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Fujitsu LifeBook A6010 (Core 2 Duo 1.66 GHz, 2 GB RAM, 120 GB HDD) Reviews. Laptops Reviews by CNET. Log in | Sign up Why join? Remember me | Forgot password? Welcome (log out) View profile
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Printer friendly version Email to a friend Editorial policies del.icio.us Digg Fujitsu LifeBook A6010 (Core 2 Duo 1.66 GHz, 2 GB RAM, 120 GB HDD) Add to my products What is this? Add to my products What is this? I want it Track pricing and other product info. I got it Get a custom support center on this product. Close Added to my products
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The good: Beautiful, nonreflective screen; good application performance; low price.

The bad: Pathetic battery life; lacks media controls; remote control requires external receiver; speakers sound tinny.

The bottom line: Inexpensive but not cheap, the Fujitsu LifeBook A6010 offers a gorgeous screen and enough performance for basic home use--just plan on buying an extra battery.

Read editors' review below

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CNET editors' review Reviewed by: Michelle Thatcher
Edited by: Matthew Elliott
Reviewed on 11/3/06 Release date: 10/17/06
The Fujitsu LifeBook A6010's muted gray case looks so conservative that on first glance we mistook it for the business-friendly Dell Latitude D520. Despite its staid appearance, however, the LifeBook A6010 is no business machine; it runs on Windows XP Media Center Edition and, starting at $1,099 (our review unit is priced a bit higher), is competitively priced for the home user. The LifeBook A6010 does exhibit a few flaws--most notably, an undersize battery that can't power the system much beyond two hours--but its solid construction, gorgeous screen, and strong performance make it a decent, if not overly flashy, choice for consumers who want an inexpensive laptop for basic use inside their homes.

Measuring 14 inches wide, 10.4 inches deep, and 1.5 inches thick, the Fujitsu LifeBook A6010 is nearly identical to the Dell Inspiron E1505 and a bit smaller than the PC Club Enpower ENP680. At an even 6 pounds, the LifeBook A6010 is definitely the lightest of the three; with its modest AC adapter, the LifeBook hits the road at a manageable 6.9 pounds.

Like most 15.4-inch wide-screen displays, the one on the Fujitsu LifeBook A6010 features a 1,280x800 native resolution. The screen is remarkably bright (271 cd/m2), and its finish (Fujitsu calls it Crystal View) makes colors pop. Even better, Crystal View is not as reflective as the glossy screens found on competitors' models, such as the Enpower ENP680--a big plus if you intend to use your laptop in a variety of lighting environments. Video chatters should note that, while the ENP680 and the Dell Inspiron E1505 both incorporate Webcams into the display bezel, the LifeBook A6010 lacks a built-in camera.

Usually the keyboards on budget-friendly midsize laptops are flimsy and flexible, but the keyboard on the Fujitsu LifeBook A6010 feels solid and is one of the most comfortable ones we've used in a while. The LifeBook's track pad and mouse buttons are amply sized, and we rarely experienced the frustration that comes from accidentally grazing the track pad while typing. We love that the laptop's fingerprint reader, which rests between the two mouse buttons, doubles as a scroll. Above the keyboard sit four buttons: volume up, volume down, and two programmable application-launch keys. We were surprised, given the LifeBook A6010's Media Center operating system, that there weren't more onboard media controls. The laptop does come with a media remote, but its external receiver is quite large and requires you to sacrifice a USB port to plug it in. We were also disappointed in the LifeBook A6010's speakers, whose tinny sound could not do justice to music or movies.

As expected for such a low-price system, the LifeBook A6010 keeps it simple when it comes to ports and connections. Despite the laptop's Media Center operating system, you'll find only the standard video and audio jacks (VGA, S-Video, headphone, and microphone) common to almost every laptop on the market today. You'll also get a mini-FireWire port and three USB 2.0 ports--two of which are stacked, making it more difficult to use them at the same time--plus slots for Type II PC Cards, ExpressCards, and flash memory cards. Networking options include Ethernet, modem, 802.11a/b/g Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth. A double-layer DVD burner rounds out the somewhat basic feature set.

Though the LifeBook A6010 has a starting price of $1,099, our review unit included a number of upgrades that brought the price to a still-reasonable $1,369. This configuration features an entry-level 1.66GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T5500 processor, 2GB of swift 667MHz RAM, a large 120GB hard drive spinning at a sluggish 4,200rpm, and an integrated Intel graphics card that shares up to 128MB of system memory. It was no surprise that the LifeBook A6010 trailed systems with higher-end Core 2 Duo GPUs on CNET Labs' processor-intensive iTunes encoding test. We were more impressed with the LifeBook's performance on our multitasking benchmark, where it bested the Dell Inspiron E1505, and on our Photoshop test, where it matched the performance of the far more expensive Toshiba Qosmio G35-AV660. In short, if you need a lot of processing muscle (for video encoding, for example), you should look to other laptops with higher-end processors; otherwise, the LifeBook A6010 should provide strong performance for most home users' needs.

Unfortunately Fujitsu equips the LifeBook A6010 with a puny 27WHr battery that lasted a mere 2 hours, 7 minutes in our battery-drain tests. Even the Toshiba Qosmio G35-AV660--a desktop replacement with a larger, 17-inch display--outlasted the Fujitsu by 35 minutes. Those who want to spend much time away from a power outlet should purchase Fujitsu's optional high-capacity battery, which adds $98 to the tab.

Fujitsu includes a one-year parts-and-labor warranty with the LifeBook A6010--the industry standard for consumer systems; upgrading the warranty to three years is a bit expensive ($180). Support is available through a 24/7 toll-free phone line and, if you're in the United States, technicians can connect to your computer over the Internet to diagnose problems. Repairs can be made at carry-in locations and at a mail-in depot.

Multitasking test
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
In seconds Toshiba Qosmio G35-AV660
224 Gateway M255-E
262 Fujitsu LifeBook A6010
267 Dell Inspiron E1505
346

Adobe Photoshop CS2 image-processing test
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
In seconds Toshiba Qosmio G35-AV660
272 Fujitsu LifeBook A6010
272 Dell Inspiron E1505
330 Gateway M255-E
377

Apple iTunes encoding test
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
In seconds Toshiba Qosmio G35-AV660
204 Gateway M255-E
217 Dell Inspiron E1505
226 Fujitsu LifeBook A6010
242

BAPCo MobileMark 2005 battery life
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
In minutes Gateway M255-E
393 Dell Inspiron E1505
291 Toshiba Qosmio G35-AV660
163 Fujitsu LifeBook A6010
127

Find out more about how we test Windows laptops.

System configurations:

Dell Inspiron E1505
Windows Media Center Edition; 2.0GHz Intel Core Duo T2500; 2,048MB DDR2 SDRAM 533MHz; 256MB ATI Mobility Radeon X1400; 120GB Seagate 5,400rpm

Fujitsu LifeBook A6010
Windows Media Center Edition SP2; 1.66GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T5500; 2048MB DDR2 SDRAM 664MHz; 128MB Intel Mobile Express 945GM; 120GB Fujitsu 4,200rpm ATA/100

Gateway M255-E
Windows XP Professional; 1.83GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T5600; 1,024MB DDR2 SDRAM 666MHz; 224MB Intel Mobile 945GM; 80GB Hitachi Travelstar 7,200rpm

Toshiba Qosmio G35-AV660
Windows Media Center Edition; 2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7200; 2,048MB DDR2 SDRAM 666MHz; 256MB Nvidia GeForce Go 7600; 120GB Toshiba 5,400rpm (RAID 0); SATA/150

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Competing products (beta) About this ad
Dell Business Inspiron 6400 Better features, lower price
To help decide if the Fujitsu LifeBook A6010 is your best choice in a notebook, you may want to take a look at the Dell Business Inspiron 6400, which will give you some advantages at a lower price than the Fujitsu LifeBook A6010. For example, it comes with Windows XP Professional OS, which is more favorable than the Fujitsu LifeBook A6010 (Microsoft Windows XP media center Edition). The Dell Business Inspiron 6400 also has a 160GB hard drive, which is larger than the Fujitsu LifeBook A6010 (120GB). Furthermore, the Dell Business Inspiron 6400 usually goes for around $880, compared to $1,405 for the Fujitsu LifeBook A6010.
Product info Check prices
Dell Inspiron E1705 Better features, comparable price For roughly the same price as the Fujitsu LifeBook A6010, you can buy the Dell Inspiron E1705 with its more favorable OS (Windows XP media center 2005, as opposed to Microsoft Windows XP media center Edition). The Dell, model furthermore has 1440 x 900 native screen resolution, which is higher than that of the Fujitsu LifeBook A6010 (1280 x 800).
Product info Check prices
HP Compaq Business Notebook nx6110 Better features, lower price Compared to this Fujitsu model, you can enjoy certain advantages (while getting a lower price) in the HP Compaq Business Notebook nx6110. For starters, it has a 4.5-hour manufacturer estimated battery life, which is more favorable than the Fujitsu LifeBook A6010 (1.75 hours). The HP Compaq Business Notebook nx6110 furthermore has 1400 x 1050 native screen resolution, which is higher than the Fujitsu LifeBook A6010 (1280 x 800). Furthermore, the HP Compaq Business Notebook nx6110 typically costs about $1, 000, compared to $1,405 for the Fujitsu LifeBook A6010.
Product info Check prices
People who looked at this product also looked at Sony VAIO SZ HP Pavilion dv6000t (Core 2 Duo) Sony VAIO C150P/B (Core 2 Duo 1.66 GHz, 2 GB RAM, 120 GB HDD) Fujitsu LifeBook A3110 (Turion 64 X2 Mobile 1.8 GHz, 2 GB RAM, 120 GB HDD) Apple MacBook (Core 2 Duo 2.0GHz)

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Sony VAIO N170GT (Core Duo 1.6 GHz, 1 GB RAM, 120 GB HDD) Reviews. Laptops Reviews by CNET. Log in | Sign up Why join? Remember me | Forgot password? Welcome (log out) View profile
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Printer friendly version Email to a friend Editorial policies del.icio.us Digg Sony VAIO N170GT (Core Duo 1.6 GHz, 1 GB RAM, 120 GB HDD) Add to my products What is this? Add to my products What is this? I want it Track pricing and other product info. I got it Get a custom support center on this product. Close Added to my products
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I want it (See my list) Review User Opinions Specifications Compare Shop Tips & Tricks CNET video and photos Special sponsor storesHP BizHP HomeDell Home LenovoDell Biz CNET editors' review Very good 7.1 out of 10

The good: Attractive minimalist design; bright screen without the glare; decent application performance for the money; battery runs for more than four hours.

The bad: Uses an older Core Duo processor and integrated graphics, which limits performance; you'll probably want more memory when Vista hits; nonconfigurable.

The bottom line: The Sony VAIO N170G/T uses an underpowered Intel Core Duo processor, but the bright screen and the slick styling will make it attractive to the design-conscious consumer on a budget.

Read editors' review below

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CNET editors' review Reviewed by: Dan Ackerman
Edited by: Matthew Elliott
Reviewed on 12/6/06 Release date: 10/31/06
Call it the Jan Brady Syndrome. Mainstream laptops are often the forgotten middle child; they aren't as cute and cuddly as ultraportables or thin-and-lights, nor are they as attention-grabbing as feature-packed, high-power desktop replacements. Thankfully, mainstream laptops that fly under the radar also carry low prices. The Sony VAIO N170G/T is such a system: a somewhat bulky, somewhat underpowered Intel Core Duo laptop that's among the most affordable you'll find from Sony. This fixed-configuration laptop is priced at a reasonable $1,099, but it looks as stylish as Sony's pricier models. The system performed well compared to similarly price laptops, such as the HP Compaq Presario V6000T and the Fujitsu LifeBook A6010, but not unexpectedly, it trailed pricier models with newer Core 2 Duo processors. The Sony VAIO N170G/T is a good fit if you have a limited budget, basic computing needs, and an eye for design.

