stick and MS-PRO flash card slot
Input / Output
1 x VGA port (D-sub 15-pin for external monitor)
3 x USB 2.0 ports
1 x LAN RJ-45
2 x audio jacks: Headphone / Mic-in
Battery
Li-polymer Battery, 5hrs*
*Operation lifetime subject to product model, normal usage conditions and configurations.
Dimensions
264 mm (W) x 181 mm (D) x 27.6 mm (H)
Weight
1.2 kg
Asus R50A Laptop Review
Asus R50A specs:
- Intel Silverthorne 1.3GHz processor
- Intel Poulsbo chipset
- 1GB memory
- Integrated GPS
- 5.6″ touchscreen (1024 x 600) with stylus input
- Integrated Wi-Fi 802.11b/g and Bluetooth
Not too much is known at this time about the R50A except for a few basic specs and the photo gallery we have for our users. This lightweight UMPC is comparable to a Sony PSP. The integrated GPS is great for mobile professionals on the go and the touchscreen is responsive.
We didn’t get to type much on it though, but the unit was a prototype as I mentioned before. It will be cheaper then the R2H, which users will enjoy, but not exactly sure how much cheaper. Keep your eye out for the R50A later this year and you know TabletPCReview will bring you the latest updates as soon as we get them.
My Asus representative did tell me to expect a redesign of the R1 Tablet PC, but not until later this year. Unfortunately no redesigned tablet here at CES, but the R50A is a real head turner, which I look forward to reviewing in the months to come. This UMPC would be a good side-kick for your everyday tablet.