Buying an Ultrabook for Christmas? Five things to watch out for

 

If you’re after a laptop this Christmas, you’ve probably scoped out the candidates already: the lust worthy MacBook Air, and its Windows 8-powered Ultrabook rivals, a thin category of laptop from Intel and Apple’s rivals. But which one to get? With our handy tips you won’t fall into any traps.

To touch or not to touch

Many of the newest Ultrabooks, timed to arrive with Microsoft’s finger friendly Windows 8 operating system, are touchscreen, letting you prod your way around instead of using a mouse or the trackpad for everything. Of course, a touchscreen layer will usually cost you extra, but we find it does come in handy, when you want to tap one of the Windows 8 start screen’s big, juicy icons, or a link on a web page.

Not all Ultrabooks are born equal

Intel and its partners have played quite fast and loose with the term “Ultrabook” – and the result is that some models are neither that thin, that light, or that portable. Some Ultrabooks pack in DVD disc drives and mechanical hard drives, which are both useful additions, but add serious bulk. For portability, avoid anything larger than 13-inches, and if you can, check out the Ultrabook you’re after in a store first.

New form factors ahoy

Intel’s Ultrabook branding has also expanded to include new form factors beyond the traditional laptop. Lenovo’s Yoga laptop flips around to form three different models: laptop, tablet and stand, which is useful in the kitchen, or on a train. Watch out for other convertibles though, where the tablet separates from the keyboard, or the screen rotates on a central hinge like Dell’s models: they’re often bulky and poor performers without the keyboard.

Choose your OS

Not every Ultrabook comes with just Windows. Dell’s just launched an Ultrabook that comes pre-loaded with open source Linux, so if you’re not a fan of Microsoft, you don’t have to settle for Windows on your sleek new machine. Speaking of which…

Back to the Mac

If it’s a super thin Windows laptop you’re after, don’t forget the MacBook Air. It’s not an Ultrabook, but it’s what inspired them. You can install Windows on all Apple’s computer, and you don’t need us to tell you how powerful and beautiful this samurai sword of a laptop is. Of course, you’ll have to pay extra for a Windows licence, and it doesn’t have a touchscreen, but what price can you put on looking good?

www.tell-me-first.com

Buying an Ultrabook for Christmas? Five things to watch out for by

If you’re after a laptop this Christmas, you’ve probably scoped out the candidates already: the lust worthy MacBook Air, and its Windows 8-powered Ultrabook rivals, a thin category of laptop from Intel and Apple’s rivals. But which one to get? With our handy tips you won’t fall into any traps.

To touch or not to touch

Many of the newest Ultrabooks, timed to arrive with Microsoft’s finger friendly Windows 8 operating system, are touchscreen, letting you prod your way around instead of using a mouse or the trackpad for everything. Of course, a touchscreen layer will usually cost you extra, but we find it does come in handy, when you want to tap one of the Windows 8 start screen’s big, juicy icons, or a link on a web page.

Not all Ultrabooks are born equal

Intel and its partners have played quite fast and loose with the term “Ultrabook” – and the result is that some models are neither that thin, that light, or that portable. Some Ultrabooks pack in DVD disc drives and mechanical hard drives, which are both useful additions, but add serious bulk. For portability, avoid anything larger than 13-inches, and if you can, check out the Ultrabook you’re after in a store first.

New form factors ahoy

Intel’s Ultrabook branding has also expanded to include new form factors beyond the traditional laptop. Lenovo’s Yoga laptop flips around to form three different models: laptop, tablet and stand, which is useful in the kitchen, or on a train. Watch out for other convertibles though, where the tablet separates from the keyboard, or the screen rotates on a central hinge like Dell’s models: they’re often bulky and poor performers without the keyboard.

Choose your OS

Not every Ultrabook comes with just Windows. Dell’s just launched an Ultrabook that comes pre-loaded with open source Linux, so if you’re not a fan of Microsoft, you don’t have to settle for Windows on your sleek new machine. Speaking of which…

Back to the Mac

If it’s a super thin Windows laptop you’re after, don’t forget the MacBook Air. It’s not an Ultrabook, but it’s what inspired them. You can install Windows on all Apple’s computer, and you don’t need us to tell you how powerful and beautiful this samurai sword of a laptop is. Of course, you’ll have to pay extra for a Windows licence, and it doesn’t have a touchscreen, but what price can you put on looking good?

www.tell-me-first.com

Five things you never knew you could do with your Chromebook

 

Five things you never knew you could do with your Chromebook

With everything stored in the cloud, Google’s Chromebooks offer super fast start-up times and are much lighter than most laptops. And with great devices like the Acer C7 being a bargain at just £199, now could be the time to invest in a Chromebook.