Is brown the new black? Unlike the 13.3-inch VAIO C series that offers a palette of colorful options, the VAIO N170 is available in white (called the N170G/W) or a new, Zune-like shade called Wenge Brown--described by Sony as, "a creamy, coffee color made to resemble wood furniture." It's definitely a more modern take on computer design.

Inside, the minimalist Sony style brings you a silver keyboard tray, with a matching touch pad and power button, set against an eggshell-white, full-size keyboard. The keyboard's flat keys feel comfortable, but the touch pad's slippery mouse buttons could have benefited from a more tactile surface--plus, the loud click from pressing the mouse buttons is positively deafening, at least as far as mouse buttons go.

Measuring 14.4 inches wide, 10.6 inches deep, and 1.5 inches high, the Sony VAIO N170G/T sits firmly in the mainstream category of laptops: big enough to work on comfortably for long stretches but small enough for occasional commutes. The VAIO N170G/T weighs 6.7 pounds (7.7 pounds with the AC adapter), which is a bit heavier than we'd want to have in our shoulder bag for extensive traveling.

The 15.4-inch LCD offers a 1,280x800 native resolution, which is what we'd expect from a screen this size. Sony uses its Xbrite technology in the screen, which the company claims gives you deeper blacks and richer colors. More important perhaps is the antireflective coating on the screen surface, which kept the display very readable--even in our brightly lit Labs. (Most times, you're forced to choose between a glossy screen that lets colors pop in movies and photos but suffers from glare and reflections or a screen with a matte finish that dulls colors but keeps glare to a minimum.)

The system provides the standard set of connections, including three USB 2.0 ports, a mini FireWire port, headphone and mic jacks, a media card reader, an ExpressCard slot (but no PC Card slot), and a VGA output for hooking up an external monitor. Networking connections include modem and 10/100 Ethernet jacks, and integrated 802.11a/b/g wireless. We're used to quick-launch buttons on laptops, so it's almost a surprise when we don't find them, but that's largely a matter of personal choice.

With this fixed-configuration machine, you're stuck with the core components, which include a 1.6GHz Intel Core Duo T2050 CPU, 1GB of RAM, Intel 945GM graphics, a DVD burner, and a 120GB 5,400rpm hard drive. You will get a free upgrade from Windows Media Center Edition to Windows Vista Home Premium once the new operating system is released, but for that, we'd like to have 2GB of RAM--since both RAM slots are used (for two 512MB modules), adding more RAM would be an expensive proposition.

Compared to other similarly configured systems, the Sony VAIO N170G/T performed well on CNET Labs' Multitasking test, matching up to the Toshiba Satellite P105-S6024, with the same 1.6GHz Intel Core Duo T2050 CPU. Sony's higher-end VAIO C150P/B has a faster Core 2 Duo CPU, and it was 25 percent faster on the same test. Still, for casual users, the N170G/T is plenty fast for Web surfing, movie-watching, and tackling basic productivity tasks. With its integrated 945GM graphics, you won't be doing much 3D gaming with this system, but it will suffice for older or casual games. According to Intel, you'll still be able to run the Windows vista Aero interface with this GPU.

The Sony VAIO N170G/T ran for 4 hours, 6 minutes on our MobileMark battery life test. That's comparable to other midsize laptops, such as the HP HP Compaq nc8430. Additional batteries are available from Sony for $199, but there's no extended-life battery. That's not a major loss, because we're more than happy with the 4-plus hours of battery life.

Sony backs the system with an industry-standard one-year parts-and-labor warranty. The company offers several warranty extensions; a two-year plan with onsite service costs $150. The company's Web site provides a knowledge base, driver downloads and e-mail support, and the Web site makes it fairly painless to drill down to the drivers for your specific model.

Multitasking test
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
In seconds Asus S6F
283 Sony VAIO N170G/T
314 Toshiba Satellite P105-S6024
316 HP Compaq nx9420
374

Adobe Photoshop CS2 image-processing test
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
In seconds HP Compaq nx9420
421 Toshiba Satellite P105-S6024
456 Asus S6F
460 Sony VAIO N170G/T
473

Apple iTunes encoding test
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
In seconds Toshiba Satellite P105-S6024
279 Sony VAIO N170G/T
284 Asus S6F
297 HP Compaq nx9420
575

Microsoft Office productivity test
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
In seconds Asus S6F
1025 Sony VAIO N170G/T
1077 HP Compaq nx9420
1094

BAPCo MobileMark 2005 battery life
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
In minutes Asus S6F
291 HP Compaq nx9420
248 Sony VAIO N170G/T
246 Toshiba Satellite P105-S6024
190

Find out more about how we test Windows laptops.

System configurations:

Asus S6F
Windows XP Professional SP2; 1.5GHz Intel Core Duo L2300; 1,024MB DDR2 SDRAM 533MHz; 128MB Mobile Intel Express 945GM; 100GB Seagate 5,400rpm

HP Compaq nx9420
Windows XP Professional SP2; 2.16GHz ; Intel Core Duo T2600; 1024MB DDR2 SDRAM 666MHz; 256MB ATI Mobility Radeon x1600; 80GB Seagate 5,400rpm

Sony VAIO N170G/T
Windows XP Media Center SP2; 1.6GHz Intel Core Duo T2050; 1,024MB DDR2 SDRAM 532MHz; 128MB Mobile Intel Express 945GM; 120GB Toshiba 5,400rpm SATA/150

Toshiba Satellite P105-S6024
Windows XP Media Center SP2; 1.6GHz Intel Core Duo T2050; 1,024MB DDR2 SDRAM 533MHz; 128MB Mobile Intel Express 945GM; 100GB Fujitsu 5,400rpm SATA/150

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People who looked at this product also looked at Sony VAIO SZ HP Pavilion dv6000t (Core 2 Duo) Sony VAIO C150P/B (Core 2 Duo 1.66 GHz, 2 GB RAM, 120 GB HDD) Sony VAIO TXN17P/B HP dv9000z (Vista Ultimate)

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Toshiba Satellite U205-S5057 Reviews. Laptops Reviews by CNET. Log in | Sign up Why join? Remember me | Forgot password? Welcome (log out) View profile
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Printer friendly version Email to a friend Editorial policies del.icio.us Digg Toshiba Satellite U205-S5057 Add to my products What is this? Add to my products What is this? I want it Track pricing and other product info. I got it Get a custom support center on this product. Close Added to my products
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I want it (See my list) Review User Opinions Specifications Compare Shop Tips & Tricks CNET video and photos Special sponsor storesDell BizHP BizHP Home Dell HomeLenovo CNET editors' review Very good 7.0 out of 10

The good: Lightweight yet sturdy; good performance; comfy keyboard; bright but not overly glossy screen; includes handy fingerprint reader.

The bad: Tiny touchpad; keyboard layout thwarts shortcuts; thicker than other laptops in its class.

The bottom line: Users who want a laptop with solid performance, a rich feature set, and a compact design will be pleased by the affordable Toshiba Satellite U205-S5057.

Read editors' review below

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CNET editors' review Reviewed by: Matthew Elliott and Michelle Thatcher
Reviewed on 2/26/07

Featuring the same chassis as the U205-S5044 model we reviewed late last year, the Toshiba Satellite U205-S5057 straddles the line between ultraportable and thin-and-light. The difference between the two models is inside the case: the U205-S5057 incorporates more modest components than its costlier sibling, relying on an entry-level Core 2 Duo processor and a scant 1GB of RAM to run Windows Vista. That's not to say, however, that its performance tanked; though we'd have preferred more RAM, the U205-S5057 provided plenty of oomph for typical computing tasks and excelled on our Office productivity application tests. All told, we think the $1,299 Satellite U205-S5057 is a great choice for anyone seeking a compact, full-featured laptop for daily travel.

The Satellite U205-S5057 is one of the chunkier laptops you'll find with a 12.1-inch wide-screen display. It measures 11.6 inches wide, 8.7 inches deep, and a somewhat portly 1.5 inches thick. By comparison, a similarly sized Acer Ferrari is less than an inch thick, and Apple's 13.3-inch MacBook is an inch thick. The Dell XPS M1210 is closer in size and thickness to the U205-S5057, but the Dell weighs 0.7 pound more. At 4.2 pounds, the U205-S5057 feels lighter than you'd expect. With its AC adapter, the total travel weight is 5.1 pounds.

As light as it is, the machine still feels sturdy and well built. The two hinges that support the display are thick, and Toshiba trumpets a spill-resistant keyboard and a shock-absorbing hard drive. Overall, the design can't be called inspired but it is functional, aside from the puny touchpad, which we'll get to in a moment.

Like its precursor, the Satellite U205-S5057 supplies three USB 2.0 ports (two located on the right, one on the left), a four-pin FireWire port, VGA-out, a CardBus card slot (in lieu of an ExpressCard slot), and a 5-in-1 card reader. Along the right side of the case sits a built-in DVD burner. Above it you'll find a volume-control wheel; the notebook also features multimedia controls above the keyboard for playing, pausing, fast-forwarding, and rewinding either music or movies. With instant-on software, you can use these controls to play CDs and DVDs without first booting to Windows, a highly convenient feature. Also handy is the wireless on/off switch on the laptop's right side. The U205-S5057 includes a built-in 802.11a/b/g chip along with a 10/100 Ethernet port and 56K modem jack, but no Bluetooth. The Satellite U205-S5057 also lacks the built-in Webcam found on the displays of competing laptops, such as the Dell XPS M1210.

The 12.1 wide-screen display has a native resolution of 1,280x800, which is standard for this size screen. Toshiba outfits it with its TruBrite technology for a brighter, more vibrant image. Unlike other extra-bright laptop displays we've seen, the U205-S5057's screen doesn't result in overly distracting reflections and glare. Movies look great on it, though you'll want to use headphones because the integrated stereo speakers located just below the display are about as weak as they come.

Given the laptop's compact size, the keyboard is surprisingly comfortable, although it took a bit of time to get used to the shortened spacebar. Keyboard shortcut users will be frustrated by the fact that the Windows key has been moved to the upper-right side of the keyboard, and the right-side control key has been completely eliminated. We also don't think we'll ever grow completely accustomed to the tiny touchpad, which is only 2 inches wide by less than 1.5 inches deep. Below the keyboard, you'll also find a handy fingerprint scanner for easy security and password maintenance. The lid and the bezel that frames the screen are dark gray, while silver plastic surrounds the keyboard.

Toshiba sells a customizable version of the Satellite U205 on its site, but the U205-S5057 we received is a fixed configuration that costs $1,299. Its 1.66GHz Core 2 Duo T5500 occupies the low end of Intel's Core 2 Duo line; likewise midrange are its 1GB of RAM and its integrated Intel CMA 945 graphics card. We were impressed, however, that such a small laptop could pack a 160GB, 5,400rpm hard drive.

The Satellite U205-S5057 did pretty well on CNET Labs' benchmarks, keeping pace or pulling ahead of the Lenovo ThinkPad X60 Tablet (built on a low-voltage, 1.83GHz Intel Core Duo processor and twice as much RAM) on all but one of our tests. The only place where the Satellite U205-S5057 seemed to drag was on our RAM-intensive Photoshop CS2 test; we suggest doubling the Satellite's RAM (which adds $168 to the price) if your work requires more than the typical e-mail and Office productivity apps. Unsurprisingly, the $2,329 Dell XPS M1210 we tested, with a faster, 2.0GHz processor and twice as much RAM, ran faster than the Satellite U205-S5057 on all but our Office productivity test.

The Satellite U205-S5057's standard six-cell battery lasted two hours and 19 minutes in our DVD drain test, which compares favorably against the HP Pavilion tx1000's similarly size battery. The Dell XPS M1210's nine-cell extended battery, though, lasted 90 minutes longer than that of the Satellite U205-S5057.

Toshiba backs the Satellite U205-S5057 with an average one-year parts-and-labor warranty. Support is accessible through a 24 hours a day, seven days a week toll-free phone line, an online knowledge base, and both a carry- and mail-in repair service.

