Dell has finally come up with a 16-inch notebook that has a 16:9 aspect. Coupled it with new features and style, Dell has conceived the Studio XPS 16. A hybrid of Studio lines and XPS series, this laptop provides excellent performance with its multimedia features.

First, we have to look at the external design of the said machine.

Now this new notebook integrates the elegant look with superior designs for comfort and style. At a first look, you are likely to be convinced that this is indeed a new approach for Dell. Gone was the monotonous laptop fashion. They did brush off the aluminium inflection and added few features on chassis design to accommodate strength into its plus-factor lists. It also adopted some touch from the XPSM1330 and M1530, namely the wedge-shaped profile, drop hinge, slot-loading optical drive, and sensitive media buttons.

Studio XPS 16 comes only in single color – the piano black. This color matches the leader accent located at the rear part of the cover. Though the leather thing adds to the elegance but some would find it unattractive and unnecessary.

On the interior, we can find the LCD screen more vibrant and in good contrast because of 1080p Full HD RGBLED display. This will give us an excellent movie experience together with the built-in Blu-ray player. Most of the viewing angles are fantastic except for the lower viewing. If you tilt the screen forward, you will notice that the colors will disfigure. And if you are exposed in an extremely lit environment, there will be so much reflections from the screen making it hard for you to see anything from it.

Below the screen is a backlit keyboard with good spacing on its keys. It is firm and soft on your fingers, a necessity for touch typists. But the slight new curve of the keyboard may require a bit of a practice for you to make use to it. The touchpad works great but only a bit small ideally. Media buttons are also backlit and sensitive.

Now, here’s the great part; Studio XPS 16 is brained by Intel’s 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo P8600 CPU. And with a 4GB of RAM and a 64-bit version of Windows Vista, this hybrid notebook is merely powerful compared to other products. Multitasking will never be a problem using this unit. Additionally, the 512MB ATI Radeon HD3670 is good for multimedia system.

On the other hand, this great power comes with great weakness – its battery life. Its 6-cell battery can only give you 2 hours and 50 minutes life span. Therefore, if you will go to the lesser 6-cell battery unit, you can have 2 hours at most.

If the power isn’t enough, you can plug in its power cord located at the right side of the notebook alongside the ExpressCard slot, card reader, FireWire, slot-loading optical drive, combo USB/eSATA port. On the left side, we have the security lock slot, VGA, TV tuner antenna jack, Ethernet, DisplayPort, HDMI, 2 USB, microphone jack and 2 headphone jacks. At the front you can only see indicator lights and IR port. And at the back, like most Dell’s do, it’s clean with ports and connections. Only a heat exhaust is visible.

Now we’ve come to the sad part. Controlling heat in Studio XPS 16 is a problem, especially if we are to work with graphics extremely. This flaw on the design is a huge drag for heat can greatly affect laptop’s performance and speed. As it heats up, hardware can’t normally function which therefore can lead to short life span of the unit itself.

So, if there’s someone who wants stylish and powerful laptop, this could be the one you’re looking for. But if you dislike the idea of getting sweaty laps and burning jeans, then this is not a good option. You can work with this notebook heavily if you are in an air-conditioned room and an attached power cord in it.

Buy Studop XPS 16 from Dell

Technical Specifications:

· Processor: Intel^® Core™2 Duo P8400 (2.2GHz/1066MHz FSB/3M L2Cache)

· Operating System: Genuine Windows Vista^® Ultimate x64 Edition

· Memory: Up to 8GB 1067MHz DDR3 SDRAM

· Chipset: Intel^® PM45 with Centrino^® 2

· Graphics: ATI Mobility RADEON HD 3670-512MB

· LCD Display: Edge-to-edge Glossy 16 inch HD WLED LCD display (720p)

· Audio and Speakers: 7 Watt Integrated Stereo Speakers with Subwoofer

· Hard Drives: Up to 500GB³ 5400RPM Hard Drive

· Optical Drives: 8X DVD+/-RW Slot-load Drive

· Power: 6 cell Battery

· Camera and Microphones: 2.0MP Integrated Webcam, Dual Digital Array Microphones

· Wireless:

Wi-Fi Options: Dell 1515 Wireless N Mini-Card, Intel^® 5100 Wireless N Half Mini-Card, Intel^® 5300 Wireless N Half Mini-Card

