OQO model 02

When the original OQO appeared a couple of years ago, some saw it as the solution to a problem no one had. But now, the model 01 looks like it was ahead of its time. Like its predecessor, the model 02 Ultra-Mobile PC is a handheld device that runs Windows, but the 02's addition of fast EV-DO connectivity for hundreds of metro areas around the country means the difference between a handy tool and an expensive novelty.

Other refinements, such as an improved keyboard, faster processor, and more elegant docking solution, sweeten the deal. Users who need more than a smart phone but who wouldn't otherwise tote a laptop with them everywhere will find a lot to like in this sequel.

Weighing just over a pound and measuring 5.6 x 3.3 x 1 inches, the model 02 is a UMPC that is compact enough to carry with you in a jacket pocket, briefcase, or purse. The five-inch widescreen LCD slides up to reveal a new, ergonomic, backlit QWERTY keyboard. You won't be able to type as fast as you would on a BlackBerry, but the layout provided better tactile feedback than the model 01.

The cursor is controlled via a small pointing stick for your right thumb and mouse buttons for your left. Or if you prefer, you can use the included stylus and tap the screen. It's too bad OQO didn't include a stylus holster on the device, though. The model 02 does get warm after some use, but not uncomfortably so, and it was quiet.

The 800 x 480-pixel screen is six times brighter than the model 01's display. Text and icons look fairly tiny, but OQO includes a handy zoom button, although you'll need to scroll around to see various parts of the screen. This configuration includes a 60GB hard drive that's shock-mounted and equipped with drop detect technology in case of falls. The main unit has a USB and auto-sensing audio-out/line-in/line-out headphone jack on the bottom. The only notable omission is a memory card slot.

What makes the OQO model 02 more compelling than the hot-selling Sony VAIO UX Mini PC is its embedded EV-DO Rev. O modem (with service on Sprint's network). It blows away the poky Cingular EDGE connection inside Sony's device. In locations with four or five bars of signal strength, download speeds were as high as 997.3 Kbps, and upload speeds averaged 120 Kbps. Surfing the Web was quick (25 seconds to load CNN.com, 11 seconds to load our Gmail Inbox). Even video clips over the WWAN connection loaded quickly and played smoothly. Just plan on using headphones; the built-in speaker's sound was thin and tinny.

This UMPC didn't deliver the best mobile broadband performance in areas with weaker coverage. In a location where signal strength dropped to two or three bars, the model 02's throughput dropped to as low as 23.3 Kbps; other notebooks we've been testing with Sprint Rev. O capability have maintained over 100 Kbps in the same conditions.

Although the 1.5-GHz Via C7M processor is certainly faster than the Transmeta CPU that crippled the OQO model 01, you shouldn't expect to do more than run productivity apps on this device. The model 02's performance numbers were low; its 69 score on MobileMark 2005 is less than half than what Sony UX delivered. On the other hand, the model 02 booted up faster than its predecessor, and it opened and closed apps faster.

We were quite pleased with the model 02's four hours of battery life. To get that endurance, however, you'll need the double-capacity battery ($199 and included in this configuration). Those who work in short spurts can get by with the standard battery, which lasted for 1 hour and 54 minutes in our tests.

If you want to use the model 02 as your primary PC, OQO sells a sleek black docking station that includes a slot-loading optical drive and a metal arm attached to hold the main unit, which is a lot more elegant than the snaking cable littered with ports on the model 01. The $299 version of the dock includes a DVD/CD-RW drive, and the $399 version comes with a DVD burner (or $349 as an add-on at the time of purchase). The docking base has three USB ports, an auto-sensing headphone jack (since the main unit's jack is blocked when docked), a LAN port, and an HDMI and VGA port to attach a full-sized monitor. OQO charges $19 for an HDMI-DVI adapter (and one is included with the docking station) and $29 each for HDMI-to-HDMI, HDMI-to-DVI cables.

Bundled software is limited to the Microsoft Origami Experience, a collection of utilities designed to show off what a UMPC can do, and OQO's own Manager and Wireless Dashboard programs. The OQO we tested included Microsoft Office Small Business Edition ($300) and ran Windows XP, but a Vista version will be available soon.

Clearly, the OQO model 02 isn't right for everyone. Those who need more power and creature comforts and don't mind carrying a larger machine should spend the two grand for an ultraportable. But if you want a constant PC companion without the anchor of a laptop bag, the model 02 might be just what you're looking for. It doesn't have the Sony UX' bells and whistles-such as two cameras and a fingerprint reader-but having the ability to connect at high speeds virtually anywhere makes this the best UMPC yet.