Multimedia Multitasking test (in seconds)
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
Dell XPS M1210
1,041 Toshiba Satellite U205-S5057
1,350 Lenovo ThinkPad X60 Tablet
1,622 HP Pavillion tx1000us
2,100
Adobe Photoshop CS2 image-processing test (in seconds)
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
HP Pavillion tx1000us
291 Dell XPS M1210
307 Lenovo ThinkPad X60 Tablet
352 Toshiba Satellite U205-S5057
408
Apple iTunes encoding test
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
Dell XPS M1210
208 Toshiba Satellite U205-S5057
250 Lenovo ThinkPad X60 Tablet
252 HP Pavillion tx1000us
270
Microsoft Office productivity test
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
Dell XPS M1210
1,268 Toshiba Satellite U205-S5057
1,280 Lenovo ThinkPad X60 Tablet
1,312 HP Pavillion tx1000us
2,259
DVD Battery Drain test (in minutes)
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
Dell XPS M1210
229 Toshiba Satellite U205-S5057
139 HP Pavillion tx1000us
120 Lenovo ThinkPad X60 Tablet
118
Find out more about how we test Windows laptops. System configurations:

Dell XPS M1210
Windows Vista Ultimate Edition: 2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7200; 2,048MB DDR2 SDRAM 667MHz; 256MB nVidia GeForce Go 7400; 120GB Hitachi 5,400rpm SATA/150

HP Pavilion tx1000
Windows Vista Home Premium (Build 5808); 1.6GHz AMD Turion 64 X2 TL-52; 2,048MB DDR SDRAM 533MHz; 256MB Nvidia GeForce Go 6150; 120GB Seagate 5,400rpm

Lenovo ThinkPad X60 Tablet
Windows Vista Business Edition; 1.83GHz Intel Core Duo L2500; 2,048MB DDR2 SDRAM 667MHz; 128MB Intel Mobile Express 945GM; 100GB Hitachi 5,400rpm

Toshiba Satellite U205-S5057
Windows Vista Home Premium Edition; 1.66GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T5500; 1,024MB DDR2 SDRAM 528MHz; 224MB Mobile Intel 945GM Express Chipset; 160GB Hitachi, 5,400rpm

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8 out of 10 Excellent
"Great laptop, horrible cutomer service (read more)" by captainwin (see profile), March 12, 2007
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Lenovo ThinkPad R60 9461 (Core Duo 2 GHz, 1 GB RAM, 100 GB HDD) Reviews. Laptops Reviews by CNET. Log in | Sign up Why join? Remember me | Forgot password? Welcome (log out) View profile
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Printer friendly version Email to a friend Editorial policies del.icio.us Digg Lenovo ThinkPad R60 9461 (Core Duo 2 GHz, 1 GB RAM, 100 GB HDD) Add to my products What is this? Add to my products What is this? I want it Track pricing and other product info. I got it Get a custom support center on this product. Close Added to my products
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I want it (See my list) Review User Opinions Specifications Compare Shop Tips & Tricks CNET video and photos Special sponsor storesDell HomeLenovoDell Biz HP BizHP Home CNET editors' review Good 6.7 out of 10

The good: Durable, functional case; solid performance and battery life; ample security features; WWAN connectivity; swappable media bay; standard three-year warranty.

The bad: Undersize touch pad and mouse buttons.

The bottom line: Businesses seeking a sturdy, secure, portable workhorse should consider the ThinkPad R60.

Read editors' review below

Note: This product is part of the Lenovo ThinkPad R60 series. See all products in the Lenovo ThinkPad R60 series.

Buying choices for Lenovo ThinkPad R60 9461 (Core Duo 2 GHz, 1 GB RAM, 100 GB HDD) from online stores:

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Configurations starting at $973.00

CNET editors' review Reviewed by: Michelle Thatcher
Edited by: Justin Jaffe
Reviewed on 5/15/06 Release date: 5/15/06
Editors' note: The R60 is a refresh of Lenovo's ThinkPad R52 model, which CNET reviewed in April 2005. The R60 includes a few new features and new component options; otherwise, the ThinkPad R52 and ThinkPad R60 are identical. This review includes updated performance and pricing information for the ThinkPad R60. Details regarding design and features can be found in the original ThinkPad R52 review.

The plain black case of the midsize R series may not elicit excitement, but its broad range of configuration options--with prices starting at $799--provide tremendous flexibility for businesses looking to make the most of their tech dollar. With the ThinkPad R60, Lenovo loaded up the solid R-series case with new parts, such as Intel's newest Core Duo processors, fast 667MHz RAM, and ATI's latest Mobility Radeon graphics chips. The result is a well-made laptop with enough oomph to tackle any basic business task.

Though the R60's design is nearly identical to that of the R52, there are a few key new features. Most notably, the ThinkPad R60 includes optional WWAN connectivity and a convenient wireless on/off switch along the laptop's front edge. The number of USB 2.0 ports has increased to three (from two), and buyers can now choose an SXGA+ resolution for the laptop's 14-inch display. In addition to the metal screen hinges found on the R52, the R60 incorporates a magnesium alloy frame and a shock-mounted hard drive to help withstand everyday bumps.

Otherwise, the changes are internal. Our $2,099 ThinkPad R60 review unit came stocked with a 2.GHz Intel Core Duo T2500 processor; 1GB of fast 667MHz RAM; a roomy 100GB, 7,200rpm hard drive; and an ATI Mobility Radeon X1400 card with 128MB of dedicated graphics memory. Those specs are nearly identical to the $2,599 ThinkPad T60 we tested earlier this year, as was the R60's performance in CNET Labs' mobile benchmarks. The R60 also scored in line with a similarly configured Dell Latitude D620, which cost $2,101. The ThinkPad R60's battery lasted a lengthy 6 hours, 25 minutes--that's 30 minutes longer than the ThinkPad T60 and more than 2 hours longer than the Latitude D620.

As with the R52, Lenovo backs select configurations of the ThinkPad R60 with a long three-year warranty, though some low-priced configurations ship with a cost-saving one-year warranty. Toll-free telephone support is available around the clock for the length of your warranty. Lenovo's support Web site includes a handful of troubleshooting topics as well as the expected driver downloads; the site lacks interactive features such as customer forums or the chance to chat in real time with a technician.

SysMark 2004 performance
(Longer bars indicate faster performance)
BAPCo SysMark 2004 rating SysMark 2004 Internet content creation SysMark 2004 office productivity Dell Latitude D620
211 271 165 Lenovo ThinkPad R60
206 280 151 Lenovo ThinkPad T60
205 279 150

Battery life
(Longer bars indicate longer battery life)
BAPCo MobileMark 2005 performance BAPCo MobileMark 2005 battery-life minutes Lenovo ThinkPad R60
385 248 Dell Latitude D620
237 247 Lenovo ThinkPad T60
353 232

Find out more about how we test Windows laptops.

System configurations:

Dell Latitude D620
Windows XP Pro; 2GHz Intel Core Duo T2500; 1,024MB DDR2 SDRAM PC4300 533MHz; Nvidia Quadro NVS 110M 256MB; Hitachi Travelstar 5K100 80GB 5,400rpm

Lenovo ThinkPad R60
Windows XP Professional; 2GHz Intel Core Duo T2500; 1024MB DDR2 SDRAM PC5300 666MHz; ATI Mobility Radeon X1400 512MB; Hitachi Travelstar 7K100 100GB 7,200rpm

Lenovo ThinkPad T60
Windows XP Professional; 2GHz Intel Core Duo T2500; 1024MB DDR2 SDRAM PC5300 666MHz; ATI Mobility Radeon X1400 512MB; Hitachi Travelstar 5K100 100GB 5,400rpm

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Competing products (beta) About this ad
Lenovo ThinkPad Z61t Better features in an alternative model
For just a little more money, you could get the Lenovo ThinkPad Z61t, a thin-and-light notebook, which has a few additional benefits. For example, it has only a 4.2-pound weight, against the 6.8 pounds of the Lenovo ThinkPad R60. Additionally, the Lenovo ThinkPad Z61t is only 1.2-inch thick, as opposed to 1.6 inches for the Lenovo ThinkPad R60. And at $1, 895, it costs just $220 more than the Lenovo ThinkPad R60. Generally, Thinkpads lead the way in terms of design, with features such as keyboard lighting, brilliant displays, and what many consider the most responsive keyboards in the industry.
Product info Check prices
Dell Latitude D820 Better features, comparable price There's an interesting alternative to the Lenovo ThinkPad R60. Going for around $1, 755, the Dell Latitude D820 has 256MB of video RAM, which is more favorable than that of the Lenovo product (128MB). The Dell, model furthermore has only a 6.0-pound weight, which is lighter than that of the Lenovo ThinkPad R60 (6.8 pounds). Dell's entire Latitude product line is ideally suited for corporate users, given its longer product cycle and interchangeable parts.
Product info Check prices
Lenovo ThinkPad Z61m Better features Without spending too much more money, you could move up to the Lenovo ThinkPad Z61m, which has a few additional benefits. For instance, it has only a 6-pound weight, against the 6.8 pounds of the Lenovo ThinkPad R60. Additionally, the Lenovo ThinkPad Z61m has a 15.4-inch screen size, as opposed to 15-inch screen size for the Lenovo ThinkPad R60. And at $1, 895, you only have to pay $220 more than you would for the Lenovo ThinkPad R60. Generally, Thinkpads lead the way in terms of design, with features such as keyboard lighting, brilliant displays, and what many consider the most responsive keyboards in the industry.
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User Opinions See all 3 user opinions How would you rate this product? Write your own review

9 out of 10   Spectacular
"You've come a long way, baby! (read more)" by MikeMTL (see profile), September 21, 2006
8 out of 10   Excellent
"A good laptop for the price (read more)" by cliu122 (see profile), August 19, 2006
3 out of 10   Poor
"Worst notebook I have ever owned (read more)" by dobbst (see profile), February 3, 2007
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Averatec AV2260-EK1 Reviews. Laptops Reviews by CNET. Log in | Sign up Why join? Remember me | Forgot password? Welcome (log out) View profile
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Printer friendly version Email to a friend Editorial policies del.icio.us Digg Averatec AV2260-EK1 Add to my products What is this? Add to my products What is this? I want it Track pricing and other product info. I got it Get a custom support center on this product. Close Added to my products
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I want it (See my list) Review User Opinions Specifications Compare Shop Tips & Tricks CNET video and photos Special sponsor storesHP HomeDell HomeLenovo Dell BizHP Biz CNET editors' review Average 5.0 out of 10

The good: Competitively priced; compact, portable size; comfortable keyboard; includes dual-layer DVD burner; bright display; decent components and mobile performance.

The bad: Insufficient battery life; lacks multimedia controls; low-quality speakers.

The bottom line: The Averatec 2200 series has a lot going for it--portable design, comfortable keyboard, solid components--but its wimpy battery life is a deal-breaker.

Read editors' review below

Note: This product is part of the Averatec 2200 series. See all products in the Averatec 2200 series.

Average user rating from 5 users Average 5.8 out of 10
Read user opinions How would you rate this product? Write your own review
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CNET editors' review Reviewed by: Justin Jaffe
Reviewed on 6/7/06
Averatec makes aggressively priced laptops that often feature a compelling set of components for the price, though we've heard some users complain about faulty systems and unreliable tech support. That said, like the 3715 model we reviewed last year, the Averatec 2200 offers a competent mobile-computing experience, with a quality 12.1-inch wide-screen display, a comfortable keyboard, and a dual-layer DVD drive, all in a 4.3-pound case; we actually tested the Averatec 2260-EK1, which we found online for about $1,100--a low price for what you get. Unfortunately, with a battery that lasted less than two hours in our tests, the Averatec 2260-EK1 is not going to let you get too far away from the wall socket; unless battery life is a nonissue for you, we think you're better off spending a bit more money for a more resilient thin-and-light laptop. Check out our top products lists (for business use, for more casual use) for the best of the best.