Mobile Broadband: Dell Wireless 5530 Mini-Card for AT&T, Dell Wireless 5720s Mini-Card for Sprint, Dell Wireless 5720v Mini-Card for Verizon

Bluetooth Options: Bluetooth^® Internal (2.0) mini-card- Standard

· Ports, Slots, Chassis:

Externally Accessible: (2) USB 2.0 compliant ports, (1) USB 2.0 compliant / e-SATA port with PowerShare, 15-pin VGA video connector, IEEE compliant 1394a port, Integrated network connector 10/100/1000 LAN (RJ45), 54mm Express Card slot, Display Port, HDMI Port, AC adapter connector, Audio jacks (2 line-out, 1 Mic-in), 8-in-1 Media Card Reader

Dimensions & Weight: Width: 15.15 inches (384.9mm), Height: 0.95 inches (24.1mm) front / 1.34 inches (33.95mm) back, Depth: 10.02 inches (254.6mm), Weight: Starting weight of 6.4 lbs. (2.91 kg)(16″ WLED display 6 cell battery). Weights will vary depending on configurations and manufacturing variability.

The main concerns of both laptop producers and laptop consumers are on the basic functions and performance of the computer. But with Studio XPS 13, the level of power is tied with an elegant look. At a first glance, you will notice its classy look but there’s more to it than its covering – the nVidia Hybrid SLI graphics. Hybrid power enabled switching the graphics card to a low power consuming state and the SLI enables scaling the graphics power to the integrated NVIDIA motherboard GPU. And amazingly, you can hardly experience lagging using this elegant notebook. As we can see, it offers up to 8GB of RAM. A pretty fast one if utilized.

This 13-inch notebook comes in two screen design options – the CCFL screen (compatible with 2MP camera) and the WLED screen (compatible with 1.3MP camera) which is a brighter one. But both has a resolution of about 1280×800, good enough to be incorporated with facial recognition software which can be configured as a security feature.

More features that you can enjoy in the Studio XPS 13 is the backlit keyboard, hinge-lights which indicate the battery charge and computer power status, the integrated webcam, and the Vista PCRestore. The keyboard is renovated to fit the small size and therefore some keys were relocated.

Its brilliant genuine leather accents and glossy surface is indeed an attractive combination. The leather part provides the grip while the glossy element provides the elegance. But these stylish cover is negated by the aluminium hinges which looks like a misplaced plastic attachment. It certainly is a distraction.

Moreover, Studio XPS 13 didn’t have enough of its ports. It only contains 2 USB ports – one is a regular USB port while the other is an e-SATA USB port where you can also plug in a regular USB device. These two ports are found on the left side of the notebook alongside the security cable slot, VGA, Ethernet, display-port connector and an HDMI port. On the opposite side, we have the ExpressCard slot, FireWire port, DVD drive, and the power connector port. The rear part is clean with ports and jacks showing only a single vent for hot air on the left-part of the base.

Now this vent has its downside with respect to its screen. The left part of the screen will result to discoloration since it blocks the vent for hot air. Now, this would further result to screen display distortion, or worse, malfunction of the screen.

Overall, this machine has great capabilities in terms of its core functions. But its drawbacks, the faulty cover function design and the minimum ports, are a bit incompetent. Considering the slight imperfections, these mistakes made the Studio XPS 13 less viable with the price of $1,524.00.

Technical Specifications:

· Processor: Intel^® Core™2 Duo P9500 (2.53GHz, 3MB L2 Cache, 1067MHz FSB)

· Operating System: Genuine Windows Vista^® Ultimate x64 Edition

· Memory: Up to 8GB² 1067MHz DDR3 SDRAM.

· Chipset: NVIDIA^® MCP79MX

· Graphics: NVIDIA^® GeForce^® 9400M G

· LCD Display: “Edge-to-edge” Glossy 13.3 inch WXGA CCFL LCD display

· Audio and Speakers: 4 Watt Integrated Stereo Speakers, 2 watts per channel, 2 channels

· Hard Drives: Up to 500GB² configured with a 5400RPM hard drive.