Don’t worry if you think they’re less well-equipped than proper laptops, either. Far from it. With a Chromebook, you can do this little lot, for starters.

1 Stream music

Last week Spotify announced it was launching a version of its streaming service using a browser. You can sign up now through the company’s Facebook page. Or you can use Rdio, and bring millions of tracks to your Chromebook using your browser. Hard drive? Who needs a hard drive?

2 Watch movies using Netflix

The original version of Chrome OS wouldn’t stream Netflix, but the movie service will now work like a charm on your Chromebook, giving you a ton of options that’ll more than make up for the lack of DVD drive. Just careful you don’t get popcorn in the keyboard.

3 Make video calls

The bad news is it’s a little tricky getting Skype to work on Chrome OS. Thankfully there’s an app called imo, which’ll let you use Skype as well as Google Talk, ICQ, and more. Of course, you could always start a Google Hangout in Google +, which works seamlessly with Chrome OS. Your contact will need to be on Google +, which admittedly not that many people are, but signing up is a doddle.

4 Turn it into a Windows PC or Mac

You may be feeling a little underpowered with your Chromebook, but did you know you can effectively turn it into a Mac or Windows PC? Just install Chrome Remote Desktop, and you can access another of your computers right on your Chromebook. Add the app to your browser, enable remote connections (both computers will need to be connected to the internet), and you should be able to jump between the two on the same screen.

5 Edit photos and videos online

No hard drive to install programs on might leave you thinking you can’t pull off any photo or video editing. Well you’d be wrong. There are a bunch of programs available online that’ll do the job. Ok, so they might not be able to rival Photoshop and Final Cut Pro for the really polished effects, but for your basic editing they’ll have everything you need. Check out Pixlr Editor, LunaPic, Fotoflexer, and iPiccy for snaps, and the YouTube Video Editor is pretty handy.

Google Chromebook: Touchscreen netbook killer on the way this year!

 

Google’s trio of new Nexus goodies may not be the only gizmos the tech giant has for us before Christmas: according to a new report, the search gurus at Google are working on an own-brand Google Chromebook laptop, complete with a touchscreen. Is Google’s answer to the low price laptop about to get even smarter?

According to China Times, Google is working on its own-brand Chromebook laptop, to rival the likes of Samsung and Acer – and it may start shipping before the end of the year, in time for Christmas. Unusually, it will pack a touchscreen, meaning that you should be able to swipe up and down and select on-screen icons, as you can with many new Windows 8 machines.

Chromebooks run Chrome OS, Google’s operating system that’s fast, free, and little more than a web browser – if you caught our feature last week though, you’ll know that’s much less of a limitation than it used to be, and you can do almost anything with it that you’d want to on a Windows PC or Mac.

We’ll let you know as soon as more information surfaces about a touchscreen Google Chromebook.

www.tell-me-first.com

Acer C7 Chromebook: The £199 killer laptop lands

 

While it cleans up on mobile, Google’s quiet invasion of the laptop market invasion continues. Today sees the launch of the Acer C7 Chromebook, a new 11.6-inch laptop running its Chrome OS operating system for a rock bottom price – read on to find out if this can put the MacBook Air out of business.

For £199, the Acer C7 Chromebook gives you an 11.6-inch HD screen, a 1.3 megapixel webcam and HDMI-out so you can spit your screen out onto a nearby TV: the whole affair is powered by a 1.1GHZ Intel processor. You also get 100GB of free cloud storage on Google Drive for two years.

That price tag is a lot less than most Windows rivals for one reason: the Acer C7 Chromebook runs Chrome OS (which, unlike Windows 8, is free, passing on the savings to you). It’s a lightweight operating system that’s built entirely around the Chrome web browser: that means instant start-up times and easy to get to grips with navigation. But it also means a few downsides: if something doesn’t run in the browser, you can’t use it, which means no Spotify or fancy 3D games for you.

Still, for just £199, that should make it quite the bargain. If you were thinking of an £849 MacBook Air when all you need is a word processor and web browser you can take with you, it could make for a very tempting Christmas pressie indeed. It’s on sale now at Amazon and PC World/Currys – stay tuned for a full review ASAP.