Measuring about 11.75 inches wide, 8.3 inches deep, and 1.5 inches thick, and weighing in at 4.3 pounds (or 5.1 pounds, with its modest AC power adapter), the Averatec 2200 is certainly compact and light enough for regular travel. Its weight and dimensions place it in the thin-and-light category, along with a few select 12.1-inch wide-screen laptops that have optical drives, including the HP Compaq nc2400, which starts at $1,600 and includes a three-year warranty, and the $1,400 WinBook X610 (as well as the soon-to-be-phased-out $999 12-inch Apple iBook G4).

The Averatec 2200's 12.1-inch wide-screen display has a standard 1,280x800 native resolution, which affords a decent amount of screen real estate but makes text and icons appear quite small, and a glossy finish; it delivered a high score of 190cd/m2 from our Minolta luminance meter, which tests a display's maximum brightness. The compact keyboard is firm and quite comfortable to type on, and the touch pad and two mouse buttons, while small, are adequate.

This is a pretty bare-bones laptop in terms of features, ports, and connections, though there's enough to fulfill the needs of most basic users. Highlights include 802.11b/g wireless networking, three USB 2.0 ports (one more than on the HP), a 4-in-1 media card reader, and an ExpressCard slot. Aside from one solitary button that launches your music or video player, there are no multimedia controls to speak of. The speakers buried within the unit deliver tinny, low-quality audio.

Our Averatec 2260-EK1 test unit, which we found priced online at $1,100, came preloaded with Windows XP Professional and an unremarkable bundle of software, as well as a solid set of components, including a 1.83GHz AMD Turion 64 MT-32 processor with integrated graphics, 1GB of DDR RAM, a decent 80GB hard drive, and a dual-layer DVD burner. In comparison, the more expensive WinBook X610 and HP nc2400 featured Intel processors but half the RAM and smaller hard drives. In CNET Labs' mobile benchmark tests, the Averatec 2260-EK1 delivered adequate performance for basic productivity tasks, turning in slightly higher scores than the WinBook X610 and the HP nc2400. Unfortunately, the Averatec 2260-EK1's superior processing power came at the cost of its battery life; it managed a meager 110 minutes in our drain tests, which is something of a deal-breaker for a laptop that's meant to be highly portable (three hours is the bare acceptable minimum).

Averatec backs the 2200 series with a standard one-year warranty with mail-in service; the battery is covered for only six months, however, which is lame. Toll-free telephone support is available 24/7 throughout the warranty period. As of this writing, the company's support Web site didn't list any FAQs for the 2260, though it did offer driver and user-manual downloads for the system.

Mobile application performance
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
BAPCo MobileMark 2005 performance rating Averatec 2260
182 WinBook X610
162 HP nc2400
152

Battery life
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
BAPCo MobileMark 2005 battery life in minutes HP nc2400
366 WinBook X610
126 Averatec 2260
110

Find out more about how we test Windows laptops.

System configurations:
Averatec 2260
Windows XP Professional; 1.8GHz Turion 64 MT-32; 1,024MB DDR SDRAM 400MHz; Via/S3G DeltaChrome 1GP 64MB; Fujitsu MHV2080AT 80GB

HP nc2400
Windows XP Professional; 1.2GHz Intel Core Solo; 512MB DDR2 SDRAM PC4300 533MHz; Intel 945GM Express 128MB; Toshiba MK4008GAH 40GB 4,200rpm

WinBook X610
Windows XP Professional; 1.6GHz Intel Pentium M 725; 512MB DDR2 SDRAM PC3200 333MHz; Mobile Intel 915GM/GMS, 910GML Express 128MB; Hitachi Travelstar 80GN 80GB 4,200rpm

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Dell Latitude D820 Better features
Without spending too much more money, you could upgrade to the Dell Latitude D820, which has certain advantages. For instance, it has a 15.4-inch screen size, compared to the 12.1 inch of the Averatec AV2260-EK1. Additionally, the Dell Latitude D820 comes with Windows XP Home OS, as opposed to Microsoft Windows XP Professional OS for the Averatec AV2260-EK1. And it will only cost you about $125 more than the Averatec AV2260-EK1 (i.e., around $1,000). Dell's entire Latitude product line is ideally suited for corporate users, given its longer product cycle and interchangeable parts.
Product info Check prices
Dell Inspiron E1705 Better features, comparable price Before deciding on the Averatec AV2260-EK1, you might want to take a look at the Dell Inspiron E1705, which for a comparable price has a 17-inch screen size (i.e., larger than the 12.1 inch of the Averatec AV2260-EK1). The Dell, model furthermore comes with Windows XP media center 2005 OS, which is more favorable than that of the Averatec AV2260-EK1 (Microsoft Windows XP Professional).
Product info Check prices
Dell Business Inspiron 6400 Better features, lower price In contrast to this averatec, model, you can enjoy certain advantages (while getting a lower price) in the Dell Business Inspiron 6400. First of all, it has a 15.4-inch screen size, which is larger than the Averatec AV2260-EK1 (12.1 inch). The Dell Business Inspiron 6400 also comes with Windows XP Home OS, which is more favorable than the Averatec AV2260-EK1 (Microsoft Windows XP Professional). Furthermore, the Dell Business Inspiron 6400 usually goes for about $625, compared to $875 for the Averatec AV2260-EK1.
Product info Check prices
People who looked at this product also looked at Averatec AV2260-EH1 Averatec AV2260-EY1
User Opinions See all 5 user opinions How would you rate this product? Write your own review

2 out of 10   Terrible
"Worst piece of crap laptop I have ever owned! (read more)" by silverline122 (see profile), January 21, 2007
9 out of 10   Spectacular
"Convenient and Cheap, great for students (read more)" by CSwahoo08 (see profile), December 13, 2006
8 out of 10   Excellent
"For the price its a fine system, small complaints (read more)" by bobkaron1 (see profile), November 22, 2006
See all 5 user opinions

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Most Popular Laptops HP Pavilion dv6000t (Core 2 Duo) Apple MacBook (Core 2 Duo 2.0GHz) Dell XPS M1710 HP dv9000z (Vista Ultimate) Lenovo ThinkPad X60s

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Fujitsu LifeBook S2210 Reviews. Laptops Reviews by CNET. Log in | Sign up Why join? Remember me | Forgot password? Welcome (log out) View profile
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Printer friendly version Email to a friend Editorial policies del.icio.us Digg Fujitsu LifeBook S2210 Add to my products What is this? Add to my products What is this? I want it Track pricing and other product info. I got it Get a custom support center on this product. Close Added to my products
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I want it (See my list) Review User Opinions Compare Shop Tips & Tricks CNET video and photos Special sponsor storesDell BizHP BizHP Home Dell HomeLenovo CNET editors' review Good 6.9 out of 10

The good: Conservative (yet not boring) design; strong application performance; useful set of ports and connections.

The bad: Display is not wide-screen; short battery life.

The bottom line: Fujitsu's business-oriented thin-and-light LifeBook S2210 offers plenty of features and strong performance, but its standard-aspect display isn't for everyone. Worse, its battery life fell below our expectations.

Read editors' review below

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CNET editors' review Reviewed by: Dan Ackerman
Reviewed on 3/16/07 Release date: 3/6/07

Thin-and-light laptops are the preferred style for many business travelers, offering a delicate balance between portability and usability. Larger, 15-inch systems are too bulky for regular travel, and ultraportables feature screens and keyboards that are too small for everyday use. The $1,979 Fujitsu LifeBook S2210 (configurations start at $1,299) is an AMD-based, 13.3-inch business laptop that offers business-friendly features such as Trusted Platform Module (TPM) and a hard drive shock sensor. It's an attractive, well-designed system that doesn't sacrifice performance, but the stodgy 4:3 screen and relatively short battery life are definite turn-offs. Toshiba's Tecra M5 offers better performance for the same price, but in a clunkier 14.1-inch design.

Measuring 11.5 inches wide, 9.4 inches deep, and 1.1 inches high, the LifeBook S2210 is on the small end of the thin-and-light spectrum, slightly larger than a Lenovo ThinkPad X60, but smaller than the Apple MacBook. It weighs 4.2 pounds (5.2 pounds with the A/C adapter), which is perfect for frequent commuting.

The gray-and-black design is conservative without being overly stiff, and we liked the system's design accents, from the gray media control buttons above the black keyboard to the rounded edge on the front lip. The touchpad's mouse buttons, however, were a bit too small and too close to the edge for our tastes.

The 13.3-inch LCD display eschews the wide-screen aspect ratio we've seen on the vast majority of current laptops. The 4:3 screen gives the system a more business-friendly look, but it also seems a bit anachronistic, although many business users prefer a square screen for Word and Excel use. Even Lenovo, the most buttoned-down of business system manufacturers, has a wide-screen version of its ThinkPad laptops. The 1024x768 screen resolution is a bit low for a 13.3-inch screen, making text and icons look too large. That resolution works better on a smaller screen--most 12.1-inch ultraportable laptops have a 1024x800 resolution (the wide-screen 12.1-inch LifeBook P7230 has a 1024x768 resolution). Fujitsu calls its screen technology Crystal View, but it's actually a LED-backlit display, good for brighter images and better battery life.

The system supplies a standard set of connections, including three USB 2.0 jacks, a mini FireWire jack, headphone and mic jacks, a Type I/II PC card slot, a media card reader, a fingerprint reader, and VGA and S-video outputs (the S-video requires an included adapter) for hooking up an external monitor. Networking connections include a modem and Gigabit Ethernet jacks, Bluetooth, and integrated 802.11a/b/g wireless. We especially liked the included media card reader--that's something many business laptops skip.

Components on our review unit include a 1.6GHz AMD Turion 64 X2 TL-52 CPU, a healthy 2GB of DDR2 RAM, ATI Radeon X1150 graphics, a DVD burner, and a 100GB 5400rpm hard drive, all running under Windows Vista Business. The less expensive $1,299 configuration keeps the same CPU, but knocks the RAM down to a mere 512MB (which we'd strongly advise against, unless, as in this case, it's running Vista Home Basic) and the hard drive to 40GB, while skipping extras such as the fingerprint reader and Bluetooth. Because the S2210 is considered a business system, Windows XP is still available as an option--largely because system administrators and IT types feel more comfortable with the established OS.

While AMD continues to play second fiddle to Intel's popular Core 2 Duo and Core Duo CPUs, the LifeBook S2210 AMD Turion 64 X2 TL-52 managed to hold its own against two thin-and-light Core 2 Duo laptops, the Toshiba Satellite U205-S5057 and the ASUS W7J (a Windows XP laptop we upgraded to Vista ourselves), both of which had 1.6GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T5500 CPUs--although the performance differences in our tests weren't great. In anecdotal use, the LifeBook S2210 felt quick and responsive while Web surfing, playing media files, and working on office documents. The system's 2GB of RAM (double that of the other systems) no doubt helped.

A thin-and-light laptop, designed for frequent travel, requires excellent battery life. The LifeBook S2210 ran for 1 hour and 36 minutes on our DVD battery drain test, using the included 6-cell battery. This score was disappointing, especially since the similar Toshiba Satellite U205 ran for 2 hours and 19 minutes. Our DVD battery drain test is tough on batteries, and you can expect more work time if you're Web surfing or using productivity apps.

Fujitsu backs the system with an industry standard, one-year parts-and-labor warranty. Upgrading to three years costs $179, and adding onsite service for three years is an additional $149 (on top of the $179). Fujitsu provides 24-7, toll-free phone support for the life of your warranty, and a support Web site offers live chat with a technician, along with the expected FAQs, driver downloads, and product manuals.