Specifications:

CPU:  1.5-GHz VIA C7M ULV

RAM Included:  1GB

Hard Drive Size:  60GB

Hard Drive Speed:  4,200rpm

Optical Drive Type:  DVD+/-RW DL

Display Size (inches):  5

Native Resolution:  800x480

Graphics Card:  VIA VX700

Video Memory:  128MB

Wi-Fi:  802.11a/b/g

Bluetooth:  Bluetooth 2.0

Mobile Broadband:  EV-DO

Operating System:  MS Windows XP Pro

Ports (excluding USB):  Docking Connector; Ethernet; HDMI; Headphone; VGA

USB Ports:  1

Warranty/Support:  One year parts and labor/toll-free and online support Monday through Friday 6 am to 6 pm (Pacific), and Saturday 8 am to 4 pm (Pacific).

Size:  5.6 x 3.3 x 1.0 inches

Weight:  1.2 pounds

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MOTORIZR Z6tv

When Verizon introduced its V CAST video download service almost three years ago, the deliverable content revolution launched a full-scale sortie on our mobile devices. With the new MOTORIZR Z6tv, Motorola's first U.S. phone to include V CAST Mobile TV, the revolution is not only televised; it's in real time. While viewing and listening quality were impressive, the vastly varying reception gives a whole new meaning to "location-based services." (View Z6tv photo gallery.)

The latest phone in Motorola's RIZR brood, the Z6tv retains the same sturdy slider design as former Z3 and Z6 models and keeps its V CAST music and video download services intact. The phone's sleek finish is classic, albeit pretty smudgy after we held and fiddled with the unit to watch TV. It's still light and slim enough to fit unobtrusively into a pocket or a purse, and the firm keys offer that cool blue Motorola glow that gives the Z6tv a modern edge.

Unlike previous generations, however, the Z6tv offers Mobile TV. Powered by the FLO TV service from MediaFLO USA, Mobile TV lets NBC News junkies, American Idolizers, and Heroes worshipers watch real-time television programming on the Z6tv any time of day. For now the service offers live television shows and content from CBS Mobile, Comedy Central, ESPN Mobile TV, Fox Mobile, MTV, NBC 2GO, NBC News2GO, and Nickelodeon. And the shows look really good, too-most of the time. But if you're going to spend the monthly $13 to $25 it costs to use Mobile TV service on the Z6tv, you better make sure you live in one of the few cities that actually provides the service.

For right now, the V CAST Mobile TV service is available in 23 states and in an ostensibly arbitrary collection of cities therein. Subscribers in Corvallis, Oregon, and Brownsville, Texas, can watch Dora the Explorer on a Z6tv, but if they try to tune in to 24 in San Francisco, or CSI: Miami in Miami, they're out of luck because Mobile TV service is not available in those major markets. Verizon has plans to expand to more service areas (its Web site offers an e-mail alert system to tell users when their city comes online). But in the indefinite meantime, buyers of the Z6tv who live in Houston, San Diego, or Boston will have to wait a while to watch Mobile TV.

Luckily for us, the service is available in New York City. One Wednesday night at 9 p.m., we tuned in to watch Bionic Woman, NBC's moody reboot of the hit 1970s series. The show's broadcast was steady and continuous for its duration, and the hour of viewing used only one bar of battery life. The sound was also surprisingly crisp (and was even better when we wore headphones). At one point, we could clearly hear simultaneous squealing tires, explosions, and crashes through the Z6tv's speaker.

Areas of darkness didn't show up well on the phone's two-inch screen. Scenes shot in shadow looked muddy and blurred, and we found ourselves trying in vain to angle the phone to be able to keep up with the show's action. On the other hand, when we switched to a brightly lit episode of Countdown with Keith Olbermann, we had no problem seeing the image. We even read baseball scores scrolling across the bottom of ESPN's Pardon the Interruption.

One thing we like about Motorola's interface design on past RIZR phones is its economy in keypad designation. The Z6tv is no exception. Access to the camera now shares button real estate with Mobile TV on the left side of the sliding face. Tap once quickly to access the program guide, or hold it down for a second to snap pictures or record video with the two-megapixel camera. The Z6tv also has the ability to take and view photographs and videos in portrait or landscape mode-a nice touch that, combined with the very good image quality of the camera, makes picture-taking with the Z6tv superior to many other midrange camera phones (with the exception of the Sony Ericsson W580i Walkman).

