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Acer Aspire 3935 review roundup: sleek and affordable, but lacking gaming cred
If you're in the market for a new laptop / netbook, you might want to add Acer's just-released Aspire 3935-6504 to the list of potentials. The early reviews are in, and it looks like Acer's got an aggressively-priced winner on its hands. Laptop Magazine calls it "one heck of a bargain," noting particularly its sleek and sturdy design, backup and power saver buttons, full-sized keyboard, and the appealing $900 price tag. PC Magazine went so far as to give it the Editor's Choice award for budget laptops, lauding also its eco-friendly credentials and impressive battery life (4 hours and 50 minutes, by its metric). Both sites bemoaned, however, the lack of HDMI and eSATA ports and its inability to run games as well as competitors like the Dell Studio XPS 13 or HP Pavilion dv3z. Providing a less enthusiastic tone is Computer Shopper, who seems to take more of an issue with its gaming deficiencies than the other two reviewers. Still, the site recommends it for those consider style, portability, and price tag the main selling points. Check out the read links below for more thorough dissection.Read - Laptop MagazineRead - PC MagazineRead - Computer Shopper
HP Pavilion dv2 review roundup
We figure the design just to the left of the touchpad is more than enough to convince you to impulse-buy the $750 HP Pavilion dv2, but just in case you hesitated, the reviews are in and it's not all sunshine for the AMD Neo-powered non-netbook. Laptop Magazine notes it handles HD video pretty well, but it suffers from a cramped keyboard, above average heat, and a less than stellar battery life. Instead, they suggest a Samsung NC20 as a ligher, cheaper alternative. CNET said it got beat performance-wise by Intel Core 2 Duo laptops of comparable price range, and although it bested Atom in most tests, the two processors tied when multitasking. As for PC World, like Laptop, they did give kudos for better graphics performance, but added the caveat that the NC20 and upcoming MSI X-Slim X320 would give it a run for its money. For all the nitty-gritty details, browse through the reviews below.Read - Laptop MagazineRead - PC MagazineRead - CNET
NVIDIA GTX 275 / ATI Radeon HD 4890 review roundup
Unless you've started your weekend early, you have probably realized that both NVIDIA and AMD announced new GPUs this morning. Coincidental timing aside, it sure makes things easy for the consumer to eye the respective benchmarks and plan out their next mid-range GPU purchase accordingly. A whole bevy of reviews, tests, graphs and bar charts have hit the web this morning extolling and panning the pros and cons, but without getting too deep in the nitty-gritty, we can sum things up pretty easily with this. NVIDIA's GTX 275 showed performance that placed it perfectly between the GTX 285 and GTX 260, and in all but a few off-the-wall tests, it outpaced the ATI Radeon HD 4890 (albeit slightly). Granted, the HD 4890 was called the "fastest, single-GPU powered graphics card AMD has ever produced" by HotHardware, though apparently even that wasn't enough to help it snag the gold across the board. If you're hungry for more (and you are, trust us), take the rest of the day off and dig in below.Read - HotHardware GeForce GTX 275 reviewRead - HotHardware Radeon HD 4890 reviewRead - ExtremeTech GeForce GTX 275 and Radeon HD 4890 reviewRead - DailyTech GeForce GTX 275 and Radeon HD 4890 reviewRead - X-bit Labs ATI Radeon HD 4890 reviewRead - ComputerShopper ATI Radeon HD 4890 reviewRead - Guru 3D GeForce GTX 275 reviewRead - Guru 3D ATI Radeon HD 4890 reviewRead - PCPerspective ATI Radeon HD 4890 review
Asus Eee PC 1000HE review roundup
Well, kids, it looks like the Asus Eee PC 1000HE has started making the rounds and so far the reviews have been rather favorable. PC Review was so taken by the machine, in fact, that they declared it the "best one yet... dethron[ing] the MSI Wind as the leader of the pack." Their enthusiasm is stoked by the fact that the machine's been designed around its new six-cell battery (making for something less bulky than, say, the 10-inch Aspire One or the NC10-14GB). Also in the win column are the obvious design improvements over its predecessor, and its hard to beat $400 street price. That said, it is a netbook: the new Intel Atom N280 processor offers "no real performance benefits" over the N270, the features are pretty standard for a machine of its class (160GB HDD, three USB ports, a webcam, VGA out, 4-in-1 card reader and the usual ethernet and WiFi connectivity) and testing failed to find "any performance differences between the 1000HE and systems like