Multimedia multitasking test
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
In seconds   Toshiba Satellite A135-S4467
1333 Toshiba Satellite U205-S5057
1350 Fujitsu LifeBook S2210
1655 ASUS W7J (Vista Ultimate Upgrade)
1965
Adobe Photoshop CS2 image-processing test
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
In seconds   Fujitsu LifeBook S2210
404 Toshiba Satellite U205-S5057
408 Toshiba Satellite A135-S4467
414 ASUS W7J (Vista Ultimate Upgrade)
495
Apple iTunes encoding test
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
In seconds   Toshiba Satellite U205-S5057
250 Toshiba Satellite A135-S4467
260 ASUS W7J (Vista Ultimate Upgrade)
298 Fujitsu LifeBook S2210
301
Microsoft Office productivity test
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
Toshiba Satellite U205-S5057
1280 ASUS W7J (Vista Ultimate Upgrade)
1379 Toshiba Satellite A135-S4467
1429 Fujitsu LifeBook S2210
1737
DVD battery drain test
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
Toshiba Satellite U205-S5057
139 Toshiba Satellite A135-S4467
118 Fujitsu LifeBook S2210
96 ASUS W7J (Vista Ultimate Upgrade)
79
Find out more about how we test laptops.

System configurations:

Fujitsu LifeBook S2210
Windows Vista Business Edition; 1.6GHz AMD Turion 64 x2 TL-52; 2,048MB DDR2 SDRAM 638MHz; 128MB ATI Radeon Xpress 1150; 100GB Hitachi 5,400rpm

Toshiba Satellite U205-S5057
Windows Vista Home Premium Edition; 1.66GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T5500; 1,024MB DDR2 SDRAM 528MHz; 224MB Mobile Intel 945GM Express Chipset; 160GB Hitachi, 5,400rpm

ASUS W7J (Vista Ultimate Upgrade)
Windows Vista Ultimate Upgrade; 1.66 Intel Core 2 Duo T5500; 1,024MB DDR2 SDRAM 528MHz; 512MB Nvidia GeForce Go 7400; 100GB Fujitsu 5,400rpm SATA/150

Toshiba Satellite A135-S4467
Windows Vista Home Premium Edition; 1.6GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T5200; 1,024MB DDR2 SDRAM 528MHz; 224MB Mobile Intel 945GM Express Chipset;160GB Hitachi, 5400rpm

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Printer friendly version Email to a friend Editorial policies del.icio.us Digg Toshiba Satellite A135-S4467 Add to my products What is this? Add to my products What is this? I want it Track pricing and other product info. I got it Get a custom support center on this product. Close Added to my products
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I want it (See my list) Review User Opinions Specifications Compare Shop Tips & Tricks CNET video and photos Special sponsor storesHP HomeDell HomeLenovo Dell BizHP Biz CNET editors' review Very good 7.0 out of 10

The good: Inexpensive; decent performance; dedicated media controls.

The bad: No high-end CPU or video card options; poor battery life; flimsy keyboard.

The bottom line: The Toshiba Satellite A135-S4467 is a middle-of-the-road system in every way, but it starts to look more impressive when you factor in the budget-friendly price, making it a solid choice for mainstream users.

Read editors' review below

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CNET editors' review Reviewed by: Dan Ackerman
Reviewed on 2/26/07 Release date: 1/30/07
Toshiba's first Windows Vista laptop, the Portege R400, was an impressive high-end convertible tablet that made a splash when was introduced at CES 2007. The company is now following up with Vista systems aimed at mainstream consumers, including the 15-inch Satellite A135. While our review unit cost only $999, the system is configurable and can run up to $1,500 if you include extras like dual hard drives. The specs and features are decidedly average, and while this system is fairly inexpensive, we still prefer the Gateway NX570 as our favorite inexpensive, jack-of-all-trades mainstream notebook because of its wide-ranging configuration options and longer battery life.

The plain-Jane, silver-and-black design won't turn many heads, but the shiny midnight-blue-speckled lid--Toshiba calls it Onyx Blue Metallic--lends an upscale touch. Too bad the glossy surface is a magnet for fingerprints. Measuring 14.2 inches wide, 10.5 inches deep, and 1.5 inches high, the Satellite A135 is small enough to carry around occasionally but big enough to type on comfortably for a full work day. The A135 weighs 5.9 pounds (6.6 pounds with the A/C adapter), which is heavier than something you'd want to tote around on a daily basis, but easy enough to take on a trip or move from room to room--and a little lighter than the Gateway NX570.

The 15.4-inch wide-screen LCD display offers a 1,280x800 native resolution, which is standard for a screen this size. Text and icons are large and readable, and the screen is nice and bright, and it stands out against the black screen bezel.

The full-size keyboard was easy to use, although it flexed a little too much as we typed. A set of media control buttons sit to the left of the keyboard, including media player and Web browser quick-launch buttons. We expected a volume control to be there, too; instead it was relegated to a tiny, hard-to-find scroll wheel on the front edge.

The system serves up a standard set of connections, including four USB 2.0 jacks, a mini FireWire jack, a PC Card slot, a media card reader, and VGA and S-Video outputs for hooking up an external monitor. Networking connections include a modem and Ethernet jacks, as well as integrated 802.11a/b/g wireless.

Components in our review unit were reasonable for the price, including a 1.6GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T5200 CPU, 1GB of DDR2 RAM, Intel 945GM graphics, a DVD burner, and a 120GB 5,400rpm hard drive. For use with Windows Vista Home Premium, we'd recommend 2GB of RAM. Toshiba offers seven preconfigured versions of the A135 (we tested the $999 A135-S4467), along with a customizable model. For $1,499, you can trade up to Vista Ultimate, a slightly faster T5500 CPU, 2GB of RAM, and dual 120GB hard drives. Dual hard drives are certainly an appreciated option, but we'd like to see faster CPUs and better GPU options.

The Toshiba Satellite A135-S4467 performed well on CNET Labs' Multitasking, iTunes encoding, and Photoshop CS2 tests, matching or nearly matching the scores of two Vista laptops with the same 1GB of RAM but slightly faster T5500 CPUs: the Toshiba Satellite U205-S5057 and the Asus W7J (a Windows XP system we upgraded to Vista ourselves). The A135 is speedy enough for casual productivity use, media playback, and Web surfing although we ran into some minor stuttering when multi-tasking or accessing Vista's various options menus.

With integrated Intel 945GM graphics, gaming is best restricted to older games at lower resolutions. If you're looking for a 15-inch laptop designed for gaming, the Asus G1 is worth a look.

The Satellite A135 ran for 1 hour and 58 minutes on our DVD battery drain test, using the included six-cell battery. We expected better than that, given the lack of high-powered components. A larger, eight-cell battery is available as a $152 option, but bear in mind that an extended battery will protrude slightly from the back of the system. The similarly priced Gateway NX570 did much better, although that was on our older, less strenuous, battery test, so the real-world difference would be less pronounced.

Toshiba includes an industry-standard one-year parts-and-labor warranty with the Satellite A135. Support is accessible through a 24/7 toll-free phone line, an online knowledge base, and both a carry-in and mail-in repair service.

Multimedia multitasking test (in seconds)
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
Toshiba Satellite A135-S4467
1,333 Asus W7J
1,346 Toshiba Satellite U205-S5057
1,350 HP Pavillion tx1000us
2,100

Adobe Photoshop CS2 image-processing test (in seconds)
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
HP Pavillion tx1000us
291 Asus W7J
379 Toshiba Satellite U205-S5057
408 Toshiba Satellite A135-S4467
414

Apple iTunes encoding test (in seconds)
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
Asus W7J
243 Toshiba Satellite U205-S5057
250 Toshiba Satellite A135-S4467
260 HP Pavillion tx1000us
270

Microsoft Office productivity test
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
Asus W7J
776 Toshiba Satellite U205-S5057
1,280 Toshiba Satellite A135-S4467
1,429 HP Pavillion tx1000us
2,259

DVD battery drain test (in minutes)
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
Toshiba Satellite U205-S5057
139 HP Pavillion tx1000us
120 Asus W7J
118 Toshiba Satellite A135-S4467
118

Find out more about how we test Windows laptops.

System configurations:

Toshiba Satellite A135-S4467 Windows Vista Home Premium Edition; 1.6GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T5200; 1,024MB DDR2 SDRAM 533MHz; 224MB Mobile Intel 945GM Express Chipset; 160GB Hitachi, 5,400rpm

HP Pavilion tx1000us Windows Vista Home Premium (Build 5808); 1.6GHz AMD Turion 64 X2 TL-52; 2,048MB DDR SDRAM 533MHz; 256MB nVidia GeForce Go 6150; 120GB Seagate 5,400rpm

Asus W7J Windows XP Professional SP2; 1.66GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T5500; 1,024MB DDR2 SDRAM 528MHz; 512MB nVidia GeForce Go 7400; 100GB Fujitsu 5,400rpm

Toshiba Satellite U205-S5057 Windows Vista Home Premium Edition; 1.66GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T5500; 1,024MB DDR2 SDRAM 528MHz; 224MB Mobile Intel 945GM Express Chipset; 160GB Hitachi, 5,400rpm

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People who looked at this product also looked at Dell XPS M1710 Toshiba Satellite P105-S921 HP Pavilion dv6000t (Core 2 Duo) HP dv9000z (Vista Ultimate)
User Opinions See all 4 user opinions How would you rate this product? Write your own review

3 out of 10   Poor
"It is insufficient to handle Vista and also has modem problems (read more)" by wagnerik (see profile), February 7, 2007
8 out of 10   Excellent
"Perfect for surfig, Office Apps & Photoshop (read more)" by malamute95 (see profile), March 1, 2007
7 out of 10   Very good
"Great overall economy laptop! (read more)" by dan.skagen (see profile), February 19, 2007
See all 4 user opinions

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Most Popular Laptops HP Pavilion dv6000t (Core 2 Duo) Apple MacBook (Core 2 Duo 2.0GHz) Dell XPS M1710 HP dv9000z (Vista Ultimate) Lenovo ThinkPad X60s

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HP Pavilion dv6000t (Core 2 Duo) Reviews. Laptops Reviews by CNET. Log in | Sign up Why join? Remember me | Forgot password? Welcome (log out) View profile
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Printer friendly version Email to a friend Editorial policies del.icio.us Digg HP Pavilion dv6000t (Core 2 Duo) Add to my products What is this? Add to my products What is this? I want it Track pricing and other product info. I got it Get a custom support center on this product. Close Added to my products
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I want it (See my list) Review User Opinions Specifications Compare Shop Tips & Tricks CNET video and photos Special sponsor storesDell BizHP BizHP Home Dell HomeLenovo CNET editors' review Good 6.7 out of 10

The good: Slick, lightweight design; decent processor performance; built-in Webcam; two headphone jacks.

The bad: Mediocre battery life; optional glossy display can be reflective.

The bottom line: We like the HP Pavilion dv6000's attractive design and multimedia features, but don't expect this Core 2 Duo laptop to break any speed records.

Read editors' review below

Average user rating from 45 users Very good 7.2 out of 10
Read user opinions How would you rate this product? Write your own review
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CNET editors' review Reviewed by: Michelle Thatcher
Reviewed on 9/26/06
Like all the laptops in the HP Pavilion line, the dv6000's sleek design and shiny finish hold their own next to systems from style-conscious manufacturers such as Apple and Sony. Aside from its good looks, the dv6000 also provides a solid set of entertainment features and high-end components for a fair price. Those components didn't result in record-breaking performance, and its battery life was below average. For these reasons we recommend the Pavilion dv6000 for home users who want a laptop with basic entertainment features and who don't plan to spend a lot of time away from the power outlet.

The HP Pavilion dv6000 measures 14 inches wide, 10.1 inches deep, and 1 inch thick--about the same size as the Dell Inspiron E1505 and the PC Club Enpower ENP680. However, at 6.2 pounds, the Pavilion dv6000 is the lightest of the three; its AC adapter brings the total travel weight to a still portable 7.2 pounds.

We like the HP Pavilion dv6000's 15.4-inch wide-screen display; its native resolution of 1,280x800 provides ample real estate for work or play. The screen's glossy finish makes colors pop and look brighter, though we noticed a distracting glare when working next to a window on a sunny day; there is an option to bypass the glossy coating if you intend to use the dv6000 in bright environments. Above the display sits a 1.3-megapixel Webcam that's useful for videoconferencing; two built-in microphones on the display bezel eliminate the need for an external microphone.