· Optical Drives: 8X DVD+/-RW Slot Load Drive

· Power: 6 cell 56 WHr Li-Ion Battery

· Camera: 2.0MP Integrated Webcam (with CCFL display)

· Wireless:

Wi-Fi Options: Dell 1515 Wireless N Mini-Card

Mobile Broadband Options: Dell Wireless 5530 Mini-Card for AT&T^TM

Bluetooth Options: Bluetooth^® Internal (2.0) mini-card

· Ports, Slots, Chassis:

Externally Accessible: (1) USB 2.0 compliant ports, USB 2.0 compliant / e-SATA port with Powershare, 15-pin VGA video connector, IEEE compliant 1394a port, Integrated network connector 10/100/1000 LAN (RJ45), 54mm Express Card slot, Display Port, HDMI Port, AC adapter connector, Audio jacks (2 line-out, 1 Mic-in), 8-in-1 Media Card Reader

Dimensions & Weight: Width: 12.56 inches (319mm), Height: 0.88 inches (22.55mm) front / 1.35 inches (34.34mm) back, Depth: 9.3 inches (236.12mm), Weight: Starting weight of 4.85 lbs. (2.2 kg)⁶(13.3″ display, 6 cell battery). Weights will vary depending on configurations and manufacturing variability.

Buy Dell Studio 15 laptop

At a first glance, you can tell that Dell’s Studio 15 is an affordable notebook. Its cover is so plain and simple, yet rewarded with different color options. You can choose among its seven colors: Plum Purple, Tangerine Orange, Flamingo Pink, Midnight Blue, Ruby Red, Spring Green or standard Jet Black. Dell, this time, is producing notebooks using cheaper materials.

Unlike the XPS series where elegance is at its front, Studio 15 is a good choice for those who are after inexpensive laptops but with good performance. The thicker look of this Dell product has added to its economical approach.

Dell also has enhanced its strength. With a new chassis design, bumps and impacts are tolerable. But, of course, throwing it from the 20th floor is not a good durability test.

Dell XPS Studio 15 is designed merely for its function. With lesser mobility features compared to other breeds of laptops, its edge is on the design are the elements like the wedge-shaped profile, drop hinge, slot-loading optical drive, and sensitive media buttons. And these features are borrowed from the XPS series.

This 15-inch notebook holds a usual 1280×800 XGA resolution with a regular CCFL style display with backlights. Though you can have higher resolutions to enjoy your audio-visual presentations and movies in a higher-definition format like the Blu-ray drive, which is optional at this time.

Studio 15’s keyboard is properly arranged and has a good gap between key caps. The only thing that concerns us is the clanking when pressing these keys. On the other hand, it offers an optional backlight on keyboard if it suits your needs. The touch pad, however, is nice to work on because of its sensitivity.

The ports and connections are quite good for this laptop. We can find the IR port at the front which is essential in using remote control. But on the left side, it is packed with ports, namely WiFir on/off, security lock slot, WiFi catcher/locator, HDMI, VGA, 2 USB ports, Ethernet port, microphone jack, 2 headphone jacks, ExpressCard slot, and an 8-in-1 memory card reader. On the right side, we can see the Firewire, another 2 USB ports, slot-loading optical drive, power jack, and the power button.

The audio quality of this notebook is not so good compared to other laptops which have built-in subwoofers. But in a regular basis, it is enough for normal users. And with a noise so minimal when loading and ejecting a disk, there will be a minimal issue on unwanted noise.

Now, if we are to look at the hardware that is responsible for its performance, the Studio 15 can compete with its main counterparts. It comprises a 3GB of RAM and a 250GB HDD. It also has an Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 2.0GHz speed. But its graphic quality is not that impressive as it offers the minimal quality Dell could offer. If users are satisfied with Intel X300’s performance for graphics, then this notebook is acceptable.

In utilizing the power saving tool of Studio 15, the 6-cell battery is enough. It can give you up to 3 hours and 40 minutes of life. But if this isn’t satisfactory, then you can go with the 9-cell battery option. This might be the answer for your lengthy paperwork requirements.

So, this another business laptop Dell has developed, it is surely a good quality product in its price range. And if you don’t need better quality graphic outputs, then this notebook is recommendable for your daily needs causing you a $649 less on your wallet.

