The vast majority of PC users, even those who would consider themselves “technology professionals”, won’t ever require the kind of computing power that a workstation-class machine can provide. But for those that do, specifications are paramount, and HP aims to please with its updated Z420, Z620 and Z820 workstations. Upgrades to the previous Zx00 models include faster Xeon processors, expanded storage, a redesigned chassis for and (gasp) up to 512GB of system memory.
Workstation computers are strange beasts: it’s rare that someone more used to a traditional laptop or desktop will need them, or indeed, will be able to justify the extra expense. But for those who need massive amounts of performance for specific tasks, there’s no way to beat them. In contrast with their consumer products, HP’s workstations have earned a reputation as some of the best in the business, and we were thrilled to put the new Z420 Workstationthrough its paces.
Apple’s new iPadisn’t a revolutionary upgrade to the iPad 2, but the combination of a superb display and great software means it remains by far and away the best tablet on the market.
There is one key feature that makes the new iPad a great device — the “retina” display. The resolution of 2048×1536 is double that of the original iPad. This gives it a pixel per inch (ppi) of 263, a significant increase over the 132ppi of the iPad 2. The display resolution is higher than most high-definition televisions.
If you couldn’t care less about numbers, you should care about the end result — a brilliant, crystal clear screen. It’s by far and away the best display on any mobile device I’ve seen. Text is crisp and clear with no visible aberrations, even when zoomed right in. Photos and videos look bright and vivid but not over-saturated like many other mobile displays. In fact, the iPad’s screen is so sharp that it constantly highlights the low quality of many images on the Internet. After using the new iPad, going back to the iPad 2 (or most other mobile displays) makes text and images look blurry and low quality by comparison.
Toshiba is following Samsung, BlackBerryand Acer’s lead by releasing a compact 7in tablet. The strangely named Toshiba Tablet AT1S0 is a smaller version of the company’s 10.1in Tablet (AT100)but it unfortunately removes most of the features that distinguished that model from other Android tablets on the market.
Most Android tablets are very similar — they all have near identical specifications, run identical software aside from manufacturer UI skins, and have largely the same features. Toshiba has at least attempted to give the Tablet AT1S0 a unique look and feel. For starters, it is immediately recognisable by its back cover: it’s made from grippy, soft-feeling plastic that has etched diagonal lines. This means that AT1S0 is comfortable to grip and won’t easily slip out of your hands.
Another day, another Android tablet. This time it’s the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7, a compact and lightweight tablet with a 7.7in screen. The Galaxy Tab 7.7 has a fantastic design that is both superbly constructed and super thin, but it is unfortunately let down by outdated Android software that dampens the overall user experience.
It seems Samsung is intent on releasing a tablet with every screen size imaginable. It has already produced 10.1in, 8.9inand 7insized tablets, along with the 5.3in, part smartphone, part tablet Galaxy Note. The Galaxy Tab 7.7 adds a fifth screen size to the mix, attempting to strike a balance between portability and functionality.
Although 7.7in may initially seem like an odd screen size, the ultra slim and light form factor of the Galaxy Tab 7.7 makes it feel logical. The tablet is just 7.9mm thick and weighs only 335g, making it one of the thinnest and lightest devices in its class. As a comparison to other smaller tablets on the market, the Galaxy Tab 7.7 is both thinner and lighter than the BlackBerry PlayBook, the Acer Iconia A100, and the Toshiba Tablet AT1S0.
Here at PC World, we think most Android tablets have one thing in common: they’re all overpriced. So when a tablet lands on our desk that retails for under $500 and has 3G connectivity, 32GB of internal memory and a microSD card slot, we will sit up and take notice. This is essentially Medion’s sale pitch for its LifeTab P9514 — a tablet that will sell exclusively through Aldi stores in Australia. The Medion LifeTab is a good all-round tablet at a reasonable price, but its a little too heavy for our liking.