Like all Pavilion laptops, the dv6000 includes a row of light-touch buttons above the keyboard that launch the media player and provide volume and playback controls. We like the sleek look of the keys, but we hate the beeping that indicates you've pressed a button; the sound can be disabled, but doing so is rather complicated. The Altec Lansing stereo speakers, located above those controls, deliver decent-quality sound, but unfortunately the sound becomes muffled if you close the laptop lid. The Pavilion dv6000's keyboard is ample and comfortable to type on for long periods, and both touch pad and mouse buttons are entirely usable. We love the Pavilion dv6000's touch pad on/off button, which keeps you from accidentally misplacing the cursor while typing and makes it easy to use an external mouse.

The HP Pavilion dv6000 offers an average mix of ports for a laptop its size. There are four-pin FireWire, VGA, S-Video, and three USB 2.0 ports, as well as a microphone jack and--for those who like to share movies and music with friends--two headphone jacks, one of which supports S/PDIF output. Card slots on the dv6000 read the latest ExpressCards, plus Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro, Secure Digital, MultiMediaCard, and xD formats. Networking options include Ethernet, modem, and 802.11a/b/g Wi-Fi; Bluetooth is available as an option. The laptop's double-layer DVD burner includes LightScribe, which lets you burn your own labels onto compatible discs.

Our Pavilion dv6000 ran on Windows XP Professional; given its many media features, we're surprised the system is not available with Windows XP Media Center. HP bundles a decent amount of software, such as the Microsoft Works 8 productivity suite, Microsoft Money 2006, basic photo-editing software, and applications for disc viewing and burning, with the system.

We reviewed an early version of the HP Pavilion dv6000 that was built on a 2.16GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7400 processor; however, that processor will not be offered on the system initially (for now, the dv6000 will top out with the 2GHz Core 2 Duo T7200 chip). The rest of our configuration will be available, though: 1GB of fast 667MHz RAM; a 100GB, 5,400rpm hard drive; and an Nvidia GeForce Go 7500 graphics card with 256MB of VRAM. This configuration, with the lower-end 2GHz Core 2 Duo T7200, costs $1,539.

On CNET Labs' application benchmarks, the Pavilion dv6000 excelled at the processor-intensive iTunes encoding test, completing the tasks noticeably faster than the PC Club Enpower ENP680 (also based on Core 2 Duo) and Dell Inspiron E1505 with a previous-generation Core Duo processor. The dv6000 didn't come out ahead on the multitasking and Photoshop tests, though, most likely because it has less RAM than its competitors. Even with half the RAM, we expected the dv6000 to best the Dell Inspiron E1505 on all three of CNET Labs new benchmarks; that it took longer than the Dell to complete our Photoshop test shows that Core 2 Duo systems are not leaps and bounds ahead of older Core Duo laptops. When it comes to battery life, the Pavilion dv6000's 2 hour, 35 minute battery life is somewhat disappointing; we'd hoped for at least 3 hours. In short, the dv6000 should give you all the power you need (especially if you kick in a little extra to upgrade the RAM right away), but you aren't likely to get much time away from the wall socket with the standard-capacity battery. An optional 12-cell battery costs $40 (CNET did not test this battery).

Every HP Pavilion dv6000 is backed by an industry-standard one-year warranty; the cost to extend the term to three years is a reasonable $185. Toll-free telephone support is available 24/7 during your warranty period, and the HP support Web site includes one of our favorite support features: real-time chat with a tech rep. If you want to troubleshoot problems yourself, you can search the site's thorough FAQ database.

Performance results
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
BAPCo MobileMark2005 battery life in minutes BAPCo MobileMark2005 performance Dell Inspiron E1505
291 217 PC Club Enpower ENP680 Silencer
236 235 HP Pavilion dv6000
155 216

System configurations:
Dell Inspiron E1505
Windows XP Media Center; 2GHz Intel Core Duo T2500; 2GB DDR2 SDRAM PC-4300 533MHz; ATI Mobility Radeon x1400 256MB; Samsung HM120JI 120GB 5,400rpm

PC Club Enpower ENP680
Windows XP Home; 2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7200; 2GB DDR2 SDRAM PC2-5300 666MHz; Nvidia GeForce GO 7600 GS 256MB; Seagate Momentus 7200.1 80GB 7,200rpm

HP Pavilion dv6000
Windows XP Pro; 2.16GHz Core 2 Duo T7400; 1GB PC2-5300 DDR2 SDRAM 666MHz; Nvidia GeForce Go 7400 256MB; Fujitsu MHV2100BH PL 100GB 5,400rpm

Find out more about how we test Windows laptops.

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HP Compaq Business Notebook nc6400 Better features in an alternative model
Before you decide to buy the HP Pavilion dv6000t, you might want to compare it to the HP Compaq Business Notebook nc6400, a thin-and-light notebook which has a few additional benefits. Although it will cost you about $220 more than the HP Pavilion dv6000t, it will bring you into a different class of notebooks. For instance, it comes with Microsoft Windows XP Professional OS, against the Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition of the HP Pavilion dv6000t. Additionally, the HP Compaq Business Notebook nc6400 is only 1.3-inch thick, as opposed to 1.6 inches for the HP Pavilion dv6000t.
Product info Check prices
Dell Latitude D420 Better features in an alternative model Before you decide to buy the HP Pavilion dv6000t, you might want to compare it to the Dell Latitude D420, an ultra portable notebook which has certain advantages. Although it will cost you about $470 more than the HP Pavilion dv6000t, it will bring you into a different class of notebooks. For instance, it is only 1-inch thick, compared to the 1.6 inches of the HP Pavilion dv6000t. In addition, the Dell Latitude D420 has only a 3.1-pound weight, as opposed to 6.1 pounds for the HP Pavilion dv6000t. Dell's entire Latitude product line is ideally suited for corporate users, given its longer product cycle and interchangeable parts.
Product info Check prices
Dell Inspiron E1505 Better features, comparable price Before deciding on the HP Pavilion dv6000t, you may want to consider the Dell Inspiron E1505, which for a comparable price comes with Windows XP media center 2005 OS (i.e., more favorable than the Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition of the HP Pavilion dv6000t). The Dell, model also has an 80GB hard drive, which is larger than that of the HP Pavilion dv6000t (60GB).
Product info Check prices
People who looked at this product also looked at Dell XPS M1710 Toshiba Satellite P105-S921 HP dv9000z (Vista Ultimate)
User Opinions See all 45 user opinions How would you rate this product? Write your own review

9 out of 10   Spectacular
"Cnet's review is sooo bias (read more)" by blazin_it_alwyz (see profile), September 30, 2006
8 out of 10   Excellent
"Good product marred by poor support (read more)" by AXG (see profile), November 2, 2006
9 out of 10   Spectacular
"1 GB vs. 2 GB is not a fair comparison (read more)" by ddietzel (see profile), August 31, 2006
See all 45 user opinions

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Lenovo 3000 N100 0689 (Core 2 Duo 1.66 GHz, 1 GB RAM, 80 GB HDD) Reviews. Laptops Reviews by CNET. Log in | Sign up Why join? Remember me | Forgot password? Welcome (log out) View profile
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Special sponsor storesHP BizHP HomeDell Home LenovoDell Biz CNET editors' review Good 6.4 out of 10

The good: Inexpensive; high-end components, including Core 2 Duo; decent performance for typical office tasks; comfortable keyboard; impressive assortment of ports and connections; robust system-management and help utility.

The bad: One-year warranty is short for a business model; small touch pad; lousy speakers; few dedicated multimedia controls; lacks ExpressCard slot.

The bottom line: This Core 2 Duo version of the Lenovo 3000 N100 combines decent performance with the features and connections a small-business user will need, all at a competitive price.

Read editors' review below

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CNET editors' review Reviewed by: Michelle Thatcher
Edited by: Matthew Elliott
Reviewed on 11/29/06 Release date: 9/19/06
After Intel's late-August Core 2 Duo launch, the first Lenovo laptop to incorporate the new processor wasn't a ThinkPad, but the humble Lenovo 3000 N100. With a starting price of $699 ($929 for the base Core 2 Duo model), the N100 line isn't exactly where you'd expect to find the latest and greatest components. Then again, there's nothing worse than seeing a well-designed laptop hobbled by subpar performance, and while the N100 we tested won't win any speed races, it zips through the typical productivity work that most budget laptop buyers are looking to do. Granted, if you need blazing performance, strong security measures, or a lengthy warranty, you should look beyond the N100 to more expensive laptops, such as the HP Compaq nc6400, the Dell Latitude D620, or Lenovo's own ThinkPad Z61t. But small businesses looking for an extremely low-priced, well-stocked portable will find a lot to like in the Lenovo 3000 N100.

The Lenovo 3000 N100 doesn't feel quite as tank-like as its ThinkPad cousins, but its case (silver on the outside, dark gray on the inside) features sturdy metal hinges and an overall solid construction. Measuring 13.1 inches wide, 10 inches deep, and 1.5 inches thick, it is comparable in size to the HP Compaq nc6400 and the Dell Latitude D620. The N100 is a bit heavier than its thin-and-light competitors, though, weighing 5.5 pounds alone and 6.2 pounds with its small AC adapter. (For those looking to haul a little less weight, the Lenovo 3000 V100 starts at just 4 pounds.)

You can tell that the N100 is a descendant of a ThinkPad the second you start typing: Its keyboard is roomy and comfortable. Unfortunately, its touch pad, though passable, is a bit on the small side, and its buttons don't give as much as we'd like. Three volume controls above the keyboard constitute the extent of the N100's media controls, not surprising given that Lenovo targets small business with the N100 and the rest of the Lenovo 3000 line (the company's ThinkPad brand, which it inherited from IBM, is marketed to larger enterprises). Next to the volume control is a button to summon the useful Lenovo Care system-management and help utility. A fingerprint reader below the keyboard frees you from typing in passwords. Like the ThinkPad Z61m, the N100 includes handy port labels along both sides of the keyboard deck to help you immediately find where to plug in peripherals.

The Lenovo 3000 N100 can be configured with either a 14.1-inch or 15.4-inch wide-aspect display. Our test unit featured the 14.1-inch wide screen with a typical 1,280x800 native resolution, which proved adequate for working on spreadsheets and word processor documents. Lenovo also gives buyers a choice of screen finishes: glossy and video-friendly or antiglare. Our test unit's antiglare screen worked well in our typical office environment, though it didn't get as bright as we'd have liked. Video content, however, looked just OK, and the screen's rather flat contrast means it wouldn't be our first choice for watching movies. This inclination is compounded by the N100's predictably lousy stereo speakers, which deliver tinny, soft sound. If media consumption is your goal, look to a more entertainment-oriented laptop, such as the HP Pavilion dv2000t--or at the very least, configure the N100 with the glossy display.

Because the Lenovo 3000 line is aimed at small-business users who are likely to have neither an IT department nor loaner systems at their disposal, the company preloads the N100 with a helpful suite of utilities called Lenovo Care. Based on the company's robust ThinkVantage suite for ThinkPads, Lenovo Care helps users quickly access support information, set up network access, schedule backups and system maintenance, and configure data security.

Like the 15.4-inch version we reviewed earlier this year, the 14.1-inch N100 offers a solid assortment of ports and connections for the price. You get a generous four USB 2.0 ports, three clumped together on the right edge and another on the left; one four-pin FireWire port; headphone and microphone jacks; a slot for a Type II PC Card (we would be impressed, however, if a laptop in this price range recognized the latest ExpressCards; a 4-in-1 media-card reader; as well as VGA and S-Video outputs. Networking connections include10/100 Ethernet, modem, 802.11a/b/g wireless, and optional Bluetooth; a handy switch on the front edge turns all wireless radios on and off. Our unit came configured with a ho-hum CD-RW/DVD-ROM drive.

