HP’s Envy 3D notebook has been around for some time now but amongst so many notebooks sporting Nvidia’s 3DVision floating around, it seems lost in the crowd. This is one of the few notebooks that support AMD's HD3D technology which is a rare sight as the desktop segment is also completely dominated by Nvidia. HP currently offers only a single model in the high-end Envy range, which will compete with Asus and Alienware as they sport very similar features and are targeted at gamers. Let’s see if it has what it takes to go up against the big guns.
 
Design and Build
When it comes to design and build quality, it seems HP can do no wrong. HP has paid attention to a lot of detail which shows in the finished design. The plastics and metal used are of high quality giving the Envy 17 a very polished and refined look. There’s an engraved design running throughout the notebook which takes away from the otherwise monotonous colour scheme. The lid is strong and applying pressure doesn’t distort the screen. Other than the design, there’s just the illuminated HP logo down at the bottom. The screen is held securely in place by two hinges that let you tilt it all the way to 160 degrees backwards.

The Envy 17 is not exactly light weight at 3.41kg but it’s really slim for a gaming notebook, in fact it looks more like a regular multimedia notebook from their DV6 line-up. On the left we have a large vent for the exhaust, which can get pretty toasty even in power saver mode. You can’t use the notebook on your lap for too long as it gets hot pretty quickly even when you’re just browsing or not doing anything. Connectors include dual headphone jacks with microphone support for one of them, HDMI, DisplayPort, Gigabit Ethernet jack, VGA and memory card reader. Our review unit came with a total of four USB 2.0 ports (including one ESATA combo port) but their website states that one of the ports will be USB 3.0. The optical drive is a Blu-ray/DVD combo drive and not a Blu-ray writer.

Due to the size of the notebook, there’s plenty of place to play around with for the keys and trackpad. HP have gone with the chiclet styled backlit keys which includes a proper Numpad as well. The finish and feedback of the keys are really good so no complaints here. The backlights for the keys only have two settings, either on or off and there’s no ambient light sensor so you’ll have to manually enable it. The trackpad is nice and large with a very smooth finish making it effortless to use. Finally, we have the speaker grills that are placed in the front facing outwards.

Features
With a price tag of almost a lac, you’d expect HP to throw in everything but the kitchen sink, sadly that’s not the case. Powering the Envy 17 is an Arrandale-based Core i5-480M processor running at a stock speed of 2.66GHz with the ability to Turbo up to 2.9GHz. With Sandy Bridge being quite widespread now, it’s a wonder why HP is still stuck with the older CPU model. The bundled memory is 4GB but there’s another free slot so you can expand it to 8GB. For storage we have a 640GB hard drive running at 7200rpm. The graphics card used is an AMD Mobility HD 5850 with 1GB GDDR5 memory. This is a high-end DX11 graphics card for notebooks with full support for OpenCL and DirectCompute 11 applications.

The 17.3-inch full HD display is simply gorgeous and supports HP’s Ultra BrightView technology. Since this is a 3D ready notebook, the maximum supported refresh rate is 120Hz. As AMD don’t have any 3D implementation of their own like Nvidia, they have to rely on third party developers which in this case is TriDef 3D. Using their TriDef Ignition software, you can play games in 3D whereas for movies, you can use Cyberlink’s PowerDVD software which comes bundled.

Speaker grills face outwards so it's not blocked by the user
Another highlight of the Envy 17 is the use of Beats Audio by Dr.Dre. The software gives you a little control panel allowing you tweak the audio settings to your liking which includes a graphic equalizer. Apart from the two speakers in the front, HP has included a Triple Bass Reflex Subwoofer which we’ll put to the test a little later.

Overall, HP has done a great job with the build and finish of the Envy 17 that’s only rivalled by some of their other notebooks. But looks aside, does it have the chops to compete with hardened gaming veterans like Asus or Alienware?

Processor Description
Processor Name	Intel Core i5
Processor and Memory
Processor Speed	2660
Processor Cache Memory	No Information
Front Side Bus	No Information
System Memory
Standard RAM	4096
Upgradeable RAM	8192
Hard Disk Drive Type
Inbuilt Hard Disk Drive Capacity	640
Display
Display Size (Inch)	17.3
Display Features
Maximum Display Resolution	1920 x 1080
Screen Type	HD 3D Ultra BrightView Infinity
Graphics Solution
HDMI Port	Yes
Interface
WiFi	802.11 a/b/g/n
Fax Features
Modem Speed	No
Connectivity
USB Port	3
eSATA Port	Yes
Built-in Camera	Yes
Fingerprint Reader	No
Digital Media Reader	5
Computer Interfaces (Ports and Cards)
Fire Wire Port	No
Multimedia
Speakers	Yes
Audio Features
Microphone	Yes
Power
Battery (Type)	Li Ion
Battery
Battery Life	No Information
Operating System
Operating System	Windows 7 Home Premium
Dimensions
Weight	3.41
Width	416
Depth	275
Height	54.5
After Sales Service
Warranty Period	1
More Features
Unique Feature

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As far as utility notebooks are concerned, Lenovo has been one of the frontrunners. Whilst they do not have the style and looks that Apple’s Macbooks provide, they do offer streamlined performance by stripping off the non essentials that most other laptop manufacturers include in their laptops and hence cater extremely well to most business professionals. Here’s our review for the Lenovo G570 model – 20079.