The Z6tv comes with other nice features, including the optional VZ Navigator service, with access to over 14 million locations; and stereo Bluetooth support for wireless music and video enjoyment. Another sweet design perk is the Z6tv's button lock, which prevents unwanted tune-skipping and video-stopping while on the go. The Access button for downloading V CAST music has also been relocated to the Z6tv's left side next to the volume control. Text messaging, instant messaging, and finding and dialing contacts are all still easy to do using the main menu and keypad. All of our test calls connected quickly, sounded clear, and remained sharp.

We think users (within available service areas) will be jazzed about the overall high quality that V CAST Mobile TV has to offer on this slider. There's enough variety in the programming on the few channels currently available to satisfy dial-flippers, and the Z6tv's other features round out the phone's profile nicely. In the end, this is probably a device best suited for parents and domestic travelers. Being able to soothe restless youngsters in the minivan with Nickelodeon or getting breaking news from MSNBC while stuck in traffic make the V CAST Mobile TV capability worthwhile. But if soccer practice isn't in the service zone and your travel plans take you out of range, you'll need to find some other form of entertainment.

Specifications:

Carrier:  Verizon Wireless

Form Factor:  Candy Bar

Fast Data Network:  EV-DO

Internal Memory:  40MB

Memory Expansion Type:  miniSD Card

Music Player:  No

Video:  Yes

GPS:  No

FM Radio:  No

Display (main):  2 inches, (240 x 320 pixels, 65,000 colors)

Size:  4.2 x 1.8 x 0.6 inches

Weight:  3.7 ounces

Sony Ericsson W580i Walkman Phone

Designed for active users, Sony Ericsson's Walkman W580i phone packs a good music player and plenty of other features into a sleek, durable slider. This handset is the first from the company to offer Shake Control, a feature that allows you to change tracks simply by shaking the phone. Like its predecessors, it also includes stereo Bluetooth, Web browsing, a two-megapixel camera, and fitness applications. And while it skips out on 3G connectivity, you get plenty of bang for you buck for $79.99.

At just 3.3 ounces and half an inch thick, the W580i fits easily in a pocket. Its bright two-inch screen takes up most of the front surface, with six buttons and a four-way touch pad filling the lower third. Thanks to the phone's tough plastic shell, the phone feels sturdy in the hand and is low-maintenance enough to take along to the gym. We like the big Play/Pause button in the middle of the navigation control, but we found the area around it too narrow.

The W580i sports an attractive backlit keypad and comes in three color combinations: gray/blue, white/orange, and black/orange. A two-megapixel camera is located on the back panel beneath the slider. As an added touch, that panel is decked out in a coordinating accent color. There are even cool LED lights on the side of this slider, which glow different colors depending on the theme you choose.

The phone booted up quickly, and its interface way easy to use; you can navigate your way through most of the software using just two soft keys and a return button. For added convenience, there's also a Walkman and a shortcut key. Every time you turn the phone on, you'll be asked to choose between Normal mode and Flight mode. The latter disables the FM radio and all connectivity features so as not to cause any disruption while in the air. The phone supports MP3, AAC, AAC+, and eAAC+ music formats.

The W580i is the first phone in the Walkman line to include Shake Control, and as promised, it's easy to use. Simply hold down the Walkman button while music is playing and flick your wrist. When done correctly, the phone will vibrate slightly. In general, we liked this feature and found it very intuitive, regardless of whether the phone was open or closed.

In addition to Shake Control, the Walkman packs some older features as well, including TrackID, which records small clips from the included FM Radio and identifies the title and artist. The W580i also includes several Fitness functions: a pedometer, calorie counter, and running meter, which tracks distance, time elapsed, and average speed.

The W580i offers excellent sound quality: All of our songs sounded loud, clear, and full in tone. You can manually adjust five equalizer modes: normal, bass, mega bass, voice, and treble boost. Unfortunately, the volume settings return to their default each time you boot up the phone. Downloading songs with the proprietary USB cable and bundled Disc2Phone software was a breeze. The phone has 12MB of internal memory and comes with a 512MB Memory Stick Micro-enough space to hold about 120 four-minute MP3s. If you like, you can use a card with as much as 4GB of space.

We might like the FM radio even more than the Walkman player, however. Even with TrackID disabled, the phone displayed the artist's name while a song played. Users can save up to 20 favorite stations, which is useful, since you can skip through stations only in ascending order.

The W580i supports stereo Bluetooth, but we also recommend using the bundled headphones and hands-free adapter. The headphones' padded earbuds blocked out so much external noise that even the lowest volume setting was loud enough in an office environment. The adapter (which attaches to the headphones via a 3.5mm jack) includes a mic and button for answering and ending calls. When you receive a call, the music automatically pauses.