Our $929 Lenovo 3000 N100 test unit was configured with the low end of the latest generation of components, including a 1.66GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T5500 processor, 512MB of fast 667MHz RAM, integrated Intel Mobile Express 945GM graphics, and an 80GB hard drive spinning at 5,400rpm. An HP Compaq nc6400 configured similarly (though with a 60GB hard drive) costs $270 more, while a similar Dell Latitude D620 will set you back almost $1,400. The N100 exhibited merely decent performance on CNET Labs' benchmarks. On all of our tests, it trailed behind the Sony VAIO C150P/B and the Fujitsu LifeBook A6010, both of which incorporate the same processor as the N100 but have four times as much RAM. We felt comfortable using the N100 for typical productivity work but found it bogged down while using resource-intensive programs, such as Photoshop; if you plan to do much more than word processing and Web surfing, one of Lenovo's $70 upgrade packages--which doubles the amount of RAM on your system and adds a DVD burner, higher display resolution, and a few other features--is well worth it.

The N100's six-cell standard battery lasted close to three and a half hours in our drain tests--above the average for a laptop of this size and well ahead of the Fujitsu LifeBook A6010. The Sony VAIO C150P/B held out for 15 minutes longer. For $150, you can upgrade the N100 to the nine-cell battery, which will add a few ounces to the weight of the laptop but should extend its runtime for another hour or two (CNET did not test the extended battery).

Lenovo 3000 N100 comes backed by a yearlong warranty, which, though the standard among consumer laptops, is shorter than the three-year term that covers most business laptops. Somewhat expensive warranty-extension options include an upgrade to three years for $199; 24/7, toll-free phone support lasts for the length of your warranty. In addition to the Lenovo Care suite mentioned above, the company's support Web site displays troubleshooting information, though it lacks helpful elements, such as a user forum.

Multitasking test
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
In seconds Sony VAIO C150P/B
250 Fujitsu LifeBook A6010
267 Lenovo ThinkPad X60 Tablet
301 Lenovo 3000 N100
350

Adobe Photoshop CS2 image-processing test
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
In seconds Fujitsu LifeBook A6010
272 Sony VAIO C150P/B
274 Lenovo ThinkPad X60 Tablet
568 Lenovo 3000 N100
667

Apple iTunes encoding test
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
In seconds Fujitsu LifeBook A6010
242 Lenovo 3000 N100
243 Sony VAIO C150P/B
244 Lenovo ThinkPad X60 Tablet
269

Microsoft Office productivity test
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
In seconds Fujitsu LifeBook A6010
995 Sony VAIO C150P/B
995 Lenovo 3000 N100
1073 Lenovo ThinkPad X60 Tablet
1486

BAPCo MobileMark 2005 battery life
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
In minutes Lenovo ThinkPad X60 Tablet
415 Sony VAIO C150P/B
216 Lenovo 3000 N100
201 Fujitsu LifeBook A6010
127

Find out more about how we test Windows notebooks.

System configurations:

Fujitsu LifeBook A6010
Windows XP Professional SP2; 1.66GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T5500; 2,048MB DDR2 SDRAM 664MHz; 128 Mobile Intel Express 945GM; 120GB Fujitsu 4,200rpm SATA/150

Lenovo 3000 N100
Windows XP Professional SP2; 1.66GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T5500; 512MB DDR2 SDRAM 664MHz; 128 Mobile Intel Express 945GM; 80GB Hitachi 5,400rpm SATA/150

Lenovo ThinkPad X60 Tablet
Windows XP Professional SP2; 1.66GHz Intel Core Duo L2400; 1,024MB DDR2 SDRAM 664MHz; 128 Mobile Intel Express 945GM; 100GB Hitachi 5,400rpm SATA/150

Sony VAIO C150P/B
Windows XP Professional SP2; 1.66GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T5500; 2,048MB DDR2 SDRAM 664MHz; 128 Mobile Intel Express 945GM; 120GB Fujitsu 5,400rpm SATA/150

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Competing products (beta) About this ad
Lenovo ThinkPad Z61m Better features in an alternative model
Before you decide to buy the Lenovo 3000, you might want to compare it to the Lenovo ThinkPad Z61m, a consumer level notebook which has certain advantages. Although it will cost you about $505 more than the Lenovo 3000, it will bring you into a different class of notebooks. For example, it has a plug-in module media bay, compared to the integrated housing of the Lenovo 3000. In addition, the Lenovo ThinkPad Z61m has a 15.4-inch screen size, as opposed to 14.1 inch for the Lenovo 3000. Generally, Thinkpads lead the way in terms of design, with features such as keyboard lighting, brilliant displays, and what many consider the most responsive keyboards in the industry.
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Dell Inspiron E1705 Better features in an alternative model If you're interested in something that is a little more feature-rich, you could get the Dell Inspiron E1705, a general-purpose notebook, which has a few additional benefits. For example, it comes with Windows XP media center 2005 OS, against the Microsoft Windows XP Professional of the Lenovo 3000. Additionally, the Dell Inspiron E1705 has a 17-inch screen size, as opposed to 14.1 inch for the Lenovo 3000. And at $1, 155, it costs just $170 more than the Lenovo 3000.
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HP Pavilion dv2120us Better features, comparable price There's a rather tempting alternative to the Lenovo 3000. Selling at around $980, the HP Pavilion dv2120us has a windows vista premium ready Windows Vista, which is more favorable than that of the Lenovo product (windows vista capable). The HP model furthermore has a QuickPlay and touchpad input, which is more favorable than that of the Lenovo 3000 (touchpad).
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People who looked at this product also looked at Lenovo 3000 N100 HP Pavilion dv2000t HP Pavilion dv6000t (Core 2 Duo) Lenovo 3000 C200 8922 (Core 2 Duo 1.66 GHz, 1 GB RAM, 80 GB HDD)
User Opinions See all 4 user opinions How would you rate this product? Write your own review

8 out of 10   Excellent
"Good product, good technical support ...poor quality assurance (read more)" by bvrao (see profile), December 26, 2006
2 out of 10   Terrible
"Defective Laptop, Trashy Service (read more)" by itdoesntreallymatter (see profile), December 15, 2006
9 out of 10   Spectacular
"Nice laptop (read more)" by qres1 (see profile), December 29, 2006
See all 4 user opinions

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Diamond bracelet as a present for a new year

Do you want to buy a present for your wife or a girlfriend but still don`t know what to buy?
There is a new White Gold Sapphire & Diamond Bracelet. Just have a look, a beautiful present for a women. Just $864.00 at Jewelry Riches Shop.

More than 77 years of domination in the circles of world elite.

In 1924 founder Enriko Grassi Damiani is easily soiled opened a workshop and began to create jewelry, so beautiful and unusual, that soon became the personal jeweller of many aristocratic families. And today jewelry from Damiani are a certificate of not only pride of place but also love to all precious and eternal. They unchanging decorate such stars, as Isabel Rossellini, Klaudiya Cardinal, Jennifer Eniston, Penelope Kruz, Bred Pitt, Nastasia Kinky, Mila Yovovich, Kiara Mastroyani.

Damiani jewelry are distinguished by a skilful handwork and creative approach to the design and selection of stone, that is marked numerous rewards on the competitions of jewellers of prestiges.

Collections of Damiani conquered 18 Diamonds International Awards, reward which is considered Oscar in the world of jeweller art. This achievement was not surpassed yet by not a single company. Luxury of white diamonds, emeralds and sapphires, unique on beauty brown and black diamonds in the masterpieces of jewellers of Italian masters.

Damiani is not only the legendary name, it is style, fashion and philosophy of jewels. Creation of jewellers of this famous House already a lot of years delights and intrigues numerous admirers by the permanent search of new forms and decisions.

In particular, masters of company Damiani worked above the design of weddings rings for Bred Pitt and Jennifer Aniston. True, this history made off very not nicely: a matrimonial pair blamed guidance of Damiani mark, that despite an agreement it diffuses the cheap copies of their rings. Business so was not taken to the court, however much this scandal "wet" slightly a company image in earnest.

Silvia Grassi - Damiani in the Italian jeweller business concern Damiani vice-president, here she operating art-director and director on public relations.
— I heard only of court claim on 50 million dollars, which Bred Pitt and Jennifer Aniston produced your company for circulating of their weddings rings, — they say, finished say, that these rings would be only once made to measure for their wedding. And that then you friendly settled all these disagreements with the Hollywood pair, here Bred Pitt thought of collection of jewels for your brand, and Jennifer began to advertise them. By the way, tell this history however, how did Mr. Pitt become jeweller of Damiani?
— Not quite so. All began, when Bred Pitt called me. He so with knowledge of business described, what weddings rings he wants — simple, but with diamonds, that not too richly looked and that diamonds were not for show. It seemed to me, he already presented perfectly, how these rings must look. I asked: would not he like to do this ring? I will arrive, and we will draw this sketch together. He said that Damiani it will treat too expensive — Bred Pitt as a designer of collection for just married. But I thought at once: we are ready on spending, because it is remarkable PR motion! He consented, soon I arrived to him to Los Angeles, and we began to work. For him true talent of designer, he thinly understands architecture of things — he laughed, talked that astrologers had always written him: to be him by either an architect or poet. Here and became the architect of small forms — jewellers. And actually scandal and court claim, as well as wrote, all of it had been settled amicably. We something was misunderstood from the side, agents of Bred and Jennifer not all said of, then they, agents, and provoked this lawsuit. But we decided this misunderstanding! And remained friend other satisfied.

Entry Filed under: Jewels knick-knacks, Rings

Tags: damiani

The stone of jewellers are classified on the row of signs. To them such behave as hardness, transparency, colouring, brilliance, frequency of distribution in nature, longevity, finally, market value.

Classifications of stone of jewellers were repeatedly made during the last two centuries the mineralogists of different countries. As far as opening of new deposits, the changes of priorities and market state of affairs of classification were specified, looked over, the new was created.

Some stone at different times placed in different digits and attributed both precious or semiprecious , other took permanent seat in all classifications. There is also a vagueness and in terminology: such concepts, as semiprecious «stone», «coloured stone», «jewels» defferent scientists interpret differently.

The first group is stone of jewellers (precious)

I order: diamond, emerald, dark blue sapphire, ruby.
II order: alexandrite, noble zhadeit, orange, yellow and violet sapphire, noble black opal.
III order: demantoid (chrysolite), noble shpinel, noble white and fiery opal, aquamarine, topaz, moonstone, rodolit, red tourmaline.
IV order: dark blue, green, rose and polyhromic tourmaline, zircon (hyacinth), beryl, turquoise, amethyst, chrysoprase, pomegranate,
citrine, noble spodumen.

The second group is stone of the hand-made jeweller-articles

I order: raukhtopaz, gematit-krovavik, amber, mountain crystal, zhadeit, nephrite, lazurit, malachite, avantyurin.
II order: agate, coloured chalcedony, heliotrope, rose quartz, iriziruyuschiy obsidian, usual opal, labrador and other
opaque iriziruyuschie spars.

The third group is stone of the hand-made articles

Jaspers, cuts, petrified tree, marble onyx, obsidian, gagat, selenit, flyuorit, coloured marble and other.

Entry Filed under: Jewelry Stones

Refined jewelries or tableware, parade weapon or reading-lamp, strict cup of yacht-club or compact clock for trips - Tiffany a long ago already left off to be simply by the name of jeweler house. Tiffany is an empire, where the refined taste, luxury, elegance and blameless style, govern. Every good, packed in a famous blue small box, carries on itself invisible, but paradoxically distinct seal of belonging to this universe.

Tiffany & Co. overmastered the world elegantly and easily, saving loyalty the style in everything, even in own history. In 1837 Charles Tiffany opens a small shop, specialized on trading in fancy goods and articles of luxury. Less half of age was required in order that a shop grew into the real empire, the faithful citizens of which it was been and there are members of the great last names of Europe, first rich folks of the world and legendary film stars of Hollywood.

Jewelries of Tiffany & Co. not simply refined objects of jeweler art. It is the universal system of characters, not needing some translations and comments. The most talented jewelers and world designers took part in its creation: Paloma Picasso, Jean

Shlyumbmerger, Elza Peretti. Brilliant Odri Khepbern, playing in a famous ribbon «Breakfast at Tiffany», created appearance of ideal woman Tiffany, the attractiveness of which only increases in course of time.