GoNote Android netbook: The £150 laptop killer arrives

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Top 5 reasons to own Retina Display Apple MacBook Pro

 

Apple this week unveiled a couple of new MacBook Pro laptops fitted with its own Retina Display technology for higher resolution images with even more detail. An improved display isn’t the only reason to fall in love with the new MacBook Pro. Here are five reasons to get excited about Apple’s latest laptop.

From the new Retina Display to its more powerful Ivy Bridge processors, the new Apple MacBook Pro with Retina Display is definitely one of the most advanced laptops around. Here’s a handful of reasons why it’s worth saving up for one.

That Retina Display

Of course we couldn’t ignore that display. The 5.1 million pixel screen spread over 15.4-inches takes the detail on Apple MacBook Pro’s to new heights. A 2880×1800 resolution delivers more detail, while maintaining excellent picture quality and a better viewing angle to cope with bright conditions. One gaze at it is enough to have any gadget fan sprung.

It’s thinner

Apple has somehow managed to cram in all of its latest laptop tech into a device that is actually thinner, and lighter than even the 13-inch model. So while the new Apple MacBook Pro is pretty big in terms of display size, it’s even less likely to give you shoulder ache than the original 13-inch models.

All-flash storage

The new Retina Display MacBook boasts 768GB all-flash storage for better performance. Startup is quicker, and apps launch faster. You’ll notice the difference when using more power intensive apps such as Final Cut Pro. And because there are no moving parts the new MacBook Pro is more durable from knocks.

Retina Display-ready software

With the Retina Display comes Retina Display-compatible apps, each tweaked to look their best on the MacBook Pro’s Retina Display. Whatever you’re using it for, you’re sure to notice the difference from not having a Retina Display.

Faster performance

The new Apple MacBook Pro is powered by the latest quad-core Intel Core i7 Ivy Bridge processor. Thanks to the latest Ivy Bridge technology, you get faster performance without sacrificing on efficiency. And it shows – battery life lasts a very decent 7-hours.

The new Apple MacBook Pro with Retina Display is on sale now. Have you purchased one? Planning to? Let us know in the comments below.

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Why your next laptop should be a tablet

Tablet computers continue to fly off the shelves. And we’re not in the least bit surprised. Tablets are light, portable, great for surfing the web, and in most cases cost less than a PC or laptop. Here we make the case for ditching the latter in favour of the latest tablet computers.

Portability

The very best tablet computers measure just 10-inches across and are just millimetres in width. Some are even smaller, and lighter. And don’t need a bag to transport them. Tablets can be carried in the hand just like a writers notebook. If you want to browse the web, and still travel light, tablet computers are the way forward.

Optional keyboard functionality

For that tactile feel some now feature keyboard accessories and docks. A keyboard dock for the Apple iPad has been available from the original launch. Meanwhile Asus has been leading the way with its Transformer Prime range of powerful and affordable tablets capable of transforming into a laptop. The most recent launch: the Asus Transformer Pad TF300T starts from just £399 complete with keyboard attachment.This kind of convergence means tablet and laptop fans can enjoy the best of both worlds, and still get work done.

Gaming on-the-go

Tablet computers aren’t quite ready to run Battlefield 3 at full specs,but for an alternative to handheld consoles such as the PS Vita and Nintendo 3DS look no further than an Android or iOS tablet. Both are able to take advantage of thousands of games. Some of the best, such as Angry Birds and Hero Academy for Android and iOS are even free to play. Now console quality games are appearing on tablets: Grand Theft Auto, Max Payne, Street Fighter and more are already available to download on tablets.

Better battery life

When it comes to battery life, some of todays tablets are more efficient. Say you were thinking of picking up an Apple MacBook Pro. It has a 7-hour battery life. In comparison the new iPad will give you up to 10 hours.

Television on-demand

TV on-demand applications thrive on the desktop and laptop, but on the tablet they really spring to life, letting you watch from the sofa, bedroom or anywhere else in total comfort, without having to remain sat at a desk or in front of a television set.

These are just some of our favourite reasons to purchase a tablet over a laptop. Do you have any of your own to share?

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HP Z1 lets you perform open-chassis surgery

 

Computer maker HP isn’t traditionally known for pushing design boundaries, but the company has outdone itself this time. Its new HP Z1 Workstation is a real eye-opener. The computer snaps fully open, too – allowing for easy customisation and upgrading. What a clever idea. The HP Z1 has a little more up its sleeve, also packing some top specs, a quad-core intel processor with NVIDIA-juiced graphics and lots of storage options.

