A powerful All-in-One Desktop with a 24″ (diag.) multi-touch display for intuitive touch access to the web, HD movies, music, photos and more. And with powerful features that include optional 2010 Intel Core processors and a Blu-ray Disc drive, it’s the ultimate multimedia machine.
Sony VAIO All in One VPC-L214FX/B Features
* Intel Core i5 processor (2.3GHz) with Turbo Boost technology up to (2.90GHz)
* Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
* 24″ (1920×1080) Full HD touchscreen display
* 6GB of RAM & 1TB HDD
* Blu-ray Disc ROM drive
* 27 x 9.4 x 20.9 inches
* 37 pounds
* Integrated Intel Graphics Card HD 3000
* Stereo speakers, Microphone, Touch screen
* Wireless Sony VGP-WKB11 keyboard
* Integrated Network adapter, Bluetooth 2.1 EDR, Wireless 802.11b/g/n
* 3 x Hi-Speed USB – 4 pin USB Type A
* VGA output – 15 pin HD D-Sub (HD-15)
* HDMI output – 19 pin HDMI Type A
* HDMI input – 19 pin HDMI Type A
* 2 x SuperSpeed USB – 9 pin USB Type A
The Toshiba Satellite L645-S4104 is a mid-range laptop with a price tag around the $600 mark. It boasts an Intel i3-380M processor with 4 gigabytes of 1066MHz RAM and a 500 GB hard drive. Some pretty impressive specs for a mid-range number. Here is a fuller list of the numbers on the Toshiba Satellite L645-S4104
* 2.53 GHz Intel Core i3-380M dual-core processor, 3MB Cache
* 4GB DDR3 1066MHz (max 8GB)
* 500GB (5400 RPM) Serial ATA hard disk drive with TOSHIBA Hard Drive Impact Sensor (3D sensor)
* 14.0″ diagonal widescreen TruBrite TFT display at 1366 x 768 native resolution (HD) with native support for 720p content and LED backlit
* 16:9 aspect ratio
* Intel HD Graphics with 64 MB – 1696 MB dynamically allocated shared graphic memory
* Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
* 8x SuperMulti DVD drive with double layer support
* Integrated Wireless-N Wi-Fi networking
* Built-in stereo speakers with Dolby Advanced Audio
* 6 cell/48Wh Lithium Ion battery pack – Battery Life (measured by MobileMark 2007) 5 hours, 48 minutes
* 3 USB 2.0 ports with 1 eSATA/USB combo port
* HDMI high-definition audio/video output
* Multi-format memory card reader
* 9.1 x 13.3 x 1.5 inches
* 5 pounds
The Toshiba Satellite L645-S4104 certainly has all the options you’d expect from a decent laptop, but don’t take our word for it, check out a few reviews from around the net
PCMag – Fine keyboard. Energy Star certified. Bland looks. Underpowered processor. Amazon customer reviews – robust and quite fast laptop, very portable Squidoo
‘Cloud’ is the in-phrase for IT hardware marketeers these days and storage experts Iomega are not going to be left out with their Home Media Network Hard Drive Cloud Edition NAS. And according to their marketeers you can now have your very own ‘Personal Cloud’
Easily share content with friends and family outside of your home using the exclusive Iomega Personal Cloud feature. Invited guests will have access to read and write to files and folders on your network drive.
So you can now go global with your holiday snaps and videos of Junior’s birthday parties and according to Iomega your Personal Cloud is safe, secure, economical, convenient, easy to use and flexible. Of course it functions more than ably as a networked drive providing either 1TB or 2TB of storage depending on the model chosen. There’s also a couple of USB ports for other devices and a lock slot. Here are some other features on Iomega’s Cloud Network Drive
* Simple three step setup – Simply plug into your router, power on, and install the software CD
* Simple content sharing – Access files from any networked Windows, Apple or Linux computer for easy file sharing
* Powerful backup – Backup all the computers on your network simply by downloading and installing the available client backup software. Also compatible with today’s most common backup software applications.
* Copy jobs – One-touch copying via the QuikTransfer button. Easily copy files to and from attached USB drives or any network share, including Iomega Personal Cloud locations using the rsync or CIFS protocol.
* 4.4 x 6.1 x 9.4 inches
* 3.5 pounds
Reviews
We managed to track down one review at Computer Shopper which rated the Iomega Home Media Network Drive at 8.1 with pros as speedy, ease of use whilst user management (part of that cloud access Iomega are so keen to promote) not the greatest thing in the world. Unfortunately the low scoring customer reviews on Amazon also mentioned issues around setup for external access with one user having to contact their ISP to help them out.
Having said that no-one was knocking the Iomega Home Media Network drive for its local NAS capabilties, so it should perform well if that’s what you’re after but of course you are paying extra for the ‘Cloud’.
Today we’re taking a look at a high-end monitor aimed at professional image editors, graphic designers and CAD/CAM users. The NEC Multisync PA301W is a 30 inch LCD monitor with a 2560 x 1600 resolution and 350 cd/m2 brightness. The monitor comes with calibration software, namely SpectraViewII, sports wide gamut IPS panel technology and is factory calibrated. Here’s a fuller list of what you can expect from your NEC Multisync PA301W monitor.