Buy Studio 15 from Dell

Technical Specifications:

· Processors: Up to Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor T9400 (2.53GHz, 6MB L2 Cache, 1066MHz FSB), High bin speed available: T9550, T9600, T9800

· Operating Systems: Up to 64-bit Genuine Windows Vista® Ultimate

· Memory: Up to 8GB Dual Channel 800MHz DDR2 memory support.

· Chipset: Upto Intel® Cantiga GM45 (for UMA) and PM45 (for Discrete)

· Graphics: Intel® Integrated Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD

Studio 15 discrete upsells: 256MB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4570, 512MB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4570

· LCD Display: Glossy widescreen 15.6 inch LED HD display (1366 x 768)

· Audio and Speakers: Intel High Definition Audio 2.2, Optional Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi MB Software Suite

· Hard Drives: Up to 500GB3 configured with a 5400 RPM SATA hard drive, Up to 320GB3 with a 7200 RPM SATA HDD

· Optical Drives: 8X Slot Load CD/DVD Writer (DVD+/-RW), 6X Slot Load Blue-ray/CD/DVD Combo Drive

· Power: 4-cell 37WHr Li-Ion Battery, 6-cell 56WHr Li-Ion Battery, 9-cell 85WHr Li-Ion Battery

· Camera: Built-in 2.0MP webcam

· Wireless:

Wi-Fi Options: Dell Wireless 1397 802.11b/g Half Mini Card, Intel WiFi Link 5100 802.11 a/g/n Half Mini Card, Dell 1510 802.11 n Half Mini Card, Intel WiFi Link 5300 802.11 a/g/n Half Mini Card

Mobile Broadband Options: Dell 5530 HSPA mini-card

Bluetooth Options: Dell Wireless 370 Bluetooth Internal (2.1) mini-card

· Ports, Slots, Chassis:

Externally Accessible: (2) USB 2.0 compliant 4-pin ports, USB/eSATA combination port, HDMI connector, 15-pin VGA video connector, Integrated network connector 10/100/1000 LAN (RJ45), AC adapter connector, Audio jacks (1 line-in, 1-line out, 1 Mic-in), 4-pin IEEE 1394 port, 34 mm ExpressCard slot,

Internal Card Slots: 2 Mini-Card, 1 Half Mini-Card, 2 Full Mini-Card

Dimensions & Weight: Width: 14.6 inches (371.6mm), Height: 1.0 inch (25.3mm) front / 1.5 inches (38.9mm) back, Depth: 10.0 inches (252.9mm), Weight: Starting weight of 5.54 lbs. (2.515 kg) with 15.6” HD TL LED, 6-cell battery, integrated graphics and a DVD+RW5 drive. Weights will vary depending on configurations and manufacturing variability.

Small business does not require undersized performance. In fact, such businesses often demands greater effort among its owners. Moreover, with limited number of people working with them, managing business transactions and other trade details will be a brain-drain. Thus, running the business must involve a management system with speed and precision. This is where business laptops enter the picture.

You can find a business laptop everywhere, in malls and on the web. But here’s a list of notebooks that you will surely consider before pulling off the trigger:

1. Acer Travelmate 6593

Travelmate 6593 is a laptop designed to match the needs of small business owners and self-employed individuals. It has a classy casing with magnesium-alloy chassis that gives strength and an optional docking solution for speedy secondary connections. Security features is a plus for this business notebook at an affordable selling price. If business is your life, this will definitely make your life richer.

Tech Specs:

· Fingerprint log-in feature

· Intel® Wireless WiFi Link network connection supporting 802.11a/b/g/Draft N wireless LAN, Acer® SignalUp technology for enhanced antenna efficiency

· Up to 4GB DDR3 1066 SDRAM

· From 4 to 6 hours battery life

· 6.6lbs

· 15.4” WXGA (1280×800) TFT LCD with white LED backlight

· $999.00

2. Lenovo ThinkPad T400

This notebook is in a perfect state of equilibrium – a great balance between power and portability. It has the fastest processor ever made at present. Moreover, it has a tremendous display with a 16:10 aspect with LED backlit. And if you are working under the glaring sun, reflections are never a problem for it has a matte finish on its screen. With all these features, who would expect this laptop will only cost you less than a thousand dollars?

