Sandra Vogel

Toshiba Satellite Pro L830 review

The Satellite Pro L830 isn't a particularly lightweight, compact or powerful 13.3in. notebook, and the screen quality could be better. Still, it's quite solidly made, there's plenty of hard drive storage and the price is reasonable.

August 17, 2012 by Sandra Vogel in Laptops

Dell Vostro 3560 review

The Vostro 3560's 1080p screen is well worth the extra outlay, and rest of the specification is solid, although we'd like more storage options. The physical design is unremarkable, the keyboard a little too flexible and battery life disappointing, but it's still good value for money.

August 14, 2012 by Sandra Vogel in Laptops

Fujitsu Siemens LifeBook S6420

Fujitsu Siemens has a wide — some might say bewildering — range of notebooks in its <a href="http://www.fujitsu-siemens.com/products/mobile/notebooks/index.html">professional portfolio</a>. In the LifeBook series there are E, S, P and T Series notebooks. Then there's the newer Esprimo range, which includes V, U, M, D and X Series notebooks. Within each letter-coded series there are often several models, which can make it a challenge to find the best fit for your needs.

November 23, 2008 by Sandra Vogel in Laptops

Itronix GoBook MR-1

<a href="http://www.gd-itronix.com/index.cfm?locale=en_UK&page=Itronix:Home">General Dynamics Itronix</a> is a specialist maker of rugged computers. And we really do mean rugged. The company produces machines in <a href="http://www.gd-itronix.com/index.cfm?page=products:rugged_class">several categories</a> from 'commercial grade' with limited durability through 'semi-rugged', 'fully rugged' all the way up to 'ultra rugged'.

April 7, 2008 by Sandra Vogel in Laptops

Acer TravelMate 6292

Acer has completely revamped its notebook range, coming up with new designs for both its <a href="http://reviews.zdnet.co.uk/hardware/notebooks/0,1000000333,39287071,00.htm">TravelMate</a> business systems and the Aspire consumer-focused notebooks. There are several TravelMates in the new line-up, ranging from our ultraportable review model, the <a href="http://www.acer.co.uk/acereuro/page4.do?sp=page3&dau22.oid=24417&UserCtxParam=0&GroupCtxParam=0&dctx1=17&CountryISOCtxParam=UK&LanguageISOCtxParam=en&ctx3=-1&ctx4=United+Kingdom&crc=524000703#inu57_42132">6292</a> up to a massive 17in. desktop replacement system, the 7720. Like all of the new range, our review model sports Intel’s recently released <a href="http://reviews.zdnet.co.uk/hardware/components/0,1000001694,39286985,00.htm">Santa Rosa</a> architecture.

May 18, 2007 by Sandra Vogel in Laptops

HP ProBook 4720s

The 17.3in. ProBook 4720s is likely to be deskbound for much of the time, although it will deliver good battery life if necessary. One or two niggles aside, this jumbo notebook combines stylish looks and good performance with very attractive pricing.

October 8, 2010 by Sandra Vogel in Laptops

GETAC B300

If you're looking for a rugged notebook, they don't come much tougher than the range offered by <a href="http://www.getac.com">GETAC</a>. The 13.3in. <a href="http://www.getac.com/getac/English/products/b300.aspx">B300</a> is a mid-range model, but its price tag is extremely high at £3,263 (ex. VAT). Naturally there's a premium to pay for GETAC's exceptionally robust systems, but at three times the price of a well-specified mainstream notebook, you're entitled to expect a great deal from the B300.

July 10, 2008 by Sandra Vogel in Laptops

Toshiba Portégé M700-110

The Tablet PC may not have taken off in the way its supporters hoped, but enough users swear by the format for a respectable number of hardware manufacturers to remain on-board. One is Toshiba, whose new <a href="http://uk.computers.toshiba-europe.com/cgi-bin/ToshibaCSG/jsp/seriesHomepage.do?service=UK&SERIES_ID=144314">Portégé M700</a> is its fourth-generation Tablet PC. There are two models, the <a href="http://uk.computers.toshiba-europe.com/cgi-bin/ToshibaCSG/jsp/productPage.do?service=UK&PRODUCT_ID=145877&toshibaShop=false">M700-110</a> version reviewed here being the least expensive of the pair. Among the features this £949 (ex. VAT) system lacks is a webcam and HSDPA connectivity.

April 15, 2008 by Sandra Vogel in Laptops

Panasonic Toughbook CF-W5

Ruggedised notebooks are generally larger and heavier than their regular counterparts — an inevitable consequence of designing a strong chassis that's resistant to incursion from water, dust and other materials, and protecting key internal components. Panasonic’s ultraportable <a href="http://www.toughbook.eu/ENG/notebook_cf-w5.aspx">Toughbook CF-W5</a> is what the company calls a '<a href="http://www.toughbook.eu/ENG/semi_ruggedized.aspx">semi-ruggedised</a>' system. It won’t stand being trodden on, but the hard drive and the display should cope with 30cm drops, while the magnesium-thickened chassis offers a generally high level of protection. Meanwhile, heat is dissipated through the case using heat pipes rather than air vents, offering some protection against dust and dirt incursion.

February 6, 2007 by Sandra Vogel in Laptops

Dell Vostro 3555

Despite a number of drawbacks, the Vostro 3555 could be a good buy if you're looking for a low-cost business workhorse. It's also the first business notebook we've seen with three USB 3.0 ports.

May 8, 2012 by Sandra Vogel in Laptops

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