Dream - one of those secrets that lives in the heart of every woman. And dream that once a blue small box, bandaged a white satin ribbon, will appear on its dressing-table, (the jeweler decorations of Tiffany are so presented namely & Co.), one of most secret. And it is actual so: in fact little things of Tiffany & Co. give only on the most considerable occasions. Epochs and ideals change, but unchanging is one: any object, marked the brand of «Tiffany & Co. » it is the standard of blameless taste and the highest qualities

Entry Filed under: Jewels knick-knacks, Ear-rings, Tiffany

Tags: tiffany,, ear-rings

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You have to be careful about where and how you purchase precious jewelry to ensure that you get your money’s worth in value. Check with several jewelry stores or diamond dealers. State up front how much money you have to spend and the type of gift you wish to make. The experts can help you make a good choice for what you have to work with. Diamonds are for grown ups. Children or even teenagers rarely have a proper appreciation for diamonds. Perhaps diamond chip earrings would be an acceptable gift for older teen girls, but more lavish diamond jewelry should be saved for more mature wearers. A diamond necklace, brooch, ring, or bracelet conveys a sense of sophistication that younger women cannot often carry off. Save the gift of diamonds for a special occasion and an older girl. Diamonds deserve special care. You don t want to just fling a diamond ring in the jewelry box or leave it lying unprotected on a`dresser top. Preserve the beauty and keep it clean while avoiding scratches by placing diamond jewelry into velvet-lined boxes or containers.

4. Gem or No Gem The decision to wear an earring with a gemstone is largely based on occasion and personal preference. Small gemstones add an interesting sparkle for everyday wear, while larger gemstones should be reserved for special occasions. Another factor to consider is cost. For genuine gems, the bigger the stone, the bigger the price tag. 5. Is Bigger Better When it comes to earrings, size matters. A good earring takes into consideration not only the size of the ear, but also the hair and face. If the earrings are too large they will draw undue attention to themselves and detract from your overall appearance. If they are too small, they will not be seen. 6. Remember to Check Weight The weight of your earring makes a big difference in both comfort and appearance. The droop of an overweight earring looks bad and can be potentially harmful to the ear if it leads to ripping or tearing of the lobe.

With proper care, it will be beautiful for many years to come and most likely increase in value. You ve decided to tie the knot and now you ve got some wedding band shopping to do. Your wedding band is a ring your going to wear all the time so it s important to choose a ring you really like, one that truly touches your heart. A reader survey completed recently in Bride’s magazine found 80% of respondents wanting a “traditional” wedding. In todays world what defines traditional is wide open for interpretation. Many weddings will have the traditional core but be customized to the bride and grooms personal tastes. Traditional usually means white gown, church ceremony, full reception, completed with a honeymoon getaway. When it comes to wedding bands tradition and modern style are quickly entwining to produce some fabulous new wedding band styles. So you ask, what is the hottest styles in wedding bands? Well, one think is for certain. Diamonds are still a girls best friend and are very quickly becoming a guys best friend too! In the past few years there has been a record number of diamond wedding bands being purchased for guys. Men have finally figured out what women have always known about diamonds.

The stones can be the size of your choosing as well as the setting and the thickness of the band. Many couples decide to have the engagement ring and their wedding bands all custom designed at the same time. Cubic zirconia engagement rings are an affordable and attractive choice for today s couples. Remember that no one will ever know that the ring you are sporting is anything but a genuine diamond. Silver jewelry is both attractive and affordable. Many men and women are choosing silver as an alternative to gold. When you purchase silver jewelry you don t often think about taking care of it. However, if you clean silver jewelry it can stay vibrant and beautiful for years. There are several different methods that you can use to clean silver jewelry. When you purchase a piece of silver jewelry the sales clerk might ask if you d like to purchase a solution that is specially made to clean it. This normally consists of a plastic container which holds a liquid that has been designed to clean silver jewelry. This type of solution works well to clean silver jewelry that doesn t contain gemstones. Gemstones can be damaged if placed in one of the chemical solutions that are designed to clean silver jewelry. The sheen of them can be worn away and after you ve cleaned them they will have lost some of their luster. Another method to clean silver jewelry simply involves the use of a soft cloth. To clean silver jewelry in this manner, you rub the piece carefully with the cloth to clean off any dust or residue. This also helps to polish the jewelry and can restore its shimmer.

2. Metals to Consider Earrings can be comprised of a variety of precious and non-precious metals including gold, silver, and nickel-based alloys. When choosing earrings, it is important to note that certain metals have been known to cause allergic reactions in some people. This is especially true of nickel-based metals, small amounts of which are found in stainless steel. If metal allergies are a problem for you, then you’ll probably want to look for hypo-allergenic earrings made of either titanium or niobium. 3. Matching Earrings to You Color is another important consideration in earring selection. A nicely colored earring should complement your eyes and facial complexion as well as your outfit. Experiment with an assortment of colors until you find ones that draw out your complexion and go well with the colors that dominate your wardrobe. Remember: You buy earrings to match your outfit, not outfits to match your earrings!

However, I do have to admit naval and eyebrow rings sure look cute on the fairer sex. Fortunately today they’re rather easy to come by. Basically anyone can acquire one for a decent price. What is your favorite piercing? Maybe your significant other has one that just does it for you. I remember back when I met my wife, and she had the belly button hoop. I thought that thing was the bomb. She admitted that it stung a little when she had it done, but it was well worth it. These days she craves one of the less common eyebrow rings. I say these are less common simply because I hardly ever see anyone sporting them. Now if we were talking about tongue or naval piercings, I would make no such claim. This trend has become redundant and a tad passe. Why would anyone want a barbell in their tongue anyway? Man, that’s got to be a painful process. Not to mention it heals quite rapidly if taken out. However, the eyebrow rings are adorable on females. Especially the small hoops. I will encourage my wife to get that darn thing yet. If you jump online, you will encounter a plethora of eyebrow rings and various other body piercings. It doesn’t really matter where your preferences lie; you will certainly find something that catches your eye in cyberspace. Sure, you could go out to the local Goth and jewelry shops in search of eyebrow rings and body jewelry, but I guarantee the Internet will provide a much broader selection to choose from. In addition, the web has the best prices in town, or the world for that matter. So if you’re in search of barbells or eyebrow rings, get online now and check out the great variety. Purchasing a diamond engagement ring can be one of the biggest expenses a young man will face.

Little Gold Earrings for Little Pierced Ears

IF you have daughters, they will ask for pierced ears.

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Marilena Perilli
Forum: Fashion and Style
Tell them no.

That is what I did. A few years ago I calmly and reasonably laid out the facts to my two oldest daughters. I described the painful burning sensation upon puncture, the uncertain future of infected lobes that lay ahead and the high risk of looking lopsided for the rest of their lives if the holes were mismatched. They accepted my wisdom, and we moved on with our lives. For about a week.

Then my husband took them to get their ears pierced. For years afterward our life was a rollercoaster of allergic reactions to base metals, lost earring scares and late-night trips to the drugstore for emergency tubes of bacitracin.

One good thing about having a third daughter, so many years later that we sometimes refer to her as "our new family," was that we became expert parents along the way. So when Clementine turned 8 and announced her birthday wish was pierced ears, I knew just how to head her off.

I calmly and reasonably reminded her of the time when her sister's pierced lobes became infected after being shut in a car door (this really happened) and explained she should wait a few years until she was old enough to take control of her own destiny - and daily ear care. She said she appreciated my wisdom.

Then, the day after her father took her to have her ears pierced, Clementine asked, "When can I change my earrings?"

Given that newly pierced ears can blow up like Macy's parade balloons if infected, and that an 8-year-old is doomed to lose at least one earring of every pair she owns, the sensible response to Clementine's query would have been a brisk "Never."

But motherhood wears you out. So I said, "You can change them when I find some really inexpensive gold earrings online."

Why online? In trying times it is comforting to retreat to the cocoon of my office, to hunch in front of my computer and seek guidance from the Internet. It's quiet in here. Everyone knows not to barge in with Q-tips and ear care demands when I am trying to earn a living to pay the mortgage so we won't be thrown out into the street.

After a couple of hours looking at the new boot styles at Zappos.com and Bluefly.com, I settled down to business.

First, defining my terms. What had I meant by "really inexpensive"? For earrings that would almost certainly be lost the first or second time she wore them, I didn't want to pay more than, say, $15 a pair. But a quick search suggested it might be difficult to find gold at that price. I certainly didn't want to spend $475 on a pair of Elsa Peretti "mini mini" gold starfish earrings, from Tiffany.com, only to consign them to mingling with two tons of sand on a playground (although I must say that Tiffany.com's $23,900 platinum-and-diamond chandelier earrings made a strong case for getting my own ears repierced).

And what exactly had I meant by gold? There are, after all, many grades of gold jewelry. A soft metal, gold is alloyed with other metals, like silver, copper or zinc. The more gold, the higher the karat rating. A 14-karat gold earring, for instance, contains more than 50 percent gold.

The higher the gold content, the less likely the allergic reaction. Because allergies to certain base metals - particularly nickel - can cause problems, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends inserting a gold-post earring "at the time of piercing" to minimize infection risks. (Some earring sellers, like Jewelry-Riches.com, even organize their earrings into subcategories that include nickel-free.)

After healing many lobes may tolerate other metals. But my older girls' experience had persuaded me that 14-karat was the lowest grade of gold that would protect Clementine's ears against a reaction.

Among the possibilities were 14-karat gold flower earrings ($49) at jewelry-riches.com, pearl stud earrings ($17.99, with free shipping) at Overstock.com and a set of three gold continuous hoop earrings at Jewelry Necklaces. (At $19.99 they sounded tempting before I read the customer reviews: "Had a terrible time getting them to latch.")

Then at Juliesjewels.com I found a teenage and children's category, in which I stumbled across a pair of 14-karat gold earrings shaped like little seashells, which looked remarkably like a pair I had loved - and lost - as a girl.

The price was dear, however, at $35.93. I paused to consider all the lost little-girl earrings in the world, accidental treasure lurking in schoolyards, parks and clothes dryer lint traps. For the first time I fully understood why so many people sweep the beaches with Geiger counters, hoping for a haul that includes a single enamel ladybug on a gold post.

I phoned Julie Lee, who operates her online jewelry store from Graham, Tex., to suggest helpfully that she include a spare with every pair of children's earrings she sells. (At Jewelrysupply.com I could buy simple 14-karat gold balls on posts individually, from $3.57 each for one to three 3-millimeter balls to $7.33 each for more than 10 7-millimeter balls.)

But Ms. Lee said she had a better solution: "The earrings we sell all have the little push-on, screw-off backs to keep them on little ears better. You'd be surprised how many people are searching for 14-karat earrings with safety backs for children."

Among the children's gold earrings on her site, the most popular include birthstone earrings (about $40, depending on the birthstone), heart-and-bow earrings ($30.18) and crosses ($37.35).

"When you buy gold, look for the stamp," Ms. Lee said. "The Federal Trade Commission requires that it's stamped, and it's illegal to stamp it if it's not gold. Sometimes it's stamped on the back of the earring."

The screw-on safety backs gave me hope that one day - perhaps for a special occasion like a ninth birthday - it might not be completely foolhardy to spend $41.66 on a pair of 14.5-millimeter gold hoop earrings.

In the meantime, however, I went back to Target.com, which briefly tempted me with a set of three pairs of gold-post synthetic gemstone earrings for $19.99 before I realized that the shipping and tax would increase the final cost by more than 50 percent. But I saw Target was running a free shipping offer on a pair of gold cubic zirconia dolphin earrings ($14.44). I ordered them.

Then I went to the drugstore and bought a tube of bacitracin. Just in case.

14k Gold Earrings

Monday, March 19, 2007

Sunday, November 19, 2006

Diamond bracelet as a present for a new year

Thursday, May 18, 2006

Little Gold Earrings for Little Pierced Ears

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