* 30 inch widescreen display with 2560 x 1600 native resolution
* Supports 1080p format
* 16:10 aspect ratio
* DVI Video, Digital (DVI-D), DisplayPort inputs
* 1000:1 Contrast Ratio
* 4 year NEC Warranty
* KVM built-in for multi machine use
* MultiProfiler Software
* Picture-in-picture
However the NEC PA301W monitor is not for the financially faint-hearted with its current Amazon price tag rocking in at US$2,549 for the monitor and software. But of course if pixel-perfect image quality is key to your business or just key to you then the NEC Multisync is a wise investment. Here are a couple of ratings we’re found for the NEC PA301W across the web, which both give the monitor a big thumbs up.
Pros – Screen size, excellent color accuracy and grayscale quality, east setup, a USB hub, four digital inputs.
Cons – Compatible video card required, no HDMI input, cost
The lack of an HDMI input seems strange and of course the cost is prohibitive but if accurate image representation is what you are after then the 30 inch NEC Multisync is the monitor for you.
Today we’re taking a look at a 27 inch LED monitor, namely the HP 2711. The boys at Palo Alto have produced a full Hi-Def res ultra-slim monitor for you to view your favourite PC games on. Of course it’ll work just as well with other types of software. The 2711 sports a BrightView panel for cutting down glare, has a Tilt Adjustment feature which allows to fold the screen down to be flush with your desk for some reason! It’s Energy Star Compliant and sports VGA, DVI-D and HDMI inputs for all round connectivity. Check out some more details for the HP 2711 27 inch monitor
* 27 inches, 1920 x 1080 res widescreen display
* Supported Video Formats 1080p
* 16:9 aspect ration
* Analog VGA, Digital (DVI-D), HDMI inputs
* 7.3 x 18.5 x 25.8 inches
* 12.6 pounds
* 170/160 degree viewing angles
* 3,000,000:1 Dynamic Contrast Ratio
Pros – Good design, colour and performance, ultra thin Cons – Bad grayscale, limited adjustability, glossy surface, no height adjustment
So there’s a bit of a mixed reaction to the actual quality of the display and no height adjustment seems a bit of odd feature to leave out, but if you are still interested then check out the HP 2711 27 inch LED monitor over at Amazon.
Did you know that for only $1650 you can get hold of a 3D laptop, namely the HP Envy 17 3D. The HP Envy 17 3D base specification sports Windows 7 Home Premium, Intel Core i7-2630QM processor, 6GB memory and 1TD of HDD. As usual you can upgrade most of these options into some mega-laptop but just $1650 will get you this base model HP Envy 17. Here’s a full list of the features on the unit
* 17.3″ diagonal Full HD HP 3D Ultra BrightView Infinity LED Display (1920×1080)
* Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
* 2nd generation Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-2630QM (2.0 GHz, 6MB L3 Cache) with Turbo Boost up to 2.9 GHz
* 1GB Radeon(TM) HD 6850M GDDR5 Graphics [HDMI]
* 6GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
* 1TB 5400RPM Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
* Blu-ray player & SuperMulti DVD burner
* HP TrueVision HD Webcam
* Intel 802.11a/b/g/n WLAN and Bluetooth(R)
* Backlit Keyboard
* HP 3D Active Shutter Glasses
* 6-Cell Lithium-Ion Battery (standard) – Up to 2.25 hours of battery life
Looks great if you’re after a portable media center, all the expected details, such as a Blu-Ray player, HDMI output etc. Here are some reviews on the HP Envy 17 3D from around the web
We must admit the title of this post is a bit of a mouthful but the subject is certainly not large and fortunately neither is its price tag. The My Passport Essential HDD from WD measures a slim 4.3 x 3.3 x 0.7 inches and weighs a meagre 7.2 ounces. Ideal for those of us who need to carry around a whole one TerraByte of data. And for the more fashion consious amongst the data transporters, the unit comes in four colors, black, silver, metallic blue and metallic red. Back on more technical themes, the My Passport Essential sports 3.0 USB connectivity for speedy data transfer, up to 3 times faster than good old 2.0 connectivity according to the marketing blurb. Here’s a fuller list of the bits and pieces on the My Passport
* Dual USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 compatibility
* Connectivity today; speed for tomorrow
* Up to 3x faster transfer rates with USB 3.0
* WD SmartWare™ software – Automatic, continuous backup
* Hardware encryption, password protection
* USB-powered
* Uses recycled material
* Compatibility – Windows® XP, Windows Vista®, Windows 7, Mac OS® X Leopard®, Snow Leopard™
The model scores 4 stars out of 5 on Amazon customer reviews with size, capacity and transfer speeds being positives and issues with the backup software as a negative. So if you’re after a small compact external HDD that will fit in your pocket but aren’t fussed about backup software, then the Western Digital My Passport Essential SE may just be what you are after.
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