the Wind, the Aspire One (10-inch), and the HP 2140." Also according to the magazine, the new software-based overclocking feature is no great shakes. Laptop Magazine feels pretty much the same way, loving the new keyboard, the new battery, and the fact the easy-access panel (for HDD and RAM upgrades and the like) is still intact. On the other hand, they point out that the thing's a little heavy (3.2 pounds) -- but what do you expect from a machine that boasts over 7 hours battery life? Notebook Review singles the thing out for its design: "Build quality," it says "is very good with strong, durable plastics used throughout the body," and the new keyboard and gloss black paint "really adds another level of class and style to this netbook." But don't take our word for it -- hit the read links for the full reviews, and be sure to check out the gallery below.%Gallery-44165%Read - PC Review Read - Laptop MagazineRead - Notebook Review
NVIDIA Ion platform review roundup
A handful of sites have managed to get their mitts on a miniature test PC equipped with NVIDIA's Ion platform, and it looks like the line between netbook and laptop just got a whole lot blurrier. According to the testers, the setup delivers smooth HD video playback and could be a boon for the Home Theater PC market. It won't play Crysis, but the DirectX 10-compatible chipset should do World of Warcraft and Left 4 Dead justice. Though the company claims it'll only use 12% more power than comparative Intel 945GM/E-based solutions, PC Perspective found the test units to consume twice the wattage -- of course, it might be a different story when Ion-equipped PCs hit retail channels. NVIDIA says the platform will tack on about $50 to $100 compared to similarly-spec'd 945GM/E models, and the first two computers to use it -- one desktop and one netbook -- should be out early summer.Read - PC PerspectiveRead - Laptop MagazineRead - Hot Hardware
Western Digital 2TB Caviar Green review roundup
Now that the proverbial cat is out of the bag on Western Digital's 2TB Caviar Green HDD, hardware fanatics have had a chance to take the 3.5-inch drive for a spin. While its performance leaves something to be desired -- transferring files took longer than the 1TB Caviar Black or 1.5TB Seagate Barracuda -- instead we've got low heat and noise. Of course, the biggest boon is a ginormous storage capacity for just three Benjamins, the same price as some 128GB SSDs. Solid state be damned, rotating disks aren't going away anytime soon. Read - Register Hardware Read - Trusted Reviews Read - Extreme Tech
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 285 / 295 review roundup
NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 295 is only a week old at retail, but that hasn't stopped the company from turning around and releasing yet another card -- the GTX 285 -- today. The reviews for both are in and from what we've read, the GTX 295 seems to match or outshine its AMD Radeon HD 4870 X2 counterpart in most performance tests. As for the GTX 285, the general consensus is that it's the fastest single-GPU graphics card on the market right now. It's only slightly better-performing than the GTX 280, however, so if you've already got that, it's probably not worth the upgrade. We're not gonna pretend to understand every benchmark result, but we'll gladly point you in the right direction. GTX 285 Read - TweakTown Read - PC Perspective Read - HotHardware GTX 295 Read - TweakTown Read - PC Perspective Read - HotHardware
Canon EOS 5D Mark II review roundup
This one's been a long time coming, but we wanted to make absolutely sure you had quite enough reading material to make the most informed decision on this incredibly expensive (albeit quite valuable, as you'll soon find out) DSLR. Reviews the web over shout practically the same thing: the EOS 5D Mark II is astounding. In most every important area, the device simply excelled. Image quality was remarkable, the 1080p video capture was stellar (though the lack of Auto Focus was a legitimate knock against it) and low-light performance was simply awesome. Hailed as a respectable upgrade from the original 5D, it was found to strike "a great balance between resolution, quality and performance," and most outlets found it worthwhile even if you're not interested in capturing video. Frankly, we can't even begin to scratch the surface of all the nuances here, but we'll certainly point you in the right directions to get all the knowledge you need. Read - PhotographyBLOG (5 out of 5) Read - PopPhoto ("lives up to the hype") Read - ArtByPhil ("an amazing deal") Read - Digital Journalist ("a superb still camera, at a reasonable price") Read - CameraLabs ("one of Canon's most powerful DSLRs to date") Read - CameraTown ("a revolutionary camera")