The G570

Design and Build Quality
The Lenovo G570’s design seems standard, just like all other Lenovo notebooks. The laptop has a glossy finish at the back, which is extremely prone to fingerprints. It has a 15.6-inch HD LED backlit screen and comes with a resolution of 1366 x 768. It consists of a six-cell battery and weighs 2.6 kg; which is definitely not light-weight or as slim as you’d expect it to be. Connectivity includes three USB 2.0 ports, an HDMI slot, a USB cum eSATA port, LAN and VGA port. It also has the standard DVD writer and microphone and a headphone jack.

Standard DVD writer, headphone and mic jacks

The screen too has a glossy finish and hence reflections may be a problem for some. The G570 has a chiclet-styled keyboard and comes with a standard track pad with scrolling functions. It has a Power ON and Lenovo’s trademark One Key Recovery button above the keyboard. Lenovo have rarely gone wrong with the design and build quality on their laptops and the G570 model is no different.


Features
The G570 has a Core i3-2310M CPU running at 2.10GHz. It has 3GB DDR3 RAM with 640GB of memory and comes pre-built with Windows7 Home Basic (64 Bit). No dedicated graphic card has been provided - but the laptop has an integrated Intel HD graphics card. The other features are quite standard and includes camera, Bluetooth 2.1, Wi-Fi, NumPad and card reader.

No USB 3.0

Performance
At 2.6kg, the G570 is definitely not the lightest notebook around; and, for some it might even be on the heavier side. As far as ergonomics are concerned, the laptop packs quite a punch. The key feedback is nice and this is particularly good news for those having to spend long hours typing in front of the screen. The track pad responds well to touch and is situated a little off the centre and hence, doesn’t come in the way while typing.

Touchpad is off the centre, so doesnt come in the way

The sound quality is decent - the speakers are quite loud and clear, but, bass isn’t really existent. The notebook has a heat sink on the side, which means that it won’t get too hot when you’re using it on your lap. Charging doesn’t heat up the laptop. We’ve run a few tests on the Lenovo G570 and our findings looked like this -

Performance Chart

Battery Life
The G570 has a 6-cell battery and we managed to get one hour and 19 minutes of battery life with Battery Eater Pro. This is average at best and the laptop could have been given a better score had the battery lasted a little longer.

Stylish and affordable

Verdict
The Lenovo G570 is priced at Rs. 32,590, excluding taxes. Like most Lenovo laptops, the G570 does well what it’s supposed to do. The laptop lacks a USB 3.0 port, but it more than makes up with its features and performance. Essentials like the track pad quality, screen resolution and build quality are pretty neat, too. Lenovo’s Z570 comes in a similar price range and as far as personal choice is concerned, has better looks with its all-metal finish. The specs are almost similar, unless you opt for a different version in the series. For that price, the Lenovo G570 is definitely a good buy. ..N

Today Toshiba revealed two new products that verge on the anorexic: A superskinny Android Honeycomb tablet, and a svelte notebook companion.

In case you don’t believe me, Toshiba’s tablet, the AT200, measures in at only 7.7 mm thick. For comparison, the iPad 2 is 8.8 mm thick. The AT200 features a 10.1-inch display with 1280 x 800 resolution. Inside, it’s got a dual-core TI OMAP 4430 processor that clocks in at 1.2 GHz, with 1 GB of RAM.

Over a dozen new tablets have been unveiled so far this year, from the Motorola Xoom to the funky Fusion Garage Grid 10. Many have taken Apple’s lead by slimming down their mobile products. Toshiba unveiled its 10-inch Thrive tablet earlier this summer, but some devices experienced some bugs after the initial release.

The brushed aluminum AT200 tablet will be available in 16-, 32- and 64-GB models, and will also includes a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera with an LED flash. It’s got mini-HDMI out, a micro USB port, and a micro SD card slot. It’s supposed to get 8 to 10 hours of battery life.

Toshiba’s Portege Z830 notebook takes aim at the MacBook Air market. At its thickest point, the Z830 is 0.63 inches, and it weighs only 2.45 pounds. It’s encased in a magnesium and aluminum alloy shell, and is just big enough to house all of the ports you need: two USB 2.0, one USB 3.0, VGA out, SD card reader, ethernet, and HDMI.

Toshiba’s Portege Z830 isn’t as powerful as other comparable notebooks on the market, as it features a somewhat less-powerful Core i3 processor. But what it lacks in power, it makes up in battery life and price; the juice is supposed to last for eight hours, and the entry-level Z830 costs under a grand. Higher-end configurations can include a Core i5 or i7 processor.

The Portege Z830 will be available in the India in September, but no date has been pegged for the AT200’s release.

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