The HP Z1 Workstation may find its place in HP’s business-like range, but there’s no denying how cool its ability to open up and reveal its innards is. The big idea is that the HP Z1 suddenly becomes very easy to upgrade or fix.

Those not into such gimmicks will find plenty more to get excited about – some decent specs abound. The HP Z1’s screen is a 27-inch IPS display that should perform well even when placed near areas of sunlight. It has a 2560×1440 resolution.

Under the hood, the HP Z1 are powered by a quad-core Intel Xeon processor and NVIDIA Quadro graphics. Games will look great on this thing. Customers will have a choice of 160GB or 300GB Solid State Drive (SSD) storage. Other extras include a 2-megapixel HD webcam and a Blu-Ray drive.

The HP Z1 may not quite the eye-catcher in regular use (when not flashing its insides), but it remains an intriguing device. Tempted? Well, you’ve still got plenty of time to ponder a purchase. The HP Z1 does not arrive in stores till April. U.S prices are reported to start at $1,899. That works out at around £1209 in the Queen’s English pounds.

Have you spotted any other equally gimmicky desktop computers? Let us know.

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Five for the weekend: FIFA 12 Ultimate Edition, carbon VAIO laptops and more!

It’s the weekend once again, and with lots of new announcements over the past week we’ve been sifting through the very best to find you the gadgets worth buying and the toys worth waiting for. Read on to find out more.

FIFA 12 Ultimate Edition You won’t be able to get your hands on FIFA 12 Ultimate Edition this weekend, but it’s still worth putting your name down as soon as possible for pre-order, as you’ll get some bonus features and money off when pre-ordered from Game.

Nokia X7 If you’re smartphone shopping this weekend, it could well be worth checking out the new Nokia X7. It lacks the firepower to trouble the very best smartphones, but it is likely to be affordable, packs in a decent range of features and features very distinctive styling.

Sony Ericsson Neo A mid-range Android smartphone, the Sony Ericsson Neo actually has a lot to offer for the money. Sure, it’s not quite as sexy as the Sony Ericsson Arc, but it packs in similar processing, the same operating system and an even sharper touchscreen display. If price is a factor, it’s well worth a look.

Olympus PEN E-P3 Another gadget that’s definitely worth waiting for, the PEN E-P3 isn’t on sale yet, but it offers one of the most stylish and high quality designs we’ve seen yet on a mainstream camera. There’s a range of different lenses available to suit any conditions, and it’s the perfect choice if you’re stepping up from a regular compact camera.

Sony VAIO Z Available from the end of July, if you’re in the market for a new laptop then Sony’s VAIO Z series is definitely worth waiting for. It’ll be pricey – as with previous versions – but nothing comes close to the Z when it comes to cutting-edge features in a tiny lightweight design. If you want to work on the move, it’s the laptop of choice

Dell XPS 15z lap top

 

The basics

While MacBook Pro users have enjoyed a high quality aluminium body on their laptops for years, Windows users have often ended up with cheaper machines finished in plastic. That doesn't have to be the case, however, with the Dell XPS 15z offering a semi-affordable metal-clad alternative.

The good

The Dell XPS 15z is a 15.4-inch machine, finished in magnesium and aluminium. The chassis measures under an inch in depth, and it's thinner than lots of rival laptops. It's tactile and robust, although you'll find several different metals in place – rather than the MacBook Pro's uni-body design. That said, the XPS 15z really is a nice laptop to use and to look at.  Surprisingly for a semi-portable machine, the Dell XPS 15z is available with a Full HD screen. With a 1980 x 1080-pixel resolution, it's a lot sharper than most of its rivals, and you'll have more space onscreen to work or multi-task with.  Performance is also impressive, with the XPS 15z offering an Intel Core i7 processor and a huge 8GB of memory in high-end models. There's also a powerful nVidia GeForce GT 525M graphics card in place, so you'll have no trouble at all playing the latest games or editing videos.

The bad

The fact the XPS 15z uses different types of metals creates a slightly unbalanced feel to the design, although there's no disputing the quality. We also found the 15z was slightly noisy in use, although never distractingly so.

The bottom line

Finished entirely in metal, the Dell XPS 15z has few proper rivals. The HP Envy 15 and Apple MacBook Pro both spring to mind, and the Dell undercuts both when it comes to specification. If you're in the market for a high quality PC, the XPS 15z is well worth a look.