Criterion Collection Blu-ray Disc review roundup
Sometime between the third crescent moon and a witch's equinox (or early last week, to be specific), Criterion began shipping out its long-awaited Blu-ray Disc collection. The question remains, though: are these much ballyhooed discs worth their weight in gold, or what? We've rounded up a number of reviews from around the web covering a wide range of the first wave titles, and generally speaking, critics were floored. Almost every single reviewer had a difficult time hitting the "stop" button on their praises of the visual / auditory qualities, and while the plots of each film are completely subjective, it's safe to say that these are quite the must-haves for strict audio- / videophiles. The only title that didn't receive an inordinate amount of laud was Chungking Express, with the reviewer noting that it had "a somewhat erratic look on Blu-ray, alternately semi-soft and sharp." Outside of that, however, it's all glowing.Read - The Third Man reviewRead - Bottle Rocket reviewRead - The Man Who Feel To Earth reviewRead - Chungking Express reviewRead - Overview of Blu-ray transfer process
Nikon D3x DSLR preview roundup
You've heard the rumours and the tales of hacked firmware, and you've seen the glamor shots -- and now that the Nikon D3x has hit the streets, we've got some significant previewage for you to check out. The reaction was overwhelmingly positive -- as you would expect from a 24.5-megapixel, $8,000 camera. Trusted Reviews was impressed not only by the quality of the pictures and the bright, clear viewfinder, but by the overall build of the camera as well, stating that it felt "extremely well-balanced in the hand even with heavy lenses. And ... the D3x's controls were surprisingly easy to operate and use, with everything laid out very intuitively." CNET pointed out that the camera "shares similar dimensions with its sibling, the D3, so this means accessories produced for the latter can be used on the new camera." One omission that the review pointed out was the Nikon's inability to capture 1080p full HD video, making Canon's EOS 5D Mark II your only option if that's what you're after. But don't take our word for it -- check out the reviews below for more info.Read - CNET: "[O]ne beast of a camera... raises the Japanese company's benchmark for future product development."Read - Trusted Reviews: "It looks big, I agree, but it doesn't feel it..."Read - MegaWhat TV (video review): "The 24.5-megapixel CMOS sensor puts it above all of the other models in the FX lineup."
The Dark Knight Blu-ray Disc review roundup
To (mis)quote the infamous Dennis Green: "It was what we thought it'd be." In other words, Warner Brothers' The Dark Knight truly is as mesmerizing and awesome on Blu-ray as it was in theaters. Some very early (and very thorough) reviews have already hit the 'net days before the film's sure-to-be-monumental release, and we've found nothing but praise across the board. Sure, varying critics had varying levels of appreciation for the plot, but when it comes to visual and auditory quality, the Blu-ray transfer delivers. Utterances of "wow," "stunning," and "spectacle" were peppered throughout each and every review, dashing any fears one may have had that the BD would fall short of the hype. For those who really want to dig deep, we've linked thousands of words below. But truthfully, they all come to the same conclusion: The Dark Knight is a must-own Blu-ray Disc.Read - Big Picture Big SoundRead - The HD RoomRead - Rope Of SiliconRead - Home Cinema ChoiceRead - HighDefDigest
JVC's 47-inch LT-47X899 1080p LCD HDTV review roundup
With the plethora of 40-some-odd-inch HDTVs with 120Hz dejudder technology, it's tough for a name like JVC to cut through the marketing campaigns of those other guys. That said, the 47-inch LT-47X899 is a solid, if not upper-level set that's easy to overlook, but a glance around the web proves that you probably shouldn't. For starters, the 120Hz tech built in here actually improves the image quality -- something that can't be said about all sets. Furthermore, it produced crisp, clear details, excellent screen uniformity and a decent array of ports... at least in most eyes. One particular review found the image quality subpar for the price (around $1,900 on the street), so we'd probably suggest having a look in-store before buying blind. There's plenty more reading material below if you're interested.Read - Home Theater reviewRead - Sound & Vision reviewRead - TelevisionInfo reviewRead - UltimateAVmag review
Motorola Krave ZN4 review roundup