Despite its small size, the phone's 262,000-color screen is bright and crisp. Annoyingly, the screen goes dark after a short period of time, even if you're actively using the phone. We like that the phone comes with two games: Lumines Block Challenge and The Sims 2.

The W580i's camera held up well in low light, although our pictures and movies appeared slightly pixelated. Our video clips showed minimal latency, but the sound was barely audible, even with the microphone enabled. We also wish you could use the 4X zoom for photos and not just video. However, the camera wins points for its customizable features: You can shoot pictures in black-and-white or negative, record video in Night mode, adjust the white balance, and choose from one of four shutter sounds.

Even better is the phone's picture blogging feature, which lets you upload photos to a mobile blog. Once you capture and upload your first photo, the phone automatically creates a mobile account on Blogger.com that you can find in your browser bookmarks. Uploading is easy but sluggish. You can also edit your captures right on the phone and use the PhotoDJ and VideoDJ apps to create slideshows and movies set to music.

If you're looking for fast data speeds, look elsewhere. Loading Laptopmag.com on this phone's EDGE data connection took 34 seconds, and loading the images on CNN.com took 20 seconds. Without images, the phone loaded these sites in ten and five seconds, respectively.

As a phone, the W580i was occasionally unreliable. The voice quality was loud and clear, but our first call-to another AT&T phone, no less-was dropped within 30 seconds. However, our subsequent calls to land lines and other cell phone carriers went uninterrupted. The phone is rated for nine hours of talk time and 15.4 days of standby, which seems about right to us. After two days of idle use with intermittent texting, game-playing, and radio-listening, our battery life was down to one bar out of four.

The Sony Ericsson Walkman W580i is one of the few phones that offers excellent music quality for a budget price. For just $79, you get volume, bass, and enough features to entertain athletes and road warriors alike. We love the Shake Control and the included high-end earbuds. If you can deal with the small buttons and not-so-speedy Web browsing, you'll get your money's worth and then some.

Specifications:

Carrier:  AT&T (formerly Cingular)

Form Factor:  Slider

Bluetooth Type:  Bluetooth Stereo

Fast Data Network:  EDGE

Internal Memory:  12MB

Memory Expansion Type:  Memory Stick Micro

Music Player:  Yes

Video:  Yes

GPS:  No

FM Radio:  Yes

Display (main):  2 inches (240 x 320 pixels, 262,000 colors)

Talk / Standby Time:  9 hours/15.4 days

Size:  3.9 x 1.8 x 0.5 inches

Weight:  3.3 ounces

Alienware Aurora m9700

Alienware doubles down on the critical components and stocks up on features to deliver excellent gaming performance and superior multimedia functionality with the Aurora m9700, the first 17-inch laptop to simultaneously run two graphics processing units.

The Cyborg Green m9700 overshoots Alienware's extraterrestrial design aspirations and lands in Kermit the Frog territory; we prefer the subtler Saucer Silver and Conspiracy Blue models. That said, the glowing alien-head ornament and rubber-grip embellishments are eye-catching, and the sturdy hinges and scratch-resistant case are built to last. Measuring 15.7 x 11.8 x 1.9 inches and weighing 9.5 pounds, the m9700 is too heavy for regular travel, though it's certainly compact enough for LAN parties and occasional trips.

Large enough to accommodate a dedicated number pad, the m9700's keyboard is responsive and comfortable to use. The touchpad, on the other hand, is a disaster: With the same glossy finish as the rest of the case, it resists the drag of your finger. What's more, the m9700 forgoes two mouse buttons, leaving you to press on the very ends of one long one. It's an unpleasant arrangement, and we recommend using a USB mouse instead.

The 17-inch widescreen display serves up vibrant colors and rich images, and graphics pros and those who work in multiple windows will revel in the vast amount of real estate the WUXGA native resolution provides. In addition to two loud stereo speakers on the front edge and a passable subwoofer underneath, we appreciate the m9700's trio of dedicated jacks for hooking up to a 5.1 sound system.

This notebook comes equipped with a first-class set of multimedia features and connections: In addition to the basics (four USB 2.0 ports, ExpressCard slot, 4-in-1 card reader, and so on), you get an S-Video input and output, VGA and DVI ports, an optical audio jack, and a coaxial socket for the integrated TV tuner. Also included are Windows XP Media Center 2005, a USB infrared receiver and remote, a swiveling, 1.3-megapixel webcam set above the display, and a smattering of quick-touch controls for the dual-layer DVD burner. Although it was not available at press time, Alienware does plan to offer a Blu-ray drive option in the near future. The price was not yet determined as of this writing.