We like the etched silver strip below the display, but the LifeTab branding on our review unit was noticeably wearing off. Our model was a German pre-production unit though, so hopefully the same issues aren’t a concern in the final Australian model that will sell through Aldi in Australia.
Lenovo is the first big name to send us a notebook based on Intel’s third generation Intel Core CPU. It’s not in one of the company’s flagship ThinkPad models, but instead in a ThinkPad Edge E530. This is a 15.6in, 2.5kg notebook that’s suited for home and small business use. It’s a plain-looking, yet attractive notebook, but with a build quality that is reminiscent of a budget machine that should cost well under $1000. It doesn’t have niceties such as a backlit keyboard, but it does feature a useful set of ports and it sports a configuration that should earn the respect of most power users.
Specifications and performance
In our Blender 3D rendering test, a time of 22sec is all it took to complete our workload; to put it in perspective, it’s identical to the time recorded by the Toshiba Qosmio F750, which uses a second generation Core i7-2670QM CPU that runs at a slightly faster standard speed of 2.2GHz. While the third gen CPU wasn’t faster in this test, it’s an indication of better efficiency, being able to perform the same task at an equal time, with a slower speed.
The Toshiba Qosmio F750 offers a second generation Intel Core i7-2670QM CPU, 16GB of DDR3 SDRAM, a 1TB hard drive and an NVIGIA GeForce GT 540M graphics adapter. It may be boring to start off a review by delving straight into the specifications, but for the Qosmio F750, it’s important to establish that it’s a notebook with plenty of power under the hood. It’s not a light and very portable laptop; it’s a big 3kg, 15.6in unit that’s designed to be more of a desktop replacement than something you would carry with you on a daily basis; it’s an all-rounder that can be used for a little bit of everything, including gaming.
Qosmio F750 design
The keyboard isn’t backlit, which is a drawback if you happen to be used to working in the dark, but the board itself has keys that are soft and responsive. They are flat and very smoothly finished keys, which can sometimes feel slippery and lead to miscues, but overall it’s a good board. It features a dedicated number pad and there is a utility installed that shows which functions the F-keys control when you press the Fn button. Above the keyboard, there are capacitive controls for the volume and Wi-Fi, and they make an annoying beeping sound when pressed.
While thin and light laptops are currently being pushed down our throats, it’s easy to forget that 15.6in models are still among the most popular on the market. They may not be as easy to carry around on a daily basis, but they offer good bang for buck with regards to the specifications that you get, and they are comfortable to use for long sessions of word processing or other types of productivity tasks. Medion has been a facilitator of affordable and well-featured 15.6in laptops for a while now, and its latest model is the Akoya E6228 (MD 98980), which goes on sale at Aldi supermarkets this Saturday 28 April. It only costs $599, but it has a strong configuration, useful features, and a style that looks and feels good for a notebook in this price class.
The Samsung Notebook Series 5 ULTRA (530U4B-S01AU) is the first one I’ve seen to house a built-in DVD burner as well as a discrete graphics adapter. It manages to squeeze these components into a chassis that meets Intel’s restrictions for what an Ultrabook should be. It’s the type of notebook that doesn’t have much of a “wow” factor to it, but that’s just because it has a grey, matte finish, rather than glossy cladding. When you look beyond the surface, it’s a very useful and mobile notebook that’s comfortable to use and easy to carry on an everyday basis. However, it does have a few drawbacks.
Design and build quality
With a weight of 1.8kg and a thickness of 24mm (if you count its rubber feet), the Samsung Series 5 is slightly bigger than the other mainstream 14in Ultrabook I’ve seen, Toshiba’s Satellite U840. Samsung has done well to contain the size of the laptop considering the inclusion of a tray-loading DVD burner on the right side of the unit; it doesn’t feel overly heavy or bulky to carry. Furthermore, the sturdiness of the laptop hasn’t been compromised; the side with the DVD burner feels almost as solid as it would without a drive.