We had a feeling we'd get a mixed bag of reviews as soon as we first saw the Motorola Krave ZN4 -- it's one of those love it or hate it type things, you know? In some cases, reviewers chose to focus on the positives, noting that it was cute, unique, a good music player and a phone that would last and last without a recharge. Another batch of critics couldn't hold back the whip, pointing out that it lacked WiFi, packed a lackluster browser, included yawn-worthy software and offered a keyboard that was "straight-up awkward." As expected, overall ratings hovered between just below average to just above average, and it seems this phone will be exactly what you make it out to be. Moto fans will likely have plenty to cheer about, but those without a dog in the fight may want to give the writeups below a more thorough glance before dropping $149.99 and agreeing to a super-sized 2-year commitment.Read - PC MagazineRead - PhoneScoopRead - Laptop MagRead - DigitalTrendsRead - CNET
Canon EOS 50D review roundup
If you skipped over the EOS 40D in anticipation for the next best thing, and you don't feel like liquidating your kid's college fund in order to procure the EOS 5D Mark II, the EOS 50D has likely been blinking fiercely on your radar. The intarwebz as a whole had a chance to sit down and scrutinize the decidedly mid-range DSLR, and overall, impressions were pretty positive. For starters, just about everyone felt that it was more than a worthy addition to Canon's line, citing "a significant number of refinements to a proven design," a fantastic VGA LCD monitor and expectedly great image quality. Critics also found an improved interface, improved white balance and an ISO setting that was perfectly acceptable up to 3,200 (and 6,400 in a pinch). For DSLR newcomers, the 50D is a pretty safe bet; the only question comes in when trying to decide whether to upgrade from the 40D. Our take? Save the loot and spend it on some decent glass.Read - PhotographyBLOGRead - TechRadarRead - PhotoReviewRead - CNET
The Ultimate Matrix Collection on Blu-ray review roundup
We know you've got 14 alarms set to remind you, but The Ultimate Matrix Collection on Blu-ray will be all over store shelves tomorrow. If you're still unsure if the massive 10-disc set is worth the investment (or re-investment), a few long-winded reviews have already hit the 'net to help you decide. Put simply, the collection was deemed "a visual and aural extravaganza," and according to one reviewer, Blu-ray fanatics shouldn't hesitate to "consider the upgrade to this best-yet high-def edition." Of course, critics at IGN seemed less enthusiastic about just how worthwhile the upgrade was, noting that it's probably not worth it (from SD) unless you just cannot live without the superior audio and video transfers. We'll leave the final decision up to you, but one thing's for sure -- if you've got the cash to spare, you won't be disappointed.Read - DVD Talk reviewRead - Big Picture Big Sound reviewRead - IGN review
Nokia N96 review roundup
When the N95 was released, it was all but universally adored. Even today, nearly two full years after it was first revealed, it's still one of the most respected in Nokia's lineup. From the get-go, we knew the N96 was more evolutionary and less revolutionary; after all, the two handsets even look alike. The general consensus this time around is about what we expected: the N96 is a fine phone, and a worthy successor, but probably not worth the high price it's currently demanding. Oh sure, the call quality was stupendous, battery life was satisfactory and the multimedia playback was superb, but some critics were a bit displeased with the fit and finish given the premium price tag. All in all, don't go into the links below expecting any huge surprises -- the N96 is a nicely revamped, high-priced N95, and if that's what you're looking for, there doesn't seem to be any underlying issues that should hold you back from indulging.Read - PhoneArena ("Nokia seems to have taken more of a lateral step than pushing forward with innovation.")Read - MobileArsenal ("...doesn't have anything we didn't see before...")Read - LordPercy ("...an improved, quality phone...")Read - Mobile88 (4 out of 5 stars)
Nikon D90 DSLR review roundup