Networking features range from Gigabit Ethernet and modem jacks to 802.11b/g Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and an Airgo MIMO radio designed to boost signals for high-performance wireless gaming. The m9700's throughput of 10.9 Mbps from 15 feet and 7.3 Mbps from 50 feet was merely average, although our testing did not involve a MIMO-supported router. While it should not stray far from the wall socket, the m9700's 12-cell battery lasted for 1 hour and 40 minutes in our drain tests-on a par with other desktop replacements.

The highlights of our top-shelf configuration were two 512MB Nvidia GeForce Go 7900 GS graphics cards in an SLI configuration. Though they're not the most powerful GPUs on the market, they're close, and with two of them under the hood, the m9700 delivered a very good 93 fps in our F.E.A.R. benchmark using the autodetect settings (1024 x 768-pixel resolution) and held on at 80 fps with the settings maxed out. The 3DMark03 score of 22,051 was right on track for this class of system. The only system to score higher is the Vigor M59K, at 26,057, but its PCMark05 and battery rundown scores were lower.

Not surprisingly, the machine also displayed pleasingly smooth, sharp video in our testing. While gaming, the m9700's underside, keyboard, and palm rests remain cool; the back vents and jumbo AC adapter, however, will barbecue anything in their path.

For a premium system, it's disappointing that the highest-end CPU you can have onboard is the 2.4-GHz AMD Turion 64 Mobile ML44-not a bad processor, but it's not the pedigree of a dual-core Turion 64 X2 or Core 2 Duo. As a result, the m9700 notched a MobileMark 2005 score of 236-not a record, but proof enough that this laptop can handle any processing task. (Alienware plans to offer a dual-core configuration after the 2006 holiday season.) Processor aside, our m9700 test unit contained some of the best components available, including two 100GB 7,200-rpm SATA hard drives in a RAID 0 configuration and 2GB of DDR2 RAM.

If you're looking for desktop-PC-caliber gaming performance and multimedia ability in a laptop-sized package, the m9700 is a solid choice. However, we'd wait for the dual-core processor and a high-definition DVD drive option before shelling out more than four grand.

Specifications:

CPU:  2.4-GHz AMD Turion 64 Mobile ML44

RAM Included:  2GB

RAM Upgradable To:  4GB

Hard Drive Size:  200GB

Hard Drive Speed:  7,200rpm

Optical Drive Type:  DVD+R DL

Optical Drive Speed:  8X

Display Size (inches):  17

Native Resolution:  1920x1200

Graphics Card:  Dual Nvidia GeForce Go 7900 GS (SLI-enabled)

Video Memory:  1GB

Wi-Fi:  802.11b/g

Bluetooth:  Bluetooth 1.0

Operating System:  MS Windows XP Media Center

Ports (excluding USB):  5.1 audio; DVI; Firewire; Gigabit Ethernet; Headphone; IR; Microphone; Modem; S-Video; S/PDIF; TV tuner/coaxial; VGA

USB Ports:  4

Card Slot(s):  4-1 card reader;ExpressCard

Warranty/Support:  One-year parts and labor/one-year 24/7 toll-free, on-site

Size:  15.7 x 11.8 x 1.9 inches

Weight:  9.5 pounds

Dell Inspiron 1501

When we last reviewed the Dell Inspiron E1505, the notebook's rich multimedia features, wireless performance, and strong battery life garnered it an Editors' Choice award. Now, Dell follows up the E1505 with the 1501 ($844, as tested here), a low-priced alternative and the first Dell machine to house an AMD processor. It's also Vista capable and Premium ready--something you're not going to find with run-of-the-mill value notebooks. The 1501 gives you solid performance at a decent price, but what you gain in savings you lose in functionality.

In terms of design, the 1501 is identical to the E1505. Both measure 14 x 10.4 x 1.4 inches and have speakers integrated into the front bezel, air vents flanking the left and right sides of the chassis, large touchpads with built-in scroll areas (that make for easy Web page navigation), 80GB hard drives, and non-offensive, silver-and-white color schemes. Although the 1501 weighs slightly less (6.4 pounds vs. 6.2 pounds), the lack of dedicated CD/DVD controls is a glaring omission, even in a budget mainstream machine. When we wanted to raise or lower the volume of a DVD or skip chapters, we had to use the software's far less intuitive controls.

The 15.4-inch widescreen produced strong colors when playing a DVD, but the viewing angles were tight on our TrueLife anti-glare display. Staying centered in front of the screen is the only way to truly enjoy the visuals, so watching a movie with a friend may be out of the question.