Tech Specs:

· 1440 x 900 WXGA+ LED Backlit (Matte finish)

· Intel Core 2 Duo T9600 (2.83GHz, 1066MHz FSB, 6MB Cache)

· Graphics with ATI Mobility Radeon 3470 w/ 256MB (hybrid switching)

· 2GB DDR3 RAM

· 5.6lbs

· 14.1” display screen

· $749.00

3. Sony Vaio P Series

Sony has released a fashionable, yet functional, laptop in the form of Sony Vaio P-series. Its small size is a plus factor for mobility amongst business people. However, below its high-resolution 8-inch display is a huge keyboard which provides comfort to the user’s fingers in spite of its bantam range. Doing business with notebook at this size won’t make you feel smaller at all.

Tech Specs:

· 8-inch screen

· 2 GB of RAM DDR2 SDRAM – 533 MHz

· High-resolution display

· High Definition Audio

· 1.4lbs

· Huge keyboard

· $899.99

4. Dell Studio 15

As Dell continues to come up with a superior design that caters the needs of small businesses, Studio 15 was born. It is composed of a sensible battery life at about 3 hours and 40 minutes and a practical 3GB of RAM running with an Intel Core 2 Duo T5750 processor (2.0GHz). Plus, you can customize the color by choosing among seven options. It is indeed a stylish way to finish your business proposals.

Tech Specs:

· 3GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 at 800MHz

· 250GB SATA Hard Drive (5400RPM)

· Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD

· Glossy widescreen 15.6 inch LED HD display (1366 x 768)

· Intel WiFi Link 5300 802.11 a/g/n Half Mini Card

· 5.54lbs

· $649.00

5. HP Elitebook 6930

This business laptop fits for the workaholics. This notebook will not only be the most hardworking portable computing device but an ideal business machine for people with the busiest schedules. Along with its great performance and durability, this notebook can surely finish your presentations and business transactions ahead of schedule. Also, it comes with a lesser price. So, businessmen will find it hard to say no to this laptop.

Tech Specs:

· 24-hour battery

· Up to 4GB 800 MHz DDR2 SDRAM

· HP Mobile Broadband (powered by Gobi™); Intel 802.11a/b/g draft-n

· Spill-proof keyboard

· 4.7lbs

· 14.1-inch screen

· $1,149.00

Nowadays, everyone is eyeing for gadgets that are practical – it may be for work or for personal use. But when it comes to laptops, the primary concern of a potential user is its performance, durability, and portability. Whatever their needs that does not belong to any of the categories that are mentioned earlier, then they are searching for an add-on features.

When it comes to business professionals, their primary concerns go with the adaptability of the laptop. As much as possible, businessmen want to have a laptop which does not only allow them to make technical documents but also enables them to provide quality business presentations. And about add-on features, corporate folks also want to engage in high-tech, inexpensive video conferences. These virtual meetings are very common on huge companies that have different geographical bases around the globe. And running these establishments without being there physically saves a lot of time, money, and effort.

Now, as business laptops are meant for corporate people, this has to be basically portable. As mentioned a while ago, it is one of the primary concerns of a possible consumer. Although there are laptops with sizes like 17 inches or more, the ideal notebooks for business professionals would be 15 inches or less, depending on your comfort zone. If you think you’re old enough to acquire the smallest screen size, yet not rich enough to buy the most expensive one, there are a lot of business laptops available that is cheaper compared to other laptops within size range.

Weight does go along with the size usually. That is, the bigger the size, the heavier the weight. But it doesn’t really follow. All you need is just the right weight for you to gain access and save strength for the rest of the day’s work. A 2.2-lbs notebook is ideal for a business laptop. But a little bit heavier will do.

In business, functionality is very important. If you have the brains but none of those could function well, then you’re nothing. It’ll be the same with our laptops. All laptops have brains but the speed and stability is relative to its hardware components. This is the part where you have to take a glimpse on. If you are into graphics and image processing or photography and videography, then you need to have a faster and heavy-running processor. But if you’re a writer, I don’t think you need to maximize your video card to cater an intense gaming task. But, nonetheless, everything is not exclusive for anything. It doesn’t matter if you don’t play games on your laptop and you want the latest video card. If you are comfortable using higher specs than your basic requirement, so be it. As long as it doesn’t compromise your business function and productivity.