You've seen it get official, you've seen it in the wild, and you've seen it sneakily unboxed -- isn't it time you saw a few reviews, too? We've scoured the intarwebz for the freshest looks at this here DSLR, and generally speaking, those lucky enough to secure a review unit have been overwhelmingly pleased. As a mid-range shooter, it was decidedly difficult to find any real knocks. Sure, a heap of noise was seen at 6,400 ISO (but barely any was noticed from 200 to 3,200) and the kit lens wasn't all that, but the excellent low-light shooting and the "superb" image quality was enough to keep critics smiling. One thing that should be noted, however, is the so-so 720p movie mode. It's not that the quality was bad, but Popular Mechanics reported that the "extended exposure to light needed to record video caused the D90's CMOS sensor to heat up dramatically," which limits HD captures to a maximum of five minutes. In other words, don't ditch your pocket HD cam for this, but if you're scouting a new DSLR and wouldn't mind a 720p movie mode on the side, need you really look any further?Read - Popular Mechanics (" The D90 is first and foremost a still camera. And in this regard, it excelled.")Read - ThinkCamera ("The D90 is a trophy of a middleweight camera.")Read - DCBBS Chinese ("Photography enthusiasts now have a new choice.")Read - CNET's video review ("Very, very nice sub-$1,000 DSLR")
Nikon D700 review roundup
Now that the dust has settled on Nikon's new D700 DSLR -- but hopefully not on that anti-dust 12.1 megapixel full-frame sensor -- we thought we'd toss together a few general impressions of the new mid-range pro camera. It's pretty much a landslide, the D700 is a major winner for Nikon. Sure, $3,000 is pricey, but for a camera that basically crams the full-frame imaging prowess of the D3 into the highly portable body of the D300 -- and left out only a few pro features in the process -- it's a relative bargain, and Nikon couldn't have done much better for itself. You'll also need to pony up for lenses that were actually built for a full-frame sensor to really get your money's worth, though our hats off to Nikon for letting you use any old lens you please. The only real complaint we heard is that the shutter feels mushy, which is a relevant criticism and an anomaly for Nikon, but unlikely to be a dealbreaker.Read - Nikonians: "She's capable of making practically all the moves of the rest of the line-up and she's arguably the most versatile of the bunch."Read - Cameralabs: "Nikon further broadens its impressive DSLR line-up and continues to throw down gauntlet after gauntlet to Canon."Read - Scott Kelby: "The D700 just takes a better looking photograph than the D300 (and really, that's what it's all about-all the rest is really just bells and whistles)."Read - Imaging Resource: "One of the finest digital SLR cameras ever produced."Read - PhotographyBLOG: "It comes across as a kind of 'greatest hits' of Nikon DSLRs."
Dell Studio 17 and Studio 15 review roundup
It's not every day we get to glimpse a brand new experience from Dell, and while Studio might just be near-XPS laptops in everyman clothing, that certainly seems to be a good thing. The laptops appear to combine the power of XPS and the prices of Inspiron, with some new perks like HDMI out and slot-loading drives to keep things fresh. The laptops tend a little thicker than their XPS counterparts, and the fact that these are hitting just before Centrino 2 might be cause to hesitate, but otherwise we're getting the feel from these reviews that the Studio line just might be the consumer lineup to beat if you can dig the design quirks and a little bit of bulk. Read - NotebookReview, Studio 17 ("Hard pressed to find a better 17-inch notebook in the same price range") Read - CNET Reviews, Studio 15 (7.3 / 10, "We'd be tempted to save up a few extra dollars for a thinner, lighter XPS.") Read - PC Mag, Studio 15 (4.5 / 5, Editor's Choice, "Retaining many of the XPS's qualities while selling it for Inspiron prices.") Read - Laptop Mag, Studio 17 (3.5 / 5, "For $1,599, you'll get plenty of multimedia muscle.")
Samsung Glyde review roundup
The Samsung Glyde was one of the most hyped phones on an American carrier in recent memory leading up to its launch, and there's one small problem with that: it's hard to live up to the fanfare, no matter how good (or bad) the phone might be. A common early complaint coming out of the gate seems to be the lack of support for Verizon's MediaFLO-based VCAST TV service, a service that the Glyde's main competition, the Voyager, supports. The UI's also getting panned for being a little more confusing that it needs to be; compounding matters is the fact that Phone Scoop describes it as a "push UI" on account of a fiddly touchscreen. For what it's worth, it seems that the keyboard is at least quite good -- so if you can put up with the negatives, the Glyde might still have a place in your pocket. Otherwise, the Voyager's still looking awfully good, isn't it?Read - LAPTOP Magazine (2.5 / 5 stars, "...limited by a poor UI and unreliable performance")Read - Phone Scoop ("The Glyde pairs a few of the best things from the physical and touch worlds")Read - PHONE Magazine ("The Verizon Glyde isn't a bad cellphone, but it's outshone by its rivals")