With the 1.79-GHz AMD Turion 64 X2 Dual-Core TL-56 processor powering the machine, the 1501 churned out a MobileMark 2005 score of 196-only four points lower than the E1505's ho-hum results. We tested the machine's multitasking mettle by simultaneously running a virus scan and playing a DVD, and the E501 experienced occasional stuttering, which we attribute to the low-end AMD processor. The ATI Radeon Xpress 1150 chipset with 256MB of shared memory produced a meager 3DMark03 score of 1465, which makes the 1501 less than ideal if you wish to engage in graphics-intensive activities.

The 1501 came configured with a six-cell battery, which enabled us to go unplugged for a solid 3 hours and 16 minutes of life with Wi-Fi on, and an additional two minutes with the wireless connection off. Wireless throughput measured a robust 12.6 Mbps at 15 feet from our access point, and 13.2 Mbps from 50. This is a slight improvement over the E1505's measurements of 12 Mbps and 9.9 Mbps from the same distances.

Despite the missing multimedia controls, the 1501 offers plenty of other ports and jacks: four USB, VGA, headphone and microphone jacks, and a 3-in-1 memory card reader. This is a step down from the E1505, which featured all of those connections plus S-Video, FireWire, a 5-in-1 card reader, and optional Bluetooth. You'll also find an ExpressCard slot, but nothing for a PC Card.

The 1501 comes preinstalled with XP Media Center 2005 for convenient organization and access to photos, music, and video. It comes with Dell's Entertainment Pack for digital music, photos, and games, as well as Adobe Acrobat, Sonic, Cyberlink, Microsoft Works 8, and a six-month trial version of America Online. Unlike the Dell E1505, the 1501 cannot connect to a TV tuner, and it lacks Dell Media Direct, which means that you have to boot into Windows to access media.

Although the Dell Inspiron 1501 demonstrated stronger wireless performance than the Dell Inspiron E1505 and has a lower price point, we can't recommend the notebook over its far more functional predecessor. If you're looking for a decent machine that won't break the bank, it's worth a look. Just remember, you get exactly what you pay for.

Specifications:

CPU:  1.79-GHz AMD Turion 64 X2 Dual-Core TL-56

RAM Included:  1GB

RAM Upgradable To:  2GB

Hard Drive Size:  80GB

Hard Drive Speed:  5,400rpm

Optical Drive Type:  CD Burner/DVD Combo Drive

Optical Drive Speed:  24X

Display Size (inches):  15.4

Native Resolution:  1280x800

Graphics Card:  ATI Radeon Xpress 1150

Video Memory:  256MB

Wi-Fi:  802.11b/g

Operating System:  MS Windows XP Media Center

Ports (excluding USB):  Headphone; Microphone; VGA

USB Ports:  4

Card Slot(s):  3-1 card reader; ExpressCard

Warranty/Support:  One-year/mail-in service, hardware warranty support, lifetime 24/7 toll-free

Size:  14 x 10.4 x 1.4 inches

Weight:  6.4 pounds

Acer Aspire 9800

The Acer Aspire 9800 is an all-in-one multimedia machine that packs an Intel Centrino Duo processor, a massive 20.1-inch display, a powerful Nvidia GeForce 7600 graphics card, and an integrated HD-DVD drive into one very large package. This desktop replacement gives you almost everything you'll need for a killer multimedia experience, except easy portability.

First things first, this machine isn't for the feeble. Weighing a hefty 17.2 pounds, the Acer Aspire 9800 rides shotgun with the Dell XPS M2010 as one of the largest laptops ever; the display alone is thicker than some notebooks. The entire system is 2.4 inches thick.

We took advantage of the huge screen and integrated HD-DVD drive to view the hi-def version of Aeon Flux. Colors popped, blacks looked very dark, and the glossy screen didn't distract with heavy reflections. When we watched the movie in full-screen mode, however, we saw a small drop in quality: That's because unlike the Toshiba Qosmio G35-AV650, the 9800's LCD doesn't support WUXGA resolution (1900 x 1220 pixels); with this configuration, you get WXSGA+ (1680 x 1050 pixels). Like the Qosmio, the 9800 can play HD-DVD content but not burn it to disc.

On the plus side, the built-in Acer 3DSonic stereo speakers and the bass-heavy Acer BasSonic subwoofer delivered very strong sound. For those who want to connect the 9800 to surround sound speakers, Acer includes an S/PDIF output.

In fact, the 9800 is littered with almost every connectivity option you'd expect a multimedia machine to have. You get four USB ports, an ExpressCard slot, and a 4-in-1 memory card reader that accepts SD, Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro, and xD formats. The back of the notebook houses an HDMI output for hooking up this behemoth to an HDTV, and a TV tuner for picking up broadcast TV. The 9800 also includes an integrated 1.3-megapixel webcam (with a knob for angling the camera up or down) for face-to-face communication.

The front bezel houses a slew of easily accessible ports and switches for inserting headphones or a microphone and activating Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. Right in the middle of all this multimedia connectivity is a comfortable, full-sized keyboard. However, some may not like typing that close to the 20.1-inch display; we would prefer a detachable keyboard, like the Dell XPS M2010's.

Labeled, illuminated multimedia controls align the left side of the keyboard. The topmost button, labeled Acer Arcade, launches Windows Media Center, which lets users watch TV via an integrated TV tuner and record programming to the humongous 240GB hard drive. Acer kindly includes a remote control, so you can easily access these features while kicking back.

The 8,690 3DMark03 score and 4,203 PCMark05 score demonstrate that the 9800 offers good 3D graphics and productivity performance. In our F.E.A.R. test, the 9800 ran at a smooth 49 fps on the autodetect setting (640 x 480-pixel resolution) and at a decent 27 fps at the maximum setting (1024 x 768-pixel resolution), making this a machine that can handle all but the most demanding games. Wi-Fi performance was a bit disappointing, with average wireless scores of 6.9 Mbps 15 feet from our access point and 6.1 Mbps from 50 feet.

Battery life is the other underperforming aspect of the 9800. During our DVD rundown tests, the notebook lasted a paltry one hour and ten minutes with Wi-Fi on and only three minutes longer with Wi-Fi turned off. Granted, this is an abysmal amount of juice, but we can't imagine anyone lugging a 17.2-pound desktop replacement too far from an outlet. If you do, the 9800 features Acer QuickCharge technology, which should recharge the battery up to 80-percent capacity within an hour.

The 9800 comes with a pretty standard software package, including CyberLink Power Producer, Norton AntiVirus, and NTI CD-Maker with Acer GridVista-a software utility that improves productivity by dividing this system's larger-than-life screen into four windows, each one designated to a specific application.

Although the Acer Aspire 9800 offers a bigger screen than the Qosmio and is cheaper than the Dell XPS M2010, the Qosmio has a higher-res display, and the M2010 has better ergonomics. Still, this system offers a lot of multimedia bang for your buck.

Specifications:

CPU:  2.16-GHz Intel Core Duo T2600

RAM Included:  2GB

RAM Upgradable To:  4GB

Hard Drive Size:  240GB

Hard Drive Speed:  5,400rpm

Hard Drive Type:  SATA Hard Drive

Optical Drive Type:  DVD+R DL;HD DVD ROM

Optical Drive Speed:  2.4X

Display Size (inches):  20.1

Native Resolution:  1680x1050

Graphics Card:  Nvidia GeForce Go 7600

Video Memory:  256MB

Wi-Fi:  802.11a/b/g

Bluetooth:  Bluetooth 2.0

Operating System:  MS Windows XP Media Center

Ports (excluding USB):  Audio-in; Firewire; HDMI; Headphone; S-Video; S/PDIF; TV tuner/coaxial

USB Ports:  4

Card Slot(s):  4-1 card reader; ExpressCard; PC Card; Type II

Warranty/Support:  One-year parts and labor limited warranty/toll-free service and support

Size:  18.7 x 13.9 x 2.4 inches

Weight:  17.2 pounds

BlackBerry Curve 8320

it's not the first BlackBerry with built-in Wi-Fi, but it's the best. In fact, the BlackBerry Curve 8320 is the best BlackBerry we've tested--period. RIM and T-Mobile took our favorite keyboard-equipped smart phone and added unlimited Wi-Fi calling for a reasonable $19.99 per month (starting in October), whether you're on your home network or at one of thousands of T-Mobile HotSpot locations. Add in the same sharp two-megapixel camera, robust media player, and good call quality we loved on the AT&T version--and throw in MyFaves and instant messaging--and you have a winner.

Weighing only 3.9 ounces and measuring 0.6 inches thick, the light and sleek Curve 8320 looks nearly identical to the AT&T-branded model, but you do get two color choices: titanium and pale gold (we tested the latter). We still love the rounded edges, the fast, spacious keyboard, and bright 2.5-inch display. You also get the same intuitive trackball for menu navigation and a 3.5mm audio jack for listening to tunes using your own headphones.

One unique (and welcome) difference is the new T-Mobile Zen-themed main menu, which includes five spots for your myFaves contacts. You get one-click access to these contacts via e-mail, calling, or text messaging right from the home screen. (You can even IM contacts from this menu if the other person is signed in.) Beneath this area is a row of icons for accessing frequently used applications like e-mail, calendar, and the browser.

The Curve 8320 is very much like its cousin in the features department, too. A 312-MHz processor provides snappy performance; the 2-MP camera takes sharp pictures without much of a shutter delay (but doesn't capture video); and the bundled Roxio software makes transferring music, photos, and videos to the device easy. We especially like we can multitask; we could easily switch from the music player to the Web browser without missing a beat and still have control over our tracks' volume. And like all BlackBerrys, the 8320 is an excellent push e-mail device and personal organizer.

What makes this model better than the AT&T version is how T-Mobile leverages the Curve 8320's Wi-Fi connection. Unlike the BlackBerry 8820, which merely uses Wi-Fi as a stand-in for EDGE when surfing the Web and viewing e-mail, the 8320 can make phone calls over Wi-Fi using the T-Mobile HotSpot @Home service. The carrier offers specialized routers along with this service that do a good job of prioritizing calls over other types of data traffic, but because they use the older 802.11g technology, we stuck with our own 802.11n-based home network. Call quality was still quite good, and voices came through loud and clear on our end of the line.

The 8320 also did a fairly good job handing off calls from Wi-Fi to GSM, and vice versa. The experience was a little smoother than when we first tested the T-Mobile HotSpot @Home service with the bargain-basement Nokia 6086. When standing outside a Starbucks in Manhattan, one of nearly 8,500 HotSpot locations in the U.S., our phone took about a minute to recognize and switch over to the T-Mobile HotSpot network, but our test call connected without any issues. As we walked away from the coffee shop, the call automatically switched back to T-Mobile's GSM network without a hiccup.

At home, we experienced some dropped calls when walking away from our house in one direction as the call switched from our Wi-Fi network to GSM but not when we walked in another direction. If you start a call on Wi-Fi and switch over to cellular, the call counts against your unlimited HotSpot @Home plan, not your monthly allotment of cellular minutes. However, if you start a call and then roam onto your home network or a T-Mobile HotSpot, that call will eat into your cellular minutes.

We were pleasantly surprised with the call quality of the Curve 8320 over GSM as well, especially compared with other T-Mobile phones we've tested. Although one caller complained that it was tough to make out some of our words, other callers said we sounded fine, and we were generally satisfied with the clarity and volume on our end. A button on the right spine automatically activates voice dialing, and we had no problems pairing a Motorola stereo Bluetooth headset for calls and music.

Data performance was also quite good. Surfing over Wi-Fi didn't really speed things up, mostly because RIM's servers already compress Web pages, but we were impressed with the speed of the 8320's EDGE connection. In most cases, surfing on this device was just as fast (or faster) than with the AT&T Curve. Yes, the formatting is crude, but in most cases we got the info we wanted in less than 15 seconds. Unlimited data costs a reasonable $19.99 per month.

Another unique perk on this Curve is the array of instant messaging client s. In addition to BlackBerry Messenger, T-Mobile bundles AOL, Google Talk, ICQ, Windows Live, and Yahoo. We tested Google Talk and Yahoo and found both services snappy. Yahoo had better emoticons, but Google Talk's IMs showed up in our general Inbox.

As with all BlackBerrys, the Curve 8320 lasted a pretty long time on a charge. With moderate usage our device lasted about 3.5 days, compared with 4 days for the Wi-Fi--less AT&T Curve. Rated talk time is 4 hours and standby time an unrealistic 17 days.

If this device has a letdown, it's the integrated Maps application from Tele Atlas. It's certainly a useful app, but it feels like a watered-down version of TeleNav, which you'll find on some AT&T BlackBerrys. We like that you can look up addresses and get directions and that the software integrates with the Curve 8320's address book, but you can't search for businesses, and you don't get real-time turn-by-turn instructions as you do with the BlackBerry 8820.

You really can't go wrong with either the AT&T or T-Mobile BlackBerry Curve, but those looking to ditch the landline should consider the latter because of its ability to make unlimited calls via Wi-Fi for an affordable price. For $50 more, you get a smart phone that can be your only phone.

Specifications:

Carrier:  T-Mobile

Form Factor:  Other

Operating System:  BlackBerry OS

Bluetooth Type:  Bluetooth Stereo

Fast Data Network:  EDGE

Internal Memory:  64MB

Memory Expansion Type:  TransFlash/MicroSD

Music Player:  Yes

Video:  Yes

GPS:  No

FM Radio:  No

Display (main):  2.5 inches (320 x 240 pixels, 65,000+ colors)

Talk / Standby Time:  4 hours/17 days

Size:  4.2 x 2.4 x 0.6 inches

Weight:  3.9 ounces